Joy of Life: Me, the Second Prince? Summon Yuan Tiangang!

"That's because Auntie overworked." Li Chengze stood up, patted his clothes, and said in a serious tone, "The so-called 'a relaxed mind leads to a healthy body'... uh, no, it's 'a relaxed mind leads to a healthy body.' If Auntie worries less and listens to music and appreciates flowers more often, this 'illness' will naturally heal itself without medicine."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunrui gave him a deep look, then slowly withdrew her hand, a strange smile playing on her lips.

"Your pulse-taking technique is quite skillful."

She had been observing him secretly. Although Li Chengze seemed casual, the pressure he applied with his fingers, the acupoints he pressed, and even the breathing rate when taking his pulse were exactly the same as those old imperial physicians who had been immersed in medicine for decades, and even more precise and experienced.

If an ordinary person were to pretend, they would certainly not be able to do it so smoothly, let alone accurately locate the pulse points of the cun, guan, and chi positions.

Li Yunrui pondered to himself: This kid always likes to hide in the palace reading idle books, including many rare medical classics. Could it be... that he possesses an extraordinary talent for medicine?

How could someone learn everything without a teacher, and even cure Wan'er's terminal illness, simply by reading books?

If that's true, then this talent is probably even more terrifying than the poetic talent he has displayed.

"Hehe, Auntie, you flatter me." Li Chengze scratched his head, looking honest and simple. "It's just that I read a lot of different books and just imitate what others have learned. As long as I didn't hurt you, Auntie, it's fine."

"To imitate a cat and draw a tiger..." Li Yunrui repeated these four words softly, his smile deepening, but also growing colder. "To be able to draw so realistically is quite a skill."

She picked up the gold hairpin again and gently twirled it between her fingers, the sharp tip gleaming coldly in the candlelight.

"Alright, since you say I'm not sick, I'm relieved." Li Yunrui's tone returned to its lazy tone. "It's getting late, you should go back. Keep that token safe, don't lose it."

"Alright! Then I won't disturb Aunt's rest any longer."

Li Chengze felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He quickly bowed and turned to leave.

Only when he stepped out of the Guangxin Palace gates and was hit by the cold wind did Li Chengze's憨笑 (simple and honest smile) vanish instantly. He glanced back at the brightly lit palace, a cold glint in his eyes.

"Not sick? Hmph, you're truly terminally ill."

He murmured something to himself, then climbed into the carriage that was already waiting outside.

Back at his residence, Li Chengze held the token in his hand, his eyes flashing slightly. With this token, he had enough reason and resources to cultivate his open power.

"I hope you'll be safe!"

Li Chengze shouted, and Xie Bi'an walked in from outside the door carrying a sword.

"Your Highness."

"Take this to your spending points and buy a few shops and restaurants."

"yes!"

…………

Time flies like an arrow; it's over in the blink of an eye.

The spring breeze in Kyoto has turned the willow tips green eight times and dyed the maple leaves red eight times.

For the people of Qing Kingdom, these eight years were a period of good weather, peace, and prosperity. But for those at the center of the power struggle in the capital, these eight years were a period of undercurrents and constant intrigue.

The struggle between the second prince, Li Chengze, and the crown prince, Li Chengqian, gradually evolved from a battle of egos into a clear-cut factional struggle in the court.

Crown Prince Li Chengqian continued to live in the Eastern Palace, adhering to the so-called "orthodox" system of ruler-subject relations.

He became more composed, and also more sinister.

In order to secure his position as crown prince, he courted civil officials and befriended powerful figures, attempting to wrap himself in an impenetrable network of relationships to protect himself from his "unruly" second brother.

Li Chengze, on the other hand, became a "strange sight" in Kyoto.

He still doesn't like wearing shoes, still likes to squat on a chair eating grapes, and still has a lazy and world-weary look.

But beneath his appearance lies a sharp edge that keeps the Crown Prince awake at night.

During these eight years, Li Chengze did not deliberately form factions in the court, yet he always managed to command a large following.

He took the path of a "lone minister," but employed methods to "win over hearts and minds."

The Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and even the usually neutral Censorate all secretly pledged their allegiance to him. This was solely because the Second Prince was "fair" in his dealings.

In a certain year, there was cheating in the imperial examinations, and the prince's protégés were implicated. The prince tried to cover it up, but it only made things worse.

Li Chengze, however, in the imperial court in front of Emperor Qing, threw an account book filled with names on the ground, stepped on it barefoot, and said with a grin, "Father, this book is a waste of time; it's better not to read it at all. This official position has become a business; it's better not to do it at all."

In that battle, the Crown Prince lost three key generals, but Li Chengze won the hearts of scholars from humble backgrounds across the land.

The more he acted as if he didn't care about the position, the more the court officials felt he had the appearance of a "wise ruler".

This strange prestige made Li Chengze's position in the court as stable as Mount Tai, and even gave him the potential to overshadow the Crown Prince.

Of course, all of this is inseparable from the infiltration of the "Net".

Over eight years, Zhao Gao wove a net so tight it was impenetrable.

From the secret affairs of princes and nobles to the gossip of ordinary people on the street, everything was under Li Chengze's control.

Meanwhile, the "human-cat" Han Diaosi remained hidden in the palace.

However, the growth of power did not bring Li Chengze much happiness.

One thing became a thorn in his side, and also a thread through which Emperor Qing controlled him.

That was his marriage to Lin Wan'er.

Since Li Chengze "cured" Lin Wan'er's tuberculosis eight years ago, this "Princess Lin," who was originally confined to her boudoir, has become the most dazzling pearl in the capital.

She was no longer that sickly, frail girl who could die at any moment.

Lin Wan'er is now stunningly beautiful, with a gentle yet lively personality, and is healthy enough to accompany Li Chengze on horseback hunting trips to the Western Hills.

The feelings between the two, after eight years of living together day and night, have long surpassed the bond between cousins, and even the ordinary feelings between a man and a woman.

They were confidants, partners, and each other's only solace under this cold imperial power.

On the first and fifteenth of each lunar month, or when he was feeling down, Li Chengze would always go to the Royal Villa.

The back garden of the villa became their secret haven.

"Second brother, you're not wearing shoes again."

Lin Wan'er, now a graceful young woman, wore a light purple fairy dress and held a book in her hands. She looked helplessly at Li Chengze, who was squatting on the artificial hill feeding the fish.

Li Chengze turned around, looking at the radiant woman in the sunlight, his eyes filled with doting affection. He jumped down from the artificial hill, casually rubbed the mud off his feet on the grass, and laughed, "This soil is good for you, Wan'er, why don't you try it too?"

Lin Wan'er rolled her eyes at him, stepped forward, and took out a silk handkerchief to wipe the fine sweat from his forehead.

"I heard... His Majesty rejected your petition for a marriage decree again yesterday?" Lin Wan'er's voice was very soft, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

Li Chengze's smile froze slightly, but he quickly regained his nonchalant expression. He reached out and took Lin Wan'er's hand, his fingertips gently tracing her palm.

"The old man, he's getting on in years, he always likes to play some balancing act." Li Chengze's tone was relaxed, but his eyes were somewhat cold. "He's afraid. He's afraid that if I marry you, it will be the same as gaining the support of Prime Minister Lin, and he's even more afraid that through you, I will get control of the Imperial Treasury from the Eldest Princess."

Lin Wan'er is the illegitimate daughter of the eldest princess and the apple of Lin Ruofu's eye.

Whoever marries her will essentially control half of the Qing Kingdom's wealth and the support of the civil service.

Over the past eight years, Li Chengze had mentioned it countless times, both openly and secretly, but Emperor Qing's attitude remained ambiguous.

Neither refusing nor agreeing.

It's like a carrot dangling in front of a donkey—you can see it, you can smell it, but you can never eat it.

"Wan'er, do you believe me?" Li Chengze suddenly stopped smiling and looked at her seriously.

Lin Wan'er raised her head, her gaze resolute: "I believe you. From the day you healed me, my life belongs to you. In this life, I will not marry anyone but my second cousin."

Li Chengze felt a pang of pain in his heart and suddenly pulled her into his arms.

"Wait a little longer, Wan'er. Wait a little longer," he whispered in her ear, his voice hoarse. "I'll make the old man have no choice but to agree. Even if... I have to steal it."

Inside the Imperial Study, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

Emperor Qing, dressed in a loose white robe, was carefully wiping an arrowhead. His movements were slow and focused, as if he were holding not a weapon of death, but a rare treasure.

"Your Majesty, the Second Prince went to the other residence again today."

The head eunuch, Hou Gonggong, bowed and reported cautiously.

Emperor Qing didn't even look up, and gave a faint "hmm": "This kid is quite loyal."

"Your Majesty, it seems that Prime Minister Lin is getting a little anxious. Yesterday in court, although he didn't say it explicitly, he implied in his words that Princess Wan'er is not young."

"What's the rush?" Emperor Qing blew the dust off the arrowhead, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Good things come to those who wait."

He lowered the arrow, raised his head, and his gaze was as deep as an abyss.

"He's too clever, so clever that sometimes even I'm alarmed. For the past eight years, he's navigated the court with ease, forcing Chengqian to retreat step by step. If I were to betroth Wan'er to him now and hand over the Imperial Treasury to him, would Chengqian have any chance of survival? Could the court still maintain its balance?"

Emperor Qing stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the gloomy sky outside.

"Moreover, I have prepared an even better whetstone for him."

Hou Gonggong's heart skipped a beat, and he dared not reply.

"Fan Xian, are we almost there?" Emperor Qing suddenly asked.

"Your Majesty, news has come from the Censorate that Young Master Fan Xian's convoy has passed Danzhou and is expected to arrive in the capital this afternoon."

"Very well." A glint of light flashed in Emperor Qing's eyes. "Issue my decree: after Fan Xian enters the capital, he shall be betrothed to Lin Wan'er."

Eunuch Hou was terrified and knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty! This...this Second Prince..."

"I want to see what he does," Emperor Qing's voice was cold and ruthless. "I want to see if he will turn against me for a woman, or swallow his pride for the sake of the greater good."

Outside Kyoto, on the official road.

A seemingly ordinary convoy of carriages was slowly making its way towards the city gate. Inside one of the carriages sat a handsome young man with a clever look in his eyes.

He lifted the curtain, looked at the majestic city, and a cynical smile played on his lips.

"This is Kyoto... It's not as scary as I've heard."

Fan Xian stretched and turned to his Uncle Wu Zhu beside him, asking, "Uncle, what kind of person is that Second Prince?"

Wu Zhu, still covered by a black cloth, coldly uttered two words: "I don't know."

Fan Xian shrugged: "I heard he and Princess Wan'er were childhood sweethearts and have a deep bond. But the Emperor insists on betrothing the princess to me... Tsk tsk, isn't this blatantly pushing me into a fire pit? If the Second Prince finds out, he'll skin me alive!"

Meanwhile, at the Second Prince's residence.

Li Chengze was sitting in a grand chair in his study, toying with a crystal-clear grape in his hand.

In the shadows of the study, Tian Kui Xing knelt on one knee, his voice low: "Your Highness, Fan Xian's convoy has entered the city. News has spread from the palace... His Majesty has drafted an edict to bestow Princess Lin Wan'er in marriage to Fan Xian."

"Snapped!"

The grapes in Li Chengze's hand were instantly crushed, and the purplish-red juice flowed down his fingers like blood.

The air in the study seemed to freeze instantly, and the temperature plummeted to freezing point.

Tian Kui Xing lowered his head, not daring to breathe. He could feel the terrifying killing intent emanating from His Highness, a fury he hadn't felt in eight years.

After a long while, Li Chengze slowly released his hand, letting the juice drip onto the expensive carpet.

He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and slowly wiped his fingers. The expression on his face gradually returned to calm from its ferocity, and even... a strange smile appeared on his face.

"Excellent, Father. That was a brilliant move."

Li Chengze stood up, walked to the window, looked in the direction of the palace, and his eyes flashed with a crazy light.

"Are you trying to disgust me with Fan Xian? Are you trying to test my limits with him?"

"What a pity, Father. You miscalculated one thing."

Li Chengze casually tossed the handkerchief he was using to wipe his hands out the window, watching it flutter in the wind.

"I've read Fan Xian's files and learned about his actions in Danzhou. He's not someone who's willing to be a pawn. He's a double-edged sword; if used well, he can pierce the heavens; if used poorly, he'll wound the hand of the one wielding the sword."

"Since Father Emperor sent this sword to Kyoto..."

Li Chengze turned around, a wicked and arrogant smile curving his lips, and said to the shadows:

"Pass down the order: cancel all assassination plots targeting Fan Xian. Not only should he not be killed, but he should also be... protected."

Tian Kui Xing was taken aback: "Your Highness? He's here to snatch the princess..."

"Borrow?" Li Chengze sneered. "Wan'er's heart is with me. What can he use to steal it? A marriage contract? That's just a piece of paper."

He sat back down in his chair, his gaze becoming deep and distant.

"Fan Xian is Ye Qingmei's son, someone whom Chen Pingping of the Censorate and Fan Jian, the Minister of Revenue, would protect with their lives. His background is even stronger than the Crown Prince's. I... want him to be my weapon."

"A blade, the sharpest it could have been, aimed at Emperor Qing."

Li Chengze picked up a fresh grape and raised it towards the air, as if to salute the young man who was about to enter the capital.

"Fan Xian, welcome to Kyoto's grand prison. Don't disappoint me..."

We wholeheartedly recommend this book to you: *Joy of Life: I, the Second Prince? Summoning Yuan Tiangang!* (Read more here.)