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

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The Second Prince's Residence, a separate study.

A golden streak of light silently pierced the night sky and fell into the courtyard without stirring up a speck of dust.

Li Chengze casually removed his mask, revealing his handsome face with a hint of excitement.

He casually tossed the mask onto the table with a crisp sound, then slumped unceremoniously onto the cushioned armchair and let out a long sigh.

"Whew—that felt great!"

Li Chengze picked up the tea that had long since gone cold from the table and drank it all in one gulp.

Recalling the fierce battle with Wu Zhu just now, the blood in his body had not yet been completely calmed down.

That was the first time he had truly gone all out since he came into this world.

"Wu Zhu... the envoy of the temple, truly lives up to his reputation."

Li Chengze tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, his mind replaying every detail of the battle as if on a slideshow.

Wu Zhu's speed was extremely fast; his pure physical speed and computational ability were a nightmare for close combat.

A confident smile curved Li Chengze's lips, his eyes gleaming. "After this battle, I've finally figured out my own strength. Now, with my Heavenly Gang Inner Force and the maxed-out Heavenly Gang Technique, I'm strong enough to suppress Wu Zhu in terms of regular combat power. As long as..."

His eyes narrowed slightly as he thought of the ultimate weapon hidden under Wu Zhu's double eyelids in the original work—the laser eyes.

"As long as I guard against the attack when he takes off his blindfold, Wu Zhu is no match for me."

He was captivated by the feeling of control over power.

He is now a true predator at the top of the food chain, relying solely on himself.

……

Meanwhile, in another secluded residence in Kyoto.

Fan Xian paced anxiously back and forth in the room. The dim light inside illuminated his ever-changing expression.

An hour has passed since Uncle Wuzhu went to hunt down Lin Gong. Logically speaking, with Uncle Wuzhu's strength, killing Lin Gong would be a piece of cake, and he should have returned long ago.

"Has something happened?"

A sense of foreboding rose in Fan Xian's heart. Although he knew that Uncle Wu Zhu was ridiculously strong, this was, after all, the capital city, a place teeming with hidden talents, and who knew what unexpected changes might occur.

Just as he was lost in thought, the window opened silently.

A dark figure appeared in the room like a ghost.

"Uncle Wuzhu!" Fan Xian exclaimed in surprise and hurried over to greet him.

However, when he saw Wu Zhu's appearance clearly, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Wu Zhu was still dressed in black, with his face covered by a black cloth, but the iron halberd in his hand was slightly bent, and his clothes were torn in several places, with even some burn marks.

"You're injured?!" Fan Xian was shocked and quickly stepped forward to check on him.

"I'm not injured." Wu Zhu's voice remained calm and even, as if stating something unrelated to himself. "My clothes are just torn."

"What about Lin Gong? Was he killed?" Fan Xian asked.

"We didn't kill them." Wu Zhu shook his head. "They were stopped by someone."

"We were stopped?!"

Fan Xian gasped, feeling a chill run down his spine.

In this world, there are very few people who can stop Uncle Wuzhu from killing!

"Who is it? A Grandmaster? Ye Liuyun? Or that Hong Siyang from the palace?" Fan Xian asked anxiously.

Wu Zhu was silent for a moment, seemingly organizing data, before slowly saying, "It wasn't Ye Liuyun, nor Hong Siyang. I don't know that person. He was wearing a mask and called himself 'Nameless'."

"Nameless?" Fan Xian frowned. This name was too common; it was clearly a pseudonym.

"He's very strong," Wu Zhu continued, his tone unusually serious. "His true energy is golden, extremely yang and powerful, with incredibly strong defensive capabilities. My iron spike couldn't pierce his protective true energy. He's very strong; he could knock me back with a single punch."

"Golden true energy... supremely masculine and powerful..."

Fan Xian stroked his chin, his brain racing as he searched his mind for all possible candidates who might fit the criteria.

"To be able to fight you to a draw, and even force you to retreat, means you must be at least at the peak of the ninth rank, or even half a step into the Grandmaster level! Such a person could not possibly be unknown in the capital."

Fan Xian walked to the table and sat down, dipping his finger in tea and drawing circles on the table.

"The first possibility is that it's one of Prime Minister Lin's men. After all, Lin Gong is his son, and Lin Ruofu, as the current prime minister, has a deep background and may be hiding some unknown trump cards. But... if Prime Minister Lin really has a master of this level, why didn't he send this person when Lin Gong planned the assassination in Niulan Street? If this person had been the one to do it, I would have died eight hundred times over."

Fan Xian shook his head and crossed out the guess.

"The second possibility is Princess Li Yunrui." A cold glint flashed in Fan Xian's eyes. "This madwoman has controlled the Imperial Treasury for many years, possesses immense wealth, and has connections with both Northern Qi and Dongyi City. It's not impossible that she keeps several peerless masters under her command. Moreover, Lin Gong is one of her people, so it's perfectly reasonable for her to send someone to rescue him."

"But..." Fan Xian paused, "If the Eldest Princess has a master who can rival Uncle Wu Zhu, why has she kept it hidden all this time? Moreover, golden true energy... it sounds more like some kind of orthodox Taoist or Buddhist esoteric skill, not like the methods of those sinister assassins."

"There's one last possibility..."

Fan Xian's fingers stopped on the table, his fingertips turning slightly white, and his eyes became extremely solemn.

He slowly raised his head and looked in the direction of the palace.

"Emperor Qing".

The two words he uttered seemed to carry an immense weight.

"If it was His Majesty..." Fan Xian felt a chill run down his spine. "If His Majesty sent someone to rescue Lin Gong, what does that mean? It means he knows I'm going to kill Lin Gong, it means Uncle Wu Zhu's existence has been exposed to him. Did he send this 'Nameless' to rescue Lin Gong, or was it... a test?"

"Testing the strength around me, testing Uncle Wuzhu's capabilities!"

Fan Xian grew increasingly terrified as he thought about it. Emperor Qing's thoughts were unfathomable; if this was truly Emperor Qing's scheme, then his current situation was like dancing on a raging fire.

"Uncle Wuzhu".

Fan Xian suddenly stood up, looking at Wu Zhu with a serious expression. "Regardless of whose man this 'Nameless' is, your strength has been exposed. The waters in Kyoto run too deep; there are too many people watching us now."

You must leave immediately.

Fan Xian spoke very quickly, "Find a place to hide and lay low for a while. During this time, do not show your face again, and especially do not make any moves. If the palace or the Censorate confirms your identity, we will become somewhat passive."

Wu Zhu tilted his head slightly, seemingly considering Fan Xian's words. After a moment, he nodded: "Okay. Where should I go?"

"Anywhere is fine, as long as it's not in Kyoto." Fan Xian thought for a moment, "Let's go to Danzhou, or find some remote mountain forest. Once I've sorted things out here and confirmed it's safe, I'll find a way to contact you."

"Um."

Wu Zhu didn't ask any more questions or waste any words. He picked up the bent iron shovel, turned around, and walked towards the window.

Just as he was about to jump out of the window, he stopped and turned back to "look" at Fan Xian.

"Be careful. That nameless guy is dangerous."

After saying that, Wu Zhu's figure disappeared into the night in an instant, as if he had never appeared.

Fan Xian was the only one left in the room.

He slumped into the chair, staring at the flickering candlelight, feeling an immense pressure bearing down on him.

He had thought that with Uncle Wuzhu as his trump card, he would at least have the ability to protect himself in Kyoto. But tonight's battle shattered his illusions completely.

That mysterious "nameless" figure was like a mountain that suddenly stood in front of him.

"Golden true energy... Nameless..."

…………

The next day, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Officials lined up in front of the Taiji Hall.

The early autumn morning in Kyoto was chilly, and a thin mist hung over the white marble square.

The civil and military officials, dressed in court robes and holding tablets, stood solemnly according to their rank, creating a dignified atmosphere. Only a few suppressed coughs occasionally broke the deathly silence.

The Second Prince, Li Chengze, stood in the line of princes, second only to the Crown Prince, Li Chengqian. Today, he wore a dark purple python robe, with a jade pendant symbolizing his status tied around his waist. His hands were tucked into his sleeves, and he half-closed his eyes, looking languid as if he hadn't woken up yet.

"Second Brother doesn't seem to be in a good mood today?"

A slightly reserved voice came from beside him. Li Chengze turned his head slightly and saw that Crown Prince Li Chengqian was seemingly looking straight ahead, but was actually observing him out of the corner of his eye.

Li Chengze yawned and said lazily, "I stayed up late reading last night and am a little tired. Your Highness, on the other hand, looks radiant today; I suppose there's some good news?"

Li Chengqian's eye twitched slightly.

happy event?

He's extremely panicked right now.

Lin Gong suddenly disappeared last night, neither alive nor dead. The people sent there only found some signs of a struggle in the villa.

He was worried that the forensic institute might be behind it, so where did this good news come from?

"Second brother is joking." Li Chengqian forced a smile and said no more.

Just then, the eunuch's shrill voice pierced the air: "Summon all officials to the palace—"

The heavy palace doors slowly opened, and a warm current mixed with the scent of ambergris and old wood rushed out.

Emperor Qing sat high on the dragon throne, wearing a loose white robe, his hair casually draped over his shoulders. He was still playing with the unknown metal bar in his hand, seemingly nonchalant, but in reality, his deep eyes were scanning everyone below like a hawk.

The morning assembly proceeded as scheduled.

First, the Ministry of Revenue reported on the autumn harvest's revenue and grain; then, the Ministry of Personnel submitted evaluations of officials; and next, the Ministry of War reported on border defenses. Everything seemed dull and tedious, as if this were just one of countless ordinary mornings in the Daqing Dynasty.

Li Chengze stood at the lower end, idly counting the dragon patterns on the pillars of the main hall, pondering whether he should ask Zhao Gao to give the Luo Net a more impressive logo when he got back.

until--

"My lord, Fan Xian, I have something to tell you!"

A clear voice suddenly rang out in the hall, instantly breaking the silence of the court.

All eyes instantly turned to the end of the hall. There stood Fan Xian, dressed in official robes. Though his rank was not high, he walked out of the ranks with his head held high and chest out, and knelt on the ground.

Emperor Qing paused slightly in his hand, raised his eyelids, and looked at this "illegitimate son" with a half-smile.

"Fan Xian? What do you have to report?"

Fan Xian straightened up, his gaze sharp and his voice resounding: "Your Majesty, I must report that the true culprit in the Niulan Street assassination case has been identified!"

These words caused an uproar throughout the court!

The Niulan Street assassination case was a major headache for both the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice, involving a wide range of people and still without a conclusion. How could Fan Xian, a minor official in charge of sacrificial rites and music, dare to say that the real culprit had been identified?

Lin Ruofu, the prime minister standing at the head of the civil officials, suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

"Oh?" Emperor Qing leaned forward slightly, seemingly intrigued. "You've found out? Tell me, who's the real culprit?"

Fan Xian took a deep breath, his gaze piercing through the crowd, fixed on Lin Ruofu standing at the front, and uttered the name, word by word:

"The real culprit is—the prime minister's son, Lin Gong!"

boom!

It was as if a thunderclap had exploded inside the Taiji Hall.

The whispering officials fell silent instantly, a deathly stillness. Everyone stared wide-eyed at Fan Xian in disbelief, then turned to look at Lin Ruofu, whose face was ashen.

Accusing the son of the current prime minister of conspiring with the Northern Qi to assassinate a high-ranking official? Has Fan Xian gone mad?!

"Nonsense!"

Before Lin Ruofu could even speak, an imperial censor from the Censorate jumped out, pointing at Fan Xian and angrily rebuking him, "Fan Xian! Do you know what you're saying? Young Master Lin is a nobleman from the Prime Minister's family, how could he commit such a treasonous act? You're slandering him, defaming the family of a high-ranking official!"

Fan Xian sneered, stood up, and looked around, his eyes filled with a ruthless determination.

"Slander? Since I dared to speak before the Emperor, I naturally have my evidence."

Fan Xian turned to face Emperor Qing, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, I have discovered that Cheng Jushu, the Northern Qi master involved in the Niulan Street assassination attempt, was secretly brought into the capital. And the one responsible for receiving and orchestrating all of this was none other than Lin Gong! Driven by personal grudges, he colluded with foreign enemies to assassinate me; this is a crime of treason!"

"Where is the evidence?" Emperor Qing asked calmly, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

"The evidence lies with Lin Gong!" Fan Xian exclaimed. "However, just as I was preparing to submit the evidence to the Censorate for the Chief Justice's decision, Lin Gong—fled last night to escape punishment!"

"What?!"

Even Li Chengze, who had been watching the show the whole time, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

What a clever tactic of "testing the waters" and "creating something out of nothing"!

Li Chengze chuckled inwardly.

Fan Xian's "fleeing from justice" tactic was brilliant.

If someone isn't there, it means they have a guilty conscience.

If you feel guilty, then you are guilty.

Fan Xian wanted to find out which side the people from last night belonged to. If they were from the Prime Minister's Mansion or the Eldest Princess, then he would be making a false accusation. But if Lin Gong wasn't there, then he would have irrefutable evidence.

He could then rule out the possibility that the expert was either the Eldest Princess or Prime Minister Lin. Of course, he couldn't rule out the possibility that the Eldest Princess had used Lin Gong as a pawn, but he had no other options at the moment, so he had to act drastically in this extraordinary time.

He wanted to avenge Teng Zijing, and also avenge himself. If the Lin Gong incident wasn't exposed, it would eventually fizzle out, and Fan Xian would become an easy target, with everyone trying to drag him into the vortex. So he would take the initiative to step into the vortex and expose the conflict!

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