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

A cool night breeze, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible stench of blood, quietly dissipated in the deep alleys outside the Second Prince's residence.

Shortly after the corpses were dragged away by the "Net" assassins like trash, the air in the shadows at the alley entrance seemed to distort once more.

A group of figures dressed in black and with their faces covered by black cloths reappeared like ghosts.

Their figures, gaits, and even the chilling aura unique to imperial spies were exactly the same as the spies who had been killed by Jing Ni and Yan Ri.

If one had not witnessed the carnage firsthand, no one would be able to discern the difference between the two.

The leader of the men in black gestured, his voice low and hoarse: "Go in and search. His Majesty has decreed that we investigate whether there are any Northern Qi spies hiding in the Second Prince's residence, and investigate Si Lili's movements. No clue should be overlooked."

"yes!"

A dozen or so dark figures instantly dispersed, seeping into the high walls of the Second Prince's residence like mercury spilling onto the ground.

Inside the mansion, the lights were dim.

The lights were still on in Li Chengze's study, but the windows were wide open, and the sounds of string and wind instruments, a woman's giggles, and a man's slightly drunken recitation of poetry could be heard from inside.

The spies moved like geckos through the corridors, rooftops, and dark corners. Their movements were professional and swift, rummaging through the wastebaskets in other rooms, checking under the beds in the guest rooms, and even scrubbing the kitchen slop buckets.

However, as the search deepened, the leader of the undercover agents frowned more and more deeply.

It's too clean.

Apart from the Second Prince, who was "drunk" in the study, and the trembling Miss Si Lili, who was forced to play the zither, there was nothing unusual in the entire palace.

There were no hidden compartments, no secret letters, no unfamiliar faces, and not even a single extra weapon could be found. The storeroom was filled with gold, silver, jewels, antiques, and paintings bestowed by Emperor Qing, and every expense in the account books was clearly recorded—most of it was spent on buying books, wine, and repairing the gardens.

Inside the study.

Li Chengze leaned against the soft couch, his clothes half-open, holding a pot of wine in his hand, his eyes glazed over.

"Keep the music playing, keep dancing!"

He waved the wine jug in his hand, pointed at the pale-faced Si Lili in the corner, and laughed loudly, "Miss Lili, why is your zither playing so disordered? Is it because my wine isn't fragrant enough? Or... is something on your mind?"

Si Lili trembled, and the string of her zither snapped with a "pop." She looked up in horror at the prince before her, who seemed to be living a life of debauchery but was actually unfathomable to her.

Just then, a dark shadow flashed past the window.

Li Chengze seemed completely oblivious, still laughing drunkenly, and even let out a burp.

The leader of the secret agents lurked outside the window for a moment, taking in everything inside: a prince who was addicted to sensual pleasures, talented but indifferent to politics, and a Northern Qi secret agent who knew his identity had been exposed and was terrified and helpless.

There was no sign of collusion whatsoever; it seemed more like a playboy prince's womanizing spree.

"withdraw."

The leader of the secret agents made a gesture.

The shadowy figures left the Second Prince's residence silently, just as they had come, and disappeared into the vast night.

Once all traces of alcohol had completely disappeared, Li Chengze, who had been "drunk and confused," suddenly became incredibly clear-eyed.

He casually tossed the wine jug onto the table, and what poured out of it was just water.

"Acting skills really do get better and better with practice."

Li Chengze stretched, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

……

The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Study.

It was late at night, but Emperor Qing still hadn't rested. "Your personal library contains more than ten thousand volumes." He sat at his desk, draped in a thin black robe, and by the dim candlelight, reviewed the secret reports that had just arrived.

This secret report was brought back from the Second Prince's residence by the same group of spies.

Emperor Qing read very quickly, skimming through ten lines at a glance.

After reading it, he casually tossed the secret report onto the table and tapped the surface lightly with his fingers, making a "tap, tap, tap" sound.

In the quiet imperial study, the sound seemed particularly suppressed.

"It's too clean."

Emperor Qing spoke slowly, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger, "As clean as a blank sheet of paper."

Kneeling below, Gong Dian was tense. He whispered, "Your Majesty, our spies report that the Second Prince's residence is filled with books, paintings, fine wines, and delicacies. Si Lili has been placed in a side courtyard. The Second Prince... seems to be only attracted to her beauty and has not made any other moves."

"For lust?"

Emperor Qing chuckled, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes. "I know my second son's temperament. He seems lazy, but he's actually arrogant. Although Si Lili is somewhat beautiful, she's still a spy from Northern Qi, a hot potato. Doesn't he fear burning his hands if he dares to hold onto her?"

"Perhaps... the Second Prince dared to do this precisely because he knew she was a spy," Gong Dian said cautiously. "His Highness is wise; he knows His Majesty is watching him. If he were to hide it, he would only appear guilty. By bringing her back to his residence so openly and even indulging in sensual pleasures, he might be showing His Majesty his true feelings: he has no interest in politics, only in romance."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qing remained silent for a moment.

This is indeed in line with Li Chengze's consistent style.

That child has always liked to protect himself by "self-defilement" since he was a child.

"Hmph, revealing your true feelings?"

Emperor Qing stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the dark night sky. "He's trying to outsmart me. He knows I'm suspicious, so he deliberately laid everything out for me to see. This intelligence is too clean; it just seems deliberate."

However, Emperor Qing changed his mind.

If Li Chengze really colluded with Northern Qi and had some ulterior motive, he would never have placed Si Lili, such a target, in his residence.

Who is Si Lili? A spy whose identity has been exposed is nothing more than a useless pawn to a true schemer.

Since it's a useless piece, putting it out in the open is indeed insignificant.

"That's enough."

Emperor Qing turned around, the suspicion in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a confident air of complete control. "Since he wants to put on an act, I'll watch this show with him. A mere Si Lili can't cause any real trouble."

"Reveal my imperial edict."

Emperor Qing said calmly, "The Second Prince is young and frivolous, and although he has acted improperly, I will not pursue the matter because of his outstanding talent. Have the Censorate withdraw half of the people monitoring the Second Prince's residence, lest they push my whetstone too far."

"Yes, Your Majesty is wise." Gong Dian breathed a sigh of relief and bowed as he withdrew.

Emperor Qing sat back down at his desk, picked up the iron shovel, and continued to fiddle with the armor plates on his armor.

"Second brother, do you think you've fooled me? I simply don't care. As long as you're still on my chessboard, you can do whatever you want."

……

The Second Prince's residence, study.

Li Chengze had changed out of his alcohol-smelling clothes and put on a loose and comfortable white robe.

He sat barefoot, cross-legged on the armchair, holding a crystal-clear grape in his hand. He tossed it high into the air and caught it precisely with his mouth.

"Pfft."

The grape skins were spat out and landed on the gold plate on the table.

From the shadows behind him, a man in a dark red robe with a delicate and handsome face slowly emerged.