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

"Your Highness," Zhao Gao's voice was high-pitched and effeminate, carrying a chilling respect, "that group of 'spies' has returned to report. As you instructed, every word of the intelligence they brought back was exactly what His Majesty wanted to see."

Li Chengze chewed on a grape, a playful smile on his face: "Father is inherently suspicious. If the intelligence is truly flawless, he will become suspicious instead. So, I deliberately let them see my 'drunken and out-of-control' state, and my 'infatuation' with Si Lili. Only in this way will Father think that this is the real me."

"Your Highness is wise." Zhao Gao bowed slightly. "It's all a mix of deception and reality. His Majesty thinks he has seen through Your Highness, but little does he know that what he sees is only what Your Highness wants him to see."

At this point, Zhao Gao paused, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, and continued his report:

"Furthermore, Your Highness, over the years, the Net has planted many spies around His Majesty. One of our spies was responsible for receiving the information this time. Therefore, the spies who went back to report were all our people in disguise. Their disguise skills are the work of 'The Thousand-Faced Gentleman.' Unless His Majesty personally touches their bones, there will be no flaws."

"besides……"

Zhao Gao pulled a list from his sleeve and presented it with both hands. "This is the list of 'Net' assassins who have successfully infiltrated the Imperial Guards, the Imperial Household Department, and the outskirts of the Censorate. There are forty-seven people in total. Among them, two have successfully blended into the guards responsible for the perimeter of the Imperial Study."

Li Chengze took the list, glanced at it, and nodded in satisfaction.

"well done."

…………

In the capital of Northern Qi, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was stationed.

Inside the dark, damp dungeon, the air was thick with the stench of decay and blood. Torches crackled against the walls, casting flickering, ghostly shadows.

A middle-aged man dressed in the flying fish robe of the Imperial Guard was slowly wiping the instruments of torture in his hands. He had a pale face, sinister eyes, and a smile that was both gentle and chilling. This man was Shen Zhong, the Commander of the Imperial Guard of Northern Qi.

Hanging on the rack before him was a mangled, bloodied body. Despite enduring unimaginable torture, the man's eyes remained resolute, his teeth clenched tightly, and he remained silent.

"Yan Bingyun, Young Master Yan."

Shen Zhong put down the blood-stained cloth, walked to the rack, gently lifted the man's chin, and clicked his tongue in amazement, "As expected of the son of Yan Ruohai, the head of the Fourth Division of the Censorate, his bones are indeed much tougher than those of ordinary people."

Yan Bingyun struggled to lift his eyelids, spat out a mouthful of blood, and sneered, "Lord Shen... his methods... are nothing more than this."

"Hehe, Young Master Yan, there's no need to provoke me." Shen Zhong wasn't angry at all; instead, he laughed even more heartily. "Actually, I'm also very curious. You've been lurking in the capital for so long, not only making Yun Jin's business thrive, but also extending your reach into the court of my Great Qi. Your methods are so sophisticated that even I was almost fooled by you."

At this point, Shen Zhong's eyes suddenly turned cold. He leaned close to Yan Bingyun's ear and whispered, "It's a pity. You planned everything, but you didn't expect that someone within your Nanqing wanted you dead."

Yan Bingyun's pupils suddenly contracted.

Shen Zhong took out a secret letter from his pocket and waved it in front of Yan Bingyun.

"Look at the sealing wax on this envelope; it's reserved for the Southern Qing royal family. Someone has sold your identity, your hiding place, and even the list of your spies to me."

Shen Zhong put the secret letter away and patted Yan Bingyun's cheek: "Young Master Yan,"

Tell me, how does it feel to be betrayed by your own people?

Yan Bingyun closed his eyes, a surge of immense sorrow and anger welling up inside him. He knew Shen Zhong wasn't lying, because only a very small number of high-ranking members of the Investigation Bureau and… core members of the royal family knew the location of their hideout.

"Take him away and keep a close watch on him." Shen Zhong waved his hand. "He's a crucial bargaining chip in our negotiations with Nanqing. Don't let him die."

……

The Imperial Palace in Kyoto, South Korea.

The atmosphere inside the Imperial Study was extremely oppressive.

Emperor Qing, who was usually lazy and casual, was now standing in front of his desk.

The iron shovel he loved to play with was now deeply embedded in the hard Phoebe zhennan wood table, its end still trembling violently and emitting a mournful "buzzing" sound.

The hall was filled with people kneeling on the floor.

Chen Pingping sat in a wheelchair, her face solemn.

Gong Dian knelt on the ground, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. Even the most favored old eunuchs dared not utter a sound, wishing they could shrink into the ground.

"Snapped!"

Emperor Qing suddenly flicked his sleeve, sending a precious inkstone flying from the table. It crashed to the ground and shattered into pieces. Ink splattered everywhere, staining the gold-brick floor black—a shocking sight.

"Great! Excellent!"

Emperor Qing's voice was no longer loud; instead, it was terrifyingly low, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a chilling killing intent. "My Investigation Bureau, my secret agents, have been lurking in Northern Qi for years, and they've all been destroyed in one fell swoop! Not only was Yan Bingyun arrested, but our intelligence network in the capital was also uprooted by Shen Zhong!"

Emperor Qing turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife, staring intently at Chen Pingping.

"Chen Pingping, tell me, Yan Bingyun's identity is a top secret. Besides you and me, very few people know it. How did Shen Zhong find out so clearly?! Huh?!"

Chen Pingping bowed slightly, his voice hoarse: "Your Majesty, this matter... is the fault of this old servant. But according to the news from within the court, Shen Zhong received a secret letter from the capital, which enabled him to accurately arrest Yan Bingyun. This letter... did not go through the channels of the Investigation Bureau."

"Without the approval of the Investigating Authority, that constitutes adultery!"

Emperor Qing laughed in anger. He paced back and forth in the main hall, his steps heavy. "To know Yan Bingyun's identity and to bypass the Censorate to send the message out... there aren't many people in the capital with such abilities."

Several faces flashed through his mind. The Crown Prince? The Second Prince? Or... the Eldest Princess?

Although the crown prince had some ulterior motives, he wasn't that bold, and he didn't have a close relationship with Northern Qi.

Second child?

Emperor Qing recalled the reports from his spies a few days prior. Li Chengze's residence was as clean as a blank sheet of paper; he spent his days indulging in calligraphy, painting, and women, and his conversations with Si Lili were limited to romance. Moreover, Yan Bingyun was Yan Ruohai's son, and Yan Ruohai was a royalist; the second son had no reason to cripple himself by offending the Censorate.

Then, the remaining suspects are obvious.

"Yunrui..."

Emperor Qing murmured the name, a hint of heartache flashing in his eyes, but more so, the fury of an emperor betrayed.

That was his younger sister, the eldest princess whom he had personally supported and who now controlled the Imperial Treasury.

He could tolerate her ambition, and even tolerate her underhanded tactics in court to balance the Crown Prince and the Second Prince.

But he absolutely cannot tolerate treason!