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

"Brother..." Li Yunrui looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Alright, stop crying." Emperor Qing wiped away her tears. "I know you've been wronged. It's just that this matter has blown up so much that I'm feeling troubled and said a few extra words. Go back and rest. You'll need to take care of the Imperial Treasury matters."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave."

Li Yunrui bowed and turned to leave the Imperial Study.

It wasn't until she stepped out of the main hall and was hit by the cold wind that she realized her back was already soaked with cold sweat.

Inside the Imperial Study.

As Emperor Qing watched Li Yunrui's departing figure, the warmth on his face vanished instantly, replaced by an icy chill.

"No evidence..."

He murmured to himself, "You did a really clean job. Yunrui, you certainly didn't disappoint me. Your skills have improved quite a bit since then."

He didn't touch Li Yunrui because now wasn't the time. The transfer of financial power within the Imperial Treasury would take time, and the Crown Prince needed this whetstone to hone his skills. Moreover, if he were to touch the Eldest Princess now, it would inevitably cause turmoil in the court, ultimately benefiting Northern Qi.

"Since you want to play, I'll play with you to the very end."

……

The Second Prince's Mansion.

Li Chengze was sitting on the second floor of Tingchao Pavilion, gazing into the distance from the railing.

Zhao Gao appeared silently behind him.

"Your Highness, news has come from the palace. The Eldest Princess has emerged from the Imperial Study unharmed."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengze's lips curled into a mocking smile: "As expected. Father is a man who values ​​profit above all else. Even if he knew that person was Aunt, he wouldn't act rashly before he had squeezed every last drop of value out of her. Besides, although Aunt went too far this time, she didn't really leave any evidence."

"Your Highness, then we..." Zhao Gao asked tentatively.

"Prepare the car." Li Chengze straightened his clothes, a bright smile spreading across his face. "My aunt has suffered such a great 'grievance,' how can I, as her nephew, not go and comfort her?"

Li Chengze led Xie Bi'an out of the Second Prince's residence.

……

Guangxin Palace.

Li Yunrui returned to the palace, dismissed his attendants, and sat alone on the soft couch, lost in thought.

She was very upset.

Although she managed to get by in the imperial study, she knew that Emperor Qing no longer trusted her.

That feeling of being constantly threatened filled her with unprecedented panic.

"Li Chengze..."

Li Yunrui gritted her teeth as she read the name.

If it weren't to prove to Li Chengze that she didn't need his protection and that she was capable of controlling the situation, she wouldn't have taken such a risky step as to sell Yan Bingyun out.

Looking back now, I feel a little regretful for my impulsive actions at the time. It's not that I regret betraying Yan Bingyun, but rather that I acted too hastily. If I had tried to gain more benefits in the meantime, I would have done so.

Just as she was pondering her next step,

A palace maid's voice came from outside the hall: "Your Highness, the Second Prince requests an audience."

Li Yunrui frowned, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes.

At this moment, the last person she wanted to see was Li Chengze.

Were they there to laugh at her?

"I won't see you! Just say I'm feeling unwell and need to rest!" Li Yunrui said coldly.

"Auntie is not feeling well? Then your nephew must come and see her."

Author Invincible Demon King F is waiting for you with "Joy of Life: I, the Second Prince? Summoning Yuan Tiangang!"

With a soft laugh, the palace doors were pushed open, and Li Chengze swaggered in.

He still looked lazy, carrying a box of exquisite pastries in his hand.

"How dare you! Didn't I say I wouldn't see you?" Li Yunrui glared at him, but because she had spent too much energy in the Imperial Study, her anger seemed somewhat weak at this moment.

Li Chengze seemed not to hear her reprimand, walked straight to the soft couch, placed the snacks on the table, and then plopped down next to Li Yunrui.

"Why get angry, Aunt? Anger is bad for your health." Li Chengze opened the food box, picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, and said, "I specially had someone buy this from outside the palace. I heard that Aunt loves this kind of sweet treat. Would you like to try some?"

Li Yunrui stared at him coldly, without speaking or moving.

Li Chengze wasn't embarrassed. He took a bite and mumbled, "Did Father summon Aunt just now? It seems Father is quite concerned about the affairs of Northern Qi."

Li Yunrui's heart tightened, and she sneered, "What? Did you come here to laugh at me? Do you think you can be smug just because I was reprimanded by my elder brother?"

"No, no." Li Chengze swallowed the pastry, patted the crumbs off his hands, turned to look at Li Yunrui with sincere eyes, "Nephew is here to congratulate Aunt."

"Congratulations?" Li Yunrui asked as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. "What's there to be happy about?"

"It's a relief that Aunt escaped unscathed," Li Chengze said with a smile. "Yan Bingyun was arrested, the Censorate was furious, and Father was enraged. Under such circumstances, Aunt was still able to walk out of the Imperial Study unharmed. Isn't that a good thing? It shows that Aunt still holds a lot of importance in Father's heart."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunrui's expression softened slightly, but the wariness in his eyes remained undiminished.

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

Li Chengze smiled but did not answer directly.

He suddenly tilted his body and gently rested his head on Li Yunrui's shoulder.

This action was extremely abrupt, extremely presumptuous, and even carried a chilling ambiguity and aggression.

Li Yunrui froze, his pupils instantly shrinking to pinpoints.

She is the eldest princess, Emperor Qing's younger sister, and a woman of immense power in the harem.

No man had ever dared to offend her like this, let alone her nephew!

A surge of shame and anger welled up inside her, and she instinctively wanted to push Li Chengze away and reprimand him for his rudeness.

"Li Chengze! How dare you—"

However, before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by a voice in her ear.

The voice was very soft and low, like a lover's murmur, yet also like a devil's whisper.

Li Chengze did not get up because of her struggles. Instead, he buried his head even deeper, his lips almost touching her crystal-clear earlobe.

The warm breath sprayed onto her skin, but instead of bringing a tingling sensation, it brought a chill that penetrated to the bone.

"My aunt's shoulders are so soft, why is this rebellious person so hard...?"

Li Yunrui's hand, which was pushing him away, froze in mid-air.

After saying that, Li Chengze stood up before Li Yunrui could push him up from his shoulder. "This time, you have crossed the line in Father's heart. Things will not be easily resolved. Aunt, you should prepare to break away from the spies in the Detective Academy without leaving a trace, otherwise this time, you will really get yourself into trouble."

As Li Yunrui watched Li Chengze's retreating figure, her pupils contracted sharply, and a hint of fear appeared in her eyes. At this moment, she saw a resemblance to Emperor Qing in Li Chengze's back—equally unfathomable, equally enigmatic, and equally unable to discern what he truly desired.