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

Inside Guangxin Palace, the fragrance of sandalwood wafted through the air, but it couldn't mask the tense and anxious atmosphere.

Li Chengze maintained his boneless posture, his head resting on Li Yunrui's soft thigh, his eyes half-closed, and a half-smile playing on his lips.

Upon hearing Li Yunrui's outrageous demand of one million taels, his fingers, which had been toying with the thin veil, paused slightly. Then, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, his chest trembled slightly, and he let out a soft sneer.

"One million taels?"

He slowly opened his eyes, and those eyes, which were usually filled with languid weariness, were now frighteningly clear, staring straight at the beautiful but slightly stiff face above him.

"Aunt, this isn't borrowing money, it's practically emptying my pockets and my life!" Li Chengze sat up straight. Although he left the warm, soft pillow, he didn't distance himself. Instead, he leaned forward, his nose almost touching Li Yunrui's. Their breaths mingled, creating a heart-pounding sense of oppression.

Li Yunrui's eyelashes trembled slightly, but she forced herself to remain calm and said, "Chengze, your aunt knows this amount is not small. But the imperial treasury is currently facing financial difficulties. If this debt cannot be covered, and His Majesty investigates, your aunt will be in trouble, and you will lose a great asset in court. We are aunt and nephew, we share the same fate, we share the same glory and the same loss, isn't that right?"

"We rise and fall together, we all rise and fall together..." Li Chengze chewed on these eight words, his mockery deepening.

He extended a finger and gently lifted Li Yunrui's chin, his movements as flirtatious as teasing a courtesan in a brothel, yet his expression was as serious as if he were discussing state affairs.

"Aunt, let's be frank. We all know what you did with that million taels. The Net offered a million, you bought the letter, burned the ashes, and that was the end of it. But now you're asking me for that million taels to cover your tracks..."

The smile on Li Chengze's lips vanished instantly, his voice turning abruptly cold, carrying a chilling edge: "So, after all this money's gone around in circles, I'm the one who ends up paying? If I really give you this million taels, wouldn't the money the Luo Wang (a powerful organization) has become my money? And wouldn't all that evidence of treason in your possession be equivalent to me paying to redeem it for you? Aunt, are you treating your nephew like a 'scapegoat'?"

Although the term "sucker" was new, Li Yunrui instantly understood its meaning when considering the context.

Her expression changed slightly, and a crack finally appeared in her previously gentle and kind elder mask.

What alarmed her was the implication in Li Chengze's words that he knew about the Luo Wang organization and even the details of the transaction.

"Chengze, you..." Li Yunrui's eyes darkened, wanting to explain, but was interrupted by Li Chengze waving his hand.

"Alright, Aunt. Stop with the empty talk." Li Chengze resumed his lazy demeanor, leaning back against the soft pillows of the phoenix couch, arms crossed, watching her with a leisurely air.

"I know you're short of money. And I certainly can afford it. Let alone a million taels, even if it were more, I can manage to scrape together the money if I grit my teeth."

Hearing this, the coldness in Li Yunrui's eyes subsided slightly, replaced by a glimmer of hope and inquiry. She knew Li Chengze's nature well; if he said he could produce it, then he truly did. However, this "possession" would inevitably come with a price.

She took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound soft and seductive, and leaned forward slightly.

"Chengze, since you're willing to help your aunt, then stop beating around the bush. What do you need? Do you want certain channels within the Imperial Treasury? Or something else? Just tell me, and your aunt will grant your request."

Li Chengze smiled and reached out to grab her wrist.

Li Yunrui's wrists were slender and fair, with a smooth and warm feel like jade.

Li Chengze did not pull her into his arms; instead, he took her hand and gently placed it on his shoulder.

"Aunt, you're overthinking it. The affairs of the court are too tiring, and the business of the Imperial Treasury is too troublesome. All I want now is to be comfortable."

Li Chengze tilted his head, making a crisp "crack" sound, and looked tired. He sighed, "Recently, because of worrying about you, Aunt, my shoulders are really sore. They always feel stiff, and I can't sleep comfortably no matter what I do."

Li Yunrui was stunned, somewhat taken aback: "Chengze, you mean...?"

Li Chengze turned his head, looking at her with a sinister gaze, a wicked smile playing on his lips, and said softly, "If Aunt really wants to borrow money, how about... giving your nephew a shoulder massage?"

The air inside Guangxin Palace seemed to freeze in that instant.

Li Yunrui's smile froze on her face, and her pupils suddenly contracted.

Should I have her massage my shoulders?

She is the eldest princess! The most powerful woman in the Qing Kingdom!

A surge of overwhelming rage welled up from the depths of her heart and shot straight to the top of her head. Li Yunrui's fingers tightened instantly, her nails almost piercing the fabric of Li Chengze's shoulder. In the past, if Li Chengze had dared to make such a request, she would have already ordered him to be thrown out.

But now...

The one million tael hole felt like a mountain pressing down on her head.

Chen Pingping's cold gaze seemed to be watching from outside the palace, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.

If this hole isn't plugged, once the internal treasury accounts are investigated, she will lose not only power, but possibly even her life.

Li Chengze felt the stiffness and trembling of the hand on his shoulder, and he knew, of course, how angry Li Yunrui was at that moment.

But he didn't care at all; he even felt that this anger made the game more interesting.

He tilted his head back, exposing his vulnerable neck completely to Li Yunrui's gaze, his eyes filled with a hint of provocation, as if to say: Do you dare to make a move? Or rather, besides me, who else can plug this million-dollar hole for you?

"What? Auntie doesn't want to?"

Li Chengze sighed regretfully, making a move to get up. "It seems I won't be able to spend this money. Well then, I'll head back now. Aunt, you can try to raise the money slowly. I just don't know if Dean Chen will give you that much time..."

"Wait!"

Li Yunrui's voice was somewhat shrill, with a slight tremor.

Li Chengze paused, then turned back to look at her with a half-smile.

Li Yunrui took a few deep breaths, her chest heaving violently. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Li Chengze, and the anger in her eyes gradually subsided under the suppression of reason, finally turning into a bottomless darkness.

She was a madwoman, but also an extremely rational one.

She was willing to sacrifice everything for power, including her dignity.

As long as we can get through this hurdle, we will repay today's humiliation a hundredfold in the future!

The stiffness on Li Yunrui's face gradually melted away, and a forced smile appeared on her lips again, but the smile was tinged with a chilling coldness.

"Since Chengze is not feeling well, it's only right that his aunt, who loves you, should give him a massage."

As she spoke, she slowly stood up and walked around to Li Chengze's back.

Li Chengze leaned back in his chair with a sense of ease, closed his eyes, and casually uttered a number: "One hundred thousand taels."

Li Yunrui's hand had just touched his shoulder when she heard the number, and her movement suddenly froze.

"What did you say?"

"I said, one hundred thousand taels," Li Chengze said leisurely, his eyes closed. "My aunt is of noble birth, and her hands are priceless. I won't take advantage of you; one shoulder massage will cost one hundred thousand taels. That price, I doubt anyone in the world could afford it."

One hundred thousand taels for a shoulder massage.

This sounds like an exorbitant price, a "respect" for Li Yunrui's status. But at this moment, in this context, it's treating her like a prostitute who charges per encounter!

It's even worse than that, because it's the nephew buying his aunt's "services"!

Li Yunrui felt a metallic sweetness rise to her throat; it was blood she had coughed up in anger. She bit her lower lip hard until she tasted the blood, barely managing to suppress the urge to strangle Li Chengze.

"Okay... 100,000 taels."

Li Yunrui's voice seemed to drift out from the deepest hell, icy and chilling.

She took a deep breath and finally placed her hands on Li Chengze's shoulders.

At first, her fingers were stiff and her strength was somewhat out of control, sometimes heavy and sometimes light, and her nails even dug into Li Chengze's flesh through his clothes several times.

"Hiss—" Li Chengze gasped, his brows furrowing slightly as he muttered in dissatisfaction, "Aunt, are you giving me a shoulder massage or murder? If this is your skill, then I'm really being unfair to give you 100,000 taels."

The veins on the back of Li Yunrui's hand bulged, but she quickly adjusted her breathing.

Now that we've already given in, we can't give up halfway.

If you suffer humiliation but don't get the money, then you've truly lost both your wife and your army.

She closed her eyes, fiercely suppressing the humiliation in her heart. When she opened her eyes again, all that remained was a cold, indifferent calm.

Her fingers began to become more flexible, and the force gradually became more even.

She is well-versed in medical principles and is very accurate in locating acupoints.

Long, slender fingers pressed on the Jianjing acupoint with moderate pressure, and a tingling and numb sensation instantly spread throughout the body.

"Hmm...that's right." Li Chengze let out a comfortable sigh, tilting his head back so that it rested against Li Yunrui's soft lower abdomen.

If outsiders saw this scene, they would be absolutely stunned.

The dignified eldest princess was now standing behind the second prince like a humble maid, meekly massaging his shoulders.

The Guangxin Palace was deathly silent, save for the occasional command from Li Chengze.

"A little to the left...yes, right there."

"It's a little heavy; my neck has been sore from reading these past few days."

"With Aunt's skills, if she were to retire as the Princess, she could open a massage parlor; the business would surely be thriving."

Every word was like a sharp knife, stabbing deeply into Li Yunrui's heart.

Li Yunrui remained silent, mechanically repeating the actions in his hands.

Her gaze fell on Li Chengze's unguarded neck, looking at the slightly pulsating veins.

With just a little force, or by slipping the hidden poisoned needle from her sleeve, she could kill him instantly.

The murderous intent grew wildly in his heart, only to be suppressed by reason time and time again.

The murderous intent grew wildly in his heart, only to be suppressed by reason time and time again.

Killing him would be easy, but if Li Chengze dies here, she will only die faster.

We must endure it.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Li Chengze finally seemed to have enjoyed himself enough, let out a long sigh, and patted Li Yunrui's hand.

"Alright, Aunt, take a rest. I've certainly learned a lot about the craftsmanship involved in making this 100,000 taels of silver."

Li Yunrui stopped what she was doing, her hands trembling slightly from the exertion. She withdrew her hands, walked back to Li Chengze, and looked at him expressionlessly.

"As long as Chengze is satisfied. And the money..."

"Of course I have the money." Li Chengze opened his eyes, sat up straight, and had a satisfied smile on his face. "However, as I just said, it's 100,000 taels."

Li Yunrui's pupils dilated suddenly, and his voice rose instantly: "Li Chengze! Are you playing me? What I need is a million taels!"

"Auntie, don't be impatient." Li Chengze waved his hand, still looking infuriating. "What I meant was, one shoulder massage costs 100,000 taels. That was just one massage."

He looked at Li Yunrui's face, which was contorted with anger, and slowly took out a 100,000 tael silver note from his pocket and gently placed it on the table.

"This is the money from just now; the transaction is complete."

Li Yunrui stared at the silver note, feeling as if he had been fooled like never before.

She sacrificed her dignity and endured humiliation, only to receive a paltry 100,000 taels in return? That's not even enough to fill a tooth gap!

"Nephew, what exactly do you want?" Li Yunrui's voice was as cold as ice shards.

"What do I want?" Li Chengze stood up, his bare feet on the carpet, and approached Li Yunrui step by step.

The languor in his eyes vanished, replaced by a domineering and sharp aura of complete control.

"Aunt, I can give you the one million taels. But there's no such thing as a free lunch. This one hundred thousand taels is for your craft. As for the remaining nine hundred thousand taels..."

He stopped in front of Li Yunrui, the distance between them less than a fist's width. He lowered his head, brought his breath close to Li Yunrui's ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe, his voice deep and magnetic, yet uttering the most chilling words.

"I'll buy Auntie's things for a while, and she can stay at my place for a bit tomorrow."

"you!"

Li Yunrui's pupils contracted sharply in that instant, becoming as small as needles.

Should I stay at his place for a while?

What exactly does he want to do?!

Keep him in a cage like a canary? Or...?

Countless absurd and terrifying thoughts flashed through Li Yunrui's mind in an instant.

A chill ran down Li Yunrui's spine and straight to his head. He instinctively took a half step back, his back hitting the cold armrest of the phoenix bed, with nowhere left to retreat.

"Chengze, do you know what you're saying?" Li Yunrui's voice was hoarse, tinged with barely concealed terror. "I'm your aunt! The current Princess! Staying at a prince's residence... what kind of decorum is this? If word gets out..."

"Shh-"

Li Chengze extended a finger and gently pressed it against Li Yunrui's lips, which were painted with bright red lipstick, stopping her from speaking.

He tilted his head slightly, his lips almost touching Li Yunrui's delicate earlobe, his warm breath spraying onto that sensitive skin, arousing a subtle shiver.

"Auntie, what are you afraid of?"

Li Chengze's voice was as soft as a lover's whisper, yet it carried a chillingly mocking tone. "You don't actually think your nephew would do anything improper to you, do you? Tsk tsk tsk, Aunt, your thoughts... are far too filthy."

Li Yunrui froze, and a flush of shame and indignation instantly rose on her face.

Li Chengze chuckled softly, withdrew his finger, and casually tidied her slightly messy hair by her ear.

"Don't worry, Aunt. Although I act eccentrically, I'm not that crazy. I only have respect for you, Aunt, and I have absolutely no improper thoughts."