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

The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Study.

The hall was filled with the finest ambergris incense, its smoke curling upwards. Unlike the usual teeth-grinding metallic scraping sounds, the Imperial Study was unusually quiet today.

On the large imperial desk, the stacks of folded paper that were usually piled up were neatly arranged to one side, and the files and sandpaper used to polish arrowheads, as well as the iron filings that gleamed with a cold light, were also neatly put away.

For once today, Emperor Qing did not touch the arrows he treasured.

He was wearing a loose, bright yellow casual suit, the collar slightly open, revealing a chest that was completely free of excess fat and even hinted at a powerful, explosive strength.

He lay languidly on the large, soft couch, a few strands of unkempt black hair falling casually across his forehead, adding a touch of nonchalance and unpredictability to his originally dignified and solemn face.

On the small table beside the couch were several plates of fresh tribute fruit delivered from the south by express courier.

Crystal-clear grapes The plump lychees exuded a cool fragrance as they were chilled by ice.

Emperor Qing stretched out two slender fingers, picked up a peeled lychee, casually put it into his mouth, and chewed it slowly.

The sweet juice burst in his mouth, and he squinted his eyes slightly, seemingly enjoying this rare moment of leisure.

Beside him, the Grand Eunuch Hou bowed slightly, his hands folded in front of him, his breathing extremely low, like a lifeless clay or wooden sculpture, waiting to be ordered around at any moment.

"Judging by the days, where are Fan Xian and the others?"

Emperor Qing swallowed the fruit in his mouth, casually pulled out a bright yellow silk handkerchief to wipe his fingertips, and spoke in a calm tone as if he were asking about today's weather, without revealing the slightest emotional fluctuation.

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Hou lowered his body even further, quickly reviewing the secret reports that the Censorate and the Inner Court's spies had just submitted in his mind, and respectfully replied:

"Your Majesty, although Lord Fan and Young Master Yan's journey was hindered by heavy rain, it was not delayed too much. Judging from their pace, if the journey continues smoothly, they should reach the capital in about three more days."

"Three days..."

Emperor Qing nodded slightly, his deep gaze piercing through the half-open window of the imperial study, looking towards the overcast sky outside the capital. Three days was enough time for the people of the capital to perform all the plays they were supposed to.

He picked up another grape, but instead of eating it right away, he gently twirled it between his fingertips.

"What about Yunrui? Has she made any moves?"

Eunuch Hou's heart skipped a beat. He dared not conceal anything or hesitate for a moment, carefully choosing his words before slowly speaking:

"Your Majesty, Her Highness the Eldest Princess acted quite discreetly today. She changed into a commoner's black cloak, rode in an inconspicuous carriage, and left Guangxin Palace through the back gate. Afterwards, the carriage quietly went to... the Second Prince's residence."

At this point, Eunuch Hou paused, cautiously glancing at Emperor Qing's expression. Seeing that Emperor Qing still wore that ambiguous smile, toying with the grapes, he swallowed hard and continued:

"The Eldest Princess did not stay at the Second Prince's residence for long, emerging after about half an hour. Afterwards, the carriage did not return to the palace, but instead headed towards the southern part of the city..."

"Where did they go?" Emperor Qing's finger paused slightly, the grape stopping at his fingertip.

"They went to a place called 'Fengyajian'." Eunuch Hou's voice was very low, as if afraid of disturbing something. "The spies in the inner court dared not get too close. They only saw the Princess being helped into the backyard by her trusted maid. On the surface, 'Fengyajian' is an elegant shop that sells calligraphy, paintings and antiques, but it is probably a stronghold of other forces."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qing raised his eyebrows slightly and let out a soft, ambiguous sigh.

He tossed the grapes back into the jade plate and slowly sat up straight on the soft couch.

That languid aura vanished instantly, replaced by an overwhelming imperial pressure, like Mount Tai pressing down on you.

"Fengya Stream..."

A cold smile curved the corners of Emperor Qing's lips, and a chilling glint flashed in his deep eyes.

He did not speak further, and the imperial study fell into a deathly silence once again.

Grandpa Hou kept his head down, not daring to utter a sound.

The emperor's heart is unfathomable. As a servant, the only thing he could do was to keep silent and become blind, deaf, and mute.

Emperor Qing sat there quietly, his gaze deep and unfathomable, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.

……

Meanwhile, in the Second Prince's residence, in the study.

Unlike the bright and spacious Imperial Study, Li Chengze's study exuded a dark and profound atmosphere.

The heavy curtains completely blocked out the sunlight, leaving only a few dim candlelight flickering in the corner, casting Li Chengze's shadow on the wall as extremely long and distorted.

Li Chengze remained as boneless as ever, sitting barefoot and cross-legged on a large armchair.

He held a glass of deep red Western Region wine in his hand, gently swirling it as he watched the liquid swirl in the glass, a nonchalant smirk playing on his lips.

On the desk, a piece of paper, only two fingers wide, lay quietly.

The handwriting on the note was delicate yet revealed a murderous intent driven by a desire for quick success; it was top-secret intelligence that had just been sent from "Fengyajian".

In the dark corner of the study, Zhao Gao made no sound, but stood quietly in the shadows, bowing slightly, waiting for his master's instructions.

Li Chengze glanced at the note on the table, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the mahogany surface, producing a crisp "tap, tap, tap" sound that seemed particularly out of place in the quiet study.

"My aunt."

Li Chengze chuckled, his voice full of amusement, "You were just turned away by me, and then you went to 'Fengyajian' to hire someone to commit murder. How amusing."

Zhao Gao stood in the shadows, a glint of malice flashing in his narrow, cold eyes. His high-pitched yet chilling voice echoed in the study:

"Your Highness, now that the Eldest Princess has paid the deposit, should Luo Wang accept this deal or not? If they do, Fan Xian's life..."

"Why didn't you answer?"

Li Chengze smiled faintly. "There's no reason to turn away money that's offered to you."

"Go and make the arrangements."

"Understood."

Zhao Gao bowed deeply, his voice as cold as a snake's hiss, "According to the Princess's offer, I will send four assassins of the 'Kill' rank."

Li Chengze didn't say anything more, he just waved his hand casually.

Zhao Gao's figure disappeared into the shadows of the study, as if he had never been there.