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

Li Chengze looked into Fan Ruoruo's eyes and said, word by word, "Do you know what it means for you to step into the gates of my Second Prince's residence today?"

Fan Ruoruo parted her lips slightly, wanting to say something, but found herself speechless.

She was not an ignorant girl who knew nothing.

She was well-versed in literature from a young age and also had some knowledge of the intrigues and power struggles within the imperial court.

Concern clouded her judgment; the news of her brother's death clouded her entire ability to think.

After regaining my senses, I thought about it carefully.

What stupid thing did I do?!

Fan Ruoruo's body swayed precariously, as if all her strength had been drained away in that instant.

The light in her eyes dimmed completely, replaced by a deep sense of regret and despair.

She got it.

Regardless of whether the second prince could save his brother, he would never do so.

Fan Ruoruo took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

She concealed all the weakness and pleading on her face, reverting to her aloof and proud demeanor as the most talented woman in Kyoto.

She took two steps back, straightened her slightly disheveled clothes, and then gave Li Chengze a deep and dignified curtsy.

"Your Highness's teachings will be kept in mind."

Her voice was still a little hoarse, but it had regained its composure. "It was Ruoruo's concern that clouded her judgment and caused her to be disrespectful to Your Highness. Today's matter is entirely Ruoruo's fault and has nothing to do with the Fan family. Ruoruo... takes her leave."

After saying that, she didn't look at Li Chengze again. She turned around, straightened her back, and walked out of the study with unusual determination, though her steps were a little unsteady.

That slender figure, bathed in sunlight at the study doorway, appeared exceptionally lonely and resolute.

The study door was closed again.

Li Chengze stood quietly in place, his gaze passing through the crack in the window, watching until Fan Ruoruo's figure disappeared outside the moon gate in the courtyard.

His face was expressionless, but his deep eyes seemed to hold an endless storm.

"The meridians are completely severed, and the poison has penetrated into the bone marrow..."

Li Chengze murmured these eight words softly, and a strange smile suddenly appeared on his lips.

He turned around, slowly walked back to his desk, picked up an ancient book from the table, and casually flipped through it.

But his mind was clearly not on the book.

"Is Fan Xian... really critically injured and on the verge of death?"

He asked himself silently in his heart.

Zhao Gao's intelligence was undoubtedly correct.

The poison used by the assassins of the Luo Wang organization was a rare and potent poison, specifically designed to damage a martial artist's meridians and internal energy. Although Fan Xian had cultivated a domineering internal energy, being stabbed in such a completely unprepared situation, with the poison attacking his heart, would have meant he had a near-certain death.

But would Fan Xian really die so easily in a remote mountain valley?

And there's Fan Ruoruo.

"Was it really just Fan Ruoruo's own idea to come to me?"

Li Chengze frowned slightly.

Although Fan Ruoruo was confused by her concern, she was, after all, a member of the Fan family.

There are countless spies and informants around the Fan family, both openly and secretly.

Moreover, Fan Jian himself is not a simple person.

Fan Ruoruo, a weak woman who couldn't even kill a chicken, was able to leave the Fan family mansion without any hindrance and run to the Second Prince's mansion all by herself, even though Fan Xian was seriously injured and the entire Fan family mansion was in chaos.

Did Fan Jianzhen not notice anything at all?

"Old fox..."

Was it a test?

He turned and walked to the bedside, deftly putting on the gold-threaded cloud-patterned boots that he had kicked into the corner.

"Someone! Prepare the car!"

Li Chengze strode out of the study and shouted sternly at the butler outside the door.

"Your Highness, it's so late, and it's raining heavily outside. Where are you going?" The butler was startled and quickly came forward to ask.

"To the Fan residence!"

……

The rain in Kyoto is getting heavier and heavier.

Large raindrops pounded on the cobblestone streets, splashing up puffs of white mist. The entire city seemed shrouded in a thick haze, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

A large, luxurious carriage, escorted by eight heavily armed guards from the royal palace, sped through the puddles on the street, heading straight for the Fan family mansion in the south of the city.

Inside the carriage, Li Chengze closed his eyes to rest, rhythmically tapping his knees with his fingers as he considered all the possible scenarios that might occur next.

The carriage raced through the rainy night for about half an hour before finally stopping in front of a magnificent mansion.

"Whoa—"

The coachman pulled the reins, and the carriage came to a steady stop in front of the Fan family mansion.

Li Chengze lifted the carriage curtain, took a deep breath of the cold air, and stepped down from the carriage.

The Fan residence was no longer the peaceful and tranquil place it once was.

The mansion gates were wide open, and two huge white lanterns swayed in the wind and rain, casting a pale light.

Outside the gate, guards stood every three steps and every five steps, densely packed with men dressed in black tight-fitting clothes and wearing standard long swords at their waists.

These people had cold, stern faces, sharp eyes, and exuded a strong aura of murderous intent.

Moreover, Li Chengze also keenly sensed that countless faint breathing sounds were hidden in the dark corners surrounding the Fan residence.

Moreover, Li Chengze also keenly sensed that countless faint breathing sounds were hidden in the dark corners surrounding the Fan residence.

"This display is quite intimidating," Li Chengze thought to himself with a smirk.

He ignored the guards' wary gazes and walked straight toward the gate.

"Halt! Who goes there? The Fan residence is not receiving guests tonight!"

Two burly guards suddenly stepped forward, their long swords flashing as they drew half an inch from their hands, blocking Li Chengze's path.

"presumptuous!"

The steward following behind Li Chengze immediately stepped forward and shouted sternly, "Are you all blind?! The Second Prince has arrived! Get out of the way at once!"

Upon hearing the words "Second Prince," the two guards' expressions changed slightly, but they did not back down. Instead, they exchanged glances, and one of them said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, please forgive us. My master has ordered that the eldest young master is seriously injured and his life hangs in the balance. The manor is doing everything it can to treat him and is not seeing anyone. Please return to the manor."

Li Chengze looked at the two guards without any anger on his face; instead, he showed a gentle smile.

"I know Fan Xian is seriously injured, which is why I came here specifically to visit him." Li Chengze's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone's ears in the torrential rain. "Get out of my way; you can't stop me."

"This..." The two guards looked hesitant. Although they were the Fan family's private soldiers, they knew that the Second Prince was of noble status, and if they forcibly stopped him, it would probably cause a lot of trouble.

Just as the two sides were deadlocked, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from inside the door.

"Stop! All of you, stand back!"

Accompanied by a deep reprimand, a middle-aged man in a purple official robe, with a thin face and deep eyes, strode out, surrounded by several attendants.