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

Fan Jian listened with a pounding heart. He looked at Li Chengze's back and wondered to himself: What exactly is this kid up to?

At that moment, Chen Pingping, who was sitting in a wheelchair, narrowed her eyes slightly.

Emperor Qing stared intently at Li Chengze. The atmosphere in the hall was extremely tense, as if a single spark could cause a complete explosion.

However, to everyone's surprise, Emperor Qing did not fly into a rage.

He looked at Li Chengze's stubborn and unruly face, his eyes dark and unfathomable. After a long while, a deep smile slowly appeared on his lips.

"Has someone else in your heart?" Emperor Qing chuckled, the sound particularly jarring in the empty hall. "So, someone else in your heart is indeed someone else. Second Prince, you've certainly impressed me."

Emperor Qing stood up and waved his sleeve: "Since you are so 'deeply in love,' then I will grant your wish. The selection of concubines will be postponed for now. However, the return of the First Prince to the capital is non-negotiable. Court adjourned!"

After saying that, Emperor Qing walked into the inner palace without looking back.

"Your Majesty, we respectfully see you off—"

The officials dispersed, but the expressions on each of their faces were incredibly fascinating.

Li Chengze stood there, looking in the direction where Emperor Qing had left, a glint of malice flashing in his eyes.

…………

Inside the imperial study, the wisps of ambergris smoke rising from the incense burner were shattered by the cold wind blowing through the room.

Emperor Qing sat on the large dragon throne, not reviewing memorials as usual, but quietly watching a chess piece between his fingers. His eyes were as deep as an ancient pool, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"The second prince has refused my bestowed marriage..." Emperor Qing's voice was soft. "Does he think he's got the backing of the 'Net of Heaven,' that he's grown too powerful and wants to challenge me?"

Standing to the side, Eunuch Hou's heart skipped a beat, and he bent his waist even lower.

As a close attendant who had served Emperor Qing for many years, he knew the emperor's temperament all too well. Emperor Qing was not afraid of his ministers having ambitions, but he abhorred ministers who broke free from his control, especially the princes he had carefully groomed.

After careful consideration, Eunuch Hou cautiously probed, "Your Majesty, perhaps the Second Prince wasn't deliberately being disrespectful. Judging from his expression today, he did seem somewhat...somewhat sincere. Perhaps he truly has someone he loves?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qing let out a faint, cold laugh, which sounded particularly abrupt in the quiet study.

"Has someone else in his heart?" Emperor Qing casually tossed the chess piece into the chess box with a crisp "click." "I doubt it. I know the Second Prince best. If he were truly a romantic, how could he have stood by and watched the woman he loved become someone else's fiancée for so long without ever moving an eye?"

Emperor Qing stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the still overcast sky outside. His tone was chilling: "If he had killed Fan Xian in secret for that woman, I might have believed he was a lovelorn fool. But he didn't. He chose to openly defy the imperial decree in court, and this was definitely not for any romantic feelings."

At this point, Emperor Qing seemed to recall some past events, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, a mixture of mockery and a certain indescribable resonance.

"As expected of my son, just like me!" he murmured, a cruel yet satisfied smile curving his lips. "He's willing to use even his own emotions as a bargaining chip to achieve his goals. He refused the arranged marriage not because he loved that woman more than the throne, but because he wanted to use this 'deep affection' to put on a show for me, and incidentally... to stir up the waters of this capital even more."

Eunuch Hou dared not respond and could only stand aside, holding his breath.

Meanwhile, in a quiet villa in Kyoto.

The decor here isn't luxurious, but it exudes elegance. The flowers and plants in the courtyard look somewhat withered after last night's wind and rain, but in the soft light of dawn, they reveal a tenacious vitality.

Li Chengze came here directly after court, without even changing out of his court robes.

He pushed open the door, and Lin Wan'er was sitting by the window, holding a book of poems. Hearing the noise, she turned her head, and a gentle smile appeared on her beautiful and refined face.

"Why are you here at this hour? I've heard about what happened at court." Lin Wan'er put down her book, stood up to greet her, and looked at her with a hint of worry in her eyes.

Looking at her, Li Chengze's previously nonchalant, sinister, and crazy expression vanished instantly, replaced by an almost obsessive tenderness.

He reached out and gently stroked Lin Wan'er's cheek, his movements as tender as if he were handling a fragile piece of porcelain.

"My father wanted to bestow a marriage upon me, but I declined." Li Chengze pulled her hand and sat her down, his tone as calm as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

Lin Wan'er's heart skipped a beat; she knew, of course, what this meant.

"You shouldn't have defied His Majesty like this for my sake," Lin Wan'er said softly, her eyes slightly red. "The situation in the capital is already turbulent; by doing this, you will put yourself in a position of no return."

"Eternal damnation?" Li Chengze chuckled, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "From the moment I was born into the royal family, I've been in hell. Wan'er, I promised you, in this life, my position as the principal wife will only be yours. No one can force me to have a woman I don't want, not even Father."

Lin Wan'er looked at him, feeling deeply moved.

"Fan Xian is, after all, my nominal fiancé. His Majesty arranged for him to marry me so that he could take over the Imperial Treasury. Now that you've openly refused the selection of a concubine, His Majesty will definitely suspect your motives." Lin Wan'er gripped Li Chengze's hand tightly. "Besides, what about my father..."

Li Chengze stood up, walked to the window, his back to Lin Wan'er, and his voice became low and hoarse: "Wan'er, do you know? Father doesn't actually care who I marry. What he cares about is what I hold in my hands. He tested me today to see if I would give you up for that position."

"So...did you win?" Lin Wan'er asked in a trembling voice.

"Win?" Li Chengze turned his head, looked at Lin Wan'er, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"Will Wan'er let me win?"

Lin Wan'er looked into Li Chengze's eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. She instantly understood the deeper meaning behind his words.

Her delicate and refined face was instantly flushed with a thin blush, like a peach blossom blooming after the rain.

She didn't speak, but leaned forward slightly, her eyes, as clear as autumn water, trembled, and she quickly pecked Li Chengze's cool cheek.

The touch was extremely light, like a feather brushing against him, yet it stirred up a tremendous wave in Li Chengze's heart.

After kissing her, Lin Wan'er wanted to escape, but in a panic, she tried to hide back by the bedside near the window.

However, how could Li Chengze give her that opportunity?

He let out a low, pleasant chuckle, a sound that seemed to resonate from his chest. With a swift movement, his long, strong hands precisely grasped Lin Wan'er's slender waist, gently pulling her into his embrace.

"You think you can just run away after kissing me?"

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