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

When Li Chengze came out of Lin Wan'er's villa, it was already close to dusk.

The afterglow of the setting sun cast a long, thin shadow of him. The gentleness on his face had vanished, replaced by the familiar, somewhat languid and wicked appearance of the Second Prince.

The carriage rumbled back to the Second Prince's residence, its wheels making a dull thud as they rolled over the bluestone pavement.

Li Chengze did not go to the main hall or return to his bedroom, but instead went straight through the corridor to the west wing.

Pushing open the door, Si Lili was sitting upright in a rosewood chair by the window, holding a cup of warm, fragrant tea in her hands.

Today she wore a dark red gauze dress with a slightly open neckline, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin, and her eyes exuded indescribable charm.

Hearing footsteps, she slightly raised her eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in her captivating gaze: "Your Highness is back?"

Li Chengze didn't say anything, but strode forward.

His passion and possessiveness, which he had suppressed all day with Lin Wan'er, surged forth like a flood bursting its banks.

He scooped Si Lili up from the chair, her soft body trembling in his arms. The teacup crashed to the ground with a clatter, splashing tea everywhere.

"Your Highness..." Si Lili exclaimed, instinctively wrapping her arms around Li Chengze's neck.

Li ignored her and carried her straight to the bed covered with soft animal hides.

He gently put her down, then leaned over her, his movements seemingly hurried yet tender.

His kisses fell like raindrops, from her brow to the tip of her nose, and then to her luscious red lips.

Si Lili responded obediently, her fingertips gripping his deep purple court robe tightly, letting the heat engulf her.

After their lovemaking, the room returned to calm, with only the sound of their slightly rapid breathing remaining.

Li Chengze lay on his side, one hand supporting his head, the other casually playing with a strand of Si Lili's hair that had fallen onto the pillow.

Si Lili curled up in his arms like a lazy cat, her cheeks still flushed and her eyes dreamy.

"What are you thinking about?" Si Lili asked softly, her voice slightly hoarse from the past.

Li Chengze's gaze fell on the top of the tent, his eyes gradually becoming deep and dark: "I'm wondering what that old fox and that high and mighty His Majesty will do next."

He carefully sorted through Chen Pingping's unusual behavior at the morning court session and the undercurrent he sensed outside the Imperial Study.

"Chen Pingping resigned from his post today, staging a self-inflicted injury," Li Chengze said with a cold smile. "That old cripple has always been patient and reserved. He would never have shown such a dejected state unless he had a bigger scheme in mind. Although Father is suspicious, the situation in the capital is chaotic right now. He cannot do without the Jianchayuan (Imperial Censorate) as a tool, and he cannot do without Chen Pingping, the one wielding that tool. Therefore, Father will definitely try to retain him and give him even greater power."

Si Lili seemed to understand only partially, but listened obediently: "So, how does Your Highness intend to deal with this?"

"Respond?" Li Chengze chuckled, his fingers tracing Si Lili's smooth back. "No need for deliberate responses. If Chen Pingping wants to muddy the waters, then I'll just go with the flow and swim even deeper. Father has granted Chen Pingping special privileges, which means the Censorate's next moves will be significant. Let's see how much trouble they can cause for now."

…………

As night fell completely, the study in the Second Prince's residence was brightly lit.

Li Chengze changed into casual clothes and sat alone at his desk, toying with a black chess piece in his hand. The chessboard in front of him was filled with black and white pieces, and the game was fraught with danger.

Suddenly, a subtle ripple appeared in the shadows of the study. A man dressed in black with a delicate face silently emerged. He bowed respectfully, his voice low and deep: "Your Highness, my men have successfully infiltrated the Northern Qi palace and rescued her brother. He is currently being transported to the capital and is expected to arrive in three days."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengze abruptly stopped what he was doing, looked at Zhao Gao, and smiled faintly.

"well done."

Zhao Gao whispered, "Your Highness, should we inform Miss Si Lili of this news now? She will surely be moved to tears."

"Need not"

Li Chengze looked at the empty shadows, his smile deepening.

He stood up, straightened his robes, and turned to walk towards Si Lili's courtyard.

……

Meanwhile, at the frontier camp a thousand miles away.

A fierce wind howled, whipping up clouds of yellow sand that lashed against the heavy tents with a crackling sound. The First Prince, Li Chengru, had just finished a day's inspection and returned to the main tent, covered in dust.

He removed his heavy armor, revealing a muscular physique and a face with a bronze tan honed by years of sun and wind. As soon as he sat down, a guard presented him with an urgent secret letter from Kyoto.

Li Chengru frowned slightly, took the letter, and tore open the sealing wax seal. As his gaze swept over the contents of the letter, his originally resolute and calm face gradually froze, and he seemed to turn into a stone sculpture.

The letter contained only a few words, but it was Emperor Qing's personal edict:

"I have come to regard your meritorious service in guarding the frontier and your absence for many years, and hereby summon you to return to the capital immediately to complete your marriage. The wedding arrangements have been made, and an auspicious day will be chosen for the ceremony. The deputy general will temporarily handle matters related to border defense."

"A marriage decree...return to the capital..." Li Chengru murmured to himself, his voice heavy with disbelief.

He was not unwilling to return to the capital to see his father, nor was he resistant to starting a family and building a career.

Rather, he knew that at this sensitive moment, Emperor Qing's sudden recall of him, who held considerable military power, was not simply to hold a wedding for him.

"Father, what do you want to do?" Li Chengru sighed, crumpled the letter into a ball, and held it tightly in his hand.

Although he was far away on the frontier, he was not completely ignorant of what was happening in the capital.

He walked to the tent, lifted the curtain, and looked at the distant sky obscured by sandstorms.

That was the direction of Kyoto, the place where he was born, and the center of countless power struggles and schemes.

"The wedding..." Li Chengru gave a bitter smile, "I'm afraid that before we can even drink the wedding wine, we'll be covered in the stench of blood."

He knew that once he stepped into Kyoto, whether he liked it or not, he would be forced into the center of this power struggle.

His attitude may be the last straw that breaks the camel's back, or it may be the key blow that turns the tide.

"Pass down the order!" Li Chengru turned around abruptly, a resolute glint in his eyes. "Reorganize the military. Tomorrow morning, I will depart for the capital!"

His father had already issued the decree; he couldn't avoid it, so he had to face it head-on.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Having secured actual support from Emperor Qing, Chen Pingping did not seize the opportunity to cause trouble; instead, he fell into silence, leaving everyone wondering what he was thinking.

A horse-drawn carriage drove into Kyoto.