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

Inside Guangxin Palace, wisps of smoke rising from the incense burner intertwined at the top of the main hall, forming a hazy, ethereal mist.

Today, Li Yunrui wore an extremely thin, light purple gauze dress. The skirt spread out like water on the soft couch, making her stunningly beautiful face appear even paler, exuding an almost sickly, eerie beauty.

She rested her chin on one hand, while unconsciously fiddling with a withered flower on the table with the other, her eyes vacant and deep.

When Li Chengze's slightly casual footsteps sounded outside the hall, Li Yunrui's long eyelashes trembled slightly.

"Chengze? Shouldn't you be eating your grapes at home or listening to music at some restaurant right now? Why are you in the mood to come to my deserted Guangxin Palace?" Li Yunrui didn't look up, his voice lazy and carrying a faint smile.

Li Chengze didn't stand on ceremony. He walked to a chair and sat down, still acting like a spineless man. He picked up an orange from the table and started peeling it.

"If it's so quiet here, Aunt, then there's probably no lively place in the world." Li Chengze spat out a piece of orange peel and looked directly at Li Yunrui. "Aunt, you must have heard about what happened at the morning court today."

Li Yunrui chuckled and finally turned to look at him: "You mean His Majesty arranged a marriage for the eldest son? The eldest princess of Northern Qi is of noble status and is a good match for him."

Li Chengze put down the half-peeled orange, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice, "Aunt. We've traced the source of the assassins who tried to kill my elder brother."

Li Yunrui raised an eyebrow, a perfectly timed hint of surprise in his eyes: "Oh? The Forensic Bureau acted so quickly? Did Chen Pingping find out, or did the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) give you the information? Who was behind it?"

Li Chengze stared into Li Yunrui's eyes and said, word by word, "It's the Privy Council. News that shouldn't have been leaked has leaked from General Qin's secluded mansion."

Li Yunrui's fingers, which were fiddling with the withered flowers, suddenly stopped.

In that instant, the astonishment in her eyes was not feigned. She straightened up slightly, her gauze skirt slipped down, revealing a section of her snow-white shoulder, but she was completely unaware of it.

"The Privy Council? Qin Ye?" Li Yunrui frowned, as if pondering something utterly absurd. "Has that old man gone mad? He's the pillar of the military, and the eldest son is his junior at the front lines, a continuation of the Qin family's prestige in the military. Why would he want to harm the eldest son?"

Li Chengze was somewhat surprised by her reaction.

"I originally thought that my aunt was behind this," Li Chengze said tentatively. "After all, the eldest brother's return to Beijing is not a good thing for anyone."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunrui burst into laughter, laughing so hard that tears even welled up in her eyes.

"Chengze, it seems you still don't understand me enough." Li Yunrui stopped laughing, his eyes turning cold and crazed. "If I wanted the boss dead, I would choose to do it on his way back to the capital from the border. I would use my connections in Northern Qi, and even use all the trump cards I have. But I would never touch the Privy Council. The Privy Council is His Majesty's private domain, the toughest nut to crack in Southern Qing. If I were to touch it, I wouldn't be helping myself, but giving His Majesty a handle to use against me."

She shook her head, her tone firm: "I know nothing about this, and I wasn't involved."

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Li Chengze nodded. He believed him.

Aside from her recklessness in targeting Fan Xian, Li Yunrui is otherwise quite shrewd. There's always a story waiting to be uncovered. Using the Privy Council to assassinate the First Prince at this time—a foolish act that would result in heavy losses on both sides—is not in her best interest.

"Since it's not my aunt, this play is even more interesting." Li Chengze stood up, patting the orange peel off his hands. "Those old guys in the Privy Council would never dare to lay a hand on a prince without some kind of tacit approval. But if that 'tacit approval' really exists... ah, the nights in the capital are probably going to get even colder."

Li Yunrui looked at Li Chengze in silence for a long time.

The incense inside Guangxin Palace seemed a bit too strong, making people's eyes sting.

She spoke slowly, her voice no longer lazy and playful, but carrying a hint of heaviness she herself didn't realize: "Chengze, if that old fox Qin Ye makes a move, you and I both know who's behind him. From now on, protect yourselves."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengze paused slightly.

He met Li Yunrui's complex and unpredictable eyes, and a smile bloomed on his face.

He slowly stood up, walked to Li Yunrui, bent down, and gently and slowly pulled up the pale purple gauze dress that had slipped off her shoulder, covering the snow-white skin.

"Don't worry, Aunt. I value my life above all else. I can't bear to die before this grand drama comes to a close." Li Chengze's fingers lingered for a moment on the thin silk, feeling its refreshing coolness. He lowered his voice and said, "But Aunt, it's best to keep the doors of Guangxin Palace closed these days. Since the Privy Council can take action against the eldest son, then no one in the capital is truly safe. You've schemed for half your life; don't let yourself become someone else's pawn at the last moment."

After speaking, Li Chengze straightened up, didn't look at Li Yunrui again, flicked his wide sleeves, and strode out of the hall.

Li Yunrui leaned back on the soft couch, watching the slightly thin but upright figure disappear behind the layers of palace walls, her eyes gradually becoming hazy and empty.

The withered flower in her hand was finally crushed, and the juice stained her fingertips red, much like some kind of dried blood.

"Protect yourself..." she murmured, a self-deprecating smile playing on her lips. In this cannibalistic imperial city, who can truly protect whom?

As Li Chengze walked out of Guangxin Palace, the last rays of the setting sun were obscured by thick clouds.

The wind whipped up the fallen leaves on the ground, which rustled as they hit the bluestone pavement.

Back at the Second Prince's residence, the playful expression on Li Chengze's face vanished completely.

He walked straight into the study and closed the door behind him. Inside, Zhao Gao had been waiting for a long time, standing in the corner like a shadow.

"Your Highness."

"The Princess's side has been ruled out." Li Chengze walked to his desk, spread out a sheet of white paper, picked up a pen, but didn't write. "The Privy Council has made a move, and the already murky waters have become even more turbid."

"Zhao Gao, send a message to Yuan Tiangang."

Zhao Gao's body trembled slightly, and he lowered his head slightly.

Li Chengze said, enunciating each word clearly, "The Great Snow Dragon Riders can move now."

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Zhao Gao's eyes.

"Your Highness, is it too early to act now? The current situation is still manageable for the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) to handle easily," Zhao Gao advised in a low voice.

"Go and pass on the order. Yuan Tiangang will understand my meaning once he receives the message."