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

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"He is neutral," Fan Xian finally commented. "Or rather, he is playing a game of balance. The First Prince is his pawn in the army, while the Second Prince and I are his whetstones in the court. As long as we are not dead, he can tolerate it, but he will never allow anyone to jump out of his chessboard."

Finally, Fan Xian thought of the old man in the wheelchair.

"Chen Pingping..."

Fan Xian hesitated.

Chen Pingping treated him very well, but he always felt that there was a deep sorrow and madness hidden in Chen Pingping's eyes.

"He's neutral, I suppose. I still can't figure out his motives. He's like someone who's protecting me, but also like someone who's guarding a huge secret, waiting to drag everyone down with him at the last moment."

Fan Xian counted them over and over and found that he had very few cards he could use.

The Fan family mansion was his root, but Fan Jian was too stable and wouldn't risk his life for him.

Wu Zhu was his last trump card, and he wouldn't use it unless absolutely necessary.

The Forensic Science Institute? That belongs to Chen Pingping, not him.

"The First Prince, Li Chengru..." Fan Xian's eyes flickered slightly. "He just returned from the border, holds military power, and has a resolute and direct personality, without many hidden agendas. Moreover, he was the victim in this assassination attempt, so he must be harboring a grudge."

"Uncle Wuzhu, once my injuries have healed a bit, I'd like to go and see this Crown Prince," Fan Xian said in a low voice.

"Okay," Wu Zhu nodded.

…………

On the northern wilderness.

Yuan Tiangang crossed the border of Northern Qi and arrived at a valley covered in snow all year round.

There was no sign of human habitation here, only the howling wind echoing through the valley.

However, when Yuan Tiangang took out a black command arrow engraved with dragon patterns from his bosom and raised it above his head, a deep rumbling sound suddenly came from the depths of the once silent canyon.

That was the sound of horses' hooves pounding on the frozen ground, uniform and heavy as thunder.

A thin silver line emerged from the horizon and rapidly expanded.

Those were thirty thousand cavalrymen clad in heavy silver armor. Their armor gleamed coldly in the dim sunlight, and each warhorse was a renowned breed from the far north, tall and mighty, with crimson eyes.

This is the Great Snow Dragon Rider.

This monster army was secretly trained in the wasteland by Yuan Tiangang, who devoted countless efforts and resources to training it using methods provided by the Second Prince Li Chengze.

The cavalrymen reined in their horses a hundred paces in front of Yuan Tiangang. Their movements were so synchronized that they seemed like a single person, sending snowflakes fluttering into the air.

The leading general dismounted, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a voice as loud as a bell:

"Great Snow Dragon Riders, pay your respects to the Commander!"

Yuan Tiangang looked at this elite force, capable of sweeping across the world, and a slight smile appeared on the corner of his mouth beneath his mask.

"His Highness has given the order," Yuan Tiangang's voice echoed throughout the valley, "Head south. Target: Yanjing. No need to attack cities. I want you to eliminate all the Privy Council's secret liaison points in the north within three days. Any resistance will be met with death."

"promise!"

Thirty thousand iron cavalry roared in unison, their momentum soaring to the sky.

Yuan Tiangang turned his head and looked south.

…………

Late night

The First Prince's residence, the martial arts training ground.

Li Chengru was shirtless, his bronze skin gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen in the moonlight. He wielded a heavy sword with ferocious power, each strike accompanied by a piercing whistling sound, as if he wanted to tear the thick night apart completely.

"Your Highness, the Second Prince requests an audience." A guard approached quickly and announced in a low voice.

Li Chengru abruptly stopped, the heavy sword drawing a sharp arc in the air before firmly embedding itself in the weapon rack beside him.

He took the handkerchief handed to him by the deputy general, wiped the sweat off his body haphazardly, and frowned deeply.

"Second brother? What's he doing here so late?" Li Chengru's voice was tinged with doubt.

"He said... he came to deliver a gift to His Highness."

"A gift?" Li Chengru put on a black robe and slowly said, "Have him wait for me in the main hall."

When Li Chengru entered the main hall, Li Chengze was squatting on a chair without any regard for his image, playing with a bronze wine vessel that he had somehow acquired, examining it carefully in the lamplight.

When Li Chengru came in, he didn't get up, but just raised his eyebrows and revealed his signature mocking smile.

"Brother, this mansion of yours is truly... filled with the aura of iron and blood." Li Chengze clapped his hands, jumped off the chair, and moved as lightly as a cat. "Even this wine cup has the earthy smell of an old battlefield. It's boring, really boring."

Li Chengru sat imposingly in the main seat, coldly looking at him: "Second brother, what do you want with me?"

Li Chengze walked to the table, picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup, took a small sip, and then frowned. "This tea is too bitter. I came here today to offer my elder brother a pole in the muddy waters of Kyoto."

"Pole vaulting?" Li Chengru frowned, looking at Li Chengze. "Whom do you want to use me to scheme against?"

"Brother, those words are hurtful." Li Chengze put down his teacup, his expression suddenly turning serious. He lowered his voice and said, "Regarding the Privy Council's assassination attempt on you, I'm sure you've already traced it back to the Qin family. But what if I told you that someone else gave the order?"

Li Chengru's pupils suddenly contracted, and his body involuntarily leaned forward. An invisible pressure instantly enveloped the entire hall: "What did you say? Those old guys in the Privy Council, besides the Qin family, who else has the guts and ability to mobilize that level of assassins and crossbows?"

"It's not Father Emperor, nor General Qin, nor any of those old rivals you think they are."

Li Chengru stared intently at Li Chengze, as if trying to find a flaw in his ever-smiling face.

He knew Li Chengze was playing with fire and tempting him, but he couldn't resist the temptation.

The vengeful spirits of his personal guards who died by hidden arrows, and his brothers who had risked their lives with him, seemed to linger in this hall, compelling him to seek the ultimate truth.

"What do you want?" Li Chengru asked slowly, each word seemingly ground out from between his teeth.

"Brother, you're so generous." Li Chengze sat back on the soft couch, casually picking up a fruit and tossing it into his mouth. "I have a group of people currently stranded on the border of Northern Qi. The number... is quite large, and their backgrounds are a bit mixed. In a few days, once the news of Brother's marriage to the Northern Qi princess spreads, the border guards will inevitably undergo a period of 'changing of command.' I hope that at that time, Brother can do me a favor and let these people in."

A look of shock appeared in Li Chengru's eyes.

He has been stationed on the border for many years and is extremely sensitive to the phrases "a group of people" and "a considerable number".

The group of people Li Chengze mentioned could not possibly be ordinary merchants, or even simple spies.

The fact that Li Chengze would go to such lengths to plan this, even to the point of exchanging such top-secret intelligence, suggests that it is very likely an armed force capable of changing the situation in Kyoto, or some kind of shady private army.

Unexpectedly, Li Chengze had actually raised a private army in Northern Qi.

"I……"