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

"I……"

Li Chengru's voice was stuck in his throat, as if he had swallowed a red-hot iron nail.

As a commander who guarded the border and treated military orders with utmost seriousness, his instincts told him that Li Chengze's request had crossed the most dangerous red line in Nanqing. Releasing unidentified armed forces into the country was treason, collusion with the enemy, and a heinous crime that would bring shame upon the entire Li imperial family.

However, some of the guards who died in the assassination were only eighteen years old, some were supposed to get married after returning to the capital, and some even clung to his clothes before they breathed their last, begging him to live.

"Brother, take your time to think it over." Li Chengze stood up, brushed off non-existent dust from his robes, and resumed his lazy and playful demeanor. "The nights in this capital are chilly. Once you've made up your mind, come to my residence anytime. But don't wait too long; the imperial carriage of the eldest princess of Northern Qi won't wait for those who hesitate."

After speaking, Li Chengze walked out of the First Prince's residence with a leisurely air amidst the complex gazes of his personal guards.

Li Chengru sat back down in his chair. The light in the study flickered, casting his shadow on the wall in a distorted and twisted manner.

He closed his eyes, his mind a jumble of images: the endless yellow sands of the borderlands and the treacherous winds of the capital.

As a soldier, he should have refused such a thing outright, or even seized Li Chengze and handed him over to Emperor Qing in that instant.

But he also yearned for the truth.

The feeling of being stabbed in the back by one's comrades and the system one is loyal to is ten thousand times more painful than a knife wound on the battlefield.

……

The Second Prince's residence at this time.

Li Chengze sat in the study, still barefoot on the thick carpet.

Li Chengze picked up the secret report from the desk again and took it. His eyes became extremely gloomy, even carrying a hint of coldness that was hard to detect.

"Well, what a brilliant 'borrowing a knife to kill' scheme. I almost became a stepping stone in that person's hands."

……

The First Prince's residence, study.

Li Chengru had been sitting there blankly for the entire night.

The tea in front of him had long since gone cold, and the horizontal sword on the table gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

Just before dawn, in the darkest hour, a very faint, almost imperceptible whistling sound came from inside the house.

"Who?!"

Li Chengru reacted extremely quickly, his right hand instantly gripping the hilt of the horizontal sword, and a palpable killing intent surged into the sky.

"Your Highness, your murderous aura is too strong; it's not good for your wounds to heal."

A slightly weak voice, yet carrying a familiar languid tone, came from the shadows of the study.

Li Chengru suddenly looked towards that corner.

A young man dressed in black, his face as pale as a ghost, slowly walked out. He was wrapped in bandages, and a faint herbal scent could be smelled from him, but his eyes were surprisingly bright, revealing a clear understanding of the ways of the world.

"Fan Xian?!" Li Chengru's grip on the knife loosened slightly, then his brows furrowed even more. "Weren't you poisoned, critically injured, and on the verge of death?"

Fan Xian coughed twice, found a chair and sat down, letting out a long sigh: "It's true that I was poisoned, and it's also true that I was on the verge of death, but I'm in good health and recovered quickly."

Li Chengru stared coldly at him: "What brings you here to see me? Are you here to 'bring me a gift' too?"

"What's on the Crown Prince's mind, perhaps I can speak to you on his behalf," Fan Xian said, his expression turning serious as he looked at Li Chengru.

Li Chengru remained silent, but the glint in his eyes already gave him the answer.

"Let me guess." Fan Xian stroked his chin. "Given Li Chengze's personality, if he has evidence for you, it's most likely true. However, he's not exactly a benevolent person. The premise for giving you information is probably that he wants you, the First Prince, to do something for him or give something in return. Judging from your current state, it's clear that what the Second Prince said must have put you in a difficult position, so the deal wasn't reached."

Li Chengru remained silent, which solidified Fan Xian's suspicions.

"If Your Highness trusts me, I can help you make that decision."

"Tell me your thoughts." Li Chengru loosened his grip on the hilt of his sword and looked at Fan Xian with a deep gaze.

Fan Xian stated directly, "My idea is simple: agree to Li Chengze's conditions and get our hands on that evidence about the person behind the scenes."

"Outrageous!" Li Chengru stood up abruptly, his voice low but carrying the force of thunder. "I am the eldest prince of Nanqing, the commander guarding the border! To allow unidentified armed forces to enter the country is to disregard the security of the border, it is treason! If I did it, how could I face the armor I wear, how could I betray the trust of my father?"

Fan Xian looked at Li Chengru, who had an upright expression, and was not intimidated by his anger. He simply uttered a sentence: "Because his surname is Li."

Li Chengru's body jolted violently, and the rebuke that was about to come out got stuck in his throat.

"This empire belongs to His Majesty, and it will belong to someone in your Li family in the future. Although Li Chengze is mad and ruthless, he would never destroy the family fortune he wants to inherit." Fan Xian's eyes were deep. "He brought troops into the country to protect himself and to fight for that throne, but he is ultimately a descendant of the Li family. And the person hiding in the shadows who dares to kill you is the real madman who wants to throw Daqing into chaos and cause the Li family to turn against each other. Brother, do you want to stick to that deadly rule and watch your brothers die one by one, or do you want to tear open this veil and see who is really in charge?"

A deathly silence fell over the study.

After a long while, Li Chengru slowly sat back down in his chair. The murderous aura that had been so intense gradually dissipated, replaced by a deep and unfathomable weariness and resolve.

"I understand," Li Chengru said softly, then he raised his head, his gaze piercing as he looked at Fan Xian. "And what about you? You went to all this trouble to come and persuade me, what do you want from me?"

Fan Xian revealed a bright yet sly smile: "I want to reach a cooperation agreement with the First Prince."

……

The next morning, the sun had not yet completely dispelled the thin mist over Kyoto.

Li Chengru arrived at the Second Prince's residence alone on horseback.

Li Chengze seemed to have anticipated his arrival. He was sitting in the pavilion with exquisite snacks in front of him, still barefoot, looking quite relaxed.

Upon seeing Li Chengru, Li Chengze smiled knowingly. "Brother, this morning tea is quite delicious. Would you like some?"

Li Chengru had no time for pleasantries. He dismounted, strode into the pavilion, and said in a deep, powerful voice, "I agree to your request. On the day the Northern Qi princess enters the pass, there will be a 'gap' at the border. Now, give me the things."

A glint of light flashed in Li Chengze's eyes. He took out a secret letter from his pocket and gently pushed it to the center of the table.

Li Chengru eagerly tore open the envelope. As his gaze moved across the letter, his face turned ashen, veins bulged on his forehead, and his fingers gripping the letter trembled slightly from the excessive force.

"Damn it! How dare you do this... how dare you do this!" Li Chengru slammed his hand on the stone table, making the teacups clang.

He was furious because the truth revealed in the letter was extremely ugly: the lives of those personal guards who sacrificed themselves for power were merely bargaining chips in the eyes of those people.

But beneath this overwhelming anger, deep within Li Chengru's heart, a faint sense of relief, which he himself was unwilling to admit, was revealed.

That person was not Emperor Qing.