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

The latest chapter is packed with exciting plot twists! Come check it out!

The First Prince's residence, study.

After Li Chengru returned, he locked himself in his room for three whole hours.

The secret letter lay quietly on the table, like a ferocious beast lurking on the paper, ready to devour someone at any moment.

The evidence listed in the letter is extremely detailed.

From the secret troop redeployment records of the Kyoto garrison division to the confidential files of private meetings among several vice-generals of the Privy Council, and then to several material allocation orders from the Ministry of War that had been deliberately erased.

Most devastatingly, the half-broken rubbing of the military tally attached to the end of the letter, along with several copies of encrypted letters exchanged between Kyoto and the border.

Li Chengru's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the names, his mind replaying the brutal ambush.

The sky was filled with yellow sand, the battle flags were tattered, and the young faces fell one by one in the midst of the clash of swords.

They did not die under the iron cavalry of Northern Qi, nor at the hands of the swordsmen of Dongyi City, but in the meat grinder meticulously woven by their own people.

Just then, the hinges of the study door made a very slight creaking sound.

Li Chengru did not look up. He knew that at this time, there were very few people in the entire capital who could bypass the many sentries outside the Crown Prince's residence and the personal guards inside and sneak into his study silently.

"You've come." Li Chengru's voice was terribly hoarse, like two pieces of dry tree bark rubbing together violently.

Fan Xian was dressed in an inconspicuous blue robe. Although his face still looked pale from recovering from a serious illness, his steps were very steady.

He walked to the desk, glanced at Li Chengru who looked as if he had aged ten years in an instant, and sighed inwardly.

"It seems the Second Prince's offer is not only substantial but also extremely dangerous." Fan Xian pulled up a chair, sat down, and stared at the secret letter. "May I take a look?"

Li Chengru closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly nodded.

Fan Xian didn't stand on ceremony and reached out to pick up the secret letter.

A deathly silence fell over the study, broken only by the soft rustling of pages turning. Fan Xian examined the documents closely, his gaze lingering on every name, every date, every seal. His brain, like a high-speed, sophisticated instrument, rapidly pieced together and reassembled this seemingly scattered information.

As Fan Xian read on, his previously calm expression began to change.

His brows furrowed more and more, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, then turning into shock, and finally solidifying into a deep sense of apprehension.

When Fan Xian saw the last half of the military tally rubbing and the copy of the letter, his fingers suddenly froze.

"It was him!"

Fan Xian couldn't help but gasp and exclaim in surprise. He abruptly raised his head and looked at Li Chengru in disbelief.

He had originally envisioned countless possibilities.

He suspected that the Qin family was suppressing the eldest prince in order to consolidate their position as the top military leader; he suspected that the eldest princess was secretly plotting to disrupt the situation; he even suspected that Chen Pingping was stirring things up behind the scenes for some ulterior motive.

But he never expected that all the evidence and all the clues would eventually point to the Eastern Palace!

Crown Prince, Li Chengqian!

"How could it be the Crown Prince?" Fan Xian lowered his voice, his eyes flashing with suspicion and uncertainty. "He has always presented himself as benevolent and steady, and has painstakingly cultivated his position in the court for many years. What he fears most is giving others cause for criticism. To secretly mobilize troops and intercept and kill the personal guards of the border commander is not only a grave crime that shakes the foundation of the country, but also an extremely risky and foolish move. If exposed, His Majesty will never forgive him. Why would he take such a great risk? Moreover, his influence does not extend to the military. There must be others helping him, or rather, someone used him to do such a thing."

Li Chengru sneered, his laughter filled with sorrow and mockery: "Kindness and composure? Fan Xian, which child who grew up in this imperial city is truly a good man or woman? Who knows if this is just a facade?"

Li Chengru stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the rising sun outside. The sunlight stung his eyes, but it could not dispel the chill in his heart.

"You think he's just after a few of my men?" Li Chengru gritted his teeth, emphasizing each word. "He's killing three birds with one stone!"

A thought flashed through Fan Xian's mind, and he instantly understood Li Chengru's meaning, replying, "First, weaken your absolute prestige in the army. Your personal guards are all battle-hardened elites, the backbone of your army."

"Not bad." Li Chengru turned around, his eyes sharp. "And second place?"

Fan Xian took a deep breath and continued, "Secondly, if someone were to assassinate you, the first suspect would be the Second Prince, Chen Pingping, or the Eldest Princess. On the contrary, the Crown Prince is the least likely, since your existence poses no threat to him. If the assassination is carried out flawlessly, you will definitely become sworn enemies with the Privy Council..."

Fan Xian suddenly sensed something was wrong. "No, that's not right. It couldn't have been the Crown Prince who made the move."

Fan Xian picked up the secret letter and examined it again, feeling the paper. He noticed something amiss, took the letter to Li Chengru's side, and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, look at this paper. This isn't from Nanqing; it's from the Western Barbarians!"

……

The Princess's Residence.

Sunlight filters through the lush foliage, casting dappled shadows on the exquisite flowerbed.

Li Chengze stood beside Li Yunrui, holding a small pair of gold scissors, idly trimming a blooming peony.

"Auntie, these peonies are blooming too brightly. As the saying goes, 'The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind.' These flowers are blooming too ostentatiously, which will easily attract insects and ants." As Li Chengze spoke, he cut off the most beautiful peony flower head with a "snip" without any pity.

The flowers fell to the ground, their red color dazzling.

Li Yunrui watched his actions without the slightest ripple in her eyes.

She was holding a small silver watering can, watering the "Drunken Beauty" plant that she had pruned down to just the main stem.

"Chengze, your methods of pruning flowers are still so crude." Li Yunrui's voice was gentle and melodious. "Flowers bloom brightly because they have absorbed enough nutrients. Even if you cut them, their roots are still there, and they will still bloom even brighter next year. If you really don't like them, you should uproot them."

Li Chengze smiled and turned to look at Li Yunrui's stunning profile: "Auntie is right. However, some roots are too deep, and not only is it difficult to pull them out, but it's also easy to get covered in mud. It's better to prune its branches and leaves first, let it wither slowly, and when it rots in the mud, it will naturally become nutrients for other flowers."

Just then, a series of hurried yet gentle footsteps broke the tranquility of the flowerbed.

A courtier dressed in the robes of the Grand Eunuch walked quickly over, stopped five steps away from the two men, and bowed deeply.

"This servant greets Your Highness the Eldest Princess and Your Highness the Second Prince."

Li Yunrui stopped what she was doing, handed the silver water pot to the maid beside her, took a clean white silk handkerchief and gently wiped her fingers, without even lifting her eyelids: "What is it?"

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