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

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"Reporting...Reporting to Your Majesty..." Eunuch Hou's teeth chattered, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back. "The secret report said...that the black box left behind by Miss Ye was...stolen by the Second Prince's men last night and is now hidden in the Second Prince's residence."

The air in the imperial study seemed to have been completely sucked out in that instant.

Emperor Qing was holding a piece of fine silk from the Jiangnan region, which he was using as a tribute, and gently wiping it along the bowstring of his composite bow, his movements as tender as if he were caressing a lover's skin.

However, when the words "black box" and "Second Prince" entered his ears one after the other, his long and powerful fingers imperceptibly froze in mid-air.

The silk stopped on the bow arm and did not move an inch further.

Time seemed to have been paused at that moment.

Eunuch Hou pressed his head firmly against the cold, hard gold brick floor. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead down his nose and hit the brick surface with a very faint "plop" sound.

But to Eunuch Hou, the sound was as deafening as thunder.

Having served this master in the palace for most of his life, he knew better than anyone that the calmer and more silent His Majesty was, the more devastating his brewing rage would be.

Miss Ye. A name that shines like a comet in the history of the Qing Kingdom, yet is also as taboo and untouchable.

A full half-cup of tea's time passed before Emperor Qing's frozen fingers finally twitched slightly.

He did not fly into a rage as Eunuch Hou had expected, nor did he smash the precious porcelain beside him. Instead, he casually tossed the piece of silk onto the large rosewood table.

"Chengze..." Emperor Qing's voice was extremely calm, even carrying a hint of the languor and helplessness of an elder talking about a younger generation, as if he had just heard that his son had snatched a small trinket from someone else in the market.

He slowly turned his head, his deep, still eyes glancing indifferently at Eunuch Hou, who was kneeling on the ground trembling like a leaf.

"Master Hou," Emperor Qing suddenly spoke, his tone as casual as if he were chatting with someone, "you've been by my side for decades now, haven't you?"

Eunuch Hou shuddered and hurriedly replied in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, this old servant has served Your Majesty since the time when Your Majesty was still a prince, and it has been thirty-six years now."

"Thirty-six years, that's not a short time." Emperor Qing tilted his head slightly, gazing at the intricate dragon patterns carved on the ceiling of the imperial study, seemingly lost in some memory. "Then you should have seen that black box too. You said..."

Emperor Qing's gaze suddenly dropped, and an almost tangible sense of oppression instantly enveloped Eunuch Hou: "Tell me, what could be inside that box?"

Upon hearing this question, Eunuch Hou's heart clenched as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

This is a death trap question. Absolutely a death trap question.

Everything about Ye Qingmei was an absolute taboo in the palace.

Although the massacre in Kyoto that year was nominally the work of the Empress Dowager and the Empress's faction, how could a shrewd person like Eunuch Hou not sense the tacit approval and ruthlessness coming from the highest level?

There are still relics left in the world.

How should he answer?

If the answer is a peerless martial arts manual, it would be an underestimation of the methods used by Miss Ye back then; if the answer is an astonishing fortune, it would be an insult to the Observatory and the Imperial Treasury…

Countless thoughts flashed through Eunuch Hou's mind in an instant, and cold sweat had completely soaked through the undergarment he was wearing.

He knew that every word he uttered next would determine whether he could leave the imperial study alive.

"This old servant...this old servant is dull-witted..."

Eunuch Hou swallowed hard, trying his best to make his voice sound steady. After careful consideration, he answered, "This old servant is just a eunuch, how could I know about such important matters of the world or rare treasures? But in this old servant's eyes, no matter what material that box is made of, no matter what is inside, it is ultimately... ultimately just an inanimate object."

Eunuch Hou slightly raised his head, stealing a glance at Emperor Qing's boots, and continued, "The Second Prince is young and impetuous, perhaps just curious, thinking it's a rare item and wanting to play with it. But before His Majesty's boundless wisdom, all things in the world are His Majesty's subjects. No matter how strange the contents of that box are, they can't escape His Majesty's grasp; no matter how much the Second Prince stirs things up, he is ultimately His Majesty's bloodline, playing chess within the game His Majesty has drawn. Therefore... this old servant believes that what's contained in that box is nothing more than the Second Prince's 'delusion,' and... a 'touchstone' His Majesty uses to temper his princes."

Emperor Qing listened quietly to Eunuch Hou's reply, and the imperial study fell into a brief silence once again.

A moment later, Emperor Qing's lips curled up slightly, forming an enigmatic smile.

"You old dog, you're getting better and better at talking." Emperor Qing chuckled, and the terrifying pressure that had been hanging over Eunuch Hou's head dissipated by most of it.

"This old servant...this old servant is only telling the truth. His Majesty is wise and discerning, this old servant dares not utter a single falsehood." Eunuch Hou let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as if all the strength had been drained from his body, and collapsed limply to the ground.

"Alright, get up. What kind of appearance is that, lying on the ground?" Emperor Qing waved his hand casually, as if the thrilling test had never happened. "I know about this secret report. You may leave now. No one is to disturb you without my decree."

"This old servant obeys the decree and takes his leave." Eunuch Hou felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He scrambled to his feet, bowed, and backed out of the imperial study, gently closing the two heavy, carved wooden doors behind him.

When the two doors were completely closed, shutting out the sunlight and sound from outside, only Emperor Qing remained in the Imperial Study.

Emperor Qing, who had been wearing a lazy smile, froze the moment the door closed, his expression turning into a sheet of frost colder than the winter.

He slowly stood up, barefoot, wearing only white silk stockings, and walked step by step on the cold, smooth gold bricks to the huge screen at the deepest part of the imperial study.

The screen depicts a vast landscape of Daqing, including mountains, rivers, cities, and passes.

Emperor Qing's gaze wandered across the map, finally settling on a place that wasn't marked, but which was clearer in his mind than any city—the Taiping Villa outside the capital.

Emperor Qing's eyes became incredibly deep, so deep that they seemed capable of swallowing all light.

Hidden in those deep eyes was an extremely complex emotion: a recollection of the past, a complex feeling for that exceptionally talented woman, but more than anything, a deep and unforgettable fear.

It could even be described as fear.