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

After an unknown amount of time, so long that Little Li thought he had turned into a statue waiting for his husband, the laughter and chatter in the pavilion finally gradually subsided.

Li Chengze seemed to have had enough fun. He slowly pulled his hand out from under Si Lili's skirt, and leisurely reached out to straighten the slightly disheveled skirt, covering up the exposed skin.

After straightening his skirt, Li Chengze gently patted Si Lili's hand. Si Lili immediately understood and sat up, letting Li Chengze rest his head on her lap.

Then, Li Chengze slowly turned his head, his long and deep eyes slowly piercing through the light gauze and landing on the thin, shivering figure outside the pavilion.

"you……"

Li Chengze parted his thin lips slightly, uttering just one word.

"thump!"

Leonardo DiCaprio's legs, already stiff and numb from standing for so long and from extreme fear, completely lost their ability to support him the moment he heard that sound.

He slammed his knees heavily onto the hard bluestone slab, producing a dull thud that made your teeth ache.

"This servant...this humble servant...pays homage...pays homage to Your Highness! Long live Your Highness...long live Your Highness...long live Your Highness!"

Leonardo DiCaprio's voice was hoarse and broken, every word uttered with a sob, as if squeezed from his throat.

Seeing Li Zi lying on the ground like a rag doll, looking utterly defeated, Li Chengze not only didn't get angry, but couldn't help but chuckle.

"Oh……"

The soft laugh sounded particularly clear in the quiet garden.

It was different from the wicked charm he had when he was teasing Si Lili earlier; instead, it carried a pure joy, as if he had witnessed some extremely amusing farce.

"Am I that scary?" Li Chengze shifted to a more comfortable position, propping his chin up with one hand, and looked at the little Li Zi on the ground with interest. "Or is there no one else in the palace, sending a novice who can't even speak properly?"

"Your Highness...Your Highness, please understand...This servant...This servant was just a messenger...Please spare my life, Your Highness...Please spare my life, Your Highness!" Little Li just kept kowtowing and begging for mercy.

"Alright, stop banging. If you keep banging, you'll ruin this newly laid bluestone pavement." Li Chengze waved his hand somewhat listlessly, his tone revealing a hint of impatience.

As if granted a pardon, Xiao Li immediately stopped kowtowing, but remained in a prostrate position, not daring to move an inch.

"Speak," Li Chengze said, his smile fading and his eyes becoming deep and penetrating, as if he could see through people's hearts. "What message did Father send you here to convey? Those Imperial Guards have been surrounding me all night; Father should have an explanation."

Leonardo DiCaprio swallowed hard, trying to calm his nearly collapsing emotions.

He went over the words that Eunuch Hou had taught him in his mind several times. After confirming that they were correct, he carefully raised his head, but his gaze still only dared to stay on Li Chengze's footstool.

"Replying to Your Highness... His Majesty's... His Majesty's decree..." Little Li's voice was still trembling slightly, but it was much better than before.

"His Majesty said..." Little Li took a deep breath, trying his best to imitate Eunuch Hou's calm yet suggestive tone, "His Majesty is aware of what happened last night. Considering Your Highness's recent hard work, His Majesty has specially ordered the Imperial Guards to protect the Prince's residence to prevent any villains from disturbing Your Highness's peace."

Hearing this, Li Chengze's lips curled into a mocking sneer. "Guards? Father, the array of guards you've seen is unprecedented. Not even a fly can escape. Is this what you call guards, or confinement?"

Little Li was so scared that he didn't dare to respond, and could only grit his teeth and continue speaking.

"His Majesty also said... Your Highness is a wise man, and you should know that the big picture is more important. Some things, if left with Your Highness, are not only useless, but will also bring trouble. It would be better... better to return them to the Imperial Treasury as soon as possible, or... present them directly to the Emperor."

After saying all that in one breath, Little Li felt as if he had just walked through the gates of hell. His back was completely soaked with cold sweat, sticking stickily to his body, making him extremely uncomfortable.

A deathly silence fell over the pavilion.

Li Chengze smiled, a knowing look in his eyes. He said, "Why so suddenly? It turns out it's because of Barrett."

"Return it to the Imperial Treasury? Or present it to the Emperor?"

Li Chengze looked at Xiao Li and slowly spoke.

"Go back and tell your father."

"That black box was indeed in my possession before."

"However," Li Chengze's tone shifted, a sneer playing on his lips, "that piece of junk doesn't even have a keyhole. I've had over a dozen craftsmen try to crack it, but none of them could. What use is it to me?"

"I have a bad temper. I get annoyed just looking at that piece of broken iron that I can't open. So, in a fit of anger, I threw it away."

"Thrown...thrown it away?!"

Leonardo DiCaprio suddenly looked up, his eyes widening in disbelief, even forgetting his fear.

That's something His Majesty specifically requested!

That was something that made the Imperial Guards surround the Prince's Mansion all night!

The Second Prince actually said... he threw it away?!

"What? Didn't you hear me?" Li Chengze's gaze instantly turned cold. "Do I need to repeat myself?"

"No...no need! This servant heard you clearly! This servant heard you clearly!" Little Li suddenly realized what was happening and kowtowed repeatedly in fright. "His Highness said...throw it away."

"Very well." Li Chengze resumed his languid demeanor. "Now that you've heard me clearly, get out of here. Go back and report to the Emperor without missing a single word. Tell him that there's nothing he wants in my residence. If he thinks those Imperial Guards aren't tired of standing, let them continue to stand guard. The grain in my residence is enough to last for several more years."

"Yes...yes! This servant takes his leave! This servant will leave now!"

Leonardo DiCaprio felt like he'd been granted a pardon and scrambled to his feet.

He didn't even dare to turn around, and just faced the pavilion, retreating step by step. Only when he had exited the moon gate of the garden and was out of Li Chengze's sight did he suddenly turn around, take off running, and run like a madman towards the gate of the Prince's Mansion.

He ran unsteadily, nearly falling several times, but he dared not stop.

He had only one thought in his mind: escape!

"Squeak—"

As the heavy vermilion gate slowly closed behind him with a dull thud, Little Li finally gave in, his legs buckled, and he collapsed beside the stone lions outside the gate.

The early spring sunshine felt warm on my skin, bringing a long-lost sense of comfort.

Outside the gate stood the Imperial Guards, fully armed and in imposing formation.

Although the atmosphere remained somber, in Xiao Li's eyes, these cold armors were a thousand times more welcoming than the carved beams and painted rafters of the mansion.

He gasped for breath, greedily inhaling the free air outside.

His undershirt was soaked with cold sweat, and a gust of wind made him shiver. But he couldn't help but grin and laugh silently.

He is still alive.

He touched his neck to make sure his head was still there, and tears of relief welled up in his eyes.

"Young Master, what did His Highness say?" A commander of the Imperial Guards stepped forward and asked in a deep voice.

Little Li quickly wiped away his tears, scrambled to his feet, and forced a smile that looked even worse than a grimace. "Commander, this servant... this servant must return to the palace immediately to report. As for His Highness's words, this servant can only present them to His Majesty in person."

The commander gave him a deep look, asked no further questions, and simply waved his hand, signaling the soldiers to make way. "Prepare the horses and escort him back to the palace."