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

"Silly girl, what could possibly be wrong with me?" Li Chengze's voice was so gentle it seemed to drip with water. "It's just that Father Emperor listened to the slander of some scoundrels and thought I was hiding something contraband in my residence, so he sent the Imperial Guards for a routine search. See? They found nothing, and the Imperial Guards left this morning. Look at me, standing perfectly fine in front of you now, aren't I?"

"Is it really just a routine search?" Lin Wan'er, though naive, wasn't stupid. She bit her lower lip, a hint of doubt still in her eyes. "But I heard there was a lot of commotion last night, even Eunuch Hou went in person..."

"Of course it's true." Li Chengze lied without batting an eye, his eyes so sincere that no one could doubt him. "Father is also thinking about the safety of the capital. You, you just think too much and always like to overthink things. Instead of wasting your time, you should eat more and take care of your health."

He reached out and gently brushed Lin Wan'er's nose, the gesture intimate and natural.

Lin Wan'er blushed slightly at his action, and her worries dissipated considerably.

She nodded gently and said softly, "As long as my second cousin is alright."

Li Chengze's heart sank slightly, but his smile grew even brighter.

"Don't worry, for the sake of our Wan'er, my second cousin will be fine."

The two chatted for a while under the eaves, then got up to say goodbye.

"I still have some trivial matters to attend to at my residence, so I won't keep you any longer. In a few days, once I find something interesting, I'll have it sent to the palace for you."

"Take care, second cousin." Lin Wan'er stood under the corridor, reluctantly watching Li Chengze leave.

…………

Night fell, like a giant black velvet curtain, slowly descending over Kyoto.

The bustling streets of the day are now silent. Occasionally, the sound of a night watchman's clapper echoes through the empty alleys, making the night seem even deeper.

The Second Prince's Mansion.

The mansion, which had just witnessed the dramatic retreat of the Imperial Guards in the early morning, now appeared exceptionally tranquil under the cover of night.

The vermilion gate was tightly shut, and the two stone lions in front of it cast menacing shadows in the dim light of the lanterns.

From the outside, only a few lights were on inside the mansion, as if all the servants and guards were sound asleep. Everything seemed so peaceful, so eerily peaceful.

However, beneath this seemingly unguarded calm lies a chilling murderous intent.

The lights were on in Li Chengze's study.

Instead of reclining on the soft couch as usual, he sat upright behind the large desk.

There was a military treatise on his desk, but he didn't read it. Instead, he closed his eyes and tapped his fingers lightly and rhythmically on the table.

"Tap...tap...tap..."

The dull knocking echoed in the quiet study, like the tolling of a countdown clock.

In the shadows of the study, Zhao Gao stood silently like a ghost. He was almost one with the darkness, his breathing barely audible. If one didn't see it with their own eyes, they would never have noticed that someone was standing there.

"Your Highness," Zhao Gao suddenly spoke, his voice extremely low yet clearly reaching Li Chengze's ears, "the fish has entered the net."

Li Chengze's fingers, which were tapping the table, suddenly stopped.

He slowly opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in his deep gaze. A cruel sneer curled at the corner of his lips: "Father's patience is indeed worse than I imagined. The Imperial Guards had barely left when these rats in the shadows eagerly scurried in."

"Who is this deity?" Li Chengze asked casually.

"His movements are extremely strange, unlike those of soldiers, more like... someone from the Sixth Division of the Censorate," Zhao Gao replied, his tone completely flat, as if he were talking about an ant about to be crushed.

"That old dog Chen Pingping..." Li Chengze sneered. "He's certainly loyal to Father Emperor. Since he's here, let's give this guest a proper welcome. Remember, I want him alive."

"Here you are."

Zhao Gao bowed slightly, and then his figure rippled in the air like water before disappearing from the study in an instant.

Meanwhile, on the high wall of the Second Prince's residence in the backyard.

A black figure landed silently on the glazed tiles like a night bird. He was dressed in a tight-fitting night outfit, his face covered with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of sharp, cold-blooded eyes.

The man in black crouched on the rooftop, warily surveying his surroundings.

It's too quiet.

The Second Prince's residence was unusually quiet.

Although the Imperial Guards have withdrawn, the defenses of a prince's residence should not be so lax.

He sneaked in without encountering any sentries, whether visible or hidden, and didn't even see many night patrol guards.

This made him feel uneasy.

Remembering his orders, the man in black took a deep breath, suppressed his unease, and like a nimble gecko, silently slid down the wall into the courtyard.

He pressed himself against the wall, using the artificial hill and flowers as cover, and quickly and stealthily made his way towards Li Chengze's study.

According to intelligence, if that item is indeed in the mansion, the most likely place to hide it is the Second Prince's study or a secret room.

He encountered no obstacles along the way.

Passing through a moon gate, the courtyard where the study was located came into view. The man in black stopped and hid behind a thick sycamore tree, peeking out half his head to observe the movements ahead.

The study window let in a dim light, and you could vaguely see a figure sitting behind the desk.

A deep look flashed in the man's eyes.

The second prince was still in his study.

He drew a short dagger coated with deadly poison from his waist and held it in a reverse grip.

The man in black took a deep breath, suppressing his aura to the extreme. He lightly touched the ground with his toes, and like an arrow released from a bow, he skimmed along the ground towards the study window.

Ten steps... five steps... three steps...

Just as he was about to approach the window, ready to break in, he...

A sudden change has occurred!

Suddenly, a strange ripple appeared in the previously empty air.

Immediately afterwards, a chilling killing intent, like a venomous snake, locked onto the man in black.

The hairs on the man in black stood on end at that moment, and a strong sense of impending death enveloped his entire body.

He didn't even have time to think. Relying entirely on his instincts honed from years of walking the line between life and death, he twisted his body in mid-air, the dagger in his hand transforming into a cold glint as he stabbed fiercely in the direction from which the killing intent was coming.

"Ding!"

A crisp clang of metal clashing rang out in the silent night sky.

The man in black felt an overwhelming force surge into his arm through the dagger, making his hand go numb and nearly causing the dagger to fly out of his grasp.

Using the force of the recoil, he tumbled several times in the air before finally landing awkwardly on the open ground a few feet away.

When he looked up and saw the scene before him, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Before the window where he was originally preparing to launch a surprise attack, a man dressed in a gray robe with a sinister face had appeared out of nowhere.