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

The First Prince's Residence.

At this moment, the atmosphere inside the study was even heavier than the bleak autumn wind outside.

The eldest prince, Li Chengru, sat in the main seat with a furrowed brow, dressed in casual clothes.

His face, weathered by years of wind and sun, now bore a rugged and resolute look, but was filled with deep worry and confusion.

Sitting to his left was Fan Xian.

Fan Xian wore a moon-white long robe today, looking somewhat languid, but deep within his bright eyes gleamed an extremely sharp light.

He held a cup of hot tea in his hand, the rising steam blurring his face and giving him a profound look that seemed beyond his years.

"Fan Xian, you analyze this and tell me what exactly is going on?"

"Five days have passed! The second prince caused such a huge commotion, slaughtering half the officials in the capital, yet Father hasn't reacted at all! No Black Riders entered the city, no Imperial Guards sealed off the streets, and even those mad dogs from the Censorate are as quiet as turtles hiding in their shells. This is illogical! This is utterly illogical!"

Fan Xian gently blew on the floating tea leaves on the surface, took a sip, and then slowly put down the teacup.

"Your Highness, what do you consider to be the norm?" Fan Xian raised his head, looking calmly at the First Prince. "Is it the Emperor's wrath causing the deaths of millions? Or is it immediately mobilizing troops to surround the Second Prince's residence and trap him like a turtle in a jar?"

"Shouldn't it be this way?" the eldest prince retorted. "Second Prince went too far this time! Those were dozens of high-ranking officials. Father Emperor has always valued the laws of the court above all else and hates anyone who challenges his authority. This time, Second Prince has essentially slapped Father Emperor hard across the face. How could Father Emperor possibly swallow this insult?"

Fan Xian looked at the straightforward and frank Crown Prince, who was more suited to fighting on the battlefield, and sighed inwardly.

This prince is a military genius, but in the face of such unpredictable and unfathomable political maneuvering, he ultimately lacks some experience.

"Your Highness, you've oversimplified things, and you've also oversimplified His Majesty." Fan Xian's slender fingers tapped lightly on the mahogany table, making a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound.

"So what did you see?" The eldest prince leaned forward, his expression grave.

Fan Xian paused for a moment, gathered his thoughts, and slowly said, "The quiet these past few days has indeed been unsettling. But if we step back from this game, everything makes sense. This action, whether it's the Second Prince's 'Net' massacre of the capital or His Majesty's suffocating silence, is nothing more than a test by both sides."

"A test?" The eldest prince's eyes widened, as if he had heard an unbelievable joke. "So many people have died, even the Nine Gates Admiral was caught in the crossfire, and you call this a test?!"

"Yes, it was just a test." Fan Xian's tone was unusually certain, even carrying a hint of cold rationality.

He stood up and walked to the huge map of the Qing Kingdom's territory hanging in the study, his gaze deep.

"Your Highness, think about it. Why would the Second Prince launch such a devastating and utterly reckless attack at this time? He is a smart man. He knows better than anyone that once he takes this step, he will be firmly convicted of treason, and there will be no turning back."

The eldest prince frowned as he pondered, "Because he's been pushed to the brink? Father has been weakening his power and clipping his wings lately. If he doesn't resist, he'll only be waiting to die."

"That's just the surface reason." Fan Xian turned around and looked at the eldest prince. "The deeper reason is that the second prince is testing the waters. He wants to see what cards His Majesty is still holding. He's using the lives of those dozens of officials and the panic in the entire capital to force His Majesty to reveal his hand."

Fan Xian sat back down in his chair, his eyes growing increasingly dark: "And what about His Majesty? His Majesty's response was the most unexpected: to ignore it."

"Ignore?" The eldest prince murmured, repeating the two words.

"Yes, it's ignoring them." Fan Xian sneered. "Your Highness, does His Majesty care about those dead officials? No, he doesn't. In His Majesty's eyes, the world is a game of chess, and everyone is a pawn. Those who died are nothing more than pawns that can be discarded at any time. The Second Prince has only taken a few of his pawns. Moreover, the calmer he appears, the more he is demonstrating that everything is still under his control."

The eldest prince broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this.

Although he knew the royal family was ruthless and his father was unfathomable, Fan Xian's blunt analysis still made him feel a chill.

"If this is just a test..." The eldest prince swallowed hard, his voice hoarse, "then what will happen next?"

Fan Xian raised his head, his gaze passing over the Crown Prince's shoulder to the gray sky outside the window, as if he could see the impending bloodshed.

"From now on, there will be no more petty assassinations like this." Fan Xian's voice was extremely low, yet it resounded like muffled thunder in the First Prince's ears. "The quiet of the past few days is the calm before the storm. Both sides have tested each other's bottom line. Next, it will be a true showdown."

"From now on, there will be no more petty assassinations like this." Fan Xian's voice was extremely low, yet it resounded like muffled thunder in the First Prince's ears. "The quiet of the past few days is the calm before the storm. Both sides have tested each other's bottom line. Next, it will be a true showdown."

"The final storm is coming," Fan Xian said, emphasizing each word.

Upon hearing this, the eldest prince's body trembled violently.

"storm……"

The eldest prince's eyes flashed violently. Suddenly, it was as if a lightning bolt struck his mind: Li Chengze had once asked him to let a group of people enter the pass from Northern Qi!

His hands gripped the armrests of the chair tightly, his knuckles turning bluish-white from the excessive force.

He finally understood.

That group of people is the second-in-command's real trump card!

They are the elite hidden behind the three thousand assassins of "Luo Wang," the true force used to deliver the fatal blow!

The second brother had actually started making plans several months ago. Was it to protect himself in advance, or had he already foreseen this situation?

"Your Highness? What's wrong?" Fan Xian noticed the Crown Prince's unusual behavior and asked with a frown.

The eldest prince took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

He looked at Fan Xian, a hint of bitterness and a deep sense of powerlessness flashing in his eyes.

"Fan Xian, you're right. This is no longer a simple assassination; this is war. A long-planned war, brutal to the extreme."

The eldest prince slowly loosened his clenched hands, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant. He slumped into a chair, tilting his head back to look at the roof beams, his voice filled with a deep weariness.

"Now, there's nothing we can do. This storm is beyond my control as a prince. Issue the order: from this day forward, the Crown Prince's residence is to remain closed. No one is permitted to enter or leave! All guards and private soldiers within the residence are to retreat to the inner courtyard. Anyone who dares to move a single step without my permission will be executed without mercy!"

The guards outside the door, though shocked, immediately shouted their orders: "Yes, sir!"

"Fan Xian..."