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

"Fan Xian... you can stay in my residence for the next few days."

Fan Xian quietly observed the eldest prince, and after a moment, nodded decisively: "Alright, I'll stay."

There was no refusal, no pretense, not even a single polite, pointless remark.

Fan Xian knew that Li Chengze possessed a Barrett rifle. In this era where cold weapons and internal energy intertwined, the existence of that gun was like a mockery from hell. Fan Xian understood the gun's power better than anyone else. At sufficient distance, even a peerless master of the ninth rank would be doomed to a headshot if locked on. It was pure physical destruction, a scythe of death beyond the comprehension of this era.

Admittedly, with the bullets in his hands, a Barrett without bullets is no better than a fire poker.

However, Fan Xian dared not gamble.

Given that he has already produced the Barrett in this era, who can guarantee with absolute certainty that it hasn't left behind a second or third 12.7mm armor-piercing round in the world?

Perhaps in some corner, perhaps in some unknown ancient ruin, or even in the unfathomable arsenal of the Second Prince Li Chengze, there lie a few gleaming yellow bullets.

The second son is a madman, an extremely intelligent and elegant madman. Since he dared to launch the "Net of Deception" to massacre the capital, and since he dared to use the lives of thousands to test Emperor Qing's bottom line, he must have the confidence to kill with one blow.

Fan Xian didn't want to become the test subject used to check if the Barrett still had bullets.

"My life is very precious, I haven't lived enough yet." Fan Xian turned around and gave the First Prince a slightly pale smile. "I'll be troubling Your Highness for the next few days."

"it is good."

……

In stark contrast to the tense atmosphere at the First Prince's residence, which was filled with a sense of impending doom and an air of unease, the Second Prince Li Chengze's residence was permeated with a strange, chilling extravagance and tranquility.

Outside the mansion, the cobblestone streets, freshly washed with blood, still retain a faint, fishy smell; inside, however, the sounds of string and wind instruments fill the air, and a faint, exotic fragrance permeates the atmosphere.

In the pavilion in the back garden, Li Chengze was still as unkempt as ever. He was barefoot, leaning casually against a soft couch covered with expensive snow fox fur, holding a crystal-clear luminous cup filled with blood-red Western Region wine.

His eyes were unfocused and deep, and a signature smile, seemingly always mocking the world, played at the corners of his mouth.

"Snap... snap..."

A series of soft, rhythmic footsteps came from outside the pavilion.

Li Chengze didn't turn around, but the smile on his lips deepened.

The beaded curtain was gently lifted by a pair of fair, well-maintained hands, and Li Yunrui, dressed in a magnificent palace gown, slowly walked into the pavilion.

She has now settled down in the Second Prince's residence.

"Auntie looks exceptionally well today." Li Chengze raised his luminous cup and offered a toast from afar, his tone tinged with a familiar teasing.

"Mind your own business!"

Li Yunrui snorted coldly as she looked at the mockery on Li Chengze's face.

……

Meanwhile, at the northern border of the Qing Kingdom, a thousand miles away from Kyoto.

A grand procession is slowly passing through the majestic border gate.

That was the wedding procession of the Northern Qi dynasty.

The procession stretched for miles, red flags waving, drums and gongs resounding. Hundreds of carriages laden with rare treasures and fine silks, escorted by heavy troops, rumbled and pounded across the hard yellow earth. The envoy of the Great Qi, riding a tall horse, walked arrogantly at the head of the procession, displaying the might of the Great Qi to the soldiers and civilians of the Qing Kingdom along the way.

This is an extremely important political alliance between the two countries, and also a means for both countries to try to ease tensions and test each other under the current delicate situation.

Although the border guards of Qing Kingdom were filled with hostility towards these Northern Qi people, under the strict orders of the imperial court, they could only grit their teeth and allow them to pass and be escorted according to the highest level of etiquette.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the massive and lavish wedding procession. No one noticed that in the days before and after the procession entered the border, a very strange "leakage" was taking place along the long northern defense line of the Qing Kingdom.

Night falls.

It is located in a remote, mountainous area dozens of miles away from the main pass.

On a secluded, narrow path known only to herb gatherers and smugglers, a group was quietly making its way through.

There were no torches, no conversation, and even the hooves of the warhorses were wrapped in thick cotton cloth, with a gag in their mouths, making no sound.

If someone were standing on a high place looking down at this moment, they would be completely terrified by the sight before them.

It wasn't a few dozen people, nor a few hundred, but a seemingly endless black dragon writhing in the night!

They wore extremely tattered leather armor, and some were even dressed as refugees, merchants, or vagrants. But if you looked closely, you would find that each of them wore a uniform, long, narrow sword at their waist that emitted a faint, cold light.

At the very front of the procession was a man riding a magnificent black horse.

He wasn't wearing armor, but rather a large black cloak that shrouded him in darkness.

Most striking of all was the mask on his face, a mask depicting a ferocious demon with blue faces and fangs.

"General, the first rendezvous point is thirty miles ahead." A rogue, also wearing a half-mask, appeared like a ghost in front of Yuan Tiangang's horse, knelt on one knee, and reported in a low voice.

Yuan Tiangang nodded slightly, his voice hoarse and deep, like the sound of two rusty iron pieces rubbing together, carrying a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine.

"Pass down the order. All units shall proceed according to the predetermined route, hiding during the day and moving at night, without alerting any local prefectures or cities. Within ten days, the 30,000 Great Snow Dragon Cavalry must complete their assembly at Luoxia Valley, fifty miles outside the capital city."

"Those who disobey orders shall be executed."

"Anyone who exposes their whereabouts will be executed."

"Those who delay the battle will be executed."

The three "slay" words were uttered casually from his mouth, yet they carried an overwhelming, pungent smell of blood.

"Yes, sir!"

The scoundrel vanished into the darkness in an instant.

Yuan Tiangang gently spurred the horse's flanks, and the black horse silently moved forward.

"Your Highness, I have arrived!"

……

Kyoto.

A few more days passed.

That suffocating calm did not dissipate with the passage of time; instead, it was like a powder keg being compressed, with the pressure in the air reaching a critical point.

The morning court session remained as stagnant as ever. The substitute officials stood trembling in the places where the dead had once stood, not daring to even breathe.