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

Don't miss out: Chapter 157, Night Talk, full text available. Click here.

She accepted this oppressive and bizarre marriage.

She walked to the table, looked at the empty teacup, and a strange light flashed in her eyes.

Before coming to Kyoto, the young emperor of Northern Qi and Lili had repeatedly warned her that the court of Qing Kingdom was in deep trouble, especially Fan Xian, who was an extremely difficult character to deal with.

But now it seems that the water is deeper and more murky than they imagined.

Even the powerful Second Prince dared to wreak havoc in the capital, and even the First Prince, who had made great military achievements, could only choose to endure and back down. Just how many monsters are still hiding in this capital city?

"Someone come here." The princess of Northern Qi said softly.

A personal maid emerged from the shadows like a ghost and knelt respectfully on the ground: "Your Highness."

"Send a message to the dark web," the princess's eyes turned cold and resolute. "Stop all infiltration and spying on the Qing Kingdom's court. Everyone must lie low. Also, find out what trump cards the Second Prince Li Chengze holds that would silence all the officials in the capital and even... make that young Master Fan hide in the First Prince's residence."

"Yes!" The maid acknowledged the order and quietly withdrew.

The Northern Qi princess sat back down at her dressing table, looking at her reflection in the mirror—a reflection of herself about to step into the center of the power vortex—and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips: "Li Chengze... Fan Xian... Emperor Qing... Now that I've taken my seat at the table, I have to see what cards you're holding."

……

The First Prince's Residence.

The rain in the middle of the night grew heavier and heavier, as if it would flood the entire city of Kyoto.

The eldest prince, Li Chengru, carrying the dampness and chill of the night, strode into a secret room deep within the mansion.

The room was brightly lit, but there was no brazier, making it feel somewhat cold and damp.

Fan Xian was sitting cross-legged on the ground without any regard for his image, with a bunch of random parts in front of him: a breastplate made of fine steel, several layers of thick bulletproof vests of unknown material, and some unidentified metal plates.

Hearing footsteps, Fan Xian didn't even look up. He was holding a small file and was frantically grinding a curved steel plate, trying to stuff it into the lining of his bulletproof vest.

"Your Highness, aren't you afraid of being accused of 'lust' for going to see your future wife in the middle of the night?" Fan Xian teased casually while filing a steel plate.

Li Chengru ignored his teasing, walked to the table, poured himself a glass of strong liquor, gulped it down, and let out a long sigh: "She's a smart woman. Much more resilient than I imagined."

"Could someone chosen by the young emperor of Northern Qi to be sent for a marriage alliance be someone to be trifled with?" Fan Xian stopped what he was doing, blew on the iron filings on the steel plate, "However, it's better to be smart. Smart people know how to save their lives in times like this and won't hold you back."

Li Chengru pulled up a chair and sat down, looking at the mess on the floor, his brows furrowed: "You've locked yourself in here these past few days just to tinker with this junk? Fan Xian, tell me the truth, what exactly does the Second Master have that could scare you like this?"

Fan Xian's hand suddenly stopped, and he raised his head, a hint of undisguised apprehension, even fear, flashing in his eyes.

"Your Highness, have you ever seen a hidden weapon that can silently smash the head of an eighth-rank master like a watermelon from two miles away?" Fan Xian's voice was very soft, but it sounded particularly sinister in this secluded chamber.

Li Chengru's pupils contracted slightly: "Two li? Hidden weapons? That's impossible! Even a ninth-rank archer, using a specially made powerful bow, can only shoot a few hundred paces, and the noise level is extremely high; the fluctuations of true energy cannot be concealed from anyone."

"Even if I'd seen it, I wouldn't believe it." Fan Xian gave a wry smile, throwing the steel plate in his hand to the ground with a crisp "clang." "That thing is called a 'Barrett,' a sniper rifle. It doesn't require internal energy or martial arts level; you just need to pull the trigger, and a 12.7mm armor-piercing round will fly out at supersonic speed."

Fan Xian pointed to his head: "At that distance, before the sound even reached your ears, your head was already gone. Your protective inner energy, your iron armor, were like paper in front of that bullet."

Li Chengru gasped. Having led troops in battle for many years, he knew all too well what a weapon capable of ignoring distance and defense and instantly killing the enemy commander meant.

"How could the second brother have something like this?" Li Chengru asked through gritted teeth.

"It's a long story," Fan Xian said, scratching his head in frustration. "In short, he's holding the scythe of death in his hands now. He dared to launch the 'Net of Despair' to cleanse the capital because he was certain that no one would dare to assassinate him at this time. Whoever shows their face will die."

"Including Father Emperor?" Li Chengru tentatively asked this treasonous question.

Fan Xian was silent for a moment, then shook his head: "His Majesty is human."

Fan Xian patted the bulletproof vest beside him, which he had modified to look like an iron turtle: "I've been thinking these past few days, if the second brother really goes crazy and shoots me in the street, can I save my life by wearing this outfit and adding my domineering true qi?"

"And the conclusion?"

"The conclusion is that if I'm hit in the torso within 300 meters, this iron body can guarantee I won't be directly pierced, but the enormous kinetic energy will still shatter my internal organs. If it's more than 800 meters away, I might be able to survive with a few broken ribs." Fan Xian sighed, "provided that he doesn't hit my head."

Looking at Fan Xian's helpless face, Li Chengru suddenly laughed, a laugh tinged with desolation: "A dignified Inspector General of the Censorate, forced to cower like a turtle by a piece of junk. Fan Xian, this is not like you."

"What's the point of saving face if you're dead?" Fan Xian rolled his eyes.

…………

The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Study.

Even though it was late at night, the lights in the Imperial Study were still on.

Emperor Qing was dressed in a loose-fitting casual robe, his hair loosely draped behind his head. He lacked any imperial majesty and instead resembled a wandering swordsman.

He sat on a low couch, holding a fine steel file in his hand, intently sharpening an extremely sharp steel arrowhead. His movements were slow and steady, and each friction between the file and the arrowhead produced a teeth-grinding hissing sound.

Opposite him sat Chen Pingping, who was in a wheelchair.

"Has the blood of Kyoto been washed away?" Emperor Qing asked casually, without looking up, as he polished the arrowhead.

"Your Majesty, that smell will probably linger in the capital for a few more days," Chen Pingping said, his voice hoarse and filled with deep weariness.

"I don't want to see any unexpected events occur regarding the Crown Prince's marriage."