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

Don't miss out: Chapter 184 Li Chengqian: I want to be closer to my elder brother. Full text available now, click here.

He didn't continue, but Li Chengqian understood what he meant by leaving it unsaid.

As long as you behave yourself as a prince, don't cause trouble, don't collude with your old subordinates, don't try to make a comeback, and live a peaceful and wealthy life, I can guarantee you a lifetime of peace and let you enjoy wealth and honor.

However, if you do anything dissentful, if you dare to do anything underhanded, then I, as your second brother, will absolutely not let you off the hook. At that point, it won't be as simple as confinement; it will be a true execution, a complete eradication.

The title of First-Class Prince is both a talisman and a death warrant; it is both a blessing and a shackle.

Li Chengqian understood the implied meaning.

In the past, if he had even the slightest ambition, he might have felt humiliated, or he might have outwardly agreed but secretly amassed strength, looking for an opportunity to retaliate.

But now, he's gone.

He really didn't have that intention anymore.

When he learned of his father's death and that Li Chengze had absolute control over military power, the fire in his heart was completely extinguished.

He was tired, really too tired.

For more than twenty years, he has lived in fear and scheming every day. For that high position, he has lost too much and distorted too much.

Now, it's all over.

Although he lost the throne, he gained an unprecedented sense of ease.

He no longer needed to be on guard against anyone, no longer needed to guess anyone's thoughts. He could finally shed that heavy disguise and become a truly useless person.

He accepted Li Chengze's warning in its entirety.

He even felt that having the title of a first-class prince and being able to live out the rest of his life in peace was the best ending he could imagine.

He didn't want to fight anymore, and he couldn't fight anymore either.

Li Chengqian looked at Li Chengze with no fear or humiliation in his eyes, only an emptiness that seemed to see through everything.

He now has only one question.

He took a slow, deep breath, trying to make his voice sound steady.

"Father..." Li Chengqian spoke slowly, his voice hoarse but exceptionally clear, "How did you die?"

The moment this question was raised, the temperature in the study seemed to drop to freezing point.

The imperial proclamation clearly stated that His Majesty fought to the death against the two Grandmasters, Ku He of Northern Qi and Si Gu Jian of Dongyi City, in order to protect the Southern Qing dynasty, and perished together with them. This was the official conclusion, a fact proclaimed to the world, and an unquestionable "truth."

However, Li Chengqian did not believe it.

He knew his father all too well.

That man was the smartest, coldest, and most unfathomable person in the world.

He was a master strategist who treated everyone in the world as pawns on a chessboard. How could he possibly put himself in such a hopeless situation?

How could he possibly die together with someone else?

What's more, Li Chengze happened to appear in Kyoto at this time with a mysterious and powerful army, and took over all power in a crushing manner.

All of this is too much of a coincidence, a coincidence that sends chills down one's spine.

Li Chengqian asked this question not to avenge his father, nor to find fault with Li Chengze.

He just wanted to know the truth, a truth that would make him completely give up.

He wanted to know how his father, who was as invincible as a god, had fallen.

Li Chengze looked at Li Chengqian without saying a word.

He neither answered the official "mutual destruction" explanation nor admitted to anything.

He remained silent.

Dead silence.

In the long silence, Li Chengqian stared intently into Li Chengze's eyes, trying to find a clue in those calm, still eyes.

Gradually, Li Chengqian understood.

Li Chengze's silence is the best answer.

Some things don't need to be said, and it's impossible to say them.

In this game of power, the truth is often the least important thing; what matters is the outcome.

The result was that the emperor died and Li Chengze won.

Li Chengqian's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly regained his composure.

He felt neither anger nor sadness.

He just found it absurd and ridiculous.

The emperor spent his life playing a grand game, but he never expected that the one who would ultimately overturn the game was the very pawn he had nurtured.

Li Chengqian loosened his grip on the wine jar, letting the empty jar roll to the side.

He supported himself with his hands on the ground and slowly stood up.

Due to prolonged sitting and the effects of alcohol, his legs felt weak and his body swayed slightly, but he still managed to stand up straight.

He didn't brush the dust off his clothes or tidy his disheveled hair. He just stood there quietly, looking at Li Chengze.

"Second Brother."

Li Chengqian called out the title again. This time, his voice was calmer and more sincere than before.

He looked at Li Chengze, slowly spoke, and made his final request.

"Your Majesty, I wish to be closer to you, Elder Brother."

This statement was made very lightly, but it contained a great deal of meaning.

Li Chengqian made this request to show Li Chengze his determination to completely withdraw from the center of power.

He no longer wanted to stay in Kyoto, this place of turmoil. It was filled with scheming, bloodshed, and suffocating memories. He wanted to leave and go somewhere free from power struggles and conflict.

Being closer to his elder brother meant that he was willing to go to the frontier, to places far from the political center.

He was willing to give up the prosperity of Kyoto in exchange for true peace and tranquility.

Li Chengze listened quietly to Li Chengqian's request and nodded slightly.

Seeing Li Chengze nod, Li Chengqian finally showed a genuine smile.

This is a genuine smile, devoid of the previous pretense and calculation, only the ease of having unloaded a heavy burden.

He bowed slightly and gave Li Chengze a deep salute.

This is not the etiquette between a ruler and his subject, but the etiquette between brothers.

Li Chengze did not avoid it and accepted the greeting without hesitation.

Then, Li Chengze turned around, without looking at Li Chengqian again or saying another word, and walked straight out of the study.

Li Chengze returned to his residence and pushed open the door to his study.

Inside the study, Princess Li Yunrui sat behind a large rosewood desk, holding a purple-tipped brush in her hand, her head bowed as she quickly wrote something on the paper.

Hearing the door open, she didn't stop writing immediately. Instead, she finished writing the last few words before slowly raising her head to look at Li Chengze who had walked in.

There was a hint of inquiry in her eyes.

"How is it?" Li Yunrui asked, his voice cool but with an impatient tone.

Li Chengze walked to the armchair opposite the desk and sat down, his posture relaxed, even a little lazy.

"He called me 'Second Brother' now."