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

Chapter 40: Fan Xian Enters the Game, Li Chengze Brings Si Lili into the Mansion with a Surprise. Click to unlock now.

"Climb to a high place?" Fan Xian murmured.

He slowly closed his eyes, as if he were in that era of war and turmoil, and as if he could see the seemingly prosperous but actually turbulent capital of Daqing.

After a long while, he suddenly opened his eyes, and an indescribable sense of sorrow and melancholy emanated from him.

"I've long heard of the waters of Dongting Lake; now I ascend the Star-Picking Tower!"

Upon hearing the first sentence, everyone was taken aback.

The Star-Picking Tower is the tallest building in the capital, offering a panoramic view of the city. Fan Xian's choice of this as a theme is quite fitting.

But this seemingly plain opening line actually exudes a grand and imposing aura.

"The southeast of Wu and Chu is torn apart, and heaven and earth float day and night!"

Upon hearing the second sentence, the entire audience changed color!

Such spirit and such magnanimity are simply unheard of!

It's as if the vast天地 (heaven and earth) and the rise and fall of the sun and moon are all encompassed in this one line of poetry.

In just ten words, the sense of vastness and desolation was brought to its extreme.

"What...what kind of weather is this..."

Fan Xian didn't stop; his voice grew deeper and deeper, carrying a power that struck straight to the heart.

"Not a word from relatives or friends, only an old and sick man in a lonely boat!"

This sentence speaks volumes about the heartache and helplessness he felt. He came from Danzhou and entered the capital alone, facing the scheming and intrigue of the city. He had no relatives or friends, only his own courage.

Many students from underprivileged backgrounds present couldn't help but tear up, deeply empathizing with the situation.

"Warfare rages north of the mountains, leaning on the railing, tears stream down my face!"

As the last sentence fell, Fan Xian swayed slightly, and tears seemed to glisten in his eyes.

He thought of the war in the north, the hidden worries beneath this seemingly peaceful and prosperous world, and his own loneliness and confusion in this world.

The audience was silent.

The rustling of the wind through the leaves sounded so jarring at that moment.

After a long while, someone started clapping.

Immediately afterwards, thunderous applause erupted and lasted for a long time!

"The Poet Immortal! This is the true Poet Immortal!"

The old scholars of the Hanlin Academy were already in tears, bowing deeply to Fan Xian.

Faced with absolute talent, all prejudices and stances seem so pale and powerless.

The poem's deep concern for the country and its people is enough to move any scholar.

The crown prince's face was ashen, and he slumped into a chair, his eyes lifeless.

He knew that he had lost again today, and lost completely.

Fan Xian took a deep breath to calm his agitated emotions and turned to look at Li Chengze in the pavilion.

"Your Highness, these grapes..."

Li Chengze looked at Fan Xian with a smile that was brighter than ever before.

Without the slightest hesitation, he sat back on the soft couch, reached out and picked a grape, carefully peeled off the skin, and the translucent flesh shimmered in the sunlight.

Then--

It was not handed to Fan Xian.

Instead, he casually tossed the grape, and it flew in a perfect arc, landing precisely in... Si Lili's mouth, who was covering her mouth and chuckling nearby.

"Huh?" Si Lili was taken aback, and subconsciously swallowed it, her beautiful eyes wide open, looking at Li Chengze with a look of astonishment.

Fan Xian: "..."

Everyone: "..."

Li Chengze shrugged and grinned roguishly, "I promised to peel it for you, but I didn't say I had to feed it to you. You know I'm a man who cherishes women. Miss Si worked hard to grind ink for you, so consider this grape a reward for her."

As he spoke, he winked at Fan Xian, his "what can you do to me?" expression making Fan Xian's lips twitch uncontrollably.

This second prince is indeed someone who doesn't play by the rules!

Fan Xian looked at the grape that had fallen into Si Lili's mouth, and then at the Second Prince's shameless "what can you do to me" look. Instead of getting angry, he shook his head helplessly and a carefree smile appeared on his lips.

"Your Highness is indeed a person who loves and cherishes flowers." Fan Xian cupped his hands in greeting, his tone relaxed, as if the thrilling poetry duel just now was nothing more than a passing cloud. "These grapes are crystal clear, and paired with a beautiful woman's red lips, they are indeed much more pleasing to the eye than feeding them to a rough old man like me. I should thank Your Highness for sparing me from the trepidation of 'insubordination'."

These words not only gave the Second Prince a way out but also made him appear magnanimous, immediately drawing approving glances from those around him.

"You certainly know how to talk." Li Chengze glanced at Fan Xian sideways, then slumped back onto the soft couch, waving his hand lazily. "Alright, you've already stolen the limelight today, you've written a poem and drunk some wine."

"Your Highness, do you wish to continue the competition? If so, I'd like to go back to my residence and sleep. The sun is too strong; it's making me dizzy."

Crown Prince Li Chengqian's face was so dark it could drip water. He had originally intended to use the poetry gathering to humiliate Fan Xian, but instead, he had become Fan Xian's stepping stone to fame and fortune. Staying here now would only make him a laughingstock.

"Hmph! Just trying to attract attention!"

Li Chengqian abruptly flicked his sleeve, glared fiercely at Fan Xian, then gave his second brother, who seemed detached from the situation, a deep look before gritting his teeth and saying, "Return to the palace!"

As the Crown Prince stormed off, the poetry gathering, rife with undercurrents, gradually drew to a close. But everyone knew that from this day forward, the name of "Poet Immortal" Fan Xian would resound throughout the capital.

……

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Prince Jing's heir, Li Hongcheng, was still fraternizing with Fan Xian, chatting happily.

Inside the pavilion, Li Chengze slowly stood up, stretched, and his bones cracked and popped.

"The play is over, it's time to leave."

He turned to look at Si Lili, who had been kneeling obediently beside him with a complicated expression. A playful smile appeared on his lips as he extended a finger and gently lifted her chin.

"Miss Si, you performed quite well in today's play."

Si Lili's heart tightened, and she tried her best to play the role of a courtesan favored by the prince. Her eyes flickered, and she said pitifully, "It is Lili's blessing to be able to share Your Highness's burdens. But... Your Highness's frivolous behavior just now, if word gets out, Lili's future on this Crystal River will be..."

"What are you afraid of? Are you afraid you won't be able to get married?"

Li Chengze chuckled softly, his fingers sliding down her cheek and finally stopping at her slender neck, the very spot where the "Lord of the Net" had grabbed her that night.

Si Lili's delicate body trembled violently, a suffocating feeling of being coiled by a venomous snake welling up within her. She couldn't tell if this was a coincidence or if the seemingly absurd prince before her was hinting at something.

"Since you're afraid of not being able to get married, then why don't you..." Li Chengze leaned close to her ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe, his voice deep and magnetic, "Come back to the manor with me."

Si Lili suddenly looked up, a hint of surprise and "surprise" flashing in her eyes. This was the task that the Lord of the Net had given her! She had thought it would take some trouble, but Li Chengze had actually brought it up on his own initiative.

"Your Highness...are you joking?" She feigned composure and fear. "Lili comes from a humble background and is of lowly status. How could she be worthy of entering the Prince's residence..."

"If I say you are worthy, then you are worthy."

Li Chengze interrupted her domineeringly, then straightened up and beckoned to Xie Bi'an, who was not far away. "Bi'an, go tell the madam of Zuixianju that I've taken Miss Si Lili away. As for the ransom, let her go to the Second Prince's account office to collect it herself. Give her whatever amount she wants."

"Yes," Xie Bi'an replied expressionlessly, clutching his sword to his chest, and turned to leave.

"Let's go, my... beloved concubine."

Li Chengze emphasized the words "beloved concubine" and then, ignoring everyone's gaze, grabbed Si Lili's waist and strode towards the carriage outside the mansion.

At the entrance of Prince Jing's mansion, the talented men and beautiful women who were about to leave were stunned by what they saw.

A prince, in broad daylight, brought the most beautiful courtesan of Liujing River back to his mansion! And judging from the looks of it, he intends to take her as a concubine?

"Absurd! Utterly absurd!" an old minister exclaimed in anguish.

"His Highness is truly... dashing and unrestrained," a young nobleman thought to himself with envy.

Not far away, Fan Xian watched Li Chengze's departing figure, his brows furrowing slightly.

"This Second Prince's behavior is truly something else; he completely disregards feudal etiquette." Fan Xian stroked his chin thoughtfully. "However, this Si Lili... seems to be no simple character either."

……

The imperial palace is as deep as the sea.

The light in the Imperial Study was still dim. Emperor Qing sat cross-legged on the couch, holding a sheet of Xuan paper in his hand with a copy of the poem Fan Xian had written at the poetry gathering. He remained silent for a long time.

"Warfare rages north of the mountains, leaning on the railing, tears stream down my face..."

Emperor Qing recited in a low voice, and a rare hint of emotion flashed in his deep, abyss-like eyes.

"What a beautiful poem! It's truly a beautiful poem."

Emperor Qing put down the Xuan paper and sighed softly. "The melancholy and desolation in this poem even made my heart tremble. How could Fan Xian, so young, who has never been to the frontier or experienced the fall of his country, have written such verses?"

Eunuch Hou stood respectfully to the side and said cautiously, "Your Majesty, perhaps this is... genius. Innate knowledge, incomparable to ordinary people."

"A genius?" Emperor Qing sneered. "There's no such thing as innate genius in this world. Ye Qingmei is one, and so is Fan Xian... It seems that the temple holds more secrets than I imagined."

He casually tossed the Xuan paper aside, then changed the subject: "Where's the second brother? I heard he took that courtesan home from the poetry gathering?"

"Yes." Eunuch Hou lowered his head even further. "The Second Prince... publicly announced that he would redeem Si Lili from her servitude, and... he even took her directly back to his residence, saying he wanted to take her as a concubine."

"Nonsense!"

Although Emperor Qing was reprimanding, there was little anger in his tone. Instead, there was a hint of amusement in his voice. "A prince of such high status, taking a courtesan as a concubine, what kind of behavior is this! If those old fogies in the Censorate find out, tomorrow's memorials will probably flood my study."

"Then... Your Majesty, should this old servant go and deliver an imperial edict to reprimand the Second Prince?" Eunuch Hou asked tentatively.

"No need."

Emperor Qing waved his hand, his eyes gleaming, "Second Prince is putting on an act for me."

At this point, Emperor Qing's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Self-degradation... this trick may be old-fashioned, but it's certainly effective. Since he wants to play the role of a philandering prince, then I'll grant his wish."

Emperor Qing stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the setting sun gradually sinking outside.

"By imperial decree, the Second Prince, Li Chengze, is quite talented, but his behavior is eccentric and he lacks moral character. He is ordered to reflect on his actions in seclusion for three days and his salary will be reduced by six months. As for that Si Lili..."

Emperor Qing paused, a cold glint in his eyes. "Since the second prince likes it, then bestow it upon him. It's just a plaything; it won't cause any trouble. As long as he doesn't harbor any improper thoughts, I... can tolerate this little hobby of his."

"Yes, Your Majesty is wise!" Eunuch Hou quickly flattered.

"And then there's Fan Xian." Emperor Qing's voice rang out again. "Since he's so eager to get involved, then I'll grant his request. Issue an edict appointing Fan Xian as Assistant Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, to take office immediately. Also, expedite his marriage to Lin Wan'er."

"yes!"

……

The Second Prince's Mansion.

The carriage slowly drove into the mansion, not stopping at the main gate, but going directly into the inner courtyard.

Inside the carriage, the atmosphere was eerily quiet.

Li Chengze remained languid, leaning against the cushions, eyes closed in rest. Si Lili, on the other hand, sat upright beside him, wringing her handkerchief, quietly watching the man before her.

"What are you looking at?"

Li Chengze suddenly spoke, his eyes still closed, yet he seemed to be able to see Si Lili's movements.

Si Lili was startled and quickly looked away, whispering, "No...nothing. It's just that His Highness's sleeping face...is very peaceful."

"Peaceful?" Li Chengze opened his eyes, looking at her with a half-smile. "That word is unlucky; it's usually used to describe the dead."

"Your Highness, please forgive me! I misspoke!" Si Lili's face turned pale, and she was about to kneel down.

"Alright, stop kneeling all the time. The car is cramped, you can't move around freely." Li Chengze reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to sit down next to him.

"arrive."

Li Chengze lifted the car curtain, glanced at the scenery outside, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips. "Welcome to... your new cage."

After getting off the carriage, the steward and a group of servants were already waiting to the side.

"Your Highness." The steward bowed respectfully, but his gaze lingered on Si Lili for a moment, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes.

Li Chengze took it all in and sneered inwardly.

He put his arm around Si Lili's shoulder and loudly addressed the steward and servants, "Listen up! From today onwards, this Miss Si Lili is my beloved concubine! From now on, in this manor, seeing her is as if seeing me. Anyone who dares to neglect her will be skinned alive!"

"Yes! Greetings, Consort Si!"

All the servants responded in unison and knelt down.

Looking at the sea of ​​people kneeling on the ground, Si Lili felt a mix of emotions. She had... become the Second Prince's concubine? Everything had gone so smoothly that it felt almost unreal.

"Take Miss Si to the west wing to bathe and change. Tonight..." Li Chengze paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping over Si Lili without restraint, a suggestive smile on his face. "I will rest there."

Si Lili's cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head in agreement, her mind racing as she considered how to handle the situation tonight. If the Second Prince really wanted to… what should she do? Should she obey? Or…?