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

"Perhaps I'm overthinking it," Fan Xian thought to himself.

He concealed the sharpness in his eyes, bowed respectfully, and reappeared his professional fake smile: "Your Highness is joking. I was merely asking casually. After all, this matter is suspicious, and as the Director of the Surveillance Bureau, my professional instincts kicked in, and I felt compelled to be suspicious of everyone I met."

"I understand, I understand." Li Chengze waved his hand magnanimously, took a grape from his sleeve and popped it into his mouth. "Prefect Fan is now in a position of great responsibility, so it's good that he's suspicious. However, sometimes being too suspicious can make it hard to see the real path. Now that Lin Gong has gone to Northern Qi, he's free to fly wherever he wants. Lord Fan should focus more on the path ahead."

After saying that, Li Chengze did not linger and turned to board the large and luxurious carriage.

The moment the carriage curtain was lowered, the smile on Li Chengze's face vanished instantly, replaced by a deep, cold indifference.

"Return to the residence."

…………

The Imperial Study was dimly lit.

Emperor Qing remained seated behind the seemingly cluttered table, holding an unidentified animal hide in his hand, carefully wiping the arrowhead.

Chen Pingping sat in her wheelchair, her head slightly lowered, with the same wool blanket covering her knees.

"Pingping," Emperor Qing's voice echoed in the empty hall, slightly hoarse, "you say that Lin Gong really did escape to Northern Qi?"

Chen Pingping slightly raised his eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his cloudy old eyes. He then respectfully reported, "Your Majesty, news from all sides of the Investigation Bureau confirms that Lin Gong's whereabouts and a route map to Northern Qi were indeed discovered at Luoxia Mountain. Moreover, there were traces of Northern Qi experts at the scene."

"Hmph." Emperor Qing sneered, his hands still moving. "A master from Northern Qi? Traces? Too deliberate."

He put down his arrows, stood up, and walked to the huge map of the territory with his hands behind his back, staring intently at the location of the capital.

"Under my very nose, and under the surveillance of the Imperial Censorate, they managed to remove a living person so flawlessly, and even left behind such perfect 'evidence' pointing to Northern Qi."

Emperor Qing turned around, his eyes sharp as a hawk's. "These methods are not something a young master fleeing in panic could do, nor are they something those barbarians from Northern Qi could accomplish. If Northern Qi had this ability, they would have already invaded the capital."

Chen Pingping was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Your Majesty means..."

"Lin Ruofu." Emperor Qing slowly uttered these three words, his tone carrying a hint of amusement and mockery.

"That old fox, I underestimated him." Emperor Qing walked back to his desk, casually picked up a memorial and threw it on the table. "He knew Lin Gong was doomed. Fan Xian wanted to kill him, and I need to give Fan Xian an explanation, and also give the world an explanation. If Lin Gong doesn't die, this game can't be solved."

"So, he put on this whole 'bitter trick' and 'escape' act for me."

Emperor Qing's eyes gleamed with what he thought was omniscience. "First, he hid Lin Gong, then fabricated the illusion of fleeing to Northern Qi. In court, he wept bitterly, begged for death, and even went so far as to tarnish the Lin family's reputation for 'failing to raise their son properly.' This tactic of feigning retreat to advance was brilliantly executed!"

"He not only saved his son's life, but also showed weakness in front of me, making it difficult for me to completely destroy him. After all, if I were to depose a prime minister who had lost his son and had asked to be punished, it would seem too cruel of me."

Upon hearing this, Chen Pingping's lips twitched slightly, as if he wanted to laugh, but he held it back.

He continued, following Emperor Qing's words, "Your Majesty is wise. Prime Minister Lin has cultivated his influence in the court for many years, and his protégés and former officials are all over the country. He certainly has the ability to hide someone. Moreover, even tigers don't eat their cubs. To protect the only lineage of the Lin family, it is only human nature for him to take such a risk."

"Yes, it's only human nature." Emperor Qing sat down again, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. "Unfortunately, his little tricks are nothing but a clown's act in my eyes. Since he wants to act, I'll play along. Lin Gong has 'escaped,' so be it. As long as he never appears on the land of Daqing again, I'll consider him dead."

"However..." Emperor Qing's tone shifted, turning sinister, "Since this old fox dares to play tricks on me, he must pay the price. Issue an order to have Gong Dian investigate the Lin family's properties in Jiangnan, to teach him a lesson, and let him know that my eyes are always on him."

"Yes, this old servant obeys." Chen Pingping bowed slightly, concealing the deep thought in his eyes about the true mastermind behind the scenes.

He knew, of course, that Lin Ruofu hadn't done it. If Lin Ruofu had that ability, he wouldn't have been forced into such a miserable situation back then.

Since Emperor Qing said it was Lin Ruofu who ate it, then it was Lin Ruofu who ate it.

As for the real person behind the scenes, they all had a vague idea in their hearts.

…………

The Prime Minister's study was in complete disarray.

Lin Ruofu, who usually cherishes books and calligraphy, was now like a furious lion, sweeping all the writing implements, ink, paper, and inkstones off the table.

"Get out! All of you, get out!"

The servants were so frightened that they trembled and scrambled out of the room.

Lin Ruofu slumped in the armchair, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant. His eyes were bloodshot, and his hands gripped the armrests of the chair so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Lin Ruofu slumped in the armchair, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant. His eyes were bloodshot, and his hands gripped the armrests of the chair so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Gong'er... my Gong'er..."

Although he claimed in court that Lin Gong had escaped, he knew in his heart that Lin Gong had no ability to escape at all!

With the combined forces of the Imperial Censorate and Fan Xian blocking his way, Lin Gong had no way to escape.

In his view, the so-called "escape to Northern Qi" was more like an excuse to cover up the crime.

"Who is it? Who on earth is it?" Lin Ruofu was filled with fear and anger.

Just then, the steward's voice came from outside the door: "Prime Minister, Her Highness the Eldest Princess has sent a secret letter..."

"Tear it up!" Lin Ruofu roared, looking up abruptly. "Get her people out of here! Tell Li Yunrui that from this day forward, the Lin family has severed all ties with her!"

The butler was startled and quickly acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Lin Ruofu gasped for breath, the grief in his eyes gradually turning into cold hatred.

In his view, Lin Gong was Li Yunrui's man and was doing things for Li Yunrui.

Now that things have gone wrong, Li Yunrui not only failed to protect him, but also made him "disappear".

"Li Yunrui, Li Yunrui, how cruel you are!" Lin Ruofu gritted his teeth. "To sever your connection with the Niulan Street case, and to avoid implicating yourself, you actually poisoned Gong'er! You killed him to silence him, and then fabricated the story of his defection, bringing shame upon the Lin family!"

The more Lin Ruofu thought about it, the more convinced he became that this was the truth. Besides that madwoman, who else would do such a thing? And who could be so ruthless?

"You wanted to use my Lin family, to use Gong'er, and now that you're done using her, you're going to throw her away like a discarded pawn?" Lin Ruofu stood up, walked to the window, looked in the direction of the palace, and his eyes burned with the flames of revenge.

"Fine, since you're so ruthless, don't blame me for being ruthless too! You want to control the Imperial Treasury? To fight against Emperor Qing? Dream on!"

Guangxin Palace.

"Snapped!"

A beautiful jade cup was smashed to the ground, shattering into pieces.

Li Yunrui stood in the center of the hall, her chest heaving violently. Her beautiful face was now covered with frost and a hint of undisguised panic.

"That old scoundrel Lin Ruofu dared to refuse my letter? And even said he wanted to sever all ties?"

Li Yunrui was trembling with anger. She had originally intended to write a letter to Lin Ruofu to reassure him that Lin Gong's disappearance had nothing to do with her and that she was also investigating. But to her surprise, Lin Ruofu didn't give her a chance to explain and directly pinned the blame on her.

"Your Highness, please calm down." The maids beside him knelt on the ground.

Li Yunrui took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She walked to the edge of the tatami mat and sat down, rubbing her throbbing temples.

"No, this isn't right."

Li Yunrui muttered to herself, "I didn't have Lin Gong taken away, nor did Lin Ruofu hide him. Then who could it be?"

Names flashed through her mind.

Fan Xian? Impossible. If he had captured Lin Gong, it would have caused a huge uproar in the city long ago.

Chen Pingping? If it was done by the Imperial Censorate, His Majesty wouldn't have reacted this way.

That leaves only one person...

"His Majesty!"

Li Yunrui suddenly opened her eyes, a hint of fear flashing in them.

"It must be my elder brother! He's warning me!"

The more Li Yunrui thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Her elder brother had always been wary of her forming a faction with court officials. This assassination attempt on Niulan Street had caused such a stir that, in order to warn her and Lin Ruofu, her brother secretly sent someone to deal with Lin Gong and then fabricated a defection to create a rift between the Lin family and her, causing their alliance to collapse.

"What a brilliant tactic, truly a brilliant tactic..." Li Yunrui gave a bitter laugh, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness.

She prided herself on her intelligence and thought she could control everything, but in front of her unfathomable elder brother, she was like a transparent person.

"But..." Li Yunrui frowned, feeling vaguely that something was still amiss.

My elder brother's actions are always swift and decisive, or perhaps a matter of maintaining balance in the imperial court. This sneaky, secretive style of hiding someone away seems... quite unlike my elder brother's style?

…………

After several days, the storm gradually subsided, and the city lights began to illuminate the night.

An inconspicuous blue cloth carriage quietly stopped at the back gate of the Prime Minister's residence.

The Prime Minister's residence was no longer bustling with visitors; it appeared exceptionally quiet and desolate. The lanterns at the entrance swayed in the wind, exuding a sense of melancholy.

Dressed in black and wearing a bamboo hat, Li Chengze, escorted by Xie Bi'an, knocked on the back door of the Prime Minister's residence.

The old servant who opened the door was so frightened by the sight of the Second Prince that he almost knelt down. He quickly ushered the prince inside and rushed off to inform Lin Ruofu.

Inside the study, Lin Ruofu seemed to have aged ten years. He sat in the dim light, holding a folding fan that Lin Gong had used before his death, his eyes vacant.

"Your Excellency, the Second Prince has arrived."

Upon hearing the announcement, a hint of doubt flashed in Lin Ruofu's cloudy eyes, but he quickly regained his composure: "Please."

A moment later, Li Chengze pushed open the door and entered.

"I apologize again for disturbing Your Excellency's peace and quiet with my late-night visit." Li Chengze removed his bamboo hat, revealing a gentle and humble face, and bowed deeply to Lin Ruofu.

Lin Ruofu did not stand up, but pointed to the chair opposite him, his voice hoarse: "Your Highness, aren't you afraid that His Majesty will become suspicious of you by visiting at this time? The Lin family is now a criminal."

"Entrusted by someone?" Lin Ruofu frowned slightly.

Li Chengze took a letter out of his pocket and gently pushed it in front of Lin Ruofu.

"This is..." Lin Ruofu stared at the familiar handwriting on the envelope, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his hand trembled as he reached out.

That's Lin Gong's handwriting!

He eagerly tore open the envelope and, by the candlelight, greedily read the contents of the letter. The letter was short, containing only a few words, the gist of which was that he had made a grave mistake in a moment of confusion, but was fortunately saved by the Second Prince. He was now on his way to Northern Qi and was doing well. He asked his father not to worry, and promised to repay the Prince's great kindness in the future.

After reading the letter, Lin Ruofu burst into tears, clutching the letter tightly in his hands as if he were holding a treasure that had been lost and found again.

"Gong'er... Gong'er is really still alive..."

Although the imperial court issued a warrant for Lin Gong's arrest, claiming he had escaped, Lin Ruofu, a cunning old fox, knew perfectly well that the chances of him escaping under those circumstances were extremely slim. He had always believed it was a lie fabricated by the emperor to appease him, and that his son was already dead.

Seeing the handwritten letter now, and the fact that it mentions a childhood anecdote known only to the father and son, it is absolutely impossible for it to be fake!

"Your Highness..." Lin Ruofu raised his head, his gaze towards Li Chengze completely changed. It was no longer scrutiny, no longer defensiveness, but filled with gratitude and a deep sense of awe.

The Second Prince's methods are truly unfathomable; he was able to rescue people right under the noses of the Imperial Censorate and His Majesty, and send them to Northern Qi without anyone noticing!

"Prime Minister, although Gong'er's life has been saved, he won't be able to return to Daqing for the time being." Li Chengze sighed, looking regretful. "But Prime Minister, don't worry. I have some businesses in Northern Qi and have already arranged for people to take care of Gong'er. He will live very well there. Apart from not being able to show his face, he will still be a pampered young master."

Lin Ruofu took a deep breath, stood up, walked to Li Chengze, and solemnly knelt down.

"Your Highness's great kindness is something the Lin family will never forget!"

This time, it's from the bottom of my heart.

Li Chengze quickly stood up and helped Lin Ruofu up: "Prime Minister, you flatter me. Wan'er and I are engaged, and Gong'er is my brother-in-law. We're family, so let's not be so formal."

Lin Ruofu stood up and looked at the young prince in front of him, having already made his decision.

"Your Highness, rest assured." Lin Ruofu wiped away his tears, his eyes regaining the wisdom and ruthlessness of a prime minister. "Although this old minister is old, I still retain some influence in court. If Your Highness requires anything in the future, the Lin family... will certainly do its utmost!"

"You flatter me, Prime Minister." Li Chengze smiled slightly, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Chengze only hopes that you will take good care of your health. The court of Daqing still needs you to keep things in order. As for the rest... there's plenty of time for that."

……

Meanwhile, in the capital of Northern Qi, thousands of miles away...

Inside a luxuriously decorated private room in a restaurant, Yuan Tiangang, dressed in black and wearing a bamboo hat, sat quietly by the window.

Opposite him sat a young man in a brocade robe, a Luo Wang assassin skilled in disguise, who was now wearing a face exactly like Lin Gong's.

"General, the message has been sent out."

A rogue entered and reported in a low voice, "The Northern Qi Imperial Guards have 'accidentally' discovered Lin Gong's whereabouts, and our people have deliberately bought some Daqing specialties at high prices on the black market, leaving clues behind."

Yuan Tiangang nodded slightly, his voice hoarse: "Well done. Let 'Lin Gong' show his face in the city, and then 'disappear' from our stronghold. We need to convince both the Northern Qi royal family and the Southern Qing spies that Lin Gong is in Shangjing and is being protected."