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

"check."

Emperor Qing uttered only this one word, his tone so calm it revealed no emotion: "Whoever dares to sell my people to Northern Qi, I will find out who they are. But this matter must be carried out in secret, without making a fuss, lest we alert them."

Chen Pingping bowed slightly, a knowing glint in his eyes: "This old servant understands. However, Yan Bingyun is imprisoned, and Shen Zhong is using this as leverage to try and get Xiao En back. If we don't rescue him, the members of the Observation Bureau will be uneasy; if we do rescue him, I'm afraid we'll have to pay a considerable price."

"Then talk to him." Emperor Qing casually tossed the memorial aside, his tone indifferent. "As long as the person is brought back alive, everything is negotiable. Sean? Just a washed-up old man, give him to him."

At this point, Emperor Qing's gaze suddenly became somewhat amused. He looked at Chen Pingping and asked, "Have you already chosen someone for this envoy to Northern Qi?"

Chen Pingping smiled slightly, "Hasn't Your Majesty already chosen someone in your heart?"

The emperor and his minister exchanged a glance, their understanding unspoken.

"Summon Fan Xian to an audience."

……

Half an hour later.

Fan Xian stood bewildered in the imperial study, looking at the unkempt emperor and Chen Pingping, who was sitting in a wheelchair and smiling kindly at him. He felt a sense of unease.

"An envoy to Northern Qi?" Fan Xian's eyes widened, pointing to his own nose. "Your Majesty, I've only been in the capital for a short time, and I'm already going abroad on official business? And to rescue someone? This job... isn't it a bit too much?"

"What? You don't dare?" Emperor Qing glanced at him sideways, casually picked up a memorial and flipped through it. "Yan Bingyun is imprisoned for the sake of Daqing. If you can rescue him, it will be a great achievement."

Fan Xian cursed the old fox inwardly. This wasn't giving him credit; it was clearly pushing him into a fire pit.

Northern Qi is a den of dragons and tigers, and Shen Zhong is notoriously ruthless and vicious. If we go there, we might not even be left with any bones or dust.

But can he refuse?

Seeing Emperor Qing's seemingly casual gaze, Fan Xian sighed and cupped his hands, saying, "Your subject... obeys the decree."

"Remember this." Emperor Qing closed the memorial, his gaze suddenly sharpening. "I don't care what method you use, bring Yan Bingyun back alive. Also, when you get to Northern Qi, be more careful. This time, the leak of Yan Bingyun's identity is very suspicious. While you're at it, investigate whose hand was that passed on the information."

Fan Xian felt a chill run down his spine; it seemed His Majesty knew exactly what was going on.

"Your subject understands."

After Fan Xian left, Emperor Qing sat back down on the soft couch and rubbed his temples.

"Pingping, you should go too," Emperor Qing said calmly. "Investigate the person within the Detective Academy who leaked the information."

"This old servant obeys the decree." Chen Pingping pushed his wheelchair and slowly retreated from the imperial study.

Inside the main hall, only Emperor Qing remained.

He remained silent for a long time, then suddenly called out to the empty hall, "Eunuch Hou."

Eunuch Hou emerged from the shadows like a ghost, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty."

"Go, let Princess Xuan have an audience."

……

Li Yunrui had walked the route from Guangxin Palace to the Imperial Study countless times.

But this time, she walked exceptionally slowly.

On the palanquin, Li Yunrui's expression was calm, even with a faint smile.

But her hand, hidden in her sleeve, was tightly gripping a silk handkerchief, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

She knew that her brother suspected her.

The moment the news of Yan Bingyun's arrest reached Kyoto, she knew that she would have to get through this sooner or later.

"Your Highness, we have arrived."

The sedan chair stopped, and a palace maid gently reminded her.

Li Yunrui took a deep breath, tidied her appearance, put on a gentle and respectful expression, and slowly entered the imperial study.

"Your Majesty, I, your humble sister, pay my respects."

Li Yunrui bowed gracefully, her voice soft and melodious.

Emperor Qing did not rouse her, but simply watched her silently. His gaze was like two sharp scalpels, trying to cut open her flesh and see what was truly in her heart.

After a long silence, Emperor Qing finally spoke calmly, "Get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Li Yunrui stood up and stood to the side with his hands at his sides.

"Yunrui," Emperor Qing gestured to the chair beside him, "Sit."

Li Yunrui sat down as instructed, her expression calm and composed.

"How is everything in the palace lately?" Emperor Qing asked casually, as if making a casual conversation.

"Thanks to Your Majesty, everything is well," Li Yunrui said softly. "But the weather has turned cooler recently, Your Majesty should also take care of your health and not overwork yourself."

"Toil?" Emperor Qing chuckled, picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. "I don't want to toil either. But the world is not at peace, and there are always people who want to find something for me to do."

"My brother is the emperor, and he is naturally protected by Heaven."

"Heaven's protection?" Emperor Qing put down his teacup, the bottom of which clinked against the table. "I doubt it. Sometimes, misfortune doesn't fall from the sky, but rather arises from those around me."

Li Yunrui's heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her smile: "What do you mean by that, Your Majesty? I am foolish and ignorant."

Emperor Qing turned his head, looking directly into Li Yunrui's eyes, his voice suddenly turning cold: "News has come from Northern Qi that Yan Bingyun has been captured. Shen Zhong received a secret letter from the capital, which revealed all of Yan Bingyun's secrets."

Li Yunrui's face showed a perfectly timed look of surprise: "Is that so? Yan Bingyun is a member of the Investigation Bureau, her identity is top secret, how could anyone know that? And even betray the country? This person truly deserves to die!"

Seeing Li Yunrui's indignant expression, Emperor Qing's eyes grew even colder.

play.

The performance continues.

"Yes, he deserves to die," Emperor Qing said quietly. "I sent Chen Pingping to investigate. You know Chen Pingping; his nose is sharper than a dog's. As long as this person is still in the capital, still breathing, he will definitely find him."

Li Yunrui's hand trembled slightly in his sleeve, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Dean Chen is naturally someone you can trust to get things done," she said with a smile.

Emperor Qing stood up, walked to Li Yunrui, and looked down at her.

"Yunrui, I remember you used to have some connection with Zhuang Mohan from Northern Qi?"

"I only admired Master Zhuang's talent and had met him a few times." Li Yunrui lowered his head, avoiding Emperor Qing's gaze.

"Is that so?" Emperor Qing reached out and gently patted Li Yunrui's shoulder.

This seemingly intimate gesture, however, made Li Yunrui feel an overwhelming pressure.

"I gave you the Imperial Treasury, I gave you the honor of being a princess. I want you to understand who gave you all of this." Emperor Qing's voice was soft, but every word was piercing. "Some things, I can give you, and I can take back. Some lines, once crossed, can never be crossed again."

Li Yunrui suddenly raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice: "Your Majesty, are you doubting your humble sister? Although I am a woman, I know the importance of family and country. How could I possibly do something like treason? If Your Majesty does not believe me, you may imprison me and have the Censorate severely torture me to prove my innocence!"

As she spoke, she was about to kneel down.

Emperor Qing caught her, the coldness on his face instantly vanishing, replaced by a helpless expression: "I was just asking casually, why did you have to do this? If I didn't believe you, I would have sent Chen Pingping with men to Guangxin Palace long ago, why would I be here chatting with you like this?"