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

In an instant, a vast and scorching internal force surged into Li Chengze's body. Although this force was domineering, under Yuan Tiangang's exquisite control, it became extremely docile, like a fire dragon, slowly flowing along Li Chengze's meridians.

"Circulate your Qi to the Dantian, and focus your mind on the Lingtai (spirit platform)..."

Yuan Tiangang's incantation rang in Li Chengze's ears.

Guided by that external internal force, Li Chengze clearly sensed the operational path of the "Tiangang Technique." It was an unstoppable, overwhelming momentum, as if it would shatter all obstacles in the world.

Once the entire cycle of Qi circulation was completed, the guiding internal force slowly withdrew, leaving behind a pure seed of true Qi that took deep root in Li Chengze's dantian.

Li Chengze felt warm all over, full of power, as if he could kill a bull with one punch.

"Thank you, Commander." Li Chengze opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in them.

"Your Highness possesses exceptional talent, and with the Marrow Cleansing Pill as a foundation, you've mastered the 'Heavenly Gang Technique' much faster than I anticipated." Yuan Tiangang withdrew his hand, his figure disappearing back into the darkness. "I take my leave. Your Highness, take care."

After Yuan Tiangang left, Li Chengze did not go to sleep immediately.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes again.

The true energy of the Heavenly Gang Technique within his body began to stir restlessly, radiating a scorching aura. If this aura were to leak out, even experts several meters away could detect it.

"Take it!"

Li Chengze silently recited the mantra, and his already mastered "Turtle Breathing Technique" instantly began to operate.

A miraculous scene unfolded.

The originally violent and turbulent true energy of the "Tian Gang Jue" was quickly calmed down under the suppression of the "Turtle Breathing Jue". All its sharpness and heat were locked deep in the dantian, without leaking out in the slightest.

At this moment, Li Chengze, from his appearance, is still that six-year-old child with steady breathing and no fluctuations in internal energy.

"It worked!"

Li Chengze smiled slightly, feeling much more at ease.

As for whether Emperor Qing will find out?

Li Chengze sneered. That arrogant man had already had his bones examined shortly after his birth, and had even scanned him with the perception of a grandmaster in the dead of night.

In Emperor Qing's mind, his second son was of poor aptitude and had no talent for martial arts. This was why he was chosen as the whetstone, because even if the son knew his identity as the whetstone, he would never be a threat to Emperor Qing.

"Father, you can rest assured and treat me as a whetstone."

Li Chengze closed his eyes and continued to immerse himself in cultivation.

…………

Time passed like flowing water. Li Chengze frowned slightly as he looked at the almost stagnant reputation value on the system panel.

"It seems I've already fleeced everyone in this palace."

Over the past year, thanks to his dual persona as a "child prodigy" and a "mischievous devil," he has made a name for himself among the palace maids, eunuchs, and even guards. However, the palace is ultimately a closed circle with a limited population, so the growth of his reputation has naturally reached a bottleneck.

To break through, we must turn our attention outside the palace, to the vast capital city, and even to the entire Qing Kingdom.

"It's time to unleash that ultimate weapon."

With a thought, Li Chengze spent a mere 10 reputation points to exchange for the book "Dream of the Red Chamber," hailed as an encyclopedia of feudal society, from the system shop.

In this world, Fan Xian is still a baby, and this book isn't among the things Ye Qingmei left behind. This is practically a reputation-boosting artifact tailor-made for him.

In the following days, apart from cultivating and going to the palace school to handle errands, Li Chengze spent the rest of his time locked in his study, writing furiously.

He didn't copy it verbatim, but made minor adjustments to some place names and official titles based on the customs and habits of this world, making it more in line with the background of the Qing Kingdom and more immersive for readers.

After copying the first chapter, "Zhen Shiyin's Dream of Spiritual Enlightenment and Jia Yucun's Romantic Encounters with a Young Lady," Li Chengze looked at the immature yet already beginning-formed handwriting on the Xuan paper and nodded in satisfaction.

At the end of his signature, he solemnly wrote three large characters: Li Chengze.

This is a strict rule of the system: reputation points can only be gained by spreading information using one's real name. Otherwise, he could easily amass a massive amount of reputation with just a little effort.

Li Chengze, holding the manuscript, excitedly ran to find Consort Shu.

Consort Shu was enjoying tea and reading when her son ran in, carrying a stack of papers. Curious, she asked, "Ze'er, what's this?"

"Mother, this is a dream I had recently. I found it quite interesting when I woke up, so I wrote it down and turned it into a storybook." Li Chengze blinked his big eyes and said innocently, "Mother, you are so knowledgeable, could you please take a look and see how it is written?"

Consort Shu smiled and took the manuscript, initially glancing at it casually.

However, after reading only a few lines, her expression became serious.

"Full of absurd words, a handful of bitter tears. Everyone says the author is crazy, but who can understand the true meaning..."

Consort Shu recited the opening poem softly, a hint of amazement flashing in her eyes. As she read on, the delicate brushstrokes, the profound insight into the fickleness of human nature, the subtle foreshadowing and intricate plot...

This is hardly something a six-year-old child could write! This is clearly the skill of a great scholar who has experienced the vicissitudes of life!

Consort Shu suddenly looked up, her gaze towards Li Chengze filled with shock and inquiry.

"Ze'er, this... did you really write this?"

Li Chengze remained calm and composed, still feigning ignorance: "Yes, Mother, I saw many beautiful sisters in my dream, and many strange things happened. I remembered them all when I woke up. Mother, is my writing not good enough?"

Consort Shu took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart. She knew her son was precocious, but this was something that precociousness alone could not explain.

However, she did not investigate further.

In this deep palace, everyone has their own secrets. As long as their son is safe, nothing else matters.

"It is very well written, very well written." Consort Shu praised sincerely, "If this book can be completed, it will surely be remembered for generations to come."

Taking advantage of the momentum, Li Chengze tugged at Consort Shu's sleeve and said coquettishly, "Mother, since it's so well-written, could more people see it? I want everyone to know about my book."

Consort Shu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, but then she understood her son's intention.

She stared at the prominent "Li Chengze" name at the bottom of the page, pondered for a moment, and slowly nodded: "You want this book to circulate?"

"Yes!" Li Chengze nodded heavily.

Consort Shu sighed, a complex look flashing in her eyes. She knew that once this book circulated, Li Chengze's talent and reputation would no longer be concealed, and it might even cause a stir throughout the court and the public.

But this may not be a mistake.

"Alright, your mother promises you, I will try my best." Consort Shu patted Li Chengze's head and said softly.

Li Chengze was overjoyed.

He knew that Consort Shu's so-called "give it a try" was actually a test of Emperor Qing's attitude.

In this palace, anything that wants to be circulated must be approved by Emperor Qing.

For Emperor Qing, a prince who is obsessed with writing novels and neglects his duties but is full of talent is probably much more lovable and safer than a prince who is always eyeing military power and forming cliques for personal gain.

Moreover, this would further boost Li Chengze's prestige and put even more pressure on the Crown Prince.

This is a win-win situation, and Emperor Qing has no reason to refuse.

"Thank you, Mother!" Li Chengze laughed happily.

Watching her son's departing figure, Consort Shu picked up the stack of manuscripts again, her gaze deep and unfathomable.

"Dream of the Red Chamber... What a wonderful Dream of the Red Chamber."

"Ze'er, how many more surprises are you hiding?"

……

That very evening, the stack of manuscripts appeared on Emperor Qing's desk.

Emperor Qing flipped through the pages of "Dream of the Red Chamber" in his hands, sometimes frowning, sometimes relaxing, and finally couldn't help but slap the table in admiration.

"Great! Excellent writing! Great story!"

Emperor Qing put down the manuscript, a strange light gleaming in his eyes. "This lad, who seems unruly all the time, turns out to be quite learned. With such talent, if he were in the literary world, he would probably become a grandmaster."

The eunuch Hou cautiously inquired, "Your Majesty, what about Consort Shu...?"

"Issue my decree," Emperor Qing waved his hand, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, "The Second Prince is exceptionally talented, and his work, 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' is a masterpiece. Order the Imperial Household Department to print it into a book, first circulating it within the palace, and then... let it be distributed to the common people."

"I want the whole world to see just how exceptionally talented my son is!"

The eunuch Hou's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately knelt down to accept the order: "This old servant obeys!"