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

The next morning.

As dawn broke, a large convoy of delegations slowly drove out of the gates of Kyoto.

Banners fluttered in the wind, and carriages rumbled along.

Fan Xian, mounted on his horse, glanced back at the bustling yet intriguing capital, took a deep breath, and cracked his whip.

"Set off!"

With the departure of the mission, Kyoto seemed to return to its usual tranquility. But anyone with discerning eyes knew that this was merely the calm before the storm.

……

A few days later.

A light drizzle began to fall, casting a misty, drizzling veil over the streets of Kyoto.

With nothing to do, Li Chengze changed into casual clothes, carried an oil-paper umbrella, and strolled alone through the bustling streets without any attendants.

He enjoyed the feeling of being immersed in the everyday life of ordinary people. Watching the peddlers and laborers coming and going, and listening to the cries of street vendors, allowed him to temporarily forget the intrigues and power struggles in the imperial court.

As he passed by a bustling market, a heated argument caught his attention.

"How do you run a business, boss? This book is clearly priced at three taels of silver, why are you charging me three taels and five mace? What's the meaning of this extra five mace? Are you taking advantage of my young age?"

The voice was clear and fast-paced, carrying a shrewdness that refused to be taken advantage of.

Li Chengze looked in the direction of the sound and saw a slightly chubby boy dressed in brocade clothes standing in front of a bookstall. His face was flushed, and he was holding an abacus, rapidly clicking the keys as he argued with the bookstall owner.

The boy was fair-skinned and clean-cut, with a pair of small eyes that shone brightly.

The bookseller looked helpless: "Young master, this book is a newly arrived edition. Paper prices have gone up, so it's naturally more expensive..."

"Paper prices have gone up? By how much? I just passed by a paper shop and asked. A ream of Xuan paper has only gone up ten coins. How much paper would you need for this book? It should only go up two coins at most! You dare to charge me five coins? You're ripping me off! You're a profiteer!"

The chubby boy shook the abacus so loudly it shook the heavens, and his mouth was as fluent as a machine gun, leaving the boss speechless. The onlookers around them burst into laughter.

A smile flickered in Li Chengze's eyes as he watched this scene.

Although Fan Sizhe is a spoiled brat in the original novel, he is a true genius when it comes to business and accounting.

If used properly, this kind of person can be a master at accumulating wealth.

Thinking of this, Li Chengze held up his umbrella and slowly walked over.

"Young man, you've got a good plan."

A clear voice rang out, interrupting Fan Sizhe's output.

Fan Sizhe was taken aback and turned around, only to see a refined and noble young man smiling at him. Although the man was dressed in casual clothes, the aura of authority that emanated from his very bones was impossible to conceal.

Although Fan Sizhe loved money, he was, after all, the son of the Minister of Revenue, and he had some sense. He looked Li Chengze up and down warily and asked, "Who are you? Are you also here to buy books?"

Li Chengze smiled, but instead of answering directly, he glanced at the bookstall owner and casually tossed out a silver ingot.

"I'll buy this book. The rest is an apology to this young man."

The shopkeeper was overjoyed to receive the silver and thanked him repeatedly.

Fan Sizhe stared at the silver ingot, his eyes widening instantly, and his throat bobbed involuntarily.

"What a grand gesture..." he muttered, then his gaze towards Li Chengze became eager. "Young master, you look unfamiliar. May I ask what brings you here?"

Li Chengze walked up to Fan Sizhe, leaned slightly forward, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I know you are the young master of the Fan family, Fan Sizhe. I also know that your greatest hobby is... making money."

Upon hearing the word "make money," Fan Sizhe's small eyes instantly lit up like two light bulbs.

"Hehe, young master, we're kindred spirits!" Fan Sizhe rubbed his hands together, looking expectant. "What? Does young master have some way to make money that he'd like to share with me?"

Li Chengze's lips curled up slightly, enticingly saying, "I recently opened a new mansion with many properties, and the daily turnover is in the tens of thousands. It's a pity that my servants are so stupid; their accounts are a complete mess, giving me a headache."

He paused, looking at Fan Sizhe's increasingly bright eyes, and continued, "I've heard that Young Master Fan is unparalleled in mathematics, a unique talent in the capital. I wonder if Young Master Fan would be interested in serving as an accountant at my residence? Of course, it won't be for free."

Li Chengze held up one finger: "Five hundred taels of silver per month. At the end of the year, I'll give you an additional 10% bonus."

"Five hundred taels! Plus a 10% bonus!"

Fan Sizhe nearly dropped his abacus. He was mentally calculating: five hundred taels was… a ton of money! And if that 10% commission was truly as this man claimed, generating tens of thousands in revenue, wouldn't he be rolling in money?!

He trembled with excitement, but then hesitated, "This... my father is very strict and doesn't allow me to work outside freely. Besides, I don't even know who you are, young master."

Li Chengze straightened up, tapped his palm lightly with the folding fan in his hand, and revealed a meaningful smile on his face.

Li Chengze straightened up, tapped his palm lightly with the folding fan in his hand, and revealed a meaningful smile on his face.

"Your father is Fan Jian, the Minister of Revenue. He's strict because he's afraid you'll cause trouble outside. But what if... you were working for the Second Prince?"

"The Second...Second Prince?!"

Fan Sizhe gasped, staring wide-eyed at the smiling young man before him.

Is this the legendary, exceptionally talented second prince?!

"How about it?" Li Chengze looked at the stunned Fan Sizhe and coaxed him gently, "Following me, you can not only make a lot of money, but also make your father look at you with new respect. Are you in or not?"

Fan Sizhe felt his head buzzing, torn between immense wealth and the majesty of a prince.

He swallowed hard, his mind filled with images of countless treasures beckoning to him, and the surprised and admiring expressions on his father Fan Jian and Fan Xian's faces when they saw him make a fortune.

"Let's do it!"

Fan Sizhe slapped his thigh suddenly, his face showing a look of resignation. "Your Highness, from today onwards, I, Fan Sizhe, am your man! Where is the account book? When do we begin?"

Li Chengze looked at the money-obsessed boy and couldn't help but laugh.

"No rush." ​​He turned and walked towards the other end of the street, his voice drifting back, "Come to the Second Prince's residence at this time tomorrow. Remember, bring your good abacus."

Fan Sizhe, clutching his abacus, watched Li Chengze's departing figure, grinning foolishly for a long time before suddenly realizing what was happening.

"Oh dear! I forgot to ask Your Highness, is the bonus calculated based on net profit or turnover? The difference is huge!"

"Your Highness!!"