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

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The night rain intensified, pounding against the glazed tiles of Tingyu Pavilion with a crackling sound, like a urgent drumbeat urging on the night.

Inside the study, the candlelight flickered.

Li Yunrui sat at the side table. Before this, she was the eldest princess who controlled the inner treasury and held immense power in the court. Her fingers were stained with nail polish and she held power. She had never been like an accountant, wasting her energy on dry and complicated account books.

Time slipped away bit by bit, and the water clock dripped its sound.

Li Chengze remained languidly nestled in the cushioned armchair, a book of unknown contents in his hand. He would occasionally turn a page, then reach out and pluck a glistening grape from the plate, peel it, eat it, and spit out the seeds. His movements were fluid and graceful, exuding a sense of ease that emanated from his very bones.

In contrast to the comfort on this side, Li Yunrui was suffering.

The inner treasury's accounts were rotten to the core. In order to cover up the deficits she had embezzled over the years to bribe court officials, raise private armies, and send money to Northern Qi, she had manipulated the accounts in countless ways.

To the untrained eye, it might seem flawless, but to those who truly understand the matter and know the ins and outs, it's a rotten account riddled with holes.

To smooth over these messy accounts and do it so that even Emperor Qing and those old foxes in the Ministry of Revenue wouldn't suspect anything, requires not only mental effort but also physical exertion.

"Cough cough..."

Li Yunrui felt her throat was extremely dry and couldn't help but cough twice.

She subconsciously raised her head, wanting to call for a maid to serve tea, but suddenly remembered that her personal maid had been driven away by that madman.

She glanced at Li Chengze not far away, gritted her teeth, and remained silent, preparing to get up and pour herself some water.

"Auntie, where are we going?"

Li Chengze didn't even look up; his voice drifted over lazily.

Li Yunrui paused, then said coldly, "Thirsty? Get me some water."

"Oh?" Li Chengze finally put down his book, looking at her with a half-smile. "How can you let your aunt do such rough work herself?"

Li Yunrui sneered inwardly, "At least you still have some conscience."

However, Li Chengze's words the next moment made her want to take back what she had just said.

"However, there are no outsiders in Tingyu Pavilion. I'm getting a bit thirsty from reading, so since Aunt is going to pour water, please pour me a cup as well."

Li Yunrui turned around abruptly, looking at him in disbelief.

"What? Aunt doesn't want to?" Li Chengze raised an eyebrow, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally sweeping over the secret letter from Northern Qi on the table. "It seems Aunt still doesn't consider herself a 'guest' of Tingyu Pavilion. A guest should follow the host's lead; do I need to teach her that principle again?"

It's that letter again!

Li Yunrui's chest heaved violently. The letter was like a sharp blade hanging over her head, ready to fall at any moment and shatter everything she owned.

She took a deep breath, her nails digging deep into her palms to suppress the murderous intent surging within her.

"Alright... I'll pour it for you."

She walked to the tea table and picked up the teapot. The tea had already cooled down a bit, so she poured two cups, carried the tray to Li Chengze, and placed it heavily on the table, splashing a few drops of water.

"Drink!" she uttered coldly.

Li Chengze glanced at the teacup on the table but didn't touch it. Instead, he frowned and said with a look of disdain, "Aunt, is this your way of serving?"

"What else do you want?" Li Yunrui finally lost his temper.

"Pour the tea to seven-tenths full, the water temperature should be just right, hold the tea steadily, and serve the tea with utmost respect." Li Chengze held up a finger and gently shook it. "Aunt, this cup of tea is poured too full, the water temperature is too cold, you put it down too heavily, and your attitude is too rude. I dare not drink this tea, nor can I drink it."

"Li Chengze! Don't go too far!" Li Yunrui's voice shrilly. "I'm your aunt! I'm the eldest princess of Daqing!"

"There is no princess here, only two relatives who need to 'understand' each other." The smile on Li Chengze's lips gradually disappeared, replaced by a chilling indifference. "Aunt, I think you know the contents of that letter better than I do. Treason, colluding with the Northern Qi, that crime... tsk tsk, even if you are the princess, even if the Empress Dowager protects you, Father will never tolerate you. At that time, let alone this cup of tea, you probably won't even be able to eat your last meal in peace."

Li Yunrui retreated step by step under his piercing gaze, the fear of being completely seen through and controlled returning.

She looked at the man before her, who had once been merely a somewhat talented pawn to be used, but had now transformed into a vicious wolf that would devour anyone who dared to harm it.

She can't afford to lose.

She can't die.

Li Yunrui closed her eyes, and two streams of tears slid down her cheeks. They were not just tears of humiliation, but also the sound of her pride shattering.

A moment later, she opened her eyes again, the light in them dimmed considerably, as if she had resigned herself to her fate.

She picked up the cup of tea, poured the water into a discarded bowl beside her, and then walked back to the tea table.

This time, she moved very slowly and gently.

She picked up the kettle on the red clay stove and brewed a new pot of tea.

She held the teacup in both hands, walked up to Li Chengze, bowed slightly, lowered her head, and said in a trembling but obedient voice, "Nephew... please have some tea."

Li Chengze looked at the meek and obedient woman in front of him and smiled slightly.

He reached out his hand, but instead of rushing to take the teacup, he gently ran his fingers across the back of Li Yunrui's hand.

Li Yunrui trembled and almost knocked over the teacup, but she forced herself to hold back and did not dare to dodge.

"Aunt's hands are indeed well-maintained, smooth as butter." Li Chengze chuckled, took the teacup, and smelled it. "Hmm, this tea smells much better. It seems Aunt is quite talented; as long as she's willing to learn, there's nothing she can't do well."

He took a sip of tea and let out a satisfied sigh: "Good tea. Aunt, have a cup too, to soothe your throat, you still have work to do."

Li Yunrui straightened up, her face as pale as paper. She silently picked up another cup of cold tea, drank it all in one gulp, and the icy tea flowed down her throat into her stomach, sending a chill down her spine.

Like a walking corpse, she turned back to the side table and picked up the heavy account book again.

The night was darker.

The only sounds in the study were the rustling of pages and the occasional smacking of grapes by Li Chengze.

Another hour passed.

Li Yunrui felt like her neck was about to break, her eyes were extremely sore, and her fingers holding the pen were stiff from holding it for so long.

"The accounts here are not done correctly."

Suddenly, a voice rang out above her head.

Li Yunrui was startled, and the pen in his hand trembled, causing a drop of ink to fall onto the page of accounts he was about to finish writing, instantly spreading into a black stain.

She looked up abruptly and found that Li Chengze had somehow appeared behind her, bending over and looking at the account books in front of her.

Looking at the destroyed page, Li Yunrui felt a surge of despair.

She spent a full half-hour calculating this page filled with dense numbers!

"This transaction, the whereabouts of three thousand taels of silver, you wrote 'riverbank repair,' but as far as I know, the riverbank wasn't extensively repaired that year, just simply reinforced." Li Chengze pointed to a line in the account book, his tone calm yet stern. "With such an obvious loophole, who are you trying to fool? The Emperor? Or Minister of Revenue Fan Jian?"

"I..." Li Yunrui wanted to explain, but found herself at a loss for words. It was indeed a pretext she had made up at the time.

"Redo it."

Li Chengze straightened up and coldly uttered two words.

"This page... I've been calculating this page for so long..." Li Yunrui's voice held a hint of pleading, "Could you just change this one place?"

"No way." Li Chengze refused without hesitation. "If there's a stain on a piece of paper, and you only try to correct that one spot, it will only make it more noticeable. That's just trying to cover it up. Only by rewriting the whole thing can it look clean and flawless."

As he spoke, he reached out and tore the page directly from the ledger with a sharp "rip" that sounded particularly jarring in the quiet night.

Li Yunrui stared at the crumpled piece of paper lying on the ground, her heart bleeding. It was the culmination of her hard work, the result of her enduring humiliation and suffering!

"Li Chengze, did you do this on purpose?" She looked up, her eyes bloodshot, her voice hoarse.

"I'm doing this for your own good, Aunt." Li Chengze looked at her innocently. "If this account book is handed over and Father discovers the flaws, it won't just be you who loses your head, but I might also be implicated. After all, by not reporting it now, I'm practically an accomplice."

He patted Li Yunrui on the shoulder, as if soothing a cat with ruffled fur: "Sweetie, rewrite it. Be careful this time, don't make the same mistake again."

Li Yunrui bit her lip hard until she tasted blood.

With trembling hands, she spread out another sheet of paper and picked up her pen again.

Every word seemed to be engraved on her bones.

Every stroke of her pen eroded the last vestiges of her dignity.

Time moved on to the hour of Chou (1-3 AM).

Li Yunrui was already somewhat delirious, mechanically writing only out of a survival instinct.

Are you hungry?

Li Chengze's voice rang out again.

Li Yunrui paused, and his stomach made a soft rumbling sound at just the right moment.

She was indeed hungry. Since entering the mansion, she hadn't eaten a single grain of rice, only drinking a cup of cold tea.

"Someone, bring the meal."

Li Chengze clapped his hands.

Soon, the door was pushed open, and several servants in blue robes filed in, carrying exquisite food boxes.

A variety of delicious dishes were placed on the round table in the center of the study: crystal-clear braised pork, braised crab meat lion's head meatballs, chicken soup with dried bean curd strips... The aroma filled the entire room instantly.

Li Chengze sat down at the table, picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of braised meat, put it in his mouth, chewed it carefully, and showed an expression of enjoyment on his face.

"Auntie, stop writing and come have something to eat," he called out.

Li Yunrui put down her pen, feeling a spasm in her stomach. She stood up and staggered to the table.

Just as she was about to sit down, Li Chengze suddenly spoke up, "Hey, Aunt, wait a minute."

Li Yunrui froze, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"Auntie looks like this now..." Li Chengze looked her up and down.

At this moment, Li Yunrui's hair was disheveled, her sleeves were stained with ink, and her face showed undisguised fatigue and haggardness. Where was the slightest trace of the princess's elegance and nobility?

"It would be rather impolite for us to sit down and eat together," Li Chengze smiled and pointed to a small round stool next to him. "Auntie, why don't you sit there and eat?"

That small round stool was usually for the maids who served their masters meals, or for them to rest their feet on.

Looking at the low stool, then at the table full of delicacies and the high and mighty Li Chengze, Li Yunrui felt a surge of immense humiliation.

He wouldn't let her sit at the table!

He treated her like a servant!

"I'm not hungry!" Li Yunrui said curtly, turning to leave.

"stop."

Li Chengze's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority: "If I tell you to eat, you have to eat. That's the rule."

He picked up a peeled grape and walked up to Li Yunrui.

Open your mouth.

Li Yunrui kept her lips tightly closed and stared intently at him.

"Aunt...you should know how many eyes are watching you in this mansion right now. If outsiders were to see Her Highness the Eldest Princess being forcibly fed, the scene...it wouldn't look good."

Li Yunrui's body trembled slightly.

She knew Li Chengze was capable of it. That madman was capable of anything.

After a moment of stalemate, Li Yunrui finally slowly opened his mouth.

Li Chengze popped the grape into her mouth, his finger lingering on her red lips for a moment.

"That's right." Li Chengze smiled with satisfaction. "Is it sweet?"

Li Yunrui held the grape in her mouth, but found it even more bitter than bitter melon.

She chewed mechanically, tears welling in her eyes, but stubbornly refusing to fall.

"Sit down and eat," Li Chengze said, pointing to the small round stool.

This time, Li Yunrui did not resist.

Like a puppet, she walked to the small round stool and sat down.

Li Chengze casually picked up some food, put it in a small bowl, and handed it to her.

Li Yunrui held the small bowl, head down, and ate bite by bite.

Every bite of food was mixed with her humiliation and hatred, which turned into a burning flame as she swallowed it.

Li Chengze ate while enjoying the scene.

After the meal, the leftover food was cleared away.

Li Chengze seemed a little sleepy, yawned, and stretched.

"It's getting late, it's time to rest."

Hearing this, Li Yunrui felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. Was it finally over?

"Aunt, how much is left in the accounts?" Li Chengze asked.

"There's still... less than 30% left," Li Yunrui replied in a low voice.

"Okay, let's call it a day then." Li Chengze nodded.

Li Yunrui was overjoyed and was about to get up to say goodbye.

"However..." Li Chengze changed the subject, "before that, there is one last thing."

He pointed to his feet.

"My feet are a little sore from running around all day. Usually, the maids help me wash my feet, but they're not here today..." He looked at Li Yunrui, a devilish smile playing on his lips. "I'll have to trouble you, Aunt."

"What did you say?!"

Li Yunrui suddenly stood up; this time, she was truly furious.

She tolerated being asked to grind ink, to pour tea, and even to squat beside her to eat.

But, make him wash your feet?!

This is something only the lowest-ranking maidservants would do!

She would rather die than do that!

Attention all die-hard fans of Invincible Demon King F! The latest chapter of "Joy of Life: I, the Second Prince? Summon Yuan Tiangang!" has been released!