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

Inside the Imperial Study, the fragrance of sandalwood wafted through the air, yet it could not conceal the cold, hard aura emanating from the depths of the Imperial Censorate.

Emperor Qing remained seated cross-legged behind his large imperial desk, holding a sharp carving knife in his hand, carefully whittling the white-feathered arrow. Wood shavings fell softly, creating a faint sound in the quiet imperial study.

Sitting in his wheelchair, Chen Pingping recounted everything that Yingzi had seen and heard at the Second Prince's residence, as well as his speculations about the mysterious organization "Luo Wang," word for word.

When Chen Pingping spoke of "Zhao Gao" and "Jing Ni," as well as the fifteen hidden eighth-rank auras, he unconsciously slowed down his speech as he observed Emperor Qing's reaction.

However, Emperor Qing did not pause in his actions at all.

"laugh--"

The carving knife steadily drew a perfect blood groove on the arrowhead. Emperor Qing blew away the wood shavings before slowly raising his head. In his deep, abyss-like eyes, there was neither the fury nor the fear that Chen Pingping had expected. Instead, there was a hint of... playful interest.

What do you think?

Chen Pingping lowered his head slightly and continued in a calm voice, "Your Majesty, I believe that once a spider has spun a web, it should be removed immediately. Otherwise, if the web gets thicker and thicker, it will be difficult to deal with. Moreover, this web has already covered the Second Prince's residence."

"You mean, Chengze was used by the Luo Wang?" Emperor Qing put down the arrow in his hand, picked up a white cloth, and slowly wiped the carving knife.

"Or perhaps, it's about mutual exploitation." Chen Pingping raised his head to meet Emperor Qing's gaze. "The Second Prince needs a sharp enough blade to counter the Crown Prince, and even... The fact that Luo Wang chose to cooperate with the Second Prince must mean they have ulterior motives. I believe this is an extremely dangerous deal."

"Danger?" Emperor Qing chuckled softly, as if he had heard a funny joke.

His laughter echoed in the empty imperial study, carrying an absolute confidence of complete control, and even a hint of arrogance.

"Pingping, Pingping, you've grown old, and your courage has waned." Emperor Qing casually tossed the cleaned carving knife onto the table with a crisp "clang." "Do you really think I can't see through Chengze's little schemes? Or do you really think that a mere net can overturn my reign?"

Chen Pingping remained silent.

Emperor Qing leaned back on the bed, resuming his languid demeanor. "Have the Censorate keep a close eye on the Second Prince's residence, but don't make any rash moves. Since Chengze wants to play, I'll play along. Withdraw everyone."

"Your humble servant obeys the decree," Chen Pingping replied respectfully.

After Chen Pingping left, the Imperial Study fell silent once more.

Emperor Qing stood alone by the window, the smile on his face gradually fading, replaced by an unfathomable gloom.

Although he acted indifferently in front of Chen Pingping, as an emperor, he would never allow any factor beyond his control to exist.

"The Net... Zhao Gao... the Bad Commander," Emperor Qing muttered the two names repeatedly, a cold glint in his eyes. "Chengze, Chengze, have you found an accomplice, or have you let a wolf into your house?"

"This game is getting more and more interesting."

"Eunuch Hou," Emperor Qing suddenly spoke.

The eunuch, who had been waiting outside the door like an invisible man, immediately bowed and came in: "This old servant is here."

"Prepare the carriage and go to Consort Jing's place for a visit," Emperor Qing ordered casually.

"Yes."

……

The inner palace, the bedroom of Consort Jing.

As soon as you step into the palace gate, you can smell a faint scent of ink and the unique aroma of old paper.

Instead of those expensive and dazzling flowers and plants, the courtyard was planted with a few evergreen pines and cypresses and a few elegant bamboos.

Emperor Qing did not have anyone announce his arrival and walked straight into the main hall.

Inside the palace, Consort Jing was leaning against a soft couch, holding a yellowed ancient book in her hands, engrossed in reading it.

She wore an elegant palace dress and no makeup, yet she possessed a unique temperament that was calm and serene, as if she were untouched by worldly strife.

Upon hearing footsteps, Consort Jing did not rise to greet the Emperor with the same trepidation as the other consorts. She merely raised her eyelids slightly, and after recognizing the person, she returned her gaze to the pages of her book.

"Your Majesty, I greet you. What brings Your Majesty to this desolate place of mine today?" Consort Jing's voice was clear and cold, without much variation, as if she were reciting words from a book.

Emperor Qing had long been accustomed to her aloof nature.

Emperor Qing walked to a chair next to the soft couch and sat down. He casually picked up a travelogue from the table, flipped through it, and said seemingly nonchalantly, "I came to see you. By the way, I also want to tell you about Chengze."

Upon hearing the name "Chengze," Consort Jing's movements as she turned the pages of her book remained unchanged, as did her expression. She knew that Emperor Qing's visit must be because Li Chengze had done something again.

"Chengze is already an adult. His affairs are for Your Majesty to decide. I am just a woman in the inner palace and do not understand politics," Consort Jing said calmly.

Emperor Qing put down his travelogue and stared sharply at Consort Jing's calm face: "Recently, he has made some unsavory friends. Not only unsavory, but also dangerous."

"Oh," Consort Jing responded, her gaze still fixed on her book. "Young people always like to associate with all sorts of people. As long as they don't bring those people into my study and dirty my books, I won't mind."

Emperor Qing was exasperated by her unyielding attitude, but then he laughed, "You're quite easygoing. Do you know the origins of the group of ruthless killers currently hiding in his residence?"

Consort Jing finally closed the ancient book in her hands.

She raised her head, and in her peach blossom eyes, which were remarkably similar to Li Chengze's, lay a detached indifference that revealed her understanding of the world.

"Your Majesty, I know nothing about this, nor am I interested in it." Consort Jing looked at Emperor Qing, her tone calm and utterly unwavering. "Chengze is your son. Your blood flows in his veins. What he wants, what he does, is his destiny."

"If he wins, that's his skill; if he loses, or even loses his life, it's because he's not as good as others, and he can't blame anyone else." Consort Jing turned her gaze back to the mountain of bookshelves. "I only ask one thing: if that day ever comes, I beg Your Majesty, for the sake of our marriage, please don't let his blood splatter on my collection of books."

Emperor Qing gazed at Consort Jing quietly for a long time before suddenly bursting into laughter.

"Good! So much for wanting to avoid bloodshed in the books! Consort Jing, oh Consort Jing, your temperament truly makes me both love and hate you!" Emperor Qing stood up, giving her a deep look. "Don't worry, I have no intention of doing anything to him. I just want to see just how muddy he can get in the capital!"

Having said that, Emperor Qing flicked his sleeves and turned to walk out of the palace.

Just as Emperor Qing was about to step out of the palace gate, an old eunuch dressed in a bright red eunuch's robe with a full head of white hair walked in from the side door, carrying a pot of freshly brewed tea, with his head bowed and eyes lowered.

The old eunuch was hunched over, his steps were light and quick, and he looked no different from the other old eunuchs in the palace who had spent their lives doing menial tasks.

But Emperor Qing suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Stop." Emperor Qing said coldly.

The white-haired old eunuch trembled, stopped abruptly, knelt down with a thud, buried his head in his chest, and raised the tea tray high in his hands: "This old servant...this old servant has frightened Your Majesty, please forgive me."

Her voice was high-pitched and hoarse, filled with a deep sense of fear.

Emperor Qing turned around and looked down at the old eunuch with a gaze as sharp as a knife, as if he wanted to see right through him.

"What is your name? I've never seen you in Consort Jing's palace before?"

Upon hearing this, Consort Jing frowned slightly, put down the book in her hand, and said, "Your Majesty, this is an old servant who was previously assigned by the Imperial Household Department. His name is Han Diaosi. The old eunuch who was originally in charge of sweeping in my palace passed away, so he took over the position. He is quite efficient, and his tea-making skills are also quite good."

"Han Diao Temple?" Emperor Qing murmured the name, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes.

After learning that Li Chengze was colluding with Luo Wang, he subconsciously became suspicious of everyone he didn't know.

The next second, Emperor Qing's suspicions vanished instantly.

This is the inner palace, with Hong Siyang in charge, and him being a grandmaster. Even if this old eunuch has some hidden cultivation, he can't cause any big trouble.

Consort Jing has always been detached from worldly affairs and would never be involved in any conspiracy.

"Enough." Emperor Qing withdrew his gaze and said indifferently, "Since you were assigned by the Imperial Household Department, serve your master well. If anything goes wrong, I will exterminate your entire family."

"This old servant obeys the decree... This old servant thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness..." Han Diaosi kowtowed, trembling all over, as if he had been terrified.

Emperor Qing ignored him and strode out of the palace.

Only when Emperor Qing's footsteps completely disappeared outside the courtyard did Han Diaosi, who was kneeling on the ground, slowly raise his head.

There was no trace of fear on his effeminate, aged face.

His narrow, cold eyes gleamed with a sinister light, like that of a venomous snake.

He slowly stood up, patted the dust off his knees, and beneath his wide red sleeves, a few thin red lines, as if they were alive, appeared and disappeared into his skin.

"Grandmaster... truly lives up to his reputation." Han Diaosi's lips curled into a strange, cold smile, his voice so low that only he could hear it. "However, I'm very familiar with the rules of this palace..."

He carried the tea tray, bowed his head, and walked respectfully to Consort Jing's side, pouring her a cup of tea: "Your Highness, please have some tea."

Consort Jing took the teacup, took a small sip, and kept her eyes fixed on the book, as if everything that had just happened had nothing to do with her.

……

Deep within the imperial palace lies Guangxin Palace.

Li Yunrui reclined on a chaise longue covered with snow-white fox fur, her elegant purple palace dress perfectly outlining her graceful figure. In her hand, she held a luminous cup, the scarlet wine from the Western Regions shimmering in the candlelight.

A fair-skinned young eunuch knelt outside the beaded curtain, lowering his voice to report in detail the conversation between Emperor Qing and Chen Pingping in the Imperial Study, as well as Emperor Qing's subsequent visit to Consort Jing's palace.

In this seemingly airtight palace, Li Yunrui had far more eyes and ears than ordinary people could imagine.

After listening to the eunuch's report, Li Yunrui did not speak, but simply waved his hand gently.

The young eunuch felt as if he had been granted a pardon, quickly kowtowed, and quietly withdrew.

A brief silence fell over Guangxin Palace.

A moment later, a low laugh came from behind the beaded curtain.

At first it was just a soft laugh, but then the laughter grew louder and more unrestrained, eventually turning into a chilling giggle.

"Hahaha... The Net... Zhao Gao... Jing Ni..."

Li Yunrui sat up abruptly, the luminous glass in her hand creaking as she gripped it tightly. A few drops of red wine spilled from the glass due to her excitement, landing on her snow-white wrist like glaring blood.

Her stunningly beautiful face was now flushed with excitement and ecstasy.

"My good nephew, my good nephew! You certainly haven't disappointed your aunt!"

Li Yunrui downed the red wine in his glass in one gulp, then casually smashed the priceless luminous cup on the ground.

"That old cripple Chen Pingping is really sharp-witted." Li Yunrui stood up, walked barefoot on the soft carpet, and paced back and forth in the hall, his eyes flashing with a chilling glint.

The possibility of a secret relationship between Luo Wang and Li Chengze was something she only belatedly suspected after returning to the palace and learning that Li Chengze had dared to directly kill Emperor Qing and the Censorate's spies.

"A net... a net that can see right through anything." Li Yunrui muttered to himself, a glint of greed in his eyes. "If only I could hold this knife in my hands..."

Li Yunrui walked back to the chaise lounge and slowly sat down.

In her mind, countless conspiracies and schemes were frantically intertwining and colliding.

"Since the waters are already murky, I might as well add fuel to the fire. A wise bird chooses a good tree to perch on. As long as I demonstrate a higher value than the second prince, I might have a chance to touch upon, or even gradually gain control of, him."

"Someone come here!" Li Yunrui called out.

A trusted maidservant immediately rushed in, bowed, and asked, "What are your orders, Princess?"

"Prepare the carriage." Li Yunrui straightened his slightly disheveled palace attire, a strange glint flashing in his eyes. "Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving the palace. I'm going to the Second Prince's residence to see my dear nephew."

……

Meanwhile, at the Second Prince's residence.

The study was brightly lit.

Li Chengze sat barefoot and cross-legged on the daybed, a chess game in front of him. He held black in his left hand and white in his right, playing against himself.

In the dark corner of the study, Zhao Gao, dressed in a red robe, stood silently like a ghost.

"Your Highness, news has arrived from the palace." Zhao Gao's effeminate voice rang out in the study, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue. "His Majesty went to Consort Jing's palace and met with Han Diao. His Majesty seemed to have sensed something, but ultimately did not investigate further."

"Smack."

Li Chengze placed a black stone heavily on the board, capturing a large group of white stones.

"Father is a Grandmaster. Even if Han Diaosi suppresses his aura perfectly, he probably can't hide it from his intuition." Li Chengze said calmly without raising his head. "The reason he didn't make a move is undoubtedly because he thinks my mother is a book lover, and he is confident that no one can cause any trouble in the palace."

"What about Chen Pingping's side?" Li Chengze picked up another white piece.