Joy of Life: I am Li Chengze, and I have mastered the Eight Wonders

Chapter 13 Shijia Town

"Your Highness, please allow me..." Beside him, a young eunuch bent down, his posture showing great humility.

"Those two people just now should be Fan Xian and my second brother, right?" A young man in a dazzling bright yellow robe opened his red lips slightly, with a hint of inquiry in his words.

Deep in the Forbidden City, bright yellow is the color of supreme nobility. Only two people dare to wear it easily - one is the almighty Emperor Qing; the other is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the crown prince.

Faced with the question, the young eunuch remained bowed and silent, knowing in his heart that this was just a moment of self-reflection for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

"I never expected that Second Brother and Fan Xian have resolved to make peace?
"A complex emotion flashed across the prince's eyes, and then he sighed and did not delve into the topic any further.

As for the surging thoughts and calculations in the Crown Prince's mind, Li Chengze, as a bystander, naturally had no way of seeing it.

Leaving the solemnity of the palace, Li Chengze hurried into his study and immediately ordered that no one should disturb him, as if he was eager to find his own answers and directions in the silence.

……

On this day, Li Chengze and Ye Ling'er returned home happily, and then walked into the courtyard to visit Fan Wujiu who was preparing diligently for the exam.

After nearly a month of intensive study and training, Fan Wujiu's knowledge has improved significantly.

"Brother Fan, are you confident about the upcoming spring examination?" Li Chengze asked with a gentle smile, his eyes full of expectations for Fan Wujiu.

"Your Highness, please rest assured. I will do my best and live up to your expectations!" Fan Wujiu responded firmly.
There was fighting spirit and determination in his eyes, as if this opportunity was the treasure he had always dreamed of, and Li Chengze's support made him feel happy and encouraged.

"Okay, it's good to have this confidence." Hearing this, Li Chengze nodded with satisfaction, and his smile became even brighter.

However, just when the atmosphere was warm, Xie Bian suddenly ran to Li Chengze in a panic, interrupting the tranquility.

"Bi'an, why are you in such a hurry? You look like you have something urgent to do."

Upon seeing this, Li Chengze hurriedly asked with concern, a hint of worry between his brows.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Shijia Town, the entire town has been engulfed in flames, no one is spared!" Xie Bian's voice was trembling and horrified.

Shijia Town, which was once an important base for secret transactions between His Highness and Princess Li Yunrui, has now disappeared. This is undoubtedly a shocking disaster.

"Shijia Town...has suffered such a disaster?" Upon hearing this, Li Chengze's face suddenly changed, and a myriad of thoughts surged in his mind.

He knew very well that this plot in the original novel was a chain reaction triggered by Fan Xian's pursuit of evidence against the Second Prince and the Princess, and was ultimately manipulated by the Crown Prince.

But now, he is in another world, and the grudge with Fan Xian has been resolved, so why did this tragedy happen again?

Li Chengze's eyes were cold and full of anger. A living town was ruthlessly wiped out, which made him feel angry and sad.

In his opinion, the second prince in the original novel was cruel but only on the surface; and the crown prince, although seemingly weak, was actually even more cold-blooded and resolute than the second prince.

Among Emperor Qing's many sons, the Crown Prince is undoubtedly the one who can best inherit his iron-blooded style.

Just as Li Chengze was immersed in complicated emotions, a voice sounded in his mind:

"Reminder, the active mission 'Life is at stake' has been triggered and the reward for completing it is the Great Huan Dan plus the Golden Light Curse %10!"

This sudden reminder seemed to indicate a new opportunity. Li Chengze stared at the task information that appeared in front of him, feeling mixed emotions, and remained silent for a long time.

Repairing the relationship with Fan Xian that was almost broken was only worth one mission, and saving Lai Mingcheng from the sanctions of the Supervisory Commission was a small reward for Fan Xian's generous contribution to the Spring Festival, which also only increased his understanding a little.

However, this "life-threatening" mission clearly indicates the weight behind it.

Li Chengze knew very well that this was not only a test of his ability, but also an extreme challenge to his courage and wisdom.

Because he knew clearly in his heart that the mastermind behind this mission was none other than the crown prince, the extremely powerful yet ruthless heir apparent.

Exposing the truth about the destruction of Shijia Town would be tantamount to a slap in the face of the crown prince, and it might even directly shake his position as the heir to the throne.

After all, how can a prince who disregards human life win the respect and trust of the court and the public?
The difficulty and risk of such a task can be imagined, but correspondingly, the generous reward of Dahuan Dan also seems reasonable.

"Your Highness?" Seeing that Li Chengze remained silent for a long time, Xie Bian called softly, breaking the silence around him.

The tragedy of Shijia Town undoubtedly touched his heart deeply. He expected His Highness to make a decision, or at least give a direction or instructions.

However, Li Chengze's silence seemed to be brewing a storm, a storm of justice that was about to sweep across the entire imperial city.

"Ah, I'm fine. I understand." Li Chengze came out of his thoughts and shook his head gently at Xie Bian, with a subtle hint of deep meaning in his tone.

Xie Bian was puzzled. Shijia Town was once an important stronghold of His Highness, but it had suffered such a disaster. Moreover, signs showed that it was definitely not a natural disaster. How could His Highness be so indifferent to it?

"Bi'an, I have my own plans for this matter. If we really want to investigate, it has to be Fan Xian who comes to me on his own initiative."

Li Chengze said slowly, with wisdom shining in his eyes.

He knew very well that it would be difficult to make the truth of Shijia Town known to the world by his own efforts, and he must seek help from outside.

And Fan Xian, the most capable "partner" in his eyes, is undoubtedly the best candidate.

"But... Your Highness, if we hand this matter over to Fan Xian, won't that mean we are putting our secrets under his control?" Xie Bian looked worried, puzzled by His Highness's decision.

Although he was puzzled by the subtle changes in the relationship between His Highness and Fan Xian, he was more worried about the possible consequences of the leakage of Shijia Town's secrets.

"Haha, you're worrying too much." Li Chengze chuckled, his eyes full of confidence, "Fan Xian and I are now in the same boat.

He won't use this as a handle against me. Besides, he already knows my biggest secret."

At this point, Li Chengze thought to himself that although his identity as a time traveler was the biggest hidden danger, it was also a special bond between him and Fan Xian.

Seeing that His Highness was so confident, Xie Bian said no more. Although he still had doubts in his heart, he chose to believe in His Highness's judgment.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, two days have passed.

The mystery of Shijia Town is quietly brewing a storm in the dark.

(End of this chapter)