Joy of Life: The melon-eating prince sees through Fan Xian’s fake death

Chapter 74 Luan Hongyu is a double agent

Chapter 74 Luan Hongyu is a double agent
His Majesty hasn’t been so happy in a long time. Eunuch Hou, who was standing far away, sighed inwardly when he saw this scene. He was asked to leave when the prince and His Majesty were having a deep conversation. He was originally worried that the prince would get into trouble and make His Majesty angry, but now it seems that it was all imagination.

Emperor Qing held the scroll in his hand, looked at the four short sentences on it, and couldn’t help but read out loud:
“Establish a heart for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the living and the people, carry forward the unique teachings of the past saints, and create peace for all generations!”

“Yeah!”

I kept thinking about it.

Emperor Qing raised his head again, looking at his former cowardly and incompetent prince, and couldn’t help but wonder if this poem could really be written by Li Chengqian? Or did he ask Fan Xian to write a poem for him in order to achieve his goal, and took the opportunity to present it to him?
Or was it Fan Xian who encouraged Li Chengqian to present a poem?
Emperor Qing allowed the princes to use their ministers to fight, but he would never allow any ministers to incite the princes or even the crown prince, as this was tantamount to challenging the imperial power. So he wanted to test the crown prince: “Li Chengqian, what is the meaning of your presenting this poem to me?”

Li Chengqian responded fluently:
“Your Majesty is a man of both civil and military strategy, you appoint talented people to make reforms, and you have managed the Daqing government in an orderly manner. This is truly something I admire, so I offer this to express my respect and love for Your Majesty. Your Majesty is willing to give justice to the students of the world, which is to establish a heart for the world and a destiny for the people.”

“Similarly, only by restoring the fairness and justice of the Spring Imperial Examination can we restore the long-weak literary strength of our country, and advance hand in hand with military strength. We can inherit the unique knowledge of the past sages, revive the literary world, and enhance the national prestige of our country!”

Emperor Qing narrowed his eyes: “What about the last sentence?”

Li Chengqian bowed slightly:
“Of course, Your Majesty should govern the country and bring peace to the people of Qing. If we can unify the world in the future and incorporate Dongyi City and Beiqi into the territory of Qing, we will be able to bring peace to all the people!”

“I am looking forward to that day, and I am willing to serve Your Majesty at my utmost. I hope Your Majesty can realize the great ambitions expressed in these four lines of poetry!”

loyal.

Who else would I be?

Only by paralyzing Emperor Qing and letting him completely let down his guard against him, Li Chengqian would have a chance to catch his breath, temporarily survive from this great master, and then slowly improve his strength, cultivate his connections, and slowly make plans.
Li Chengqian’s answer also made Emperor Qing completely satisfied. He smiled happily and agreed to Li Chengqian’s request in person: “I will call a court meeting tomorrow and announce that you and Fan Xian will deal with the cheating in the Spring Examination. I will protect you from the wind and rain, so you must do a good job.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty! I will not let you down!”

Li Chengqian was not happy for long. Emperor Qing casually put down the scroll and came to his side to straighten his clothes. He smiled without any criticism, but there was a strong sense of oppression: “I value family affection, and you should do the same. Why didn’t you reply to your aunt’s letter to you?”

Hiss. Even though I was so careful, I was still discovered?

Li Chengqian took a deep breath. It seemed like Emperor Qing, that old bastard, knew every move in the palace. It was obvious that Qingzhu was the only one who knew about this at the time, so why was she discovered anyway?

Could it be that someone with great power heard or saw it?
“Your Majesty, my aunt did write me a letter. The contents of the letter were all about daily life. My aunt was very concerned about me, but I was busy with the Spring Examination these days and forgot about replying.”

Li Chengqian raised his head and looked at Emperor Qing: “Your Majesty, do you want me to reply?”

This made his position very clear. He had completely ended his alliance with the eldest princess. He was completely His Majesty’s subject and would never dare to have any second thoughts. Even if the eldest princess took the initiative to contact him, he would consult His Majesty’s opinion and let His Majesty make the decision.

Qingguo straightened his clothes, patted his shoulder, and said with satisfaction: “My son has grown up. They say that you are the child who looks most like me. It seems that you do have some of my style.”

The old bitch Deng Shao is flattering himself.

How old are you? I’m not more handsome than you?!
Li Chengqian acted delighted and became even more respectful, waiting for Emperor Qing to tell him how to deal with his relationship with the princess: “Since your aunt has taken so much care of you, you can’t ignore her. You have to reply to this letter.”

“If you don’t reply, doesn’t that mean there is no family affection at all?”

Haha, it seems like you care a lot about family affection. Li Chengqian complained inwardly and changed his tone:
“Your Majesty, how should I respond?”

Emperor Qing smiled:
“Li Chengqian, you are so careful, don’t you know how to reply? Just reply the same way as ordinary aunts and nephews would. Remember, when your aunt has the chance to return to Kyoto in the future, you have to tell her a few words for me.”

This means that I should maintain the aunt-nephew relationship with the eldest princess, but I cannot mention the affairs of the imperial palace. We will have a chance to talk face to face when Li Yunrui returns to Kyoto in the future. Then I will contact her as Emperor Qing’s person?
Could it be that he wants me to be a double agent and ambush him in the rebellion plan?
Li Chengqian didn’t dare to think too much. He couldn’t get involved in this matter. He couldn’t trust anyone, including Emperor Qing!
“My son, I understand.”

Emperor Qing waved his hand, signaling that he could leave, but after Li Chengqian turned around, he grabbed his own prince and shook his head: “You are still too weak. Didn’t I ask you to improve your martial arts and increase your strength?”

If I practice diligently and level up at the speed of light, won’t you kill me?

Li Chengqian looked like he hadn’t finished his homework: “I thought there were many masters in the palace, and I didn’t need to be strong to protect your majesty’s safety, so I slacked off for a while and didn’t practice well.”

Emperor Qing did not comment, and returned to his bed. After lying down, he said leisurely: “Luan Hongyu, you were the maid I arranged to monitor your mother. You were nominally a death squad, but you were actually my spy. Don’t be angry, I am doing this for your mother’s good.”

Li Chengqian was quite shocked. Although he had imagined that Luan Hongyu, an eighth-rank master, should not appear beside the queen whose clan was exterminated and all her arms were destroyed, it was indeed the work of Emperor Qing. But why did he tell himself this?

This time, I don’t know if it was because I had done something right for His Majesty, or if the four sentences of Hengqu touched Emperor Qing, so that this hidden old man was so frank with him for the first time, Li Chengqian was a little “flattered”.
“From now on, I will give you Luan Hongyu and let her be your life warrior. You must practice well. If you have any questions, you can ask her for advice. Be diligent in learning and ask questions. You are my most valued prince, so don’t forget to disappoint me.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

·······
After Fan Xian left Prime Minister Lin’s residence, he stayed in the carriage with Wang Qinian. In his hand, he held the list his father-in-law had given him, as well as the words of earnest advice: “Be humble and modest; the way to be an official is different from the way to be a king.”
“You knew I didn’t want to accept it, but you still insisted on giving it to me.”

Fan Xian questioned. He was not asking anyone else, but whether he should follow his father-in-law’s wishes and complete the cheating in the Spring Examination for him. As usual, he was also waiting for news from the Yannian Palace:
Whether the Crown Prince can get permission from His Majesty will determine whether they can proceed with this matter. Fan Xian thought of the poor students in the examination room, studying hard under the oil lamps, and the fire in his heart burned even more:
“Minister Lin said that everyone is used to it, so let me be patient. If I am patient, I will be the same as them in the future. Everyone is used to it, so why should I be the first to do it? If I stand out now, I will be the enemy of the whole court and swords will rain down.”

Wang Qinian’s face was also in a state of struggle: “If you can survive this disaster, you will have a bright future.”

“There is a lot of potential.”

Fan Xian smiled and shook his head, “If the Qing Kingdom’s officialdom is all like this, if I move forward I will have to face being deserted by my friends and family, a living hell. What’s the point of having such a future? If the Crown Prince hadn’t always stood behind me, I would have been crushed to pieces.”

“How can you have the guts to cause trouble?”

Wang Qinian said bitterly, “Sir, no one blames you.”

Fan Xian got off the carriage and looked towards the direction of the imperial city. If it hadn’t been dark, he would have definitely broken into the palace, either to the Yannian Palace to inquire about the prince’s progress, or to the Imperial Study to ask for an audience with His Majesty to petition.
“They traveled thousands of miles to Kyoto. For them, the Spring Examination was not just an exam, but more like a hope.”

Chen Pingping appeared behind him pushing a wheelchair: “I am reluctant to spend the money for candlelight, but I still want to have light. If this light is gone…”

Fan Xian walked to the stone tablet of the Supervisory Council and saw the words left by Ye Qingmei. He was filled with emotion: “If this light is gone, the people of Qing Kingdom will always have darkness above their heads and dark clouds about to destroy them.”

Chen Pingping nodded:
“When your mother was alive, she not only wanted to change the world, but also wanted to change people’s hearts. She was like such a dazzling meteor, and like a blazing flame, she made Qingguo see such a dazzling light. Many people changed because of this light.”

Speaking of which.

A look of nostalgia emerged on Chen Pingping’s face.

Because the light left by Ye Qingmei also changed him.
Fan Xian paused: “If my mother were still alive, she would have done the same thing, right? Even if she died, if she had taken a different path, she would have been safe and sound. But not many people remember the light she emitted by burning everything and this inscription.”

“Do you think she regrets it?”

“She has absolutely no regrets.”

Chen Pingping did not comment: “She is just afraid that her light is not burning strong enough.”

Fan Xian suddenly realized.

Dean Chen continued, “The Queen went to the Imperial Study to ask His Majesty to summon the Crown Prince, but was turned away.”

There was disappointment on Fan Xian’s face.

But Dean Chen changed the subject and said, “But then His Majesty asked Eunuch Hou to personally summon His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to the palace.”

Fan Xian’s eyes lit up, and he stood up from the inscription: “So there is hope?!” Chen Pingping did not comment: “It’s not certain yet. You have to wait until dawn and ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in person. No one knows what His Majesty is thinking and what decision he will make in the end. Don’t be too happy too soon. What if he fails?”

Fan Xian looked at the inscription on the gate of the Overwatch Council, “I will take on this matter for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Even if the whole court is full of enemies, let the swords fall on me. Even if I am torn to pieces, I will complete what my mother and I want to accomplish.”

Chen Pingping smiled and nodded, looking up at the dark sky of Qing Kingdom:

“The sky will brighten.”

·······
The Second Prince’s Mansion.

The Second Prince learned from his spies in the palace that the Queen had pleaded with His Majesty on behalf of the Crown Prince but to no avail. He happily ate three bunches of grapes in a row. In the middle of the night, he propped up his head, stood barefoot on a chair, and watched Fan Wujiu read:
“No help.”

“I am here, what can I do for you, Your Highness?”

Fan Wujiu put down the book and looked at the second prince with a questioning look on his face. Li Chengze narrowed his eyes and said, “If you pass the imperial examination this spring and become an official in the court in the future, will you still be able to serve me wholeheartedly?”

Did he find out?

It makes no sense!
Fan Wujiu was sweating inside, but he remained calm on the surface and answered:
“Of course. I am able to participate in the Spring Examination thanks to your care, Your Highness.”

Li Chengze plays with his bangs:
“I didn’t tell you that the Crown Prince was disrupting the Spring Examination this time, so I couldn’t intervene. But with his disturbance, there will definitely be many low-ranking officials who will not be able to handle the Spring Examination this year. There is really a sense of fairness. You should thank the Crown Prince.”

Fan Wujiu was puzzled: “What do you mean by this, Your Highness? If the Crown Prince and Fan Xian hadn’t made such a fuss, Your Highness would have sent me to the court. In the future, I would have been able to gain power in a higher position and be able to better help Your Highness.”

Li Chengze smiled: “So you hate him?”

Fan Wujiu was stunned for a moment, but did not express his opinion. “Even if the Spring Examination cannot be manipulated, I can still help Your Highness get a good ranking and serve as an official in the court. I can help Your Highness solve problems in the future. As for the Crown Prince and Fan Xian, they are really too stupid.”

Hahaha!
Laughter came from the room, and Li Chengze’s smile turned into laughter: “A scholar should be magnanimous. How dare you disrespect His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? But you are right, they are indeed stupid, stupid enough to make enemies with the entire court for fame and trust.”

“Especially Fan Xian. When he is used up by the Crown Prince and thrown away, you will know how good I am to him. Li Chengqian? He is a hypocrite with a dark heart. He speaks nicely only for fame! Now even His Majesty doesn’t want to see him. Let’s see what he will do!”

When Li Chengze was feeling very proud, Xie Bian sent an urgent message:

“Your Majesty urgently summoned the Crown Prince to the Imperial Study to meet him, and both Eunuch Hou and Gong Dian were driven out. No one outside knew what they talked about, and when the Crown Prince left, Your Majesty smiled happily.”

Li Chengze’s mood was like a roller coaster, up and down. He thought that since the prince had not received the emperor’s order, he had already won the victory. But who could have expected that Li Chengqian would suddenly come back and catch him off guard:

“No, not necessarily yet.”

Fan Wujiu and Xie Bian looked at each other, only to see Li Chengze jump off his chair:

“Tell Gong Dian to hide his whereabouts and don’t come looking for me.”

“Let Guo Zheng prepare thoroughly and take action in advance.”

“Write a letter for me and send it to Xinyang”

Li Chengze was unwilling to sit and wait for death. He had to anticipate the worst situation and make preparations in advance!

·······
·······
Yannian Hall.

Li Chengqian returned to the palace exhausted.

He had just experienced the test of Emperor Qing. Every time he played the father-son game, he would be exhausted. Even if Fan Xian, the Queen, or even his natal Qin family were to help him, they were still toys in front of Emperor Qing.
“Thank you for your hard work, Your Highness.”

Li Chengqian was sitting with his eyes closed, and Qingzhu quietly came behind him and obediently let the prince’s head lean against her. She skillfully relaxed his acupuncture points and massaged his head.
“Green Bamboo.”

Li Chengqian slightly opened his eyes, feeling the warmth coming from the back of his head, and Qingzhu’s small hands that were as flexible as a swimming dragon. He was a little confused: “Luan Hongyu is not the Queen’s maid, she is His Majesty’s person.”

“what?”

Qingzhu stopped what he was doing in surprise and said vigilantly: “Your Highness, we must be on guard against her in the future, otherwise if she plots against you one day, I won’t be able to protect you!”

Li Chengqian laughed: “It’s okay, His Majesty has given her to me. She will be my loyal warrior in the future and will not attack me.”

Qingzhu heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this. Just as she was about to continue massaging, Li Chengqian smiled and grabbed her tender little hand: “But then again, she is an eighth-rank master. How dare you, a little girl who has just entered the rank, fight with her?”

Qingzhu nodded seriously: “Even if I must die, I will die before His Highness. I must also practice martial arts well and protect His Highness in the future.”

“Am I so important to you?”

“Of course, Your Highness is the most powerful prince in the world. Your Highness’s life is of course more important than mine, so I will protect you even if I die~”

Li Chengqian held Qingzhu in his arms and buried his face in the white ocean: “I hope that day won’t come. Even if that day comes, I will be one of the strongest in the world and will not let the people around me sacrifice for me.”

Qingzhu’s face flushed with happiness, and she took the initiative to approach him: “Your Highness is so nice.”

Luan Hongyu pushed the door open and walked in. She was wearing a red and white gauze dress with a gold hairpin on her head. Unlike her usual red-dressed attire that required fighting and killing, she now had the mature charm of a mature woman.

But when she saw the scene in front of her, a trace of embarrassment appeared on her usually calm face, and a trace of shame was hidden in her heart:
“Your Highness, are you looking for me?”

“Correct.”

“at this time?”

Luan Hongyu seemed to have no emotion, but she was not a robot, nor was she Sister Baoer. She understood the things between men and women, and also understood the meaning of His Highness calling her here at this moment. Could it be that he was going to…
“Qingzhu, go out first. You will sleep alone tonight. Don’t be afraid.”

Li Chengqian ordered, Qingzhu nodded and sensibly stepped aside. She had no jealousy, but just thought that since Luan Hongyu was already His Highness’s loyal warrior, His Highness would not be in danger when he asked her to sleep with him, so she felt relieved.
After Qingzhu went out.

Li Chengqian then spoke:

“Are you the person His Majesty has arranged to be by my side?”

Luan Hongyu nodded, and knelt on her knees without hesitation, her waves surging.

“Don’t worry, His Majesty has already given you to me. From now on, you will be my loyal warrior.”

“Yes”

Luan Hongyu already knew about Emperor Qing’s arrangements.

Li Chengqian waved to her: “Come here.”

Luan Hongyu had been keeping her pretty face down since she stood up. When she heard someone coming over, she swallowed without leaving a trace. Her white swan neck moved slightly. After being absent-minded for a second, she walked towards His Royal Highness the Crown Prince: “Yes”

(End of this chapter)