Daqing Reborn Prince, Intercepting Si Lili at the Beginning

Chapter 3: Rapid Progress! The Second Prince Pays a Visit!

After leaving Emperor Qing’s sleeping quarters, Li Chengyuan quickly became busy.

Being bestowed a title of nobility wasn’t a simple matter!

It required the Hanlin Academy, Directorate of Rituals, Six Ministries, the Chamber of Protocol, and officials of fifth rank or higher from the Ministry of Rites as main envoys.

Moreover, assistant envoys from ministries, the Palace Secretariat, and lower-ranking officials were also needed to oversee the enfeoffment.

At the same time, they had to prepare Li Chengyuan’s official robes and crown for the Prince of the County title.

Additionally, there were maidservants and bodyguards to be assigned to his estate. Every one of these tasks was a troublesome affair.

Ever since Li Chengyuan had expressed his gratitude, he had been whisked away by the officials of the Ministry of Rites to teach him the rules for the enfeoffment ceremony.

Then came all kinds of other tedious matters.

It took Li Chengyuan over ten days before this matter finally came to an end.

�

In the capital city, at the County Prince’s residence.

After receiving the gold-plated silver book and the silver seal, the enfeoffment ceremony for Li Chengyuan was finally complete.

Three days earlier, he had already moved into the County Prince’s residence.

The residence that Emperor Qing had bestowed upon him was exceptionally grand.

It consisted of three large courtyards—front, middle, and rear—in addition to a garden, a strolling area, and other amenities.

Altogether, the estate covered nearly 10,000 square meters. It could be said to be extremely luxurious.

But that wasn’t all. Over the past few days, officials from various factions within the court had been flocking to offer Li Chengyuan gifts.

Altogether, these gifts amounted to tens of thousands of taels of silver!

Additionally, both the Crown Prince and the Second Prince also presented him with gifts, each worth tens of thousands of taels.

Together with the rewards from Emperor Qing, it could be said that Li Chengyuan, despite just opening his residence, already had assets totaling nearly a million!

Of course, the majority of these were rare treasures. As long as they weren’t sold, it was impossible to calculate their actual value.

Among these, the amount that could be directly converted into silver was only around 200,000 taels.

For a newly established County Prince, this was indeed too little.

In the original plot, when Fan Xian got married, Li Chengze’s wedding gift alone was worth 500,000 taels!

Although that was to win Fan Xian over, it still showed how deep Li Chengze’s pockets were.

In comparison, Li Chengyuan was nothing more than a “poor man” right now!

Of course, Li Chengyuan wasn’t in a hurry.

He didn’t need to form alliances with powerful nobles, nor did he need to raise private soldiers, nor did he have to bribe officials to cultivate his power!

All he had to do was maintain the daily expenses of his estate.

With these 200,000 taels, plus the income from Miaoyin Pavilion, his finances would be sufficient for the short term.

�

In the middle courtyard of the prince’s estate, within the “Tranquil Abode.”

Li Chengyuan sat cross-legged on a low couch, dressed in loose, casual robes, his eyes closed as he cultivated.

On the night he met with Emperor Qing, just before bed, Li Chengyuan had found time to take the Body Refining Pill.

Then, without hesitation, he had begun practicing the Azure Dragon Technique!

Perhaps due to the lingering effects of the pill, Li Chengyuan’s progress was swift.

In just over ten days, he had already reached the second stage of the Roaming Dragon Technique, equivalent to a third-rank expert in this world!

In the world of Qing Yu Nian, the upper limits of martial arts weren’t particularly high.

The second stage of the Roaming Dragon Technique was comparable to a third-rank expert!

The third stage was equivalent to a fifth-rank expert.

The fourth stage was comparable to a seventh-rank expert.

The fifth stage was comparable to a ninth-rank expert.

However, the sixth stage of the Roaming Dragon Technique only corresponded to the peak of the ninth rank!

It was only at the seventh stage that one could be considered at the Grandmaster level!

The eighth stage surpassed the Grandmaster level!

The ninth stage meant becoming an Earthly Immortal!

From the sixth stage onward, each step was like climbing to the heavens!

Currently, Li Chengyuan is just getting started.

In terms of martial arts, he probably couldn’t even defeat the bodyguards in his estate.

After all, while he had internal energy, he didn’t know any martial arts techniques!

But he wasn’t anxious.

The Azure Dragon Technique allowed for much faster cultivation than any technique in this world.

As long as Li Chengyuan cultivated steadily, his progress would be rapid.

Becoming a Grandmaster was only a matter of time!

�

Time flew by during cultivation.

Li Chengyuan had been practicing indoors until noon when a servant suddenly came to report.

The Second Prince, Li Chengze, had arrived!

Li Chengyuan opened his eyes and slowly ended his cultivation.

Then, feigning a recently awakened demeanor, he allowed the servant to enter.

Li Chengyuan still had to keep up his act.

Though this was his residence, many of the servants, maids, and guards were Emperor Qing’s spies.

Every move he made was being monitored by the emperor.

Li Chengyuan was well aware of Emperor Qing’s intelligence network.

In the original plot, when Fan Jian played cards with Fan Sizhe at home, the emperor knew about it that very evening!

One could say that the homes of all the officials, civil and military alike, were filled with the spies of the Overwatch Council.

The County Prince’s estate was no exception, and it was likely under even stricter scrutiny.

So, until he had thoroughly purged his estate, Li Chengyuan had to practice his martial arts covertly.

Such was the life of a prince in the Kingdom of Qing. Every day, he had to live cautiously. One wrong step, and he could fall into a bottomless abyss.

�

After tidying up his clothes, Li Chengyuan went out to receive his guest.

Upon arriving in the main hall, he saw the nonchalant Li Chengze, with his bodyguard—swift sword-wielding Xie Bi’an—standing behind him.

“Second Brother, you’re here!”

Li Chengyuan yawned and casually clasped his hands, his demeanor equally nonchalant.

Seeing Li Chengyuan’s drowsy appearance, Li Chengze teased, “Just woke up?”

“Of course!” Li Chengyuan complained, “Second Brother, you know how exhausting the enfeoffment ceremony is. I haven’t had a good rest in half a month!”

Li Chengze chuckled, “I understand. I went through the same thing. But don’t worry, once the ceremony’s over, you can start enjoying yourself!”

“That’s true!” Li Chengyuan responded enthusiastically. “Speaking of which, Second Brother, I’d like to ask for your advice. What fun places are there in the capital? Now that I’m out of the palace, I’m eager to explore!”

Li Chengze was momentarily taken aback by the question, then he laughed, “You’re quite the hedonist. The capital has plenty of entertainment: Drunken Immortal Tavern by the Flowing Crystal River, Miaoyin Pavilion on Tingyun Street, and Qingyun Tower on Xisi Street… These are all interesting places!”

Hmm?

When he heard Miaoyin Pavilion, Li Chengyuan’s eyes flickered slightly.

It seemed the system was powerful.

According to the system’s explanation, Miaoyin Pavilion had only appeared in this world half a year ago.

It was a very mysterious place, with no one knowing who the owner was, yet it was quite influential.

Some unruly young masters had once caused trouble there, only to be dealt with silently.

Since then, Miaoyin Pavilion has become an enigmatic spot in the capital, drawing the city’s refined elite.

While it didn’t engage in prostitution, it featured the most elegant and captivating music in the world.

Just this alone was enough to make the city’s sophisticated circles obsessed.

“Second Brother, you have all the experience. I’ll make sure to visit these places one by one!”

Hearing this, Li Chengze shook his head, “These are minor things. If you want to go, I’ll take you when there’s time. But beyond entertainment, have you thought about anything else?”

Li Chengyuan’s heart stirred, but he feigned ignorance and said, “What else is there? My biggest concern is eating, drinking, and having fun!”

Li Chengze gave him a deep look and smiled meaningfully, “Third Brother, you’re a County Prince now. You have your residence, and before long, you’ll likely be allowed to attend court. Do you know what that means?”

“What does it mean?” Li Chengyuan pouted, “It means more hardship, right? I’m just an unlearned prince, so why bother making me attend court? I wouldn’t even understand what’s going on.!”

Li Chengze: “…”

���

Footnotes:
Drunken Immortal Tavern(醉仙居, Zuìxiānjū): A renowned tavern by the Flowing Crystal River, frequented by the elite. Drunken Immortal is a poetic term that signifies the luxurious lifestyle of indulging in fine wine and pleasures.
Miaoyin Pavilion(妙音坊, Miàoyīnfāng): A mysterious, elegant music house known for its refined performances that attract the upper class.