I, a useless prince, started with the Xiang Yu template.

With a thought, Chu Yun's Overlord Spear vanished into thin air and was stored in his spatial storage.

Followed by.

His gaze swept over the jade inkstone on the table, and a thought flickered in his mind.

"receive."

The inkstone instantly disappeared from the tabletop and entered the storage space.

Then the thought crossed my mind: "Go out."

The inkstone landed steadily back in its original place, without any misalignment.

He then looked at the bronze incense burner in the corner, and with a thought, the incense burner disappeared; with another thought, it reappeared.

Ancient books on the bookshelf, wolf-hair brushes on the brush holder, celadon flowerpots on the windowsill...

Close.

Out.

Close.

Out.

No delays, no lag, and no limitations.

Regardless of size or weight, he can store items into his space at will and retrieve them whenever he wants.

If the system is gone, it's gone.

From now on, he is no longer that useless prince who can't even kill a chicken.

.........

Harem.

Chuyun Palace.

Li Ziwei leaned against the soft couch, dressed in a moon-white palace gown with delicate orchid patterns embroidered on the hem and tightly fitted cuffs, which accentuated her slender figure.

She was nearly forty, yet her appearance remained elegant and refined. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes were like autumn water, and her skin was fair and delicate. However, there was always a hint of languid nobility in her eyes.

She was holding a book, her fingertips gently brushing the pages, her expression relaxed.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall, accompanied by the frantic shouts of a young eunuch.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"

Li Ziwei frowned slightly, put down her book, and looked up.

A young eunuch tumbled and crawled into the hall, his hat askew, panting heavily.

"What's the panic?"

"Is the sky falling? Speak slowly."

The young eunuch knelt on the ground, panting heavily, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty...Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince...His Highness has been in trouble!"

"My son?" Li Ziwei's heart tightened, and she sat up abruptly. "Yun'er, what's wrong? Tell me quickly! What happened?"

"His Highness... he volunteered to lead troops north to fight the Northern Barbarians during the morning court session!"

Li Ziwei was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but laugh, her tone tinged with a hint of mockery and disbelief.

"You servant, have you misheard? Or have you heard some rumors outside and come back to deceive me?"

She knows her son too well.

What kind of personality does Chu Yun have?

He was proficient in everything from eating and drinking to having fun, cockfighting, dog racing, and sightseeing.

Let him lead troops into battle?

That's like asking a cat to catch fish or a chicken to go into the water—pure nonsense!

On the battlefield, where swords clash and life is a matter of life and death, given Chu Yun's pampered nature, let alone leading troops, he would probably be terrified at the mere sight of blood.

"I know my son best." Li Ziwei waved her hand, her tone firm. "He would never do such a foolish thing. You must have misheard. Go downstairs, don't spread rumors here."

"Your Majesty, this servant did not mishear!" The little eunuch kowtowed repeatedly in a hurry. "It's true! Absolutely true! His Highness the Sixth Prince said it himself in front of all the civil and military officials!"

His Majesty has already agreed and even issued an edict ordering the Ministry of War to prepare provisions and weapons! This news has spread throughout the entire palace! As soon as I heard it, I rushed back to inform you!

The smile on Li Ziwei's face froze instantly.

Looking at the little eunuch's anxious expression, she didn't think he was lying.

My heart sank suddenly.

Really?

Yun'er... he really volunteered for the battle?

Is this still the same son of hers who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun?

"Are you...are you sure?" Her voice trembled slightly.

"This servant is certain! Every word is true!" The little eunuch nodded emphatically.

Li Ziwei felt her head go blank with a "buzz".

Panic.

She panicked completely.

She only had one son, whom she cherished and pampered from a young age, never letting him suffer any hardship.

What is a battlefield?

That's a hell where people are killed without shedding blood!

Swords and spears have no eyes, arrows are merciless; once you step onto them, life or death is uncertain.

If something were to happen to Yun'er, how would she live?

"Who? Who forced him? Who set him up?!"

Li Ziwei suddenly stood up, her voice shrill, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in her eyes, "Dare to scheme against my son? I'll skin him alive!"

She's my only precious child, and nobody can touch her!

"No! I have to go ask him!" Li Ziwei was in a state of turmoil. "Has he gone mad? Has he lost his mind? Why would he give up being a proper prince to go to war?!"

She pointed at the young eunuch, her tone urgent: "You! Go to the Sixth Prince's residence immediately! Summon Chu Yun here! I want to question him in person! Go now!"

"Yes! This servant will go right away!" The little eunuch scrambled to his feet and ran out.

Li Ziwei stood there, her chest still rising and falling slightly, the panic from earlier still lingering.

She turned to the palace maid standing beside her, "Tell me, has Yun'er gone mad? Huh? Why would he give up being a proper prince and go to that godforsaken place in the Northern Frontier to die? What is he thinking? I'm so angry I could die!"

The palace maid lowered her head, not daring to breathe loudly.

She didn't know how to persuade her.

Who in the palace doesn't know what the Sixth Prince is like on a normal day?

He was skilled in all kinds of entertainment, and even found horseback riding and archery tiring. Now, he was suddenly asked to lead troops into battle. Not only did the Empress not believe it, but even the servants found it unbelievable.

The palace maid could only respond in a low voice.

"Your Highness, this servant...this servant does not know. Perhaps...perhaps His Highness has his own plans."

"Plans? What plans could he possibly have?"

Li Ziwei sneered, "This brat, what has he been good at all since he was a kid, besides playing? I think he just acted impulsively and showed off! Does he really think the battlefield is a restaurant or teahouse? A place where he can just mess around like that?"

She grew angrier the more she thought about it, pacing back and forth inside the hall.

"He's such a worry!" she gritted her teeth. "When he comes over, I'm going to give him a good scolding!"

"Tell him to go and resign from his post immediately! He absolutely cannot go to this battle!"

.......

Half an hour later.

When Chu Yun arrived at the entrance of Chu Yun Palace, the eunuch guarding the door saw him and immediately rushed forward, his face full of urgency, bowing and whispering.

"Your Highness, you've finally arrived! Please come in. Her Majesty has been sitting in the hall for quite some time, waiting for you."

Chu Yun stopped and asked in a low voice, "How is Mother's mood now?"

The eunuch looked bitter and waved his hands repeatedly.

"Your Highness, Her Majesty is in a very bad mood. She has barely said a word since hearing the news. You should go in and comfort her."

Chu Yun said no more, nodded slightly, and strode quickly into the palace.

Inside the hall, Li Ziwei sat on a soft couch, her face gloomy.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up and saw that it was Chu Yun. She immediately stood up and rushed over, her tone urgent and angry.

"Chu Yun, are you crazy?!"

"Why do you insist on volunteering to go to the battlefield when you could live a peaceful life? Is that a place you can just go anywhere?"

"Swords and spears have no eyes; you could lose your life at any moment! What are you thinking?!"

"Did someone in the palace set you up, or force you to do this?"

Tell your mother the truth: whoever bullied you, whoever schemed against you, I will risk my life to seek justice for you and never let you suffer the slightest injustice!

Chu Yun looked at Li Ziwei, who was anxious, and was deeply moved.

He could truly feel that this worry was not false at all, but purely from a mother's love.

The original owner was a complete playboy, but Li Ziwei never showed the slightest disdain or criticism. She still cherished him, protected him, and spoiled him.

Which of the concubines in this palace isn't scheming and forcing their sons to fight for power and seize the throne, all thinking about how their sons can climb up by stepping on others?

But Li Ziwei is different.

She never asked Chu Yun to fight for anything, and never forced him to do anything he didn't want to do.

What she sought was never wealth or honor, nor the position of crown prince; she only wished for her son to live a peaceful, carefree, and stable life.

This selfless maternal love, untainted by any ulterior motives, was all the more precious and poignant in the cold, ruthless imperial harem.

Chu Yun composed himself and said seriously.

"Mother, no one set a trap for me, and no one forced me. I volunteered to go to the border on my own initiative."

Li Ziwei's eyes widened suddenly as she stared intently at Chu Yun, her eyes filled with shock.

If the person in front of her wasn't actually the son she had raised for over a decade, she would have suspected that he had been switched at birth.

Is this still the same son who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun?