After being thoroughly violated, he ran away with the enemy emperor's child.

"...Tell Ah Jin to take good care of him."

"oh."

Chu Li pouted and said again, "Brother, let's go."

"Um."

Turning around and getting into the carriage, Chu Junci lowered his veil and pursed his thin lips.

Chu Li went to find Yuan Jin. He sat alone in the car and suddenly lifted the curtain to look back.

On the high platform, the imperial physician was bandaging Mo Yan's wounds. A Li and Yuan Jin stood to one side, saying something, but he couldn't hear them.

He watched for a while before lowering the carriage curtain and sitting back in his original seat.

Before long, Chu Li returned: "Brother, I've told A Jin. A Jin will take good care of him."

"it is good."

Nodding slightly, Chu Junci patted Chu Li's head and said, "Let's go back."

"Uh-huh!"

Lifting the carriage curtain, Chu Li said to the guards, "Return to the palace."

The carriage turned back towards the imperial palace. Chu Junci closed his eyes to rest, when suddenly he felt…

He reluctantly opened his eyes, looked in one direction, but said nothing.

Half an hour passed quietly, and the carriage stopped at the entrance of Qianhe Hall.

Helping Chu Junci to sit down in the hall, Chu Li instructed, "Brother, eat more, rest more, and take good care of your health."

"If you feel unwell, you must see a doctor; don't try to tough it out."

"besides……"

He gave several instructions in a row before saying, "Remember, brother, Ah Li is leaving now. I'll come see you again tomorrow."

"it is good."

Chu Junci nodded: "Ali, you must take good care of yourself too."

"Uh-huh."

After Chu Li left, Chu Junci stood by the window and suddenly saw the broken jade pendant. It lay quietly in the grass, with some dirt mixed in the cracks.

He looked for a while, then said, "Someone come here."

"His Majesty."

"Pick up that jade pendant."

"Yes."

Bai Yang picked up the jade pendant and handed it to him: "Your Majesty."

Chu Junci took it, rubbed the jade pendant with his fingertips, and handed it back to him after a while: "Give this to Yuan Jin and let him return it to its rightful owner on my behalf."

"Yes."

Bai Yang left holding the jade pendant, but stopped Yuan Jin in the corridor after encountering him: "General Yuan."

Yuan Jin stopped, recognizing him as one of the servants in the Qianhe Palace, and asked, "Does His Majesty have any orders?"

"yes."

Bai Yang handed over the jade pendant: "His Majesty has instructed the general to return it to its rightful owner."

"Return it to its rightful owner?"

Staring at the jade pendant, Yuan Jin seemed to realize something and nodded slightly: "I understand, give it to me."

A quarter of an hour later, he stood in front of a palace, with a plaque above the entrance that read "Lengxi Palace".

Lengqi Palace is the palace furthest from Qianhe Hall, and is also known as the "Cold Palace" in legend.

As far as I can remember, the last time someone lived in Lengqi Palace was decades ago. Since the late emperor ascended the throne, the place has been abandoned.

Pushing open the "shaky" palace door, Yuan Jin stepped into the courtyard.

"General."

The eunuchs and palace maids who were sweeping bowed to him, but Yuan Jin waved his hand and asked, "Where is the person who was just delivered?"

"Reporting to the General, in the inner room, Physician Lin is preparing medicine for him."

"understood."

Stepping into the main hall, Yuan Jin smelled a faint medicinal scent. Looking inside, he saw Mo Yan lying silently on the bed.

Standing with his arms crossed in front of the bed, Yuan Jin stared at him for a while before turning and going to the side hall.

Physician Lin was brewing medicine at the door when he saw him and stood up: "General, you've arrived."

"Um."

Holding the jade pendant in his hand, Yuan Jin asked, "When will he wake up?"

"If nothing unexpected happens, he will wake up shortly."

"it is good."

Having received a reply, Yuan Jin returned to the main hall, sat down at the table, poured himself a cup of tea, and waited quietly.

On the bed, Mo Yan kept his eyes closed, but his brows were slightly furrowed.

He was dreaming.

In my dream—

In the Imperial Garden, Mo Yan saw two children flying kites. One of them was himself, who was eight years old at the time, and the other…

His pupils dilated slightly, and he saw young Aci.

Not far away, the children were holding onto a cotton thread, but suddenly the thread broke, and the kite flew towards the artificial hill.

He heard his younger self say, "Ah Ling, wait for me here, I'll go pick it up."

The scene shifts, and the eight-year-old picks up the kite. Just as he is about to walk back, he suddenly vomits a mouthful of black blood.

Blood left a trail on the ground, his vision went black, and he soon collapsed on the spot.

A while later, young Aci appeared with guards: "Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"

"Seal off this place, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving, and secretly inform the Emperor about this."

"..." Mo Yan didn't expect that the young Aci would be so calm and thoughtful. He watched the whole thing.

In the end, the young boy was carried to another palace, but Mo Yan remained standing in the same spot.

He watched as the guards suggested returning to the East Palace, but Aci refused in the next instant and went to another place.

This is... a secret room.

Inside the secret room, young Aci tiptoed to pick the snow lotus, broke off a petal, and then ran away.

Mo Yan's heart suddenly started racing. He looked at his back and was about to catch up when the scene changed again.

This time, he became his younger self.

He lay on the bed, his whole body aching uncontrollably, blood flowing continuously from the corner of his mouth, soon staining the bed beneath him black.

He vaguely heard people talking in the hall, but he couldn't make out anything.

His consciousness was hazy, and death seemed to be beckoning him... But then, a bowl of medicinal soup with the fragrance of lotus flowers was poured into his mouth.

As the pain subsided, Mo Yan opened his eyes.

He heard himself say, "I will remember that Ah Ling saved my life, and I will never forget it."

Day two.

He approached Chu Ling again: "A-Ling, will you be the emperor of Yong Kingdom in the future?"

"..."

Chu Ling glanced at him: "What do you think?"

I think so.

His eyes were serious: "Your father treats you very well, and you are the crown prince. He will definitely make you emperor in the future."

"…nonsense."

Mo Yan smiled at this and said, "Ah Ling doesn't know, but in our Zhao Kingdom, even the crown prince might not be able to become emperor smoothly."

"My father was not the crown prince; he obtained the throne by killing his brothers and sisters."

"Or rather, every emperor of Zhao was like this."

Upon hearing this, Chu Junci pursed his lips, unsure of what to say.

Mo Yan sat down in front of him and continued, "A Ling, I know that the peace between Yong and Zhao is only superficial. Father has always wanted to start a war. The reason why he has not yet taken action is firstly because General Xie and your father are there, and secondly because he has not yet found a suitable excuse."

"He sent me here this time because he had the idea of ​​starting a war."

"If I die in Yong, he can then justifiably start a war."

"...Why are you telling me all this?" Chu Ling looked at him.

"Because we're friends."

Mo Yan smiled and said, "Besides, A Ling saved my life."

"Ah Ling, I really want to be your friend."

"…oh."

"Ah Ling".

"Um?"

"If I..."

Mo Yan curled his fingertips: "If we both become emperors, I will not choose to go to war. How about we sign a peace treaty between our two countries?"

"We are friends, and our people should also be friends."

"..."

"I know it's too early to say this now, but Ah Ling, I promise you, I will definitely work hard to become the emperor."

"I will come to find you again after I become emperor."

"OK?"