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

The cold wind blew against his body, and Mo Yan gradually came to his senses. In front of him, guards stood outside the hall, their gazes occasionally sweeping over him.

The moon was bright and the stars were few; it was still dark. Mo Yan stood at the palace gate, half of his face hidden in the darkness.

Time passed slowly, and the guards were replaced, but he remained standing in the same place.

I don't know how much time passed, but dawn broke.

Today, Chu Junci needed to attend court. Bai Yang helped him get dressed and tentatively said, "Last night, His Majesty from Zhao Kingdom came. It seems he has something to discuss with His Majesty."

"His Majesty was resting when he arrived. The guards at the gate told him to come back later, but he stayed at the gate all night and is still there now."

Hearing this, Chu Junci was slightly taken aback. "Let him in."

"Yes." Bai Yang nodded, then quietly left.

A short while later, Mo Yan stepped into the palace, bringing with him a chill. He did not go forward, fearing that the chill would pass on to Chu Junci.

"Aci".

Standing behind the beaded necklace, he gazed at him from afar and said, "I had a dream yesterday."

"What kind of dream?"

Chu Junci had a gut feeling that the dream was related to him, and sure enough, Mo Yan continued, "I dreamed that I attacked the Yong Kingdom and humiliated you."

"..."

Chu Junci remained silent for a moment. Such a familiar dream—perhaps Mo Yan and he were having the same dream.

"...What are you trying to say?"

"Aci, what I want to say is that I am not that Mo Yan, and... if one day I do something to wrong you, you must kill me without hesitation."

"……ill."

"I'm telling the truth. I don't want to do anything to betray you, but I'm afraid..."

His voice trembled slightly, and Mo Yan clenched his fist: "I'm afraid I'll forget again."

"So, Aci, if one day you find that I have forgotten you, you must kill me without hesitation."

The topic was unusually heavy, and Chu Junci looked away: "If you ever pose a threat to the Kingdom of Yong, I will kill you."

"That's good."

Mo Yan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and murmured again, "That's good then..."

The two then fell silent, and the room became extremely quiet. After a short while, Bai Yang said softly from outside, "Your Majesty, it's time for court."

"understood."

Chu Junci responded and shifted his gaze to Mo Yan: "You can go back now."

"it is good."

Mo Yan, unusually, didn't act like a rogue, but before leaving, he reminded her again, "Aci, remember my gift."

"…Remember."

After Mo Yan left, Chu Junci headed to the Hall of Diligent Governance. As he walked, his mind was in turmoil.

Mo Yan's words lingered in his mind, leaving him unsure how to react.

He thought about many things, and it wasn't until he sat on the dragon throne that he managed to suppress his restless heart.

"If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court may adjourn."

The eunuch called out from the side, and Chu Junci looked down, his gaze sweeping over each face.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report."

The one who stepped forward was the Vice Minister of Rites, holding a court tablet in his hand. "Your Majesty," he said, "Zhaoguo stated yesterday that he wishes to celebrate Your Majesty's birthday this year."

"The entourage has already departed from Zhao, and the envoy... is none other than Emperor Zhao, Mo Yan."

One sentence stirred up a storm. Upon hearing this, Wen Xiang immediately sneered, "This is comparable to a weasel offering New Year's greetings—it's ill-intentioned!"

"Exactly, Mo Yan is eyeing us covetously; why would he be so kind?"

"In my opinion, Mo Yan is definitely trying to take advantage of this opportunity to gain something. Your Majesty must be on guard!"

"..."

The hunting competition outside the city was deliberately suppressed by Chu Junci, so the ministers were unaware that the "weasel" Mo Yan they were talking about was currently in the palace.

They went on and on, denouncing Mo Yan as a wolf in sheep's clothing and a cunning tiger. Chu Junci listened quietly, his brows furrowing slightly: "Enough."

The crowd fell silent instantly, all gazing at the high platform as Chu Junci said, "I cannot refuse the envoy from Zhao, but my beloved ministers, rest assured, I will be prepared."

"Furthermore, if Mo Yan's actions are aimed at restoring good relations with Dayong, the two countries of Yong and Zhao will sign a peace treaty again."

"From now on, I and Emperor Zhao will expand the scope of border trade, share our experiences, and jointly promote the development of our two countries."

"His Majesty……"

Wen Xiang wanted to persuade him further, but Chu Junci interrupted him, saying, "I have already made a decision on this matter, there is no need to say more."

"……yes."

At the same time, as the King of Chu was leaving for court, Mo Yan went to Changning Pavilion.

Xue Wu was drying herbs when she saw him and chuckled, "Junior brother, try the tea I brewed."

"it is good."

The two sat in the courtyard, and Xue Wu poured Mo Yan a cup of tea. "Judging from your expression, Junior Brother, it seems that good things are about to happen."

"Yes."

Mentioning this, Mo Yan's expression softened: "Aci, you'll accept me soon."

He said he needed to seriously consider our relationship and that he would give me a birthday gift today.

"Oh?"

Xue Wu smiled and shook her head: "The word 'love' is indeed difficult to understand."

"Junior brother, if you can achieve your wish, I will be sincerely happy for you. If I'm not mistaken, the promise you made back then is also related to him, isn't it?"

"Um."

Mentioning this, Mo Yan's smile faded slightly: "When I left Yong Kingdom back then, I said I would send him a message, but I broke my promise."

"This is not your fault."

Xue Wu witnessed Mo Yan's efforts to restore his memory, but the poison was so stubborn that a child from back then could not resist it.

Thinking of the poison, Xue Wu's expression turned serious. "Speaking of which, after you, I saw symptoms of poisoning on other people as well."

"Furthermore, it seems the poisoner improved the formula, making it even better than what you used back then."

"It's also my fault for being useless. Over the years, I have inherited my master's mantle and never given up my research on 'Floating Life Ashes' even when I was in Shengzi Village. But after years of research, I have only managed to write down one prescription."

With that, Xue Wu sighed, "It's all my fault for being useless."

With a slight curl of his fingertips, Mo Yan spoke: "This poison is no ordinary thing. Only the snow lotus can cure it. It is truly remarkable that you were able to write down the prescription."

"Junior brother, you don't need to comfort me."

Xue Wu shook her head: "Alright, let's not talk about that. You came to see me today because you have something to say?"

When asked about his intentions, Mo Yan pursed his lips and said, "I want to study medicine."

"Studying medicine? But it's for..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xue Wu quickly realized something and stopped talking.

"If you want to learn, I will teach you. Although we are fellow disciples, our master has not taught you medicine. It is not overstepping my bounds for me to pass on his teachings on his behalf."

"What do you want to learn first?" Xue Wu asked.

"Taking the pulse."

Mo Yan said so.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye. After leaving court, Chu Jun returned to Qianhe Palace, where Mo Yan was waiting for him at the entrance.

"Aci".

Upon seeing him, Mo Yan hurried over to greet him: "Are you tired?"

"Not tired."

But Mo Yan seemed not to hear him. "Shall I massage your shoulders? Or your back?"

"...No need."

There were some people following behind him, and Chu Junci didn't want them to see him and Mo Yan being so intimate.

In case Mo Yan suddenly had a wild idea and did something earth-shattering, he quickly stepped into the hall and left Mo Yan some distance behind.