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

It's A-Li.

He glanced to the side and heard A-Li and the imperial physician's voices.

"Imperial Physician? What are you doing here? Has something happened to my brother?"

Chu Li's tone was anxious, his chest heaving violently from running so fast.

He had something to see his brother, but when he got to Qianhe Hall, he found that his brother had gone to Ji'an Hall.

Unexpectedly, upon arriving at the Ji'an Palace, they found the imperial physician guarding the entrance.

This made Chu Li a little flustered: "Imperial Physician, please speak!"

"Your Highness, please do not be anxious. This humble subject has not yet seen His Majesty and does not know the situation..."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Chu Li panicked even more and strode into the palace gate, calling out, "Brother!"

"A-Li".

Chu Junci opened the palace door. "I'm fine."

Chu Li didn't believe him and looked him up and down.

"Why summon the imperial physician if there's nothing wrong? Could it be...?"

Suddenly realizing something, Chu Li's eyes widened: "Could it be that Xue Wu tampered with my brother's medicine?"

Growing increasingly panicked, Chu Li turned around: "Imperial Physician! Quickly, examine my brother!"

"No need."

Chu Junci looked at the imperial physician and said, "You may leave."

"elder brother!"

Chu Li looked disapproving, but Chu Junci gently ruffled his hair and said, "Alright, Li, I have something to tell you."

"...What is it?"

"You may all step back." With a glint in his eye, Chu Junci led Chu Li into the Ji'an Palace.

The two sat down at the table, and Chu Junci pushed a cup of tea towards him: "Look at you, you're all sweaty from running around."

"I was just worried about my brother."

Chu Li chuckled, wiped the sweat from his face, and took another sip of tea. "Brother's cooking is still as good as ever."

"loquacious."

"Ah Li wasn't being sarcastic; Ah Li was telling the truth."

Chu Li rested her chin on her hand and looked at him, tilting her head slightly: "What does brother want to talk to me about?"

"..."

Chu Junci didn't speak, but picked up her cup, took a sip of tea, and after a while looked at him again: "Does A-Li still remember what he told me last year?"

"What?"

Chu Li blinked. He had talked to his brother about so many things that he couldn't remember them all at once.

"...It's related to Ah Jin."

"Ah Jin?"

Chu Li thought back and quickly remembered something, then suddenly realized: "Brother, are you talking about Ah Jin having a sister-in-law?"

Recalling this, Chu Li snorted, "That stinky Ah Jin, he kept bragging to me about how beautiful his sister-in-law was and how cute his nephew was. It was just too much."

Chu Li muttered, then suddenly stopped, his eyes widening in surprise.

My brother wouldn't bring this up for no reason, could it be...?

He opened his mouth slightly: "Could it be that my brother...?"

"...Are they going to appoint an empress!?"

He suddenly stood up: "Whose daughter is she? Do you know her, A-Li? Is she pretty? Is she nice?"

"Does your brother like her? How long have you known each other? When are you going to marry her?"

"..."

Chu Li was excited and asked several questions in a row. Chu Junci had no choice but to say, "Sit down."

"oh."

Chu Li obediently sat back down, staring at him with curiosity in her eyes.

"..." Under such gazes, Chu Junci suddenly found himself speechless.

He lowered his eyelids slightly and took another sip of tea.

"...A-Li".

"Um?"

"Things aren't what you think. I have no intention of establishing an empress."

"what?"

Chu Li frowned: "It's not what you think, A-Li? Then what is it?"

He tried hard to recall what he had said about Ah Jin to his brother last year.

After a short while, he gave up, resting his left cheek on his arm: "Brother, stop keeping me in suspense, A-Li really can't figure it out."

He picked up the teacup with his right hand, took a sip of tea, and before he could swallow, he heard his brother say, "Ah Li, I'm done."

"puff!"

The tea sprayed out completely, and Chu Li stared in disbelief, "Wh-what??"

"I'm done."

Practice makes perfect, and Chu Junci remained calm and composed, even able to meet Chu Li's gaze with equanimity.

"..."

Chu Li was stunned, blinking blankly, "But Father said..."

"I consumed the snow lotus from Falling Snow Cliff."

"..."

Chu Li's lips opened and closed repeatedly, his mind a jumble of thoughts. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he abruptly stood up.

"Is it Mo Yan?!"

"…Um."

Chu Li's face turned completely pale, his expression filled with conflict.

He liked his older brother very much and hated Mo Yan very, very much, but now...

He let out a heavy sigh and sat back down. "Did my brother tell me about this because he's already made up his mind?"

"Yes."

"…All right."

He respects his brother's decision.

Cupping his cheeks, he forgot all about Mo Yan. "Brother, shall I ask the embroiderer to make a few more new clothes?"

"The fabric must be soft and fit well. Besides new clothes, I also need new shoes, a little hat, and..."

He counted the items on his fingers, one by one, his face no longer showing any sign of hesitation.

"...A-Li".

Chu Junci interrupted him: "There's no need to be in such a hurry."

"How can that be?"

Chu Li retorted, "Brother doesn't know, these things need to be prepared in advance."

"I'll ask Ah Jin later what he prepared back then."

"..."

Chu Junci couldn't persuade him, so he simply let him go.

A moment later, Chu Li exclaimed in surprise again, "Brother!"

"Um?"

"Brother, won't you let the imperial physician take your pulse? It would be good to see...the condition."

"It's already been done this morning."

"All right."

Chu Li rolled his eyes and asked, "Was it Xue Wu who took my brother's pulse?"

"Um."

Seeing that Chu Li didn't trust Xue Wu, Chu Junci slowly brought up a matter: "Does A Li still remember the divine physician that Father Emperor mentioned?"

"I remember a little bit."

Chu Li has a poor memory and often forgets things on the spot.

He tried hard to recall, and finally found this memory in some corner: "My father said that a divine doctor saved his life twenty years ago."

"If it weren't for the divine physician, Father and Brother would have already..."

Towards the end, Chu Li finally made a connection: "Could that miracle doctor be Xue Wu?"

"Yes," Chu Junci affirmed.

"The divine physician not only saved my father and my life, but also helped you. A-Li must not disrespect him."

"oh."

Chu Li pouted and lowered his head slightly: "Brother, I'm sorry, it was A-Li's fault."

The two brothers then exchanged a few more words. Chu Li, preoccupied with making new clothes and a new hat, got up to leave.

Before leaving, he told Chu Junci, "Brother, take care of your health, don't overwork yourself, and don't be unhappy. If anything happens, tell A-Li. A-Li will come to visit you often."

He kept rambling on and on, and Chu Junci listened silently, without a trace of impatience in his eyes.

After listening to Chu Li's explanation, he nodded slightly: "Okay."

"I'll head out of the palace now; I need to ask Ah Jin some questions!"

"Go."

After Chu Li left, Chu Junci had someone tidy up the table, and then walked to the Qin Zheng Hall.

The Hall of Diligent Governance was not far away. He walked slowly and sat down at the desk in the Hall of Diligent Governance a quarter of an hour later.

He opened one of the memorials and wrote the word "read". A short while later, he heard a young eunuch say, "Your Majesty, the Vice Minister of Works requests an audience."

"Let him in."