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

elder brother……

Chu Junci moved his lips, but no matter what he did, he couldn't utter those two words.

In the end, all he could do was call out, "Ayan."

"Um."

Even though he didn't hear "brother," Mo Yan was quite satisfied to hear "Ayan."

As he led the people aboard the ship, a cold wind blew in. Mo Yan pulled Chu Junci's fox fur coat tighter around him and straightened his veiled hat, which had been blown up by the wind.

"From here to the other side of the river, there is a long street where many peddlers and vendors sell interesting little trinkets."

"But we can also get a glimpse of it from the ship," Mo Yan explained.

"Aren't you going down for a stroll?" Chu Junci asked.

"Does Aci want to go down?"

"Um."

Mo Yan hesitated. His Aci was too beautiful, and he didn't want others to see even a glimpse of her.

"Is it not okay?" Chu Junci asked again.

"…OK."

Fine, fine, let Aci go down if she wants, I'll just keep a close eye on her.

As the boat sailed on the lake, Chu Junci looked into the distance and saw the "long street" that Mo Yan had mentioned, which was indeed bustling with activity.

In the distance, he saw some men and women dressed strangely with deep-set faces, unlike the people of the Central Plains.

"Those are people from the Western Regions."

Mo Yan explained, "Our Great Zhao is very inclusive. The capital is not only inhabited by people of Zhao, but also by people from other countries."

"Those who submit to me in the Western Regions are also my subjects."

As they spoke, the boat reached the center of the lake, and as they drew closer, Chu Junci saw what they were selling.

Fabric dance costumes, ferocious masks, colorful clay figurines, etc...

He even saw people setting up fortune-telling stalls, which was quite interesting.

But Chu Junci wasn't there to just stroll around.

Thinking of his purpose, he glanced at Mo Yan beside him, his gaze unnoticed through the veil, just as he had planned so well.

There was no curfew in the city on New Year's Eve, and the defenses outside the palace were much more relaxed than usual. Everyone was immersed in the joy of the festival, and no one noticed the undercurrents.

Across the river, on the long street, Xie Yunzhou and several spies were pretending to buy masks, but their eyes were actually fixed on the lake.

They knew all too well that their emperor was standing on the deck right now, with that damned Mo Yan.

That toad Mo Yan dares to covet their Emperor! How laughable!

The ridiculous Mo Yan was picking up Chu Junci's veil hat when a gust of wind blew it off his head for some unknown reason.

"Ayan, please pick it up for me."

He heard Chu Junci say this.

Mo Yan had a feeling that something was wrong, but he still obediently walked to the other side of the deck and picked up the veiled hat that was stained with the fragrance of lotus flowers.

He turned around, "Aci..."

Before he could finish speaking, he saw a scene that made his eyes widen in horror.

All I saw was—

The red figure fell from the boat like a shooting star, and with a "plop," his Aci fell into the water.

"Aci!"

Mo Yan was not a good swimmer, but for that instant, he seemed to have forgotten that.

Without hesitation, he jumped into the water, the biting cold making his heart sink to the bottom.

The lake water is so cold, his Aci must be sick again.

His gaze searched everywhere for that red figure, lake water filled Mo Yan's nostrils, and his heart and lungs ached as if they were about to explode...

After an unknown amount of time, several people jumped into the lake with a "plop" and "plop," and Mo Yan was forcibly pulled back to the shore.

"His Majesty!"

Wu Xu asked anxiously, "How did you fall into the water?"

"Quick, cough cough...go find Aci!"

Mo Yan's eyes were bloodshot: "Whoever finds Aci, I will grant him the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households."

"yes!"

The immense temptation drove them to search for Chu Junci's whereabouts, but after a long search, they only found a red fox fur coat that was soaked in water.

The river flows straight out of the city, and no one dares to speak out; perhaps the Emperor has already...

As they were dredging the lake, a figure climbed onto the riverbank outside the city.

His clothes clung to his body after being soaked in water, and the cold wind made them feel even colder. Chu Junci shivered from the cold, but he felt very relaxed.

He finally escaped from Mo Yan's side.

A few days ago, during a conversation with the eunuch Lu Shu, he learned that the moat led directly outside the city.

Lu Shu grew up by the river and often played in the water as a child, so he knew the shortest route out of the city.

Fortunately, he was an excellent swimmer, so he initially decided on this plan.

After getting ashore, he walked along the river. There were some villagers living nearby, and he wanted to change into some clean clothes.

As he entered the village, he saw a household that kept several large yellow dogs, all of them plump and strong. When they saw him, they just lazily lifted their eyelids and remained indifferent.

Buckle buckle.

He knocked on the door of the house.

Who is it?

The young man opened the door. He was dressed in clean and tidy clothes, and there was a book with only a few pages turned on the table behind him.

After seeing Jun Ci's face clearly, her voice stammered, "Is...is something the matter?"

"I apologize for disturbing you by walking so late at night. I accidentally fell into the water and was wondering if you have any clean clothes? I can exchange these with you."

He took off the jade hairpin from his hair and handed it to the young man.

The jade hairpin was quite valuable, and Chu Junci's demeanor was far from that of an ordinary person. The young man scratched his head and said, "I do have clothes, as long as you don't mind."

As he spoke, he pulled out a new set of clothes that he had never worn before, which he had originally planned to wear during the imperial examination.

"Here, take this. You don't need the jade hairpin."

"No."

Chu Junci said softly, "We met by chance, and I need your help. I cannot take your clothes for no reason."

He placed the jade hairpin into the young man's hand, and the young man took the clothes, saying, "Thank you."

"No, you're welcome."

The young man held the jade hairpin, watching the person in front of him slowly disappear, and a sense of loss welled up in his heart.

He sighed and closed the door.

Unexpectedly, the door was knocked on again a quarter of an hour later.

Bang bang bang.

The man pounded on the door with great force: "Open the door, the government has something to ask you."

Government officials?

His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly opened the door, only to see a man standing not far away, with a handsome face and a gloomy expression.

"Hey kid, have you seen this guy before?"

The soldiers banging on the door were holding a portrait. The young man glanced at it and was immediately stunned.

This...this isn't...

Mo Yan noticed something amiss and strode over: "You've seen this person before."

"..."

The young man nervously swallowed, unsure whether he should tell the truth.

But Mo Yan had already seen the jade hairpin on the table through him, and he walked into the room with a sullen face.

The jade hairpin was warm to the touch; he had personally put it on Aci before leaving the palace.

"Ink, words."

He gritted his teeth: "Who gave you this jade hairpin?"

"Yes……"

He hesitated, and Mo Yan lost his patience: "If you don't speak, I'll kill you."

朕！

The young man was stunned; the person before him was actually His Majesty!

"His Majesty is asking you a question, so speak now!"

He shuddered and stopped hiding it: "Your Majesty, this jade hairpin was given to me by a passing young man."

"That's the person in the painting."

He added, "A quarter of an hour ago, he exchanged a jade hairpin for a set of clean clothes with a commoner, and then went to the right."

Having received the information, Mo Yan did not linger. He led his men to the right, tossed a new jade pendant to the young man before leaving.

The young man gripped the jade pendant tightly, sighed in confusion, and wondered, "What's going on here?"

On the other side, Chu Junci changed into dry clothes and then threw the clothes he had brought from the palace into the bushes.

A voice in his heart kept urging him to return to Yong Kingdom, and even though he didn't know why, he was determined to follow his heart.

The moonlight was bright. He was walking down the road when he suddenly heard footsteps behind him, and there was more than one person.

Did Mo Yan discover him?

Not daring to look back, he walked even faster, and when he came to a fork in the road, he decisively chose the right side.

After an incense stick had burned, Mo Yan led his men to this fork in the road.

He glanced to the left and right, then narrowed his eyes: "Wu Xu, take your men to the left. If you see Aci, do not harm him."

Wu Xu led his men to the left, while Mo Yan went to the other side. After taking only a few steps, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood.

"His Majesty!"

"It's alright."

He raised his hand: "Keep searching."

"……yes."

Tonight is destined to be anything but peaceful.

Chu Junci found a cave ahead, forged footprints, hid inside, and then blocked the entrance with weeds.

The pale moonlight shone into the cave. He held his breath and soon saw Mo Yan's figure.

Soldiers followed behind him, and after seeing his fake footprints, the group quickened their pace and walked forward.

The figure disappeared from his sight, but he did not relax and continued to stare intently.

After half an hour of nothing happening, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He figured Mo Yan hadn't guessed he was here, and he could set off again at dawn.

The cave walls were as cold as snow, and even though he had laid down a layer of weeds, the chill still seeped into his body through his clothes.

He silently calculated the time, and drowsiness began to creep in.

As he closed his eyes for a short rest, some fragments suddenly flashed through his mind—

The man in the dragon robe lay on the couch, his cheeks deeply sunken from illness. He rubbed his hair and said, "A-Ling, the Yong Kingdom... is now in your hands."

But before he could capture more, the fragment suddenly vanished.

He also heard Mo Yan's ghostly voice: "Aci, I've found you."

"..."

Startled, Chu Junci looked up and saw Mo Yan standing at the cave entrance. In the moonlight, his eyes were bloodshot and a few drops of blood were on his lips.

"Mo Yan..."

Mo Yan pushed aside the weeds and walked towards him step by step.

The footsteps amplified in the quiet cave entrance, each one seeming to pound on Chu Junci's heart.

He took a few steps back, only to be pulled into Mo Yan's arms as he strode over. "Mo Ci, you've lied to me again."

"..."

Chu Junci's heart pounded wildly. She could feel Mo Yan's anger. She held him tightly, as if she wanted to melt him into her bones.

"Mo Ci, you liar."

Mo Yan gritted his teeth and suddenly bit his shoulder.

He bit down hard, and Chu Junci groaned in pain as blood gushed out.

Upon smelling the blood, Mo Yan paused, then soothingly licked the wound. "Aci, does it hurt?"

"..."

Chu Junci didn't speak. He sensed Mo Yan's unusual behavior, exactly the same as when the poison took effect that day.

Mo Yan has been poisoned.

Mo Yan's eyes flashed with ruthlessness as he waited for a response but received none. He lifted Chu Junci's chin and scrutinized him closely in the darkness.

The fragrance of lotus flowers stirred his desire, and he leaned down to kiss the lips that he both loved and hated.

Chu Junci could no longer stand. He leaned against the stone wall, his waist feeling weak.

Mo Yan became even more excited, kissing the wound on his shoulder, craving more under the stimulation of the Gu poison…

He took off his fox fur coat and laid it on the ground, then pulled the person who wanted to escape back...

"Aci, don't blame me," he said.

**

The next day, sunlight shone into the cave entrance, revealing a scene of utter chaos inside.

Chu Junci's cheeks flushed red; he had a fever.

The cave was already cold and damp, and the commotion yesterday had made it impossible for him to tell whether it was the wound on his shoulder or some other burning pain, which kept him from sleeping soundly even in his dreams.

The cloak concealed his fair and jade-like body. Mo Yan embraced him, his face gloomy, lost in thought.

"Your Majesty, we are late. Please forgive us."

"Return to the palace."

Carrying the person away from the cave, Mo Yan placed Chu Junci on the carriage and let him rest his head on his lap.

The carriage swayed and soon returned to Qiyue Palace.

Chu Junci was still unconscious. After the imperial physician came, his expression was indescribable.

"Your Majesty, this..."

Mo Yan glanced at him, and the imperial physician dared not speak. After writing a prescription, he hurriedly took his leave.

"Your Majesty, these are the things you ordered." Wu Xu appeared and handed him several items.

"Get out of here."

With no one else in the hall, Mo Yan got up and locked one end of the golden chain to Chu Junci's ankle and the other end to the headboard.

This also allowed him to see the transparent ointment under the bed. He placed the ointment in a hidden compartment and waited quietly for Chu Junci to wake up.

An hour later, the person on the bed moved their eyelashes and opened their eyes.

"woke up."

He heard Mo Yan's voice coming from beside the bed, and when he turned his head, he saw him.

Memories, mixed with pain, surged up, reminding him of what happened in the cave.

Mo Yan spoke up, "Aci, did you return to my side that day because of your escape yesterday?"

"..."

Chu Junci tacitly agreed.

"Have I not treated you well? You have deceived me time and time again."

Mo Yan pursed his lips. He asked himself why A Ci always wanted to leave him, since he had been so devoted and loving towards her.

"Because I don't like you."

"..."

Mo Yan froze. "Say it again."

"Because I don't like you, Mo Yan."

"You always force me to do things I don't like, like last night..."

Looking directly at Mo Yan, Chu Junci said in a low voice, "Besides, your technique is terrible."

"..."

Mo Yan took a step back, his face alternating between pale and flushed: "I... am rotten?"

"Yes, it's rotten."

Mo Yan fell silent and fled in disarray.

Chu Junci was the only one in the hall. He lowered his eyelashes and lay quietly.

At noon, Mo Yan reappeared, carrying lunch in his hands.

He scooped a spoonful of porridge and held it to Chu Junci's lips, but Chu Junci kept her lips tightly closed and did not want to eat.

Are you going on a hunger strike?

Chu Junci remained silent, so Mo Yan continued in that position. After a while, he sneered, "Mo Ci."

"Don't think I don't know who told you about the moat. If you dare to go on a hunger strike, I will have Lu Shu torn to pieces."

"Remember, he died for you."

"..."

Chu Junci's lips trembled, and he opened his mouth to swallow a spoonful of rice porridge.

After numbly finishing a bowl of food, Mo Yan wiped his lips and then his hands: "Good boy, Aci, live well. Only if you live can others live."

"Those who have helped you, those you care about, their lives are in your hands, do you understand?"