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

Not far away, the hand holding the chess piece paused slightly as Chu Junci looked over, his eyes meeting Mo Yan's.

"Get out of here."

"Yes……"

Seeing that Mo Yan's expression had changed, General Fu hurriedly left.

After he left, Mo Yan sat down next to Chu Junci. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You intend to attack Yong Kingdom?"

"no."

Mo Yan remained expressionless and shifted all the blame onto General Fu: "He acted on his own initiative."

He hadn't forgotten Aci's strange behavior when they talked about attacking Yong after the spring. The imperial physician said he was traumatized. Considering his true identity, Mo Yan didn't dare mention the word "Yong" in front of him.

Chu Junci stared at him for a long time before finally speaking: "Mo Yan, many people will die in war."

Soldiers, civilians, and officials—once war breaks out, countless people will die or be injured.

Chu Junci disliked war and was not afraid of fighting, but he always felt uneasy when he thought of those who had died.

"I know, but Aci..."

He looked at him back and said, "In which dynasty or era do people not die?"

"For the sake of a great cause, there must always be some price to pay."

"..."

"No emperor desires unification, and I am no exception. The Yongzheng and Zhao states have been at odds for far too long. Unless a catalyst emerges that allows the two nations to truly reconcile, otherwise..."

He paused for a moment, then took Chu Junci's hand: "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore."

"My Aci, just stay by my side."

Chu Junci didn't know what to say, or what stance to take. He remained silent for a moment, then pulled away from Mo Yan's hand and continued playing chess.

Behind him, Mo Yan stared intently at him, and at that moment, he made a decision.

In the middle of the night, while Chu Junci was fast asleep, he got off his bed and went to the Imperial Hospital.

A cold wind rustled as he strode to the Imperial Hospital. Only Liu Ji was there; it was his turn to be on duty that night.

"His Majesty?"

Mo Yan's arrival was so sudden that Liu Ji was startled and hurriedly bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"stand up."

Mo Yan stood still and coldly ordered, "Tell your master that the prescription from last time was very effective. Have him improve it and make it into pills, and send them to the Imperial Study in a few days."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "Make it sweeter."

"..."

Liu Ji was stunned: "Your Majesty, making it into pills is fine, but making it sweeter... this..."

"If you can do it, I will reward you with a thousand taels of gold; if you can't, I will give you your head."

Mo Yan simply gave the order and then left leisurely, leaving Liu Ji slumped on the ground.

A moment later, Liu Ji clenched his fist, hurriedly searched for ancient books, and then knocked on his master's courtyard gate with a box of books.

Inside Qiyue Palace, Mo Yan returned to the bedside and gazed at Chu Junci's face through the pale moonlight.

He had a strong feeling that the day Aci regained her memories would be the day he left his side.

But Mo Yan didn't want to lose him, so...

Ah Ci, don't blame me.

He took his hand and brought it to his lips, and Mo Yan thought to himself.

The next day, Mo Yan and Chu Jun left the training ground.

Today, Mo Yan wore a dark fur coat with a carved jade pendant around his waist. Beside him, Chu Junci wore a white fox fur coat with a matching jade pendant around his waist.

Both of them had their hair half-tied up, with a jade hairpin in their hair. The only difference was that Chu Junci had a red ribbon in his hair.

The ribbons fluttered gently in the wind; they were tied on for him by Mo Yan before he left.

In fact, Mo Yan dressed Chu Junci in his clothes, shoes, socks, and accessories one by one. Except for his hair, which was tied up by a palace maid, everything else was done by Mo Yan himself.

At this moment, Mo Yan was holding his hand, and the two stood side by side on the city wall.

Looking down, well-trained soldiers stood on the vast plain, their expressions grim, holding bows and crossbows.

"His Majesty."

The Ministry of Works official behind Mo Yan laughed and said, "The crossbows they are holding are the improved ones."

"Um."

Mo Yan responded, "Let me see just how powerful this crossbow really is."

"Yes."

A man from the Ministry of Works stepped forward, straightened his back, and shouted, "Release the arrows!"

At a command, a dense volley of arrows shot out, turning the scarecrow opposite the soldiers into a honeycomb, the straw falling apart, but the soldiers did not stop.

After firing ten arrows, they quickly assembled a new batch, and in just a few breaths, they unleashed another volley of arrows.

The scale of the scene was so grand that it was enough to shock everyone.

"good!"

Mo Yan's face showed excitement, "The Ministry of Works has rendered meritorious service this time, reward them!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The officials from the Ministry of Works were all smiles, their eyes filled with pride.

All their efforts were worthwhile; as long as they pleased the emperor, it was all worth it!

"Mo Yan," Chu Junci suddenly called out.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

Mo Yan spoke softly and gently, adjusting the robes of the person behind him, completely ignoring the shock on the faces of the officials behind him.

"I want to go down and take a look."

"it is good."

This was one of the few times that Aci had taken the initiative to make a request, so Mo Yan naturally couldn't bear to refuse.

The two walked down the city wall and came to this wide, flat area.

Chu Junci picked up the arrows from the ground. This modification not only improved the bow and crossbow, but also improved the arrows.

Looking at the small groove on the arrowhead, he slowly rotated the entire arrow, examining it closely.

Mo Yan watched him from the side. He knew that his Aci was skilled in riding and archery, after all, he had been a young general of Yong Kingdom.

"Mo Yan, may I see the crossbows?"

"sure."

Mo Yan waved his hand, and someone immediately handed him a crossbow, which he then passed to Chu Junci.

"I have said that we will share honor and disgrace, and what is mine is yours."

"…Um."

After taking the crossbow, Chu Junci examined it for a long time, not missing a single mechanism or detail.

After an unknown amount of time, he returned the bow and arrows to the soldiers and said, "Let's go."

"I'd like to take you somewhere else."

"Where to?"

You'll find out soon enough.

Taking Chu Junci's hand, Mo Yan led him step by step to the horse farm: "I want to choose a good horse for you in advance for next month's hunt."

He had only ever seen Aci's dashing figure in portraits.

"That Akhal-Teke horse is my Snow-Treading Steed. Aci, take a look, is there anything else you like besides it?"

The horse farm kept many fine horses, and Chu Junci looked at them one by one before finally choosing a white Akhal-Teke horse.

"Aci has excellent taste. Its name is Xunmei, which is a perfect match for my Taxue."

Mo Yan smiled, helped Chu Junci onto Xunmei, and then put his boots into the pedals: "Xunmei has a good temperament, ride slowly, don't be afraid."

"Um."

Chu Junci was not afraid. The moment he gripped the reins and mounted the horse, his blood seemed to boil.

Muscle memory compelled him to shout, "Giddy up!"

With a gentle push from his legs, he bent slightly at the waist, becoming one with the rhythm of Xunmei. The cold wind brushed against his cheeks, and he felt a long-lost sense of exhilaration.

After riding Xunmei for a few laps, he seemed much more excited than before. Mo Yan found it amusing and couldn't help but look at him with doting eyes: "So happy?"

"Um."

He nodded, and then saw Mo Yan mount his horse, his chest pressed against his back.

He held the back of his hand and whispered in his ear, "Your happiness is my happiness."

"..."

Xunmei walked slowly, with two people sitting on horseback. They were so close that their bodies were almost touching.

This also led to Chu Junci quickly discovering Mo Yan...