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

"I don't know either."

Chu Junci shook his head: "Perhaps it was him, after all, he really wanted to kill 'Chu Ling'."

After a while, he added, "Although the portrait was sent to the city gate, if Mo Yan disguises himself, they won't be able to detect it."

"What should we do then?"

"Let's wait for Ah Jin's result."

"oh."

The two waited quietly. After a short while, Yuan Jin appeared, his face showing shame and sneer: "Your Majesty, I am useless. I let the thief escape."

As expected, Chu Junci said softly, "It's not your fault."

He took a sip of tea and continued to instruct, "Yuan Jin, tomorrow release the news that I am going to the archery and horsemanship competition."

"Make sure the whole of Kyoto knows about this. In addition, take three thousand elite soldiers and lie in ambush at the competition site."

"like……"

He rubbed his fingertips against the teacup, his eyes slightly lowered: "If anyone who shouldn't be there appears that day, I order you to arrest him and bring him to justice."

"I will have Lin Chen help you from the shadows."

"Your Majesty, you mustn't."

Yuan Jin refused, saying, "Lord Lin is also responsible for protecting His Majesty's safety. This matter can be handled by me."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will lay a tight net and ensure that the thief never returns."

"Um."

Chu Li listened from the side, then took another bite of pastry: "Ah Jin, this time you must catch that thief."

He clenched his fist: "I'm going to beat him up!"

"Okay, don't worry, A-Li, I will definitely catch him."

"Uh-huh!"

After the business was concluded, Chu Junci looked exhausted. Chu Li waved his hand and said, "Brother, you should rest. Ah Jin and I will be leaving now."

Go ahead, and be careful on the road.

"Okay."

Pulling Yuan Jin away, Chu Li's figure quickly disappeared from the spot.

Chu Junci also took off his clothes and went to bed to rest.

He placed his hands on his lower abdomen, closed his eyes, and soon his breathing became long and even.

In his dazed state, he saw a baby still in swaddling clothes.

The other person was lying on the small bed, their dark, grape-like eyes curiously peering out. When they saw him, they grinned.

"Ah, ah..."

Hou Zhong made a childish voice and waved his hand, as if he wanted Chu Junci to hold him.

As if guided by some unseen force, Chu Junci took a few steps forward, bent down, and picked up the baby from the crib.

"What's your name?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Junci's face showed annoyance. The other party was just a child. How could he answer him?

Chu Junci pinched the child's cheek and smelled a faint milky scent on the child, along with a faint body fragrance, which smelled very pleasant.

As he looked at the baby, the other person was also looking at him, blinking their long eyelashes and looking at him with big, curious eyes.

A moment later, he leaned closer to him and smeared his face with saliva.

"..."

The action seemed familiar, reminding Chu Junci of A Li when he was a child. Back then, A Li was just like this, often spitting saliva all over his face.

"Ah, ah..."

The baby cried out twice more, his eyes sparkling with joy.

"You little brat!"

Suddenly, Chu Junci heard Mo Yan's voice; it seemed that the other person was walking this way.

For some reason, Chu Junci felt a little flustered. After putting the child back in the crib, he hid in the shadows.

Almost the instant he hid, he saw Mo Yan's figure.

Mo Yan didn't notice him, heading straight for the crib and picking up the baby inside: "You little brat, I'm your father, what's with that expression?"

The little brat who had been smiling happily at Chu Junci now had a stern face, his hands supporting Mo Yan's chest, as if rejecting his closeness.

"You bastard Chu..."

Mo Yan seemed to say a name, but Chu Junci didn't hear it clearly. He watched Mo Yan carry the child out of the palace and disappear from his sight in a short while.

After the two left, Chu Junci emerged from the shadows, thinking to himself: Is that Mo Yan's child?

But his surname is Chu...

With his fingertips slightly curled up, hidden in his sleeve, Chu Junci took a few steps forward. Suddenly, his dream shattered, and he awoke.

Before dawn, he lay in the Qianhe Palace, recalling the contents of his dream, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.

Before we knew it, dawn had broken.

Bai Yang appeared: "Your Majesty, it's time to rise."

Today he had to attend court, so Chu Junci got up, washed up, and soon sat down in the Golden Palace.

"If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court is adjourned," the young eunuch called out from the side.

Chu Junci looked down, his gaze sweeping across the faces. Today's topic was the same old story: nothing major had happened in Yong Kingdom recently, and the court officials had nothing to say.

As expected, nothing happened today. After waiting for a while and seeing that there was nothing to discuss, Chu Junci could only adjourn the court.

He rose from the dragon throne and walked back to the Qianhe Hall step by step.

The morning passed quietly, and while things remained calm and uneventful inside the palace, things were in an uproar outside!

A rumor suddenly spread today—His Majesty will participate in the equestrian archery competition this year!

In the past, these were just small events organized by young masters and noblemen. What merit or ability did they have to attract His Majesty's attention?

Therefore, the news immediately sparked discussion among the people of the entire city.

In the lobby of an inn very close to the Xie residence, several diners were discussing the news.

"I heard that this year's equestrian archery competition will be held in that open space ten miles east of the city! His Majesty will also be participating!"

"What? His Majesty is going to participate too!?"

"Are we finally going to see His Majesty!?"

The group was engaged in lively discussion, completely unaware that a displeased gaze was fixed on them from behind.

"Speaking of which, I've never even seen His Majesty's true face!"

"I have a distant relative who serves in the palace, and he says that His Majesty's appearance is the most handsome man in the entire Yong Kingdom!"

"Yes, yes, I've heard that too. His Majesty is so handsome, and he's so good to us. I dream of meeting His Majesty!"

With a "crack" sound, it sounded like something breaking.

One of them turned around and saw the man sitting behind them, who was staring at them, blood dripping from his right hand.

"My lord, you..."

He wanted to ask if they had offended him, but before he could finish speaking, the man had already gotten up and headed upstairs, leaving him with only an unfathomable back view.

"Strange and mysterious."

He muttered something to himself and continued talking to the others.

Back in his room on the second floor, Mo Yan stood there, washing the blood from his palms with tea. He had attempted to sneak into the palace twice the previous night, but both attempts ended in failure.

The palace was heavily guarded; even he couldn't easily sneak in, but now...

He opened the window and looked out, his gaze fixed on the palace.

Now that Aci is leaving the palace to attend that ridiculous horseback archery competition, this is a perfect opportunity for him.

As he had previously thought, he was determined to see him no matter what.

Even if...

This was an ambush set up by Aci, an ambush specifically targeting him, and he was going to go too.

He hadn't seen him for far too long.

He misses him very much.

Mo Yan thought that after seeing Aci, he would apologize to him and tell him that he would never do anything to harm Yongguo.

Yongzhao is willing to sign a peace treaty, as long as Aci stops being angry with him...

Three days, the last three days, Aci, we will definitely meet again.