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

When Chu Li was five years old, he visited the Yuan residence once and encountered a yellow dog on his way back to the palace.

The dog looked harmless, but Chu Li was mischievous and insisted on getting out of the carriage to play. The accompanying eunuchs and guards couldn't control him and could only lead him out of the carriage.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he got close, the dog bared its teeth and barked wildly, startling Chu Li so much that he froze on the spot.

Even though he wasn't actually bitten by a dog, in his mind, it was no different than if he had been bitten.

Chu Junci still remembers that night when Chu Li dragged a small blanket to him, crying, "Brother, A-Li was bitten by a dog, it hurts so much."

"You need to sleep."

Chu Junci could only hug him and comfort him, "A-Li, don't cry, your brother is here."

That night, Chu Li snuggled into Chu Junci's arms, clutching his undergarments tightly with both hands, and only then did he stop having nightmares.

From then on, rhubarb became the species that Chu Li hated the most.

-

Recalling the past, Chu Junci ruffled Chu Li's hair. "Brother knows."

"elder brother."

Chu Li rubbed against his palm, blinking her innocent peach blossom eyes, looking incredibly obedient.

Chu Junci looked at him and couldn't help but soften his heart again. Just as he was about to say something, a feeling of nausea suddenly welled up in his throat.

He clutched his chest, his brows furrowed slightly.

"elder brother?!"

Chu Li was terrified: "What's wrong, brother?"

"Are you sick? Where does it hurt? I'll have Ah Jin go and call the imperial physician."

As he spoke, he lifted the carriage curtain: "Ah Jin!"

"A-Li".

Upon hearing Chu Li's call, Yuan Jin immediately rode up on horseback and asked, "What's wrong?"

"My brother is unwell; you must quickly fetch the imperial physician!"

"Okay." Yuan Jin nodded in agreement, then rode away.

He had just left when Xie Yunzhou peeked over and asked, "Is His Majesty unwell?"

"My brother suddenly felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. What should I do? Is he sick? Or did he catch a cold in Zhao Kingdom?"

Chu Li's voice was filled with panic, even tinged with tears: "Brother, please don't let anything happen to you."

"A-Li".

Chu Junci grasped his wrist: "Don't worry, I'm just feeling a little uncomfortable."

"elder brother……"

Having finally reunited with his brother, Chu Li was genuinely afraid that he would fall ill, as his brother was his only family member in the world.

His father had passed away due to illness, and after his father's death, his father also passed away. In just a few days, only he and his brother remained in their home.

"Don't be afraid."

Chu Junci comforted him, his face calm, but only he knew that his heart was pounding wildly beneath his chest, making him almost lose his mind.

"Don't be afraid..."

He murmured to himself, unsure whether he was speaking to Chu Li or to himself.

Before long, the carriage stopped at Qianhe Palace, where the imperial physician was already waiting.

"Greetings, Your Majesty; greetings, Your Highness."

"Stop talking nonsense, come and let your brother take a look." Chu Li looked anxious and pulled Chu Junci to sit down in the hall.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take your pulse now."

"No need."

To everyone's surprise, Chu Junci refused.

He gripped his wrist. "I'm fine. I don't need to see the imperial physician."

"elder brother?"

Chu Li's face was full of disapproval: "Brother has never liked seeing the imperial physician or taking medicine, but how can he not see the imperial physician when he's feeling unwell?"

"Brother, will you be a good boy?"

"...Ah Li, I'm really okay."

"elder brother……"

"You may leave."

His gaze swept over the imperial physician, and Chu Junci stood up: "I'm fine."

"this……"

"Your humble servant takes his leave."

The imperial physician looked at Chu Li, then at Chu Junci, and finally bowed and withdrew.

After the imperial physician left, Chu Li lowered her head, tears streaming down her face: "Brother is always like this."

"I know perfectly well that Ah Li is very worried about her brother, afraid that he's sick. Besides, her brother is the ruler of a country; how could his health be compromised?"

"A-Li..."

After saying those two words, he fell silent.

Previously, in the Zhao Kingdom's palace, Liu Ji had stated that he was in good health, and after that, he and Mo Yan did not...

It seems he was overthinking it.

"Don't cry, your brother will see the imperial physician."

He sighed, realizing he had no way to deal with Chu Li.

"good!"

Chu Li wiped away her tears and ran away from Qianhe Palace, calling out to the departing imperial physician, "Imperial Physician!"

"Hmm? Your Highness?"

"Quickly, come back to the Qianhe Palace with me!"

At the same moment, in the Zhao Kingdom, in the Zichen Palace, while Chu Li was holding back the imperial physician.

The usually tranquil palace was eerily quiet; none of the maids or eunuchs serving inside dared to utter a sound, for—

The queen ran away.

What was thought to be an ordinary hunt turned into a series of unexpected events. Within just a few days, one of the two who left the Zichen Palace was seriously injured, and the other had to leave the country.

His Majesty was sent back to the Zichen Palace yesterday, his body reeking of blood that even wound medicine could not mask.

Although they did not see it with their own eyes, the consensus in everyone's mind was that "His Majesty is seriously injured".

The palace was surrounded by layers of Imperial Guards and Secret Guards, both to protect His Majesty's safety and to prevent the news of His Majesty's injury from being leaked.

At this moment, the old physician Liu stood in front of Mo Yan's bed, his brows furrowed.

"His Majesty's heart wound was too severe, and it ruptured several times, causing excessive blood loss, which led to his unconsciousness."

"When will His Majesty wake up?"

The new commander of the secret guards, who was also Wu Xu's apprentice, Wu Jue, spoke up.

"I can't be sure about that either."

With a deep sigh, the old imperial physician Liu shook his head: "I have already applied medicine to His Majesty and treated his wounds. His Majesty is a lucky man, and perhaps... he will wake up soon."

"..."

Hearing the imperial physician say this, Wu Jue pursed his lips, his eyes filled with worry. Did the imperial physician mean that His Majesty should wait...?

"Isn't there any other way?"

"..." The imperial physician shook his head and remained silent.

In fact, when he first saw His Majesty's wound, he almost thought His Majesty was already...

But he was still clinging to life, that last breath keeping him from dying, but also preventing him from waking up.

If one day, that breath dissipates...

The thought flashed through his mind, and the old doctor Liu let out a heavy sigh, his head slightly lowered.

"Wu Jue"

While the two remained silent in the hall, Wu Jue suddenly heard Wu Xu's voice. He abruptly raised his eyes and strode out of the Zichen Hall.

Wu Xu was standing outside the hall. Wu Jue's pupils trembled slightly: "Master."

"Um."

Wu Xu was expressionless, his face as pale as paper.

Blood flowed down his trouser leg onto the ground, but he seemed not to hear it.

These past few days His Majesty has been busy searching for the Empress and has not had time to deal with him, but he feels guilty and takes fifty lashes every day. He has also asked to resign from his position as chief eunuch and commander of the secret guards.

"Wu Jue"

"exist."

"His Majesty has the Empress in his heart. If he is unconscious, or... at that time, take some of the Empress's clothes so that His Majesty can smell the Empress's scent."

"Then whisper some news about the Empress in his ear. It doesn't have to be true; it just needs to provoke His Majesty."

"or……"

With a slight lift of his eyes, Wu Xu looked through the wall into the hall: "Perhaps I should tell His Majesty about what has happened between him and the Empress recently."

"Now I'll tell you something about the two of them."