border

At the border, yellow sand filled the sky, and several large camps could be vaguely seen. Shen Muchen looked at the scene before him. It was desolate, but it also had a strong sense of human warmth, unlike the lifeless capital city.

"We've arrived. Take care of yourself." Only Shen Muchen was left, gazing at the boundless yellow sand. After a while, he slowly moved towards the camp. Suddenly, he bumped into someone. Shen Muchen frowned and took a step back. The person in front of him seemed to be used to being arrogant.

"I've long heard that this Crown Prince is extremely handsome, and now that I see him, the rumors are indeed true. He truly is a beauty in the making!" He then tried to touch Shen Muchen's face, but Shen Muchen twisted his hand away. The scream was, to Shen Muchen's ears, extremely pleasant. "Ah~ Hiss... You ungrateful wretch! Do you think you're still the high and mighty Crown Prince? News of your conspiracy to assassinate the emperor with outsiders has spread! You disloyal and unfilial wretch! It's your good fortune that I've taken a liking to you, don't push your luck!" Before he finished speaking, he was kicked away. Shen Muchen raised his eyes but remained silent.

"You are nothing but a lowly servant now. You were brought here by the Emperor, so don't even dream that he will bring you back to that prosperous capital. From now on, whether things are good or bad, you will have to obediently endure them for me, understand?" The speaker was tall and imposing, with an air of authority in his eyes.

"Come with me, I'll take you to your lodgings." The people around Shen Muchen looked at him with ill intent. Once Shen Muchen arrived, the man left, and the others swarmed around him. "Your face is so pale, like a male prostitute in the capital." As they spoke, someone took the opportunity to touch Shen Muchen's face. Shen Muchen was disgusted. Just as he was about to retaliate, everyone around him was distracted by another person. Taking advantage of their distraction, he grabbed Shen Muchen's hand and ran away…

"That was close, we almost died!" As if sensing that Shen Muchen was trying to break free of his grip, Jiang Yi belatedly released his hands. He looked up to apologize, but saw Shen Muchen's face, which was astonishing. When Shen Muchen looked at him, he felt as if he had been bewitched, and was madly infatuated with the person in front of him.

Shen Muchen observed the change in the boy before him. The boy's gaze grew increasingly intense, as if he had fallen for him. Shen Muchen gently waved his hand, and the boy's eyes refocused. He seemed to realize the change in his expression, and his face instantly flushed. The boy stammered, trying to change the subject: "You...you...you just...just...just...came...you? I don't think I've seen you before. But my name is Jiang Yi. What's your name?" Shen Muchen succinctly stated his name: "Tang Siyuan."

Shen Muchen didn't want to tell him his real name, nor did he want to tell the boy before him why he was there. He also didn't believe that such a pure person existed in the world. "Tang Siyuan, that's a good name, hehe," Jiang Yi praised. Shen Muchen politely replied with a thank you.

"By the way, how did you end up here? Did you also anger the Emperor, which is why you were demoted here?" Jiang Yi asked Shen Muchen curiously.

“We’ve only known each other for a short time, so I don’t need to tell you every detail of my experiences.” Shen Muchen’s eyes showed deep displeasure. “I’m sorry, it was my fault, but it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. After all, everyone has some secrets, and I’m sorry for offending you…” Jiang Yi felt the pressure of Shen Muchen’s displeasure and didn’t ask any more questions.

“You don’t look much older than me. How about I call you Siyuan?” Shen Muchen didn’t want to dwell on the issue with him, so she replied “whatever” and left.

Inside Lu Chaowen's residence, "Haven't you already received the Emperor's reward? Why do you still want to go to the border? Now that things have come to this, do you think he will still believe your words?"

"What if he doesn't believe me? I just want to be with him, atone for my own sins, and put my mind at ease..."

Xu Zixie walked out of Lu Chaowen's residence. It was late at night, and the moon hung high in the sky. Xu Zixie leaped up and landed on the rooftop, looking at the city scenery. He smiled disdainfully: "Truly foolish mortals, believing in these tricks. I'll go see my little rascal in a few days. How is he doing? I wonder what those people will do to him. I'm really looking forward to it. After all, that person is not here now. I also want to see what kind of scene he will witness."

The next day, the man who had been kicked dozens of meters away came to Xu Zixie's tent. Someone noticed the injury on his face and quickly asked, "What happened to your face?" He hurriedly replied, "Two men came over there and beat me up without asking any questions." As he recounted his story, those listening angrily said, "That's right! How could they beat you up without asking any questions? Come on, we'll take you to Lord Xu and get justice for you!"

"Lord Xu, it's them! It was him who beat up this villain! You must avenge me!" Li Rongliang said hurriedly, pointing at Shen Muchen and the other man. His eyes were filled with smugness, as if he could already see their tragic end.

Xu Zixie walked up to Shen Muchen, looking at his little trinket with amusement in his eyes. "What, are you still a high and mighty prince now? You're just a servant now. You don't even kneel before me? Do you want to commit insubordination?" Shen Muchen didn't argue, kneeling down straight and saying, "I dare not." "Don't forget you're a servant now. From now on, when you bow, you must refer to yourself as 'slave.' Do you understand?"

Xu Zixie was determined to break Shen Muchen's pride, otherwise how could he become a plaything for him? "Obedience will naturally bring good results. In the future, if anyone provokes you, just come to me. You are mine, and no one will bully you in the slightest. However, there will always be a price to pay, and I think you should understand!" Xu Zixie whispered in Shen Muchen's ear. The person in front of Shen Muchen felt unfamiliar to him; he was no longer the Xu Zixie he knew.

Suppressing his amusement, he turned to the crowd and said, "Sigh, fine, I'm in a good mood today, I'll let you go. Next time, you won't be so lucky. Let's go, let's go." Li Rongliang hurriedly jumped out to speak. "Sir, you're letting them go like this? I'm not willing!" "Sir, are you just letting them go like this? All these injuries I sustained were for nothing? I don't understand!"

"What's the rush? I'll have my uses for them," Xu Zixie said to Li Rongliang. Xu Zixie gazed in the direction Shen Muchen had left, thinking, "No rush, let's take it slow." Li Rongliang secretly watched Shen Muchen's retreating figure, his hatred growing stronger. With such a handsome appearance, even adults were bewitched by him. A sinister plan slowly formed in his mind…