On the second day, Shen Yu was unable to get up as he had feared.

When he woke up, Shen Yu tried to sit up, but any movement tugged at some part of his body below, causing him to wince in pain and fall back.

His whole body ached, and the soreness seemed to emanate from every corner. Shen Yu lay on the bed, his gaze looking somewhat lifeless.

Though he acknowledged that he had a significant role to play in last night's events, Shen Yu still felt unhappy. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't escape the fact that he was like a rabbit running headlong into danger, and that danger was Shang Junlin.

Outside the bed, there was movement, and before long, Shang Junlin entered the room, followed by two palace maids, each carrying something in their hands.

As the steamy food was brought in, Shen Yu couldn't help but smell the enticing aroma, and his stomach growled involuntarily.

Shang Junlin walked to the bedside, and the palace attendants put down what they were carrying before quietly withdrawing.

"Did Your Majesty do it on purpose last night?" Shen Yu asked hoarsely.

"I didn't do anything last night," Shang Junlin defended himself, "Yu took the initiative and offered himself. I couldn't possibly reject you."

Shen Yu was helped to sit up. His body felt dry, and it seemed that someone had washed him.

"Have some water first," Shang Junlin offered a cup of warm water to Shen Yu.

Lowering his head, Shen Yu drank the water from the cup held by Shang Junlin, soothing his throat and making his voice less hoarse.

"Your Majesty didn't deliberately make me eat so much deer meat, did you?" Shen Yu glanced at him sideways.

With a blush still on his face and a hint of crimson in his eyes, when Shen Yu looked at Shang Junlin, it only served to excite him more.

Moving his leg slightly, Shang Junlin replied calmly, "I also roasted other meats, but Yu seemed to have a special liking for deer meat."

Of course, Shang Junlin wouldn't tell Shen Yu that before feeding him, he had consulted with Chief Physician Gu specifically. Although Shen Yu appeared to eat without restraint, the portions of various meats were strictly controlled by him.

Shen Yu couldn't refute this statement since he did choose what meat to eat.

Shang Junlin chuckled softly, "Last night's Yu was truly passionate, making me unable to resist."

Shen Yu reached out to cover his mouth, his fair skin marked with the red plum blossoms left by Shang Junlin. The sight of the marks stirred something within Shang Junlin.

"I won't say it anymore. Have some porridge first. Are you hungry?" Shang Junlin's voice became deeper.

Seeing the intense gaze in Shang Junlin's eyes, Shen Yu refrained from provoking him further. The effects of the deer's blood and meat from last night made him realize that if it were to happen again today, his waist and legs might not hold up.

"Yes, I'm hungry," Shen Yu replied and wrapped himself tightly in the blanket.

Shang Junlin couldn't do anything improper right now. Shen Yu was not fully awake last night, but Shang Junlin was, and given the extent of what happened, without the deer's blood and meat, Shen Yu might not have tolerated it.

Moreover, he had also consumed the same things, and although he was more conscious, he was still affected to some degree. Otherwise, he wouldn't have repeatedly dragged the young man back to continue.

Shang Junlin closed his eyes, suppressing the turbulent images in his mind. He picked up the porridge next to him and fed it slowly to Shen Yu.

Shen Yu was exhausted, and he didn't even have the strength to lift his arm. He enjoyed the pampering service of an emperor, guilt-free.

Shen Yu was indeed hungry, and the porridge suited his taste. Before long, he finished a bowl of porridge, feeling full.

Now that he had eaten and drank enough, Shen Yu finally had the mind to think about other things.

"What time is it now? Have the hunters already left?" he asked.

Shang Junlin mentioned the time, and as expected, it was already well past noon. Last night, they played around until almost dawn, so it wasn't surprising that Shen Yu woke up at this hour.

"Your Majesty didn't go out today?" Shen Yu looked at Shang Junlin. The man was still wearing narrow-sleeved black robes, with his hair tied high without the ceremonial crown that symbolized his imperial identity. He only wore a jade crown with dragon patterns to secure his hair.

"With you here, where else would I go?" Compared to hunting, Shang Junlin preferred to be with Shen Yu.

If he had left and Shen Yu woke up to find someone else by his side, he probably wouldn't be pleased. Shen Yu had mentioned that once intimacy occurred, if one party couldn't be there the next morning, it would be irresponsible.

Apart from these reasons, Shang Junlin himself wanted to stay by Shen Yu's side. He selfishly wanted to be the first person Shen Yu saw when he woke up.

Knowing Shen Yu's habits, Shang Junlin picked up some clothes and asked, "Shall I help you dress, or do it yourself?"

Shen Yu moved slightly, realizing he couldn't muster enough strength. He unreservedly pinned the blame on the culprit responsible for everything that happened, "Help me, Your Majesty."

Shang Junlin unfolded the clothes and pulled Shen Yu out from under the blanket. Even though it was noon, it was still a bit chilly in the mountains. Shen Yu shivered for a moment before being pulled into Shang Junlin's embrace.

Except for the excessively hot summer, Shen Yu liked to snuggle up with Shang Junlin. The man's body temperature was higher, which was especially comfortable for Shen Yu, who was sensitive to cold.

Shang Junlin lifted Shen Yu's arm and helped him put on his outer robe. Shen Yu noticed that today he was dressed in a long robe of ice-blue color.

Upon reflection, he realized that he probably couldn't ride a horse today, and perhaps for the next few days as well.

His legs felt weak and powerless, and though Shen Yu had initially thought of going for a walk, he had to give up the idea. Shang Junlin wanted to carry him outside, but Shen Yu didn't want to be observed by others, so he declined.

In the afternoon, the Prime Minister and another official came for a visit, discussing matters related to the region of Subei.

Even during the autumn hunting season, daily government affairs had to be dealt with. When Shang Junlin stayed in the tent, he spent most of his time handling official documents.

Shen Yu didn't feel like moving, and Shang Junlin wouldn't avoid him during these tasks. They listened together to the affairs of Subei.

With He Chengyu, Jiang Huaiqing1, and Fang Jiayi present in Subei, all internal problems had been resolved. The aid from various regions had facilitated the smooth progress of post-disaster reconstruction.

When Fang Jun left, everything in Subei had returned to normal, and the officials dispatched there were competent, so there was no need to worry too much. The only thing they needed to be concerned about was the situation in Beimo.

The Prime Minister and the other official came to discuss how to deal with the Beimo issue.

The Beimo spies that had infiltrated Subei were all apprehended, and the ringleader was brought back to the capital. His identity was confirmed to be a member of the Beimo royal family and the younger brother of the current ruler of Beimo.

Such an identity indicated that they now had a more significant bargaining chip. The higher the person's status, the more advantageous it was for them.

"Beimo wants to reclaim that person," the other official said.

"It's not surprising. This person has been undercover in Subei for many years, and the secrets he knows are worth Beimo's efforts to retrieve him. Beimo has been unwilling since they were driven out of Subei, and they want to reoccupy the region. While they maintain a peaceful facade, they've had multiple conflicts with the Subei army, and their placement of so many spies indicates their unwavering determination," the Prime Minister commented without surprise.

"Our intelligence reports indicate that Beimo has been making moves recently. It seems they want to march south again," the official furrowed his brow.

"For Beimo, the turmoil in Subei presents a rare opportunity. They have coveted the territory of Da Huan for many years and previously refrained from acting due to fear of Your Majesty. However, time is the most effective eraser of fear. Driven by their growing ambition, they have chosen to abandon their past defeats, believing this is an exceptional opportunity that they are sure to seize successfully," Shen Yu expressed his opinion.

The Prime Minister and the other official didn't mind Shen Yu's involvement in politics. The Prime Minister had tried to persuade Shen Yu several times to take a more active role in the court and had even hinted about it to Shang Junlin.

Hearing Shen Yu's words, both officials agreed. Beimo's ambitions had always been significant, and their eyes had been on Da Huan for a long time. The officials were well aware of this.

"Prepare for both possibilities. If there's a war, I was never afraid of them before, and now I am even less so," Shang Junlin declared.

Since they might be facing the possibility of war, the court needed to make preparations in advance. The Prime Minister and the other official received their orders and went to deploy accordingly.

In Beimo.

"How is the situation in Da Huan?" The Emperor of Beimo was a man in his forties, sitting on the imperial throne, looking down at his courtiers, his mood not very good.

Anyone would be in a bad mood when their plans that had been carefully laid out for many years were uprooted in one fell swoop.

"Da Huan is still not giving in. To save the Crown Prince2, we sent all our forces near Subei. Now, unless Da Huan is willing to reveal the situation, we have no way of knowing what's happening to the Crown Prince," a courtier knelt fearfully below and didn't dare to raise his head.

"Subei just experienced a severe drought, which also affected the Subei army. The timing is rare for us. Do you think now is the right time to act and catch Da Huan off guard?" The Emperor of Beimo cast his gloomy gaze downward.

The courtiers of Beimo were relatively new and had little knowledge about the previous battle. They knew very little about how terrifying the Subei army was under the leadership of Shang Junlin. Beimo also wouldn't widely publicize how devastating their defeat had been.

Over time, most people didn't pay much attention to the Subei army anymore.

"What if the Subei army is strong? Last time, if it wasn't for us intentionally letting them win, the outcome might have been different. In my opinion, we should show them some colors directly. Beimo has a million cavalry, not just for show," one person said, and this sentiment was agreed upon by many.

"After suffering a defeat, Da Huan will naturally obediently return the Crown Prince," another minister said optimistically. However, some ministers were not as optimistic, but the Emperor didn't want to listen to their opinions, as the more they spoke, the more likely they were to be disliked.

The autumn hunting was still ongoing, and Shen Yu had rested for two days and could now walk freely, but the competition was coming to an end.

The winner would have the opportunity to meet the Emperor in person, which was a great encouragement for the young people who had not yet entered official positions.

This time, the winner was a young man who hadn't reached the age of twenty, a child from a branch of the Duan family.

As usual, Shang Junlin rewarded him and called him to the front, saying a few encouraging words. When the young man left, he seemed to be floating on air.

Shen Yu sat beside Shang Junlin and witnessed the whole process. "The child from the Duan family is quite good," he remarked.

It was rare for someone from a prestigious family not to be affected by the bad habits associated with it.

The banquet was lively, and the younger generation brought by the Duan family achieved great success, earning face for their prestigious family. Many people came to congratulate them.

Observing the scene, Shen Yu teased, "The prestigious families can finally hold their heads high this time."

"They need to be given some benefits now and then," Shang Junlin replied indifferently while holding a wine cup.

Shen Yu shifted his gaze and curiously asked, "Your Majesty, what have you hunted these past two days?"

Translator's note:

Im confused about the Crown Prince thing-y. Please do help if you notice anything mentioned about this person in the previous chapters or in the previous translator because I totally forgot!