The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

"Is it possible for the noble monarch to have a lover other than me?" Shang JunLin took the young man's arm and leaned closer.

"Of course not." Shen Yu averted his eyes. "Who in the world could compare with Your Majesty?"

Suddenly remembering the secret report that was prepared by the Hidden Dragon Guard before Shen Yu entered the palace, Shang JunLin's cold eyes darkened further. "The noble monarch should take care not to lie to this emperor."

"Your Majesty should have confidence in yourself. Or confidence in my vision. Why would I choose a fish eye instead of a dragon pearl like Your Majesty?" Shen Yu's lips curved in a smile. "I have good eyesight."

"The noble monarch's eyesight truly is good. You can even see when someone intends to break into the prison." Shang JunLin's tone was level, as if he was speaking casually.

Shen Yu wasn't foolish enough to think Shang JunLin was praising him. He knew he couldn't give a flippant response.

All kinds of thoughts flashed through his mind, but not a hint appeared on his face. As if he hadn't heard Shang JunLin's implied meaning, Shen Yu tilted his head. "Those people were suspicious. It was obvious at a glance they were planning something. If it was Your Majesty who discovered them, Your Majesty would have instantly known they were up to no good."

Shang JunLin gave Shen Yu a meaningful stare. A faint smile appeared in his eyes. "What the noble monarch says is reasonable."

"Your Majesty, did you find the mastermind who planned the prison break?" This was a topic Shen Yu was interested in.

The responsibility for the prison break-in was publicly blamed on a senior member of the Zhang family, and the entire Zhang clan had been convicted and beheaded or exiled. With the downfall of the Zhangs, the matter of Imperial Censor Zhang also came to an end.

But Shen Yu knew the target of the prison break was Young Master He, not Imperial Censor Zhang. Naturally, the Zhang family wasn't behind it. There was a high probability the King of Yue was the mastermind, but Shen Yu didn't know if Shang JunLin had discovered that yet.

"The noble monarch is so clever. Why don't you guess who tried to rob the prison?"

"If Your Majesty won't even give me a hint, how can I guess?" Shen Yu complained.

"Does the noble monarch know who they wanted to free?" Shang JunLin asked.

"I don't." Shen Yu shook his head. Even if he knew, he couldn't admit it.

"The target's name was He JinYuan." As he spoke, Shang JunLin scrutinized Shen Yu's face. Not a flicker of expression escaped him.

He kept thinking it was too much of a coincidence, which meant it was no coincidence at all. But he didn't know what role Shen Yu had played.

When he looked at the clear eyes of the young man, Shang JunLin hoped he genuinely had nothing to do with it.

Shen Yu let Shang JunLin examine him, and his face didn't change. He knew about Young Master He because of his previous life, and he wasn't afraid of Shang JunLin investigating. No matter how powerful the Hidden Dragon Guard was, it was impossible for them to find something that hadn't happened.

Shen Yu frowned slightly. "He JinYuan? It had something to do with the He family?"

"Yes." Shang JunLin hadn't detected anything unusual in Shen Yu. He looked away and nodded. "He's the most capable young man in the He family. They have high hopes he'll lead the family back to the peak of influence.

"The He family is currently in decline, but a few decades ago they were prosperous and distinguished. They had the wind at their backs in Da Huan. If not for the fact the previous emperor disliked the He family's daughter, their family might still be in control of the court.

"A centipede can die, but it won't fall down. Although the He family has been in decline for decades, they have a firm foundation. They have enough power to inspire people to take risks on their behalf."

In the candlelight, half of the man's face was hidden in shadow and difficult to see.

Shen Yu picked up the brush on the brush-holder and spun it between his fingers. "The He family didn't break into the prison?"

"The He family doesn't have the ability." Shang JunLin smiled and took the brush from Shen Yu's hand. "If the He family had another capable person, they wouldn't pin all their hopes on He JinYuan."

Part of the reason Shang JunLin secretly detained Young Master He was to lure out the hidden forces of the He family. He didn't expect them to remain so quiet.

"Your Majesty, go on. Don't tease me," Shen Yu urged.

"Does the noble monarch think this emperor is a storyteller?" But Shang JunLin didn't feel annoyed. "Thanks to the noble monarch's previous reminder, this emperor told someone to investigate in the direction of the vassal kings. What they found was interesting."

"Is that why Your Majesty asked the vassal kings to return to the capital early?" Shen Yu suddenly understood why things were developing so differently than in his previous life. Back then, Shang JunLin might not have known Young Master He was rescued by the King of Yue.

Shang JunLin didn't deny it.

Shen Yu was thoughtful. "If you bring someone before you and find a way to provoke them, you can make them reveal their flaws."

The day of the birthday banquet was drawing nearer, and the palace got busier and busier.

Everything in the palace had to be arranged in advance. During the reign of the previous emperor, banquets were primarily in the charge of the Ministry of Rites. Shen Yu followed the same procedure when he began to arrange things for the banquet.

The people around Shen Yu were so busy their feet didn't touch the ground. Shen Yu himself didn't have as much to do, but several times when Imperial Physician Gu came to check Shen Yu's pulse, he was busy working.

Imperial Physician Gu finished checking Shen Yu's pulse. His expression grew solemn. "The noble monarch still has to take care of your health."

Mu Xi's face turned white with fear. "Imperial Physician Gu, is the young master's condition getting worse?"

"A deficient body can't be rehabilitated overnight. Pay more attention to your health, or it will be difficult for the noble monarch to withstand the winter," Imperial Physician Gu said seriously.

"Thanks to the medicine prescribed by Imperial Physician Gu, I've had a much easier time this winter." Shen Yu was speaking the truth. His illness was caused by a congenital deficiency from his mother's womb, particularly his fear of cold. He was fine when the weather was warm, but as soon as the weather cooled, Shen Yu's days became difficult. It was like he was trapped in ice, with freezing cold throughout his body.

The cold was a shadow that drilled into his bones, and no matter how warm the room was, it didn't help. Shen Yu had lived two lifetimes and suffered from cold for both of them. This was the first winter that wasn't as hard.

"This minister has been researching ancient texts. I will definitely find a way to cure the noble monarch."

Not long after the visit, Shang JunLin heard about Shen Yu's situation. With a wave of his hand he sent several experienced palace servants to help.

Meng Gonggong personally brought them over. "His Majesty gave specific instructions that the noble monarch must not work too hard. If the noble monarch needs anything, just order these people to do it. These are the servants His Majesty asked this slave to bring. The noble monarch can call them at will."

Shen Yu looked them over one by one. These servants had worked in the palace for years. They were mature and stable, and their rank wasn't low. They were more than capable of carrying out orders independently and could manage an entire palace alone. Shang JunLin had probably estimated how many people Shen Yu would need and sent them all over.

Shen Yu had to admit these people were really good at handling things. With their help, he had a lot less to manage.

Shen Yu didn't find out that Imperial Physician Gu had gone to Shang JunLin to discuss his condition until a few days later.

Shen Yu rested his hand on his cheek and looked over at the man who was approving memorials. "Then it's because of Imperial Physician Gu's advice that Your Majesty sent so many people to help me?"

Shang JunLin's subordinate twitched slightly.

"His Majesty sent them first. Imperial Physician Gu went to His Majesty later," Meng Gonggong said with a smile.

In normal times, he wouldn't dare to open his mouth on his own, but he now understood how differently the emperor treated the noble monarch. Saying good things about His Majesty in front of Noble Monarch Shen probably wouldn't cause any problems.

Sure enough, Shang JunLin did no more than glance at Meng Gonggong and say tersely, "You talk too much."

"This slave has said too much." Meng Gonggong bowed his head and admitted his mistake, but he wasn't worried.

"What are you saying to Meng Gonggong? If Meng Gonggong hadn't told me, I wouldn't know how much Your Majesty cares about me."

Shang JunLin's face wore a magnanimous expression. "Is it wrong for this emperor to care about the noble monarch?"

"It's not wrong." Shen Yu wanted to tease him, but since the emperor hadn't taken the bait, it wasn't that easy. "I hope Your Majesty cares about me even more in the future."

"If the noble monarch is always as well-behaved as you are now, this emperor will always care about you."

The corners of Meng Gonggong's mouth couldn't help but twitch when he heard this. If Noble Monarch Shen was well-behaved, no one in the world behaved badly.

Shang JunLin's birthday was just around the corner.

Early in the morning, Shen Yu was dug out of the quilt by Shang JunLin, who hadn't left yet.

Shen Yu rubbed his eyes. "Your Majesty?"

"Didn't I tell you yesterday you'd have to get up early today?" Ignoring Shen Yu's struggles, Shang JunLin took a robe and wrapped it around Shen Yu.

Shen Yu muttered, "It's because Your Majesty is as fierce as a dragon. You kept me up all night…."

Shang JunLin interrupted before Shen Yu could continue. "Mu Xi, come and wait on your young master and help him wash up."

Last night, it was clearly Shen Yu who made him stay up all night discussing the national affairs of Da Huan, but to hear Shen Yu talk about it now, something completely different happened instead.

When he looked around at the people waiting on them, their heads were bowed, blushing with embarrassment.

Meng Gonggong also wore a commiserating expression, like "I know, the noble monarch worked hard". Shang JunLin opened his mouth and closed it again. This had happened more than once, and he couldn't explain himself every time.

Shang JunLin cleaned himself up and stood aside waiting for Shen Yu.

After washing his face, Shen Yu's brain finally woke up. He looked at the palace servants around them who kept glancing at him from time to time. There was obvious cheerfulness on their faces, especially Meng Gonggong and Mu Xi, who looked happy but also a little distressed. Shen Yu touched his nose, baffled.

He walked over to Shang JunLin, tugged his sleeve and asked in a low voice, "What's the matter with them?"

Shang JunLin looked over his shoulder. Under his eyes, the palace attendants all bowed their heads and dared not have the slightest unnecessary change in expression.

Shang JunLin gazed down at Shen Yu. "The noble monarch doesn't remember what you said?"

Shen Yu thought about it carefully, and suddenly recalled what he said in front of the palace staff before he was fully awake. His head drooped little by little.

"Does the noble monarch have anything to say to this emperor?"

"I'm the one who spoke nonsense. Your Majesty is so generous. Don't get angry with me about something so trivial… OK…?" Shen Yu's voice got smaller and smaller. "If Your Majesty cares, I'll tell everyone right now. I'm the one who kept you up all night…"

"No need." Shang JunLin rubbed his eyebrows. "Go get dressed."

Shang JunLin had a premonition that if Shen Yu explained, the brains of the palace servants would run in an even more outrageous direction.

Shen Yu looked at him again and saw that he really didn't look angry. He went behind the screen and changed his clothes.

Meng Gonggong slowly walked over to Shang JunLin and advised in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the noble monarch is not in good health. Imperial Physician Gu also said that you have to exercise as much restraint as possible in that regard. Not to mention today will be a busy day. You should be considerate of the noble monarch's health."

Shang JunLin: "…"

—

The author has something to say:

I haven't eaten the meat yet, but I'm already carrying the pot on my back

TL Notes:

choose a fish eye instead of a pearl – A common idiom which means someone was blind and chose something worthless instead of something priceless

A centipede can die, but it won't fall down – 百足之虫死而不僵 – a centipede dies but never falls down / old institutions die hard

as fierce as a dragon – 龙精虎猛 – lit. dragon essence and tiger fierce

kept me up all night – 折腾 – to toss from side to side (e.g. sleeplessly) / to repeat sth over and over again / to torment sb / to play crazy / to squander (time, money)

haven't eaten the meat yet – 还没吃上肉呢 – "eating meat" is a euphemism for sex – A reference to Buddhist monks who are vegetarians sworn to celibacy

carrying the pot on my back – 就背上锅了 – An idiom which means "taking the blame"

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