The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

After eating, Shen Yu and Shang JunLin rested on the soft couch. Shang JunLin sat upright, carefully approving memorials, while Shen Yu leaned against his shoulder and read a book.

The book came from the imperial library, but it wouldn’t be accurate to call it a storybook. In fact, it told of the romantic entanglements of the previous emperors of the dynasty. Shen Yu read it with interest.

The former emperors of the Shang Dynasty had a tawdry romantic history replete with all kinds of tricks: stand-ins and substitutes, seizing lovers by force, love rivals turning into lovers… Everything you could imagine.

In contrast, Shang JunLin’s relationship history was as clean as white paper. Compared with the previous emperors of the dynasty, Shang JunLin really stood out.

If Shen Yu remembered correctly, in his past life there was no one else in Shang JunLin’s harem except for Shen QingRan, whom he forced into the palace.

In that life, Shen QingRan only saw Shang JunLin a few times after he entered the palace, and certainly never had any physical contact with him.

People said the tyrant disliked being touched by anyone. After Shen QingRan escaped the palace, he complained about this to everyone. He once accidentally touched Shang JunLin’s arm and was banished for several days….

“What is the noble monarch thinking about?” Shang JunLin glanced up from the folded report and saw Shen Yu looking at him in a daze.

“I’m thinking about Your Majesty….” Shen Yu paused. He glanced at the memorial in Shang JunLin’s hand. “Is Your Majesty worried about water control?”

“Yes.” Shang JunLin didn’t hide it. He handed the memorial to Shen Yu to let him see it more clearly. “Is the noble monarch interested?”

The memorial was submitted by Lin County, which was located in the south of Da Huan. Because of the terrain, it had suffered from floods every year since the founding of Da Huan.

Over the years, Da Huan invested countless human and material resources into Lin County with little effect. Successive generations of emperors had worried about the situation there.

In his previous life, Shen Yu had witnessed the natural disasters in Lin County and knew the tragedies that would unfold there. In later years, with the help of Shen QingRan, the King of Yue made great achievements in controlling the floodwaters. That was the beginning of the King of Yue’s rise to the pinnacle of power.

Shen Yu carefully studied the flood control scheme devised by Shen QingRan in his previous life, and it was better than any existing system in Da Huan. Some time ago, when Shen Yu was thinking of what birthday gift to give Shang JunLin, he suddenly thought of it.

He deliberately chose a day when Shang JunLin wasn’t in Yuzhang Palace and quietly wrote down what he remembered of the plan point by point, intending to give it to Shang JunLin. If they made advance preparations, perhaps the tragedies of his previous life might not be as serious.

Today he left Yuzhang Palace on a whim, but he also intended to give the manuscript to Shang JunLin.

“Your Majesty knows I’ve been in poor health since I was a child, and I like reading miscellaneous books. A few days ago, I sorted out some useful things I read. I thought Your Majesty might be able to use them.”

Shen Yu took out a thin book from his sleeve. The title on the cover was blank. Shen Yu handed the book to Shang JunLin. “Will Your Majesty have a look?”

Shang JunLin took the book, opened it, glanced through it, and paused.

He roughly read through the content without changing expression. The book wasn’t long. It didn’t take much time for Shang JunLin to finish it. He closed the book and took Shen Yu’s arm with a slightly heavy movement.

“Where did the noble monarch read about these things?”

It must be stated that the contents of the book could be of great use. When he mentioned Lin County to Shen Yu, he wasn’t expecting to get any suggestions. Yet Shen Yu gave him such a big surprise.

“Will it help Your Majesty?” Shen Yu didn’t answer Shang JunLin’s question. He couldn’t possibly tell Shang JunLin that he got it from Shen QingRan in his previous life, at least not yet.

Looking at Shen Yu’s expression, Shang JunLin knew he wouldn’t tell him even if he asked further. Shen Yu didn’t have just one or two secrets. One more didn’t matter.

Shang JunLin wasn’t in a hurry. He suppressed his rare loss of composure and released Shen Yu’s arm. “The noble monarch really is a great help to this emperor.”

“This is a gift for Your Majesty. Does Your Majesty like it?” Shen Yu felt relieved that Shang JunLin hadn’t pressed him for the source of the information. Even if he had thousands of ways to hide the past, he didn’t want to deceive Shang JunLin about this.

“This emperor likes it very much.” Shang JunLin’s fingers kept tightening on the book. The ink-black darkness in his eyes roiled, but soon returned to calm. 

Shen Yu thought for a moment and made a request. “Your Majesty, I have another selfish thing to ask. When Your Majesty discusses this with the ministers, will you please not mention my name?” 

“You should be rewarded for presenting something so useful. You really don’t want credit?” Shang JunLin raised his eyebrows. Was this the same Noble Monarch Shen who demanded a reward just because his maid was frightened?

“I already said it’s a birthday gift for Your Majesty. How can I be rewarded?” Besides, the content in the book didn’t originally come from him. Shen Yu wasn’t interested in falsely claiming credit from others.

In the book Shen Yu read after his death, it stated that many of the things Shen QingRan used came from the wisdom of future generations. Maybe Shen QingRan was willing to brazenly claim the merit for himself, but that didn’t mean Shen Yu would.

If it didn’t belong to him, Shen Yu would never lower himself to ask for it.

“When the noble monarch’s birthday comes, this emperor will give you a grand present.”

That day, Shang JunLin deliberated in the imperial study until midnight. When he returned to Yuzhang Palace, Shen Yu was already asleep. He took off his outer robe and got into bed. Before long, Shen Yu noticed the heat source and snuggled next to him. Shang JunLin hugged the man in his arms and slowly closed his eyes.

The King of Li and the King of Yue dragged themselves out of the palace covered in wounds, and the news spread quickly among the upper class circles in the capital. This was the center of power, and two princes were involved. The ministers privately speculated about what happened.

They didn’t have to make guesses for long. The imperial palace issued an edict the next day. Because of their confrontation with the emperor and the noble monarch, the King of Li and the King of Yue were ordered to remain within doors and reflect on their failings.

When people heard the news, they looked at each other in surprise.

“The King of Li disrespected His Majesty and the noble monarch at the palace banquet. I thought he might suffer for it. His Majesty didn’t make an issue of it at the time, but I thought it was because he was thinking of the King of Li’s face. I didn’t expect…”

“The King of Li isn’t surprising, but what about the King of Yue? The King of Yue has always been so dutiful and honest. Why would he make trouble with the noble monarch, who’s highly favored?”

“He was punished with a cane and sentenced to reflect on his actions behind closed doors. He lost face as well as reputation. His Majesty really didn’t show him any mercy.”

“If you ask me, the King of Li deserved it. He’s been throwing his weight around for years, relying on his ties to the throne. Does he think he can control His Majesty as he pleases? His Majesty did this to knock him down a peg.”

“The King of Yue was punished too, which really makes people wonder.”

“What’s so hard to understand? I heard the King of Yue and the King of Li met in private several times. Maybe they were plotting something in secret and His Majesty noticed.”

In the capital there was no shortage of discussions about these events. The talk eventually reached the ears of the King of Li and the King of Yue through the mouths of interested people.

Both men were in a dangerous mood. Their servants trembled for days and didn’t dare to make the slightest mistake.

The incident concerning the King of Yue and the King of Li sounded an alarm to other members of the imperial family. The vassal kings who’d returned to the capital put off their social engagements, stayed in their palaces without making trouble, and prayed that the day they could return to their fiefdoms would come soon.

Because of this incident, the last few people who wanted to persuade Shang JunLin to accept more concubines also abandoned their plans. Everyone knew the King of Li had a conflict with Noble Monarch Shen because he wanted to send his niece to the palace.

What happened outside the palace eventually made its way inside. After listening to Mu Xi’s report on the situation, Shen Yu casually looked away.

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He handed the flowers he’d picked from the garden to the servant behind him. “How are things at the manor?”

“It’s business as usual,” Mu Xi said in a low voice. She took a few steps closer to Shen Yu. “Young master, the people from the manor asked this slave to give you a message. The vermilion cotton you asked about is blooming.”

“Is that so? Tell them I’ll find time to see it.”

Vermillion cotton referred to the orders Shen Yu had given before entering the palace. If the flowers were blooming, it meant that what he ordered was done.

If he had to name the only disadvantage of entering the palace, this was it. It was too inconvenient to contact people outside. His power wasn’t developed yet, and there were too many inconveniences because he couldn’t direct things personally.

It seemed that he still had to find a way to leave the palace alone, or maybe take Shang JunLin on a trip to the manor.

“Noble monarch, this isn’t good!” A palace maid ran over in a panic. “Concubine Yu just tried to kill herself in the palace. She insists on seeing you.”

“No one stopped her?” Shen Yu frowned. After bringing those former imperial concubines back to Yuzhang Palace, he hadn’t bothered with them further. They weren’t allowed to step foot from their rooms or contact outsiders, but aside from that, everything was the same as before. Why would they suddenly make trouble?

“Stop her, this slave couldn’t stop her,” the palace maid said anxiously.

“Do you know what happened?”

“This slave doesn’t know. This slave went to deliver meals to several concubines as usual and found Concubine Yu hanging from white silk on a beam….” The palace maid explained as she led Shen Yu to the place.

Before they arrived, he heard noise in the courtyard. Shen Yu quickened his pace and frowned at the chaos in the small yard.

“Stop! The noble monarch is here!” the young eunuch behind Shen Yu stepped forward and shouted sternly. “What are you doing? Why are you causing such a fuss?”

“Concubine Yu, didn’t you say you wanted to see the noble monarch? The noble monarch is here,” the palace maid who was leading Shen Yu called out.

“Noble monarch, this concubine knows I’m wrong. This concubine is willing to tell you everything. Noble monarch, please let this concubine go!” Concubine Yu pushed away the palace servants who tried to stop her, ran over to Shen Yu and knelt down.

“Oh? Is there some other secret behind the way all of you tried to seduce His Majesty?” Shen Yu asked without raising his voice.

“Noble monarch, please understand. This concubine really didn’t do it voluntarily!” Concubine Yu kowtowed, knocking her head on the ground a few times. “This concubine is willing to say everything. I only beg the noble monarch to save my life.”

Shen Yu narrowed his eyes. “Mu Xi, clear the irrelevant people from the courtyard and send someone to invite His Majesty here. Remember, don’t spread the news.”

“This slave obeys.”

In the twinkling of an eye, the courtyard was empty. When Shen Yu first brought the former concubines back, he arranged them in different places. Originally he did this to prevent the former consorts from communicating with each other. Now it made things even easier.

“Come inside and talk.” Shen Yu walked into the palace and sat down in the main seat. Several palace attendants stood at his side, and Mu Xi was at his right hand. 

“You said you wanted me to save your life. What happened?” he asked.

Concubine Yu’s face revealed her panic. She looked around nervously and whispered, “Noble monarch, someone is going to kill me.”

“Kill you?” Mu Xi was puzzled. “Yuzhang Palace is heavily guarded. It’s much safer for you here than where you lived before. Why would someone want to kill you?”

“This concubine wouldn’t dare lie. This concubine woke up in the middle of the night several times and felt someone standing by the bed, holding something in his hand. He was staring at this concubine coldly.” Concubine Yu swallowed nervously. “This concubine was terrified and didn’t dare look closely to see what was going on.”

“Then how do you know this person wants to kill you?”

“Because this concubine happened to see the dagger in that man’s hand.” Concubine Yu was scared silly. Before she entered the palace she was an ordinary girl with at best a little cleverness. She’d never encountered violent things before. She wasn’t even completely sure the man was real, but the next day she raised a fuss.

She didn’t know why the man hadn’t already killed her, but she was very much afraid he would do so in the future. When she originally agreed to participate in the scheme, she knew that if she failed or was discovered by the emperor, she wouldn’t end well.

But before she could even implement the plan, she was imprisoned by Shen Yu in Yuzhang Palace. Unless some accident happened, there was no way for her to complete the task. She had every reason to believe the conspirator would deal with her in advance to ensure his secret was never revealed.

“Noble monarch, this concubine really isn’t lying!”

“I know.” When Shen Yu originally decided to bring the women to Yuzhang Palace, he thought about what to do if the people behind the scenes attacked the concubines to make sure they weren’t exposed. Shang JunLin also ordered the Hidden Dragon Guard to pay attention to the movements of people here at all times. If someone really wanted to do something, they would be discovered at once.

The man hadn’t killed Concubine Yu yet. Maybe he was worried about being discovered. And also…

Since that person hadn’t been found yet, he was probably a servant who worked in the courtyard.

Shen Yu thought of the Hidden Dragon Guards that Shang JunLin ordered to follow him. Shen Yu didn’t know if they would answer him.

Tentatively, he called out the same way Shang JunLin usually did to give orders to the Hidden Dragon Guard. 

A man dressed in black silently appeared in the room. “What does the noble monarch command?”

It seemed he was able to call them.

“Tell the people guarding the courtyard—don’t let anyone leave. If someone does anything unusual, immediately take them into custody,” Shen Yu ordered.

“Yes.” With that, the man in black disappeared.

Shen Yu believed in the Hidden Dragon Guard’s ability and felt slightly relieved. If they didn’t handle this well, they might really beat the grass and startle the snake.

Shen Yu put one hand on the armrest of his chair and looked down calmly. “Tell me everything you know.” 

“It started ten years ago…”

Ten years ago, the throne changed hands and the new emperor ascended. The era of the late emperor was over. Soon after the new ruler took the throne, there was an emergency at the border. The new emperor led his iron cavalry to crush the invaders and recover the lost territory.

For a long time, the imperial palace was without a master.

The new emperor left the court too quickly, and the handover of power wasn’t completed. The old forces fought with the new. The imperial palace, the largest playing field, bore the brunt and was affected the most.

The late emperor died suddenly, leaving behind a large number of concubines and immature princes. Among these people were many inexperienced girls like Concubine Yu who’d just entered the palace and had no power or influence.

A person approached them secretly and asked them to find a way to remain in the palace.

“At first, the man sent us a lot of gold, silver, and gorgeous jewelry. He said that he couldn’t bear to see how miserably we were living in the palace. Later, he occasionally asked us to do small tasks or send news outside. They were all trivial things. Even if someone found out, it wouldn’t endanger our lives.

“A few years later, His Majesty returned to the court and spent more and more time in the palace. The man asked us to find a way to get close to His Majesty and said it was best if we could find a way to become one of His Majesty’s women.”

“He dared a great deal. How could he be sure His Majesty would accept you?” That was the biggest thing Shen Yu didn’t understand. No matter how beautiful or young these women were, they couldn’t hide the fact they were the concubines of the previous emperor.

“Maybe they thought this emperor would be the same as the previous emperor, a person who eats everything he sees.”

Shang JunLin’s expressionless voice came from the door. Shen Yu looked up and saw a tall man, dressed in a black robe with a golden dragon pattern, walking step by step into the light.

TL Notes:

ties to the throne – 从龙之功 – merit as a dragon

beat the grass and startle the snake – 打草惊蛇 – beat the grass and frighten away the snake — act rashly and alert the enemy; beat emptily upon the grass, and the snake will be frightened; beat the grass and drive the snake away; beat the grass and the snake will be startled

eats everything he sees – 荤素不忌 – doesn’t abstain from meat or vegetables – non-vegetarian – Ref. the note in Ch 20 about eating meat and celibacy

Transliterated names, places, and titles—new in this chapter:

Lin County – 临县

Concubine Yu – 玉娘娘 – Yù niángniáng