The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

After buying the books, Shen Yu said goodbye to Jiang HuaiQing and Hè ChengYu.

Jiang HuaiQing still felt embarrassed by what happened before. He didn’t say much to keep them, but made an appointment to meet them again later in the suburbs of the capital. The two sides parted.

When they returned, Shang JunLin placed the books neatly on the desk. After overcoming a moment of embarrassment, Shen Yu felt curious about the stories.

He picked up one at random, sat down on the soft couch, and opened it.

“Let’s see what Your Majesty hopes to learn from these stories.”

Shang JunLin also took a book and sat beside Shen Yu. “Obviously, it’s to learn how the emperor in these stories succeeds in inviting the noble monarch to share his bed night after night.”

“Ahem.” Shen Yu choked a little. Indeed, the books were full of outrageous speculation. The romantic lives of the noble monarch and the emperor could be described as “rich and colorful”. Shen Yu suspected the reason these stories sold so well had a lot to do with all of this “color”.

Shang JunLin patted Shen Yu on the back. “Careful, noble monarch.” 

Shen Yu couldn’t sit still any longer. He grabbed the book from Shang JunLin and set it aside. “Your Majesty already knows everything in these books is fake.”

Dangerous ideas are not allowed!

The room was warm. Shen Yu felt an itch on his neck and reached up to scratch it.

Shang JunLin suddenly grabbed Shen Yu’s hand. His eyes darkened.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s bleeding.”

The place Shang JunLin had bitten was lower on his neck. When Shen Yu moved, his collar slipped down slightly, revealing a mottled area of skin.

Now that some time had passed, the redness had grown more and more appalling. Several obvious wounds were visible and blood was seeping out.

Shang JunLin took Shen Yu’s hand, extended his other hand to Shen Yu’s neck and touched him gently. “Does it hurt?”

Shen Yu pretended to be angry and gave him a look. “See what Your Majesty did.” 

Shang JunLin took the initiative to admit his mistake. “It’s this emperor’s fault.” 

When he saw Shen Yu surrounded by those young men, smiling and talking to them casually, Shang JunLin couldn’t help feeling a burst of hostility. He wanted Shen Yu to smile only at him. He wanted to be the cause of everything Shen Yu felt…. 

All his planning and command fell to pieces in front of Shen Yu, and the self-control he was so proud of collapsed with a single blow.

“Your Majesty doesn’t have to apologize.” Shen Yu saw Shang JunLin’s slightly irritated expression. “Your Majesty, please help me with the medicine.”

The medicine was already prepared. Shang JunLin took the ointment Shen Yu frequently used and applied it to the injury a little at a time.

The cool ointment quickly soothed away the discomfort.

In fact, the injury on his neck only looked frightening. It didn’t hurt much. After the medicine was applied, Shen Yu hardly felt it.

After they spent all day enjoying themselves, the palace sent a new batch of official reports. Shang JunLin was busy with his work. Shen Yu didn’t want to disturb him and left the room.

Meng Gonggong remained inside the room. Shen Yu called Mu Xi.

“How did it go?”

“Don’t worry, young master. It’s done.” Mu Xi had been instructed to contact the estate and relay Shen Yu’s orders to the people there. She also made arrangements for a visit to the manor.

Mu Xi remembered something else. “By the way, young master, this slave met Imperial Physician Gu in the street today. He asked me to bring you his newly prepared medicine.”

Imperial Physician Gu lived outside the palace, so it wasn’t strange to run into him. Shen Yu didn’t think anything of it.

After Imperial Physician Gu returned home with Gu Huai, he briefly tidied up the courtyard. 

“Gege, what kind of person is Noble Monarch Shen?” Gu Huai suddenly asked.

Imperial Physician Gu watered some herbs that were growing vigorously. “Why do you ask?” 

“Just curious.” Gu Huai squatted beside Imperial Physician Gu. “Gege is always busy with Noble Monarch Shen’s affairs. He must be a good person.”

“Yes, he really is. I’ll take you to meet him later when I have the chance.”

Later that night.

Gu Huai quietly left the house. A man dressed in black, who’d been waiting outside, knelt down. “Master.”

Gu Huai: “What happened with the matter I asked you to investigate?”

Man in black: “Replying to the master, this subordinate received specific information that His Majesty and the noble monarch are outside the palace right now. Your subordinates are incompetent. We weren’t able to identify exactly where they’re staying.”

Gu Huai: “I don’t blame any of you. If you could discover it that easily, he wouldn’t be Shang JunLin.”

Man in black: “This subordinate found out something else. Recently there’s been some movement on a mountain near the outskirts of the capital.”

Gu Huai: “Tell me the exact location.”

Man in black: “Cangqi Mountain.”

Cangqi Mountain? Gu Huai lowered his eyes in contemplation. Whether those two people went to Cangqi Mountain or not, he had to go there and take a look.

Shang JunLin finished working on government affairs for the day. As for the matter of the King of Yue, it was given to Minister Fang to oversee.

The moment he received the edict, Minister Fang was stunned. He just wanted His Majesty to teach the King of Yue a lesson. He never thought the case would fall to himself.

“Isn’t it good news?” Young Lady Fang asked while eating melon seeds. “His Majesty handed it over to you, which means that as far as His Majesty is concerned, the King of Yue isn’t important at all. You can do as you see fit.”

Minister Fang still felt worried. “But…” 

“His Majesty doesn’t care, so why is Father so concerned? If there really was something to worry about, His Majesty wouldn’t have given it to Father to deal with.”

“Your father understands what you’re saying. I’m just amazed.” If there really was a problem, His Majesty would have told him so. Since the matter was entrusted to him, he had to make sure everything was handled correctly.

Full of energy, Minister Fang went to deal with the King of Yue’s affairs.

Young Lady Fang was hoping to meet the two young masters who helped her at Yingxing House that day, so she went in search of Jiang HuaiQing. Meanwhile, Jiang HuaiQing was still hoping to apologize to Shen Yu. When they realized they had the same goal, they decided to meet Shen Yu together.

Fortunately, before they parted, Shen Yu gave Jiang HuaiQing a way to contact him. It didn’t take long to get in touch with him.

When Mu Xi told Shen Yu about it, he felt slightly surprised.

Shen Yu put down his writing brush. “How did they end up working together?”

“It’s probably because Young Lady Fang couldn’t find a way to contact us. She must have found Jiang HuaiQing at Yingxing House,” Shang JunLin said.

It wouldn’t have taken much effort to find out they’d dined together that day.

“Your Majesty, do you want to go see them?”

Shang JunLin left it up to Shen Yu. “If Ah Yu wants to, we can go.” 

“Then let’s meet.” Shen Yu still had some interest in the young lady of the Fang family. 

They arranged to meet at Yingxing House again. Because they were meeting to talk about something, they chose a private room where they wouldn’t be disturbed.

When Shen Yu and Shang JunLin arrived, Jiang HuaiQing had been talking with Young Lady Fang for a while.

For convenience, Young Lady Fang was wearing a relatively plain gown today, and her makeup was different from last time. She had a clean, refreshing look.

Shen Yu and Shang JunLin sat down together. Jiang HuaiQing was about to say something but swallowed it back silently.

Better wait until later.

Young Lady Fang took the lead. “I took the liberty of inviting the two young masters here to thank you for helping with the situation last time. I hope you won’t think I’m rude.” 

“There’s no need to thank us.” Shen Yu said.

After serving the food, the waiter quietly withdrew, and Jiang HuaiQing introduced Young Lady Fang to the two young masters. Since he knew she had something to say to them, he didn’t intend to stay much longer.

“Young Master Yu, I wonder if I can say a quick word to you?”

Shang JunLin’s eyes swept towards Jiang HuaiQing.

When Jiang HuaiQing felt that icy gaze land on him, he wanted to cry but couldn’t. He really didn’t mean to interrupt them last time. He only wanted to apologize!

Amused, Shen Yu patted Shang JunLin on the arm. Then he stood up and walked to the side with Jiang HuaiQing.

“The reason I came to see you wasn’t only because of Young Lady Fang. I also wanted to apologize to Young Master Yu. Last time I didn’t know you two were… Ahem… I’m really sorry for disturbing you.”

As that unfriendly gaze pressed on him like a physical thing, Jiang HuaiQing spoke with difficulty.

Shen Yu thought to himself: It’s lucky you two interrupted. Otherwise I don’t know how long Shang JunLin was planning to continue.

What he said was: “So that’s what you wanted to say. It’s our fault for not paying attention. You didn’t have to apologize to me like this.”

Jiang HuaiQing didn’t think Shen Yu would be so calm about such a thing. He couldn’t stop his face from turning red. “Well, it was our mistake, after all. I wish you two a happy marriage into old age, uh…”

As he spoke, Jiang HuaiQing accidentally saw the red marks on the side of Shen Yu’s neck. Even if he’d never eaten pork, he’d seen pigs run, and he suddenly stumbled over his words. 

After hastily saying a few more auspicious things, Jiang HuaiQing fled the scene like a crime suspect.

Shen Yu had never seen Jiang HuaiQing so animated before, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.

Shen Yu returned to Shang JunLin and sat down. Shang JunLin’s attention had remained on him the entire time. He wanted to know what Jiang HuaiQing said to make Shen Yu laugh. However, Young Lady Fang was present, so he didn’t ask.

“This commoner Fang JiaYi greets Your Majesty and the noble monarch.”

“No need to be polite.”

Shen Yu was curious. “How did you guess who we are?” 

“There are very few people who feel no dread of the nobility and royalty. The two of you didn’t have the slightest fear of the King of Yue despite his status. For that reason, it seemed clear that your identity wasn’t lower than his. When this commoner considered the close relationship between the two of you, it was possible to roughly guess your identity.” Fang JiaYi spoke with neither servility nor arrogance.

“Oh?” Shen Yu lifted his eyes with great interest. “If it was a guess, how did Young Lady Fang confirm our identities in the end?”

“It’s because His Majesty gave the King of Yue’s case to my father to handle.”

“Young Lady Fang, the reason you approached His Majesty and myself wasn’t just to thank us, right?”

“This commoner would like to ask for a chance.” Fang JiaYi knelt down. “This commoner wants to have a chance to compete fairly with men.”

Shang JunLin squeezed Shen Yu’s wrist and didn’t speak.

In the silence, Fang JiaYi spoke again: “This commoner knows my request might be a little outrageous, but this commoner believes there are many women like me who aspire to live in the world, instead of resigning themselves to the inner courtyard.”

“Do you know that achieving this will be difficult?” Shang JunLin said slowly.

“This commoner knows, but I still want to fight for my destiny and for the many women in the world who share the same ambition as me!” When she said this, Fang JiaYi’s face was determined, and a dazzling light flashed in her eyes.

Shen Yu poked Shang JunLin. Shang JunLin said, “This emperor can give you an opportunity. Whether you’re able to seize it depends on you.”

“Many thanks, Your Majesty!”

""

After they returned to the small courtyard, Shen Yu asked, “Your Majesty, what do you think Fang JiaYi will do now?” 

“The noble monarch will know if you think about it.”

“The first hurdle will probably be Minister Fang. I wonder how Minister Fang will react when he finds out his daughter approached Your Majesty.”

“That’s something for the Fang family to worry about.” Shang JunLin obviously cared more about something else. He embraced the young man from behind and lightly rubbed the tip of his nose against the side of Shen Yu’s neck. “Noble monarch, tell this emperor what Jiang HuaiQing said to you.”

Shen Yu had noticed that Shang JunLin was obsessed with his neck lately. He wanted to leave a mark on it at every turn.

“What does Your Majesty think he might have said?”

Shen Yu ducked to the side but was caught by the man.

“What did he say to make the noble monarch laugh so happily, hmm?”

—

The author has something to say:

A few words about the pamphlet

I saw people in the comment section say that His Majesty already has a lot of theoretical knowledge, but! Can mere theory be as delicious as the plot of a novel?! Especially when the protagonists of the plot are His Majesty and the noble monarch, tsk tsk tsk~ How stimulating~

TL Notes:

All his planning and command – 运筹帷幄 – map out a strategy; devise strategies within a command tent; have the situation well in hand; make artifices in the general’s tent

clean, refreshing – 飒爽 – heroic / valiant, sassy

wanted to cry but couldn’t – 欲哭无泪 – tried to weep, but failed to shed a tear; felt like weeping but had no tears; One wanted to cry but had no tears; too deep for tears

a happy marriage into old age – 恩爱白首 – conjugal love/loving affection (with) gray hair –  A way to convey well-wishes to a couple, hoping they’ll grow old together happily

Even if he’d never eaten pork, he’d seen pigs run – 没吃过猪肉但见过猪跑 – Very common idiom which means that even if you don’t have personal experience of something, you’re still familiar enough with it to recognize it or draw inferences

neither servility nor arrogance – 不卑不亢 – be neither humble nor pushy; neither cringing nor arrogant; neither haughty nor humble; neither humble nor pert – In other words, the person is speaking in a calm and dignified way that’s appropriate to the situation

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

Cangqi Mountain – 苍岐山

Fang JiaYi – 方嘉怡

this commoner – 民女 – woman from an ordinary family