The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

Shang JunLin propped himself on the soft couch with one hand and looked sideways at Shen Yu. “This emperor can wait, but the noble monarch shouldn’t make excuses not to fulfill your promise when the time comes.”

Shen Yu sat down on the side of the couch. “Why is Your Majesty so sure I’ll lose? What if Your Majesty loses?”

“Of course this emperor will keep my promise.” Shang JunLin slowly sat down.

The couch was the same one that was there before. Shang JunLin looked at the distance between himself and Shen Yu and said, “This emperor will tell someone to change the couch.”

“Why do you suddenly want to do that? This one is comfortable.” Shen Yu thought about it. The couch was large and luxuriously soft. Sometimes he liked to lie there on Shang JunLin’s lap.

Shang JunLin pursed his lips and said nothing. It wasn’t the comfort level of the couch that was the problem. He just wanted a smaller one. When the two of them sat in it he couldn’t quite reach Shen Yu on the other side.

“Your Majesty.” Shen Yu moved closer to Shang JunLin. “What don’t you like about it?”

“The noble monarch was too far away from this emperor just now,” Shang JunLin answered evasively.

Doctor Shen Yu didn’t understand how the two things were related until something occurred to him. He poked Shang JunLin’s arm and asked teasingly, “Does Your Majesty think the couch is too big?”

“What does the noble monarch think?” Shang JunLin took Shen Yu by the waist and dragged him into his arms. Then he felt content.

After confirming his theory, Shen Yu was amused. He chuckled and leaned against Shang JunLin’s shoulder. “Your Majesty, you’re too cute.”

Shen Yu remembered that when they were outside the palace, Shang JunLin had a special liking for the couch in their residence. He liked to drag Shen Yu to sit there with him. Even when he was dealing with official business, he wanted Shen Yu to sit beside him. So that’s why he was so determined.

“If Your Majesty wants me to sit closer, just say so. Why bother changing the couch? Besides, its size has advantages. When you’re tired of sitting you can just lie down. What does Your Majesty think?”

Shang JunLin wasn’t going to insist. “If the noble monarch doesn’t want to change it, don’t change it.” 

Shen Yu rested his head against Shang JunLin and half-closed his eyes. The truth was that after his loss of health, Shen Yu had been sleepy recently. After a while, he fell asleep.

His shoulders slipped down. Shang JunLin gazed at the young man who was leaning against him, asleep, and the light in his eyes became softer and softer.

He took the blanket and draped it over the young man. Shang JunLin held Shen Yu in one hand and wrote with the other. In the quiet afternoon, the only sound was the occasional rustle of memorials.

With the approach of the spring exam, the students stopped going out as much. They remained in their temporary lodgings and concentrated on preparing for the exam.

The closer the exam got, the less Jiang HuaiQing was able to sit still. He rapped on the door of the next room.

“ChengYu Xiong, are you busy?”

After a while, the door opened and a man in a dark blue robe appeared. “Come in.”

Jiang HuaiQing walked inside with a book in his arms.

“I haven’t seen Young Master Lin and Young Master Yu for several days. Aren’t they going to take the exam? Why haven’t I seen them?” Jiang HuaiQing was familiar with the room and casually set his book next to Hè ChengYu.

“Are you looking for them?” Hè ChengYu poured them each a cup of tea.

“I thought we could get together. I don’t know if we’ll be able to meet after the exam.” Jiang HuaiQing took a sip from his tea cup and said, “It’s good tea.”

“If we pass the exam, we’ll work together as officials for Da Huan, and we’ll see each other often.” Hè ChengYu looked down at the tea leaves floating in his cup. Those two looked to be in high positions. It wasn’t likely they were exam candidates.

“Is ChengYu Xiong trying to say we’ll meet again if we’re destined? At any rate, I ran into something and I stopped by to see if ChengYu Xiong can help me.” Jiang HuaiQing opened his book and pointed at several places. “Here, here, and here. I thought about it for a few days, but I still don’t understand.”

Hè ChengYu took a closer look and began to discuss his thoughts.

The two talked for a while, and Jiang HuaiQing suddenly realized, “So that’s it. It turns out I misunderstood.”

“HuaiQing’s interpretation is unique. I wonder if it’s possible to ask who you studied under?”

The two had met on the way to the capital. One was from a noble family, and the other was from a humble family, but they unexpectedly shared the same interests. When they found out they were headed to the same destination, they decided to travel together.

Jiang HuaiQing wasn’t guarded against people, and it didn’t take long before Hè ChengYu learned basic information about him. In return, Hè ChengYu told Jiang HuaiQing some things about himself.

The more time they spent together, the more Hè ChengYu was taken aback by the level of Jiang HuaiQing’s learning. By no means was this young man inferior to himself. Hè ChengYu understood his own situation. He was trained by his family, but Jiang HuaiQing was just an ordinary student from a poor family. The only person who could have helped Jiang HuaiQing break through the barriers of his background was the one who taught him.

“My teacher…” Jiang HuaiQing suddenly fell silent.

For an instant, Jiang HuaiQing’s expression changed dramatically. Then he quickly reverted back to the familiar person Hè ChengYu knew.

“Just an ordinary old man. If Teacher hadn’t picked me up from the ice and snow, I probably wouldn’t be able to stand here now.”

Hè ChengYu felt stunned. He had no idea it involved such a painful story. “Sorry, I didn’t know….”

“It’s all right.” Jiang HuaiQing waved his hand carelessly. “I never mentioned it. ChengYu Xiong, don’t blame me for not saying anything before.”

A little distracted, Jiang HuaiQing picked up his book and said goodbye.

Hè ChengYu watched him go back to his room, then slowly lowered his eyes. He shouldn’t have been so rude today.

Jiang HuaiQing closed the doors and windows of his room and sat on the bed. After a long time, he rubbed his face. The most important thing was the exam. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to do anything for Teacher.

To give the scholars the best environment to prepare for the exam, Yingxing House, which had a lot of exam candidates staying there, suspended entertainment activities.

As the date approached, the streets and alleys weren’t as lively as before.

The chill of early spring had passed, and the weather gradually warmed. Shen Yu still wore heavy layers. Every day his room was kept warm.

Mu Xi and Meng Gonggong, who served them closely, had switched to lighter clothes. So did Shang JunLin.

“Does Your Majesty think it’s too hot inside?” Shen Yu saw that Shang JunLin was wearing light outer clothes, as were the palace servants waiting in the room. It was only himself who was still dressed in thick winter robes.

“No.” Shang JunLin put down his pen and stretched out his hand. “Ah Yu, come here.”

Shen Yu walked over and put his hand on the man’s palm. The sky spun for a moment, and suddenly he was sitting on the man’s lap.

Shang JunLin touched Shen Yu’s forehead. “How do you feel? Are you cold?”

Shen Yu nodded honestly. “A little.”

If not for his drastic loss in health from the second attack of illness, Shen Yu wouldn’t be suffering like this.

Shang JunLin passed his arm around Shen Yu’s waist and gathered both of Shen Yu’s hands in his.

The man’s palm was hot. The moment he took Shen Yu’s hand, the warmth spread upward along Shen Yu’s fingertips.

Shang JunLin leaned into Shen Yu’s ear and whispered, “I’ll warm Ah Yu up.” 

“Doesn’t Your Majesty need to review memorials?” Shen Yu glanced at the low desk with the stacks of reports.

“No hurry.”

With Shen Yu in his arms, the anger Shang JunLin felt because of the memorials instantly died down. “None of it’s important.”

As he spoke, his warm breath exhaled against Shen Yu’s neck. Shen Yu felt a little itchy and rested his head against Shang JunLin.

“Your Majesty, it tickles.”

Shang JunLin turned his head a little. “What about this?”

""

Shen Yu stopped moving.

Shang JunLin couldn’t help laughing. “The noble monarch can’t get too close, but also can’t stay far away.”

Shen Yu would never admit that he was so difficult to please. “Why can’t I stay far away?”

Shang JunLin felt a little helpless. “Because this emperor can’t stand being far away from you, understand?” 

“So that’s it,” Shen Yu muttered, turning his head. “Your Majesty seemed a little unhappy just now. Did something happen?”

“It’s about the examination officials and the screening that occurs before the candidates enter the examination hall.” Shang JunLin attached immense importance to each session of the imperial examinations. Some of these young students would become the pillars of Da Huan in the future. The empire was in desperate need of fresh blood.

“Which officials did Your Majesty appoint to take charge of it?” Shen Yu thought of the high-profile imperial examination fraud case in his previous life. He couldn’t let the same thing happen again in this life.

Shang JunLin toyed with Shen Yu’s warmed up fingers. “They’re from the Ministry of Rites. Zheng Yuan is in charge.” 

Zheng Yuan.

Shen Yu reviewed his memories of the imperial examination. After the fraud was exposed, the entire empire was shocked. Shen Yu heard the news when he was staying in the King of Yue’s fief. He was deeply impressed by it because it was how he later recruited his important confidant, Jiang HuaiQing.

Jiang HuaiQing was innocent, but he was implicated anyway. He only escaped after numerous brushes with disaster. Several years later, he came to work for Shen Yu. He only said a few words about the events of that year. Shen Yu wasn’t interested in poking people’s wounds, so he didn’t ask for details.

The chief examiner, Zheng Yuan, was dismissed the day the incident was revealed. Later it was determined that the fraud was not his fault, but he was still charged with inadequate supervision. In the end, he was executed by the enraged emperor of Da Huan.

It was after this incident that Shang JunLin’s reputation for ruthless violence began to spread among the people. With the accumulation of one case after another, this idea was scored even more deeply into their minds.

Later, whenever people spoke of Shang JunLin, the first thing that came to mind was not that he recovered the empire’s territory and built a prosperous era, but his numerous atrocities.

Too many officials were executed that year for Shen Yu to remember which ones were ultimately responsible. “Who else is assisting?” 

“Several people,” Shang JunLin said. He read a list of names. “Why is Shen Yu suddenly interested in this?”

“I want to know who displeased Your Majesty. Since they made Your Majesty unhappy, you should just replace them. Does Your Majesty have a shortage of people who can do the work?”

Shang JunLin rubbed his face against Shen Yu’s. “All they do is quarrel, and it’s extremely annoying. Ah Yu is kind and considerate.”

It was impossible for Shen Yu to intervene directly. If he wanted to take care of this in advance, he had to think of other ways.

At morning court the next day, Shang JunLin made a decision about the officials in charge of the imperial examination. Departing from the usual practice, this time a group of new officials was added.

Shang JunLin’s attitude was firm. When the ministers saw there was no room for negotiation, they quieted down.

Shang JunLin stroked Shen Yu’s hair when he told Shen Yu about the new arrangement. “What is Ah Yu worried about?”

Shen Yu shook his head.

Shang JunLin was about to say something when Mu Xi walked in with a letter.

""

“Young master, this is a letter from Young Master Jiang. The person who delivered it said we should give it to you as soon as possible.”

Shang JunLin rubbed against Shen Yu’s shoulder like a big dog. “Why does he write letters to Ah Yu so often?” 

“It’s not that often. If you include this time, I can count the letters he sent on one hand.” Shen Yu asked Mu Xi to bring the letter over.

Without looking left or right, Mu Xi presented it.

Shang JunLin took the letter one step ahead of Shen Yu. “What did he write this time?”

Shen Yu took the letter from Shang JunLin. Without avoiding Shang JunLin at all, he opened it, and the two read it together.

The opening of the letter was similar to the previous ones. But towards the end, the wording suddenly changed and the writer mentioned something strange he’d just encountered.

—Recently, someone approached him and hinted there was a way for him to win first place on the exam.

TL Notes:

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

Doctor Shen Yu – 沈郁先生 – Shěn Yù xiānshēng – Alternatively: Mr. Shen Yu, Teacher Shen Yu

Teacher – 老师 – lǎoshī

""

Zheng Yuan – 郑远