The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

Shen Yu：”…”

“How does Your Majesty want me to comfort you?”

Shang JunLin leaned in close. “How does Ah Yu think?” 

Shen Yu patted Shang JunLin’s lowered head. “There, there, Your Majesty. Don’t feel bad. Are those people worth Your Majesty’s anger?”

With this, Shen Yu gracefully withdrew his hand. “Does Your Majesty feel comforted?”

Shang JunLin laughed in spite of himself. “Ah Yu knows very well this emperor meant something else.”

Shen Yu widened his eyes and played innocent. “If Your Majesty doesn’t tell me, I won’t know what kind of comfort Your Majesty wants.”

“You can pretend to be confused about this. The spring exams will conclude soon, and then we’ll see what excuses you come up with to stall this emperor.” Shang JunLin straightened up and walked to the side with his hands behind his back.

Shen Yu didn’t understand. “Why is Your Majesty so certain you’ll win?” 

Shang JunLin looked at him with a smile. “Has Ah Yu forgotten who decides the final score in the palace exam?” 

Shen Yu naturally hadn’t thought about it. When he heard Shang JunLin say this, he widened his eyes in disbelief. “Surely Your Majesty won’t ‘abuse power for personal gain’ in order to win?”

Shang JunLin lifted his eyebrows. “If it means Ah Yu will take the initiative to approach this emperor, why not abuse my power?” 

Shen Yu came closer, carefully observed the man’s face, and didn’t see any trace of humor, as if Shang JunLin really meant it. Shen Yu was speechless for a moment.

“What about Your Majesty?” Shen Yu walked around him. “If Your Majesty doesn’t win me over, you can’t expect me to be willing.”

Shang JunLin laughed. “I wasn’t serious.” He grabbed the young man walking to his side and picked him up. “How could this emperor really do something so foolish? If Ah Yu is really worried, this emperor will have someone arrange a screen, and you can read the examination papers with me.”

Caught off guard and lifted into the air, Shen Yu put his hands on the man’s shoulders. Shang JunLin picked him up like he was holding a child. Shen Yu’s head was a little higher than Shang JunLin’s.

From a superior height, Shen Yu looked down at the man. “Your Majesty, were you planning this from the beginning? To let me accompany Your Majesty as you score the exam?”

Shang JunLin patted Shen Yu’s lower back and didn’t deny it. “Does Ah Yu agree?”

“I’ll think about it.” Shen Yu didn’t say no. A moment ago Shang JunLin truly didn’t sound like he was joking. If there wasn’t a big difference in Jiang HuaiQing’s and Hè ChengYu’s scores, Shang JunLin might decide to play favorites and award Hè ChengYu the zhuangyuan position.

If not for the bet, it really didn’t matter to Shang JunLin who ranked first or second.

But when it came to this particular subject, Shang JunLin was inclined to act like an intemperate tyrant. It was fine if Shang JunLin became a tyrant for his own reasons, but Shen Yu would never allow Shang JunLin to become an intemperate tyrant because of himself!

“You don’t come here often. This emperor will show you around,” Shang JunLin said and began to walk away.

Shen Yu patted him on the shoulder. “First put me down.”

Shang JunLin thought about it. Shen Yu was probably unwilling to be held like this in public. With some regret, Shang JunLin gave up the idea of carrying Shen Yu everywhere and put him down.

Shen Yu breathed a sigh of relief when his feet touched the ground. He was worried Shang JunLin would carry him regardless.

Before his feet were firmly planted, there was already an arm around his waist.

Shen Yu looked down at the arm that firmly wrapped around him and paused. In the end he didn’t say anything.

“Does Ah Yu want to see the main hall?” Although it was a question, Shang JunLin had already turned in that direction.

Shen Yu gave him a sidelong glance. “If Your Majesty has already decided, why ask me?”

After morning court was over, the ministers left one after another. The main hall was now completely empty.

The place where Da Huan held court was called Jinluan Hall. The ceiling was supported by nine golden dragon pillars. Except for the throne which overlooked everything else, the rest of the room was empty.

When court was in session, the ministers stood below, and the emperor sat on the throne with a panoramic view.

Shang JunLin led Shen Yu inside, and they walked through the side door into the main hall.

Shen Yu was no stranger to this place. Before his rebirth he was the most important confidant of the King of Yue, and he often accompanied the king to and from this hall.

In two different lives he stood in the same place, but his mindset was completely different.

The man’s powerful arms supported him, and the warmth of his body continually washed over him. Shen Yu turned to look at the man’s handsome profile.

He was wearing black imperial court robes on which a lifelike five-taloned golden dragon was embroidered in gleaming thread. Together with the gold piping on the rest of the garment, it demonstrated the emperor’s majesty.

Strong, powerful, and decisive, Shang JunLin controlled life and death throughout Da Huan. Such a man was born to stand at the top. As emperor, Shang JunLin was fully qualified. Shen Yu couldn’t understand it—how had he managed to seize the throne from this man in his previous life with just the King of Yue to rely on?

The more he learned, the more Shen Yu understood how powerful Shang JunLin was. He fought his way to the throne in an incredibly hostile environment. After sitting on the throne for decades, how could he be pulled down so easily by a few miscreants?

Unfortunately, the book that Shen Yu read after his death didn’t give any details, and the events of his past life could no longer be investigated. Those things were now secrets that would probably remain buried forever.

It was a past that only Shen Yu knew.

Noticing his gaze, Shang JunLin stopped. “What is it?”

“I was thinking about how Your Majesty must feel to sit there every day.” Shen Yu turned to look at the majestic dragon throne.

“Ah Yu will find out if you try it.” Seeing Shen Yu’s interest, Shang JunLin led him towards the throne.

When Shen Yu reached the base of the steps he refused to move any further. “I’m just curious. I don’t need to experience it myself.”

“Ah Yu needn’t worry. What part of this palace is forbidden to Ah Yu?” Despite Shen Yu’s protest, Shang JunLin picked him up by the waist and walked up the stairs.

Shen Yu silently nestled in Shang JunLin’s arms. In the end, he couldn’t help being curious. He looked over his shoulder.

With each step up, his field of vision opened wider. After the ninth step, Shen Yu suddenly had the illusion that people were bowing down below.

Shang JunLin bent down, set Shen Yu on the dragon throne, and stood below him. “How does Ah Yu feel?”

Shen Yu was silent for a moment before he answered honestly, “It feels a little hard.”

The dragon throne was gorgeous, but it was true that it was uncomfortable to sit on. The back of the throne was just a decoration. If you tried to recline, you’d be scratched by the dragon that was carved on it. The armrests on both sides were far apart, and there was no way to lean on them.

Not to mention the place where you sat. There was no cushion. You could only sit up straight. It might be fine for a little while, but if time stretched on, Shen Yu didn’t think he could stand it.

“Who in this world doesn’t want to sit on this chair? It’s only Ah Yu who dislikes it for being uncomfortable.” Shang JunLin lifted his sleeves and sat beside him.

The dragon throne was more than wide enough for two people. When Shang JunLin sat down, Shen Yu smoothly leaned against him. “Even if everyone else in the world wants it, no one else is more suitable for this chair than Your Majesty.”

Standing below them, Meng Gonggong was more shocked than anything. He knew His Majesty thought highly of Shen Yu, almost spoiling him to the sky, but he never thought that if Shen Yu was a little curious, the emperor would personally carry him up there.

Sitting in that place, what one felt was not just the power, but the weight of taking responsibility for all of Da Huan, as well as the boundless loneliness.

After a while, Shen Yu didn’t want to continue sitting there, and Shang JunLin didn’t stop him. They walked down the steps together.

Shen Yu was curious. “Your Majesty isn’t afraid I’ll have thoughts about that position too?” 

If power over the entire world was within reach, how many people could resist temptation?

“If Ah Yu wants it, what’s the harm in giving it to Ah Yu?” Shang JunLin stroked the hair on Shen Yu’s forehead. “But Ah Yu, if you want the throne, you must also accept this emperor, the man who comes with the throne.  There can’t be anyone else.”

The man’s eyes grew darker and darker. “This emperor can put Ah Yu in that position, but this emperor can also stop Ah Yu from ever reaching it.”

“The throne isn’t as good as Your Majesty. I’ll let Your Majesty worry about the affairs of the world. I only need to have Your Majesty,” Shen Yu lifted his eyes to meet Shang JunLin’s gaze. “The world belongs to Your Majesty, and Your Majesty belongs to me.”

He couldn’t decipher his feelings for Shang JunLin, but he knew he didn’t want to change the current situation.

Shang JunLin was satisfied and took Shen Yu into his arms. “Ah Yu will always belong to me as well.” 

Not the “me” who was the emperor, but the “me” who was Shang JunLin.

The spring exam approached day by day, and the old forces at court grew more and more restless because of the King of Yue.

They couldn’t figure out Shang JunLin’s attitude. Their various attempts had done nothing but anger the emperor, and they failed to achieve anything they wanted.

The King of Yue’s release was both a goal and a pretext. At the heart of the conflict was a clash between the old and new factions at court.

Shang JunLin sat firmly in his fishing spot, waiting for the people who were buried the deepest to make their move.

Several ministers gathered privately to discuss the emperor’s intentions.

“What exactly is His Majesty trying to do?”

“When have we ever been able to guess His Majesty’s mind? In the past, His Majesty always tolerated the vassal kings. I don’t know what changed this time. Has he decided to discard all concern for family affection and blood?”

""

“You’re mistaken there. When did His Majesty ever care about such things? We all know how His Majesty ascended to the throne back then. Or did you forget because he hasn’t done anything like it in recent years?”

“Does that mean His Majesty really intends to put the King of Yue to death?”

“I recently heard some gossip. All of you know about that ‘noble gentleman’ who’s been so popular lately? They say that before he entered the palace, he had a relationship with the King of Yue….” The speaker gave them all a “you know what I mean” look. “Given how highly that person is favored, His Majesty’s treatment of the King of Yue is hardly excessive.”

“Ho—” The person who heard this sucked in a breath. “Then His Majesty is deliberately targeting the King of Yue?”

In an inconspicuous corner, someone quietly got up and left. The person who revealed the “truth” glanced over calmly and continued to talk.

Things outside didn’t affect life inside the palace. Shen Yu lived his days in leisure. Eventually, he no longer had to drink the medicine that was so bitter, and his mood was more and more relaxed.

Because of the previous incident, Jiang HuaiQing sent letters more frequently. Occasionally there were also messages from Hè ChengYu, all of which concerned the latest things they’d found out. Shen Yu simply chose a member of the Hidden Dragon Guard to take charge of the investigation.

With the cooperation of both sides, they’d already found many valuable clues. As soon as they identified the person responsible, they could arrest them immediately.

Shen Yu rolled over, half-lying on Shang JunLin’s chest. “I hope none of this will affect the exam.”

Shang JunLin caught the strands of Shen Yu’s hair which had fallen. “When the investigation concludes, everyone who’s been in close contact with those people will be judged, and it will be decided whether they can participate in the exam.”

Shen Yu lowered his eyes. “To be honest, it would save a lot of trouble if you didn’t let any of them enter the examination hall.” 

“Then wouldn’t Ah Yu lose without a doubt?” Shang JunLin chuckled. “Or does Ah Yu mean you don’t mind losing to this emperor? This emperor truly welcomes it.”

TL Notes:

(ﾉ｡◕‿◕｡)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ ♥ 

palace exam – 殿试 – diànshì – The highest tier in the imperial examination system. Immediately after the triennial metropolitan exam (AKA the spring exam, see note in Ch 39), the palace exam takes place in the emperor’s presence. The exact procedure probably varied by dynasty. In novels, it typically involves the emperor personally asking questions of the top sixty or so metropolitan exam scholars. The top three scorers were considered particularly distinguished. In novels it isn’t unusual for the highest scorer to marry a princess (Wikipedia) (Chart)

intemperate tyrant – 昏君 – incapable ruler, fatuous and self-indulgent ruler, foolish emperor

five-taloned golden dragon – 五爪金龙 – The symbol of the emperor, a golden dragon with five clawed toes on each of its feet. Other royal family members had to settle for the “four-taloned dragon”, otherwise known as a python (蟒). According to tradition, pythons were depicted similarly to dragons except for this difference (Baidu)

Not the “me” who was the emperor… – 不是身为皇帝的“朕”，而是代表商君凛的“我”。 – SJL uses the normal first person pronoun (我) instead of the imperial one (朕)

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

zhuangyuan – 状元 –  “top thesis author” – Today this term is used for the top scorers of China’s college entrance exam, but it goes way back to the imperial era where it was used to recognize the man with the highest score in the palace exam

Jinluan Hall – 金銮殿 – throne room, emperor’s audience hall