The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

Shen Yu fell silent for a moment and asked, "Your Majesty, why do you know so clearly about what you said to me before I entered the palace?"

He knew he was asking a redundant question. With the Hidden Dragon Guards at hand, it was impossible to hide anything from Shang Junlin in the capital. Moreover, since he had been chosen to enter the palace, it was normal to be investigated.

"I know that the King of Yue once concealed his identity and approached you. Later, you had a conflict with him," Shang Junlin pinched Shen Yu's chin and turned his head to face him. "Ah Yu, answer my question."

Shang Junlin's eyes were pitch black, staring at Shen Yu without blinking, and a chilling aura swept over him.

Shen Yu squinted uncomfortably, "Your Majesty, don't you know my thoughts very well? Why do you care about the King of Yue? What is he compared to Your Majesty? There is nowhere on his body that can compare to Your Majesty."

"As for what happened between me and the King of Yue, Your Majesty must understand my character. I cannot be sincere with someone who had impure motives from the beginning to approach me. How can I return his sincerity?"

Shen Yu knew that since Shang Junlin had asked, he could not resolve this matter himself. Regardless of his current feelings towards Shang Junlin, he did not want the King of Yue to become a thorn between them.

Between him and the King of Yue, they had cleanly broken off in their previous life, and there would be no involvement in this life.

"I know that the King of Yue is not a good person," Shang Junlin caressed Shen Yu's chin carefully. "Ah Yu, I am not suspecting you of anything. I just..."

"I know," Shen Yu covered Shang Junlin's mouth, "Your Majesty doesn't need to say these things. Regarding the matter of the King of Yue, I should have explained it to you. When I said that sentence back then, it was actually just to provoke him. Now it seems like it may have been a prophecy spoken by fate. The only difference is that I have no interest in finding a substitute."

"If I love someone, I will do whatever it takes to get him. Even if I can't, I will never do something as tasteless as finding a substitute. Besides, does the King of Yue even deserve it?"

Shen Yu's eyes were arrogant and unrestrained. Shang Junlin knew that everything he said came from his heart.

Shang Junlin released his grip on Shen Yu's chin and suddenly hugged him. "I understand, Ah Yu."

Shen Yu patted Shang Jun Lin's back to comfort him. "Your Majesty, don't think too much about it. There is no past or future between the King of Yue and me."

Shang Junlin rested his head on Shen Yu's shoulder. "Who is Ah Yu's fate?"

"Of course, it's Your Majesty. With Your Majesty around, where else would it fall to? Your Majesty doesn't have confidence in yourself?"

With Shen Yu's precise answer, the haze that had covered Shang Junlin's heart for days was blown away by the wind. He tightened his arms around Shen Yu, wishing he could melt him into his body.

Seeing that Shang Junlin was comforted, Shen Yu also breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want the King of Yue to become a barrier between them.

As summer approached, the weather gradually became hotter. The courtiers received news that they would be going to the summer palace this year and began to make preparations.

While preparing, they couldn't help but be curious.

"Why is His Majesty suddenly going to the summer palace this year? In the past few years, when ministers proposed it, he always rejected it."

"His Majesty has never been one to indulge in luxury, but this time it might be because of you, my lord."

"Regardless of the reason, the Emperors of Da Huan have gone to the summer palace every year. To be honest, the summers in the capital are just too hot. If we can go there to escape the heat, that's good enough."

The one speaking is the official who had previously recommended to the emperor several times to go to the summer palace to escape the heat. He thought that he would have to spend the summer in the capital until he was relieved of his duties, but he was pleasantly surprised by the sudden change.

As the weather grew hotter, Shen Yu's clothes became thinner and thinner. His body temperature remained cool as before, making it especially comfortable to hold him in his arms. Whenever he had time, Shang Junlin would hold him close.

This made Shen Yu suffer.

The man had a fiery temper, and in winter it was fine - he was like a human furnace. But in the summer, every time Shang Junlin held him for a while, he would break out in a sweat.

There was a small lake in the Yu Zhang Palace, with a pavilion built on it. Since the weather got hot, this became Shen Yu's favorite place.

The pavilion was decorated according to Shen Yu's preferences, with light-colored gauze hanging around and ice placed in the corners. The cool breeze blowing across the water brought a refreshing feeling.

After finishing his official duties, Shang Junlin returned to the Yu Zhang Palace and looked for Shen Yu, but didn't find him inside. He went straight to the pavilion, knowing that the palace was never short of ice. However, the imperial physician advised that Shen Yu's weak constitution couldn't tolerate too much cold. Despite being afraid of the cold in winter, he was the one who craved coolness the most in summer.

After the pavilion was cleaned up, it became Shen Yu's most frequented spot. Shang Junlin lifted the gauze curtain and saw Shen Yu half-leaning on the bed reading a book, with Xiao Meng Gonggong gently fanning him from behind.

The palace maid knelt down and saluted, and Shen Yu put down the book in his hand and sat up: "Has Your Majesty finished with your work?"

"Mmm." Shang Junlin walked over to Shen Yu and sat down next to him. Due to space constraints when setting up the pavilion, the couch inside was much smaller than the one in the Yuzhang Palace, but Shang Junlin was satisfied with this small wish.

As soon as Shang Junlin leaned over, he brought a wave of heat, and Shen Yu moved to the side, but the man grabbed him.

"Where are you hiding, Ah Yu?"

"It's so hot." Shen Yu refused to stick to Shang Junlin.

"There's ice in the pavilion. Let me hold you for a while." Shang Junlin firmly grabbed Shen Yu's waist and didn't let him go.

"Don't you feel hot, Your Majesty?" Shen Yu was helpless.

"Ah Yu's body is very cool." Shang Junlin rubbed his cheek against Shen Yu's.

"But Your Majesty is very hot." Shen Yu leaned his body outwards, trying to get away from the man.

"In winter, Ah Yu likes to snuggle up in my arms. Why are you complaining now?" Shang Junlin held down Shen Yu's back and pressed him into his arms.

Shen Yu gave up struggling and half-lay in the man's arms. After a while, his body temperature gradually lowered. Knowing that the man wouldn't let him go, he found a comfortable position and took a book from the side to continue reading.

"How much ice has been used recently in the Noble Consort's Palace?" Shang Junlin asked Mu Xi, who was waiting by his side.

Mu Xi reported the amount strictly according to Shang Junlin's orders, and he nodded in satisfaction.

Shen Yu was speechless and knocked his head against the man's chest. "Your Majesty has given my palace maids a deadly order, and yet you're still worried that I will use too much ice?"

"Did Ah Yu forget about the incident last time when you caught a cold from liking cold?" Shang Junlin pinched his ear.

Shen Yu lowered his head nervously. The weather had suddenly become hot in the past few days, and he couldn't bear it. So, he asked the palace servants to add more ice to his sleeping quarters. If it wasn't for Shang Junlin who noticed it in time and removed some of the ice, he would have probably gotten sick from being too cold. After that incident, Shang Junlin strictly controlled the amount of ice used in his palace.

Shen Yu looked at the book for a while and suddenly remembered something, "Your Majesty, is it only the privileged families in the capital who can use ice?"

"Some big merchants can also use it. Why do you ask?"

In the summer, most people in Dahuan used stored ice. The amount of work required to store it was huge, and only a small amount could be saved. Some families with the ability would store ice themselves, while those who didn't have the conditions would choose to buy it. However, due to the quantity, the price was often higher, and ordinary people seldom bought it.

"I just thought of a simple method for making ice. If we can figure out how to do it, the people of Dahuan can use it too." Shen Yu's method came from the book and was one of the benefits he gained from being the protagonist, Shen Qingran's "golden finger."

"What method?" Shang Junlin became interested.

"Saltpeter dissolved in water can yield ice."

Shen Yu had someone bring saltpeter and water, and after experimenting with them, they did indeed produce ice.

As he watched the newly made ice emitting cold air, a complicated expression appeared in Shen Yu's eyes.

In his past life, after the King of Yue obtained this method, the first thing he did was kill everyone who knew about it. He then arranged for a group of mute slaves to make ice for him and sold it at a high price.

In his past life, Shen Yu didn't know that the method for making ice was so simple. When he learned that the King of Yue had used mute slaves to make ice, he thought that there was some secret that couldn't be revealed.

"This method is indeed convenient." Shang Junlin felt the new ice and found that it was not much different from stored ice. Compared to storing ice in winter to save it for summer, saltpeter was much easier to obtain.

"With this method, ordinary households can also use ice in summer." Muxi was so amazed by what she saw that her mouth wouldn't close.

The things have been given to Shang Junlin, and Shen Yu no longer interferes with how he uses them. It's his business, as long as they don't end up like the King of  Yue, a tool for accumulating wealth.

He knew that Shang Junlin wouldn't do that, or he wouldn't have brought out these things.

Shen Yu wiped his hands and lay back on the bed. There was now a pot of ice in the pavilion, making it even cooler.

The palace maids kept looking at the newly made ice, unable to hide their curiosity. Shang Junlin also stood by the ice for a while before returning to bed.

The news of the new ice-making method caused a sensation in the court. Everyone had experienced how hot the summer in the capital was. Those who were capable of storing ice would certainly store more in winter. Those who didn't have this condition and wanted to use ice would have to spend a lot of money to buy it in the summer. If they could make ice in the summer, it would bring even greater convenience.

"I'm not publicly releasing the recipe for now," Shang Junlin changed out of his court attire and walked toward Shen Yu. "Let the court control it for a while. If the conditions are ripe in the future, we'll see whether to make it public."

By having the court control the pricing, they could prevent the ice from falling into the hands of a small number of noble families and becoming a tool for their accumulation of wealth. It could also prevent some unscrupulous merchants from selling the ice at a high price to other places.

"Your decision is good, Your Majesty," Shen Yu had no objection.

The date for going to the summer palace was confirmed, and the people of Yuzhang Palace were also busy.

A group of people went to the summer palace, and Shen Yu was directly arranged to stay with Shang Junlin.

The summer palace was built on a mountainside, and a cool breeze could be felt as soon as one arrived. Shen Yu closed his eyes contentedly.

"Has Your Majesty not arranged a place for me to stay?" Shen Yu looked around at the decorations, many of which were obviously for imperial use.

"Of course, you'll stay with me, Ah Yu." Shang Junlin didn't give him a chance to refuse and picked him up, walking inside.

The palace maids lowered their heads and focused on their work.

Shen Yu was used to Shang Junlin carrying him around all the time, and he hugged the man's neck. He blew a soft breath in his ear:

"I've always been staying on Your Majesty's side. The ministers won't say anything, right?"

Shang Junlin paused, his eyes darkening. He quickly placed Shen Yu on the bed and ran his finger over his cheek. "Then Ah Yu needs to behave well."