The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

Shen Yu got up to meet Shang JunLin. “Your Majesty arrived so quickly.” 

“The person you sent to call this emperor looked anxious, so I came immediately. What happened?” Shang JunLin led Shen Yu back to the main seat.

Shen Yu told him the information he’d just received. “That’s all I had time to ask.”

Shang JunLin sat down on the main seat, stroked Shen Yu’s wrist and said lightly, “Continue.”

The rest wasn’t very complicated. The man who was behind the scheme continued to send things to the former concubines via palace attendants and asked them to do “inconspicuous, trivial tasks”, and he finally ordered them to find a way to get close to the emperor.

“At first the man wasn’t as persistent about making us approach His Majesty. Later, after the noble monarch entered the palace, it was like he became obsessed for some reason. He gave strict orders that we should find a way to become His Majesty’s women….”

“You don’t know who was giving these orders?” Shen Yu asked.

“I don’t know. He always sends messages to us through palace servants. We’ve never seen him in person.”

“Who are the servants who sent you the messages?”

“Xiao Guizi, Aunt Fan, Xique…”

Shen Yu silently noted the names. “Do you know who else besides you follows his orders?”

Concubine Yu reported several names.

Shen Yu and Shang JunLin looked at each other, and their eyes were grave. Lin ZhiLan wasn’t one of the people on Concubine Yu’s list.

Shang JunLin ordered someone to take Concubine Yu out, and then asked, “What does the noble monarch think?”

“Either Concubine Yu doesn’t know about Lin ZhiLan, or different people are controlling them.” Shen Yu leaned more towards the latter explanation. 

“Your Majesty’s palace really is ‘crouching tiger, hidden dragon’,” Shen Yu teased.

“Then this emperor should thank the noble monarch for working hard to give this emperor a ‘clean’ palace.” Shang JunLin pinched Shen Yu’s cheek.

Shen Yu covered his face and didn’t let Shang JunLin succeed. “Did Your Majesty’s side make any progress?”

“Lin ZhiLan provided some information, but not enough to catch the person behind everything.” Shen Yu was involved from the beginning, and Shang JunLin didn’t intend to hide it from him.

“Catch the person identified by Concubine Yu first. There could be a relationship between the two of them,” Shen Yu suggested after thinking about it.

“What the noble monarch says is reasonable.”

Then Shang JunLin took out a waist token. “This is for the noble monarch. If you have orders for the Hidden Dragon Guard, use this token.”

The token was pitch-black, engraved with a dark red flower pattern. Shen Yu picked it up and traced it with his fingers. There were small uneven characters on the back. He didn’t even recognize the type of script it was written in.

“Why is Your Majesty suddenly giving me this?”

“The noble monarch is helping this emperor with work, and this emperor should recognize it. At most, you can mobilize a single team of Hidden Dragon Guards. The noble monarch can accept it without worrying too much.”

Shang JunLin had other things to do and left after giving a few orders.

When Shen Yu returned to his chambers, he took out the black token and looked at it carefully.

This token could command the Hidden Dragon Guard, yet Shang JunLin gave it to him so casually. Shen Yu’s feelings were a little complicated.

But he didn’t have much time to think about it. He still had to deal with the follow-up of the Concubine Yu incident.

Shen Yu ordered the Hidden Dragon Guard to check the names she provided. Nothing like what happened to Concubine Yu had happened to the others.

That was good news. It showed that the person behind the scenes hadn’t infiltrated too far into the palace.

The Hidden Dragon Guard acted quickly. They soon identified the suspicious man described by Concubine Yu. As Shen Yu suspected, it was a young eunuch who served in the courtyard.

Shen Yu didn’t spend much time talking to the person. Every realm had its own experts, and he thought the Hidden Dragon Guard would obtain useful information from this man more easily than he could.

Everything was done in secret. Thanks to the isolated nature of the place where Concubine Yu lived, not many people were impacted. After Shen Yu gave orders, no one dared to discuss it.

Since Shang JunLin’s last major purge, many of the links between the palace and the outside had been severed. Aristocratic clans like the Zhang family who dared to reach into the palace had been disposed of as well, and the others who were lucky enough not to be found out were still cowering.

“If the noble monarch hadn’t suddenly decided to imprison these □□-controlled former concubines in Yuzhang Palace, the conspirator never would have revealed himself.” Shang JunLin held a black go piece in his hand and blocked one of the white pieces.

“Did Your Majesty learn something?” Shen Yu pondered for a while and played a white piece.

“The noble monarch’s go skill has really opened this emperor’s eyes.”

On the go board, the black pieces and white pieces were battling each other in the dark. Shang JunLin’s moves were wide open and direct, while Shen Yu’s were unpredictable and treacherous. Every move was an opportunity to kill. A dead end became a path to life, and a path to life became a dead end. The situation on the board changed rapidly. One careless move and you could lose everything.

“But I performed such a meritorious deed. Why doesn’t Your Majesty go easy on me?” Shen Yu pretended to complain and played a white piece.

The go stone made of white jade was pressed between the young man’s slender fingers, but it was impossible to say which was more beautiful, the jade stone or the hand. Shang JunLin’s eyes followed the movement of those fingers, and suddenly it seemed like he’d become the game piece….

“Your Majesty, you’ve lost.”

The clear voice pulled Shang JunLin from his thoughts. He looked at the game board where Shen Yu had turned the tide with a single move, and he couldn’t help but smile. “This emperor concedes.”

Shen Yu accepted a hot drink from Mu Xi, took a sip, and squinted his eyes with pleasure. “Your Majesty seems to be in a good mood today.” 

Shang JunLin looked away from the chessboard. “What makes you say that?” 

“Today I defeated Your Majesty by cheating, but Your Majesty doesn’t seem angry.” Shen Yu was holding a small bowl, and the rising steam made his eyes look hazy and warm.

Shang JunLin laughed in spite of himself. “When has this emperor ever been angry with you?”

Shen Yu thought for a moment. It seemed that Shang JunLin really hadn’t lost his temper with him since he entered the palace. He decided to change the subject. “Mu Xi, bring His Majesty a hot drink too. Let His Majesty try the new product developed by the small kitchen of Yuzhang Palace.”

Mu Xi quickly brought over another bowl. It was something Shen Yu liked to drink recently, and the small kitchen always had some prepared.

Shang JunLin was never picky about food. He took a sip and commented, “Not bad.”

“To receive Your Majesty’s praise, it must be good indeed.” Shen Yu finished drinking and put the small bowl aside. “I’ll prepare more for Your Majesty later.”

Mu Xi made a note of this.

Shang JunLin drank slowly. “The young eunuch we found had a lot of information.”

Shen Yu: “Your Majesty, go on.”

Shang JunLin: “The palace has a huge network of relationships which has been in place since the reign of the previous emperor. A lot of palace servants are involved, but most of them act on orders and don’t know whom they serve. Only a small number of people actually know the identity of the conspirator. The young eunuch captured in Yuzhang Palace is one of them.”

Shen Yu: “Is he a core member?”

Shang JunLin: “Not really. He only knew because his master told him.”

Shen Yu: “Master? Who is that?”

Shang JunLin: “It was the eunuch who was originally in charge of Yuzhang Palace.”

At last Shen Yu understood why the person behind the scenes chose that young eunuch. After Shang JunLin’s two purges, Yuzhang Palace was even more difficult to enter than elsewhere. Maybe that young eunuch was their only option.

“Was that eunuch disposed of?”

“Yes. The first time he was investigated, it was found that he worked for more than one person.” But Shang JunLin hadn’t expected to discover even more people hiding in the dark.

“Your Majesty, who is it?”

Shang JunLin’s eyes deepened. “The King of Huaiyu.” 

“The King of Huaiyu? The King of Huaiyu who competed for the throne with the previous emperor and lost? He claims to be ill and hasn’t gone out ever since.” Shen Yu didn’t recall much information from his previous life about this person. Until the King of Yue made his attempt to ascend the throne, the man huddled in his palace and did nothing.

“Yes.” Shang JunLin frowned. “Before the late emperor ascended the throne, the King of Huaiyu was the most popular candidate to become emperor. But for some reason he chose to withdraw voluntarily. After the late emperor took the throne, the King of Huaiyu was granted permission to stay in the capital for treatment.”

Shen Yu: “That’s understandable. Instead of letting the tiger return to the mountain, it’s better to keep him under your nose. After all, that’s a person who almost ascended to the highest position.”

“What does the noble monarch think this emperor should do?”

“Didn’t Your Majesty already make a decision?” Shen Yu looked at him. There was an unspoken understanding in both of their eyes.

In Huaiyu Palace.

A thin man was leaning against a low table, opposite a white-faced, middle-aged man who spoke a slightly shrill voice:

“Your Highness has been exposed. What do you plan to do now?”

“Isn’t this what your master wanted? Why did you come here to ask me what to do?” The King of Huaiyu had a hoarse voice, and from his tone he clearly didn’t like this visitor.

“The master asked me to give this to you. He said you would understand his intentions when you see it.”

A dark red box was placed on the table. Knowing that he wasn’t welcome here, the middle-aged man didn’t stay much longer, so he got up and left.

For a long time, hoarse laughter was heard from the room.

Shortly after the middle-aged man left, a team of well-trained imperial guards surrounded the not-very-luxurious Huaiyu Palace.

In the evening, Shen Yu finished copying a few pages of a book while waiting for Shang JunLin.

The news from outside had already reached the palace, and the servants who were involved in the plot were secretly taken away. Some politically astute people sensed a coming storm.

“Why isn’t the noble monarch resting yet?” Today Shang JunLin came back late. Usually at this hour, Shen Yu was already in bed.

“I was waiting for Your Majesty.”

After taking a moment to dispel the cold, Shang JunLin approached Shen Yu. “What are you doing?”

“Copying some pages.” Shen Yu moved aside and made room for Shang JunLin. “Is Your Majesty finished?”

Shang JunLin sat down next to Shen Yu. “Almost.” 

After learning who was behind the plan, Shang JunLin immediately confined the palace servants on the list to prevent them from spreading the news. Then he ordered the imperial guard to go to Huaiyu Palace to get the person.

Thinking about the things that had happened recently, Shen Yu sighed. “After this, all those people who want to send their sons or daughters into the palace, or give new people to Your Majesty, should finally stop.” 

“There are always people who won’t give up.” Shang JunLin picked up the book copied by Shen Yu and looked at it for a few moments. “More people like shortcuts than honest promotion.”

“That’s because Your Majesty is too charming.”

“The noble monarch is mistaken. What charms them is the power this emperor represents.”

“Even if Your Majesty wasn’t the foremost man in the empire, I think that with Your Majesty’s charm, a very large number of people would want to be with Your Majesty.” Pretending to be sad, Shen Yu looked at Shang JunLin, and his tone altered. “Does Your Majesty really have no one but me?”

“Why doesn’t the noble monarch direct these words to yourself?” Shang JunLin lifted Shen Yu’s chin and said with deep meaning, “Young Master Wang, Young Master Xu… The noble monarch might as well tell this emperor first. Exactly how many good young masters do you have outside the palace?”

TL Notes:

crouching tiger, hidden dragon – 卧虎藏龙 – (idiom) talented individuals in hiding / concealed talent

□□-controlled – This was censored in the raw for whatever reason

go – 棋 – qí – chess – Since they’re playing with white and black pieces, the game is probably go (weiqi – 围棋). Traditionally, because black moves first and has an advantage, white is played by the superior player

A dead end suddenly became a path to life… – 绝路变活路 – “life” and “death” are specific go terms. A group of stones can be considered alive or dead. If a player manages to connect a dead group to a living group, all of the stones become alive, which can dramatically change the flow of the game

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

Xiao Guizi – 小贵子

“Xiao”, meaning “little” or “young” (小), is a term of endearment frequently used in nicknames

Aunt Fan – 范姑姑 – Fàn gūgū – (paternal aunt)

Xique – 喜鹊

King of Huaiyu – 淮昱王 – Huáiyù wáng

Huaiyu Palace – 淮昱王府 – Huáiyù wángfǔ

master – 主子 – zhǔzi – Master (term used by servant) / Your Majesty / boss