The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

The woman's movement slowly came to a halt. Through those eyes that had a hint of coldness, she realized clearly that the young man had not lied.

The sharp arrow pointed at herself as if as long as she made another move, the other party would loosen their grip. The arrow, glimmering with a cold light, would swiftly shoot through the air and aim at her.

Her facial expression froze, and a chill crawled up her spine. Every hair stood on end. A tremendous crisis loomed over her, and although she wanted to utter some harsh words, not a single word could escape her lips.

Having ruled with dominance for so many years, she experienced the sensation of being threatened by someone for the first time. At that moment, she was both shocked and enraged, and her hatred towards the young man reached its peak.

Never before had she been treated like this, never before had she suffered such humiliation!

In her state of terror, the woman dared not even attempt to remove the arrow. It wasn't that she didn't cherish her own life, but if she were to suffer any harm for a momentary pleasure, it would be a loss that couldn't be compensated for.

However, she couldn't possibly let it go either. She would keep this grudge in mind and settle the score in the future!

"You're pointing the arrow at me, huh? When it falls into my hands, I want to see if you can still maintain that expression when the sharp arrow cuts across your cheek!" The woman abandoned her previous action, slowly straightened her body, took a few steps back, and moved out of the shooting range. She said, "This is under the Emperor's territory. Do you dare to shoot me with an arrow?"

Shen Yu leisurely turned in a different direction and again aimed the arrow at her. "Feel free to try it. Let's see if I dare or not."

Confident and fearless.

The woman discerned those words from his actions and tone of voice.

She didn't dare to do anything further, but she was unwilling to forgive either. "Within the Emperor's territory, how can you easily harm someone? If you truly injure me today, can you guarantee your own safety?"

"Aren't you doing the same thing?" Shen Yu glanced at the young woman in a green robe still sitting on the ground. "How come when you harm others, it's without consequences, but when I harm someone, I must face punishment?"

"For a commoner girl, if she causes harm, so be it. Is there anyone who will rise up for her?" The woman raised her head, full of disdain in her tone. "If you injure me, my father won't let you off!"

"That also depends on whether you'll have the opportunity to complain. Isn't that right?"

As if to confirm Shen Yu's words, the guards behind them glared at the woman with an intimidating aura.

"What are you planning to do?" The woman trembled in fear. "We have so many people here, can you really kill all of us?"

"This place is far from the main road," Shen Yu surveyed the surroundings with his gaze. "Even if something happens, it won't be discovered immediately. There shouldn't be many people who know about your arrival here, right?"

The woman bit her lip. The young man was right. She had indeed come chasing after her prey, aiming to achieve good results and make an appearance in front of the Emperor. She had heard that the Emperor favored red attire, so she specially dressed in this outfit today. Never did she expect to encounter someone who constantly suppressed her.

She looked at the young man once again, realizing that he hadn't lied. He truly wanted to kill her.

At that moment, the sounds of other horses and voices could be heard coming from the mountains.

"Are you certain that Miss Xiao went in this direction?" a stern male voice came through.

Just then, sounds of other horse hooves could be heard from the mountain forest, along with voices growing louder and closer.

"Are you sure Miss Xu came this way?" A stern male voice echoed.

"The servant is sure, Miss Xu was chasing a fox this way. Master, over there, Miss Xu is over there!"

As they approached, the conversation became faintly audible.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, the woman's face brightened, and her suppressed arrogance flared up once again.

"A fox?" Shen Yu said with a half-smile, "I shot a deer. Where would there be any foxes nearby?"

The woman pursed her lips. Of course, she knew the fox had long gone. Her earlier statement was merely an excuse to claim the deer.

As the people from the other side came closer, the middle-aged man looked at the scene of tension and hesitated, "What's going on?"

"It's just that someone mistook a deer for a fox and wants to claim the deer I shot," Shen Yu replied as he put down his bow and arrow. He had never intended to do anything to that woman.

"Father, they stole my prey and even wanted to harm me. You must seek justice for your daughter. What does it mean for two grown men to bully a weak woman?" The woman, knowing her support had arrived, trembled with a touch of malevolence in her eyes.

She wanted to reclaim the pride she had just lost and make them pay a hundredfold!

The middle-aged man furrowed his brows, then looked towards the other side. He had wanted to say something, but upon seeing who was there, he abruptly closed his mouth.

!!!

Why provoke anyone, let alone the two people that General Huo should never provoke.

The man didn't dare to waste any time. He dismounted, walked a few steps forward, and knelt down respectfully, "I, your servant, pay my respects to Your Majesty."

"Dad, what are you..." The woman covered her mouth in astonishment, unable to believe what she was hearing.

What was her father saying? The person on the other side is the Emperor?!

"Excellently taught daughter," Shang Junlin's voice remained calm.

Sweat beads formed on Official Xu's forehead, and his whole body tensed up. The Emperor didn't give him the order to rise, so he didn't dare to stand up on his own, maintaining his kneeling posture without moving.

Having been transferred to the capital with great difficulty, he might be ruined because of today's incident.

Other people didn't dare to stay on their horses any longer. Whether they were sitting or standing, they all knelt down, their foreheads touching the ground, not daring to breathe.

They never imagined that their first encounter with the Emperor would be under such circumstances.

The woman's face turned completely pale. No matter how unwilling she was to believe it, she couldn't deny that the person opposite them was the Supreme Ruler, the Emperor of Da Huan. And what had she done?

Kneeling on the ground, her body trembled uncontrollably. Having done such a thing in front of the Emperor, she didn't dare to imagine the consequences she might face.

"Official Xu's daughter lacks manners and propriety. There's no need to rush into an official position. As for your good daughter," Shang Junlin looked at Official Xu's daughter with disdain, "whoever dared to speak disrespectfully to Us and the Noble Monarch shall be punished according to the law."

According to the law... that meant her life was at stake.

Thinking of his wife at home, Official Xu couldn't help but plead, "I implore Your Majesty to show mercy. My daughter is young and ignorant, unaware of Your Majesty's and the Noble Monarch's identities. She's the only daughter in our family and has been somewhat spoiled. I beg Your Majesty to be lenient in your judgment."

"I really didn't know," Official Xu's daughter also kowtowed, "If I had known it was Your Majesty and Noble Monarch, even if I had ten thousand times more courage, I wouldn't dare show any disrespect!"

"So, are you saying that if it wasn't for our current identities, you could bully other people?" Shen Yu coldly sneered, "In that case, can I speculate that Miss Xu has done such things before?"

After saying this, Shen Yu turned to Shang Junlin, "Your Majesty, how about we investigate this together to avoid any rumors claiming I can't tolerate others getting close to you, and I resort to violence when someone approaches?"

"Your Excellency speaks reasonably. Let's do as you suggested. Meng Chang, issue the decree."

Meng Chang, who had been standing among the crowd, stepped forward, "I shall comply with the decree."

Official Xu suddenly felt a darkness before his eyes. He never expected his daughter to cause such a great disaster. If he had known, back in Hanzhou, he should have strictly disciplined his daughter and prevented her from developing such a spoiled character. But now, it was too late for anything.

Little did Official Xu know that what he thought was just a bit of indulgence from his daughter would bring him such a "surprise."

No one dared to slack off in carrying out Shang Junlin's order to investigate.

Hanzhou was not too far from the capital city. After the imperial edict was issued, officials immediately set off from the capital to Hanzhou to uncover the truth.

Official Xu's daughter was detained.

After Official Xu returned home, Madam Xu greeted him. She noticed the young woman in a green garment following Official Xu but couldn't see her own daughter, and a sense of unease crept into her heart.

"Why are only you back? Where is Junjun?" Madam Xu suppressed her anxiousness and asked in the most steady voice possible.

Official Xu's face showed difficulty. He knew how much his wife doted on their daughter and had no idea how to tell her what had happened.

Seeing Official Xu's unfavorable expression, Madam Xu's feeling of panic grew even stronger. She turned to the young woman in green, who kept her head down and remained silent, and delivered a slap, saying, "Why have you returned? Where is your sister? Didn't I tell you that wherever she goes, you must be there too?"

Official Xu frowned, "Why did you hit her? What more could she have done in this matter?"

The young woman in green covered her slapped face and turned it to the side. After a while, she started to laugh softly. Slowly, her laughter grew louder and louder.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I'm laughing because karma isn't satisfying enough, Madam Xu. Don't you know your own daughter's character? How many noble and wealthy people attend the autumn hunt? Countless children from those prestigious families, with outstanding appearances, and considering Xu Wanjun's character, what do you think she would do if she encountered them?"

Madam Xu's gaze flickered, "Did she have a conflict with some other noble girl?"

The young woman in green ignored her question and continued, "This is not Hanzhou, not a place where you can cover up everything. If she continues to act as she did before, do you think there won't be any consequences?"

The young woman in green put her hand down, revealing a clear slap mark on her face.

"Think about what your good daughter has done. His Majesty ordered a thorough investigation. It won't just be her; soon, the disgusting things you did in the past will be revealed to the world. My poor mother can finally rest in peace."

"Why are you dragging others into Junjun's matter?" Official Xu's expression turned cold. "Nonsense! Take the Second Miss away. Nobody is allowed to release her without my orders."

After the young woman in green was taken away, under Madam Xu's persistent questioning, Official Xu recounted what had happened that day.

After hearing the whole story, Madam Xu felt her vision darken.

The incident didn't affect the normal course of the hunt. In the evening, the participants returned with their prey. Shen Yu and Shang Junlin returned to the camp earlier and, after being disturbed, Shen Yu lost interest in continuing.

Shang Junlin was there to accompany him, so when he saw Shen Yu's lack of enthusiasm, he decided to return.

"Next time, we'll have someone guarding the surroundings to prevent any unwelcome guests." Shang Junlin massaged Shen Yu's wrist as he spoke.

It was rare for Shen Yu to exert so much physical activity, and although he hadn't noticed before, he now felt his wrist throbbing with pain. Shang Junlin applied some ointment, bringing relief.

Feeling the cooling sensation penetrate his skin and relieve the ache, Shen Yu moved his fingers, "Why is Your Majesty so overbearing?"

"It's better than having someone impertinent bothering you. Next time, I'll have people keep watch so that no one with bad intentions can intrude." Shang Junlin put the ointment away and pulled Shen Yu up, saying, "Let's go, they should be back by now."

As the sky gradually darkened, fires were lit in the open space. Shang Junlin held Shen Yu's hand as they walked out.

"Does Your Majesty know how to grill meat? Later, Your Majesty, please grill the venison I hunted today for me, okay?"

As Official Xu and Madam Xu approached, they heard this statement, understanding that their daughter's suffering was related to venison. Madam Xu's expression instantly turned unpleasant.

Translator's note:

This Xu family is so disgusting. Her only daughter? So the daughters he had from the concubines are not his daughters? And that Madam Xu slapping that girl should suffer hell too.

And I am still not sure if its Official Xu or Official Xu here. I will temporarily put Official Xu until I check the later chapters.