The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

Official Xu's emotions were also quite complicated. It was never easy for anyone to see their daughter suffer and hear someone casually discussing the cause of it.

However, he couldn't say anything. His daughter was the one who made the mistake first, and he couldn't blame the Emperor for it. He didn't dare to.

Shang Junlin's reputation was formidable, and the high-ranking officials were afraid of him, especially people like Official Xu, who had been serving outside the capital and had only heard about the Emperor's actions from others.

The cruel means Shang Junlin used to force the former Emperor to abdicate were no secret among the veteran officials. Official Xu had served outside the capital for many years, but that didn't mean he had no connections in the city. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been transferred back to the capital this time.

As an official, who wouldn't want to stay at the center of power?

Compared to Official Xu, Madam Xu didn't fear Shang Junlin as much. She was a woman, and her family had doted on her since childhood. After getting married, her husband obeyed her every word. It could be said that she had a smooth and untroubled life and had never encountered setbacks until today.

He knew her wife's temperament well. Official Xu tugged on her sleeve and whispered, "It's the Emperor and Shang Junlin."

As they spoke, the two parties drew closer.

"Your Majesty, Your Excellency, this servant pays his respects." Official Xu knelt down to show respect, and Madam Xu followed suit.

Shang Junlin looked down at them for a while, and just as Official Xu felt beads of cold sweat forming on his back, Shang Junlin spoke.

"You may rise."

Official Xu quickly helped his wife to her feet, watching as Shang Junlin and Shen Yu left.

"Is that Shen Yu walking with His Majesty? Does His Majesty dote on him?" As she gazed at the two figures walking away, Madam Xu wondered about something.

"Yes, even before Shen Yu entered the palace, His Majesty bestowed him with the title 'Noble Monarch.' After entering the palace, he received immense favor and attention from His Majesty. His Majesty even publicly declared that he would have only Shen Yu in this lifetime." Official Xu sighed.

"Shen Yu is a man. Won't the other officials oppose His Majesty's decision?"

"How could they not oppose it? Who wouldn't want to marry their daughter to the palace and gain favor? But what's the use of opposing? His Majesty is determined to have only Shen Yu and several high-ranking officials were even punished for opposing his decision." To divert Madam Xu's attention and dismiss any wrong ideas in her mind, Official Xu deliberately said a few more things.

"Is that so?" Madam Xu shifted her gaze and asked about something else, "Do you have a way to quickly contact Hanzhou?"

"Why do you want to contact them? Don't worry, even if His Majesty sends people to investigate, they won't find anything." After the initial panic, Official Xu was no longer as flustered. After all, he had deep roots in Hanzhou after serving there for so long. Everyone there was under his influence. Even if the Emperor sent officials to investigate, so what? If they really discovered something, he still wouldn't be transferred back to the capital.

"What should we do about Junjun's matter?" Thinking of her daughter, Madam Xu felt a pang of pain in her heart.

"I will find a way to handle Junjun's matter," Official Xu reassured her, patting her hand.

Before the imperial edict was officially issued, some officials greeted Official Xu enthusiastically. He couldn't afford to reveal anything at this moment, so he pretended to be cheerful and engaged in conversation with them.

Meanwhile, Shen Yu and Shang Junlin went to the place where the hunt's prey was piled up. They had quite a harvest, including rabbits, hares, and deer.

"Besides venison, is there anything else you would like to eat, Ah Yu? Roast rabbit, perhaps?"

Shen Yu pointed out a few items, and the palace servants quickly took them away for processing. Once everything was prepared, all they needed to do was grill the meat.

The outside was bustling, with people continuously returning from the hunt, bringing the prey they caught. They chatted and complimented each other in small groups.

Walking hand in hand on the grass, Shen Yu and Shang Junlin didn't go to crowded places, and others wouldn't come to disturb them either.

Late autumn brought cooler weather, especially at night, and even with a cloak, Shen Yu still felt a chill seeping in.

Shang Junlin touched his increasingly cold hand and gave up on going any further.

As they approached the bonfire, the warm air rushed towards them. Shen Yu couldn't help but want to get closer.

The fire crackled, and the man's serious expression while roasting meat gave off a unique charm. It was hard to imagine that the same hands that held a pen and a sword could be used for something so down-to-earth.

Shang Junlin skillfully grilled the meat, and in no time, the slices sizzled and emitted a rich aroma.

Shen Yu moved his nose and looked at Shang Junlin's hands.

"It smells so good."

"Are you hungry? It won't be long before we can eat."

The aroma grew stronger, and Shang Junlin put the roasted meat onto a plate and handed it to Shen Yu. "Try it."

After letting it cool a bit, Shen Yu picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.

He quickly finished the meat with a few bites and swallowed. Surprised, he said, "Your Majesty's cooking skills are beyond my expectations. It's so delicious."

When Shen Yu asked Shang Junlin to help him roast the meat, he just wanted to eat something Shang Junlin grilled. As long as it was edible, he could praise it with his eyes closed. However, he didn't expect the meat to be so delicious, leaving him unsure of how to complement it.

Seeing Shen Yu's enjoyment, Shang Junlin grilled a few more pieces. Each type of meat had a different taste, but the one thing they had in common was how delicious they were.

Shen Yu had a penchant for rich flavors, and before he knew it, he had eaten quite a lot, making him feel a bit uncomfortable.

They grilled a significant portion of deer meat and several rabbits. Most of the ones Shang Junlin personally grilled went into Shen Yu's belly, while some of the others were consumed by Shang Junlin.

Shen Yu tried to roast a few times, but the first one ended up burnt, and the second one wasn't cooked through. After a few consecutive failures, he gave up.

Rubbing his belly and looking at the uneaten meat, Shen Yu was in a dilemma. "There's still so much left..."

Even though the weather was cool, the meat wouldn't stay fresh until tomorrow.

"Give some to the palace servants, and send some to the high-ranking officials; that should be enough," Shang Junlin suggested.

Upon receiving the orders, the palace servants distributed the roasted meat. The Prime Minister and other officials who were highly regarded by Shang Junlin would also receive their shares.

Roasted meat might not be much, but it symbolized the Emperor's favor towards his officials.

Regardless of what the recipients thought, Shen Yu enjoyed the meat Shang Junlin grilled. As a result, he would have to spend the night outside to aid digestion.

"If I don't watch you, you'll feel even worse now," Shang Junlin said, one hand around Shen Yu's waist, supporting his weight. He sounded rather helpless.

"Being able to eat meat roasted by Your Majesty is not something that happens every day." Shen Yu commented, still savoring the taste. If it wasn't so delicious, he wouldn't have overeaten.

"Deer meat and deer blood are excellent for nourishing the body. I'll have Physician Gu prescribe some cooling and clearing herbs for you later." Shang Junlin was happy that the food he made was appreciated by his beloved.

Shen Yu realized that after the fact and widened his eyes. "How much did I eat?"

Shang Junlin counted and gave an answer, "Quite a bit. You clearly favored the deer meat over the other meats."

When he ate, Shen Yu did tend to choose the ones he liked more. He thought about it and admitted that, indeed, he ate quite a lot.

"No wonder I feel so warm all over now, and not cold at all," Shen Yu felt his body, and even if the wind blew, it wouldn't make him feel chilly.

"What about Your Majesty? Did you also eat a lot of deer meat just now?" Shen Yu stopped walking.

"I'm not picky when it comes to meat, it depends on what you served me more," said Shang Junlin.

During the barbecue, Junlin was responsible for grilling the meat for Shen Yu, and while Shen Yu enjoyed his food, he didn't forget about Shang Junlin either. Half of the meat went into his own mouth, and the other half went into Shang Junlin's mouth.

Shang Junlin had a large appetite, and Shen Yu had initially wanted to grill some meat for him, but unfortunately, the meat he grilled turned out to be a failure. He had to let the palace servants do the grilling and then fed the well-cooked meat to Shang Junlin.

Shang Junlin was very easy to please when it came to food, and he basically ate whatever Shen Yu fed him.

"You also drank deer blood," Shen Yu thought about the possible consequences of eating deer meat and drinking deer blood, and fell silent for a moment. "We should walk around outside a bit more before going back."

If only he hadn't overindulged, Shen Yu didn't want to spend the second day of the autumn hunt confined to the camp for some unforeseen reason.

With Shang Junlin's physique and the effect of the deer blood, Shen Yu couldn't imagine what consequences it might bring.

"We have to wait until you're less full before we can go back to rest," Shang Junlin didn't confirm or deny anything.

The night had already turned completely dark. Shen Yu and Shang Junlin walked behind the camp, while on the other side, the officials gathered with their families around a bonfire. The barriers of status were less apparent than usual, making it a rare relaxing moment.

The officials were no longer discussing state affairs but rather talking about what they saw and heard during the day, discussing the animals they had hunted, or looking for suitable partners for their children.

Every year, young people who performed well during the autumn hunt not only left a good impression on the emperor but also often secured a good marriage prospect.

Official Xu and his wife had originally wanted to use this opportunity to find a good husband for their daughter, but now, not to mention their daughter, even Official Xu himself was uncertain about whether he could continue staying in the capital. Naturally, they had no time or mood to consider this matter.

Madame Xu didn't show any abnormalities and was happily chatting with the wives of other officials.

As the night deepened, everyone finished eating and drinking and went back to rest. Official Xu turned his head and couldn't find his wife, so he was about to send someone to look for her when Madame Xu hurriedly walked over.

"What were you doing?" Official Xu asked.

"I just had some wine and felt a little stifled, so I went to a place with fewer people to get some fresh air," replied Madame Xu.

Official Xu didn't suspect anything, "The banquet is over; let's go back to rest."

"Okay," Madame Xu said, relieved that he didn't suspect anything.

After finishing their meal, Shen Yu and Shang Junlin returned to their tent together. Shen Yu was worried that Shang Junlin might take advantage of the situation, but to his surprise, Shang Junlin behaved properly and didn't cross any boundaries even when Shen Yu fell asleep. He stayed obediently beside him.

There was nothing wrong with Shen Yu himself, so he finally put his mind at ease and fell asleep slowly.

Until midnight, he woke up feeling hot.

It was as if he had been thrown into a furnace, and he was shouting from the heat. Shen Yu tugged at his clothes and pulled back the blanket.

His movements were not small, and Shang Junlin noticed that something was off almost as soon as he started to fidget. His arm, which had been resting on Shen Yu's waist, was pushed away impatiently by the overheated youth.

The collar of his clothes was pushed open, and the heat not only didn't dissipate, but it intensified. Shen Yu struggled to open his eyes, feeling like he had fallen from one illusion into another.

"Ah Yu?"

Shen Yu grabbed the hand Shang Junlin extended, and the heat subsided. As if inspired, he chased after Shang Junlin's arm and cuddled up to his chest.

He heard Shang Junlin's slightly amused voice from above, "Taking the initiative to embrace me, you can't blame me when you wake up, Ah Yu."

Author's Note: The emperor is delighted.

Translator's Note:

I guess Its official Xu then.