The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

"Perhaps at the outset, they genuinely wanted to assist the King of Yue," Shen Yu pondered, "But human hearts are fickle. When faced with readily available power for an extended period, who can guarantee they won't develop other thoughts?"

"Are you suggesting, Your Majesty, that the King of Yue was just a puppet to them?" Shen Yu quickly realized this point, which made sense. Many things that were puzzling before now fell into place.

Why were they indifferent to the accusations thrown at the King of Yue? Why did they show no urgency when he was imprisoned for so long? There were many inconsistencies, but it seemed that what they cared about the most was not the King of Yue.

They only needed to find the most opportune time and expend the minimal effort to rescue someone.

As for what difficulties the King of Yue might face during this time, it was not their concern.

Mount Qiyue was within the capital's boundaries. When the Emperor was attacked, most of the capital's forces would rush to this location. This would leave a gap in the defense, which the jailbreakers could exploit.

"I haven't fully determined what the late Emperor left behind for the King of Yue. So far, I haven't completely uncovered it. In his earlier years, I interrogated some of the late Emperor's close aides, and while I discovered some things, there were deeper secrets that even they didn't know."

Common knowledge was that Shang Junlin, upon ascending the throne, executed many officials from the previous dynasty. If not for this, the power dynamics within the court wouldn't have shifted so drastically, leading to a thorough purge. However, few were aware that among those individuals, not all were executed from the start.

They were secretly imprisoned, their remaining value drained.

"Wasn't it rumored that the late Emperor became senile and incompetent towards the end of his reign?" Shen Yu scratched his chin. "Seeing it from this perspective, it doesn't quite match."

"No matter how reckless he became in his later years, in his earlier years, he defeated numerous competitors to claim the throne. Never underestimate such an individual."

Shang Junlin didn't care about why the late Emperor underwent such a drastic change in his later years. Between him and the late Emperor, there was only a deep-seated vendetta, devoid of any father-son affection.

Shen Yu redirected the conversation, asking, "Did Fang Jun uncover any new leads?"

Most of what Shen Yu knew was directly from Shang Junlin.

Shang Junlin replied, "The servant's actions were unknown to Fang Jun. Even the fact that Madam Xu secretly contacted Han Province, he was unaware of. The assassins' testimonies correspond with the incident of the King of Yue being abducted. Both events are tied to the same force."

Shen Yu inquired, "Were they able to find out where the King of Yue might have been taken?"

"They don't know. The actions of the two groups were separate. Perhaps to prevent the current situation, the assassins were unaware of the other side's subsequent actions."

Shen Yu added, "It seems that the mastermind is also aware of the high failure rate of assassinations. They probably didn't expect these assassins to return unscathed, even if successful."

"Regardless of whether their actions succeed or fail, from the moment they took on this task, they were destined for a sacrificial outcome."

Shen Yu agreed with this point. If they failed, the consequences for those captured were clear. At the very least, if they succeeded, it would be impossible for them to escape unscathed.

"The servant who relayed information was brought up the mountain by Official Xu. Your Majesty might want to investigate in Han Province." Despite Official Xu's lack of knowledge about the real situation, Shen Yu still found it suspicious.

"Indeed, I'll also look into the situation of the Xu family and Madam Xu's maternal family in Han Province."

With the reasons at hand, the provocation against the Emperor and the King would be attributed to the eldest daughter of the Xu family. They needn't worry about arousing suspicions from outsiders.

After returning to the palace, Shang Junlin busied himself with handling accumulated state affairs. He convened his ministers for a meeting, while Shen Yu returned to Yu Zhang Palace.

Even though the master wasn't present, the palace attendants didn't dare to be lax. Everything in Yu Zhang Palace remained just as it was when Shen Yu left.

After a few days of absence, Shen Yu missed the flowers in the greenhouse. He tidied up a bit and went to the greenhouse with Mu Xi.

After the previous incident, a new batch of palace attendants were assigned to care for the greenhouse. Upon seeing Shen Yu, the attendants respectfully greeted him.

The greenhouse was divided into several sections. Some were specifically designated for the flowers sent by Shang Junlin's people, while others held flowers that had been sent based on word of Shen Yu's preferences. This included the plant sent by Prince An.

Shen Yu first tended to the ones he personally cared for. The attendants were attentive, knowing his fondness for flowers. The plants in the greenhouse were flourishing, with various blooms in full display.

Shen Yu watered and loosened the soil for them before moving to another area.

"This plant hasn't withered yet?" He was surprised at the sight of the vibrant blossoms.

"I've never seen flowers last this long," Mu Xi marveled.

It was Shen Yu's first time witnessing this too.

The greenhouse was well-ventilated, and a gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, as if welcoming visitors.

"Master, do these flowers look like they're welcoming you?" Mu Xi, being a young girl, had a natural affinity for beautiful flowers and plants.

Shen Yu nodded and beckoned one of the attending palace maids over. He asked, "Has this flower been in bloom all this time?"

"Yes, as you say, it has always been like this."

"Have you figured out its species now?" Shen Yu remembered that Shang Junlin had been having people investigate the origin of this particular flower.

"We asked the people Prince An sent earlier. They said they accidentally found this flower on the mountain, but they don't know its specific name." The palace maid replied.

"Why would Prince An send a flower of uncertain origin into the palace?" Mu Xi expressed dissatisfaction with this answer.

Shen Yu was also puzzled. After all, things sent into the palace weren't as simple on the surface. If something went wrong in the process, the sender would bear responsibility.

"They said Prince An only sent it after confirming that the flower posed no harm to the human body." The palace maid relayed the information they had obtained.

Verifying whether a plant could have an impact on the human body wasn't a difficult task.

Shen Yu recalled the previous vision he had seen in the illusion. Subconsciously, he glanced at the center of the flower, where the delicate petals clustered together. There was nothing like what he had imagined.

As he withdrew his gaze, Shen Yu found it amusing. It had been nothing more than a hallucination induced by the psychedelic substance. Why had he taken it seriously?

Upon returning, Physician Gu came to take Shen Yu's pulse.

For this autumn hunting event, Physician Gu did not accompany them. Chief Physician Wu had not yet returned to the capital, and someone was needed to oversee the Imperial Medical Hospital.

After examining Shen Yu's pulse, Chief Physician Gu prescribed a new regimen: "Your Excellency's health has improved quite a bit compared to before. The new prescription I've prepared should be taken once daily."

Even when it came to restorative remedies, it was important not to overuse them once the body showed improvement.

Shen Yu wasn't fond of taking medicine, so upon hearing this, a smile deepened on his face. Mu Xi was also pleased to hear this news. Knowing that her young master had always struggled with his health, she felt genuinely happy that there was an improvement.

Shen Yu remembered the night he had talked to Physician Gu about his reaction to eating deer meat. "I'm not sure if this is normal or not."

"Rest assured, Your Excellency. Deer meat is very nourishing. After your body has been restored through the period of recuperation, any reactions you're experiencing are positive. They indicate that your recovery is indeed taking place."

Shen Yu nodded to show his understanding.

"Has Your Excellency notice  he has been less sensitive to cold this year compared to previous years?" Physician Gu inquired.

Shen Yu recalled for a moment. It did seem that way. After the deep autumn, the temperature in the capital dropped significantly. In previous years, he would have already been feeling the onset of winter at this time, but this year, he hadn't noticed it as much.

Seeing his nod, Physician Gu explained, "It means the medicines you've been taking have been effective. If my estimation is correct, this winter, Your Excellency won't be as susceptible to cold as in previous years."

This was good news for Shen Yu.

After Shang Junlin returned, Shen Yu shared Physician Gu's words with him. A smile appeared on the tired man's face after a day of dealing with various matters. "It's better for Ah Yu to be in good health."

Shen Yu's health had always been a heavy concern for Shang Junlin. Physician Gu's words had undoubtedly provided him with a sense of relief.

Negotiations between Subei and Beimo were ongoing, and the Beimo prince imprisoned in the capital was receiving "friendly" treatment from Da Huan. Shang Junlin continued to leave matters to Fang Jun for handling, hoping to extract useful information from them.

Seeing that Da Huan had no intention of releasing the prisoners, Beimo grew restless.

Cavalry units were assembled, and war was about to break out.

Subei had been vigilant against any Beimo actions, and as soon as Beimo showed any sign of movement, Subei's forces detected it.

News reached the capital at the fastest speed.

In the court, there were two opposing viewpoints regarding Beimo's military actions. One faction believed that they must fight back; since Beimo dared to disrespect Da Huan, they should face his wrath. The other faction believed that Subei had just endured a natural disaster and should avoid conflict. If possible, negotiations should be pursued.

Each side held their ground, and neither could convince the other.

Finally, a few officials stepped forward and respectfully said, "Please decide, Your Majesty."

"I, the Emperor, have never feared any enemy. That was true in the past and remains so now. Since we can't come to an agreement, we shall go to war." Shang Junlin's voice was resolute as he made his decision.

Some ministers with differing opinions and beliefs wanted to say something, but in the end, they merely opened their mouths and silently suppressed their dissent. His Majesty had already made a clear decision, and it wasn't something that could be swayed by a few words.

Since preparations for war were underway, the court entered a new round of busyness. Fortunately, they had employed methods involving donations from the people during the drought, so they were not lacking in provisions.

This was likely something that the people from the Beimo hadn't anticipated. The undercover prince in Subei, who had been arrested, hadn't had the chance to communicate with the Beimo.

"Has Your Majesty arranged Gu Huai into the Su Bei Army?" Shen Yu asked as he took a segment of peeled orange and put it in his mouth.

The orange had been peeled by Shang Junlin. That hand, accustomed to wielding a sword or holding a pen for official documents, had grown used to peeling all sorts of fruits for Shen Yu.

The Hidden Dragon Guards who secretly protected Fang Jun's journey to Subei had already returned with him. Only Gu Huai hadn't come back to the capital. Shen Yu had subtly inquired with Physician Gu, and the physician had only said that Gu Huai had matters to attend to outside and wouldn't return for the time being.

"Yes, at the time, I gave him a choice. Staying was his own request. I originally thought he would need a few more years of experience. If the Beimo were to mobilize, it would've given him an excellent opportunity for training." After finishing peeling the orange, Shang Junlin took the handkerchief from the palace maid and wiped his hands.

"Is he planning to keep it hidden from Physician Gu?" Shen Yu discerned from Physician Gu's attitude that he was unaware of the situation.

"This is a matter between the two of them. Even if Gu Huai wants to keep it hidden, once this battle is over and he achieves merit, Physician Gu will come to know what he should know."

After Shen Yu finished eating the last segment of orange, there was a moment of silence. In this lifetime, many things were different from the previous one. His influence extended far beyond his own fate.

"Your Majesty mentioned the intention to go to war. Did any of the ministers oppose it?" Due to Shang Junlin's deliberate actions, Shen Yu was quite informed about the matters of the court.

"The Subei Army hasn't truly experienced war for quite some time. This time, I also want to let them taste the bloodshed."

Leaving a blade unused for a long time would only cause it to become dull.

Author's Note:

There's a double update, likely around 10 to 11 PM.

It's the end of the month, so I'm seeking some nutrient solution support (nutrient solution will reset at the end of the month, so come irrigate Ah Yu and His Majesty~).