The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

Over these years, although there had been ongoing friction between Subei and Beimo, they hadn't engaged in actual warfare. One reason was that both sides had left room for negotiation, and the other was that Shang Junlin's ruthless actions from years ago had instilled fear in Beimo, preventing any rash actions.

Several years had passed, and time had eroded the fear while nourishing the ambitions of the people from Beimo.

Especially after successfully infiltrating upper-level officials within Subei, they had fostered the misconception that "Subei was not that special."  The recent drought had given them the impression that they had seized the best opportunity and those in power hadn't resisted the temptation.

"How is the situation with Subei now?" Shen Yu was curious.

"I dispatched the Hidden Dragon Guards to Subei to gain an understanding of their development over these years. They haven't disappointed me. They've practiced everything they should have. In recent years, Subei has recruited many new soldiers. They've never experienced an actual battlefield. I want this campaign to be an opportunity for them to grow fully."

Soldiers who hadn't experienced warfare, regardless of how formidable they appeared, couldn't be accurately judged until they were on the battlefield. What Shang Junlin needed weren't these kinds of soldiers. He needed soldiers who could fight for Da Huan.

"Could Your Majesty tell me more about what happened in Subei in the past?" Shen Yu blinked and gazed at Shang Junlin, resting his chin on his hand.

"Why are you suddenly interested in this?" Shang Junlin sat down beside him.

"I want to know more about Your Majesty. There have been so many things that happened in the past, and I've only heard about them from others. I want to hear about them from Your Majesty's own mouth." Shen Yu gazed at Shang Junlin.

His eyes were very beautiful. When he looked intently at someone, his eyes glimmered with subtle light, as if the only people in the entire world who could enter his gaze were those he looked at. No one could resist such a gaze.

The same applied to Shang Junlin.

He grasped Shen Yu's wrist and began to recount the events of those years.

"The true confrontation with Beimo occurred after I ascended the throne. The late Emperor, swayed by deceitful advisors, ceded Subei to Beimo in exchange for a momentary peace. However, wolves are never satisfied. A single step of concession only invites them to take more. With Subei in their possession, Beimo remained unsatisfied and sought to acquire even more fertile land. Coincidentally, I ascended the throne and was disinclined to engage in lengthy debates with the courtiers. Instead, I led my troops to Subei."

Shang Junlin possessed his own forces, accumulated over years of military service. These were the individuals who stood by him through thick and thin, accompanying him from rags to becoming the ruler of a nation. They witnessed every step of his growth and gradually reclaimed the territories lost during the era of Da Huan.

"Because it was an area voluntarily relinquished by the late Emperor, Subei had not experienced large-scale warfare. Upon Beimo's entry into Subei, they unilaterally tore apart agreements and subjected the people to oppression, arson, looting, and all kinds of atrocities. By the time I arrived with my troops, the people of Subei had spontaneously organized themselves into a resistance force against Beimo. If we were to quantify it, that would mark the inception of the Subei Army."

Recalling the past, Shang Junlin's expression remained devoid of emotion. Shen Yu used his other hand to cover Shang Junlin's hand: "So, what happened to the army stationed in Subei?"

"They withdrew beforehand. In his later years, the late Emperor harmed countless loyal subjects. He simply wouldn't care about the life or death of these people," Shang Junlin's voice turned cold.

The distance between the capital and Subei was vast, and the late Emperor indulged in his own debauchery within the palace. How could he have imagined that his seemingly innocuous decision would lead to the displacement of so many innocent people?

"It's fortunate that Your Majesty was there at the time to rescue Subei from such dire straits," Shen Yu said softly.

"After I arrived in Subei, I reorganized the scattered soldiers and integrated them with the local spontaneously formed units. We fought back. It's almost laughable – Beimo thought the people of Da Huan were easy targets to bully. They never anticipated a day when they would face a counterattack. We decisively defeated them in the first battle."

"As time went on, more and more people voluntarily joined us. After over a month of fighting, Beimo surrendered. I didn't want to deal with them, and the people of Subei didn't want to accept them either. So, I led them out of the boundaries of Da Huan."

Shang Junlin's voice was low, and even though his tone was straightforward, Shen Yu couldn't help but immerse himself in imagining the situation in Subei at that time.

Shen Yu knew that the situation couldn't have been as simple as Shang Junlin described, but he didn't press for further details.

"At that time, I was often away from the capital. Thanks to Prince Li stabilizing the situation in the court, I was able to cultivate my own group of subordinates. Prince Li gradually reduced his presence, and I felt grateful for his initial assistance. Many times, I turned a blind eye to certain matters concerning him." Shang Junlin later wondered if he had made a mistake in handling this situation.

"Is Your Majesty on good terms with the other royal princes?" Shen Yu only knew that Shang Junlin had a difficult relationship with his half-brother, Prince Li, and the other princes who were a generation above them didn't seem to be particularly fond of being around Shang Junlin.

"Other than Prince Li and Prince An, there isn't much interaction with the others," Shang Junlin had long passed the age of yearning for familial relationships. Even his own father didn't care, let alone other uncles and nephews.

Shen Yu wasn't particularly surprised. Those royal princes acted as if they had seen a cat when encountering Shang Junlin, a mouse. Initially, he thought they were just intimidated, but now he realized that from the very beginning, those individuals had feared Shang Junlin.

"By my side, there's only Ah Yu," Shang Junlin sighed softly, pulling the young man into his embrace. "Ah Yu must not leave me. If there ever comes a day when he does, I don't know what I would do."

All his emotions were invested in Shen Yu. Before falling in love with Shen Yu, Shang Junlin had believed that he would spend his entire life alone on the cold dragon throne. Shen Yu's presence showed him another aspect of life.

"I won't leave," Shen Yu reassured as he patted the man's back, feeling a bit puzzled. "Why does Your Majesty always seem to think that I might leave? Without Your Majesty, I have nowhere to go."

Shen Yu didn't deny that initially, he had considered leaving. After settling all grudges, he had planned to find a peaceful place to spend the rest of his life. However, over time spent with Shang Junlin, that thought had gradually faded away.

Shang Junlin couldn't quite explain the reason. Perhaps it was his nature. He had never obtained much in life, and suddenly gaining something made him easily fret over losing it.

The Beimo royal family sent a missive to Da Huan, thinking that the other side would back down. They expected Da Huan to acquiesce to their demands. However, a few days later, their scouts detected signs of activity from the Subei Army near the border.

"What did you say?!" The Emperor of Beimo abruptly stood up, his face filled with disbelief.

"Your Majesty, I wouldn't dare lie. We did indeed discover traces of the Subei Army near our border with Da Huan," the speaking soldier said, keeping his head down and his voice quivering.

"How is that possible?!" The Beimo Emperor paced around anxiously. "Weren't we informed that Subei had just gone through a major drought? How could Da Huan have the audacity to wage war against us?!"

Beimo's audacity to go to war stemmed largely from the recent drought that Subei had experienced. In their view, the shortage of food and supplies effectively condemned the Subei Army to death. After the disaster relief efforts, the national treasury was depleted. At this time, starting a war seemed far from a wise decision.

The Beimo Emperor's ideal scenario was for Da Huan to back down and obediently comply with their demands. They would then march their forces south and seize an opportunity to plunder Subei. This would provide them with resources to sustain the winter.

However, to their surprise, Da Huan's response was completely different from their expectations. The female official responsible for negotiations from Da Huan proved to be exceptionally skilled. No one from Beimo could match her, and every negotiation ended in a resounding victory for Da Huan.

The Beimo Emperor had been holding back his frustration for a long time. He had initially planned that once they advanced southward, he would force Da Huan to dispose of this woman to alleviate his pent-up anger.

"Now, what should we do?" a minister asked with a furrowed brow.

The army was already assembled. They couldn't just abandon their plans because of a minor disturbance. Otherwise, how would they maintain their reputation in other countries?

"Since Da Huan refuses to negotiate, don't blame us for taking direct action!" The Beimo Emperor's eyes gleamed with malice.

At this moment, the Beimo Emperor remained unaware that the Subei Army had already sharpened their swords, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

"In the past, these Beimo people always cowered and hesitated, unable to truly enjoy a battle. This time, we can finally engage in a satisfying fight."

Within the Subei Army, there wasn't a trace of fear regarding this war. When they received the command from the court, excitement surged through everyone. Beimo had ridden right up to their doorstep. If they didn't fight back now, then when?

"It's no wonder His Majesty, who drove the Beimo people away single-handedly in the past, responded to Beimo's provocation with such a gratifying reply!"

War was not a good thing for the common people, but for the people of Subei, being able to fight against Beimo was worth any price they had to pay.

The blood-soaked vendetta of shattered families and broken homes, of wives lost and children scattered, was not something that could be easily forgotten.

For those left in Subei, namely He Chengyu, Jiang Huaiqing, and Fang Jiayi, Shang Junlin issued a confidential decree with a general message: Pursue whatever you intend to do and go all out, knowing that I stand behind you.

Fang Jiayi's audacity to confront the emissaries from Beimo every time, leaving them red-faced and speechless, was largely fueled by this imperial decree.

These three individuals were far from foolish. From Shang Junlin's actions, they discerned his stance toward Beimo. As loyal subjects, they naturally shared their ruler's concerns. Thus, in this war, they added fuel to the fire.

For instance, they intentionally allowed Beimo to misunderstand that the Subei Army lacked funds and had suffered greatly from the drought. Moreover, during every negotiation, Fang Jiayi would deliberately provoke the Beimo emissaries, leaving them speechless and unable to refute her.

"She dares to do this because it's at Your Majesty's behest, isn't it?" Shen Yu remarked as he looked over the dispatches from Subei that detailed Fang Jiayi's prowess during the negotiations.

"Indeed, Ah Yu is perceptive. Beimo sees this drought as a rare opportunity, so why shouldn't I think the same way?" Shang Junlin admitted openly.

"Is Your Majesty using this opportunity to exert pressure on Beimo, or is there something specific you wish to gain from them?" Shen Yu's question was incisive.

"In the past, Beimo seized Subei from Da Huan. This time, I want them to bleed a little," Shang Junlin asserted. Furthermore, the actions of Beimo had already crossed his bottom line.

"Your Majesty wants land from Beimo?" Shen Yu was taken aback.

Shang Junlin instructed Meng Gonggong to bring a map and laid it open on the table. He pointed to a particular area north of Subei, saying, "This land north of Subei is suitable for breeding horses. I want to establish a powerful cavalry."

"A cavalry?" Shen Yu thought of Shang Junlin's private horse ranch. Clearly, this idea wasn't a sudden revelation. "When did Your Majesty start considering this?"

"When I was at war with Beimo in the past, I suffered losses at the hands of their cavalry. Afterward, I began to think whether it was possible to form a formidable cavalry force. However, there were too many things that Da Huan lacked. Until now, this aspiration remains unfulfilled."

However, the time was approaching.

Shen Yu pointed to a spot circled on the map. "This location is close to Subei and offers convenient access. Your Majesty's wish will soon be realized."

Author's Note: Second update, seeking nourishing votes and support! (^o^)/~