The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

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Confidence was high as they prepared to face Beimo in battle.

Shen Yu opened another document on the table. It was a report from the Ministry of Justice, inquiring about how to deal with Feng Pingqi.

The influence of the Feng family had already been eradicated from the heart of power in Da Huan. The once prestigious elder of the Feng family had been imprisoned, and any officials sheltered by him were appropriately punished. The only matter left unresolved was the fate of the Feng family itself.

"How does Your Majesty intend to handle Minister Feng?" Shen Yu closed the document.

Upon seeing the document, Shang Junlin furrowed his brow. "The Ministry of Justice can determine his guilt and punishment on its own. Why come to me for this?"

Shang Junlin wrote "Handle according to the law" on the document and discarded it aside.

Speaking of Minister Feng, why did he conspire against Prince An back then?" Shen Yu asked, taking a seat next to Shang Junlin.

Placing the hallucinogenic substance next to the flower, if something happened to Shen Yu, the first person Shang Junlin would hold accountable would be Prince An, who had sent the flowers to the palace.

"He claimed it was their intention," Shang Junlin replied.

By "their intention," Shang Junlin referred to the people manipulating Feng Pingqi from behind the scenes, who were currently held in the Ministry of Justice's dark prison.

"I had the Ministry of Justice interrogate those individuals. They claimed that because I favored you, they wanted me to experience the pain of losing a beloved," Shang Junlin said, his tone carrying a chilling edge.

"But what about when I first entered the palace? Could they have foreseen that Your Majesty would come to favor me? If so, they should have stopped me from entering the palace from the beginning," Shen Yu said, puzzled.

However, the reality was that his entry into the palace was orchestrated by these individuals.

Wanting him to disappear later, Shen Yu could understand. By that time, Shang Junlin's affection for him was no longer concealed, even though only they knew that this affection was mixed with a measure of genuine emotion.

Outsiders were unaware of this, and from their perspective, Shen Yu gained the favor of the emperor as soon as he entered the palace. And up to this day, the imperial favor showed no sign of waning.

Shang Junlin continued, "The message from the Ministry of Justice stated that they were merely following orders and the medicine that made you ill was also given by the person behind the scenes."

Shen Yu asked, "Can we extract information about the one who orchestrated the prison escape from them?"

Shang Junlin replied, "I had the Ministry of Justice interrogate them about the King of Yue's abduction, but we haven't obtained any meaningful results."

The Minister of Justice had been quite troubled recently. Dealing with the matter of Minister Feng and the subsequent revelation of a plot against King of Yue had made him more cautious. It was clear to anyone with eyes that King of Yue was held in high regard by Shang Junlin, and based on this, the Minister of Justice was even more determined not to make any mistakes.

"Sir, should we continue the interrogation today?" a subordinate asked respectfully.

"Yes, continue. If we haven't obtained results, we can't let up for a single day. The emperor entrusts us with the task of dealing with these matters, a sign of his high expectations. Regardless of the circumstances, we must not disappoint his trust," the Minister of Justice stated firmly.

"Understood!"

Feng Pingqi was now a far cry from his former distinguished appearance. His hair was disheveled, falling over his face. His prison uniform was dirty and stained with blood, and the prolonged interrogation had taken a severe toll on his condition.

"I've already revealed everything I know. There's nothing more I can say, no matter how much you interrogate me," Feng Pingqi's voice was hoarse as he looked at the Minister of Justice approaching him.

Seeing his former subordinate now in the role of his judge was a strange feeling that was hard to describe.

The Minister of Justice beckoned, and a subordinate brought a whip.

At the same time, a similar scenario was playing out elsewhere, but the treatment for that individual was far less lenient than what former Minister Feng received.

Shang Junlin didn't need to concern himself with how they were conducting the interrogations. He only needed to know the final outcome.

As autumn passed and winter approached, the weather grew colder. Shen Yu had changed into thicker clothing. As the imperial physician had said, he was finding this winter easier to bear than the previous ones.

After a few strategic maneuvers, the forces of the Subei Army confronted Beimo head-on. In their first engagement, the Subei Army caught Beimo off guard.

The news of this victory reached the court, greatly pleasing Shang Junlin.

The Beimo prince who had been captured was still held in the capital. His days grew more difficult as the battle between Da Huan and Beimo unfolded. If Beimo emerged victorious, he might have a chance to return, but if Da Huan prevailed, his situation would become perilous.

The capital remained unaffected by the war's immediate impact. Whenever news of victory arrived, it would be released to the public at an appropriate time.

Regarding the battle with Beimo, the people had already formed their own expectations.

"The Subei Army is truly remarkable. Just like back then when they defeated Beimo, this time they can strike back just as fiercely!"

"They actually tried to take advantage of the severe drought in Subei to launch an attack on us. In my opinion, they deserve a good beating in this battle to show them their place!"

"They even had spies hidden within Subei. Now they threaten us with war if we don't release their people. They really have no shame!"

With the guidance of the popular press, public opinion was skillfully managed.

Shang Junlin received news from outside the palace and shared it with Shen Yu, saying, "I never expected a small newspaper to have such a significant impact."

"Your Majesty, never underestimate the power of the people. In the past, those individuals manipulated the gap in information between the people and the court to spread slander against you. But from now on, such situations will never arise again," Shen Yu said, lowering his gaze, his eyes glinting with determination.

"Does Ah Yu really defend me this much?" Shang Junlin squeezed Shen Yu's hand.

"I can't let malicious individuals slander you when you've done things that benefit the people. It's only fair," Shen Yu said, his tone turning serious. Remembering how Shang Junlin's reputation was deliberately tarnished in his previous life, Shen Yu felt uneasy.

The court had departed from its previous practices. Every action the emperor took was now reasonably explained. The emergence of the newspapers completely changed the image of the court and Shang Junlin in the eyes of the people.

This was the outcome Shen Yu was pleased to see.

"I've dispatched the Hidden Dragon Guards to secretly head towards Hanzhou<sup data-mfn="1">Han Prefecture. Along the way, they discovered traces of the King of Yue's movement. However, their actions were cautious, and after tracking them for a distance, the trail disappeared," Shang Junlin said.

"Does this mean that our initial speculation was incorrect? They indeed intend to go to Hanzhou," Shen Yu toyed with his cup, deep in thought. "Is there anything particularly significant about Hanzhou?"

Initially, they had all assumed that those individuals would take the King of Yue back to his fief. Shang Junlin sent people to trace their footsteps along the way. Hanzhou wasn't a necessary stop between the capital and the King of Yue's fief. Choosing Hanzhou would take them on a rather circuitous route.

"Most likely, there are people in Hanzhou ready to assist them," Shang Junlin said calmly.

"Your Majesty, could it be that this situation is more than just a coincidence? Minister Xu's legitimate daughter committed an offense in the hunting grounds, and you sent people to investigate their past affairs in Hanzhou. Those individuals went to great lengths to abduct the King of Yue, and they're heading to Hanzhou as well. If they learned that your people happened to be there, what would they be thinking?" Shen Yu contemplated the scene in which these individuals, who thought they had everything under control, inadvertently walked into a well-prepared trap.

"Thinking of it that way, Ah Yu might be their nemesis. Every incident seems to lead them to a clash with him by chance," Shang Junlin expressed his astonishment.

The previous events aside, the current situation was indeed too coincidental. Furthermore, the fact that he and Shen Yu were hunting together on that day, encountering Minister Xu's petulant legitimate daughter, added another layer of complexity to it all.

Shen Yu chuckled. "Perhaps."

As implicated parties, Minister Xu's family was now detained. Regardless of their involvement in the assassination attempt, since they brought the perpetrators into the city, they were accomplices in some way.

"Minister Fang captured the servant that day and asked, 'He claimed to be delivering a letter to Madame Xu. Has Your Majesty found out what she discussed with Han Province?' Shen Yu inquired.

Shang Junlin replied, "According to Madame Xu's confession, she intended to have Hanzhou conceal some actions her beloved daughter had once committed there."

Shen Yu remarked, "Considering the haughty nature of the legitimate daughter of the Xu family, she must have caused quite a stir."

Shang Junlin agreed, "Ah Yu's assessment is accurate. She is even implicated in several murders."

"So, Your Majesty has already obtained results so quickly?" Shen Yu marveled.

"It was the illegitimate daughter of the Xu family who revealed this. After her imprisonment, she divulged numerous secrets about the Xu family. I've ordered verification, and if her claims are true, Hanzhou is in for a significant change," Shang Junlin explained.

With those words, a seemingly casual decision determined the fate of various major powers in Hanzhou.

Members of the Xu family were detained together.

'Why did you tell them those things? Do you think now that we're all imprisoned, you can slander your sister as you wish?' Madame Xu glared hatefully at the woman crouched alone by the wall.

"She dared to do those things herself. Why wouldn't I dare to speak of them?" The woman lifted her head from her arms and stared directly at Madame Xu. "Instead of interrogating me, perhaps you should worry about your precious daughter. She's responsible for so many lives lost. Isn't she afraid of vengeful spirits in the dead of night?"

"What nonsense are you spewing?" Minister Xu rebuked in annoyance. "Junjun might be a bit headstrong and willful, but she couldn't have taken lives. If you're displeased with her, you shouldn't resort to such base accusations."

"So Father is unaware of these matters? Perhaps you should ask your dear wife by your side. Or your loving daughter. How did the daughter of the Wu family meet her end three years ago? Or inquire about the death by drowning of the daughter of the Yu family two years ago? There are many instances like this. Should I go on and recount them one by one?" The woman's lips curved into a mocking smile.

Minister Xu furrowed his brow and hesitated, glancing at the person beside him.

Madam Xu seemed to have been struck a painful blow and jumped up, saying, "You believe whatever she says? Junjun grew up by your side. Don't you understand her nature?"

"No need for explanations here. Officials have already been sent to Hanzhou, and whether I'm lying or not will be clear when they return," the woman replied impassively.

"Why argue? Why argue? You two love to argue the most," a prison guard grumbled as he approached.

The cell fell silent once again.

The officials dispatched to Hanzhou initially encountered resistance. Upon arrival, they realized that within the small Hanzhou, the web of influence was intricate. Despite Minister Xu being transferred to the capital, his influence still remained significant. Investigating the Xu family's affairs was much more challenging than anticipated.

It wasn't until the Xu family became implicated in an assassination attempt that they found an opening to pursue.

As the investigation delved deeper, one shocking case after another came to light.

The responsible officials didn't dare delay and immediately compiled reports.

"Even if they weren't involved in the assassination attempt, the Xu family should still face death!" Shang Junlin erupted in anger after reading, "Who was the one who promoted this person in the first place?"

The study fell into silence. Meng Gonggong lowered his head, afraid to speak.

The ministers who had gathered for discussions were also too afraid to speak. They hadn't anticipated that a case involving a junior's insolence towards the emperor could unravel several instances of bloodshed.

Being the daughter of Minister Xu of Hanzhou, bearing the weight of numerous lives lost, these cases that had come to light so far left it hard to ignore suspicions about the minister and the role his family might have played.

"Prime Minister, you'll handle this matter. I want to know how this individual was transferred to the capital and if there are any similar situations within the court."

Author's Note: Happy National Day, lovelies~ This chapter has an update.