The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

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Shang Junlin held the person close, comforting them for a while. Seeing that Shen Yu remained insistent, he reluctantly agreed to wait with him.

Luckily, it wasn't long before the time arrived. With Shen Yu's persistence, he directed the palace servant to fetch the painting, which was promptly brought over.

"I can fetch it myself; you should rest," Shang Junlin insisted.

"No," Shen Yu countered.

Resolute, Shen Yu sat up, wrapping himself in a thick coat before leaving the bed.

Unable to sway him, Shang Junlin watched as Shen Yu left to retrieve the painting.

When Shen Yu returned with the painting, Shang Junlin immediately drew him into an embrace. "Feeling cold?"

"There's underfloor heating in the room; it's not cold," Shen Yu replied, more awake now. Handing over the painting, he added, "I must be the first to wish His Majesty 'Happy Birthday.'"

"Your Majesty, Happy Birthday."

Shang Junlin acknowledged, touched by the gesture.

After presenting the gift, Shen Yu felt his task was complete. Fighting off drowsiness, he blinked and declared, "I'm going to sleep."

Without waiting for a response, he closed his eyes.

Truly exhausted, his breathing soon became steady.

In the dim candlelight, Shang Junlin gazed at the young man sleeping soundly in his arms, his eyes filled with emotions that no one else could decipher.

Shen Yu woke up feeling refreshed at dawn, unaware that his sudden action had kept the man awake for most of the night.

Feeling well-rested, Shen Yu went to check on the flowers he had been nurturing. Winter had arrived, and some of the flowers that bloomed in winter were gradually showing their beautiful blossoms.

The most mysterious was the plant that Prince An had sent, whose origin remained unknown. Since it started blooming, it had never withered.

"Young Master, this flower is truly miraculous. Will it keep blooming indefinitely?" Mu Xi accompanied him whenever he visited the flowers.

"Perhaps. It's nice to see it blooming continuously. It would be a shame if such a beautiful flower withered," Shen Yu replied.

As if responding to Shen Yu's words, the flower branches gently swayed.

"I've always felt that this flower is quite spiritual. Every time you come to see it, it seems quite 'lively,'" Mu Xi observed the flower curiously. "All things have spirits, and I believe this flower quite likes you, Young Master."

After several days, it was confirmed that the flower posed no ill effects to anyone. Shen Yu thought for a moment and decided to move the flower to the flower room he frequently visited. Since then, he had seen the flower more often.

It wasn't just Mu Xi who felt this way; both Shang Junlin and Shen Yu himself had similar feelings. According to palace staff, when Shen Yu wasn't around, the flower remained motionless. But when Shen Yu was present, it seemed to welcome him, swaying its branches from time to time.

Shen Yu found it fascinating and reached out to touch the blooming petals. They felt as cool as jade, unlike those of other plants.

After just a brief touch, Shen Yu withdrew his hand and watered the other flowers before leaving with Mu Xi.

"The people at the estate have been trained according to your instructions, and they're showing some progress. They've sent someone to inquire whether they should continue or send some people out first," Mu Xi reported softly to Shen Yu as they walked along the path.

Before entering the palace, Shen Yu already had a group of his people with him. However, due to his hurried entrance into the palace, he couldn't settle these people promptly. Unlike in his previous life, he hadn't trained these people to be directly usable.

After settling in the palace, Shen Yu instructed on how to train them. After a year passed, they had almost reached the effectiveness he desired.

"According to the plan, let's send out a group of people first, especially to Hanzhou. I need to know the specific situation there," Shen Yu stated.

Among the people he had trained were those who specialized in gathering intelligence. Shen Yu was in the palace and knew little about the outside world. He needed eyes and ears to bring information from outside into the palace.

The development in this life was vastly different from the previous one. In the previous life, King Yue's rebellion didn't occur at this time, nor was it handled as it is now.

In the previous life, King Yue's reputation was excellently cultivated. His uprising was supported by the people and was seen as the will of the masses. But this time was different.

Now, King Yue's reputation was ruined. Others labeled him a rebel, and the hat of rebellion couldn't be easily removed. This was undoubtedly difficult for King Yue, who always cared about his reputation.

"By the way, isn't it currently trendy among scholars to criticize King Yue in their writings and various publications? Let them find a way to spread these things to Hanzhou, preferably directly to King Yue's ears. How could such flattering voices not reach his ears?"

Returning to the Yu Zhang Palace, Shang Junlin had not yet returned, so Shen Yu went to the study room.

The study room was arranged later and, besides the books Shang Junlin often used, it was filled with books that interested Shen Yu: gossip from outside the palace, rare books from the imperial library, books collected by Shang Junlin from various places... There was a variety of them, as long as Shen Yu might be interested in them, they would be found here.

Shen Yu would also paint here sometimes. Recently, in preparation for surprising Shang Junlin, he had deliberately painted while Mu Xi stood guard outside, ready to remind him once Shang Junlin approached.

"Do you want to paint, Young Master?" Mu Xi asked as Shen Yu approached the desk.

"No, bring me a copy of the roster from Zhuangzi's side, bring the latest one," Shen Yu replied. After a year, only those who had undergone training could further gain Shen Yu's trust.

Mu Xi walked to the antique bookshelf and opened a hidden compartment, retrieving the roster from inside.

Seeing her bring out several books, Shen Yu said, "Bring them all over; let me take a look."

Mu Xi brought the rosters over and placed them on the table. Some of these rosters were brought in by Shen Yu when he entered the palace, while others were sent later on.

Shen Yu initially hadn't planned to stay long in the palace. Without sufficient power, leaving the palace would mean he couldn't live the life he desired. These people were his backup plan, but now that he had dispelled the thought of leaving, their arrangements needed to be adjusted.

Shen Yu was busy in the study for the entire afternoon, working until the sun began to set, until Meng-gonggong came to find him.

Mu Xi approached him, asking, "Does Meng-gonggong have urgent matters to discuss?"

"His Majesty ordered this servant to escort the Noble Monarch over. His Majesty is currently discussing matters with the Prime Minister and several other ministers and can't leave temporarily," Meng-gonggong explained.

Putting down his pen and rubbing his wrist, Shen Yu walked out. "Does His Majesty have any plans for today?"

"His Majesty only instructed this servant to escort Your Excellency; he didn't specify anything further."

After tidying up, Shen Yu walked out to find the carriage already prepared outside.

He was taken to the Imperial Study.

Shang Junlin was still in the middle of discussions, so Shen Yu decided not to disturb him and instead headed to the side hall.

Shen Yu rarely came to this area. The furnishings in the side hall were elegant, and there were pastries and tea, all to Shen Yu's liking.

Meng-gonggong stayed for a while before returning to the Imperial Study to attend to his duties.

Shortly after, the door to the side hall was pushed open again, and Shang Junlin, dressed in court attire, walked in.

Shen Yu approached him. "Why did His Majesty bring me here?"

"I wanted to see you sooner," Shang Junlin said, reaching out to pull Shen Yu into his embrace. "There's a small banquet in the palace later. I want you to come with me."

"Your Majesty couldn't wait a little longer?" Shen Yu raised an eyebrow.

"If it weren't for you sleeping so soundly, I would've woken you up earlier. Who stayed up all night just to give me a gift last night, hmm?" Shang Junlin teased.

"Don't tell me, Your Majesty couldn't sleep well all night because of the gift I gave."

"What are you thinking, Ah Yu?" Shang Junlin playfully flicked his forehead.

Beside them, Meng-gonggong couldn't help but think to himself, 'Weren't you up all night excitedly searching for places to hang the painting that the Noble Monarch gave you?'

"Has Your Majesty seen the painting? Do you like it? It's a pity it's not as useful as last year's gift. This year..."

Shang Junlin leaned down to kiss Shen Yu on the lips, interrupting him, "Ah Yu, you don't need to say these things. As I've said before, regardless of what you give me, I'm equally pleased. This time, you gave me a painting you personally created, and I'm very happy about it. I can feel your sincerity."

Shen Yu willingly wrapped his arms around Shang Junlin's neck and returned the kiss, saying, "This is also Your Majesty's birthday gift."

Shang Junlin exerted force with his arms, taking the initiative without any reservations.

As the sovereign, Shang Junlin's birthday was not just a personal celebration but often marked by a banquet in the palace. The scale varied depending on the circumstances. Apart from a grand banquet, there would also be a separate gathering for the women of the harem.

Normally, the Ministry of Rites would oversee the state banquet. However, due to the special circumstances this year, Shang Junlin had no intention of hosting a large event. Still, given the recent victory of Subei, it was essential to acknowledge it. Consequently, the Ministry of Rites organized a smaller-scale banquet, which also served as a celebration of the victory.

With the banquet about to commence, Shen Yu and Shang Junlin spent some time in the side hall before heading to the main hall where the banquet was being held.

By the time they arrived, the ministers had already taken their seats. Shang Junlin led Shen Yu to the high seats, and this time, no one dared to speak out against them.

The events from last year's banquet were still fresh in everyone's minds. The officials who had confronted Shang Junlin were still not reinstated, and the ministers hadn't had enough time to settle back into their roles.

As Shen Yu sat beside Shang Junlin, he could observe the expressions of the ministers below.

The banquet proceedings were simplified this time. First, there were blessings for Shang Junlin, followed by gifts prepared by the ministers. Once these were mostly concluded, Shang Junlin gestured.

Meng-gonggong approached, holding the imperial decree.

In the following time, rewards and honors were bestowed upon the Subei Army. Although they weren't present, these rewards would swiftly reach them in the north, delivered into the hands of each deserving individual.

After Meng-gonggong finished reading the imperial decree, the ministers noticed a very unfamiliar name: Gu Huai.

Before today, no one had heard of this name. However, in the recent war against Beimo, the individual behind this name had performed exceptionally well. His Majesty had even granted him a higher official position, which intrigued them greatly.

Who exactly was Gu Huai?

Seeing the surprise on the ministers' faces, Shen Yu lowered his voice and asked, "Has Your Majesty mentioned Gu Huai to them before?"

"I didn't mention specific names. Gu Huai's identity is somewhat sensitive. If they were informed in advance, it might lead to unnecessary trouble," Shang Junlin said, picking up a piece of meat and putting it into Shen Yu's bowl.

"Does Your Majesty know his true identity now?" Shen Yu picked up the meat and put it into his mouth.

Since Shang Junlin intended to cultivate Gu Huai, at least under the premise that there were no issues from all aspects, it didn't seem like Shang Junlin would nurture an enemy.

"If I didn't, how could I rest assured to let him go to Subei?" Shang Junlin caressed Shen Yu's temple. "I'll explain everything to you in detail when we return."

Shen Yu nodded.

As it was a banquet, it naturally included music and dance. After the formal proceedings concluded, it was time for enjoyment.

With the sound of silk and bamboo, the dancers gracefully performed, their movements captivating.

Perhaps due to the limited opportunities to showcase their talents, the dancers exerted themselves to present their most beautiful selves as soon as they took the stage.

Shen Yu glanced at them a few more times, only to be pinched by Shang Junlin, who was not pleased and turned around. "Why are you looking so intently?"

"Their dancing skills are exceptional, but they rarely get the chance to perform. It's a pity," Shen Yu sighed.

"If Ah Yu likes it, I can have them dance for you every day," Shang Junlin's finger gently caressed the soft skin under Shen Yu's chin.

Despite the gentle tone, Meng-gonggong, standing behind the two, sensed a chill.

"Your Majesty clearly dislikes it, so why bother saying things that only upset yourself?" Shen Yu bluntly exposed the man's contradictory behavior.

"Why wouldn't I like it? Ah Yu, tell me," Shang Junlin's eyes narrowed slightly. "It's because it's my birthday, and you're making me jealous. Ah Yu, you should compensate me tonight."

Seeing the intense jealousy in the man's eyes, Shen Yu couldn't help but feel amused.

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