The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

Hey! This is a make-up chapter for the absences I made ToT.

Anyways. This is a bit shameful but I am trying to raise at least $30 to fund my miscellaneous fees in school. Im not forcing anyone but feel free to donate any amount if you want. Link is on my profile page. Im so sorry for this shameless plea. Of course, every donation has an extra chapter just for you :)

The compensation list was not compiled casually; it was meticulously prepared by the Minister of Revenue based on the losses suffered by Da Huan due to Beimo, combined with the specific situation of Beimo. It was carefully calibrated to inflict enough pain on Beimo without pushing them beyond their limits.

As for Beimo's claim that they needed time to prepare, both Shen Yu and Shang Junlin knew it was just an excuse. They had no intention of rushing Beimo and simply pretended not to know.

When the news reached Beimo, the Beimo Emperor was almost breathless with anger. How could Da Huan have the audacity to claim that seizing their land was for their own good???

Clutching his chest, the Beimo Emperor felt dizzy.

"Your Majesty!" A servant hurried over to support him. "Your Majesty, are you alright? Someone, call the imperial physician!"

Leaning on the servant's shoulder, the Beimo Emperor gritted his teeth and said, "Summon the ministers for a meeting!"

"But, Your Majesty, your health..."

"Just do as I say!" the emperor snapped. "I just need to rest for a while. Hurry!"

The servant dared not delay and quickly went outside to summon the ministers.

The ministers were brought to the palace without any idea of what had happened, and before they could even begin to wonder, they were stunned by the sudden news.

—Da Huan demanded that they immediately hand over the pasture.

Da Huan's intentions were clear: while other compensations could be delayed for a period of time, the pasture and horses must be handed over to Da Huan immediately. Wasn't it said that the people were starving and unable to eat before they attacked Subei? Well, Da Huan's move could also help relieve some pressure for them.

The documents were filled with Da Huan's claims that they were doing it for the good of Beimo and that they should not fail to appreciate it. It was no wonder the Beimo Emperor almost spat blood upon seeing them.

"Da Huan is simply too much!" one minister fumed with anger.

"Are we really going to give up that piece of land?" another minister fretted.

Yet others harbored resentment towards the Beimo Emperor for his vehement advocacy of attacking Da Huan in the first place, leading to the calamity they faced today.

"Your Majesty, how about considering what I proposed before?" At this moment, a newly promoted minister stepped forward.

"What?" the Beimo Emperor looked puzzled.

"The cooperation with King Yue of Da Huan. I believe it's feasible."

"Cooperate with a person from Da Huan? At a time when we can barely take care of ourselves, we're supposed to help that so-called King Yue fight the Emperor of Da Huan?"

This matter had been brought up in the court before, and many ministers were still hesitant. They had been frightened by the relentless advance of the Subei Army and dared not oppose it. Although the Beimo Emperor had been persuaded before, there were still several ministers who disagreed.

Now, the old issue was brought up again, and there were still many ministers who did not agree.

Seeing that another argument was about to erupt, the Beimo Emperor hurriedly spoke up, "Alright, alright, let's save this matter for later discussion. For now, let's focus on the issue of compensation. In a few days, someone will come to take over the forest. Do we really need to give it away directly?"

The court fell silent, with ministers exchanging glances but none daring to speak.

By bringing the discussion to this point, it was clear that Da Huan had left no room for negotiation.

"Which official is negotiating with us this time? Can we ask for a few more days of leniency?"

"What's the use of delaying? We'll still have to hand over the forest in the end."

"Delaying might bring about a turning point."

Originally, this was Beimo's intention as well—to delay for as long as possible, ideally until Da Huan forgot about the matter entirely.

"Do you know which official Da Huan has entrusted with the negotiation this time?"

"As long as it's not that official from Subei, it doesn't matter who it is."

Unfortunately, their hopes were dashed when, two days later, news arrived about the negotiator.

"Who is it?" asked the Beimo Emperor during the court session.

"In response to Your Majesty, it is Lady Fang from Subei. Emperor Da Huan stated that she has frequent dealings with Beimo and is familiar with both sides..."

The Beimo Emperor closed his eyes briefly. Now things were even worse. There was hardly any room left for negotiation, and even getting to keep a portion of the land would be considered fortunate.

Da Huan had really outdone himself!

At that moment, the atmosphere in the court turned extremely cold.

Zhuang-daren and Zhu-daren, who had been well-fed and well-treated in the palace, attempted to escape and failed. As a result, they were thrown into the dungeon by Shang Junlin. Regardless of whether they were truly different or not, once caught, there was no reason to let them go unpunished.

Moreover, since this individual seemed to know something about Shen Yu's background, Shang Junlin was even less likely to release him.

Feng Pingqi was executed after being questioned behind closed doors, and the Feng family was implicated. All participants were executed, and from then on, the Feng family disappeared completely from the capital.

As for the person who was captured alongside them, after it was confirmed that nothing useful could be extracted from his mouth, Shang Junlin dealt with him directly. Since he had attempted to harm Shen Yu, Shang Junlin chose a less merciful method of execution.

Shen Yu learned about these events after they had already taken place.

"On the day the Feng family was executed, many people went to watch the punishment. The attendants I bought reported that the people of the capital felt relieved."

Shen Yu plucked a leaf from the "Jun Ling" plant and examined it, then said, "Everyone knows what he did. When corrupt officials receive the punishment they deserve, it is only natural for people to feel relieved. Tell Ye-daren to publish more articles punishing corrupt officials recently."

"I understand," Mu Xi increasingly admired her young master. It seemed that he could see through everyone's hearts without any effort, predicting their behavior accurately regardless of their performance.

"Come and take a look at this flower. Does it look a little wilted to you?" Shen Yu frowned slightly as he observed the "Jun Ling" plant beside him.

Since it came into his possession, the "Jun Ling" plant had always been in good condition. However, in the past two days, for some reason, it had started to wilt. Shen Yu had called on a palace expert in horticulture to inspect it, but even they couldn't make sense of it.

Mu Xi looked down and hesitated. "Could it be because it's cold?"

There had been a heavy snowfall recently, causing the temperature to drop significantly.

"First, move it into my palace and let it rest for a couple of days. If it doesn't improve, ask the court physician when he comes next time to check my pulse."

Shen Yu wandered around the flower room, which had grown more than twice its original size since Shang Junlin occasionally gifted him flowers and plants. There were all kinds of flower species in the flower room, from valuable ones worth a fortune to common ones that ordinary people could raise. Shen Yu treated them all equally and arranged them according to their habits, resulting in each plant thriving.

Mu Xi held the flower and followed Shen Yu back to the palace.

Shen Yu placed the "Jun Ling" back in its original spot, washed his hands clean, and went to the small study.

In this palace, his traces were becoming more and more prominent.

When Shang Junlin returned, the first thing he noticed was the potted flower in the bedroom. The palace attendants hurriedly explained, "His Excellency said this flower looked a little wilted, so it's placed here to see how it fares in a couple of days."

Shang Junlin nodded. "And where is His Excellency?"

"In the small study, Your Majesty."

Without further delay, Shang Junlin headed straight to the small study.

Shen Yu was examining a map of Da Huan. Shang Junlin often worked on documents and maps in this area, and this map was also left by him.

"What are you doing, Ah Yu?"

"Your Majesty is back?" Shen Yu looked up. "I'm examining the terrain near Hanzhou."

King Yue had been holed up in Hanzhou, showing no signs of movement. Shen Yu was somewhat concerned. He speculated that King Yue was probably waiting for someone. Given the current military strength of King Yue, it was practically impossible for him to achieve anything significant. King Yue wouldn't willingly throw his life away, and neither would those behind him.

"Your Majesty, look here. The mountains stretch endlessly. If King Yue has any tricks up his sleeve, he's likely to enter Hanzhou from this direction." Shen Yu pointed to the position west of Hanzhou.

"In addition to the army surrounding Hanzhou, I've also sent people to lurk in the shadows. As Ah Yu mentioned, this area has rugged terrain, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. If those people are really hiding in the mountains, it would indeed be quite challenging to engage them in battle."

"How many people does King Yue have now?"

"About a hundred thousand."

These forces entered Hanzhou before the court could react. After the court sent people over, various forces that had appeared sporadically seemed to disappear suddenly and never reappeared.

King Yue was waiting, and so was Shang Junlin.

"Exactly how much did the late Emperor leave behind for King Yue?" Shen Yu couldn't understand. After all, Shang Junlin was his own biological son, born to the late Emperor and the Empress Dowager. Even after the Empress Dowager's incident, the late Emperor didn't remarry, so it wasn't possible for him to have no emotions at all.

Before coming into contact with him, Shen Yu didn't feel much, but the more he learned about Shang Junlin's past, the more strange it seemed. For example, the late Emperor's hostility and malice towards Shang Junlin.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. The late Emperor was unpredictable in his actions. I used to think he favored the Sixth Prince the most, but when the Sixth Prince got into trouble back then, he still acted as if nothing had happened, indulging in pleasures. Even when the mother of the Sixth Prince came to plead, she was kicked away by him. Who would have thought that the descendants of the once prominent Sixth Prince would fall so quickly."

Shang Junlin walked behind Shen Yu, his arms propping up on Shen Yu's sides. His aura enveloped Shen Yu, who looked up at him.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Shang Junlin's lips, his tone carrying a hint of sarcasm. He truly harbored no fondness for the late Emperor.

Shen Yu's lips moved, but what he eventually said was, "Would Your Majesty like to sit down?"

After speaking, he shifted aside, making room for Shang Junlin.

Shang Junlin sat down and casually pulled Shen Yu into his lap. "Does Ah Yu want to sit on my lap?"

Before Shen Yu could react, Shang Junlin had already lifted him onto his lap.

Shen Yu, accustomed to being held by him, instinctively found a comfortable position.

"I didn't spend much time in the capital before, and I didn't have much interaction with the late Emperor. Those who had frequent contact with him in the past either got killed by other princes or by me. There were few left, and we couldn't glean much from them. I suspect that even King Yue himself doesn't know exactly what the late Emperor left for him."

Shang Junlin picked up a strand of Shen Yu's hair and toyed with it in his hand. "The late Emperor was always wary of his sons. As they grew stronger, the Emperor grew older. Perhaps there was a little bit of affection when they were young, but as the princes grew up, how much of that thin affection could withstand the test?"

"Will Your Majesty be like that in the future?" Shen Yu knew he shouldn't ask this question, but at this moment, he wanted to ask, so he did.

"I won't even have my own children, how could I be like the late Emperor? Unless..." Shang Junlin's hand rested on Shen Yu's abdomen. "Ah Yu can bear a child for me."

"Do you think I'm capable of that?" Shen Yu raised an eyebrow.

"If I try harder, maybe." Shang Junlin replied seriously.

Shen Yu was speechless. "I think Your Majesty just wants to try the process."

Shang Junlin chuckled and bit his earlobe. "How would you know if you don't try?"

Author's note:

Giving birth to children and all that is just talk, His Majesty just wants to experience the process!!!