The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

Shen Yu was shocked, but so was Mu Xi, who was standing behind him. Shen Yu resembled his mother. None of his half-brothers in the Zhenbei Marquis' residence looked like him as much as this woman did.

Shen Yu didn't intend to get involved in feuds between palace servants, but after he saw the woman's face, he couldn't stay out of it. Whether it was a coincidence or not, he needed an answer.

It was getting dark. Shen Yu simply told the palace servants to take these people back to Yuzhang Palace.

On the way, Mu Xi reported the information she'd obtained to Shen Yu.

Mu Xi: "The woman's name is Shen Yue. She was sold into the palace as a child. She has a withdrawn personality and doesn't like to communicate with others. The other palace maids are jealous of her outstanding appearance and like to make trouble for her in various ways. Not long ago, Shen Yue changed her usual low-key style, though it's not clear why or how she got the opportunity. She began to wear beautiful dresses, and her jewelry became more and more expensive day by day."

Shen Yu: "Is Shen Yue her real name?"

Mu Xi: "This slave asked. She's had this name since entering the palace. In addition, she seems to be involved with a certain faction outside. On the fifteenth day of each month she avoids people and goes to the northwest corner gate. It's very remote. Ordinarily not many people go there."

Mu Xi had been specially trained by Shen Yu and was talented at collecting information. After Shen Yu entered the palace, there weren't many people he could use, but Mu Xi was one of them.

Shen Yu: "Has anything like this happened before today?"

Mu Xi: "Yes, you could even say it's commonplace. Ever since His Majesty ascended the throne, the harem has been without a mistress or master. Although the palace people don't dare to provoke His Majesty to his face, they're very… presumptuous."

Shen Yu could understand. The imperial palace of Da Huan was enormous, and the previous emperor was erratic. The palace was the site of the fiercest power struggles. It wasn't surprising that things happened in the dark.

If it wasn't for Shen Yu's whim, no high-ranking person would have set foot in such a secluded area. The palace was so large that it had many similar places.

Mu Xi continued, "As for this palace maid, Shen Yue, people used to isolate her but they didn't do much to her otherwise. I don't know what angered them this time, but they tricked her into going to a remote location and proceeded to teach her a lesson."

By the time they returned to Yuzhang Palace, Shen Yu basically understood what had happened. Speaking of which, the incident was also related to Shang JunLin.

In general, Shang JunLin didn't use his bloody methods against the palace staff. The servants were afraid of him because everyone was, but after a long enough time, they inevitably began to have a few quiet thoughts. At first they took advantage in small ways, but when they saw that no one took action, they grew bolder and bolder, and now dared to openly spread palace gossip outside.

In Shen Yu's previous life, there was an appalling, bloody incident in the imperial palace when the servants angered the emperor. Half of the palace attendants were slaughtered, and there was so much blood it formed a stream. At the time, the entire palace reeked with the smell of blood, and the capital was on tenterhooks for a long time.

After this incident, more and more people began to call Shang JunLin a tyrant. By that time in his previous life, Shen Yu had returned to the fiefdom with the King of Yue. He didn't know the details of the situation in the capital, but it now seemed there was a story behind the massacre.

Shen Yu half-reclined against the imperial concubine's couch in his palace. All the servants they brought back, including the woman, knelt in the main hall. No one dared to make a sound.

The imperial palace had recently welcomed a new master, and he was very much favored by the emperor. Everyone knew the noble monarch was in poor health. The scope of his activities was basically confined to Yuzhang Palace. Aside from the people who served him, the other palace people didn't know much about Shen Yu.

"Tell me, why did you bully this palace maid?" Although he knew the general situation, there were some things they needed to say themselves.

"Noble monarch, please forgive this slave. This slave was angry because of Shen Yue's behavior. She's obviously a palace maid, but she doesn't do her work seriously and shows up in places His Majesty passes by every day…."

Shen Yu understood that this maid was trying to have a chance encounter with the emperor. The best way to change from a maid to a mistress in a stroke was to be seen by the emperor.

And Shang JunLin, who'd never taken interest in anyone before, not only took interest in someone, he began to spoil them, regularly sending gifts to Yuzhang Palace. Shen Yu knew that Shen Yue wasn't the only person in the palace with the same idea.

But Shen Yu was a little confused. According to the information obtained by Mu Xi, Shen Yue used to do her duty honestly. She knew how to play it safe and avoid trouble. Why did she suddenly become so ostentatious?

Shen Yu tapped the arm of the couch. "Shen Yue, do you have anything to say?"

"This slave admits her guilt." Shen Yue bowed her head, but her eyes were full of discontent. She'd actually transmigrated here. After dropping out of high school, she had no choice but to work in a factory. She relied on her good looks to get the men around her to help her with work, and framed the other good-looking women out of jealousy. Somehow, she suddenly woke up in this world.

After learning about the situation from the original owner's memory, Shen Yue couldn't help feeling that her opportunity had come. When she discovered that her face was ten times more beautiful than in her previous life and somewhat similar in appearance to Noble Monarch Shen, the emperor's only favorite at the moment, she was even more determined to take this path.

A few days ago, the original owner got a message from a person outside, ordering her to find a way to get close to the emperor. If she could take advantage of her beauty to become the emperor's woman, that would be even better. The person also sent a lot of exquisite clothes and jewelry.

Shen Yue was almost mesmerized. She'd never seen anything so beautiful. She couldn't help thinking that if she became a noble concubine, she'd have many more precious things, as many as she wanted.

The man who contacted the original owner promised to help her in the palace and painted a beautiful picture. Shen Yue didn't know what the original owner thought about this offer, but she was tempted.

Shen Yue had read a lot of transmigration novels. When she looked at her own situation, she was more and more convinced that she was the "protagonist". Why else would an emperor who'd been on the throne a few years have an empty harem? As for this Noble Monarch Shen who'd recently appeared, Shen Yue firmly believed he was the villain she needed to defeat.

So she dressed herself up in fine clothes and used the information provided by the people outside the palace, frequently appearing in places the emperor would pass by.

However, she was really unlucky. Recently the emperor liked to stay in Yuzhang Palace. His habits changed, and she never once met him.

Shen Yu might have rescued her from being bullied, but Shen Yue didn't feel the slightest bit of gratitude. She only felt deep jealousy.

Although Shen Yu was a man, he had a face that could drive men and women crazy. Shen Yue was proud of her current beauty, but she looked like a poor imitation compared to Shen Yu.

When a man looked like this, it was no wonder he was brought into the inner courtyard of an emperor who was immune to most beauties, and it was no wonder he was honored and pampered all by himself as soon as he entered the palace. Shen Yue thought maliciously that no matter how beautiful he was, he was just a man who couldn't give birth to a prince. When it was her turn to gain favor, she would destroy that face!

Shen Yu observed Shen Yue's malice and felt a little strange. He hadn't even done anything yet. Why did she feel so malevolent towards him?

Shen Yu thought back for a while and confirmed it—whether it was in this life or his previous life, this woman did not appear in his memory.

Shen Yue's animosity wasn't well hidden. Mu Xi, standing beside Shen Yu, was almost face-to-face with this spiteful person. She frowned and disliked the palace maid more and more.

Shen Yu: "Mu Xi, according to the palace rules, how should these people be dealt with?"

Mu Xi: "Replying to the noble monarch, according to the rules of the palace, those who maliciously cause trouble should receive twenty blows with a cane."

In such frigid weather, would a person still be alive after twenty blows?

A palace lady turned white with fear, kowtowing and begging for mercy. "Please spare this slave's life, noble monarch! This slave begs you!"

"Just follow the palace rules." A few light words from Shen Yu decided the fate of these people.

"As for this one…" Shen Yu's eyes fell lightly on Shen Yue, and he saw her twitch with excitement. "Take her away and confine her."

"You can't do that!" With surprising strength, Shen Yue broke free from the people who were restraining her. "I don't care if you're a noble monarch. You can't restrict my freedom!"

"Oh? Then in your opinion, what should I do?" Shen Yu lifted his eyebrows.

"I've done nothing wrong. You should let me go!"

"How dare you? Who gave you permission to be so presumptuous before the noble monarch?!"

"—What's this noise?"

A low, majestic voice came. In unison the palace people knelt down to salute, and Shen Yu also stood up.

The young emperor walked in with a cold air, glanced around, and raised his eyebrows slightly. "What's all this?"

"Dealing with a few disobedient palace servants. Is Your Majesty finished?"

Because of the incident a few days ago, Shang JunLin had been very busy lately. He was almost overwhelmed with work according to various accounts.

"None of those things are as important as you."

Shang JunLin glanced at Meng Gonggong, who immediately ordered everyone to "clean up" the hall.

The moment Shen Yue saw Shang JunLin, her eyes lit up. So this was the current emperor of the dynasty. He was more handsome than she imagined and very much in line with her image of a "male lead".

But before she could say a word, she was dragged out of the palace with her mouth covered. Her "male lead" didn't even glance at her.

Shang JunLin easily noted the similarity between the palace maid and Shen Yu, as well as the ambition and covetousness in her eyes.

After the hall was cleared, Shen Yu said, "Your Majesty, there are several things wrong with that maid. Her clothes, ornaments, and behavior… Nothing accords with a servant who was sent to the palace as a child."

Shang JunLin: "What did you find out?"

Shen Yu: "Nothing just yet, but that maid regularly sends messages outside. I'm not certain who she's in contact with."

Shang JunLin: "This emperor will send someone to check."

When the two finished their meal, a palace official came to report. Shen Yue was clamoring to see the emperor.

Shen Yu and Shang JunLin looked at each other. "Go and have a look."

Shen Yu was curious about Shen Yue's story. He had a vague suspicion in his mind, and he wanted to verify it.

Before they arrived, he heard Shen Yue shouting, "I have something important to say to His Majesty! Go ask His Majesty to come!"

Shen Yu deliberately lagged behind Shang JunLin, concealing himself behind His Majesty's figure to hear what Shen Yue had to say.

When she saw the emperor, Shen Yue calmed down and saluted properly. "Your Majesty, this slave is willing to tell you the person who instructed me. This slave hopes Your Majesty will believe that I serve Your Majesty!"

Then, in one breath, she explained the plans of the man behind the scenes.

The corners of Shen Yu's mouth twitched. He began to wonder if this person had a bad brain.

After Shen Yue was done speaking, she gazed at Shang JunLin expectantly. All of a sudden, she noticed Shen Yu behind Shang JunLin and said in shock, "Why are you here?"

Shen Yu smoothly walked out from behind Shang JunLin and leaned against him. "His Majesty brought me. Of course he wouldn't leave me behind. But don't you seem very unhappy to see me?"

And gave her a spoiled, arrogant look.

TL Notes:

If you're nervous about Shen Yue:

Click for minor spoiler

Don't worry, she's not an important character.

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play it safe and avoid trouble – 明哲保身 – be worldly-wise and play safe; an attitude to shirk principled struggle so as to protect one's personal interest and keep oneself from incurring troubles; be wise for personal survival; be wise to protect oneself from something unfavorable

palace maid, palace lady – 宫女 – gōng nǚ – a maid in an imperial palace; maid of honor, maid in waiting, female court attendant

Transliterated names, places, and titles—new in this chapter:

Shen Yue – 沈月

noble concubine – 贵妃 – guìfēi – A historical title, usually the highest rank for a concubine below the empress. In this story, the equivalent for male concubines is "noble monarch"

[ Project Page | Ko-Fi ✿ | Other translations by Confectioner ]