The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

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"Thinking that you can tie me completely to the Marquis's estate by having a child? Do you truly believe I'm that naive? Moreover, considering my current status, if the child is adopted under my name, wouldn't he also become the Emperor's child?"

"I merely seek to rectify past mistakes. The successor must be from the legitimate line. I have only two sons in my lifetime, yet you entered the palace..."

Shen Yu cut him off impatiently, "Weren't you eager to establish Shen Qingran as the heir before? Now, making him your legitimate heir is just as logical."

"How can it be the same?" The Marquis grew somewhat anxious. "You are the only legitimate heir of the estate, the rightful successor."

"So, the Marquis also acknowledges that I'm the rightful heir," Shen Yu mocked with a slight smirk. "But when Aunt and her son were in power, you didn't seem to share the same sentiment. I thought, in your mind, the legitimacy of the heir didn't matter."

"I understand you hold resentment for past events..."

"I dare not. If the Marquis came solely for this matter, I advise against it. Don't harm another girl from someone else's family. No matter your schemes, I won't consent to this adoption."

Being firmly rejected by Shen Yu, the Marquis felt embarrassed. "I understand you dislike Shen Qingran. When the child is born, I will ensure Shen Qingran never appears before you again, and the child will never know his biological father."

"Let me make something clear. I have no desire to continue my bloodline, let alone have an unnecessary child. My current status is Noble Monarch. Have you considered what that entails? It means my child will also be the Emperor's child. Why would you assume the royalty would welcome another child with no blood relation to them?"

"You don't want a legitimate heir; you want an heir who can benefit from my relationship with the Emperor!" Shen Yu's gaze pierced into the Marquis, searching for any hint of ulterior motives.

The Marquis blushed as his inner thoughts were pinpointed. Indeed, he had such intentions. He was unwilling to let the power of the Marquisate<sup data-mfn="1">

1. The territory held by a marquis or margrave.

fall into others' hands. The only eligible successors he could consider were Shen Yu and Shen Qingran. He initially intended to designate Shen Yu as the heir and then find a way to adopt a child for him, so that the child could inherit the estate in the future. However, since the Emperor refused to agree, he had to skip this step and proceed directly to the next.

Designating Shen Qingran as the legitimate heir was no longer within his consideration. Leaving aside the fact that Shen Qingran's status as a bastard son rendered him unable to inherit, even if he could, the Marquis was unwilling to hand over the Marquisate to him.

What he desired was for his property to thrive, rather than becoming a bargaining chip for someone else.

"This is also for your own good. Throughout history, monarchs often show fickleness. Despite your current favor, can you guarantee that five or ten years from now, the Emperor will treat you as he does today? Besides the Emperor's favor, you also need someone to rely on..."

"This is between the Emperor and me; there's no need for the Marquis's concern."

The Marquis regarded Shen Yu with the eyes of someone addressing an ignorant child. "As the rightful heir, you should also consider yourself. The Marquisate should rightfully be inherited by you..."

"Since the Marquis also acknowledges that the Marquisate should be inherited by me, why did I receive no indication of this before entering the palace?" Shen Yu interrupted him again.

The Marquis was left speechless, for at that time, his mind was filled with thoughts of how to bestow the heir position upon Shen Qingran.

"If I were to say I regret it, would you believe me?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I? After entering the palace, the Marquis should have seen what kind of person Shen Qingran truly is. Do you not feel that sooner or later, the Marquisate would be doomed in his hands? At such a moment, you remembered the eldest son you once abandoned. In comparison, the advantages of the legitimate heir become even more evident..."

Regret is the most common and yet most futile emotion.

"I understand that it's too late for regrets now, but today's matter cannot be disregarded just because you don't wish it. The successor of the Zhenbei Marquisate must come from the legitimate line."

According to the laws of Da Huan, regardless of whether Shen Yu enters the palace or not, Shen Qingran is not qualified to inherit the Marquisate. The Marquis only has one legitimate son in Shen Yu. If Shen Yu cannot inherit, then the successor must be selected from Shen Yu's next generation. In a sense, what the Marquis said was true.

"Marquis, still vigorous in your old age, having another legitimate son is not an issue at all. I mentioned before entering the palace that the Emperor could bestow a marriage, wouldn't it be better to have your own legitimate child rather than going through the trouble of adopting one for me?"

Shen Yu's tone dripped with undisguised sarcasm, leaving the Marquis red-faced and flustered. He had anticipated Shen Yu's refusal, but he never expected Shen Yu to be so sharp in his rebuke.

When did this situation start?

The Marquis hesitated for a moment.

"Is this how you speak to your father?" The expression on the Marquis's face shifted several times.

"Am I not speaking the truth? If you want someone to inherit the estate, it would be much better to have your own legitimate son, saving the trouble of adopting and then passing on to me." Shen Yu's lips curved in a smile, devoid of any humor in his eyes.

"You..." The Marquis's words got stuck in his throat.

From behind the screen, Shang Junlin emerged, his tone neither friendly nor angry. "I was unaware that the Marquis was still considering adopting a child for the Noble Monarch."

"I...I dare not." The Marquis suddenly knelt down, his back breaking into a sweat.

He didn't know when Shang Junlin had arrived, nor how much he had heard just now, but he understood that from this moment on, his scheme was doomed to fail.

"Even if you are the Noble Monarch's father, I do not wish for you to meddle in his and my private affairs, understand?"

"I understand. I have overstepped my bounds. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!" The Marquis pressed his forehead to the ground, feeling as if his heart were being squeezed tightly, his breath becoming uneven under intense pressure.

Under the heavy pressure, he couldn't even lift his head to look at Shang Junlin's expression.

"I have said before, since the Noble Monarch entered the palace, he belongs to me. He has no relationship with your Zhenbei Marquisate. He will not be the heir to the Marquisate, nor will he inherit your title. This time, considering your relationship with him as his father, I will overlook your attempt to sow discord between the Noble Monarch and me. But I do not wish to see a second occurrence of such actions."

"Yes, yes, I will never dare again."

"Get out."

The Marquis dared not stay a moment longer and promptly left.

"Why is His Majesty angrier than I am?" Shen Yu gently smoothed away the furrow between Shang Junlin's brows, feeling the tension from the incident with the Zhenbei Marquis fading rapidly.

Shang Junlin held Shen Yu silently in his embrace, his warmth soothing to Shen Yu's unease. After a while, Shang Junlin whispered, "I will never change how I treat you, Ah Yu."

The following day, during court, Shang Junlin swiftly stripped the Zhenbei Marquis of his title. The courtiers were puzzled, but later rumors circulated that the Emperor's action was in response to the Zhenbei Marquis's displeasure towards Shen Yu.

The words uttered by the Zhenbei Marquis that day had reached Shang Junlin's ears, and this dismissal served as a warning to him. The Zhenbei Marquis had thought he still had a chance for a comeback, but he failed to realize that Shen Yu had already planned the estate's fate, awaiting only the final act to unfold.

As time passed, Gu Huai and his men drew closer to the capital from the north.

"Report, General. There are signs of an unidentified force ahead."

Gu Huai reined in his horse to a halt. "Send someone to investigate."

While in the north, Gu Huai had received intelligence regarding Hanzhou, knowing that besides Hanzhou, unidentified forces might emerge elsewhere. Accompanying him back were five thousand soldiers. Should they encounter rebel forces en route, they were prepared to deal with them directly.

The scout returned swiftly. "Preliminary assessment suggests two thousand individuals are ahead, heading towards Hanzhou."

"General, what's our next move?"

Gu Huai pondered for a moment. "First, ascertain their identity. If they are affiliated with King Yue, deal with them on the spot."

"Yes, sir!"

Handling these two thousand individuals took some time. Since encountering the first group of King Yue's men, they had encountered similar groups one after another.

Beneath the moon's glow, Gu Huai wiped his sword clean.

His aide took a sip of water. "At this rate, we may not make it to the capital on time. Could the court be displeased with us for lingering outside with the troops?"

The aide's concern was not unfounded. Although five thousand soldiers was not a significant number, it was still substantial. The court had granted them ample time, and had it not been for dealing with King Yue's men, they wouldn't have faced such delays.

"No need to worry."

Gu Huai, dispatched as a member of the Hidden Dragon Guards to Subei, had a well-established means of communication with his comrades. Upon encountering the first group suspected to be affiliated with King Yue, he promptly relayed the information to the Hidden Dragon Guards, and by now, the message should have reached the capital.

Unfortunately, their plans for this year's New Year's celebrations with his brother seemed impossible.

"Gu Huai encountered King Yue's men," Shang Junlin stated, closing the secret missive and setting it down on the table.

"Was it on his return journey from Subei?" Shen Yu inquired.

"Yes, and it's not just one group. He suspects there are numerous factions headed toward Hanzhou from various directions."

With the enemy detected, there was no time to waste. Shang Junlin instructed reinforcements to swiftly aid Gu Huai, hoping to eliminate any threats along the way.

As they progressed, Gu Huai's forces grew, and the rebel factions he encountered multiplied.

A crash interrupted their discussions—a vase shattered as it hit the ground, creating a loud noise.

"We can't afford to wait any longer. Our covert operatives have been exposed," Tan-xiangsheng said, his expression tense.

"In addition to the hundred thousand troops stationed in Hanzhou, how many more forces are present outside? Can they assist us in breaking through the encirclement?" King Yue's tone softened slightly after venting his frustration.

"We currently have eighty thousand available, but the remainder won't arrive in time," Tan-xiangsheng explained. He had initially planned to wait for all reinforcements before taking action, but unforeseen circumstances had accelerated their timetable.

The snowfall intensified.

As snowflakes drifted down like feathers, patrolling soldiers sensed something amiss and sounded the alarm.

After days of closure, the gates of Hanzhou swung open, and the walls were lined with archers.

"Release the arrows—"

The clash of swords and spears reverberated throughout.

The urgent news was dispatched to the capital.

"It appears Gu Huai's actions disrupted their plans," Shen Yu remarked, reclining lazily beside Shang Junlin.

"Gu Huai has once again distinguished himself. I've directed him to lead his troops directly to Hanzhou. Given the timing, they should arrive within days."

King Yue stood atop the city wall, watching as the flames below spread. A slow smile crept across his lips. Victory was within reach.

Meanwhile, the Da Huan army stationed in Hanzhou had not anticipated the presence of King Yue's forces outside their walls and were caught off guard.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in updates. Dealing with some tough menstrual cramps. I'll try to post another chapter later, but if it's not up by midnight, there might only be one update today. Apologies!

Translator's thoughts:

What a shameless bastard SY's father is. 

And when will this arsehole King Yue die already. He makes me want to travel in the novel and assassinate him myself grr 😡