Chapter 22: 22

Too arrogant.

That was everyone’s first thought.

None of them dreamed Shen Yu would actually say such words in public. If he said similar things to the emperor in private, one could barely call it affectionate or teasing. But right now, no one dared to take Shen Yu’s words as a joke.

“The noble monarch can’t be serious. His Majesty is the emperor of the entire country. How can there be just one man in the harem?”

The speaker deliberately emphasized the word “man” to remind Shen Yu that he was only a man and couldn’t expect to monopolize the emperor.

“Your Excellency, even if you say that, you can’t disregard His Majesty’s wishes, can you?” Shen Yu replied. “After all, these are His Majesty’s private affairs, and His Majesty can do as he pleases. If I told you to dismiss your wives and concubines and made you take new people you don’t even like, you wouldn’t be happy either, would you?”

“What you’re saying is unreasonable. His Majesty is the emperor. How can you compare his situation with ours?”

“The emperor is a person, just as you’re a person. If you don’t like having people pushed on you, why should His Majesty like it?”

Shen Yu was nestled in Shang JunLin’s arms, feeling the slight trembling in the man’s chest. Their hands were entwined.

“The noble monarch is right. This emperor will not bother my beloved officials with my private affairs.”

They all heard the approval in Shang JunLin’s voice. A potential crisis had been averted. One might think the ministers would be happy about that, but the outcome meant they couldn’t be happy at all.

The emperor favoring a single person was not a good thing for them.

A few of them began to regret it. If they’d known that once His Majesty’s heart was moved, it wouldn’t easily move again, they never would have argued for the entry of the Zhenbei Marquis’ son into the palace. Or perhaps they would have fought even harder to recommend their own sons and daughters.

Compared with limitless glory, splendor, wealth, and rank, what was a little danger?

For the rest of the banquet, no one dared to say anything about Shen Yu. The emperor’s attitude was clear. If they kept talking about it, they wouldn’t necessarily enjoy the outcome.

The low atmosphere gradually cleared, and the palace banquet became lively again.

Lithe and graceful dancing girls entered the hall, performing delicate, mincing steps to stirring music. Their diaphanous skirts fluttered with their movements, creating a feast for the eyes.

“The dancers trained in the palace really are different,” Shen Yu commented as he poked at the meat in his bowl.

“You like them?” Shang JunLin asked in an unclear tone.

Shen Yu immediately sensed Shang JunLin’s displeasure. Although he didn’t know the reason for it, he replied cautiously. “Not really. Compared to them, I still prefer Your Majesty.”

“… Mm,” Shang JunLin felt happier and returned the compliment. “This emperor also prefers the noble monarch.”

Noting that the air pressure around him had returned to normal, Shen Yu continued to enjoy the singing and dancing. He had considerable patience for good-looking things. While watching, he asked Shang JunLin, “Your Majesty, do you know who arranged this dance?”

Shang JunLin didn’t care about such things, so he summoned Meng Gonggong. “Answer the noble monarch’s question.”

“It was managed by the Music Division. If the noble monarch likes it, this slave will ask them to prepare another dance.” Meng Gonggong helped Shang JunLin manage the palace and knew these little details well.

“Meng Chang.”

Hearing Shang JunLin’s expressionless voice, Meng Gonggong told himself this wasn’t good. He was so focused on pleasing the noble monarch that he forgot His Majesty would be jealous.

“This… this slave…”

Shen Yu seemed not to have noticed anything was amiss. He hooked Shang JunLin’s sleeve. “Your Majesty, will you watch another dance with me?” he asked softly.

The displeasure in Shang JunLin’s chest instantly vanished. He glanced at Meng Gonggong. “Didn’t you hear the noble monarch?”

“Yes, this slave will arrange it at once.” Meng Gonggong sighed to himself. The noble monarch still had his ways of handling His Majesty.

“Your Majesty is always so busy with official business. You deserve to relax a little more.” After Shen Yu said this, he was about to eat a piece of meat in his bowl, but the emperor stopped him.

“Your Majesty?”

“Cold food is bad for your health.” Shang JunLin turned to order the palace attendants. “Go and exchange this with hot food for the noble monarch.”

A palace maid saluted and left.

Shen Yu was startled. Then he smiled and his eyes seemed to be full of stars. “Your Majesty is very kind.”

When Shang JunLin saw the starlit eyes of the young man gazing at him, he couldn’t help but lower his head and draw closer. He gave a soft sigh. “The noble monarch’s eyes are so beautiful.”

The most precious jewels couldn’t match the brilliance of those eyes. Anyone who looked at them couldn’t help but be absorbed, indulgent, and abandon all hope of escaping.

Shang JunLin’s aggressive aura was too strong. Shen Yu blinked and moved aside uneasily. He kept thinking that the way Shang JunLin looked at him now was different than in the past.

Fortunately, a moment later a palace maid brought over some dishes. Shang JunLin looked away, and the atmosphere that made Shen Yu nervous also disappeared.

The servant replaced the dishes on the table one by one. Shang JunLin was silent for a while. Then he said, “Eat while it’s still hot.”

Under the tantalizing aroma, Shen Yu stopped thinking about Shang JunLin’s behavior just now. He sampled a few dishes, then put some of the better-tasting things into Shang JunLin’s bowl. “Your Majesty should eat with me.”

The ministers sitting below them could clearly see their interactions, but they’d already suffered a thorough defeat at Shen Yu’s hands. They didn’t want any more trouble. They could only pretend not to see anything.

The King of Yue sat at the head of the vassal kings’ table, which wasn’t far from where Shang JunLin and Shen Yu were sitting. He could faintly hear their voices.

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As he listened to Shen Yu’s soft voice speaking gently to Shang JunLin, the King of Yue silently clenched his cup.

When the King of Yue first approached Shen Yu, Shen Yu’s attitude was always cold. He never treated the King of Yue differently from anyone else. But now he was smiling sweetly to Shang JunLin, and his every gesture was so dazzling no one could move their eyes away.

So… Was he really just a substitute, a way for Shen Yu to pass the time when he was bored?

He really wished he could go over and ask Shen Yu one more time. How exactly was he inferior to Shang JunLin? What made him the useless substitute?

Unfortunately, after their last conversation, he never found another chance to see Shen Yu. He sent letters to Shen Yu as he had before and got people to send gifts. But the gifts were returned intact and the letters sank like a stone in the sea, with no reply at all.

Later, he ran into a series of difficulties and could hardly take care of himself, let alone find a chance to meet Shen Yu, who was already in the palace.

He wanted to ask his covert agents inside the palace to send another letter, but Shang JunLin kept a close watch on Shen Yu. Yuzhang Palace was heavily guarded, and the King of Yue’s people would have been caught as soon as they moved.

His great undertaking was incomplete, and he absolutely couldn’t reveal himself yet.

“King of Yue, you seem to be in a bad mood.” After a cup of wine, the King of Li noticed the ugly expression on the King of Yue’s face. He followed the man’s line of sight, and his eyes shifted.

“Aren’t you the same, Your Highness?” the King of Yue replied. He didn’t have a high opinion of the King of Li, a prince who’d long ago sided with Shang JunLin.

“This king is in a bad mood because his calculations went awry. What about the King of Yue?” The King of Li didn’t mind exposing his wounds. “This king didn’t realize Your Highness had difficulties with the two above.”

“Your Highness shouldn’t worry about this king’s affairs,” said the King of Yue, sipping his wine. Under the influence of the alcohol, his mood grew worse and worse. “The King of Li should care more about himself. Your little calculations have angered Noble Monarch Shen, who’s now in favor. Don’t lose the emperor’s good opinion because of it.”

“Noble Monarch Shen,” the King of Li said in a deep voice. “If this king knew that person would become such a powerful figure, I never would have allowed him into the palace in the first place!”

“Didn’t Your Highness personally choose him to enter the palace?” the King of Yue asked deliberately. He was keenly aware of the details.

“Did you think he was chosen by heaven? If no one worked in secret, it could have been the Zhang family, the Wang family… It didn’t have to be the Shen family,” the King of Li said in a significant tone.

The King of Yue’s eyes darkened. So that’s what happened.

“Originally, I just wanted to find a wedge to open the door to the palace. Who knew it would become a roadblock?” The King of Li poured himself a glass of wine. “The world is an unpredictable place.”

“Didn’t you check what kind of person you were sending before you decided on the candidate?” the King of Yue couldn’t help but ask.

“What’s the use of talking about it now?” The King of Li lifted his glass and clinked the King of Yue’s cup. “What we need to think about now is how to remove the roadblock.”

“As long as you don’t lift a stone and smash yourself in the foot.” When he thought of Shen Yu and how he only viewed himself as a substitute, the King of Yue’s tone got worse and worse.

“Why stab at this king? I’m not the one who annoyed Your Highness. You should direct your anger at the rightful place.” The King of Li gulped down the wine in his glass and slowly revealed his true purpose. “Why doesn’t Your Highness come to the ‘Huatang Residence’ after the banquet.”

The King of Yue tightened his grip on his cup. After a moment of silence, he said, “Very well.”

Satisfied, the King of Li returned to his seat. The two were sitting near each together, and the brief conversation didn’t attract much attention.

Shen Yu, however, had been keeping one eye on the King of Yue. He observed the interaction between the King of Yue and the King of Li, but he casually looked away and poured himself a glass of wine.

Before he could raise the cup to his lips, Shang JunLin intercepted his hand.

Shen Yu was bewildered. “Your Majesty?” 

“Imperial Physician Gu said it’s better if you don’t touch wine.” His large palm wrapped around Shen Yu’s fingers. Shang JunLin leaned forward slightly and drank down the wine in the cup without releasing Shen Yu’s hand.

“… That’s my cup,” Shen Yu said under his breath.

Shang JunLin paused. His lips inadvertently brushed Shen Yu’s fingers, and his voice was low and hoarse. “Why, does the noble monarch dislike this emperor?”

 

—

The author has something to say:

Shang JunLin: We’ll have negative distance contact in the future. What’s there to dislike?

 

TL Notes:

affectionate or teasing – 情.趣 – inclinations and interests / delight / fun / interest / appeal

You should direct your anger at the rightful person – 冤有头债有主 – for every grievance someone is responsible, for every debt there is a debtor (idiom) / when settling disputes one should not involve third parties

 

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

Your Excellency – 这位大人 – Zhè wèi dàrén – Alternatively: My lord, this lord

Music Division – 乐司 – Alternatively: Department of Music

Huatang Residence – 华棠居

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