"If I hadn't gone, the King of Huaiyu definitely wouldn't have said anything. Your Majesty, it seems he really did know my mother." After so much effort, Shen Yu had finally found a clue about her. He didn't want to give up without trying.

"Regarding Shen Yue from before, this emperor ordered someone to investigate further. They didn't find anything useful, but the palace servants who know her said that her personality suddenly changed one day. This emperor wonders if she suddenly learned something," Shang JunLin said.

The dividing line had to be the day Shen Yue transmigrated. The original Shen Yue might have known something, but the current Shen Yue might not.

The last time Shen Yu spoke to her, he promised to get her out. In order not to break his word, he told Shang JunLin about it. As for what Shang JunLin arranged after that, Shen Yu hadn't asked. "Your Majesty, where is Shen Yue now?"

Shang JunLin: "This emperor sent her to the elderly concubine. She's impertinent and might have caused trouble elsewhere."

Shen Yu: "Elderly concubine?"

Shang JunLin: "A concubine of Imperial Grandfather. When this emperor was a child she was kind to me, so I found a secluded place for her to live in the palace."

"Your Majesty, please don't pay attention to what the King of Huaiyu said." Shen Yu came to a halt and grabbed Shang JunLin's hand. "My father is the Zhenbei Marquis. Do you think the King of Huaiyu is right, that I'm the same as my father?"

"Ah Yu and the Zhenbei Marquis are different, of course," Shang JunLin answered without thinking. In his eyes, the Zhenbei Marquis wasn't even worth as much as Shen Yu's finger.

"And I say Your Majesty and the late emperor are different too." Shen Yu didn't want Shang JunLin to live under a shadow because of what the King of Huaiyu said. "Your Majesty is Your Majesty and no one else. How the previous emperor lived has nothing to do with Your Majesty at all."

"Is Ah Yu worried this emperor might think too much?" Shang JunLin gently took Shen Yu's hand and clasped it in his palm. "Don't worry. This emperor knows what kind of person the previous emperor was, and I won't allow myself to be like him."

Thanks to the efforts of Prime Minister Wang and Minister Fang, the mighty case of the King of Huaiyu finally came to an end. However, the ministers had a heated argument over whether to release the truth about the case.

Some officials wanted it made public, while others thought it should be covered up. After all, it concerned the face of the imperial family itself. If the news was announced, the reputation of the imperial family would be severely damaged, and that would be highly detrimental to the stability of the dynasty.

Shang JunLin got tired of hearing them argue and simply dismissed everyone.

When morning court ended, Prime Minister Wang asked for a private audience. "Your Majesty, what should we do with those men?"

Shang JunLin: "What does the prime minister suggest?"

Prime Minister Wang: "In this servant's opinion, those men intentionally confounded the imperial bloodline. They should be punished for their crimes."

Shang JunLin: "Since that's what the prime minister thinks, let's do as you say."

Prime Minister Wang: "Also, there's one more thing. What should we do with the other people who were found not to be princes?"

Shang JunLin: "If they haven't committed any crimes, they should be deprived of imperial status. Demote them to commoners and ban them and their descendants from becoming officials for three generations. The prime minister should see to it personally."

The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It QuitsWhere stories live. Discover now