The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

7

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 She has a withdrawn personality and doesn't like to communicate with others.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.