The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits-Chapter 199

Shen Yu still remembered that the woman made quite delicious pastries.

"Meng Chang, go take a look," seeing Shen Yu's interest, Shang Junlin ordered.

Meng-gonggong, who had been waiting nearby, obeyed and went down.

Meng-gonggong was a prominent figure serving the Emperor. Seeing him, the guards immediately made way.

"Meng-gonggong, have you come to deliver important instructions?"

The couple also saw the approaching Meng-gonggong. The woman recognized him and hurried forward: "This lord..."

She didn't know how to address this chief eunuch who was respected by the guards, her words stumbling.

"Why have you two come here?" Meng-gonggong took the initiative to speak, easing the awkwardness.

The woman nudged her husband with her elbow. The man reacted, taking out a pouch from his chest: "We came to return this to the noble person. It's too valuable..."

But Meng-gonggong did not accept it: "Since it was given to you, you should keep it."

Watching the scene below, Shen Yu was puzzled: "They want to give something to Meng-gonggong?"

"That pouch is what I had Meng Chang leave when we departed. By the looks of it, they seem to want to return the pouch," Shang Junlin said. A martial artist's eyesight was good, and the couple wasn't standing too far away. Shang Junlin could clearly see the object in the man's hand.

Presuming Meng-gonggong could handle the matter, Shen Yu glanced at it briefly before turning his attention back to the center of the crowd.

Below, the sea of people surged, various discussions constantly reaching their ears.

"I've been looking forward to this day ever since I got the news. Finally, it's here."

"Absolutely. To witness this personally, I didn't even set up my stall today."

"Many people didn't, or they closed up early to come. Luckily, it's still the New Year period; there aren't too many pressing tasks. I brought my little one too. This is a significant event worth passing down."

Shen Yu noticed there were not only adults below but also many children, likely brought by their parents.

The dispatched guards diligently maintained order. Though the crowd was massive, no chaos erupted.

Time passed bit by bit. The auspicious hour drew nearer and nearer. Finally, the appointed time arrived.

A Ministry of Rites official with a good reputation stepped forward. Under the gaze of thousands, he pulled away the red cloth covering the giant stele.

The crowd stirred.

Those nearby tried to find their names on it. But the stele was too large, the inscriptions too numerous. Finding one's own name was undoubtedly a monumental task.

The entire process didn't take long. After it concluded, Shen Yu and Shang Junlin descended the tower hand in hand.

Once downstairs, the commoners' discussions were even clearer to hear. Among them were many praises for the Emperor.

Commoners were like this, easily satisfied. As long as they could live stable lives, feel hopeful about their days, and see life improving day by day, they would be grateful to those in power.

Under Shen Yu's influence, Shang Junlin had completely changed his former style. Major and minor events in the court, especially those related to people's livelihoods, were now communicated to the commoners through the Civilian Newspaper. The Capital Peace Newspaper even established a special section where commoners could submit articles. Government offices across Da Huan also installed suggestion boxes, allowing the people's opinions to reach the highest levels.

If before, when commoners spoke of Shang Junlin, their words were often incomprehensible, now when they spoke of him, it was mostly praise.

Shen Yu was very satisfied with this change.

The couple spotted Shen Yu and Shang Junlin descending the tower amid the crowd. The two men had an extraordinary bearing. The woman recognized their silhouettes. Clutching the pouch in her hand, complex emotions flickered in her eyes.

"Are those the noble persons who took shelter in our home before?"

"Yes."

"Since the noble persons refuse to take it back, let's keep the silver for now. Perhaps in the future, we can use it to help others," the man instructed. "Don't spend the money inside recklessly."

"I understand."

With the capture of the mastermind, the forces behind King Yue were being liquidated one by one. After Gu Huai dealt with the overt forces, he returned to the capital to report.

The weather gradually grew warmer. The new commercial laws were implemented methodically. Thanks to the groundwork laid by the earlier donations to the Northern Region, apart from a few stubborn old court ministers, the implementation of the new laws faced little resistance.

Merchants who could build large businesses were no fools. They understood better than anyone which policies benefited them.

After this, Yan Zheng's position in the capital's merchant circles became even more solid. Using his extended stay in the capital, he became sworn brothers with Shopkeeper Jin.

Because of his cooperation with Shen Yu, it was destined he couldn't remain in the capital indefinitely. Just like now, as the weather warmed, he made all preparations and needed to set out for the Northern Region again.

Before departing, Shen Yu gave him some information through Shopkeeper Xu. The Yinghuo agents were gradually establishing themselves in Beimo, and information was continuously being sent back.

Since they were partners, Shen Yu did not hesitate to grant Yan Zheng some additional conveniences.

Actually, Shen Yu had originally intended to meet the man in person, but His Majesty did not permit it. After some thought, he felt a personal meeting wasn't necessary and entrusted the matter to Shopkeeper Xu.

Compared to him, Yan Zheng had more interactions with Shopkeeper Xu, and their relationship was more familiar.

Arriving at the private room, Yan Zheng, seeing only Shopkeeper Xu, couldn't help but feel disappointed, though he didn't show it on his face. He warmly exchanged greetings with Shopkeeper Xu.

Shopkeeper Xu pretended not to notice. In his line of work, he was accustomed to affairs between men and women. Yan Zheng hid it well, but after spending considerable time together, some clues were inevitably noticed.

Following Shen Yu's instructions, Shopkeeper Xu discussed some matters about Beimo with Yan Zheng.

"Boss Yan, the situation in Beimo may be quite different from before this time you go. Other matters are of little importance; your foremost priority, Boss Yan, must be to take good care of yourself. Only in this way can our cooperation endure, isn't that right?"

"I understand, I know my limits. This time, upon my return, I unfortunately missed the opportunity to meet with your young master. This is a gift I brought back from Beimo; consider it a New Year's greeting for our business partner."

A servant standing behind Yan Zheng stepped forward, holding a small box.

"This..." Shopkeeper Xu's face showed hesitation.

"Your young master sent me New Year's greetings as well; this is merely my return gesture, nothing more."

Indeed, during the New Year, Shen Yu had sent New Year's greetings to Yan Zheng, something Shopkeeper Xu was aware of, as he had been the one to deliver them. Shen Yu never neglected those around him; Shopkeeper Xu himself had also received gifts. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Seeing that he could not refuse, Shopkeeper Xu accepted the gift: "I will deliver it to the young master."

"Thank you for your trouble, Shopkeeper Xu."

"Boss Yan, you really didn't need to go to such lengths. The young master has always been generous to those around him, bestowing gifts upon us during the holidays..."

"I know," Yan Zheng understood that Shopkeeper Xu was tactfully advising him, and he smiled wryly inside. "Repaying kindness is only right. Without your young master, my endeavors in the capital would not have proceeded so smoothly. This small token is hardly worth mentioning."

With these words, Yan Zheng defined his relationship with Shen Yu as merely one of benefactor and beneficiary, suggesting that everything he did was out of gratitude, with no other motives.

Yan Zheng's words weren't entirely off the mark. When he first came to the capital, although he had some plans in place, without Shen Yu, achieving his goals would have been far more difficult. Shen Yu had indeed done him a great favor.

Seeing this, Shopkeeper Xu felt it inappropriate to say anything more.

"Let's not dwell on this. On my last trip to Beimo, I noticed that the lip rouge and other women's products from Shopkeeper Xu's shop sold exceptionally well. Customers there asked me to bring more next time. How much stock do you have on hand?" Setting aside various thoughts, Yan Zheng turned to business matters.

"There have been quite a few new products in the shop recently. Boss Yan, you might want to take a look."

The two then began discussing the goods to be taken to Beimo, eventually deciding to visit Shopkeeper Xu's shop to inspect the inventory.

Yan Zheng's New Year's gift, along with the account books from Shopkeeper Xu's shop, were delivered to Shen Yu.

Mu Xi carried the account books over, and Shen Yu immediately noticed the wooden box placed atop them.

"What is this?"

Mu Xi picked up the box: "Shopkeeper Xu said this is Boss Yan's return gift for you, Young Master. Would you like to open it?"

Shen Yu felt a faint ache in his waist and waved his hand dismissively. "Just take it directly to the storeroom."

Upon hearing this, Mu Xi set the wooden box aside and placed the account books in front of Shen Yu. "These are the account books from Shopkeeper Xu's shops last month. Please review them, Young Master."

Shen Yu was happy to delegate authority to his subordinates, but certain matters he insisted on overseeing personally, such as the monthly account books. Trust was one thing, but necessary oversight was another.

By the time Shang Junlin returned after handling court affairs, Shen Yu was still reviewing the account books.

Thanks to the constant introduction of new products, the shops managed by Shopkeeper Xu were exceptionally popular. Besides three branches in the capital, stores had also opened in other regions. These women's products were particularly well-received in the south, home to many prestigious families, resulting in numerous branches there.

Consequently, the number of account books delivered to Shen Yu each month was steadily increasing.

"Your Majesty has returned," Shen Yu set down his brush and rubbed his wrist.

Shang Junlin walked over and took over the task, gently massaging Shen Yu's wrist. "These matters can be delegated to subordinates; there's no need to handle everything personally."

Shen Yu considered this and agreed. "Are there any palace servants skilled in such affairs?"

Shang Junlin looked toward Meng-gonggong.

"If His Grace does not mind, this matter could be entrusted to Meng Yuan. He has had a natural affinity for numbers since childhood," Meng-gonggong suggested.

Meng Yuan, also known as Xiao Meng-gonggong, was currently the chief eunuch of Yuzhang Palace, managing all its affairs and constantly occupied with various tasks.

"Wouldn't that be too much of an imposition?"

"Your Grace speaks too modestly. It would be an honor for him to serve you. Please feel free to assign him any task," Meng-gonggong replied with a kindly smile. In the palace, people feared not having enough to do rather than being too busy. Being occupied was preferable to idleness.

The more responsibilities one had, the more it signified the master's trust and the greater the respect one would command.

"Very well. Mu Xi, take these account books to Meng Yuan and have him review them before reporting back to me," Shen Yu said, trusting Meng Yuan's capabilities implicitly. Under his management, Yuzhang Palace had rarely experienced any disruptions, with both major and minor affairs proceeding smoothly without requiring Shen Yu's direct intervention.

Mu Xi left with the account books.

Shen Yu stood up and walked around the room for a few moments, needing to stretch after sitting for so long.

Shang Junlin accompanied him as they paced around the room.

"Today, the court finalized the date for King Yue's execution," Shang Junlin said after a moment of silence.

"After all this time, it was about to be decided. What about Grand Tutor Zeng's? Has that been finalized as well?"

Shang Junlin observed Shen Yu's expression, noting no change in his demeanor, which brightened his mood slightly. "Yes, it has been decided together."

"This matter is finally settled. With the grave crime of treason, surely no one would dare oppose Your Majesty's decision to execute him, would they?" Shen Yu asked, recalling the pitfalls left by the previous emperor for Shang Junlin.

"When it concerns their own lives, who would dare speak up for him?" Shang Junlin stopped walking and tightened his grip on Shen Yu's wrist. "On that day, would you like to witness it, Ah Yu?"

To witness King Yue's death firsthand.