Another bonus chapter for another donator and for Yuki, too <3

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If Shen Yu's memory served him correctly, there should only be him and Shen Qingran in the Zhenbei Marquis's estate. Or could it be that in this lifetime, Shen Qingran had lost his utility value, and the Zhenbei Marquis had brought out another child?

Given the Zhenbei Marquis's temperament, it wasn't impossible.

But if the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion suddenly had another heir, Mu Xi shouldn't have failed to mention it to him at all.

"No, it's not," Shang Junlin gently stroked Shen Yu's cheek. "The Zhenbei Marquis wants to recognize you."

"Me?" Shen Yu was even more surprised now. "But I've entered the palace. Why would he want to recognize me as the heir? Surely he doesn't think that I can inherit the Zhenbei Marquis's estate after entering the palace, does he?"

Forget about his current status being unable to inherit, even if he could, Shen Yu wouldn't care for it. His previous desire for this position was only because it was rightfully his. Instead of being occupied by others, he would rather firmly grasp it in his own hands.

"He said that you are the only legitimate son of the estate, and in both sentiment and reason, this position should rightfully be yours."

Not only Shang Junlin but also the courtiers who heard the Zhenbei Marquis's words during the morning court session showed various expressions of surprise on their faces. They couldn't understand why the Zhenbei Marquis suddenly brought this up.

If he really wanted to recognize his legitimate son as the heir, why didn't he mention it in the more than ten years before Shen Yu entered the palace? Instead, he only brought it up after Shen Yu entered the palace and gained the emperor's favor. Many people looked at the Zhenbei Marquis with suspicion.

Didn't the Zhenbei Marquis feel it? How could he not feel the blatant scrutiny? Even the gaze of Shang Junlin upon him was as sharp as needles.

"Is the Zhenbei Marquis joking with me at this time?" Anyone could sense the hidden anger beneath Shang Junlin's calm tone.

The Zhenbei Marquis hurriedly knelt down. "I dare not, it's just that this position should have been his. In the past, I was blinded and neglected Shen Yu due to my infatuation with my concubine and her son. I want to take this opportunity to make amends for my past mistakes."

Shang Junlin looked down at him from a high position, neither agreeing nor rejecting. Before the Zhenbei Marquis could say anything more, Shang Junlin interrupted him, "Now that Ah Yu is my esteemed spouse, the Zhenbei Marquis's estate is just a thing of the past for him. Regardless of whether you suddenly had this thought genuinely or insincerely, this matter should never be mentioned again in the future."

Directly rejected?!

The courtiers were even more puzzled by everything that was happening right in front of them.

After the morning court session, a group of ministers who were on good terms gathered together and couldn't resist discussing the events of the court session.

"What was the Zhenbei Marquis thinking? Bringing up the matter of establishing an heir at this time?"

"If he truly intended to establish his legitimate son, he would have done so long ago. His original inclination was towards that illegitimate son with twisted elbows. Could it be that he's having regrets now?"

"What good would regrets do now? He has already sent people into the palace. It's even more unrealistic to expect the Emperor to release them now. Besides, even if the Noble Monarch is favored, let alone an unfavored concubine, there's absolutely no justification for such an action."

"Yeah, given the Emperor's favor towards the Noble Monarch, it's just a matter of inheriting. The Noble Monarch probably doesn't care. If he truly cared about these matters, he wouldn't have entered the palace in the first place."

No one could comprehend the sudden actions of the Zhenbei Marquis, not even the officials who were close to him.

"I didn't agree to it. Ah Yu can only be tied to me in the future," Shang Junlin declared as he held Shen Yu and sat them down on the soft couch.

"Even if the Emperor agrees, I won't. From the moment I entered the palace, I've had no connection with the Zhenbei Marquis's household."

But Shen Yu couldn't help but be curious about why the Zhenbei Marquis would take such action.

"Has anything happened at the Zhenbei Marquis's estate recently?" Shen Yu pondered, unable to think of any other reasons.

"No, except for some minor disturbances, everything has been business as usual at the Zhenbei Marquis's household," Shang Junlin replied, dismissing any possibilities.

Since there were no recent disturbances at the Zhenbei Marquis's household, why would the Marquis suddenly propose making him the legitimate heir?

Actually, the Zhenbei Marquis wasn't entirely mistaken. The heir position originally belonged to Shen Yu. If it weren't for the Zhenbei Marquis favoring Shen Qingran and her son, he would have long been the legitimate heir of the Zhenbei Marquis's estate.

A few days later, news arrived from the Zhenbei Marquis's household that the Marquis was considering a marriage proposal for Shen Qingran.

Shen Qingran was about the same age as Shen Yu, indeed at the age suitable for marriage. First, they wanted to establish Shen Yu as the legitimate heir, then they wanted to arrange a marriage for Shen Qingran. Was there any connection between the two?

"Which families did the Zhenbei Marquis consider for Shen Qingran?" Shen Yu asked, running his fingers along the edge of the cup.

"It's the daughter of a branch of the Duan family," Shang Junlin shared the information obtained from the Hidden Dragon Guards. "There's also daughters from the Yi and Chen families."

Without exception, they were all girls from prominent families in the capital. Perhaps what the Zhenbei Marquis valued wasn't the girls themselves but the influence they represented.

Marriage alliances.

This kind of thing was common among noble families. Shen Yu wasn't surprised that the Zhenbei Marquis chose this path, but the question was, why Shen Qingran?

"Are they all willing to marry Shen Qingran?" Shen Yu inquired.

"Although he's a bastard, he's the only possible heir to the Marquis's household. Plus, with you as his legitimate older brother, it's normal for these people to be interested," Shang Junlin explained.

What Shang Junlin said was true. Not everyone knew about the conflicts between Shen Yu and the Marquis's household. From an outsider's perspective, although Shen Yu wasn't particularly close to the Marquis's household, it wasn't to the extent of a life-or-death feud. Whatever happened in between, it couldn't change the fact that he was the legitimate heir of the Marquis's household.

Even fewer people knew about the conflicts between Shen Qingran and Shen Yu. Before entering the palace, Shen Yu lived a secluded life in the capital, and Shen Qingran wasn't foolish enough to go around telling people how he had bullied his legitimate older brother in the Marquis's estate.

Marquis's estate.

After many days, the Zhenbei Marquis stepped into Shen Qingran's courtyard once again. After being confined for some time, Shen Qingran had become much more obedient. Two months ago, the Marquis had lifted his house arrest, allowing him to move freely within the household but not outside.

Shen Qingran also understood that his father had no sentimental attachment to him. When he was useful, his father could treat him well in every possible way, but when he was no longer useful, he could be kicked away without any hesitation or consideration.

"Why has Father come?" Having faced many setbacks, Shen Qingran had learned to disguise his emotions.

"You're of marriageable age now. I've looked into a few girls for you. Choose one for yourself," the Marquis said, gesturing for the servant following him to place a list on the table.

Shen Qingran barely managed to maintain his composure. "Is Father here just for this matter?"

"Your older brother has been in the palace for a year now. It's time for you to marry. After getting married, you should bear children for the household as soon as possible," the Marquis's implication was clear.

Shen Qingran looked puzzled. "Father knows that I prefer men."

The Marquis impatiently waved his hand. "I'm only asking you to marry a proper wife. There's only you in the household now. Once you have children, you can like whoever you want."

"You're right," Shen Qingran glanced at the list on the table. "Your son will choose carefully."

"They're all girls from good families. Take your time to choose. I want to send a reply to the girl's family soon," the Marquis said before leaving.

After the Marquis left, Shen Qingran sat down at the table and slowly opened the list. The Marquis hadn't lied to him; the girls listed had respectable family backgrounds. Calculating carefully, marrying any of these girls would be a considerable climb for Shen Qingran.

News from the Marquis's household reached the palace, and Mu Xi, knowing that Shen Yu had been particularly interested in recent events at the Marquis's household, informed Shen Yu as soon as she received the news.

Shen Yu instructed them to continue monitoring.

In Hanzhou, there was no festive atmosphere due to the arrival of King Yue's entourage.

King Yue currently resides in the Cheng family's main residence. The Cheng family only realized their predicament after the King's arrival. While some were discontent, they found themselves with no choice but to follow King Yue.

Given the tense situation outside, King Yue had little festive spirit. Rather than that, he hoped Tan-xiangsheng's people would arrive soon. He truly didn't want to remain trapped here any longer.

"Tan-xiangsheng, how much longer do we have to wait for the reinforcements you mentioned?"

"They've arrived. They're in the western mountains of Hanzhou. We must wait for the right moment to strike, coordinating both inside and outside forces to break free."

Upon hearing this, King Yue felt relieved. "What about my people? Did Tan-xiangsheng's contacts reach them?"

According to Tan-xiangsheng, the delayed arrival of reinforcements was due to diverting to gather the King's supporters left in his fiefdom.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. They are on their way."

King Yue knew his actions would bring trouble. Before being absolutely certain, he was cautious not to let the court suspect anything wrong. It conveniently served their purposes at this time.

The court didn't know the specifics of his growing influence over the years. Those people were well-hidden, and even if the court sent people to Yuezhou, they wouldn't be able to find them quickly.

Tan-xiangsheng took a sip of tea handed to him by a maid. "There's one more thing. My people have received a special cooperation invitation. Are you interested, Your Highness?"

"Oh?" King Yue raised an eyebrow.

"It's from Beimo. They say a prominent figure is willing to help Your Highness."

"Beimo? Weren't they just defeated by Subei?"

Tan-xiangsheng teased, "Yes and no. Your Highness will know soon enough."

King Yue had no choice. If he wanted to confront Shang Junlin, the forces at his disposal were insufficient. He didn't have time to ponder why these people were willing to help him; he just wanted to change the current situation quickly.

He didn't want to be constantly overshadowed by Shang Junlin. One day, Shang Junlin would definitely be his defeated subordinate! He would return all the humiliations he suffered a hundredfold!

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"Young master, our people sent word back from Hanzhou that King Yue seems to have ties with two different factions." At noon, Mu Xi brought in warm water.

Shen Yu washed his hands and wiped them with a cloth. "I see. Keep an eye on them, and try to find out where the factions they're associated with are located."

"I understand," Mu Xi said as she handed the water basin to a palace maid to take away. She continued, "The Zhenbei Marquis has sent another invitation to the young master. Would you like to see him?"

Since Shen Yu entered the palace, the Marquis had been sending invitations regularly, three times a month without fail. Except for a few occasions, Shen Yu pretended not to see them, much to the Marquis's frustration. However, this time, for some reason, invitations had been coming consecutively for several days. The messenger said the Marquis had an important matter to discuss with the young master and hoped he would agree to meet.

Shen Yu was curious about what the Zhenbei Marquis wanted to do. After a moment of thought, he said, "Yes."

Shen Yu could summon the Marquis directly to the palace. Before meeting him, he informed Shang Junlin and suggested that he accompany him.

Shen Yu felt that if Shang Junlin were there, the Marquis wouldn't say many things.

"Does Your Majesty want to take shelter for a while? I'm quite interested to know what the Zhenbei Marquis wants to say to me."

"Am I that unbearable?" Shang Junlin pinched Shen Yu's cheek.

Shen Yu swatted his hand away. "Your Majesty knows that's not what I meant."

"In that case, Ah Yu, give me a kiss, and I'll agree to anything you want."

Shen Yu gave him a sidelong glance and pecked him on the cheek. Shang Junlin wasn't entirely satisfied, but Shen Yu pushed him into the inner room.

"You've got your kiss. Please wait here, Your Majesty."

When the Zhenbei Marquis arrived, he only saw Shen Yu seated in the main seat.

"What does the Marquis want to tell me?"

"I petitioned for you to be granted the title of being my legitimate heir, but the Emperor rejected it," the Marquis got straight to the point, sensing Shen Yu's indifferent tone.

"Is the Marquis here just for this matter?" Shen Yu's tone was casual, indicating he didn't care much about it.

The Marquis was taken aback and took a while before responding, "I've selected a well-bred wife for Shen Qingran. Once their first child is born, I plan to have it adopted under your name, so it can inherit the Marquisate in the future."

Shen Yu couldn't help but laugh mockingly. "Doesn't the Marquis think his plans are too idealistic?"

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Translator's note:

Lol nvm my comment last chap. Crown prince is just mistranslated. Its supposed to be legtimitate heir lol but anyways.