Guess who's back? XD 

College is a fucking pain especially being a graduating student. So much to do, so much to pay, so much time taken. I want to just immediately graduate and find a job to end this school torture.

I may have to again change my release to 1 chapter a week. Of course, if some angel buy me kofi, there's a bonus chapter for being such a bright light to doom heart.

Anyways, here's the super late chapter and I may or may not make mistakes here so please point out if you notice any. 

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Knowing that the emperor had sent someone to Hanzhou, King Yue and his party changed their original plan. They had initially intended to go directly to the Cheng family. Given the location of the Cheng family in Hanzhou, there was no safer place than the Cheng family's. However, due to the recent events, the Cheng family's safety was now in jeopardy.

Currently, the court is primarily investigating the actions of Xu Wanjun. The Cheng family has been entrenched in Hanzhou for many years, conducting their affairs discreetly. If it weren't for Xu Wanjun, they wouldn't have exposed themselves so quickly.

Do the people behind this not consider other, safer options? It's just that time is too pressing, and the court is pursuing them urgently from behind. They have no other choice.

The Hidden Dragon Guard operates covertly, while the official face participating in the capture operation is the Imperial Guards of the capital.

Don't assume that the Imperial Guards are just a place for the children of officials to make their mark. The Imperial Guards under the control of Shang Junlin are different from the past. These were the first troops to fight alongside him on the battlefield, the ones who have truly fought in the field. Those who wish to join the Imperial Guards later must pass through rigorous assessments, and only the most outstanding individuals are chosen.

A military force like that is not to be taken lightly, and evading their pursuit is no easy task.

If it weren't for the diversion created by arranging an assassination, the most likely scenario is that they wouldn't even have been able to leave the Imperial City.

So, even though they knew that coming to Hanzhou was unsafe, they had no choice but to take the risk.

When they learned that Xu Wanjun had offended the emperor during the autumn hunt, attracting the attention of the court to Hanzhou, the people behind the scenes were furious. Their foolproof plan had been disrupted by a single idiotic mistake. If that person had been in the capital, they might have considered eliminating them on the spot.

The Cheng family was no longer safe, so they had to find another place. Fortunately, the Cheng family has a large and extensive enterprise with many land territory, making it easy to select one that was unknown to outsiders. They ultimately chose a remote property in Hanzhou.

Upon receiving the news that the guests had arrived, the head of the Cheng family didn't rush to that place but instead called a meeting with influential family members to discuss the situation.

"Now that the guests have arrived, what should we do?"

The Cheng family's deep roots in Hanzhou made it not easy to give up. No one wanted to abandon a life of luxury and comfort for an uncertain path. Except for a few key individuals, most members of the Cheng family were unaware of the situation.

"Are we, the Cheng family, really going to fall apart for such an unidentified person¹refers to Shang Jun Yue?" one family member questioned.

"You should ask Xu Wanjun about this matter. If it weren't for her stirring up trouble, would we need to jeopardize ourselves like this?" another replied.

The previous favor and affection vanished in an instant when interests were at stake.

"She's the daughter of the family head's sister. She's been spoiled since she was a child, and her behavior might be tolerable on our home turf. But in the capital, she's causing trouble left and right. Sooner or later, it will harm her and others. I kept saying from the beginning that we should discipline her properly, but you all insisted I was having issues with a younger family member..."

This conversation highlights the family's internal conflict and the tension arising from their involvement with an unidentified person and the trouble they find themselves in.

"Alright, let's stop talking about it," someone advised when they noticed the family head's grim expression.

"The situation has already occurred. What's the use in discussing this now? Sometimes talking about this is less productive than figuring out what we should do next."

"Even though it hasn't affected us directly yet, if those high-ranking officials continue their investigation, they will eventually reach us. We won't have a choice, right?"

A brief silence fell upon the room.

"What did that high-ranking official say?" someone finally asked.

"He said he couldn't confront the court for the time being. He instructed us to meet with the guest and leave with them," the head of the Cheng family replied, looking weary.

"With so many members of the Cheng family and so many possessions, are we really going to abandon everything?"

"If we make too big of a move, the court will surely take notice..."

The conversation revolves around the family's dilemma, considering their options as they discuss whether to abandon their assets and go into hiding or stay and face the consequences.

The intentions of the head of the Cheng family are now quite evident.

In the dead of night, the Cheng family head changed into different clothing and quietly left the family residence to go to the other property. He possessed more information than the other members of the Cheng family and knew the identity of the guest. Given the magnitude of the Cheng family's current crisis, they were unlikely to escape unscathed. So, he decided to change course and pledge allegiance to another master.

King Yue. 

He was the favored candidate for the late emperor, and if the Cheng family joined forces with him, they could potentially gain favor and recognition. What did they lose compared to what they stood to gain?

He needed to meet this person first.

In another Cheng Family's property, which was at least somewhat secure, King Yue could finally get some rest. However, not long after falling asleep, he was awakened and told that someone had come to see him.

Despite his inner dissatisfaction, he dared not show it on his face. This period of fugitive life had significantly altered his temperament. Whereas he might have once been praised as an elegant young man, the current coldness in his eyes made him seem entirely unrelated to that description.

Dressed in his robe, King Yue met with the head of the Cheng family.

"Greetings to Your Highness. Your Highness has endured much during this period of time," the head of the Cheng family showed the proper respect expected when addressing King Yue. 

Shang Jun Yue, who hadn't received such treatment in a while, visibly relaxed and stood up with assistance. "No need for excessive courtesy. This time, I'll need to rely heavily on the Cheng family."

One person offered compliments, and the other was pleased. The atmosphere between them was quite amicable.

Before dawn, the head of the Cheng family quietly returned to the Cheng family residence.

What he didn't know was that every move he made had been closely observed by the Hidden Dragon Guard.

Shang Jun Yue and his party were temporarily settled in Hanzhou, awaiting instructions from their hidden backers on their next destination and course of action.

The information from the Hidden Dragon Guard made its way to the Imperial City. After reviewing the report, Shang Junlin set it aside and turned to Shen Yu. "King Yue has arrived in Hanzhou."

"The Hidden Dragon Guard found their trail?" Shen Yu asked, putting the book he was holding back on the shelf and turning to face Shang Junlin.

Shang Junlin replied, "They have formed an alliance with the Cheng family."

Shen Yu inquired, "The Cheng family, the in-laws of Official Xu?"

Shang Junlin confirmed, "Yes."

Shen Yu questioned, "Are they really involved? And regarding that assassination, does Madam Xu have any knowledge of it?"

Shang Junlin said, "She didn't know. She didn't even suspect that someone close to her was passing information to the assassins. When the officials from the Ministry of Punishments informed her, she thought they were trying to smear her."

Shen Yu asked, "When does His Majesty plan to take action?"

Shang Junlin replied, "We'll wait a bit longer. They certainly have people waiting for them. I want to find out where those people have their bases."

Shen Yu noted, "If they have operatives in the capital, it's likely they have them in other places as well."

As the weather grew colder and winter rain began to fall, the temperature dropped even further. In the palace, the fires were lit, and unless it was necessary, Shen Yu had no intention of venturing outside.

In the capital, not much was happening, and the attention of the court and officials remained focused on the situation in Subei and the ongoing war with Beimo, which was their primary concern. The assassination case and King Yue's escape from prison came next.

As Minister Fang's investigation progressed, the court and officials began to understand that both incidents were connected to the same powerful force.

During the morning court session, Fang Jun stepped forward and said, "I believe that we need to thoroughly investigate the source of the power behind King Yue. This time, they were willing to attempt to assassinate His Majesty to rescue King Yue. What might they attempt next? Are they planning to crown King Yue as the new emperor?!"

A hushed silence fell over the court as Minister Fang's words resonated. His statement was quite audacious, but it echoed the concerns of the other ministers. The audacity to break King Yue out of prison and attempt to assassinate the emperor raised the question: were they aiming to change the ruling dynasty next?

No one wanted to witness such an outcome.

If King Yue's rebellion were to succeed, they would become former officials of the old dynasty, and in history, how many former officials fared well in such circumstances? Even for the sake of self-preservation, they couldn't allow this situation to unfold.

After a considerable pause, another minister stood up and declared, "I believe Minister Fang's words are absolutely correct. We must thoroughly investigate this matter!"

Following this, more and more ministers began to voice their support for Minister Fang's approach.

The confrontation with King Yue and the force behind him was now brought into the open.

"Since you all believe that a thorough investigation is needed, Minister Fang, you will be responsible for this matter. As of this moment, King of Yue's title is temporarily revoked. If it is determined that the King of Yue is innocent, I will compensate him. If King Yue truly has treasonous intentions, he shouldn't blame me for not sparing him due to our family ties," Shang Junlin's words served as the final verdict on the matter.

In addition to Fang Jun, Shang Junlin also appointed several officials from the Ministry of Punishments and the Supreme Court to work on the case. He dispatched officials and troops to King Yue's fief, as the title and land needed to return to the court.

King Yue's crimes, including his escape, the assassination attempt, and maintaining private armed forces, were publicized one by one, cementing the suspicions of his disloyalty.

Overnight, Shang Jun Yue went from being a heavenly prince to a rebel, and the public sentiment shifted dramatically.

"I can't believe it. King Yue was actually like this behind the scenes. I used to think he was a gentle prince. I must have been blind."

"What King Yue? He's no longer that. But this guy's character is really terrible. It's said that he used to get involved with several ministers' daughters simultaneously, and when caught, he didn't even admit it."

"Yes, it happened at the Yingxing House. Many people saw it, but they kept quiet to protect the reputation of those girls. It just goes to show that no matter how well someone disguises themselves, they'll eventually be exposed."

"Do you remember those rumors that tarnished His Majesty's name? Those were spread by King Yue too."

"So you mean he's been plotting treachery for a while?"

"Have you seen his own behavior? How can he even compare himself to His Majesty? He's just a hypocrite who says one thing and does another. Being a prince is just his good fortune."

In a short span of time, King Yue's reputation among the common people hit rock bottom. In contrast, Shang Junlin's reputation improved. The citizens firmly believed that all the past negative incidents were concocted by King Yue to tarnish the Emperor's image.

Numerous scholars wrote articles denouncing their previous gullibility and vowed to develop better judgment in the future, pledging not to blindly follow popular opinions.

A new trend among scholars emerged, and countless articles praising the current emperor were published, which was something no one had anticipated.

Shen Yu, upon hearing the news, teasingly asked, "How do you feel now, Your Majesty?"

He rested his chin on his hands, gazing up at Shang Junlin with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

In addition to official news outlets, the court also published a newspaper in collaboration with Shen Yu's publishing house. This newspaper documented various interesting stories from the common people and accepted contributions from citizens, as well as featuring reviews of quality goods at affordable prices. It became quite popular among the common folk.

During this period, the newspaper was filled with articles either strongly criticizing Shang Jun Yue or lavishly praising Shang Junlin, creating a stark contrast.

Shang Junlin, who was reading documents at the time, heard Shen Yu's words. He lifted his other hand and gently pinched Shen Yu's cheek, saying, "Making fun of me?"

Shen Yu shook his head, and his eyes twinkled with a subtle light. "Of course not. I'm just genuinely happy for Your Majesty."

Shang Junlin released Shen Yu's cheek, then cupped his chin, leaned in, and kissed his lips.

"All of this is because of you, Ah Yu..."

The whispered words disappeared into their kiss, which gradually deepened.

 

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Eyyy retribution~

Anyways, I think King of Yue is a bit too much. I think King Yue is much better, same with King Li, right? I dont know. What do you guys prefer? Stay as ease or change it? 

Already changed it and the reading becomes much more easy. 

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