The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

27

Shen Yu was silent.

After all this time together, his understanding of Shang JunLin had increased, but his rebirth was a complicated thing. It was a secret he didn't intend to tell a single other person.

He knew he'd revealed a lot to Shang JunLin. Shang JunLin hadn't pried, so Shen Yu took for granted that the emperor didn't know anything. That was the case with Young Master He, and "Fei Meng" was the same.

Shang JunLin sighed and stroked Shen Yu's cheek. "This emperor won't ask about other things, but the noble monarch must tell this emperor what kind of harm 'Fei Meng' will bring."

"Your Majesty?" Shen Yu looked up. His face was small, so small that Shang JunLin could hold it in one palm. At the moment, the young man's face revealed a little disbelief, like a kitten who'd made trouble but hadn't been dealt with yet.

Shang JunLin raised his eyebrows. "Does the noble monarch think this emperor is a person who'd insist on getting to the bottom of things regardless of your wishes?"

"Of course not, Your Majesty." Shen Yu steadied his mind. "The problem with 'Fei Meng', to say the least, might be difficult to believe."

When Shen Yu learned the truth in his previous life, he could hardly believe it. Who would have thought that an obscure but otherwise ordinary drug would have such terrifying effects?

"On its own, 'Fei Meng' isn't worth fearing. The unavoidable danger it poses lies in another drug, which uses 'Fei Meng' as an ingredient. Like 'Fei Meng', this substance is colorless and tasteless. Just a little of it can make a strong man suffer from fever, and anyone who comes into contact with the fever will be infected in a short time. In seven days at most, they die."

In his previous life, this exact thing had appeared after a natural disaster. At first Shen Yu, like everyone else, thought it was a plague caused by the conditions of the disaster. Only later did he realize the plague was a false one, entirely caused by human activity. That was when the imperial court decided to classify "Fei Meng" as a forbidden drug.

Unfortunately, Shen Yu was living in the King of Yue's fief at the time. He didn't know much of the inside story. Until the effects of "Fei Meng" were discovered, Shen Yu didn't have any idea the plague was man-made.

Shang JunLin knitted his brow. "This emperor will ask the Hidden Dragon Guard to investigate."

Shen Yu didn't know if Shang JunLin fully believed him, but when he said he'd check into it, Shen Yu was deeply relieved. Maybe the people responsible for this disaster hadn't begun yet. If they could avert the tragedy in advance, it was worth the effort.

Shen Yu had borrowed some books from Imperial Physician Gu. To pass the time he frequently read a variety of medical texts.

They say that a long illness makes a doctor. Because of Shen Yu's poor health, he'd studied the art of medicine. He wasn't as knowledgeable as Imperial Physician Gu, who'd trained since childhood, but he knew some basic medical theory.

Shen Yu's hobbies were no secret, and Shang JunLin soon learned that Shen Yu was interested in medicine. His pen slightly paused, and he asked, "Was the noble monarch interested in medicine before, when he lived in the Zhenbei Marquis' residence?"

"Your Majesty, according to the information collected by the Hidden Dragon Guard, the noble monarch studied a variety of subjects at the Zhenbei Marquis' residence. Medical skills are among them," Meng Gonggong replied respectfully.

"I see."

When Shang JunLin returned to Yuzhang Palace, Shen Yu was flipping through a medical book.

The young man sat below a window, and the sunlight poured down on him, layering him with a hazy halo. His jade-like face was half-hidden behind a white wool collar, forming a delicate and attractive picture.