Chapter 24: Originally, It Was Training

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In her previous life, Li Lin was not only an outstanding graduate of the command program at a certain army academy, but had also served two years in an elite army unit, mastering a host of formidable military skills.

In Li Lin’s own words: “If I hadn’t been wounded in the meniscus by a bullet during peacekeeping duty in Mali and been forced to retire, I would have become an outstanding female general.”

Li Lin had also told Zhang Chun and the other four women that in hand-to-hand combat, most men were no match for her; if given a dagger, she could kill three ordinary adult men in direct combat; if given a gun, ample ammunition, and freedom to choose the terrain, a hundred ordinary adult men wouldn’t be enough for her to kill.

Such a Li Lin was clearly someone Zhang Chun couldn’t afford to provoke.

Moreover, Yuan Qingcheng had clearly sided with Li Lin.

Thus, seeing that Li Lin and Yuan Qingcheng wanted to break her monopoly, Zhang Chun could only agree to let them all five go together to see Zheng Xiansu and Wang Yisu.

“I’m going to Zhao Yu’s side anyway—leave the political resources here to you.”

The next day, Zhang Chun and the other four women came together to seek out Zheng Xiansu and Wang Yisu.

After the meeting, Zhang Chun handed Zheng Xiansu Zhao Yu’s jade pendant, bowing her head humbly: “Your Majesty instructed us five to come find you two Yaban.”

The meticulous Zheng Xiansu recognized at once that this was the very jade pendant Zhao Yu had worn yesterday.

And no one would dare lie about something that could be so easily verified.

Zheng Xiansu looked carefully at Zhang Chun, Li Lin, Ye Shi Yun, Ma Xiao Jiao, and Yuan Qingcheng; seeing that all five were exceptional in both appearance and figure, she couldn’t help but suspect Zhao Yu had taken a fancy to them.

To say Zheng Xiansu felt no resentment at all would certainly be false.

But Zheng Xiansu was a native of this era, raised in the most feudal of imperial harems, and could still accept that her man might be amorous and affectionate toward many.

Crucially, influenced by the social conditions, medical standards, wars, and disasters of the time, the average lifespan of people in this era was only about thirty years.

—The average lifespan of nobles was considerably higher, but still only around forty.

To ensure family prosperity and vigorous lineage, the ideal of “many children, much blessing” was deeply ingrained in the hearts of people of this era.

Family wealth and status often required numerous descendants to maintain and pass on.

Thus, men of this era were burdened with the great responsibility of continuing the family line and preserving its bloodline.

Taking multiple wives and concubines was seen as an effective means to achieve this goal.

Moreover, marriage was frequently used as a tool for political and economic alliances; families strengthened their power and expanded their networks through marital ties, so a man with multiple wives and concubines could establish close connections with different clans, creating more favorable conditions for family advancement.

In short, in the eyes of people of this era, a man ought to take many wives and concubines; women must not be jealous, but must encourage it—otherwise, they were not worthy women, despised by society and disliked by men.

This was especially true in the imperial court.

Although Zhao Yu had said he would take only Zheng Xiansu and Wang Yisu as his wives, they would not grow arrogant because of it.

Crucially, they knew full well that in this harem, where was there pure sincerity?

Perhaps Zhao Yu had once felt affection for them, but as a prince, his foremost duty was to continue the imperial bloodline and secure the stability of the Zhao Song dynasty; they were merely small women who had briefly caught his favor—on what grounds did they believe they could make Zhao Yu favor them alone forever?

Moreover, Zhao Yu chose them as his princesses precisely because he found them virtuous, wanting to avoid chaos, hidden dangers, and constant schemes in his household—women, in their struggle for favor and status, would stop at nothing, twisting their humanity, burying kindness, leaving only endless calculation and rivalry.

They could not abandon the very qualities Zhao Yu loved in them.

Therefore, if Zhao Yu truly took a fancy to Zhang Chun’s five women, what they ought to do was not compete for his affection, but uphold the Song palace tradition of “welcoming virtuous women” and help Zhao Yu expand his lineage.

Notably, they still had great confidence in Zhao Yu, believing he would not be like Zhao Xu, who favored concubines over his wife.

Most crucially, they were Zhao Yu’s own chosen princesses, not arranged marriages like those imposed by Minister Meng; they had genuine emotional foundations with Zhao Yu.

Given all this, when Zheng Xiansu saw Zhang Chun and the other five women arrive with Zhao Yu’s jade pendant, she warmly greeted them: “Sisters, please sit.”

Zhang Chun hurriedly said: “We dare not. Before you two Yaban, how could we sit?”

Zheng Xiansu scolded gently: “Ah~ Why call us Yaban? Call us sisters—we’re family now. Why be so formal?”

Wang Yisu first personally poured a pot of fine tea, then, together with Zheng Xiansu, invited Zhang Chun and the other four women to sit.

Li Lin and the other three women realized Zheng Xiansu and Wang Yisu might have misunderstood them; they wanted to explain, but feared doing so might ruin things—after weighing the pros and cons, they chose to silently accept the misunderstanding.

The women took their seats, host and guests arranged; Zheng Xiansu said apologetically: “Previously unaware we were family, we treated you and the other palace attendants equally—please forgive us.”

She then explained: “In the palace, the way we manage palace attendants is to give them plenty of work, temper their temperaments, stir their ambition, and gradually reduce their labor as their rank rises—this is how we teach them propriety. We ourselves went through the same.”

Hearing Zheng Xiansu’s explanation, Zhang Chun and the other five women finally understood why they had suffered so much—it was feudal management training them.

Zheng Xiansu then volunteered: “Starting today, you five need no longer work with the other palace attendants. First, clean the Tihedian. When we leave Cide Palace, we’ll go together to Shen Prince’s mansion—how’s that?”

The Tihedian was Empress Dowager Xiang’s study; in recent years, she had rarely visited it, and all that was needed was occasional dusting—it was considered the most leisurely place in Cide Palace.

Moreover, Zheng Xiansu had assigned all five of them to clean the Tihedian together—clearly showing favor.

Most importantly, Zhang Chun and the others had said nothing, yet Zheng Xiansu had voluntarily offered to take them to Zhao Yu’s side.

One had to admit: after this series of moves, Li Lin and the other three women found Zheng Xiansu increasingly agreeable.

Zhang Chun thought to herself: “No wonder she has no children, yet despite Zhao Ji’s many favored concubines, her position remains unshakable, her favor never wanes, and her family enjoys extraordinary privileges—this woman may well become my greatest threat.”

Zhang Chun spoke for Li Lin and the other three: “Thank you, sister, for your kindness.”

As soon as Zhang Chun spoke, Zheng Xiansu confirmed she had not misunderstood—Zhang Chun and the other five were indeed women Zhao Yu had taken a fancy to, and they themselves wished to climb onto Zhao Yu’s high branch.

With this judgment, Zheng Xiansu became even warmer: “If you five have any difficulties, speak freely—we’ll do everything we can to help.”

Zhang Chun thought: “Here it comes—whether I can seize the initiative depends on this…”

…

(End of Chapter)