Chapter 289: The Empire

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Zhao Yu was well aware that while play was play and merriment was merriment, turning such pastimes into one’s primary occupation was no different from Zhao Ji’s obsession with art or Yelu Yanxi’s fixation on hunting—soon enough, he too would become a monarch destined for ruin.

Thus, Zhao Yu played only during rest; when it was time to work, he was diligent and benevolent, never slacking, never neglecting state affairs due to indulgence in soft comforts. He understood that as emperor, his responsibilities were immense—the people’s welfare rested entirely on his shoulders, and not a single moment of carelessness could be tolerated. Crucially, if he failed as emperor, it would not be him taking others’ wives and daughters, but others dividing up his own.

Zhao Yu would never forget that, even now in the northeast, a force capable of annihilating the Zhao Song dynasty was rising swiftly.

Therefore, at dawn, Tang Kuo Ling’er and Gao Guangyu, still clinging to him after last night’s indulgence, begged him to stay and sleep a little longer—but Zhao Yu merely patted their backsides and told them, along with several other newly elevated young ladies, to help him rise.

Then, as if speaking to the downcast Tang Kuo Ling’er and Gao Guangyu, yet also to himself, he said: “I do not disregard your tenderness, but state affairs must come first—how could I sacrifice the public for private pleasure, harming both myself and you?”

With that, Zhao Yu went to the training ground.

Li Lin was waiting for him there, as usual.

Under Li Lin’s assistance, Zhao Yu changed into his training attire and began practicing the Yoga scriptures.

“Loosen the shoulders first,” Zhao Yu murmured, slowly raising his arms from his sides, palms facing each other as if cradling drifting clouds, then abruptly lowering them to his chest, drawing his shoulder blades inward as he exhaled, spreading them wide like butterfly wings on the inhale.

Li Lin stood slightly behind and to the side, fingertips hovering near Zhao Yu’s waist. When he entered the Downward-Facing Dog pose and her saw his heels tremble slightly, she knelt and gently pressed her knee against the back of his thigh, saying: “Your breath must sink deeper—push your hips downward.”

Zhao Yu let out a soft hum, inhaling until his abdomen swelled like a full moon, exhaling until it tightened like an empty sack, lowering his body further, his arms pressing into the ground with astonishingly even force—wrists at perfect right angles, fingers sunk deep into the mat without a single tremor.

He held the pose for a full incense stick’s duration, beads of sweat tracing down his jawline; Li Lin wiped them away at the right moment.

Next, Zhao Yu shifted into the One-Legged King Pigeon Pose: right knee bent and grounded, left leg extended straight behind, foot dorsiflexed like a taut bowstring. As he twisted his upper body, his left hand precisely gripped his left ankle—movement fluid as flowing water, his waist and abdominal muscles faintly visible beneath thin fabric, sculpted by years of yoga into seamless lines.

“Switch to Prisoner Fitness now.”

At the end of the sequence, Zhao Yu’s breath remained even, not a single gasp—his endurance was extraordinary.

Soon, Li Lin brought a horizontal bar wrapped in coarse hemp rope.

Zhao Yu stepped beneath it, gripping the bar with fingers whitening from pressure, hands shoulder-width apart. He began a set of standard pull-ups, lifting and lowering his body without any momentum. At the hundredth repetition, he changed form—legs suspended, knees drawn sharply to his chest by abdominal force, then lowered slowly, repeating the motion. His soaked shirt clung to his back, outlining the sharp contours of his back muscles.

Li Lin counted aloud beside him. When she noticed Zhao Yu’s elbows slightly misaligned during narrow-grip push-ups, she crouched and tapped his elbow with her fingertip, signaling a minor deviation from proper form.

Zhao Yu immediately adjusted—his elbows drawing inward, muscles tensing sharply. Each descent brought his chest nearly to the ground; each rise lifted him with arms as steady as stone, his breath synchronized precisely with the motion, each exhale carrying a deep, controlled force.

Finally, he performed hanging leg raises: hands gripping the bar, body suspended, legs straight and together, slowly lifting until parallel to the ground—his core’s explosive power kept his entire frame as level as a balance beam.

Li Lin stood directly beneath him, gazing up at his taut jawline. As he lifted his legs, his abdominal muscles hardened into distinct ridges. She whispered softly: “Your waist strength has improved greatly, Your Majesty.”

Soon after, Zhou Dong and others arrived and taught Zhao Yu additional martial techniques.

Near midday, Zhao Yu, accompanied by Li Lin, Zhou Dong, and others, proceeded to the encampment of the Divine Mechanism Army to inspect his greatest asset in this world.

Since war might come soon, Zhao Yu had reorganized the Divine Mechanism Army and appointed new commanders, army supervisors, and deputy commanders.

Divine Mechanism Forward Army: Commander Han Shizhong, Army Supervisor Zhan Du, Deputy Commander Zhao Li;

Divine Mechanism Central Army: Commander Wang Bing, Army Supervisor Zong Ze, Deputy Commander Wang Yan;

Divine Mechanism Rear Army: Commander Zhai Xing, Army Supervisor Chen Gou, Deputy Commander Zhai Jin;

Divine Mechanism Left Army: Commander Zhang Jun, Army Supervisor Zhang Shuye, Deputy Commander Li Yanxian;

Divine Mechanism Right Army: Commander Wu Jie, Army Supervisor Liu Ke, Deputy Commander Wang De.

Zhao Yu also made adjustments to the Four Auxiliary Armies.

Northern Auxiliary Army: Commander Liu Fa, Army Supervisor Li Miao, Deputy Commander Liu Yi;

Southern Auxiliary Army: Commander Zhong Shizhong, Army Supervisor Zhe Yanzhi, Deputy Commander Guo Zhongxiao;

Eastern Auxiliary Army: Commander Zhong Shidao, Army Supervisor Qiu Yu, Deputy Commander Yao Youzhong;

Western Auxiliary Army: Commander He Guan, Army Supervisor Xu Huiyan, Deputy Commander Huo Anguo.

In addition, Zhao Yu reshuffled the commanders and army supervisors of the Western Army, the Tiger Guard, and the various Imperial Guard units.

In sum, through this reorganization, Zhao Yu elevated capable and loyal imperial stars to key positions, ensuring the Zhao Song dynasty could withstand any level of combat.

After the reshuffling, Zhao Yu issued an imperial decree ordering all armies to intensify training in preparation for the coming great war.

Most crucially, for the Divine Mechanism Army—including the Four Auxiliary Armies—Zhao Yu not only had Li Lin constantly monitor them, but also personally inspected them whenever he had time.

Today, for instance, he had randomly chosen the Divine Mechanism Right Army.