Chapter 289: Imperial Stars

…

Zhao Yu knew well: play as you will, joke as you like, but if you treat such entertainments as your main occupation, you'd be no different from Zhao Ji obsessed with art or Yelu Yanxi obsessed with hunting—you'd be barely a step away from becoming a ruler who loses his empire.

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 embraces. He understood well: as emperor, his burden was immense, the people's welfare rested on his shoulders, and not a single moment of negligence could be allowed. Crucially, if he failed as emperor, it wouldn't be him taking others' wives and daughters—it would be others carving up his own.

Zhao Yu never forgot: right now, in the northeast, a force capable of destroying the Zhao Song dynasty was rising swiftly.

Thus, at dawn, Tang Kuo Ling and Gao Guangyu, who had clung to Zhao Yu the night before, begged him to stay in bed a little longer—but Zhao Yu merely patted their backsides and told them, along with several other newly appointed young wives, to help him rise.

Then, as if speaking to Tang Kuo Ling and Gao Guangyu, who were still sullen, or perhaps to himself, he said: "I do not forget your tenderness, but state affairs come first—I cannot sacrifice the public for private pleasure, for that would harm not only me, but you as well."

Saying this, Zhao Yu went to the training ground.

Li Lin waited for him there as usual.

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

"Loosen the shoulders first," Zhao Yu murmured, slowly raising his arms from his sides; when his palms faced each other, they seemed to cradle drifting clouds, then abruptly sank to his chest, his shoulder blades drawing inward with the motion, then spreading wide like butterfly wings as he inhaled.

Li Lin stood slightly behind and to the side, her fingertips hovering near Zhao Yu's waist; when he entered the Downward 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 sinks deeper, Your Majesty—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; his body sank lower, his arms pressing into the ground with astonishingly even force, wrists at perfect right angles, fingers deeply sunk into the mat without a single tremor.

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

Next, Zhao Yu shifted into the One-Legged Pigeon Pose: his right knee bent and pressed to the ground, his left leg extended straight behind, foot dorsiflexed like a taut bowstring; as his upper body twisted, his left hand precisely gripped his left ankle, the movement fluid as flowing clouds, his waist and abdominal muscles faintly visible beneath thin fabric—smooth contours forged by years of yoga practice.

"Switch to Prisoner Fitness."

When he finished, 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 turning white, hands shoulder-width apart; he performed a set of perfect pull-ups, his body rising and falling without any momentum, then at the hundredth repetition, he changed form—lifting his legs, knees bent and suspended, contracting his abdomen to draw his knees toward his chest, then lowering them slowly, repeating the motion; his sweat-soaked shirt clung to his back, outlining the sharp contours of his back muscles.

Li Lin counted 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 slight deviation from perfect form.

Zhao Yu immediately adjusted: as his elbows drew inward, his muscles tensed sharply; each descent brought his chest nearly touching the ground, each rise lifted him with arms as steady as stone, his breathing perfectly synced to the motion, each exhale carrying a deep, controlled force.

Finally, he performed hanging leg raises: gripping the bar, suspended in air, legs straight and together, he slowly lifted them until parallel to the ground, his waist and abdomen exploding with power to keep his entire body balanced like a level beam.

Li Lin stood directly beneath him, looking up at his taut jawline; as he raised his legs, his abdominal muscles hardened into ridges, and she murmured softly: "Your Majesty's waist strength has improved greatly again."

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

Near noon, Zhao Yu, accompanied by Li Lin, Zhou Dong, and others, proceeded to the camp 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, supervisors, and deputy commanders.

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

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

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

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

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

Zhao Yu also made adjustments to the Four Auxiliary Armies.

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

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

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

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

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

In short, 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 reorganization, Zhao Yu issued an imperial decree ordering all armies to train vigorously in preparation for the coming great war.

Most importantly, 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.

For instance, today, he randomly selected the Divine Mechanism Right Army.