Chapter 49: The Critical Hit on Zhang Chun

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When Zhao Yu was secretly speaking with Empress Dowager Xiang, she bluntly asked: "Is this girl truly that skilled?"

"When I first met her, she predicted: Jiaxu, earthquake in Taiyuan, the Yellow River flows north; Guisì, Venus visible in daylight; Gengzi, the first day of summer, the Xia people come to apologize. All three came true," Zhao Yu said.

"If that's true, this girl is no ordinary person. But where did she get such skill?" Empress Dowager Xiang believed Zhao Yu wouldn't lie to her, yet she still couldn't help doubting Zhang Chun's abilities.

"She says a divine being entered her dreams and transmitted to her the art of prediction; she slept for three days, and when she woke, she could know fate and foresee the future," Zhao Yu told Empress Dowager Xiang the very lie Zhang Chun had told him.

Empress Dowager Xiang still harbored some doubt about Zhang Chun's abilities.

But when it came to something so mysterious and beyond her understanding, the wisest course was to believe it might be true rather than dismiss it—what if it were real?

So Empress Dowager Xiang ceased questioning Zhang Chun's abilities.

"She told me that within ten days, a matter of great consequence to our Great Song's fate will occur," Zhao Yu added.

"What matter?" Empress Dowager Xiang asked.

"She only said it's enormous, tied to our Great Song's rise or fall, survival or extinction—she refuses to speak of anything else," Zhao Yu said.

"I saw how seriously she spoke and pressed her. She said this heavenly secret is too great—if revealed, she would suffer heavenly retribution, and it might turn our Great Song's fortune from favorable to unfavorable. So I dared not ask further," Zhao Yu added.

"So serious?" Empress Dowager Xiang's expression turned grave.

"I also feel the situation is grave, which is why I want her kept near you."

"I am merely a idle prince. If our Great Song truly faces a great crisis, I can do nothing to help."

"Mother is the pillar of our Great Song. Even if a great crisis strikes, you alone can turn the tide."

Here, Zhao Yu's tone shifted: "It's only ten days—let's wait and see if her words come true."

Empress Dowager Xiang agreed, and promoted Zhang Chun from lowly palace maid to Ji Hou, granting her two silver ingots, two bolts of silk, a pair of porcelain bowls, and one jade hairpin.

These promotions and gifts meant nothing to Zhang Chun; she didn't even care for them.

But from barely surviving in Cide Palace to now receiving promotion and being secretly designated as Zhao Yu's woman, this dazzling turnaround left Zhang Chun feeling utterly euphoric.

After receiving her rewards, Zhang Chun smiled as she accepted congratulations and flattery from the other palace maids, then walked over to Ma Xiao Jiao, stared at her, and said nothing.

Seeing this, Ma Xiao Jiao gave Zhang Chun a perfunctory bow: "I was wrong. All along, Sister Chun, you've been the one who sacrificed the most for the team. I misunderstood you. You letting me work my way to Zhao Yu's side was a favor to me—I was petty and misjudged your character."

But inwardly, Ma Xiao Jiao seethed: "If Zhao Yu hadn't backed you, your face would've been ground into shoe soles!"

Glancing at Zhang Chun's flat chest, Ma Xiao Jiao—who knew Zhao Yu's tastes—felt confused: "Zhao Yu shouldn't like you at all."

Zhang Chun, enjoying her advantage, feigned hurt: "Jiao Jiao, do you know what hurts me most? Without my guidance, you'd be just like those three—running around like headless flies, hitting walls everywhere, stuck in this palace your whole life, unfulfilled, dying in despair. Yet in the end, you didn't follow me—you listened to them. That breaks my heart."

Ma Xiao Jiao's main strength was her flawless apology: "I'll follow you from now on, okay?"

Seeing Ma Xiao Jiao's stance, Zhang Chun beamed, took her hand, and said: "That's better. As long as you follow me, you won't just live well in this era—you'll fulfill your ambitions. Isn't that what you want?"

Though Ma Xiao Jiao still felt nauseated inside, she had to admit: Zhang Chun understood this era better than any of them. Her current success was thanks to Zhang Chun's guidance.

So Ma Xiao Jiao said: "Yes, I want to advance technology in this era. Everything else? I don't care."

Zhang Chun loved Ma Xiao Jiao's lack of political ambition: "Then listen to me. No matter what it takes, sleep with Zhao Yu as much as you can, bear him as many children as possible. Don't worry he can't afford it, or that you'll waste time raising them—you can bear a hundred, and he'll still afford them, and others will help raise and teach them."

Ma Xiao Jiao rolled her eyes: "I'm not a pig. No, even pigs can't bear that many."

"I was just using an analogy," Zhang Chun said, then asked: "By the way, how many times have you slept with Zhao Yu?"

Ma Xiao Jiao blushed, silent.

Zhang Chun guessed: "Once?"

Ma Xiao Jiao gave no reaction.

Zhang Chun guessed again: "Three times?"

Ma Xiao Jiao still gave no reaction.

Zhang Chun's eyes lit up: "Five times?"

Ma Xiao Jiao stammered: "N-not just that."

Zhang Chun punched Ma Xiao Jiao playfully: "Good girl, Jiao Jiao! In such a short time, you've slept with Zhao Yu so many times? I was worried you'd never get pregnant!"

Here, Zhang Chun grew genuinely curious: "So how many times exactly?"

Ma Xiao Jiao hesitated: "Six…"

"Six times," Zhang Chun said.

"Six nights, two… twenty-something times," Ma Xiao Jiao murmured shyly. "Pei Sui had seven nights, I had six, Wang Chuchu and Guo Wei had four each. But I think, in total number of times, I'm probably the most. I feel Zhao Yu especially likes me."

For some reason, hearing this, Zhang Chun felt jealous—even though this was exactly what she wanted.

And the more she imagined Zhao Yu and Ma Xiao Jiao in bed together, the more uncomfortable she became.

Put simply, she even had the urge to slap Ma Xiao Jiao, this little homewrecker.

"Men are all big pig feet!"

"Jiao Jiao's a green tea too—always seemed so innocent, yet she's so good at seducing men!"

"Wait… Zhang Chun, don't think like this. If you want to accomplish something, you must crush jealousy—and actively send Zhao Yu women. Otherwise, you'll never amount to anything!"

Suppressing her jealousy, Zhang Chun touched Ma Xiao Jiao's lower abdomen, eagerly asking: "Could you already be carrying Zhao Yu's son?"

But Ma Xiao Jiao dropped a revelation that both thrilled and shattered Zhang Chun: "I don't know… but my period hasn't come this month. It might be… overdue."

"Already pregnant?!?!"

Zhang Chun could no longer suppress her jealousy toward Ma Xiao Jiao! She couldn't accept that the very thing she'd schemed for, sacrificed her reputation for, and fought tooth and nail to obtain—Ma Xiao Jiao had effortlessly seized it all.

"If Jiao Jiao gives birth to Zhao Yu's first-born son by a concubine, isn't that a direct critical hit to me?"

"Calm down! Calm down! Even if Jiao Jiao doesn't bear Zhao Yu's first-born son by a concubine, someone else will. Compared to others, Jiao Jiao bearing him a son benefits me most."

"But why do all the good things fall to Jiao Jiao first?"

Zhang Chun glanced at Ma Xiao Jiao's noticeably fuller chest, then looked down and saw only her own feet. Her anger vanished. She could only mutter bitterly: "Men are all shallow—Zhao Yu is no exception!"

Seeing Zhang Chun silent, Ma Xiao Jiao asked: "Sister Chun, are you alright?"

Zhang Chun took a deep breath and spoke as rationally as she could: "Even if you might already be pregnant with Zhao Yu's child, don't slack off. Push harder. Have you watched those little movies? Use the techniques from them—thousands of years ahead of this era—to make Zhao Yu utterly addicted to you. You must become the first woman to bear him a son!"

Ma Xiao Jiao rolled her eyes, thinking to herself: "What do you take me for?"

Seeing Ma Xiao Jiao's indifference, Zhang Chun grew angrier; she scolded with exasperation: "Don't you dare copy Li Lin and the others—after being here this long, you still don't understand the situation, thinking just because you're a transmigrator you're somehow superior, unaware that they're slowly losing their advantage, squandering their transmigrator edge, and will one day be forced to beg for our scraps…"

Speak of Cao Cao, and he shall appear.

There, Li Lin, Ye Shi Yun, and Yuan Qing Cheng were walking toward them from afar.

But Zhang Chun's gaze did not rest on the three women; it fixed instead on Zheng Xiansu and Wang Yisu ahead of them—especially the former…

……

(End of Chapter)