Chapter 68: Li Lin: I

…

「Lín Lín?!?! 」

Li Lin felt she was getting her comeuppance.

「I hate Chun Chun! 」

In Li Lin's view, Zhao Yu had wanted to take her as a concubine the moment he saw her—all because Zhang Chun had messed up the groundwork so badly: she'd immediately offered herself, then turned around and offered Ma Xiao Jiao as well, so Zhao Yu was surely convinced that all five of them, mistress and disciples alike, wanted to marry him, the destined one, relying on him to fulfill their ambitions, and that this visit was nothing but a self-recommendation for his bed.

To be honest, Li Lin, who in her past life had never relied on anyone, let alone a man, had no intention of walking this path of rising by selling her body.

This was also why, originally, Li Lin had broken with Zhang Chun and wanted to go it alone.

Yet after spending three or four months in Cide Palace, she hadn't even left the starter village—and had achieved nothing at all; in front of Zhang Chun, who advocated self-sacrifice, she couldn't even hold her head up, and finally Li Lin realized that Zhang Chun might be right.

In this rigidly hierarchical feudal society, women like them had no way, it seemed, to earn the trust of powerful men except by becoming their women.

And without the trust of powerful men, they could never borrow their power.

Without power, they were no different from ordinary women of this era—they could accomplish nothing, let alone command armies.

Remember, a woman leading three armies was likely harder than a woman ruling from behind a curtain.

It must be said: in this patriarchal feudal society, to achieve something, to change society, women faced far greater difficulties than men—even transmigrators were no exception.

Of course, it's not to say women had absolutely no chance to become commander-in-chief.

Forget the distant past—just look at recent examples: the Xiao Empress Dowager of Liao, the Great and Little Liang Empress Dowagers of Western Xia—didn't they all lead troops in person?

Yet this brought them right back to Zhang Chun's argument: to accomplish anything, they had to first borrow Zhao Yu's power, even become regent empress dowagers like Xiao and the Liangs.

It could be said that Li Lin had completed her transformation—from questioning Zhang Chun, to understanding her, to becoming her.

「What else can I do? With my current status as a lowly palace maid, what other options do I have? 」

In fact, before coming to see Zhao Yu, Li Lin had already guessed this might happen.

She had come to understand: if she didn't sleep with Zhao Yu a few times, if she didn't earn his trust, how could he ever entrust her with an army? Didn't Liang Hongyu only get to command troops after years of sleeping with Han Shizhong—even after bearing him several children?

Li Lin thought: 「I was called the Female Tyrant in my past life—thirty-something, and not a single man dared touch me, let alone sleep with me. You little brat, you've got balls, daring to set your sights on me. Fine, fine, mountains may not turn, but rivers do—I'll submit for now, and when you fall into my hands, we'll settle the score then! 」

After mentally beating Zhao Yu senseless, Li Lin forced a smile and squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth: 「Your servant leaves it entirely to Your Highness. 」

Li Lin's murderous gaze was impossible to hide.

Zhao Yu's anus tightened instantly: 「When I sleep with this Female Tyrant, I'd better be careful—I don't want her learning from Leijinguowohatun. 」

Keep away from Li Lin for his own safety?

How could that be possible?

The one who originally ran him over was Li Lin—she was the mastermind behind his murder; if he didn't run her over a thousand times, how could he avenge himself, how could he erase the hatred in his heart?

More importantly, Zhao Yu was eagerly anticipating the day when he'd slept with all five of them, and they'd all borne him children, and then he'd reveal he was also a transmigrator—when they realized that all these years they'd been submitting, serving him faithfully, pouring their hearts into pleasing him, thinking they'd been manipulating him, only to find they'd been manipulated all along—what expressions would they wear? Would they feel like fools? Or collapse right there?

Zhao Yu felt this was the greatest revenge he could exact for their having run him over.

「Too bad there are too many people here—if not, I'd collect some interest first, make her experience the Eiffel Tower flipped upside down and back again. 」

Now, Zhao Yu could only say with regret: 「When Zheng Yaban and Wang Yaban come to marry me, the four of you will come together. 」

Li Lin replied: 「Yes. 」

……

When Li Lin returned to her quarters, Yuan Qing Cheng had already come back.

「I couldn't find a chance to approach Zhao Yu. What about you, Sister Lin? 」 Yuan Qing Cheng asked.

「I've made contact. 」 Li Lin said, distracted.

「What's Zhao Yu like? 」 Yuan Qing Cheng asked.

Li Lin recalled every detail of her interaction with Zhao Yu and evaluated objectively: 「He's fine—more or less what Zhang Chun and Xiao Jiao said. 」

Seeing Li Lin's low spirits, Yuan Qing Cheng asked: 「What's wrong? Did your contact with Zhao Yu go badly? 」

「It went well. Zhao Yu said to come to him first; when he organizes the army or makes military deployments, I'll serve as his advisor—he'll listen to my suggestions as much as possible. Once I earn some battlefield merit and reputation, and the Song soldiers come to trust me, he'll gradually let me take part in commanding operations. 」

Though she didn't understand military affairs, Yuan Qing Cheng knew it was absurd to entrust command of an army to a girl who looked barely fourteen or fifteen.

Yuan Qing Cheng even thought that if Zhao Yu truly handed tens of thousands of troops over to a Li Lin like this, it would prove he was unreliable—and that their choice of Zhao Yu over Zhao Ji was a mistake.

But now, Zhao Yu had Li Lin start as an advisor, train gradually, and later, depending on circumstances, slowly bring her into military command—this was prudent and gave Li Lin a real chance. One could say Zhao Yu had handed in a perfect score.

「Then what's not satisfying about this, Sister Lin? 」 Yuan Qing Cheng asked, puzzled.

Li Lin didn't let Yuan Qing Cheng guess wildly—she stated the reason bluntly: 「Zhao Yu wants me to be his concubine. I agreed. 」

「This…」

Though they'd mentally prepared for this, the fact that Zhao Yu had immediately wanted to sleep with Li Lin upon meeting her still left Yuan Qing Cheng unsettled.

「Is Zhao Yu this lustful? 」 Yuan Qing Cheng frowned.

Li Lin shook her head:

「He's about to become emperor—how could he lack women? 」

「Besides, I know my limits—I'm not beautiful enough to outshine the others. 」

「It's all Zhang Chun's fault! 」

「We shouldn't have let Zhang Chun approach Zhao Yu first—she went straight up and offered herself, then got Xiao Jiao to do the same, so now Zhao Yu thinks we all want to be his concubines, and that's why he's using concubine appointments as a tool to win us over. 」

「Then why didn't you correct Zhao Yu? 」 Yuan Qing Cheng asked.

「Do you think I didn't want to? But if I corrected him, once he becomes emperor, surrounded by countless talents and buried in state affairs, he'd forget me in a few days—he wouldn't even think of me when opportunities arise. As a woman, how else can I stand by his side legitimately except by becoming his concubine? 」 Li Lin said.

Yuan Qing Cheng realized it was true. If they kept cleaning the side halls, what was the difference from being cast into the cold palace? In such a place, Zhao Yu might never come once in his life.

Think carefully—they could only remain by Zhao Yu's side by becoming his concubines, and even more, by winning his favor, and only then could they realize their dreams.

So Li Lin's choice was not wrong.

After much hesitation, Yuan Qing Cheng asked: 「Then… Sister Lin, did you mention me to Zhao Yu? 」

To Yuan Qing Cheng's relief, Li Lin said: 「I did. I mentioned Ye Shi Yun too. Zhao Yu said the four of us will marry him together with Zheng Yaban and Wang Yaban. 」

Yuan Qing Cheng thought: "Li Lin is far more reliable than Zhang Chun; partnering with Li Lin was the right choice."

But aloud, Yuan Qing Cheng said: "With Zhao Yu's approval, even if Zheng Yaban, Wang Yaban, or Zhang Chun refuse to take us along, we'll still make it to Zhao Yu's side."

Unexpectedly, Li Lin doused Yuan Qing Cheng with cold water: "Don't get too excited—by this setup, you and Ye Shi Yun will likely be cut by Zhao Yu too."

Yuan Qing Cheng bit her lower lip, saying nothing at all…

……

(End of Chapter)