Chapter 84: Defeated Dog, Get to Know It

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Li Lin walked in and saw Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun accompanying Zhao Yu at dinner.

Li Lin froze; she thought she had arrived early enough, having rushed over without even eating breakfast, yet Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun had arrived even earlier.

“Have you eaten?” Zhao Yu asked.

“I have,” Li Lin replied.

Hearing Li Lin had already eaten, Zhao Yu did not invite her to sit and eat with them, nor did he serve her lotus seed soup.

Thus, Li Lin could only stand aside like a servant, watching Zhao Yu, Zhang Chun, and Ye Shi Yun eat and converse.

Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun, who had been angry at Zhao Yu for forcing them into female rivalry, now felt utterly satisfied: they could sit at the table with Zhao Yu and enjoy the lotus seed soup he had personally served them, while Li Lin stood helplessly watching.

And Li Lin, beside them, was truly embarrassed.

‘Won’t you just offer me a seat again?’

‘If you sincerely invited me once more, I’d mercifully sit down and eat with you—then I wouldn’t have to stand here like an idiot watching you eat.’

‘And don’t you know the rule: “Do not speak while eating, do not talk while sleeping”? What’s so important to say? What’s so funny? Are you doing this just to show off to me?’

Soon, Li Lin’s embarrassment deepened into something worse: she suddenly felt Zhao Yu, Zhang Chun, and Ye Shi Yun were a family of three, while she had become an unwanted shadow in this warm scene—all light and warmth focused on them, leaving her utterly excluded.

Li Lin’s heart churned with mixed emotions. She understood perfectly: every inch of space at this table silently declared subtle hierarchies and distances, and she was clearly outside the circle.

Even more, Li Lin felt she had come too early—she should have arrived later, or not come at all today.

Li Lin endured for a long time before the three finally finished eating.

Only then did Zhao Yu seem to remember Li Lin, turning to her and asking: “Línlín, why did you come to see me?”

Hearing “Línlín,” Li Lin grew even angrier; she felt Zhao Yu deliberately used this nickname—equivalent to “silly girl”—to pour oil on her already burning fury.

Yet before Zhao Yu, who held her fate in his hands, Li Lin dared not lash out; instead, she hastened to say: “Your servant has heard Your Majesty enjoys cultivating health-enhancing arts. I have two methods—one firm, one soft: the firm one is called ‘Fangcun Fitness,’ the soft one ‘Shenxin Fanxing.’”

At first hearing these strange names, Zhao Yu was baffled, unsure what Li Lin intended to teach him.

Recalling Li Lin’s mastery of “Prisoner Fitness” and “Yoga,” he suddenly understood—she meant to teach him those.

Zhao Yu thought: ‘To win me over, you’re truly willing to give up everything. Good, good—I must hold you tighter now, friend. Know what a defeated dog is.’

Afraid Zhao Yu would refuse to train with her, cutting off her chance for sustained, frequent contact, Li Lin began enthusiastically praising “Prisoner Fitness” and “Yoga”:

“Your servant’s ‘Fangcun Fitness’ can reshape Your Majesty’s physique even in the smallest room, granting strength, agility, and vitality.”

As she spoke, Li Lin performed a handstand push-up.

Her arms firmly grounded, legs straight and vertical in midair, her posture light yet radiating resilience. Her arm muscles tensed with each push, powerful yet fluid.

To be fair, Li Lin’s movements were truly beautiful.

But Zhao Yu’s attention was not on her movements—he was focused elsewhere…

Li Lin forgot: this was the Northern Song, not her past life.

Women of this era wore crotchless trousers, known as “wudangku.”

Why did women of this era favor crotchless trousers?

Mainly for convenience when using the toilet.

Women’s skirts then were layered: shirts, jackets, robes, pants—many layers.

Thus, putting them on or taking them off was inconvenient.

If they wore trousers with crotches, using the toilet became troublesome.

Once removed, they could not be easily put back on quickly.

The process was time-consuming, and if attire became disheveled, it violated propriety and decorum.

If one suffered sudden diarrhea, the situation became dire.

Hence, crotchless trousers solved this problem perfectly.

Thus, women of this era wore crotchless trousers—Confucian moral constraints were cast aside for practicality and physiological need.

But—

Because such attire easily exposed the body, women would never lift their skirts unless crossing a river, and always maintained proper posture when standing or sitting, strictly observing etiquette, much like Qing Dynasty women in qipaos: rigid rules governed everything. In short, though women wore crotchless trousers, unless an accident occurred, you would see absolutely nothing.

Of course, if you did what Li Lin just did—performed a handstand—it was unavoidable.

To entice Zhao Yu to train with her in “Prisoner Fitness” and “Yoga,” Li Lin not only did handstands but also demonstrated high-difficulty moves: one-arm handstands, handstand push-ups, and Thomas flairs.

Throughout, Li Lin never glanced at Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun, who had sat beside Zhao Yu eating while she stood watching—so she naturally missed their frantic signals warning her she was flashing.

Finally, Li Lin grabbed a moon gate and performed a stunning human flag, hoping to shock Zhao Yu.

Unfortunately, Zhao Yu’s attention remained fixed on the earlier view—he completely missed her effort.

After demonstrating, Li Lin spoke calmly: “If Your Majesty trains with me in ‘Fangcun Fitness,’ you will gain strength, ultimate power, and survival ability—just like me.”

After a pause, her face softened into serene tranquility: “As for ‘Shenxin Fanxing,’ it allows Your Majesty to achieve profound harmony between body and mind through breath—discarding distractions, as if dwelling in the pure land of Brahma. Practiced regularly, it eases daily fatigue and vexation, elevates your spirit, and preserves inner clarity and peace even amid court turmoil.”

The progressive challenges of “Prisoner Fitness” cultivate perseverance and stress resilience; Yoga’s meditation and mindfulness enhance focus and reduce anxiety. Together, they form a dynamic-static mental regulation model, sustaining high physical performance over long periods.

Crucially, through scientific integration, “Prisoner Fitness” and “Yoga” achieve balanced strength and flexibility, delivering comprehensive health while greatly enhancing strength, endurance, agility, speed, and flexibility.

For Zhao Yu, however, the two most important benefits were simple: improved health and greater enjoyment.

At any rate, training with Li Lin’s “Prisoner Fitness” and “Yoga” was far superior to Zhao Yu’s own random calisthenics.

So Zhao Yu said: “Your concubine’s ‘Fangcun Fitness’ and ‘Shenxin Fanxing’ are worth trying. Change my clothes—let’s go to the training hall.”

With that, Zhao Yu went to change into athletic short jackets and light attire. While Li Lin and Ye Shi Yun still stood bewildered, wondering why Zhao Yu was changing clothes and what they were supposed to do, Zhang Chun had already hurried after him.

Only then did Li Lin and Ye Shi Yun realize: they were Zhao Yu’s concubines—they were expected to help him change clothes.

Only then did Li Lin and Ye Shi Yun chase after Zhao Yu and Zhang Chun.

When Zhao Yu removed his garments, the three women were stunned: his physique was extraordinary—he had eight-pack abs and a defined V-line.

Ye Shi Yun drooled openly: ‘This brat’s got abs that could double as a washboard. I wonder how they’d feel to touch?’

Unlike Ye Shi Yun, who openly stared, Zhang Chun was too shy to look directly—but couldn’t help stealing glances. Afterward, her face burned crimson.

Li Lin, however, asked skeptically: “Has Your Majesty practiced body-sculpting arts?”

“What are body-sculpting arts?” Zhao Yu immediately denied: “I have only trained in Daoist health cultivation with Zhang Hu and others.”

‘Can Daoist health practices really build muscle?’ Li Lin wondered.

Li Lin and Ye Shi Yun didn’t know who Zhang Hu was and felt nothing about him; Zhang Chun, however, realized Zhao Yu meant Zhang Xubai. She thought: ‘Has Zhao Yu absorbed Zhao Ji’s health retinue? Then he probably won’t die young—meaning my dream of becoming Empress Dowager may be unattainable?’

Though her Empress Dowager dream seemed shattered, Zhang Chun felt little sorrow—only mild regret.

Zhang Chun reconsidered: ‘I could still be Deng Sui—the Empress of Civil and Military Excellence.’

Soon, Zhao Yu changed clothes and asked the three women: “Do any of you wish to change as well?”

Li Lin, naturally carefree, wanted to say no—but Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun spoke in unison: “Thank Your Majesty,” then pulled her left and right toward the exit.

Outside, Li Lin still resisted: “You two go change. I don’t need to—I came today solely to instruct Zhao Yu, just to demonstrate the movements. No need to change clothes.”

Zhang Chun gave Li Lin a withering look: “You’re truly oblivious. Don’t you realize you just made a fool of yourself?”

“Made a fool?” Li Lin frowned. “What did I do?”

Ye Shi Yun glanced at Zhang Chun: “Do you think Li Jie did that on purpose?”

“Hard to say—I strongly suspect she did,” Zhang Chun replied.

‘???’

Li Lin was utterly confused: “What are you two talking about?”

Seeing Li Lin still didn’t get it, Ye Shi Yun prompted: “What were you wearing?”

Li Lin looked at herself: “Same as usual—nothing different?”

Zhang Chun added: “Below.”

Li Lin examined her long skirt—left, right—nothing seemed amiss.

Ye Shi Yun had no patience left for this oblivious woman. She rubbed her temples: “Inside.”

“Inside? Nothing’s wrong…”

Then Li Lin realized: she had worn trousers—but crotchless ones—and she had just performed handstands in front of Zhao Yu.

Even Li Lin, normally so carefree, felt her face flush crimson instantly!

Zhang Chun teased: “Now you’re shy? Where was this modesty during your Thomas flair?” “No wonder we dragged you out.”

Ye Shi Yun asked Zhang Chun: “Do you think Zhao Yu just now thought Li Jie was seducing him? Will he summon her tonight for night service?”

Zhang Chun deliberately frightened Li Lin:

“Of course he thinks that.”

“As we know, in this harem, women compete for favor in every way. Some use their beauty, dancing gracefully under moonlight to catch Zhao Yu’s eye. Some use their talent, displaying mastery in poetry, music, calligraphy, and painting to spark spiritual resonance. Others read his moods, offering gentle care and perfect compliance to give him warmth after weary governance.”

“But all that is child’s play—how can it compare to Li Jie’s Thomas flair?”

“I guarantee: tonight, Zhao Yu will belong to Li Jie.”

“All our clever schemes can’t beat Li Jie’s Thomas flair.”

Heaven and earth bore witness: Li Lin sought Zhao Yu only to gain command over troops—not to sleep with him. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have visited only by day, nor chosen the roles of “Prisoner Fitness” and “Yoga” instructor—positions ensuring long-term contact without physical intimacy.

Yet now, she had unintentionally sabotaged herself.

Scared by Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun’s warnings, Li Lin became hyper-cautious during the rest of the training, terrified of further misinterpretation.

Unlike Li Lin, who had no intention of advancing with Zhao Yu, Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun endured the exhausting, sweaty “Prisoner Fitness” and “Yoga” sessions solely to wait until nightfall—when Zhao Yu might choose one of them for night service.

Yet just as Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun collapsed from exhaustion by afternoon, a messenger arrived: “The Empress Dowager requests Your Majesty join her for a meal.”

Zhao Yu guessed the Empress Dowager had heard rumors and wished to speak with him.

He had to go—otherwise, if a Cixi-and-Guangxu incident occurred, he’d be doomed.

Telling the three women, “You three continue—I’ll go first,” Zhao Yu left, leaving Li Lin sighing in relief, and Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun stunned.

‘What the hell? I gave you advice, trained with you, and just when you’re about to sleep with someone—you walk away? Is this how you treat people? Can we even still be friends?!’

……

(Chapter ends)