Chapter 86: Widow Sister-in-Law

…

After forming a defensive alliance, Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun hired several skilled palace maids to sew a qipao for Ye Shi Yun overnight.

To ensure she was well-rested the next day, Ye Shi Yun went to bed early, while Zhang Chun kept watch over her the entire night.

The next day, after waking up, Ye Shi Yun saw Zhang Chun, with dark circles under her eyes, checking whether the qipao fit properly.

To be honest, Ye Shi Yun was genuinely moved by Zhang Chun’s effort; she feigned indifference and said, “You’re helping me so much, it makes me feel guilty.”

Ye Shi Yun looked around: “Where are Yuan Nu and the others?”

“I sent them to sleep,” Zhang Chun said calmly. “Your maids are truly excellent—especially Yuan Nu. Though young, she’s sharp and dexterous. Last night, we’d never have finished your battle robe without her. If you really want to thank me, give her to me. What do you say?”

Ye Shi Yun didn’t hesitate: “Get lost. I’ve known for a while you’re after Yuan Nu. I warn you—if you want our alliance to hold, don’t even think about taking her. She’s my lifeline in this hellhole, far more useful and reliable than you.”

Zhang Chun hadn’t expected Ye Shi Yun to value Zhao Yuannu so highly, nor that, in Ye Shi Yun’s eyes, Zhao Yuannu was more important and dependable than her own close friend.

‘Ungrateful wretch—I stayed up all night sewing your battle robe!’

Though annoyed, Zhang Chun knew that earlier, to win Zhao Yu, she and Ye Shi Yun had undermined each other, and the rift wasn’t something that could be mended overnight—it would take time.

As for Zhao Yuannu, she could wait too. After all, Ye Shi Yun didn’t know Zhao Yuannu was a courtesan on par with Li Shishi. As long as she got the chance, Zhang Chun could still pry Zhao Yuannu away from Ye Shi Yun.

On the other side, Ye Shi Yun realized she’d spoken harshly to Zhang Chun, who’d stayed up all night helping her, so she softened her tone: “Yuan Nu is my personal steward and chief strategist. Every major and minor matter here depends on her. You know I’m lazy—if I didn’t have someone so capable handling everything inside and out, my household would be a complete mess. So I can’t give her to you.”

With the lifeline Ye Shi Yun offered, Zhang Chun gladly took it: “I was just joking—you took it seriously? I already have Shishi. Why would I need a common maid?”

Then Zhang Chun changed tone: “Come, try on your battle robe—does it fit?”

Hearing this, Ye Shi Yun immediately went to change.

Soon, Ye Shi Yun stepped out wearing a short qipao.

The qipao featured a high collar, dark as ink, perfectly accentuating her long, pale neck; its sleek lines hugged her figure, highlighting her slender waist and graceful curves. Delicate plum blossom embroidery adorned the fabric, stitched with exquisite precision, each petal seeming to hold boundless poetic charm.

Ye Shi Yun asked Zhang Chun: “How does it look?”

Zhang Chun praised without restraint: “The colors are soft, the cut exquisite. You look both alluring and elegant in it—Zhao Yu won’t be able to resist this time.”

Then Zhang Chun styled Ye Shi Yun’s hair in a modern cut to match the qipao, fully equipping her.

Once both were satisfied, Ye Shi Yun put on her usual outer garments and draped a cloak over herself to conceal her radically different hairstyle.

Only then did Ye Shi Yun ask Zhang Chun: “Why aren’t you changing clothes?”

Zhang Chun pointed to her dark circles: “Do you want me to appear beside you before Zhao Yu as your shadow or your stepping stone? I’ve helped you this much—don’t ruin me. If Zhao Yu remembers me looking like this, will he ever want me?”

Ye Shi Yun realized it made sense, so she left Zhang Chun behind and went alone to the training ground.

Ye Shi Yun was right—Zhao Yu was indeed practicing “Prisoner’s Fitness” and “Yoga” with Li Lin.

What surprised Ye Shi Yun was that Li Lin had also donned modern clothing.

But Li Lin’s outfit wasn’t a qipao—it was a loose combat suit, tightly concealing her figure.

When Ye Shi Yun arrived, Li Lin was helping Zhao Yu stretch his legs. She said: “Your Majesty, endure it. Stretch your tendons an inch, and you’ll extend your life by ten years. Once opened, the pain will vanish.”

Clearly, Li Lin genuinely wanted to teach Zhao Yu well—or rather, she feared he’d quit due to pain or lack of visible results, cutting off her only means of regular contact with him, forcing her to rely on selling her body like Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun to stay by his side.

So when Zhao Yu struggled with the technique, Li Lin ignored the risk of physical contact triggering his misunderstanding and leading to her being summoned for night service. She gripped his shoulders and pressed down to help him.

Because Zhao Yu’s body was too stiff, Li Lin unconsciously used her own body weight to press him further.

Li Lin didn’t notice, but Ye Shi Yun saw clearly—when the stretch widened, Li Lin’s chest nearly collided with Zhao Yu’s head.

Ye Shi Yun thought: “If you keep practicing like this, you’ll eventually spark something.”

Suppressing the thought, Ye Shi Yun said to Zhao Yu: “Your Majesty, may I also practice for a while?”

Zhao Yu winced: “You… do as you please.”

Hearing this, Ye Shi Yun gracefully removed her cloak, then shed her outer garments, revealing the exquisite qipao beneath, and walked gracefully toward Zhao Yu.

Her steps were light, each one exuding endless allure and elegance, sharply contrasting the ancient surroundings.

Zhao Yu’s gaze instantly locked onto Ye Shi Yun. His furrowed brows, tightened from the leg stretch, slowly relaxed, and a flicker of awe passed through his eyes.

The qipao’s cut flawlessly outlined her graceful figure, making every movement radiate seductive charm. The high collar and plum blossom embroidery added classical grace, drawing admiration effortlessly.

Worse still, Ye Shi Yun spread a small mat before Zhao Yu and began performing alluring poses.

She slowly bent forward into a downward dog pose. The hem of her qipao rose slightly, revealing her fair, toned calves and the tantalizing glimpse of her upper thighs. Her waist was supple as willow branches swaying in spring wind—each stretch seemed to carry a hypnotic allure.

Zhao Yu’s eyes followed Ye Shi Yun’s every motion; the pain of the leg stretch vanished in that instant.

Honestly, Li Lin felt sympathy for Zhao Yu. She even began to pity the decadent emperors of history.

Think about it—every day, countless women go to great lengths to seduce them. Unless they weren’t normal men, they would inevitably fall into these enchantresses’ traps.

And if those women had trained in the future, the damage would be tenfold or more.

First, their tricks were more varied.

Second, if they lost all shame, they’d be far more unrestrained than women of this era.

Take Ye Shi Yun now—whether man or woman, even Li Lin herself was stirred by her seduction.

Li Lin thought: ‘Zhao Yu is surely going to fall for Ye the enchantress.’

Li Lin had this suspicion not only because Ye Shi Yun was so powerful now, but because she’d accidentally noticed Zhao Yu’s growing respect for Ye Shi Yun.

Just as Li Lin assumed Zhao Yu would summon Ye Shi Yun for night service—or even expel her and take Ye Shi Yun on the spot—Zhao Yu gently patted her hand.

Zhao Yu’s sudden touch startled Li Lin like an electric shock; she immediately withdrew her hand.

Only after pulling her right hand back did she realize Zhao Yu was signaling her to stop.

She quickly retracted her left hand too.

She thought: ‘Is he going to take Shi Yun?’

Ye Shi Yun also believed she’d won Zhao Yu, so she pressed further, striking a more seductive one-legged downward dog pose directly before him.

After Li Lin released him, Zhao Yu stood up and stretched his body.

Just as Ye Shi Yun eagerly awaited Zhao Yu’s approach, he casually said: “You two practice. I have matters to attend to.” Then he rose and left, showing not the slightest hesitation.

“Wait, how can you just leave? Are you even a man?” Ye Shi Yun stared at Zhao Yu’s retreating back, nearly frantic.

“He’s definitely a man,” Li Lin said calmly.

Ye Shi Yun realized it was true—Zhao Yu summoned a different woman every night, and recently, several had become pregnant, one even from their own circle. He was unquestionably a real man.

“Then why am I unaffected by my own charm?” Ye Shi Yun puzzled: “Did my allure diminish after the reincarnation? Or are there too many women for him to notice me? Or did I not show enough?”

Seeing Ye Shi Yun begin doubting herself, Li Lin wanted to tell her: ‘You’re almost there—just a little more. Maybe if you’d placed your hands on his shoulders while doing those moves, he’d have pushed you away. What you lack isn’t skill, just a bit of luck.’

Li Lin also considered another possibility: Zhao Yu had seen through Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun’s schemes, disliked their desire to dominate while craving his attention, and was deliberately holding back.

‘Perhaps he’ll only grant your wishes once you’ve fully surrendered—body and soul.’

Thinking of this possibility, Li Lin felt a pang of pity for Ye Shi Yun—and for Zhang Chun, always striving to be first. ‘Maybe you’ll even come after me.’

The thought tightened her chest: ‘No way—after Xiao Jiao, will I be the next one Zhao Yu takes?’

Li Lin first dismissed it as impossible—she had no intention of being slept with, and she deliberately kept a careful distance from Zhao Yu to avoid giving him any ideas. She should be safe, certainly not ahead of Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun, who schemed daily to bed him.

But if she was right—if Zhao Yu was training Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun, like taming a hawk, crushing their pride and confidence until they willingly became his servants—then Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun wouldn’t sleep with him anytime soon.

Yuan Qing Cheng, to avoid being taken by Zhao Yu, stayed far away, fully devoted to her massive agricultural research base, cultivating advanced grains, fruits, and vegetables. Unless Zhao Yu sought her out, she’d never come to him.

Counting them all, wasn’t she the only one left—unable to flee, too afraid to hide?

…

Li Lin was right—Zhao Yu had indeed been stirred by Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun, and now wanted to play a little game: see whether they’d conquer him first, or whether he’d break them into broken dogs.

For this trivial little game, Zhao Yu had just suppressed the urge to take Ye Shi Yun and Li Lin on the spot, redirecting the fire toward the two maids who helped him change clothes.

When Zhao Yu emerged dressed, the procession to Yaohua Palace was ready.

Without delay, Zhao Yu followed his agreement with Empress Dowager Xiang and personally went to fetch Minister Meng back to the palace.

Though Minister Meng was Zhao Yu’s widowed sister-in-law and once an empress, Zhao Xu was dead. She’d been deposed and abandoned by Zhao Xu. Without Zhao Yu and Empress Dowager Xiang’s aid, she’d remain forever “Huayang Jiaozhu” and “Yuqing Miaojing Xianshi,” a plain Daoist nun named “Chongzhen.”

So when she learned the new emperor was coming to fetch her back, Minister Meng had long prepared her belongings and personally led her attendants to the gate to receive him.

Before Yaohua Palace’s gate stood twenty-six-year-old Minister Meng, clad in a plain Daoist robe. The robe, made of soft white silk, shimmered gently in daylight; narrow black trim along collar and sleeves accentuated her cold elegance.

Her figure was slender; the robe’s wide sleeves fluttered like drifting clouds in the breeze. Her black hair was loosely pinned, held by a simple wooden hairpin, a few strands falling beside her pale cheeks, adding a touch of poignant grace.

Her face was slightly thin, her brows like distant mountains, her eyes holding the calm resilience of one who’d weathered storms. Her lips were slightly pressed, betraying a faint melancholy. Though the plain robe concealed her former splendor, it couldn’t hide her innate nobility—here, in this cold temple, she was like a wild orchid in a deep valley, isolated yet radiating moving dignity.

From his imperial palanquin, Zhao Yu saw from afar the woman whose fate in history had been twisted yet legendary.

Honestly, seeing Minister Meng’s face, Zhao Yu was deeply puzzled.

Though Minister Meng wasn’t as beautiful as Liu Qingjing, combined with her dignified elegance, she couldn’t possibly be inferior to Liu Qingjing’s big-breasted, brainless, naive sweetness.

And when considering inner virtue:

Wasn’t Minister Meng far superior to Liu Qingjing?

Then why did Zhao Xu dislike Minister Meng so much, yet adore Liu Qingjing? Was it simply because Minister Meng was chosen for him by Gao Taotao?

With these thoughts, Zhao Yu descended from his imperial palanquin and approached the kneeling Minister Meng…

…

(End of Chapter)