Chapter 86

…

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

To ensure she would be well-rested the next day, Ye Shi Yun went to bed early, while Zhang Chun kept watch over her all 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 told them to sleep," Zhang Chun said calmly. "Your maids are truly excellent—especially Yuan Nu. She's young, sharp-witted, 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 even pause to think: "Get lost. I've known for a while you're after my Yuan Nu. I warn you—if you want to keep our alliance intact, 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 best 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 was too deep to mend overnight—it would take time.

As for Zhao Yuannu, she could wait too. After all, Ye Shi Yun didn't know Yuan Nu was a courtesan on par with Li Shishi. As long as she got the chance, she'd still pry Yuan Nu 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 backtracked: "Yuan Nu is my personal steward and chief strategist. Every major or 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 as dark as ink, perfectly accentuating Ye Shi Yun's long, fair neck; its smooth lines hugged her figure, highlighting her slender waist and graceful curves. Delicate plum blossom embroidery adorned the garment, 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 distinctly modern cut to match the qipao, fully arming her.

Once both were satisfied, Ye Shi Yun put on her regular outer garments and draped a cloak over them, concealing her radically different hairstyle.

At that point, Ye Shi Yun asked 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 looking like this—as your prop 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 there, practicing "Prisoner's Fitness" and "Yoga" with Li Lin.

What Ye Shi Yun hadn't expected was that Li Lin had also dressed in modern clothing.

But Li Lin's outfit wasn't a qipao—it was a loose combat suit, tightly concealing her excellent 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 was terrified 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 causing him to misunderstand and summon her for night service—she gripped his shoulders and pressed him down.

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 it clearly—when the stretch widened, Li Lin's chest nearly slammed into Zhao Yu's head.

Ye Shi Yun thought: "If you keep training 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 grimaced: "You… go ahead."

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's front.

Ye Shi Yun's steps were light, each one exuding endless allure and elegance, sharply contrasting the rustic surroundings.

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

The qipao's cut flawlessly outlined her graceful figure, making every movement radiate irresistible charm; the high collar and plum blossoms added classical grace, drawing admiration effortlessly.

Worse still, Ye Shi Yun laid 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, half-hidden upper thighs. Her waist was supple as willow branches swaying in spring wind—each stretch seemed to carry a seductive spell.

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

To be honest, Li Lin felt sympathy for Zhao Yu—even pity for the decadent emperors of history.

Think about it: daily, countless women try every trick in the book to seduce them. Unless he wasn't a normal man, he'd inevitably fall into these enchantresses' hands.

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

First, they had more tricks.

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

Take Ye Shi Yun now—let alone Zhao Yu, even Li Lin, a woman, felt her heart race from being teased.

Li Lin thought: 'Zhao Yu is definitely going to fall into that temptress Ye's hands.'

Li Lin had this suspicion not only because Ye Shi Yun was so powerful now, but because she'd accidentally seen Zhao Yu's rising admiration for her.

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

Zhao Yu's sudden touch sent a jolt through Li Lin; she immediately pulled her hand back.

Only after withdrawing her right hand did she realize: Zhao Yu was telling her to stop.

She quickly pulled back her left hand too.

She thought: 'Is he going to punish Shi Yun?'

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

After releasing Zhao Yu, he stood up and stretched his body.

Just as Ye Shi Yun eagerly awaited Zhao Yu rushing toward her, he casually said: "You two practice. I have matters to attend to," then rose and left, showing not the slightest hesitation.

"Wait, how can you just walk off? 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 slowly.

Ye Shi Yun thought it made sense—Zhao Yu every night had women serve him in bed, and never the same woman twice; crucially, he had already gotten several women pregnant, one of whom was even one of theirs—there was no doubt he was a real man.

"Then why am I completely immune to his charm?" Ye Shi Yun puzzled endlessly: "Could it be that after my transmigration, my charm has diminished? Or is it because he has too many women, and I seem too ordinary to him? Or perhaps I haven't shown myself thoroughly enough?"

Seeing Ye Shi Yun begin to doubt herself, Li Lin wanted to tell her, "You're almost there—just a little more. Maybe when you just placed your hands on his shoulders and did those motions, he pushed you away. What you lack isn't strength, just a bit of luck."

Li Lin also considered another possibility: Zhao Yu had seen through Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun's intentions, and disliked how they clearly wanted to be taken by him yet always tried to take the initiative—he was deliberately holding back.

"Perhaps you'll only succeed when you've fully surrendered—body and soul—before he grants you what you desire."

Thinking of this possibility, Li Lin felt a pang of pity for Ye Shi Yun—and for Zhang Chun, who always sought to be first. "Maybe you'll even put me behind you."

With this thought, Li Lin's heart tightened. "No way?! After Xiao Jiao, will I be the next one Zhao Yu takes?"

Li Lin first thought it impossible—she had never entertained the idea of sleeping with Zhao Yu, and had deliberately kept a distance from him, wary of him developing any interest in her. 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, and Zhao Yu was truly training Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun—like taming a hawk—breaking their pride, shattering their confidence, until they willingly, even gladly, became his servants, then Zhang Chun and Ye Shi Yun wouldn't bed him anytime soon.

As for Yuan Qing Cheng, who had always avoided Zhao Yu to keep from being taken by him, she devoted herself entirely to her massive agricultural research base, striving to cultivate advanced grains, fruits, and vegetables. Unless Zhao Yu sought her out, she would never come to him on her own.

Counting them all up, wasn't it just her—unable to run, too afraid to hide—that remained?

…

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 with them—to see whether they would claim him first, or whether he would break them into defeated dogs.

For this trivial little game with no real significance, Zhao Yu had just suppressed the urge to execute Ye Shi Yun and Li Lin on the spot, and instead directed that fire toward the two maidservants who had helped him change clothes.

By the time Zhao Yu stepped out, dressed and ready, the procession to Yao Hua Palace was already prepared.

Zhao Yu said nothing, but followed his agreement with Empress Dowager Xiang—he went personally to fetch Meng Xiang back to the palace.

Though Meng Xiang was Zhao Yu's widowed sister-in-law and once Empress, her status was not insignificant, Zhao Xu was dead, and Meng Xiang had been deposed and abandoned by Zhao Xu. Without Zhao Yu and Empress Dowager Xiang's help, she would forever remain only "Huayang Sect Leader," "Jade Pure Serene Immortal Master," a common Daoist Priest with the dharma name "Chong Zhen."

So when she learned that this new Emperor was coming to fetch her back to court, Meng Xiang had long since ordered her belongings packed and personally led her attendants to the gate to receive him.

There, before the gates of Yao Hua Palace, twenty-six-year-old Meng Xiang stood quietly, clad in a plain Daoist robe. The robe, cut from soft plain silk, shimmered with a gentle luster under the sunlight; its collar and cuffs were edged with narrow black trim, enhancing her cold elegance and dignity.

Her figure was slender; the wide sleeves of her robe swayed gently in the breeze like drifting clouds and mist. Her long black hair was loosely tied, held by a simple wooden hairpin, a few strands falling beside her Bai Xi face, lending her an air of delicate charm.

Her face was slightly thin, her brows like distant ink washes, her eyes holding a calm resilience forged through hardship. Her lips were slightly pursed, carrying a faint, barely noticeable sadness. Though the plain robe concealed her former splendor, it could not hide her innate nobility. In this cold temple, she was like an orchid blooming in a lonely valley—isolated from the world, yet still radiating a moving grace despite her plight.

Sitting on the Xiao Yao Palanquin, Zhao Yu saw this woman—whose fate in history had been twisted and legendary—from afar.

To be honest, upon seeing Meng Xiang's face, Zhao Yu was deeply confused.

Though Meng Xiang was not as beautiful as Liu Qingjing, combined with her dignified elegance, she certainly shouldn't have lost much to Liu Qingjing—the big-chested, brainless, utterly naive sweetie.

Add in inner beauty.

Wasn't Meng Xiang far superior to Liu Qingjing?

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

With this question in mind, Zhao Yu stepped down from the Xiao Yao Palanquin and approached the kneeling Meng Xiang…

…

(End of Chapter)