Chapter 98: The Emperor Must Ensure His Concubine Bears a Son

…

Zhang Chun hated it so much her teeth itched!!!

Did she not want to serve the bed?

She most desperately wanted to serve the bed, okay?!?!

Heaven knows how hard she worked just to earn the chance to serve the bed!!!

Unfortunately, fate toyed with her, and Zheng Xiansu stood like a blocking tiger, causing every single one of her opportunities to serve the bed to vanish into thin air.

And because she hadn't conceived, she couldn't even stand out anymore—dig deeper, and she was actually doing worse than Shen Fuling and Ma Shi, these two native palace maids. Though they too were only Cairen, like Zhang Chun, they carried the capital for promotion within their wombs; as long as they successfully gave birth to their children, their rank would surely leave Zhang Chun far behind.

And even this was only because Zheng Xiansu didn't know the truth about Zhang Chun's attempts to serve the bed; otherwise, Zhang Chun wouldn't even have made it as Cairen—she'd be reduced to the lowest rank of imperial consorts, like Ye Shi Yun and Yuan Qing Cheng, mere Guofuren.

This was too humiliating. Zhang Chun now couldn't even bring herself to say she was a transmigrator, let alone boast she was a transmigrator who mastered history and understood politics.

In Zhang Chun's view, at the root of it all, it was all her fault for failing to seize the chance to serve the bed.

'If I hadn't lost the position of teaching palace maid to Xiao Jiao, maybe by now I'd already be Empress—then I wouldn't have to survive in the cracks of the framework Zheng Xiansu built, and at the very least, I wouldn't be falling so far behind others!'

Without exaggeration, her past failure to serve the bed had become an unspeakable pain in Zhang Chun's heart.

But this bastard Zhao Yu not only didn't comfort her or pity her—he tore open her wounds and joked with her about this very thing!

At this very moment, when Zheng Xiansu is looking for someone to make an example of, could she be foolish enough to fall into Zheng Xiansu's hands and give her the chance to kill her as a chicken to scare the monkeys?

'Do you want to kill me?'

'Men are all big pork trotters!'

At this moment, the more Zhang Chun looked at Zhao Yu, the angrier she became—she wanted to bite off a chunk of his flesh!

'If you only favored me, only loved me, and did whatever I said, would I be this heartbroken?'

'Now I might even have to live like a Buddhist ascetic—all because of you!'

'Yet you don't even realize this is all your fault—you're making sarcastic remarks! Do you have any conscience?!'

'I was truly blind to fall for a piece of trash like you!'

Zhang Chun couldn't hold back—she bit down hard on Zhao Yu's shoulder.

Yet Zhang Chun's greatest problem, and perhaps also her greatest strength, was that she was too rational.

The instant her teeth sank into Zhao Yu's shoulder, she realized: Zhao Yu was Emperor; tonight he would sleep with Zheng Xiansu; if she truly injured him, even if Zhao Yu indulged her, Zheng Xiansu would use this as an opportunity to punish her.

That would not only end her political life, but might even cost her her life.

So Zhang Chun quickly closed her mouth and instead rubbed her cheek against Zhao Yu's shoulder like a kitten seeking affection, while speaking with a faintly resentful tone: 'My Lord, don't jest—this is the critical moment for you to sire your heir. Even if I am ignorant, I know what is urgent and what is not—how would I dare ruin such a vital matter? If you truly pity me, then help the Empress conceive soon—I will wait for you, faithful till this life ends.'

Zhao Yu sighed inwardly: 'To pursue great endeavors yet cling to one's life, to see small gains… well, fine. Empress Chun, you'll never amount to much in this life. Even if I give you opportunities, you won't dare confront my Empress head-on—you'll only scheme behind her back, always hesitating, never daring to strike.'

Zhao Yu gently stroked Zhang Chun's back and said: 'I am not jesting with my beloved concubine—I truly wish to reward you. You've accomplished much lately; if I never reward you, wouldn't I appear unjust?'

Zhang Chun firmly refused the trap: 'I do anything for My Lord willingly—I ask for no reward.'

Seeing Zhang Chun was determined not to provoke Zheng Xiansu, Zhao Yu stopped teasing her and began toying with her while pondering how to govern the Zhao Song dynasty.

Not long after, Zhang Chun still couldn't resist throwing a small obstacle at Zheng Xiansu: 'The Empress has opened the Palace Examination—I wish to take part. What does My Lord think?'

Zhao Yu knew Zhang Chun too well—he could tell what she intended just by the way she lifted her buttocks.

Zhao Yu thought: 'You want to take the Palace Examination? No—you're trying to poison my Empress's reputation, comparing her to Liu E, warning me not to become Emperor Zhenzong, lest I be sidelined.'

If Zhao Yu didn't know the history of Emperor Zhenzong and Liu E, he might actually have been fooled by Zhang Chun.

Unfortunately, Zhao Yu knew perfectly well that even in Emperor Zhenzong's final years, Liu E never fully sidelined him. Of course, at that time, Liu E had indeed gradually acquired considerable power.

But the truth was, because Emperor Zhenzong adored Liu E so deeply—and even, in his later years due to illness, voluntarily allowed her to participate in state affairs—she was able to gradually involve herself in national matters through her political talent and his trust.

Yet even at the end of Emperor Zhenzong's life, he still retained control over power.

For example, when Liu E's growing authority alarmed some ministers, Emperor Zhenzong did not fully relinquish control—he explicitly stipulated in his final edict that Liu E's regency was conditional upon Emperor Renzong being 'still a child,' meaning power must be returned once he came of age. This arrangement limited the possibility of Liu E's long-term monopoly.

Moreover, the Song dynasty's scholar-official class played a balancing role in safeguarding imperial authority; ministers like Wang Zeng and Lu Zongdao repeatedly opposed Liu E's overstepping, preventing her from emulating Wu Zetian and declaring herself emperor.

Thus, Liu E's power derived from Emperor Zhenzong's trust and delegation—not from sidelining him. In his final years, she served as a crucial regent, yet remained constrained by institutional norms and ministerial opposition, never breaking beyond her identity as Empress to fully seize imperial authority.

One could say, since Wu Zetian declared herself emperor, the path for women to become emperor had been effectively sealed shut—afterward, no Empress or Empress Dowager, no matter how powerful, could exercise authority without holding onto the Emperor.

And even then, only if their husband died early.

Zhao Yu is four years younger than Zheng Xiansu and in good health—he shouldn't die before Zheng Xiansu.

Without exaggeration, as long as Zhao Yu lives, Zheng Xiansu will always be under his suppression.

Even if Zhao Yu were to die prematurely, before Zheng Xiansu, isn't there the saying: 'After my death, let the floods come!'

Therefore, Zhang Chun's slander had no effect on Zhao Yu whatsoever.

Zhao Yu followed her lead: 'It wouldn't hurt to try. With your talent, you might even win first place.'

Then Zhao Yu added: 'If you win first place, I'll grant you ten consecutive nights of my favor—how's that?'

Zhang Chun's eyes lit up!

To be honest, although Zhao Yu's harem surely harbored hidden dragons—many with extremely high literary cultivation, like Zheng Xiansu herself, who dared to hold the Palace Examination—Zhang Chun was also a top liberal arts graduate who mastered history and understood politics, with no low literary talent. Crucially, she was a cheat with a system—when it came to poetry, lyrics, and verse, she could absolutely crush everyone else in the harem.

Put it this way: even if the greatest female poet of the age—no, the greatest female poet in all history, Li Qingzhao—were brought here to compete with her in poetry and verse, Zhang Chun had absolute confidence in victory.

What else could you do? She wasn't fighting alone—she carried the accumulated wisdom of nearly a thousand years, forged by countless generations.

Even more miraculously, no other transmigrator—Li Lin, Ye Shi Yun, Ma Xiao Jiao, or Yuan Qing Cheng—could even touch this opportunity.

Looking at it this way, the reward of ten nights of exclusive favor seemed tailor-made for Zhang Chun.

Zhang Chun immediately perked up: 'My Lord, don't trick me!'

Zhao Yu put on a stern face: 'Nonsense—royal words are not jests. Would I deceive my beloved concubine?'

Zhang Chun quickly begged forgiveness: 'Your humble concubine knows her fault.'

Zhao Yu gave her buttock a symbolic tap as punishment and said: 'Don't do it again.'

But Zhao Yu's slap didn't serve as a warning—it sent a shiver through Zhang Chun's soul.

Slightly intoxicated, Zhang Chun responded like a woman in heat: 'Yes~!'

Realizing her voice sounded strange, Zhang Chun quickly changed the subject: "Your servant has made a wager with His Majesty."

Zhao Yu intended to teach Zhang Chun a lesson, so he said: "If it's a wager, there must be winners and losers. If you win, I'll visit you for ten days straight. But if you lose, what then?"

Zhang Chun, trying to be clever, said: "If I lose, I leave myself entirely to Your Majesty's discretion—would that be acceptable?"

After speaking, Zhang Chun cast a meaning-laden glance at Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu thought to himself, 'Whether you win or lose, you still want me—how presumptuous.'

Zhao Yu rejected Zhang Chun's proposal without a moment's thought: "You want to gain my favor regardless of winning or losing—does such an easy deal exist in this world?"

Zhang Chun seethed inwardly: 'I, a virgin, let you do whatever you want, and yet you're the one who ends up benefiting? Is being Emperor so special?!'

Though inwardly furious, Zhang Chun dared only whisper meekly: "Then what does Your Majesty propose?"

Zhao Yu knew Zhang Chun was eager to come to him for advice, so he proposed: "If you don't win first place, I won't visit you for a year—how about that?"

Zhang Chun exploded: "Too much! Too much!!! Zhao Yu, you're going too far!!! You think I can't live without you?! You're vastly underestimating me! For all these years, I've never had a man—and I've managed just fine! Do you think you can threaten me? Hmph… Who do you think you are? Not sleeping with you for a lifetime? What's the big deal…"

Zhao Yu knew that as a transmigrator, as a spoiled little fairy from her past life, Zhang Chun would never yield easily.

But Zhao Yu wasn't the least bit worried.

This was Northern Song. He was a man—and the Emperor. Zhang Chun was merely his concubine, one among many, and she was already tightly bound by feudal chains—her body and soul no longer her own. Who held dominance? Who was forced to submit? It was obvious.

'I've got you figured out!'

Zhao Yu wasn't bullying Zhang Chun—he was correcting her arrogance. Otherwise, she'd dare think of becoming her own mother. If he didn't rein her in now, wouldn't she turn heaven upside down?

As for this one-year deadline?

Zhao Yu set it. He could wait a year—or not. Even if he took Zhang Chun right now, it would be perfectly fine.

'I am Emperor. I hold the final authority.'

Zhao Yu didn't rush Zhang Chun—he waited calmly as she built up her courage.

To be fair, Zhao Yu understood Zhang Chun well.

Indeed, after the initial fury passed, Zhang Chun began to reason with herself: 'Just endure it, just endure it—small patience is needed for great plans. Zhao Yu's just been spoiled by those bad women. He's not a bad child—I know my own son best. Forget it, forget it—I'm his mother; I can't act like a child toward my own son…'

Not long after, the most pragmatic Zhang Chun bargained: "Unless Your Majesty guarantees I bear a son, I won't wager. Defeating so many others—how difficult is that?"

Zhang Chun was clear-eyed: ten days of visits might be enjoyable, but wouldn't guarantee pregnancy.

Didn't Pei Sui spend dozens of nights with Zhao Yu and still remain barren?

Zhang Chun couldn't be sure she wasn't like Pei Sui—a woman with difficulty conceiving.

Moreover, she had always doubted whether she could conceive at all.

In Zhang Chun's view, Ma Xiao Jiao—with her exaggerated development—clearly had an easy time conceiving, while she herself, with her "underdeveloped" frame, might struggle.

Under these circumstances, ten days might truly be insufficient.

Thus, demanding a child outright was far safer.

Crucially, Zhang Chun had slipped in a trick: she demanded Zhao Yu guarantee her a son—daughters wouldn't count.

Zhang Chun's calculations were so blatant they seemed to bounce off Zhao Yu's face—he couldn't miss her scheme.

But Zhao Yu was perfectly willing for Zhang Chun to bear him a son.

In his view, women from the future didn't care whether the rice was cooked—but if they truly agreed to bear his child, it proved they had truly invested.

Only then, when the five of them later learned Zhao Yu was also a transmigrator, would the blow truly land. Otherwise, they might comfort themselves: 'It's just like being bitten by a dog—what's the big deal?'

That was not what Zhao Yu wanted.

Therefore, one of Zhao Yu's goals was to ensure at least one of the five women bore him a child—only then could they repay the interest they owed him.

So Zhao Yu accepted without hesitation: "Good. Agreed."

Zhang Chun was overjoyed! With Zhao Yu's promise, unless she was truly infertile—or Zhao Yu suddenly became impotent like Zhao Gou—she had effectively reserved one of his sons.

And as long as Zhang Chun bore Zhao Yu a son, she would have leverage at the table—she could play politics in Northern Song.

To be honest, Zhang Chun hadn't expected Zhao Yu to accept such a harsh condition. She couldn't help wondering: 'Is he deliberately giving me an advantage—or does he think I can't possibly win first place?'

But for now, Zhang Chun had no time to guess Zhao Yu's intentions. Seeing him agree so readily, she felt she'd asked too little, so she pushed further: "On the day of the evaluation, Your Majesty must be present…"

Zhang Chun had intended to ask him to come cheer her on—but as the words formed, she realized it would sound greedy, and might provoke Zhao Yu's resentment.

So she shifted tone: "With Your Majesty presiding, the palace examination will be fair and impartial. Otherwise, if I win first place, others may doubt favoritism and fraud."

It was no great matter. Zhao Yu was happy to join the spectacle, so he agreed.

Then Zhao Yu held Zhang Chun close, and they lingered in tender closeness for a while before she reluctantly departed.

Back home, Zhang Chun told Li Shishi: "Go find me all the study texts for the palace examination tomorrow—every last one. Don't slack off."

Li Shishi was curious: "My lady, why do you need these?"

Zhang Chun, radiant with confidence, declared: "Your lady is going to sweep the palace examination and become the first-ever female Zhuangyuan…"

…

(End of Chapter)