I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 112 Li Qingzhao's Adventures
...

Li Shishi wanted to tell Zhao Ya that there was not only Zhang Chun in the room, but also Li Qingzhao.

Who would have thought that before Li Shishi could remind him, Zhao Ya put his finger to his mouth, signaling Li Shishi not to make a sound.

How could Li Shishi dare to spoil Zhao Ya's mood? She could only watch Zhao Ya sneak into Zhang Chun's room.

Silent all night.

Early the next morning, Zhao Ya got up and was served by Zhang Chun, a new wife, Li Qingzhao, who Zhao Ya mistook for Zhang Chun's maid or one of his concubines whom he had never met, and Li Shishi and other maids. He had breakfast with Zhang Chun and then went to court.

Zhang Chun, beaming with joy, watched Zhao Ya leave and thought, "If you had recognized the wrong person last night, that would have been a lot of fun."

But Zhang Chun thought again: "I am so special, and you are so familiar with me. Even though it is dark, you should be able to find me at a glance. After all, my figure is so different from Li Qingzhao's."

Then, Zhang Chun smiled with relief, "Finally, there are no more mistakes. I have become a real woman. I can finally start the next stage of my life!"

Only then did Zhang Chun look at Li Qingzhao, who still didn't dare to look up at people.

Zhang Chun could understand this. If it were her, a young girl who had listened to or even peeked at such a thing all night, she would definitely want to find a hole to crawl into.

Zhang Chun came to Li Qingzhao and comforted her:

"The emperor doesn't know who you are, otherwise he would never embarrass you like this."

"You also know that all the women in the harem belong to the emperor. He probably treated you as Shiyun or a concubine, which is why he did this."

"You don't have to worry about it. A blessing in disguise."

In fact, it would be a lie to say that Zhang Chun had no chance to send Li Qingzhao away.

At that time, if Zhang Chun had said a word, she could have asked Li Qingzhao to leave and replaced her with Li Shishi or another maid.

But Zhang Chun had already guessed the purpose of Li Qingzhao and other women entering the palace.

Zhang Chun won the first place in the cultural knowledge section of the imperial examination with Li Qingzhao's "A Cut Plum", which enabled her to marry Zhao Ya.

Therefore, Zhang Chun, who felt that he owed Li Qingzhao a favor, deliberately kept Li Qingzhao and let Li Qingzhao have some close contact with Zhao Ya so that Zhao Ya would have some impression of Li Qingzhao and it would be easier for Li Qingzhao to achieve her goal.

Otherwise, with Li Qingzhao's relatively ordinary appearance in the harem, it would not be easy for her to catch Zhao Ya's eye.

In other words, Zhang Chun has good intentions.

Haven’t you seen that all the maids were eventually taken into the male owner’s room?

Li Qingzhao was so sad about this that she felt like crying but had no tears.

She really didn't come here for this! She just came to have fun and never thought about becoming Zhao Ya's concubine.

How could such an embarrassing thing happen?
What made Li Qingzhao speechless was that this was not really planned by anyone.

Otherwise, Zhao Ya would not have just patted her butt and asked her to get up and pour him a cup of tea when she was pretending to be asleep. Instead, he should have done it with her at the same time. Would she dare to resist?

"I left as soon as I could yesterday, but the problem is, when I woke up, they were... How could I leave?"

"Drinking has ruined things. If I hadn't been drunk, it wouldn't have taken me so long to wake up."

"Now I can only hope that no one knows about this..."

However, the more people worry about something, the more likely it is to happen.

Early in the morning, Li Lin came to congratulate Zhang Chun for finally getting what he wanted.

As they chatted, they talked about what happened last night.

After listening to this, Li Lin smiled and asked Li Qingzhao, "Why don't you speak frankly to the emperor?"

Li Qingzhao wanted to stab Zhang Chun, the big mouth, and Li Lin, who was always making sarcastic remarks. How could she speak in such an occasion? Moreover, Zhao Ya was the emperor. He only asked her to pour a glass of water and wait on him for a while. How could she not go?

After a while, Yuan Qingcheng also came.

Zhang Chun told this matter to Yuan Qingcheng again.

Yuan Qingcheng understood Li Qingzhao quite well. She complained to Zhang Chun: "Why didn't you teach Miss Li to stay away earlier?"

Zhang Chun said confidently, "How could I have known the emperor would come snooping in? Besides, I was drunk and soundly asleep at the time, so how could I have remembered she was sleeping beside me? By the time I remembered her, it was too late, and she was pretending to be asleep. If it were you, would you have woken her up?"

Yuan Qingcheng was speechless.

indeed!

If it were her, she would probably make the same choice as Zhang Chun.

Yuan Qingcheng comforted Li Qingzhao and said, "It may not be a bad thing for you."

——Even Yuan Qingcheng could see what the ministers wanted to do by sending a bunch of beautiful and talented women to participate in the imperial examination in the palace, which was originally only attended by Zhao Yama's concubines and palace maids.

At this moment, Li Qingzhao felt as if she was working as a cook in an artillery company, provided she knew the joke.

What made Li Qingzhao even more upset was that she couldn't explain it. Was she supposed to discuss such things with married women like Zhang Chun, Li Lin, and Yuan Qingcheng?

There was no way out. Li Qingzhao could only let the yellow mud fall down her crotch. Whether it was shit or not, it was shit.

Finally, Li Qingzhao composed a poem in her heart: "Linjiangxian: Feelings of Peeping at Shadows and Pretending to Sleep in the Forbidden City"

Deep within the forbidden garden, the shadows of flowers sway, and the candlelight at the banquet is fragrant. The king and his concubine are filled with a thousand thoughts. The sound of the jade flute is melodious, and silk sleeves dance in the spring breeze.

I sleep on the bed, my heart aching, my mind filled with endless thoughts. I wait for a small letter to express my feelings. My childhood sweetheart should have made an appointment, the bright moon shines in the east and west.

……

Soon, Zhang Chun and Li Qingzhao went to take the court etiquette examination accompanied by Li Lin and Yuan Qingcheng.

Zhang Chun, who is already well versed in history and has received special training, performed quite well and should have no problem ranking among the top three in this subject.

Li Qingzhao was far behind. She only knew some basic etiquette, and knew very little about the true royal etiquette. This was mainly because she had no use for these etiquette.

After the exam, based on the embarrassing incident that happened last night, Li Qingzhao didn't want to hang out with Zhang Chun and the others anymore.

Unexpectedly, Ma Xiaojiao sent Xiduo to find her and said she wanted to take Li Qingzhao to see her invention.

While having dinner yesterday, Ma Xiaojiao told Li Qingzhao that she had invented a hot air balloon that could fly into the sky, a clockwork puppet that could move on its own, and a host of other interesting things.

Li Qingzhao expressed doubts about this.

But Ma Xiaojiao swore that if she lied to Li Qingzhao, she would be a dog. Li Qingzhao felt that Ma Xiaojiao was not the kind of person who would brag, but her words were too far-fetched. So, under the influence of alcohol, she said that if she had not seen it with her own eyes, she would definitely not believe it.

So, Ma Xiaojiao made an appointment with Li Qingzhao to let Li Qingzhao broaden her horizons today.

Now, Ma Xiaojiao kept her promise and invited Li Qingzhao to go and see what was going on.

Li Qingzhao couldn't refuse to go, and she really wanted to see whether Ma Xiaojiao could make her fly to the sky.
In the end, Li Qingzhao couldn't resist her curiosity and went to Ma Xiaojiao with Zhang Chun and others.

It is worth mentioning that Ma Xiaojiao’s research institute has moved from Qincan Palace to the industrial research base in Genyue Wansui Mountain.

——The Guanjia Hall and the Qincan Palace are now just Yuan Qingcheng and Ma Xiaojiao’s “offices” in the imperial palace, where they process and store some research materials, drawings and the like.

As soon as she arrived at Ma Xiaojiao's industrial research base, Li Qingzhao was shocked.

Then I saw a huge "Kongming lantern" (actually a hot air balloon) slowly rising into the sky, with a large bamboo basket hanging underneath, and there seemed to be a person in the basket.

The man was very excited and was waving his hands desperately at the people below, shouting: "I'm flying!", "I'm flying!!", "Look, I'm really flying!!!"

Li Qingzhao was dumbfounded, her disbelief instantly shattered by the spectacle before her. She stared at the rising hot air balloon in disbelief, muttering, "How could such a marvel of art exist in this world?"

Ma Xiaojiao, with her big belly, walked over slowly, supported by two maids. A smug smile hung on the corner of her mouth, as if to say, "See, I didn't lie to you, did I?"

After a pause, Li Qingzhao, still in disbelief, looked at Ma Xiaojiao and said, "Can you teach me how to try?"

Ma Xiaojiao readily agreed: "Why not?"

Yuan Qingcheng, who was standing by, reminded Li Qingzhao, "You'd better be careful. Jiaojiao's hot air balloon has just been developed, so it must be unstable. Don't get hurt."

Ma Xiaojiao was quite confident in her hot air balloon. She said, "It has three safety locks and it's not flying far, so there will be no danger."

After hearing what Ma Xiaojiao said, Li Qingzhao insisted: "If that happens, I'm willing to give it a try."

At this time, Li Lin said: "I'll accompany you."

Soon, under Ma Xiaojiao's arrangement, Li Lin, who had specially taken a telescope, and Li Qingzhao flew into the air on a hot air balloon.

The nearby imperial palace unfolded beneath their feet like an exquisite scroll. Its red walls and golden tiles, shimmering in the afterglow of the setting sun, evoked the majesty and solemnity of the imperial family.

Li Qingzhao was on top of a hot air balloon, overlooking the magnificent imperial city, feeling unprecedented shock and emotion in her heart.

Li Lin gave the telescope to Li Qingzhao and taught her how to focus.

This time, Li Qingzhao was even more shocked.

In an instant, every corner of the palace was in sight.

Li Qingzhao even saw the examination room for court etiquette and Zhang Nan performing the ceremony of paying homage.

Li Qingzhao looked outside the palace again and saw the bustling streets with heavy traffic and noisy crowds, like a living painting, every detail clearly visible under the magnification of a telescope.

Putting down the telescope, Li Qingzhao turned her gaze to the distance. The endless mountains, rivers and streams looked even more magnificent under the reflection of the setting sun.

Li Qingzhao was a little dazed, and she wrote:

Riding straight up on the ball, I gazed upon the inner and outer reaches of the imperial capital, where a network of bustling thoroughfares stretched like a web. The carriages resembled wandering dragons, and the people seemed like ants, all signs of prosperity. Green curtains and red buildings, carved saddles and fine horses, bustling with activity from north to south. The Imperial River rippled, and the painted boats swayed recognizable.

I recall the joys of the past, vaguely remembering laughter and chatter on the swings. Today, from a high vantage point, I gaze across the vast expanse of Kyoto, taking in the bustling sights of the capital. The Bian River flows eastward, Rainbow Bridge spans, and the sounds of the market still echo. These beautiful scenes, captured in this scroll, will remain in my heart forever.

The hot air balloon slowly descended and finally landed steadily on the ground.

Zhang Chun, Ma Xiaojiao, Yuan Qingcheng and others had been waiting here for a long time. Seeing the two return safely, they greeted them with a smile.

"How?" Ma Xiaojiao asked.

Li Qingzhao bowed with sincere admiration and said, "Princess Ma is truly a deity."

Afterwards, Ma Xiaojiao led everyone into her industrial research base.

Ma Xiaojiao first found two small toys for Li Qingzhao.

One is a clockwork-driven frog.

It is the kind of tin frog that was very common in the previous life.

In her previous life, Li Qingzhao had a lot of fun playing with things that older children would not want to play with.

The second one is kaleidoscope.

This is a small toy made by Ma Xiaojiao using a cardboard tube, lenses, and colored shredded paper. By rotating the tube and utilizing the reflection principle of the lenses, the shredded paper creates a variety of colorful and ever-changing patterns, bringing visual surprises and fun.

After Li Qingzhao got it, she couldn't put it down and kept looking at it as if it were a treasure.

Zhang Chun interrupted and said, "No, Jiaojiao, are you just going to let us see this?"

Ma Xiaojiao said: "This is a gift for her. There's something to see inside."

Next, Ma Xiaojiao showed Zhang Chun and the others a variety of agricultural tools she had developed. These included an improved curved-beam plow, which was lighter and more mechanically compliant, adapting to varying soil conditions and reducing both human and animal power consumption. A harrow cart, which could simultaneously dig furrows, sow seeds, and cover the soil, saving labor and improving sowing efficiency, was particularly suitable for crops like wheat and millet. And finally, the wooden ox and tillage rack, invented to address the shortage of animal power. (The wooden ox is a human-powered tillage tool, shaped like an ox, that is propelled by a person to move the plowshare. The tillage rack, on the other hand, uses levers and ropes, operated by one person, to pull the plow, saving labor.)
Unexpectedly, after seeing these things, the girls no longer felt amazed. Even Li Qingzhao felt that Ma Xiaojiao's inventions were far less interesting than hot air balloons, clockwork frogs, and kaleidoscopes.

Next, the girls continued to watch and found that what Ma Xiaojiao had developed were either farm tools or working tools. Some of them were simply ordinary-looking gadgets like planes and files.

Later, even if Ma Xiaojiao took out the military merit shovel, it couldn't make Li Qingzhao as excited as before.

Ma Xiaojiao was also helpless about this. Zhao Ya only encouraged her to invent these things, so what else could she do?
After playing with Ma Xiaojiao for a while, the girls returned to the palace.

This time, no matter what Zhang Chun said, Li Qingzhao refused to live with her.

Ye Shiyun came later and invited Li Qingzhao to live with her, but Li Qingzhao refused to go.

What a joke! Li Qingzhao didn’t want to go through something as embarrassing as last night again.

Seeing that Li Qingzhao was so determined, the five daughters of Zhang Chun did not try to keep her, but sent someone to send Li Qingzhao back to her temporary residence in the harem.

In the next few days, during the day, Li Qingzhao would either take a class or hang out with the five girls, and at night she would obediently return to her temporary residence and dared not stay overnight outside.

That way, no more accidents will happen.

On the fifth day, after evaluating the rankings, Zheng Xiansu gathered together all the women recommended by the prime ministers to participate in the imperial examinations and discussed with them whether to stay or leave.

Li Qingzhao is also among them...

……

(End of this chapter)