I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 155 Zhang Chun Pretends to Be Sick
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Zhang Chun never expected that what was originally just an ordinary gathering would turn into Li Lin, Ye Shiyun, Ma Xiaojiao, and Yuan Qingcheng "expelling" her.

Zhang Chun also knew that this was her fault; it was her own temper tantrum at Ye Shiyun that caused this incident.

However, Zhang Chun understood that this was not the main reason why the four women "dismissed" her. The reason they "dismissed" her was that they didn't want her to have any more ideas about becoming empress. They felt that she could not become empress, let alone empress dowager. They didn't want her to get herself into trouble, and most importantly, they didn't want to be implicated by her.

Li Shishi, who had been waiting outside the door with Zhao Yuannu, Cui Nianyue, Xiduo, and Xu Poxi, saw Zhang Chun being "thrown" out by Li Lin and ran over to ask, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"

Zhang Chun didn't say a word, but returned to her residence in a daze, lying alone on the bed to reflect.

Zhang Chun initially thought, not without a hint of conspiracy, that due to the drastic changes in history, her role as a history expert would become increasingly smaller, while the other four women would be the opposite, their abilities gradually becoming apparent and their importance growing.

Take Li Lin, for example. Not only has she been Zhao Yu's personal fitness trainer, but Zhao Yu also takes her everywhere he goes, treating her as one of his attendants and bodyguards. Even in the Song Dynasty, where women were not allowed to command armies, she has already established the Shenji Army, the Song Dynasty's highest fighting force, through Zhao Yu's help. She can command this top fighting force through Zhao Yu and even train all the high-ranking generals of the Song Dynasty, subtly increasing her prestige in the military. Who knows, with the right circumstances, her dream of commanding troops might actually come true.

Ye Shiyun, for example, has become Zhao Yu's most trusted economic advisor. Not only has she been helping Zhao Yu control the economic development of the Song Dynasty, but she has also become a renowned physician. The court is now vigorously promoting her "Ye Shiyun Medical Canon" and is preparing to build the largest modern hospital in the world in Bianliang City based on "Ye Shiyun Medical Canon".

As for Ma Xiaojiao and Yuan Qingcheng, there's no need to say more.

The former has already developed many advanced technologies that have changed this era, and there are also many major projects under development such as steam engines, electricity, magnetism, wind power, water power, and materials.
The latter has already improved many high-yield and delicious fruits and vegetables, and through advanced farming techniques, grain production in some areas has increased by more than 30%.

Given this shift in power dynamics, it's clear to everyone that Zhang Chun is currently the most useless person, and she will become increasingly useless in the future.

In fact, Zhang Chun had already realized this long ago.

Zhang Chun had long understood that Zhao Yu had no intention of replacing Empress Zheng Xiansu, even though she couldn't have a son. Moreover, she had now given birth to a son.

Furthermore, Zhang Chun had already realized that Zhao Yu, who always made her beg for mercy, was in much better physical condition than her, and that her rather ordinary body would most likely not outlive Zhao Yu.

The key point is that she's not Pan Jinlian; she wouldn't do something like murdering her husband.

More importantly, she was not the empress, and her son was not the crown prince. Zhao Yu did not only have Zhao Cheng as his son, but also more than a dozen or twenty other sons. Her painstaking efforts to kill Zhao Yu would not only bring her no benefit, but might also give others an excuse to get rid of her and her son. She would be doing all the work for someone else.

Therefore, Zhang Chun was well aware that her dream of becoming empress dowager would most likely remain just a dream forever.

Knowing this is one thing, but as a time traveler, and one who fared the best in the early stages and dominated everything, Zhang Chunzhen found it hard to accept being marginalized, reduced to an appendage of other time travelers, and living a life dependent on them.

Moreover, in her previous life, Zhang Chun was not as successful as Li Lin, Ye Shiyun, Ma Xiaojiao, and Yuan Qingcheng. Now that they have all transmigrated, and to a time when only she knows everything and everyone else only has a vague understanding, she would look down on herself if she were not as successful as the four of them.

However, ever since she met Zheng Xiansu, who casually interfered and gave the position of palace maid instructor that originally belonged to her to Ma Xiaojiao, Zhang Chun has never been able to rise again. She has always been overshadowed by Zheng Xiansu, which has led to her completely losing the opportunity to become empress. She has become more and more mediocre and even suffered a complete defeat.

"Becoming Empress and Empress Dowager" has become Zhang Chun's last fig leaf. She wants to use this slogan to tell Li Lin and the other four that she, Zhang Chun, will become Empress and Empress Dowager in the future. She will hold the highest power in the Zhao Song Dynasty. You cannot underestimate me. Do not try to restore the hierarchical relationship of our previous life. You must continue to respect me and let me be the leader among us.

Unexpectedly, in the end, Li Lin and the others still tore off Zhang Chun's last fig leaf, leaving her unable to deceive herself.

'Where should I go from here?'

Zhang Chun lay in bed for a whole day and night, neither eating nor drinking.

This caused great concern among Li Shishi and others in Zhang Chun's palace.

Having no other choice, Li Shishi could only run to Zhao Yu and tell him about the situation.

Because of the matter of naming Zhao Shou, Zhao Yu was planning to deal with Zhang Chun, but before Zhao Yu could make a move, Zhang Chun got into trouble first.

Although Zhao Yu sometimes wished he could kick Zhang Chun to death, to be honest, despite having many women, even as many as he could want, there were actually very few women who could truly hold a place in Zhao Yu's heart, and Zhang Chun and the other four were definitely among them.

Therefore, upon hearing that Zhang Chun had encountered an accident, Zhao Yu quickly came to visit Zhang Chun with Li Shishi.

Upon seeing Zhao Yu arrive, Zhang Chun struggled to sit up, saying, "Your Majesty, I... Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

Zhao Yu quickly came to the bedside and said, "My beloved concubine, please lie down. There is no need for such formalities."

Hearing Zhao Yu say this, Zhang Chun moved slightly, gripped Zhao Yu's hand tightly, and looked at him with deep affection, tears streaming down her face: "I come from a humble background, but now I have received Your Majesty's grace. My wish is fulfilled, and I will have no regrets even if I die!"

Zhao Yu was taken aback. 'They were perfectly fine just two days ago, how did it suddenly escalate to a life-or-death situation?'

Zhang Chun continued, "Though I am buried in the netherworld one day, my soul will never leave Your Majesty's side. I earnestly hope that Your Majesty will always remember the people of the world and prioritize the ancestral temples and the state. I am reluctant to leave, but my fate has come to this. Your Majesty must take care of your health and not be overly attached to me..."

Zhao Yu immediately gave the order: "Send the imperial physicians here immediately to examine Consort Zhang. There must be no mistakes!"

Soon, Wang Wen, the "head of Zhao Yu's private health care team," came over and took Zhang Chun's pulse.

Upon hearing this, Wang Wen frowned.

Seeing Wang Wen frown, Zhao Yu's heart also tightened.

After taking Zhang Chun's pulse for a while, Wang Wen glanced around the room from the corner of her eye.

Soon, Wang Wen saw a bucket and a wet hand towel next to it, and immediately guessed what was going on.

Wang Wen said calmly, "Consort Zhang's pulse is as thin as a thread, and I cannot pronounce it accurately. Ruyi, please examine Consort Zhang."

Hao Ruyi, the physician under Wang Wen, came over to take Zhang Chun's pulse.

Taking advantage of this moment, Wang Wen went to the bucket and took a look.

Sure enough, there were ice cubes in the bucket.

Wang Wen glanced at Zhao Yu almost imperceptibly.

Wang Wen served Zhao Yu for more than two years, and the two had already slept together, so they must have had a tacit understanding.

Zhao Yu said to Zhang Chun, "My beloved concubine, please wait a moment. I will have Qian Yi and others come to treat you."

As they were talking, Zhao Yu went out.

Zhang Chun's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't stupid; how could she not have imagined that Zhao Yu could have simply called out to Qian Yi to treat her illness? Why did he need to go out?
Furthermore, considering that Wang Wen had just gone to her ice bucket, Zhang Chun immediately realized that her faking illness was likely exposed.

Sure enough! After Zhao Yu left, Wang Wen said to him, "Before taking her pulse, immerse your wrist in cold water for a while to weaken the pulse. There happens to be a bucket of ice water in Consort Zhang's room. Also, before we take her pulse, take a deep breath and hold it, which will make the pulse weak and erratic, causing us to misjudge her as being weak..."

Although Wang Wen didn't say it directly, Zhao Yu understood that Zhang Chun was faking illness.

Zhao Yu immediately returned in a rage.

As soon as Zhao Yu entered Zhang Chun's bedroom, he saw that Zhang Chun was kneeling obediently on the ground, not moving at all. It was clear that she would accept whatever punishment Zhao Yu wanted.

Last time, when Zhang Chun wanted to name Zhao Shou "Zhao Cheng", Zhao Yu wanted to deal with Zhang Chun. Now that she dares to pretend to be sick and deceive him, he will settle old scores and new scores with Zhang Chun at the same time.

Zhao Yu said coldly, "All of you, get out!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chun's heart sank, but considering Zhao Yu's kind and generous nature, she still held onto a sliver of hope.

Once only Zhao Yu and Zhang Chun remained in the room, Zhao Yu picked up Zhang Chun and carried her to the bedside. He then pulled down her pants and began spanking her...

Hearing Zhang Chun's screams, Liu Mingda and the others outside assumed that Zhang Chun had been subjected to inhuman torture.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Chun's voice changed as he called out.

Gradually, Zhang Chun's moans started to sound like a cat in heat.

Before long, indescribable sounds began to emanate from the room...

……

The clouds dispersed and the rain stopped.

Zhao Yu held Zhang Chun, who was as small as a kitten, and stroked her like a cat, thinking helplessly, 'I give up, Zhang Chun actually has an M-type personality. How come I didn't notice before?'

Zhang Chun nestled comfortably in Zhao Yu's arms, savoring the wonderful moment they had just shared.

After a long while, Zhao Yu finally spoke, "Tell me, what are you up to this time?"

Zhang Chun immediately put on her dramatic act, accusing, "The four of them have isolated me and will never speak to me again."

This was quite unexpected for Zhao Yu. He asked, "Oh? Why are they like this? Aren't you all fellow disciples?"

Zhang Chun twisted the truth, saying, "The other four are all doing well and developing their own careers, while I, the only one, am frustrated and unsuccessful, hence my dislike of my usefulness..."

Zhao Yu couldn't stand Zhang Chun's blatant lies any longer, and he slapped Zhang Chun's buttocks again.

Zhang Chun immediately fell silent, instead gazing at Zhao Yu with tender affection, her eyes filled with longing.

Zhao Yu was truly impressed by Zhang Chun.

To be honest, of all the women Zhao Yu had been with, none were as troublesome as Zhang Chun; she was truly a unique individual.

In Zhao Yu's eyes, Zhang Chun's thought process was like a winding mountain road, sometimes steep and rugged, sometimes unexpected and surprising. She always managed to take an astonishing turn in unexpected places. She possessed both childlike innocence and the superb acting skills of an actress, and she always managed to get into all sorts of trouble, making people both love and hate her, and feel helpless about her.

Zhao Yu pinched Zhang Chun's mouth and said to her, "You better tell me properly. I know exactly what kind of people they are. If what you say applies to you, I will definitely believe it. But if it applies to them, I don't believe it at all."

Zhang Chun was furious. "Can't people trust each other at all? What, now nobody believes anything I say?"

Zhang Chun made "mmmmm" sounds to Zhao Yu, 'You're pinching my mouth, how am I supposed to say anything?'

Zhao Yu released Zhang Chun's mouth.

As soon as Zhang Chun was free, she pouted and said in a wronged tone, "Since Your Majesty does not believe me, why ask? What I said was all false, while what the four of them said was all true. So be it!"

Zhao Yu looked at Zhang Chun's appearance with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. He patiently said, "It's not that I don't believe you, but I know your character and those of the others well. They are not the kind of people who isolate and ostracize you because of your temporary predicament. There must be something else going on. Think carefully, have you done anything recently that displeased them?"

When Zhao Yu pressed for answers, Zhang Chun's eyes flickered, and she stammered, "In truth... in truth, it's nothing serious. I can handle it myself. There's no need for Your Majesty to worry about such a trivial matter."

Zhao Yu immediately realized that Zhang Chun couldn't come up with a reason, or that she couldn't explain her reason to him.

Zhao Yu isn't abandoning Zhang Chun, so why would he really push her to the brink?

Furthermore, if Zhao Yu pressed further, he would only hear Zhang Chun's lies. Could she really say that they were time travelers, or that only they, as time travelers, could hear such things? She wasn't Ye Shiyun.

So Zhao Yu gave a perfunctory "hmm".

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chun knew that Zhao Yu was letting her go.

Zhang Chun thought to herself, 'Women are never reliable; the man I carefully selected is much better.'

In fact, after being "expelled" by the four women, Zhang Chun immediately thought that even if the four women really cut off all ties with her, it wouldn't matter. As long as she caught Zhao Yu, she would never lose everything.

In other words, as long as Zhao Yu still wanted her, Zhang Chun had the courage to face anything.

Zhang Chuncai staged this whole charade in an attempt to gain Zhao Yu's sympathy.

Little did anyone know, this was something Liu Qingjing had already done before. Wang Wen, who entered the palace with Liu Qingjing, saw through Zhang Chun's little trick at a glance.

However, by a twist of fate, Zhang Chun discovered that she held a very important place in Zhao Yu's heart.

Zhang Chun was relieved.

'As long as Zhao Yu supports me, I will never be abandoned by everyone. Humph, if you won't play with me, I won't play with you either!'

Thinking of this, Zhang Chun began to bury her face in Zhao Yu's chest, pleading, "Your Majesty, the four of them are doing very well and enjoying great success, while I, your humble servant, am always lagging behind them. I am filled with shame and have no face to be with them. I beg Your Majesty to have pity on me and grant me a job so that I may regain some dignity..."

……

(End of this chapter)