I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 185 The Demon Zhang Chun
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Zhao Yu was convinced by Zhang Chun.

Despite the fact that Xiao Sese was given to her by Yelü Yanxi to vent her anger, she shamelessly claimed that she had prepared it for herself.

This isn't how you take credit for something, is it?

The key is to look at the size of Xiao Sese's belly; even if she's not five months along, she's definitely four months along.

While having sex during this period isn't entirely impossible, you have to be careful about the positions and intensity, it's just too much trouble.

The main point is that Zhao Yu doesn't lack women, so there's no need for him to be in such a hurry.

Furthermore, Yelü Yanxi and his ministers had sent Zhao Yu three hundred beautiful young women from various ethnic groups, each with their own unique charm and allure. Every single one of them was carefully selected, with skin as smooth as jade and a captivating allure in their eyes. Zhao Yu only needed to wave his hand, and countless beauties would be willing to smile at him and offer him tenderness. He could play with them however he wanted, as many as he wanted. There was really no need for him to wrong himself.

So Zhao Yu glared at Zhang Chun: "Nonsense."

Having been married for so long, how could Zhang Chun not know what Zhao Yu was thinking?

Zhang Chun advised Zhao Yu, "Your Majesty, take a closer look. Consort Wen was once the most beautiful woman in the Liao Kingdom. Although she is now married, she still has a unique charm."

Even without Zhang Chun saying it, Zhao Yu had already seen it. Although Xiao Sese was pregnant and hadn't dressed up carefully, she was still more beautiful and charming than all the other young and inexperienced girls from various ethnic groups in the Zhai Palace.

But this was still not enough to change Zhao Yu's mind.

Zhang Chun continued to entice Zhao Yu: "To defeat the enemy, to drive them away, to seize all their possessions, to see their closest relatives weeping, to ride their horses, and to take their wives and daughters—this is the greatest joy in life."

Zhao Yu discovered that Zhang Chun was a devil, and she always tried to teach him to be bad.

Well, actually, Zhao Yu wasn't a good person either, and what Zhang Chun said was exactly what he desired.

Or one could say that this is a common pursuit among men, and Zhao Yu was at least one of them.

Therefore, Zhao Yu's tone softened, and he simply said, "No rush."

Seeing that Zhao Yu's tone had softened, Zhang Chun pressed on, leaning on Zhao Yu's shoulder and saying, "Your Majesty may not know, but there are unique pleasures to be had when pregnant. However, the children we are carrying are all Your Majesty's, so we cannot take any risks. Xiao Sese is carrying the child of the enemy, so even if something unexpected happens, it is not a big deal."

Zhao Yu glared at Zhang Chun, blaming her for being so vicious.

To everyone's surprise, Zhang Chun was not afraid. She raised her voice even higher: "Does Your Majesty know that when the new Lion King defeats the original Lion King and conquers the pride, he will seize all the original Lion King's female lions and kill all of the original Lion King's male offspring? This is the iron law of nature: the strong prey on the weak, the strong possess everything, and the weak lose everything. If you want to conquer the barbarians, you must be more savage than them. Your Majesty should follow this path to demonstrate the might of our Great Song Dynasty and to intimidate the barbarians from all directions, so that they will no longer dare to have any intention of invading our Great Song Dynasty."

Upon hearing Zhang Chun's words, Xiao Sese's face turned deathly pale. She never imagined that Zhang Chun could be so vicious as to incite Zhao Yu to kill the child in her womb.

Xiao Sese didn't feel she had offended Zhang Chun too much. She thought to herself, 'Could it be that she holds a grudge just because I talked back to her?'

Zhao Yu pointed his index finger and tapped Zhang Chun hard on the head, warning her, "I don't like wicked women."

Seeing Zhao Yu's profound understanding of righteousness, Xiao Sese felt slightly relieved. Her eyes reddened slightly, as if tears were glistening, but she held back her tears, appearing both fragile and resilient.

Seeing Zhang Chun so persuading Zhao Yu, Li Lin frowned. She hadn't expected that Zhang Chun, who had received a modern education, would say such a thing.

Zhang Chun glanced at Li Lin before turning to Zhao Yu and saying, "Your Majesty, have you considered that our Song army is currently in the superior position, while the Liao emperor has sent his beloved concubine and beauties to sue for peace? What if the roles were reversed..."

Zhao Yu interrupted Zhang Chun's assumption: "I would never come to that."

Zhang Chun considered Zhao Yu's abilities and character, and felt that Zhao Yu would definitely not be trapped by the enemy. So she changed her words and said, "If my sister and I are unfortunately captured by the barbarians, will the barbarians protect the princes in our wombs?"

When Zhang Chun uttered this hypothesis, Zhao Yu's gaze softened considerably, because he knew that Zhang Chun meant:
During the Jingkang Incident, after the Jurchens captured the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, the pampered and noble members of the Northern Song imperial family fell into the hands of the Jurchens, like tender white-cut chickens placed on a chopping board, at their mercy.

During the journey north, those who were pregnant were forced to take abortion drugs, which was considered relatively merciful. For example, Zhao Gou's first wife, Xing Bingyi, who was only seventeen years old at the time, was forced by the Jurchens to "fall off her horse and lose her baby" while pregnant.

Not long after the fall, the Jurchens couldn't wait to abuse and torment it.

This was not an isolated case. In fact, not long after the Northern Song Dynasty's royal family and clansmen traveled north with the Jurchens, several royal women fell from their horses and suffered miscarriages, including Princess Zhu Fengying of Yun, Princess Zhao Fujin of Xunde, and Princess Zhao Huanhuan of Roufu.

It is said that during their northward advance, a sudden downpour occurred. The concubines, palace maids, and common women had nowhere to hide; the rain soaked their clothes, revealing their graceful figures. The Jurchens stared, their eyes wide with rage. Like wolves among sheep, they either carried the women to their tents or grabbed any woman they could find. Amidst the torrential rain, cries of agony drowned out the downpour, mingling with the Jurchens' lustful laughter. The dignity of the men of the Northern Song Dynasty was utterly shattered. At that moment, Zhao Ji, Zhao Huan, and others could only weep, or turn away and close their eyes.

Consort Cao, a concubine of Emperor Huizong of Song, needed to relieve herself on the road. Her actions attracted the attention of several Jin soldiers, who approached with wicked smiles. Consort Cao looked at Emperor Huizong with pleading eyes. Their eyes met for a second, and then Emperor Huizong, the former emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, turned his head away. Then, Consort Cao cried out, "No, no!" Her voice faded until silence fell, broken only by the laughter of the Jin soldiers.

Zhu Lian, the true empress of the Northern Song Dynasty, committed suicide after being repeatedly harassed by the Jurchens and unable to bear the humiliation. She sacrificed her life to save the last vestige of dignity for the Zhao Song Dynasty.

Empress Dowager Wei, the biological mother of Emperor Zhao Gou of the Southern Song Dynasty, was repeatedly handed over to Jurchen nobles during her humiliating captive life. In the end, she did not even know who the father of her child was.

Even if the Southern Song Dynasty were to be established, what good would it do if a country were reduced to this state? Wouldn't it still be forever nailed to the pillory of historical shame?

Even if Zhao Ji, Zhao Huan, and other figures from the Northern Song Dynasty were lucky enough to survive their journey north, arriving in the Jin Dynasty was only the beginning of their hellish existence.

The captured women were assigned to generals, kings, and soldiers according to their social status.

Being sold into a brothel was considered relatively good; the worst fate was becoming a military prostitute, subjected to years of brutal abuse by the Jin soldiers, and then simply discarded after death without even a straw mat to wrap her body.

After these members of the Northern Song Dynasty's royal family and nobles arrived in the capital of the Jin Dynasty, both men and women were required to perform the "sheep-leading ceremony." The so-called "sheep-leading ceremony" meant that they would be naked from the waist up, wearing sheepskins, and kneeling with their limbs on the ground like sheep as they entered the Jin Dynasty's ancestral temple.

After suffering countless humiliations in the Jin Dynasty, Zhao Ji died, and his body was turned into "corpse oil" by the Jin people. They placed Zhao Ji over a stone pit and roasted him over a small fire, the oil dripping from his body into the water below. When Zhao Ji's body was about 70% cooked, he was thrown into the pit.

Seeing this, Zhao Huan wanted to jump into the pit to retrieve his father's body. However, if a living person entered the pit, the painstakingly refined oil would be wasted, so the Jin people quickly stopped Zhao Huan, leaving him to wail loudly at the edge of the pit.

Some might say that this was the work of the Jurchens, not the Liao people, so how can it be attributed to the Liao people? Do you think the Liao people never did similar things?

Do not be silly.

This is a common way of doing things among nomadic peoples; they are bandits at heart, and everything they do is based on bandit logic.

In the early Song Dynasty, or even earlier, the Liao people frequently went south to plunder Han people, expand their population, and serve as their slaves. Otherwise, where do you think the Liao Kingdom got so many Han people?
Didn't you see that Xiao Sese didn't refute Zhang Chun when he said those words?
This is because Xiao Sese also knows what good deeds her ancestors have done.
After a moment of silence, Zhao Yu assured her, "My beloved consort, you can rest assured that I will not be swayed by womanly sentimentality."

Zhang Chun nodded with satisfaction, then pointed at Xiao Sese: "Let's start with her."

Zhao Yu frowned again, wondering why Zhang Chun kept persuading him to play Xiao Sese.

Zhang Chun knew that if she didn't make things clear, Zhao Yu wouldn't listen to her and would even doubt her character.

So Zhang Chun made his point clear: "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but this Consort Wen has hidden a dagger in her inner thigh and intends to assassinate you. If she succeeds, the sky of our Great Song will collapse and I will be widowed. Such a vicious woman must either be made to submit willingly or be killed to end the matter once and for all. There is absolutely no third way."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu's gaze towards Xiao Sese turned grim. He hadn't expected that Xiao Sese would be carrying a sharp blade, intending to take his life.

A chill ran through Zhao Yu's heart. He looked at the determination and coldness hidden beneath Xiao Sese's delicate appearance, as if he were seeing a poisonous flower blooming proudly in the cold wind, beautiful yet deadly.

Zhang Chun said from the side, "Such a beauty, it's such a pity to kill her like this, it's too easy for her. She's only four or five months pregnant, if we just leave her like this, who knows what trouble she might cause."

After a pause, giving Zhao Yu some time to process the situation, Zhang Chun continued to offer Zhao Yu a way out: "Why don't you, Your Majesty, go through the trouble of trying to persuade her to fall in love with you instead? If Your Majesty truly wins her heart, saving the lives of this adult and the child would be a great act of kindness on your part. If she remains unrepentant, then it's not too late to kill her and her child. What does Your Majesty think?"

When Zhang Chun said these words, he didn't try to hide them from Xiao Sese at all. In fact, it could be said that many of the things Zhang Chun said were directed at Xiao Sese.

Hearing this, Xiao Sese's face grew even paler, and her body trembled slightly. She had never imagined she would find herself in such a desperate situation. Zhang Chun's words were like sharp blades, cutting through her inner defenses piece by piece, exposing her most vulnerable parts. She looked at Zhao Yu, whose eyes, which had once inspired her respect, now appeared deep and complex. She seemed to see in them the trajectory of her fate, filled with uncertainty and danger.

After listening to Zhang Chun's analysis, Li Lin realized that if Lü Yihao hadn't been so meticulous, and Xiao Sese had actually managed to find a loophole and assassinate Zhao Yu, not only would the Zhao Song Dynasty be in danger, but they would also have become widows, and their fates would have been incredibly tragic.

The thought of spending the rest of her life in a desolate side hall of the palace, unable to realize her dreams or even go out for a walk, was almost like being in prison. Li Lin said coldly, "Why bother? Just kill her. She's a worthless pawn anyway."

Unexpectedly, Zhang Chun then pretended to be a good person, saying leisurely, "Whether someone wants her or not depends on her choice."

Zhao Yu also said, "Since she disregards the life and death of the child in her womb and intends to assassinate me, she must already be determined to die. It would be better to grant her wish."

Zhang Chun, however, advised Zhao Yu: "Such a beauty, Your Majesty, would be a terrible waste to kill her without even having a chance to enjoy her beauty. Moreover, Your Majesty may not know that she is an abandoned child who has no one to love her, and her heart is very vulnerable. If Your Majesty gives her a chance, she may very well be as loyal to Your Majesty as we are."

Zhang Chun smiled immediately and said, "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but we pregnant women crave a man's love the most. Furthermore, I once heard someone say that the path to a woman's heart is..."

At this point, Zhang Chun whispered two words in Zhao Yu's ear...

Zhao Yu glanced at Zhang Chun, thinking to himself, 'Zhang Chun is becoming increasingly outspoken; she's no longer the timid palace maid who couldn't speak properly when she first met me. Perhaps this is the difference between a young girl and a woman?'

Zhang Chun continued to entice Zhao Yu: "If Your Majesty wins her over, perhaps she can become an asset in Your Majesty's fight against the Liao Kingdom."

Zhao Yu was tempted, but still said, "I do not like to force people to do things against their will."

Zhang Chun understood and said, "Your Majesty, please go to the study for a while. I will go and teach her to do it willingly."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu immediately went to the study next door.

After Zhao Yu left, Zhang Chun went straight to Xiao Sese.

Knowing what Zhang Chun was planning, Xiao Sese coldly said, "Forget about it, I will never..."

Zhang Chun said with a grin, "I advise you to think it through before you speak."

Xiao Sese paused, not understanding what Zhang Chun meant.
Zhang Chun didn't mince words. She said slowly, "Now our Great Song Dynasty is like a butcher's block, and the people in Yanjing City are like fish on a chopping board. Under such circumstances, as long as my family doesn't want Yelü Yanxi's life, we can ask him for any person. Given his cowardly and weak nature, he will not be stingy, including your son Yelü Aoluwo."

At this point, Zhang Chun used his index finger to lift Xiao Sese's chin, making her look up at him, and said to her, "If you don't behave, I will bring Yelü Aoluwo here and strangle him with my own hands."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Sese's pupils contracted, and she instinctively said, "You dare!!!"

Zhang Chun said with a grin, "Guess if I dare?"

The two looked at each other for a while. Zhang Chun looked at Xiao Sese's flawless face and couldn't help but praise her, "You really are an unparalleled beauty."

Xiao Sese ignored Zhang Chun's praise and turned her head away from Zhang Chun's hand.

Zhang Chun didn't dwell on the matter, but instead said, "You should have realized that Yelü Yanxi is an incompetent ruler, an absolute tyrant. If I kill your son, your dynasty will be completely hopeless. The more than two hundred years of the Khitan dynasty will come to an end. How tragic and lamentable!"

Here, Xiao Sese fell into a misconception, believing that only her son Yelü Aoluwo could save the Liao Dynasty, without considering that there were other people in the Liao Dynasty who could be the savior.

This is normal. Mothers instinctively place all their hopes on their children, or believe that their children are born to be the main characters.

At this moment, Xiao Sese felt as if a million ants were gnawing at her heart, causing her unbearable pain. Looking at the woman before her who had a smiling face but a heart as venomous as a snake, she felt an unprecedented surge of hatred and despair.

Zhang Chun continued to manipulate Xiao Sese: "Yelü Yanxi is so incompetent, he certainly won't protect your son. So you'll have to protect your son and preserve the hope of your dynasty. Besides, to be honest, is it really worth it for you to remain chaste for a tyrannical ruler like Yelü Yanxi?"

Thinking of Yelü Yanxi's actions that had utterly disappointed her, Xiao Sese closed her eyes, and two streams of hot tears flowed down her beautiful face, landing on the breasts of her chest...

……

(End of this chapter)