I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 255 Female Rebel

...

When the three female rebels, Shao, Fang Baihua, and Chen Miaozhen, along with more than three hundred beautiful girls, including Liang Hongyu, who were presented to Zhao Yu by Tong Guan, were brought into the palace, many people were like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden, overwhelmed by the sights, feeling both apprehensive and full of curiosity.

The magnificent palace gleamed in the sunlight, every brick and tile seemingly telling a story of imperial majesty and splendor. The light reflected from the glazed tiles fell upon them like a gentle rain, causing Fang Baihua, who had grown up in the countryside, to squint slightly, feeling both awe and a sense of unreality.

Not only Fang Baihua, a country girl, but even the young women from prominent families in Jiangnan, who had been accustomed to luxury since childhood, couldn't help but marvel at the grandeur and meticulous craftsmanship of the imperial city.

The women lifted their skirts slightly, stepping carefully on the exquisite and heavy palace bricks, each step deliberate as if measuring the distance from commoners to imperial power. The intricate and beautiful palace lanterns, hanging under the eaves, swayed gently, casting soft and mysterious light and shadow that accentuated their delicate features, adding a touch of otherworldly nobility.

Fang Baihua had thought that one day she would enter the palace, but what she originally wanted was to lead her troops into the palace herself, rather than be captured and brought into the palace to become the emperor's plaything.

To be honest, when Fang Baihua was captured alive by Yao Pingzhong on the battlefield, she had secretly gritted her teeth, preparing to show her indomitable spirit in front of the enemy and defend her dignity and freedom with her blood. However, when Yao Pingzhong's spear was pressed against her neck, the cold wind carrying the faint smell of rust mixed with blood wafted into her nostrils, causing a moment of hesitation to flash through her mind.

Although Manichaeism taught Fang Baihua that she would have an afterlife and that death was nothing to fear, and that believing in Manichaeism in this life would lead to a better life in the next, her survival instinct still prevailed when death was imminent, especially since Yao Pingzhong had no intention of killing her.

As a result, Fang Baihua was captured alive.

Later, after overcoming her fear of death, Fang Baihua wanted to show that she would rather die than submit. After all, her brother Fang La was a potential emperor. When that day came, her family would be royalty, and she would become a princess. She couldn't bring shame to her brother and her family.

What frustrated Fang Baihua was that the Song soldiers, from top to bottom, neither beat her, scolded her, nor insulted her. Instead, they treated her well with good food and drink. Moreover, as long as she didn't run away, she could do whatever she wanted. Everyone treated her kindly and even politely.

This left Fang Baihua feeling completely bewildered.

It wasn't until Fang Baihua met Chen Miaozhen that she learned from Chen Miaozhen that it was all because "Zhao Yu wanted to see them."

Fang Baihua looked bewildered: "Why does the old emperor want to see the two of us?"

Chen Miaozhen rolled her eyes: "His Majesty is not an old man; he is much younger than your brother."

Fang Baihua was taken aback! In her mind, the emperor should be someone who wore a dragon robe, sat on a high dragon throne, with a majestic and aged face, and eyes that revealed an unquestionable authority and the profoundness of years. Every word he spoke should be a golden decree that determined the life, death, honor, and disgrace of countless people, every decision could influence the fate of the country, and every smile or angry expression could make the world tremble.

Seeing Fang Baihua's expression, Chen Miaozhen knew that she, like most of Fang La's rebels, knew nothing about Zhao Yu.

This is also normal.

In this era of information isolation, the transmission of information is as slow as a snail's pace.

For the people living in remote and impoverished rural areas, the imperial decrees, the emperor's title, and what kind of person the emperor was were all completely irrelevant to them. Their daily concerns were simply whether the harvest would be good this year, whether the crops in the fields would be damaged by pests, and whether they could barely make ends meet after paying their taxes. As for the emperor, in their eyes, he was like a distant star in the sky, having no real connection to their lives.

What they truly revered were the gentry and landlords of their hometown and the local officials in the county government; these were their "emperors."

Even when Fang La raised an uprising and called on the people to rebel against the court, they only joined the rebel army with the idea of ​​"getting a living" and "maybe we can have a better life". They had no idea about the deeper political significance behind the uprising, and they didn't even know who their enemy was.

They were misled by Fang La and others, and instigated by Manichaeans, thinking that as long as they followed everyone to kill those despicable corrupt officials, gentry and landlords, they could live a good life.

This was true not only for the lower ranks of Fang La's rebel army, but also for most of the leaders of Fang La's rebel army.

There is nothing we can do about it.

Because the leaders of Fang La's rebel army were nothing more than ignorant country bumpkins, knowing very little about court affairs and completely clueless about the principles of governing the country and bringing peace to the world. They only raised the banner of rebellion because of their impoverished lives and discontent with oppression. All they wanted was to overthrow the corrupt officials, gentry, and landlords who oppressed them, so that one day they too could rise up and become masters of their own destiny, enjoying wealth and glory they had never experienced before.

Although Fang Baihua was Fang La's younger sister, she lived a secluded life, spending her days at home studying military texts and practicing martial arts. She rarely had the opportunity to interact with the outside world, and her actual knowledge was not much greater than that of ordinary country folk. Her understanding of the imperial court largely came from Manichaean preaching and descriptions circulating within Fang La's rebel army about a corrupt and incompetent government and officials who oppressed the people. Her understanding of the world was mostly pieced together from Fang La's oral accounts and fragmentary accounts circulating among the people, heavily influenced by her personal biases and subjective assumptions.

As for the real affairs of the court, the struggle for power, and the governance of the country, these complex and subtle details remained a blur to Fang Baihua.

Even Fang Baihua didn't know that Zhao Yu was only in his twenties, less than ten years older than her.

After a moment of surprise, Fang Baihua said nonchalantly, "So he's a little emperor. No wonder he's so incompetent. Young people can't do anything reliable."

Chen Miaozhen shook her head: "His Majesty is not a foolish ruler, quite the opposite, he is not only not a foolish ruler, but also a rare sage ruler..."

Next, Chen Miaozhen recounted in detail to Fang Baihua all the things she knew about Zhao Yu, such as how he recovered Qinghai, Western Xia, and the eleven prefectures of Yanyun; how he personally led an expedition to retrieve all the tribute that the Liao Kingdom had extorted for over a hundred years; how he signed a peace treaty with the Liao Kingdom that was beneficial to the Zhao Song Dynasty; how he governed the north, enabling the people there to live in peace and prosperity; and how Zhao Yu strongly supported his concubine Ye Shiyun in promoting medicine, his concubine Ma Xiaojiao in developing technology, and his concubine Yuan Qingcheng in developing high-yield crops.

Fang Baihua was shocked when she heard this! She never expected that the famous Consort Ye and Consort Yuan were actually Zhao Yu's concubines, and that it was Zhao Yu's support that made them so great.

Furthermore, all those novel and practical tools and machines that have emerged in recent years were developed with the support of Zhao Yu's concubine, Ma Xiaojiao.

Fang Baihua was puzzled. Zhao Yu was such a good person, so why did they rebel against him? And if Zhao Yu was such a good person, why were the people in his area living in such poverty?
Seeing Fang Baihua's confusion, Chen Miaozhen took the initiative to explain the conflict between the emperor and the gentry and landlords, focusing on Zhao Yu's forceful promotion of the "Gentry and Mortals Paying Grain Together" and "Equalization of Land Tax and Labor Service," and why these two new policies could be successfully implemented in the north but could not be implemented in the south.

Fang La and Manichaeism deliberately downplayed Zhao Yu's actions while exaggerating the misdeeds of corrupt officials, gentry, and landlords, leading the common people to believe that the court was the root of all evil and that only by overthrowing the court could they live a good life. They completely ignored the fact that Zhao Yu had been working hard to reform the government, trying to punish corrupt officials, break the monopoly of land held by gentry and landlords, reduce the burden on the people, and enable more people to have enough to eat and wear and live with dignity.

Fang Baihua asked with some disbelief, "Really?"

Instead of answering, Chen Miaozhen asked, "Do you know what banner your brother and his followers were using in their uprising?"

Fang Baihua blurted out, "Purge the court of corrupt officials!"

Chen Miaozhen asked with a smile, "Then do you know why they raised the banner of 'purging the emperor's corrupt advisors' instead of 'punishing the guilty and rescuing the people'?"

Fang Baihua asked uncertainly, "The emperor...is innocent?"

Chen Miaozhen nodded: "Not only are they innocent, but His Majesty is also very wise. Therefore, your brother and the others dare not use the banner of 'punishing the guilty and relieving the people,' but only the banner of 'cleansing the court of corrupt officials,' targeting corrupt officials, gentry, and landlords."

Fang Baihua then understood the reason behind it.

But then, Fang Baihua asked dismissively, "What does this have to do with me, and what does it have to do with the Emperor wanting to see you and me?"

In Fang Baihua's opinion, whether Zhao Yu was wise or not had nothing to do with her. Her family had rebelled, so she had to rebel as well. She couldn't betray her family and her brother who had raised her with great difficulty just because the emperor was wise.
Furthermore, Fang Baihua had heard it so many times she was practically calloused; how could she not know that rebellion was a heinous crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family? If her family's rebellion failed, she would suffer the same fate. At best, she would be forced into prostitution by any means necessary; at worst, she and her family would be executed by dismemberment. For a traditional country woman raised with the Confucian virtues of obedience, submission, and chastity, what choice do you think Fang Baihua would make?
Chen Miaozhen said calmly, "This matter may indeed be related to you."

Before Fang Baihua could ask what the connection was, Chen Miaozhen took the initiative to tell Fang Baihua: "Although His Majesty is incomparably wise, he has a bad habit."

"What bad habits do you have?" Fang Baihua asked casually.

"You have a fondness for women." Chen Miaozhen replied, "Especially for the wives and daughters of your enemies."

Fang Baihua's heart tightened! She had a feeling that this had something to do with her.

really!

Chen Miaozhen continued, "When Your Majesty recovered Qinghai and Tibet, you seized the Zanpu's Juemeng, queen, concubines, maids, and daughters; when you recovered Western Xia, you seized the Western Xia empress, all the Western Xia royal daughters, clan daughters, and a large number of noble daughters; when you defeated the Liao Kingdom, you seized the Liao emperor's concubine, three Khitan princesses, and many Liao royal daughters, clan daughters, and noble daughters."

At this point, Chen Miaozhen paused, then continued, "General Liu Guangshi, who captured me, said that His Majesty wants to see me. I guess he probably wants to offer me to His Majesty. You are imprisoned with me, probably for the same reason."

After listening to Chen Miaozhen's analysis, Fang Baihua panicked a little!
Fang Baihua was already of marriageable age, and her sister-in-law, Ms. Shao, had helped her arrange her marriage.

But when people heard that she was eight feet five or six inches tall and had practiced martial arts since childhood, and could fight better than ordinary strong men, they were immediately scared away.

Because she was so tall, few men of that era could appreciate Fang Baihua's beauty. Some even treated her like a tigress and avoided her as much as possible.

This made Fang Baihua wonder if she would ever be able to get married in this lifetime.
Unexpectedly, just when you think you've reached a dead end, a new path opens up before you.

To Fang Baihua's utter surprise, the emperor—and not just her brother, who was a potential emperor who hadn't yet truly ascended the throne, but a genuine emperor, and the kind of sage ruler Chen Miaozhen had described—was going to marry her?!
Despite knowing that she would only be one of Zhao Yu's many women, Fang Baihua, who was still unmarried and unable to find a husband, couldn't help but feel a ripple of emotion in her heart.

The crucial point is that if this really happens, Fang Baihua will have to share a husband with Consort Ye and Consort Yuan!

Fang Baihua quickly reassured herself, 'This young emperor probably doesn't know my height yet. Once he does, he definitely won't have such thoughts anymore!'

Thinking about it this way, Fang Baihua's heart calmed down a lot.

At this moment, Fang Baihua remembered that Chen Miaozhen was also to be given to Zhao Yu. She immediately looked at Chen Miaozhen and asked, "Aren't you afraid that you're also going to be offered to that little emperor?"

"I'm not afraid," Chen Miaozhen said frankly. "Not only am I not afraid, I'm also looking forward to it."

"Why?" Fang Baihua asked, puzzled.

Chen Miaozhen said frankly, "Only Your Majesty can teach the people to have enough to eat and wear and live in peace and contentment. I want to go and see if there is anything I can do to help Your Majesty."

'???!!!'

'Only this young emperor can teach the people to live a good life, but what about my brother?'

After a moment's reaction, Fang Baihua's almond-shaped eyes narrowed: "You want to defect to the enemy?!"

Facing Fang Baihua's fierce gaze, Chen Miaozhen said matter-of-factly, "I have never rebelled against the court. I only joined your brother in killing corrupt officials and heartless gentry and landlords. How can you call that a betrayal?"

"This……"

Fang Baihua immediately fell silent.

indeed.

Chen Miaozhen has made it very clear that not only her, but even Fang La, are not rebelling against the court or Zhao Yu. They are just gathering together to kill those damned officials, gentry, and landlords.

One could even say that Chen Miaozhen was not Fang La's subordinate; their relationship was merely one of cooperation. They shared the same ideals, so they gathered together to kill officials, gentry, and landlords. When their ideals differed, they separated.

Seeing that Fang Baihua's momentum had weakened, Chen Miaozhen smiled and said, "Instead of worrying about me, you should worry about yourself."

"What do you mean?" Fang Baihua asked, frowning.

"If you are truly taken as a concubine by His Majesty, then His Majesty will be your husband. At home, you should obey your father; if you have no father, you should obey your brother; after marriage, you should obey your husband. In that case, what should you do?" Chen Miaozhen asked rhetorically.

Fang Baihua's expression changed drastically at Chen Miaozhen's question. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the hem of her clothes. She forced herself to say, "Since I have already joined my brother in this uprising, I have disregarded life and death. How can I be swayed by personal feelings for my children?!"

Fang Baihua turned her back to Chen Miaozhen, her voice trembling involuntarily: "At most, she'll die!"

Chen Miaozhen sighed softly and walked to Fang Baihua's side: "Death is easy, but if one can live to save the common people and benefit all living beings, wouldn't that be the greatest virtue to sacrifice oneself in the wilderness?"

Looking into Fang Baihua's gloomy and uncertain eyes, Chen Miaozhen said, "Your cousin executed officials, gentry, and landlords, not because he wanted the people to live in peace and happiness. If Your Majesty is truly capable of governing the country and bringing peace and prosperity to the people, you should stay by his side to atone for your past sins. I beg Your Majesty to grant you leniency and seek a way out for your Fang family. This is truly the best course of action."

Fang Baihua was somewhat persuaded by Chen Miaozhen.

However, Fang Baihua had not made up her mind. The key was that she didn't know if Zhao Yu would want her after he found out how tall she was.

Fang Baihua kept thinking about this for the next few days.

More than ten days later, her sister-in-law, Shao, was also arrested and sent here, where she was imprisoned with Chen Miaozhen.

Fang Baihua quickly realized that she and Chen Miaozhen were going to be given to Zhao Yu, and that Zhao Yu had a particular fondness for seizing the wives and daughters of his enemies.

Fang Baihua looked at the still-attractive Mrs. Shao and her heart tightened: "Oh no, my brother is probably going to be cuckolded..."

……

(End of this chapter)