I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 257 I will take care of your wife's younger sister myself, so you don't need to worry.
...

Fang Baihua, Shao Shi, and Chen Miaozhen, who had just entered the palace and didn't even have any maids, certainly didn't know how to serve the emperor.

But it didn't matter, because soon the lady-in-waiting Wang Chuchu arrived with a large group of palace servants to help the three women.

Not to mention that Fang Baihua and Shao Shi, who came from the countryside, had never experienced being served by so many people, even Chen Miaozhen, who had once been a young lady from a wealthy family, had never seen such a grand spectacle.

From bathing to dressing up, the palace servants took meticulous care of them at every step, as if they were being reshaped into the most exquisite porcelain in the palace.

The palace maids who served the bath were skilled, gently washing the petals with warm water. This not only cleansed the weariness of the world from their bodies, but also seemed to wash away their rustic air, adding a touch of courtly elegance to their appearance.

Fang Baihua initially seemed quite awkward, but as the warm water enveloped her weary body, that tension gradually gave way to comfort. She closed her eyes, letting her mind drift away with the rising steam, as if she were by a country stream, free and serene.

Madam Shao was also astonished. She had never imagined that bathing could be such a pleasure. The palace servants gently washed her body, each touch bringing her unprecedented comfort. She couldn't help but think to herself, 'Is this life in the palace?'

As for Chen Miaozhen, despite her wealthy background and worldly experience, the sight before her still amazed her. She sat quietly in front of the mirror, letting the palace maids comb her cascading hair with exquisite combs. Each strand was carefully woven into an intricate updo, adorned with dazzling pearls and jade, which added a touch of nobility and elegance to her already beautiful face.

The lady-in-waiting who served Zhao Yu thought about everything every day, focusing on how to make Zhao Yu happy at night.

To achieve this goal, the female officials serving Zhao Yu had to find ways to enhance the beauty of the concubines, making them play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses, so as to better arouse Zhao Yu's sexual interest.

Over the years, the ladies-in-waiting who served the emperor have become experts in this field.

This made them feel an irresistible urge to use their skills when they saw women who could showcase their craft.

For example, Fang Baihua.

In the past, they really wouldn't have dressed such a tall woman up.

After all, the clothing style of the Song people was mainly simple and elegant. Women's clothing adopted designs such as narrow sleeves and waist-cinching to emphasize the slenderness and softness of the body. Petite figures could easily show the beauty and charm of this kind of clothing. However, when worn by tall women, it was like an adult wearing a little girl's clothes, which was not beautiful at all. Instead, it highlighted their extraordinary height and unusually tall physique.

Fortunately, Zhao Yu liked tall women and was willing to favor them. There were also many tall women in the harem, such as Guo Ting, Consort Wei, Liang Da Mei, and Liang Xiao Mei.

Later, through the trials and summaries of many female attendants, they finally learned how to dress up tall women.

For example, they discovered that tall women wearing the Mamian skirt, which Zhang Chun "invented" based on Hanfu and is more than three feet long, paired with a simple solid-color short top, such as a white short modified Song Dynasty dress, can highlight the waistline of tall women and show off their body proportions. They can also pair it with a traditional Song Dynasty long gown to create a tall woman's elegant and dignified temperament.

Back then, after a female attendant dressed Liang Damei and Liang Xiaomei in this way, Zhao Yu approved of it and even slept with them for three consecutive days.

This is extremely rare for a woman who has already been obtained by Zhao Yu.

Therefore, the female official who served the emperor became famous overnight.

There's a little story behind this.

That is, after seeing Liang Damei and Liang Xiaomei dressed like this, Zhang Chun never wore the horse-face skirt again.

This made the female official who served Liang Damei and Liang Xiaomei with such attire anxious for quite some time, fearing that Zhang Chun would retaliate against her.

Later, seeing that Zhang Chun did not hold her plagiarism against her, the female official who copied Zhang Chun vigorously promoted this style of dressing and even boldly copied Zhang Chun's "invention and design".

It is said that Zhang Chun always manages to come up with eye-catching outfits, leading the fashion trend in Zhao Yu's harem and making her the undisputed number one fashionista in Zhao Yu's harem.

This time, the outfits that Wang Chuchu designed for Fang Baihua, Shao Shi, and Chen Miaozhen were derived from the fashion "invented and designed" by Zhang Chun.

Fang Baihua's outfit was the same one Zhang Chun wore when he served the emperor not long ago.

The long, red, modernized cheongsam with a slit design accentuates her tall figure and perfect curves, while also increasing the amount of skin showing on her legs, preventing the overall look from appearing too cumbersome. The unique pattern on it adds an oriental charm, and the snake-shaped gold earrings below her ears echo the design, showcasing a noble queenly demeanor. It perfectly highlights Fang Baihua's figure advantages, making her stunning as soon as she appears.

Only at this moment did Shao and Chen Miaozhen realize that Song Jiang and the others were not mistaken in presenting Fang Baihua to Zhao Yu.

Yes.

Fang Baihua was very tall, standing at eight feet five or six inches, which was extremely rare among women of that era.

But it is precisely this extraordinary height that, when carefully styled, becomes her unique charm.

This long red cheongsam seemed tailor-made for Fang Baihua. Every inch of the fabric clung to her slender body, outlining breathtaking lines. The slit design cleverly revealed her long, fair legs, and every step she took was graceful and charming. The subtle glimpses at the slit added a touch of mystery and allure, making it impossible to look away.

Fang Baihua, dressed in a long, modified red cheongsam, walked with a steady and elegant gait, like a queen on a high throne, possessing both undeniable majesty and feminine grace and charm.

Fang Baihua seems to be declaring to the world that being tall is not a flaw, but rather a unique charm and style.

Fang Baihua never expected herself to be so beautiful. Looking at her completely different self in the mirror, she was momentarily stunned, 'Is this really me?'

The only problem was that her outfit was a bit inappropriate. The cheongsam, with its slit reaching her upper thigh, while undeniably alluring and showcasing her tall figure perfectly, also made her feel a touch of shyness and unease. She subconsciously tugged at the hem of the cheongsam, trying to conceal its overly revealing nature. At the same time, she whispered to Wang Chuchu beside her, "This...is it really okay to wear this?"

Looking at her masterpiece, Wang Chuchu said with certainty, "If the Emperor doesn't favor you three times tonight, I'll admit defeat."

Upon hearing this, Fang Baihua's face flushed bright red.

Many young women are shy like this when they serve the emperor for the first time. Wang Chuchu, who has been a lady-in-waiting for more than ten years, is used to it. She took Fang Baihua's hand away and said, "There is only one man in the harem, the Emperor. What do you have to be afraid of?"

Wang Chuchu kindly reminded Fang Baihua: "It's alright for you to be a little coy now, but when you see the Emperor, you must not be like that. You must show off your beauty to the fullest, and you must not hold back any of your skills. In short, if you can make the Emperor remember you, you will have won. Otherwise, with thousands of palace women in the harem, how could the Emperor possibly remember you?"

Fang Baihua wasn't ungrateful; she could easily see Wang Chuchu's good intentions. Besides, she wanted to get a pardon for the Fang family, so she would definitely agree with what Wang Chuchu said.

Therefore, Fang Baihua hurriedly said, "Thank you for reminding me, madam."

Wang Chuchu nodded and said, "Look, she and others are dressed like this. When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

Fang Baihua looked around and found that quite a few palace maids were indeed wearing cheongsams. Moreover, some of them were so revealing that they practically slit their dresses up to their armpits, or even exposed their entire breasts, that they were far more revealing than she was.

Even Chen Miaozhen was wearing a cheongsam.

However, Chen Miaozhen was wearing a short blue cheongsam, revealing her two long, slender legs.

This outfit not only accentuates Chen Miaozhen's stunning curves, but also blends her gentle temperament with a girlish shyness, making her noble and elegant yet lively and beautiful.

As for the Shaw Brothers, they had a different kind of charm.

She wore a form-fitting, tight-fitting dress that perfectly accentuated her graceful figure, showcasing her mature charm to the fullest. The neckline of her inner garment was slightly open, revealing her delicate collarbone and subtly revealing her cleavage, highlighting her feminine softness while maintaining an air of elegance and sophistication. The black stockings she wore contrasted sharply with her fair skin, creating a mysterious and profound effect; the glimpses of her legs were alluring yet dignified.

Seeing each other's transformation, Fang Baihua, Shao Shi, and Chen Miaozhen were all filled with emotion and amazement. They had never imagined that they could bloom with unprecedented beauty in such a way.

Amidst their anxiety and trepidation, the three women waited until nightfall before someone came to inform Wang Chuchu: "His Majesty has decided to hold the Jade Picking Palace."

Upon hearing this, Wang Chuchu quickly led the three women to the Jade Pavilion to await Zhao Yu's arrival and visit them.

In this unfamiliar place, the three women had no choice but to follow Wang Chuchu's arrangements.

Soon after, the three women were carried to a palace with nine rooms and the words "Zhaiyu Palace" written on it.

The three women continued to wait.

The three women did not expect that they would wait for a full hour.

The flickering candlelight illuminated the magnificent splendor of the Jade-Picking Hall, yet also added a touch of loneliness and length.

Fang Baihua and Shao were filled with unease. They both anticipated Zhao Yu's arrival and feared what would inevitably happen after he came.

Time seemed to stand still, and every passing second felt like an agonizing knife cut.

As someone who had been through it all, Mr. Shao never imagined that doing something like this would be so difficult.

Honestly, this was completely different from what she had originally imagined. She had thought she could just lie down, close her eyes, and endure it. She never expected that the matter of serving the emperor in bed would involve so many intricacies and twists, requiring such a long wait, which was truly agonizing.

Fang Baihua pursed her lips tightly, her hands folded on her knees, seemingly calm, but her slightly trembling fingertips betrayed her inner tension and unease.

Chen Miaozhen, on the other hand, patiently observed everything and everyone around her, remaining calm and composed.

Wang Chuchu realized that Chen Miaozhen was different from ordinary women, and thought to herself, 'Could it be that another extraordinary person has arrived?'

Turning her gaze away, Wang Chuchu looked at Fang Baihua and the Shao family.

Seeing Fang Baihua and Shao Shi's anxiety, Wang Chuchu gently comforted them, saying, "The Emperor is busy with state affairs, and it is common for him to return a little late. Don't worry, just wait patiently."

Just then, the sound of a large group of people's footsteps finally came from outside the Jade Picking Hall, gradually becoming clearer as they approached.

The three women felt a pang of anxiety and quickly straightened their clothes before joining the other palace maids to greet the emperor.

Before long, Zhao Yu, surrounded by his entourage, slowly stepped into the gate of the Jade-Picking Palace.

Moonlight filtered through the clouds, falling on Zhao Yu's shoulders and adding to his otherworldly air. His deep eyes seemed to hold endless wisdom and strategy, making him unfathomable.

Looking at Zhao Yu's young and handsome face, Fang Baihua's heart began to race. 'Empress Chen Shisi really wasn't lying to me; he truly is a little emperor.'

Shao was also secretly amazed by Zhao Yu's appearance and aura. She felt both fear of the unknown and less resistance to what was about to happen.

Chen Miaozhen, while observing Zhao Yu, thought to herself, 'He's pretty much as I imagined: wise and resourceful, ambitious and enterprising, decisive and resolute—like a diligent, benevolent, and accomplished emperor.'

As the three women were sizing up Zhao Yu, Zhao Yu was also looking at them.

No.

To be precise, as soon as Zhao Yu entered the Zhaiyu Hall, he saw Fang Baihua, who stood out from the crowd.

At that moment, two words immediately came to Zhao Yu's mind: "Empress!"

Zhang Chun, who is only a little over 1.7 meters tall, simply couldn't capture the essence of Boa Hancock in her cosplay, so Zhao Yu could only make do with her.

Fang Baihua, however, is different. With her height of nearly 1.9 meters, an extremely beautiful face, and the aura of a female marshal, her cosplay of Boa Hancock is simply that of an empress herself.

It's no exaggeration to say that Zhao Yu was "excited" the moment he saw Fang Baihua.

Furthermore, it wasn't just Fang Baihua who surprised Zhao Yu.

The Shao family surprised Zhao Yu as well.

Zhao Yu originally thought that Shao was just a village woman and couldn't be that pretty.

Unexpectedly, upon seeing Shao himself, Zhao Yu was astonished to realize his mistake.

'Tsunade!'

Zhao Yu mistook Shao for Tsunade not only because she wore similar clothing to Tsunade, but also because she resembled Tsunade in both appearance and demeanor.

"That's right. Fang La is a big shot in the Qingxi County underworld, so his wife is 'Sister-in-law.' And what 'Sister-in-law' isn't pretty?"

Another version of the story says that Fang La owned a lacquer garden, and officials from the Imperial Workshop frequently came to forcibly seize timber. Fang La took advantage of the people's discontent to secretly organize the poor and unemployed into an uprising. In other words, he wasn't actually a poor person.

'The key is, if Shao were truly so despicable, Song Jiang and his men wouldn't have offered her to me as a plaything.'

"Forget it, what's the point of saying all this now? All I can say is, Fang La, I will take care of your wife and sister myself, so don't worry about it."

In comparison, apart from Chen Miaozhen, who is very beautiful and has a good figure but not many distinctive features, she is rather inconspicuous, even though she has the titles of "Chen the Fourteenth Lady" and "Buddha Mother".

However, Zhao Yu did not overlook Chen Miaozhen because of this. Yuwen Xuzhong, Song Jiang, officials from the Ministry of Rites, Wang Chuchu, and others who had dealt with Chen Miaozhen all warned Zhao Yu that this woman was very unusual and that she also had miraculous medical skills, urging Zhao Yu to be careful and not fall into her trap.

Zhao Yu did not linger and walked towards the three women.

Fang Baihua was very uneasy because as Zhao Yu approached, she had to lower her head and look down at him, which was extremely impolite and something that men found most unacceptable.

To avoid any mishaps at the last minute, Fang Baihua disregarded the court etiquette she had just learned and chose to bow to Zhao Yu in advance. This way, she wouldn't have to look down on Zhao Yu and incur his displeasure.

When Fang Baihua suddenly bowed to Zhao Yu first, all the palace servants present were taken aback! But because Zhao Yu was there, none of them, who had been well-trained, paid any attention to Fang Baihua, the conspicuous one.

Only when Zhao Yu arrived before them did all the palace women, including Lady Shao and Chen Miaozhen, bow to him according to court etiquette: "Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

"No need to pay tribute."

After telling the women to stand up, Zhao Yu looked at the three women and said, "Raise your heads."

Upon hearing this, all three girls obediently raised their heads.

After getting a close look at the three women, Zhao Yu became increasingly satisfied with and looking forward to his bedchamber partners for the night.

At this moment, Chen Miaozhen suddenly spoke up and said, "Your Majesty, I, Chen, have something to report."

To Chen Miaozhen's surprise, Zhao Yu flatly refused, saying, "I will report this later."

After saying that, Zhao Yu reached out and tried to lift Fang Baihua up in his arms.

Fang Baihua was horrified!
Firstly, Fang Baihua hadn't expected that Zhao Yu would try to take liberties with her so soon after they met. How could a young woman like her face this with composure?
Secondly, Fang Baihua was not only tall but also heavy. She was worried that Zhao Yu, who was half a head shorter than her, would not be able to carry her and would embarrass himself in public. In that case, she would definitely be the one to suffer.

Thirdly, the presence of so many people made Fang Baihua very shy.

Therefore, Fang Baihua instinctively tried to avoid Zhao Yu's embrace.

Fortunately, at the last moment, Fang Baihua remembered Zhao Yu's identity and her current situation, and stopped trying to avoid him, instead cooperating with Zhao Yu to hug her.

Fearing that Zhao Yu would embarrass himself, Fang Baihua thoughtfully suggested using her exceptionally long legs to do a one-legged stance. That way, even if Zhao Yu couldn't lift her, he wouldn't be embarrassed in public, right?
Unexpectedly, Zhao Yu didn't appreciate Fang Baihua's kindness at all. He directly reached out and tried to pull up Fang Baihua's long leg that was standing on one leg.

Fang Baihua immediately felt a strange force that she could not resist at all.

This startled Fang Baihua, who quickly pulled her long legs into Zhao Yu's arms.

At this moment, Zhao Yu looked down at Fang Baihua's particularly beautiful big eyes and asked her, "What, are you afraid I can't carry you?"

Fang Baihua was already stiff and at a loss when Zhao Yu held her in his arms. When she saw Zhao Yu's aggressive gaze, she panicked completely and hurriedly said, "I...I dare not!"

Zhao Yu smiled slightly, and without any pressure, carried Fang Baihua inside.

Fang Baihua, nestled in Zhao Yu's arms, felt for the first time in her life that she was a woman, a woman who could also nestle in a man's arms.

Fang Baihua couldn't describe the feeling; she just couldn't help but secretly look at Zhao Yu's face, the one she longed to see.

Zhao Yu was seen carrying Fang Baihua to rest.

Wang Chuchu reminded the equally bewildered Shao and Chen Miaozhen: "Hurry up and follow us."

Shao and Chen Miaozhen then quickly followed...

……

(End of this chapter)