I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 266 Yuan Qingcheng: The clowns were actually the five of us.
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Yuan Qingcheng's plan was perfect. She pretended not to have discovered Zhao Yu's flaw and continued to act as a loving couple with him, treating each other as before.

Yuan Qingcheng said to herself, "Maybe it really was that gluttonous Shiyun who told him about Buddha Jumps Over the Wall? I can't be so sure and just guess that he's the delivery guy. Besides, what I'm thinking is too extreme. It's already unbelievable enough that the five of us traveled to this era together, let alone the six of us? Maybe that delivery guy didn't even die?"

Yuan Qingcheng also felt that she was just making trouble for herself. Why bother thinking about such useless things? She would be better off using that time to study how to increase grain production or how to cultivate more high-yield, delicious and nutritious fruits and vegetables.

Yuan Qingcheng even asked herself, "Hasn't the Emperor treated you well? He gives you whatever you want, and all these years he's spoiled you like a daughter, treating you like a precious gem. Even in my previous life, let alone in this feudal era, it's not easy to find such a good man. Besides, the Emperor didn't provoke or offend you back then; he completely let you develop on your own, giving you absolute freedom. In the end, didn't you offer yourself up voluntarily? That's why you've been living together for over ten years. Now, the Emperor hasn't changed, so why are you so suspicious, doubting this and that?"

However, Yuan Qingcheng understood all the reasons, and she wasn't sure if Zhao Yu was the delivery guy they had bumped into before their deaths in her previous life. But once the seed of doubt was planted, it was like a wildflower seed scattered unintentionally in spring, quietly taking root, sprouting, and growing strong in her heart, impossible to uproot easily. In the quiet of the night, or in some unintentional moment with Zhao Yu, those doubts would surge like an undercurrent, silently eroding her inner peace.

Yuan Qingcheng is very smart; in fact, one could say that she might have the highest emotional intelligence among the five women. But the problem is, having emotional intelligence doesn't equate to having acting skills.

On the contrary, Yuan Qingcheng's intelligence and sensitivity often revealed flaws in the subtle details of her emotions. Especially when facing Zhao Yu, whom she both loved and couldn't help but investigate, those unintentional expressions of scrutiny and doubt, no matter how subtle, could not escape the eyes of someone who knew her very well.

In fact, after accidentally revealing his weakness with Buddha Jumps Over the Wall yesterday, Zhao Yu appeared to be no different from before, but in reality, he was secretly paying attention to Yuan Qingcheng's every move, especially after he used Ye Shiyun to cover up his mistake, and Yuan Qingcheng immediately stopped suspecting him.

Zhao Yu lived with the five women for twelve years, and during those twelve years he acted alongside them, so he knew them very well.

Take Yuan Qingcheng for example. Zhao Yu knew very well that Yuan Qingcheng was the most suspicious of the five women, and also the one with the most complicated thoughts. Therefore, when he accidentally revealed such a big flaw, Yuan Qingcheng did not suspect him, but instead pretended to protect Ye Shiyun, which most likely meant there was something wrong.

To put it simply, Zhao Yu was both pleased and surprised that Yuan Qingcheng hadn't discovered she was a time traveler after living with her for twelve years. After all, it's impossible to keep a secret from your spouse forever; eventually, things will slip up, and Yuan Qingcheng was such a suspicious person.

It can only be said that the scheming-free living environment that Zhao Yu created for Yuan Qingcheng had truly numbed her. If Yuan Qingcheng had been in a treacherous environment, she certainly wouldn't have waited so long to seize Zhao Yu's weakness.

In short, after Zhao Yu's careful observation, Yuan Qingcheng should have guessed something, and was even almost certain that she was also a time traveler.

Zhao Yu smiled slightly at this, showing no concern whatsoever.

Long ago, Zhao Yu, who believed in securing his gains, had already acquired five women. These five women had given him nearly twenty children. It could be said that he had already cooked these five raw rice into five bowls of porridge.

Now, with these twenty-odd children binding him to the five women, Zhao Yu has completely tied them to his side.

More importantly, Zhao Yu has not only fully exploited the value of the five women, but it no longer affects his status as a great emperor throughout history.

Let's start with Zhang Chun.

This foolish woman, who always thought herself clever, was definitely the one Zhao Yu had exploited the most. She had long ago picked out all the governing and military talents Zhao Yu needed for him. Moreover, Zhao Yu understood the history of the Song Dynasty and knew who was useful and who was not, who could be given important responsibilities and who could only be used. Now, Zhang Chun's resignation had almost no impact on Zhao Yu.

Let's talk about Li Lin next.

Li Lin has already helped Zhao Yu train the most powerful army of this era—the Divine Machine Army—and has also helped Zhao Yu research the Red-Clad Cannon and the Firearm. She is even close to developing the flintlock musket for Zhao Yu.

It's important to know that the flintlock musket is the longest-used gun by humankind, with its development spanning from the 17th to the 19th centuries and continuing into the early 20th century, making it usable for a full two to three hundred years.

Even if Zhao Yu lived a long life, he couldn't have lived for two or three hundred years, right?
With the weapons that the Zhao Song Dynasty already possessed, it was practically enough for Zhao Yu to sweep across the world.

Furthermore, with the foundation laid by Li Lin, and the various weapon development directions she had inadvertently discussed with the researchers who were developing weapons with her, even if Li Lin quit, those researchers could continue to develop new weapons.

Moreover, even if Zhao Yu hadn't eaten pork, hadn't he seen pigs run? He played with a lot of toy guns when he was a child. He could give those researchers advice and help them grasp the direction of research and development. Although he certainly wasn't as good as Li Lin, he was definitely better than everyone else in this era.

Therefore, even without Li Lin, Zhao Yu could still possess the most powerful army of this era.

Ye Shiyun is in a bit of trouble.

Without Ye Shiyun helping Zhao Yu oversee the economy of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Yu had to rely heavily on people like Cai Jing and Qin Hui. In addition, according to Zhao Yu, ministers such as Lü Yihao, Zhao Kai, Zhang Que, Ye Mengde, and Chen Gui were also very knowledgeable about economics.

In short, although these people were not as trustworthy as Ye Shiyun and their abilities might not be as good as Ye Shiyun's, Zhao Yu still had candidates to replace Ye Shiyun.

Ma Xiaojiao is in real trouble.

The most important things for invention and creation are broad knowledge and an open mind.

This is something that people of this era do not possess.

On the positive side, Ma Xiaojiao has already developed a steam engine and even begun research on electromagnetic induction.

Even if Ma Xiaojiao were to abandon her work, as long as Zhao Yu properly safeguards her research notes and blueprints, those precious sparks of thought will not be easily extinguished. He can recruit more young talents passionate about science to continue exploring the path paved by Ma Xiaojiao. After all, the birth of the steam engine signified that the clarion call of the Industrial Revolution was about to sound on this ancient land, and the study of electromagnetic induction phenomena foreshadowed the dawn of the electrical age.

Yuan Qingcheng was the same.

In the unlikely event that Yuan Qingcheng were to abandon his post, as long as Zhao Yu recruited more young talents passionate about agricultural science and continued to explore the path pioneered by Yuan Qingcheng, it would only be a matter of time before the people of the Song Dynasty achieved food freedom.

This is why Zhao Yu is not afraid that the five women will find out that he is also a time traveler.

To be honest, Zhao Yu was really curious to see how the five women would react when they found out that they were also time travelers.

Of course, Zhao Yu would prefer to maintain the status quo if possible. If these women were to lose their temper and actually throw a tantrum, it would definitely be a significant loss for Zhao Yu.

However, on the other hand, Zhao Yu couldn't stop what was destined to happen.

After Zhao Yu's careful observation, Yuan Qingcheng probably guessed that she was also a time traveler.

If Zhao Yu continues to keep things secret from Yuan Qingcheng, the two will most likely drift apart, their relationship strained and their dreams diverging. In that case, Zhao Yu might as well confront Yuan Qingcheng directly. Perhaps by speaking frankly, he can win back Yuan Qingcheng's heart.

Therefore, Zhao Yu told the others not to follow him, and took only Yuan Qingcheng to an agricultural greenhouse.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Qingcheng's heart leaped into her throat. 'Could he have discovered I'd guessed his secret and was planning to kill me to silence me, then bury me here?'

Yuan Qingcheng glanced at the leeks planted around her, her pessimism growing stronger. 'Am I destined to become nourishment for these leeks?'

Yuan Qingcheng remembered that just a few days ago, she had someone apply a lot of fertilizer here. 'If I had known I was going to be buried here forever, I wouldn't have had anyone apply fertilizer. If I were really buried in a pile of manure, I would definitely be the most miserable transmigrator ever.'

Yuan Qingcheng was filled with regret. 'Why did I have to delve into his secrets? I was just courting death!'

Yuan Qingcheng then thought of her three sons and two daughters, 'What will happen to my five children after I die? Who will take care of them as they grow up? Who will teach them to be successful? Who will pave the way for Xing'er, Sheng'er, and Jin'er? What will happen to Wan'yu and Wan'zhuo when they choose husbands? What if they are bullied after they get married?'

'Even a tiger doesn't recognize its own cubs; surely he'll treat my five children well?'

'But he has so many children and is so busy, how can he possibly take care of my children?'

'We can only rely on Sister Lin and the other three.'

'But if he kills me to silence me, do you think he'll let Lin and the other three go?'

'I don't want to die!!!'

'Wait, can things really get this bad?'

'I haven't done anything to wrong him!'

"Not only have I never done anything to wrong him, but on the contrary, I bore him children and helped him solve his food problem. Without me, his desire for reform and revival would have been nothing but a pipe dream. It was I who greatly increased grain production, enabling him to undertake such a major overhaul of the Song Dynasty. Otherwise, would he have dared to touch Jiangnan?"

"Besides, they say even a day as husband and wife brings a hundred days of kindness. We've been husband and wife for so long, our feelings are deeper than the sea. He's still my first love!"

'The problem is, he's my first love, but I'm not his. Now he wants to kill me, not me. What good is it that he's my first love?'

'Wait a minute, how did it turn into him wanting to kill me? Couldn't he have called me over for something else, like... picking some leeks?'

'No, I still have to be careful. Since ancient times, monarchs have often been fickle, and the imperial family is the most ruthless of all…'

Just then, Zhao Yu suddenly turned around.

Distracted, Yuan Qingcheng fell headfirst into Zhao Yu's arms.

Because she was wary of Zhao Yu, Yuan Qingcheng instinctively ran away from his embrace and retreated repeatedly, not giving Zhao Yu a chance to hold her back.

Taking several steps back, Yuan Qingcheng realized she had inadvertently given herself away. 'Oh no, didn't I just tell him I was wary of him?'

Yuan Qingcheng quickly tried to cover her tracks and walked back, wanting to return to Zhao Yu's arms.

But as Yuan Qingcheng walked, she subconsciously stopped because she saw Zhao Yu looking at her with a half-smile.

Yuan Qingcheng panicked and didn't know what to do!
Should I continue into his arms and entrust my fate to him, or turn and run?

'Run? Where could I run to? Under heaven, all land belongs to the king; within the borders, all people are his subjects. Where could a weak woman like me run to in this feudal society? Besides, I have five children here. How could I abandon them and escape alone? The key is, I can't escape. Forget the heavily guarded palace; I'm afraid I can't even escape this shed!'

'Escape is impossible. I can only gamble that he'll still have feelings for me and won't kill me.'

With this in mind, Yuan Qingcheng prepared to return to Zhao Yu's embrace and leave her fate entirely to him.

However, despite her thoughts, Yuan Qingcheng couldn't bring herself to move. Her stress response made her stand rooted to the spot, too afraid to move, let alone rush into the arms of the dangerous Zhao Yu.

At this moment, Yuan Qingcheng's heart pounded like a drum, every subtle sound echoing within the greenhouse, amplifying her unease and struggle. Her gaze lingered on Zhao Yu's ambiguous smile, trying to glean a clue to the future from his subtle expression. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the greenhouse roof, dappling Zhao Yu's face and adding to his enigmatic mystery.

Seeing Yuan Qingcheng standing in front of him, neither daring to run nor approach, Zhao Yu lifted his robe and looked at Yuan Qingcheng.

Yuan Qingcheng understood exactly what Zhao Yu meant. She had done this kind of thing countless times over the past ten years, and under normal circumstances, she certainly wouldn't object to it.

The problem is, this isn't a normal situation. She was genuinely terrified that Zhao Yu was using this method to trick her and then break her neck.

Therefore, Yuan Qingcheng became even more hesitant to move.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Yu said leisurely, "What, you can boast to the emperor, but not to a deliveryman?"

"!!!!!!!!!"

Yuan Qingcheng was utterly shocked. 'He admitted it! He really is that delivery guy! I wasn't just imagining things! I guessed right! Good heavens! It wasn't just the five of us who traveled to this era, it was all six of us! This bastard has been pretending to be a native in front of us! We five were so naive, thinking we had him under our control with our beauty and intelligence, making him unable to resist us, which is why he obeyed us so readily! But in reality, he was playing along! The clowns were the five of us!!!'

……

(End of this chapter)