I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 333 Mistakes Made in Youth
...

Zhao Yu's prestige was already at its zenith. After completing the unification of China and defeating the Jin Dynasty in a triumphant return, his reputation was naturally second to none among all the emperors of the Song Dynasty. It is even possible that even Zhao Kuangyin, the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, was not as prestigious as Zhao Yu.

This refers to prestige, not contributions.

Zhao Kuangyin was the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty. Without him, there would have been no Zhao family's nearly two-hundred-year reign. Just like Liu Bang, who rose from humble beginnings, started a rebellion in a chaotic world, overcame countless hardships and dangers, and finally overthrew the tyrannical Qin Dynasty, defeated Xiang Yu, and established the Han Dynasty, laying the foundation for the glorious four-hundred-year reign of the Han Dynasty.

Based on this point alone, no matter how vast the territory Zhao Yu conquered or how many times he expanded the Song Dynasty's borders, his contribution to the Song Dynasty could never compare to that of Zhao Kuangyin. Just like Liu Che, this great ruler of the Han Dynasty, who expanded the territory and intimidated the surrounding barbarians, pushing the prestige of the Han Dynasty to unprecedented heights, but in terms of his contribution to laying the foundation of the Han Dynasty, he still cannot be compared with Liu Bang.

But then again.

Zhao Kuangyin ultimately seized the throne from the widowed and orphaned Chai family. Although he also recovered the separatist regimes of Nanping, Wuping, Later Shu, Southern Han, and Southern Tang, during his reign, he was still hampered by political forces such as the "crown prince" faction led by Zhao Guangyi, the former officials of the Later Zhou dynasty, the generals who held military power, and the remnants of local separatist forces.

Zhao Yu now possesses formidable military achievements, including the recapture of Qinghai, Western Xia, and Yanyun, as well as a major defeat of the Jin Dynasty. He has also achieved significant civil accomplishments, including a prosperous and thriving populace during his fifteen years of rule, and has defeated all political forces that posed a threat to him.

In terms of prestige alone, Zhao Kuangyin should be inferior to Zhao Yu.

Otherwise, Zhao Kuangyin wouldn't have been unable to even change the capital, while Zhao Yu, even without being in court, simply issued an imperial edict, and the Song Dynasty was ready to change the capital.

Just how high is Zhao Yu's prestige now?

Let's put it this way: even if he wanted to take his two sisters-in-law, Meng Xiang and Liu Qingjing, as his imperial concubines now, he could definitely do it. At most, he would only face some moral condemnation, such as being compared to Li Shimin taking his brother's wife, Yang, as a concubine after the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

Of course, Zhao Yu still cared about his reputation, and he really didn't want to bear such a stigma unless absolutely necessary.

To add one more point, Zhao Yu wasn't afraid of bearing such a stain. Who among Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Taizu of Song didn't have flaws? Which one was a morally perfect person?

Actually, the reason I've said all this is because there's something Zhao Yu has kept secret for over ten years, and it's at risk of being leaked recently.

Here's what happened.

The first thing Zhao Yu did upon returning to the capital in triumph was naturally to offer sacrifices at the temple.

This is the most crucial ceremony that must be held after a major victory.

In other words, Zhao Yu went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple (the temple where the ancestors of the royal family were enshrined) and, through offering sacrifices and reading sacrificial texts, reported in detail to his ancestors about the course of the victory and the results of the war (such as prisoners of war and spoils of war), and expressed his gratitude for the protection of his ancestors.

The ritual of reporting to the ancestral temple was a necessary procedure for emperors during major events (such as enthronement, great victory, and investiture) to embody the concept of "revering Heaven and honoring ancestors".

In addition, important spoils of war (such as enemy flags, weapons, prisoners of war, etc.) were displayed in front of the ancestral temple as evidence of victory and to further demonstrate military prowess to the ancestors.

The Song Dynasty always placed great importance on the system of rites and had strict regulations on the procedures, offerings, and format of sacrificial texts for ancestral temple sacrifices. The ceremony of reporting to the temple after a great victory was carried out in accordance with the ritual classics such as the "Taichang Yinge Li", which was both solemn and served to strengthen imperial power and clan cohesion.

The emperor's most important tasks were "sacrifices" and "governance".

Sacrifices embody the legitimacy of the emperor's "mandate of heaven." By worshipping heaven, earth, and ancestors, the connection between imperial power and heaven and ancestors is demonstrated, which is the core responsibility at the level of "divine authority."

Governance, on the other hand, is the emperor's specific implementation of secular rule, including formulating national policies, managing officials, pacifying the people, and maintaining territorial stability. It is the core responsibility at the level of "political power".

The two complement each other, together forming the dual core missions of the emperor's "divine right of kings" and "governing the country." Especially in the Song Dynasty, which valued the system of rites, sacrifices and governance were two essential tasks that the emperor could not neglect.

Therefore, even Zhao Yu had to take this matter seriously and could not be negligent in the slightest.

Upon his return, Zhao Yu held a grand ceremony to announce the emperor's return to the ancestral temple and brought over a thousand captives, including Empress Qinxian (née Heshilie) of Wanyan Aguda, to the temple for display.

Of course, these women are now Zhao Yu's women, and Zhao Yu certainly didn't perform any humiliating rituals like the sheep-leading ceremony.

The capture of Jin women, including Empress Qinxian and Heshilie, the wives of Wanyan Aguda, was merely a formality; Zhao Yu simply allowed them to return to the inner palace.

Zhao Yu was not concerned about this matter.

However, during the temple ceremony, Zhao Xu's empresses, Empress Meng Xiang and Empress Liu Qingjing, also attended.

During the process of reporting to the temple, Liu Qingjing subtly gave Zhao Yu a look.

Zhao Yu knew that Liu Qingjing wanted him to go to her place.

However, this woman had already caused Zhao Yu a lot of trouble, and Zhao Yu really didn't want to deal with her, so he pretended not to see her.

When Zhao Yu returned to the palace that evening, a stunningly beautiful young woman blocked his way.

This young woman, with her slender 170cm figure and classical Eastern bone structure, embodies the pinnacle of beauty in Zhao Yu's imperial harem, possessing the qualities of a beauty that could rival the legendary beauties of ancient China. Her face combines the understated elegance of a painting of court ladies with the exquisite craftsmanship of porcelain. Her perfectly oval face is complemented by phoenix-shaped, glassy eyes, while her slightly upturned nose adds a touch of strength and spirit. Her petal-shaped lips, with their delicate curves, bear the lingering brushstrokes of a thousand-year-old ink painting.

To put it simply, this woman's beauty would definitely rank in the top three in Zhao Yu's harem, and certainly not third.

She was Empress Mingjie, the fourth empress of Emperor Huizong of Tang (Zhao Ji) in history. She also had a more famous name – "Little Consort Liu".

Historically, Liu Mingjie and Consort Liu (also known as Consort Da Liu, the virtuous consort of Emperor Huizong of Tang) were known as the "Two Consorts Liu." Another account states that the two consorts Liu were more beautiful than any other woman in Emperor Huizong's harem.

Liu Mingjie was born into a commoner family. At the age of ten, she entered the palace through a beauty pageant and served Liu Qingjing in Chongen Palace. She was Liu Qingjing's carefully trained personal maid and was later adopted by Liu Qingjing.

Historically, after Liu Qingjing was赐死 (given death by imperial decree) by Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji), all of Liu Qingjing's palace maids were released. However, Liu Mingjie, unwilling to return to her impoverished home, stayed at the residence of a eunuch surnamed He, waiting for her opportunity. Later, the chief eunuch Yang Jian, seeing Liu Mingjie's beauty, introduced her to Emperor Huizong. Emperor Huizong was immediately captivated by Liu Mingjie and bestowed upon her the title of "Talented Lady." Liu Mingjie was not only beautiful but also intelligent, understanding, and skillful. She was adept at cooking and often personally prepared dishes for Emperor Huizong. She was also skilled in tailoring, creating novel styles that were widely imitated both inside and outside the palace. Later, Liu Mingjie gradually rose to the rank of Consort Shu. Seeing Liu Mingjie's favor, the Daoist Lin Lingsu flattered her, calling her "Jiuhua Yuzhen Anfei" (Jade True Consort of Jiuhua).

Originally, Liu Qingjing planned to train Liu Mingjie to help her capture Zhao Xu's heart in order to deal with the challenges from other women in Zhao Xu's harem.

Unfortunately, Zhao Xu died before Liu Mingjie could grow up, and he never had the chance to enjoy this stunning beauty.

After Zhao Xu's death, Zhao Yu succeeded him to the throne.

At the same time, Zhao Yu also inherited all the palace women in Zhao Xu's harem whom he had never touched.

But this does not include the two groups.

One group consisted of palace servants who served Prime Minister Meng; the other group consisted of palace servants who served Liu Qingjing.

It was precisely because of this that Liu Mingjie was not Zhao Yu's woman, but rather served Liu Qingjing in the Chongen Palace where Liu Qingjing lived.

At that time, Zhao Yu was not short of women. Well... okay, Zhao Yu was never short of women.

Zhao Yu certainly wouldn't remember Liu Mingjie.

Logically, in this way, Zhao Yu and Liu Mingjie would probably have no further interaction.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Yu did not provoke Liu Mingjie, but Liu Mingjie did provoke Zhao Yu.

That was fourteen years ago.

That day, Zhao Yu had just returned from court.

As Zhao Yu passed by the Imperial Garden, he suddenly caught a glimpse of an incredibly beautiful palace maid out of the corner of his eye.

This beauty is none other than Liu Mingjie.

Although Zhao Yu didn't even see Liu Mingjie's face at the time, based on his extensive experience with women, he was certain that Liu Mingjie was a beauty.

The key was the unexpected surprise of a chance encounter with a stunning beauty, which made Zhao Yu eager to make his move.

So Zhao Yu followed.

Liu Mingjie led Zhao Yu through a winding path to a very secluded palace. Zhao Yu had never been to this palace before. Someone might ask, "Is there any place in the imperial palace that Zhao Yu hasn't been to?"
Imagine if the emperor had visited the entire Forbidden City.

Moreover, Zhao Yu had only been emperor for a little over a year at that time, and he was so busy that he couldn't possibly tour the entire palace.
However, in Zhao Yu's view at the time, it didn't matter. After all, the entire palace belonged to him, so what did it matter that he had never been to this palace?

Zhao Yu was also blinded by lust at that time. He waved his hand to the back, signaling everyone not to follow, and then followed Liu Mingjie into the palace that he did not know at the time.

Soon, Zhao Yu found Liu Mingjie. At that time, she was in a palace, taking off her clothes and preparing to rest.

Zhao Yu was already captivated by Liu Mingjie, and now she's unleashed such a powerful move—how could Zhao Yu possibly resist?
The key point is that this is the imperial harem. In theory, all the women here belong to Zhao Yu. He can choose whichever he wants to favor, which is not only legal and legitimate, but the women who are favored by him are all overjoyed, and some even feel as if they have won the lottery.

So Zhao Yu secretly sneaked in and hugged Liu Mingjie from behind.

Actually, if Zhao Yu hadn't been so impatient, she probably would have realized that Liu Mingjie's nervousness was too deliberate; she was more happy that the fish had taken the bait.

At that time, Zhao Yu was so engrossed in his desires that he didn't understand the problem in Liu Mingjie's question, "Who has been disrespectful to me?" Upon seeing that Liu Mingjie was even more beautiful than he had imagined, all he could think about was pushing her away. So, he tightened his embrace and said, "Besides me, could there be another man in the palace?"

Upon hearing Zhao Yu's words, Liu Mingjie immediately stopped struggling and softly said, "Your Majesty!"

Liu Mingjie's voice was so sweet back then, it was definitely sweeter than 4+.

Zhao Yu was so moved by what he heard that he pushed Liu Mingjie down without saying a word.

Moreover, Zhao Yu directly demanded Liu Mingjie twice.

The third time, after Liu Mingjie aroused Zhao Yu, she begged for mercy, saying she really couldn't take it anymore.

Then, before Zhao Yu could tell her to persevere or find a better approach, Liu Mingjie took the initiative to tell Zhao Yu that she had an older sister who was ten thousand times prettier than her, and suggested that she invite her sister to serve Zhao Yu as well.

Zhao Yu was already used to this kind of thing, so he immediately agreed to let Liu Mingjie call her sister over.

Liu Mingjie called out once, and "her sister" came over.

At that time, "her sister" had already taken off all but her undergarments and bodice, clearly having been preparing for some time.

This is actually a signal.

Although Liu Mingjie's claim that "her sister" was ten thousand times prettier than her was an exaggeration, Zhao Yu could not clearly see "her sister's" appearance by the dim candlelight, but he could be sure that "her sister" was indeed a great beauty, probably no less beautiful than Liu Mingjie. Moreover, it was certain that "her sister's" figure was definitely better than Liu Mingjie's, who was not yet fully developed at the time.

What else is there to say?

Just simmer it all together.

In fact, Zhao Yu had already noticed the problem at that time.

Because "her sister" was not a virgin at all.

But now that we're inside, how can we not feel uncomfortable if we don't move?

then……

When Zhao Yu opened his eyes the next morning, he saw that the person lying on his other side was Liu Qingjing.

Zhao Yu could guess perfectly well why Liu Qingjing did this.

At that time, Zhao Yu, Liu Qingjing's political enemy, became emperor. Empress Dowager Xiang, who had always looked down on Liu Qingjing, took control of the harem. Meng Xiang, whom Liu Qingjing had harmed, was invited back by Zhao Yu and reinstated Zhao Xu as empress, even placing him above her.

It's no exaggeration to say that Liu Qingjing was extremely passive at that time. As an absolute loser in the political struggle, how could her fate be any better? It could even be said that once Zhao Yu secured the throne, or once the Empress Dowager Xiang, who was in power at the time, stabilized the situation, she would turn around and deal with her, and it would be good if she ended up like Prime Minister Meng.

In this situation, Liu Qingjing would definitely want to save herself.

Although sleeping with Zhao Yu was a risky move, it was one of Liu Qingjing's few opportunities to protect herself.

It's no wonder Liu Qingjing schemed against Zhao Yu.

At that time, Zhao Yu's throne was not yet secure, and he had not yet fully evolved from a novelist into an emperor.

The key issue is that sleeping with one's own sister-in-law is a huge deal, and could potentially get one into a lot of trouble.

So Zhao Yu quietly got out of bed, preparing to make a hasty escape and pretend that nothing had happened.

But just as Zhao Yu tiptoed to the door, Liu Qingjing's voice rang out from behind: "I only want a son to console myself for the loss of my son, I have no other intentions, Your Majesty, please do not worry."

Zhao Yu thought to himself, 'Bullshit! Do you think I'm a three-year-old child? Only wanting a son? Even a fool wouldn't believe that. Besides, if you were to give birth to my son, that would be a huge problem!'

Zhao Yu ignored Liu Qingjing's excuses and fled Chongen Palace as if he were escaping.

Upon emerging and seeing the group of female officials and palace maids attending to him, Zhao Yu was furious and demanded, "This is Chong'en Palace! Why didn't you stop me?!"

Before he could even speak, Zhao Yu realized that he had been chasing Liu Mingjie too fast yesterday, not giving the female officials and palace maids a chance to react, so that they would stop and he could steal her away.

Besides, Zhao Yu only had his eye on an ordinary palace maid. Even if she was Liu Qingjing's woman, it wouldn't be a big deal if Zhao Yu slept with her.

Who would spoil Zhao Yu's mood, and who would dare to spoil Zhao Yu's mood?

Having figured all this out, Zhao Yu could only swallow his anger and said to the group of female officials and palace servants, "She will come to register you a few later. First, accompany me to have a meal."

Although this was somewhat against the rules, Zhao Yu had already spoken, so the female officials and palace servants had no doubts and followed him.

Subsequently, without waiting for Zhao Yu to send someone to notify Liu Mingjie to register, Liu Mingjie took the initiative to come and complete the formalities for serving the emperor.

Not long after, Liu Mingjie found an opportunity to confess to Zhao Yu, saying that Liu Qingjing was both her mistress and her adoptive mother, and she could not disobey Liu Qingjing. Moreover, she did not want to be beaten to a pulp and have her tongue cut out and limbs cut off like the people in Meng Xiang's palace. She had no complaints about whether Zhao Yu wanted to kill or torture her, and she did not regret serving Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu never did anything as cruel as destroying a beautiful woman.

Besides, even a day as husband and wife brings a hundred days of kindness.

Moreover, from Liu Mingjie's perspective, she really had no choice.

Therefore, Zhao Yu chose to forgive Liu Mingjie and gave her a formal title.

Let me clarify first, Zhao Yu forgave Liu Mingjie not because she was too beautiful and killing her would be a waste, but rather... but rather... but rather...

Okay, it's because Liu Mingjie is too beautiful that Zhao Yu didn't want to kill her. He kept her to sleep with. Wasn't she appealing?

As for Liu Qingjing?
Zhao Yu didn't believe it; he had only played with her a few times, and she could get pregnant.

As long as Liu Qingjing couldn't conceive, Zhao Yu would deny ever having had a relationship with her.

In this era, there were no video cameras or cell phones to record the process of Zhao Yu sleeping with Liu Qingjing, and no one caught Zhao Yu and Liu Qingjing in bed together. Who would dare to investigate Zhao Yu, the emperor, or put accusations against him?
However, no matter how much Zhao Yu planned, he never expected that Liu Qingjing's land was too good, or that Zhao Yu was in his prime and had excellent marksmanship.

Twenty-odd days later, Liu Mingjie found Zhao Yu and whispered in his ear, "The Empress is pregnant..."

……

(End of this chapter)