I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 345 Ma Xiaojiao: Sister Chun is so pitiful

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After helping Zhao Yu get up and wash, and then helping him leave, Ma Xiaojiao did not get up herself to go and develop the internal combustion engine that she had been thinking about all day.

Firstly, I was exhausted from being tormented by Zhao Yu last night, and this morning I fought Zhao Yu's Ma Xiaojiao alone for almost an hour. I'm too tired to do any research and development.

From this perspective, it's not an exaggeration to say that Zhao Yu was a stumbling block on the path of scientific research in the Song Dynasty.

Fortunately, Zhao Yu was a philanthropist with many women, so he would only visit Ma Xiaojiao once or twice a month at most, which was like giving her a break.

Secondly, Ma Xiaojiao finally felt relieved after carrying a huge weight in her heart for several days, and she needed to relax her tense nerves, otherwise it would be bad for her physical and mental health.

Thirdly, Zhao Yu doesn't allow Ma Xiaojiao to overwork herself, so Ma Xiaojiao definitely has to listen to Zhao Yu; otherwise, if Zhao Yu gets unhappy, it won't be easy to appease him.

Fourthly, Ma Xiaojiao felt that as the second person to know that Zhao Yu was also a time traveler, she had to have a serious talk with Yuan Qingcheng. Such a big thing had been kept from them for so many years! They were supposed to be good sisters and allies, but she was a traitor!

So, Ma Xiaojiao went back to sleep and didn't get up until the sun was high in the sky.

After Ma Xiaojiao got up, Xiduo quickly brought her a bowl of lotus seed soup, hoping it would bring her good luck.

Ma Xiaojiao complained, "Keep having more babies! If I have more, I'll turn into a pig."

Despite saying that, Ma Xiaojiao still ate the lotus seed soup.

Kita said from the side, "Of course you should have children. Your Highness doesn't know how much others envy you. You have given birth to six children for the Emperor, including five princes, and you are still favored. What great favor that is! The key is that Your Highness is only thirty years old and is still young and beautiful, no different from a sixteen-year-old girl. It is not unknown whether you will give birth to ten children for the Emperor in the future."

Upon hearing that she would bear ten sons for Zhao Yu, Ma Xiaojiao blurted out, "Wouldn't that make me a pig?"

After finishing her lotus seed soup and getting ready with the help of Xi Duo and others, Ma Xiaojiao went straight to Yuan Qingcheng's Royal Agricultural Research and Development Base.

Seeing that Ma Xiaojiao hadn't gone to do research and development, but instead came to her place without even saying hello, and more importantly, Ma Xiaojiao had a "I'm here to cause trouble" expression on her face, Yuan Qingcheng felt a little confused.

Yuan Qingcheng asked, "Which fragrant breeze blew you here, Jiaojiao?"

Ma Xiaojiao said calmly, "Let's talk in the private room."

Hearing Ma Xiaojiao's clearly angry tone, Yuan Qingcheng became even more certain that Ma Xiaojiao's visit was not well-intentioned.

This puzzled Yuan Qingcheng even more. 'What did I do to offend her? Haven't we always gotten along very well?'

Ma Xiaojiao is not Zhang Chun, who is always trying to establish herself, nor is she Li Lin, the eldest sister among the girls, nor is she Ye Shiyun, who is fussy and pretentious. She has a good personality, no opinions of her own, goes with the flow, has no ambition, is not competitive, is warm to people, values ​​relationships, and is even obedient. The key is that she has no conflict of interest with Yuan Qingcheng. To be honest, Yuan Qingcheng really can't figure out what she, who is usually cautious in her words and deeds, did not do well enough to cause Ma Xiaojiao's dissatisfaction.
Yuan Qingcheng didn't speculate too much, because someone as naive as Ma Xiaojiao wouldn't hide her dissatisfaction with her for long, especially since she had already come looking for her.

Without wasting words, Yuan Qingcheng immediately took Ma Xiaojiao to the secret room and had Xu Poxi bring over the watermelons she had just cultivated.

After Xu Poxi and her entourage left, Yuan Qingcheng warmly entertained Ma Xiaojiao: "Try it and see how it compares to the watermelon we ate in our previous life?"

Ma Xiaojiao glanced at the watermelon in front of her, which bore a striking resemblance to watermelons from later generations, and couldn't help but drool. She hadn't tasted a sweet and refreshing watermelon in far too long; to be honest, she really missed that flavor.

But Ma Xiaojiao held back. She said with a stern face, "Don't try to bribe me. I'm telling you, it's no use. If you don't give me an explanation this time, I'm not done with you!"

Hearing Ma Xiaojiao say this, Yuan Qingcheng asked with a smile, "What kind of explanation do you want me to give you? Did my child bully your child?"

Seeing Yuan Qingcheng still grinning, Ma Xiaojiao warned her, "Don't try to fool me. Let me tell you, if you don't give me an explanation for this, our decades-long friendship is over."

Ma Xiaojiao even went so far as to say that they were breaking off relations, and this was not the trivial matter that Yuan Qingcheng had previously guessed, such as the children of the two families fighting. Yuan Qingcheng finally realized that there might really be trouble.

Yuan Qingcheng carefully reviewed every detail of her relationship with Ma Xiaojiao since they met, confirming that she hadn't done anything to wrong Ma Xiaojiao, 'except…'

Yuan Qingcheng looked at Ma Xiaojiao and asked calmly, "You know?"

Ma Xiaojiao didn't realize Yuan Qingcheng was bluffing her, and instead retorted angrily, "If I hadn't happened to overhear you talking to the official, how long were you planning to keep this from me?!"

Seeing that Ma Xiaojiao also knew that Zhao Yu was a time traveler, Yuan Qingcheng, knowing she was in the wrong, quickly sat down next to Ma Xiaojiao, took her hand, and said, "Jiaojiao, let me explain. I didn't want to hide it from you..."

Ma Xiaojiao shook off Yuan Qingcheng's hand and said, "If you didn't want to lie to us, you would have lied to us for five years. If you really wanted to lie to us, wouldn't you have lied to our deaths?!"

Yuan Qingcheng knew that honest people were the most difficult to deal with when they became truly stubborn.

Yuan Qingcheng already knew; she couldn't keep it from the four women forever, and they would find out sooner or later.

Based on this, Yuan Qingcheng had already prepared her response. Therefore, when faced with Ma Xiaojiao's questioning, Yuan Qingcheng didn't panic, nor did she mind that Ma Xiaojiao had shaken her hand away. Instead, she took the initiative to pull Ma Xiaojiao's hand back and pleaded softly, "Before a criminal is sentenced, there is a trial process. Even if you resent me, shouldn't you give me a chance to explain?"

Ma Xiaojiao thought about it and agreed. It was indeed a bit hasty to break off relations with Yuan Qingcheng like that and never speak to her again.

The key point is that if Ma Xiaojiao doesn't want to give Yuan Qingcheng a chance, she can't come looking for her.

So Ma Xiaojiao coldly said, "Let's see how you try to argue!"

Seeing that Ma Xiaojiao didn't seem very determined, Yuan Qingcheng felt relieved and continued, "Before answering your question, let me ask you one first."

Without waiting for Ma Xiaojiao's consent, Yuan Qingcheng asked directly, "If you knew first that the Emperor was also a time traveler, and the Emperor wouldn't let you tell us, what would you do?"

"I……"

Ma Xiaojiao hesitated for a moment.

Seeing this, Yuan Qingcheng felt even more confident. She continued to press, "Now that you know the Emperor is also a time traveler, he probably won't let you tell the three of them about this, right? So, will you listen to the Emperor? Or will you ignore the Emperor's words for the sake of your friendship with the three of them, risking the crime of deceiving the Emperor to uncover the Emperor's biggest secret?"

'this……'

The secret the emperor forbids you to divulge is like a sharp sword hanging over your heart. Once leaked, the consequences can be dire. Don't think that just because you were once from the same hometown, are now husband and wife, or are still useful to the emperor, you can defy imperial power. The ruthless are the imperial family—it's not just a saying. Although Ma Xiaojiao is a free spirit, she is well aware of the implications. Therefore, although she is indignant and feels that Yuan Qingcheng shouldn't have concealed such a serious matter, she is speechless and unsure how to respond when Yuan Qingcheng questions her like this.

Seeing that Ma Xiaojiao remained silent, Yuan Qingcheng knew that her words had worked. She gently patted the back of Ma Xiaojiao's hand and softened her tone: "I was in the same predicament as you are now. If I spoke, I would offend the officials; if I didn't speak, I would be letting my sister down."

Ma Xiaojiao nodded and sighed, "Oh! Yes. What can we do?"

Yuan Qingcheng thought to herself, 'I've kept this secret for five years. If you were to reveal it to all three of them at once, what would they think of me?'

While thinking this way, Yuan Qingcheng was actually guiding Ma Xiaojiao: "Then I thought about it, and those three aren't as well-behaved as the two of us. If they find out that the Emperor is also a time traveler, they might cause some trouble. The key is that Zhang Chun has been thinking she's clever, thinking she can manipulate the Emperor, and she always wants to be the Empress and the Empress Dowager. And Sister Lin was the one who killed the Emperor. If this secret isn't revealed, they'll be safe. Once it's revealed, the Emperor might have to settle accounts with them. So, not telling them is actually protecting them."

At this point, Yuan Qingcheng said with a hint of grievance, "The five of us traveled through time together, and we're closer than family. I really don't want to see the Emperor settle scores with Zhang Chun and Sister Lin."

After a pause, Yuan Qingcheng changed her tone and said, "Now that you know this secret, I have someone to discuss it with. I've already made a lot of mistakes by hiding it from you for five years. If you want to tell the three of them this secret, I'll listen to you. Even if the Emperor punishes you for this in the future, I will take full responsibility and will never let the Emperor blame you."

Ma Xiaojiao thought to herself, "Qingcheng has kept this secret for five years without letting it slip. I just found out that the Emperor is also a time traveler, and now this secret is known to everyone. How could the Emperor not have thought of it? I must be the main culprit who leaked the secret. At that time, even if Qingcheng is in the lead, the Emperor will definitely blame me the most."

Ma Xiaojiao thought again, "Qingcheng's words make sense. Chunjie has been causing too much trouble over the years, especially in the past few years. She was determined to become Empress Dowager and even planned to kill the Emperor to control the Song Dynasty. If this is exposed, Chunjie will either die or be banished to the Cold Palace. And Linjie, she really is the murderer who killed the Emperor. Can the Emperor forgive her? The key is that I also told the Emperor that it was Linjie who killed him. If the Emperor holds Linjie accountable, wouldn't I be a traitor who betrayed Linjie?"

Thinking of all this, Ma Xiaojiao chickened out again and changed the subject: "What about Shiyun?"

Yuan Qingcheng said, "Shiyun is alright, how about... we tell Shiyun about this?"

Before Ma Xiaojiao could respond, Yuan Qingcheng added, "However, let's not tell Zhang Chun and Sister Lin, just Shiyun, okay?"

Ma Xiaojiao thought about it and agreed. If they didn't tell anyone, she and Yuan Qingcheng could just blame Zhao Yu for not telling them. But if they only told Ye Shiyun and not Zhang Chun and Li Lin, they would be unable to defend themselves when the secret was revealed in the future. After all, it's not scarcity that's the problem, but inequality.

Seeing through Ma Xiaojiao's thoughts, Yuan Qingcheng explained, "I chose not to tell anyone because I was afraid that if I only told you and Shiyun, I wouldn't be able to explain it to Zhang Chun and Sister Lin."

Hearing this, Ma Xiaojiao said helplessly, "Forget it, let's keep it a secret. Revealing this won't do anyone any good. Sigh!"

Having achieved her desired result, Yuan Qingcheng didn't feign innocence. Instead, she said, "It's fine... Actually, if they hadn't had this opportunity, remaining in the dark their whole lives might not have been a bad thing. In this era of male chauvinism, where women can't do anything without powerful men, we can only rely on the government. To put it bluntly, without the government, we'd be no different from ordinary women of this era. How could we have achieved what we have today? Therefore, we definitely have to follow our husbands' lead; otherwise, even survival would be a problem. So, I suspect that if they had known about this first, they probably wouldn't have disobeyed the government."

As Ma Xiaojiao listened to Yuan Qingcheng's words, the resentment in her heart gradually dissipated, replaced by a deep sense of helplessness and感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection). She slowly leaned back in her chair, her eyes somewhat unfocused, as if lost in memories of the past.

"Yes, before I lived in this era, I really couldn't understand what Sister Chun was saying back then. In this feudal society, the emperor was the god, especially in the inner palace. If you didn't have his favor, even if you had extraordinary abilities, you wouldn't have a chance to use them. Now it seems that Sister Chun, this history expert, really has some substance."

Yuan Qingcheng shook her head and said, "She does have some knowledge, but unfortunately, the Emperor was a web novelist in his previous life, specializing in historical novels about the Song Dynasty. His understanding of this period of history is no less than hers. Everything she knows, the Emperor knows too. It's just that the Emperor is unwilling to reveal that he knows this period of history, which is why she is jumping around like this. Little does she know, in the Emperor's eyes, she is just a monkey, jumping around in the sun, thinking that she is making progress every day."

Upon hearing this, Ma Xiaojiao said, "Poor Sister Chun, if she knew the truth, wouldn't she break down?"

Yuan Qingcheng said, "This is also one of the reasons why I didn't want to tell you about this. Think about it, the five of us came here together, and the four of us have all succeeded, while she has actually accomplished nothing and is just a joke. This is a huge irony for her. She is such a proud person. If she knew all this, I don't know if she could bear it."

Ma Xiaojiao also realized the seriousness of the matter, and she said firmly, "We must never let Sister Chun know about this. We'd better keep it from her for the rest of our lives."

Just then, Xu Poxi arrived. She knocked on the door of the secret room and said to Yuan Qingcheng and Ma Xiaojiao inside, "Your Majesty, Madam Ma, Consort Zhang has sent Consort Li to invite you to her place, saying she has important matters to discuss..."

……

(End of this chapter)