I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 91: Capture the Traveler Mission Progress: 25
...

After being reminded by Zhang Chun and Yuan Qingcheng, Li Lin finally figured it out. Zhao Ya was not playing tricks on her, nor did he stand her up. Instead, he had given her a chance, but she did not seize it.

Also, Tong Guan should have guessed that Zhao Ya wanted him to learn the tactics of the Tiger Crouching Cannon and the Sky-Bomb. In the end, he waited for a long time but didn't learn it, so he sighed and left in disappointment.

Only she never understood Zhao Ya's intention, and she was always anxious and blamed Zhao Ya for not giving her a chance. As a result, not only did she blame the good person, but she also missed a good opportunity.

Li Lin said with some regret: "Why did Zhao Ya do this?"

Yuan Qingcheng guessed: "It's probably because you are too young and a woman, so you can't convince others. That's why Zhao Ya wanted Tong Guan to be your mouthpiece and instill your military construction ideas into these two new armies through Tong Guan."

"Then there's no need for him to play tricks on me." Li Lin understood what Yuan Qingcheng said, but what she couldn't understand was that Zhao Ya could have said it directly, but he had to beat around the bush.

Yuan Qingcheng spread her hands, indicating that she didn't know.

Seeing this, Zhang Chun explained to Li Lin: "Have you never considered Tong Guan's feelings?"

"How does Tong Guan feel?" Li Lin was stunned for a moment and asked, "How does Tong Guan feel?"

Zhang Chun said leisurely, "Let's not talk about the fact that Tong Guan once commanded more than half of the Song Dynasty's troops and was crowned a king for his meritorious service, almost reaching the pinnacle of military prowess. He was definitely a great figure who dominated the world for a time. Let's just talk about Tong Guan now. He is also a tough guy who fought his way through the battlefields of the northwest. Moreover, he is now one of the eunuchs around Zhao Ya. If Zhao Ya ordered a Tong Guan like you to listen to a little girl explain military affairs, what would you expect Tong Guan to think, and what would you expect Tong Guan to think of Zhao Ya?"

Ye Shiyun said from the side, "Tong Guan will think that Zhao Ya doesn't think highly of him, that his military skills are not as good as those of a young girl, and he might even think that Zhao Ya will never use him again. Tong Guan might also think that Zhao Ya is a complete tyrant who allowed his concubines to insult him. He will be extremely disappointed in Zhao Ya and might even be used by someone with ulterior motives to betray him."

This time Li Lin understood everything.

Zhao Ya actually wanted her to teach Tong Guan the tactics of the Tiger Crouching Cannon and the Sky-Bomb in the form of casual conversation. Tong Guan, who had already witnessed the power of the Tiger Crouching Cannon and the Sky-Bomb, would definitely be willing to learn the tactics of these two magical weapons.

During this process, she subtly told Tong Guan the idea of ​​building the Shenji Left Army and the Shenji Right Army.

Looking back, Zhao Ya sent Tong Guan to establish the Shen Ji Left Army and the Shen Ji Right Army.

Tong Guan, who was very good at scheming, could definitely figure out what kind of Shenji Left Army and Shenji Right Army Zhao Ya wanted him to build.

In order to get promotion and reuse from Zhao Ya, Tong Guan would definitely do a great job in this matter.

In this way, everyone tacitly agreed to handle this difficult task.

As for why Tong Guan didn’t take the initiative to find her?

That was probably because she was Zhao Ya's concubine and Tong Guan was a eunuch, so they had to avoid suspicion.

After all, the Zhao Song Dynasty had a clear regulation that neither officials nor eunuchs were allowed to make friends with concubines in the harem.

After thinking all this through, Li Lin realized that not only did she fail to seize the opportunity given to her by Zhao Ya, but she also let down Zhao Ya's good intentions.

After leaving Zhang Chun's house, Li Lin, Ye Shiyun and Yuan Qingcheng first sent the pregnant Ma Xiaojiao home, and then Li Lin and Yuan Qingcheng sent Ye Shiyun back to the palace.

At this time, when they were the only two left, Yuan Qingcheng said to Li Lin, "In this era, it is too difficult for women to get involved in the army, let alone lead it."

Li Lin sighed and said, "I know."

Then, Li Lin took the initiative to open up to his friend, "I don't ask to lead the army myself now, but I must at least pass on the military skills I have mastered, so that Zhao Ya can build several advanced and powerful armies that can be summoned and deployed at a moment's notice. Without such a strong army, our Song Dynasty will lose its solid shield. At that time, the people will lose their stable lives, the shadow of war will always loom, displacement and precariousness will become the norm, and life safety and basic dignity will be difficult to guarantee. The Jingkang Shame may happen again. What's the point of traveling here then?"

Yuan Qingcheng felt that Li Lin's worries were not unreasonable. Without the protection of a strong army, no matter what she and Ma Xiaojiao created, it would be a wedding dress for the enemy.

After thinking for a while, Yuan Qingcheng said, "I have an idea. Tell me, Sister Lin, don't be angry."

"We are friends, just tell me if you have anything to say," said Li Lin.

"I think it's too unrealistic for a woman to be in charge of an army. You might as well change your mindset," said Yuan Qingcheng.

"How to change your thinking?" Li Lin asked.

"Why don't you consider giving Zhao Ya a few more sons and passing on your military skills to your sons?" Yuan Qingcheng suggested.

Li Lin stopped and looked at Yuan Qingcheng: "Are you serious?"

Yuan Qingcheng nodded, then analyzed the situation for Li Lin: "Look, let's assume the worst. No matter how hard we try, the five of us can't prevent the Jingkang Incident from happening. But that won't happen until 27 or 28 years from now. Suppose you give Zhao Ya a son in the next few years. When the Jingkang Incident happens, your son will be in his prime. By then, he'll have the most advanced weapons and military skills. How could the Jin Kingdom's backward, raw-eating natives really defeat your son?"

"You don't work hard yourself, but put your hopes on the next generation?" Li Lin frowned.

"It's not that we don't work hard. We must definitely give 120% of our effort to change this era, but the problem is that we don't know what the results of our efforts will be."

"If we can make the Song Dynasty rich and powerful, prosperous and invincible, and destroy all enemies around us in our generation, that would be great."

"But what if, because you're a woman, you're never able to command the army, and you can't pass on your advanced military skills, resulting in our Song Dynasty only having prosperity but no strong military force, and we're finally conquered by the Jin people?"

"So, I think you should have a few sons as insurance. If your military skills can't be passed down, you can pass them down to your children. After all, it's impossible for your own sons not to learn from you, right?"

"Besides, there are many benefits if you choose to go this route."

"Just think about it, if it's true as Zhang Chun said, that all the emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty died young, and Zhao Ya was no exception, and one of your sons is lucky enough to inherit Zhao Ya's throne, then you might become the regent queen mother, and then you can lead the army yourself."

"Let's take a step back and say, even if you never get military power in your lifetime, if you raise a few sons who are good at fighting, can you still prevent the Jingkang Shame from happening?"

"Let's take a step back and say that even if the Jingkang Incident happened, we could send a few of your sons out in advance. Under your careful guidance, they would definitely not be as cowardly as Zhao Gou, afraid to fight the Jin people and only knowing how to run away. They would definitely lead soldiers loyal to the Song Dynasty, such as Yue Fei, Han Shizhong and others, to defeat the Jin people and avenge us."

The more Li Lin listened, the brighter her eyes became. She felt that what Yuan Qingcheng said might really be a way, and it seemed very feasible.

Yuan Qingcheng continued, "Of course, there are many problems here. For example: if your son wants to become the crown prince, he will have to compete with Empress Xiansu's son, and maybe even Zhang Chun's son; for example, princes cannot serve in the army; for example..." Li Lin interrupted Yuan Qingcheng, "You don't have to say anything. I have already decided. I will ask Zhao Ya to sleep with me tomorrow and give birth to a son as soon as possible."

"Uh, so anxious? Why don't you think about it again? I was just talking nonsense. Otherwise, why don't you discuss it with Zhang Chun?" Before Li Lin could say anything, Yuan Qingcheng rejected the suggestion: "No, Zhang Chun has too many ulterior motives. If you discuss it with her, you might fall into her trap."

Yuan Qingcheng, who had just been urging Li Lin to give Zhao Ya a son, saw that Li Lin seemed really determined to go down this path. She was afraid that she might lead Li Lin astray, so she tried to dissuade her: "Sister Lin, I was just saying it casually. Think about it carefully. This is no small matter, but a lifelong one. Besides, what I said is just a hypothesis. Whether it will develop as I said is uncertain. After all, history has changed. So, you'd better think it over carefully and don't regret it later because of a momentary impulse."

Unexpectedly, Li Lin had actually made up her mind. She said, "You don't need to persuade me anymore. I'm an adult and I will take responsibility for my own choices. Besides, I didn't tell you that I have a good impression of Zhao Ya. He may be a bit lecherous, but he's not vulgar. Moreover, he has brains, perseverance, and keeps his word. He's also the emperor. If I give birth to a son by him, my son can at least become a prince. He's the kind of man who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth."

Li Lin stretched out her arms in a relaxed manner, then said leisurely, "Besides, I've been a woman for two lifetimes, so I have to know what it feels like to be fucked by a man. Otherwise, wouldn't I have lived both lives in vain?"

Li Lin lowered her arms and continued with a hint of self-mockery, "You know me, I'm a womanist. Ordinary men wouldn't dare touch me. I don't even look down on those cowards. Perhaps only an emperor could subdue me and make me willingly admit that I'm just a little woman."

At this point, Li Lin's tone changed: "Qingcheng, tell me, could it be that God sent me here just to solve my own problems?"

Yuan Qingcheng did not answer, and Li Lin did not use Yuan Qingcheng to answer.

After sending Yuan Qingcheng to her doorstep, Li Lin said, "You go back." Then she turned and left.

Looking at Li Lin's determined back, Yuan Qingcheng's heart was in turmoil. She had made this spur-of-the-moment proposal, but she had never expected that it would actually prompt Li Lin to make up her mind to propose to Zhao Ya.

After returning home, Yuan Qingcheng tossed and turned in bed. She was very worried about Li Lin's future, but she didn't know how long she could hold on if Li Lin also took this path and she was left alone to fight.
……

Although there was no morning court the next day, Han Zhongyan and Zeng Bu, who had already sent people to communicate with the Liao and Xia envoys, came early in the morning to ask to see Zhao Ya.

After the meeting, Han Zhongyan said solemnly, "Your Majesty, the Liao people are tyrannical and insist that the Song Dynasty must return Hengshan to Western Xia, otherwise they will redraw the border with our country. Their power is formidable and should not be underestimated."

Zeng Bu continued, "Your Majesty, Xixia's attitude this time is also very hard-line. Not only are they demanding the territory we have recovered, they are also trying to get war reparations from us."

Zhao Ya was delighted when he heard this: "The victor bribing the defeated with gold and silk is a bizarre thing, I have never heard of it before. If Liao and Xia insist on such unreasonable conditions, there is no need to discuss further, just go ahead and start the war!"

Seeing Zhao Yama's fury, Han Zhongyan advised, "Your Majesty, calm down. A little impatience can ruin a great plan. I suggest increasing the annual tribute to Xixia to buy Hengshan. This will surely calm the situation."

Zeng Bu echoed, "Western Xia is the victim of this matter. If Western Xia does not pursue the matter, the Liao will have no legitimate reason to attack. Furthermore, if Western Xia does not join forces with the Liao to attack the Song Dynasty, why should the Song Dynasty fear the Liao?"

Zhao Ya rejected the idea outright: "My soldiers of the Great Song risked their lives and fought bravely on the front lines to recover our lost territory. Now you want me to redeem it with money and goods. How can this be justified?! In that case, I would rather give all the annual tribute to my soldiers, so that they can devote themselves to defending our country, expanding our territory, and enhancing our national prestige. I would never do such a humiliating thing!"

Seeing that Zhao Ya was unwilling to pay tribute to the Western Xia to appease the situation, Han Zhongyan said, "The Liao people are powerful. If we can stop them from aiding the Western Xia, the situation can be resolved. I suggest increasing the annual tribute to the Liao as a temporary measure to buy peace."

Zeng Bu added, "The Liao people value wealth and will be pleased if the annual tribute is plentiful. If Liao does not aid the Xia, the Xia originally came seeking peace, and without support they will not dare to attack the Song. This way, the border will be peaceful, and our dynasty can rest and recuperate."

Han Zhongyan added, "Although increasing the annual tribute would be a disgrace to the nation, if we mobilize the army, the people will suffer the consequences of war. This is a temporary solution, and I implore Your Majesty to reconsider."

Zhao Ya was displeased after hearing this and said, "As prime ministers, you two should assist me in maintaining peace under heaven. I have always placed high hopes on you. However, in the face of the Liao-Xia situation, the strategies you have proposed are all aimed at buying peace with money. I find it difficult to understand. As the pillars of the court, you should plan for the long-term interests of the country and implement grand strategies to support and defend it, so as to resist foreign enemies and protect the people. How can you be so obsessed with bribes and indulge your greed with money at every turn? If this continues, where will our national prestige be? When will the border troubles cease? I want to strengthen our country and spread our prestige far and wide, not to pay money year after year and only aggravate the enemy's arrogance. You should think carefully and offer good strategies. Do not let me down."

After hearing what Zhao Ya said, Han Zhongyan and Zeng Bu had no choice but to retreat.

Afterwards, Cai Jing came to report to Zhao Ya on the implementation of Ye Shiyun's three strategies.

Then, Cai Bian came to report on the Sima Guang case and the progress of the anti-corruption campaign.

Afterwards, Zhang Shangying, who was recommended by Zhang Dun, came together with Li Qingchen and Su Shi to report on the assessment results of the group of officials without real positions yesterday, and reported the list of talents to Zhao Ya, and then explained one by one why the officials were rejected by them.

Finally, Zhang Dun came to tell Zhao Ya the good news that the salt permit bonds had been sold for a total of 2.8 million strings of cash.

With this money, plus the money Zhao Ya earned from selling soap and glass products, if a war really broke out with Liao and Xia, Zhao Ya would be able to come up with the military expenses needed in the early stages of the war.

This made Zhao Ya breathe a sigh of relief.

It was already evening when I finished all these things.

Remembering that he had not yet strengthened his body today, Zhao Ya went to the martial arts field and sent someone to call Li Lin, wanting her to teach him how to practice "Prisoner Conditioning" and "Yoga".

Soon, Li Lin arrived.

Zhao Ya, who was warming up according to the warm-up movements taught by Li Lin, was stunned when he looked up and saw Li Lin!
Today, Li Lin did not wear the loose combat uniform she had been wearing before, but wore a red silk cheongsam. She walked out gracefully, just like a red plum blossom blooming in the snow.

The cheongsam Li Lin was wearing was a bright red, the satin shone with a delicate luster, and was cut just right, outlining her graceful yet powerful figure.

Her shoulders were smooth and toned, rising and falling slightly with her steps, without a trace of excess fat. Though her arms were slender, they concealed a flexible strength. A gentle swing revealed her toned biceps and slender forearm muscles, and every move exuded competence.

Her waist was slim, yet soft yet resilient, like a nimble snake, graceful yet full of power. The high slit of her cheongsam revealed her straight thighs, taut muscles, and smooth, powerful calves. Her ankles were slender, yet they firmly supported her tall figure.

Her beauty is the perfect fusion of strength and gentleness, and the collision of tradition and modernity.

Li Lin was so different from the others that Zhao Ya couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

Li Lin didn't say anything, but as usual, she skillfully helped the distracted Zhao Ya to stretch.

Soon, Li Lin pressed Zhao Ya's body until it was parallel to the ground. She turned over and lay back to back on Zhao Ya, using her body to help Zhao Ya maintain this posture.

At this moment, Li Lin suddenly asked bluntly, "My lord, can I sleep with you tonight?"

……

(End of this chapter)