I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 96 The people who are collecting you are here

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On the day after Zhao Ya's wedding, Zhang Chun, Li Lin, Ye Shiyun, Ma Xiaojiao, Yuan Qingcheng, and all of Zhao Ya's concubines and palace maids were waiting in Kunning Palace to welcome Queen Zheng Xiansu to take over the harem.

Because the five women have extraordinary identities and status.

Well, up to this day, no one can really explain what made them so special. They didn't have a proper rank, let alone a proper title. To say they were concubines didn't make sense. And to say they weren't concubines, they were all incredibly close to Zhao Ya. Some of them slept with him, and some even became pregnant. Furthermore, they could see Zhao Ya whenever they wanted, had their own independent courtyards, and a large group of maids. They didn't have to do any labor. As long as they stayed within the harem, they could go wherever they wanted and do whatever they wanted. They looked extraordinary.

He went on to say that due to the five women's special status, they each got a seat, and it was a seat in the front row.

Even Wang Chuchu and Guo Wei, who were pregnant and had strong backgrounds, could only sit in the second row.

Not to mention Fuling and Ma (the palace maid who snatched Zhang Chun's chance to sleep with her because she helped Zhao Ya take a bath), who were just pregnant and had no background. They could only sit on both sides of the second row.

As for those ladies-in-waiting and maids who had only had the opportunity to sleep with the emperor or visit him but had not become pregnant, they were not even qualified to sit, even though there were still many empty seats in the second row. They could only stand slightly forward so that Zheng Xiansu could see their faces.

No matter what time it was, the five girls seemed to be out of place. Even though Pei Sui arranged the best seats for them, they still went to the corner of Kunning Hall and whispered to each other.

Ye Shiyun lowered her voice so that only the five of them could hear, and said, "I heard that Zhao Ya completed the feat of having sex three times in one night last night. His body is quite good."

Ma Xiaojiao echoed, "The official is very energetic. Every time he comes to my place, I can't sleep well. It seems like he has endless energy."

Li Lin said frankly, "I haven't tried it with anyone else, but I think he should be okay. However, he has never beaten me, so I still need to practice more."

Zhang Chun bluffed, "Too many tricks, annoying."

Ye Shiyun glanced at Zhang Chun.

Zhang Chun immediately looked away guiltily.

Only Yuan Qingcheng never expressed her opinion on this topic, clearly different from the other four girls.

After a while, Ye Shiyun said casually: "What do you think Queen Zheng will say when she comes?"

Ma Xiaojiao said, "Whatever she says has nothing to do with us. We should just keep busy with what we need to do. At most, be polite to her and don't contradict her, so as not to embarrass the government."

Yuan Qingcheng felt the same way, so she echoed Ma Xiaojiao, "Yes, we should still focus on our own careers. As for Empress Zheng, including Concubine Wang De and Concubine Guo Xian, we should all try to respect them and ensure peace."

Zhang Chun thought, "You are too naive. She will never let us be completely out of her control."

Li Lin also thought, "Maybe I won't be as free as before."

The five women and a group of concubines and palace maids waited until almost noon, but Zheng Xiansu, Wang Yisu, and Guo Ting had not returned from Cide Palace.

The winter sun filtered through the windows of Kunning Hall, dappling the magnificent palace, adding a touch of languid tranquility to the long wait. The charcoal fire within the hall burned brightly, but it couldn't completely dispel the winter chill. Zhang Chun's gaze drifted outside the hall, where a few snowflakes drifted slowly, adding a touch of coolness and aloofness to the bustling harem. She wondered, 'I wonder if I can stand up to this impenetrable woman?'

Li Lin looked at Zhang Chun and asked, "What are you thinking about? Are you worried that Empress Zheng will give you a hard time?"

Zhang Chun smiled and said, "What should I worry about? You, on the other hand, should control your bossy personality. You are not the boss of the harem. Don't let any bad luck happen to you."

Just as Zhang Chun and Li Lin were talking in low voices, a burst of small and orderly footsteps suddenly came from outside the palace, accompanied by a palace maid's loud cry: "Empress, return to the palace——"

The Kunning Hall, which was originally a little noisy, suddenly became quiet. Everyone held their breath, stood up, and bowed their heads to welcome him.

The five women also quickly returned to their seats and bowed their heads to welcome Zheng Xiansu's arrival.

Zheng Xiansu walked into the hall with steady steps. She was wearing a phoenix robe and a phoenix crown on her head, and her majesty was evident as her pearls and jade swayed.

On Zheng Xiansu's left was Wang Yisu, who was dressed as an imperial concubine, and on her right was Guo Ting, who was also dressed as an imperial concubine. Both of them were half a step behind her, and they were accompanied by a group of female officials, palace maids, and eunuchs as they entered the Kunning Hall.

After coming in, Zheng Xiansu first smiled at the five women, showing his goodwill.

Whether it was the ambitious Zhang Chun or the big sister Li Lin, they all hurriedly returned Zheng Xiansu's smile. Ye Shiyun, Ma Xiaojiao, and Yuan Qingcheng even released their goodwill at the first opportunity.

After Zheng Xiansu sat down on her throne, he said kindly, "Pregnant woman, please give her a seat."

Zhang Chun thought to himself, "You've already made the distinction between the two with just one word, and it also shows that you value Zhao Ya's offspring and care for the weak. If Zhao Ya knew about this, he would definitely like you even more. Amazing."

Following Zheng Xiansu's words, Ma Xiaojiao, Wang Chuchu, Guo Wei, Fuling, and Ma thanked him together, then sat down one after another, formally distancing themselves from the other concubines and palace maids.

Looking again, except for Zheng Xiansu, whether it was Concubine De Wang Yisu and Concubine Xian Guo Ting, as well as Zhang Chun, Li Lin, Ye Shiyun and Yuan Qingcheng who could almost walk sideways in the harem on weekdays, all stood there obediently.

Everyone present wanted to give birth to a child for Zhao Ya and complete the counterattack.

Next, Zheng Xiansu said a few things very skillfully:
1. All the people in the harem must strictly control the relatives by marriage to prevent them from interfering in politics.

Second, promote frugality and reduce unnecessary expenses.

3. From today on, all women in the harem, no matter who they are, must learn "Nu Xun" and make sure everyone can recite it. If they can't recite it, no matter who they are, they must recite "Nu Xun" while doing the heaviest labor until they can recite it.

Fourth, a "Red Wall School" was opened, where all women in the harem learned women's work and poetry and literature.

Fifth, the "Palace Imperial Examination" was implemented. If women in the harem wanted to be promoted, they had to pass examinations in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, needlework and policy essays at each level.

Sixth, it advocates the spirit of cultural learning, indicating that the harem will regularly organize women to form poetry clubs, where they will recite poems, paint, and discuss literature together on a regular basis.

Seventh, a "Palace Remonstration Office" was established to allow women in the harem to anonymously report the mistakes of others. Whenever someone made a mistake, the report letter would be read aloud in front of all the palace people, but the reporter's name would be hidden. In addition, a special "repentance wind chime" was hung on the palace gate of the person who made the mistake. When the wind blew the chime and it sounded, it was a public humiliation.

8. For those women in the harem who perform well and contribute to the management of the harem, they will be recommended to Zhao Ya, so that they can have the opportunity to sleep with the emperor, and their families will also receive certain rewards or promotion opportunities in the court.

Nine, with ranks such as four concubines, nine imperial concubines, and imperial concubines. The system of female officials was also improved, divided into six ministers and twenty-four departments, with clear responsibilities to ensure orderly management.

After Zheng Xiansu finished speaking these nine points, Zhang Chun felt his scalp tingle:
'Do not allow the development of external relatives' power.'

"Teaching the women in the harem virtues is actually to incorporate the behavior of concubines into a quantifiable moral evaluation system through norms such as "thriftiness" and "humility." "Using cultural tools instead of violent punishment allows concubines to actively pursue "moral superiority" and thus exercise self-discipline."

'We also use the power of culture to influence and guide the women in the harem to improve their personal qualities and moral character, so that a positive cultural atmosphere can be formed in the harem and negative phenomena such as jealousy can be reduced.'

'Through collective public pressure, the concubines were forced to restrain themselves, avoiding direct enmity, while at the same time cultivating a balance of terror that allowed for mutual oversight.'

'Add to that clear rewards and punishments, a combination of kindness and severity, and a strict hierarchy.'

"Oh my god, with all this PUA, this harem is going to become the most feudal place! ! ! "

Finally, Zheng Xiansu concluded his remarks: "We all enter the palace seeking only to accompany the emperor and receive his grace. The continuation of the royal family is a matter of great importance to the nation, and we bear the heavy responsibility of carrying on the royal bloodline. We should work together with one heart and one mind. In our daily interactions, we should be gentle and friendly, support each other, and avoid unnecessary disputes and quarrels. Only in this way can we live up to our original purpose of entering the palace and ensure the peace and harmony of the harem."

After saying this, Zheng Xiansu went to a side hall and began to call out the names of the women in Zhao Ya's harem one by one.

Soon, the content of the conversation spread.

It turned out that Zheng Xiansu first took back all the power from Pei Sui's hands cleanly and efficiently, and at the same time promoted her and the palace maids brought as dowry from Cide Palace by Wang Yisu, as well as several maids brought as dowry by Guo Ting from the Guo family, to the positions of chief officers of the Six Shangshu and Twenty-Four Departments, and divided their respective responsibilities.

In response to this, Pei Sui did not resist at all, but obediently handed over all his power and only served as the Prime Minister.

Immediately afterwards, with the assistance of Wang Yisu, Guo Ting, Pei Sui and others, Zheng Xiansu had already determined the ranks of Zhao Ya's women.

As expected, the first-class status went to the women who were pregnant with Zhao Ya's children. Zheng Xiansu not only gave them the highest status, but also gave them a lot of rewards.

Taking Fuling and Ma, who were originally just ordinary palace maids, as an example, Zheng Xiansu said that he would invite talented people for them. If they could give birth to daughters for Zhao Ya, he would invite beauties for them. If they could give birth to sons for Zhao Ya, he would not only invite them to be concubines, but also adopt them as daughters.

As for Wang Chuchu, Guo Wei, Zheng Xiansu directly agreed to invite beauties for them. If they gave birth to daughters, they could be promoted to the next level; if they gave birth to sons, they could be promoted to the next level.

As for the palace maids who had been favored by Zhao Ya, they were given different identities such as Lady of the State, Lady of the County, and Hongxiapei according to their respective situations. They officially became Zhao Ya's low-ranking concubines and received corresponding treatment.

After deciding on the identities, status and treatment of all the other women, Zheng Xiansu asked Pei Sui to invite the five women.

As soon as the five girls entered the side hall, Zheng Xiansu smiled and said, "Since you entered the palace, the emperor has been very fond of you and your companions, and has relied on you a lot. You are not comparable to ordinary concubines. Therefore, I will keep you as my concubines. We will discuss business first. After that, we will have dinner together and chat about family matters."

After saying this, Zheng Xiansu gave the five women seats and asked them to sit down and talk.

Zheng Xiansu was good at speaking and doing things, which convinced the five girls. So, after some decline, they sat down one by one at the bottom.

After the five women were seated, Zheng Xiansu looked at Zhang Chun and took the initiative to speak: "The emperor said that he had an agreement with you to be the imperial concubine. The emperor will keep his promise and will not let you down. However, the emperor has just ascended the throne and has been busy with many things. It is not convenient for him to be distracted by the affairs of the harem. Now that the emperor has asked me to take care of this matter, I think it is time to finalize this position."

Although Zhang Chun had always been on guard against Zheng Xiansu, competing with him everywhere, and secretly regarded Zheng Xiansu as her biggest rival in her life, it must be said that Zhang Chun was very excited and even a little moved when Zheng Xiansu gave her the position of imperial concubine promised to her by Zhao Ya before she had even served him in the emperor's bedchamber.

Zhang Chun hurriedly said, "Thank you, Queen!"

Zheng Xiansu personally helped Zhang Chun up and said, "You earned this through your own ability. Why are you thanking me?"

Zhang Chun wanted to say a few more pleasantries, but before she could open her mouth, Zheng Xiansu looked at Li Lin, Ye Shiyun, Ma Xiaojiao, and Yuan Qingcheng and said, "I specifically asked the emperor about the rewards for you guys, but the emperor was lazy, so I'll tell you all at once."

Zheng Xiansu helped Zhao Ya explain: "In my opinion, the emperor does not want you and your sisters to have bad relations. So, I will ask for the position of imperial concubine for you all at the same time. How do you think?"

As soon as Zheng Xiansu said this, Zhang Chun, who was originally very happy, suddenly froze the smile on his face.

"All promoted to imperial concubines? ! ! ! "

"What's the difference between that and not letting me be the imperial concubine?"

"I've schemed so hard, but in the end, I'm still the same as those four."

'How can I lead four of them?'

Zhang Chun looked at Zheng Xiansu and thought, "You must have done this on purpose! Right?"

The key is that Zhang Chun cannot object or even show dissatisfaction, otherwise she will offend Li Lin's four daughters and push them completely to Zheng Xiansu's side.

"She's plotting something!"

Unlike Zhang Chun who was unhappy, Li Lin's four daughters, including Yuan Qingcheng, were very happy to know that they could also be named imperial concubines.

There is no way. This is the harem. Identity means status, and status is everything. As long as they have the identity of imperial concubines, their careers will be more convenient and it will be easier for them to succeed.

Therefore, Li Lin's four daughters were all extremely grateful to Zheng Xiansu. They bowed together and said, "Thank you, Queen, for your grace."

Zheng Xiansu helped Li Lin and the other four girls up one by one and said, "I have made it clear beforehand that I will not let you break the rules of the harem. Therefore, you can be called imperial concubines and enjoy the salary and other benefits of an imperial concubine, but you will not have the rank of imperial concubine. You can only be called Imperial Concubine Zhang, Imperial Concubine Li, Imperial Concubine Ye, Imperial Concubine Ma, and Imperial Concubine Yuan. If you want to get a rank, you need to work hard like others."

Having said that, Zheng Xiansu looked at Ma Xiaojiao, whose belly was already slightly bulging, and continued, "Like Concubine Ma, you can get a beauty. If you give birth to a princess for the emperor, you can be promoted to a higher level. If you give birth to a prince, you can be promoted to another level. Concubine Zhang and Concubine Li can get a talented woman. Concubine Ye and Concubine Yuan can both get the title of state lady. If you perform meritorious deeds, I will recommend you for merit and receive corresponding rewards."

The five women understood that they were imperial concubines. They seemed no different from other imperial concubines, but if you look into it more deeply, they were actually just low-ranking concubines, different from Wang Yisu and Guo Ting who already had the titles of Defei and Xianfei.

Is this important?
That depends on what you think.

If you don't want to get involved with the harem hierarchy, then it won't have any impact on you.

For example, to Yuan Qingcheng, who didn't want to have any contact with Zhao Ya at all, she was just a legitimate imperial concubine and it didn't affect anything.

But if you really want to get involved in the hierarchy system of the harem, then you have to be affected by the upgrade mechanism established by Zheng Xiansu. That is, either you give birth to more children for Zhao Ya and rely on giving birth to children to be promoted step by step to the position of noble concubine, or you participate in the "imperial examination" or other assessment system established by Zheng Xiansu, and take the exam together with many women in the harem to slowly upgrade.

To put it in a more vivid way, if Zhang Chun wants to compete with Zheng Xiansu, the difference is not just one level, but countless levels. The key is that whether Zhang Chun can upgrade depends on Zheng Xiansu.

Zhang Chun looked at Zheng Xiansu, who looked selfless, and gnashed his teeth in his heart. "You really went to great lengths to protect yourself from me. Fine, fine, we'll see. Don't forget, there's still Zhao Ya above you..."

……

(End of this chapter)