I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 141 The Beautiful Pharmacist Who Knows How to Seize Opportunities
...

Zhao Yu strongly suspected that the female officials in charge of medicine had deliberately made him eat so much tiger and venison.

This gave Zhao Yu inexhaustible energy all night, giving him a feeling of utter despair.

Zhao Yu certainly couldn't use his strength to grasp the sky or lift the earth; he could only expend that energy on the "instigators," namely Wang Wen and others.

afterwards.

Zhao Yu then kicked everyone out except for Wang Wen. Otherwise, Zhao Yu wouldn't be able to get a good night's sleep tonight.

After the women finally found their clothes and reluctantly left, Zhao Yu said to Wang Wen, "You can continue to fool around with them. Just wait and see how the Empress and the Palace Attendant deal with you later."

Wang Wen muttered under her breath, "It's not like my instructor's family eats tiger meat and venison."

Zhao Yu pinched Wang Wen's little nose, brought her in front of him, and looked her in the eye, saying, "As the Imperial Physician, shouldn't you have reminded me beforehand what the medicinal effects of tiger and deer meat are?"

Wang Wen continued to argue: "We have carefully examined all the ingredients and found them to be non-toxic. We even tasted them beforehand as required, and there were no signs of poisoning. Only when we were absolutely certain that there was no risk did we dare to let Your Majesty eat them. As for the tiger and deer, they are food, not medicine. Although they have some nutritional benefits, they can nourish Your Majesty's kidneys, replenish essence, strengthen the spleen, and improve appetite. They are beneficial and harmless. I don't know what mistake we have made?"

Zhao Yu had long known that Wang Wen was sharp-tongued, but he didn't expect her to remain so defiant even when facing certain death. So Zhao Yu used a feigned retreat to advance, saying, "Fine, as long as the Empress and the Palace Attendant agree with what you say and don't punish you, I have nothing to say."

Wang Wen was not afraid of Zhao Yu because Zhao Yu was not strict with the women in the palace; in fact, he was extremely lenient.

Moreover, Wang Wen could sense that Zhao Yu had a strong liking for her. She just hadn't had the right opportunity; otherwise, she probably would have been able to serve him in bed.

Otherwise, even if Wang Wen had a thousand times the courage, she wouldn't dare to do such a thing.

However, while Zhao Yu was an easy target, Zheng Xiansu and Gong Zhengna, who were intolerant of any wrongdoing, would most likely not allow her to make excuses.

Perhaps, once they heard that she had done something bad with the female official in charge of the Imperial Pharmacy, Zheng Xiansu and Gong Zheng would no longer listen to what she had to say, but would instead punish her directly.

Wang Wen knew that Zhao Yu was the only one who could save her now.

So Wang Wen clung to Zhao Yu's arm, swaying him and pleading softly, "I am almost twenty-five. If I am not allowed to serve you in bed, I will have to leave the palace and fend for myself. I have been in the palace since I was a child and am used to palace life. My parents and brothers are all gone, so I do not want to leave. I am also reluctant to leave Your Majesty. Following behind Your Majesty every day and watching you from afar is the happiest thing for me. That is why I am so bewitched and willing to accept Your Majesty's punishment."

Zhao Yu knew that there were indeed palace maids like Wang Wen in the harem who were getting older but had not been favored. They often faced the fate of leaving the palace, which was a huge change in their lives for many women who had lived within the high walls of the palace since childhood and knew nothing about the outside world.

Wang Wen's eyes held a pleading and sorrowful look, as if Zhao Yu was her only support in this deep palace, and if Zhao Yu didn't save her, she would be doomed.

Looking at the beautiful Lady Wang before him, whose eyes held a pleading expression, Zhao Yu felt a surge of pity. He knew all too well that in this magnificent palace, everyone's fate was like duckweed, drifting with the current, unable to control their own destiny. And Wang Wen was just one of these many duckweeds, yearning for a sliver of warmth, a sliver of support.

Moreover, how could Zhao Yu possibly punish these women who only wanted to bear his children?

"I will send someone to inform the Empress and the Palace Attendant tomorrow," Zhao Yu said.

Wang Wen was overjoyed and quickly and attentively served Zhao Yu until he went to sleep.

Perhaps due to her age, Wang Wen was bolder than most of the palace maids. She knew that the opportunity to serve the emperor was rare, and she didn't know how long she would have to wait before it was her turn again. So, as soon as she lay down with Zhao Yu, Wang Wen moved closer to him again...

……

Although the Four Auxiliary New Army was important, it could never be as important as Zhao Yu's Divine Machine Army.

This was not only because the Shenji Army was Zhao Yu's personal army, the elite of the elite, the ace of the ace, but also because only with the Shenji Army at his disposal could Zhao Yu feel at ease deploying so many troops around himself.

Historically, Cai Jing had mentioned building four auxiliary cities to protect the capital and preparing to garrison hundreds of thousands of troops to fight against the Liao Dynasty and recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

At that time, Emperor Huizong of Song agreed to Cai Jing's plan.

However, the scale of the Fourth Auxiliary City was so large that rumors began to circulate even before it was completed.

That is, "At that time, slanderous rumors even claimed that Duke Lu had set up this to imprison the ruler." It was said that Cai Jing wanted to use the Four Ministers to imprison Zhao Ji.

This matter is most likely a complete fabrication.

However, the problem is that Cai Jing's actions at the time were indeed quite questionable.

On the one hand, the four chief stewards chosen by Cai Jing were basically his relatives and friends by marriage.

On the other hand, regarding the new army in the Fourth Auxiliary Army, Cai Jing "increased benefits, added monthly allowances, and exempted them from military service." In short, it was Cai Jing's old trick of using state funds to increase salaries and benefits to win people's hearts.

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) saw this and was determined not to let Cai Jing have his way.

Moreover, Cai Jing's economic reforms at that time had already yielded initial results, making the Northern Song Dynasty's treasury abundant. He had also first recovered the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and then defeated the Western Xia. His prestige and power were extremely high, surpassing those of all previous prime ministers of the Zhao Song Dynasty.

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) worried that Cai Jing's power was too great to control, so he kept the military strength of the four prefectures below 20,000 in each prefecture.

Upon seeing this, the officials in charge naturally understood that the emperor was suppressing the prime minister, so they all slacked off or paid lip service while secretly disobeying him.

In the end, the total strength of the four auxiliary forces did not exceed 50,000 men, and the relevant systems were never perfected, making it a mere formality.

Immediately afterward, due to the unusual phenomenon of a comet appearing in the sky, Zhao Ji began to use this as a pretext to suppress Cai Jing. First, he adjusted the personnel in the central government to weaken Cai Jing's power. Second, he demolished the Yuanyou Party membership stele that Cai Jing had advocated, and negated Cai Jing's actions by pardoning the Yuanyou Party members. Then, Cai Jing was dismissed from his post as prime minister for the first time.

At the same time, Emperor Huizong issued an edict requiring that the say of the court-appointed eunuchs in the border command be increased.

Tong Guan rose to prominence under these circumstances.

It must be said that although Zhao Ji's actions were suspected of crippling himself, if we consider the issue from the emperor's perspective, he did not seem to be wrong.

Now it's Zhao Yu's turn to make this decision.

Zhao Yu certainly couldn't abandon his martial arts skills, so he had to find a way to make himself unafraid of any challenge.

How can this be achieved?
In Zhao Yu's view, nothing was more effective than directly controlling the most powerful armed force.

The Divine Machine Army was the most powerful armed force in the army. Therefore, Zhao Yu naturally gave the Divine Machine Army the best, including its commanders.

Leaving aside the Shenji Left and Right Armies, whether it was the combination of Zong Ze and Wang Bing or the combination of Zhang Shuye and He Guan, their performances were all remarkable.

When it came to the Shenji Vanguard, Shenji Central Army, and Shenji Rear Army, Zhao Yu would certainly have to arrange the best commanders.

After repeated screenings and Zhang Chun's recommendation, Zhao Yu finally made his decision.

The commander of the Shenji Vanguard Army was Liu Zhongwu, the father of Liu Qi, a famous general of the Southern Song Dynasty, and the supervisor was Zhong Shidao (Zhong Shidao initially served in a civil position, but due to his strategic skills, he was later transferred to a military position. He was meritorious in resisting the Western Xia and became a famous general, and was respectfully called "Old Zhong". He was the superior of Lu Zhishen in Water Margin).

The commander of the Divine Machine Central Army was Yang Zongmin, grandson of Yang Ye, cousin of Yang Wenguang, cousin of Zhe Jimin, and grandfather of Yang Cunzhong, a famous general of the Southern Song Dynasty. The supervisor was Zhan Du, the garrison commander of Zhongshan, one of the five major defense battles of the Song Dynasty.

The commander of the Shenji Rear Army was Zhong Shizhong (also known as "Xiao Zhong"), and the supervisor was Zhe Yanzhi (the second son of Zhe Keshi), a famous general of the Southern Song Dynasty.

These five Divine Machine Army units did not have a unified command in normal times. Even the Privy Council and the Three Military Offices could not mobilize these five Divine Machine Army units. They only obeyed Zhao Yu's orders.

Of course, Zhao Yu certainly didn't have time to personally oversee these five Divine Machine Army units, so he assigned his trusted eunuch Li Lin (yes, it was Li Lin) to be in charge of overseeing the construction and training of these five Divine Machine Army units.

On this day, Zhong Shidao, Liu Zhongwu, Yang Zongmin, Zhan Du, Zhong Shizhong, and Zhe Yanzhi had all arrived in the capital one after another.

This was Zhao Yu's most trusted confidant, and no matter how busy Zhao Yu was, he had to go and see him.

Therefore, Zhao Yu sent Zhong Shidao and others to the camps of the Shenji Left Army and Shenji Right Army, which was the training ground of Kaifeng Prefecture, while he himself took Li Lin, who was disguised as a man, with him.

On the training ground, banners fluttered, warhorses neighed, and the soldiers of the Left and Right Armies of the Divine Machine Army stood in formation, their heroic bearing and imposing momentum unmatched. Zong Ze and Wang Bing, Zhang Shuye and He Guan stood before their respective armies.

Looking at these two powerful armies that were invincible on the Northwest battlefield, Zhong Shidao and the others felt a mix of emotions.

how to say?

Zhong Shidao and others have their own understanding of building a strong military.

They are disciplined, well-trained, highly motivated, and well-equipped.

However, the Divine Machine Left Army and the Divine Machine Right Army before them...

How to describe it?
That's right, the Divine Machine Army was too disciplined, too well-trained, too high-spirited, and too well-equipped, which exceeded their understanding of the army.

More importantly, the Divine Machine Army completely crushed the enemy on the battlefield.

It's like the Shenji Army and other armies, whether Song or enemy, were not from the same era at all.

The Divine Machine Army was equipped with Divine Arm Bows, Thunderclap Bombs, and Tiger Crouching Cannons, which were completely ahead of their time. Any cold weapon that encountered them would be instantly destroyed, as if the wheels of history were relentlessly crushing them without leaving any room for maneuver.

The only saving grace is that the Divine Machine Army is their own army, the epoch-making weapons they wield are their own weapons, and they are about to lead such an army and use such weapons.

Soon, Zong Ze and the others were notified that Zhao Yu and his entourage would arrive shortly and they were ready to receive him.

Zong Ze, Wang Bing, Zhang Shuye, and He Guanling ordered their men to quickly tidy their armor and clothes, and to greet Zhao Yu's arrival with the utmost solemnity.

The atmosphere on the training ground immediately became solemn and dignified, with every soldier's eyes shining with admiration and anticipation for the young emperor.

Then, led by Zong Ze, all the senior generals and supervisors of the Shenji Army came out to greet Zhao Yu's arrival.

Zhao Yu, dressed in a dragon robe but without a crown, stepped slowly into the training ground with an approachable demeanor. Sunlight streamed through the clouds, casting a golden glow upon him, adding to his majesty and sanctity.

Li Lin followed closely behind. Due to her pregnancy, Li Lin now appeared quite plump, but fortunately, this did not affect the heroic spirit revealed between her brows. In addition, the deep impression she had left on Zong Ze and others in the past, such as her proficiency in military affairs, competence, and familiarity with the tactics of the new army, made her someone not to be underestimated.

Upon seeing the emperor, Zong Ze and the others immediately knelt and bowed, their voices resounding in unison: "Your humble servants respectfully welcome Your Majesty's arrival! Long live Your Majesty!"

Zhao Yu raised his hand in a gesture of support, his voice gentle yet firm: "All of you, rise."

Then, Zhao Yu began to inspect the Shenji Army, showing great concern for the soldiers and even touching their uniforms to see if they were warm enough.

Zhao Yu took the initiative to tell Zong Ze and others that he would have Huang Jingchen send a cotton quilt to each member of the Shenji Army later.

Nowadays, cotton quilts have just become popular in Bianliang City. A cotton quilt of ordinary size with medium-thickness cotton filling costs as much as ten strings of cash. If the quality is higher, the filling is thicker, the workmanship is more exquisite, and the decoration is more beautiful, the price will be more than twenty strings of cash.

And yet, with a wave of his hand, Zhao Yu gave each soldier of the Shenji Army one of these precious cotton quilts.

The soldiers of the Shenji Army were all thrilled upon hearing the news.

He then went to the place where the Shenji Army soldiers lived. Seeing that it was rather simple and that some places were even drafty and leaky, Zhao Yu immediately issued an order for the Ministry of Works to send people to repair the houses for the Shenji Army and to build a football field and a polo field for the soldiers.

Next, Zhao Yu went to see what the Shenji Army soldiers were eating.

After reviewing the instructions, Zhao Yu specifically instructed that the soldiers of the Shenji Army must have a balanced diet of meat and vegetables, with plenty of oil and fat, and even the auxiliary soldiers must be well-fed.

Zhao Yu also looked at the purchase list posted at the camp gate and carefully calculated the total amount. He even called Li Yan and Yang Jian over and asked them to report the prices in Kaifeng Prefecture.

Seeing that no one dared to tamper with the food of the Divine Machine Army, Zhao Yu finally let go of eating this piece.

Zhao Yu's actions warmed the hearts of the Shenji Army soldiers like never before. Their eyes shone not only with admiration, but also with deep emotion and a determination to serve to the death. Every soldier deeply felt that this young emperor was not a distant and aloof monarch, but someone who genuinely cared about their hardships and kept their well-being in mind.

As Zong Ze and the others witnessed this scene, they felt even greater awe for Zhao Yu. They knew that a monarch who could be so considerate of his soldiers would surely win the loyalty and support of the army, and they were no exception.

After inspecting the army, Zhao Yu led the Shenji Army to the Privy Council.

Here, Zong Ze and his companions experienced an unprecedented shock...

……

(End of this chapter)