You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 24 The Emperor's Bedmate

The emperor of the Song Dynasty spent the night in a brothel.

Emperor Huizong of Tang, who was in his forties, still looked very young, with eyes full of vitality.

He was utterly worthless as emperor, a sinner for all time, but he wasn't bad-tempered, was kind-hearted, and possessed a high level of artistic appreciation and expression.

People often say that if he had lived in another dynasty, he wouldn't have caused such great harm.

This is pure nonsense. Given Zhao Ji's nature, even if the country were to be placed in a prosperous era, it wouldn't be enough for him to wreak havoc.

Zhao Ji was frivolous, which was one thing, but his lack of care for the people's strength, his complete lack of experience among the common people, and his extreme selfishness were the root causes of the disaster he caused.

Moreover, by a twist of fate, he also possessed an ability to influence the court that previous emperors of the Zhao Song dynasty had never had.

At this very moment, Emperor Huizong of Tang, Zhao Ji, was in the small building where Li Shishi lived on Maqian Street, watching Li Shishi combing her hair in front of the mirror.

Li Shishi was a clean freak. Although the hygiene standards of the Song Dynasty were already the best in the world, it was still rare to see someone like Li Shishi who bathed every day.

Even most princesses didn't bathe as frequently as she did, which is somewhat similar to Yang Guifei, who loved soaking in hot springs. Unfortunately, Emperor Huizong of Tang was not as good as Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.

Although she didn't have Yang Yuhuan's fate, she couldn't even enter the palace and get a title, let alone be favored as an empress.

However, being the emperor's person, he was very particular about his spending.

For example, the charcoal used to heat water for bathing cannot be coal; it must be the finest fine ash charcoal, which is heated together with incense in the bathtub.

In this day and age, people are throwing in all sorts of skincare products and rose essential oils as if they're free.

Taking a bath like this every day is a huge expense, but when you think about who's really supporting her, it becomes insignificant.

Although Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) was lustful, he was not the kind of lustful person who was base or vulgar.

He admired women who were both talented and beautiful. Tonight, he and several of his favorite ministers spent the night singing, dancing, composing lyrics, drinking, and playing drinking games.

After taking a bath, Li Shishi sat in front of her dressing table waiting for her hair to air dry. Her long, shiny hair fell to one side, revealing her slender, fair neck.

Looking at her reflection in the bronze mirror with eyes as clear as spring water, Li Shishi felt a touch of pride. Her beauty was indeed first-rate, especially the alluring and mature charm she had developed in recent years, which was truly captivating.

Her figure and appearance were beautiful and alluring in every way. Her body was slender, her legs were straight, and her hair was perky. What was especially remarkable were her captivating eyes, with upturned corners and a sparkle in them.

With the beauty mark at the corner of her eye, she instantly evokes feelings of pity and tenderness. If she were to deliberately act coquettish and charming, few men in the world could resist her.

Unfortunately, despite his mature body, he could only spend each night alone in his empty room. Logically, Zhao Ji should have had plenty of energy, but he had hundreds of concubines in his harem, and he took in new women every few days.

Most of the time, people come here just to have fun, and some even deliberately put themselves out there to dance, seeking a unique thrill from the amazement and fascination of the people below.

In the outer chamber, the emperor, Cai You, Wang Fu, and others laughed licentiously. Wang Fu, in particular, had been particularly eager to curry favor with the emperor lately, even sending many gifts to the emperor himself.

Sable fur coats and silk fabrics, pearls from the south and north, zithers and lutes, as well as various lamps, rare teas, famous drinks, gold hairpins to ward off the cold, dancing phoenix mirrors, golden dragon incense burners, Duanxi phoenix beak inkstones, jade brushes, Shanxi silk-patterned paper, jade-colored coral hooks, and so on.

Li Shishi knew he must have something to ask for, probably another promotion. Having received bribes, she was happy to say a few kind words in his favor, but she only touched on the subject briefly, and always said it when Wang Fu was around.

Let him know that if he takes the benefits, he will do things for him, so that he can receive these benefits continuously.

Li Shishi was very aware of potential crises. She knew that the emperor was not a man of lasting affection, and she had to build up a sufficient fortune, because who knew when he might suddenly stop coming?

The emperor came here to enjoy a unique pleasure. The courtesans and dancers in the palace were better at singing and dancing, and the wine was of higher quality. But after a while, he would get tired of it.

After they arrived, they often stayed up all night, partying every night, but Li Shishi never did that.

The older women in the courtyard had told her long ago that people who don't sleep age very quickly.

Just as I was about to lie down, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a flustered-looking young girl entered.

"Miaomiao, what's wrong?" "Miss, something terrible has happened!"

"What exactly happened?" Li Shishi asked, dissatisfied.

"Master, Master, he..."

"What happened to my dad?"

"They've been killed! They've all been killed!"

Li Shishi's eyes rolled back, and she nearly fainted from the shock and anger.

While Zhao Ji, Cai You, Wang Fu, and others were drinking and making merry outside, they suddenly heard a heart-wrenching cry.
-
Bianliang City.

The Southern and Northern Offices, the Left and Right Military Patrol Offices, the Bianhe River Patrol Office, and the Imperial City Office were all bustling with activity.

The emperor was furious and ordered a thorough investigation into a family massacre.

When Chen Shao went to report to the Japanese army, he overheard the guards below discussing this matter.

He silently kept it in mind; the family annihilation case that Chun Tao had mentioned seemed to have been added to his list.

This made Chen Shao somewhat alert. Could it be that he had been inexplicably involved in a major case with such a commotion?
The Pengri Army, formerly known as the "Iron Cavalry Army," was an elite cavalry unit of the Later Zhou Dynasty's Palace Guard. It was one of the Three Imperial Guards, responsible for the emperor's personal guards and entourage.

The duties of the palace and the capital city police included guarding the beacon towers, monitoring roads, and managing water and vegetation.

Of course, during the founding of the Zhao state, because he often personally led troops into battle, he also had the duty of accompanying the Japanese army on their expeditions.

The first generation of the Japanese-supporting army had also seen battle, and were among the elite of the elite. Together with the Tianwu Army (infantry), the Longwei Army (cavalry), and the Shenwei Army (infantry), they were known as the "Upper Four Armies," representing the highest combat strength of the Northern Song Dynasty's imperial guards.

Later, during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of Song, he personally led an expedition and fought against the Liao people.

After that, the Japanese troops never left Bianliang again.

Chen Shao had a total of 600 men under his command. His superior, the Commander of the Palace Guard, was also promoted by Tong Guan, so he was very kind and warm to Chen Shao.

After explaining the details to him, I had my subordinates take him to report for duty.

Chen Shao, dressed in flashy silver soft armor and holding a thick, long halberd that looked imposing but had no practical combat ability, arrived at the outer city of the palace.

The emperor's personal guards naturally had to maintain appearances, so their armor was made of fine silk and brocade, and their turbans, robes, and boots were all of the finest quality in terms of materials and workmanship.

When Chen Shao arrived at the courtyard where the Japanese army commander's office was located, several military academy officers immediately gathered around and greeted him with smiles.

Chen Shao didn't put on airs; he was praising the Japanese army as gilded and destined to return to the Northwest sooner or later.

When Tong Guan was in charge of personnel, he would definitely make good use of his young officers to divide the power of the Western Army and dismantle its deeply entrenched military families.

Just then, the first snow of early winter began to fall outside.

After the snow, the palace gardens resembled jade palaces and towering buildings. The magnificent palaces were all covered in white snow, with only a corner of their golden splendor occasionally peeking out. The rest of the palaces were hidden in a blanket of white, and even the ridge beasts on the eaves of the buildings looked like carved jade sculptures.

Chen Shaohe and a group of officers who flattered the Japanese army sat around a bronze stove, chatting idly with their subordinates.

As they brought up the massacre case again, one of them said mysteriously, "Do you know why this case alarmed the Imperial City Guard?"

The people around him looked at him, which made the captain somewhat proud. He lowered his voice and said, "This family that died is quite something. Their daughter is the one who secretly met with our official through the tunnel."

"Nonsense, that person's surname wasn't Li, the family that died was surnamed Wu."

"Hey, what do you know? This line of work isn't honorable. Nobody actually uses the name given to them by their parents."

(End of this chapter)