Chapter 65 Bao Si (Thirteen) Taking the Blame

The morning mist in the Qiongtai Palace was like a layer of gauze, wrapping around the copper bells on the window lattices. When the wind blew, the tiny sounds of the bells were accompanied by a hint of coolness.

Lin Jiaojiao was awakened by a rapid electronic sound. It was more humming than usual, evidently the result of the palace's overloaded surveillance system operating overnight. "Jiaojiao, King You of Zhou summoned his ministers to a side hall last night. Because envoys from Qi and Lu objected to the increased 'defense tax,' he smashed a jade cup on the spot and told General Li, the commander of the imperial guards, 'How dare the princes interfere in my affairs? I must show them who is truly the ruler of the Western Zhou Dynasty.' According to lip reading analysis, he also intended to light the beacon fires on Mount Li as planned."

She sat up suddenly, and the quilt slipped off, revealing the light blue indentation on her forearm left by staying up late to sort out the secret letters last night.

The pale blue light and shadow suspended in front of the desk was much dimmer than before, and the edges were even a little blurred, like mist that would dissipate at any time.

"He hasn't given up yet?" Lin Jiaojiao frowned, her fingertips unconsciously clenching the silk cloth embroidered with orchids beside the pillow. This was embroidered by A'mo himself, with fine stitches, but now it was deformed by her grip.

Yesterday, the envoys of the princes had just argued in the court, and today King You of Zhou wanted to use beacon fires to establish his authority. The stubbornness of this foolish king was far worse than that of Emperor Xin whom she met in the chapter on Daji.

"What's even more troublesome is," Zero's light and shadow swayed with difficulty, projecting a blurry image of the side hall of the palace last night.

King You of Zhou, dressed in a dark robe, paced restlessly through the halls. His attendants stood hunched beside him, not daring to utter a single breath. "If I were to light a beacon fire, those old ministers would surely use the 'Dog Rong threat' to stop me!"

King You of Zhou suddenly stopped in his tracks, a sinister glint in his eyes. "How about... let Lady Si accompany me to Mount Li, and say we're holding the celebration 'to win my smile.' Even if the princes and ministers are dissatisfied, they'll only blame Lady Si for 'harming the country and misleading the ruler,' not me!"

Lin Jiaojiao looked at King You of Zhou's sinister profile in the light and shadow, her heart sinking, even her fingertips feeling cold. "He actually wants me to take the blame! Ling, is there any news from Yijiu? How long will it take for the border troops to return to Haojing?"

She recalled Yijiu's eyes before he left, which were filled with worry and instructions. If she was really labeled as a "troublemaker", Yijiu would also be implicated at the border.

"Yijiu has just put down a small-scale invasion by the Quanrong and is currently comforting the people living on the border. He needs to redeploy the defense before he can set off." The light and shadow projected a map of the border garrison's deployment, with red dots marking the cities that needed to be defended.

"Based on their marching speed, it would take at least ten days to reach Haojing. King You of Zhou clearly calculated that Yijiu would be unable to return to support them, which is why he acted so recklessly. Furthermore, although Guo Shifu was imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, he sent a secret letter to King You of Zhou through his trusted messenger who delivered food. It read, 'If Lady Si is involved in the beacon fire incident, her reputation will be completely ruined, and the old ministers will no longer trust her. Then no one will be able to stop the king.'"

Lin Jiaojiao quickly stood up, walked barefoot on the cold floor, and walked to the bronze mirror to comb her long hair.

The woman in the mirror looked a little pale, but her eyes were still clear, though there was a hint of fatigue that was barely noticeable in her eyes.

She picked up a mahogany comb and slowly combed through her black hair, her thoughts racing. "I can't refuse outright, or else King You of Zhou will immediately be displeased and might even hold the celebration prematurely. I can only buy time until Yijiu returns, then join forces with the old ministers and the Marquis of Shen to force him to relinquish power. Ling, can you find out when King You of Zhou plans to go to Mount Li? Are there any specific details about the preparations?"

"We've scanned King You of Zhou's personal eunuch, Li Dequan, overseeing the renovation of the Lishan Palace. The tentative completion date is five days from now."

The light and shadows brightened slightly, and the blurring around the edges lessened, evidently recovering some of its energy after retrieving new data. "Li Dequan is still purchasing silk and jewelry, claiming he's creating a 'celebration dress' for you. In reality, he wants you to stand out in front of the other princes, making it easier to pin the blame of 'harming the country' on you. The next two weeks are crucial. We need to ally with Taishi Bo, Marquis Shen, and even secure the support of some of the Imperial Guards commanders to ensure a foolproof abdication."

Lin Jiaojiao had just changed into a lavender dress, a color she had chosen on purpose. It retained the dignity of a royal lady, but wasn't as eye-catching as red.

From outside the palace came the eunuch's shrill announcement: "Madam Si, the king requests you to come to the main palace immediately to discuss important matters concerning the celebration preparations." She took a deep breath, gently pinched the hem of her skirt with her fingertips, suppressing her anxiety. She said to A'mo, "Bring the 'Celebration Preparation List' on my desk, and we will go to meet the king."

On the way to the main palace, the ginkgo leaves on both sides of the palace road had just turned yellow. After being wetted by the morning mist, they fell on the bluestone slabs, like a layer of broken gold.

The guards saw Lin Jiaojiao's calm expression and their eyes followed her subconsciously - the lavender skirt made her skin look even whiter. She walked with ease, and the hem of her skirt gently swept the ground, making even the morning mist around her seem a little gentler.

The heating in the main palace was burning very brightly, and the air was filled with the smell of ambergris, which was a bit choking.

King You of Zhou was sitting in the main seat, playing with a mutton-fat jade pendant that Guo Shifu had given him earlier. It was engraved with the words "Long Live the King".

Seeing Lin Jiaojiao come in, he immediately showed a deliberate smile on his face, but his tone was strong and unyielding: "My beloved concubine is here? I have seen that you are always frowning recently, and I want to take you to Mount Li to relax. In half a month, I will hold a 'Beacon Fire Celebration' in Mount Li, so that all the princes can come to witness the prosperity of the Western Zhou Dynasty and make my beloved concubine happy. How about it?" As he spoke, he deliberately placed the jade pendant on the table, his eyes fixed on Lin Jiaojiao's reaction, as if to confirm whether she would refuse.

Lin Jiaojiao sneered inwardly, but feigned surprise on the surface. Her eyes curved slightly, as if filled with starlight. "Your Majesty is thoughtful. I thank you for your concern. However, the 'Beacon Fire Festival' concerns the dignity of the royal family and requires careful preparation. For example, new ritual vessels must be customized, and they must conform to the regulations of Zhou Li, without the slightest error. We must also arrange food and lodging for the princes in advance. The guest rooms in the Lishan Palace need to be renovated, and the bedding must be replaced with new silk. Most importantly, we need to notify the various vassal states ten days in advance to give them ample time to arrive. If it is held hastily, the princes may feel that Your Majesty does not attach enough importance to it, which will in turn undermine Your Majesty's dignity."

She listed the preparation items and the time required, and each item was reasonable and there was no room for error.

King You of Zhou took the list and glanced at it briefly. Seeing that it was all about matters "for the sake of the royal dignity," his expression softened considerably and he nodded repeatedly. "My beloved concubine, you are so thoughtful! I will give you two weeks to prepare. Make sure the celebration is a grand one, so that the princes can witness my majesty!"

He was completely unaware of Lin Jiaojiao's intention to delay. He just thought that "letting the beauty prepare the celebration" was both reasonable and could shut up the old ministers. Even if Tai Shibo and others objected, they could still say "it was Madam Si who wanted to make it grand."

Lin Jiaojiao knelt and saluted, her skirt falling to the ground like a blooming purple flower: "I obey your order and will make good preparations to live up to your expectations."

When she left the main palace, a thin layer of sweat had broken out on her back, and her undergarment was soaked. The first step of the delaying plan was successful. The next thing to do was to unite all the forces that could be united within half a month and not give King You of Zhou any chance to counterattack.

After returning to Qiongtai Palace, Lin Jiaojiao immediately asked Ah Jing to invite Tai Shi Bo, and specifically instructed her: "Tell Tai Shi Bo that 'the celebration preparations have encountered difficulties and we need to discuss the details of the ceremony with him'. Don't let outsiders notice anything unusual."

Then she asked Ling to contact Shen Hou's secret envoy. Shen Hou had a secret contact point in Haojing, located in a cloth shop in the south of the city, which was run by his distant nephew.

Zero's shadow hovered above the table, projecting a map of the power distribution in Haojing, with each faction marked in different colors. "Taishi Bo has contacted three veteran officials: Duke Zhao, who oversees the classics; Duke Yin, who oversees justice; and Duke Rui, who manages the people's livelihood. They all clearly oppose the beacon fire and are willing to participate in forcing the emperor to abdicate. Marquis Shen's private soldiers in Haojing have grown to two thousand, disguised as cloth shop employees and farm tenants, awaiting our signal. General Li, the commander of the imperial guards, may be loyal to King You of Zhou, but his family lost fifty acres of fertile land outside the city due to Guo Shifu's corruption. He privately harbors dissatisfaction with King You of Zhou, so perhaps we can win him over."

"Winning over General Li is crucial." Lin Jiaojiao tapped her fingertips on the table, making a crisp sound. "The Imperial Guards control the defense of the palace. If he sides with us, we'll have less resistance when we try to force the emperor to abdicate. Ling, can you find out about his family's current situation? Where do his wife and children live now? Are they having a hard time? If we can help him resolve his land issue, perhaps we can keep him neutral, or at least not obstruct us when we try to force the emperor to abdicate."

"We've checked the palace's household registration system and found that General Li's wife and children live in Lijiazhuang, outside of Haojing City. Their land has been seized by Zhang Guanshi, a close confidant of Guo Shifu. Zhang Guanshi has also rented out the fertile land to his relatives, leaving General Li's family with only two acres of meager land, barely enough to make ends meet."

The light and shadow projected a map of Lijiazhuang, clearly marking the location of General Li's home and Steward Zhang's residence. "The Marquis of Shen has spies at the farm. We can ask them to help reclaim the land and return it to him in the name of 'Tai Shi Bo and other veteran ministers.' We'll also include evidence of Steward Zhang's corruption. This will let him know we're not plotting a rebellion, but simply want to stop King You of Zhou and avenge him."

Lin Jiaojiao nodded, picked up a pen and wrote a secret letter, and handed it to Shen Hou's contact person: "Tell Shen Hou that after taking back the land, don't make it public, and quietly send the land deed to General Li's mansion, and say that 'the old ministers have found out the truth and seek justice for him'. Remember not to mention my name, so as not to arouse King You of Zhou's suspicion." The contact person took the secret letter, carefully hid it in his sleeve, and quickly left the Qiongtai Palace.