Chapter 67: Bao Si (15) Playing Tricks on the Princes with Beacon Fires

In the morning light at the foot of Mount Li, King You of Zhou's carriage was moving slowly forward.

The dark gold line reflected a dazzling light in the sunlight. He placed one hand on the car window, looking at the people kneeling along the way, with a smile on his lips full of complacency.

Lin Jiaojiao sat beside him. The golden jade dress she was forced to wear felt so heavy on her shoulders, the jewels embellished on her skin hurt, and her face was paler than the pearls on the dress.

"Look, my beloved," King You of Zhou pointed to the towering beacon tower in the distance, his tone full of boasting. "Once I light the beacon, the princes will surely ride here overnight. When they discover it's just a celebration for you, they will surely be even more awed by my majesty!"

He completely ignored the silk handkerchief clenched tightly between Lin Jiaojiao's fingertips. His mind was filled with the pleasure of "playing with the princes", as if this would allow him to regain the face that had been suppressed by the court officials and princes in recent days.

Lin Jiaojiao didn't respond, her eyes fixed on the farmland passing by the car window. The autumn harvest had just passed, but there were no grains drying on the ridges of the fields. Only a few skinny farmers with pale faces were picking up the leftover rice ears.

The pale blue shadow of Zero, hidden within her wide sleeves, gently brushed against her wrist, conveying a reassuring electronic voice: "Yijiu's three thousand elite soldiers have ambushed the dense forests flanking the Lishan Palace. Marquis Shen's private soldiers, disguised as tenants, have taken control of the beacon tower guards. Taishi Bo, allied with Duke Zhao and Duke Yin, has arrived at the palace ahead of time with envoys from the various princes, awaiting King You's order to light the beacons and launch an attack on the spot."

When the carriage arrived at the Lishan Palace, a red carpet had already been laid outside the gilded palace gate.

As King You of Zhou stepped off the carriage on the eunuch's back, he saw a cloud of dust on the official road in the distance. The princes' convoy had arrived three days earlier than the scheduled time. His smile froze instantly, his brows knitted together, and his tone was full of dissatisfaction: "What's going on? I clearly told Li Dequan to notify them to arrive in three days, why are they here today?"

The eunuch Li Dequan beside him bowed quickly, his voice trembling with flattery: "Your Majesty, perhaps the princes are grateful for your benevolence and majesty, and want to come to you in advance to express their loyalty and add color to the celebration..."

"Loyal?" King You of Zhou sneered and kicked Li Dequan on the knee, watching him stagger to his knees. "A bunch of people eager to take credit have come so early. My ritual vessels have not been laid out yet, and the songs and dances have not been rehearsed. Wouldn't they be laughing at me?" He didn't realize at all that the early arrival of the princes was arranged by Lin Jiaojiao and Taishi Bo - just to catch him off guard and prevent him from using the excuse of "preparing for the celebration."

Lin Jiaojiao followed behind King You of Zhou, watching him pace impatiently in front of the palace hall, his skirt sweeping across the moss on the steps, leaving a dark mark.

The shadow of Ling flickered gently within her sleeve. "The envoys of the princes are already waiting in the hall. Yijiu, in armor, stands behind the pillar to the left of the hall entrance. He holds the evidence you compiled earlier that King You of Zhou favored Guo Shifu and embezzled taxes. We only need to wait for King You of Zhou to order the beacon fires to be lit, and then we can force the palace as planned."

Sure enough, as soon as King You of Zhou stepped into the hall, he was shocked by the scene inside.

Tai Shi Bo, Zhao Gong and other old ministers were dressed in court robes and stood in an orderly manner on the left.

The envoys from Qi, Lu, Jin, Qin and other vassal states stood on the right side, holding talismans, their eyes full of solemnity;

Yijiu was wearing black armor and a sword at his waist. He stood in the most conspicuous position in the hall, looking at him firmly, without any of his usual submissiveness.

"Why are you here? Who told you to come early?" King You of Zhou's voice was filled with anger, and he pointed at everyone in the palace. "I haven't given the order for the celebration yet, and you have trespassed into the palace without permission. Are you trying to disobey my order?"

Taishi Bo stepped forward first, holding a scroll of bamboo slips in his hand. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the envoys from the princes have heard that you intend to use beacon fires for your celebration and have come to dissuade you. Beacons are the lifeblood of military intelligence. Since the time of our ancestor, King Wen, they have only been lit in times of invasion by the Quanrong or when the royal family is in danger. Now, you are playing tricks on the princes to please a beautiful woman. If the Quanrong actually invade in the future, the princes will lose their trust. Wouldn't the Western Zhou Dynasty be destroyed in your hands?"

"Admonish me?" King You of Zhou laughed in anger. He reached out and ripped off the jade pendant from his waist, throwing it hard on the ground. "What does my celebration have to do with you? Anyone who dares to say another word will be sentenced to death for treason!"

At this moment, the Duke of Qi's envoy stepped forward and slammed the talisman in his hand to the ground with a dull thud. "Your Majesty! You favored Guo Shifu, allowing him to embezzle taxes and seize the people's land. Thousands of refugees have already fled to the outskirts of Haojing. Now you are trying to play tricks on the princes and undermine the royal majesty. You are truly foolish and ruthless! If you insist on this, we will unite the princes of the world and suspend the annual tribute from the Western Zhou Dynasty until you abdicate and allow Crown Prince Yijiu to take over the government!"

"Abdicate and let the wise take over?" King You of Zhou's face turned pale instantly. He staggered back a step, pointing at the envoy of the Duke of Qi, shaking with anger. "You... How dare you force me to abdicate! I am the Son of Zhou, the monarch chosen by heaven. How can I tolerate your presumption?"

Yijiu took a step forward, his armor clinking with a crisp sound. His voice was as steady as a bell. "Father, the princes and old ministers do not intend to force you. However, your actions have endangered the safety of the Western Zhou Dynasty. I implore you to abdicate. I will succeed you. I will surely rectify the government, appease the people, return the trust of the princes, and restore stability to the Western Zhou Dynasty."

As he spoke, he asked his attendant to present a stack of papers - on which were clearly recorded the accounts of Guo Shifu's corruption, the number of refugees, and the evidence that King You of Zhou embezzled military funds to make jewelry. Each sheet was stamped with Taishi Bo's seal, and there was no doubt about it.

"You...you guys..." King You of Zhou looked at the determined eyes of everyone in the hall, and saw the shining weapons in the hands of the soldiers behind Yijiu, and finally realized that he had no way to retreat.

He suddenly turned to look at Lin Jiaojiao, his eyes filled with resentment, like a poisoned knife: "It's all your fault! It's all because of you, this troublemaker, who instigated me to hold the celebration and caused dissatisfaction among the princes! If it weren't for you, how could I have ended up in this situation!"

Lin Jiaojiao finally raised her head, the coldness in her eyes disappeared, and she revealed a relieved smile.

This was the first time since she entered the palace that she let down her guard and smiled sincerely.

The jewels on her golden jade robe reflected her smile, which was even more dazzling than the candlelight in the hall, making everyone in the hall subconsciously stunned.

Even King You of Zhou was stunned for a moment and forgot to continue cursing. He only felt that the woman in front of him was even more dazzling than when he first saw her, but also made him more wary of her.

"Your Majesty," Lin Jiaojiao's voice was gentle, yet like a sharp dagger, piercing King You of Zhou's sore spot, "Haven't you always wanted the princes to witness your majesty? Now that they've arrived, filled with concern for the Western Zhou Dynasty, to offer their advice, why are you so displeased?"

"Bitch! It's all your fault!" King You of Zhou roared in frustration, reaching out to grab Lin Jiaojiao's wrist, but was stopped by Yijiu. Yijiu's eyes were cold: "Father, things have come to this point. You should stop taking your anger out on others and think carefully about abdicating."

King You of Zhou looked at Yijiu's determined eyes, and then saw the cold gazes of everyone in the hall. He finally collapsed to the ground, his hair disheveled and his clothes wrinkled.

The eunuch quickly handed him paper and pen. He took up the pen tremblingly, his vision blurred by tears. Even the four words "Abdication Decree" were written crookedly, the ink smearing half the paper. After finishing the last stroke, he flung the pen to the ground and roared, "I will not accept this! I will not accept this!"

Yijiu picked up the abdication decree, held it high, and said in a loud voice like thunder: "My father has issued the decree of abdication. From now on, I, Ji Yijiu, will succeed to the throne!"

Everyone in the hall knelt in worship, the hems of their court robes spread out on the ground like a dark ocean. "Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

King You of Zhou looked at the scene in front of him, couldn't catch his breath, and fainted.

The eunuchs hurriedly carried him down and placed him in a side hall of the palace. The atmosphere in the hall finally eased.

Yijiu walked up to Lin Jiaojiao and bowed solemnly, his tone filled with gratitude. "Madam Si, today's matter is entirely thanks to your mediation. If it weren't for your stalling for time and contacting various parties, we wouldn't have been able to successfully force the emperor to abdicate. You have made an indelible contribution to the Western Zhou Dynasty's current status."

Lin Jiaojiao smiled and shook her head. She raised her hand and removed the heavy jade robe, revealing the elegant lavender skirt underneath. She felt much more relaxed instantly. "This is the result of everyone's joint efforts. I only contributed a few insignificant things. Now that you have ascended to the throne, the most urgent tasks are to release the virtuous ministers imprisoned by Guo Shifu, return the land to the people, and rectify the border defenses to win back the trust of the princes and the people."

A pale blue shadow of Zero floated out from her sleeves, spinning gently in front of her. The electronic voice was filled with relief: "Jiaojiao, we did it. The situation in Western Zhou has finally stabilized. You can rest assured."

Lin Jiaojiao looked at the light and shadow, her eyes full of warmth: "Yes, we did it."

Three days later, Yijiu held a coronation ceremony in Haojing and was known in history as King Ping of Zhou.

On the first day after ascending the throne, King Ping announced rewards according to merit in the court. He appointed Tai Shi Bo as Tai Fu to assist in government affairs; appointed Shen Hou as Tai Zai, retaining the military power of the Jiang clan; and old ministers such as Zhao Gong and Yingong were also rewarded.

When all the court officials thought the rewards had been given, King Ping looked at Lin Jiaojiao at the palace gate and said solemnly, "Madam Si, you helped the king eliminate treacherous officials, liaise with the princes, and force the emperor to abdicate. You also invented papermaking, which facilitated the transmission of ancient books and military intelligence. You have made great contributions to the country. The king has decreed that you be named 'Marquis of Weiyang' and be granted a hundred-mile fiefdom along the Wei River. This fiefdom will be hereditary and you may appoint your own officials and collect taxes."

The hall fell silent for a moment, and then a low murmur of discussion broke out.

There had never been a precedent in the Western Zhou Dynasty for a woman to be granted a title of nobility, let alone having a hereditary fiefdom. Tai Shi Bo was the first to react, and others thought he was against it.

Unexpectedly, he bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise! Madam Si has made outstanding contributions, and she deserves the title of nobility and the land granted!" With Tai Shi Bo taking the lead, other court officials also echoed, looking at Lin Jiaojiao with eyes full of admiration.

Lin Jiaojiao was also stunned for a moment, then she stepped forward and bowed: "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. I will definitely govern the Weishui fiefdom well, appease the people, and live up to Your Majesty's trust." Her voice was calm, but she could not hide the excitement in her eyes. Weishui was her fiefdom in her previous life, and it was only right that she could go back as the "Marquis of Weiyang" now.

King Ping looked at her, smiled and nodded, "Weishui is a rich and prosperous land in the Western Zhou Dynasty. I am confident that I will leave it to you. If you need it in the future, the palace will fully support you."

After the court session ended, Lin Jiaojiao walked out of the hall. Ling's shadow floated around her, and the electronic voice was filled with joy: "Jiaojiao, we can go back to Weishui now! Not only did you achieve your goal, you also got a fiefdom. From now on, we can plant locust trees all over Weishui and watch the flowers bloom!"

Lin Jiaojiao smiled and nodded, her fingertips lightly touching the light and shadow: "Yes, we can go back, Ling, thank you for always being with me. Without you, I wouldn't be here today."

"We are companions, aren't we?" The light and shadow gently rubbed her fingertips, bringing a warm touch.

A month later, Lin Jiaojiao, along with her confidants including A'mo, Xiaotao, and Ling's light and shadow, headed for the Weishui fiefdom.

The carriage drove along the official road along the banks of the Wei River. The locust trees on both sides were lush and leafy. Although it wasn't blooming yet, one could already imagine the beauty of the blossoming springtime flowers. Lin Jiaojiao leaned against the window, watching children playing and farmers working in the distance, her lips curled up unconsciously.

Ling's shadow floated by the car window, and he looked at the scenery outside with her: "Jiaojiao, we are finally back."

"Yes, I'm back." Lin Jiaojiao responded softly, her heart filled with peace.

She knew that the future of the Western Zhou Dynasty still had a long way to go, and King Ping still needed to deal with the disputes among the princes and the threat of the Quanrong, but she had completed her mission - breaking the fate of "Bao Si's disaster to the country", safeguarding the stability of the Western Zhou Dynasty, and finding her own destination.

The wind from the Wei River blew through the car window, carrying the fragrance of soil.

Lin Jiaojiao closed her eyes, as if she had seen the locust flowers blooming on both sides of the Wei River in spring, and the white petals falling in the courtyard of the fiefdom. She and Ling sat under the locust tree, watching the people live and work in peace and contentment, watching the classics being passed down on paper, and watching the world finally usher in true peace and stability.