Chapter 22: Mei Xi (Twenty-two) Peace and Stability
Lin Jiaojiao leaned weakly against the wall, her body still trembling slightly uncontrollably. Cold sweat soaked her underwear, sticking to her cold skin and bringing waves of chills. The exhaustion of surviving the disaster swept through her body like a tide, almost exhausting her strength to stand. Chun supported her tightly by her side, her little face full of tears and worry.
"Empress, how are you?" Shi Hu's voice was slightly hoarse and concerned. He looked at Lin Jiaojiao's face, which was as pale as paper and covered with cold sweat, and her eyes, which were tightly closed and had tears hanging on her long eyelashes. His heart was filled with fear and relief. If he had not rushed back with supplies in time, the consequences would have been disastrous.
Lin Jiaojiao slowly opened her eyes, those clear eyes now filled with exhaustion and the bewilderment of surviving a catastrophe. She gently shook her head, her voice hoarse and weak, "I'm... fine. General Shi... thank you for your hard work..." Her gaze fell on the corn, herbs, and mud-stained jade on the ground, and a complex wave of emotions welled up in her heart. These supplies were the bargaining chips for her self-rescue, but they were also stained with Ku Ding's blood and... the bloody battle fought by Shi Hu and his men.
"It is my duty!" Shi Hu said in a deep voice, carefully handing Lin Jiaojiao to Chun for support, "The Queen is frightened, help her go in to rest." He then turned to his men, his voice loud but with fatigue, "Inventory the supplies immediately and register them! Send two teams to take turns guarding outside the Queen's palace! No one is allowed to approach without the Queen's order! Especially..." His eyes were fierce.
"Yes!" The soldiers responded in unison and took action immediately. They looked at Lin Jiaojiao with eyes full of awe and gratitude. What happened tonight made them more convinced that this seemingly weak Empress Yuan not only possessed stunning beauty, but also extraordinary wisdom and courage, and was worthy of their swearing to follow.
Lin Jiaojiao, supported by Chun, slowly walked back to the side hall. The hall door closed, shutting out the clamor and the bloody stench outside. She leaned back on the soft couch, and Chun quickly brought her warm water. She sipped, the warm liquid sliding down her dry throat, bringing a hint of warmth, but it couldn't dispel the chill deep in her heart.
Is it over...? She looked at the dancing lights, feeling a bit relieved.
Although the shrill screams coming from the direction of Sikou Mansion were much weaker, they were like a maggot on the tarsal bone, always lingering in her ears, reminding her that the crisis was not really over.
[External Threat (Blood Wolf Guard): Temporarily evacuate. Internal Threat (Si Kou): High (under interrogation). Risk Analysis: Information Leakage (Low). Risk of Involvement: Medium (Si Kou's confession needs to be evaluated).] The system's prompt tone returned to normal, but the analysis results were not optimistic.
Lin Jiaojiao's worries were not unnecessary. She had nothing to do with Zhao Liang and Si Kou's treasonous conspiracy. All she did was to use their own crimes to protect herself - exposing Zhao Liang's treasonous behavior and recovering the materials they had transferred.
She had never participated in, nor was she even aware of, their specific plans. Her only "fault" was perhaps that she was too keenly aware of their misconduct and took decisive action.
But what would Sikou Zhao Qian, this venomous snake captured by the Blood Wolf Guards, reveal under torture? Would he bite indiscriminately, to alleviate his own pain, or out of pure malice? Would he implicate some innocent palace inmates? Would he even... would he smear her attempts to protect some palace servants as bribery and ulterior motives?
Si Kou…does he hate me? Lin Jiaojiao thought of Si Kou's sinister eyes, and a chill ran down her spine. Although she had never witnessed the Blood Wolf Guard's torture methods, she could imagine their cruelty. No one could predict what Si Kou would say under such inhuman torture.
"Chun," Lin Jiaojiao's voice was filled with a hint of fatigue and worry, "go... and see how Concubine Wan and Concubine Yan are doing. Let them... rest in peace and tell them... that everything is fine." She didn't want the two frightened girls to be frightened anymore.
"Yes." Chun responded, looked at Lin Jiaojiao worriedly, and then retreated quietly.
Lin Jiaojiao was the only one left in the hall. She leaned on the couch, looking at the still dark night sky outside the window. The screams from the Sikou Mansion seemed to have completely disappeared, but the dead silence made people even more creepy. The unknown fear, like an invisible shadow, quietly enveloped her.
She couldn't help but recall Kudin's desperate wail as he was dragged away. She wondered what had become of him. Although Kudin had betrayed her first, his decisive act of blocking the knife at the last moment had left a complex mark on her heart. He might not have committed a crime worthy of death, but in the hands of the Blood Wolf Guards... a life worse than death might be a luxury.
And there were also those city defense captains who were bribed by Sikou... those palace maids who were implicated... Lin Jiaojiao's heart was heavy. She had long witnessed Xia Jie's cruelty and the coldness of the Blood Wolf Guards. Once Sikou confessed, these innocent people who were caught in the vortex would probably not escape their fate.
Although she had little friendship with them, the thought that her exposure of Zhao Liang might have indirectly led to their deaths caused a surge in her heart of indescribable heaviness and... a faint sense of guilt.
[Emotional Simulation Unit: Detecting "anxiety" and "guilt" (weak) in the host. Logical Analysis: The host's actions (exposing Zhao Liang) are for self-preservation and loss control (recovering supplies), consistent with survival logic. Risk of Involvement: Objectively present, not the host's subjective intention. Recommendation: No need to overly blame yourself.] The system calmly analyzed, attempting to soothe her emotions.
I know this is not my fault, Lin Jiaojiao responded silently in her heart, but I still don’t want to see more people die because of me. She closed her eyes and rubbed her brows tiredly. In this era where human life is worthless, her compassion seems so pale and powerless.
Time passes slowly in the anxious waiting.
Outside the hall, the soldiers sent by Shi Hu were guarding faithfully. Their footsteps were steady and regular, bringing a faint sense of security. Inside the hall, the firewood in the fire pit gradually burned out, leaving only dark red charcoal fire, emitting faint heat.
After an unknown amount of time, a deliberately quiet sound of footsteps could be heard outside the palace. Shi Hu's voice rang out from outside the door, with a hint of solemnity: "Princess Yuan, I, General Shi Hu, have something to report."
Lin Jiaojiao's heart suddenly tightened. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down: "General Shi, please come in."
Shi Hu pushed the door open and walked in. He was still cold from the night wind, his face stained with blood and fatigue, but his eyes were unusually sharp. He walked to the bed and bowed, "Princess Yuan."
"How?" Lin Jiaojiao's voice contained a subtle hint of nervousness.
Shi Hu said in a deep voice: "Reporting to the Queen, the interrogation of the Blood Wolf Guards... is over."
Lin Jiaojiao's heart was in her throat: "Si Kou...did he confess?"
"He confessed," Shi Hu nodded, his voice low. "Under the Blood Wolf Guard's methods... no one could withstand them." A subtle chill flashed in his eyes, evidently familiar with the tortures inflicted by the Blood Wolf Guard. "He's revealed the names of all his accomplices, including Ku Ding, the city defense captains he bribed, and... the palace servants and eunuchs who relayed messages and moved supplies for him."
Lin Jiaojiao's heart sank. It turned out to be a very wide-ranging issue.
"Then...did he..." She hesitated for a moment, but still asked, "...mentioned anything else?"
Shi Hu raised his head and looked directly at Lin Jiaojiao, his eyes frank and certain. "No! Don't worry, Your Majesty! According to what the Blood Wolf Guards revealed, Si Kou didn't mention anything else in his confession! He admitted to all his crimes—colluding with Zhao Liang, diverting supplies, secretly communicating with the Shang army, and intending to surrender the city! He also gave out all the subordinates who carried out his orders! But... he didn't say a single word against Your Majesty!"
Lin Jiaojiao was stunned. No? He didn't even blame me? This was completely unexpected. She had thought that Si Kou, under torture, would inevitably make random accusations and drag her into the blame. After all, she was the "culprit" who exposed Zhao Liang.
"Why?" Lin Jiaojiao asked subconsciously.
Shi Hu shook his head. "I don't know. Perhaps... it was the interrogation methods of the Blood Wolf Guards that stopped him from speaking nonsense? Perhaps... he knew he was going to die and didn't want to implicate more people? Or perhaps..." He paused, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. "...he also has a little... awe for the Empress in his heart?"
Awe? Lin Jiaojiao smiled bitterly. Would someone like Si Kou be in awe of her? She was more inclined to believe that the Blood Wolf Guards' interrogation was sufficiently "professional" that Si Kou didn't dare to attack her, the "Prince Concubine." Regardless, this was... good news?
"Then... Kuding and the others..." Lin Jiaojiao asked, with a barely perceptible bitterness in her voice.
Shi Hu's face darkened, his voice tinged with coldness. "Master Li, the commander of the Blood Wolf Guard, has ordered that all those who have betrayed their accomplices... be executed immediately! Ku Ding... and those captains, as well as several of Sikou's trusted aides... have already been... executed." He paused, then added, "As for those palace servants and eunuchs who were coerced into passing on the information... Master Li has ordered them to be flogged fifty times and sentenced to hard labor."
Lin Jiaojiao closed her eyes. Although she had expected this, the news of Ku Ding and the others' deaths still brought an indescribable heaviness to her heart. She sighed softly, thinking of those palace servants who had been whipped and forced to do hard labor, who were likely in grave danger in these troubled times.
"Your Majesty," Shi Hu hesitated for a moment as he saw the heavy expression on Lin Jiaojiao's face, then said, "You... don't have to blame yourself. These people either deserved it or were implicated. If Your Majesty hadn't acted decisively to expose Zhao Liang and recover the supplies, the entire royal court would have fallen into the hands of treacherous officials. When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact? The number of casualties... would have been even greater!"
Lin Jiaojiao opened her eyes and looked into Shi Hu's frank and resolute gaze. The faint sense of guilt in her heart eased slightly. Yes... in troubled times, protecting oneself is difficult, so how can one save everyone? She nodded, her voice tinged with fatigue. "I understand. General Shi, you've worked hard too. Go down and rest. Let the guards take turns to rest as well."
"Yes! I'll take my leave!" Shi Hu saluted with his fists, turned around and strode away.
Silence returned to the hall. Lin Jiaojiao leaned on the couch, looking out the window at the sky which was gradually turning pale.
After a terrifying night, it finally passed. Si Kou was executed, his accomplices were wiped out, the supplies were recovered, and her suspicion was temporarily cleared. It seemed... the crisis was over?
However, the string in her heart was not completely relaxed. The warning "Take care of yourself" given by the Blood Wolf Guard leader Li before he left was like a cold brand, deeply engraved in her heart.
Although Sikou didn't attack her, what would the Blood Wolf Guards think? What would King Jie of Xia think? How did she, a concubine "deep in the harem," perceive Zhao Liang's treasonous plot? And how did she accurately recover the diverted supplies? Can all this really be explained away as "coincidence" and "loyalty"?
[External Threat: Temporarily resolved. Potential Risk: Xia Jie's suspicion (increasing). Logic Module: Recommends the host maintain a low profile and consolidate existing gains. Emotion Simulation Unit: ...Redundant data (anxiety, vigilance) increasing...] The system's notification tone carried a hint of worry.
Lin Jiaojiao looked at the sky gradually brightening outside the window, her eyes becoming more profound. The most important thing was to survive no matter what. She took a deep breath and temporarily suppressed all her worries and heaviness.
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