Chapter 37 Daji (IV) Change
Emperor Xin acted decisively. Lin Jiaojiao's words of "big garden" with innocent yearning were like a stone thrown into the lake, causing huge ripples in his heart.
Building an unprecedented "Garden of Beasts" would not only win the beauty's smile, but also demonstrate his majesty and courage as the King of Shang. Once this idea came to mind, it quickly expanded and became his new "great achievement."
The next day, Emperor Xin announced his intention to build the Garden of Beasts at a court meeting. The site was chosen to be a vast mountainous and forested area in the northern garden of the royal palace, which was surrounded by mountains and rivers and had an open terrain.
He ordered the mobilization of a large number of craftsmen and laborers to collect rare and exotic animals from all over the world, and to make sure that the Zoo was built into an unprecedented wonder.
Naturally, some veteran officials in the imperial court were worried and tactfully advised that this move would be a waste of money and manpower and might lose the support of the people.
But Emperor Xin was so caught up in the excitement of his grand ambitions and his desire to please his beauties that he couldn't listen. With a wave of his hand, he rebuked those who advised him, even temporarily dismissing some of the most vocal ones as a sign of his resolve.
For a time, the government and the public were shocked, but no one dared to touch him again.
When the news reached Zhaixing Pavilion, Lin Jiaojiao was sitting by the window, staring blankly at several newly transplanted exotic flowers in the courtyard. The female slave carefully reported the movement outside, with a hint of imperceptible worry in her tone.
[Zero… he really gave the order…] Lin Jiaojiao whispered in her heart, a hint of uneasiness in her heart. [Did I… do something wrong?]
"It's a fait accompli. There's no need to regret." Ling's voice remained calm, as solid as a rock. "Don't worry. According to established history, Emperor Xin should be living a dissolute life and increasing taxes. Your proposal to build the Garden of Beasts is a far better solution than what happened before. He's now focused on it, and the casualty rate is plummeting. If you're worried, you can try improving the treatment of the craftsmen and laborers."
[Improve my treatment?] Lin Jiaojiao was a little confused. [What should I do?]
"Use your influence." Ling's voice was full of clear guidance. "Make demands on him, Jiaojiao, and smile once in a while."
Lin Jiaojiao seemed to be lost in thought.
A few days later, when Emperor Xin came to Zhaixing Pavilion with great interest and described the grand blueprint of the Beast Garden to her, Lin Jiaojiao showed great interest at the right time.
She opened her clear eyes, and with a hint of innocent curiosity, she asked softly, "Thank you for your hard work, Your Majesty. Building such a large garden must be exhausting. By the way, those craftsmen who built the garden... where do they live? What do they eat?"
Her questions were innocent, like an innocent child concerned with the details behind new things.
Emperor Xin was slightly stunned.
He had never thought about these things. In his eyes, craftsmen and servants were just tools to complete his grand vision. Their life and death and hardships were not within his consideration. But looking at Lin Jiaojiao's pure eyes with a hint of worry, the remaining "kindness" in his heart, which perhaps had never existed before, was slightly touched.
"My beloved concubine is kind-hearted." Emperor Xin held her hand, his tone perfunctory and soothing, "I will take care of everything. Don't worry."
"But..." Lin Jiaojiao lightly frowned, her voice soft and sticky with a hint of stubborn "innocence". "I heard that when the palace was being built, people often fell ill from exhaustion, and some didn't have enough to eat. The Garden of Beasts is the king's hard work for me. If the craftsmen get sick or don't have enough to eat, they won't have the energy to work, and what if the garden doesn't look good? Especially if it delays the construction schedule, it would be bad to just make the king angry. Besides, I also want to see the Garden of Beasts that the king has built soon."
Her words were innocent, even with a bit of childish worry, but they cleverly touched on two of Emperor Xin's weaknesses: one was Daji's concern for him, and the other was the coquettish tone that followed, which made him particularly happy. As soon as he heard it, he felt that Daji really liked the Zoo of Beasts he gave her. It seemed that he cherished Daji, and Daji was not without reaction to him. I knew that my charm was irresistible.
Emperor Xin frowned slightly, then relaxed. He laughed heartily and patted Lin Jiaojiao's hand, "My beloved concubine is right! My zoo must be perfect, so how can the craftsmen be negligent? Very well! I will issue an order now!"
He immediately summoned the eunuchs and dictated his order: "I hereby decree that the daily rations of the craftsmen and laborers building the Zoo be doubled. Their sheds must be sheltered from the wind and rain and covered with hay. They are allowed one day off every ten days. A doctor will also be assigned to take turns on duty. Any injuries or illnesses will be treated promptly. Anyone found exploiting or withholding their wages will be severely punished!"
As soon as the decree was issued, the officials and eunuchs in charge of supervising the construction looked at each other and groaned in their hearts. This decree meant huge additional expenses and more cumbersome management, but no one dared to disobey Emperor Xin, especially when he was in the mood to make a beautiful woman smile.
When the news reached the construction site, it was like a drop of water thrown into boiling oil, causing an instant uproar.
The artisans and servants, who were originally numb and exhausted, like zombies, could hardly believe their ears when they heard the decree. Double rations? Rest? Someone to take care of injuries? These were things they couldn't even dream of.
"Sumei! It was Sumei who asked for favors from the king!"
"Su Meiren has a kind heart like a bodhisattva!"
"Thank goodness! The Sumerians saved us!"
“…”
The construction site was bustling with activity. For the first time, hope shone in the eyes of the craftsmen, no longer lifeless. They spontaneously knelt in the direction of the Zhaixing Pavilion, muttering to themselves, filled with heartfelt gratitude. The reputation of Su Meiren for her kindness and benevolence spread quickly among the palace people and craftsmen at the lower level, as if it had wings.
Lin Jiaojiao was in the Zhaixing Pavilion and quickly learned about the outside reactions from Ling's "information broadcast".
"Artisan group: Gratitude has increased significantly. Reputation among the lower classes: Significant improvement. 'Whitewashing' progress: +5%." Zero's voice calmly reported the data.
"Are they... thanking me? It was clearly me who asked Emperor Xin to build the Garden of Beasts." Lin Jiaojiao felt an indescribable wave of mixed emotions. She'd only mentioned it casually, even with a bit of selfish intent to distract Emperor Xin, but she hadn't expected this to happen. Those people she'd never met had their lives improved because of her few words... This made her feel... warm? And a strange... sense of power?
"The effect is remarkable." Ling's voice was filled with a subtle affirmation. "Jiaojiao, you did a great job."
A few days later, at Ling's "suggestion," Lin Jiaojiao "accidentally" mentioned this to Emperor Xin again: "Your Majesty, I heard... some of the animals are injured, and some are frightened and sick. It would be bad if the construction of the Zoo was delayed. Moreover, if they are seriously ill, the princes will probably laugh at you behind your back. I don't want you to be laughed at. You know so much, no one can compare. Can you think of a solution?"
Emperor Xin was already agonizing over how to care for the endless stream of rare and exotic birds and beasts that were being sent to him. Upon hearing this, he immediately made a decision: "My beloved consort, you are absolutely right. I naturally have a solution. I will issue an order immediately to recruit talented individuals who know how to tame birds and beasts. We will establish a 'Beast Garden Department' to specifically care for the exotic beasts in the gardens! The salary will be generous!"
"Your Majesty, you are truly amazing." Upon hearing this, Lin Jiaojiao naturally began to praise Emperor Xin. Emperor Xin was so proud of her praise that he even boasted, "My beloved concubine is intelligent. If you have any other requests, just tell me."
"Jiaojiao, smile." Ling reminded.
Lin Jiaojiao paused, then immediately smiled at Emperor Xin, looking at him with admiration. "Your Majesty, you are so kind to me. I am so lucky to have met you..."
"My beloved concubine is kind-hearted..." Emperor Xin was almost confused by her words. Originally, the construction of the Garden of Beasts was the top priority, and now it is even more so.
The establishment of the Menagerie not only solved the problem of animal placement, but also created a number of new, technically demanding positions, providing new outlets for palace servants who were previously only able to do manual labor.
As the project progressed, Lin Jiaojiao, under Ling's guidance, "inadvertently" made a few small suggestions:
"Your Majesty, if we could plant more trees in the garden, would it be cooler in the summer?"
"I saw some craftsmen with cracked hands... they looked so painful..."
"I heard that the birds sent from the west like to play by the water..."
Each of her suggestions was like a stone thrown into the water, causing ripples in Emperor Xin's heart and eventually turning into decrees to improve the treatment of craftsmen and laborers or the welfare of animals.
Although Emperor Xin's original intention was only to satisfy her "novel" desires and "kind" image, objectively, it did greatly improve the situation of the lower-class workers.
The atmosphere at the construction site of the Zoo changed quietly.
Although the project is huge and still hard work, the craftsmen have hope.
They have enough to eat, have time to rest, have someone to take care of their injuries, and even have simple protection.
More importantly, they had someone to be grateful to - the kind-hearted Sumerian who lived in Zhaixing Pavilion.
"The Sumerians are truly living Bodhisattvas!"
"If it weren't for the Sumerians, we would have died of exhaustion!"
"Work! Work hard! We can't let the Sumerians down!"
“…”
Gratitude turned into motivation, and the craftsmen spontaneously worked harder, and the project progressed faster than expected.
Although the officials supervising the construction were worried about the expenses, they were happy to go along with the project as it went smoothly and Emperor Xin was satisfied. They were even more in awe of Lin Jiaojiao.
Lin Jiaojiao would occasionally, accompanied by Emperor Xin, ride in a sedan chair to "inspect" the construction site from a distance. When she saw the craftsmen sweating profusely but with their eyes no longer numb, and the garden that was beginning to take shape, the uneasiness in her heart was gradually replaced by a strange sense of satisfaction.
[Zero, that's great.] She looked at the busy scene in the distance and asked in her heart.
"Jiaojiao." Ling's voice was gentle and affirmative. "You're doing great. Your influence is changing the fate of some people. The label of 'troublemaker' is being replaced by 'kindness'."
Lin Jiaojiao's lips curled up slightly, revealing a shallow but genuine smile. The sunlight shone on her beautiful profile, and her long eyelashes cast fan-shaped shadows under her eyes. That beauty was pure and untainted by dust, with a warm light that came from the heart.
Emperor Xin sat beside her and looked at the smile on her lips. He felt extremely satisfied. He thought she was happy about the upcoming construction of the Zoo, but he didn't know what she was thinking.
"As long as my beloved concubine likes it!" Emperor Xin said with a proud smile, "When the Garden of Beasts is completed, I will tour it with you and see all the rare treasures in the world!"
Lin Jiaojiao turned her head and gave him a dependent and sweet smile: "Thank you, Your Majesty. I am looking forward to it."
Her smile was like the warm spring sun, instantly melting Emperor Xin's heart. He held her hand tightly, his eyes filled with longing for the future and obsession with the person in front of him.
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