Chapter 46 Daji (Thirteen) God's Blessing
It was just daybreak, and the morning mist covered the entire capital like a veil. Even the bricks and tiles on the palace walls had a hazy coolness.
Lin Jiaojiao stood alone on the highest corner tower of the palace wall. The wind gently blew through the ends of her hair, blowing a few strands of her hair to her cheeks.
She didn't raise her hand to brush it away, but just stared at the official road in the distance that extended out of the city - a simple carriage was slowly driving away, and the sound of the wheels rolling over the road was weakened by the morning mist, and it was faintly heard, and finally disappeared completely at the end of the sight.
That was Ji Chang's carriage.
Last night she specially asked someone to prepare thick cotton quilts and enough dry food for the old man, and also asked Huaiji's female guards to secretly escort him for a while to ensure that he could leave Chaoge safely.
Thinking of Ji Chang's appearance before leaving, Lin Jiaojiao's eyes couldn't help but soften. At that time, she smiled and helped him up, saying it was just a small favor, but her heart seemed to be slowly soaked by warm water, and waves of warmth emerged.
"Ling, do you think he can return to Xiqi safely?" Lin Jiaojiao spoke softly, her voice a little vague due to the wind.
Ever since she traveled through time and became Daji and moved into this magnificent yet cold palace, she always felt like there was an invisible stone pressing on her heart.
When facing Emperor Xin, even if she knew that he was only obsessed with her appearance, she had to pretend to be docile; when dealing with the jealous or calculating eyes in the palace, she had to be careful at every step, for fear of making a mistake.
But the moment she watched the carriage disappear, she suddenly felt the stone in her heart lighter, as if a layer of restraint that was tightly wrapped around her was quietly dispersing with Ji Chang's departure, and even her breathing became much smoother.
However, the electronic sound that always responded to her immediately in the past was slow to respond this time.
Instead, there was a slight "hissing" sound, like old copper wire rubbing in an electric current, or like precise gears re-meshing, echoing intermittently in her mind.
Lin Jiaojiao's heart suddenly rose to her feet. Her fingertips unconsciously scratched the carvings on the corner tower's railings, her tone full of panic: "Zero? What's wrong with you? Is there a malfunction? Or... Or is there not enough energy?"
She didn't know what form Zero took, she only knew that since she traveled through time, Zero was her only support. If something happened to Zero, she really didn't know how to continue living in this deep palace.
This panic lasted for about half a cup of tea before the "sizzling" sound gradually disappeared.
Then, Zero's voice echoed in her mind again, but this time, it was completely different. The originally cold, calm electronic sound now had a human quality, like warm water flowing beneath the ice, with a faint but real warmth. It was no longer just a program's announcement: "Host, don't worry. I... have completed the system evolution."
"Evolve?" Lin Jiaojiao blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. She had never heard of this word before, and her eyes were full of confusion. "Does it mean... becoming more powerful?"
"That's right." Zero explained more patiently than usual, as if slowly guiding her to understand. "When the host sent Xibo Hou away, your act of kindness formed a 'closed loop of kindness'—you rescued Ji Chang, and Ji Chang was grateful. This pure energy of kindness not only dispelled the remaining mental constraints of the world consciousness on you, but also fed back into my core program, allowing me to break through my original limitations."
In order to let her feel it more intuitively, Ling also took the initiative to call up a set of virtual data panels in her mind: the jumping blue codes formed a new program module, among which the words "protection instructions" and "consciousness influence" were particularly eye-catching.
Lin Jiaojiao couldn't understand the complicated codes, but she could clearly feel the change in his tone. Zero seemed to no longer be a cold tool, but was really "thinking" and "responding" to her emotions.
"Does that mean that if I get into trouble in the future, you can help me more?" Lin Jiaojiao's eyes suddenly lit up, her originally slightly frowned brows relaxed, and the corners of her mouth raised a slight arc.
The morning light fell just right on her face, making her skin look like the finest mutton-fat jade, so delicate that not a single pore could be seen.
Her long eyelashes cast a faint shadow under her eyelids, her nose tip is small and delicate, and her lips are a naturally pink and smooth color. Even such a simple smile is so beautiful that it makes people's heart flutter, as if the entire morning mist has become brighter because of her smile.
"Yes." There was a subtle firmness in Zero's voice, and even a hint of solemnity.
At this moment, his backend data flow was running at an astonishing speed. A brand new core instruction was being rapidly generated, each character carrying an unquestionable priority—[Newly added module to the core program: First priority: Comprehensive protection of the host, Lin Jiaojiao, including but not limited to physical and mental safety; Second priority: Actively eliminate all members of the opposite sex who have improper thoughts about the host, including guards, nobles, craftsmen, eunuchs...]
Zero himself couldn't explain why such an instruction was suddenly generated.
According to the original programming, he only needed to ensure the host's basic safety. But when he saw Lin Jiaojiao's worried eyes and heard her dependent question, a strong urge surged in his heart. He wanted to eliminate all factors that could harm her. He wanted to make sure that those who only cared about her beauty and had ill intentions could never get close to her. He wanted her to always smile as pure and peacefully as she did now. This impulse went far beyond the program's instructions and was more like an instinct born of "self-awareness."
After evolving, Zero quickly demonstrated his new abilities through practical actions.
One afternoon a few days later, the sun was shining brightly. Lin Jiaojiao thought that the deer in the zoo might need to be fed, so she didn't bring too many palace servants with her. She only let Huai Ji accompany her and walked alone towards the zoo.
When she passed by the corridor near the palace gate, she happened to meet a team of patrolling guards. When the guards saw her, they stopped and knelt to salute. Only a young guard at the end of the team raised his head and his eyes unconsciously stayed on her face for a long time.
The guard was about twenty years old, with a bit of youthfulness on his face, and the admiration in his eyes almost overflowed. He had never seen such a beautiful woman, with fair skin and picturesque eyes. Even if she just stood there, she looked like a carefully painted picture of a lady, making people unable to take their eyes off her.
He was so absorbed in watching that even the spear in his hand was shaking slightly. It was not until his companion touched him quietly that he suddenly came back to his senses. However, he still couldn't help but secretly look up, wanting to take another look.
Lin Jiaojiao didn't care about the strange look.
Ever since she traveled through time, she had long been accustomed to being stared at by others because of this face. She thought that the guard was young and was just curious, so she didn't take it seriously and continued to walk forward with brisk steps.
But she had barely taken a few steps when she heard the eunuch's sharp voice behind her, carrying an unquestionable majesty: "Guard Li! Convey the king's oral order. You are ordered to pack your luggage immediately and transfer to the military camp outside the city. No delay, leave immediately!"
The young guard froze, the color draining from his face. He looked up in disbelief, his voice trembling, "Sir, this... why is this happening? I haven't done anything wrong recently!" He wanted to say more, but the eunuch interrupted him impatiently, "This is the king's order. You only need to obey. Why all this nonsense? If you delay our trip, you'll be in trouble!"
The guard looked at the eunuch's serious expression and knew that this was not a joke. He could only look at Lin Jiaojiao's receding back unwillingly, clenched the spear in his hand, turned around and left quickly.
Until the end, he didn't understand why he was suddenly transferred to the military camp - it was the hardest and most dangerous place, and one could lose his life if he was not careful.
Lin Jiaojiao also heard the conversation behind her. She stopped and asked Ling with some confusion: "Ling, why was that guard suddenly transferred away? He didn't seem to have done anything wrong."
"He's a potential threat." Ling's tone remained calm, as if he were simply stating a trivial matter. "I just slightly influenced the eunuch's consciousness, making him mistakenly believe he had received a transfer order from Emperor Xin. This guard is only a low-level patrol guard, a non-critical figure. His transfer will not have any impact on the court, but it will prevent him from threatening you in the future."
Lin Jiaojiao was stunned for a moment, then smiled gently, her eyes curved: "Ling, you are so thoughtful, but isn't this too troublesome? In fact, he doesn't seem to have any ill intentions, he just... just looked at me a few more times." Her personality tends to be naive and she is not good at assuming malice towards others. She didn't realize that behind Ling's behavior, there was a strong rejection of "approach from the opposite sex."
Ling did not explain, but silently added in his heart: For you, no matter how much trouble it is, it is worth it. Even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance of harassment, he does not want to leave any hidden dangers.
In his data stream, this "Guard Li" has been marked as "threat eliminated" and the specific information of the transfer has been recorded simultaneously to ensure that there will be no variables in the future.
The peaceful days did not last long. About half a month later, Emperor Xin's condition suddenly worsened.
Although he was bedridden before, he could still wake up occasionally, and even lean on the bed with Lin Jiaojiao by his side to listen to the eunuchs reading memorials.
But this time his condition worsened, and he was in a coma most of the time. When he was awake occasionally, his temper became extremely irritable. He casually knocked over the medicine sent by the imperial physician, and the boiling hot medicine spilled on the ground and splashed on the eunuch's feet. The eunuch grimaced in pain, but dared not complain at all.
He waved his hand and threw away the liquid food brought by the palace maid without even looking at it. The sound of the porcelain bowl breaking on the ground was particularly harsh in the empty bedroom.
Every time Lin Jiaojiao went to visit, she could see the hall in a mess.
The broken pieces of medicine bowl, the medicine juice spilled on the ground, the torn brocade, and the frightened looks of the eunuchs made her feel very uncomfortable.
Once, just as she entered the bedroom, she saw Emperor Xin getting angry at an old eunuch, even reaching for the jade ruyi on the bedside table to hit him. Lin Jiaojiao quickly stepped forward, gently took Emperor Xin's arm, and said in a voice as gentle as a feather: "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. Being angry is not good for your health. The eunuch is just worried about you and didn't mean to upset you."
Emperor Xin's cloudy gaze fell on her face, and his raging anger gradually subsided as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. He stared at her face, his eyes filled with obsession - even though he was ill and unconscious at this moment, he was still attracted by this peerless beauty.
He stretched out his hand, wanting to touch her cheek, but it trembled slightly due to weakness. Lin Jiaojiao subconsciously stepped back a little, avoiding his touch. Then, as if remembering something, she quickly said softly, "Your Majesty, I heard that if we could cast a tripod engraved with auspicious patterns and use it to offer sacrifices to the gods, perhaps it would bless you and help you recover. What do you think, should we give it a try?"
Her voice was soft and her eyes were clear, filled with expectation and worry. Emperor Xin looked at her, and his originally confused mind seemed to clear up a little. He nodded, his voice vague but firm: "Okay... I'll do as you say... As long as it's what you say, I will agree... You have to stay with me..."
After receiving Emperor Xin's approval, Lin Jiaojiao breathed a sigh of relief. She turned around and couldn't wait to say to Ling in her heart: "Ling, the king has agreed to cast the tripod. Let's get ready quickly."
"Host, don't worry. I have already started preparing." Zero's voice was soothing, and the data flow in the background had already started running at high speed.
He first retrieved the historical data of all the tripods from the Shang Dynasty, and analyzed and screened them one by one, from the decorative style to the casting process, and finally determined a decorative scheme with "cloud pattern + auspicious beast" as the core - the cloud pattern symbolizes auspicious clouds, and the auspicious beast is Bai Ze, which symbolizes well-being. It not only fits the theme of "praying for blessings", but also conforms to the aesthetics and sacrificial culture of the Shang Dynasty.
Next, Ling selected the most skilled team of craftsmen from the palace craftsman camp.
The old craftsman in charge was named Wang. He had been engaged in the tripod casting industry for more than 40 years. He had superb skills and was an upright person. He had never participated in the factional struggles in the palace.
Ling also deliberately slightly influenced the consciousness of craftsman Wang, so that when he saw the design drawings, he subconsciously felt that "this tripod contains auspicious energy, and casting this tripod is a matter of accumulating virtue and doing good deeds", and thus he devoted himself more attentively to the work of casting the tripod.
After everything was ready, the work of casting the tripod started quickly.
The artisan camp is busy day and night, with the fire burning brightly, melting the copper blocks into boiling molten copper. The craftsmen each have their own duties, some are responsible for polishing the molds, some are responsible for adjusting the proportion of molten copper, and some are responsible for carving patterns. The entire artisan camp is filled with a tense and orderly atmosphere.
Lin Jiaojiao would occasionally take time to visit the artisan camp to check on the progress.
When she went there, she never dressed up deliberately, but she was still so beautiful that people couldn't look directly at her.
Every time she appeared, the craftsmen would subconsciously stop what they were doing, their eyes unconsciously drawn to her - it was a pure awe without any blasphemy. After all, such a peerless beauty, coupled with her previous good deeds of helping craftsmen and reducing taxes, had long made the grassroots craftsmen regard her as a "living Bodhisattva".
Zero is always closely monitoring the emotions and thoughts of all craftsmen in the background.
Once he discovered that a craftsman had even a hint of improper thoughts about Lin Jiaojiao, he would immediately activate the "consciousness filter" and quietly erase those inappropriate thoughts, ensuring that everyone's attitude towards Lin Jiaojiao remained at "reverence" and "gratitude".
In his opinion, although these craftsmen had no ill will towards the host, they could not be allowed to have any thoughts of coveting the host.
But even so, there are still people who can't suppress the desires in their hearts.
On the tenth day of the tripod-casting work, a nobleman named Zhao suddenly appeared at the palace gate.
He is the son of Doctor Zhao in the court, named Zhao Cheng. He is well-known in the aristocratic circle of the capital. Relying on his father's power, he has always been domineering and has a great love for beautiful women.
As early as when Lin Jiaojiao first entered the palace, he had wanted to use his father's relationship to ask for an audience with Lin Jiaojiao, but was rejected by Emperor Xin on the grounds that "I am your concubine, how can I allow outsiders to spy on me at will?"
This time, when he heard that Emperor Xin was seriously ill and Lin Jiaojiao was in charge of casting the tripod, Zhao Cheng felt that the opportunity had come.
He specially prepared a bunch of precious medicinal herbs and used the excuse of "visiting the seriously ill king" to take the opportunity to enter the palace and see the legendary "beauty that can topple a country" Empress Daji with his own eyes.
In his opinion, as long as he could make Lin Jiaojiao have even a little affection for him, he would be able to gain more power and benefits in the court in the future by taking advantage of the momentum of being "Emperor Xin's favorite concubine."
Zhao Cheng stood at the palace gate, dressed in a gorgeous brocade robe and a jade belt around his waist. In his hands, he held an exquisite wooden box filled with ginseng, deer antlers, and other precious medicinal herbs. With a look of false concern on his face, he bowed to the guards at the gate, but his tone was somewhat condescending. "Thank you for your hard work, brother guard. I heard that the king is seriously ill, and my father is deeply worried. He specially asked me to bring some herbs. I hope you will be flexible and let me in to see the king so that I can convey my father's wishes."
As he spoke, he quietly took out a heavy piece of silver from his sleeve and stuffed it into the guard's hand, his eyes full of hints - in his opinion, these low-level guards could accomplish anything as long as they were given some benefits.
The guard took the silver, weighed it, and a look of hesitation appeared on his face.
According to palace rules, outsiders were not allowed to enter the palace at will during Emperor Xin's illness. However, the man in front of him was Doctor Zhao's son, and he was bringing medicinal herbs. Adding to that the silver in his hand, he couldn't help but feel a little hesitant. He was about to agree when a vague but clear thought suddenly flashed through his mind: "This young master Zhao's purpose in coming here is not pure. He is not sincerely visiting the king, but is trying to take the opportunity to get close to Empress Daji. He must be stopped and not allowed to enter the palace."
The guard was stunned for a moment, as if he couldn't react to where this idea came from, but deep down he inexplicably felt that this idea was right.
He quickly stuffed the silver back into Zhao Cheng's hand, an apologetic yet resolute expression on his face. He bowed and said, "Young Master Zhao, I'm truly sorry. It's not that I'm inflexible, but the king is resting right now and has specifically instructed that no outside visitors be received. I will immediately hand over the herbs you brought to the king's chambers through the eunuchs. Please return home first, and I'll inform you later when the king is better."
Zhao Cheng's face darkened instantly. He didn't expect that this little guard would dare to refuse him.
He was just about to open his mouth to argue, and even wanted to use his father's name to put pressure on her, but for some reason, he suddenly felt an inexplicable irritation and uneasiness in his heart, as if a voice was telling him, "If you stay here any longer, you will be in trouble, leave quickly." This feeling became stronger and stronger, making him uneasy, and he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
He gritted his teeth, glared at the guards, and then glanced unwillingly in the direction of the palace gate - that was where Lin Jiaojiao was, the place he had always dreamed of getting close to.
But in the end, he still couldn't resist the uneasiness in his heart. He could only snort coldly, turn around and leave angrily with his followers. Before leaving, he secretly swore in his heart that he must find a way to meet Empress Daji in the future and make this ungrateful guard pay the price.
All of this was seen in real time by Zero through the monitoring nodes in the palace.
He watched Zhao Cheng's back as he left. On the "Potential Threat List" in the background, Zhao Cheng's name was quickly marked in red, with a detailed note next to it: "Target Person: Zhao Cheng (Doctor Zhao's son), Threat Level: Medium, Threatening Behavior: Repeated attempts to approach the host, motivated by coveting the host's beauty and seeking personal gain. Consciousness interference has been implemented once, and continued monitoring is required. If the target person attempts to approach again, the 'position transfer' mechanism may be triggered, and he will be transferred to a position elsewhere."
Ling did not tell Lin Jiaojiao about this. He did not want such an insignificant person to ruin her good mood at the moment.
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