Chapter 48 Daji (15) Lutai
On the third day after the sacrificial ceremony, a drizzle of spring rain fell in Chaoge City.
The rain was dense and dense, splashing tiny drops of water, covering the entire capital in a hazy mist. Lin Jiaojiao sat on the soft couch by the window, holding a cup of warm jujube tea in her hand, watching the sparrows playing in the rain outside the window, her eyes full of satisfaction.
After the sacrifice, Emperor Xin's condition improved a little. Not only could he sit up and have simple discussions with his ministers, he could even walk a few steps on the corridor outside the palace with the help of palace maids. The atmosphere in the palace became much more relaxed, and even the voices of the eunuchs were softer than before.
"Ling, do you think the king's illness will soon be cured?" Lin Jiaojiao blew the hot steam in the cup gently, with a hint of anticipation in her voice. Although she did not like the way Emperor Xin indulged in pleasure, she also did not want him to be bedridden all the time - after all, in this deep palace, Emperor Xin's favor was her most direct "umbrella of protection" at the moment.
Ling's voice echoed in her mind, his usual calmness: "According to the imperial physician's diagnosis, Emperor Xin's health is indeed recovering, but the underlying condition from his long-term indulgence has not been eradicated. He still needs careful recuperation. However..." He paused, then pulled up a new message. "According to the news we just received, Emperor Xin has ordered the Ministry of Works to prepare for the expansion of the Lutai Terrace. He says that after he recovers, he'll hold a banquet there to celebrate the auspicious signs brought by the Divine Blessing Tripod."
"Expand Lu Tai?" Lin Jiaojiao was stunned for a moment, and the teacup in her hand shook slightly, "But... I heard from Uncle Wang before that the national treasury is already very empty. Wouldn't it be a waste to expand Lu Tai?" She thought of the displaced refugees before, and her heart suddenly felt uneasy - expanding Lu Tai would inevitably require a lot of manpower and material resources, and then the people's taxes might have to be increased again.
Zero's data stream churned rapidly, analyzing the pros and cons. "Emperor Xin's move will indeed exacerbate the drain on the treasury and may even spark discontent among the people. However, this is also part of the main storyline of history and cannot be forcibly stopped. However, the host can use this opportunity to further accumulate good reputation while preparing for a subsequent escape."
"How do we prepare?" Lin Jiaojiao put down her teacup, her eyes full of confusion. She really couldn't understand how expanding Lutai, a "waste of money", could be linked to "escape".
Zero patiently explained, "Expanding Lutai will require a large number of craftsmen and laborers. The host can use the pretext of 'inspecting the project progress' to contact more low-level craftsmen. At the same time, have Huaiji's female guards secretly record the topography of Lutai. Lutai is located at a higher elevation and is close to the mountains and forests outside the city. If war breaks out in the future, escaping from Lutai to the mountains and forests will be safer than escaping through the palace gates. In addition, the host can also use this opportunity to persuade Emperor Xin to reduce his harsh treatment of the craftsmen and laborers, further consolidating the people's goodwill towards you."
Lin Jiaojiao suddenly realized, "So there are so many ways! Then I'll go see the king tomorrow and tell him that I want to inspect the progress of the Lutai project."
But before she could act, a eunuch came hurriedly the next morning to report that Emperor Xin had had an argument with the ministers during a meeting. Ministers such as Bigan firmly opposed the expansion of Lu Tai, believing that it would be a waste of money and manpower and aggravate the national crisis. They even mentioned the recent unusual movements of the Zhou tribe and begged Emperor Xin to focus his energy on rectifying the government and guarding the border.
Emperor Xin, already feeling a bit impatient due to his improved condition, flew into a rage upon hearing his ministers' advice. He slammed the dragon throne and shouted, "I simply want to expand the Lutai to celebrate the auspicious event, yet you're talking so much nonsense. The Marquis of Xibo is just a minor vassal, how can he possibly cause such chaos? If you dare to stop me again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Upon seeing this, the ministers fell silent. Only Bigan remained firm, saying, "Your Majesty! The treasury is empty and the people are suffering. If you continue to forcibly expand the Lutai, it will only lead to public resentment. If that happens, the Duke of Xibo will seize the opportunity to invade, and our Shang Dynasty will be in danger!"
"How dare you!" Emperor Xin's face flushed with anger. He pointed at Bigan's nose, his voice trembling. "How dare you curse the Shang Dynasty? Come on, drag Bigan away and give him thirty lashes!"
The eunuchs looked at each other, and no one dared to step forward - Bigan was the king's uncle and had a very high prestige in the court. If they really took action, it would probably cause even greater chaos.
When Lin Jiaojiao learned the news, Bigan was trapped in the hall by Emperor Xin, and the two sides were in a stalemate.
She panicked and hurried to the main hall. On the way, she asked Ling, "Ling, what should we do? Uncle Wang is doing this for the good of Da Shang. If he really gets beaten, it would be too unfair!"
Ling's voice was soothing: "Host, don't worry. You just need to persuade Emperor Xin in the same way as before. I will cooperate secretly and slightly influence Emperor Xin's mood to calm him down."
When Lin Jiaojiao arrived at the main hall, Emperor Xin was panting heavily, his face livid as he sat on the dragon throne. Bigan knelt in the hall, his back straight and his eyes filled with stubbornness. The ministers in the hall all lowered their heads, not daring to breathe. The atmosphere was so tense that it felt like water could drip out.
Seeing Lin Jiaojiao come in, Di Xin's eyes softened instantly, and his tone also softened a bit: "Daji, why are you here?"
Lin Jiaojiao walked quickly to the hall, bowed to Emperor Xin, then turned around and walked to Bigan, gently tugged at his sleeve, and said in a soft voice, "Uncle Wang, please get up quickly. The ground is cold. It would be bad if you get frozen."
Bigan looked up at her, his eyes full of complexity. He knew that Lin Jiaojiao was truly doing this for his own good, but he was more worried about the safety of the Shang Dynasty. He could only shake his head helplessly: "Your Majesty, this old minister..."
"Uncle Wang, please get up first." Lin Jiaojiao interrupted him, turned around, walked to Emperor Xin, gently grasped his sleeves with both hands, and shook them slightly. "Your Majesty, please don't be angry, okay? Uncle Wang is only saying a few more words because he is worried about your health and the safety of the Shang Dynasty. You see, you are just getting better. If you get angry and make yourself sick, I will be worried."
As she spoke, her eyes were clear, with a hint of grievance and worry. Her skin glowed white under the candlelight in the hall, and her long eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings. Her pure look instantly dissipated most of Emperor Xin's anger.
Ling's well-timed actions in the background slightly affected Emperor Xin's mood, causing him to reflect on Lin Jiaojiao's concern for him and Bi Gan's loyalty. Emperor Xin met Lin Jiaojiao's eyes, sighed, and finally waved his hand. "Forget it, for your sake, I'll spare Bi Gan this time. But no one will stand in the way of the expansion of Lutai!"
Upon hearing this, Bigan kowtowed quickly: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace! Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!" He knew that this was the best outcome. At least he had saved his life temporarily, and he would have another chance to persuade Emperor Xin in the future.
The ministers also breathed a sigh of relief and cast grateful glances at Lin Jiaojiao - if she hadn't appeared in time, today's turmoil would probably be difficult to resolve.
Lin Jiaojiao watched all this and felt relieved. She whispered to Ling, "Ling, thank you."
"It is my duty to protect the host." Ling's voice remained calm, but the data stream in the background quietly recorded this moment - Lin Jiaojiao's appearance when she resolved the crisis was a bit clumsy and gentle, but particularly moving.
After the storm, the project to expand Lutai was quickly launched.
Following Ling's suggestion, Lin Jiaojiao frequently went to the Lutai construction site under the pretext of "inspecting the progress of the project and ensuring that the craftsmen were not mistreated." Every time she went, she would bring some cakes and medicine to distribute to the hard-working craftsmen and laborers.
Her unparalleled beauty was particularly dazzling on the dusty construction site.
Every time the craftsmen saw her, they would stop their work and salute her respectfully, their eyes full of gratitude and awe.
Once, an elderly craftsman suddenly fainted on the construction site due to overwork. When Lin Jiaojiao saw this, she immediately asked Huaiji's female guards to carry the old man to a cool place. She also personally fed him water and wiped his sweat until the imperial physician arrived.
This news soon spread throughout the construction site and even to the villages outside the city. The people all said, "Empress Daji is not only beautiful, but also kind-hearted." Some people even brought vegetables and fruits grown at home to the palace gate and asked the eunuchs to pass them on to Lin Jiaojiao.
Ling looked at the ever-increasing "favorability of the people" data in the background, his eyes full of satisfaction - these favorabilities will become the "invisible protection net" for Lin Jiaojiao's escape in the future.
At the same time, he did not forget to ask Huaiji's female guards to record the terrain of Lutai: Lutai has three floors, and each floor has a secret passage leading to the outside of the city. The exit of the secret passage is hidden in the mountains and forests. As long as it is marked in advance, you can pass through quickly when escaping in the future.
But the peaceful days did not last long.
One day, when Lin Jiaojiao was inspecting the Lutai construction site, she suddenly heard a quarrel not far away.
She walked over to the voice and found Huaiji standing in a standoff with several soldiers. Huaiji's face flushed red, she gripped her spear tightly, her eyes filled with anger. The soldiers, on the other hand, had playful smiles on their faces. One of the leading soldiers even reached out to touch Huaiji's shoulder, saying in a frivolous tone, "Young lady, you're pretty, but what's the point of following Empress Daji? Why not follow me? I guarantee you'll have everything you want!"
Huai Ji suddenly waved his hand away and shouted, "How dare you! I am the leader of the Empress's female guards. How can I allow you to be so presumptuous!"
"So what if she's the female guard commander?" The soldier laughed even more brazenly. "She's just a woman, and you really take yourself so seriously? Besides, your queen is so beautiful, maybe she'd already..."
Before he could finish his words, Lin Jiaojiao interrupted him sharply: "What are you doing!"
Lin Jiaojiao walked over quickly and stood beside Huaiji, her eyes full of anger.
The sunlight fell on her, but it did not weaken her momentum at all - no matter how naive she was, she would become a little stubborn when she saw her people being bullied. When the soldiers saw Lin Jiaojiao, they were stunned, their eyes full of amazement, and they even forgot to restrain the frivolous look on their faces.
Ling's voice instantly echoed in Lin Jiaojiao's mind, carrying an unprecedented coldness: "Host, these soldiers are responsible for guarding the Lutai construction site. Their leader is the nephew of the Minister of War, named Zhang Yong. They have harassed the female guards and civilian women at the construction site many times, and this time they even provoked Huai Ji in public. This is a serious threat."
"How could they do this!" Lin Jiaojiao was so angry that she was shaking all over. "Huai Ji is my person. If they bully Huai Ji, they are bullying me!"
Ling didn't say much and started to act directly. He first slightly affected Zhang Yong's consciousness, causing him to suddenly feel a severe headache and his face turned pale instantly; then he secretly contacted the official in charge of the Lutai project and asked him to come and deal with it immediately.
Not long after, the engineering officer hurried over. Seeing the scene before him and hearing what had happened, he was immediately frightened and his face turned pale. He knew Lin Jiaojiao's current status. Even Bigan had to give her three points. These soldiers dared to offend her. It was simply seeking death.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your Majesty, please forgive me!" The official knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly. "It is my fault for failing to discipline them that these fools have offended Your Majesty and the female guard leader. I will take them away and punish them severely!"
Zhang Yong had a splitting headache at this point, and he had no intention of playing it safe anymore. Seeing the official kneeling and begging for mercy, he realized the disaster he had gotten himself into. He quickly knelt down as well, his voice trembling, "Your Majesty, spare me! I won't dare to do that again!"
Lin Jiaojiao looked at them, still furious. However, she knew she couldn't linger on the construction site any longer, so she could only say coldly, "Take them away and teach them a lesson. Don't let them show up at the Lutai construction site again. Also, if anyone dares to bully the craftsmen and female guards again, don't blame me for being rude!"
"Yes! Yes! I obey your command!" The official nodded quickly and signaled his men to drag Zhang Yong and others away.
Seeing them leave, Huai Ji finally breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to Lin Jiaojiao: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for saving my life."
"You're mine, no need to be so polite." Lin Jiaojiao patted her shoulder, her eyes full of tenderness. "If anyone bullies you again in the future, be sure to tell me immediately. I won't let you suffer any injustice."
Zero silently watched all this unfold in the background. In the data stream, Zhang Yong's name was labeled "Extreme Threat," with a note: "Consciousness disruption has been implemented (headache). His movements will continue to be monitored. Any further threatening behavior will trigger the 'exile' mechanism."
At the same time, he also quietly strengthened the "self-protection procedure" of the female guards - as long as the opposite sex had improper thoughts about the female guards or Lin Jiaojiao, the members of the female guards would subconsciously increase their vigilance and even take the initiative to fight back.
He knew that as the day of the fall of the Shang Dynasty drew closer, the chaos in the palace would only increase, and more and more people would covet Lin Jiaojiao's beauty.
He must be fully prepared, not only to protect Lin Jiaojiao, but also to protect the people around her - because these people are the ones Lin Jiaojiao cares about, and they are also the important forces that can help her escape in the future.
In the evening, Lin Jiaojiao returned to the palace. Just as she sat down to drink a sip of tea, a eunuch came hurriedly to report that Bigan wanted to see her. She was a little confused and wondered what Bigan wanted to see her at this time.
When Bigan entered the palace, his expression was even more serious than usual. He held a memorial in his hand and handed it to Lin Jiaojiao, "Your Majesty, this is urgent news from the border. The Marquis of Xibo has annexed three small tribes in the surrounding area, greatly increasing his military strength. He is now marching towards Chaoge. I'm afraid... I'm afraid he'll be at the gates soon."
Lin Jiaojiao took the memorial. Although she couldn't recognize many of the words, she could sense the tension in Bigan's tone. She panicked and asked Ling hurriedly, "Ling, is the Duke of Xibo really going to attack us? What should we do?"
Ling's voice was filled with unprecedented solemnity. "According to historical data, the time for the enemy to arrive at Chaoge is indeed getting closer. Host, there is no need to panic. I have already formulated a detailed escape plan, and the secret passage in Lutai has been marked. As soon as the time is right, we can take Huaiji and the female guards and evacuate safely through the secret passage."
Lin Jiaojiao looked at Bigan's worried eyes, and thought of the artisans and refugees who relied on her. Suddenly, she felt a surge of courage. "Uncle Wang, don't worry. I will find a way. I won't let the Zhou tribe harm the people of Chaoge, nor will I let the Shang Dynasty fall so easily."
Looking at her determined eyes, Bigan felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He hadn't expected this seemingly innocent woman to be so responsible at such a critical moment. He bowed deeply to Lin Jiaojiao, "Your Majesty's kindness is a blessing to the Shang Dynasty and its people. I will do my utmost to assist you in protecting Chaoge and its people."
Lin Jiaojiao looked at Bigan's departing back, her heart filled with heaviness. She knew that she might not be able to change the fate of the Shang Dynasty, but she had to at least protect the people around her, those who trusted her and relied on her.
Zero's voice rang out in her mind, with a firm strength: "Host, no matter what happens, I will always be with you and protect you."
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