Chapter 49 Daji (Sixteen) Chaos
The urgent border news brought by Bigan was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, making the atmosphere in Chaoge tense in an instant.
In the next few days, the palace was no longer as relaxed as before. The eunuchs walked lightly, and the ministers always frowned when discussing matters. Even the air seemed to be filled with a depressing atmosphere.
Lin Jiaojiao stood by the window of the bedroom, looking at the soldiers patrolling on the palace wall in the distance. There were several times more soldiers than usual, and her heart became heavy.
In her hand, she was holding an embroidered handkerchief sent by the people. There was a simple lotus pattern on the handkerchief. Although the stitches were not delicate, they were full of love. An old woman had specially delivered it to the palace gate a few days ago, saying "May the queen be blessed by the gods and have peace and prosperity."
"Ling, will the Zhou tribe really attack Chaoge soon?" Lin Jiaojiao asked softly, with a barely perceptible tremor in her voice.
Although she had never experienced war, she had heard about the cruelty of war from the mouths of craftsmen and refugees - houses were burned down, people were displaced, and some people even lost their lives.
Ling's voice echoed in her mind, its usual calmness, yet a touch of soothing intensity. "According to the latest data analysis, the Zhou tribe is currently approximately 500 miles away from Chaoge. At their marching speed, they'll be at the gates of the city in about ten days. However, host, there's no need to panic. I've already perfected the escape plan and am currently preparing the necessary supplies."
"Escape supplies?" Lin Jiaojiao was stunned for a moment, then turned to look into the empty hall, as if she could see any trace of Zero's presence. "What do we need to prepare? Can I help?"
"The host only needs to maintain a normal life to avoid arousing the suspicion of Emperor Xin and others," Ling explained. "As for supplies, I've had Huaiji's female guards secretly stockpile sufficient dry food and water under the pretext of 'protecting the animals in the Hundred Beasts Garden through the winter.' They've also prepared herbs and bandages for external injuries. Furthermore, I've had the craftsmen lay non-slip wooden planks in the secret passageway of Lutai to ensure there are no accidents during the escape."
Lin Jiaojiao nodded, feeling a little relieved. But just as she was about to relax, she heard a commotion outside the palace, mixed with the cries of a eunuch. She hurried to the door and saw several guards dragging a wounded civilian out. The civilian's family followed behind, crying heartbreakingly.
"What's going on?" Lin Jiaojiao stopped a eunuch and asked anxiously.
The eunuch's face turned pale, and he quickly knelt to explain, "Your Majesty, this... This laborer was responsible for transporting building materials to Lutai. He encountered a rainstorm on the way, which delayed his journey. When the king learned of this, he was furious and ordered him to be beaten with fifty sticks and his entire family to be reduced to slavery..."
Lin Jiaojiao's heart tightened, and she quickly asked, "Why punish him like this for just delaying his trip? He's already been badly injured, and if he's reduced to a slave, what will happen to his family?"
Ling's voice rang out instantly, tinged with cold anger: "Emperor Xin was upset about the Zhou tribe, and he took his anger out on the common people. Not only that, he also ordered increased taxes on the people, claiming to 'expand the military to resist the Zhou tribe,' but in reality, he just wanted to indulge in some extravagant pleasures before the battle."
"That's too much!" Lin Jiaojiao's eyes turned red with anger. "The people have suffered enough, how could he still do this?"
She turned around and ran to Emperor Xin's bedroom. On the way, she asked Ling, "Ling, how should I persuade the king? If he continues like this, the people will not be able to survive!"
"The host can use the excuse of 'praying for the king' to persuade Emperor Xin to reduce the punishment on the common people and at the same time reduce taxes." Zero's tone was quick to analyze. "I will cooperate secretly and slightly influence Emperor Xin's consciousness, making him more receptive to your suggestions."
When Lin Jiaojiao arrived at Emperor Xin's bedroom, he was sitting on the dragon throne, looking at the memorials with a gloomy face. Several trembling ministers stood beside him. Seeing Lin Jiaojiao come in, his expression eased a little and he waved her over: "My beloved, why are you here?"
Lin Jiaojiao walked up to him, not acting like a spoiled child as usual. Instead, she lowered her head slightly, her voice filled with grievance, "Your Majesty, I just saw the guards punishing a laborer. He was seriously injured. I know Your Majesty is upset about the border situation, but the laborers have a hard time too. They braved the torrential rain to transport building materials for the Lutai project."
As she spoke, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, her eyes were full of pity, and her skin glowed white in the candlelight. Her pure kindness softened Emperor Xin's originally irritable heart in an instant.
Emperor Xin looked into Lin Jiaojiao's eyes and sighed, "Forget it, for your sake, I will spare his family the punishment of slavery. However, they still need to be beaten, otherwise the others will not obey."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Lin Jiaojiao immediately smiled, her eyes brightening. "Then... what about the taxes? I heard that Your Majesty wants to increase them, but the people are already suffering. If the taxes are increased further, they may not be able to survive."
Emperor Xin hesitated, clearly unwilling to pass up the opportunity to plunder the people. Seeing this, Ling reinforced his belief that reducing taxes would make the people grateful, and the gods would be more favorable to the Shang Dynasty and help resist the Zhou tribes. Emperor Xin finally nodded and said, "Alright, the taxes will remain at the same level as before, and no more increases are allowed."
Lin Jiaojiao happily hugged Di Xin's arm and said softly, "Your Majesty is so kind. The people will definitely be grateful to you."
When Emperor Xin looked at her smile, the irritability in his heart completely disappeared. He even felt that the threat from the Zhou tribe was not so scary. As long as Daji was by his side and with the blessing of the gods, the Shang Dynasty would definitely be able to safely survive this crisis.
After Lin Jiaojiao left the bedroom, she felt relieved and said to Ling, "Ling, thank you for helping me again."
"Protecting the host, and those the host cares about, is my duty." Zero's voice was subtly gentle. In the backend data stream, the "popular favorability" indicator had increased significantly. He also noted, "Emperor Xin's dependence on the host has further increased. He will not pose a threat to the host in the short term."
But the matter did not end there. Although Emperor Xin reduced the punishment on the common people and the taxes on them, he still did not give up enjoying himself. He ordered a banquet to be held in Lu Tai and invited the nobles and ministers in the court to attend, saying that he wanted to "borrow the auspicious spirit to boost morale", but in fact he wanted to enjoy himself for the last time before the war.
On the day of the banquet, Lutai was decorated magnificently, with colorful lanterns hung everywhere, the tables were filled with delicacies from land and sea, and musicians played cheerful music. It was a scene of luxury.
Lin Jiaojiao sat next to Emperor Xin, looking at the lively scene in front of her, but she didn't feel happy at all - she knew that behind this liveliness were the hard work of countless people and the upcoming brutal war.
"My beloved, why are you unhappy?" Emperor Xin noticed her expression, reached out and held her hand, his tone filled with concern.
Lin Jiaojiao forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty, I was just wondering if the soldiers on the border could also eat such delicious food and wear warm clothes like us."
Emperor Xin was stunned for a moment, then smiled nonchalantly: "The soldiers have their pay, so they will naturally be well fed and clothed. Don't worry about it, just accompany me for a drink."
Lin Jiaojiao didn't say anything else. She just picked up the wine glass silently but didn't drink. Ling's voice rang in her mind: "Host, pay attention to the terrain of Lutai and remember the entrance to the secret passage. Also, Zhao Cheng is also at the banquet. He has been staring at you. You must keep your distance."
Lin Jiaojiao looked over as Ling had suggested, and sure enough, she saw Zhao Cheng sitting at a table not far away, staring at her with greedy eyes. She felt disgusted and quickly turned her head away, no longer looking at him.
Ling looked at Zhao Cheng's actions, and the "threat alarm" in the background sounded again.
He quietly influenced the consciousness of a nobleman next to Zhao Cheng, making the young man mistakenly believe that Zhao Cheng wanted to snatch his wine glass. The two immediately started quarreling, attracting everyone's attention. Zhao Cheng's vision was interrupted, and he was so angry that his face turned blue, but he could do nothing.
After solving Zhao Cheng's troubles, Ling turned his attention to the other guests at the banquet. He found that many nobles and ministers were discussing privately that "the Shang Dynasty has run out of luck and the Zhou tribe will surely win." Some people were even secretly contacting the Zhou tribe, preparing to surrender when the Zhou tribe attacked the city.
"Host, after the banquet, we need to expedite our escape preparations." Ling's voice was grave. "Many nobles are ready to surrender. They might betray your whereabouts to curry favor with the Zhou tribe."
Lin Jiaojiao panicked: "Then...then when can we escape?"
"When the Zhou tribe's troops are at the gates and Chaoge is in chaos, that will be the best time." Ling's tone was firm. "Then I will create chaos to cover your evacuation through the secret passage of Lutai with Huaiji's female guards."
After the banquet, Lin Jiaojiao returned to the palace and immediately found Huaiji, telling her about Ling's plan. After hearing this, Huaiji's face turned pale, but she still said firmly: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will definitely protect you and lead the female guards to evacuate smoothly!"
Over the next few days, Lin Jiaojiao, following Ling's advice, continued to frequently inspect the Lutai construction site. In reality, she was familiarizing herself with the secret passage's route under Ling's guidance. Every time she went, a craftsman would whisper to her, "Don't worry, Madam. We've camouflaged the entrance to the secret passage and marked the exit to ensure no one will discover it."
Lin Jiaojiao knew this was Ling's secret arrangement—he had the craftsmen she had helped secretly assist in perfecting the camouflage of the secret passage, adding further security for the escape. She smiled gratefully at the craftsmen and whispered, "Thank you for your hard work."
The craftsmen waved their hands quickly, "The Queen has done so much for us, we should do this. If a war really breaks out, we will do our best to protect the Queen!"
As Ling watched this scene, a new record was quietly added to the background data stream: "The loyalty of the low-level craftsmen to the host has reached 90%, and they can serve as an auxiliary force for escape." An inexplicable sense of satisfaction surged in his heart - the road he paved for Lin Jiaojiao was taking shape step by step, and those who she had helped had now become a force to protect her.
But just when the escape preparations were about to be completed, an accident happened.
One day, Lin Jiaojiao was familiarizing herself with the secret passage at the Lutai construction site when she suddenly heard the sound of hurried horse hooves and the shouts of soldiers in the distance. Panic-stricken, she quickly asked Ling, "What's going on? Are the Zhou tribe attacking us?"
Ling's voice suddenly became serious. "It's not the Zhou tribe. It's Zhang Yong who brought a group of soldiers here. He somehow learned that you were in Lutai and came here specifically to find you. It seems he wants revenge."
Lin Jiaojiao's heart tightened. She turned and tried to hide in the secret passage, but was blocked by Zhang Yong's soldiers. Zhang Yong, riding his horse, wore a ferocious smile on his face. He looked at Lin Jiaojiao and said frivolously, "Empress Daji, long time no see. You wronged me so much last time, and today I will settle that account!"
Huai Ji immediately led the female guards to block Lin Jiaojiao, pointed the spear in her hand at Zhang Yong, and shouted: "Zhang Yong, you are so bold! How dare you stop the queen? Get out of here!"
"Back off?" Zhang Yong sneered. "Not only will I not back off today, I'll arrest all of you! I want to see how long you, Empress Daji, can remain so arrogant without the favor of Emperor Xin!"
As he spoke, he ordered his soldiers to attack. Although the female guards were well-trained, they were outnumbered and armed with sharp weapons, so they were quickly put at a disadvantage. Huaiji received a cut on her arm, and blood instantly stained her sleeve red.
"Huai Ji!" Lin Jiaojiao exclaimed and wanted to go forward to help, but was stopped by Ling.
"Host, don't be impulsive. Stay where you are. I will handle it." Zero's voice was unprecedentedly cold. The data stream in the background was running rapidly, instantly locking onto the weaknesses of Zhang Yong and his soldiers.
He first slightly affected Zhang Yong's consciousness, causing him to suddenly feel dizzy and fall off his horse, and then interfered with the soldiers' movements, causing them to drop their weapons.
Immediately afterwards, Ling contacted the general in charge of guarding the palace walls and asked him to bring his troops to support immediately - he had already implanted the idea in the general's mind that "protecting Empress Daji is the top priority."
Not long after, the guarding general arrived with a group of soldiers. Seeing the scene, he was immediately furious and ordered Zhang Yong and his men to be arrested. Zhang Yong lay on the ground and wanted to struggle, but was held down by the soldiers. He could only stare at Lin Jiaojiao unwillingly.
"Your Majesty, are you okay?" The general quickly knelt on the ground, speaking respectfully.
"I'm fine. Thank you, General, for arriving in time." Lin Jiaojiao shook her head and hurried to Huaiji's side. She looked at the wound on her arm with distress in her eyes. "Huaiji, how are you? Does it hurt?"
Huai Ji shook her head, trying to hold back the pain and said, "My Lady, I'm fine. It's just a minor injury."
Ling's voice echoed in Lin Jiaojiao's mind: "Host, Zhang Yong's actions this time are supported by the Minister of War. They want to take advantage of the Zhou tribe's approach to eliminate you and then control Emperor Xin. I have collected evidence of their crimes and will hand it over to Bigan later so that he can impeach them."
Lin Jiaojiao nodded, and felt even more grateful to Ling. She knew that if it weren't for Ling, she and Huaiji would have had a hard time escaping today.
After dealing with Zhang Yong's matter, Lin Jiaojiao took Huai Ji back to the palace and asked the imperial physician to bandage Huai Ji's wound. Looking at the bandage on Huai Ji's arm, Lin Jiaojiao secretly made up her mind: she must escape from here as soon as possible and not let the people around her get hurt because of her again.
As if seeing through her thoughts, Zero said gently, "Host, wait a little longer. We will be able to leave soon. When the time comes, I will take you to a place without war or conflict, where you can watch the deer in peace and live the life you want."
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