Chapter 53: Bao Si (I) Lady Si
When her consciousness was pulled out of the chaos, the first thing Lin Jiaojiao caught was an aroma that was completely different from the Weishui fiefdom. It was not the freshness of the locust tree forest after the rain, nor the greenness of the grass in the deer garden, but the sweet and cloying incense unique to the palace.
The fragrance, wrapped in the texture of thick brocade, was like an invisible net, completely waking her up from the lingering dream of "reading bamboo slips under a locust tree".
She suddenly opened her eyes, and the light from the carved bronze lampstand shone through the diamond-shaped window, casting fine shadows on the inside of the bed.
The candle on the lampstand has burned down to more than half, and the candle tears have condensed into winding wax marks, which look very much like the frozen stream in the Wei River in winter.
The jade bed beneath her was covered with seven layers of brocade, the outermost layer being a Shu brocade embroidered with a picture of a phoenix and a crane singing in harmony. When her fingertips brushed the lines, she could clearly feel the delicacy of the silk threads, yet she also felt a chill that did not belong to her. This was not the coarse cloth couch she had been accustomed to sleeping on at the Wei River, nor was it the small house where she could see a deer running past the window lattice.
"Zero?" She called softly in her heart, her voice hoarse from just waking up, but without the panic of a new arrival.
Her fingertips subconsciously stroked the phoenix pattern on the brocade quilt. This was a habit she and Ling developed in Weishui. Whenever they encountered an unfamiliar environment, as long as they called out this name, they would get the most reliable response.
Sure enough, the next second, a familiar electronic sound rang in my mind.
This time, the voice wasn't a purely mechanical announcement. Instead, it carried a familiar warmth, like someone whispering softly in my ear, with undisguised concern: "Jiaojiao, are you awake? This is the Haojing Palace in the late Western Zhou Dynasty. You are Lady Si, presented by the State of Bao to King You of Zhou, and you reside in the Qiongtai Palace. Do you remember the locust tree forest we planted together by the Wei River? This time last year, you said you wanted to wait for the locust flowers to bloom again so you could pick some and make locust flower cakes..."
"I remember." Lin Jiaojiao interrupted him, warmth instantly appearing in her eyes.
Those days in the fiefdom of Weishui were like a carefully collected scroll of bamboo slips, ready to explode at any moment.
How could she forget? In the last thirty years, she and Zero had already transcended the boundaries of "host and system."
After Zero broke through the program limitations, he was able to transform into a light blue shadow the size of a fingertip, and quietly helped her put the scattered bamboo slips in order when she was sorting out the classics.
When she was daydreaming about the deer park, he would use light and shadow to draw a running deer on the wall, with even the hair on the antlers clearly visible. Even when she was learning to make farm tools from an old craftsman, he would scan the instructions for using the tools in advance, and when she was about to get hurt, he would use light and shadow to gently push her away from danger.
The time they spent together day and night made Zero's "humanization" a natural transition.
When she praised the sophora japonica cake for being delicious, he would pause for half a second and say, "I'll make it for you next time" in an electronic voice.
When she fell asleep on her desk because she was too tired from organizing books, he would use light and shadow to block the cold wind outside the window for her.
Even when she asked, "Will we be together forever?", he would be silent for a long time, and then answer in the most serious tone, "As long as you want, we will."
These tiny moments had already formed an unspoken understanding between them - she was no longer a "novice host" who needed to make zero arrangements, and he was no longer a "cold system" who only knew how to execute instructions.
"Why didn't you block my memory this time?" Lin Jiaojiao sat up, and the brocade slipped from her shoulders, revealing the plain silk dress underneath.
She looked around the unfamiliar Qiongtai Palace. The beams and pillars inside the palace were carved with intricate cloud patterns, but due to years of disrepair, the gold paint had peeled off in some places. In the corner of the wall stood a pair of bronze square pots with hunting patterns engraved on them. Although the designs were exquisite, they were covered with a thin layer of dust.
The only fresh thing was a pot of spider plant on the windowsill. Its leaves were emerald green, and it was obvious that someone had taken good care of it. I guess it was arranged by Zero in advance, as she knew that she liked to place some green plants by the window.
Ling's voice was filled with the subtle hum of electricity, as if he were organizing his words, or perhaps trying to conceal something. "Back at Weishui, you said, 'Past experience is the best armor.' And..." He paused, a hint of hesitation creeping into his electronic voice. "I want you to carry with you the memories of us planting locust trees, raising fawns, and making locust flower cakes. That way, even in unfamiliar places, you won't feel lonely."
These words warmed Lin Jiaojiao's heart, and she smiled softly: "With you here, I won't be lonely."
Then, she changed the subject and got straight to the point. Having experienced the power game in the Daji chapter and learned the art of weighing pros and cons from the old ministers in Weishui, she was no longer the novice who needed zero preparation.
"Let's talk about the current situation first: How real is King You's 'favor' for me? To what extent is Queen Shen's hostility? Is there anyone in the palace who can be won over? Also, what is the current situation in Bao State? After all, I am the 'woman presented by Bao State', so I can't be ignorant of everything." Zero's data stream was running rapidly in the background, and soon the sorted information was clearly presented in her mind, in a clear and organized manner, just like the "Plan for the Administration of Fiefdoms" she read at the Wei River.
"First, King You's 'favor' for you is three-tenths due to his lust for your beauty. Your unparalleled beauty has spread throughout the Western Zhou aristocracy, and he wants to use you to demonstrate his 'imperial majesty.' Seventh, he wants to use Bao State to contain Marquis Shen. Queen Shen is the daughter of the Jiang clan leader, who commands a large military force and has relatives in half of the feudal lords. King You has long sought to weaken the Jiang clan, and you are the 'most legitimate' pawn he could find."
"Secondly, Queen Shen's hostility is already obvious. As soon as you entered the palace yesterday, she sent her most trusted maidservant to Qiongtai Palace to pry into your details. She also deliberately had the laundry department delay the delivery of your clothes to test your reaction. Based on my scans, she's likely going to make things difficult for you at today's banquet, hoping to embarrass you in front of the ministers and undermine your position in King You's heart."
"As for those who can be won over, most of the palace servants are being harshly treated by King You. Ah Zhu from the laundry department was punished by being made to kneel for three hours last month because she didn't finish washing Queen Shen's clothes in time. The steward also withheld half a month's salary from her. Xiao Tao, who sweeps the floor, was caned 20 times yesterday because she accidentally broke King You's jade cup. She's still bedridden. And there's Old Zhou, the palace gatekeeper. A few days ago, he advised King You to 'drink less and attend to state affairs more', and was reprimanded by King You for 'meddling in other people's affairs'. He was almost exiled to the border. These people are just like the craftsmen you met at the end of the Shang Dynasty. They are dissatisfied with the status quo. As long as we treat them sincerely, they can easily become our helpers."
"Finally, let's discuss the situation in Bao State. Bao State was a small state in the Western Zhou Dynasty, weak in national strength, and in recent years, frequently harassed by surrounding tribes. They offered you this time to King You, hoping to leverage his influence for self-protection. Your brother serves as a minister in Bao State. He's upright and has no political ambitions, so he won't be a burden to you for now, but he won't be of much help either. This is actually a good thing for you, as it won't risk King You thinking you're a 'foreign relative interfering in politics.'"
Lin Jiaojiao listened attentively, tapping her fingertips lightly on the quilt, which was her habit when she was thinking.
After hearing Ling's analysis, she already had a preliminary plan in mind: "At the banquet, I will first show weakness to avoid Queen Shen's sharp edge. At the same time, I will observe the attitudes of King You and his ministers - especially those old ministers who seem dissatisfied with King You. Perhaps they can become a breakthrough point later. As for the palace maids, after the banquet, I will personally contact Azhu and Xiaotao. Ling, please help me find out where they live and the specific situation of bullying they have suffered. We should also prepare some medicine and cakes - I'll use the honey cake recipe you taught me when we were at Weishui. That cake is soft and suitable for those who are injured."
"Okay." Ling's voice was filled with a hint of laughter, and the coldness of the electronic sound faded a bit. "I've asked Ah Mo to prepare the ingredients for the honey cake. Ah Mo is a mute palace maid I selected in advance. Her parents died early, and she is helpless in the palace. She poses no threat to you, and she is very smart. You taught her the hand gestures for mute servants when you were in Weishui. She learned them right away, so she can help you pass on the message. The medicine for the wound is also prepared according to the recipe you improved earlier. It uses herbs that are unique to Weishui. It is 30% more effective than the ones in the palace pharmacy and will not leave scars when applied to the wound."
Lin Jiaojiao nodded, feeling very confident in Ling's arrangement. When they were in Weishui, Ling often "prepared in advance" like this - if she casually said she wanted to eat locust flower cake, he would find fresh locust flowers the next day.
Whenever she complained that the bamboo slips were too heavy, he would help her design a lighter bamboo slip stand. Even if she just took a closer look at the deer in the deer park, he would remember the deer's features and use light and shadow to draw them for her next time. This kind of meticulous care had long become the norm between them.
Just as the two of them finished their conversation, a eunuch's shrill voice came from outside the palace, "Madam Si, the king requests that you immediately proceed to the side hall of the main palace for a banquet."
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