Chapter 59 Bao Si (VII) Secret Passage
Queen Shen's face turned pale instantly. She had not informed Marquis Shen of today's meeting at all. Her father must have noticed her contact with Bao Si and deliberately sent soldiers to put pressure on her. He might even want to use this opportunity to find something to hold against her and force her to completely depend on him.
She stood up suddenly and shouted at Lin Jiaojiao, "Did you deliberately lure him here? Do you want to use my father's hand to reap the benefits?"
"Queen, calm down!" Lin Jiaojiao also stood up, her tone hurried but steady. "Marquis Shen's target has never been me, but you and the Crown Prince—he wants you to be forever dependent on him and make Yijiu his puppet. Now is not the time to pursue responsibility. We must leave here as soon as possible. If his people see us meeting, he will definitely use the opportunity to slander us for 'plotting to seize power', and then Yijiu will be completely passive!"
Ling's voice echoed in his mind, a hint of urgency: "Shen Hou's soldiers have entered Jingxin Garden and are heading towards the pavilion. They'll arrive in about a quarter of an hour. I've disrupted their route, temporarily buying them time. Leave quickly through the secret passage behind the garden. Xiao Tao will lead you to safety."
"Secret passage?" Queen Shen was stunned for a moment, her eyes full of confusion.
"I had Xiaotao prepare this ahead of time," Lin Jiaojiao explained. "Behind Jingxin Garden lies a secret passage leading outside the palace. It was left behind by a former palace servant, and few people know about it. Queen, if you trust me, then follow me. We can't let Marquis Shen succeed in his scheme. If you don't trust me, you can leave now. I won't stop you."
Queen Shen looked at Lin Jiaojiao's sincere eyes, then looked at the anxious Qingdai beside her, and quickly weighed the pros and cons in her mind.
If he stayed, he would fall into his father's trap and be caught by him for "conspiring with Madam Si".
If he follows Bao Si, although there are risks, he can preserve the possibility of cooperation with Bao Si and preserve Yijiu's future.
The inexplicable throbbing she had just felt quietly resurfaced, causing her to finally grit her teeth and say, "Okay, I'll go with you! But remember, if anything happens to Yijiu, I won't let you go even if it costs me my life!"
Lin Jiaojiao breathed a sigh of relief and nodded to Xiaotao: "Xiaotao, take us to the secret passage."
Xiao Tao nodded quickly and took Lin Jiaojiao, Queen Shen and Qingdai to the bamboo forest behind the garden.
When passing by the willow trees outside the garden, the patrolling soldiers saw them and were about to step forward to ask, but when they saw Lin Jiaojiao, they were stunned for a moment - the woman in the light gray cloth skirt walking in the morning light was as beautiful as a painting, which made the soldiers subconsciously slow down their pace. By the time they reacted, they had already walked into the bamboo forest and disappeared from their sight.
"These soldiers..." Queen Shen looked at the soldiers' dazed looks, her heart full of complicated feelings. She finally understood why King You of Zhou was so concerned about Bao Si. Such a beauty could indeed make people unconsciously relax their vigilance, but it was also because of this that her father regarded Bao Si as a "thorn in the eye" and wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible.
Lin Jiaojiao didn't notice Queen Shen's thoughts and focused on following Xiaotao through the bamboo forest.
The entrance to the secret passage was hidden behind a huge rock deep in the bamboo forest. It was narrow but dry, wide enough for one person to pass through by bending over. Xiao Tao was the first to enter the secret passage, holding a candle to light the way ahead. "Madam, Queen, it's a little dark in there, please be careful."
Lin Jiaojiao and Shen Hou followed them into the secret passage, while Qingdai stayed behind, carefully pushing the boulder back to its original position to block the entrance.
The air in the secret passage was a little damp. The light from the torches reflected on the walls, creating a faint flickering of light and shadow. Queen Shen looked at Lin Jiaojiao walking in front of her and couldn't help but ask, "Bao Si, how did you know about this secret passage? Why did you make so many preparations?"
"Before I entered the palace, I heard an old servant from Baoguo mention the palace's secret passage. After entering, I asked Xiaotao to search for it. I didn't expect to find it." Lin Jiaojiao said softly, her tone tinged with emotion. "As for making these preparations, it's because I know the ambition of the Marquis of Shen. He won't tolerate anyone who might threaten his power. Whether it's me, you, or Yijiu, we have to be fully prepared to protect the people he wants to protect under his relentless pressure."
Queen Shen fell silent and said nothing more.
She looked at Lin Jiaojiao's back, and the throbbing in her heart gradually turned into admiration - she didn't expect that Bao Si was not only beautiful and intelligent, but also had a clarity and foresight far beyond ordinary people. She had long seen through her father's ambition and the danger of the situation. However, she was still hesitating between "relying on her father" and "protecting her son", which was really ashamed.
Half an hour later, they finally emerged from the secret passage. The exit was located in an abandoned courtyard on the west side of the palace. Xiao Tao extinguished the candle, pushed open the wooden door of the courtyard, and stuck her head out to check. "It's safe outside. There are no soldiers patrolling."
Lin Jiaojiao and Queen Shen walked out of the courtyard and looked at the familiar palace road outside, feeling relieved.
Queen Shen looked at Lin Jiaojiao, her tone much gentler than before, even a touch of frankness. "Bao Si, thank you for today's matter. Regarding the 'plan,' I need time to discuss it with Yijiu and confirm the attitudes of senior officials such as Taishi Bo. In three days, I will have Qingdai give you an answer. But I must warn you, my father will never give up. He will definitely use various means to stop us. We must be extremely cautious with every step we take from now on."
"Okay, I'll wait for your news." Lin Jiaojiao smiled and nodded, her eyes full of sincerity. "Don't worry, Queen. I will communicate with Taishi Bo. He is determined to preserve the Western Zhou classics and the royal orthodoxy, so he will definitely support Yijiu's succession. As for Shen Hou, as long as we stabilize the court and allow Yijiu to ascend the throne smoothly, even if he has ambitions, he won't find a suitable reason to revolt."
Queen Shen nodded, said nothing more, and hurried away with Qingdai.
Only after watching Queen Shen's back disappear at the end of the palace road did Lin Jiaojiao breathe a sigh of relief, a thin layer of sweat already forming on her back from the shock.
"Zero, Queen Shen's attitude should really have softened, right?" Lin Jiaojiao asked in her heart, with a hint of anticipation in her tone.
"According to the emotional scan, Queen Shen's vigilance has decreased by 70%, and her approval of the 'plan' has increased by 50%. Her emotions fluctuated significantly when she mentioned 'checking Marquis Shen's power'. This shows she has long been dissatisfied with her father's ambitions, but has never dared to resist. In three days, there's a high probability that she will agree to cooperate." Zero's voice was filled with relief. "Also, Marquis Shen's soldiers withdrew after finding no one in Jingxin Garden, but he certainly won't give up. He will strengthen surveillance of the palace, and our actions must be more covert."
Lin Jiaojiao nodded, feeling relieved. Xiaotao looked at her with admiration, "Madam, you were amazing just now! The Queen was so fierce at first, but you were able to convince her. You even knew that the Marquis of Shen was deliberately putting pressure on her. How do you know everything?"
Lin Jiaojiao smiled and patted Xiaotao's head. "This isn't just my achievement; it's the result of all of our hard work. Without you finding the secret passage and Qingdai's help, we wouldn't be here today. Next, we must continue to work hard and strive to ensure that Prince Yijiu succeeds to the throne as soon as possible, so that Marquis Shen's ambitions will not be realized."
When we left the abandoned courtyard, the sun had risen to mid-sky and the mist had long since dissipated.
Lin Jiaojiao walked on the palace road, watching the palace servants coming and going, her heart full of hope - she knew that the secret meeting in Jingxin Garden was just the beginning, and the plan to force King You of Zhou to abdicate and check and balance Marquis Shen was even more difficult, but as long as she could reach a real cooperation with Queen Shen, she could form a check and balance force of "Queen Mother + Old Ministers + herself", and she could maintain the stability of the Western Zhou Dynasty and protect the people and classics that should not be implicated in the war.
Back at the Qiongtai Palace, as soon as Lin Jiaojiao sat down, A'mo handed her a glass of warm water.
She took the cup of water, took a sip, and felt her fatigue gradually dissipate.
Ling's voice echoed in his mind, a touch gentle. "Jiaojiao, you did a great job today. Queen Shen has begun to recognize Marquis Shen's ambitions and acknowledges your abilities. Next, we must contact Tai Shi Bo as soon as possible to gain the support of the veteran ministers, while also accelerating the papermaking process. Using paper to win more recognition will also increase the stakes for our 'plan.'"
"I understand." Lin Jiaojiao responded softly, walked to the desk, looked at the "plan" paper on the table, her eyes full of determination.
She picked up a pen and added the key points of "how to unite with Taishibo to persuade the old ministers" and "how to deal with the possible counterattack of Shen Hou" on the paper. The handwriting fell clearly on the paper, more fluently than writing on bamboo slips.
With every word she wrote, she felt she was one step closer to her goal, one step closer to the plan of "breaking the deadlock."
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