IDWBE -Chapter 105 The Barbarians

Lin Yi asked curiously, “Why did your father drive you out? How come I never heard about it? You’re not doing so well, are you?”

What a disappointment!

Ye Qiu lifted his chin. “When the paths differ, one cannot make plans together.”

Lin Yi waved his hand. “Forget about your lofty ‘paths.’ How are you going to deal with this money? Don’t even think about defaulting.”

If he couldn’t squeeze at least a couple of taels out of this guy, he wouldn’t be satisfied!

After all, the fellow was infuriating.

“I have no money,” Ye Qiu said plainly.

“Fine, no money? Then sell yourself to pay the debt,” Lin Yi said fiercely. “The residence happens to be short a gardener. You’ll be the gardener. You’re good with a sword—pruning branches is also within your professional expertise. Don’t refuse.”

His decision allowed no argument.

Ye Qiu didn’t dare meet Hong Ying’s gaze. Closing his eyes, he accepted his fate.

Thus, Prince He’s residence gained a gardener who carried scissors and a wooden bucket all day long.

And he dared not slack off—otherwise, the wounds on his face would only multiply.

He hated that dead eunuch to the core.

Since childhood, although his father scolded him, he had never dared lay a hand on him.

The only consolation was that the food at Prince He’s residence was quite decent.

Lin Yi, aside from fishing every day, had little else to do.

However, a newly issued regulation from the Provincial Administration caught his attention.

“Those who slaughter official or private cattle shall be sentenced to penal labor.”

Lin Yi was highly dissatisfied with this regulation.

It wasn’t scientific at all.

Shan Qi personally came out to receive him at the yamen entrance and cupped his hands. “Princes do not slaughter cattle without cause; grand officials do not slaughter sheep without cause; scholars do not slaughter dogs or pigs without cause; commoners do not eat delicacies without cause. It has always been so since ancient times!”

He hadn’t done anything wrong!

“Has it always been so—therefore it must be right?”

Lin Yi asked coldly. “The ancients drilled wood to make fire and carved characters on bamboo slips. Why don’t you follow that too?”

Shan Qi said, “Cattle are major livestock. Official and private horses and cattle are of great importance. Cattle are the foundation of farming; horses serve military transport.”

Lin Yi sighed. “I keep telling you to innovate, to use your brains, but you won’t listen. If there aren’t enough draft cattle, shouldn’t you encourage people to raise more?”

Shan Qi smiled. “Your Highness, one household with one cow is sufficient.”

Lin Yi said, “If they raise more, why can’t they sell beef? Everything should follow market principles. Cattle don’t eat meat—they eat grass, corn stalks, peanut vines. They’re actually easy to raise. It’s because you bookworms ban this and forbid that, so the people don’t dare raise them. In the end, there aren’t enough cattle to use. This time, I decide: any household that raises cattle will receive a subsidy of thirty copper coins.”

Shan Qi wanted to argue further, but Lin Yi had already walked away.

With no choice, Shan Qi rescinded the regulation the same day it was issued and replaced it with another:

In Sanhe, livestock—including cattle and sheep—could be slaughtered freely.

Those who raised cattle and sheep would receive subsidies.

The first regulation was something the people of Sanhe had never seen before; the second was something they had never even heard of.

In any case, both were astonishing.

But when someone actually received the subsidy for raising cattle and sheep, the people of Sanhe went crazy.

Repairing roads for a whole exhausting month earned only thirty copper coins!

Now, just find a lamb or calf, toss it up into the mountains, do nothing at all—and you get thirty copper coins!

What? Thieves?

All the thieves were busy repairing roads. They didn’t have time for that.

As the road from Baiyun City extended further south, more and more people heard about it.

The small amount of silver left in the Provincial Administration’s tax revenues—after deducting grain transport—was halved within days.

But suddenly, an even more unexpected and severe problem arose.

The barbarians living deep in the mountains had detained over a thousand road-building craftsmen.

That night, Prince He’s residence was brightly lit.

From Shan Qi to Wang Qingbang and the rest, everyone sat there, watching the frowning prince.

In their view, they could simply dispatch the garrison troops to suppress them—but Prince He did not agree.

He Jixiang said, “Your Highness, the barbarians are rampant. Severe measures should be used!”

Lin Yi took the teacup Mingyue handed him and tilted his head back. “Are they subjects of Sanhe?”

Wang Qingbang said, “Their life and death rest on Your Highness’s single thought!”

Mere lowly people—kill them if you wish!

Even the Emperor would not blame him!

Lin Yi said, “They’re just poor commoners. More than anything, they’re afraid of you. If they were truly barbarians, they wouldn’t just detain craftsmen—they would have killed them outright. That means there’s still room for negotiation. I’ll personally head south.”

As a modern, well-educated youth, facing a group of stubborn old conservatives, he didn’t expect to reason with them.

If he left it to them, who knew how many women and children would die?

He could only make the decision himself.

“Your Highness!”

Chen Desheng knelt. “The barbarians are fierce. How can Your Highness risk your noble body?”

Lin Yi snorted coldly and ignored them.

The next day, banners fluttered.

At the front was Prince He’s banner—the sea otter flag personally drawn by Lin Yi.

Behind it marched three thousand armored garrison soldiers, and behind them over five thousand laborers transporting provisions.

The people of Baiyun City lined the streets to watch.

After all, this was Prince He’s first campaign!

Thinking of the former “black-skins” (bandits), many hoped this prince would die out there and never return.

But then they remembered—the peaceful days they now enjoyed were granted by him.

If he died, Baiyun City would likely descend into chaos again.

Back to the old days of bandits everywhere.

For a moment, everyone felt conflicted.

But they genuinely loved the residence guards.

Seeing familiar faces pass by, some elderly women stuffed eggs and dried meat into the soldiers’ hands.

These children were truly kind—whenever the people had difficulties, a single word was enough, and they never refused.

More filial than their own sons.

When Lin Yi grew tired of riding in the carriage, he mounted a donkey and continued south along the newly built road.

The water grew clearer, the sky bluer.

There were more wild animals.

When encountering tigers or monkeys, he always stopped his men from shooting them.

The weather grew hotter, and mosquitoes more numerous.

Several swollen bites dotted his face.

One thumb-sized bump had already become infected.

“Your Highness, perhaps let this servant go instead,” Hong Ying said, heart aching.

After ten days, the prince’s face was hardly fit to be seen.

“Then we’ll rest for a day,” Lin Yi said.

Even facing enemies, this ugly face would be a joke.

Hong Ying bowed in agreement.

The nearly ten-thousand-strong force rested by a mountain stream.

Following Mingyue’s suggestion, Lin Yi wore a gauze veil over his face—like a woman.

After seven more days, with medicinal ointment prepared by Xie Zan applied to his face, the wounds finally healed.

Only his arms and legs remained dotted with marks.

Ye Qiu rode up on a tall horse beside Lin Yi’s lowly donkey and shouted, “Your Highness, how about I kill on your behalf, and we call it even?”

“In your dreams!”

Lin Yi slapped the donkey’s rump and ignored the fool.