IDWBE -Chapter 129 Liu Ruyan

“Young master, please come in!”

Seeing Lin Yi dressed in a fine robe with an air of refinement, a brothel attendant immediately rushed over warmly. “Are you staying the night, or just renting a dry bed?”

Lin Yi stood at the entrance without going in, craning his neck to look inside.

He was a frequent visitor to pleasure quarters and naturally understood the slang.

“Staying the night” meant a warm spring night beneath embroidered curtains—company until dawn.

“Dry bed” meant treating the place like an inn, doing nothing at all.

The attendant used coded language to gauge his background. Regulars would understand instantly, no need for further explanation.

If someone didn’t understand, they were clearly new customers—easy targets. In that case, the knife wouldn’t be gentle. More persuasion would follow to “educate” them on spending.

Those customers meant big profits.

Seeing Lin Yi silent, the attendant moved closer—then spotted the single saber wedged at his waist.

Today, Lin Yi had deliberately chosen Guard Wang Xu to accompany him.

After all, Shen Chu, Bao Kui, Ma Gui and the others were well known in Baiyun City. Bringing them into a brothel would ruin the fun.

“Back off. Don’t let our master catch your bad luck,” Wang Xu said coldly.

Only after the attendant retreated did Wang Xu close his blade.

Lin Yi smiled faintly at the attendant. “Is your top courtesan available?”

“Oh, young master, what unfortunate timing.” The attendant immediately recognized him as an experienced and wealthy patron. Not many would request the courtesan before even stepping inside.

“What’s the matter?” Lin Yi had come precisely because he’d heard of her reputation.

“Miss Ruyan has been booked out.”

“And which family can afford to book her?” Lin Yi asked.

“The residence of Deputy Commander Ma of Prince He’s guard!”

The attendant spoke proudly, chin lifted.

“Ma Gui?”

Lin Yi suspected he’d misheard. He’d just seen the man earlier that evening.

“It’s best not to casually say Commander Ma’s name,” the attendant lowered his voice. “You must be from out of town. Speak carefully. In Sanhe, Prince He rules. Commander Ma is one of his close confidants. Baiyun City isn’t like other places. You’d better learn the rules. If something happens, no one will answer your cries. If you end up in labor reform, your body won’t endure it.”

“Shut up.”

Wang Xu drew his blade again.

“You don’t know what’s good for you!” the attendant’s voice grew louder, especially as a patrol of palace constables passed by.

Go ahead and hit me!

If I don’t collapse on the spot, I’ll take your surname!

Without at least a dozen taels in compensation, I won’t get up!

He loved dealing with arrogant fools like this.

In all his time in Baiyun City, he had never seen anyone dare draw a blade.

“Enough.”

Lin Yi turned and left.

“Your Highness, slow down—you’re getting wet.”

Wang Xu hurried after him with the umbrella.

“Is this Liu Ruyan the same Liu Ruyan from Ankang City?” Lin Yi asked.

“That… this subordinate truly does not know,” Wang Xu said shamefacedly.

“Your intelligence network is really lacking.”

Lin Yi was annoyed that he’d heard about Liu Ruyan’s arrival from Qi Peng instead.

“This subordinate deserves punishment.”

Wang Xu felt wronged. He was only an ordinary guard. If the commanders didn’t care, what could he do?

Turning a corner, Lin Yi asked, “Has Ma Gui built a house outside?”

“Yes. I heard he plans to bring his family over. It’s near the Prince’s residence, close to A-Dai’s place. Shall I lead the way?”

Lin Yi considered it. “Forget it.”

He had never doubted Ma Gui’s loyalty.

There was no need to scare him.

Better to go home, bathe, and sleep.

Baiyun City’s nightlife was truly dull.

“Miss Liu…”

The moment Ma Gui saw Liu Ruyan, his scalp tingled.

He nearly thought he was seeing things.

This was Baiyun City—thousands of miles from Ankang! How had she come here?

Tonight’s banquet was meant to be hosted by Zhu Ruorong, but Ma Gui couldn’t bear the stench of the butcher’s house. So he moved it to his own residence—Rong just needed to bring the food and wine.

His newly built mansion was different from Sun Yi’s makeshift place. He had personally overseen every brick and tile.

In size and style, it rivaled that of a rural tycoon.

Hosting here allowed both space—and an opportunity to show it off.

Look at this house!

Halfway through the wine, Hu Shilu had the audacity to suggest inviting a girl for entertainment.

And of all people—it had to be someone familiar.

Not just familiar—someone Prince He knew well.

Ma Gui had accompanied the Prince through every pleasure quarter in Ankang. The Prince could wander among flowers untouched, but as his guard, Ma Gui recognized every courtesan.

Especially Liu Ruyan.

The Prince had been her regular.

And now he had summoned her to his own home?

What would the Prince think?

Worse—the Prince might not even know she had arrived in Baiyun City, and he hadn’t reported it!

He nearly wept.

Their Prince was generous and kind—but famously petty.

“Long time no see, Commander Ma,” Liu Ruyan smiled faintly. “I’ve yet to congratulate you on your promotion.”

She then bowed to Hu Shilu. “Divine Physician Hu, we are old acquaintances.”

Hu Shilu’s expression was equally grim.

Everyone knew about the Prince’s past.

Though a courtesan, she was practically the Prince’s woman.

They were courting death.

“Miss Liu,” Ma Gui gritted his teeth and decided immediately, “My humble home is too crude. You must have come to the wrong place. If you don’t mind, I’ll escort you back.”

“I’ll prepare the carriage!” Sun Yi rushed out.

Since she entered, he’d sobered halfway.

“Am I so unwelcome?” Liu Ruyan’s voice was soft and plaintive.

“We wouldn’t dare,” Ma Gui said, glaring at her maid.

Only after Liu Ruyan departed did he nearly collapse.

“Too frightening,” Sun Yi muttered.

“Why are you standing there? Get the horses—we’re going to the Prince’s residence.”

The three men rode through the rain.

Zhu Ruorong stomped behind them. “What about me?!”

When they arrived, Lin Yi had just finished bathing and couldn’t sleep.

He was idly teasing the parrot on his desk, trying to teach it to speak.

Glancing at the three kneeling men, he said lazily:

“A man smiles for beauty. Beauty smiles for money. You know this already. Why so nervous?”

Ma Gui forced a smile. “Your Highness, why would Liu Ruyan leave the prosperous capital for Baiyun City? I can’t understand it.”

“Don’t worry about it for now,” Lin Yi said lightly.

He had sought her once. He had no desire to seek her again.

“In Sanhe, she cannot escape Your Highness’s grasp,” Ma Gui flattered.

“Enough. It’s late. Go rest.”

After they withdrew, Lin Yi yawned and went inside.

Behind him, the parrot squawked incomprehensibly.

The rain cleared the next morning.

After breakfast, Lin Yi received troubling news.

Because of the rain, many refugees had fallen ill.

Under Hu Shilu’s direction, the garrison sealed off the refugee settlements.

From the symptoms, Lin Yi suspected influenza.

But in this era, that alone could be deadly.

He immediately ordered: School suspended.

It was only the second suspension since the school’s founding.

The first had been due to hand-foot-and-mouth disease during summer.

Fortunately, no child had died. Otherwise, Baiyun City might have rioted.

Being an educator carried responsibility.

If all went well, no one praised you.

But if even one thing went wrong, desperate parents would risk their lives—Prince or not.

The same applied to Hu Shilu.

Medical disputes were endless.

Cure someone—you’re a divine physician.

Fail—and you’re a quack.

Hu Shilu focused solely on medicine. His martial skills were poor. Without his wife Madam Jin’s basic training, he might have been beaten to death long ago.

His small clinic had become a key patrol site for constables.

“Physician Hu, my daughter has been vomiting since last night—what should we do?”

Zhu Ruorong held his seven-year-old daughter anxiously.

“Blame you! Insisting on coming to this wretched place!” his wife scolded nonstop.

“If anything happens to her, I won’t forgive you!”

“It’s just difficulty adjusting to the climate,” Hu Shilu said tiredly. “Nothing serious. Take medicine, rest, drink water.”

He had just returned from the refugee camps, exhausted. There were still over a hundred patients waiting.

If Zhu Ruorong hadn’t been a recent drinking companion, he might have snapped.

After they left, he lay back briefly, then continued seeing patients.

It went on until midnight, with knocks at the door even as he ate.

Glancing at his empty medicine cabinets, he sighed.

In damp weather, herbs couldn’t be dried or processed.

Supplies were running out.

Perhaps… he should accept the Prince’s proposal to establish a medical academy.

With more apprentices, maybe he wouldn’t be so tired.