IDWBE -Chapter 143 Worry

Unfortunately, the Crown Prince was not here before him. Otherwise, Lin Yi would have liked to ask him: if Prince Yong and Prince Chu both fell into the water at the same time, could he choose to be his dear brother instead?

In the future, the Crown Prince could be his emperor, and Lin Yi would remain his own feudal prince—each minding his own affairs, neither interfering with the other.

Wouldn’t that be perfectly fine?

Born of the same root, why press each other so hard?

Qi Peng looked at Lin Yi’s shifting expression and finally could not help saying, “Your Highness should make plans early, lest you be caught unprepared later.”

Lin Yi asked, “What plans do you think I should make?”

Qi Peng replied, “Your Highness understands the Crown Prince’s temperament better than I do. He tolerates no one. Once he ascends the throne, I fear…”

“If you have something to say, say it all at once. Stop hesitating,” Lin Yi said impatiently. “If you’re still hiding anything from me, I won’t spare you.”

Qi Peng continued, “General Mei Jingzhi’s army has camped in Hongzhou and remains inactive—likely at the instruction of Prince Nanling. At present, suppressing the rebellion depends solely on General Yuan Qing. Although he has forced Han Hui to retreat, he cannot hold out for long.”

“My foolish uncle… how am I supposed to save him?” Lin Yi sighed, then suddenly changed tone, a little resentful. “Didn’t he favor Third Brother? Weren’t they sworn friends? I can’t be bothered with him anymore. He can do as he pleases.”

Lin Yi suddenly realized he was no better than the Crown Prince—after all, even his own maternal uncle did not stand with him.

His uncle was aligned with Prince Yong.

But he could not blame him. In Ankang City, Lin Yi was known as a piece of mud that could not be plastered onto a wall.

Perhaps he had hidden his abilities too well—until it became a joke.

Excess is as bad as deficiency.

Qi Peng pushed his wheelchair, following behind Lin Yi as he paced. “The imperial treasury is empty. When the army marches to suppress bandits and rebels, most provisions come from plunder—killing on sight, burning homes, seizing children, women, and valuables to replenish military supplies. General Yuan is upright and cannot bring himself to do such things. The soldiers go hungry, their faces gaunt. If not for General Yuan’s firm discipline, there would likely have been mutiny long ago.”

Lin Yi sighed. “What’s the difference between government troops and bandits? No wonder the common people rebel. In the end, no matter what, it’s death either way. History’s laws truly do not bend to human will.”

His father had been so diligent.

Rising at the fourth watch, holding court at the fifth, reviewing memorials or discussing affairs until late into the night—neglecting even the three thousand beauties of the harem.

He wrote seven or eight thousand characters of commentary daily—enough to shame Lin Yi, a web novelist!

And yet the Liang Empire was still terminally ill.

Qi Peng remained silent. Such matters were not his to discuss.

Lin Yi went on, “Yu Boxu and Yuwen She—father and son—must also be investigated. Without the Imperial Guards’ cooperation, the Crown Prince’s seizure of power would be nothing but a fool’s dream.”

“Yes,” Qi Peng said solemnly. “I will investigate thoroughly.”

“Good.”

Lin Yi turned to leave, then suddenly turned back. “You’re sure there’s nothing else?”

“No more.”

Qi Peng smiled and shook his head firmly.

After thinking a moment, Lin Yi said, “Write a detailed report and give it to Shan Qi and Xie Zan. Those old foxes might be able to analyze something.”

“Yes.”

Qi Peng agreed without hesitation.

Returning to his room, Lin Yi lay in bed for a while but could not sleep. He got up and poured himself another cup of grape wine.

One cup after another.

“Your Highness, rest assured. The Princess and Her Highness are blessed and will be safe,” Mingyue said softly, placing a cup of tea before him. “If Your Highness is truly worried, this servant can return to the capital to care for them.”

Zixia quickly added, “So can this servant.”

Lin Yi waved them off. “Don’t add to the chaos. If the Crown Prince wants the throne, he’ll trouble us brothers. He likely won’t harm the women in the palace.”

The more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed.

“Your Highness is right,” Mingyue said.

Lin Yi continued drinking alone. “Sigh… those two living treasures are really infuriating.”

Just as the Sixth Prince, Prince Dai, once said—whether Prince Yong or the Crown Prince ascended the throne, the outcome for the other brothers would be the same.

Not born on the same day of the same month of the same year—

But destined to die on the same day.

As he drank, he gradually forgot his annoyance over Zhang Mian and Bao Kui entering Yuezhou without authorization.

If even the Emperor no longer concerned himself with affairs, who could restrain him?

As for the Crown Prince?

There had never been much brotherly affection. Whether he did good or ill made little difference.

Better to let things run their course—like smashing a cracked pot and giving up on it.

Drunk and dizzy, he was helped to bed by Mingyue and fell asleep immediately.

The next morning, just after breakfast, Shan Qi and Xie Zan arrived.

Shan Qi’s first request was to recruit more garrison troops. The reason was simple: most of the garrison soldiers had followed Zhang Mian to suppress bandits. The remaining forces in Baiyun City were insufficient to deter troublemakers.

At the mention of spending money, Lin Yi’s instinct was to refuse. But thinking of the Crown Prince, he agreed.

No matter what, he needed some strength. If chaos truly erupted one day, he would need the power to bring his mother and sister out of the palace—and flee to become a lord of some island.

“Your Highness,” Shan Qi said carefully, “if the reports are true, Ankang City may no longer know peace.”

Lin Yi replied, “The Crown Prince acting as regent is legitimate. Who would dare oppose him?”

Shan Qi said, “Prince Yong is battle-hardened and decisive. He would not sit still and await death. If my guess is correct, Prince Yong has already fled Ankang City.”

“Ankang is entirely under the Crown Prince’s control. Unless he grows wings and flies out,” Lin Yi sighed, “the Crown Prince must be watching him closely. With only a few experts at his side, escape would be difficult.”

“That depends on Prince Yong’s fate,” Shan Qi said.

“You may recruit soldiers—I won’t stop you,” Lin Yi said after a pause. “But train them well. The army must be elite, not merely numerous.”

“Yes!”

The group of old officials suddenly knelt in unison and loudly affirmed, startling Lin Yi.

For several days, Lin Yi slept poorly, waking in the middle of the night from dreams of the Crown Prince chopping off his head.

“Damn it. What’s there to fear? One nose, two eyes—who wins isn’t decided yet,” he muttered at breakfast one morning.

A long-unseen figure suddenly appeared before him, startling him.

“What guilty deed have you done?” Consort Wen sat opposite him, breaking apart a mung bean cake as she spoke. “You look frightened.”

“I never do guilty deeds,” Lin Yi smiled. “Where have you been lately? I haven’t seen you.”

“I went to meet an old friend,” Consort Wen said calmly.

“You certainly have many friends.”

Lin Yi pursed his lips but asked no further.

After finishing a bowl of porridge and a salted duck egg, rinsing her mouth with tea, she asked, “I heard you were ill recently?”

Lin Yi sighed. “My back festered, then high fever followed. I nearly lost my life. I still don’t know what disease it was.”

“When spring epidemics spread, do you think it’s child’s play?” Consort Wen snorted. “You’re lucky to have fallen ill only now—and survived. And you brought so many people here, yet they’re all still fine.”

“That’s not luck. That’s science,” Lin Yi said. “No drinking raw water, no eating raw food, no bathing randomly in rivers, spreading lime—did you think those were useless?”

Consort Wen smiled. “Very well, you’re right.”

After all, facts were undeniable.

The many children in the orphanages were alive and well—clearly not mere luck.

After spring plowing ended, just as Shan Qi predicted, Prince Yong escaped Ankang City and returned to his stronghold in Yongzhou.

“What is Yang Changchun’s attitude?” Lin Yi asked with a smile. “One mountain cannot contain two tigers. Would Yang Changchun easily hand over military authority?”

Qi Peng shook his head. “Prince Yong treats Yang Changchun with the respect due a teacher. It is said he even personally washed his feet.”

“…”

Lin Yi covered his forehead with his hand.

He had underestimated Third Brother.