IDWBE -Chapter 163 Borrowing Money

Lin Yi took a slow sip of tea, using his primordial power to suppress the urge to burp.

He had eaten too much just now!

After finishing his cup, he spoke leisurely, “Liang Xiangxian, I heard your Liang family mansion was rebuilt twelve years ago?”

“Prince,”

Liang Gen ground his teeth, fury filling his chest, “At that time, the Ayu Kingdom’s army invaded Baiyun City and burned down my ancestral home! When I returned, only ruins remained!”

Lin Yi looked at his face, sensing the performance was overly dramatic.

His acting still needed work.

But Lin Yi didn’t call him out. He only said sadly, “Yes, I heard. Back then, countless people in Baiyun City were massacred, blood flowing like rivers. Thankfully, General Mei Jingzhi drove back the Ayu army and secured a peace treaty. But alas, Li Fo was inhuman—daring to break the treaty on his own.”

“The Ayu people are treacherous and unprincipled; heaven will not tolerate it!”

Liang Gen didn’t know Lin Yi’s connection with Mei Jingzhi and dared not say more.

“I heard that when General Mei went south, Liang Xiangxian donated five hundred thousand taels?”

Lin Yi lowered his head, pretending to finish his tea cup without looking at Liang Gen.

“The Ayu people destroyed our homeland, killed our kin—we share a common hatred!”

Liang Gen shouted, “Everyone in Sanhe should unite. I, along with Elder Qiu, Mr. Hu, Mr. Yan, and others, spared no effort to support General Mei in the southern campaign, to restore our lands and return home sooner.”

Damn it, don’t think I’m the only one donating!
I’m not the only one providing aid!
He had to move forward with these people.

But Qiu Wujin, Hu Banquan, Yan Kuisheng, and the others were already cursing Liang Gen’s ancestors!

Dragging me into this—what benefit is it to you?

Talk about loyalty!

If it weren’t for Prince He being present, they would have spat at Liang Gen.

“Good, good!”

Lin Yi clapped, “Everyone loves Sanhe and Baiyun City so much. I’m truly moved.”

“Sanhe is our home!”

This slogan was plastered all over Baiyun City. Even if Liang Gen tried not to look, he saw it every day.

He was getting sick of it, but couldn’t help applying it, grinding his teeth and speaking with the excitement of a widower, “Though my family’s wealth was exhausted twelve years ago, I am still willing to donate twenty thousand taels!”

As soon as Liang Gen finished, Hu Banquan stood, “I am also willing to donate twenty thousand taels! Only to ensure Sanhe’s safety.”

“I will donate ten thousand taels! As long as I live to see the Ayu army retreat, I will die without regret!”

Yan Kuisheng spoke, followed by others contributing thirty, fifty thousand taels, and so on.

Then came a wave of middle-aged and young men, eager to contribute.

Shan Qi, Xie Zan, and others were thrilled—within moments, nearly one million taels were raised!

Lin Yi frowned.

Were they underestimating him? Five hundred thousand, three hundred thousand, two hundred thousand for Mei Jingzhi… and just this for me? Sending a beggar off?

Yet, he didn’t show it, bowing slightly with a smile, “I appreciate your generosity, but I absolutely cannot accept it! Defending the land is my duty. If I constantly take everyone’s money, what kind of man would I be? Do you look down on me?”

“Prince, we also have a duty to defend the land!”

Liang Gen shouted, “Please, Your Highness, accept it—do not refuse!”

Inwardly, he was furious. Seeing Lin Yi’s hypocritical act made him hate him more! You’re just saying the money is too little! I’ll just add more!

“Please, Your Highness, accept it!”

Over a hundred people stood, walked to the center, and knelt, their voices shaking the hall.

Even the beauties beside them were unsure where to kneel, so they knelt hurriedly by the table.

“I appreciate your kindness,”

Lin Yi rubbed his brow, speaking solemnly, “I will not take your money. If I die, we all die together, sharing life and death! This will also show the world that Sanhe is full of true men.”

“Prince, I am willing to give fifty thousand taels!”

Liang Gen’s eyes reddened—this prince was so greedy! Others echoed, adding ten, five, or one thousand taels.

Lin Yi thought: These people are so comfortably wealthy—it’s absurd! In the political, cultural, and economic center of Daliang—the city of Ankang—they would be top-tier magnates. Even the emperor would seem poor in front of them. When Emperor Delong sent armies, even raising a few hundred thousand taels was hard. No wonder local garrisons rebelled with refugees.

On reflection, it made sense.

These families had controlled this region for generations, paid no taxes, and faced no disasters besides the Ayu invasion years ago.

Mines, salt profits, maritime trade—they had money flowing like a river.

“You all suspect me of greed!”

Lin Yi frowned, “Am I really that greedy? Taking all your money?”

The expressions below said: Yes, you are!

You have no shame! Putting up a sign at the Prince’s gate saying “Come in only if you have money”—don’t you see your own hypocrisy?

“Prince!”

Yan Kuisheng squinted, “I was born a Sanhe man, I’ll die a Sanhe ghost. These fifteen thousand taels are my small token—please accept, Your Highness!”

Seventeen-year-old Yan’s father?

How could such an old man raise a pure, celestial daughter? Not genetics!

If born in Ankang, he wouldn’t go south to Sanhe.

But thinking of his future father-in-law, Lin Yi became polite, smiling, “You misunderstand me. I do not want your money. I only hope you lend me money at one percent interest. I never lie—borrowing and repaying is righteous, and it’s also a Sanhe rule. I will not break this rule. Besides, if I wanted your money for free, I could have seized everything at once, raided your homes—easily netting millions.”

Silence fell.

Not swearing at Prince He in their hearts—virtually impossible! Sanhe knew this reckless prince spoke bluntly, but was this really necessary?

After glances around, no one spoke.

Even Shan Qi and Xie Zan thought: humiliating!

Our Daliang Kingdom is a land of etiquette. Even Emperor Delong valued subtlety. Prince He wasn’t just straightforward—he was foolishly insulting everyone while pretending to be direct!

Lin Yi continued, “If I don’t repay, there’s only one possibility: I’m dead. Or all of you are dead, and even if I wanted to repay, there’s no one to pay. Otherwise, rest assured—no death, no debt.”

Rough words. Everyone below had mixed feelings—not sure what to say.

Moved? Impossible!

They wanted to kill him on the spot! Everyone present was respectable—they could vent privately, no need to embarrass themselves in Chunxiang Tower before all the beauties!

“I will contribute twenty thousand taels!”

This time, Hu Banquan got ahead.

“Sixty thousand taels!”

Liang Gen went all out—borrow or donate, he didn’t care.

Others followed, adding ten, eight, or five thousand more.

Listening to their tone, Lin Yi finally sensed their sincerity.

He knew this was truly their bottom line.

“I said it before—I want to borrow money, not take donations,”

Lin Yi shook his head, “You still don’t trust me. And yet the amounts keep increasing. Actually, thirty thousand taels is enough. Extra money serves no purpose. There’s still time to go to Nanzhou, Yuezhou, Hongzhou for supplies. So I will only borrow thirty thousand taels. No more. Maximum one thousand taels per household. If you want to profit from my interest, dream on.”

Not only were the gentry below shocked, Shan Qi and others were puzzled too.

Although they agreed Lin Yi was right—war was imminent, and there was little space to spend money.

But it didn’t mean the money wasn’t useful!

“Everyone?”

Lin Yi stood, “No problem, right?”

He genuinely wanted to benefit from these rich folks.

But one must think long-term.

Now was not the time to hit the wealthy—especially during internal and external crises. One should unite all forces, minimize the enemy, and mobilize all available resources.

“Prince…”

Liang Gen thought he misheard.

Ten thousand taels?

Worth coming here for this!

“Enough, no more talk. This time, I lead personally. Those who can give money, give; those who can help, help. Otherwise, when the Ayu army reaches Baiyun City, we’ll all cry together,”

Lin Yi stood, walked from his seat toward the hall entrance, then turned back, “You know the situation in the court better than I do. If Sanhe falls, I cannot return to Ankang City.”

For the sake of his life, he might have to go overseas and become an island lord.

Yet, to others, his words carried a bitter undertone.

The next day, Baiyun City spread the word: Prince He personally leads the campaign, vowing life and death with Sanhe! A true prince risking his life—what could ordinary people say?

Ayu people—what are they?

Bring it on!

Sanhe will never be enslaved! Many who had planned to flee to Nanzhou or Hongzhou stayed.

Especially those observing the Liang and Hu families’ actions.

Liang Gen only sent three grandsons away, personally leading a thousand militia men to the provincial administration, pledging life and death with Sanhe.

Others naturally followed suit.

Lin Yi had no reason to oppose—more people was better, especially if he didn’t have to pay wages, just manage food and drink.