IDWBE -Chapter 176 Three-Year Plan

Countless days and years passed, yet the waters of the West River flowed endlessly, day and night.

Unlike previous years, this year the migratory birds were unusually numerous—perhaps because the north had grown far colder than usual. Along both banks of the river, flocks of geese, egrets, and cormorants filled the skies, calling out incessantly.

Many of these birds could dive underwater, scooping up big and small fish alike.

“This is ridiculous… why is it so cold this year?”

Lin Yi tightened his robe against the river wind almost unconsciously.

Hong Ying came over and said, “Your Highness, why not put on another layer?”

Lin Yi smiled. “It’s not that extreme. No need. I’ll worry about that when we get home.”

Slowly crossing the West River Bridge, this time the usually lazy and stubborn donkey ran unusually fast without any urging.

The first to greet them were children drying rice along the riverside road.

Most of Baiyun City’s able-bodied men had gone to war; what remained were mostly women and children, who formed the backbone of this autumn’s harvest.

“You’re back with His Highness!”

“We won the battle!”

A group of children ran around the army in a frenzy, shouting and cheering.

The sharp-eyed among them had already spotted their fathers, uncles, and grandfathers, and without waiting for a reaction, they charged forward.

Those who hadn’t found relatives yet ran toward the rear of the army, shouting as they went.

Baiyun City had turned into a sea of joy, inadvertently covering up the grief of the families of the deceased.

“Comfort the families of the dead properly,” Lin Yi instructed the approaching Shan Qi. “Also, hold a banquet for ten thousand people—tonight I will treat everyone to food and drink.”

“Your Highness is wise.”

Shan Qi couldn’t smile. You’re treating them? Isn’t this still the provincial treasury’s money!

The blue sky, white clouds, the endlessly flowing river, and the bustling crowd—Lin Yi’s heart instantly calmed.

Unconsciously, his original resistance to Baiyun City had slowly transformed into a sense of belonging.

“Who am I?”

He suddenly turned and asked.

“Your Highness?”

Shan Qi and Xie Zan looked dumbfounded. How is one supposed to answer that?

“You are His Highness—the Ninth Prince of the reigning dynasty! Who else could you be? Still half asleep? Or war has muddled your mind?”

“Your Highness is the King of Sanhe, the Lord of Baiyun City!”

Mingyue and Zixia spoke in unison.

Their voices sounded abrupt amidst the quiet crowd.

Everyone turned to Lin Yi, and seeing his smiling face, they immediately understood.

“The King of Sanhe, the Lord of Baiyun City!”

Xie Zan and Chen Desheng knelt first, followed by Shan Qi, Bian Jing, and others. Behind them, tens of thousands of laborers, soldiers, and locals joined in.

“The King of Sanhe, the Lord of Baiyun City!”

Each shout louder than the last.

Inspired by the atmosphere, the Qian and Li people who had accompanied them dismounted from their elephants and horses and knelt along with the crowd.

“I am the King of Sanhe, the Lord of Baiyun City!”

Lin Yi declared suddenly, brimming with pride. “What if someone comes to take it from me?”

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

The roar shook the heavens, startling migratory birds on both sides, darkening the skies as they took flight.

“I’ve decided,” Lin Yi said to Xie Zan and the others, “I will not let this world be taken by those I despise.”

The Jizhao Nunnery!
Prince Yong!
Shameless and vile!
Disgusting.

This time, there would be no retreat.

Besides, even if he did retreat, they would never let him go.

Either way, the outcome was the same.

“Your Highness is wise!”

The elders were moved to tears.

How had the prince suddenly seen the light? Unbelievable!

“If they want war, then let them come,” Lin Yi said, sometimes wishing he could just be a fool.

Making mistakes was easier to bear if he could call himself a fool.

But thinking of the Jizhao Nunnery’s deeds, his anger surged.

Did they really think he was a dumpling, ready to be bitten at will?

“War!”

“War!”

This time, men and women, old and young, all shouted in unison.

“The people of Sanhe will never be slaves!”

Yu Xiaoshi suddenly raised his hammer and shouted loudly into the recently quiet crowd.

“The people of Sanhe will never be slaves!”

Wave after wave of voices echoed.

This time, the tribe members shouted with the most vigor.

“Ha ha!”

Lin Yi laughed heartily.

Back at his residence, he didn’t eat, instead reclining in his long-awaited armchair, holding a cup of tea, watching the people kneel in orderly rows below.

“Has nothing major happened while I’ve been gone for months?”

“Your Highness!”

Qi Peng wheeled his chair forward through the crowd and bowed. “The Emperor has decreed: abdication, passing the throne to the Crown Prince, retiring from governance.”

“Abdication?”

Lin Yi snorted coldly. “My father is not such a magnanimous man. When did this happen, and why tell me only today?”

Qi Peng said, “Your Highness, I only received the message tonight as well.”

“The Crown Prince is too hasty,” Lin Yi shook his head and sipped his tea. “Does he think controlling Ankang City means he can control the world? Which of my brothers is easy to deal with?”

Shan Qi said, “Everything is up to Your Highness.”

“Build high walls, stock up on provisions, observe the situation, and first see how my other brothers act,” Lin Yi smiled. “My father has been wise all his life, but in old age, he lets his son be confined. Right now, he’s probably regretting it and slapping himself on the face. There’s nothing else for him to do but self-flagellate.”

The people below were silent. How could they respond? Join in cursing the emperor?

“I remember the boasts you made: third-rank armies, refined power formations… how’s that going?”

Lin Yi snorted coldly. “I hope you take responsibility for your words. Can these boasts become reality?”

He Jixiang quickly said, “Your Highness, rest assured. I will do everything in my power!”

In truth, after the battle with the Ayu people, the performance of the Sanhe army had already exceeded his expectations.

Even the ferocious legendary Ayu forces had lasted only one day.

What more could one ask for? Back then, Mei Jingzhi’s hundred-thousand army fought the Ayu people in countless battles before finally securing peace.

“Then let’s do it this way,” Lin Yi yawned. “I’ll lie down for a while. Keep a close watch on the Qian and Li people—don’t let them stir up trouble.”

After everyone left, he reclined in his chair and slept until the evening.

Upon waking, he instinctively reached for the tea cup on the table, still warm.

He drank deeply, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and said, “I need a bath. I smell terrible.”

Mingyue smiled. “Your Highness, it’s ready.”

Lin Yi waved her off. “Not at home. We’re going to the mountain hot springs.”

The water in the tubs was too little—washing meant bathing in one’s own foot water.

Outside the residence, they boarded a prepared carriage and headed for the mountains.

A hundred or so guards surrounded them; Lin Yi had been left with psychological scars from the Jizhao Nunnery.

Whether the guards were useful or not, having more gave a sense of security.

“From now on, I can no longer walk freely in Baiyun City,” Lin Yi sighed. “I don’t have the Emperor’s lifespan, but I inherited the Emperor’s problems. What kind of situation is this?”

“I acknowledge my fault!”

Hong Ying said ashamedly, “It’s my lack of skill.”

“This is my destiny,” Lin Yi laughed. “Have you truly entered the Grand Master level?”

Even now, he could hardly believe it.

“Yes!”

Hong Ying’s excitement surged. It was touching that his skills had once again caught Lin Yi’s attention. “My Yuan Gong practice is nearly complete.”

“How did you learn it?”

Lin Yi was genuinely curious. To him, Hong Ying had always seemed like just a fan, imagining what he read in novels.

“All of Your Highness’s books contain top-tier techniques,” Hong Ying smiled. “I’ve been learning straight from the books.”

“You truly are a genius,” Lin Yi said, half-laughing, half-crying, unsure how to respond.

Believe it, and it seems absurd—learning martial arts from novels. Don’t believe it, and yet the evidence is right before him.

He stopped trying to reason it out. After all, he had already experienced far more unreliable things, like transmigration.

At the foot of the mountain, the carriage stopped; the mountain path was rugged and wet, making it difficult to walk.

With Hong Ying’s support, Lin Yi walked while saying, “Tell Bian Jing to repair the road to the summit later.”

Hong Ying smiled. “Your Highness, don’t worry. I’ll have Bian Jing do it.”

The hot spring source was small; Lin Yi could lie in it perfectly, hands resting on the stones at the edge, head tilted back, occasionally sipping tea and eating pastries.

He bathed until dusk.

On the way back, they passed a burial procession. The elderly and children were inconsolable.

Lin Yi couldn’t bear to watch and instructed Hong Ying to drive around them.

That evening, he ate weakly, then slept naturally until the next day.

It was the most comfortable season for sleeping under a quilt.

Shan Qi and the others had been waiting outside since early morning.

After washing, Lin Yi came out. “You’ve come early—what’s the matter?”

Shan Qi smiled. “Your Highness, it’s already noon.”

“Noon?”

Lin Yi glanced at the high sun. “I didn’t feel it at all.”

Shan Qi said, “Tian Shiyou sent a pigeon with a message. The great ship transporting Prince Yong’s army back to Yongzhou was besieged by the Qi Prefecture navy but managed to escape. It’s expected back the day after tomorrow.”

“Qi Prefecture?”

Lin Yi frowned. “Who commands the navy there? Are they insane or siding with the Crown Prince?”

Shan Qi said, “The navy is commanded by Zhao Chaoliu, a former general of Mei Jingzhi.”

Lin Yi laughed. “So Old Seven is behind this. Dog bites dog—let them deal with it. We’ll watch the show from the sidelines. For now, we focus on ourselves; Sanhe lacks people, and talent is the primary productive force.”

The biggest obstacle to Sanhe’s development had always been labor!

Thousands of miles of fertile land lying fallow was a waste.

Now, more than twenty thousand Li and Qian people, with families in tow, had arrived.

But they weren’t yet productive labor: they didn’t know farming and were wild by nature, unwilling to enter workshops.

No chance to experience the rewards of hard work.

They could only contribute on the battlefield, and only as combatants.

Bian Jing hesitated. “Your Highness, the road to Ayu can be postponed. I suggest first repairing the road to Hongzhou. This way, ceramics from Hongzhou can be transported to Sanhe more easily.”

Hongzhou’s ceramics, transported by large ships to the southern seas, returned with shipments of gold, silver, and jewels.

“Alright,” Lin Yi pondered. “Where are Han Hui and his bandits? And my good uncle?”

Wang Qingbang said, “Han Hui is still confronting General Yuan’s forces. But the court has already ordered Yuan and Mei Jingzhi to retreat and participate in the abdication ceremony.”

“My honest uncle probably won’t resist an imperial order,” Lin Yi sighed. “Mei Jingzhi, however, is unpredictable.”

“Exactly,” Wang Qingbang nodded. “General Yuan is preparing to withdraw, while Mei Jingzhi pursues the rebels south. From what I can tell, their direction is likely Nanling.”

Lin Yi laughed. “Old Seven is lucky to have such a protective grandfather.”

Wang Qingbang continued, “Before leaving, Mei Jingzhi charged the Nan Prefecture navy commander Jiang Kan with eighteen crimes. Jiang Kan took his family onto a naval ship and hasn’t been seen since.”

“Hm, Mei Jingzhi is indeed decisive—a ruthless person,” Lin Yi laughed. “Inform Zhang Mian and Du Sanhe: next time you see that bastard Jiang Kan, no mercy. He has only two choices—submit or be cut down by me.”

“Yes,” Wang Qingbang cleared his throat. “Lord Heshun has taken his family southward.”

“That old fool! Fine if he goes alone, but why drag along my unwed consort?”

Lin Yi ground his teeth in frustration. Getting a wife is hard enough, yet so many obstacles!

Everyone below suppressed their laughter.

Seeing Lin Yi give no further instructions, they bowed and withdrew.

Since deciding not to give in to those bastards, Lin Yi had started devoting some energy to Sanhe’s development.

Before the stunned crowd, he presented a “Three-Year Plan”:

Within three years, Sanhe will have a population of one million.
Everyone will have enough to eat.
Implement three years of compulsory education for children of school age.
All citizens trained as soldiers, with a standing army of over twenty thousand.

Afterward, his first order was to reorganize the elephant corps.

Having witnessed the power of elephants in battle, he knew even refined martial artists couldn’t withstand a kick from their sturdy feet. Applied on the battlefield, the effect would be devastating.

The Qian people were the happiest.

In the days since arriving in Sanhe, they had discovered the infinite utility of gold and silver. With it, girls in the Chunxiang Pavilion would look at them like goddesses, granting them a godlike lifestyle.

They had broadened their horizons. Leaders’ wives and daughters were no longer attractive—they were dark-skinned—but this shifted their tastes.

The only downside: the gold and silver they had accumulated had already been swindled by the detestable Sanhe people.

Once good friends, they now met with envy.

They wanted nothing more than to jab them with a fork.

In Sanhe, everything required money—without it, progress was impossible.

Previously accustomed to hunting, they found it nearly impossible to find wild pigs near Baiyun City, where the only wildlife were monkeys and otters.

Living in Baiyun City was no small feat.