IDWBE -Chapter 217 Foreigners

Pan Duo came over and was about to lean close to whisper to Qi Peng, but Qi Peng pushed him aside.

“Just tell Lord Lin directly,” Qi Peng said.

“My lord! I’ve inquired through various channels and have confirmed the news,”

Pan Duo knelt and reported, “General Yuan Qing has been imprisoned.”

“I only knew he’d have bad luck, but I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly,”

Lin Yi sighed. “What did he do to provoke my elder brother? He actually had the nerve to put my uncle in prison. Not fearing that everyone would panic—he’s really bold.”

Pan Duo said, “General Yuan submitted a petition, stating plainly: ‘He Jin is a petty man. His Majesty treats him as a trusted confidant, yet he’s a traitor to the state, a corrupt official abusing power. One thief controls authority, disappointing thousands.’ The emperor flew into a rage and had him imprisoned immediately.”

“My silly uncle probably won’t be in serious danger,”

Lin Yi counted on his fingers and smiled, “The real unlucky one is probably He Jin. To my elder brother, the true threat isn’t the civil and military officials—it’s the eunuchs. My silly uncle tangled with He Jin, and my elder brother is probably secretly amused right now.”

Bian Jing pondered for a moment and then smiled, “What you say is correct, my lord! The crown prince is probably waiting for the right moment. Once those opposing He Jin gain momentum, it will be the end of He Jin!”

“No, no,” Lin Yi laughed, “I don’t want him to die that soon. I promised you all—He Jin is being kept alive for you. If he must die, it will be at your hands!”

“Thank you, my lord!”

Chen Desheng dropped to his knees with a thud. “I will personally strike down He Jin!”

Lin Yi said, “Then take care of your health. Don’t die before He Jin even does. Even if you can’t kill him outright, you must outlast him.”

His main worry right now was He Jixiang.

The old man had been coughing from morning till night, walking unsteady.

Sometimes Lin Yi felt a shiver just watching him, afraid that a single misstep might end him.

So, he forbade He Jixiang from handling the garrison matters; he was to stay in the Command Office and not meddle.

“My lord’s kindness! I have no way to repay it!”

Shi Quan’s tears streamed down his face.

Everyone else turned to look.

Wang Qingbang blinked with his only remaining good eye, unable to shed a single tear, feeling nothing but melancholy.

“My lord!”

Bian Jing smiled. “Many people here have already set up taverns and inns, gathering a crowd. There’s no place name yet—please grant one, my lord!”

“Call it Zu’an,”

Lin Yi said without hesitation.

Who dares to trespass here will get cursed to death!

“Zu’an?”

Everyone was puzzled.

They had learned a new word again!

“The name is fine—let’s call it Zu’an Town.”

To commemorate the youth that had passed, Lin Yi didn’t care whether they understood—it was decided.

On New Year’s Eve, people in Baiyun City were preparing their reunion dinners, while the Sanhe army was on the move.

Huang Sifang’s rebels had already captured Qingyuan City in South Prefecture, and countless refugees poured into Sanhe.

Sanhe’s army was stationed along the border with South Prefecture to prevent rebel incursions.

“Not even resting on New Year’s Eve—what a tiresome fate,”

Lin Yi sighed from his chair. “With so many refugees, we probably don’t have enough funds again, huh?”

Shan Qi chuckled awkwardly.

“Ah, don’t you think it’s a case of reaping what you sow?”

Lin Yi said helplessly, “If we hadn’t let Huang Sifang escape, there wouldn’t be so much trouble.”

“My lord,” Shan Qi smiled, “Prince Qing has fled to Yong’an. Lord Wulin’s whereabouts are unknown. I’m searching for him; once he’s found, everything will be legitimate and fall into place.”

“It’s not as simple as you think,” Lin Yi shook his head. “Huang Sifang and Zhao Lichun are both under the Third Brother. From my understanding of the Third Brother, the same stone won’t trip him twice, and there’s still the Jizhao Temple covering them. Never underestimate your enemies, or you won’t even know how you died.”

“My lord’s teachings are wise,” Xing Keshou said, “Prince Yong’s ability to subdue Yang Changchun is truly remarkable!”

“So,” Lin Yi said calmly, “never underestimate heroes in the world, or the one who suffers will be you.”

“Yes!”

The group responded almost in unison.

“Of course, don’t belittle yourselves either. All of you were born from parents; who is superior to whom?”

Lin Yi couldn’t help adding this to keep their spirits up.

On New Year’s Eve, the moon over Sanhe was exceptionally full and beautiful.

From Baiyun Mountain, it seemed as if the moon hung right on the branches.

“Your skill has improved.”

“You’re blind—how could you see that?”

Ji Hai didn’t trust the blind man’s words.

The blind man said, “My heart is not blind.”

“Tonight we should be eating New Year’s Eve dinner,”

Ji Hai suddenly said, “If you won’t go, why should I?”

Monks and Daoists at Baiyun Grand Temple usually disliked each other and often clashed.

But under the wise leadership of Lord Lin, starting last year, monks and Daoists set aside their grievances and celebrated the New Year together.

Otherwise, they would be disrespecting Lord Lin, and his anger would have severe consequences.

“You didn’t go either,” the blind man retorted.

“I’m used to celebrating with my mother,” Ji Hai’s eyes welled up. “Now that she’s gone, it doesn’t matter what I do.”

The blind man lowered his head and sighed, “The deceased are gone—why dwell on it? Shall I have a few drinks with you?”

“I’m a monk—I cannot drink.”

“Then you’re a fake monk. Wine passes through the body; why take it so seriously?”

“With compassion in heart, one dissolves countless karmas,” Ji Hai said stubbornly. “You don’t understand me.”

He strode out of the blind man’s room.

Then he remembered he hadn’t delivered food to the devotees in the storeroom.

He went to the temple kitchen, took two steamed buns and two plates of vegetables, and headed to the back storeroom.

He opened the door; inside was only a dim fish-oil lamp. A woman sat cross-legged on the bed, practicing her technique.

Ji Hai didn’t disturb her and sat on a chair nearby.

The moonlight was stronger now.

After a long while, Xie Jiuyun opened her eyes.

“You’re awake.”

Ji Hai opened his eyes, joined his palms, and said, “Have something to eat.”

“Thank you.”

Xie Jiuyun got off the bed, holding the buns and eating slowly.

Ji Hai poured her a cup of water and said softly, “Miss, I will leave tomorrow. Take good care of yourself here.”

“Where are you going?”

Xie Jiuyun asked in surprise.

“The rebels have entered South Prefecture. The people are suffering. I, with the other masters, am going to Sanhe to distribute food along the border,” Ji Hai said expressionlessly. “The world suffers.”

Being from South Prefecture, seeing his homeland in distress pained him more than anyone.

Xie Jiuyun smiled, “What if I die?”

Ji Hai said, “This is Baiyun City.”

“And so?”

Xie Jiuyun retorted.

“No one can act recklessly here,”

Ji Hai said firmly. “Stay here safely.”

He placed a handful of silver coins on the table and left.

She followed him outside, watching the fireworks fill the sky, as if they exploded around her.

Fireworks continued in Baiyun City until the fifteenth day of the lunar new year.

Spring had not fully arrived yet, but wild grass sprouted on both cultivated and newly cleared land.

The Sanhe people didn’t wait for spring plowing—they worked immediately. Based on past experience, they turned the soil again to crush weeds at the seedling stage.

It was also to compete for being the top summer harvest— the best could earn 100 taels of silver!

The locals of Baiyun City lamented that, in the past three years, the top harvesters were all migrants from Yuezhou—they seemed naturally skilled at farming.

The big ships of Baiyun City returned.

They once again publicly auctioned the natives, including many fair-skinned, blue-eyed, high-nosed individuals.

The people of Baiyun City had never seen such people before.

Unexpectedly, the white-skinned natives were more expensive than brown or black-skinned ones.

Yet, many bought them for novelty.

Lin Yi pruned newly sprouted grape vines when Fang Pi ran in. “My lord, Ge Laoshan has arrived.”

“What did he bring?”

Without looking up, Lin Yi continued pruning carefully.

Fang Pi said, “He brought four natives.”

Lin Yi frowned, “No black pearls again—why bring them here?”

Fang Pi hesitated, unsure if he should let them in.

Lin Yi finished the last branch and smiled, “Let him come in and we’ll see.”

Fang Pi ran back quickly.

Soon, he returned with Ge Laoshan.

The former head of Fulong Mountain now appeared vigorous, dressed in fine silks, yet still exuded a bandit’s aura. He knelt before Lin Yi. “Long live my lord!”

Lin Yi ignored him.

His gaze went straight to the four blue-eyed, fair-skinned women behind Ge Laoshan, with enchanting figures and flawless skin.

So these were the legendary foreign girls?

Saliva involuntarily gathered at the corner of his mouth.

His heart raced as if he had just run a thousand meters and hadn’t caught his breath.

“Long live my lord! Long live my lord!”

Seeing Lin Yi still ignored him, Ge Laoshan shouted even louder, feeling rather pleased.

Bringing four women had been the right choice.

“Where the hell did you go and bring back four foreign women?”

Lin Yi was baffled.

These were clearly white people, not natives!

“Lord!”

Ge Laoshan raised his voice further. “In recent years, suddenly there have been many of these big-nosed people in the Southern Seas. I didn’t notice them before. So I brought them here for your lordship to personally interrogate!”

Lin Yi asked, “Suddenly appeared? They weren’t here before?”

Ge Laoshan said, “My lord, I asked Wen Qian—there were some big-nosed people before, but very few. In the past two years, they’ve suddenly appeared in numbers; no one knows where they came from.”

“Suddenly appeared?”

Lin Yi said sternly, “Then they need a proper interrogation. Bring them down; I’ll question them personally.”

“Yes!”

Xiao Xizi took the four women to the backyard.

When the lord is happy, he is happy!

His lord hadn’t been this happy for a long time!

“My lord, this time Tian Shiyou lost several hundred men in the Southern Seas!”

Ge Laoshan said nervously, “Those big-nosed cannon operators are fierce! Third-rank experts—one cannon blast wiped them out!”