IDWBE -Chapter 233 Old Grudges and New Hatreds

Jiang Tuhou muttered to himself, “Ah, a grown daughter can’t be kept at home. Now she doesn’t listen to a word I say. Do you think all kids turn out like this when they grow up?”

“How should I know!”

Zhu Ruorong had finally had enough of his endless babbling and snapped angrily, “Why are you acting like a woman now, whining and dragging things out?”

Jiang Tuhou laughed magnanimously, “Look at your temper—it’s getting worse and worse.”

He understood it all too well.

After all, not everyone had such a capable daughter.

Li Sanniang smiled. “Old General, you’ve been getting a little carried away lately, haven’t you? Quite seriously. Listen, your daughter is stepping into a role full of responsibility. You can’t make unreasonable demands and put her in a difficult position. Loyalty and filial piety rarely coexist perfectly. If she follows your orders blindly, trying to be the obedient daughter, you could be the one harming her. My Sanhe laws aren’t just for show.”

Jiang Tuhou’s face turned red. “Do you need to remind me?”

He shivered. How could he have forgotten!

If he forced his daughter to help him, and she broke the law, the consequences could be severe—loss of office, or worse, prison.

He absolutely could not endanger his daughter.

Li Sanniang said, “Good, then you understand. I just fear you might do something foolish.”

Jiang Tuhou said, “She’s my daughter. How could I harm her?”

Li Sanniang replied, “Don’t be so sure.”

Jiang Tuhou retorted, “Mind your own business!”

Though he sounded tough, in his heart, he had already abandoned the idea of using his daughter to make a fortune in Qingyuan City.

Money can be earned again, but a daughter only comes once.

Not being greedy keeps you alive.

By evening, the bright sun had been hidden behind dark clouds, followed by a torrential downpour.

Ji Hai and the blind master lived in Qilin Temple in Qingyuan City.

Because of the war, the temple was empty; in the vast temple, it was just the two of them.

“Monk, you seem unhappy.”

“I’m not unhappy,”

The monk glanced at the blind master, shook his head, and said, “I just don’t like the rain.”

The blind master smiled. “Neither do I.”

Both of their parents had died in violent storms.

To them, wind and rain symbolized disaster.

The monk continued, “In a few days, I’ll return to Baiyun City.”

The blind master asked, “What about that girl?”

“Who?”

“You know who.”

“I am a monk!”

The monk spoke indignantly.

“You never used to get angry. Your self-control is getting worse.”

The blind master laughed.

“I—”

The monk was momentarily speechless.

The blind master continued, “All Dharma comes from the heart. Don’t seek it externally.”

The monk pondered briefly, then said, “I am enlightened.”

The blind master shook his head. “You still don’t understand.”

Before the monk could reply, the blind master drifted away.

After Southern Province officially came under Sanhe’s control, the treasury grew abundant, but so did the pressure.

Yongan and Wuzhou, both bordering Southern Province, were heavily garrisoned.

“Has the eldest started taking action?”

Lin Yi was not surprised. “But one thing confuses me: the commanders of Wuzhou and Yongan have all submitted to the eldest? Why are they so obedient?”

Shan Qi said, “Prince, the heavy garrisons in those areas might not be aimed at us, nor necessarily helping the emperor.”

“I agree,” Xie Zan added, “Huang Sifang and Zhao Lichun led the rebel forces into Yongan, like eggs on the brink of falling.”

Lin Yi shook his head. “It’s not that simple. We caused such a stir in Southern, Yue, and Hong provinces. The eldest isn’t an idiot; he wouldn’t ignore it. Moreover, there’s my letter. He’s probably fuming. He never waits to take revenge overnight. That’s one thing my brother and I are alike.”

It was their only common trait.

Shan Qi asked cautiously, “So your Highness means…”

“How is Wu Lin’s morale work going?” Lin Yi asked.

Shan Qi sighed, “Wu Lin has been on a hunger strike for two days.”

“What about Jiang Kan?”

Lin Yi persisted.

He Jixiang smiled bitterly, “He agreed too quickly. We had to suspect his surrender was a trick.”

Lin Yi didn’t care. “They’re all stubborn. But it doesn’t matter—without Zhang Tuhou, can they still eat hairy pigs? Keep them locked up, feed them bland cabbage soup every day for months. Grind down their arrogance, so they don’t think the prince can’t manage without them. Of course, be careful not to kill them. Wu Lin is still famous among scholars nationwide. That’s the thing about scholars—they’re troublesome.”

He valued not their talent, but their reputation.

After all, their posts were officially appointed by the court. Using them to govern Southern Province made it legitimate.

Shan Qi smiled, “Prince, Wu Lin just won’t bend for now. A loyal minister doesn’t serve two masters, fearing the scorn of scholars.”

“Nonsense,” Lin Yi said bluntly, “He’s practically kissing the eldest’s ass. Scholars are so impressive? ‘A good bird chooses its tree, a wise minister chooses his master.’ Haven’t they all said that? The reason he doesn’t serve me is simply because he looks down on me. Back when I entered Qingyuan City, Wu Lin didn’t even show his face.”

He was self-aware—a rare virtue.

Shan Qi and the others smirked.

As long as he understood, that was enough! If these scholars actually served a so-called ‘unlearned’ prince, they’d be laughed to death.

For scholars, face is everything!

Qi Peng interjected, “Prince, General Yuan Qing has been released from prison.”

Lin Yi asked, “The eldest is that generous?”

He didn’t quite believe it.

He Jixiang said, “Your Highness, you may not know. The Pillar of the State and General Yuan hold great prestige in the army. Old comrades won’t abandon them. If General Yuan were still detained, unrest would surely arise in the troops.”

Lin Yi asked, “Does my maternal family still hold military power?”

Shan Qi smiled, “General Yuan’s old troops have been incorporated into the capital garrison, led by Yu Boxu.

Yu Boxu was a fierce general himself. Now that the emperor favors the Yuan family, controlling Yuan’s former troops is only a matter of time.”

Lin Yi continued, “Any news from Prince Yong? Wasn’t he supposed to raise his banner with Prince Jin? Why is there still no update?”

Qi Peng shook his head. “No major movement. Instead, Sixth Prince, on behalf of the king, has raised 50,000 troops in Daizhou, full of fighting spirit. Seventh Prince, Prince Nanling, recruits 30,000, coveting Chuzhou.”

Lin Yi frowned. “Chuzhou belongs to Old Eight. Seventh Prince has always clashed with Old Eight. Looks like old grudges and new hatreds are about to be settled once and for all.”

Shan Qi said, “Prince, I don’t understand—what is the feud between Prince Nanling and Eighth Prince?”

Normally, Prince Nanling should pick an easy target, like going into Jingzhou directly. Besides, Jingzhou is wealthy and strategically important.

Lin Yi smiled, “It’s normal you don’t know these things. But I don’t plan to tell you either.”

Old Eight and Consort Zhan, Seventh Prince’s mother, were caught in an intimate encounter by the emperor.

The emperor, holding the family’s shame private, didn’t punish Old Eight—he simply threw Seventh Prince’s mother into a well.

The grudge is enormous—beyond reckoning!