IDWBE -Chapter 24 A Man’s Happiness

No, he had to find a way to get money!

Even as a prince, without money he still couldn’t move an inch and would be looked down upon.

Even an emperor, without money, couldn’t maintain an army—who ended up sitting on the throne would be uncertain.

“Your Highness—”

Song Cheng rode up from the front and said, “We’re almost at Qingyuan.”

“Qingyuan?”

Lin Yi’s eyes lit up. “Prince Qing! Although I’ve never met this imperial uncle of mine, I’ve been longing to see him for quite some time. Ride ahead and report—this prince is going to pay him a visit.”

He had heard that this imperial uncle, separated from him by several generations, was fabulously wealthy!

From the founding of the dynasty until now, the wealth accumulated by that hereditary line was probably an astronomical figure.

He himself was having a hard time getting by. Going into the city to borrow some money shouldn’t be too difficult, right?

And if he couldn’t borrow any, at least mooching a few meals wouldn’t be excessive, would it?

After hesitating for a long while, Song Cheng said, “According to the regulations…”

“Princes aren’t supposed to meet each other?”

Lin Yi let out a mocking laugh. If that rule were truly enforced, the princes in Ankang City would all have had to depart for their fiefs long ago. Even if they didn’t, they should be staying cooped up in their own mansions every day.

Instead, they held small gatherings every three days, big gatherings every five days, and visited one another whenever they had nothing better to do. What kind of rule was that?

So for brothers like them, that regulation had long been meaningless.

Song Cheng looked at Lin Yi’s expression and bowed. “Yes.”

Taking Lin Yi’s seal, he galloped off in a cloud of dust.

The convoy descended a long, rugged mountain path. When they saw a broad, clear river, everyone couldn’t help cheering with delight.

Looking at the tall walls of Qingyuan City already visible in the distance, Lin Yi smiled. “We’ll rest here.”

Bringing so many people into the city, the gate guards—so long as they weren’t fools—would never let them in.

What?

A prince?

Do you have proof?

A seal?

Wasn’t it perfectly normal for a lowly gate guard not to recognize it?

Rather than wasting energy arguing, it was better to wait here quietly for Song Cheng’s reply.

After hearing Lin Yi’s order, everyone became even happier. With Physician Hu’s confirmation, people went down to the river to bathe, then fetched water and built stoves to cook.

The water and grass here were lush—just the kind of place Lin Yi thought perfect for fishing.

The hunting instinct engraved in his DNA gradually awakened. He took out a fishing rod, found a quiet spot, and began fishing.

After sitting stiffly for an hour, there wasn’t the slightest movement.

“The current’s too strong,” he comforted himself helplessly and changed fishing spots.

Unfortunately, there were no fellow fishing enthusiasts here to ask for advice.

Another hour passed. Still no movement.

Even Hong Ying couldn’t help but console him. “Your Highness, perhaps the fish here are quite large.”

After following the prince fishing for so many years, he knew that the bigger the fish, the craftier they were. They rarely took the bait easily; their instinct for avoiding danger was extremely strong.

Not like small fish, foolishly crashing straight into hooks.

“No! There simply aren’t any fish here!”

Lin Yi was already getting irritated.

No sooner had he spoken than he heard a boy shouting.

The half-grown boy stood in the water, clutching a fish weighing at least three jin in his arms, yelling at the top of his lungs to show it off to the people on shore, indescribably excited.

Lin Yi’s face darkened at once.

Wen Zhaoyi, who had been silently holding a child nearby, suddenly burst out laughing.

Lin Yi snorted coldly and spotted a frog hopping in the grass.

He said to Hong Ying, “Catch that for me!”

Returning empty-handed was absolutely out of the question!

Even catching a frog would count as a harvest.

Hong Ying was already well practiced at such tasks. With a quick movement, he grabbed the frog by its hind legs.

“Not bad. At least there’s some gain,” Lin Yi said, very satisfied.

Wen Zhaoyi stared in astonishment. You could do that?

She gave a disdainful laugh. “Deceiving yourself.”

“A man’s happiness is just this simple! What do you know about it?”

Lin Yi said proudly and turned to leave.

After figuring out this “living ancestor’s” temperament, he had become increasingly unrestrained in speaking to her.

At least he didn’t have to worry about being beaten.

“Dignified prince, yet you speak such crude slang—what kind of decorum is that?” Wen Zhaoyi scolded.

Lin Yi ignored her, found a shady spot, lay down on the grass, and soon fell asleep.

When he woke up, there was a fire burning in front of him.

Mingyue, Zixia, and the others were cooking, and Lin Yi immediately smelled the aroma of roasted meat.

“Rabbit?”

He took it from Zixia’s hands and, without using chopsticks, tore into it with his fingers, eating as he spoke, “The chili powder was added too late—it hasn’t soaked in. Your cooking still needs improvement.”

Zixia bowed. “This servant acknowledges her fault.”

Lin Yi glanced at her but said nothing.

It was just dull.

The sun blazed overhead.

After eating, Lin Yi simply stripped off his clothes, wearing only a pair of loose shorts, and leaned against a tree.

The refugees who had been following them were no longer surprised by the prince’s appearance; many simply imitated him.

Everywhere in sight were bare-chested old men, young men, and naked little children.

“I’m really cheap,” Lin Yi suddenly muttered to himself.

He actually felt the urge to write again.

As an online novelist, only writing could bring him happiness.

Now, if he went a day without writing, he felt restless all over.

Using a brush?

Although he had already written long works about Shura, Zhen Huan, Sun Wukong, Jiang Ziya, and others, he still hated writing with a brush!

He began to miss computers… keyboards.

Ah, what a dull and tedious life.

“Prince He, can you tell us another story?”

A dozen children crowded forward, pushing each other. The one speaking was the boy who had just caught the big fish in the river.

“This prince handles countless affairs every day. Where would I find time to tell you stories?”

In this kind of traveling environment, Lin Yi had no way to write peacefully. Yet he still had a strong urge to express himself, so from time to time he would tell stories to these little brats when he was bored.

Of course, whether he told them, what he told, and when he told—it all depended entirely on his mood.

Looking at the boy called Fang Pi, Lin Yi felt thoroughly displeased. How could he possibly be in the mood to tell a story?

“Your Highness,” Fang Pi said boldly, “you promised us yesterday that you’d continue today.”

“You sure talk a lot,” Lin Yi said impatiently, waving his hand. “Go play somewhere else. You like catching fish, right? Then keep catching. Catch twenty fish, and tonight I’ll tell you stories for as long as you want!”

“Your Highness, it’s a promise!”

Fang Pi jumped three feet high in excitement.

“Hmph!”

Lin Yi patted his chest. “This prince’s word is worth a thousand pieces of gold! But let me be clear—you have to catch them yourself. Fish caught by others don’t count!”

Little brat—let’s see how you manage that!

“Don’t worry, Your Highness, I’ll do it myself!”

Fang Pi turned and with a splash jumped back into the river.

Lin Yi leaned against the tree trunk again, pretending to doze.

Suddenly someone reported that Song Cheng had returned, and Lin Yi opened his eyes.

“Your Highness—”

“Speak quickly. Spare me the formalities,” Lin Yi interrupted. Sometimes he enjoyed being respected; other times he hated all the red tape.

“Prince Qing has sent you a letter,” Song Cheng said, taking an envelope from his robes.

Lin Yi took it, opened it, and found… a poem.

The more he read, the wider his eyes grew.

Damn!

The handwriting was so sloppy—like ghostly scribbles. Who could even recognize it?

Wen Zhaoyi shook her head, took the letter, and read aloud softly:

“Birds know the wind in their nests,
Beasts know the rain in their burrows.
Without arrangement, order forms itself.
All things follow their nature, without cause or meeting.
How joyful are the forest birds and the deep-water fish,
Smiling, forgetting all distinctions between you and me.”

After reading, she smiled. “This Prince Qing is quite interesting.”

“What does it mean?”

Although in his sister’s eyes he was immensely talented, Lin Yi knew his own level well.

After all, he was the most outstanding “literary copyist” of the age—without equal.

Wen Zhaoyi smiled. “Without precedent, nothing may be established; with precedent, nothing may be abolished.”

Lin Yi gritted his teeth. “Please speak plainly.”

Knowing full well he didn’t understand, and still speaking in riddles!

“It means: go back where you came from. He doesn’t want to see you.”

Wen Zhaoyi tossed the letter to the ground and walked away with a flick of her sleeve.