IDWBE -Chapter 26 Entering the City

Prince Qing was now forty-seven years old. After taking his seventeenth concubine, his temperament suddenly changed, and he unexpectedly began to devote himself wholeheartedly to Buddhism.

He carried out morning and evening prayers properly in his residence, burning incense and kowtowing, never missing a single day.

The people of Qingyuan City found this astonishing and talked about it endlessly.

Holding a teacup and dozing under a grape trellis, he ignored the beautiful woman beside him who was fawning over him, and said irritably, “Do not disturb this prince’s cultivation.”

The woman quickly lowered her head and withdrew.

Prince Qing pressed a hand to his chest. Recently his breathing had grown increasingly short; even after summoning famous physicians from all over, there was not the slightest sign of improvement.

The steward reported that the gate officer from the South Gate requested an audience. Prince Qing waved his hand impatiently—he would not see him.

“Your Highness…”

The steward couldn’t help adding, “Officer Jiang says that Prince He is outside the city gate, shouting that he was attacked and that someone intends to rebel.”

Attacked?

Assassination?

These words pierced Prince Qing’s chest like needles.

Sitting peacefully at home, yet disaster falls from the sky!

In Qingyuan City, who could possibly be suspected of rebellion besides himself, a supposedly idle prince living in obscurity?

Could it be the General or the Prefect?

“Quick—quick…”

Prince Qing pointed toward the door in agitation, but was so flustered he couldn’t even finish his sentence.

The steward immediately understood and went outside to bring Jiang Yi in.

After kneeling in greeting, Jiang Yi recounted everything in detail, then said, “Your Highness, please judge wisely. Those three so-called assassins are merely ordinary soldiers.”

“That brat dares!”

The more Prince Qing thought about it, the angrier he became.

Hadn’t he made it perfectly clear in his letter?

He had told him to get lost!

How could that boy have such thick skin?

After Prince Qing finished his tea, Jiang Yi asked carefully with a forced smile, “Your Highness, then… what should we do now?”

What indeed should be done?

Jiang Yi felt miserable. Matters that should concern great figures were instead sending a minor gate officer like him running back and forth.

“What else can we do? Invite Prince He in!”

Prince Qing said through gritted teeth.

“And… what about those refugees?” Jiang Yi asked cautiously.

“Hmph!”

Prince Qing finally couldn’t hold back and kicked him. “You still need to ask me about such a thing?”

“Yes…”

Jiang Yi felt aggrieved. Why was he always the one who suffered?

Seeing him still standing there blankly, Prince Qing scolded, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go!”

“Yes, yes!”

Jiang Yi hurried back to the South Gate. As soon as he dismounted, he saw the advisor Ma Jie leisurely drinking tea at a nearby stall.

“Many thanks for your guidance, Advisor Ma,” Jiang Yi said with a bow, then hesitated. “The prince may enter, but these refugees…”

Ma Jie smiled. “Pacifying refugees is the Prefect’s responsibility. The Prefect has already ordered porridge to be distributed. But they must not enter the city. If chaos breaks out inside, no one could bear that responsibility.”

Jiang Yi said, “Advisor, please come up to the wall with me. My rank is low and my manner rough; Prince He is of noble status—I fear I may not receive him properly.”

“Rank?”

Ma Jie shook his fan and smiled. “Since ancient times, when has an advisor ever counted as having rank? I am merely a private secretary.”

“….”

Jiang Yi was speechless.

In the end, he could only steel himself and walk up onto the wall alone.

No matter what, someone had to take the blame for offending people—and that someone was him.

Lin Yi, sitting in the carriage, was yawning from boredom. Having waited so long without a reply, he was already impatient.

When Hong Ying reported that he himself could enter but the refugees could not, Lin Yi naturally had no objection.

The refugees were a mixed lot; he had neither the time nor the means to investigate their backgrounds. If troublemakers slipped into the city, it would be troublesome.

It was safer to leave them outside.

Seeing that Prince He was so agreeable, Jiang Yi was overjoyed and immediately ordered the gates opened.

To prevent accidents, he stationed all the soldiers at the gate to ensure that none of the refugees entered.

Lin Yi rode slowly into the city in his carriage, accompanied by the people of Prince He’s residence.

Suddenly the carriage stopped. Lifting the curtain, Lin Yi saw a middle-aged man dressed like a scholar kneeling in front of the carriage.

Lin Yi immediately thought of a four-character idiom: shifty-looking.

“This humble one, Ma Jie, pays respects to Your Highness,”

Ma Jie kowtowed and said loudly, “The Prefect is busy with official duties. I serve as his advisor and have come on his behalf to welcome Your Highness.”

After all, this wasn’t the Crown Prince—and moreover, a prince who was the least favored by the Emperor. Having an advisor come out to exchange a few polite words was already giving plenty of face.

Ma Jie’s conduct left Jiang Yi staring in disbelief.

Damn it!

Hadn’t you just said you had no rank and it was inconvenient to appear?

Now that Prince He has entered the city, why have you come out?

“Advisor?”

Lin Yi was still puzzling over what that meant when Song Cheng quietly reminded him, “The Prefect’s secretary.”

“Oh, the Prefect is very busy, is he?”

Lin Yi smiled faintly. “Tell him that in a few days, I will certainly pay him a visit myself. As for this matter of my assassination attempt—an explanation must be given!”

Damn it!

They knew perfectly well he had arrived, yet they had delayed so long in opening the gates. If that wasn’t intentional, no one would believe it.

Ignoring Ma Jie’s astonishment, Lin Yi climbed back into the carriage and, led by the steward of Prince Qing’s residence, headed toward the princely mansion.

From inside the carriage, Lin Yi saw Prince Qing standing at the gate personally to receive him.

“Just by looking at him, you can tell he’s not a good person,” Lin Yi muttered to Consort Wen.

She was about to speak when Lin Yi added, “No matter—fortunately, neither am I.”

“Is that something a person should say?”

Consort Wen rolled her eyes at him in exasperation.

“Imperial Uncle—”

As soon as he stepped out of the carriage, before Prince Qing could descend the steps, Lin Yi raised his hands in greeting.

Even the young Emperor Liu Xie had saluted Liu Bei, an “imperial uncle” distantly related beyond reckoning.

Paying respect to a genuine imperial uncle wasn’t excessive.

After all, he was nominally an elder.

“You are too courteous, Prince He,”

Prince Qing personally stepped forward to support Lin Yi and said warmly, “You must be weary from the journey. Please.”

After host and guest were seated, Lin Yi said cheerfully, “While in Ankang, I often heard of Imperial Uncle’s literary reputation. Even Father the Emperor praises your talent.”

Since you like writing poetry so much—then keep writing.

Prince Qing’s mouth twitched involuntarily.

The Emperor praised him?

Was that true or false?

He had no way of knowing.

But it was true that in his youth he had been known for his literary talent.

He had written many poems about frustrated ambitions, unrecognized talent, and unfulfilled aspirations. They had once been widely sung, and for a time paper in Ankang had become expensive because of the demand for copies.

Had the Emperor really praised him?

But being remembered by the Emperor was definitely not a good thing…

Thinking of this, whether it was true or not, he hurried out from his seat, refused the maid’s assistance, and knelt facing north, calling out loudly:

“For His Majesty to remember this old subject so kindly—I am overwhelmed with gratitude and moved to tears! Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor forever!”

As he spoke, tears of excitement welled up in his eyes.

He regretted it…

When he was young, how could he have been so foolish?