IDWBE -Chapter 290 Relatives

“Thank you for Your Highness’s grace!”

Kneeling on the ground, Li Sanniang kowtowed three times with loud thuds.

Lin Yi sighed.

“We’ve traveled from south to north. Every extra bite we take means someone else loses one. We’ve touched too many people’s interests. They may not dare confront us openly or come tug at my beard directly—but they’ll certainly trip us up in the dark. In the future, you must be more careful. Treat shallow waters as deep ones. Cross the river by feeling the stones.”

Li Sanniang replied, “This humble woman will strictly follow Your Highness’s teachings.”

Even if he hadn’t said it, she had already learned her lesson.

She would no longer act willfully. At the very least, she would recruit more men into her caravans.

She had to admit that Sun Quezi had been right—when real trouble came, it was usually men who could hold the line.

When Lin Yi turned his back, she carefully rose and followed the newly appointed commander, He Hong, retreating quietly.

Lin Yi suddenly smiled.

“There’s a saying in the streets, isn’t there? ‘Even the Heavenly Net Palace, three hundred li wide, can’t house a single Shi family of Jinling.’ Is that how it goes?”

The Heavenly Net Palace was a grand palace from the previous dynasty, sprawling over three hundred li and blocking out the sky—yet it supposedly still could not accommodate the vast Shi clan of Jinling.

It was a metaphor for the Shi family’s size and wealth.

He Jixiang nodded. “Indeed. But the Shi family has declined with each generation. They’re no longer what they once were.”

Lin Yi frowned. “Even so, how could we have confiscated only a few hundred thousand taels of silver?”

This was what pained him most. Such a massive clan—and only that much silver? It was almost insulting.

He Jixiang sighed. “The Shi family lived extravagantly and vainly, with no thought of progress. No amount of wealth can withstand endless waste. Who knows how much debt remains outside.”

Beside him, Shen Chu smiled.

“There’s something I haven’t yet reported to Your Highness. After imprisoning the entire Shi household, their chief steward actually slipped me fifty thousand taels in banknotes. Strangely, it wasn’t to plead for his master—but for himself.”

“A fat rat indeed,” Lin Yi laughed. “Confiscate it! Leave nothing behind! Those bastards might be richer than their masters.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Shen Chu answered loudly, then continued.

“It has been confirmed that the attack on Li Sanniang’s caravan was planned jointly by the younger members of several families. How should they be dealt with?”

Lin Yi thought for a moment.

“Execute all principal offenders—no future trouble. As for the remaining old masters, they’re bloodsuckers who devour without spitting bones. None of them are good people. Regardless of age, send them all to labor reform first. Later, depending on performance, release the best among them.”

There might be individuals who betrayed their class—like himself.

But no class ever betrayed its own interests.

This rotten class, feeding off the common people, would never voluntarily share profits. Someone had to play the villain.

Shen Chu nodded. “I understand.”

“Your Highness…”

He Jixiang hesitated. “There is something I’m unsure whether I should say.”

“You’ve already asked—so should you say it or not?” Lin Yi replied irritably.

He hated people beating around the bush.

He Jixiang lowered his head. “The Old Madam of the Yuan residence is originally from the Xue family of Jinling. The Xue patriarch, Xue Yiduo, is her direct nephew.”

Shen Chu added, “A few days ago, Her Ladyship visited the Xue family.”

“She did? Why didn’t I know?” Lin Yi asked in surprise.

Shen Chu stiffened. “I reported it at the time. Your Highness said, ‘As long as she’s happy.’”

He never placed much hope in the Prince’s memory.

Lin Yi spread his hands. “What’s the use of saying that now? You’ve already confiscated their house. It must be fate.”

The money was already in his pocket. Return it?

Impossible.

Shen Chu smiled awkwardly. “It’s just that… I truly don’t know how to handle the Xue family.”

He had asked yesterday, too—but the Prince had been mentally wandering and gave no reply. If Her Ladyship later blamed someone, it would be him taking the blame.

He had to be absolutely certain.

Before Lin Yi could respond, Xiao Xizi approached and whispered, “Your Highness, Her Ladyship requests your presence.”

Lin Yi waved off the officials and went to the rear courtyard.

Consort Yuan sat in a pavilion. Behind her stood Lin Ning, blinking hard at Lin Yi.

He smiled. That signal meant his mother was in a very bad mood.

“Old Madam, who offended you? Don’t stew in silence. Tell me—your son will avenge you.”

“You arrested members of the Xue family?” Consort Yuan sighed.

Lin Yi nodded. “I did. And when I heard they were our relatives, I became even angrier. They dared join outsiders to scheme against your son—and showed no regard for face! I was thinking of having Xue Yiduo torn apart by five horses at noon tomorrow.”

“You don’t need to rush to silence me,” she rolled her eyes. “I know about the matter. It was just one useless youngster being manipulated. The rest of the Xue family knew nothing.”

Lin Yi shook his head.

“Old Madam, you’re the wisest. Think carefully—how could a mere wastrel mobilize two seventh-rank fighters?”

In Sanhe, seventh-rank experts were common as cabbage.

But in Wu Prefecture and Yong’an, that was not the case.

Even if they couldn’t become generals, they could easily serve as household retainers in wealthy families—highly respected, not easily ordered about.

Consort Yuan sighed.

“Your great-grandmother has only this one nephew. He’s already old—he’ll be in the grave soon enough. Why stain her face now? Wait a year or two. Besides, Xue Yiduo’s eldest son, Xue Tonghui, is a Ministry of Works official. He serves alongside your grandfather and uncle. Our families have always maintained close ties.”

Lin Yi sighed helplessly.

“‘In prosperous years, heavy snow falls—pearls like dirt, gold like iron.’ You know that saying well. But how did the Xue family gain such wealth? By squeezing the common people. Xue Yiduo commits countless evils. Every extra year he lives means more victims.”

Consort Yuan rubbed her temples.

“How could I not know? But they are relatives. It would look ugly.”

“Old Madam,” Lin Yi said, “you’re putting me in a difficult position. How can I command respect if I act this way?”

She smiled faintly. “Even if not for your great-grandmother’s sake, at least give your mother some face.”

Lin Yi sighed deeply.

“Since you’ve spoken, I have no choice. I’ll spare Xue Yiduo. If it wasn’t his idea, I can justify not killing him. But his son, Xue Tongji, cannot be spared. And for failing in oversight, confiscation is certain. Otherwise people will mock your son as soft-hearted. Soon any cat or dog will dare climb over me.”

“Then let it be so,” Consort Yuan said.

“Thank you for your understanding,” Lin Yi smiled.

In truth, he had never planned to kill Xue Yiduo.

But he couldn’t tell his mother that.

His old teacher once said: people naturally seek compromise.

If you say a room is too dark and needs a window, they’ll refuse. But if you propose tearing off the roof, they’ll agree to a window.

In psychology, this is called the concession effect.

He had learned such tricks back when he was an online novelist.

He used to skip updates constantly, inventing endless excuses—cousins giving birth, distant relatives marrying, catching colds, broken computers, power outages…

Readers would say, “Update ten thousand words a day.”

Impossible.

Then they’d sigh, “Fine, four thousand.”

He would readily agree—acting as though it were reasonable.

Only later did he realize—

He’d been tricked.