IDWBE -Chapter 313 Wuzui

“You lousy rogue, don’t even think about running!”

The woman was furious that the constables were keeping so much distance from this lecher and hadn’t handcuffed him. She puffed up her chest and said, “Constables are skilled. You can’t run far without martial arts. They’ll catch you in a flash. And if they do, your crime will be even worse.”

Lin Yi smiled. “Don’t worry, lady. I won’t run. I’ll definitely find your horse. I’m skilled at divination, and my predictions are always accurate.”

Casually, he strolled through the inner city until he reached the city gate.

The sun warmed his back pleasantly. Lin Yi stretched lazily, scanning the trees along the official road on either side.

The woman, feeling smug, said, “You claim to be so skilled—where’s my horse? Today, I want to see exactly what you can do.”

Lin Yi picked up a small stone from the ground, closed his eyes, tossed it into the air, then opened his eyes and watched where it landed.

Finally, to the woman’s stunned eyes, he headed resolutely in the direction the stone had fallen.

“Hey, you rogue! Where are you going?”

She shouted, following behind him. If not for consideration of the public, she would have already slapped him.

“Far yet near, lady. Watch carefully—I never speak falsehoods,” Lin Yi said.

After walking along a narrow path for a while, he suddenly stopped and pointed toward a small grove.

“Wuzui! My Wuzui!”

The woman focused and saw a jet-black horse grazing quietly in the trees.

Without hesitation, she ran straight to it.

“Miss!”

Her two young maids hurried after her.

“Ah, luckily we didn’t disgrace our Prince,”

Lin Yi gave Xiao Xizi an approving glance.

“It’s what I should do,” Xiao Xizi said happily, thinking to himself that he’d have to give Pang Long credit for this later.

The woman led the horse back, her joy fading. She turned a stern face to Lin Yi. “Who exactly are you?”

She wasn’t a fool; something about him didn’t feel right.

Lin Yi suddenly felt a bit flustered. If she guessed his identity, the fun would be over. He disliked it when women were so cautious—they lost their natural charm and became uninteresting.

Forcing himself calm, he smiled. “I told you—I am a master diviner.”

“Confess! Were you a horse thief all along, planning to steal my Wuzui, only returning it because I reported you to the authorities?” she demanded sharply.

“Lady, please do not wrong a good man,” Lin Yi said with a wry smile.

Given the situation, could he really restrain himself? Had he secretly developed a taste for being tormented? Or had long bachelorhood taught him to compromise where he once could not?

“A good man?”

Seeing Lin Yi’s expression, she assumed he was guilty and said even more proudly, “I see you’re no good man! Honorable constables, please take this villain to the office for a proper interrogation. Who knows, it might unravel some earth-shattering conspiracy!”

“Lady, don’t act so recklessly!”

The constable following behind was none other than Tao Yingyi. Since this involved the Prince, he could not relax. He snorted, saying, “Constables have their methods. Do you really expect to tell us what to do?”

“You speak rightly,” she said, realizing she could not provoke the skilled Sanhe constables, though still reluctant, “I hope the officer enforces justice properly and does not let him slip from the law.”

“Of course,” Tao Yingyi replied, glancing at Lin Yi.

Their Prince was no good man—he didn’t need anyone to tell him that. If he were truly good, he wouldn’t play such tricks on them! The new Sanhe constables were extremely busy.

“Lord, I hope you mean what you say,” she said, mounting her horse and riding off.

Xiao Xizi watched the two young maids struggle to keep up with the woman and sighed in relief. Luckily, their Prince could not ride. Otherwise, he would have to chase them every day to exhaustion.

“Don’t run so fast!”

The woman dismounted gracefully, walking alongside her two maids and complaining, “How many times have I told you—not to follow me?”

“Damn, she’s really quite beautiful. Today, I guess I’ve fallen under her spell,” Lin Yi thought, his eyes fixed on her retreating figure.

“Congratulations, Prince! Congratulations!” Xiao Xizi said hurriedly.

“What’s that about?” Lin Yi asked, curious.

“Explain it clearly,” He Hong, who had long since crawled out of the grass, said cautiously, “Prince, do you know who that lady is?”

Lin Yi snapped, “If you speak another word of nonsense, your monthly pay is gone. You’ll be reassigned as a national talent reserve cadre!”

“Ah—”

He Hong didn’t understand what that was, but understood the punishment. He hurriedly said, “This lady is the daughter of He Zhen, Prince of He Shun, the Lady of Pingjiang County.”

This woman could very well become the future Princess of the Prince’s household. Her personal name could not be spoken under any circumstances.

“He Miaoyi?”

Lin Yi immediately recognized the name.

He Hong said, “Prince, your memory is excellent. That’s right.”

Lin Yi sighed. “As Qi Peng said, she is both cultured and skilled, perfectly innocent. Weren’t they supposed to go to Ankang City? Why are they still in Jinling?”

He Hong said, “Prince, time was tight. I have not investigated thoroughly. Please allow me some time, and I will find out and report back to you.”

“Good. I need to scold Qi Peng anyway—intelligence work is lacking! My fiancée is in Jinling, and I, as a man, had no idea.”

Once Pang Long brought the donkey over, Lin Yi mounted it directly.

He Hong grabbed Xiao Xizi, who wanted to follow, and whispered, “Sir, what’s a national talent reserve cadre?”

This Prince always invented new terms. If Xiao Xizi didn’t know, no one else would.

Xiao Xizi laughed. “It means an unemployed vagrant. You can no longer lead or serve as a guard.”

“Ah—”

He Hong was startled, relieved he hadn’t been careless earlier.

Even more fortunate—the steward wasn’t around!

Though the Prince was joking, the steward would have taken it seriously. He allowed no one to offend the Prince in the slightest! He had just dared to joke, worrying the Prince.

Lin Yi, riding the donkey, said curiously, “My future father-in-law is actually quite rich. A Wuzui horse from the northern frontier, one in ten thousand, worth a fortune. I could never part with it myself.”

Xiao Xizi said, “Prince, it’s strange. When Prince He of He Shun fled from Yuezhou, most of his immense wealth was lost.”

In his heart, he muttered: that’s because you can’t ride a horse!