IDWBE -Chapter 408 Bearing It All

Chen Desheng gave an awkward smile. “Diligence makes up for clumsiness. Heaven rewards the hardworking. As long as Your Highness is willing to put in the effort, this old minister believes there will surely be improvement.”

Even as he said it, he felt guilty.

He, Shi Quan, Wang Qingbang, and the others had explained the essentials of calligraphy countless times. Yet the prince’s old habits were hard to change—every stroke began and ended in little circles.

To be honest, he was hardly better than a child just learning to write.

If one lifts the brush lightly, the form becomes loose and not round—this is a minor flaw.
If one writes carelessly and slowly, the structure grows scattered and uneven—this is the fault of laziness. With shape but no spirit, one can never enter the true path. Practice a lifetime, and it will still amount to nothing.

But such words could not be spoken aloud.

Their Prince He wore his emotions plainly. When displeased, he lashed out on the spot.

At Chen Desheng’s age, being scolded publicly—where would he put his face?

So a few insincere compliments did no harm.

Besides, if he didn’t say them, someone else would.

Sure enough, the moment he finished, He Jixiang bared his gapped teeth and declared solemnly:

“Your Highness’s calligraphy alternates between swift and slow with perfect rhythm, majestic in bearing, surging like waves—turn after turn, yet with unbroken flow, cascading a thousand li in one breath. It truly carries imperial aura! This old minister admires it deeply!”

Chen Desheng felt ashamed.

In terms of sheer shamelessness, he was no match for He Jixiang.

“Imperial aura?”

Lin Yi’s brows lifted in delight. “Really?”

“We would never dare deceive Your Highness!”

He Jixiang and Chen Desheng answered in unison.

Jiao Zhong, He Hong, Xiao Xizi, and the others standing nearby were all stunned.

As men who had long served the prince, they could hardly remember the last time he had laughed so heartily.

Now that he was laughing so freely, it meant the flattery had struck the mark.

Old ginger was indeed spicier!

They would have to learn more from these old foxes—or they’d never survive here.

Lin Yi chuckled. “True enough. I can’t compare with you learned scholars—but surely I surpass those ignorant emperors of old?”

The crowd laughed awkwardly.

Ignorant emperors? From ancient times until now, who could rival you in that regard?

Their prince often misspelled characters—calling it “simplified script.”

He claimed traditional characters were too complex and hindered cultural dissemination. At one point in Sanhe, he had even tried to reform the writing system.

Fortunately, Shan Qi, Xie Zan, and other senior officials had threatened to die in protest, preventing catastrophe.

Had he succeeded, not only would he have become a laughingstock of the realm—they, the so-called great scholars, would have gone down in infamy.

They were men of letters!

A scholar might be shameless, abuse power, even take bribes—but if culture itself were disgraced, he would be cast aside by the world.

His descendants would never recover.

“Your Highness speaks rightly,” He Hong finally managed to interject. “Your Highness is wise and mighty—how could ordinary men compare?”

“You barely recognize a few characters yourself. What do you know?”

Lin Yi shot him a look.

“I know my crime,” He Hong said, wounded.

Same flattery—different treatment.

What was this discrimination?

Lin Yi waved a hand. “Why are you all crowding around me in broad daylight instead of working? You chopped off Qi Yong’s head, yes—but why he suddenly rebelled, you still have no clue. Utterly useless!”

“I deserve death!” He Hong inwardly regretted coming.

Heaven’s justice spares no one.

Why had he inserted himself into this?

Lin Yi waved impatiently. “Hurry and arrest all of Qi Yong’s accomplices. I want to know exactly what happened. Don’t treat me like a fool! If this continues, whoever wants to be Regent can take the title. I’ll sail the seas and live carefree—let the floods rage for all I care!”

He meant it.

If things truly became impossible, he would sail off and become a lord of some island.

After all, in this era education and medicine were equally backward everywhere. Being rich was the same anywhere.

No internet, no games—rotting away in comfort was the same no matter where.

He had only reached this point out of necessity.

“Your Highness, you mustn’t!”

He Jixiang and the others were alarmed.

“Rest assured,” He Jixiang declared loudly, “this old minister will exhaust every effort to root out Qi Yong’s faction!”

He did not doubt the prince.

Prince He rarely filtered his words through his brain.

If he said he’d go become an island lord—he might truly do it.

And then all who depended on him would be doomed.

“Enough,” Lin Yi said, tossing the brush aside and leaning back with his teacup. “Three things. Find the Eldest Princess. Capture Qi Yong’s faction. And determine whether He Jin is truly dead.”

Everything was murky, confusing.

It made him, the so-called Regent, seem like a joke.

“We obey!” they chorused, kneeling.

—

The heat was oppressive.

Lin Yi reclined in the garden, Mingyue at his left, Zixia at his right.

For the first time, he realized how clingy the two girls had become.

At night, when he most feared the heat, they refused to leave—insisting on “warming his bed.”

What a calamity!

In just a few days, heat rash had broken out across his once-smooth back.

Helpless, he ordered a larger bed so he could at least sleep farther from them.

Being a bridegroom every day was fine—but who could withstand being one every hour?

By nature he was shy; sometimes he didn’t even know how to refuse them.

What astonished him most was Hu Miaoyi’s attitude.

After learning he had formally taken the two girls, she even sent them gifts.

Not a hint of jealousy.

No matter what, she was the lawful wife.

The two girls were merely concubines—“taken in.”

To “take in” was little different from acquiring property; they could be bought or sold at will.

Whether landlord or royal kin, concubines were assets.

Hu Miaoyi, however carefree, knew these “common truths.”

“Can’t you busy yourselves with something?” Lin Yi pushed Mingyue away helplessly. “It’s really hot.”

“I’m not afraid of heat,” Mingyue said sweetly, placing her hand back on his shoulder.

“I am!” he snapped.

Zixia laughed. “Your Highness has been working hard. Sister Mingyue and I only wish to massage your legs and ease your fatigue.”

“Is that so?” he said skeptically.

“I swear it’s true,” she replied solemnly.

“Fine, then.”

He could not resist such gentle company.

—

In Prince He’s residence, the instructress Jin Mei stood by the garden rockery after the prince left.

She was forty-three yet still graceful. Once she had served Consort Yuan faithfully.

Now that the Princess Consort was pregnant, she had been reassigned to Prince He’s household.

Within the residence, Prince He’s word was law—but Jin Mei’s carried weight as well. To offend her was to offend the Consort in the palace.

She folded her hands and stared at Mingyue and Zixia.

“You two little sluts—do you think you’re worthy?”

“What does Aunt mean?” Mingyue asked calmly.

“Stop playing dumb,” Jin Mei said coldly. “Your little schemes are clear to the Consort. Dreaming of rising in a single step? Look at what you are.”

“We serve the prince wholeheartedly,” Mingyue replied. “No ulterior motives.”

“If so, drink the soup.”

Two maids stepped forward with trays.

Mingyue stared at the bowl. “If we must die, at least let us understand why.”

“Die?” Jin Mei laughed. “You don’t deserve death. Drink it and behave. A servant must know her place. How could the prince’s noble blood be tainted by the likes of you? If you refuse, you’ll only make trouble for yourselves.”

Zixia hastened to speak. “We never intended such things!”

They were Ninth Rank, yes—but still servants.

They dared not dream of bearing the prince’s child.

“This is not for you to decide,” Jin Mei said coldly. “Drink.”

Mingyue’s voice hardened. “Must you push us so far?”

She and Zixia were Ninth Rank now.

Beyond the prince and the Chief Steward, they need not endure humiliation from anyone.

Not even the Blind Man, Ye Qiu, or the Monk.

“If you defy orders,” Jin Mei said expressionlessly, “I will report truthfully to the Consort.”

Zixia tugged Mingyue’s sleeve.

They understood.

They were not fit to bear the prince’s heirs.

They must drink—and forever lose the chance of pregnancy.

They were unwilling.

But if they resisted, the Consort would know. And the prince would be placed in an impossible position.

They would not trouble him.

Under Jin Mei’s relentless gaze, they lifted the bowls with trembling hands.

They knew what it was.

A potion to rob them of children for life.

Just as the bowls touched their lips—

A streak of red appeared across Jin Mei’s pale neck.

She touched it in confusion—then her head fell to the ground.

Her body, still standing upright, gushed blood before collapsing.

The blood steamed in the sun.

Mingyue slowly turned.

Ye Qiu stepped out from the grove.

“You killed Aunt,” Mingyue said hoarsely. “How will you answer to the Consort?”

Ye Qiu did not even glance at her. “I obey only Prince He. He tells me to act—I act.”

“The prince?” Zixia gasped.

Ye Qiu said coldly, “The prince said: you are his women. No one may bully you.”

Tears welled in both their eyes.

—

Jinglan Palace.

Consort Yuan smashed teacup after teacup.

Her son—her most cherished son—had trampled her dignity into the dirt.

“Jin Mei is dead. Lai Ru is dead,” she murmured hollowly. “Whom can I trust now?”

“Your Ladyship,” Xiao Xizi ventured cautiously, “the matter of heirs was also His Majesty’s intention…”

“Silence!” she snapped. “How could those low creatures be worthy of my son!”

She suddenly hissed, “Ye Qiu—I will have blood for blood!”

A flicker of satisfaction crossed Xiao Xizi’s face.

—

“My mother’s still unhappy?”

Lin Yi spread his hands. “Then there’s nothing I can do.”

He had known she was jealous—but not this ruthless.

If palace intelligence had been wrong, Mingyue and Zixia would now be corpses.

The so-called contraceptive soup had been poison.

Drink it, and death was nearly certain.

“Your Highness,” Jiao Zhong said carefully, “Her Ladyship has been gloomy of late…”

“Let her be.”

Ignoring the heat, Lin Yi took his fishing rod and bucket and went to fish.

—

Night fell.

Emperor Delong laughed loudly within Qilin Palace.

No one knew why.

Outside, Xiao Xizi said to He Lian, “Guard him. If he dies—you’ll be buried with him.”

“Eunuch!” He Lian cried in horror, chasing after him.

But Xiao Xizi’s figure faded into the distance.

“What kind of fate is this…” He Lian muttered despairingly.

In the end, he alone bore it all.