IDWBE -Chapter 418 Guan Xiaoqi

Compared with the river systems and the interwoven streams of the south, the north generally fell short in waterways—but Ankang City was an exception.

As the capital of the Daliang Kingdom, rivers and lakes crisscrossed the city, forming a dense network of waterways. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to sustain the millions of people living within a hundred-mile radius!

Eating, drinking, washing, and sanitation—all required water. Thus, Ankang City was surrounded by numerous lakes and canals.

The Northern Canal was one of them.

Lin Yi loved coming here to fish.

Along its banks were tributaries and lakes abundant with lotus roots and water caltrops. Though tricky to hook, they often yielded large catches.

As the commander of the guards, he also preferred Lin Yi to come here.

The Grand Canal had been artificially dug for direct north-south travel and served as the lifeline of the Daliang Kingdom’s transportation. Its width and depth allowed large ships to navigate.

For the safety of the prince, He Jixiang had provided two large ships for the Prince He’s guards as soon as they entered the city, reserved exclusively for the prince’s use.

Now, the two ships rested quietly not far away.

Everything one could need was on board; if the prince called, they could bring it immediately.

Sometimes, when the prince grew bored, they would lower a small boat so he could rest on the larger ships.

Most importantly, by positioning the big ships across the tributaries, the guards had fewer worries.

Any suspicious or untrustworthy vessel was strictly forbidden near the prince.

Even eagles in the sky or animals on land were carefully monitored.

It was truly a case of “birds in a thousand mountains vanish, human traces on ten thousand paths disappear.”

Now, a small boat harvesting water caltrops and lotus roots appeared—meaning the people on it were perfectly trustworthy, with no hidden pasts.

Any strangers would have already been sent elsewhere; they would never get this far into the river.

Everything was for the prince, for his safety, for his convenience.

Whether in the court or in the martial world, people called them the prince’s lackeys.

Lackeys!

What a cruel, heartbreaking word.

The first time they knelt before the prince, surrounding men would look down on them, thinking that a real man’s knees were worth gold, and these men were not true men.

The second time they knelt, having risen in rank, the onlookers envied them.

By the third time, they had all become distinguished figures, and everyone else regretted not kneeling before the prince sooner.

Once they understood the meaning of “chickens and dogs ascend to heaven,” whether out of loyalty or self-interest, they performed their duties faithfully, not daring a single lapse.

At this moment, Jiao Zhong felt completely at ease—he didn’t fear anyone harmful to the prince appearing nearby.

Yet he still dared not stray too far. Leading the guards, he positioned them in the trees above the prince, trying to remain unnoticed.

As the girl approached with her bamboo pole, Lin Yi suddenly looked up and rolled his eyes at Jiao Zhong perched in the branches.

“This girl is just a local resident. I often see her when I fish here. Nothing to be nervous about. You all go aside. Don’t scare her with your cowardly faces.”

Normally, he ignored Jiao Zhong and the others, but occasionally, when he was annoyed, he would send them far away.

“Yes.”

Jiao Zhong resignedly waved to the guards, who immediately spread out.

“You want some water caltrops, right?”

When the small boat was still a fair distance from the shore, the girl stopped advancing and anchored with her bamboo pole. She looked at Lin Yi’s bare torso and asked, “You fish here every day—how could you be lacking water caltrops?”

As a fisherwoman, she was used to men being unclothed, so she felt no embarrassment seeing Lin Yi.

Lin Yi liked her straightforward attitude and teased her, “So you already know me, but why are you still so wary? I’m not a bad person.”

Since opening his private study and leaving the palace, he often fished here. While he didn’t know the residents personally, he was at least familiar with their faces.

Especially this girl—he knew her very well.

He had watched her grow up.

As a child, she was scrawny and dark, dressed in tattered clothes, tending animals with a group of boys along the riverbank.

He never imagined that after returning to Ankang City and meeting her again, this wild girl would have grown into such a fine young woman.

Her crystal-like eyes spun on her sun-kissed face, making her exceptionally charming.

What was more astonishing was that a girl raised in a fisher family had such perfect teeth!

Even noble ladies in official households, using herbal powders or pig-bristle brushes daily, didn’t have teeth this white.

Even Lin Yi, who neither smoked nor chewed betel and brushed daily with a pig-bristle brush, still had stains. But her teeth shone brilliantly. Truly infuriating.

A poor girl with teeth this perfect—it defied logic.

After all, the land shapes its people. Around Ankang City, residents didn’t have wells like wealthy households. Most drank river water, making it difficult to maintain good dental health.

“Then you’re definitely not a good person,” the girl suddenly said firmly.

“You lazybones, fishing all day instead of working properly. My father says someone like you is lucky not to starve to death.”

“I’m lazy?”

Lin Yi looked down at his mud-caked feet and then at his delicate face in the water. He was certain the girl misunderstood. Could there really be a lazybones as handsome as him in the world?

“All day doing nothing, just showing off that fair skin of yours,” the girl grumbled.

“Luckily you’re not from our village, or you’d have been beaten to death already.”

“Beaten to death?”

Lin Yi laughed.

“Are there still laws? What I do or don’t do shouldn’t bother anyone.”

The girl smiled and said, “It’s an eyesore.”

“You’re Guan Xiaoqi, right?”

Lin Yi remembered because the name sounded so rustic.

Commoners were casual with girls’ names—they’d be married off anyway, so the name mattered little.

“What do you want?”

Guan Xiaoqi pushed her bamboo pole into the water, moving the boat another foot from shore.

Lin Yi laughed, “I’ve fished here for so many years. Are there people nearby who don’t know me? Have I ever committed any crimes?”

“How could you not!”

Lin Yi was curious, “Really?”

Having reformed the Liang Code, he naturally followed the law, and besides, his conscience wouldn’t allow crime.

“You stole sweet potatoes from Jin’s family yesterday!”

“That’s hardly worth mentioning,” Lin Yi blushed in embarrassment.

“I was just checking on the crops to see how the sweet potatoes were growing! They’re still there, intact—I didn’t take any.”

Yesterday, he had only dug a little soil out of curiosity, but the sweet potatoes were too small, so he reburied them.

“Hmph, that’s because you realized you couldn’t eat them,” Guan Xiaoqi snorted.

“If you had taken them, I would have reported you to Master Jin!”

“You saw it?”

Lin Yi asked curiously.

With his guards around, he would have known if she had approached him.

She shook her head, “No, but Master Jin stomped and cursed. I knew someone had dug his sweet potatoes.”

“How do you know it was me?”

“Yesterday afternoon, this whole area was full of villagers. Who else but you, the scoundrel?”

Lin Yi frowned.

“Your logic makes no sense. I’m not even from your village, so I’m a scoundrel?”

“Hmph, the day before yesterday, I saw you stealing cucumbers from my house!”

Lin Yi laughed awkwardly, “Sorry, sorry, I was just thirsty and couldn’t find food. We’ll weigh out ten pounds of water caltrops and lotus roots, and I’ll pay you for them.”

Guan Xiaoqi looked him over and teased, “You liar. Can you even pay me?”

“Pay you?”

Lin Yi realized too late—he hadn’t brought money!

Nor did he need to—he could ask Jiao Zhong to pay secretly, but he didn’t want to scare her.

He sighed.

Seeing Lin Yi embarrassed, Guan Xiaoqi laughed even louder.

“No money? Fine. Don’t pretend to be rich,” she teased.

“I’m not lying, I just left in a hurry today. Don’t worry, I come from a wealthy family in the city. You give me the goods first, and I’ll pay you later. Okay?”

“Of course not!”

Guan Xiaoqi shook her head like a rattle, rolled her eyes at him, and looked at the black donkey in the water, laughing, “I’ve seen this donkey before—you treat it well, it seems.”

“Of course—it’s my friend,” Lin Yi replied.

Guan Xiaoqi’s eyes twinkled, “Then have your friend carry my goods into the city. I’ll send you some water caltrops later, no charge. And I won’t report the cucumber theft. How’s that?”

“Do you take me for a fool?”

Lin Yi laughed, “Even with the donkey, how could five copper coins be enough? Ten pounds of water caltrops, plus that cucumber—it’s nothing!”

Even the surrounding area of Ankang City was wealthy compared to the rest of the kingdom, but not everyone had livestock.

Now that he was in charge of the court, he couldn’t continue subsidies like in Sanhe—he had to take things step by step.

Cows, horses, donkeys, and mules were all scarce transportation resources.

Having a donkey alone made one a rich household.

“Then give me my cucumber back, or I’ll report you!”

Guan Xiaoqi scolded.

Lin Yi scoffed, “One cucumber? You’d really report me? Do you know which side the magistrates lean?”

She shouted, “Fine. You carry my goods into the city, and I’ll give you ten pounds of water caltrops, ten pounds of lotus root, plus a copper coin. You lazybones—you’re free anyway. Why not earn a little extra?”

Lin Yi laughed, “It’s worth five coins. Why should I agree?”

“You lazybones, who else would trust you to do this? That’s why I came to you,” she said.

“Fair enough, I’m free anyway,” Lin Yi said, no longer teasing, though still half-reluctantly.

“Lead the way, I’ll bring the donkey.”

Guan Xiaoqi beamed, “I’ll go by water. After the bend, you won’t catch up. Then take the small path by the sweet potato fields straight to the next village. I’ll wait at the river fork.”

“Agreed.”

After Guan Xiaoqi and her boat disappeared around the bend, Lin Yi looked at Jiao Zhong.

He respectfully handed over a pile of silver notes, “Prince, you should hold onto these first?”

He had been listening carefully—he found the exchange amusing.

Lin Yi shook his head, “No need. I’ll check the village myself. Don’t interfere unless it’s urgent.”

Jiao Zhong hesitated, “Yes, sir.”

Then he whispered instructions to the other guards.

If the prince entered the village, they needed a forward team to ensure safety. Otherwise, if anything went wrong, the prince would remain “unaware,” but He Jixiang, He Hong, or Hong Ying would surely take responsibility.

Official procedure demanded it.

Lin Yi pinched his lips and whistled loudly.

The donkey, reluctant but obedient, climbed from the water, shook off the wetness, and followed the barefoot Lin Yi.

“Prince,” Jiao Zhong appeared again, “Guan Xiaoqi’s father, Guan Shengsheng, is sick—rumored tuberculosis. Villagers avoid them. Please reconsider, Prince.”

“Tuberculosis?”

Lin Yi stopped abruptly. He thought back to his encounter with Guan Xiaoqi and realized there had been no close contact. He relaxed and asked, “Are you certain it’s tuberculosis?”

Jiao Zhong shook his head, “They can’t afford a physician. It’s just village gossip. No one dares approach them. Some even suggest sending them into the mountains.”

Lin Yi held out his hand, “I’ll check first. If it’s serious, I’ll withdraw early.”

Curiosity prevailed. He wanted to see what was really happening.

Under the sunset, he walked past rows of sweet potato fields.

Though the soil was poor, sweet potatoes were hardy and grew abundantly.

After about a mile, he saw someone waving at him.

“Hey, you’re reliable,” Guan Xiaoqi called, holding her bamboo pole.

“I waited so long, thinking you wouldn’t come.”

“Thanks for the compliment,” Lin Yi said, noticing her rough cloth covering her mouth and nose. He laughed, “You almost fooled me—I barely recognized you.”