IDWBE -Chapter 43 The Land Laughs

“A laugh rises from the vast sea,
Tides surge endlessly along both shores.
Drifting and sinking with the waves,
We remember only today.

The blue heavens laugh,
The worldly tides rise and fall in confusion.
Who loses, who prevails—
Only Heaven knows.

The land laughs,
Misty rain stretches afar.
Mighty waves wash away the countless beauties of the mortal world;
All that remains of heroic passion is a robe filled with the glow of the setting sun.”

Lin Yi caught two banji fish in succession, putting him in an excellent mood.

The remnant glow of the setting sun spread across the water—half the river dusky green, half crimson. Unable to resist, he began to sing a song.

Mingyue, Zixia, and the others were already used to this and showed little reaction.

Only Bian Jing, Chen Desheng, He Jixiang, and the others were filled with admiration.

Chen Desheng said, “Though Your Highness’s lyrics are somewhat plain, the artistic conception is profound and carries great grandeur.

‘Who loses, who prevails—Heaven knows.’

Good, good, good!”

He became so excited that he repeated “good” several times.

“It’s just a tune. What’s it really worth?” Lin Yi said, worried the man might get so worked up that he’d burst a blood vessel.

“You take charge of selecting some men from my guard and recruit a few honest local villagers. You’ll be fully responsible. Think of a way to straighten out the chaotic situation in Baiyun City. The strong bullying the weak, the many oppressing the few—what kind of state is this? I’d like to be able to walk alone on the streets safely one day.”

Baiyun City wasn’t large; having ten thousand people in total was already considerable.

Yet in just these few days, Lin Yi knew of three murder cases.

The most tragic was a family of seven—no one survived, not even the baby still in swaddling clothes.

After seeing it, Lin Yi was so furious that he didn’t sleep all night and had already ordered his guards to hunt down the criminals everywhere.

As for brawls and fights, they were too numerous to count.

No matter what, Sanhe—this Baiyun City—had to have rules.

His rules.

After arriving in Baiyun City, Chen Desheng handled the resettlement of refugees and orphans with ease, so Lin Yi naturally felt at ease entrusting such matters to him.

Chen Desheng cupped his hands solemnly and said, “To suppress bandits and treacherous villains, to punish those who kill for profit—”

“I know your level of scholarship is high,” Lin Yi interrupted without hesitation. “Please say it in words I can understand.”

Chen Desheng’s impassioned tone abruptly halted, and he could only laugh awkwardly. “Guarding the gates and keeping watch to prevent violent criminals is the proper course of action…”

But when he noticed Lin Yi’s expression, he lowered his head in embarrassment and didn’t finish.

Ever since this Prince He had come to Sanhe, scholars like them—well read and eloquent—had almost forgotten how to speak normally.

Lin Yi rolled his eyes at him. “Go on. Don’t hold back.”

Chen Desheng said cautiously, “Arresting thieves and great villains is not Lord Xie Zan’s responsibility. If word reaches the Emperor, it may cause trouble.”

Lin Yi snorted. “You could just say I don’t have the authority. Why all the roundabout talk?”

Chen Desheng smiled awkwardly. “Your Highness is wise.”

Lin Yi said, “According to the treatment of a feudal prince, I can have a guard of two or three thousand men, right?”

Chen Desheng nodded. “Naturally.”

Lin Yi smiled. “My Third Imperial Brother, Prince Yong, commands a hundred thousand troops. What am I compared to that? For the sake of my own safety, expanding the guard and maintaining order in Baiyun City—what fault is there in that?”

Besides, he was already in such a miserable state—what more could the Emperor possibly do to him?

Chen Desheng smiled. “This humble one understands.”

Lin Yi patted his shoulder. “You don’t understand, Old Master Chen. I’ve heard that when you were Vice Censor-in-Chief, you even dared to impeach He Jin. Didn’t you once say: ‘For a minister, to know and not speak deserves death; to speak and offend taboos also deserves death’? Why is it that the older you get, the smaller your courage becomes?”

Chen Desheng gave a bitter smile. “Otherwise, why would this guilty minister have fallen to such a state?”

Lin Yi said with a smile, “Write up some regulations for me later, let me look them over, and then post them publicly. Sanhe cannot be without rules.”

For someone like him, who had been shaped by modern civilization, the chaotic environment before him was unbearable.

If nothing changed, even living would be a kind of torment.

“Farewell, Your Highness.”

Watching Lin Yi’s figure gradually recede, Chen Desheng burst into tears.

Lin Yi clasped his hands behind his back, humming as he passed through two streets. Suddenly, Luo Han came over and said, “Your Highness, look.”

Following the direction Luo Han pointed, Lin Yi saw a burly man standing under a large tree, waving at them.

“What’s his name again?”

The tiger-skin clothing on the man left a deep impression on Lin Yi, though he couldn’t recall the name at the moment.

Luo Han said, “Qin Hu—the bandit who tried to rob us on the road.”

Lin Yi nodded and strolled over beneath the tree.

He first glanced at an elderly woman with white hair resting on a stone and a girl of about eleven or twelve.

Soot and dirt covered the girl’s face so her original features were hard to see, but her eyes were especially lively.

“Your Highness,”

Qin Hu grinned. “I’ve come to find you.”

“And these are?” Lin Yi pointed to the old woman and the girl.

Qin Hu said, “This is my mother, and this is my younger sister.”

Lin Yi asked, “Then what do you want with me?”

Qin Hu said bitterly, “Your Highness, you don’t know—after you left, that Ge Laoshan took out his anger on me, searching everywhere and even offering a reward of a hundred taels. I can’t stay in Nanzhou anymore. I have to leave. So I’ve come to seek refuge with you.”

“Ah.” Lin Yi turned to Luo Han. “Arrange a place for them to stay.”

If not for the old woman and the girl behind this fellow, Lin Yi would never have bothered with him.

Luo Han said, “Your Highness, keeping this kind of person isn’t appropriate, is it?”

Lin Yi said, “Stop talking nonsense.”

Luo Han could only acknowledge reluctantly.

Qin Hu said happily, “Thank you, Your Highness!”

Turning to the uneasy old woman, he said, “Mother, see? With your son’s abilities, I can make a living anywhere!”

The corner of Lin Yi’s eye twitched, and he turned to leave.

After returning to the Commandant’s Office, he had just taken a sip of tea when Qin Hu ran in again.

“Your Highness, if there’s anything you need me for, just say the word! I, Qin Hu, am someone of loyalty!”

He laughed loudly. “I’m quite a figure in Nanzhou!”

“Hmph.”

Lin Yi ignored him.

“Your Highness, don’t look down on people!”

Qin Hu pointed at Luo Han and shouted, “You’ve seen my skills—ordinary people can’t handle me!”

Luo Han, embarrassed and angry, jumped out. “Bandit! If you’ve got the ability, fight your grandfather here for three hundred rounds!”

Qin Hu said, “Come then! Do you think I’m afraid of you?”

But as he had just drawn the knife from his waist, it clattered to the ground. His whole body flew out of the room, landing hard on the ground outside, howling in pain.

Song Cheng scolded, “Impudent! To dare draw a weapon in front of His Highness!”

“And you dare hit people in front of His Highness!” Qin Hu protested, clutching his stomach, full of resentment.

“Enough, stop arguing. My head hurts,” Lin Yi said.

He looked at Qin Hu. “You say you have ability—then go do something for me.”

Qin Hu said, “Your Highness, just tell me! I, Old Qin, am a man of loyalty!”

Lin Yi said mockingly, “Send him to Shen Chu. Perhaps he’ll prove to be a dragon in the sea.”

Better to send this fellow far away—out of sight, out of mind.

Before Qin Hu could react, Song Cheng had already pushed him out of the room.

…