IDWBE -Chapter 448 Connections

Curiosity aside, he didn’t dislike this girl in the slightest—on the contrary, he even felt a bit of fondness.

A carefree, unrestrained girl like her was really easy for a man to take a liking to.

He thought of Hu Miaoyi: beautiful, yes, but the longer you spent time with her, the more flaws in her character would show. Now that they already had a child, the two of them could never achieve the so-called harmony of a perfect couple.

“You’re not young anymore,” Guan Xiaoqi said loudly, “My father always said that among a man’s three unfilial acts, the greatest is leaving no heir. If you keep drifting along like this, you won’t even be able to marry a wife—your family line will end!”

“End the line?”

Lin Yi laughed. He only had one daughter now. Both the court and the military urged him to have more children.

Since ancient times, daughters were never considered heirs.

People were practically pointing at him, scolding him for being “childless.”

Hearing this term again today made him feel even more helpless.

“What’s so funny?”

Guan Xiaoqi puffed her cheeks angrily. “You’ve never thought about the future at all?”

“My future hasn’t even begun; how could I figure it out in a short while?”

Lin Yi asked curiously, “I thought your father would be a straightforward man, but I didn’t expect him to be so old-fashioned. Doesn’t he already have such a clever daughter like you? Isn’t that enough for him?”

“My father loves me very much, but I am, after all, a daughter. I will marry one day,”

Guan Xiaoqi sighed. “My father worries about how he will face the ancestors of the Guan family a hundred years from now.”

“Indeed, your Guan ancestors are impressive,”

Lin Yi smiled. “Having a son-in-law like your father who is so filial.”

Guan Xiaoqi frowned. On the surface, it sounded like praise, but the strange tone in Lin Yi’s voice made her feel it wasn’t entirely so.

She asked, “What do you mean by that? Are you mocking my father?”

Lin Yi put down the kettle onto the tall stack of firewood, sipping the amber-colored tea from time to time, and laughed. “You’ve misunderstood. I mean no disrespect. I just think your father isn’t that old. He could easily remarry and continue the Guan family line.”

He suddenly felt that his own father didn’t even compare to someone like Guan Sheng.

Although his father was the emperor, he now secretly hoped that all his children would just disappear!

He gave no thought to the continuation of the Lin family line. His father’s awareness didn’t even match that of an old peasant like Guan Sheng!
The difference!

That’s the difference!

Guan Xiaoqi hesitated. “Are you telling the truth?”

“Couldn’t be truer,” Lin Yi smiled. “Your father said he wanted to retire to the mountains, but that’s unnecessary. If cats and dogs are the allergen, moving into the city solves it; there are far fewer in the city.”

Normally, city pets are tied up carefully by their owners.

Unlike rural towns, the city is full of strangers, and anyone letting pets roam freely is bound to have them caught by beggars.

Ever since Lin Yi had promoted the planting of sweet potatoes and potatoes in Liang Kingdom, few went hungry. Even beggars could dig up some stored sweet potatoes in winter to get half-full.

But no matter how much they ate, there was no fat to be found.

They wanted meat!
They couldn’t afford to buy it, so cats and dogs became the best source of meat.

Lone cats and dogs never had good outcomes.

After Lin Yi took charge of Ankang City, public security improved. Officials and soldiers strictly enforced the law—no one dared break it.

Some townspeople even felt as if peace had come; they let their dogs roam freely.

But beggars didn’t care. Ankang’s laws never said eating dog meat was illegal!
Stewing dog meat isn’t theft.
Only stealing cattle counts.
Only that would be punishable.

Even if a constable caught someone in the act, they wouldn’t mind.

And if it landed them in prison, all the better.

By now, everyone in Ankang knew that after Prince He inspected the prison, he would be furious:
Sanitation!
Sanitation!
Sanitation!

From the Dali Temple prison to the Ankang city prison, there wasn’t a single mouse in sight!

Even in winter, although the prisoners slept on straw mats, they had coal fires and could eat enough not to starve.

The newly revised Liang law clearly stated: if a prisoner died without trial, every responsible official—from jailer to guard—would be held accountable.

For beggars and vagrants, this was far better than hiding in abandoned temples or mountains.

As long as they survived the cold winter, spring would come, and everything would be fine.

Thus, city cats and dogs became very obedient, unlike the roaming pets of the countryside.

“You make a good point,” Guan Xiaoqi pondered. “There are fewer cats and dogs in the city, but—”

“But what?”

Lin Yi asked casually.

Guan Xiaoqi sighed. “Living in the city isn’t just about food and waste; even the house costs rent. It’s not as easy as you say.”

Lin Yi said without hesitation, “Then I’ll rent one to you.”

“You’ll rent one to me?”

Guan Xiaoqi sized him up, annoyed. “Don’t lie. How could someone as idle as you have a place to rent? It’s already good that you haven’t ended up on the streets.”

Lin Yi laughed. “You don’t believe me? Think about it. I fish every day, don’t work, and yet I have enough food, drink, and clothes. Where else would my money come from?”

Guan Xiaoqi frowned thoughtfully. “Seems like you’re right… You really have a place to rent?”

“Of course I do. I’m the most famous landlord in Ankang City; I have plenty of houses,” Lin Yi patted his chest. “Your home is near the southern city; I’ll rent you a small courtyard there.”

“A courtyard?”

Guan Xiaoqi waved her hands like a rattle. “One courtyard and one main house—I and my father can’t afford that. You should find someone else.”

Lin Yi hesitated. “Then I’ll rent you just a single room.”

“One room?”

Guan Xiaoqi thought a moment. “How much will you charge me per month?”

“Two copper coins?”

Lin Yi didn’t know the rental prices in Ankang, so he guessed cheap.

“Really?”

Guan Xiaoqi’s eyes lit up.

“Of course it’s real,” Lin Yi smiled, relieved she was finally moving. “If you don’t believe me, you can come see it tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Guan Xiaoqi said loudly. “Two copper coins, you better not trick me.”

Lin Yi laughed. “Rest easy, it’s settled.”

“Then it’s settled,” Guan Xiaoqi said happily. “I’ll tell my father and meet you tomorrow morning at the South Gate.”

“Agreed.”

Lin Yi nodded, watching Guan Xiaoqi hop into the white snow and disappear.

“Prince.”

Jiao Zhong appeared behind him.

Lin Yi said calmly, “What I just said—you heard it. I want to be a landlord for once. That’s not too much to ask, right?”

Jiao Zhong quickly replied, “Prince, rest assured, I’ll arrange it immediately.”

After all these years following Prince He, the term “landlord” wasn’t unfamiliar; they had heard it so much their ears were calloused!

For years, they had joked that if things went badly, they could become landlords, buying a whole street or two miles’ worth of property, collecting rent every month.

Everyone had just laughed it off. Back then, Prince He, though not successful, was still a royal son. No one expected him to really have to live off rent.

And later, becoming the ruler of Sanhe only made them take his “dream” less seriously.

But unexpectedly, Prince He really wanted to become a “landlord” today.

Since he wanted it, they had no reason to oppose him—they didn’t dare, either.

“The house shouldn’t be too far, just somewhere near the South City Gate. Tonight, make sure the house is cleared. If it can’t be moved, rent it back to them. Just don’t say the wrong thing,” Lin Yi picked up a branch, poking the fire while instructing, “Time is tight, but no need to force it. The deal must be voluntary; don’t coerce anyone. Any house will do.”

“Yes, understood.”

Jiao Zhong didn’t feel troubled at all.

Transferring property requires procedures and takes at least a day or two.

But who was he?

He was the head of the Prince He’s guards!

Going to the Ankang Magistrate’s office to demand immediate processing—who would dare refuse?

Most importantly, he was acting on behalf of Prince He.

Special circumstances require special treatment!

No reasoning allowed!

Once the fire burned bright, Lin Yi rubbed his hands, then stood and said, “Alright, go handle it. I’ll head back.”

“As you command.”

Jiao Zhong hurried off.

Lin Yi glanced at the bucket of fish, stretched, and walked toward the south of the city.

Tan Fei cautiously followed. “Prince, the sled is ready. If you’re tired, I can have someone bring it over.”

Lin Yi waved his hand. “Forget it. Running fast makes your neck sore; walking is more comfortable.”

Tan Fei quickly added, “Should I have the sedan chair carry you?”

Lin Yi impatiently said, “I have hands and feet; I’m not incapable of walking. You all rest.”

“Yes.”

Tan Fei was helpless.

He now admired the little rascal even more.

Prince He was really difficult to serve!

Yet the little rascal often made him laugh.

Whatever the little rascal did was right; whatever they did—Jiao Zhong included—was wrong.

At the South City Gate.

The butcher stood with arms folded inside his sleeves, occasionally peeking out, shivering, and complained to Deng Ke, “You said someone would come. Why hasn’t anyone shown up?”

Deng Ke sighed. “In this ghostly weather, it’s freezing and the roads are bad. Delays are normal.”

Zhu Ruorong also crouched, leaning against the wall, weakly saying, “Deng shopkeeper is right. In this heavy snow, delays are normal. We’ve been standing all afternoon; my legs are numb.”

The butcher laughed. “Wait a bit longer. If they don’t come, we’ll head back. Anyway, it’s getting dark, and I’ll treat you to wine.”

Deng Ke hesitated. “Being villagers, we can’t let you spend too much.”

The butcher patted his chest. “It’s nothing. I should be the one embarrassed for making you wait and suffer this long.”

Yesterday he learned from Deng Ke that his daughter Jiang Zhen would enter Ankang City today.

So he had been waiting in the city gate since noon.

But no one had arrived yet.

“No problem, no problem,” Deng Ke waved humbly. “Captain Jiang, like my third grand-uncle, is a standout among Sanhe’s younger generation. Waiting a bit is no big deal.”

If Jiang Zhen hadn’t been promoted, why would such a prominent person wait here?

“Third grand-uncle?”

Zhu Ruorong was confused.

This old man was half-buried in the soil. To be his third grand-uncle, he’d be at least seventy, maybe eighty—how could he be considered young?

The butcher laughed. “You don’t know that? And you call yourself Ankang’s all-knowing ‘Wind-Ear’?”

“Don’t be so quick,” Zhu Ruorong raised his hand to stop the answer. After thinking a while, he said, “Could it be that kid Wei Yishan?”

Deng Ke stroked his graying beard, delighted. “Exactly! Didn’t expect you already knew.”

Zhu Ruorong looked at Deng Ke’s wrinkled face, helpless. “I had heard of it before. I thought it was just rumors. Turns out it’s true.”

“Of course it’s true,” Deng Ke said proudly. “It really is my third grand-uncle, no doubt about it.”

He was one of Sanhe’s suppliers and had earned plenty of money.

But after owing workers a few coins, being publicly shamed and put to labor, he realized what he lacked.

When trouble came, no one helped him; instead, they seized the opportunity to mock him.

Deng, the carpenter, wasn’t unpopular—he lacked influence.

Under Prince He, money alone wasn’t enough; connections mattered.

In earlier years, both Xie Zan and Chen Desheng had made him enemies.

As for Shan Qi, he hadn’t offended him, but Shan Qi looked down on him.

The only connection he could leverage was Wei Yishan!
A true third grand-uncle. He promoted this in Ankang City whenever he could.

Of course, connections are always valuable. If he could connect his daughter Jiang Zhen to a prominent family, all this waiting in the cold wouldn’t be wasted.

In the future, anyone who wanted to bully him would have to think twice.