IDWBE -Chapter 514 The Royal Private Property

“Prince He!”

The ordinary people who were eating in the tavern were filled with disbelief.

A person’s reputation spreads like the shadow of a tree. Even those with the most limited information knew who truly held power in the Liang Empire.

As the Regent Prince of Liang, it was not unusual for him to appear in De’en, since the De’en Hunting Grounds and the Summer Resort were places used by the imperial family for hunting and escaping the summer heat.

But for him to appear in their remote little town was almost unimaginable.

This place lay on the border between Jizhou and Saibei, where a small Sanhe border garrison of about a hundred soldiers was stationed.

The highest-ranking officer here was Guerrilla General Han Long.

If there was no war, officials from the court almost never came here.

Let alone the Prince Regent himself.

Seeing the frightened expressions of Han Long and the border troops, the common people finally believed it. Someone took the lead, and soon everyone knelt down in a wave, imitating the soldiers and shouting:

“Long live the Prince! Ten thousand years!”

Pan Duo raised his sword and shouted loudly, “Civilians, withdraw!”

Civilians?

Those who were quick-witted immediately bowed their heads and backed away. Others followed suit, quickly running out.

Soon, only the kneeling soldiers remained before Lin Yi.

Lin Yi snorted coldly and sat down at an empty table.

Luo Han walked forward, dragged the trembling shopkeeper and waiter out from under the counter, and said kindly, “Bring out your best wine and dishes quickly. We won’t short you on silver.”

“Yes, yes!”

The shopkeeper hurried to the kitchen with the waiter.

“Han Long.”

“Your subordinate is here!”

“You seem to be living quite comfortably,” Lin Yi said as Pan Duo poured him tea. “I’m almost jealous.”

Han Long hesitated, then bravely said, “Reporting to Your Highness, Jizhou currently lacks grain. We actively responded to Your Highness’s policy of reclaiming land along the frontier. Today we finally finished planting 50 mu of sorghum, sweet potatoes, and soybeans, so we came out to celebrate.”

Lin Yi’s expression softened slightly, but he asked curiously, “Along the way here I saw nothing but drought. Where did you get water to grow crops?”

Han Long replied, “This place has always been a military farming settlement. Aside from the De’en hunting grounds, this is the most fertile grassland in the area. The horses I raise and the horses Sun Chongde raises are especially strong.”

Lin Yi frowned.

“So the nearby civilians can only farm saline land, sandy land, and dry land?”

Han Long lowered his voice.

“Most of De’en consists of mountains and grassland. The soil is very fertile—no worse than Saibei. But since the previous dynasty, it has been imperial property, and civilians are forbidden to cultivate it.”

“Ah… I see.”

Lin Yi finally understood.

On the way here he had wondered why some places clearly had forests, green grasslands, and plenty of water, yet no one planted grain.

It turned out the land had been turned into private property of the imperial family.

He also understood why He Jixiang had never mentioned it. To people like them, this was simply natural and unquestionable.

The imperial family could never be wrong—if anything was wrong, it must be the people.

Han Long knelt silently, unsure how to respond.

The waiter brought the dishes, Luo Han arranged them, and as Lin Yi picked up his chopsticks he said to Han Long, “Stand up and talk.”

“Thank you for Your Highness’s grace.”

Han Long stood up and gestured behind him. The soldiers immediately moved outside to act as guards.

Lin Yi told Luo Han and the others, “You all go eat too.”

After they sat nearby, Lin Yi looked back at Han Long and said with a mocking smile, “So in the end, it’s because I’m occupying too much land, right?”

Han Long quickly replied, “Your Highness exaggerates. Powerful clans have been entrenched here for generations. Their connections are deeply intertwined. Even if Jiang Pei had extraordinary ability, it would still be difficult for him to accomplish much.”

Lin Yi sighed.

“I have already ordered He Jixiang to conduct a strict investigation and exempt taxes for three years, hoping the people can recover.”

Han Long cautiously said, “This subordinate has something to say, though I’m unsure if I should.”

“Then say it quickly. Don’t hesitate,” Lin Yi said impatiently. “You know what annoys me.”

“Yes.” Han Long continued, “Your Highness has implemented the policy that everyone in Liang should have land. Even refugees, wanderers, and beggars can receive land if they apply. The people are deeply grateful. Every household even worships Your Highness. A family of three receives 15 mu of land. Even if it’s poor land, planting sweet potatoes, corn, sorghum, and soybeans means that with diligence they won’t starve.”

“Exactly!”

Lin Yi slapped his thigh.

“Even eating sweet potatoes every day shouldn’t leave them starving like this! Tell me honestly—what’s wrong?”

The suffering he had seen along the way was horrifying.

Han Long said solemnly, “This subordinate will speak boldly. If I’m wrong, please forgive me.”

“Go ahead. I’m not unreasonable.”

Han Long said, “Even if a family harvests ten parts and pays one part in tax, it doesn’t matter much to them. Whether Your Highness exempts taxes or not actually makes little difference.”

Lin Yi frowned.

“What do you mean?”

Han Long explained, “Although the official tax is gone, there are still countless miscellaneous levies—military taxes, training taxes, administrative silver, border funds, courier funds…The people are already suffering from these. And then there are endless contributions: donation taxes, loan taxes, salt taxes, cart taxes, poverty taxes. Even if their granaries are full, they can’t withstand so many burdens.”

Lin Yi sighed.

“Everyone knows this, but you’re the only one willing to say it to me.”

People like He Jixiang believed that it was acceptable if the people suffered a little—as long as the state remained stable.

If the local governments didn’t collect these extra taxes, they simply couldn’t function.

Without local administration, how could imperial authority be maintained?

Without imperial authority, the country would fall into chaos.

Lin Yi didn’t even know how to blame them.

People of every era had their own limitations.

Even if he scolded them as the ruler, they might obey outwardly while inwardly disagreeing.

Changing a few people’s minds was useless.

What he needed was many people thinking the same way as him.

Han Long said softly, “I’m from Jizhou. I was born and raised here. I cannot bear to see my hometown people suffer, so I must speak honestly. Please don’t blame me.”

“I’m glad you told the truth,” Lin Yi said with a smile. “You’re clear-headed and clever. It’s a pity for you to guard the frontier. How about coming back to Ankang City?”

Han Long cupped his hands.

“I know a few characters, but I’m still just a soldier. I’m suited only for fighting. I’d rather stay here for the rest of my life.”

His hometown was less than twenty miles away.

He could easily visit his parents and family.

More importantly—

Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.

Here, as a guerrilla general, he was the most powerful person within a hundred miles.

Few dared oppose him.

Some troublesome sects and wealthy landlords had already been arrested during anti-crime campaigns.

The worst criminals had long since been executed.

“Fine. Everyone has their own aspirations,” Lin Yi said after finishing his wine. “You may go.”

Han Long said, “Your Highness, my home is humble, but please stay there for the night. It’s better than this tavern.”

“No need,” Lin Yi waved his hand. “I’m too lazy to walk again. I’ll eat, drink, and sleep here.”

“Understood.”

Han Long bowed and withdrew.

Before dawn the next day, Lin Yi ate some bean cakes and porridge, mounted his donkey, and continued traveling.

After less than ten miles, the scenery shocked him.

Blue sky, clear water, green grasslands, and wildflowers covering the hills.

Herds of cattle and sheep roamed freely, and horsemen galloped across the plains.

It looked like a paradise.

Pan Duo said, “Your Highness, this is the outer area of the De’en Hunting Grounds.”

“This is also part of the hunting grounds?” Lin Yi asked in surprise.

“Yes.”

Lin Yi sighed.

“Heaven and hell… right next to each other.”

Thinking about the suffering he had seen earlier, he muttered, “I’m the true example of the ‘rich gates reeking of meat while the roads freeze with corpses.’”

So much land—left unused—while the people starved.

Pan Duo kept his head down and said nothing.

Lin Yi continued, “Is He Jixiang still at the resort? The foundation of the state is the people, not those parasites. Issue orders to investigate all miscellaneous taxes in the empire and reduce the burden on the people. This is an order, not a discussion.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Half a month later, Lin Yi finally reached the coast of Jizhou.

Looking at the endless sea meeting the sky, he sighed, “This is a great place to escape the summer heat.”

He even considered building a seaside residence here.

The harbor was lively—ships sailing constantly, porters and merchants everywhere.

The bustling scene lifted his mood.

Jizhou wasn’t entirely bad after all.

Tian Shiyou almost shouted “Your High—” before Pan Duo glared at him, forcing him to swallow the words.

He bowed respectfully.

“Master Wang, please come this way.”

Now a powerful maritime merchant, Tian Shiyou welcomed Lin Yi into a restaurant and poured him tea.

Lin Yi looked around and asked, “Is this place yours too?”

Tian Shiyou smiled.

“My brothers spend most of their lives at sea. When they come ashore, they wander around without direction. So I built this tavern as a place for them to stay.”

“Good, good,” Lin Yi said approvingly. “You people know how to make money.”

Then he added, “But the roads here are still muddy when it rains. It slows transportation. You’ve built the port and the inns—now the roads must improve too.”

Tian Shiyou replied, “Naval Officer Jiang already reported this, but Lord Bian Jing has too many matters to deal with.”

Lin Yi said thoughtfully, “This place is different. Your ships earn thousands of taels of gold every voyage. Are you really short of money?”

After thinking, he continued, “Better rely on yourselves. Wealthy merchants like you should invest in building roads. I’ll allow you to set up toll gates to collect fees until you recover your costs. After that, the roads must be handed to the government.”

Tian Shiyou’s eyes lit up.

“I’ll arrange it immediately!”

There was precedent for this.

Wealthy families had once funded the highway between Yuezhou and Hongzhou, and it earned huge profits daily.

Lin Yi added calmly, “Discuss the details with Lord Bian Jing so no one loses out. Also, hiring workers to build roads stimulates the economy and creates jobs. If you do well, I’ll grant you the honorary title of Yuanwailang.”

Such honorary titles—similar to knighthoods—cost him nothing but helped win loyalty.

Tian Shiyou nearly knelt in excitement.

At sea he was feared, but on land he had no official status.

Even street patrol officers could order him around.

But with the title of Yuanwailang, he would finally gain respect.

Lin Yi slept until evening.

At sunset he stripped down to his shorts and jumped into the sea.

That night the table was filled with seafood—oysters, crabs, and fish.

Lin Yi indulged himself and drank heavily.

Later, lying on the beach under the starlit sky, he muttered drunkenly, “I wonder if this wine is fake… why is my head so heavy?”

Pan Duo whispered, “Your Highness, you’ve drunk too much. Should we return to your room?”

“It’s too hot inside,” Lin Yi said lazily. “The beach is comfortable.”

He almost wanted to move the capital here.

Soon Pan Duo heard him snoring.

The sea breeze blew gently under the vast starry sky.