IDWBE -Chapter 53 The Torrential Rain

“Your Highness…”

After a sigh, Hong Ying looked at the large fish in his arms and, with no other choice, tossed it back into the courtyard.

The fish was free again, carried away by the rainwater.

The rain continued all night without a single pause.

When Lin Yi woke up, the sun was out, yet the water still hadn’t receded, turning the area into a swamp.

He finally understood why no one in Baiyun City ever built houses here—the terrain was far too low-lying!

There was nothing he could do; having chosen this land himself, he had to continue living here through tears.

With such heavy rain, he worried about the school. After a good breakfast, he mounted his donkey and waded through the water toward Baiyun City.

The newly built road, although simple, was wide and elevated. There was no mud accumulation, and the donkey walked steadily on the water-covered path.

Lin Yi proudly said, “See? This road wasn’t built in vain. We still need to keep improving it.”

Bian Jing, riding alongside, said, “Your Highness is wise.”

The Command Office had already been completed, and the old officials had moved in. Only the school was still unfinished, so daily trips to Baiyun City to teach were necessary.

Along the way, Bian Jing felt uneasy. When the Prince had chosen this place for the residence, he hadn’t opposed it and even approved of the feng shui—but he hadn’t expected such bad luck!

In all these years, he had never seen Sanhe experience such heavy rain; even the river channels were blocked.

Baiyun City, built at the foot of the mountains, was high enough to avoid flooding, but many low-lying areas were still waterlogged.

Some houses weren’t built well, and last night’s storm had caused roofs to cave in; in some cases, even walls and pillars collapsed.

Women crouched by the roadside with their children, crying. Lin Yi couldn’t bear to watch and instructed Xie Zan, “Remember to cook porridge, and help rebuild the houses that collapsed.”

Xie Zan replied cheerfully, “Your Highness truly has a benevolent heart.”

In just a short time, these old officials had completely changed their opinion of the Prince!

He valued wealth above all, was narrow-minded and unreasonable, and illiterate—these were all true. But they had to admit, the Prince’s virtues were endless.

Kind-hearted, unconventional, and always full of surprises in both behavior and decisions.

The old men even felt a little regret that he wasn’t the crown prince.

Every now and then, the stench of sewage wafted into Lin Yi’s nose. He frowned and said to Bian Jing, “Mr. Bian, go find Doctor Hu. Have him take charge. Coordinate and spread lime throughout the city.”

Bian Jing slapped his forehead and laughed, “I almost forgot. An epidemic would have been disastrous otherwise.”

He then turned his horse, nudged it forward, and left.

At the school entrance, children chattered excitedly—most were from the Health Hall, as the local children rarely came.

When they saw Lin Yi, they swarmed around him before he could dismount.

Annoyed by their clinginess, he waved them off, “No stories today. Everyone’s off for a holiday.”

To Fang Pi and a tall, thin boy named Cui Gengren, he said, “Keep an eye on them. Anyone who runs off, playing in the water or mud, you beat them senseless.”

Fang Pi shouted, “Your Highness, don’t worry! I’ll beat them half to death!”

Cui Gengren puffed out his thin chest, “Your Highness, I know! Water carries germs—they’re invisible! Touch them and you get sick! Get sick, you might die!”

“Exactly! Wash your hands often, check if the well water is clean, drink boiled water. Otherwise, even diarrhea alone could kill you.”

Lin Yi was pleased—his hygiene lessons hadn’t been wasted.

“I don’t want to die!”

A little girl, seven or eight years old, screamed.

“I don’t want to either!”

Other children joined in, and soon the whole group was crying.

Lin Yi groaned, dismounted, and walked along the muddy path coaxing them one by one.

Fortunately, Mingyue and Zixia arrived, rescuing him from this sea of suffering.

Once back on the donkey, he rode around Baiyun City. Luckily, no major problems had occurred.

Midway, they encountered a man drinking early in the morning, drunk and swinging a wooden stick at his wife and child. The guards intervened and sent him off for labor reform.

It wasn’t free labor, though. Seeing the mother and child in distress, Lin Yi had Mingyue secretly slip them some silver.

“Thank you, sir.”

Lin Yi thought for a moment. “We need to add another law.”

Xie Zan said, “Your Highness, just give the order. I’ll post it immediately.”

“Beating your wife or children is illegal!”

Lin Yi spoke simply and clearly.

Everyone in Baiyun City knew that committing a crime meant either death or labor—there was no third option.

Xie Zan was dumbfounded; he hadn’t expected such a law from Lin Yi.

He couldn’t help but chuckle, “I understand, Your Highness.”

Lin Yi smiled, “These scoundrel men need discipline. Those who refuse to learn, we support their wives remarrying, and we’ll help raise the children.”

Xie Zan had never heard of such a law, but the more he thought about it, the more he liked it, so he readily agreed.

He didn’t even realize his mindset was quietly changing—he was beginning to accept that women were people too.

By noon, the sun rose higher and hotter, the air thick with the acrid smell of lime.

The floodwaters had mostly receded, and the wide, simple cement roads gleamed in the sunlight, cleaner than most houses.

Many people spread their rain-soaked rice and clothes on the road to dry.

Lin Yi rode cautiously, careful not to trample anyone’s belongings.

The Prince’s guards worked with shovels, dredging water and leveling the roads.

Branches and debris were shoveled into the river running north to south through the residence.

Seeing the estate restored to order, Lin Yi felt much better.

Just as he took a sip of tea, Sun Yi handed him a letter.

“Who sent it?”

Lin Yi was curious.

The envelope was far too large for a carrier pigeon.

Moreover, Sanhe had no post station, and few merchants passed through. Who could have delivered it?

“I don’t know,” Sun Yi shook his head. “Someone threw it directly into the gatehouse. By the time I went to find them, there was no trace. The envelope had Your Highness’s name, so I brought it in.”

After dismissing Sun Yi, Lin Yi opened the envelope.

The handwriting was elegant but in cursive—he could only make out a few characters.

The signature on the last page was messy.

“Who the hell wrote this? Are they out to get me?”

Lin Yi fumed. “Call Mr. Wang to the back courtyard.”

The overnight rain had drenched the pigeon coop. Wang Qingbang was tending to his pigeons with his apprentice Fang Bin when Lin Yi summoned him. He hurried over.

After seeing the letter, he said, “Your Highness, this is someone’s record of the pirate Du Sanhe’s life.”

“Is that all?” Lin Yi asked.

Wang Qingbang read the letter aloud from start to finish, smiling, “That’s it, Your Highness.”

“Who wrote it?”

“The signature says: Shadow,” Wang Qingbang replied, placing the letter on the table.

“Shadow? They even made it so formal… playing games with me.”

Lin Yi said calmly, “The conversation I had with Du Yinniang and others that day was only known to everyone in the residence and the eight people with Du Yinniang. Either there’s a traitor on their side, or…”

“I’ll investigate thoroughly immediately!”

Before Lin Yi could finish, Hong Ying knelt down with a thud.

Lin Yi smiled, “No need to worry. Everyone in the residence is accounted for. Maybe the problem lies with Du Yinniang’s side; a few traitors among the pirates is only natural. Now I’m curious—who was kind enough to reveal Du Sanhe’s secrets? Wang Cheng or Shao Qing?”

Hong Ying said, “I will investigate and get to the bottom of this.”

He turned and left the room, his expression suddenly darkening.