IDWBE -Chapter 58 Harboring Doubts and Failed Plots

All the memories long buried deep in their minds—memories they hadn’t dared even to think of—suddenly resurfaced. A putrid stench of decay filled the room.

Cao Heng shouted, “My only son died unjustly! My old wife fell ill from grief and passed away! My daughter-in-law and grandson are missing! Who do I turn to for justice? My lifetime of honor, and now in old age, I have no heirs! No heirs! Do you know the bitterness of that?!”

His fists pounded the table, smashing it to pieces. His emaciated hands were bloodied and mangled, the bones faintly visible through the gore.

“Brother Cao,”

Shi Quan, wiping his own tears, hurriedly embraced the frenzied Cao Heng, “Control your grief! You can search for them slowly in time.”

“Search for them?”

Cao Heng sneered, “I’m trapped here. Where could I possibly search? Even if I found them, what then? It would only bring them danger!”

Staying here was the best protection for his family, whose whereabouts were still unknown.

“A man of honor can bend and stretch; stop crying,”

Xie Zan first helped Bian Jing to his feet, then cupped his hands to Cao Heng, “Brother Cao, one must always try to see the bright side. Acting like a little girl only invites ridicule.”

“And what good is seeing the bright side?”

The usually taciturn former judicial official, Xing Keshou, said, “At best, it allows this benevolent Prince to let us live out our old age in peace. But that is not what I sought.”

“Speaking of this Prince,”

Wang Qingbang wiped his already shriveled eye with a handkerchief, “He is not only kind-hearted, but shows a wisdom that seems simple on the surface. Alas, he’s not the Crown Prince—otherwise, he would truly be a blessing for all the people.”

“Being Crown Prince doesn’t guarantee ascending the throne,” Bian Jing sobbed, pointing upwards, “When the late Emperor was alive, who would have guessed it would end up this way? Otherwise, how would I suffer the calamity I face today?”

Everyone suddenly understood.

Yes! When the late Emperor was alive, the current sovereign was the most frustrated.

Who says the Crown Prince is guaranteed to succeed? Throughout history, countless deposed Crown Princes never ascended.

The room fell completely silent.

After a long moment, Wang Qingbang, eyes closed, swayed his head, “One official’s report to the nine heavens, by night demoted to Sanhe’s backroads eight thousand li away, seeking to rectify corruption, willing to spare his waning years…”

Tears poured from his only remaining eye.

He remembered the days of triumph, seeing all the flowers of Ankang in bloom, and now he was reduced to this ruinous, bereft state.

“You only have this one eye left—stop crying,”

He Jixiang comforted him, rare for him to do so, “True to your title as a ‘literary master,’ you make me even more pained. Age comes, hatred lingers, and in the presence of dignity, all that is gained is desolation.”

“Have you all succumbed to age?”

Chen Desheng suddenly shouted, “If someone’s going to die, I want He Jin to die first!”

The bitter roar stunned everyone.

In all these years together, they had never seen Chen Desheng lose control like this.

“Easier said than done,”

Shi Quan shouted, “You want He Jin dead? Not to disrespect you, but that’s impossible—unless a sow climbs a tree! Gentlemen, vent your grievances, but it’s late—let’s rest!”

Yawning, he turned to leave the side room, only to hear Xie Zan say, “If the pig can’t climb itself, I’ll risk these old bones to push it up.”

“Master Xie, you jest again,”

Shi Quan laughed, then noticed Xing Keshou trembling all over.

“Harboring doubts and failing in governance,”

Xing Keshou shakily stood, “Brother Shi is right. It’s late; all of you should retire early.”

Once his figure disappeared, everyone saluted and returned to their rooms.

The night passed quietly.

After a rain, the grass grew wildly overnight, forcing its way through cracks in the terrace of the He Mansion.

“Poor cement quality, or are you just too strong?”

Lin Yi casually plucked some and tossed them into the flowerbeds at the gate, “Becoming spring mud to protect the flowers—fate.”

Patting his hands, he felt his growing belly. Without exercise, marrying in the future could be a serious problem.

After leaving the mansion, he refused to ride the donkey, walking along the newly built road toward Baiyun City.

The weight-loss plan officially began today.

He noticed the city center, where announcements were usually posted, now had a long queue, with the Prince’s guards maintaining order.

“Your Highness,” Shen Chu came forward, bowing.

“What’s happening here?”

Curious, Lin Yi glanced at Xie Zan, who seemed to be registering people.

Shen Chu explained, “Master Xie said the Prince’s guard is only fifty-odd strong—too weak. Starting today, we’re recruiting from Baiyun City to expand the protection force.”

“A good idea,”

Lin Yi thought of Du Sanhe and the mysterious messenger not yet found—he did need more strength. Nodding, he said, “Don’t take too many, though.”

Too many would be too costly!

Expenses were everywhere, but revenue was limited; they had to be frugal.

What surprised him was how fast Xie Zan and the others worked.

Three days later, the school playground echoed with the shouts of over a thousand people, including a hundred or so children, shouting at the top of their lungs.

He Jixiang still led the training, the troops sometimes forming a long line, sometimes clustering, with no aesthetics or dignity.

Lin Yi groaned.

Even college-level military training didn’t look this bad.

It wasn’t that the former Beijing garrison governor lacked skill—it was the limitations of the era.

Lin Yi couldn’t help but step onto a stone-built platform and demonstrate the maneuvers he had learned during college military training.

In front of Shen Chu and He Jixiang, he had the troops turn left, right, and backward repeatedly.

“Prince, my head is spinning!”

Qin Hu was the first to complain, “Prince, decide already—is it left or right? Give us a direction!”

The formation burst into laughter.

“Head spinning? Stand aside and rest then,”

Lin Yi smiled warmly, “Go nowhere else. Don’t eat today either—you’ll vomit if you eat too much.”

“Ah,” Qin Hu was happy until he heard the rest of the instructions from the rear—then his face fell, “Prince, I’m not dizzy anymore!”

No matter his protests, two guards came, placed him in the middle, and pulled him aside.

He could go nowhere and wouldn’t eat all day.

Seeing this, everyone finally quieted down.

Lin Yi continued to drill both sides in front of Shen Chu and He Jixiang, then told them, “Follow my method. Don’t ask why—if you do, I don’t know either. And if you do it poorly, I’ll punish you.”

With that, he turned and left.