IDWBE -Chapter 60 A Heart That Values Talent

What is a second-generation pirate?

It sounded strange, but the literal meaning was easy enough to understand.

Being a second-generation pirate wasn’t a problem at all. From his ancestors to his father, they had dominated the seas. Their names were known far and wide, and he felt honored—proud, even!

But somehow, when this came from Prince He’s mouth, it carried a hint of disdain.

It was deeply irritating.

“What use is it to just know Du Sanhe’s route?”

Lin Yi sat back down in his chair, crossed his legs, and said calmly, “To find Du Sanhe’s lair, you’ll need a ship, right? You still plan to sail over there yourself?”

“Your Highness!”

Tian Shiyou fell to his knees again, shouting, “I am willing to offer a treasure ship!”

“One ship—what can that do? How many people can it carry? If it can’t hold them all, it sinks, feeding the turtles.”

Lin Yi laughed, “As everyone knows, Du Sanhe commands over ten thousand men, and he’s a master fighter himself—not someone easily defeated.”

Tian Shiyou continued, “Your Highness, as far as I know, the Prince’s guards have expanded, but there are only about 1,400 of them—not even 2,000. My large ship can hold them all.”

“Oh, so you know I only have that many men!”

Lin Yi slapped the table, “Sending them to fight ten thousand of Du Sanhe’s men? That’s a death sentence! Now tell me, what are your intentions?”

“Your Highness, forgive me!”

Tian Shiyou banged his head on the floor repeatedly, panicking, “You don’t know, Your Highness. Du Sanhe claims to have over ten thousand men, but most are family—old, weak, women, and children. Only about 4,000 are capable of fighting!”

“Ridiculous!”

Lin Yi snorted coldly, “1,400 men standing against 4,000? You really think that’s possible?”

“Please, Your Highness, do not be angry!”

Tian Shiyou hurried on, “All the coastal regions suffer from Du Sanhe’s crimes. I have contacted allies, gathering another 2,000 men and three large ships, all willing to cooperate with Your Highness for this righteous cause.”

Lin Yi froze.

This was damn insane—they were basically trying to throw him onto a burning platform!

And he had no one to blame but himself for boasting about “peaceful seas and safe roads, where no one steals or locks doors” earlier.

“As the saying goes, before the army moves, the provisions go first,”

Lin Yi sighed, “You know the situation in Sanhe. I’m so poor I’m almost drinking thin porridge—how could I have the resources to fight Du Sanhe? Priorities matter: first, I must secure basic necessities. Other matters can be handled gradually. Besides, if I suffer losses in men and ships, I may not even have enough for funeral expenses. So yes, I accept your petition, but we’ll deal with it later.”

For now, he had no intention of provoking Nie Youdao—and didn’t have the ability to anyway.

A decade ago, Nie Youdao had already reached peak eighth-rank, and now perhaps ninth!

People like that were terrifying.

He had no reason to send Shen Chu and the others to their deaths.

“Your Highness, Du Sanhe has plundered for years—gold, silver, treasures worth tens of millions,”

Tian Shiyou said excitedly, “Just a few years ago, he destroyed a small native state in the Nanyang region, seizing three million in gold and silver! If you crush him, I will not take a single coin—all goes to Your Highness!”

Millions!

Lin Yi could feel his breath grow heavier.

How could he not be tempted?

“That’s just a hypothetical. If we can’t defeat Du Sanhe, we’ll only create trouble. Why bother?”

Lin Yi sipped his tea and smiled, “Enough. My mind is made up. We take only what we can handle.”

“Your Highness, if we defeat the pirates along the coast, trade routes will open. Our rice, salt, lychees, and longans can reach the north, and silk and porcelain can be brought back to Nanyang!”

Tian Shiyou was still eager, “The silver will flow like water! Your Highness, I urge you to think carefully!”

“Rise. Don’t kneel all the time. I think the salt trade is a promising career—you’d be wasting it if you don’t continue,”

Lin Yi changed the topic, “Forget about Du Sanhe for now. Tell me, how do you run your illegal salt business?”

He was interested in any profitable enterprise.

Tian Shiyou stood and cupped his hands, “Your Highness, it’s simply boiling salt by the sea, then selling it to places like Yuezhou. A flood in Yuezhou left countless refugees. Gathering crowds turned them into bandits. I couldn’t go there. To Ankang or even further to Yongzhou over land is dangerous—one round trip takes a year or more. So I tried the sea route, only to be plundered by Du Sanhe. I could only ask Your Highness to help me and my men.”

“A flood in Yuezhou?”

Lin Yi hadn’t heard and marveled at his outdated intelligence.

“Yes!”

Tian Shiyou said, “Many refugees have fled to Sanhe. Gathered, they can cause chaos. Your Highness should prepare in advance.”

“Arrived in Sanhe?” Lin Yi asked excitedly, “How far is Baiyun City from the Sanhe-Yuezhou border?”

Sanhe lacked people. Bringing more in was only beneficial.

Couldn’t support them? Impossible!

Although rice yields were low, two harvests a year still produced a decent crop.

The problem was that everyone’s only source of income was food. Most had to sell it to buy essentials. Surplus barely allowed survival.

Even if there truly wasn’t enough food, a little effort—picking fruit from trees—could prevent starvation.

High mortality came mainly from diseases caused by heat and humidity.

Tian Shiyou worried, “Your Highness, this may be dangerous. The refugees are numerous; without precautions, trouble may arise!”

Lin Yi laughed, “No need to worry. Continue telling me about your salt trade.”

In these times of natural and man-made disasters, as long as the common people had something to eat, they wouldn’t rebel.

That would be madness.

“If Your Highness crushes the pirates and opens the sea route, I am willing to give sixty percent of the salt profits to you!”

Tian Shiyou noticed Lin Yi’s slight frown and explained, “As I said, profit can be made whether going north or south.”

Lin Yi smiled, “Sixty percent? That would make me feel bad, as if I were taking advantage. I am not that kind of person.”

Tian Shiyou was about to praise him, but Lin Yi continued, “Here’s the deal. I see you are a rare talent, and I value talent. I’ve suddenly developed a fondness for capable people. You will stay at the He Mansion. I will pay you a monthly salary—you will not work in vain.”

This was not a negotiation; it was an order. Agree or not, you had to agree.

Tian Shiyou was stunned.

Was this human speech?

With anyone else, he would have shouted.

Even if I fail, I’m a salt trader!

Earning hundreds of thousands a year!

And now he’s giving me a monthly salary?

Before he could speak, he noticed a eunuch standing before him. He couldn’t muster any resistance—he had no choice but to follow the gatekeeper who brought him in, obediently retreating.