IDWBE -Chapter 90 Elimination

While Ge Laoshan was secretly grumbling to himself, a sudden chill rose from the bottom of his heart. He looked up—and saw that dead eunuch!

Terrified, he dropped to his knees with a thud.

“This commoner greets Your Highness! May Your Highness live for ten thousand years!”

“Oh, long time no see. Get up.”

Lin Yi waved a hand dismissively, then turned back to the otter.

“You’ve really put me in a difficult spot.”

Kill it?

The crime didn’t deserve death.

Keep it?

That would be torturing himself. Who could stand that awful screeching?

After hesitating for a while, he sighed.

“Throw it away. Far away. Don’t let me see it again.”

Bao Kui stepped forward, untied the otter, ignored its shrill cries, stuffed it into a sack, and carried it out of the Prince’s residence.

Lin Yi washed his hands in a basin, wiped them with a towel, took his teacup, and sat down before finally glancing at Ge Laoshan.

With a gentle tone, he said, “Go on. Why did you want to see me?”

After all, he had emptied this man’s family fortune just last year—he still felt slightly guilty, so his voice lacked some confidence.

Ge Laoshan smiled ingratiatingly. “Your Highness, after listening to your teachings, I had a great awakening! I am now a merchant.”

“Cut the nonsense. Speak plainly,” Lin Yi said with a smile. “You were doing just fine as a mountain king. Why come to Sanhe?”

Ge Laoshan paused awkwardly, then forced a smile. “Your Highness, Nanzhou is in turmoil. Many people invited me to join them. I didn’t dare agree… nor did I dare refuse. So I came to seek refuge under Your Highness.”

Lin Yi smacked his lips and frowned. “You mean someone asked you to rebel?”

Ge Laoshan gave an ambiguous smile. “This commoner may have a thousand men, but Your Highness knows—they’re mostly the old, the weak, women and children.”

Rebellion?

He didn’t dare say that word aloud.

“Coming to seek refuge under me? Fine,” Lin Yi said. “Go to the Commander’s Office. Someone will assign land for you.”

Ge Laoshan kowtowed loudly again. “Thank you, Your Highness!”

Seeing he still hadn’t left, Lin Yi asked, “What else?”

Ge Laoshan said, “This commoner also wishes to serve Your Highness!”

After speaking, he couldn’t help glancing at Qin Hu.

If trash like him could stay, why not me?

Lin Yi stroked his smooth chin.

Had he really developed some kind of kingly aura?

Leaving aside Qin Hu, who fled here, and Tian Shiyou, who was forced—Ge Laoshan was the first person to voluntarily pledge allegiance to him!

Lin Yi’s gaze immediately softened.

“What do you want?”

“Ah?” Ge Laoshan was caught off guard. So direct?

“Sanhe is ruled by Your Highness. If I follow you, prosperity and success are surely just around the corner!”

“I’m only a regional prince,” Lin Yi shook his head. “If you came here expecting promotions and wealth, I’m afraid you’re in the wrong place.”

“Your Highness, I don’t want to be an official!” Ge Laoshan shouted. “I just want to get rich!”

“Hm?” Lin Yi was speechless. Did you forget? I emptied your pockets last year.

“Your Highness,” Ge Laoshan smiled sheepishly, “I heard Your Highness has opened maritime trade. I can procure ships.”

“So that’s your angle,” Lin Yi laughed. “You’ve done your homework. To sail, you need to participate in the auction. Highest bidder wins. Without a license, getting rich won’t be easy.”

“Your Highness…” Ge Laoshan smiled bitterly.

Didn’t you take all my money already?

“You’re a mountain bandit going to sea? That’s absurd,” Lin Yi said.

“Your Highness doesn’t know—my people have been fishermen for generations. We hid in the mountains only because of hardship.”

“Fine,” Lin Yi said. “When you make money, don’t forget my share.”

After all, this was the first person to voluntarily defect to him. Granting him a shipping license would be like spending a thousand gold to buy a horse’s bones.

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

Ge Laoshan was overjoyed and took his leave.

War raged continuously in Chuzhou and Yuezhou. Even Hongzhou and Nanzhou were affected. Refugees poured into Sanhe in ever-increasing numbers, families in tow.

The slightly better-off even drove cattle and sheep with them.

But most were destitute. Some had a clear goal and rushed straight into Baiyun City.

This type Lin Yi could not ignore. A starving person could do anything.

So he followed the old method—work-for-relief. Bianjing organized them to build roads.

This time, with more manpower and prior experience, construction toward Yuezhou progressed quickly.

Other refugees wandered aimlessly into the mountains, clearing land, farming, hunting, or fishing.

Those, Lin Yi had no way of managing.

Though he was King of Sanhe, his effective authority extended only about a hundred li around Baiyun City. Beyond that, mountains were high and roads treacherous—beyond his reach.

Time passed faster than Lin Yi expected.

In the blink of an eye, it was summer harvest.

Many locals had become landlords and even began hiring laborers.

This helped solve part of Baiyun City’s employment problem.

The Prince He Residence guard force expanded rapidly.

But no matter how many they recruited, they couldn’t keep up with Hong Ying’s elimination speed.

Anyone who hadn’t reached the Transforming Force stage didn’t even catch his eye.

Shen Chu was helpless. He Jixiang could only glare.

He Jixiang said, “Chief Steward Hong, your standards are too high. Many of these people might achieve something with time. You should give them a chance. Driving them out directly is too wasteful.”

The guard force now numbered 371.

Every single one had reached Transforming Force!

Third- and fourth-rank fighters were everywhere. There were more than twenty fifth- and sixth-rank experts.

Even three seventh-rank fighters who might surpass Shen Chu.

He had been Commander of the Capital Camp for years. He knew what this meant.

The entire Capital Camp and Ankang’s military office together numbered over twenty thousand men—yet fewer than a hundred had reached Transforming Force, and only a few dozen held ranks!

Even among the elite Imperial Guards, there were only about a hundred Transforming Force experts!

He truly didn’t know what this damn eunuch was planning.

Hong Ying snorted coldly. “And what do you think the Prince’s residence is? A place for any cat or dog to enter?”

Shen Chu quickly mediated. “Chief Steward Hong, how about this—those who can’t join the guards, we assign to the militia?”

“What does that have to do with me?”

With that, he turned and left, hands behind his back.

He Jixiang and Shen Chu exchanged helpless glances.

He Jixiang sighed. “Commander Shen, let’s do as you say. Move them all to the militia. We trained them with such effort—letting them go would waste all that work.”

Shen Chu nodded. “We have no choice.”

And just like that, Wang Xing’s militia ballooned to nearly four thousand men.

But his joy didn’t last long.

Feeding and maintaining them soon became a headache.

The militia’s budget was limited.

Though thousands came from the Prince’s residence guard, the funding did not follow.

He had no choice but to secretly seek out Shen Chu and He Jixiang.

They too were helpless and ultimately went to Lin Yi.

The money pouch was in Mingyue and Zixia’s hands.

If Prince He didn’t approve, those two would never release a single coin.