allonlinenovel Chapter 386: Saibei
Chapter 386: Saibei
Chu Lingfeng's life was comfortable, but Lin Yi's life was much more difficult. Although it was the warmest time of the year in the northern border, he was still wrapped in a thin jacket full of patches and busy on a construction site covered with yellow sand.
After being exiled here, they were like lambs to be slaughtered and were directly forced to do hard labor. Regardless of gender, age or status, they were all caught up in this cruel fate.
Men were driven to mine, women weaved day and night, and even young children were assigned tasks like collecting firewood and feeding livestock. The entire exile land was like a huge cage, and everyone was struggling for survival.
Lin Yi was in the mine, swinging the hoe in his hand with difficulty, again and again, each time seeming to use up all his strength. Sweat soaked his clothes, and mixed with the dust in the mine, left mud marks on his face.
"Lin Yi, take a break! Don't exhaust yourself." Lin Guangwu looked at his youngest son with heartache in his eyes. The mining work was hard and tiring, and most of the burden fell on Lin Yi's thin shoulders. Even a strong man could not bear it every day.
Lin Yi just shook his head, his eyes were firm and stubborn. He knew in his heart that the mistakes he had made were like a huge rock pressing on his heart. Only by working hard could he slightly alleviate the guilt in his heart.
Therefore, he took the initiative to take on the work of some of his elderly and frail uncles. Even so, he was only met with cold looks and ruthless accusations from his fellow tribesmen.
Lin Guangwu sighed helplessly, picked up a heavy basket of ore, and walked towards the cave entrance with difficulty.
Lin Yi also hurriedly picked up a basket and followed closely behind his father. He always looked around vigilantly to protect his father.
The father and son moved step by step in the dim mine tunnel, in such silence that only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard.
The long and tiring day finally ended with the last rays of sunset.
Lin Yi dragged his exhausted body back to the small shack where he lived alone.
As soon as I opened the door, I saw Chu Er already waiting inside.
"Why are you here?" A hint of surprise flashed across Lin Yi's tired face.
These days, Chu Er has been traveling around the northern border like a tireless lone goose, secretly collecting all kinds of information, and will not easily come to this dangerous mining area.
"Mr. Lin, eat first, and then we'll talk." Chu Er looked at Lin Yi's haggard appearance, and felt a pang of sadness in his heart. He hurriedly placed the food he brought on the simple wooden board.
Lin Yi was indeed starving. These days, he could only fill his stomach by gnawing on a few black steamed buns that were as hard as rocks and drinking ice-cold well water.
At this moment, looking at the steaming hot food in front of him, a combination of meat and vegetables, he was no longer polite. He picked up the chopsticks and started to eat voraciously.
After dinner, Chu Er didn't waste any time and solemnly reported the information he had gathered to Lin Yi: "Master Lin, the situation in Saibei is very complicated right now. There are three large cities standing side by side, and there are several smaller cities around them. The actual power lies with the generals of these three cities. They each govern themselves and form their own factions. We are currently in General He's territory."
Lin Yi frowned slightly, a trace of thought flashing in his eyes: "What kind of person is this General He?"
Chu Er paused, then continued, "General He is an upright man, extremely strict in his military discipline, and demanding of his subordinates. I heard that he was once a disciple of the emperor in his early years, and was appointed as a first-rank general by the current emperor. He was also personally bestowed with the title of General Dingguo. The army he commands is the Dingguo Army."
Lin Yi's heart moved, and he asked, "Does he have any connection with my Lin family?"
Chu Er nodded. "Your grandfather once had a friendship with General He, so we don't have to worry about being deliberately harassed in his territory for the time being. However, the situation in the northern part of the Sai is volatile, so we must proceed with caution."
After hearing this, Lin Yi nodded slightly with a complicated expression.
He recalled that when he was a child, his father often talked about the past when he served under General He, and those stories were full of passion and glory.
Since they were exiled here, they have been struggling to survive in heavy labor every day, but they have not been subjected to any extra difficulties. Now it seems that General He must have taken into consideration their old friendship and gave them advance notice.
The Lin family will remember this kindness and will repay it with gratitude if there is an opportunity in the future.
After mentioning General He, Chu Er frowned and turned to talk about the other two generals with a serious expression: "Master Lin, the situation in the northern frontier is complicated right now. General He is loyal to the emperor, but the other two generals each have their own masters. I've asked around these days, but I've only heard a few clues. I haven't been able to confirm who they are yet."
Lin Yi pondered for a moment, his eyes firm. "We can't rush this. Since they're connected to the forces behind the scenes, they won't just sit there and watch our Lin family live in peace under General He's protection. When they lose their patience and take action, it will be a good opportunity for us to uncover the person behind this."
Lin Yi learned from Chu Lingfeng about the ambitions of Concubine Rong and her people, and knew that they would never give up. Concubine Rong was cruel and would do anything to achieve her goals, so he had to be vigilant at all times.
"The Crown Prince has taken initial control of Longmen City and the East China Sea region."
Chu Er continued, his eyes full of admiration, "Considering the young master's weakness, the prince has specially dispatched a group of capable personnel. As long as Minister Lin can integrate his old subordinates for our use, we will be able to lay a net to capture those who harbor evil intentions."
Upon hearing that Chu Lingfeng had taken over all the forces in Longmen City and Donghai Island, Lin Yi's eyes flashed with surprise, and he was about to ask for details.
Chu Er broke another shocking news: "Mr. Lin, did you know that Imperial Envoy Li Yuanhong once met privately with our Crown Prince?"
Chu Er leaned closer and lowered his voice, "The Emperor has long known that the Chu family was wrongly accused, but the incident happened suddenly and there was no evidence. The Emperor was afraid to act rashly and had no choice but to exile the Chu family."
"What?" Lin Yi's eyes widened in shock. "The Emperor actually knew that the Chu family was wrongly accused?"
"That's right." Chu Er nodded heavily. "The Emperor not only explained the situation through Lord Li, but also allowed the Crown Prince to find evidence on his own to overturn the Chu family's case."
Lin Yi's heart suddenly moved. Thinking of his family's exile, a bold guess came to his mind: "Could it be that the emperor also intended to exile us to the northern frontier?"
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was highly possible. The emperor was wise and might have already noticed the huge crisis hidden in the court. However, because Concubine Rong's power was deeply rooted, he was unable to protect the Chu and Lin families for the time being and could only resort to this last resort and use exile to save their lives.
But does the emperor know that the mastermind behind all this is his bedmate, Concubine Rong?
Concubine Rong's power is growing so rapidly, is it possible that even the Emperor is afraid of her and can't do anything to her for the time being?
Thinking of this, Lin Yi's mood became heavier, and he felt that the road ahead was shrouded in fog.
"Mr. Lin," Chu Er interrupted Lin Yi's thoughts, "the most important thing for us right now is to integrate the forces in the northern part of the Great Wall and eliminate the spies of Concubine Rong.
As long as we can find a way to divide the military power in their hands, those people will be like a tiger without claws and fangs, nothing to be feared."
Lin Yi smiled bitterly. Chu Er said it easily, but now the Lin family was weak and exiled. How could it be easy for them to integrate forces in this northern borderland and fight against Concubine Rong's faction?
This is like pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth. If they are not careful, they will be doomed. But now that things have come to this, they have no way out. Lin Yi suddenly felt a strong sense of urgency in his heart. The road to counterattack is long and arduous, but they don't have much time to prepare.