"Hahaha, what lofty ambitions you have, young prince!"
Seeing Lin Yi so full of spirit, Wang Ziwen burst out laughing and exclaimed, "Your father built Northern Liang, and now you want to build a Xiliang. You two are quite a pair!"
But catching up to Northern Liang would be no easy feat for Xiliang.
If the prince had wanted to rebel, Northern Liang would already be a kingdom. Xiliang, on the other hand, was still at Dayu Pass and had less than a third of Northern Liang's territory.
But if the young prince really managed it, it was bound to become a tale worth telling.
"Like father, like son!"
"Well said! Your father will surely be proud of you."
With such an outstanding heir, the prince's heart must have been bursting with joy. This was far better than anything he had envisioned before.
Lin Yi waved a hand and asked with concern, "Uncle Wang, has my father been well lately?"
He was still somewhat worried about his father's health. After all, the immense burden of Northern Liang rested on his shoulders; life as the Prince of Northern Liang could hardly be easy. And after years of warfare, his body naturally bore many hidden injuries.
People were not plants or trees; who could be without feelings?
Now that he was about to leave on a long journey, it would likely be some time before he saw his father again. Lin Yi could not help feeling a little worried.
Wang Ziwen nodded slightly and said with a smile, "Don't worry. Your father is in good health; at most, he has his old ailments. He even went into battle and killed enemies himself a few days ago. You don't need to worry about him."
"That's good!"
Lin Yi breathed a sigh of relief. He had someone bring over two boxes and handed them to Wang Ziwen with a smile. "Uncle Wang, there are two ginseng roots in here, each three to five hundred years old. One for you and one for my father. They can save your lives in a critical moment."
The two ginseng roots were rewards from the system. He had no use for them for the time being, so he might as well give them to the two elders at home to help them look after their health.
His father went without saying. Naturally, he had to give him one to save his life.
And Uncle Wang treated him like his own son. It was only right that he give him a ginseng root out of filial respect. A person ought to be clear about debts of gratitude and grievances.
A grudge must be repaid!
And a kindness must never be forgotten!
"Good heavens, they're almost human-shaped!"
Wang Ziwen's pupils contracted at the sight of the two ginseng roots. They were almost human-shaped and were certainly rare treasures. Ginseng hundreds of years old could save a life at a critical moment.
At the same time, he was astonished. Even the imperial family could only hope to stumble upon treasures of this caliber. Lin Yi had produced two at once, leaving him shocked by Lin Yi's capabilities.
And when he heard that Lin Yi wanted to give him one of the roots, he was struck momentarily dumb. He had not expected Lin Yi to think of giving him a treasure worth a fortune.
At that moment, even the icy heart of Northern Liang's chief steward could not help warming a little. He had not doted on the boy for nothing.
But he could not accept it. It was simply too precious.
Wang Ziwen shook his head. "Just give a treasure like this to your father. There's nothing wrong with my health; it would be wasted on me. Your health isn't good either, so you should use it to nourish your body."
"Uncle Wang, I think of you as family. Must you treat me like an outsider?" Lin Yi sighed, sounding a little dejected.
Family!
Those two words brought a flush to even the old fox Wang Ziwen's eyes. He accepted the ginseng root with trembling hands, then clutched it tightly, as if afraid he might lose it.
At that moment, the most intelligent man in Northern Liang broke down.
His heart churned like rivers and seas turned upside down. The young prince was such a good boy.
Seeing him like this, Lin Yi sighed and reminded him, "Uncle Wang, once I'm no longer in Northern Liang, you must take good care of yourself."
"You brat, worrying about me? I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice!" Wang Ziwen shot him a look, feigning composure, and smiled.
Lin Yi grinned and said smugly, "Don't forget, Uncle Wang, you don't have as much salt as I do!"
I run a saltworks. Who can compare with me when it comes to eating salt? Make me mad enough, and I'll eat it like rice.
Smack!
Wang Ziwen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The brat really never let anyone have the last word.
He smiled and said, "I'll gather everyone to see you off tonight. You're the young prince of Northern Liang, after all. Even if you're going to take up a post, we can't be careless about it."
"No need!"
Lin Yi shook his head and smiled. "The situation in Xiliang is unknown. I don't want to go there with such fanfare and make myself a target in plain sight. It's better to keep a low profile."
He had received word that, after learning he was about to leave to take up his post, quite a few of the forces already at Dayu Pass had made moves.
Many had even sent people to infiltrate Northern Liang City and ask around for information about him. Their intentions went without saying.
If he went over there like a fool, he would inevitably become the target of their schemes, so he had no intention of making the trip with great fanfare. To solve the problem, he would have to take an unconventional approach and catch them off guard.
At the very least, he needed one group in the open and another in the shadows. Only then could he see the enemy clearly.
He even wanted to lure the snakes out of their holes and catch the enemy in one net, settling the matter once and for all. That would prevent things from dragging on and becoming a complete mess.
"That's true. Then be careful. The local powers there are formidable too. You must never let your guard down!" Wang Ziwen nodded thoughtfully and gave him a word of caution.
"Don't worry, Uncle Wang. I'm Lin Rusong's son!"
"Hahaha, you have a point. The Prince of Northern Liang's son couldn't possibly be lacking."
Uncle and nephew talked for a long time before Wang Ziwen finally left the prince's residence.
He had shared some of his own experience with Lin Yi. It was the only way he could help. Once Lin Yi reached Xiliang, he would face an entirely different situation and would have to be careful in everything he did.
Watching him leave, Lin Yi's eyes flashed. He said in a low voice, "Wang Yue, tell Jia Xu to get ready. We leave the city tonight. We'll split into two groups, one in the open and one in the shadows!"
Only by taking both approaches at once could they make the best choice and catch the enemy off guard.
"Rest assured, my lord. The strategist has already made the arrangements. We also have our people guarding the route, so your safety is absolutely assured!" Wang Yue said quietly.
"Mm!"
Lin Yi nodded slightly. Over the past few days, he had broken part of his army into smaller units and stationed them along the road to Xiliang.
It could be said that anyone who made the slightest move along the way would be courting death.
At midnight, Lin Yi and his party set out under the stars, bound for Xiliang!
Ma Chao led one group. He went ahead in Lin Yi's name, taking the main road to Xiliang to draw everyone's attention.
Lin Yi, meanwhile, disguised himself as the son of a wealthy merchant and headed straight for Xiliang by a smaller road. The smaller road was considerably faster, so he should reach Dayu Pass before Jia Xu.