Ch. 126..130: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 126-130

Chapter 126: Chapter 126 - New Plans_1

"Sir, how will the sale of these people take place?" The task of buying people would’ve been inappropriate for Lin Ziyin, a young girl, to handle. In the end, it was the elder who stood in front of the official.

The villagers, originally spectators to the scene, were struck dumb when they saw the old master step forth before the official, boldly declaring his intent to buy. In the Northern Land, soldiers represented authority to the civilians. Who would dare to take the initiative to deal with these seemingly fierce and evil individuals? It seemed that the Lin family was truly going to purchase people.

The thought of the Lin family, who were destitute only a few months ago, not only flourishing now but even able to afford servants, instantly filled the villagers with envy.

"You want to buy people?" The leading soldier eyed the old master skeptically. He became impatient when he noted that despite his decent attire, it was made of cotton. "Are you aware of who these people are?"

"I beg you, buy Hanhan. I beg you, sir." A woman, upon hearing what the old master said, her initially quiet sobbing abruptly got louder. Undeterred by the weapons in the soldiers’ hands, she started to crawl toward him on her knees.

All the people were chained together; when one moved, the others would also follow.

"Please, sir help us," others also sobbed.

"Quiet down." The person in charge was ruthlessly violent; he berates the prisoners while giving a heartless flick of his whip. His actions immediately adding more wails to the crowd.

Even so, all eyes were locked onto the old master, filled with fervor and desire.

The old master quietly turned his head, not wishing to see the excited anticipation in the prisoners’ faces.

"Aunt, I’m scared." Yanzhi was still a child. Seeing the blood on the prisoners and their intense expressions, he couldn’t help but move closer to Lin Ziyin.

"Don’t be scared." Lin Ziyin gently patted his back. "Yanzhi and Uncle are both boys; don’t let a little blood scare you. In the future, I will be relying on your protection."

"Sister, I’m not scared." Changting was actually scared, but after hearing Lin Ziyin’s words, he immediately straightened his body and stood in front of her.

"I’m not scared anymore." Yanzhi was Changting’s shadow, always agreeing with him. However, while the little guy verbally claimed he wasn’t scared, he didn’t dare to look at any one of the prisoners.

"We need more help at home and wish to purchase some reliable hands. I beseech you, sir, to give us a price," the old master replied, maintaining his demeanor, neither servile nor overbearing.

"Just sell them a couple, such a fuss," as the head guard was about to quote a price, a group of men on horseback appeared.

The lead guard was a bit angry that someone in the countryside had disrespected him. But as he turned his head to glare, the sight of their faces made him abruptly change his attitude to one of deference.

"The humble one pays his respects to the third young master." The guard was desperately flattering Si Jinhan, whose face wore a roguish smile.

Lin Ziyin frowned slightly. What was he up to?

As for Si Jinhan who was neither entirely noble nor debased, fundamentally carried with him an air of suspicion and self-importance. Lin Ziyin did not wish to interact with him any further. But things often went against her wishes and he liked to pop up in front of her from time to time.

Lin Ziyin did not believe that at this moment, Si Jinhan would appear for no reason at all. Relying on her intuition, she believed he was here for her.

"Why are you interested in these people?" Si Jinhan ignored the obsequious guard. Instead, he walked directly to Lin Ziyin and asked his question.

"Our small workshop at home needs help. I’m not comfortable using anyone else. I can make good use of people like these. Our home was almost robbed a few days ago," said Lin Ziyin, half-truthfully, half-falsely.

"You may rest assured while using these people. However, they might not have a particularly good reputation. If you want to hire people, you can go to the city and find a dentist. There are also indentured servants for sale there, which are much better to be seen with than these individuals." Si Jinhan gave her a side glance as he chuckled tellingly.

No one offers favors for no reason; there are always strings attached.

Lin Ziyin was even less convinced that he would show her such kindness for no reason, "Thank you for the reminder, Third Master. The Lin family is quite humble and we don’t have many relatives, so it doesn’t matter whether we are seen as proper or not. These people are reliable and inexpensive; I think it’s quite economical for us to buy them."

"Oblivious to kindness." Si Jinhan was quite displeased with Lin Ziyin’s ignorance of his goodwill. He had taken the initiative to show her kindness, yet she had refused his advice.

Slightly irritated now, Si Jinhan’s face turned cold.

"How dare you, a mere girl, babble nonsense? Don’t waste the good intentions of the Third Master." Seeing the displeasure on Si Jinhan’s face, the head guard immediately chastised Lin Ziyin, appearing to take a stand for Si Jinhan.

"Is it your place to critique my words?" Si Jinhan, desperate for Lin Ziyin’s assistance, naturally wouldn’t fall out with her. But a mere soldier was nothing in his eyes.

One could say the soldier was courting disaster. He was trying to take advantage of the situation but inadvertently became the object of Si Jinhan’s wrath.

"Yes, I overstepped my boundaries." The head guard was stunned. He suddenly remembered the outside rumors about Si Jinhan: He never forgets a slight, is full of cunning schemes, and is ruthless in his tactics. Immediately, a cold sweat broke out on his skin. Earlier, he had been too presumptuous, forgetting his manners in front of the second most ruthless man.

"I came here to discuss a business deal with you." Si Jinhan continued lazily, looking at Lin Ziyin.

"I’m very busy right now." Lin Ziyin said as she looked at the prisoners.

"It’s just buying a few people. My business deal is much more important. These few people are nothing compared to it." Seeing that she held the prisoners as a higher priority over his business, Si Jinhan couldn’t help but feel displeased.

"Business doesn’t run away, but these people might be gone before dawn." Lin Ziyin replied indifferently. However, she was feeling uneasy, not knowing what kind of trouble Si Jinhan was about to cause her now.

She didn’t believe that the vegetable oil and tofu made in her home would be such a big attraction to lure this sly tiger in person.

"Wait until she has chosen all the people she needs before leaving tomorrow," Si Jinhan ordered the head soldier coldly.

"Yes." The head soldier, still eager to flatter him, of course, dared not defy the orders.

"I’ll take this family." Lin Ziyin suddenly pointed at the severely injured man who had been protecting his family earlier.

As these words left her mouth, the head soldier looked at her in surprise. "Miss, are you sure you want this family?"

"Yes, just this family." Lin Ziyin nodded.

"What a fuss," Si Jinhan was in a hurry to meet with Lin Ziyin. Seeing the soldier making a fuss, his smile became more apparent.

The lead soldier shivered and quickly ordered his subordinates to unlock the chains and free the man and his family. "Today is your lucky day. You should thank your new masters."

Chapter 127: Chapter 127 - New Plans_1

"Thank you, miss." The people who had prepared to meet their end didn’t expect that they still have a chance at survival, so they began to kowtow to Lin Ziyin.

"Take them away, there’s no one in my home able to take care of your people." Lin Ziyin said indifferently. "Tomorrow I will arrange for someone to treat your sickness."

"Thank you, miss." The woman’s face showed gratitude. After her kowtows to Lin Ziyin, she grabbed two boys and a girl, the older boy was about sixteen or seventeen, and the younger was about thirteen, and after being set free, they immediately helped the man from the ground, while the woman tightly held onto a girl of around twelve.

The family followed the old man with admiring looks from the prisoners.

"Tomorrow, I will come back to choose a few more people, please, officer, give me a bit more time." After walking a few steps, Lin Ziyin turned back and addressed the leading soldier.

"Take your time, miss. I will wait for you tomorrow." The soldier replied with a smile, but his gaze couldn’t help but drift towards Si Jinhan.

"How much for them?" Lin Ziyin asked again.

"They bear injuries, some are seriously injured and are unlikely to survive till they reach the frontier. Let’s say I give them to you cheap, four ounces of silver for each."

"If I pay the silver, does that mean I own their indenture?" Lin Ziyin wanted to be clear.

"Little girl, he wouldn’t dare to cheat you. He will handle the procedures properly by tomorrow." Si Jinhan prodded impatiently.

"Of course, I’ll have everything done right without bothering the miss." The soldier replied ingratiatingly.

After getting his agreement, only then did Lin Ziyin look satisfied and lead her people away.

Back home, Guo Huiniang and Lin Zige were surprised to see that they brought back several people. Upon seeing Lin Ziyin returning together with Si Jinhan, the two grew even more tense and restrained.

"Sister-in-law, sister, these people are the ones I bought. You arrange for them to stay in the wing rooms in the front yard. I still have things to discuss with Si Gongzi so it will have to wait. They are probably hungry, so prepare some food for them." Seeing their nervousness, Lin Ziyin found an excuse to send them away.

"Ah, going now." Guo Huiniang hurriedly responded and, along with Lin Zige, led the people away. The two children cheerfully followed them.

The old man was tense but did not leave.

Lin Ziyin was touched by his protectiveness, but she did not want to make the old man worry. After all, the less the old man knew the better. "Grandfather, could you go to the oil mill and relay them a message?"

The old man looked at her and after seeing the smile in her eyes, nodded and left the room after greeting Si Jinhan.

"Si Gongzi, please speak frankly." With only her, Si Jinhan, and his guard left in the room, Lin Ziyin made a straightforward request.

Si Jinhan was quite pleased with her candidness, "Open it."

He ordered the guard beside him.

The guard immediately carried over a wooden box, then opened it.

"These things were produced according to your instructions. Show me how they work?" Si Jinhan commanded bluntly.

She took all this seriously, as if dealing with a tiger, cautious and making no requests.

Without uttering a word she reached out. Under the watchful gaze of Si Jinhan and several guards, she began to demonstrate, "These active beads can drive the bearings."

In a very short time, Lin Ziyin assembled the things that Si Jinhan had brought.

Si Jinhan, after personally trying out the bearings, finally showed an excited expression on his face. "Wonderful."

"Let me remind Si Gongzi, this kind of bearing, due to friction wear, needs to be regularly oiled for lubrication." After hesitating, Lin Ziyin finally decided to give him a reminder.

After all, Si Jinhan was a troublesome character already involved with her. According to the principle that the more friends one has, the more paths are available, Lin Ziyin finally chose to be amicable with Si Jinhan.

"Gongzi remembers." Si Jinhan was very satisfied with her tactfulness. "If there’s anything you need, tell Si Si. I will owe you a favor."

It was rare that this time, Si Jinhan didn’t take advantage of her for free.

"Speaking of need, I do actually have a favor to ask Si Gongzi." Once he finished speaking, an idea sprang into Lin Ziyin’s mind.

Si Jinhan’s smile was even brighter, yet Lin Ziyin realized that his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

This man was too suspicious and domineering! Lin Ziyin really didn’t like this kind of character. "Of course, I can give Si Gongzi another component in return."

"What is it?" His interest piqued by this proposition, Si Jinhan’s smile became a bit more genuine.

So practical! Lin Ziyin felt that Si Jinhan was absolutely wasted not being a businessman. This man was always intent on making a profit!

"A device that can start heavy machinery." Lin Ziyin replied.

"What do you want me to do for you?" Si Jinhan’s tone completely changed, his face full of amiability and courtesy. He was truly an intelligent man. Knowing that Lin Ziyin held what he desired, he chose to directly resolve any issues.

"I want to buy the Heihe Marsh nearby, could Gongzi help? That field is large, and the silver I have might not be sufficient to purchase it." Lin Ziyin spoke truthfully. She didn’t want to exploit Si Jinhan to get the land for free, but really she was short on silver.

Although the Lin family’s bean curd and vegetable oil business was good, the vegetable oil business had just started, and due to manpower constraints in the workshop, there was only a small quantity of oil. When calculated, over the two months, the silver Lin Ziyin had really was not much.

The soy sauce was just beginning to ferment, so there was no opportunity to sell it.

So that’s why Lin Ziyin turned to Si Jinhan for help.

"If what you are offering is good enough, I can speak to the Prince, see if he can reward you with that land." Si Jinhan watched her with a devilish smile, half-jokingly saying.

Whether his words were true or false, Lin Ziyin didn’t plan on investigating. There was one thing Si Jinhan got right, the goods being good enough would not let Chu Suifeng take advantage of her for free.

"Please take a seat, Gongzi." With this in mind, Lin Ziyin wholeheartedly began introducing her creation, "This is called a fixed pulley that can change direction; the remaining ones are movable pulleys which can save half the force required."

"For such simple things, you actually want me to give you such a large piece of land?" Once he saw clearly the pulleys drawn by Lin Ziyin, Si Jinhan was inevitably disappointed.

"Gongzi is only seeing the components. If these pulleys are assembled, with Gongzi’s intelligence you should be able to foresee the vast prospects." Lin Ziyin said with a smile and proceeded to draw a set of pulleys.

Chapter 128: Chapter 128 - New Plans_1

Guided by her, Si Jinhan took a closer look at the pulley system again. When he finished, his face was no longer marked by contempt but was instead full of solemnity. "What do you want with that piece of land in Heihe?"

Ziyin knew his suspicious nature was kicking in.

"I got a batch of seeds from traders in the Western Region. Everyone says that the most fertile land is the one with silt, so I want to give it a try." Looking for an excuse, Ziyin explained.

"Who told you that silt is the most fertile?" Si Jinhan glared at her like a leopard eyeing its prey, not at all lowering his guard.

"Strictly speaking, it’s something that I discovered myself." Lin Ziyin didn’t waver, "I incidentally discovered that crops planted on land covered with silt grow exceptionally well. So, I want to try it out. On the other hand, even if it fails, I won’t incur a significant loss. After all, land in Heihe is cheap and the Prince is considerate towards civilians, exempting them from three years of taxes. No matter what, I can plant something and earn back some revenue."

Ziyin acted like a shrewd and calculating farmer, slightly cunning and genuine. This successfully dispelled Si Jinhan’s suspicion.

"Wait here." After saying this, he carefully put away the manuscript from the table and stored it in his bosom. Not mentioning the matter of the land any further, he left in a hurry accompanied by a guard.

"Finally, that third son is gone. Just looking at him makes me uncomfortable." Zige appeared after he left.

Perhaps due to Si Jinhan’s previous behavior towards Ziyin, the members of the Lin Family were not too fond of him. But given his status, they couldn’t openly express their displeasure. Therefore, whenever Si Jinhan visited, all the members of the Lin family felt suppressed.

Ziyin just laughs and then asks, "How are the arrangements?"

"They’re all set up. However, the injured uncle’s condition is quite serious, I don’t know if he’ll recover," Zige sighed. Seeing the tattoos on the faces of the family, she felt very upset.

They didn’t seem like bad people at first glance. So why did they end up in such a predicament?

"I’ll go and see." Ziyin stood up.

"I’ll go as well." Zige followed in her footsteps.

Upon reaching the side room, they found Lin Changshu and Wu Dayou already there. The old master was silently observing the man on the bed.

"Sister." The atmosphere in the room was heavy and awkward.

Lin Changshu didn’t expect that in such a short time, their home would be filled with strangers, and what’s more, these people were treated as convicts. The impact was quite significant for him. Looking at the injured man on the bed, he didn’t know what to say.

In the Daqin Empire, convicts were considered dangerous to the common people, in other words, they were seen as bad people. But today, the family that had entered their home didn’t seem like bad people based on their performance and expressions. But even so, he didn’t dare to let his guard down. What if these convicts caused harm to his family in the middle of the night?

Upon Ziyin’s arrival, Lin Changshu strangely felt as though he had found support and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Can the injured man survive until tomorrow?" Ziyin asked the trembling woman nearby.

"In response to the young miss, my husband, no, my partner’s body..." Facing Ziyin, a young woman, the middle-aged woman seemed flustered.

"Mother..." The girl by her side was anxious on her behalf.

"Replying to you, Young Miss, this humble one’s health is fine." The man on the bed coughed weakly as he tried to struggle and bow to Ziyin, but she stopped him.

"Tomorrow, I will have someone examine you." Ziyin saw that his color was still okay and felt somewhat relieved. "What’s your name, and why were you condemned to the Northern Land?"

"This humble one’s surname is Yu, as in the Yu from the phrase ’a hook and Yu’. She is my wife, her maiden name is Qiao. Our children are named Yu Shaohui, Yu Shao’en, and Yu Qiaoqiao." The man on the bed was undoubtedly the head of the family. As he introduced them, all the members of the Yu Family bowed their heads to the Lin family. "Now that the young miss has bought us, you are the masters and benefactors of our family. We ask that you bestow us with new names."

At the end of his statement, the faces of the Yu family showed signs of grief. However, within a moment, they all returned to their emotionless state.

"Why were you exiled to the Northern Land?" Ziyin continued to question.

"This humble one used to run a dart courier service in Capital City. The business was considerable, but due to a mishap while taking a commission for the Imperial Court..." The man on the bed showed a bitter smile as he spoke.

"No, my father was framed. The official silver he was transporting had been swapped by someone else. Yet they insisted on accusing my father of negligence. It was the Crown Prince..." Yu Shao’en angrily retorted.

"Shao’en." The man on the bed scolded his son strictly.

Red-eyed, Shao’en moved to one side.

"Because of me, most of the dart masters from the courier service fell into a trap. I brought this upon everyone." As he spoke, the stalwart man’s eyes welled up with tears.

"Who else is in your batch of convicts?" Ziyin asked.

"Some are notorious thieves, others are children of wealthy families, some are even servants from government officials’ homes."

"Who can be useful? You will go with me to choose people tomorrow, but I warn you, don’t select anyone who will bring personal debts and problems, so I don’t have to handle them later." Lin Ziyin said coldly, "Remember your own words. From the moment you entered this door, there will be no more talk of dart masters from the Brave Escort Agency in this world. You can continue to use your own names."

"Yes, Young Miss." The man on the bed agreed respectfully, and the rest of the Yu Family also acceded meekly.

"Rest well, we have to choose more people tomorrow. Brother, prepare some wound healing medicine for them." Ziyin said.

"Hmm." Lin Changshu agreed listlessly, feeling a little upset. From Ziyin’s words just now, it seemed that she was going to buy more people. Their home already had few chores to do, what would they do with so many people?

He was also worried about the backgrounds of the people they would buy. Would they eventually cause trouble for the family? With these complicated emotions, Changshu and his wife didn’t close their eyes for the entire night.

The next day, as Ziyin was going to buy people, Lin Changshu and Wu Dayou, who were worried, decided to go along with her, putting off the trip to the oil mill for another time.

Seeing that almost the entire Lin Family was heading out to buy people, the villagers were both envious and jealous on one hand and waiting to see them fail on the other. In the eyes of many, the Lin Family were merely getting ahead of themselves after making a small fortune from the oil mill, being audacious enough to even buy the lowest-ranked convicts.

"Miss Lin, have you decided? I specifically delayed the departure for you." The commander started to show off, but he knew his limit. After seeing Si Jinhan’s attitude towards Ziyin, he was modest enough to not be too arrogant.

Chapter 129: Chapter 129 - New Plans (Part 4 (1))_1

"Let me take a look first." Lin Ziyin smiled and nodded, passing him some layered cakes and buns, "These are homemade, rustic folks like us don’t have much to offer, I hope the officer doesn’t mind."

"Thank you, Miss Lin." On an ordinary day, the officer wouldn’t even pay attention to these buns and cakes. However, as they were presented by Lin Ziyin, an individual associated with the third son known for his amiable demeanor, the gesture held extraordinary significance.

With a smile, he took the basket, exchanging a few cordial words.

The arrival of Lin Ziyin not only brought astonishment to the villagers but also agitation among the prisoners.

"Please, miss, I can do anything, please buy me."

"That child eats little and works hard, please buy him."

...

"Silence!" The officer, the first to grow impatient, cracked his whip into the crowd. The noise immediately subsided, but there were still remnants of subdued whimpering.

Yanzhi was frightened into silence in Guo Huiniang’s arms, while Guo Huiniang’s legs were trembling.

She hadn’t expected these people to have suffered far worse than she had been told.

"What can they do?" Seeing a few people in the corner quietly watching Yu Sha’ou, Lin Ziyin suddenly asked.

"They were all once the Darts Masters of the Brave Escort Agency." Before Lin Ziyin, Yu Sha’ou dared not lie.

"Darts Masters?" Lin Ziyin muttered to herself, "Do they have families?"

"The one on the left does, the other two do not."

Lin Ziyin nodded, cast him a deep look, and then addressed them, "You all step forward."

At her command, these men stepped forward in astonishment.

"Bring your families as well." Lin Ziyin ordered next.

A look of joy finally emerged on the face of the man on the left. His gaze at Lin Ziyin was filled with gratitude.

Indeed, his family stepped forward, a woman, three boys, and a girl. There was one more person in his family than in Yu Sha’ou’s, but the youngest child, who seemed to be only five or six years old, was so skinny that it was heartbreaking to lay eyes on him.

The family joyously stood by Lin Ziyin, respectfully abstaining from speaking out of turn.

"Which of you know how to farm?" Lin Ziyin asked again.

"I do."

"My family used to be farmers."

"I never dare to slack off when it comes to farming."

...

Again, the chatter was deafening.

Lin Ziyin picked out a few people she found suitable, and then asked them to show their hands.

These individuals eagerly displayed their hands.

Lin Ziyin looked at each one without speaking, causing the people standing out to palpitate with anxiety.

"You, you ... step forward." She selected thirteen or fourteen of them, "Bring your families."

Thus, another group of people came forward.

Seeing her selecting so many people, the villagers all looked at Lin Ziyin in shock, seeing her as a fool in their minds.

Just how much silver would all these people cost?

"Stretch out your hands." Lin Ziyin addressed the women and children.

Once again, these individuals stretched out their hands, their hearts rate skyrocketing with fear.

"Can you do farm work too?" Lin Ziyin asked one of the women.

"This slave used to be a cook at the manor. I mostly cooked and seldom worked in the field. But, miss, I can do anything, really, I can do anything and I will not be lazy." The woman started crying out of fear.

"Are you good at cooking?" Lin Ziyin asked again.

Chapter 130: Chapter 130 - New Plans (Part 4 (2))_1

"I dare not say that I do it very well, but I can prepare simple meals. As long as the young lady buys our family, I am willing to work like a horse for you, ensuring that I will not be lazy. Also, my eldest son knows a bit of literacy. They not only know how to farm, but can also serve the young lady, ensuring that they will not laze around." While she talked, she sneakily glanced at her grandson, a child of about six or seven years old.

Her worries were not unfounded. Such a large child was not valued in the Northern Land. Which family would be willing to spend money to raise the lowest-ranking person who could not work?

"Young lady, my family is accustomed to working on farms, and I am also literate." A fair-skinned man said with a flattering smile, "And my daughter has also learned some manners, she will certainly satisfy the young lady."

As he spoke, he signaled the two girls.

"I have met the young lady." The two relatively striking young girls curtsied to Lin Ziyin.

"Who are you?" Lin Ziyin asked a solitary man.

This man was sitting in the corner, his eyes slightly closed, seemingly indifferent to his surroundings.

When he heard Lin Ziyin’s voice, the man finally opened his eyes.

"I can only read, nothing else." the man answered bitterly.

"Can you be loyal?" Lin Ziyin asked again.

"That depends on whether you can prove yourself worthy of my submission." The man’s response was infuriating.

"I want this man." Lin Ziyin spoke as everyone was shaking their heads at the man’s arrogant attitude.

"Him...and I will take their families as well." Lin Ziyin chose six families in one breath. All these families had many dependents, amounting to thirty-two people in total. Adding the two darts masters and a scholar, Lin Ziyin was indeed generous this time.

The officer was taken aback at the sight of her buying so many people, but he also didn’t want to intervene. He just wanted to finish the task assigned by the third young master.

"Five silver for adults, three for children. Let’s take an average, four silver per person. That’s a total of one hundred and forty silver."

"Alright, deal." Lin Ziyin nodded.

Under the hopeful gaze of the assembled, the officer affixed his seal onto the indenture, "You have to register at the government offices to make it official."

After sealing a good deal, he specifically reminded Lin Ziyin once more.

"Thank you." Lin Ziyin thanked him politely, ready to take the people home.

"Benefactor, Amitabha." Just when it was getting lively, Master Hui Zhen appeared with two medicinal monks.

"Great Monk." Seeing Master Hui Zhen, Lin Ziyin’s face lit up with a smile.

"Who is injured this time?" Master Hui Zhen asked casually, quite unlike his usual serious persona, as he had grown familiar with Lin Ziyin.

"The official slaves that I bought." Lin Ziyin answered, laughing.

"Two." The old monk held up two fingers.

"Deal." Lin Ziyin nodded, still laughing.

Their private conversation seemed like a secret code. While others couldn’t understand what they meant, it was clear for Master Hui Zhen and the Lin Family. Everyone in the Lin Family chuckled.

The two medicinal monks following behind also laughed.

A mighty procession headed towards the Lin Family residence, leaving a stir in their wake.

The officer hadn’t expected the seemingly ordinary country girl to be acquainted with the master of Ding’an Temple. He couldn’t help but regret not having visited the Lin family the previous night to establish a good relationship.