Ch. 136..140: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 136-140

Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Doubts and Exchange (5)_1

Suddenly, Chu Suifeng stood up abruptly. With one stretch of his hand, Lin Ziyin’s slender neck was grasped by his big hand, just like Si Jinhan did before him, completely holding her life in his hand.

"Speak, who are you? Don’t think you can smooth things over." Chu Suifeng’s tone was as merciless as Asura from hell, and his grip on her tightened.

Immediately, Lin Ziyin’s vision darkened, her chest hurt, and breathing became extremely hard.

"Those who dare to play tricks on the Prince and me have long been dead. Little girl, I really don’t want to see you die." Si Jinhan sneered from the side.

Am I really going to die this time? Lin Ziyin felt a wave of despair in her heart. Indeed, the lure of power was utterly detestable.

"I greatly regret meeting you guys." She forced out a few words from her mouth.

Chu Suifeng squinted his eyes and seemed to tighten his grip further.

"Let go of the young lady." Just when Lin Ziyin thought she was going to die, Yu Qiaoqiao, who had been guarding the door, rushed in with a stick and swung it at Chu Suifeng’s head.

Behind her was a trembling maid, who had rushed over to Chu Suifeng, trying her hardest to pry his hand off.

The whooshing wind from the swinging stick made Lin Ziyin, who was already struggling to breathe, feel her face tighten.

"A practitioner, indeed." Si Jinhan sneered, reaching out to intercept the stick unarmed.

To everyone’s surprise, Yu Qiaoqiao held her own and exchanged several moves with him.

Lin Ziyin could hardly pay attention to all this, her face wan and pale, feeling like she couldn’t hold on any longer.

Seeing Lin Ziyin’s face turn purple and her near fainting state, Yu Qiaoqiao felt anxious. Distracted for a moment, she was knocked aside by Si Jinhan.

At that moment, Chu Suifeng also let go of Lin Ziyin.

"Cough, cough, cough." Lin Ziyin couldn’t stop coughing.

"Young Lady." Yu Qiaoqiao got up, brushed off the blood at the corner of her mouth and went over to gently pat Lin Ziyin’s back to help her breathe.

"Young Lady." Cui Duoduo was scared half to death, but she had no other choice but to wipe her tears away and went over to take care of Lin Ziyin.

"Still not telling the truth?" Chu Suifeng sneered at her from his dominant position.

"What do you want me to say?" Lin Ziyin sneered back at him, "In the prince’s eyes, my life is worthless. Because you have suspicions, no matter what I say, you will not believe me."

"Go ahead, let’s hear it." Si Jinhan moved closer to her and smirked.

"I guess no one ever told you, Third Prince, that your smile is rather unpleasant." Finally at her wit’s end, Lin Ziyin no longer felt fear. "You two, go out. Without my command, you are not allowed to enter, nor is anyone else from the household."

Yu Qiaoqiao and Cui Duoduo hesitated after hearing her words.

Lin Ziyin cast them a cold look and the two left reluctantly. However, they didn’t go far and stood vigilantly at the door, their ears pricked for any sounds from the room.

"Not bad, still in the mood to joke with me." Si Jinhan’s laughter halted for a moment before resuming, making him seem exceedingly bizarre.

"What answer does the prince seek?" Lin Ziyin didn’t want to deal with this madman, she needed to muster up her strength to answer Chu Suifeng’s inquiries. Compared to Si Jinhan, she definitely thought Chu Suifeng was much harder to convince. "Just because I can make a few trinkets, does the prince doubt me? Has the prince never heard that there are talents everywhere? I’m just a commoner, fond of and good at handicrafts. But in the prince’s eyes, have I become a treacherous traitor? Or a spy? I believe, according to the prince’s abilities, my family background should’ve been thoroughly investigated."

Lin Ziyin watched Chu Suifeng with a hint of anger. What kind of people were these? Toying with people’s lives so casually, she must have been born under an unlucky star to meet these two men. But unfortunately, she couldn’t afford to lose her temper because she knew that one slip up could cost her, and potentially her whole family their lives.

Chu Suifeng silently stood there, staring at Lin Ziyin for a long while. As Lin Ziyin said, he didn’t pay her much attention at first. The last time when Consort Gao had beaten Lin Ziyin, he had all but dealt with Consort Gao, showing no interest in Lin Ziyin.

But when Si Jinhan repeatedly brought back design drafts from Lin Ziyin, he started to doubt her.

A mere peasant girl, yet she could design such ingenious things, things that even the skilled craftsmen in Tianji Building hadn’t thought of.

But no matter how hard he tried, he could not find anything improper about Lin Ziyin’s family.

The fact that Lin Ziyin has transformed from a simple rural girl into a woman of ingenuity is undisputed, and that was the problem.

If there is the slightest hint of a problem, neither Si Jinhan nor Chu Suifeng would let it go.

However, just a moment ago, they saw anger and injustice in Lin Ziyin’s eyes, but nothing else. And they had also ascertained Lin Ziyin indeed had no inner strength.

When one’s life is threatened, a martial artist’s strength would instinctively burst forth, and Lin Ziyin had been on the brink of death just now.

"How about I make a deal with the Prince?" Under Chu Suifeng’s brooding gaze, Lin Ziyin had no choice but to play her trump card. She knew that if she didn’t handle this situation well today, there would definitely be more losses than gains.

"This little one is impressive, daring to do business with the Prince." Si Jinhan burst into laughter, his mirth mocking Lin Ziyin’s self-overestimation.

"I am a native of the Northern Land. I don’t want the Northern Land to fall into enemy hands because the ones who will suffer most won’t be the prince or third prince, but common people like us. The Lin family has lived in the Northern Land for generations, so I am willing to give the prince a type of weapon for use in war, which may be of little help to the prince." Lin Ziyin ignored him, speaking directly to Chu Suifeng.

Chu Suifeng remained silent, seemingly considering her words.

"I just want to live my life. I hope after giving the prince this blueprint, the prince can sell Heihe to me and ensure the safety of the Lin family." After laying out the bait, Lin Ziyin began to list her terms.

"What do you have to threaten me with?" No one had ever dared to threaten Chu Suifeng directly. He was very displeased with Lin Ziyin’s audacity.

Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Rising Wind and Scudding Clouds(1)_1

"Threat?" Lin Ziyin looked at him with a bitter smile, "I don’t think I have the courage."

"What weapon?" Si Jinhan abandoned his arrogant demeanor, becoming serious. Superior weapons are very important in ancient wars and can often determine the outcome of a battle.

He didn’t believe that Lin Ziyin was making baseless claims. It was possible that the young girl really did have a weapon design.

"Aren’t you afraid that I will kill you after I get the item?" Chu Suifeng asked, staring at her coldly.

"I believe the Prince is not a fool." Lin Ziyin continued with her bitter smile, "War is a man’s business, and I don’t wish to be involved. However, as I mentioned earlier, I am from the Northern Land, and naturally, I do not want to become a slave to foreign tribes. On this point, I stand as an ally with the Prince, so he does not need to worry about me leaking the design."

Chu Suifeng stared at her intently, considering the credibility of her words.

Lin Ziyin calmly met his gaze.

"Let me see it." Chu Suifeng finally spoke.

"The Prince has not yet agreed to my terms." Lin Ziyin stubbornly replied.

"Aren’t you afraid that the Prince will take your life?" Si Jinhan sneered at Lin Ziyin’s foolishness. It seemed the young girl had a death wish, not recognizing who she was dealing with.

"Afraid, very afraid. In fact, I’m scared to death." Lin Ziyin responded with a bitter smile, looking at the two men, "I cherish my life greatly, even more so the lives of my family. But even clay figurines have a temper. Although I am a citizen of Feng City, I don’t want to get into trouble for no reason."

Her words successfully dispelled Chu Suifeng’s doubts. He understood what Lin Ziyin was implying: she would not jeopardize the lives of her family as a joke, and she believed whatever she had could potentially bring trouble to her family. That’s why she proposed her terms. Perhaps she had already guessed something from the matter with the Consort Gao.

"I promise you, as long as what you bring out is impressive enough, I will ensure the safety of your family, and I will give you a portion of the Heihe region for free. I will not demand any taxes or tributes from the resources it produces." Chu Suifeng regained his composure, recognizing Lin Ziyin’s weakness.

"The Prince is indeed decisive." Lin Ziyin let out a sigh of relief. With the prince’s guarantee, her family would be safe even if they stood out in some ways in the future. "Please wait a moment, Prince, and third prince."

Chu Suifeng nodded.

Lin Ziyin went to the inner room alone.

"Do you believe her?" Si Jinhan asked lazily once they were alone.

"Yes, she wouldn’t joke about the lives of her family." Chu Suifeng replied simply.

The room soon returned to silence.

After a short while, Lin Ziyin returned from the inner room with several pieces of paper and a burnt tree branch, then started sketching in front of Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan.

Not only that, she also explained things in detail as she drew.

"Brilliant." When the design was fully revealed, Si Jinhan slammed the table in excitement and grabbed the paper to examine more closely.

Lin Ziyin placed down the tree branch and quietly stood to the side.

Chu Suifeng too was excited. What Lin Ziyin offered was great, it could really help the Northern Land soldiers in the war.

"You can be at ease about the promise I made to you." His mood improved, and his gaze at Lin Ziyin also softened.

However, Lin Ziyin remained formal and still, not even lifting her eyelids, "Thank you, Prince."

"You are quite the grudge holder, aren’t you?" Si Jinhan teased.

Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Stirring Wind and Rising Water (2)_1

"I dare not." Lin Ziyin retained her obedient demeanor.

Boring! Si Jinhan lost interest in teasing her.

"I’ll take the blueprints first. If any issues arise later, I’ll come back to you." Chu Suifeng, having obtained the unexpected items, urgently headed back to have them constructed, thus hurriedly departing.

"Farewell, Prince. Goodbye, Third Son." Lin Ziyin respectfully escorted them to the yard’s entrance.

"Miss." As soon as their figures disappeared from view, Lin Ziyin could no longer hold herself up. Her body weakened and she began to collapse backwards.

Just at the critical moment, Yu Qiaoqiao, who was standing behind her, reached out to support her. Cui Duoduo hurriedly rushed over to lend a hand, seizing her other arm.

"I’m fine. My legs just feel a bit weak." With their assistance, Lin Ziyin managed to stand up. "Help me back."

Yu Qiaoqiao and Cui Duoduo quickly helped her into the house.

"Miss, have a sip of water to soothe your shock." Cui Duoduo poured her a bowl of water.

Lin Ziyin drained the bowl in one gulp. It was only after she consumed the warm water that she felt her spirits returning.

"Miss, who were they?" Yu Qiaoqiao inquired anxiously.

"The man who grabbed me was Prince Ling, and the other is the Third Son of the Si Family. From now on, you must avoid crossing paths with them if you see them." Lin Ziyin’s heart still palpitated with fear, scared that the impulsive Qiaoqiao might anger the two men and cause trouble.

"Yes, we understand." Both Yu Qiaoqiao and Cui Duoduo consented.

"You can practice martial arts?" Lin Ziyin appraised Yu Qiaoqiao again.

"Yes. As a child, I picked it up from my father and older brothers. My mother also taught me a few self-defense moves." Yu Qiaoqiao respectfully replied, "I should’ve protected you just now. It’s my fault."

After uttering these words, she was about to kneel before Lin Ziyin.

"Stand up and speak properly." Lin Ziyin commanded.

Yu Qiaoqiao obeyed and stood straight, awaiting her instructions.

"You both did well today," Lin Ziyin praised, "But you’re not allowed to bring up today’s events in front of my family."

Knowing that she was worried that her family might become frightened or anxious, Yu Qiaoqiao and Cui Duoduo nodded, willing to comply.

"Have your brother come here, I need to speak to him." Lin Ziyin directed Yu Qiaoqiao.

Yu Qiaoqiao quickly ran off without delay to fetch him.

Shortly after, Yu Shaohui followed her in.

"I greet you, miss." At seventeen or eighteen years old, Yu Shaohui hadn’t yet retained any boyish fragility. Perhaps his experiences out in the world were responsible for this maturity, leaving his eyes gleaming with determination and creating an impression of integrity and reliability.

"What is your martial arts skill level?" Lin Ziyin asked.

"I’m capable enough to hold my own against an average person, but I’d be far from enough in the presence of a martial arts master." Yu Shaohui replied cautiously, carefully keeping his words modest.

"Starting tomorrow, you will spend an hour every morning teaching the children in our home martial arts. The training area will be at the open area behind the mountain." Lin Ziyin ordered.

"Yes, miss." Yu Shaohui was somewhat taken aback by his task, while Yu Qiaoqiao grew a bit impatient. But Lin Ziyin didn’t allow her to speak, so she had to hold it in.

At dinner, Lin Ziyin announced her decision to have Shaohui teach martial arts to the children.

All the children were thrilled, especially Changting.

Because of the Lin family’s previous poverty, he and Yanzhi had been bullied in the village. This had stirred his admiration for renowned warriors in tales and he yearned to be like them. Seeing Lin Ziyin get pushed around repeatedly had filled him with determination to grow up and protect his older sister.

Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Stirring Wind and Rising Water (3)_1

Now the opportunity had come, how could he not be thrilled?

Yanzhi, seeing his uncle so elated, though not comprehending the reason, also began to share in the cheerfulness.

"Why the sudden interest in having the children learn martial arts?" Zige asked, perplexed, as he looked at her.

Despite the presence of a bruise on Lin Ziyin’s neck, she had covered it up with a high-collared dress so as not to worry her family. Hearing Zige’s question, she provided an explanatory reply with a light smile, "Our family business will keep growing and we can’t guarantee that people like Ma Erlang won’t appear again. So when the children are still young, why not have them learn martial arts under the tutelage of the Yu brothers? This way, if something unexpected happens later on, they won’t be caught off guard."

"Ziyin’s thoughts are indeed considerate," Guo Huiniang agreed with her idea. She still fretted over the past incident involving Ma Erlang. If they proceeded as Ziyin suggested, by the next year, they would have some skilled individuals in the house and wouldn’t have to worry about any further threats.

"Anyway, the children are young and they really can’t do much. Plus, the practice would only take up their early morning and evening hours, and won’t interfere with other matters," remarked Lin Changshu, looking even more pleased.

Indeed, if they truly had capable people at home, he could also work more freely.

"I want to learn martial arts, so that I can protect my sister when I grow up," voiced Changting, about his wish.

"Protect," said Yanzhi in response.

"You are still too young for that, so don’t join in," Guo Huiniang said, poking her son’s tiny head with a smile.

"Want!" When Yanzhi heard this, he was immediately unhappy at the thought of his uncle being the only one to learn martial arts while he got left behind. Even though the young lad didn’t comprehend what martial arts training entailed, he was quite stubborn and instantly burst into tears.

"Don’t cry Yanzhi, your uncle will take you to practice," soothed Changting.

The young lad finally stopped crying.

The older generation, delighted at seeing the younger ones romping around and filling the house with warmth, ate an extra small bowl of rice porridge in their happiness.

"What? How did this girl fail to protect the young lady?" On the other side of the courtyard, when Yu QiaoQiao disclosed the afternoon’s incident to her family, it immediately caused an uproar.

"I was useless, I failed to protect the young lady properly," admitted Yu QiaoQiao, guiltily lowering her head.

"Don’t blame our niece, Ling Wang is renowned for his martial skills. Our niece is no match for him," reasoned Kong Yi’er, a former Darts Master at the Brave Escort Agency. With his unique skills, he was still no match for Ling Wang.

Therefore, in his viewpoint, Yu QiaoQiao’s failure to keep Lin Ziyin safe was understandable.

"Since Miss has a long-term plan, my big nephew, you should devote yourself to teaching the children at home. Even we should spare some time to guide them," suggested the Darts Master Wa Chuanhe, who was much more down-to-earth, practical, and thoughtful.

"Da Wu has a point," agreed Yu Sha’ou. His leg still wasn’t fully healed, and he needed to recuperate during meals. Lin Ziyin looked after him well, leaving him deeply grateful to the Lin Family but anxious that he hadn’t been able to repay them.

After hearing his daughter’s words, he earnestly began planning to pass his skills on to eligible children and make them serve the Lin Family effectively in the future.

After a while, adults from the other families came to consult with the Yu Family as they were also cognizant of Lin Ziyin’s plight. Needless to say, Cui Duoduo was the indiscreet one.

"From now on, just let the children earnestly practice martial arts. Your worrying isn’t going to help matters. Miss is intelligent and she knows what needs to be done. As she doesn’t want other household members to find out, make sure to keep quiet about it," Yu Sha’ou solemnly instructed everyone.

"Ah, we know our limits. It’s just that from now on, we’ll need to trouble the young Shaohui to help train the children," said a farming man rubbing his hands together. When they were exiled to the Northern Lands, they had nearly lost their lives, but the Lin Family saved them. They valued this unexpected chance at life and upon hearing that Lin Ziyin had been in danger, they were all panic-stricken.

Chapter 140: Chapter 140: Stirring Wind and Rising Water (4)_1

Fortunately, the people from the Yu Family are dependable. After they all discussed for a while, they were afraid that their master would be displeased by their gathering, so they dispersed after exchanging a few words.

Lin Ziyin lay soaking in the hot water barrel, thinking with his eyes closed about how the Lin Family could proceed from here.

The problems had just begun, and there was already significant trouble brewing. Not to mention, as the Lin Family grows in the future, many people might become envious of them. Worst-case scenario, today’s blueprint with attract unnecessary complications for them.

As the ancients say, fortune and misfortune are intertwined.

Chu Suifeng departed, and after three days, the deeds finally arrived in Lin Ziyin’s hands.

"Why would the Prince gift you Heihe?" The name written on the deeds was Lin Ziyin’s and the sight of it did not bring the Lin Family much joy as they had imagined. Instead, the grown-ups wore faces of fright. "Most people dare not go there."

"Brother, don’t worry," Lin Ziyin comforted him, "I helped the prince with a small matter, and he wanted to reward me, so I asked him to give me Heihe."

"You are crazy," Zige looked at him disapprovingly, "the black river, even the folks in the village dare not go there alone, why do you want that ominous river?"

"The river’s dark color is due to the fertile silt inside. This fertile silt is ideal for farming. Don’t worry, I have plans to transform the Black River," Lin Ziyin said smilingly, "It may just be a bit of a major project and a little troublesome."

"Can it really be farmed?" Guo Huiniang asked curiously.

"Absolutely, I will go over and take a look tomorrow," Lin Ziyin answered.

"I will accompany you," spoke the old man.

"Grandpa, we’ll go too," Lin Changshu and Wu Dayou showed their concerns.

"I also want to go and see," Lin Zige hesitated, then said.

Thus, the inspection of the site on the second day turned into a large group following along.

The Black River, three miles away, was a large stretch of reed marsh. Up close the water was very clear, the small fish and shrimp at the bottom were clearly visible. There were plenty of reeds, and many beautiful birds could be seen flying around, their melodious calls filling the air.

Unfortunately, the Lin Family and their servants who came along didn’t have the mind to appreciate it, all of them wore serious expressions.

Yet, Lin Ziyin looked satisfied.

Wetlands are an essential habitat for birds. The Black River of Fengcheng is somewhat similar to the North Wilderness in modern times. Though Lin Ziyin planned to transform the Black River, he never intended to convert all of it into arable land. After all, he still needed to provide the birds a place to survive.

Luckily, the Black River was vast enough, so wide that even Lin Ziyin couldn’t see its boundary. It seemed that even with the intention to change it, there was no way to fully reclaim such an extensive area.

"It is called a river, but the water is shallow. Cut down the reeds, block the water source with a dam, excavate the silt, sun the silt, and let it go through summer’s sunshine and winter’s freeze. The silt will quickly turn into mature soil. If managed properly, within two years, it will definitely turn into fertile farmland," Lin Ziyin detailed his plan seeing his family so worried.

"Can wastelands really be farmed?" Hearing him speak so confidently, Zige and Guo Huiniang forgot their fear and squatted down to examine the black soil under the shallow water more closely.

"Absolutely, but it’s already summer. We need to hasten the reclamation. The summer sun will help dry the silt more quickly," Lin Ziyin showed a trace of worry.

The first issue is the lack of manpower. Although there are a few able-bodied men at home, the work at the oil mill cannot stop. As for the manpower to reclaim the wasteland, he must find another solution.