Ch. 156..160: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 156-160

Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Further Progress (6)_1

When Lin Ziyin saw his excitement, she took a deep breath. She didn’t believe that Chu Suifeng came to see her without Si Jinhan knowing in advance. He had undoubtedly brought her to Feng City with great thought, probably for this purpose.

"You’ve had plenty here. Why don’t you bring some to the Prince?" Si Jinhan casually suggested from the side.

Lin Ziyin glanced at him, this guy was good at creating trouble for her. Nonetheless, since he had already made such a suggestion, it would seem disrespectful if she refused.

Feeling pressured, Lin Ziyin quietly filled a large bowl with some food and mixed some sauce in another bowl, then packed it into a food box for the housekeeper Huang. Along the way, she also packed some cold dishes.

The guard silently picked up the food box.

Lin Ziyin and Lin Changshu followed them, feeling slightly anxious.

Just as they reached the entrance, Si Demeng, Si Jinhan’s father, appeared, "Today, you two are the honored guests of the Si family. All the men of the Si family are back from the camp to meet you. It would be unacceptable to us if you both left. Moreover, the old lady has been hoping that regardless of anything both of you must certainly leave one behind."

"General." The guard seemed a little uneasy.

"The vegetarian feast was Lin Missy’s idea. Master Lin, why don’t you stay behind?" Si Jinhan made a suggestion to Lin Changshu, winking at him.

"This?" The guard felt a bit awkward, "The Prince didn’t specify who he wanted to see?"

"Let him stay. I will go back with you and explain to the Prince. Master Lin, do not worry. I can assure you that this lady will come back home without a scratch." Si Jinhan casually made the suggestion.

Lin Changshu would hardly believe in him since Ziyin almost died because of him last time.

"Yue Lin is right. Master Lin, stay back and Miss Lin should go. As a general, I assure you, Miss Lin will definitely return unscathed." The general also joined in the persuasion.

"This?" Lin Changshu was in a dilemma.

He was moved by the sincerity of Si Family but was also really worried about Ziyin.

"Brother, you stay back. You do not understand the private kitchen matters. The prince is just worried about the temple, calling me just to sort out the details. You can rest assured." Lin Ziyin did not want to involve Lin Changshu in all this unnecessary trouble.

"But you be careful." Upon hearing her like this, Lin Changshu hesitated and agreed.

"Master Lin, this way please." Si Demeng invited Lin Changshu towards the flower hall graciously and enthusiastically, whereas Lin Ziyin followed Si Jinhan and two guards.

The siblings parted at the entrance of the court.

"Smart." Once inside the carriage, Si Jinhan teased Lin Ziyin, "But be careful not to cross the line."

"It’s because the third son’s character is obvious." Lin Ziyin rolled her eyes at him.

The girl has gotten bolder, even daring to tease him? Si Jinhan glared at her in displeasure.

Today Si Jinhan needed her for something; Lin Ziyin was not afraid of him.

She chose to ignore Si Jinhan’s glare. The sun at noon was scorching, but the carriage was quite cool with the ice in it.

Having been busy since the morning, she hadn’t even caught her breath. Lin Ziyin was somewhat exhausted, so she simply closed her eyes and pretended to rest.

Though only the two of them were in the carriage, feeling bored, Si Jinhan kept staring at her.

The girl had changed a lot since they first met. At least her face was no longer dark and yellow. It was now fair, and her complexion was also glowing. To be honest, Lin Ziyin was not very beautiful just pleasing to the eyes. But the more Si Jinhan stared at her, the more he found her intriguing.

 

Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Further Progress (7)_1

You have such a straight little nose, nice long eyebrows that resemble willow leaves, and cherry red lips that really make someone want to take a bite. Turns out this maid isn’t altogether useless.

"Had your fill, Third Prince?" Lin Ziyin suddenly opened her eyes to ask.

Her cold voice in summer felt just like a cool breeze - crisp and clean.

Caught in the act of peeping, Si Jinhan felt embarrassment mixed with rage. "With your look, no one would want you even if you were thrown on the street. You think you can catch my attention? You’re seriously quite narcissistic."

"If I wasn’t captivating to the Third Prince, then why did he stare at me all the way?" Lin Ziyin coldly looked at him and asked.

Becoming bold! Si Jinhan didn’t welcome her quick-witted responses, "I was just curious about these odd thoughts, how does a servant girl like you come up with them?"

"Does Third Prince want to know?" Lin Ziyin asked.

Si Jinhan nodded with a smile.

"I don’t want to tell you." Having said this, Lin Ziyin closed her eyes once again.

A naughty maid! If any other woman spoke to Si Jinhan in such an impertinent tone, he would undoubtedly tear her to shreds. But while he may be irked by Lin Ziyin, he couldn’t manage to do anything about her.

On the remaining journey, the carriage interior fell silent. The anxious guard didn’t take long before the carriage halted outside a courtyard.

Lin Ziyin slightly opened her eyes but did not hastily jump out of the carriage.

"Get out." Si Jinhan was the first to lose his patience.

He got out first, stretching out his hand towards Lin Ziyin in the carriage, clearly intending to assist her down.

The grinning tiger-like figure acted maliciously. Although he rarely showed kindness to Lin Ziyin, she didn’t reciprocate. She actually jumped straight down from the carriage - an extremely inelegant move, which made Si Jinhan’s eyelids twitch. "Surely the Prince wouldn’t be willing to do business with such an uncouth maid like you?"

"It doesn’t really matter who the business is done with, what’s important is how to earn Silver." Lin Ziyin coldly chuckled and retorted.

"And can I presume that Third Prince’s previous statement was made out of jealousy? To be precise, I am doing business with Ding’an Temple. It was the Prince that the temple recommended, it was not me who reached out."

Si Jinhan watched her flabbergasted. He had only made one comment, but this maid had retorted with several lines. Absent was any hint of a woman’s propriety or virtuous demeanor; she had a very bad temper. He wondered whether she would be able to get married in the future.

"How could the Prince have met her here?" Crestfallen, Si Jinhan unhappily questioned the guard.

"The Prince initially wanted to meet Miss Lin within the royal residence, but ran into a small issue when I collected her. This is why I brought Miss Lin over here specifically.", answered the guard respectfully.

"You know what kind of place this is, right? It’s not a place where a maid like her should come!" Si Jinhan was furious, his smile was particularly grim.

Lin Ziyin subtly moved further away from him.

"The Prince instructed me to bring her to the front yard, saying that as a maiden she won’t be a problem." The guard’s attitude remains respectful.

"Go in, do not see what you are not supposed to see, do not utter any words you should not speak." Si Jinhan looked at Lin Ziyin, his face still wore a smile, but his menacing aggression was all there.

"Third Prince, rest assured, I know my boundaries. Or better yet, cover my eyes with a black cloth, so that I can’t see anything." Lin Ziyin suggested jokingly, she treasured her life and did not want to see anything here that she shouldn’t, and end up losing her life as a result.

"You are indeed clever." Si Jinhan had been unimpressed with her craftiness.

"Without my cleverness, the Prince and Ding’an Temple wouldn’t have done business with me." Lin Ziyin said with a bitter smile.

Consequently, the guard pulled out a piece of black cloth from somewhere and walked up to Lin Ziyin, "Miss, my apologies."

After saying this, he covered Lin Ziyin’s eyes with the black cloth.

Immediately, Lin Ziyin was enveloped in darkness.

"Let’s go." Si Jinhan stretched out his fan to guide her.

Having her eyes covered wasn’t a pleasant experience, Lin Ziyin wouldn’t make things difficult for herself. She thanked Si Jinhan and then placed her hand on top of the fan.

Although someone was leading the way, walking without sight was quite inconvenient for Lin Ziyin. She kept stumbling and almost fell several times.

Si Jinhan was intolerant of her slow pace. Eventually he put away his fan and directly took her hand to lead the way.

With this, their pace finally quickened.

Lin Ziyin’s hand was small. Due to her recent housework, her hand had developed calluses, not being particularly smooth. But the softness that a girl’s hand should have was still there. For Si Jinhan, this was the first time he was genuinely holding a girl’s hand. The warm soft touch melted some ice around the corners of his heart. His heartbeat quickened, this novel sensation made him feel uncomfortable.

"Prince, the person has arrived." Not too much later, Lin Ziyin was finally able to stand still, not needing to move any further.

Chu Suifeng hadn’t heard the guard’s announcement, but his eyes fell onto Si Jinhan and Lin Ziyin’s intertwined hands, causing a strange expression to appear on his face.

Si Jinhan immediately felt awkward and quickly shook off Lin Ziyin’s hand. Feeling the need to explain, "She was walking too slowly, so I hastily brought her here."

Having said this, he had some regrets. Why did he have such a big mouth?

"Remove the cloth." Chu Suifeng ordered indifferently.

A guard came to untie the black cloth over Lin Ziyin’s eyes.

The sudden brightness made Lin Ziyin uncomfortable for a moment. She raised her hand to shield her eyes, and only lowered it after she got used to it. "Prince, you didn’t bring me here just because of the vegetarian feast issue today, did you?"

"The objects from the blueprint were made, and the people in Tianji Building are trying to assemble it, you should take a look." Chu Suifeng, the War God emerging from a pile of corpses, was straightforward when speaking and carrying out tasks. His words devoid of all niceties.

As expected. Lin Ziyin sounded somewhat impatient. She knew that the follow-up work after submitting the blueprint would be troublesome.

Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Showcasing Skills (1)_1

Lin Ziyin remained silent. She thought we had settled our debts, didn’t she? The Prince, with all his dignity, was not honest to his words, he was as unreliable as a child without an anus.

"Lin Ziyin, you can’t seriously think that by cooking a meal for me, I will reward you a thousand taels of silver?" Si Jinhan added sneeringly from the side.

"What does the third son mean?" Lin Ziyin’s face darkened and she glared at him ominously.

"Exactly what you think I mean." Si Jinhan’s smile was clearly sarcastic.

"I did not think of anything," Lin Ziyin quickly interjected.

"Even better if you haven’t. Go to Tianji Hall behind us and take a look," Si Jinhan’s smile grew even brighter.

Lin Ziyin remained unmoved, her gaze fixed on Chu Suifeng. After all, it was Chu Suifeng who made the decisions in Feng City.

"If you do a good job, this prince will add another thousand taels of silver," Chu Suifeng said.

"If possible, I hope your highness can do something for me. It has nothing to do with you, it’s for my own use," Lin Ziyin replied.

Chu Suifeng glanced at her deeply. Never had anyone dared to bargain with him face to face. Not only did this girl set a precedent, but she also continued to push her luck. He frowned and remarked, "You are quite bold."

"His highness has always been just and impartial. Whatever he says goes. We had agreed that his highness would grant me land and I would provide him with designs. We would be even. But what about today’s situation? I really don’t want to end up dead the moment I step out," Lin Ziyin said, with dissatisfaction and grievance in her voice.

"No one dares to take your lives," Chu Suifeng curtly replied, referring to the lives of all members of the Lin family. "I accept your request."

That’s more like it, Lin Ziyin thought to herself.

"Please lead the way," she ordered, though knowing she would have no choice but to comply with Chu Suifeng’s demands regardless of his response. Fortunately, Chu Suifeng had more conscience than Si Jinhan.

"Are you cursing me secretly?" Si Jinhan asked with an ominous look in his eyes as he closed the distance between him and Lin Ziyin.

"Third son, we don’t know each other well," Lin Ziyin frowned and retreated a few steps, maintaining her distance from him.

What a humiliation! To be despised by a country bumpkin! Si Jinhan was about to explode in anger, but they had already arrived at Tianji Pavilion.

"Greetings to your highness and the third son," a group of people approaching paid their respects to Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan.

"Dispense with formalities," Chu Suifeng waved his hand. "I’ve brought the person you need. Ask her if you have any questions."

At this, everyone’s gaze immediately fell on Lin Ziyin. When they realized that the newcomer was just a teenage girl, their faces showed surprise.

Lin Ziyin did not mind their doubtful gazes. She remained there quietly, as ordinary as a wooden stake, unnoticed, but impossible to neglect.

"Please, miss." There was a brief moment of surprise before everyone regained their composure. There were many young people in Tianji Pavilion, but none was as young as Lin Ziyin. Everyone here earned their keep by their skills. An old man stared at Lin Ziyin, "We will soon find out whether you are genuinely capable or not."

Lin Ziyin followed the group into Tianji Hall.

Inside Tianji Hall, each of the four floors had several large spaces and a number of small rooms. The design was quite practical.

Lin Ziyin chuckled silently as they ascended the stairs, only to find a wooden frame resembling a cabinet at the top. Chu Suifeng gestured for Lin Ziyin to get in.

Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Showcasing Skills (2)_1

As soon as Lin Ziyin stepped in, the enclosure swiftly sank. She was somewhat panicked, but Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan standing next to her remained expressionless.

In a short time, the wooden box had landed on the solid ground.

Lin Ziyin followed Chu Suifeng out of the box, and upon seeing the arrangements inside the room, she was immediately taken aback.

It turned out to be a lower passage, with an exceptionally thick layer of rock below and a large space. The walls were embellished with a multitude of radiant pearls, shedding light to make the interior particularly bright.

Moving with power and extravagance, Lin Ziyin recast her gaze over the box, marveling at the talent of those in Tianji Building who had created this ’elevator’ of primitive design in this era.

"Come over," Chu Suifeng urged her coldly, noticing that she was daydreaming.

Lin Ziyin hurriedly picked up the pace to catch up with him. Unfamiliar with the location, she did not want to risk her life here and there.

Seeing the tension in her muscles, Si Jinhan walked side by side with her, "Don’t wander off; there are too many traps here. Step on one, and you risk your life."

Do you think I needed you to tell me that? Lin Ziyin dared not glare at him, dutifully following the lead of Chu Suifeng up front. However, her frightened eyes did not escape Si Jinhan’s notice.

Funny! Si Jinhan’s mischievous side flared up once again, his laughter echoing around the chamber.

Raucous as a lunatic! Chu Suifeng shot him a disdainful look.

After winding around in the underground passage, Chu Suifeng brought Lin Ziyin to a halt in an open space.

Lin Ziyin glimpsed a group of individuals busily working on a large catapult.

"Prince, the range isn’t adequate," said someone.

"It’s also not particularly maneuvarable," another person added.

"Miss Lin, please," said an elder man, looking at Lin Ziyin.

Lin Ziyin quietly walked over and carefully inspected each component.

As the saying goes, an expert’s abilities are immediately recognizable. As the designer of the device, Lin Ziyin knew these components better than most.

Upon inspection, she identified several design flaws, and in fact, realized she had made a fundamental mistake.

The modern sling used for launching purposes was a specialty item with excellent elasticity, while the ’sling’ of ancient times was made from animal hide, not nearly as elastic as the modern counterpart.

"This part needs to be modified," Lin Ziyin said to the people who had gathered around her, and then she offered a few reasonable suggestions.

Upon hearing her explanations, the crowd experienced a sudden illumination. When she finished, the onlookers looked at her with newfound respect, any trace of condescension disappeared from their faces.

"If we want the catapult to be more maneuverable, we need to install a wheel axle on the base." The last sentence was spoken with hesitation by Lin Ziyin.

She was a mechanical scholar and a prominent young professor at the military academy. Had it not been for her father’s influence, she would have been an important figure in the research of state-of-the-art weapons. Hence, she was familiar with weapons from ancient times to the present. Basic design and manufacture were a piece of cake for her. To exaggerate a bit, she would not even bat an eye if called upon to construct a simple cannon or bomb.

However, until she had built a certain relationship with Chu Suifeng, or until she had a thorough understanding of his character, she would not readily expose her hand.

Her advice today was granted as a favour to her business partner, and out of respect for Chu Suifeng.

"Brilliant!" Seeing the caterpillar-like base, adjustable range, and auxiliary wheel axle, everyone was awestruck. There was obviously more artistry in execution than theory. Although the blueprint was clear in concept, it did not electrify them as much as Lin Ziyin’s on-the-spot assembly demonstration.

Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Showcasing Skills (3)_1

"Miss Lin, could you often come to Tianji Building and guide us?" A tall and thin young man asked her eagerly.

"I’m sorry, probably not. I don’t live in the city, and I have a workshop and farmland at home that I can’t leave." Lin Ziyin rejected flatly.

When Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan heard this, they knew that she was making an excuse, but she did it so lightly, that it would’ve been hard for someone to get angry.

"If you can’t come, they can go and find you at your home." Si Jinhan and Chu Suifeng speculated that Lin Ziyin hasn’t exposed her real skills.

If the excellent craftsmen of Tianji Building interacted with her more, they could learn a lot. Both men privately came to this conclusion.

"Si Gongzi overestimates a common girl like me." Ziyin returned to her previous indifferent and distant demeanor, a stark contrast to her earlier adeptness when assembling the machine; "This machine is simply a product of my idle imagination. Like ordinary people, I don’t know any other skills. Compared to the master craftsmen present, I’m but a showoff, making a fool of myself."

She started to belittle her abilities, Si Jinhan smirked skeptically, nobody would believe such ghost stories.

Chu Suifeng, too, did not believe Lin Ziyin’s ghost story. However, as a prince, he could not force her to stay for his usage. As long as Lin Ziyin was not used by others, that would be fine.

Let this girl go for the time being.

"Let’s go talk outside." Seeing that the trajectory and range of the Catapult could be adjusted at will, Chu Suifeng was pleased and his tone of voice softened.

With the eager eyes of the craftsmen sending her off, Lin Ziyin bowed her head and followed Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan back to the front hall.

"Tell me, what do I need to prepare for you at Vegetarian Feast? Also, draw the things you need and I will have them made for you as soon as possible." Once seated, Chu Suifeng opened up.

"Thank you, Prince." Lin Ziyin expressed her gratitude sincerely, "As for vegetables, any kinds that are available can be brought over. If the Prince could find some rare seeds for me, I would be even more grateful. As for the stuff I want, it might be a bit more."

Having said that, she took a wary glance at Chu Suifeng.

Chu Suifeng’s faint smile instantly cooled down.

"Of course, I won’t let the Prince expend effort for nothing." Lin Ziyin added another sentence.

Initially, she just wanted Chu Suifeng to make some bicycle parts for herself. After having ridden ox-carts for so long, she was sick of it, and as a villager, she had no right to ride in a horse-drawn carriage. So she compromised and thought of making bicycles for her family.

However, after witnessing the exquisite craftsmanship of the craftsmen in the basement, she became more ambitious. If these craftsmen could help her, she desired to create some supplementary machinery to help with farming at home.

Of course, these machines might also need human labor, or...steam? If it required steam, then she would need coal. But did this era even have coal? If not, should she spend a little more silver to make some charcoal?

Suddenly, her mind began to go into deep thought.

"Miss Lin." Si Jinhan called her a few times, but Lin Ziyin seemed to be in deep thoughts, her face twisted in conflict.

"Lin Ziyin." Si Jinhan mischievously patted her shoulder, causing Lin Ziyin to jump away in fright.

"Hahaha." Si Jinhan succeeded in his trick, laughing uproariously, "What were you thinking about, girl? I called you a few times, but you didn’t stir."

"I’m sorry, I was thinking about the drawings." Lin Ziyin replied, letting out a sigh.

"What can you give me?" Chu Suifeng asked, looking at her with speculative eyes.