Ch. 226..230: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 226-230

Chapter 226: Chapter 226: Bad Idea(6)_1

"It’s not as if I wanted things to go awry," Yan Family member shouted defiantly, "You were aware of the risks beforehand."

"Silence!" As soon as Ma Dàláng heard her voice raise in volume, he promptly closed the door and chided her sternly, "Do you want Zhicai to die?"

Ma Zhicai also glared at the member of the Yan Family, his eyes sharp and piercing.

Underneath the scrutinizing gaze of the Ma father and son, she was no longer bold enough to complain loudly. However, she took out her frustration on Huang Shi by her side, "You useless thing, you can’t even apply medicine properly. You’re being so forceful, you might as well destroy my face."

Having been berated by her frequently, Huangshi didn’t dare to express any discontent. Seizing the opportunity to finish applying the medicine onto her face, she quickly left the room to hide.

Seeing Huang Shi’s submissive demeanor, Yan Shi had no choice. She huffed and muttered to herself for a while before finally quieting down.

The next morning, Lin Ziyin woke up early and packed some simple belongings. Those at home were worried and instructed Qiaoqiao to accompany her.

Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan arrived earlier than expected. It was still dark when the fully equipped guards arrived at the entrance of the Lin Family mansion.

As for family affairs, Lin Ziyin had already instructed the relevant personnel, "Brother, if anything happens, you can go to Prince’s residence to find Black Manager."

"I understand. You be careful while you’re outside," said Lin Changshu. He had barely slept the night due to worry, his eyes now bloodshot.

"Alright," Lin Ziyin obediently replied.

"Hurry up, girl. The sooner we depart, the sooner you can return," Si Jinhan bellowed, disrupting their tender moment.

"Grandfather, I’m leaving." Lin Ziyin saw her old grandfather and Changting standing at the pentagon, and her heart filled with a sour sentiment.

"Come back soon," the old man waved at her. Changting’s eyes had reddened, but he didn’t say anything, only continuing to wave at Lin Ziyin.

Lin Ziyin promised once more before approaching Si Jinhan and the rest, "Where is my horse?"

"You’ll ride in the carriage," Si Jinhan replied with a grin.

"I can ride a horse," Lin Ziyin insisted. The carriage was too slow, her family’s greenhouse couldn’t wait, she needed to return sooner.

"Get them horses," ordered Chu Suifeng coldly to his men.

A soldier in black armor complied, and soon, several sturdy horses were brought over.

Dressed in men’s attire, Lin Ziyin nimbly mounted the horse with experienced movements.

Si Jinhan and Chu Suifeng seemed to regard her in a new light.

Once they ditched the carriage, the group made much quicker progress.

Lin Ziyin hadn’t realized how much more challenging the journey to the border would be compared to what she had imagined. The journey of over five hundred li only included one city, the scattering villages were pitifully few, and she felt a subtle change in climate after passing Gao Shan.

They spent the journey braving the elements, and astonishingly, they reached the border in four days.

The border was a small city with a bustling crowd. Lin Ziyin noticed many foreign merchants in the streets, among them were fair-skinned individuals with blond hair and blue eyes.

"Greetings, your highness." After Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan led them to a residence, a soldier in armor hurried over to pay his respects.

"General Luo, no need for formalities," replied Chu Suifeng with a faint smile, his tone much gentler.

"Thank you, your highness," Luo General stood straight. Only then was Lin Ziyin able to get a good look at his appearance.

He was muscular and appeared to be over 1.8 meters tall, his square face radiated with righteousness and solemnity. In Luo General’s eyes, Chu Suifeng was looked upon with deep respect.

Chapter 227: Chapter 227: Bad Idea(7)_1

"Any unusual movements?" Chu Suifeng asked as he walked.

"This summer’s rainfall has been plentiful, so the Tatars have ample food reserves. As a result, their raids this year have been less frequent than in the past." Luo Heng answered respectfully.

Lin Ziyin, dressed in casual clothes and relatively petite, was conspicuous among the dark-armored soldiers. Luo Heng spotted them at a glance, but since Chu Suifeng didn’t mention it, he sensibly kept quiet. Those who could stand beside the Prince often possessed insight and ability, even if Lin Ziyin didn’t particularly stand out in the crowd.

"Arrange separate rooms for the two of them." At the same time as he was talking to Luo Heng, Chu Suifeng flicked a glance over Lin Ziyin. When he saw the fatigue on her from their days of travel, he hesitated for a moment before immediately instructing Luo Heng. "Assign their rooms next door."

Chu Suifeng then pointed towards Jue Ming and the others.

"Yes, my lord. I will arrange it immediately." Luo Heng was momentarily surprised. This was the first time the Prince had taken such an active interest in the living arrangements of his subordinates. Besides, he couldn’t see anything particularly noteworthy about the pretty young man in front of him that would garner the Prince’s attention.

However, Chu Suifeng’s words to Luo Heng were ones of obedience. Immediately, he instructed some guards to accompany Lin Ziyin to arrange a room.

"Place them next to the courtyards where the Prince and the third young master stay." No sooner had the guard walked away when Chu Suifeng gave another instruction.

Luo Heng was now even more curious about Lin Ziyin, but being a prudent man, he didn’t pry into her identity.

Several guards came over and directly led Lin Ziyin to a small courtyard.

The residences along the border were generally occupied by commanders, resulting in simple interior decorations, making even the courtyard seem a bit desolate.

Fortunately, the courtyard was usually well maintained. Once she arrived at her room, Lin Ziyin flopped onto the bed and didn’t intend to move again.

Her thighs were bruised and blue from days of riding, but she brought it upon herself by insisting on riding, so she had to grin and bear it.

"Sir, I’ll heat some water for you to wash." Qiaoqiao was very clever, and she started referring to Lin Ziyin differently once they changed into their casual attire.

"Ok." Lin Ziyin played dead on the bed.

Qiaoqiao smiled slightly, closed the door, and left.

"You certainly know how to relax." Not long after Qiaoqiao left, the door was pushed open again.

Lin Ziyin assumed that it was Qiaoqiao returning, but instead, the voice that reached her ears was that of the eccentric Si Jinhan. She sat up quickly, glaring furiously at Si Jinhan, "Doesn’t the third young master know to knock before entering?"

"Nope." Si Jinhan bluntly found a chair and sat down, "It’s broad daylight, and you are not doing anything indecent, so why should I bother knocking?"

"The third young master certainly has unique hobbies." Lin Ziyin shot back.

Si Jinhan feigned ignorance and smiled as he watched her become flustered, "Tomorrow, you will oversee the guards as they set up the catapult. Then, I’ll take you to do something interesting."

"What is it? Tell me first." Lin Ziyin didn’t believe that he had any good intentions.

"You’re really no fun." Si Jinhan gave her a petulant look after seeing her suspicious expression, "I will take you to find the cattle, horses, and sheep that you asked for."

"Didn’t you say the Tatars were not willing to sell?" Lin Ziyin asked curiously.

"So I’m taking you to borrow them." Si Jinhan replied mysteriously.

Lin Ziyin did not react to his implied meaning of "borrowing". She just stared at him without saying anything.

"The third young master" Just as the two were locked in a staring contest, Qiaoqiao appeared, carrying hot water.

"You certainly live the good life." Si Jinhan left nonchalantly, his hands clasped behind him.

Lin Ziyin’s gaze followed his retreating back for quite some time. The man was truly a nutcase, always finding pleasure in pranking her.

At dinner time, the guards delivered food to the courtyard. Lin Ziyin, having just finished bathing, felt completely refreshed. Being unfussy, she had Qiaoqiao sit down with her and enjoy a satisfying meal. The food was decent, with a good mix of meat and vegetables accompanied by white rice.

But before she could retire for the night, she was brought to a courtyard on the right side by Chu Suifeng’s guard, Congyi.

Once she moved, Jue Ming and the others naturally followed closely.

"Later on, you’ll be in charge of organizing the installation of the catapult." Chu Suifeng, dressed in his black armor, barely glanced at her when she arrived, before issuing instructions.

Install it at night? Lin Ziyin thought. Is the Prince out of his mind?

"The city is bustling during the day. If you prefer to do it then, we won’t stop you." Si Jinhan sneered, watching her reaction.

Lin Ziyin was a bit displeased. "Actually, the Prince’s people can install it, too, you don’t need to bring me all the way here for that."

"Who said it’s not necessary?" Si Jinhan shot back jovially, "Who said that the stone throwers need to be adjusted according to the terrain, with varied ranges and angles? It’s your design; you need to oversee the assembly. Be efficient. If all goes well, you can join us on our exciting outing tomorrow."

"Robbery? What robbery?" Lin Ziyin asked in astonishment.

"Unless you expect the Tatars to willingly give their livestock to you, we have to rob them." Si Jinhan answered with a mischievous grin.

Robbery? Going to the Tatars to commit a robbery? Lin Ziyin was dumbfounded. Whose rotten idea was that? She would definitely give them a piece of her mind if she found out who it was.

Chapter 228: Chapter 228: Robbery (1)_1

"Robbery is not quite something suitable for a young lady like yourself. But as you said, one cannot judge the quality of cattle and sheep solely by their size. So, if you want to select satisfactory livestock, you will have to do it by yourself." Si Jinhan’s laugh was full of his youthful charm.

Lin Ziyin clenched her teeth in anger. As a revolutionary soldier raised under the Red Flag of the twentieth century, she certainly could not engage in acts of robbery.

"Stop scaring her." Chu Suifeng stared discontentedly at Si Jinhan, "After leaving the city, there is a marketplace, a no-man’s land. There, even the Tatars trade goods."

So, it was like this. Lin Ziyin breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she wasn’t being asked to rob, it was good. She glared fiercely at Si Jinhan, who was laughing uncontrollably at her side. Calling him a pervert, was he tricking her for fun?

Fooling her was, of course, fun – at least it appeared so to Si Jinhan. Comedy was hard to find within the military camp, so the rebellious Lin Ziyin had unintentionally become the subject of his antics.

"Let’s go," Lin Ziyin said indifferently, not wishing to say another word to Si Jinhan.

Chu Suifeng silently stood up and began walking ahead, with the rest quickly following behind him.

Those who came with Chu Suifeng to install the catapult weren’t just Lin Ziyin. There were also three others from Tianji Building.

Along the way, they continuously asked Lin Ziyin in hushed voices about her mechanical expertise. Lin Ziyin answered unreservedly, and at times went into considerable detail. So, the three who came with her were full of admiration for her, and not one of them underestimated her because of her young age.

The city towers naturally needed to be equipped with catapults, due to their height and facing open ground, the required range for them would be much farther.

Lin Ziyin personally installed a catapult according to the terrain and also optimized its angle.

During the still of the night, no unnecessary people were seen around the city towers. Chu Suifeng had Luo Heng test it out with the soldiers, and indeed, the result was better than before, at least far superior to the previous state.

From then on, Luo Heng had no doubt on her capabilities.

The Border City backed onto a steep cliff. Chu Suifeng, taking Lin Ziyin’s suggestion, also arranged for a small catapult facing the vertical cliff here. Seeing Lin Ziyin meticulously modifying machinery, Chu Suifeng squinted his eyes and evaluated this.

At this moment, he began being curious about Lin Ziyin’s identity. Generally speaking, no one would think of attacking or defending from this steep cliff here. Yet, Lin Ziyin was the first to spot this weakness. Yes, it was a weakness. If it hadn’t been for her reminding him, even he wouldn’t have thought of it. Even though there was natural defense, their enemies could still use it to launch a sneak attack.

"As long as this place is equipped with barbs and hidden arrows, we won’t have to worry about the enemy sneaking in," after tinkering for a while, Lin Ziyin instructed Chu Suifeng, "We need people to check here every day."

Chu Suifeng had Luo Heng who was following him, note it down.

By the time the catapults were installed on all four city walls, the sky had already started to lighten. Lin Ziyin was sweating from busying about, feeling that her whole body was about to fall apart.

"Rest during the day, and we’ll go to the marketplace tomorrow," Chu Suifeng glanced at her and said.

This time, Lin Ziyin didn’t disagree with his proposal. Indeed, after hustling all night and travelling non-stop for several days, her body had been in a continuous state of fatigue. Since nearly all the essential jobs were done, they could spare time to purchase cattle and sheep, not minding the waiting time of a day.

"Thank you, Prince," after bowing in gratitude, she went back to her quarters with Qiaoqiao.

Chapter 229: Chapter 229: Robbery (2)_1

"What does the Prince think?" After she left, Si Jinhan asked Chu Suifeng with a serious expression.

"She grasps the terrain relatively quickly, and her suggestions are all spot on." Chu Suifeng subtly stated.

"If such talent was in a man, he would undoubtedly be my right-hand man." Luo Heng genuinely regretted for some time when he learned that Lin Ziyin was a girl.

"Sometimes women are not necessarily inferior to men." Si Jinhan responded with a smug remark.

Chu Suifeng didn’t say anything, but his eyes focused intently on the courtyard to the left.

"Young Master, after we buy the cattle and sheep the day after tomorrow, can we go home?" Qiaoqiao, living on the border, was always on edge.

When she was in the Capital City, she heard that the Tatars on the border were very powerful. If they were extremely hungry, they would even catch and eat the children in Border City. Even on normal days, they frequently raided Border City and harassed its citizens.

Who would have thought that one day she would be spending the night in a residence at this border?

"We can go back after buying the cattle and sheep." Lin Ziyin assured Qiaoqiao. She also wanted to go back. After all, the greenhouse construction was almost complete, and it was waiting for the actual owner to instruct the sowing.

Time waits for no one, she did not have much time to waste in Border City.

"Go to sleep." Lin Ziyin said quietly, her tired eyes closing. She was so weary now that she just wanted a good sleep. As for buying and selling cattle and sheep, she was in no rush.

She slept very comfortably. When Lin Ziyin woke up, and found the sun was setting, she realized she had slept the whole day.

"Young Master, you must be hungry. I kept your food warm for you." Seeing that she had woken up, Qiaoqiao was very happy. Qiaoqiao prepared hot water for her to freshen up, and reported on the situation in the yard. "Jue Ming and the others have already gotten up. They were worrying about you. I’ll let them know that you are awake."

"Alright," Lin Ziyin agreed, moving to the basin to wash her hands and face.

After Lin Ziyin finished washing, Qiaoqiao stepped out with the basin. Before long, footsteps echoed in the yard.

Then Jue Ming and the others stood in front of Lin Ziyin.

"Have you eaten?" Lin Ziyin asked.

"Yes, we’ve had lunch, but not dinner." Jue Xin cheerfully responded, scratching his head.

"Let’s eat together. It’s our dinner now." Lin Ziyin said with a smile, "Eating alone is not as enjoyable."

Looking at the sky, Jue Ming and the others saw that it was indeed getting late, so they happily agreed.

The meal brought from the kitchen was steamed buns and rice porridge, as well as two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes.

"Not bad, but it’s not as good as what Miss cooks." Jue Hui commented.

"Tomorrow, when we go to the market, I’ll buy some beef and make you beef noodles." Lin Ziyin offered.

"Great!" Jue Ming agreed happily.

"No, I can’t do it." Lin Ziyin regretted her decision after eating a bun. "Without seasoning, even good beef won’t taste nice."

"Miss, we can take some home and cook it there," suggested Jue Xin, an optimist who never saw anything as a problem.

"Alright." Lin Ziyin thought for a moment and agreed.

There was no beef for sale in Feng City, as all the cows were used for farming and registered in Officialdom. Anyone who killed a cow committed a capital crime and few dared to trade beef openly.

But if they could bring some beef back home, it would be a rare treat for folks back home.

Thinking about it, Lin Ziyin seemed to see various delicious dishes made with beef floating in front of her eyes. Even her, after some time, was drooling over the thought of beef.

Chapter 230: Chapter 230: Robbery (3)_1

That entire day and night, the troublesome Si Jinhan and Chu Suifeng did not appear, making Lin Ziyin feel very relaxed.

On the third day, Si Jinhan appeared.

"I will personally take you there, make sure to pick wisely." He stated his purpose as soon as he saw her.

"Thank you for your trouble, Third Master." Lin Ziyin responded with distant politeness.

Si Jinhan gave a slight smile, seeing her dressed in a short outfit like a lively little boy, he couldn’t help but laugh. He then handed her a short dagger, "Keep it concealed. The market in the border area is different from other places."

Lin Ziyin carefully examined the dagger she was handed, it was very sharp and the handle was even inlaid with a ruby, giving it a special extravagant look, "Thank you, Third Master."

This expression of gratitude from Lin Ziyin was sincere.

"Indeed, you are a shrewd trader." Si Jinhan teased her with a laugh, "Only when you see a gift do you sincerely express your thanks?"

Lin Ziyin, in a fairly good mood, responded with a light smile, "Since Third Master already knows my character, why ask?"

"Let’s go." Seeing that it was getting late, Si Jinhan urged her along, no longer engaging in their verbal spar.

Everyone once again rode horses there, bringing along just the right amount of people, about fifty in total.

Considering the danger of the border area, Lin Ziyin instructed her maid, Qiaoqiao, and others, to bring along weapons for self-defense. They traveled swiftly.

The market at the border was not far yet not near, about fifty kilometers away from the Border City, and it was in a mountain depression. Lin Ziyin calculated that this place must still be within the territory of Daqin.

"Strictly speaking, this area is still within our Northern Land’s territory, but as many travelers and traders come here to check their goods, a market naturally formed. Not only do the people of our Northern Land come here to trade goods, but also Tatars and traders from north and south exchange some things that are illegal, and even bandits appear here, trading for necessities." Seeing the confusion on her face, Si Jinhan softly explained to her.

"Since it is the Northern Land’s territory, has the Prince ever collected taxes?" Lin Ziyin curiously asked.

"Never." Si Jinhan replied with a light laugh, thinking how she was indeed a businesswoman, never forgetting silver. "The market is a unique existence. The Prince always leaves some living space for the common people. Moreover, the territory may be ours, but the majority of traders are foreigners."

He left some unsaid, but Lin Ziyin understood. The exchange of goods by people of different races was beneficial for Border City. After all, the Northern Land was vast with few people and a harsh climate. With such a place, the common people could also get their living materials through the market.

As they entered the market, the group dismounted their horses. Lin Ziyin could now get a better look at this place.

Unexpectedly, although it was just a market, the area was vast, with tradespeople spread all over the valley. There were tea houses and pubs of all kinds, however, they were all just thatched huts, looking quite poor.

Despite the shabby huts, there were many customers. It was bustling with noise, and one could see peddlers selling their goods everywhere. All kinds of animal skins, medicinal herbs, even peddlers selling jewels directly.

There were ordinary people and sturdy-looking riverside people who looked intimidating, and of course, many Tatars conducting business.

Lin Ziyin snickered inwardly, this lawless area was a place of great racial integration. She noticed quite a few Persian and Korean traders.

She could identify the people from their appearance and national costumes.

"This tiger skin is not bad." Seeing a man selling a white tiger skin, Lin Ziyin immediately liked it. She thought if she could buy it for her grandfather and make a large cloak, it would be good for keeping warm in winter.