Ch. 231..235: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 231-235

Chapter 231: Chapter 231: Robbery (4)_1

"You have a keen eye, guest. To get this tiger skin, I had to lie in bed for two months without stepping on the ground." The man was strong and spry, with a gleam in his eyes. When he saw Lin Ziyin was interested in his tiger skin, he immediately began bragging loudly. "If you buy it to make a fur coat, you won’t be afraid of the entire winter."

"How much silver?" Before Lin Ziyin had the chance to ask the price, a Tatar suddenly emerged to inquire about it, completely disregarding Lin Ziyin.

Lin Ziyin slightly furrowed her brows, as Qiaoqiao, Jue Ming and others by her side also became alert. At this time, Si Jinhan had temporarily left because of other matters.

"Five hundred taels of silver." Upon seeing the man’s lavish clothing, the man selling the tiger skin immediately greeted him enthusiastically.

"Brother, I think I was the first to ask the price." Lin Ziyin was somewhat unhappy at being ignored.

Upon hearing a Han speaking his language so fluently, Alhatu took an extra look at the person across him in surprise.

The young man was thin and small, with nothing particularly special about him except his bright eyes which could inadvertently draw people in. In response to Lin Ziyin’s accusation, he laughed and replied, "The young man was also looking at the goods but did not buy them. The goods still belong to this Han, my asking the price does not seem to be improper."

Lin Ziyin was somewhat at a loss for words upon hearing this; he did have a point. She had expressed her interest, but had not taken out any money to buy it.

Having realized her mistake, she felt somewhat embarrassed but refused to admit defeat, "Since I was looking at the goods, it means that I had the intention to buy them. It doesn’t seem very gentlemanly of you to covet what others love."

"Such an argument, only your people of the Northern Land would accept. Our people have always revered true feelings. Anything we like, we will try our best to make it our own, let alone when it’s not even yours." The man did not speak but the man next to him did.

Lin Ziyin smirked, seeing no point in arguing with them. They were right about one thing, if you like something, you should try your best to snatch it. So she turned her head and smiled at the man selling the skins, "Here are five hundred taels of silver, I’ll buy it."

Seeing the silver note handed over by her, the man was overjoyed. He had not expected to encounter two customers vying for the same item, even saving him the trouble of bargaining.

"Alright, young master, you take the skin." Being a native of the Northern Land, he was biased towards Lin Ziyin.

"I’ve got it." Lin Ziyin carefully wrapped up the tiger skin and handed it to Jue Xin behind her.

Jue Xin was only in his twenties and was very interested in the things in the market. He skillfully placed the tiger skin into the basket behind him and then smiled and asked, "Master, weren’t we supposed to buy some beef to bring back for the old master?"

"Are you just using your own cravings as an excuse?" Jue Hui teased him with a knock on his head.

"No, master, we should buy more. I’m sure teacher will love it. Not to mention if our elder brothers find out, they will definitely rob our manor for it." Jue Xin quipped.

Feeling that Jue Xin was talking too much, Jue Ming sternly reproached him, "With master here, what are you talking so much for?"

Jue Hui glanced at the few masters and servants across him, finally noticing the mistake, and hung his head in shame, staying silent.

"Since we’re here and we see what we like, let’s just buy it all." Lin Ziyin said, changing the subject with a smile and no longer giving Alhatu and his servants another glance.

Alzatu, seeing her effectively conclude the transaction with the Han and completely ignore them, couldn’t help but smile. He had never met an interesting Han like the thin young man across him and couldn’t stop himself from teasing her. "Brother, you just said that a gentleman does not rob another of what they like. How come you swallowed the goods all by yourself in the blink of an eye?"

Chapter 232: Chapter 232: Robbery (5)_1

"Misunderstanding." Lin Ziyin retorted with a forced smile. "As this gentleman just said, if you like something, you should acquire it for yourself. I felt your statement was absolutely reasonable, so I acted according to it. After all, I used my own silver to buy this, and the vendor agreed to the sale. I don’t see how this has anything to do with you."

This young man from the Northern Land, with his eloquent words and careful yet daring nature, very much appealed to Alhatu’s taste.

"Master." Qiaoqiao gently reminded him, "The third young master is still waiting for you."

Recalling this, Lin Ziyin realized that the journey back was not short, and they had to return to Border City before dark. Indeed, they couldn’t waste any more time at this small market.

"Let’s go." With that in mind, Lin Ziyin didn’t linger in the marketplace a moment longer, immediately leading Jue Xin deeper into the market.

"Interesting. Follow them." Alhatu instructed the guards behind him with a casual smile.

"Sir, we shouldn’t linger here too long." Batu said, frowning.

"There’s no harm in watching a little longer." Alhatu insisted. He and his eldest brother differed in their approaches. Being called Tatars, they were not eager to initiate conflicts for no reason. Such actions would only cause distress to their own people, and looting and violence were against their nation’s principles.

If he could find ways to provide a more comfortable life for his people, Alhatu would prefer to coexist peacefully with the Northern Land.

He was growing weary of the long-standing conflict with Daqin.

But what about his father and elder brother? At this thought, Alhatu’s face turned sour.

After purchasing the tiger skin, Lin Ziyin didn’t pay much attention to the additional tails behind him. As far as she was concerned, they were all temporary acquaintances in the marketplace. Once she purchased the goods she needed, there was a good chance they would never meet again.

"Master, they’re following us," Qiaoqiao softly warned Lin Ziyin.

"Are they targeting us?" Lin Ziyin asked in return.

"Not particularly." Qiaoqiao glanced at the people behind them, noting that the Tatars were frequently inquiring about prices, especially those of Tatar-produced goods.

Lin Ziyin followed Qiaoqiao’s gaze and gently reassured her, "We all come to the market to buy and sell goods. We came from the streets and thus naturally have to walk further in."

On second thought, Qiaoqiao agreed and consequently paid less attention to Alhatu and his men.

Before long, in an open space, Lin Ziyin found the cattle and sheep she needed for the trip.

"How much for the cows?" Lin Ziyin asked, pointing at several very healthy-looking dairy cows.

"Fine eyes, young man. These cows are almost two years old; they can start producing milk this year." Seeing a man from the Northern Land interested in buying cows, the cattle agent showed a momentary flicker of curiosity.

However, this curiosity quickly vanished as he shifted to his professional demeanor and smile. "How many cows do you need, sir?" he asked.

"I’ll take all the cows here that meet my requirements," Lin Ziyin casually responded.

Such grand expenses!

The agent gasped, but then quickly rejoiced. There were nearly fifty milk-producing cows in the cattle yard that could very well be sold off immediately, promising a good profit.

What followed was the agent noticing that Lin Ziyin was quite experienced in selecting dairy cows. Those that were old or weak, or those producing insufficient milk were quickly identified and sifted out by her.

Chapter 233: Chapter 233: Robbery (6)_1

After calculating, she had bought about forty dairy cows. Among them, four were bulls.

A dairy cow cost twenty silver. Lin Ziyin paid the full amount without any hesitation.

"Is there anything else you need, sir?" The broker was delighted at the receipt of the payment and his service improved accordingly.

"Select twenty more beef cattle for me." Lin Ziyin said generously.

As she was an experienced cattle dealer, the broker did not dare to fool her, he quickly selected the required twenty beef cattle for her, half of which were cows in their prime for meat production.

However, the price of beef cattle was higher than dairy cattle, costing fifty silver per cow, but that was still a much lower cost compared to the plow cattle of the Northern Land.

Purchasing such a large number of cattle at once seemed to be a large operation. Lin Ziyin of course could not set off with the cattle, so after paying the silver, she had about ten guards lead the cattle back to the Border City first.

"Sir, shall we meet with the third master?" Qiaoqiao asked.

"No need, we will purchase some more items and then meet up with him." Lin Ziyin answered with a smile.

"What else do you need, sir? We can help arrange that." The broker, having not seen such a straightforward client in a long time, was extremely enthusiastic.

"That won’t be necessary, everything else we need to buy are just some small items." Lin Ziyin answered with a laugh, and then left with her group.

"Young lad, we are truly lucky to bump into each other again." Alhatu, surprised by Lin Ziyin’s purchase of so many cattle at once from afar, said.

He didn’t understand why a young man, a Northlander, would be interested in their cattle. Didn’t the people of the Northern Land dislike the scent of cow’s milk?

The purchase of beef cattle does make sense, as many people like their beef cattle.

However, it didn’t add up to transport dozens of cattle from the Border City to the Capital City or further south in Daqin. The cost would be astronomical and it was against the Daqin law to trade cattle. Their native beef and dairy cattle were not accepted within Daqin.

With this curiosity, Alhatu and Lin Ziyin had a "chance" encounter.

"Is there something you need?" Lin Ziyin didn’t appreciate his enthusiasm. She knew they’ve been following her party since they spotted the Tatars.

"You have quite a character, young lad." Alhatu sighed and looked at Ziyin, "You don’t have to worry. It is an unwritten rule that no matter who you are, no one is allowed to fight in the market. We mean no harm to you."

"If you have something to say, just say it." Although the other party was seemingly sincere, Lin Ziyin wasn’t inclined to engage in lengthy conversation. It was obvious the Tatars played a prominent role back home, given their splendid attire.

"Since you’re straightforward, I will ask directly. How come you are interested in these cows? From my understanding of the Northland, isn’t it said that the noblemen there don’t like these cows?" Alhatu asked, with an exceptionally sincere smile.

"It’s not that we don’t like cows." Lin Ziyin hesitated for a moment before responding, "It’s just that we don’t like the taste when it’s not prepared properly. I bought these to treat us to some good beef and fresh milk."

Alhatu was skeptical about her explanation. Over twenty beef cattle, even if they were for a feast, it would take a year to consume them all. Besides, she’d also bought so many dairy cows.

"You mentioned you can get rid of the taste in the beef, is this true?" Alhatu was more concerned about this part.

"Yes." Lin Ziyin responded indifferently, "However, removing the taste is our exclusive secret formula, which I won’t share with you. You’ve asked in vain."

Chapter 234: Chapter 234: Robbery (7)_1

Straightforward! Alhatu was amused by her just like that.

"I have no intention of taking away your things."

"Are you done asking? Can I go now?" Lin Ziyin asked indifferently.

"Yes." Alhatu said with a smile, "It looks like you’re planning to leave the market. We also intend to leave, so I hope you don’t misunderstand us."

"Of course, the road is not owned by us." Lin Ziyin nodded, the other party seemed honest, and she would not be petty.

"They’re really beautiful." Although she didn’t like the Tatars, Qiaoqiao was very fond of the blankets they wove.

"Let’s buy some to bring back. Our sister and sister-in-law might like them. We should put some in grandfather’s house too, so it won’t be cold even barefoot in winter." Lin Ziyin agreed with a smile.

As women, she and Qiaoqiao began to haggle.

Jue Ming and the others shook their heads in silence, their heads aching from watching the haggling, but no one urged them to finish.

"What a pity." After buying a large pile of blankets, Lin Ziyin sighed.

"What’s a pity?" Qiaoqiao didn’t understand, and the others also pricked up their ears.

"This wool is not processed well, if they added cashmere, the Tatars wouldn’t need to worry about clothing and food." Lin Ziyin answered. She was thinking of modern Ordos, where the people of the grasslands have prospered through wool and cashmere.

"Those cows are also a valuable resource, it’s a pity they don’t know how to utilise them." Lin Ziyin shook her head in regret.

Her voice was very low, but Alhatu and Batu, who were following them at a slight distance, heard it all.

This time, both master and servant exposed looks of surprise and regarded Lin Ziyin with scrutinzing eyes.

Lin Ziyin didn’t notice them, and continued to purchase some rare snacks, beef and mutton, and what surprised her most was that she found beet seeds and a bag of corn seeds.

When they left the market, one could say they left with their hands full.

But after leaving the market, Si Jinhan still hadn’t appeared yet, and they didn’t know where he had gone.

"Young man, I hope you can visit us in the North Country when you have the time. I will treat you as a distinguished guest." Alhatu followed them out of the market, disregarding the annoyed faces of Qiaoqiao and the others, he continued trying to win them over.

"Thank you, I don’t think that will be possible." Lin Ziyin declined directly.

Alhatu really wanted to clarify what she had said to the guards, what should the North Country do to take advantage of cattle and sheep for the country’s strength and prosperity?

Unfortunately, Lin Ziyin didn’t give him a chance to ask.

Furthermore, Alhatu didn’t dare to be overly bold and risk scaring them away. In his eyes, Lin Ziyin and her group definitely came from a prominent family in Daqin, given their generous budget and wisdom.

"Why hasn’t the young master emerged yet?" Qiaoqiao was getting anxious. "Master, shall we wait for him in the market?"

Remaining in the market had its rules, no power would deliberately cause a ruckus. In contrast, safety was guaranteed. However, after leaving the market, each of them might become prey for others. This place was suitable for anyone to ambush and rob.

Qiaoqiao had acquired this knowledge during their journey.

"Master, should we go back in?" Jue Ming was also worried.

"He should be coming out soon. The marketplace is vast, it would be inconvenient for him to find us. Also, the way back is not short, if we try finding each other, we would only end up wasting time." Lin Ziyin looked at the people by her side, estimated their strength in numbers, and gathered courage.

She and Si Jinhan had agreed to meet at the entrance of the market.

The place they were standing was not too far from the market, if anything happened, they could retreat back to the market.

"Master, we should go." Batu urged Alhatu. Apparently, they were not going to learn any useful methods from the young fair-skinned man from the north, and his prince showed no signs of forcing their answers either. Batu thought staying here any longer was pointless.

"Young man, my invitation still stands, if you pass by the North Country, do visit my house. When you reach the biggest brewery in the Northern Land, tell them you’re here to see Togo, someone will guide you to my residence." Even as he left, Alhatu’s amicability towards Lin Ziyin did not wane.

"I’ll remember." When someone persistently shows you goodwill, one often finds it hard to refuse, and so did Lin Ziyin.

Alhatu was evidently very pleased with her response, "It’s fate that we met today. We depart today but may meet again in the future. Farewell."

Lin Ziyin waved him away impatiently.

Alhatu rode away with his guards.

"What kind of people are they?" Lin Ziyin grumbled impatiently, feeling relieved. Their sudden appearance and inexplicable friendliness was suspicious, she thought. In her view, unwarranted kindness often equated to ulterior motives.

Therefore, in her opinion, Alhatu was not a good person.

"Master." Just as she heaved a sigh of relief, Qiaoqiao shouted in surprise, while Jue Ming and the other guards drew their weapons.

"Master, let’s retreat back to the market." Jue Hui shouted.

Lin Ziyin looked up to see clouds of dust swirling toward them. The distant Alhatu and his guards were fighting a group of masked men in black, and from the looks of it, they were trying to take refuge in the market as well.

We’ve been ambushed! This was Lin Ziyin’s first thought.

Chapter 235: Chapter 235 Human Debt(1)_1

"Protect Master Lin and return to the market." Jue Ming acted decisively, pulling out his sword.

Jue Hui and others also immediately stood in front of Lin Ziyin. Qiaoqiao guarded her on horseback, her face pale. The girl had trained in martial arts, but she had never actually killed anyone before.

But on the battlefield ahead, several black-clothed figures had already been killed or injured, the strong smell of blood was overpowering.

"We cannot delay any longer." Jue Hui reminded Lin Ziyin in a low voice.

Lin Ziyin nodded, turned her horse around, and prepared to enter the market. There were too many black-clothed figures, only in the market would she truly be safe. Moreover, even with Jue Ming and others defending her, she could be a liability.

"It seems we can’t get in." But when they actually turned their horses around intending to abandon their rescue efforts, they found that the market entrance was blocked by another group of black-clothed figures. Sensing the danger, the gates of the market had been closed.

"Let us enter." Some people dressed in commoners’ clothes cried out loudly. Judging by their attire, they were ordinary people from the Northern Land.

"Kill them." An order was given by the black-clothed figures blocking the market entrance, they immediately charged forward on their horses.

Lin Ziyin and her party suddenly found themselves at the center, surrounded on all sides, like a lamb to the slaughter.

"We’re truly out of luck." Lin Ziyin gave a bitter smile, "Jue Hui, the safety of those people is in your hands."

Seeing that amongst the commoners was a child who appeared to be only seven or eight years old, Lin Ziyin couldn’t bear to see them get killed.

"Young Brother, it seems our fates are tied together." While fighting against the black-clothed figures, Alhatu surprisingly found the inclination to jest with those on Lin Ziyin’s side.

Lin Ziyin stayed silent, her eyes fixed warily on the black-clothed figures.

She had made up her mind; as long as the black-clothed figures did not provoke her team, she would choose to remain a bystander, to watch the unfolding chaos.

"Be careful." Suddenly, Alhatu, who was fighting fiercely, cried out, charging towards the commoners on his horse.

Following his movement, Lin Ziyin and her group turned to see that some black-clothed figures were charging towards the commoners as well. The commoners cried out in fear, the child crying most severely as a black-clad figure lifted a mighty blade over his head.

Lin Ziyin frowned. Hui Ming and others, anxious to rescue them, were still worried about Lin Ziyin’s safety.

With a clang, Alhatu blocked the attack against the child with his own sword in the nick of time.

"Hurry up and run with the child." While angrily killing his enemies, Alhatu also reminded the commoners.

The rescued commoners looked at the closed gate, and the black-clothed figures guarding it, clenched their teeth, picked up the child and bolted towards the outskirts.

But the black-clothed figures did not give them an opportunity, as Alhatu was held back, more black-clothed figures moved in.

"Master, watch out." At the same time, black-clothed figures attacked from Lin Ziyin’s side as well.

Jue Hui galloped towards the commoners on his horse, he had to ensure the safety of the commoners.

Jue Ming and others weren’t idle either; they were engaged in a fierce battle with the black-clothed figures in no time.

Lin Ziyin remained calm and composed, standing shoulder to shoulder with Qiaoqiao, evaluating the situation on the battlefield.

"Master, catch." Snatching a sword from an enemy, Jue Ming tossed it to Lin Ziyin.

Lin Ziyin caught it effortlessly, continuing to stand motionless.

Despite their numbers, it seemed that the black-clothed figures were not targeting Lin Ziyin or the commoners. Seeing that Lin Ziyin’s group was not to be trifled with, they soon abandoned the idea of attacking Lin Ziyin and focused on engaging Alhatu and his group.