Ch. 266..270: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 266-270

Chapter 266: Chapter 266 Hatred After Humiliation (4)_1

"In response to the Prince, the old Madam is doing relatively well, but she has been constantly worrying about the Prince. However, she doesn’t allow anyone from our residence to disturb the Prince." Li Jieyong answered respectfully.

"Tell the old Madam that I will visit her at Li Residence when I find the time." When speaking about the old Madam, Chu Suifeng’s tone was much softer.

"Yes, I will definitely convey the Prince’s words to the old Madam." Li Jieyong gave him a polite bow and turned to Lin Ziyin, "My main purpose here today is to apologize to Miss Lin, if there was any mistake on my part, I hope you will not take it to heart."

"I won’t take it to heart. As I’ve said before, it was all a misunderstanding. If we meet on the business field in the future, let’s continue as friends." Lin Ziyin replied with a light laugh.

In the business field, who has true friends? Li Jieyong didn’t expose her cunning, he had lost enough face for today and he was afraid of what other astonishing words his big brother would say if he continued to stay.

"Naturally. In that case, I shall take my leave." After speaking, he respectfully bowed to everyone present.

Li Jiesong hardly dared to breath. He understood that he had misspoke again, so he quickly followed his brother’s actions and after bowing, he left abruptly.

"You’re doing well, it seems everyone is thinking about you." Si Jinhan grinned at her.

"Don’t look at me with such an admiring gaze, I can’t take it." Lin Ziyin said indifferently.

"Amitabha." Master Hui Zhen joined his palms together and began with a smiling face, "Young girl, you are smart and bright, better than him by ten thousand times, he admires you like the ceaseless northern river, you should accept it."

Si Jinhan, who was the victim of their combined ridicule, his face darkened. He damned well didn’t admire this wench! "You say I’m gasping because you said I have a big face."

"Thank you for the compliment." Lin Ziyin replied with a thick skin.

Chu Suifeng watched the interaction between the two, furrowing his brows in displeasure, "I heard you have a set of close combat skills?"

"I don’t even have Inner Strength, let alone close combat skills. Whoever is spreading rumors, say it and I’ll kill them." Lin Ziyin was even more displeased.

After arriving in the ancient times, she just wanted to live her small days peacefully for the sake of her family.

Chu Suifeng’s visit was clearly to make her do something.

"The majority of soldiers on the border don’t have Inner Strength either. They rely on melee when they go to battle. Can you bear to watch those young men die on the battlefield?" Si Jinhan, ignoring her stern look, tried to arouse her emotions with a smiling face.

"As a soldier, you must be ready to die for the country at any time. If they die in battle, what can I, a girl, do about it?" Lin Ziyin responded indifferently.

Cunning girl! Si Jinhan despised her cunning.

Master Hui Zhen, however, continued to watch her with a smile, "Little girl, you’re right, those who are willing to die, what can you do about it. I’m going to the mountain to pick herbs, it’s five shares for tonight."

After saying that, he held up five fingers.

Lin Ziyin nodded with a smile

Master Hui Zhen eyes narrowed into slits, he increasingly liked this girl. Young girls are good and unlike those young men who are so vibrant, and constantly talking about fighting and killing.

Mo Chu Suifeng was silent before suddenly stretching out his hand towards Lin Ziyin, aiming directly at her neck.

In the face of danger, Lin Ziyin instinctively leaned back, flipped over the back of the chair, and after stabilizing herself knelt behind it. Using the chair as a shield, Chu Suifeng’s outstretched hand latched onto the chair back.

"Little wench, still saying you can’t do it?" Si Jinhan watched her and said with a grin.

Chapter 267: Chapter 267 Hatred After Humiliation (5)_1

Damn it, thwarted by a plan.

Lin Ziyin slightly knitted her brows.

"Preserve my anonymity, and in return, I’ll give you exactly a month to teach me," Chu Suifeng stared at her intently.

His gaze was extremely sharp.

Strictly speaking, Lin Ziyin was not very familiar with Chu Suifeng, but she was familiar with his kind of gaze and status. Back in the modern world, Chen Yue, her only male friend, was not stand out among many outstanding soldiers because of his family background, but the persistence and tenacity of going all out to achieve his goal and the chillingly unscrupulous means just like Chu Suifeng.

Lin Ziyin could predict that if she didn’t agree to Chu Suifeng’s request, the Prince had many ways to make her suffer and disrupt the peace of the Lin family.

"My knowledge is not vast, Prince. If you are willing to learn, I will not hold back. However, whether it will be of use, I cannot guarantee," Lin Ziyin clarified in advance and agreed to push the boat along the water.

"I will move into your estate. I have heard that the people from your estate practice martial arts in the training ground every day. I will also bring my men there," Chu Suifeng spoke indifferently.

"Agreed," Lin Ziyin concurred.

"Little girl, prepare my meals for tonight. I have been a bother these past few days," Si Jinhan chuckled.

"As long as you’ve paid the dining fee, Third Master, you’re welcome to eat as you please," Lin Ziyin casually responded.

"Why doesn’t the Great Monk have to pay any money?" Si Jinhan questioned discontentedly.

"Monks lead a life of detachment, so you should not measure the Great Monk by worldly standards," Lin Ziyin responded succinctly as a former military school professor. Her previous timid and weak demeanor was simply because of her lack of self-confidence.

However, with Chu Suifeng and Master Hui Zhen by her side now, who would dare claim she lacked confidence? Now that she had it, she certainly wouldn’t accept the humiliation from Si Jinhan.

"Ha ha ha, you really are not playing by the rules," Hui Zhen laughed heartily, the look in his eyes towards Si Jinhan already showed clear displeasure.

Si Jinhan felt a shiver run through him, already regretting his words - he had forgotten that the most narrow-minded monk in Ding’an Temple was Hui Zhen.

"Master." Before he could finish, his face morphed into an expression of horror, "I apologize, Master."

At this point, Lin Ziyin heard his non-stop laughter, not one of pleasure, but a bitter laugh from someone unable to control their own body.

In a moment of surprise, Lin Ziyin realized that there really was something in the world like the mythical laughter-inducing powder. If her old friend were here, he would definitely be eager to exchange research notes with the Great Monk.

"I apologize." Si Jinhan continued to apologize repeatedly.

But Hui Zhen had already fled to the doorway, "Girl, if he dares to bully you again, I’ll teach him a lesson for you."

"Thank you, Master," Lin Ziyin replied with a smile, "I apologize for leaving abruptly, Prince, Third Master. I need to go to the workshop. Excuse me."

Brothers Li Jiesong and Li Jieyong left the Lin family’s estate and went straight back to the city in their own carriage.

"That little girl doesn’t know what’s good for her, she dares to dismiss our Li Family," Li Jiesong attacked in his mind after losing face in front of Chu Suifeng, "I’ll show her, even with the protection of the Prince and the Si family, if she offends our Li family, she will not be able to run her business for long."

"Big brother, you’re speaking nonsense again," Li Jieyong, who was embarrassed due to his brother’s antics today, was growing annoyed. Hearing his threats, he was even angrier. "Did you forget the Prince’s warning? If you dare to move against the Lin Family, the Prince won’t let us get away with it."

 

Chapter 268: Chapter 268 Hatred After Humiliation (6)_1

"You’re really foolish, Chu Suifeng is our cousin. With our ancestors and father around, how could he possibly make life difficult for us? Can’t you distinguish between relatives and outsiders?" Li Jiesong seemed to have already forgotten the warning Chu Suifeng had given him at the Lin Residence.

Li Jieyong shook his head as he looked at him, realizing that he couldn’t get through to his obstinate brother. No wonder Yu Shi had such a firm grip on him. It was better to wait until they got home and discuss with their father and second uncle, to see how they could resolve the mess their eldest brother had somehow gotten them into.

If they should sell a small part of the businesses in the south of the city?

Thinking of Chu Suifeng’s tone while speaking, devoid of any emotion, and his eyes filled with murderous aura, Li Jieyong felt that Chu Suifeng’s patience with the Li family seemed to have reached its limit.

"Ah." Just as Li Jieyong was lost in thought, the carriage suddenly started to sway from side to side.

"What’s going on?" He rubbed his head, which had bumped into the roof of the carriage in anger, while the excessively theatrical Li Jiesong was furiously cursing the coachman from the other side.

"Eldest and second young masters, I don’t know why the horses have been spooked." The coachman at the front answered in a panic, "It’s terrible, I can’t control the horses at all. Young masters, what should we do?"

"Why would the horses be spooked?" Li Jiesong was furious, and he lifted the curtain to take a look outside.

Li Jieyong followed his gaze in surprise, indeed, the two horses pulling the carriage were running wild and the coachman wasn’t able to control them at all.

The carriage picked up speed. Thankfully the road was laid with flagstones and even though the ride was getting bumpy, the usually pampered brothers could not bear it. Li Jiesong felt as if his internal organs were being jolted out of place. He felt nauseous.

Li Jieyong wasn’t much better off than his brother, however, he was far more composed compared to Li Jiesong. "Don’t panic, try to slowly tighten the rein and calm the horses."

"I can’t hold them back, second young master." The coachman was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. If anything were to happen to the two young masters of the Li family, his life wouldn’t be enough to compensate for their loss. His entire family, who also worked at the Li Residence, would also suffer the consequences. He was a breadwinner with a whole family depending on him.

"Let me try." Not willing to sit and wait for death, Li Jieyong tried to suppress his discomfort, attempting to move closer to the coachman.

"Second young master, it’s dangerous." Suddenly, the coachman let out a loud yell, his voice filled with terror.

Li Jieyong looked up and was absolutely horrified. There was a bend in the road ahead, and given the way the horses were running, a carriage crash was inevitable.

"Eldest brother, be careful." He warned Li Jiesong, who was still complaining in the back.

Just as Li Jiesong stuck his head out to see what was going on, everything went dark in front of his eyes.

"Damn it." A roar of fury, followed by the sound of clanking and crashing.

"It hurts so much." When he opened his eyes again, Li Jiesong found himself dangling from a tree branch. Looking around, he saw the coachman clutching his stomach, lying on the ground motionless. It was Li Jieyong who was in the worst state, his leg was gashed open by a branch, and the blood flowing out had soaked his entire trouser leg.

"Second brother." Although Li Jiesong was not always the most serious person, he cared deeply for his younger brother. Seeing Li Jieyong injured, he ignored his own wounds, jumped down from the tree, and immediately used his own clothes to bandage Li Jieyong’s leg.

"How is it, can you bear it?"

"It’s okay, it’s just a superficial wound. It hasn’t reached the muscles or bones" Li Jieyong managed to answer through gritted teeth.

"How the hell were you driving this carriage?" Li Jiesong thought about finding horses, but the horses had vanished after the accident. It was impossible for them now even if they wanted to ride back. Furious, Li Jiesong walked over to the coachman and violently kicked him.

Chapter 269: Chapter 269 Hatred After Humiliation (7)_1

The coachman had already taken a hard fall, and the kick sent him tumbling even harder on the ground.

"Stop it, big brother." Seeing Li Jiesong was about to kick again, Li Jieyong, with a stern face, stopped him.

"Don’t blame him, we brought this on ourselves." Although Li Jieyong was injured in the leg, his mind was still clear.

"Who dares to conspire against our Li family? They’re seeking death." Li Jiesong had yet to comprehend what was happening.

"Even though Master Hui Zhen from Ding’an Temple is a monk, he has always been exempt from the temple’s discipline. He’s extremely vengeful. Your words at the Lin family today may have offended him." Li Jieyong thought back to the conversation at the Lin family, and replied bitterly.

"That old bald head, dare he?" Li Jiesong’s eyes turned red with fury.

"Mind your words." Li Jieyong was unsure if Hui Zhen was following them or whether a martial monk would appear from around them. "Be careful with your words, could it be the prince?"

Li Jieyong was almost unwilling to continue with this line of thought.

If the revenge was carried out by martial monks from Ding’an Temple, it wouldn’t be the worst outcome. Master Hui Zhen is just petty, at most causing the two brothers to suffer a bit and endure minor injuries. However, if the incident with the frightened horses was orchestrated by Chu Suifeng, then the Li family would be in deep trouble.

"How could it be our cousin?" Li Jiesong exclaimed.

"Stop calling him cousin, don’t forget, even in Feng City, there’s a hierarchy. The royal family values etiquette the most, it would be better for you to hold your tongue." Li Jieyong interrupted angrily. His brother had shown no improvement, spending his days fraternizing with improper women. He could barely count the women in the back of their house.

His brother had no other useful skills either.

The country comes before the family. If Chu Suifeng didn’t care, then one wrong address wouldn’t matter. However, if their lord and master at the residence was considered reckless, there would need to be careful consideration, especially with his brother’s character. And since their sister-in-law was also ignorant only prioritizing silver, along with their little sister’s arrogance and bossiness, Li Jieyong suddenly saw bleak prospects for the Li Residence.

"No way." The stern tone and expression of Li Jieyong frightened Li Jiesong, his legs involuntarily began to tremble.

If the prince didn’t look after them, what would become of their family?

Initially, for Consort Xian, their aunt, the Li family was banished from Capital City by the late emperor. It was clear that a return to the Capital City for the Li family was impossible. What was to be done?

Li Jiesong feared the loss of his lavish lifestyle the most.

"With grandmother around, the prince wouldn’t dare do anything to our household for the time being, but it would be best for us, as masters, to remain low-profile." Li Jieyong advised with a sigh. He had repeated these words countless times to his father and second uncle, but his father was blinded by the prospect of enormous profits and wouldn’t listen. If he kept saying it, it would only annoy him.

"Right, with grandmother around, the prince would never dare touch our family. Moreover, a prince without the support of his maternal family would be at a huge disadvantage, you’re just overthinking." Li Jiesong, reassured by the thought of their grandmother, broke into laughter and started patting Li Jieyong’s shoulder comfortingly.

Li Jieyong gave a bitter smile seeing that his heartfelt words only scared his brother for a brief moment.

In their family, perhaps only he and his grandmother understood the situation, but it was a pity that although his grandmother understood, she indulged the children in the family, causing turmoil in the Li family.

"Let’s go home. It’s no use sitting around here waiting." Li Jieyong shifted the topic with a bitter smile.

"If today’s incident was caused by that monk, when we get back home, watch how I tell father to deal with him." Li Jiesong grumbled but was forced to bend down and help Li Jieyong up.

The coachman, clutching his stomach, also came to help. The three of them started walking down the official road in a sorry state.

Luckily, this road was the official road to Ding’an Temple, so there were many coming and going carriages. They quickly managed to hitch a ride back to Feng City.

Upon their return to the residence, the sight of the disheveled brothers gave Marquis Li quite a shock. After hearing Li Jiesong’s exaggerated story, he was livid. "It’s just a minor country girl. She has a bit of connection with Ding An Temple and the prince, and now she thinks she’s invincible."

Despite the pain in his leg, Li Jieyong observed his father’s surging anger like he wanted to retaliate against the Lin family and quickly stepped in to mediate, "Father, big brother exaggerated a bit. Miss Lin isn’t unwilling to cooperate with us, but the soybean oil and bean products have agreements with the prince and Ding’an Temple. She dare not break the contract. Plus, the prince is already displeased with us."

As he spoke the last sentence, Li Jieyong’s voice dropped significantly. If possible, he would prefer not to mention Chu Suifeng’s warning to the Li family.

"Dissatisfied? What happened?" The Marquis was startled. His eldest son had only mentioned their dissatisfaction with the Lin family, but not Chu Suifeng’s dissatisfaction with them.

Left with no choice, Li Jieyong plucked up the courage to repeat Chu Suifeng’s words.

Upon hearing it, the Marquis instantly sat down in shock.

"Father, with grandmother around, our cousin, no, the prince, would not dare to take action against us." Li Jiesong said dismissively in the corner. In his opinion, Li Jieyong was too timid and had been scared too easily by Si Jinhan’s words.

Chapter 270: Chapter 270 Shocking (1)_1

As a former official in the royal court, the Marquis Li was certainly not as clueless as his eldest son. He was well aware of Chu Suifeng’s criticisms of him, his uncle, but he believed that as an uncle, he had contributed to Chu Suifeng’s rise to power. with the old grandmother still alive in his family, he believed Chu Suifeng would not do anything to him as long as he did not rebel and threaten the existence of Wang Residence.

Amassing wealth, what official did not love wealth. He was indeed a little greedy, but not irredeemable, nor did he pose a threat to the essence of the Northern Land. With this in mind, owning more stores in the south of the city or more estates in his hands was not a big deal at all.

But now, after hearing his second son recount the words of Chu Suifeng, he could not help but break out in a cold sweat.

Being high-profile attracts trouble, Si Jinhan’s words actually represented Chu Suifeng’s opinion. At present, Prince Ling had a deep opinion about the Li Family. What should the Li Family do? Should they play dumb and keep their wealth, or wisely avoid the spotlight?

"Father, I told you to marry Yanran into Wang Residence earlier but you didn’t listen." Li Jiesong, noting his father’s changing expression, grumbled unhappily. "Should we let the old grandmother mention it to the prince?"

"Quiet, what do you know?" It was only at this point that the Marquis Li realized his eldest son was indeed incapable of making decisions. He had no place to be reckless in front of Chu Suifeng, in front of Si Jinhan, or in front of Master Hui Zhen at Ding’an Temple. Even he, the titular Marquis, had to be humble and respect them. But his son not only was reckless, he had managed to offend everyone.

No further investigation was needed about today’s horse-scaring incident.

"We should find out who played tricks behind us and hurt me. Let me get hold of him, I will slash him into eighteen pieces." Li Jiesong was still rambling, wondering who hurt him.

"The matter of the startled horse stops here, no one else is to investigate further." Marquis Li coldly glanced at his eldest son and issued the command.

"Father." Li Jiesong was not content.

"What I said, I do not want to repeat a second time. If you dare to defy it, you’ll never touch any of the silver in this residence again." Looking at his son’s pretty face, the Marquis Li was so angry that his heart ached. It was only at a crucial time that he discovered that the only thing his eldest son had to show for himself was this face.

"How do you see the Prince’s words?" For the first time, he began to take his second son seriously.

Li Jieyong was a bit flattered, but he did not let it get to his head, "Do you have any good ideas, father?"

"Speak when I told you to." Marquis Li impatiently hurried him.

"I think, Si Jinhan’s words are actually a warning from Prince Ling to our Li Family. The rent for the stores in the south of the city is high, and the rentals imposed by my sister-in-law and mother are rather harsh. The merchants there have always had a low opinion of the Li Family. Other residences could hardly avoid being jealous of the Li Family. In the long run, this is bound to trigger public outrage. It might be better to give up some of the stores and change to other businesses." Li Jieyong articulated carefully.

On the road, he had actually contemplated a way out.

If the Li Residence did not show any intent after Prince Ling’s warning, it would only provoke Chu Suifeng’s further dissatisfaction.

"Why?" Once he heard about selling off the shops, Li Jiesong was the first to become unhappy, "We Li Family relied on our own abilities to establish that estate in the south of the city. So what if others are jealous? Are we supposed to be afraid of them?"

After hearing Li Jieyong’s words, Marquis Li remained silent for a long time.

Unlike the anger entwined with the Li Family, early in the morning, Chu Suifeng, as if nothing had happened, led his soldiers out for training. Their destination, however, was Shili Village.