Ch. 541..545: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 541-545

Chapter 541: Chapter 541: War Begins (6)_1

Lin Ziyin smiled at him, "Isn’t Officer Mei worried about tiring the young lords by bringing his whole family?"

"Let them get some exercise to understand the hardships of the people. Only then will they be able to truly empathize with the people when they hold official positions in the future." Mei Hanqing replied in a reasonable manner.

Lin Ziyin nodded, appreciating his perspective, foreseeing that the young lords of the Mei family would make great officials.

Even Lady Mei and Miss Mei werent’t idling around, they were carrying hot water with their maids. In the distance, servants from various residences were busily working.

Lin Ziyin finally understood Chu Suifeng’s words; that’s how the manpower was acquired.

"Big corn." Si Tingwei, with his face dripping with sweat, brought several large corns over to Lin Ziyin, "Princess, can we fry some corn to eat today?"

"No," Lin Ziyin answered with a smile, "It’s too old. The tenderest ones are used for stir-fries and boilings, these can only be used as a source of food. Of course, they can be used to make popcorn."

"What’s popcorn?" Si Tingwei asked curiously, "Is it delicious?"

"Delicious, a taste of butter that one would never tire of." Lin Ziyin replied with a chuckle, "However, now’s the harvest season and there’s not enough time to make popcorn for you. You’ll have to wait for it."

"Just use the ones I peeled." He grabbed his basket and scurried after Lin Changting.

"Although it’s coarse grain, the yield is very large." Chu Suifeng’s face was filled with a constant smile.

"Officer Mei, do you intend to plant corn or rice next year?" Lin Ziyin jokingly asked.

"Whatever the princess wants." Mei Hanqing replied with a smile, "Ideally, we would like to plant a bit of everything."

Despite his family’s brief time in the Northern Land, he considered allowing the servants to develop the land. The Northern Land had vast lands and was not short of soil. Mei Hanqing had already planned on buying some slaves specifically to cultivate the fields.

Many hands make light work. After a day, rows of corn fell. The children, intrigued by Lin Ziyin, asked the adults to peel a corn stalk for them to nibble on. Unexpectedly, the corn stalk was sweet and had a unique taste that everyone enjoyed.

Seeing this, the adults also followed suit.

"All these will be feed for the old ox in the winter, so be conservative." Long Feishou made a joke with everyone. Everyone laughed upon realizing they were competing with the old ox for food.

Two manors worked together, and after seven or eight days, the corn harvest was finally completed. Then everyone got busy with the soybean harvest while the machinery went to harvest the rice.

Everyone’s main concern was rice because for the people of the Northern Land, it was a luxury. Everyone wanted to see how much yield per acre of rice there was. Many experienced farmers have already made their guesses, predicting at least eight stones per acre given the growth of the rice.

Some guessed the yield might be even higher.

Lin Ziyin also estimated that the yield per acre could reach more than eight hundred catties, but in reality, the initial harvest of the dried rice has reached a thousand catties per acre.

This yield was high!

"How can it be so high? Unbelievable, unbelievable." Mei Hanqing held the sparkling golden rice, so overjoyed that he was nearly laughing aloud, at the same time tears streaming down his face, "Heaven helps those who help themselves."

Seeing such a high yield, Lin Ziyin was very pleased. The land was fertile, supported by organic manure from the pig, cattle, and chicken farms. Plus, the seeds sown were all plump and high-quality grains. A good harvest was expected.

Although this yield was still far from that of modern day per-acre yield, she was very satisfied.

"Miss, next year when we send people from Si Family’s manor to learn, you must not withhold any information." Si Jinyu came over, speaking with a laugh.

Chapter 542: Chapter 542: War Begins (7)_1

"Someone from our Wu Family has also come over."

...

Due to the servants from various residences coming in large numbers, some young ladies and gentlemen also followed. First, they wanted to show their face before Chu Suifeng, hoping to curry favor. Second, this was a command from Chu Suifeng, and they dared not disobey. Third, these ambitious young individuals wanted to learn something. Food is vital, especially in the Northern Land, and every residence has its farmland. If the harvest is fruitful, spending the silver would also be easier for them.

Despite their being forced to labor, Chu Suifeng was stingy and completely ignored their meals. The masters of the various residences also turned a blind eye, merely bringing meals onsite. Given the ample space available, they set up crude earth stoves using their pots. A pot of cooked rice and some fried meat sufficed to get by.

The servants who came to work didn’t dare to complain. They were helpless. The Prince had issued an edict that every residence should send people to labor free of charge during the harvest season, and no residence was allowed to shirk the duty. They were effectively offering involuntary labor.

"Sister-in-law, there’s no need to worry. All the grain has been stored in the warehouse." Lin Ziyin came home and heard that Guo Huiniang couldn’t sit still and kept worrying about the things in the field, so she had to take the maid over. At the beginning of the autumn harvest, Guo Huiniang had added another male member to the Lin Family. The little fellow was quite fat, weighing a full seven jin, more than a jin heavier than Zige’s daughter.

Wu Dayou was rather unhappy when he found out. He went home and insisted that Zige eat more, believing that she had lost out during her pregnancy. He made Zige both laugh and cry with his fussing.

"There’s no need to take such a long confinement. When I birthed Yanzhi, I was back in the fields in three days. Where is all this pampering coming from? It’s been half a month."

"The matters in the field are being taken care of by Yu Shaohui and the others; you don’t need to worry about it. You should just focus on recuperating and taking care of the baby." Lin Ziyin looked at the baby in the cradle, her face full of smiles. "Take this opportunity to regain your strength."

Seeing her serious expression, Guo Huiniang could only nod her head.

The yield of the fields in Shili Village was quickly passed on to the Tatars by Ma Zhicai. As soon as the Tatars got the accurate news, they immediately rushed back.

When Ma Zhicai returned to the village from Feng City, he looked at Chu Suifeng and Lin Ziyin standing not far away and couldn’t help but sneer.

"Your Highness, the situation at the border is urgent." Three days later, a guard riding a fast horse appeared before Chu Suifeng. "A secret letter from the general."

Chu Suifeng quickly scanned the letter, his face immediately darkening. "Great, this time I’ll make sure they don’t return."

"Send out the order to summon General Wu to mobilize the troops to Border City. Get the monk soldiers at Ding’an Temple ready." Chu Suifeng gave out his order. "Summon Luo Yan and the rest to see me immediately."

Soon, the butler, Luo Yan, and a man wearing a mask appeared before the Prince.

"You two stay and guard Feng City. This time I am going to Border City myself." Chu Suifeng gave his orders. "The matters of the Wang Residence are to be managed by you."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Rest assured, Your Highness. I will handle all the miscellaneous affairs in Feng City." Mei Hanqing, Wa Jie, and the others all wore serious expressions on their faces.

The armies in and around Feng City were immediately mobilized. News of this soon reached Lin Ziyin back at the estate.

"What? You’re also going with the Prince to Border City?" Lin Changshu and Guo Huiniang both looked at Lin Ziyin in surprise.

"The Prince is going to carry out official business; don’t go there to disturb him." In the eyes of Lin Changshu, although his sister is skilled, she is a woman after all. A war zone is a cruel place. How could that be a place for her?

"Let her go." The old master interjected. "I and your brother and sister-in-law are here at home. Nothing will happen. After the autumn harvest, the villagers can go back to work normally."

"Grandfather, don’t worry. The Prince and I will be sure to return safely." Lin Ziyin comforted the old man. To this wise old man, she felt guilty in her heart. The path she chose always caused worry for him. In essence, she was unfilial as a granddaughter.

"Grandfather..." Lin Changshu began to feel anxious.

"Older brother, I know what I’m doing. In the future, you’ll be the brother of the Princess and should strive to have a broader perspective." Lin Ziyin smiled at him.

The old master sighed slightly. If it had been the original Lin Family, Changshu, as the eldest son, would not have had such a short-sighted view and would not have had such a shallow understanding of problems. However, since the death of his son, all the burdens of the family fell on Changshu, the eldest grandson. Where was the time for teaching? Country folk are always busy with meals, the child did his best under the circumstances.

The old master felt heavy-hearted.

Lin Changshu opened his mouth, unsure of what to say, and eventually could only grit his teeth and agree. "Don’t worry, your brother and I will handle everything at home. I may not be good at anything else, but I can keep house."

"Older brother and sister-in-law are both excellent. Thank you." Lin Ziyin thanked them, grasping their hands.

"Go ahead, don’t keep the Prince waiting." The old master hastened her.

Lin Ziyin nodded and immediately arranged for someone to get ready. She had already chosen the individuals who would accompany her this time: Hong Ying, Lun Luo, Jue Hui, and Jue Xin would be more than enough.

Chapter 543: Chapter 543: Frontier (1)_1

They were not going out for recreation and hence, did not need to bring too many things. However, because Border City was about to go to war with the Tatars soon, some special and essential items had to be prepared.

"Everyone should bring sleeve arrows and crossbows," said Lin Ziyin.

"Yes." Jue Hui replied, "Don’t worry, miss. Everything has been prepared."

Lin Ziyin nodded her head. At that moment, Qiaoqiao came over, her eyes red. She was holding a large bundle in her hands, containing some of Ziyin’s clothes for changing. This time, Lin Ziyin was going to Border City without taking Qiaoqiao with her. Qiaoqiao was both anxious and powerless, knowing that she was not taken along due to her limited abilities and Ziyin’s concern for her safety.

As the missy’s personal maid, Qiaoqiao could not be more worried about Lin Ziyin’s trip to Border City.

"Miss, I have prepared all your clothes for you to change. Please be careful once you reach Border City." As she spoke, tears of worry rolled down her cheeks and her voice choked up.

"Why are you crying?" Lin Ziyin smiled at her, "I am not going to the battlefield, so stop worrying. I may even be back after a while."

Qiaoqiao nodded vigorously, "Miss, you will surely return safely."

Then, she turned to Jue Hui and Jue Xin, "Both of you, protect the miss and ensure her safety."

"Don’t worry, we will certainly ensure that the miss returns safely," Jue Hui reassured her.

Jue Xin was rather silent, but he nodded at her, a silent promise. They were all part of the Lin family’s household, and Qiaoqiao, being Ziyin’s personal maid, was someone they were familiar with. Hence, they did not stand on ceremony with one another.

Hong Ying and Lun Luo, who were standing aside, felt rather awkward. As maids, they were never supposed to be away from Lin Ziyin. In theory, Qiaoqiao should have reminded them to take good care of Lin Ziyin.

However, Qiaoqiao preferred to trust Jue Hui and Jue Xin, and she did not remind Hong Ying and Lun Luo, indicating that they were untrustworthy in her eyes, or at the very least, less trustworthy than Jue Hui and Jue Xin.

The reason Qiaoqiao did not trust them was probably that she thought they were the Prince’s people, and therefore, in any difficult situation, they would surely place the Prince first. In Qiaoqiao’s eyes, Lin Ziyin held the prime importance.

With this comparison hanging between them, both Hong Ying and Lun Luo felt a little guilty. They secretly resolved to prove their loyalty in the future to gain acceptance from the people in the manor.

"Yu Shaohui and Jue Ming are to be responsible for everything in the manor. For the matters related to the clinic, only the doctor is to make the decisions." The Lin family had many and varied businesses. In the manor, Lin Ziyin placed her trust in the Yu family and a few others such as Jue Ming. Since Jue Ming and Shaohui had been involved in managing all the businesses at this point, they both had a handle on the current situation. Also, Lin Ziyin was confident that if she left these businesses in their hands, she could leave the manor without worries.

"Miss, take care." Yu Shaohui and Jue Ming both looked at her anxiously.

"Take good care of the miss." Jue Ming told Jue Hui and Jue Xin solemnly.

"Don’t worry, big brother. We will ensure that miss returns safely," Jue Xin replied.

"Miss, why not take Jue Yuan and Jue Wu along as well?" Jue Ming was really concerned, thinking that Lin Ziyin had too few people she could count on around her.

"We have a bountiful harvest in the manor and also the workshops. Who knows how many people are eyeing us with greedy intentions? Don’t let your guard down; you must arrange for patrols every day. We cannot afford to lack manpower," Lin Ziyin said sternly.

"Yes, Miss," Jue Ming responded, "Don’t worry, Miss. Everything has been arranged."

Lin Ziyin nodded, "If anything happens, get in contact with Hei Yi."

Chapter 544: Chapter 544 Border (2)_1

"Yes." Yu Shaohui responded as well. In his heart, he hoped more fervently that he’d be able to guard alongside Lin Ziyin, but the affairs of the manor were also vital. He understood that everything in the manor was ’the young miss’s’ hard work. Naturally, he would protect the manor on her behalf in her absence.

Whosoever dared to dare harbor thoughts about the manor, don’t blame him for being ruthless.

Lin Ziyin arranged the business and matters regarding the land and then went out to bid her family goodbye.

Zige was still in confinement after childbirth, amongst her siblings, she was the most impatient. Lin Ziyin simply decided to have the family keep it from her, not letting her know that she was heading to the Northern Land. As for the people in the manor, she low-keyed it and did not disclose a single detail.

Lin Changshu was worried sick, yet was busily preparing the carriage for her. Guo Huiniang was concerned, and Lin Ziyin comforted her for a long time before she finally left with Congyi, who had come to pick her up.

Chu Suifeng had left the city, waiting for her at the entrance of Ding’an Temple, while the army of more than ten thousand men destined for Border City was also standing by in the vicinity.

"Your Highness." Congyi went over to report.

But Chu Suifeng didn’t wait for him to continue speaking, and instead took the initiative to come forward.

When Lin Ziyin left the house, she wasn’t wearing women’s clothes. She had changed into men’s attire, dressed in a long green gown, her black hair simply tied up with a white ribbon, appearing like a weak scholar from afar.

Her appearance was unremarkable, and her attire not extraordinary either. She would not stand out amongst the crowd.

Many soldiers did not know that this weak youth was their future prince’s wife. Many of them were curious about Chu Suifeng’s eager attitude as they came up to meet her and secretly speculated about Lin Ziyin’s identity.

"Little girl, are you going too?" Master Hui Zhen asked her, smiling.

"Yes, I’m going to go take a look." Lin Ziyin responded with a smile, "It seems that, Master Hui Zhen, you’re also going along."

"Naturally." Master Hui Zhen nodded. Behind him was a group of martial monks. These monks and the soldiers are different; they all recognized Lin Ziyin. Quite often they joined Hui Zhen at the Lin family for free meals and drinks, and they began practicing dissection and suturing square wounds at the Medical College per Lin Ziyin’s suggestion. That’s when Golden Ulcer Surgery really began.

Now the Golden Ulcer Surgery performed by the medicinal monks has shown considerable improvement compared to before.

Most of the wounds that soldiers suffered on the battlefield were external. The Golden Ulcer Surgery could save the lives of many soldiers to a large degree.

Even though Lin Ziyin didn’t possess medical skills, the respect these medicinal monks had for her was not in the slightest diminished. Because she had brought new changes to the medicinal monks of Ding’an Temple.

"You sit in the carriage. I’ll ride a horse." Chu Suifeng softly advised her. In the face of a major enemy, there was no time for their tender affection.

"Don’t worry about me. Even if I had to ride a horse, I could." Lin Ziyin replied in a low voice. She knew what she had to do when she went to Border City. She wasn’t going there to enjoy herself. Naturally, she would choose to share in the soldiers’ hardships.

But Chu Suifeng didn’t give her the chance, "Ride in the carriage."

Lin Ziyin wouldn’t openly defy his arrangements, she obediently nodded and entered the carriage.

The army promptly set off. Despite the large numbers, there was no chaos; discipline was strict.

Looking at the performance of the soldiers through the carriage window, Lin Ziyin inwardly sighed. Chu Suifeng’s strict requirements for his men were evident from the demeanor of the soldiers.

It was undeniable that Chu Suifeng really cared for Lin Ziyin, which was evident from the carriage arrangements. Probably to prevent the carriage from being too bumpy and Lin Ziyin from feeling uncomfortable, a rudimentary shock absorber had been installed under the wheels. In this alternative reality, such shock absorbers could be considered a luxury. Inside the carriage, thick quilts and blankets had been spread. On the side was a compartment that could flip out a small table with a delicate teapot and a hand warmer which could be used to heat water. There were even quite a few snacks available.

Chapter 545: Chapter 545: Frontier (3)_1

If it hadn’t been for the orderly army steps outside, this would’ve seemed as if they were simply going out for recreation. Apparently, the stern and unbiased King Ling also had a softer side with his beloved.

Since they were heading towards Border City, the marching soldiers seemed quite exhausted, as they had to run most of the time. Their resting time at noon was considerably short, and they all had to eat their own dry rations. Sometimes, they couldn’t even get any hot water.

"You’re quite good at keeping calm," Master Hui Zhen said, smiling as he sat on the grass and watched Lin Ziyin.

In her hands, Lin Ziyin held her ration too, which was relatively better than the others, consisting of pastries and snacks made in Shili Village. As it turned out, Chu Suifeng, her fiancé, did show a bit of favoritism towards her.

At this moment, Chu Suifeng, King Ling, was eating the same as all the soldiers were, holding a pancake stuffed with pickles and deep-fried dough sticks.

Lin Ziyin watched him, feeling somewhat melancholic, but she also understood. Since ancient times, the soldiers have always had it the toughest during an urgent march. Despite the difficult conditions, the soldiers enjoyed their meals.

These pancakes were her invention, and the pickles were made by the Lin family. Every soldier’s backpack also carried some duck eggs made by the people of Shili Village. Many of them were reluctant to eat these eggs, seeming to prefer the pickles.

"Why aren’t you eating?" Chu Suifeng asked her, remorse in his eyes. "We had to hurry, didn’t have time to cook. Once we reach Border City, I’ll have Hong Ying make you more delicious dishes."

"Prince, you can’t forget about me just because you have a beauty by your side," Master Hui Zhen joked, holding a pancake in one hand and smiling.

"Master Uncle will be properly looked after," Chu Suifeng replied casually, taking the hot water Lin Ziyin had poured for him.

Master Hui Zhen laughed heartily, winking at Lin Ziyin. "Don’t be stingy, make sure I get a share too."

"Rest assured, Master. If I eat, your share won’t be missed," answered Lin Ziyin with a gentle smile, pouring a cup of hot water for him.

The guards sitting next to Chu Suifeng watch Lin Ziyin’s hot water with eyes full of envy, but none of them dares to ask Lin Ziyin to pour any water for them.

After resting for half an hour at noon, the army sets off again.

Bored in the cart, Lin Ziyin pulls out a miscellaneous book about Border City.

"Don’t read in the car, you’ll harm your eyes," Chu Suifeng warns her in a low voice. "If you’re bored, just close your eyes and take a nap. You’ll likely get uncomfortable sleep at night."

"Alright, I will sleep once I’ve read enough," Lin Ziyin replied, her book still in her hand. Years ago, she too, had experienced camping and combat with soldiers. But now, that seemed like a distant memory.

The marching troop maintains an even pace. When it gets too dark to see the road, the army halts near a water source.

Having had simple meals during the day, fires light up around them in the evening, creating a makeshift kitchen in the field, so the aroma of delicious food fills the air.

"Miss, here are your noodles," both Hong Ying and Lun Luo say as they each bring over a plate.

In the plates were a few bowls with hot steaming noodles covered with some slices of cured meat, and some vibrant green vegetables nestled within the noodles.

In this wilderness, having such a bowl of noodles was quite a treat.

The soldiers enjoyed their meals, while Lin Ziyin and Chu Suifeng sat together, eating noodles with smiles on their faces. Their spot was the quietest, no soldier dared to disturb them. Even Master Hui Zhen refrained from approaching them, knowing the situation quite well.