Ch. 556..560: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 556-560

Chapter 556: Chapter 556: Surprise Attack (7)_1

"Yes, Prince."

"General Luo, keep defending with your men. The city is well-looked after by the third son and Xiao Yang." Chu Suifeng instructed again.

"Yes, Prince." Luo Heng responded respectfully. If the enemy tried to sneak attack, seeing him, the Chief Commander, they would certainly be confused.

All the generals had great respect for Lin Ziyin, which showed they were all aware of her identity, yet none of them dared to step forward and greet her.

After assessing the situation, Lin Ziyin descended with Hong Ying and the others. Chu Suifeng and Master Hui Zhen also came down with them.

"I still have some arrangements to make, you go back on your own, be careful." At the foot of the tower, Chu Suifeng said to her with concern. "If I don’t return at night, you don’t have to wait for me."

Lin Ziyin nodded, "Prince, please go about your business, I know how to take care of myself."

"Girl, I need to go to the army camp too. However, I will definitely come back for dinner at night." Master Hui Zhen said with a smile.

"We will definitely wait for you to return before we start dinner." Lin Ziyin also started to laugh.

The three people parted ways at the junction. After Lin Ziyin returned to her residence, she immediately asked Hong Ying to take out the things she brought with her.

Jue Ming and Jue Hui quickly carried over two heavy large boxes.

Lin Ziyin took out her tools and sat down with her four subordinates to start assembling the small devices. With these things, they might have a better chance against the Fire Bull Formation.

Although there were not many parts in the box, the four of them were busy until nightfall before they finished assembling them.

"What’s this gadget for?" asked Master Hui Zhen as he returned with a few martial monks.

Upon returning to the Residence, they hadn’t seen Lin Ziyin’s people, so they sent someone to inquire.

Lin Ziyin directed them directly to her courtyard. Looking at the items in the box, Master Hui Zhen couldn’t help but feel curious.

"Miss, are you planning to go hunting?" asked one of the martial monks jokingly.

"Almost." Lin Ziyin nodded.

"Against an old bull?" Hui Zhen asked with surprise.

Before Lin Ziyin could answer, he frowned, "A trap used for capturing wild beasts can be effective against wild beasts, but not against the Fire Bull Formation. The Tatars won’t be fooled by such an obvious trap."

Indeed, Master Hui Zhen spotted the problem straight away.

"This trap used for capturing wild beasts is different from usual traps." Lin Ziyin replied with a smile, "It is a hidden trap that can be buried in the ground. It can only be activated by pulling a hidden line. Moreover, it’s a linked line system. If used properly, its power is no small thing, and it can hold back a charging mad bull."

"Even if it’s a hidden line, it still needs someone to pull it. The Tatars are not fools, how could they just ignore the line?" Master Hui Zhen was not doubting Lin Ziyin’s ability. On the contrary, having spent a lot of time with Lin Ziyin, he knew her better than anyone. If she said these small devices would work, they definitely would. However, he didn’t know how they would be used and was especially curious.

"You will know when the time comes." Lin Ziyin playfully kept him in suspense.

While Master Hui Zhen was curious, seeing her unwilling to divulge, he did not press further.

As Chu Suifeng had not returned home, when it got very late, Lin Ziyin instructed the cook to start dinner without waiting for him. Of course, not knowing when Chu Suifeng would be back and in fear that he might be hungry, she instructed the kitchen to leave some food for him.

Even though she knew he was busy with public affairs and has yet to return, Lin Ziyin couldn’t help but be worried. It was the era of cold weapons, where battles were fought with physical strength and sharp weapons.

When you truly love someone, you can’t help but to worry about them. Lin Ziyin thought to herself with a bit of self-mockery, after arriving in the ancient times, she indeed experienced what it was like to live as a soldier’s wife.

When it was well into the night and Chu Suifeng hadn’t returned, Lin Ziyin decided to sleep. She had been busy for a long time and was already feeling worn out.

Seeing her finally willing to sleep, Hong Ying breath a sigh of relief and quickly helped her to tidy up. Only after she had washed up did she go to sleep.

Meanwhile, Hong Ying and Lun Luo slept on a small bed next to her. Given the unique circumstances of the Border City, the two girls were always at her side to protect her and didn’t dare let their guard down.

During the third watch of the night, Lin Ziyin, who was still half asleep, suddenly heard a massive commotion outside. She immediately sat up. Could it be an enemy attack already? The speed was too fast!

"Mistress." Seeing her sit up, Hong Ying immediately went to her, "Lun Luo has already gone out to find out what’s happening, she will be back soon."

"Mistress." As soon as she said that, Lun Luo rushed in hurriedly. "The Tatar spies and some traitors left in the city launched a surprise attack, they tried to start a fire to burn the city’s grain and food stores. The Prince led his men to fight them off."

"Has any harm come to the civilians?" Lin Ziyin asked with concern. She wasn’t worried about Chu Suifeng. He had told her in the afternoon that he might not return in the evening, which meant that he was aware of the surprise attack. As there were precautions taken and the invading forces were a surprise attack, their numbers couldn’t be too large. With Chu Suifeng’s skills, he certainly would be fine.

It’s just that there was such a big fire outside, she didn’t know if the civilians nearby would be affected?

"No concrete information is available yet." Lun Luo answered, "Mistress, don’t worry, with Prince, Mr. Situ, and the third son in the city, the damage should not be too great."

Chapter 557: Chapter 557 The Army Pressures the Territory (1)_1

Though it was the third watch of the night—the time when sleep is heaviest—so much had transpired outside, and everyone had been awakened. Lin Ziyin was certain she would not return to bed.

She entered the front yard to find that truly, everyone in the residence was awake—Master Hui Zhen and several medicinal monks were congregated in the main hall. Outside, the black-armored soldiers stood in solemn formation, the atmosphere thick with tension.

The entire residence was on high alert.

"Master Hui Zhen, what’s the situation outside?" Lin Ziyin asked with a note of worry.

"I’ve sent Liao Kong and the others to gather information. They should be back soon." In front of Master Hui Zhen sat a pot of steaming tea, indicating no sign of worry. "Young Lady, would you like a cup?"

Lin Ziyin didn’t ordinarily have tea this late, even more so when she was fraught with worry. Shaking her head, she flatly refused. "No thank you. I am worried the fire might catch onto the civilians’ homes."

"Worrying will do no good. You can’t leave." Master Hui Zhen cast her a glance. The reason Chu Suifeng had had asked him to stay was because he was worried about Ziyin’s safety. Should he let her go out now, he would be lacking the courage to accept the consequences.

In reality, Lin Ziyin was not as reckless as he thought. She felt worry, but had no intentions of going outside.

Seeing her tense expression, Master Hui Zhen sighed in relief. "Aren’t you worried about Prince Ling?" he asked curiously.

"With Prince’s skills, there’s no need for me to worry," Lin Ziyin retorted with a roll of her eyes. "Shouldn’t monks remain detached from worldly matters? Why is this old monk here so curious about everything?"

"You do keep a broad mind," Master Hui Zhen smirked, completely unfazed by the verbal spar with the young girl.

In Master Hui Zhen’s deliberate attempts to lighten the mood, Lin Ziyin’s unease eased off somewhat.

Slightly, the noises outside started to die down. By the break of dawn, Chu Suifeng returned looking entirely worn out.

"Draw bathwater for the Prince," Lin Ziyin commanded, seeing the dirt smudges on him, she quickly instructed Hong Ying to do so.

Hearing this, Hong Ying rushed off to fetch water, while Lun Luo headed to the kitchen, urging the cook to prepare something for Chu Suifeng to eat.

"Were you frightened?" Chu Suifeng looked at her worried expression, expressing concern.

"No, just a little worried," Lin Ziyin responded, truthfully.

"The enemy tried a surprise attack, aiming to burn our provisions. Si San and Mister Situ had been informed earlier and had sent men to ambush them. The noise was a bit loud, but there’s nothing to be extremely worried about," Chu Suifeng downplayed the situation.

"The civilians weren’t affected, were they?" Lin Ziyin asked.

"The warehouse storing provisions is far from where the civilians live. They weren’t affected. However, the area near the wharf has been burned, so there can’t be any boating for some time," Chu Suifeng explained.

"As long as no one was hurt." Lin Ziyin heaved a sigh of relief. Judging from Chu Suifeng’s tone, the attack must have been fierce.

"Prince, wash your face first." Seeing Hong Ying bring the hot water, Lin Ziyin hurriedly moved to help.

It wasn’t that she had learned the virtuous housekeeping skills of ancient women, but it was her natural reaction when genuinely caring for this man.

After Chu Suifeng washed his face and took the towel she handed him, his expression softened considerably, "Take a good nap afterwards. We must conserve our energy while the enemy troops have not yet arrived."

Lin Ziyin nodded, "In a while, I have something to discuss with you."

"Hmm." Chu Suifeng responded. Like an old married couple, there were no sweet nothings exchanged between them, but a look or a gesture was enough to convey their thoughts.

Chapter 558: Chapter 558 The Army Pressures the Territory (2)_1

"The break of dawn is near, this humble monk will go out to practice, to prevent disturbing anyone here." Master Hui Zhen saw Chu Suifeng come in and had no intention of engaging him. His "delicate" heart felt somewhat overwhelmed. "This monk endured a night of anxiety, and I need meat buns for breakfast."

With no restraints from the abbott, this old monk is becoming increasingly unapologetic.

"Sure, I will tell the kitchen to make them." Lin Ziyin agreed with a smile.

Satisfied with the response, Master Hui Zhen walked out with his hands behind his back.

There were two people left in the room. Lin Ziyin quietly watched Chu Suifeng eat his noodles with great appetite, her heart warmed. All her worries from the night vanished.

"Have the kitchen prepare more food. Situ Gong and Si San are coming over," Chu Suifeng ordered as he ate.

Hong Ying, who was standing guard outside the door, quickly agreed.

"Prince, take a rest for now. Once you wake up, I have something interesting to show you," Lin Ziyin said mysteriously.

Chu Suifeng, looking at her smiling, didn’t press her about what it was.

With almost no sleep through the night, Lin Ziyin felt tired too.

After Chu Suifeng went to sleep, she promptly went back to her room to catch up on sleep.

As for whether others would laugh at her, she didn’t care. After all, her modern, independent woman nature still was a part of her.

Sleeping with a clear mind, by the time Lin Ziyin woke up, it was already nearly noon.

"I’ll ask for food to be sent from the kitchen for you, Miss." Lun Luo, seeing her awake, came to ask her. Having been with Lin Ziyin for a long time, she knew she was different from other ladies.

In regards to small daily tasks or more personal ones, Lin Ziyin preferred handling them herself. She liked the independence of taking care of her bedding, dressing, and so on.

"No need, I’ll go to the kitchen in a while and make a few dishes for the Prince myself," Lin Ziyin replied, "Is the Prince awake?"

"The Prince, Si San, and Mr. Situ left shortly after waking up," replied Hong Ying.

With that said, Lin Ziyin felt a bit embarrassed. It seems that she’s the only one in the Residence who has a leisurely life.

There were a couple of cooks and servants in the kitchen of the Wang Residence, all reliable. Lin Ziyin found them hard at work preparing lunch when she arrived, and they bowed to her.

"No need for formalities. I came to see if I could make a few dishes," Lin Ziyin said.

"Feel free, Miss. All of the ingredients are here," a rotund chef introduced respectfully.

Lin Ziyin looked at the ingredients and felt confident with the variety of poultry, meat, and vegetables available. She started to figure out what dishes would be appropriate.

Once decided, she began to work. The cooks watched her fluid movements in amazement.

By noon, Chu Suifeng, Si Jinhan and everyone else had returned, even the elusive Situ Gong was present.

"You little girl finally have a bit of conscience," Master Hui Zhen, seeing the sumptuous food on the table, was overjoyed.

"Thank you, Miss," Situ Gong thanked her while holding his fist.

"Old monk, don’t flatter yourself. She cooked for the Prince, you just benefited from it," Si Jinhan teased languidly, grinning at Lin Ziyin.

Lin Ziyin, unlike him, wasn’t childish and didn’t bother with his comments, "Mr. Situ, you’ve worked hard. I was just idle and cooked a few dishes in the kitchen."

Chapter 559: Chapter 559 The Army Pressures the Territory (3)_1

The subject of their jest, Lin Ziyin, showed no bashfulness like Si Jinhan, her face bearing no trace of shyness.

Despite not joining in on the teasing, Chu Suifeng was delighted. Even though he uttered no words, his lips were perpetually curved in an upward smile.

Everyone had made it to the gathering, but Luo Heng, the master of the residence, had not yet returned.

As the Chief Commander, he was always extremely busy, never daring to take things lightly.

"I have something to show everyone." Lin Ziyin solemnly spoke after dinner, "I’ve made a few small pieces that could perhaps help us against the Fire Bull Formation."

People like Situ Gong knew of her talent. Hearing her speak so, their faces lit up in joy. Numerous preparations had been made to deal with the enemy’s Fire Bull Formation, but beasts differed greatly from humans. Facing beasts as enormous as bulls, they had always lacked confidence.

If they had a touch more certainty, it would alleviate some of their worries.

Situ Gong and the rest were all Chu Suifeng’s trusted associates, and Lin Ziyin trusted them in return.

What she was referring to were the animal traps she had assembled the previous afternoon.

Master Hui Zhen, who had seen the traps beforehand, did not voice any opinions.

Si Jinhan and Situ Gong, however, stared at the traps for a long while.

"Miss Lin, these animal traps, I fear, are not suitable to deal with the Fire Bulls." Situ Gong was gentle in his critique.

Si Jinhan was more caustic. "The Princess sees the Tatar as fools."

Upon hearing this, Chu Suifeng’s face instantly hardened, and he glaringly looked at Si Jinhan.

Si Jinhan paused and offered him a big smile, "I was just joking, Princess. Don’t take it seriously."

Lin Ziyin gave him an exasperated look, was this fellow implying she was foolish?

"Although it’s an animal trap, it’s not the same as the common ones." Lin Ziyin knew their concerns, as Master Hui Zhen had mentioned them the day before, "This is a chain trap, the control mechanism lies with us. If our side does not pull the hidden line, the trap will present no reaction even when trampled by bulls or horses."

There’s such a trap? Chu Suifeng and the rest immediately became interested.

Seeing their expressions, Lin Ziyin could do nothing else but explain the principles once again. Only then did everyone understand.

"The Princess has matchless skill. I am deeply impressed," Situ Gong admitted respectfully, "it is our limited knowledge that’s at fault."

"Sir Situ, you give me too much credit," Lin Ziyin replied with a smile, "I merely made this on a whim. As for its effectiveness, well, we will know when we confront the Fire Bulls."

"Even if it trips just one Fire Bull, that would be something," Situ Gong said, laughing cheerily. "I will immediately take these Beast Clamps for deployment outside the city."

"Don’t rush, let’s wait until Billy’s army arrives," Chu Suifeng intervened.

Situ Gong and the others shared a knowing smile.

The Beast Clamps was eventually taken by Situ Gong. Lin Ziyin sighed in relief, hoping that her little invention would provide some aid in the war.

Though the enemy’s main force had yet to arrive, the Vanguard Timur had sent out challenges a few times already.

The soldiers in the Northern Land were surely not cowards. They met every challenge. After a few battles, both sides had experienced victory and defeat.

Lin Ziyin watched from the city walls every time. She noticed that their side did not go all out. The officers sent were mostly Chiliarchs. The main generals remained by Chu Suifeng’s side, wholly unscathed.

"Send a message. Have Shili Village immediately gather ice blocks and dispatch a caravan as well." After a day of battle, the enemy finally retreated. Lin Ziyin could at last rest.

Despite Border City being at war, Xiao Yang, the city’s magistrate, managed the civilians well. The government offices arranged a daily trading window during which shopkeepers and vendors would rush out to sell their goods. From morning to noon, people buying goods in the streets hardly manifested signs of panic.

Chapter 560: Chapter 560 The Army Pressures the Territory (4)_1

The grain and grocery stores are steadfast supporters and could remain open all day. In addition, places like taverns could operate around the clock.

Seeing that he didn’t have to intervene, Lin Ziyin felt completely at ease.

The public was very cooperative. Perhaps life in the border town was not easy, and the people of the Northern Land cherished their living environment more and felt a stronger sense of belonging to the Northern Land. All the orders issued by the officialdom were executed by everyone according to the rules.

As soon as it was past noon, there were hardly any pedestrians on the streets. The citizens staying at home each prepared various "battle weapons", ranging from hoes, sickles to kitchen knives.

The spontaneous behavior of the public to protect their home could not be separated from Situ Gong’s policy of pacification.

"What do you need the carriage team for?" Hong Ying couldn’t help but ask.

"There might be a big battle in a few days." Lin Ziyin gave a non sequitur reply.

Hong Ying and Lun Luo looked at each other. Although they didn’t understand her intention, they still obeyed her orders and sent a message through a carrier pigeon as soon as Jue Hui returned.

Three days later, the army of the North Country arrived outside the city, as expected, and set up camp thirty miles away.

"Lege has just arrived, the army is still exhausted, launch a night attack immediately," Chu Suifeng ordered.

"Just send a small squad." Situ Gong said.

Inside the camp, all the generals and strategists began to express their opinions.

That night, a small squad wearing dark clothes quietly set off from the border city, heading for the enemy’s camp.

"Brothers, just set the supplies on fire and leave," the leader of the squad ordered quietly.

"Yes." over a dozen men in black replied in low voices.

These men huddled in the dark, observing the enemy camp, and found that the Tatars were quite vigilant. There were soldiers carrying weapons everywhere in the camp.

"It’s just ahead." Suddenly, someone said with surprise.

Everyone saw the tightly-covered supplies and were overjoyed, "Go!"

They silently approached and instantly took down two patrolling soldiers.

A few shadows quickly used torches to set fire to the supplies, "Let’s go."

Once successful, they immediately left. The National Master had said, not to be greedy.

"You want to leave? There is no way out." Suddenly, a laughter echoed, followed by the torches being lit around them.

"Damn, it’s a trap." The leader of the men in black was taken aback. However, he quickly calmed down, "Brothers, fight for your lives. Anyone who gets a chance must escape."

"Got it."

"No one is allowed to leave." Vanguard Timur stared mockingly at the men out in the light, then waved his hand, "Shoot arrows."

Those apt for nighttime attacks are naturally nimble. The men in black reacted with swift agility, wielding their weapons to fend off the incoming arrows as the rain of arrows fell upon them.

"Charge!"

"Kill!"

A fierce battle immediately ensued.

At this moment, the sound of charging drums sounded not far away.

"Damn, the Northern Land army is launching a night attack, prepare at once." Timur’s voice rose, and the North Country soldiers were immediately thrown into confusion.

"Don’t panic." A dark-skinned man emerged, Timur saw him and paid his respects, "National Master."

"Situ Gong and Chu Suifeng wouldn’t be so foolish, even if there are troops coming out, it may not necessarily be the main force." The man with the black face was none other than Lege, the military advisor of the North Country.

"Master National Teacher, I have already dispatched troops to deal with the enemy." A burly man stepped forward, this man was Bayal, the chief commander of the North Country.