Ch. 576..580: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 576-580

Chapter 576: Chapter 576 Can you be more despicable? (6)_1

Only after her stomach was full did she allow Yu Sha’ou and his party to enter the house.

"Miss, all the blocks of ice have been collected," Yu Sha’ou reported, bowing.

"No rush. You guys may have to travel back tomorrow, so you’ll have to take the ice blocks with you," Lin Ziyin replied with a smile. "Today, we’ve managed to secure quite a bit of beef."

"I heard in the street that the Prince won an important battle today and destroyed all of the Tatars’ fire bulls," Yu Sha’ou said with a happy expression. Unfortunately, they arrived in the Border City only in the afternoon and had no chance to witness the battle.

"By the way, miss, this is a letter from the old master and the eldest son for you," Yu Sha’ou said, pulling a letter out of his pocket and handing it to her.

After taking a look, Lin Ziyin couldn’t help but laugh.

Overall, the letter truly was a family letter, having been written by all the members of her family.

The letter began with admonitions from the old master, followed by reports from Lin Changshu and Wu Dayou about family matters. Then came messages of concern from sister-in-law Huiniang and Zige. Zige’s complaints, of course, were somewhat more substantial. After them came reports about Changting and Yanzhi’s studies. Lastly, the letter contained two small palm prints, presumably from two nursing babies.

Looking at such a heartwarming family letter, Lin Ziyin felt warmth in her heart as well.

"Is everything okay at home?" she asked with concern.

"The Imperial Court has blocked the trading routes from Liao City to the Northern Land, and guided by your instructions, Miss, the eldest son has also severed all trade ties with Capital City. However, the workshops at home are still running and storing all produced goods. Our business with foreign merchants remains as usual. The greenhouses in the field have started to be built, and all the food supplies have been stored. Even the crops from each household in the village have been harvested and stored," Yu Sha’ou reported in a concise manner.

"Since we have a lot of beef, and the weather has turned cold, start refining the butter as soon as you guys get back home, and then mix it according to the formula. I will provide the formula shortly. The meat should be made into beef jerky and diced beef. I will also let you take the formula for these," Lin Ziyin stated.

"Yes, miss."

"Miss, we’ve started purchasing all the sugar beets in the field, how should we handle them?" Kong Er, who was always in a hurry, asked loudly.

"Make them into sugar. They can be processed into candies or granulated sugar," came the reply from Lin Ziyin. As she said this, she realized the magnitude of work at hand. The family matters were indeed overwhelming.

"You just need to provide the formula, Miss. Jue Xin and Shaohui will arrange for manpower."

Lin Ziyin nodded. Indeed, with those two back at home, she needn’t worry much. But, she wondered if the workers at the factory would be able to handle the meticulous details of the job in her absence.

"The people from the Prince’s mansion have also arrived, bringing along the down-filled clothes they made. On their return, they can help carry the beef as well," said Qiaoqiao swiftly.

Perfect, Lin Ziyin had been worrying about how to transport all the beef at once. Now it seemed like it was a case of things falling into place. The trading in this case surely wouldn’t bias against her.

Before they knew it, it was already evening.

Although Chu Suifeng hadn’t returned, he sent Congyi to let her know that he and Situ Gong would come to have dinner later.

Lin Ziyin promptly informed the kitchen to prepare the meals.

As darkness fell completely, Chu Suifeng and his group finally returned.

Surprisingly, Si Jinhan, who hadn’t shown up the whole day, had also joined them.

Considering the fierce battle of the day, it was quite surprising that Si Jinhan didn’t have any obvious role. Where had this man disappeared?

Lin Ziyin didn’t believe that a person like Si Jinhan would just be stationed in the background.

"The beef you requested is already being butchered, and it will be ready by tomorrow." Following his return, Chu Suifeng went straight to the bathhouse to clean himself up. Lin Ziyin knew about his neat-freak habits, so she had already made provisions for hot water to be prepared for him.

Chapter 577: Chapter 577 Can you be more despicable? (7)_1

"Why isn’t there a fireplace in the room?" This was the second question asked by the Prince.

"It’s not that cold at night with a quilt." Lin Ziyin responded. She always felt a bit helpless with Chu Suifeng treating her like a delicate flower in a greenhouse at all times.

Regrettably, Chu Suifeng, with his sense of male chauvinism, had never noticed this.

However, Lin Ziyin found such caring quite pleasant, so she enjoyed it with peace of mind.

"Planning to sell dried beef?" Si Jinhan asked questioningly.

"Making it into dried beef is one thing, what I need more is beef tallow." Lin Ziyin replied with a smile.

"Beef tallow?" Luo Heng asked in surprise.

He had heard that this future queen had a knack for business, but he didn’t expect that she even wanted beef tallow.

"Beef tallow doesn’t taste that great when used for cooking." Si Jinhan lost interest.

"I was planning to split the profits of this business deal half-and-half with Third Prince, but since he has no interest, never mind." Lin Ziyin replied with a smile. "Mr. Situ and General Luo, are you interested?"

"Thank you, miss." Situ Gong immediately responded with a bow and a smile. "If he doesn’t want it, I do."

"Thank you, miss." Luo Heng was no fool. Whatever Situ Gong wanted must be a good thing. Besides, it would be rude to refuse a favor offered by the future queen.

"Who doesn’t want it? You really can’t stand a little loss. I was just asking out of curiosity. Half the profits seem a bit too little." Si Jinhan replied languidly, no longer daring to glare at Lin Ziyin as he used to.

"If you’re dissatisfied with the profits you’re getting, you can choose not to take it," Chu Suifeng said coldly.

Classic forget-your-friends-once-you-have-a-wife behavior! Si Jinhan felt quite wronged inside, "Your Highness, Miss Lin has offered this business deal. If I refuse it, wouldn’t that be ungrateful?"

He had a shameless grin on his face.

Lin Ziyin only laughed and clapped her hands, and immediately someone brought a basin of charcoal into the room. A pot was then placed over the flame, and soon the table was full of various ingredients, vegetables, beef, mutton, etc.

"You’re not expecting us to eat it raw, are you?" Si Jinhan asked, dumbstruck.

"It’s called hot pot, and it is why I need beef tallow. However, due to the rush today, there aren’t any special pots and coal, so everybody will have to make do." Lin Ziyin replied with a smile, "Consider it an assessment of your future money-making venture."

With that said, Si Jinhan could no longer complain.

Chu Suifeng offered face and picked up his chopsticks first, "How do you eat this?"

Lin Ziyin, amused, added ingredients like tofu skin to the boiling red broth. She quickly fished them out, dipped them in the sauce in her bowl, and then placed the tofu skin and mutton in Chu Suifeng’s bowl.

Even if it were poison, Chu Suifeng would still eat anything served by his wife.

With a satisfied smile on his face, Chu Suifeng ate the tofu skin and mutton, "Delicious."

Hearing him, everyone else eagerly Followed Lin Ziyin’s instructions and started fishing for food in the pot.

The unassuming soup and ingredients were surprisingly delicious. Especially in this cold winter night, the heat from the food was causing them to break out in a mild sweat.

"Half of the cattle are injured, not dead. They should be able to be taken back to Shili Village." Chu Suifeng said. The lively hot pot meal seemed to have lifted the usual rule of not talking while eating.

"One cow should be able to provide about twenty pounds of beef tallow, and for one pot of soup, only a minimal amount of beef tallow is needed. Besides, eventually, we can also use chicken broth, fish, seafood, etc. for the soup base. The cattle we gathered this time should provide enough beef tallow for a long time." Lin Ziyin responded, "The Imperial Court forbids food to be brought into the Northern Land, so we can’t just not make any money, right?"

"Miss, are you planning to sell beef and beef tallow, and open hot pot restaurants in various states?" Situ Gong asked, his eyes lighting up.

"That’s the plan." Lin Ziyin nodded. "For seafood like sea cucumber and kelp, we have to think of ways to export them, right?"

Export? This was a new word, but Chu Suifeng and the others understood nonetheless.

Luo Heng looked at Lin Ziyin, his eyes burning with respect.

As the chief commander of Border City, he had indirectly benefitted greatly from Lin Ziyin. He had heard that the coastal region had started to raise seafood. They were cultivating things like kelp, seaweed, shrimp, and various kinds of fish, and these products were now being continuously supplied to military camps.

The soldiers’ meals had improved significantly compared to before! Moreover, Miss Lin had also invented various incredible weapons, and even had a hand in solving the Fire Bull Formation.

"Do we have someone who can brew alcohol?" Lin Ziyin asked.

"Not at the moment, but it wouldn’t be hard to find someone." Chu Suifeng looked at her tenderly, "Thinking of brewing alcohol?"

"I don’t know how to brew alcohol." Lin Ziyin replied with a smile. She was not an encyclopedia who knew how to do everything. "However, I think I know how to increase the alcohol content."

"You really have a way to increase the alcohol content?" Si Jinhan perked up, "How does it compare to the strong liquors on the market?"

"It should be a little higher, but not as harsh." Lin Ziyin responded.

She hadn’t seen how pork is made, but she knew how the pig runs. She had once visited a partner’s winery for her own farm and restaurant business. Whether it was white wine, red wine, or fruit wine, she had been there and retained some impression of the simple brewing processes.

How thankful for those strenuous modern days! Lin Ziyin thought bitterly to herself.

Chapter 578: Chapter 578: Madness (1)_1

"Making liquor requires grain, and although the Northern Land can grow grain, there is a lack of manpower to do so," Si Jinhan began in a tone that seemed to pour a basin of cold water on her aspirations. "Miss, it’s best not to be overly imaginative."

Luo Heng and Situ Gong exchanged bewildered glances upon hearing this.

What Si Jinhan voiced was also their concern.

Grain is the lifeblood of a nation, and if too much of it is used for brewing liquor, the pressure on the Northern Land would be immense. After all, even though the Northern Land is able to produce crops like wheat and rice, it can only do so once a year, which can’t compare to the bi-annual or even tri-annual harvests in the south. The yield difference is far from negligible.

"While the Northern Land lacks manpower, we have an abundance of land," Lin Ziyin explained with a smile, aware that they were all worried she might use up the grain for her business endeavors. "Of course, the yield of fine liquor definitely won’t be high. We will sell quality, not quantity."

Everyone understood her point upon her explanation.

Just like sesame oil and soy sauce, the future of white liquor lies in the high-end market, possibly even finding its way into the courts of all nations.

The men present, born into aristocracy, understand the concept of luxury consumption much better than ordinary people. As long as the quality is guaranteed, the Northern land may end up earning more silver by selling a hundred jars of liquor a year than other wineries do from their annual harvest.

The most important thing is that Lin Ziyin exercises restraint.

This is good! In the future, they will have fine liquor to drink and silver to earn. Truly a good deal!

Although businessmen are generally looked down upon by the upper class, this is not the case in the Northern Land. At the very least, Chu Suifeng and Si Jinhan and Situ Gong don’t think so. They have suffered hardship due to the Imperial Court’s embezzlement and withholding of grain and silver for years.

They also understand the importance of silver to the enrichment of the army and treasury. However, there’s one point they do agree on, the sons of merchants should absolutely be prohibited from taking the civil service exam.

This is to strictly prevent collusion between officials and businessmen, which could harm ordinary people.

"Each state’s army should have a base for cultivation. Soldiers in their spare time can grow grain, vegetables, and raise chickens, ducks, fish, cattle, among others. Of course, during regular times, specialized personnel will be needed for management. Injured soldiers, I think, can be assigned to these bases for small agricultural tasks, or be responsible for animal husbandry," suggested Lin Ziyin.

"Won’t this interfere with training?" Luo Heng asked with concern.

"It won’t," spoke Chu Suifeng for the first time. "Trained soldiers will train on schedule, only helping during the harvest or sowing seasons. If there are many people, it will only take two or three days. Also, this solves the problem of where to place injured soldiers."

"Miss’s method is excellent," Situ Gong agreed. Special situations require special treatment. If the armies of each state could solve the problems of military pay and military grain, then the pressure on the Prince would be much less.

"The retired soldiers in charge of farming can still receive their military pay every month. However, their pay must be determined according to the wages of local laborers, and the wage can be slightly higher," Lin Ziyin said, acknowledging that the Northern Land was in a unique situation – they must find ways to be self-sufficient.

Didn’t Chairman Mao do the same when he was establishing his reign? Even now, the stories of Nanniwan are still vivid in people’s memory.

"As for serious criminals, it would be too much of a waste for them to stay in prison eating free food," Lin Ziyin proposed.

"Miss, are you suggesting that those people should work?" Situ Gong’s eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"Yes, those who know martial arts should first have their skills removed, and then special overseers will be arranged. Allot them a secluded farm to work in with shackles on their feet and pay them a small wage based on their work." She was suggesting a more humanized prison management approach.

Chapter 579: Chapter 579: Madness (2)_1

"What a good plan," Situ Gong exclaimed.

The methods proposed by Lin Ziyin would harness the potential of almost everyone in the Northern Land.

"Given that the people in Border City live in a dangerous area, we can reduce their grain tax by ten percent. In the free schools, martial arts will be the main subject of teaching, but we won’t neglect academic studies. All children aged six to fourteen must attend school," said Lin Ziyin.

In modern times, every region has a reserve force. The sparse population in ancient Northern Land required its rulers to make careful plans and to fully utilise every capable individual.

"Most importantly, we must make the people feel a sense of belonging to the Northern Land and ensure that their safety, honor, and properties are closely linked to the survival of the Northern Land." In modern military schools, ideological education plays a significant role.

Belief is the first step for people to foster a sense of belonging to their place.

At some point, the dinner table went silent, with everyone putting down their chopsticks. Looking at the radiant Lin Ziyin, admiration was visible in everybody’s eyes.

In Chu Suifeng’s eyes, there was more than just admiration; there was a sense of pride. He was pleased that he had unintentionally found a treasure. Indeed, while people of Daqin laughed at him for choosing a peasant girl as his future queen, little did they know that this girl was indeed a gem.

Initially, he was attracted to Lin Ziyin not because of her talent, but her calmness and warmth towards others.

No one expected that he would end up being the biggest winner of all.

"When we return, let Mei Hanqing learn a thing or two from you," Chu Suifeng placed a piece of mutton into her bowl, "Eat more, you’ve hardly eaten anything, you’re so thin you could be blown away by the wind."

His words sounded critical but were full of deep concern and consideration.

Lin Ziyin knew that this man would not utter sweet nothings, but valued sincerity, and she had no criticisms of that.

"What if I want to empower the women of the Northern Land to hold up half the sky, what would you and Minister Situ think?" Lin Ziyin asked with a smile.

Her tone seemed playful, yet also serious upon a closer look.

Si Jinhan had not picked up his chopsticks the whole time. Now, he looked at Lin Ziyin, his face wavering between an intense expression and unease.

Luo Heng also looked tense.

In the past, it was unheard of for women to hold positions of power. How would Chu Suifeng handle this?

Chu Suifeng was different from others, as his upbringing was different. Moreover, he had seen the unusual changes in Shili Village over the past two years.

"I can’t bear to see you work too hard," he responded, which visibly upset Lin Ziyin.

Indeed, her question was designed to test Chu Suifeng’s reaction.

Unfortunately, his answer was disappointing. Regardless of the situation, Chu Suifeng couldn’t escape his innate desire to hold authority. Or, more accurately, his male chauvinism was rather severe.

Chu Suifeng looked at Lin Ziyin, wearing no expression on his face, yet his heart was bursting with laughter. Did this girl think she could test him without him noticing? The Northern Land was very important to him as it was his foundation and he was its master. It was where he had lived since he was a child. But in the future, this land would belong to both him and Lin Ziyin. To him, Lin Ziyin was more important than anything else.

Nobody could fathom his deep longing for a sense of family. Lin Ziyin had made his long-standing wish come true.

Even if the young girl wanted to turn his world upside down, as long as she never left his side, he would willingly give her the Northern Land.

 

Chapter 580: Chapter 580: Madness (3)_1

Besides, he knew that Lin Ziyin was a woman without ambition. Everything she did was purely for herself and the people of the Northern Land.

However, the cheeky girl actually dared to test him, obviously doubting him in her heart. Therefore, he said that deliberately, intending to make a minor "retaliation".

"Since the prince..." Lin Ziyin tried to explain that she was only joking, but found herself unable to speak.

After all, she was not good at lying.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

"The seafood can be preserved, which indeed benefits the fishermen the most," Si Jinhan suddenly spoke.

For some reason, he didn’t want to see disappointment on Lin Ziyin’s face.

"However, if the princess would like to help manage the Northern Land together with me, it couldn’t be better. But remember, if you ever feel tired, immediately let others take over," Chu Suifeng finished the unfinished words while serving food for Lin Ziyin.

Did he agree? Lin Ziyin’s face immediately filled with a grateful and excited smile.

"The Northern Land has a small population, and women can hold up half the sky. If one cannot manage a family, how can one manage a kingdom? Not only do women give birth to boys and girls for men, but they also have to do so many other things every day. But our society is too harsh on women. Prince, can you consider making some laws for women’s benefit? So that men will also understand how difficult it is for women," Lin Ziyin’s spirits soared with Chu Suifeng’s support.

Si Jinhan, Situ Gong, and Luo Heng were all stunned. The future princess is too bold? She hasn’t even entered the household yet and is already thinking about protection.

After all, they were all born and bred in ancient times, where the idea of men farming and women weaving and the doctrine of husband and wife were deeply ingrained.

All the men turned their eyes to Chu Suifeng, eager to hear what the prince would say.

"Fine, when we return, have Mr. Situ and Mei Hanqing start working on it. If the princess has any ideas, you can talk to them," the reply from Chu Suifeng made all the men look at each other.

The prince actually compromised!

"The Northern Land doesn’t grow cotton, but it can be grown in the south of the Northern Land. We could have our own fabric factories, producing not only wool but also cotton yarn sweaters. Women can also work in various workshops," Lin Ziyin was genuinely excited and extremely grateful to Chu Suifeng.

It’s rare for a man to do so unconditionally for a woman. For the first time, she felt glad that she hadn’t given up on this marriage.

Situ Gong and others smiled bitterly, watching the prince seemingly beginning to head in the direction of becoming henpecked.

But on second thought, there might be something to what Lin Ziyin said. The best example was Shili Village.

After the adjustments, or under the deliberate indulgence of Lin Ziyin, the status of men and women in Shili Village was mostly equal. The money earned by women was not less than that of men, but these women did not become arrogant. They were just some stronger and more confident than ordinary women.

However, if these women from Shili Village were to fend for themselves, they would indeed be able to survive on their own.

"We can also encourage women to learn trades and go out to do business," Lin Ziyin said, her eyebrows dancing, "As long as the people can solve their basic necessities, as long as they are strong themselves, I don’t think anyone would dare to threaten the Northern Land."

Her forceful words stimulated everyone present.

Lin Ziyin was absolutely right, with strong citizens, the country is strong, and no one would dare to bully them.