Ch. 621..625: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 621-625

Chapter 621: Chapter 621: Arrival of the Imperial Court Representative (2)_1

The future is an uncertainty, and naturally, Marquis Li would like to take the path that is most beneficial to the Li Family.

"Mother, I recognize my mistake. In the past, I was blinded by greed and neglected the Prince. I’ve failed my sister, I’ve failed the Prince." Weighing every consequence, Marquis Li knelt down, his wails echoing with despair, "I beg the Prince and you, Mother, for the sake of my deceased sister, allow our Li Family to remain in the Northern Land. I vow that the Li Family will never do anything to let the Prince down again."

Faced with life and death, Marquis Li’s cries were intense, and there was a trace of sincerity in his words.

Li Yanran pursed her lips. She wasn’t too upset over the old lady’s plans. After all, whether the Li Family leaves the Northern Land or not, she no longer had to stay with them.

"If only you had thought of today back then." The old lady said through her tears, "All you ever had in your eyes were wealth and silver. Do you even remember you once had a sister? Do you remember your father’s injunctions? Did you ever consider your mother’s feelings? If Yanran wants to enter the Wang Residence, you must leave the Northern Land."

The old lady’s rejection was decisive.

Feeling a tightness in his chest, Marquis Li looked at Chu Suifeng with trepidation.

Chu Suifeng’s eyes were cold, his face stern, and a chill covered his handsome face.

Marquis Li’s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately lowered his head. But, in the blink of an eye, he was looking at Li Yanran again. "Mother, if Yanran does not enter the Wang Residence, can our family stay here?"

"Father, I disagree." Li Yanran interjected as he tried to shift the blame onto her. The slight sentimentality in her heart evaporated. "I will marry no one but the Prince."

So, she would not marry. Marquis Li could hardly save himself now, let alone leave her to her caprices.

"Quiet." The old lady was furious. Seeing Marquis Li trembling with rage, she thought: a short-sighted fool, someday the Li Family would inevitably meet its downfall under his rule.

Lin Ziyin stood quietly by the side, letting Chu Suifeng hold her hand. Observing the power struggle across three generations of the Li Family, she could not help but shake her head. Apart from the old lady, each person in the Marquis Residence was extremely selfish. She couldn’t find it in her heart to sympathize with them.

"When I proposed to the Lin Family, I made a promise that this life of mine would include only the Princess Consort. The only children I will have would be with the Princess Consort. Hence, Grandmother, I hope you can forgive me as I can’t agree to your request." Chu Suifeng couldn’t bear seeing the old lady getting upset, so he finally spoke up with seriousness before the Li Family’s squabbles got out of control.

The old lady, Marquis Li, and Li Yanran were all stunned into silence upon hearing this, and at the moment, none of them knew what to say.

The old lady was well aware of what it meant when Chu Suifeng referred to himself as ’the Prince’ in her presence. As for Marquis Li and Li Yanran, they were too fearful of Chu Suifeng to say a word.

"Prince." The old lady spoke up, somewhat anxiously, "Even if you do not want Yanran to enter the Wang Residence, you can’t possibly have only the Princess Consort by your side."

Lin Ziyin remained silent. She wasn’t an ancient woman and couldn’t imitate the openness of the women from the past. Today’s events would certainly become fodder for gossip, with people saying she was a shrew who couldn’t tolerate anyone else.

What of it? She was indeed that kind of woman. She would absolutely not permit any woman to share her husband with her.

"Since ancient times, isn’t it typical for the royal family to have multiple women? If we discount Yanran, are you willing to turn away the young ladies from the Si Family, the Luo Family and so forth?" The old lady was somewhat anxious, seeing Chu Suifeng’s grave expression. At this moment, her thoughts about the Li family were forgotten; all her considerations were for Chu Suifeng.

Chapter 622: Chapter 622: Arrival of the Imperial Court Representative (3)_1

"Princess, you belong to the Prince; it is your duty to fill his backyard with more women. Your magnanimity is something other women cannot match." In a panic-stricken act of desperation, after trying to persuade Chu Suifeng, the Old Madam began to work her persuasion on Lin Ziyin.

She hoped that Lin Ziyin could earnestly advise Chu Suifeng, because the Old Madam believed that Chu Suifeng’s current "rebellion" was entirely for Ziyin’s sake.

"I’m sorry, Old Madam." Lin Ziyin spoke softly; she did not desire to hurt an old woman’s heart, particularly that of one who was nearing the end of her life. However, she was even less willing to aggrieve herself, perhaps even deceive the elderly. "In matters of emotion, I am a very selfish woman. If the Prince’s harem becomes plentiful, I would prefer giving up."

Absurdity! The Old Madam looked at Lin Ziyin in surprise, as if meeting her for the first time.

"I don’t want to deceive the Old Madam, these are my true feelings." Lin Ziyin earnestly explained. "Maybe the Old Madam thinks me incredible, self-righteous, or too selfish. But, I still need to speak my truth. When the Prince initially proposed at the Lin family, my only demand was a lifetime commitment to each other. If the Prince breaks his promise, then our fate also ends. An individual’s feelings can be divided across many, but there is only room for sharing love with one."

"You are talking nonsense." Li Yanran vehemently rebutted, aghast at Lin Ziyin’s words. Only with Lin Ziyin’s added explanation, did her anger grow. "If it was truly as you said, you should not have agreed to join the Wang residence."

"Silence." The Old Madam, livid, glared at Li Yanran. "Cease this madness and leave."

"Old Madam, please quell your anger." Nanny Qilan patted the back of the Old Madam in an effort to soothe her. "Health should be your priority; anger is not conducive to that."

"Grandmother, I am not wrong. This woman, pretending innocence when she is clearly being deceitful, is truly disgusting to witness. It is my cousin who is bewitched by her." In her fury, Li Yanran lost all sense of fear. "The flock of beautiful concubines in my cousin’s backyard are not mere decorations, and she is not blind. I don’t believe she did not see those women when she joined the Wang Residence."

The Old Madam, having been half-pulled to sit back down by Nanny Qilan, was shaking with fury. Pointing a trembling finger at Li Yanran, she was left speechless.

In this moment, the Old Madam was filled with intense regret. She regretted not personally educating Li Yanran herself, allowing her to learn such tricky and foolish ways from the Mu Family.

Yes, Li Yanran was indeed foolish. Lin Ziyin looked at the angry form of the Old Madam and couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for her.

Chu Suifeng squeezed Lin Ziyin’s hand tighter, "I implore grandmother to take care of her health. At the time of our marriage, I intended to honor grandmother with a cup of hot tea. I do not wish for my future wife to lead a difficult life as my mother has. Nor do I wish my future children to suffer as I have had to. I am content with just the Princess by my side; may grandmother rest easy. There are matters to attend to back in my Residence, and I must take the Princess back."

Chu Suifeng subsequently stood up from the ground, and pulled Lin Ziyin up with him.

Lin Ziyin, following his cue, stood up. "I’m sorry, Old Madam. I promise I will take good care of the Prince in the future, just as the Old Madam had done wholeheartedly for him in the past."

"Lin Ziyin, you are such a hypocrite! You may fool my cousin momentarily, but you will surely never fool him forever!" Li Yanran, having been ignored again, couldn’t help but scream at Lin Ziyin.

Chu Suifeng’s face darkened even more. Lin Ziyin, prior to his outburst, began speaking. "Miss Li, in my eyes, the women in the Prince’s backyard truly are mere decorations."

Chapter 623: Chapter 623: Arrival of the Imperial Court Representative (4)_1

Li Yanran was stunned. What does this mean?

With tears streaming down her face, the old lady looked at her foolish appearances, regretting even more the words she had just spoken. What could such a person do even if she entered the Wang Residence? Knowing only to bicker and sulk, how could she help the Prince? Perhaps, she could even stir up trouble in the backyard and add chaos to the Prince’s life instead.

Then, thinking of Chu Suifeng’s words and recalling her daughter’s wrongful death, the old lady started to drift into a trance.

"Please take good care of the old lady, Nanny." Chu Suifeng instructed, "If anything is lacking, notify the residence, I will send someone to bring it over. Make sure she takes her medicine, don’t miss a dose."

"Yes, this old servant understands. Please don’t worry, Prince." Having witnessed the entire incident, Nanny Qilan felt both sympathy for the old lady and heartache for Chu Suifeng.

She knew that Chu Suifeng had lacked warmth and family love since he was a child. The Prince valued the old lady highly and harbored feelings for her. No doubt, his refusal of the old lady and harsh words today had probably made him feel unpleasant as well.

The Old Lady. Having served by the Old Lady’s side for many years, Nanny Qilan knew all too well the difficulties she faced as a woman leading a family to this point. Thus, as a servant, the sight of the conflict between both parties brought her heartache. One could only imagine the complexity and distress in the hearts of the two parties involved.

The old lady seemed utterly lost. As Chu Suifeng prepared to leave, she remained silent, with no spark in her eyes.

"Mother." Seeing Chu Suifeng about to leave the Marquis Residence, the Marquis grew anxious. He didn’t want to leave the Northern Land, but he couldn’t either. If the Prince left the Marquis Residence today, they would have to leave their home eventually.

"Grandmother, rest assured. As long as the Li family doesn’t betray our original intentions, they can stay. I will look after them for my grandmother’s and my mother’s sake. Take good care of your health, else I will not be able to rest easy." In the end, Chu Suifeng, unable to let go, made a promise to the old lady as he was about to leave. It was a form of compensation for his previous rejection of the old lady’s request.

A feather down coat gently draped over the old lady, "This is a gift from the princess for grandmother. Take care. The princess and I must take our leave now."

After speaking, he and Lin Ziyin respectfully knelt before the old lady and kowtowed three times.

It was a grand gesture, and everyone present understood its significance.

The Marquis of Li both rejoiced and worried upon hearing the Prince’s promise. He rejoiced because even with the old lady gone, the Li family would not have to leave the Northern Land. But he worried about the old lady’s health.

Without the old lady, the future of the Li Residence was not assured of its present glory.

"Old lady." Nanny Qilan’s teardrops rolled in her eyes as she softly urged the old lady to speak, not to let Chu Suifeng leave the Marquis Residence with sadness.

The old lady’s eyes still showed no signs of clarity.

Chu Suifeng held Lin Ziyin’s hand tightly, gave the old lady one final glance and then led Lin Ziyin out of the room, without looking back.

Li Yanran, who had been derided by Lin Ziyin, was left in a daze. She was unwilling to be refused in such a manner. Seeing Chu Suifeng and Lin Ziyin about to leave the Marquis Residence, she knew if she didn’t do something, she would lose her chance to become the consort in the Wang Residence for the rest of her life.

No, she couldn’t let this happen. Marrying Chu Suifeng was her life-long dream. She could not and would not accept losing him.

"Prince." Hearing the Marquis’s earnest yet anxious voice outside the door, Li Yanran abruptly stood up and rushed out of the room.

Nanny Qilan, who was tending to the old lady carefully, heard her sharp cry, and when she saw her hasty figure, her head started to throb.

Chapter 624: Chapter 624: Arrival of the Imperial Court Representative (5)_1

It seems like the young lady is courting trouble.

But as a mere servant, she did not dare to confront Li Yanran, especially with the Marquis present outside, she had no business in meddling.

Chu Suifeng, hearing Li Yanran’s voice coming from behind, did not turn his head. Lin Ziyin, however, halted her steps in surprise.

"Ignore it." Chu Suifeng uttered calmly, tightening the collar of her cloak a little, then took her hand intending to leave.

Seeing thus, Marquis Li was shocked to the point he was speechless. He knew Chu Suifeng cared about Lin Ziyin, but hadn’t expected the stoic Prince to be this attentive, adjusting Lin Ziyin’s cloak around her shoulders.

Prince Ling’s deep affection for Lin Ziyin had entirely exceeded his imagination.

"Prince, Yanran has deeply loved you since we were children. Yanran does not have many desires, she only wishes to accompany the Prince and care for him in this lifetime." Li Yanran, who came chasing after them, disregarded Marquis Li’s deadly glare, knelt down and pleaded, "Princess Consort, I beg you, let me stay by the Prince’s side. I, Li Yanran swear, in this lifetime, I will not vie with you for anything. Please, I beg you."

Marquis Li anxiously glanced at Lin Ziyin, his heart in great turmoil. Although he knew Li Yanran’s chance of entering Prince Ling’s Residence was slim, deep down he still harbored some hope. He hoped Lin Ziyin was soft-hearted. As long as Lin Ziyin agreed to let Li Yanran into the residence, Chu Suifeng would not truly refuse. Judging by his attitude towards the elderly lady, Prince Ling still had feelings for her.

If Lin Ziyin agreed to let Li Yanran enter Prince Ling’s Residence, it was tantamount to resolving the conflicts and troubles for Chu Suifeng. Surely the Prince would not mind having another woman in his residence.

"If Prince is willing to keep Miss Li, I definitely will not object." Lin Ziyin stated calmly. Li Yanran wanted to pass the buck to her, she needed to see whether she would agree or not. After all, she, Lin Ziyin was not a fool.

"Why are you talking to unrelated people." Chu Suifeng seemed to be reprimanding Lin Ziyin, but his hand only gripped hers tighter.

The two of them continued to walk forward.

"If the Prince and Princess Consort do not agree, I’ll just bash my head to death here." Li Yanran suddenly screamed out with all her might.

Chu Suifeng, holding onto Lin Ziyin, quickly exited the court’s entrance, their steps never faltering.

Such a ruthless heart! Li Yanran’s eyes completely blurred.

"Young lady." Suddenly, several cries of alarm rang out in the courtyard. Marquis Li, who was following behind Chu Suifeng and Lin Ziyin, hadn’t yet managed to distance himself from the courtyard entrance when he heard the cries. He immediately turned his head to look.

He saw Li Yanran in the courtyard, collapsed in a pool of blood, her maids and housekeepers surrounding her, crying out, while Li Yanran herself, her eyes tightly closed, was already unconscious.

"Yanran." Marquis Li cried out in horror.

"My lord?" Although she couldn’t see clearly what had happened to Li Yanran in the courtyard, Lin Ziyin could guess from the commotion that something had happened to her. It must have been as she said earlier: she had crashed into a wall.

Upon this thought, Lin Ziyin’s heart inexplicably sank.

She was the legitimate wife, but why was she made to look like the other woman because of Li Yanran’s fuss? Her feelings on this matter were peculiar.

"I told you earlier, not to concern yourself with unrelated people." Chu Suifeng was very domineering. With all the commotion behind them, he acted as if nothing had happened and continued to guide Lin Ziyin away.

First-class guards followed closely behind.

The large group left without any interference from the commotion inside the courtyard.

"Safe journey, Prince. There’s been a slight incident in my house, I will not see you off for now." Upon seeing Chu Suifeng’s nonchalant departure, Marquis Li felt both anger and pain in his heart. Yet he was helpless. Swallowing his rage, he politely announced his necessity.

Chapter 625: Chapter 625: Arrival of the Imperial Court Representative (6)_1

At this point, Chu Suifeng had already taken Lin Ziyin far away.

Marquis Li watched their receding figures and let out a long sigh. He knew clearly that from this day forward, Chu Suifeng’s resentment towards the Li Family would only grow larger.

After sighing, he entered the courtyard. Regardless of everything, Li Yanran was his daughter. He couldn’t just sit back and watch her die.

"Let them get out. Even if they are to die, let them die anywhere but here." Inside the room, the old lady suddenly regained consciousness. The first words she spoke after waking up were full of ruthlessness.

"This?" Nanny Qilan was somewhat hesitant. If she really passed on this message, the relationship between the old lady, the Marquis, and the Mu Family would surely worsen. Thinking about how all today’s incidents originated from Li Yanran, Nanny Qilan felt that the old lady was being too unworthy.

"Won’t you speak?" The old lady was furious, "Then I will do it myself."

After saying this, she struggled to get up.

"Old lady, calm down. I will do as you say." Nanny Qilan said in a hurried tone. She didn’t wait to soothe the old lady’s emotions and rushed out anxiously.

"The old lady needs to rest. Marquis, you should quickly get someone to carry her back and find a doctor." Nanny Qilan felt unbearably distraught. She didn’t repeat word for word what the old lady had said, and it was the first time she had contradicted the old lady’s orders!

However, everyone in the courtyard had heard the old lady’s words quite clearly.

Marquis Li’s face turned from pale to red, then from red back to pale. A nameless rage burnt furiously in his chest, but he couldn’t find a suitable outlet for his anger.

"Take Miss Li back." Without thinking, he turned his anger towards the servants in the courtyard, "What are you waiting for? Get a doctor."

The courtyard descended into chaos as everyone scrambled to lift Li Yanran from the ground. It then returned to its usual calm.

"Old lady." Nanny Qilan lifted the curtain and entered the room. She saw the young maids already helping the old lady onto the bed, and only then did her heart lighten up slightly.

"From now on, nobody is allowed to step foot in this courtyard." The old lady ordered wearily.

Nanny Qilan agreed quickly, not wanting to provoke the old lady further.

Lin Ziyin followed Chu Suifeng back to the residence, still feeling somewhat uneasy. Nothing serious happened to Li Yanran, right?

"About the wedding dress, you don’t need to worry. The residence has already appointed the best embroiderer to rush the work." Chu Suifeng seemed to forget all about the incident at the Li Family. After returning, he started preparing for their wedding again.

"I’ll leave everything to the prince." Lin Ziyin was not particular about clothing. She was to marry the prince, and such a wedding dress was bound to be lavish. She knew nothing about such things, letting them prepare it would be more stress-free.

"The old lady?" Lin Ziyin couldn’t help but ask.

"Don’t worry, the old lady is a reasonable person. She will understand why I did what I did." Chu Suifeng sighed, "To me, you are the most important person in my life. After we get married, you will give me a home, provide warmth for me, and will be the one to accompany me for the rest of my life. Nobody else, no matter who they are, can make me devote myself fully. Do you understand?"

Lin Ziyin nodded her head. Of course, she understood. What Chu Suifeng said was the affection she had always been yearning for in her previous life. She also understood the meaning that Chu Suifeng did not convey, that was while the old lady had given him a hint of warmth, she never provided him with a complete home. Therefore, the old lady could only earn respect from the prince, but she couldn’t have his full devotion.

She felt so sorry for this man with such a low emotional intelligence.

Out of sympathy for understanding his feelings, Lin Ziyin took a step forward and hugged Chu Suifeng for the first time. "Prince, you will never be alone again. In the future, not only will you have me, but you will also have many children."