Ch. 626..630: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 626-630

Chapter 626: Chapter 626: Arrival of the Imperial Court Representative (7)_1

"Good." For the first time enjoying the grace of this beauty, the lines on Chu Suifeng’s face instantly softened.

"Prince, Consort Lin and the other ladies have come to pay their respects." At this very moment, a guard entered to report.

At this moment, this guard wished he could blind himself. Why did he choose this time to intrude, interrupting the prince’s intimate moment? He did not know if this would earn Prince’s enmity in the future.

"Let them return." Chu Suifeng spoke coldly, slowly letting go of the person in his embrace.

Lin Ziyin’s face was slightly red, feeling awkward. Anyone would feel embarrassed if they were seen in an intimate moment with their boyfriend.

Hearing Chu Suifeng’s words, the guard didn’t dare to look at Chu Suifeng’s face expression, and hastily fled as if he had gained an advantage.

Lin Ziyin did not care about the reaction of the ladies outside the door.

But Chu Suifeng was worried she was, and explained somewhat impatiently, "Those women can’t be dealt with for now, at least not until after half a year."

Lin Ziyin nodded, "Prince thought well, considering the current state of the Northern Land, indeed, it is not suitable to confront the Imperial Court. As long as every state adopts the cultivation of rice and corn next year, and counties in the south of Northern Land successfully grow cotton, we will not fear the oppression of the Imperial Court. Moreover, after spring, it would be best for the Prince to train our own merchant teams to truly market the commodities of the Northern Land far and wide. With grain, silver, and advanced weapons, the Northern Land will truly become strong."

Chu Suifeng sighed, "You’re going through a lot."

"Will the Prince let those women harm me?" Lin Ziyin asked playfully.

"Of course not. If they dare touch you, I will let them taste the flavor of hell." Chu Suifeng spoke coldly, a murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

"Apart from hoarding food and calming the people down, I also need manpower. The last time we had a merchant team bring people over, the situation exceeded our expectation." Speaking of this, Chu Suifeng’s face softened a bit, "In a month, the merchant group brought over seven hundred people to the Northern Land."

"So many?" This number was even beyond Lin Ziyin’s expectation. Most people in Daqin were free from care about food and clothing; she thought that those who were willing to give up a stable and abundant life would at most be two to three hundred.

"They all came along with their families." Chu Suifeng explained, "Anyone who is willing to come here is given a house, an ample amount of food, and allowed to reclaim and farm the land."

"Where does the Prince arrange them?" Lin Ziyin asked curiously.

"I have decided to establish another county in the deeper part of the wasteland, 300 miles west of Feng City. I have already built a batch of brick houses there and sent people to reclaim the land. The newcomers can continue to re-cultivate and farm there." Chu Suifeng seemed somewhat proud as he looked at Lin Ziyin with bright eyes, seemingly waiting for her praises.

Indeed, Lin Ziyin did not disappoint him, and she heavily praised him.

Lin Ziyin stayed in the city for another two days. These two days truly tired her out as the folks from Silver Building and Garment Store constantly came and went, nearly driving her insane.

Fortunately, on the third day, under her insistence, Chu Suifeng agreed to let her leave.

Before leaving, Lin Ziyin specifically ordered Hong Ying and Lun Luo to check on the Marquis Residence.

"Only Li Yanran’s forehead was cut open and may leave a slight scar, but other than that nothing happened. She’s fine now." Hong Ying reported to her with a somewhat disdainful tone.

"The old lady is also fine, but she just refuses to see guests." Lun Luo also respectfully reported.

As long as the people were safe, Lin Ziyin heaved a long sigh of relief, the bundle of worries in her heart instantly disappearing.

On the fourth day after Lin Ziyin left the Prince’s residence, a distinguished guest visited the residence.

"The commoner pays his respects to King Chu and King Rui." At the gate of Ling Wang Residence, Situ Gong respectfully came out to greet the guests.

"Get up." King Chu said with a gentle smile, "Where is King Ling?"

"Regrettably, Master is not in the residence because he had to deal with some business." Upon seeing the sudden appearance of the guests, Situ Gong was secretly pondering that he’d better hide the people brought by the merchant quickly, or else he wouldn’t be able to hide anything from the cunning and crafty Princes.

These two weren’t easy to deal with. King Chu didn’t need to be mentioned; his ambition was well known and he had been eyeing the position of the Crown Prince for a long time. The territories he had won and his annual income were considerable. Despite his territories, he never left the capital. Evidently, King Chu’s position in the Emperor’s eyes was not ordinary.

As for King Rui, he was a staunch supporter of the Crown Prince. Different factions had formed a group to come to the Northern Land, well, things were going to get interesting.

Chapter 627: Chapter 627: I Rule My Own Territory (1)_1

"The Prince is about to become a groom, how does he have the energy to wander around?" The Prince of Chu asked with a cheerful grin. His lazy demeanor made one feel an irresistible urge to beat him up, yet such lighthearted attitude also made it easy for others to approach him.

Situ Gong did not dare to underestimate this prince. The Prince of Chu and Si Jinhan shared similar personalities, both had a deceivingly cheerful facade. Despite their cheerful demeanor in your presence, if you let your guard down, they could devour you in an instant.

"The Prince always displays a remarkable diligence towards his governmental duties."

The Prince of Rui, who was unlike the Prince of Chu, was a gentle and cultured man, reminding others of warm jade, which everyone instinctively wanted to be close to.

Of course, Situ Gong could not let his guard down around him either. This prince, at his core, was even more ruthless than the Prince of Chu.

If you happen to become friends with the Prince of Rui, you can be assured that nothing would be left of you in the end.

"My prince is not aware of your visit. Please accept our apologies." Situ Gong noncommittally replied, choosing not to respond to their previous conversation, "The weather outside is cold, Prince Chu, Prince Rui; please, come inside."

No matter what, the first priority is to get these two men inside the residence. Situ Gong wore a friendly smile on his face, appearing exceedingly approachable and affable.

Just as Situ Gong approached the Princes of Chu and Rui with caution, they were also wary of him. Situ Gong, the best strategist by the Prince’s side, the top military advisor in the Northern Land. Even though he held no official position in the north, no soldiers in the military failed to pay their respects to him.

Considering how Situ Gong had been advising the Prince over the years, neither the Prince of Chu nor the Prince of Rui would dare underestimate him.

"Mr. Situ, please." The Prince of Rui lowered his status, politely offering Situ Gong a smile.

Situ Gong slightly smiled, moved to one side to make way, but also not blocking the two lords following him, doing his duty conscientiously as their guide.

Perhaps the Prince’s residence is honestly preparing for some festivities, as there are large red lanterns hanging everywhere. Amidst the icy, snowy landscape, it is indeed quite distinctive.

"These large red lanterns give off such a festive atmosphere once they are hung up." The Prince of Chu pointed at a large lantern hanging in the corridor as he laughed, "However, the Prince’s courtyard seems too simplistic, lacking any flowers or trees. It feels too empty."

The Prince of Chu is absolutely right. However, our Prince is entirely focused on handling official duties and pays little attention to such details. Moreover, given the harsh climate of the North, any precious flowers would not survive long. The Prince is too frugal to spend silver on this." Situ Gong cheerfully explained.

"Both of your Highnesses know how tough it is for our Prince to govern the Northern Land. His life is certainly not as carefree as yours."

This statement sounded pleasing but carried a sensitive undertone.

Neither the Prince of Chu nor the Prince of Rui sought to continue this topic, and they laughed it off.

"The yard even has a lake?" Following Situ Gong around a long corridor, the view suddenly opened up. Unlike the lavish residences in the Capital City, the scenery here was unique in its own way. The low shrubbery, neatly trimmed, the tall, proud pines standing resiliently in the snow, and the large ice-capped lake created a stark representation of the abrasive and heroic spirit of the North Country.

In the midst of this snowy landscape, a peculiar small cabin emerged in the center of the lake. From the shore, a number of corridors lead to it, emphasizing the beauty of the river. The contradiction of rugged and delicate formed a unique and bright landscape.

"Is the door and windows of that small building made of ice?" The Prince of Chu asked in surprise, pointing at the cabin.

"No, it’s glazed tile." Situ Gong answered.

Both the Princes of Chu and Rui were left speechless after hearing this.

Just moments ago, Situ Gong had been lamenting about the financial conditions of the Prince’s residence, and now here arose a small building embellished entirely by glazed tile. Do they know how many silvers a piece of glazed tile was worth? As the top aristocrats, both the Princes of Chu and Rui were fully aware of its value. To put it harshly, even they would be reluctant to use glazed tiles for the entire cabin.Chapter 628: Chapter 628: I Rule My Own Territory (2)_1

The Prince who has always been seen as dirt poor in everyone’s eyes, now has unexpectedly gotten ahead. If this news were to be spread around, hardly anyone would believe it.

"Princes, please come in," Situ Gong said, a secret chuckle in his heart as he saw their choked expressions. Hmph, did they truly think that all that was left in the Northern Land was desolate wilderness?

The faces of Prince Chu and Prince Rui flushed upon hearing this, and they awkwardly followed Situ Gong. They realized that their previous embarrassment had utterly belied their royal status.

"Princes, you may rest here for a while," Situ Gong said with hidden mischief. Despite knowing that Prince Chu and Prince Rui were at loggerheads, he had intentionally arranged for them to stay adjacent to each other.

"Why is the room so warm? There isn’t even a heating pot in sight," Prince Rui asked curiously, seemingly without any objections to Situ Gong’s arrangement. In reality, he didn’t care either.

At the very least, he knew that once they entered the Northern Land, the people from Wang Residence would undoubtedly monitor them closely. In other words, once they set foot in the Northern Land, they would become thorns in the eyes of the locals. It wouldn’t make a difference who their neighbors were.

"Indeed, I am curious too," Prince Chu lazily chimed in. Since he’d already lost face once, he didn’t care about losing it a second time.

"It’s because the room has a heated wall and an Earth Dragon. The weather in the Northern Lands is cold, and the temperature drops even further at night. If both Princes still feel cold at night, you can light up the kang [a traditional Chinese bed-stove]," Situ Gong offered an explanation, his eyes crinkled in laughter.

"Heated wall, Earth Dragon?" Prince Rui asked with intrigue.

"It’s unique to our Northern Lands," Situ Gong replied, unwilling to elaborate further. He neither had the time nor the obligation to explain to the Princes. He believed that due to Prince Chu and Prince Rui’s curiosity, they’d definitely figure it out before they left.

"Serve the tea and snacks," Situ Gong ordered the maid, with a smile.

Very soon, the maid came over, serving tea and snacks.

"Excellent tea."

"The snacks are also quite good."

"As long as the Princes like them. The tea is prepared with snow water from Heaven Mountain, and the leaves are from the early spring harvest. As for the snacks, they were made by our personal cook," Situ Gong explained, with a smile.

Among the snacks were tiny cakes, egg tarts, pastries, and fragrant toasted bread.

Prince Chu and Prince Rui had eaten cakes, pastries, and bread before, but they had never tasted anything freshly made. The packaged versions tasted considerably different. With that realization, both Princes felt a pang of regret.

These small snacks were sold at high prices in Capital City, especially the bread and cakes - they always sold out fast. Despite being Princes, they couldn’t have them every day. Yet, the fact that Wang Residence had a dedicated chef left both of them, especially Prince Rui and Prince Chu who fancied themselves superior to Chu Suifeng, feeling deeply disgruntled. Even the once delectable snacks tasted bland in their mouths at that moment.

"Your pastry chef is quite talented, Mr. Situ. Could you perhaps consider gifting him to me when I leave?" Prince Chu brazenly asked, his smile carrying an appeal.

Not convinced for a moment that Prince Chu was trying to curry favor with him, Situ Gong rejected his request without a shred of mercy, "I’m very sorry, my Prince. All the pastry chefs in our residence have been hired by the Prince for his future princess. I’m afraid I cannot let them go. Since the Prince enjoys these treats, I’d suggest you indulge more while you’re here in the Northern Lands."

"I didn’t expect our Prince to be so sentimentally lavish," Prince Chu said with a light laugh, "since the chef has been employed for the future princess, I shall respect that."

"If the news of our Prince’s extravagant expenditures for his beloved were to leak, it might scare quite a few people out of their wits," Prince Rui joked.

Chapter 629: Chapter 629: I Rule My Own Territory (3)_1

Situ Gong listened and pretended to be deaf and dumb, all he did was smile to the side, not speaking much.

The princess’s excellence was not something these two could understand, and Situ Gong had a clear understanding of why the King of Chu and the Prince of Rui came to the Northern Land. This is because spies had already reported their itinerary to him beforehand.

The three of them sat in the residence chatting idly, seemingly oblivious to the passing of time.

It was not until the evening that the King of Chu and Prince Rui noticed the absence of their host, Chu Suifeng, which left them somewhat surprised.

As per custom, they should have been welcomed by their host, Chu Suifeng, the master of the Northern Land, as soon as they arrived at the Wang Residence after noon. However, he was nowhere to be seen.

Situ Gong and Bai Xian did not neglect them. They served them the finest meals for dinner, many of which they had never tasted before.

At this moment, Chu Suifeng was at the Lin Family home. He indeed knew about the arrival of the King of Chu and Prince Rui, but he ironically wanted to make these two fools wait.

"The wine makers requested by the princess have been found. In three days, they should be able to arrive here." Chu Suifeng sat opposite Lin Ziyin, speaking with a sense of satisfaction.

"Who are they?" Lin Ziyin asked curiously. "I only know some basic knowledge of wine-making, I don’t understand the specific process."

"They are from the Dong Family of Jiangnan."

"The Dong Family?" asked Lin Ziyin, puzzled. To tell the truth, she knew next to nothing about the aristocratic families or the nobility of Jiangnan.

"The Dong Family is famous for brewing Daughter’s Red. However, they were betrayed and lost to the Feng family, a rival wine-making family." Chu Suifeng briefly explained the situation. "The Feng Family had a daughter who became a noblewoman in the palace. Their wine, Pear Sorrows Wine, became a palace special. Daughter’s Red was found to be poisonous, so almost the entire Dong family was executed. I managed to save a few and bring them here. Once they arrive, they will serve the princess with dedication."

Lin Ziyin nodded after hearing this. After a brush with death and a chance to start over, the Dong family members would likely not betray her. But there are always exceptions, and she did not fully understand the nature of the Dong family. It’s best to hold any final judgements until she had met them.

"In a while, I will send someone else to serve the princess," Chu Suifeng said with a sense of pride, looking at Lin Ziyin. The room was warm and he had already taken off his down jacket, leaving him in a sweater that made him appear quite suave.

Lin Ziyin was grinning at him, not asking about the person he intended to send. After all, the people he sent always proved useful, and she was in no rush to inquire.

"I have done so much for the princess, doesn’t she have a little reward for me?" Chu Suifeng asked somewhat plaintively.

"When the winery is profitable, we’ll split the profits 50/50," Lin Ziyin replied readily.

"That’s not enough," said Chu Suifeng, showing no interest in this proposal.

Lin Ziyin glared at him in dissatisfaction. Was a fifty-fifty split not enough? On second thought, the wine makers and their techniques were all provided by Chu Suifeng. So, when she thought about it, she managed to come to terms with it.

"It will have to be a 60/40 split, with Prince getting the larger sum, and me the smaller. Any less is unacceptable. I still have to cover labor costs and site sales, among other things. If it’s too low, I won’t participate." Seeing the grievance in Chu Suifeng’s eyes, Lin Ziyin immediately jumped up and began to explain.

Chapter 630: Chapter 630: I Rule My Own Territory (4)_1

I hate it, it’s impossible to do business with acquaintances. Negotiating the price is so annoying.

"It’s not enough, all of it’s not enough, even if you gave all to this prince, it wouldn’t be enough." Chu Suifeng walked up to her and looked at her.

The Prince of Ling was very tall, even though Lin Ziyin was about 1.65 meters, she only came up to his chin. To look Chu Suifeng in the eye, Lin Ziyin had to tilt her head back.

Looking up at someone, inherently surrenders one’s commanding presence, Lin Ziyin despised her short stature at this moment.

"Even if I give you everything, you would still not be satisfied?" Hearing Chu Suifeng’s words clearly, Lin Ziyin widened her mouth in surprise and couldn’t say anything.

"When they say you’re foolish, sometimes you’re smarter than anyone else. And when they say you’re smart, at times like this, you play the fool. Are you deliberately teasing this prince?" Chu Suifeng lowered his head, his face almost touching hers.

His warm breath blew on Lin Ziyin’s face, giving her a ticklish sensation. Lin Ziyin instantly blushed and tilted her head back, trying to escape him.

"What else could the prince possibly want?" Clearly, her voice lacked confidence. Even if she was slow, Lin Ziyin knew this guy was teasing her.

"This." Chu Suifeng extended his hand to pull her into his embrace, then lowered his head and moved his mouth closer, and they kissed.

The prince, having experience from "actual combat," had improved his kissing technique significantly. He was now not only good at giving light pecks but also adept at French kissing.

Unfortunately, Lin Ziyin had always been a shy person when it came to love. As soon as Chu Suifeng made a move, her body would go weak and she would let Chu Suifeng, the big bad wolf, have his way.

The room’s temperature continued to rise, it was charming.

"The prince wants to take you to his residence now." When Lin Ziyin woke up from the passionate kiss, she was already lying on the bed, Chu Suifeng side by side with her.

Almost unknowingly devoured, Lin Ziyin’s face was as red as a shrimp. Fortunately, Chu Suifeng was somewhat a "gentleman".

"Prince, we are about ten days away from our wedding." Lin Ziyin looked at him grumpily.

"It’s ten days and one night." Chu Suifeng corrected.

Ha! Lin Ziyin was speechless at his seriousness. "Let me tell you, prince, I’m the most leisurely bride. I don’t even know how to sew, so don’t count on me to mend the prince’s clothes."

Seeing the dejected Lin Ziyin, Chu Suifeng laughed and joked with her, "I see, by the sound of it, it seems like I’m at a loss. Is it too late to call off the marriage?"

"It’s not too late." Lin Ziyin blurted out.

Anyway, it was just a joke between lovers, Lin Ziyin answered without any thought.

But when the words reached Chu Suifeng’s ears, they took on a different meaning. He was just joking with Lin Ziyin, but the answer he wanted to hear from her was not this. Lin Ziyin’s unhesitant response made Chu Suifeng feel that Lin Ziyin didn’t value him at all, he even suspected that Lin Ziyin was actually planning to dump him.

The insecure Prince of Ling’s face darkened, he bit his lip and looked at Lin Ziyin, "It seems that this prince isn’t doing enough. The princess is unsatisfied with this prince and is always thinking of leaving this prince."

With that said, he bent his head and gave her a passionate kiss.

"I was wrong, I was really wrong. Who could possibly leave such a handsome prince?" Lin Ziyin was almost out of breath from the kiss, so she had to surrender first by pulling away, "If such a handsome husband is taken away by someone else, who will I cry to?"