Ch. 671..675: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 671-675

Chapter 671: Chapter 671 Funeral (3)_1

Before the noble son could respond, he added anxiously, "Sir, don’t get me wrong. Given my status, how could I possibly come into contact with someone like the young lady of the Marquis Residence?"

"You certainly will meet her and it would be easy for you to strike up a conversation. Bear in mind, once you meet her, figuring out how she can help us is your task," said the noble son, his eyes flickering with a cold glint.

"Yes, sir. As long as I meet her, I will surely accomplish the task you’ve entrusted me," replied Ma Zhicai with a confidence, gritting his teeth.

"We’re here." The accumulated snow on the official road had been cleared long ago, hence Chu Suifeng’s carriage arrived swiftly at Shili Village.

The villagers of Shili Village got up early today, hurriedly finished breakfast and rushed to the workshops. Everyone was uncertain whether the Prince and Princess would return home. But even if the Princess did return, it wouldn’t matter much to them or their relation to the Lin Family, yet they all hoped that the Prince would bring the Princess along.

Early in the morning, everyone leaned out eagerly to watch, their minds were all distracted while working in the workshops.

Lou Zheng, who had been entrusted by the others, was even more restless.

"Uncle, can you just give us an answer, whether the Prince and Princess will come today?" This was already the tenth time that he had asked the same question.

"Uncle Lou Zheng, I’m certain that my sister will come back home," replied Lin Changshu resignedly. He knew very well what his sister was like. The Lin family had already started preparing the day’s meals early in the morning; not a single person doubted that Ziyin would not come home today. It was only Uncle Lou Zheng who could not put his mind at ease and kept muttering on the side.

"Haha, this humble monk arrived even earlier than the Prince." Just as Lou Zheng was getting anxious, he saw Master Hui Zhen entering the courtyard with his Buddha beads in his hand.

Upon seeing him, Lou Zheng finally felt relieved, "Master Hui Zhen, you’ve arrived at the right time."

"We still have meat buns in the house, they are still hot. Do you want some?" Given Master Hui Zhen’s frequent visits to the Lin House, Lin Changshu had a pretty good understanding of him. On the surface, he was a monk, but deep down, he was a foodie who didn’t differentiate between meat and vegetables.

As expected, upon hearing that there was food, Master Hui Zhen, who had just come from the training ground, headed straight in the direction of the main hall without uttering a word.

He was familiar with the house, not hesitating at all.

Finally, when the sun rose high into the sky, the magnificent carriage of the Prince’s Residence appeared on the village road. The servants on guard immediately lit up the firecrackers.

"Have we arrived?" The crackling sound of firecrackers finally woke Lin Ziyin who was asleep in the carriage. She rubbed her eyes and asked Chu Suifeng.

"Hmm, we have arrived," replied Chu Suifeng, slightly unhappy. He wanted Lin Ziyin to sleep a little longer in his arms, but as soon as they entered the village, the boisterous sound of firecrackers woke her up.

"I feel much better after that nap." After sleeping for half an hour, Lin Ziyin finally refreshed herself, "I wonder what delicious food my sisters and sister-in-law have prepared for us?"

Chu Suifeng loved the way she said "us." He had never before realized how sweet the word "us" could sound.

"Prince, once we enter, don’t put on airs." Suddenly recalling something, Lin Ziyin hurriedly reminded him, "We have an elder sister. So, by generation, my brother-in-law is your role model. You need to learn from him, don’t let him outshine you."

Chu Suifeng knew she was just teasing, so he played along and said, "Don’t worry, I certainly won’t embarrass you. You just watch how I’m going to outshine Wu Dayou."

"What Wu Dayou?" Lin Ziyin glanced at him, "Once you’re inside the Lin Family, you should follow my lead and call him brother-in-law."

 

[ 636 words ]

 

Chapter 672 Funeral (4)_1

Chapter 672: Chapter 672 Funeral (4)_1

Looking at her serious demeanor, Chu Suifeng could not help but laugh out loud.

The followers of Congyi, riding their horses and trailing behind the carriage, heard the laughter emanating from within the carriage and smiles appeared on their faces. They thought to themselves that it has indeed been different ever since the Prince got a wife; not only has there been more smiling, but even hearty laughter could often be heard. "Ah, what good days these are!" they thought.

Upon arriving at the main entrance of the Lin Family’s residence, the obedient Prince, hurriedly helped Lin Ziyin disembark from the carriage.

"Grandfather, eldest brother, eldest sister-in-law, sister, sister’s husband, little brother," he began, cheerfully greeting everyone even before Ziyin could start introductions or the Lin family could bow respectfully to him.

Upon hearing this, the spectators gathered around to watch the scene were stunned, and a wave of envy swept through the crowd, all directed at the Lin family.

"And me, and me!" exclaimed Yanzhi, raising his hand as he felt left out of the greetings.

"Go away, stand aside." Lin Changshu, blushing, scolded his son.

Upon hearing this, Yanzhi lowered his head in disappointment.

"Big nephew," Chu Suifeng said, smiling and ruffling Yanzhi’s hair.

"Prince, uncle number two," Yanzhi responded happily.

Their personalities clicked – one was down-to-earth and the other, fearless and green – the pair instantly got along well.

Ziyin watched Yanzhi in astonishment. Where did this guy learn such a peculiar form of address?

"Who taught you to call him that?" With curiosity piqued, Ziyin asked.

"Aunt, I figured it out myself. Father and Mother said that I must respect the Prince, but now that the Prince has married you, he will be my uncle. So, that’s what I decided to call him," Yanzhi answered joyfully.

Ziyin let out a laugh, "You’re quite clever, aren’t you?"

Yanzhi, being praised, grinned so wide his eyes squinted into crescents.

"From now on, just call me uncle number two, no need for ’Prince’," Chu Suifeng, seeing Ziyin’s happiness, waved his hand and decided to grant this privilege to Yanzhi.

"Yes, uncle number two. But if you dare to bully my aunt, I will fight you," said Yanzhi, speaking his mind fearlessly, not at all intimidated by Suifeng.

"You little rascal," Changshu, feeling awkward and fearing that Chu Suifeng might get angry, tried to intervene. He was still traumatized from the previous incident when the Prince strangled him.

"Good," Chu Suifeng burst into laughter. He was really pleased with Yanzhi’s protective attitude towards Ziyin. He extended a hand to Yanzhi and another to Ziyin, "Grandfather, it’s cold outside, let’s all go inside."

The old man was reassured by his attitude - he was respectful without being obsequious - "Please, Prince," he replied.

"Grandfather, it would be more casual if you just called me Honglin, like you call your son-in-law. Big brother and brother-in-law, you too," Chu Suifeng spoke. He was genuinely delighted. He had always admired the Lin Family’s warmth. Not only did he gain a beautiful wife, but also a large extended family. It made him feel extremely accomplished.

"Grandfather, don’t indulge him," Ziyin shook off Chu Suifeng’s hand and went to help her grandfather. "This guy, he’s a bit of a loose cannon."

"You should not be disrespectful to the Prince," the old man softly reprimanded her.

"Hehe," Chu Suifeng smirked at Ziyin, "I have my own backing too. If my wife ever bullies me, I will lodge a complaint with her family."

Being mildly terrified by his words, the followers of Congyi who were trailing behind almost collapsed. Is this vibrant man truly the same cold Prince they knew? As they looked up and saw Chu Suifeng grinning smugly, the thought of suicide crossed their minds.

Chapter 673: Chapter 673 Funeral (5)_1

The prince’s transformation was so sudden that they found it hard to accept.

"What of it? This place is ultimately my home. The prince should always be behind me." Lin Ziyin flashed a triumphant smile at him.

"Grandpa, big brother, look! This is how the princess bullies me. If I ever feel wronged, I must rely on you to stand up for me," Chu Suifeng happily embraced this warm family interaction.

"Humph, what’s a little harm to a grown man?" Lin Changting grumbled unhappily behind them.

"Just you being jealous," Chu Suifeng retorted cheerfully.

Lin Changting fell silent, the Lin family was speechless, and the onlookers from Shili Village were even more lost for words.

The prince’s behavior today was a far cry from their impression of him. They simply couldn’t believe their ears and eyes. Who could have told them that beneath his Hadean façade, the prince was actually so jovial? Upon thinking about it, they realized this change in him only occurred after his marriage, and all credit went to Lin Ziyin.

With this thought in mind, the crowd’s gaze towards Lin Ziyin became even more fervent.

"Get back to work! Don’t you want the year-end bonuses?" Lou Zheng barked, "If you don’t meet the production target, see who would have the face to accept the bonus."

"Lou Zheng, we just came to pay our respects to the prince and princess, and now we’re going back," they replied.

"Yes, yes, we’re going back."

The crowd quickly dispersed.

By this time, Lin Ziyin’s family had already entered the courtyard. Chu Suifeng instructed Congyi to order the soldiers to bring the gifts inside.

All the gifts were divided into three portions. Although this wasn’t adhering to the Northern Land’s custom of making everything in pairs, Chu Suifeng has always done things according to his own wishes, and no one could go against him.

Especially in the Northern Land, no one dared to defy him.

"The gifts are split into three. Big brother and sister-in-law, sister and brother-in-law each get one portion. Changting’s share will be kept by grandpa," Chu Suifeng casually spoke, showcasing his attention to detail, "Grandfather’s gifts differ from theirs."

Everything that came out of the Prince’s residence was always of high quality, not to mention all the exotic treasures that one could easily spot amongst these reciprocated gifts.

Whether a maiden’s life after marriage is good or not is evident from the gifts she brings back home.

Upon seeing the gifts Chu Suifeng brought, every member of the Lin family was deeply touched. They started contemplating that when the gifts are returned, they should add some more from their end.

It was also a sign of support; the attitude of the maiden family could be seen from the farewell gifts.

Lin Zige had always been worried about Lin Ziyin facing difficulties at the Wang Residence. But this fear vanished with Chu Suifeng’s easygoing demeanour. With his favouritism and indulgence towards Lin Ziyin, she surely won’t face any hardship.

When the bride returns home, some friends and esteemed guests must be invited for the feast.

Being a close associate of the Lin family, the He family was naturally invited. The remaining chosen companions were Lou Zheng and the Bai family. Each guest showed a proud expression.

Lin Ziyin was busy with the impending Spring Festival - the biggest holiday of the year. The village workshops would definitely stop, followed by the distribution of rewards and employee benefits.

As for the holiday schedule, Lin Ziyin decided to break for holidays on the 28th of the last month and resume work on the 8th day of the New Year.

"Rice seeds and corn seeds must be carefully selected. We must arrange for those in charge of seeds to take them back before the New Year. We must also retain sufficient seeds for our own family, villagers, and workers. Let them send someone over to learn the plantation techniques. Oh, and have we prepared the bonus and distribution yet?" Even though each workshop had a manager and the house had a store manager and butler like Jue Xin and Yu Shaohui, many matters had to be put aside until Lin Ziyin made the final decision.

Chapter 674: Chapter 674 Funeral (6)_1

"The books are now ready, just waiting for the Princess to review," Yu Shaohui placed the thick ledger on the desk.

Lin Ziyin flipped through it patiently, while Yu Shaohui and Jue Xin also not standing idle, reported the business revenues of each workshop and greenhouse, and at the same time, they handed her the ledgers.

Lin Ziyin read and listened attentively, "The books are well made. Since the income is quite high this year, the bonuses and benefits should be distributed to the various workshops according to what’s recorded in the books. As for people working in the houses, they will be paid according to the income of an average worker."

"Yes, your highness." Both Yu Shaohui and Jue Xin were frankly relieved and pleased, their faces easing into smiles.

"Both of you are the major managers, you will receive an extra reward of one thousand silvers," Lin Ziyin declared.

"Thank you, your highness." The two expressed their sincere gratitude to Lin Ziyin, "Since the Medical Institute’s research has yielded results, reward them with five hundred silvers each according to their contributions."

Yu Shaohui hurriedly noted it down.

"Your highness, Lin Haisheng is here to visit the Lin Family," Hong Ying came and reported, "The old master has asked for your presence."

Lin Haisheng? Lin Ziyin was taken aback, but soon she remembered who this person was. But, she was puzzled. Why would Lin Haisheng visit their Lin Family at this time?

Though Lin Haisheng shared the same surname as their family, Lin Ziyin did not remember ever hearing this man’s name before.

Was he here for the Prince and her?

This seemed plausible, after all, the business of the Lin Family surely aroused others’ envy. However, this seemed unlikely as the fame of the Prince had spread all over the world, and she believed that Lin Haisheng would not dare to provoke him directly in the Northern Lands.

After deducing, Lin Ziyin did not make a head or tail of it, she decided to not overthink and simply followed Hong Ying towards the front hall.

Inside the front hall, the ambiance was quite strange.

The old master sat at the high seat, Chu Suifeng and Lin Changshu, Wu Dayou accompanying at the lower seats, while Lin Haisheng sat very sternly at the end, showing an unreadable and displeased expression, seeming anxious.

What was going on? Lin Ziyin pondered as she walked into the flower hall.

"The official respectfully greets the Princess." As soon as he saw Lin Ziyin come in, Lin Haisheng immediately stood up from his seat to kneel and salute.

"Rise." Lin Ziyin had to keep up her royal posture.

"Come sit here." Chu Suifeng smiled lightly and pointed to the spot next to him.

Lin Ziyin carelessly walked over there and took her seat, "Since Master Lin is here to discuss official matters with the prince, he should have been led into his study."

"No, no, I came here for a visit to the Lin Family today, I had no idea the Prince and Princess were here, let alone the Lin Family being the Princess’s maternal home." Before Chu Suifeng could say anything, Lin Haisheng hurried to explain.

"Does Master Lin know my grandfather?" Lin Ziyin asked, pretending to be surprised.

"A flood has washed away the Dragon King’s temple," Lin Haisheng became animated, "Not only do I know the old master, we are in essence a family. In fact, I should call the old master my uncle based on our relationship."

The words carried more meaning than they seemed, but Lin Ziyin remained cold and calm, not getting excited due to Lin Haisheng’s words. She turned slightly to look at the old master of the Lin family, "Grandfather, I don’t remember us having any side branches. Now Master Lin says we are a family. Which branch does he belong to?"

Chu Suifeng’s entire form was filled with a deadly aura, utterly transforming from the charming persona he projected when he had first arrived at their house. However, since Lin Ziyin had not yet had any conflict with Lin Haisheng, there was no loss, so he just watched everything coldly from the side. Now his countenance displayed a hint of mirth. With the moment Lin Ziyin began speaking, she reduced Lin Haisheng to the lowest. In this era, the differentiation between the legitimate and illegitimate was very clear along with their statuses.

Chapter 675: Chapter 675 Funeral (7)_1

Lin Ziyin directly classified Lin Haisheng as a collateral, knowing that Lin Haisheng’s arrogance would certainly cause him to burn with anger.

Lin Haisheng was indeed enraged, but he came today with a purpose, and the Prince was watching him closely. The Lin family today was not a collateral branch that he could suppress and control at will.

He couldn’t do or say anything to Lin Ziyin, who was the root of the trouble.

Grinding his teeth, he kept a smile on his face, saying, "Your Highness, you may not know. Your branch is actually the collateral of our Lin family. Your great-grandfather was a child born out of wedlock in the 180th generation of the Lin family. According to the family tree, you should belong to the 183rd generation."

By saying that he was of illegitimate birth, he wanted to let this ignorant girl see who was really the illegitimate one. He thought that just because the Prince was present, she could yell at him. But in the Lin family, the words of his legitimate line held the greatest weight.

"Master Lin must be mistaken?" Just as Lin Changshu and the others were growing anxious, the elder spoke slowly, "Our Lin family is small. We don’t have a clan. We know nothing about what our ancestors did. But before my father died, he told me that as his only son, if I ever have the power and the opportunity, I should build a family temple in the village. He would be the first ancestor of the Lin family, I would be the second, and my only son, who regrettably passed away early, would be the third. And then there’s them..."

When he said this, the elder looked around with affectionate eyes at Lin Changshu and the others, "With the fourth and fifth generation, our Lin family is thriving."

The elder’s words had undoubtedly slapped Lin Haisheng in the face.

He had not expected that the ousted collateral family of the Lin clan would dare to act arrogantly in front of him, a legitimate descendant. But when he turned his head and looked at Lin Ziyin and Chu Suifeng, his heart skipped a beat. He forcefully suppressed his anger

Now is not the time to clash with the collateral family. According to clan rules, all businesses in the hands of the collateral line will eventually belong to the direct line. Therefore, he couldn’t let his emotions ruin these "money-making opportunities".

"Fifth Uncle, I know that the Lin family hasn’t looked after you all these years, and you may have resentment towards the family. But truth be told, we were always thinking about you. Your names have always been preserved in the family genealogy. The Northern Land is very far from the capital city, with many different areas. Our intentions were good but we lacked capability. However, now we’ve met, we can finally rest assured." Lin Haisheng, being a seasoned official, showed no sign of coveting the Lin family’s workshops and businesses. Instead, he attempted to touch the hearts of the Lin family through talk of their shared kinship.

"Master Lin, your joke isn’t funny at all," the elder answered earnestly, "Weare from a small and humble Lin family. My father once said that we are like rootless duckweed. Most of our relatives died on the journey to exile. What’s left is all we have in the family. Master Lin, not all those surnamed Lin are our kin. There are many with the same names and surnames. I advise you to put more thought into finding your relatives."

"Master Lin, did you hear clearly?" Lin Ziyin then spoke with a smile, "I believe in my grandfather’s words. You shouldn’t waste your time with us. We hope you can find your relatives as soon as possible."

Lin Haisheng was unable to respond to the pair of them.

He now realized that the Lin family had no intention of recognizing them as their own, utterly impervious. But that was fine. Once he had the genealogy, he could send more people to associate with the Lins. And if necessary, he could offer some benefits to the Lin family. He didn’t believe that the Lin family wouldn’t want to rely on a large clan.

At the very least, if Lin Ziyin, the Prince’s wife, had a substantial clan backing her, she would have more clout in the Northern Land. People would succumb if given enough temptation. This was what he had learned in his years as an official.

"If it was a misunderstanding, Master Lin, you don’t need to bring it up again." As Lin Haisheng was lost in thought, Chu Suifeng spoke lazily, "However, speaking of the family tree, I was about to discuss something with Grandfather."

"Please go ahead, Your Highness," the elder spoke respectfully. Lin Changshu and others all watched nervously. To be honest, when an original family suddenly appeared, Lin Changshu and Lin Zige felt a lot of pressure.

The size of their business had grown with the influence of people like the Qian family, who had told them about the complex relationships among large families. From the bottom of their hearts, Lin Changshu and others were not willing to have any original family appear. Moreover, they were not naive enough to believe that Lin Haisheng had genuinely come to recognize them as kin.