Ch. 691..695: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 691-695

Chapter 691: Chapter 691 Everywhere is an Enemy(2)_1

"You dare let a lowly slave attend to me," Lin Wanwan angrily trembled all over.

After giving his orders, Lin Ziyin, without another glance back, left with Hong Ying and a few others.

Those left behind in the room included Nurse Lu and a few other second-rate maids and servants.

"I indeed am a slave, but I’ve served the virtuous Consort. I am a first-rank female officer in the royal palace. Therefore, in punishing the Consort, I absolutely don’t disgrace her," Nurse Lu coldly scoffed in response, then rolled up her sleeves and held out her hand.

Soon after, a maid brought over a small paddle.

Tightly held, Nurse Lu began using it without another word, lecturing while she struck, "Consort referred to the Princess as her sister, but doesn’t submit to her, are you brazenly trying to usurp her? The Prince made it clear when the Princess moved into the Wang Residence, he forbid anyone from disturbing her. Did you take the Prince’s orders to heart, Consort? If the Princess handles the Consort, the Consort is actually forcing the Princess to go through a beauty first, where does that leave the Princess?"

Lin Wanwan was scared senseless. She hadn’t expected Nurse Lu to be someone assigned by the Virtuous Consort! Or a first-rank female officer?

More importantly, Chu Suifeng actually arranged such a person to be by Lin Ziyin’s side, showing just how deeply he truly cared for Lin Ziyin.

Today’s beating seems to have been dealt in vain. After understanding the underlying intricacies, Lin Wanwan was trembling out of fear. Having lived in the Wang Residence for a few years, and having battled the women in the backyard for so long, she was no longer an innocent little girl. How could anyone the Prince wishes to protect be bullied by others?

Even if her face was in pain, an even more profound pain was in her heart.

Remembering her father’s warning from yesterday, Lin Wan spoke about her future; it seemed so out of reach.

After ten slaps, Lin Wanwan’s face swelled. Nurse Lu had shown mercy, and none of her teeth were knocked out, just loosened. Despite this, upon returning to the backyard, her swollen face still drew much mocking laughter.

Women in the backyard are like this, allies one moment, and backstabbing you the next.

Lin Wanwan had seen this ebb and flow more times than she could count.

She didn’t hope for her father, Lin Haisheng, to avenge her. Haisheng might be influential in Capital City, but in the Northern Land, even a dragon needs to coil in submission to the Prince. She couldn’t let her father fall into danger!

Lin Wanwan’s punishment served as a lesson to those restless women in the backyard. Any who harbored intentions were now quieted down. Lin Ziyin’s approach of ’killing the chicken to scare the monkey’ showed a good effect.

However, ever since Lin Ziyin became the lady of the Wang Residence, many others benefited. At the very least, the Prince has been in a good mood these past few days, lifting their confinement. During this time of the year, the women in the backyard were allowed to roam the streets freely.

These women have essentially been under soft arrest since they arrived in Feng City. Some have been here for five years, and the newest arrivals have also been here for two years. Confined to their courtyards in the backyard, each of them were almost going crazy.

With the lifting of the confinement, they didn’t care for their personal battles. Every day they took maids with them to explore the city streets for curiosities.

Since most of them were legitimate daughters from official families, they still had personal silver with them. Plus, with the monthly stipends from the Wang Residence, they were all quite wealthy.

After each outing, they brought back various trinkets, and their faces were filled with joy.

As the Spring Festival was fast approaching, there were more people shopping and wandering aimlessly in the streets. The largest restaurant in Feng City, Tianran Residence, was overcrowded.

Chapter 692: Chapter 692 Everywhere are Enemies (3)_1

"Master." Hidden in a luxurious private room, a delicate yet brazenly pristine woman gazed dreamily at a lavishly dressed man across the table. "It’s been three years, Piaopiao hasn’t seen you for three years."

The despairing coldness in her voice aroused an unexpected sentiment of sympathy for her. The man across from her smirked devilishly at her, "Miss me?"

"Yes, day and night. There’s not a part of Piaopiao’s heart or bones that doesn’t yearn for you." Hot tears streamed down her face.

"If you miss me, then carry out the tasks I entrusted to you. As long as you do well, perhaps I will claim you from Wang Ling." His laughter was even more wicked now.

A glimmer of joy finally showed in her eyes, "Master, will you take me away from Feng City this time? I have had enough of this torment."

"Fear suffering?"

"No, as long as I can stay by your side, Piaopiao fears nothing." She shook her head, "If you leave the Northern Land alone, Piaopiao won’t know when she will see you again. Perhaps by then, Piaopiao would already be nothing but bones."

"Still resent me for sending you to Feng City?" The man opposite her chuckled even more softly, yet his eyes remained devoid of mirth.

"No, Piaopiao has never resented you. For you, Piaopiao is willing to give up this flesh and blood. But Chu Suifeng is not an ordinary man, he won’t let me get close." The woman explained anxiously.

"He won’t let you close? Are you sure it’s not that you are not trying hard enough?" His laughter was colder now, looking straight at her, "Otherwise, how did Lin Ziyin become the consort of Prince Ling? In the Capital City, the most celebrated woman of letters falls short to a commoner of no name. In light of this, how are you to stand tall in the Capital City, and by what right should you enter this lord’s residence?"

Upon hearing this, her beautiful face instantly turned ash-gray.

Yes, what right does she have to stand by his side? Since arriving in Feng City, she has lost all her rights.

"Anything you want to say to me?" His tone turned icy-cold.

With a renewed spirit, she answered softly, "Prince Ling’s estate has successfully planted rice and wheat crops. Rumor has it that the idea was proposed by Lin Ziyin’s elder brother. They also planted something called corn, which is high-yielding and cold-resistant. It hasn’t spread beyond the Northern Land yet, but come next year, every household in the region will undoubtedly be cultivating it. The official proclamation has already been released."

Upon hearing this, the man said nothing, but a heavy expression settled on his face.

"The Northern Land is rich in soybeans and potatoes. In the past, these were considered the lowliest of foods normally used to stave off hunger. But the Lin family has turned soybeans and potatoes into all kinds of products. Potato starch can perfectly replace conventional grains." She answered with a bitter smile.

"Who thought of the coastal farming method?" He asked sternly.

"Rumor has it that it was an ascetic known to Master Situ who proposed the idea. The method of making refined salt was also provided by him." She answered methodically, not daring to take any of this lightly.

"Who is this man?"

"I regret that I do not know. We’re confined to the back yard and do not have permission to venture out. Even if the ascetic visited the residence, we wouldn’t chance upon him. However, there are indeed people who have seen him. Alas, this ascetic always wore a veil, so what he actually looks like remains unknown to most."

...

Through their conversation, the man got a clear picture of the situation at the Wang Residence. But upon reflection, he seemed to have gained no new information, as what the woman had reported, was already known to him in the Capital City.

On thinking of Chu Suifeng’s caution and cunning, the man felt a degree of impatience and unease.

Chapter 693: Chapter 693 Everywhere are Enemies (4)_1

"Third Master." After the official affairs were discussed, the woman gazed at the man opposite her with infatuation.

"Good girl, continue to keep an eye on Chu Suifeng for me." The man smiled faintly, stretching out his hand to pinch the woman’s chin, while his other hand clasped her slender waist which a single grip could easily encircle, drawing her close to his embrace.

"Third Master." The woman’s eyes could see nothing else. "I will keep an eye on him for you."

"Good girl." Third Master bent his head and accurately captured her soft lips. The room’s temperature soared instantly.

Clearly lacking the experience in matters of intimacy compared to the seasoned Third Master, the woman soon found herself weakening and gasping for breath. At a critical moment, Third Master released her, "There are too many prying eyes here. We can’t afford to give anyone any excuses to gossip. Otherwise, trust me, I would’ve taken you here and now. If Chu Suifeng discovered you’ve cuckolded him, I wonder if he would go mad?"

Having said that, he couldn’t help but chuckle, "I’ll leave first. Stay for a bit before you leave. Remember, if anyone tries to plot against Lin Ziyin, give them a push from behind, but don’t expose yourself. Lend them a helping hand. I really want to see what will become of Chu Suifeng, who just became a groom and lost his bride."

Having said that, he left without any reluctance.

The beauty left alone in the room sat next to the table. Her eyes lost in thought as she stared at the thick door curtain, tears suddenly pouring down her cheeks. Because she realized that she could never go back. She could only ever see the Capital City she longed for in her dreams.

The pity Third Master felt for her was not love, but tyranny, a retaliation against the Marquis. He was oblivious to the fact that the Marquis had never touched her and that in the Marquis’ eyes, she was even less than a servant.

The woman who was once known as the number one beauty of the Capital City was now nothing but a joke!

Meanwhile, not far from this room, Li Yanran had been waiting. Her maid Xique was perched at the door, nervously observing the movement outside.

After a while, a man dressed in a thick cotton robe, a turned-fur hat on his head, and a scarf wrapped around his neck appeared in the room.

"Brazen villain, you actually dare to show up." Li Yanran scoffed coldly at him.

The man calmly took off his hat and unwrapped the scarf from his neck. "Why wouldn’t I dare to come? I’m here on behalf of someone to take revenge on behalf of Miss Li."

"You dare to plot against the Marquis’ wife, are you not afraid that this young lady will report you to the government offices or the Wang Residence?" Li Yanran scoffed coldly at him.

The man’s countenance was now revealed. Seeing clearly, Li Yanran’s gaze instantly revealed a look of disgust. The man looked quite young, with a long face, a mustache, and a big mole by his mouth. His triangular eyes were gray and cloudy, it was quite off-putting.

"Hehe, as far as I know, the Marquis is currently in the Marquis Residence. If Miss Li really wants to expose me, she wouldn’t be here." The man answered fearlessly, "However, having met Miss Li in person, I feel a bit regretful now."

"What are you regretting?" Li Yanran felt a surge of anger simply getting looked down upon by such a repulsive man.

"I originally thought Miss Li was a bold and incredible person, but seeing her in person, she’s quite underwhelming. Let it be, it seems I found the wrong person." After saying this, the mustached man huffily stood up, casually picking up his hat and scarf.

"How dare you?" No one had ever dared to refuse Li Yanran to her face, no, once Lin Ziyin had slapped her in the face. Now, a stranger had also slapped her in the face. Flushed with humiliation, Li Yanran’s face turned beet red.

Chapter 694: Chapter 694 Everywhere are Enemies (5)_1

"What, does Miss Li intend to report this to the authorities for a reward?" The man asked with a cold sneer, but inwardly he was anxious. He had agreed to look for Li Yanran, but he didn’t want to languish in jail for it.

This man was, of course, Ma Zhicai!

"Why should I believe you?" Li Yanran raised her chin in haughty defiance. Although the man’s arrival seemed suspect, her desire to trip up Lin Ziyin overpowered her last shred of reason.

"Scheming against the Princess, no matter the reason, Miss Li do you think the Prince would spare me if he knew? Do you think I would toy with you in these thankless circumstances?" Ma Zhicai deployed psychological warfare.

No matter what, he needed to complete his mission today, or he would undoubtedly lose his life.

After listening to him, Li Yanran fell silent for a moment. He was right; he wouldn’t dare involve the princess.

"What do you hope to gain by scheming against the princess?" Li Yanran asked fiercely.

Upon hearing this, Ma Zhicai secretly breathed a sigh of relief; Li Yanran’s retort indicated she was wavering.

"Blame the Princess for being ruthless in her dealings. Had it not been for her, my business wouldn’t have faced such a heavy loss." Ma Zhicai responded. This excuse had been thoughtfully crafted by him and he could even provide an impeccable explanation if she asked for details.

Unfortunately, Li Yanran, blinded by hatred, didn’t continue to probe deeper. From his tone and expression, it was clear that the man was filled with repulsion and hatred for Lin Ziyin.

No matter the reason, as long as this man, like her, bore a grudge against Lin Ziyin, it worked in her favor. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?

A dark smile crossed Li Yanran’s face, "Go on then, tell me how you’re planning to deal with that despicable Lin Ziyin, what help do you need from me?"

"Great, straight to the point." Ma Zhicai was overjoyed; persuading Li Yanran had been easier than he anticipated.

The voices in the room gradually faded, and after a while, Ma Zhicai was the first to leave the room. Like when he arrived, he was carefully concealed.

After a bit, Li Yanran, accompanied by her maid, also left the room. The meal inside remained untouched.

Liu Piaopiao emerged looking somewhat disoriented, and happened to see Li Yanran leaving hurriedly. She immediately snapped back to clarity.

Given the old lady of Marquis Residence was unconscious, as the daughter, Li Yanran should be at home attending to her. What was she doing at the Tianran Residence at this time?

"Find out who Li Yanran just met with." Liu Piaopiao coldly instructed the maid beside her, resuming her usual icy and arrogant demeanor.

"Yes."

Outside the inn, You Shiyong was pacing nervously, "When will the Prince return?"

"Don’t know." Although the guard accepted his silver, he didn’t provide any useful information, which greatly upset him.

"Where did the Prince go?" But he dared not show his displeasure; he could only feign humility and continue smiling.

"How dare you! Since when can the Prince’s itinerary be known to the likes of you?" The guard was unapologetic even though he had accepted the silver.

"I have no ill intentions, I only wish to pay my respects to the Prince as soon as possible." Beads of cold sweat formed on You Shiyong’s forehead. Despite his significant status in Feng City, he dared not act presumptuously in front of the Prince.

"The Prince’s affairs are not for the likes of us to know. You can wait." The guard, moved by the sight of silver, didn’t push him away completely.

 

Chapter 695: Chapter 695 Everywhere are Enemies (6)_1

You Shiyong was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He was willing to wait, but the piles of grain in the room couldn’t wait.

He waited in the carriage outside until dark, but he didn’t see the two princes at the post station. In the end, You Shiyong left the post station sighing and shaking his head.

"Reporting to the Prince, the man has left." Once he left, the guard quickly went to the inner courtyard to inform Prince Chu.

"If he comes again tomorrow, continue to do as we did today." Chu Suiyun ordered lazily.

"Yes, Your Highness."

In another courtyard, Prince Rui also received the news of You Shiyong’s departure, "Interesting, but he sought the wrong person. He doesn’t even know who sent the grain back and yet dares to confront us."

"Your Highness, do we need to send someone to ’remind’ him?" one of his subordinates asked.

"No need, we just need to watch this fight from the sidelines." Prince Rui answered coldly. "Did the person who went to Shili Village come back?"

"He is back."

"Have him come to see me." Prince Rui was suddenly energetic.

Soon, a man looking like a businessman was added to the room, "This humble one has seen the prince."

"How did the negotiation go?" Prince Rui asked impatiently.

"The house manager of Shili Village is named Jue Ming, a monk from Ding’an Temple. This man is highly talented and resourceful, incorruptible and upright. There is also a second housekeeper named Yu Shaohui, the young owner of the Brave Escort Agency in Capital City who is good at calculating and meticulous in his work. Lin Changshu’s masters trust these two very much. When I was there, I met many merchants in Shili Village, including Prince Chu’s people. However, they stuck to their terms. Any transaction involving food must be traded with grain or there is no deal." The man reported respectfully.

"This king refuses to believe it." Prince Rui scoffed, "Food is one thing, I wonder if he dares to keep collecting items bred by the coastal regions, isn’t he afraid of not being able to handle it all?"

"There are a lot of merchants visiting Shili Village, including merchants from neighboring countries, and even foreigners with blond hair and blue eyes. There is no concern about not being able to sell the goods produced in Shili Village." The man explained with a wry smile.

"Did those merchants also bring grain for exchange?" Prince Rui was taken aback.

"Not entirely, some brought local specialties. For example, some merchants brought beans and various seeds. They said that some different kinds of grains have been successfully planted in Shili Village." The man reported all the information he had gathered.

Prince Rui was so surprised that he was unable to say anything.

He knew that the goods from the Northern Land were selling incredibly well, but he hadn’t expected the demand to be this high. "Are the bred stuff being sold?"

"They are being sold." The man answered carefully, "It’s nearing the end of the year and many products have been processed. In winter, they do not easily spoil. It is said that they can be preserved for a year or two."

Preserved for so long? Prince Rui pondered. It was true, he didn’t know how Chu Suifeng and his people did it, but these seafood were well preserved - shrimp skin, shrimp meat, squid, scallops, sea cucumber...

Thinking about the seafood circulating in the market, Prince Rui couldn’t help but grin wryly. He realized that eating seafood had become a trend in Daqin, and the majority of the recipes and seafood itself were actually from the Northern Land. What irked him more was Chu Suifeng’s cunning business strategy - the sauces for the dishes came prepackaged. So, the restaurants that wanted to use those dishes inevitably had to source them from the Northern Land.

"He has turned into a shrewd businessman. It seems Prince Ling marrying a woman who knows how to do business has really made him a merchant. Does this count as one’s company deciding one’s character, I wonder?" He evaluated with a laugh.

The people in the room all laughed awkwardly, but none of them dared pick up on his remark. Prince Rui was free to criticize Prince Ling because they were brothers. But as insignificant figures themselves, they found it prudent to stay in line.