Ch. 711..715: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 711-715

Chapter 711: Chapter 711: Panic (1)_1

"Prince." Just as the room was filled with laughter, and Lin Ziyin was blushing with embarrassment, Mr. Bai Xian, the butler, walked in with a serious look on his face.

"What’s the matter?" Chu Suifeng’s face turned serious too, and the room quieted down.

"The old lady has woken up and wants to see the prince and the princess." Mr. Bai Xian was accompanied by someone, from his outfit, one could tell that he was a servant from the Marquis Residence.

As expected, right after Bai Xian’s words fell, the servant kneeled down anxiously with a distressed look on his face, "My lord, I am a servant from the Marquis Residence. I came especially to inform you that the old lady has woken up. It happened shortly after you left."

Chu Suifeng did not ask about the old lady’s specific condition because he already knew that once the old lady woke up, it would be a fleeting resurgence of vitality. Even the Fairy Daluo could not bring back the old lady’s life.

"Let’s go." Chu Suifeng stood up quickly. However, he did not forget about Lin Ziyin. After standing up, his movements slowed down.

Lin Ziyin was well aware of what was going to happen. She did not have time to comfort Chu Suifeng and was instantly pulled by Chu Suifeng’s large hand, "Put on your clothes before we leave."

Even in such urgency, Chu Suifeng still cared about her first.

"Okay." Thinking that Chu Suifeng still thought of taking care of her in such a critical situation, Lin Ziyin felt warm inside. Only a man who truly loves a woman would consider her in everything and pay attention to the smallest details.

After Lin Ziyin put on the white fox cape, hat, and scarf, they hurriedly got into the carriage and headed towards the Marquis Residence.

On the way, Lin Ziyin held Chu Suifeng’s hand inside the carriage, offering silent support and comfort.

"Don’t worry, I have you." Chu Suifeng only had these words throughout the journey, indicating how low his spirits were.

"Yes, you also have me." Lin Ziyin responded affirmatively. Chu Suifeng closed his eyes slightly upon hearing this and pulled her into his embrace. Only when Lin Ziyin was close to him did he feel a warmth in his heart and a sense of peace.

The carriage quickly pulled over in front of the Marquis Residence. Every servant in the house wore an anxious expression. After seeing them arrive and hastily salute, they hurriedly moved out of the way.

Chu Suifeng, holding Lin Ziyin’s hand, quickly walked into the courtyard without stopping, to the living quarters of the old lady.

"Prince, Princess." Nanny Qilan had been waiting in the cold wind at the courtyard gate for Chu Suifeng and Lin Ziyin’s arrival. The moment she saw them, she couldn’t help shedding tears, "The old lady is waiting for the prince and princess in the room."

Chu Suifeng paused a step, then continued walking towards the room with Lin Ziyin.

All the descendants of the Li Family were gathered in the room, including the offspring of the Marquis Li. Chu Suifeng’s arrival quieted down all the Li family children who were trying to attend to the old lady.

"Prince." The old lady was leaning against the quilts, and she was excited when she saw Chu Suifeng and Lin Ziyin come over.

"Grandmother." Chu Suifeng softly called out. Marquis Li and the others immediately made way for him.

Lin Ziyin who was standing beside Chu Suifeng saw the rosy complexion on the old lady’s face and heaved a small sigh. It was highly abnormal for a person who had been bedridden for several days to have a rosy face.

The old lady was indeed experiencing a fleeting resurgence of vitality.

"This humble servant greets the prince and princess." The old lady tried to get out of bed to salute, but Chu Suifeng immediately held her shoulder, "Grandmother, the princess and I are not strangers, there’s no need for such formalities."

Hearing this, the old lady didn’t insist any further. Instead, with a worried face, she looked at Chu Suifeng, "It is said that the Imperial Court has issued a decree?"

Chapter 712: Chapter 712: Panic (2)_1

Too many words were left unsaid, but the worry of the elders was clearly visible.

"It’s just some minor things, I’ve already taken care of them," Chu Suifeng replied indifferently.

The old lady looked at him suspiciously, obviously not believing his words.

Seeing that the old lady was on her last legs, and yet still concerned and worried about Chu Suifeng, Lin Ziyin’s heart softened, and she almost shed tears.

"Prince, you must hurry and have more children with the princess. The Wang Residence has been too quiet these years," she panted and urged.

"Don’t worry, Grandmother. Perhaps there will be good news this time next year," Chu Suifeng answered calmly, allowing her to hold his hand.

"That would be wonderful," said the old lady, her face expressing relief at her grandson’s promise. "I’ve already told my oldest son to arrange everything as stated in this letter. Perhaps you, my prince, could bear witness."

Chu Suifeng took the letter and nodded firmly, "As long as there’s no mistake, I promise to take good care of Li Family."

"Both of you are kind-hearted, and I am grateful," the old lady smiled with tears in her eyes. "Listen, if you wrong yourselves, the prince will enforce the law of the Northern Land."

"Yes, Mother," the Marquis and the second master of the Li Family reluctantly agreed, but they blamed the old lady in their hearts. They couldn’t mess things up, the old lady was worrying needlessly. Wasn’t this deliberately making the prince alienate them?

However, under the circumstances, the brothers dared not utter a word of dissent to the old lady.

"Princess, I have been foolish, please forgive me, I have failed you," the old lady said with a guilty look after instructing Chu Suifeng and making arrangements for the descendants of the family.

"Madam, everything you do there is no right or wrong. Ziyin only knows that you are a loving elder who is beyond reproach," Lin Ziyin said sincerely.

"It’s because the princess is kind," the old lady said, struggling to hold back her tears. She then looked at the maids in the room and Nanny Qilan, "They have served me and taken care of me for many years, they should be free in the future. I hope the prince can arrange their future out of respect to me."

"Madam..." The maids in the room immediately burst into tears.

"Prince and princess, your kindness will be rewarded by the heavens. You will grow old together and have many generations of descendants. " After saying this, the old lady’s hand loosened, her head tilted, and she fell silent.

Lin Ziyin saw the thin hand fall away from her grasp, and her tears rolled down unchecked.

"Madam." The maids in the room wailed even louder, followed by the uproar of the descendants of the Li family.

Chu Suifeng’s expression was stern. He gently placed the old lady’s hand under the blanket, and then spoke in a cold voice, "Everyone, shut up."

The wailing women from the Li family were abruptly silenced as if their throats had been pinched.

To the surprise of everyone in the room, Chu Suifeng pulled out a piece of paper from the envelope in his hand, scanned it quickly, and then began to read its contents.

When he had finished, a strange silence filled the room.

"No, this is not true. I don’t believe it..." Li Jiesong was the first to speak, his face filled with disbelief and rage. "The old lady would never do this to me. I am the eldest son of the Li Family."

No one responded to his words, not even his wife. The decision made by the old lady was initially hard to accept for everyone, but soon, they began to feel like it was the only reasonable decision.

Chapter 713: Chapter 713: Panic (3)_1

Compared to Li Jiesong’s heart-wrenching despair, Li Jieyong seemed to be more stunned. Indeed, when he heard that the old lady had designated him as the heir to the Li Family, Li Jieyong was dumbfounded.

Never in his wildest imaginations did he think such a pie from the sky would fall onto him.

The second branch of the family was somewhat dissatisfied, yet they couldn’t find a reason to protest. The old lady even left enough property for Qilan, an old maid, to covet after. Her share of good things was enough to make them jealous. She was just an old maid, was there any need to leave so much for her? Besides, during this division of assets, the main branch received more than their branch.

Although Mu Family’s Madam Mu felt disgruntled, she couldn’t express her discontent. The heir of the Li Family was still her son, only the mantle was handed over from one son to the other.

Still, she wasn’t satisfied. How dare the old lady, even after death, control everything in the Residence?

Madam Yu was furious. Detrimentally, Li Jiesong’s loss of inheritance rights meant that her child would not receive anything from the Residence in the future. Seeing Jiesong’s wretched appearance, her anger was unstoppable.

"Prepare for the funeral." Chu Suifeng coldly instructed, showing no signs of grief throughout the process.

Still, Lin Ziyin knew how much pain he was enduring at this moment.

"The Princess will temporarily return to the Wang Residence first. Lord Li must have prepared everything, right?" Chu Suifeng’s gaze pierced the Marquis like a knife.

Distracted, the Marquis shivered and immediately responded respectfully, "Rest assured, Your Highness, everything is ready."

Thanks to their early preparations and the number of people in the Li Residence, everything was quickly changed to white, and mourning music began to play.

Then, one after another, people started to pay their respects and condolences.

"Escort the Princess back to the Residence," Chu Suifeng calmly ordered the maids.

"Your Highness." Lin Ziyin was worried about him and wanted to stay behind.

"Don’t worry, I can handle it. There are still some matters I need to take care of later, it’s not suitable for the Princess to stay in the Li Residence," Chu Suifeng whispered in her ear.

Upon hearing this, Ziyin immediately agreed and left with her maids.

During her departure, she gave Madam Mu some face.

"I humbly bid farewell to the Princess," Madam Mu didn’t favor her in her heart, but she dared not show any negligence.

"The old lady just passed away, there is much to take care of in the Residence. Lady Li, please stay," Lin Ziyin politely stopped her.

Madam Mu didn’t actually intend to see her off. At Ziyin’s courteous refusal, she gave up.

Madam Jin wished to accompany her, but Ziyin also declined her offer. This slight made Madam Jin somewhat dissatisfied with Ziyin. However, as a smooth operator, Madam Jin quickly reasoned that she would have plenty of opportunities in the future. Attempting to curry favor with Princess Ziyin was less effective than making herself visible in front of Prince Cheng.

The guests were stunned when they saw that Li Jieyong, not Jiesong, was the filial son responsible for the ritual kowtowing. Traditionally, the eldest son or grandson from each residence would perform this duty, or in other words, the heir to the residence.

Shouldn’t the heir of the Marquis Residence be the eldest grandson, Li Jiesong? Hence, each guest examined Jiesong with scrutinizing gazes filled with doubt.

With his inheritance stripped away, Li Jiesong was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Confronted with the guests’ peculiar gazes, he could barely contain himself in the mourning hall.

"Lord Li, be strong." The Prince of Chu and the Prince of Rui arrived at the Li Residence almost simultaneously.

Perhaps, over the years, the Li Family’s actions have been disdainful, but with Prince Cheng currently at the Li Residence, every big and small power in Feng City had to pay their respects.

Chapter 714: Chapter 714: Panic (4)_1

"The lower official has seen two princes." Marquis Li felt a sense of pride upon seeing Princes Chu and Rui. Only the Li Family was capable of having three princes come to express condolences.

Li Jieyong disdained his father’s fawning. He knew that only when you respect others will you receive respect in return. Marquis Li’s sycophancy lowered the status of the Li Residence. However, he was helpless; after all, he was still just the heir and not the family head.

At this moment, Lin Ziyin was just leading people out from the second gate, running into Princes Chu and Rui.

"Princess Ling." Princes Chu and Rui immediately abandoned Marquis Li, quickly approaching Lin Ziyin.

Lin Ziyin was taken aback, she wasn’t familiar with these two.

Lu’s old maid quietly reminded her in her ear.

So these were people from the Capital City. Lin Ziyin immediately understood and became vigilant internally.

She certainly didn’t think that a weasel paying a visit to the hen house could bode well!

"Greetings to the two princes." Lin Ziyin responded.

Princes Chu and Rui were taken aback, then they simultaneously chuckled. The greeting from Princess Ling was unique.

"Greetings to Princess Ling."

Doing things anew, they also returned the pleasantries politely.

"Did the two princes also come to pay their respects?" Lin Ziyin asked knowingly.

"Yes." Prince Rui answered with respect, "The old lady was indeed a heroine, and I have always admired her."

"The old lady indeed made many sacrifices for Prince Ling," Prince Chu added, nodding his head.

These were all empty words, leaving Lin Ziyin internally amused.

She guessed that the two princes deliberately intercepted her probably for the business of Lin Family, right?

Watching her act flawlessly, Princes Chu and Rui begrudgingly conceded. Indeed, they had come for the Lin Family’s business.

Everyone knew that most of the goods from the Northern Land were produced by the Lin Family, and these goods represented wealth. It was a juicy piece of meat and countless pairs of eyes in the Capital City were eyeing it eagerly.

However, they all understood, this juicy meat wasn’t easy to swallow. The recent example of Miao Gonggong being sent back to the posthouse was the best evidence.

The emperor wanted to obtain this juicy piece of meat for free, but Chu Suifeng was not a paper tiger and wouldn’t relent under the emperor’s manipulation.

Through their many years of maneuvering in the Capital City, they had a good understanding of the emperor’s character. They could assert that even if Chu Suifeng acted excessively, given the emperor’s selfish nature, he would definitely not act against Prince Ling.

Strictly speaking, the Northern Land served as a safety barrier for Daqin in the north, blocking the aggressive Tatars. The emperor was not worried that Chu Suifeng would rebel against Daqin.

The Northern Land had been barren for many years, and even if Chu Suifeng possessed exceptional talents, he wouldn’t be able to make it prosperous and rich in a short time. Additionally, given its sparse population, Chu Suifeng would be at a significant disadvantage if war broke out. The most important factor was that the Northern Land served as a demarcation line between the Tatars and Daqin, and whoever triggered conflict would be sandwiched between the two powers. If Chu Suifeng dared to rebel and attack Daqin, the Tatars would seize the opportunity and stab Chu Suifeng in the back.

Perhaps, neighboring small nations would also take the chance to share in the spoils. Chu Suifeng would undoubtedly be reduced to a homeless dog.

In conclusion, as long as Chu Suifeng was not foolish, he would absolutely not rebel. It wasn’t just the emperor who saw through this, even the Crown Prince and Chu Suiyun were keen to curry favor with Chu Suifeng. Who wouldn’t want a free pawn, or rather, an assistant?

Regardless, in the future, should Prince Chu and the Crown Prince face-off, Chu Suifeng would only be able to guard the bitter and cold Northern Land.

Chapter 715: Chapter 715: Panic (5)_1

The powers that be would never oppress an individual who posed no threat excessively.

This is why Chu Suifeng and Prince Rui were willing to yield to Chu Suifeng.

Now that Prince Ling had another money-making strategy, Chu Suifeng and Prince Rui were even less inclined to offend him.

"Prince Ling’s Consort, I visited Shili Village a few days ago," Chu Suifeng considered his words carefully, deciding to be straightforward with his intentions. "I find the merchandise produced by the Lin Family quite appealing. I wonder if Prince Ling’s Consort could convince young master Lin to grant me the exclusive dealership in Jiangnan?"

Prince Rui grumbled under his breath about Chu Suifeng’s cunning as he voiced his intentions first.

"By chance, I too, have an interest in doing business with the Lin Family. Prince Ling’s Consort, you mustn’t overlook me." He also came forward and stated his intentions.

King Chu’s face was full of smiles; it was better to be frank. They already knew each other’s thoughts anyway, so there was no way they could hide them.

Lin Ziyin rolled her eyes slightly, it seemed they both took her for a fool. "I’m sorry, but my big brother and grandfather are the ones who handle the Lin Family’s business. If both of the princes wish to collaborate with our family, there’s no need to consult me. The Lin Family’s business is open to all customers. As long as customers provide the requisite grain, they can receive ample merchandise. It’s a well-known fact."

Seeing her smiling face, both King Chu and Prince Rui were taken aback and dared not to underestimate her anymore.

The Consort of Prince Ling was indeed a formidable player. Her straightforward manner bore no trace of a peasant girl, she managed to shirk responsibility effortlessly with a few words.

On the contrary, with mere few sentences, Lin Ziyin managed to give Chu Suifeng and Prince Rui the impression that she was a shrewd and tenacious businesswoman, not to be underestimated.

Chu Suifeng put on a bitter smile and played the victim card again, "Prince Ling’s Consort must be joking. Of course, I’m aware of the Lin family’s standards. But the Emperor has decreed that no grain is allowed to be traded. I dare not disobey the Emperor’s order."

"Should we convert the grain into silver?" Prince Rui immediately added.

Lin Ziyin replied indifferently, "How coincidental, the Lin Family’s merchandise must be exchanged for grain, that’s also the prince’s directive. As a consort, I naturally follow the prince. And the Lin Family is my maternal family, also part of the Northern Land populace. Who would dare to disregard the prince’s orders?"

Lin Ziyin’s counterattack was splendidly done, using their own logic against them.

"The Prince Ling Residence..." Chu Suifeng tried to negotiate again, unwilling to give up.

"Are both of you displeased with me?" At this moment, Chu Suifeng silently positioned himself in front of them.

This was it, it seemed like their plans for today were going to fall apart!

The faces of Chu Suifeng and Prince Rui changed immediately.

"The prince arrives right on time. Both King Chu and Prince Rui intend to do business with our Lin Family, and the business also includes half of the prince’s share. You may sit down and discuss." Lin Ziyin quickly absolved herself.

Negotiate, my foot! Chu Suifeng and Prince Rui were now certain that Prince Ling’s consort was truly a cunning little vixen.

Chu Suifeng’s face darkened tremendously, causing panic in Chu Suifeng and Prince Rui. It seemed that Chu Suifeng was about to get tough again. Regardless of their noble status and powerful strength, what did it matter? Even a dragon wouldn’t lord over a snake in its own home. In the Northern Land, Chu Suifeng was, in harsh words, their ruler.

"No grain, then no deal. Are you trying to starve me? Let me tell you, without grain, don’t even think about it. Want to vent your frustrations on me since you can’t disobey the decree? Do I look like an easy target to you?" Before Chu Suifeng and Prince Rui could think of a countermeasure, Chu Suifeng flatly denied them. His beautiful peach blossom eyes scanned Chu Suifeng and Prince Rui sharply, similar to an eagle-eye.