Ch. 731..735: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 731-735

Chapter 731: Chapter 731: Disappearance (7) _1

Once in the courtyard, he grabbed Lin Wanwan by the throat. "Speak, where is the princess?"

Lin Wanwan was caught off guard, her face suddenly flushed, her lips turned black and blue, her eyes bulged from the pressure. It was evident how much strength Chu Suifeng was using. "If you don’t speak, I’ll kill you."

Regret filled Lin Wanwan’s heart. If she had known that the prince would be so mad, she would have never sought out Chu Suifeng.

"My lord, if you squeeze any harder, Consort Lin won’t have a breath left in her. The princess, she..." Nurse Lu was shocked and disregarded proper conduct, rushing forward to rescue Lin Wanwan.

"My lord, she knows where the princess is." Bai Xian, clear on the extent of Chu Suifeng’s irritation, immediately joined Nurse Lu in trying to persuade him.

Finally, Chu Suifeng’s bloodshot eyes started to move, he released his grip, and Lin Wanwan crumpled onto the snowy ground.

"Cough, cough." Lin Wanwan had never found breathing so comfortable. Remembering how close she had come to death, her face turned deathly pale once again.

"Speak, what happened to the princess’ disappearance?" Bai Xian started interrogating with a cold expression.

"Do you think it’s convenient to talk here?" Lin Wanwan asked, forcing a bitter smile.

"Let’s go inside." It was Chu Suifeng who first returned to his senses.

"Can we now get to the matter at hand?" After entering the room, Nurse Qin stared at her questioningly.

"I’m just speculating based on a few small clues. I don’t know if it will be of any help," Consort Lin responded, her voice trembling. She nervously watched Chu Suifeng, afraid he would fly into a rage and kill her.

Even though it was merely speculation, everyone felt a sudden wave of disappointment.

"Speak." Chu Suifeng commanded coldly.

Her body involuntarily took a step back at the sight of his murderous gaze. Despite having spent several years from Capital City to the Northern Land, Lin Wanwan had seen Chu Suifeng only a sparse handful of times. The terrifying image of Chu Suifeng in his fury had left an indelible mark on her heart.

"Tell us everything you know," Nurse Lu also demanded in a somber voice.

"I’ve noticed fresh patches of mud near the flower bed and trees outside of Qin Mei’s room," Lin Wanwan replied timidly.

"Are you saying it’s Qin Mei?" asked Congyi, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light.

"I discovered it unintentionally and it’s just speculation. I don’t know if it’s of any use." Lin Wanwan was so frightened that she almost fell down again.

She risked coming here to inform them after careful consideration and deliberation.

Qin Mei’s room is located on the fringe of the backyard, a place that usually didn’t catch much attention. "A few days ago my servant slipped there and came back covered in mud. I didn’t think much of it at first, but today it dawned on me that something was off. Because it’s not the first or second time fresh mud has appeared in Qin Mei’s courtyard. So, I boldly speculated that maybe it could be of some minor assistance to the prince."

Lin Wanwan had wisened up and no longer dared to take credit for things or attempt to bargain for any conditions that might benefit her.

"Search." As her voice rang out, Chu Suifeng jumped up and rushed out like the wind.

Congyi and the rest quickly followed.

All the influential figures of the Wang Residence had gathered in the backyard, once again stirring up all the women in the backyard.

"Your humble servant greets you, my lord." Given everyone’s suspicion about the disappearance of the princess, Chu Suifeng’s arrival did not cheer up the women residing in the backyard. Even a fool would know that Prince Chu Suifeng was not here to indulge them in any pleasure.

In the darkness of the night, the beautiful women and their maids huddled together in groups, standing in the cloister trembling from fear, yet not one dared to complain.

The Prince’s face was unbearable to look at, the bloody look in his eyes was enough to scare anyone to death.

"I’ll go," Situ Gong volunteered.

"Let me as well," pleaded Bai Xian, bowing respectfully.

The soldiers in black armor had already rushed into the room to clear it.

"What are you doing? My lady cannot handle the cold," cried the teary-eyed maid inside the room.

"Ha, you all have some nerve. Even if this lady is incapacitated, I am still the prince’s woman. You dare to barge in like this? Are you not afraid that the prince will punish you?" Qin Mei, unaware that Chu Suifeng was standing in the courtyard, rebuked the intruding black-armored soldiers out of anger.

The women in the cloister turned pale, their eyes filled with terror. They could not fathom what Chu Suifeng was thinking or what he might do next.

Consort Lin also went pale, but she had the good sense to keep quiet.

"Throw her out," Chu Suifeng commanded coldly.

Soon enough, a disheveled Qin Mei and her maid were thrown out.

"The prince won’t let you all off the hook," Qin Mei harshly warned, despite being unable to move.

Hearing her, the multiple beauties in the cloister could not help but despise Qin Mei.

Due to her physical condition, Qin Mei looked emaciated, her face was pale, and her hair was unkempt. She looked so miserable that it was uncomfortable to watch. She had been so arrogant before that not a single woman in the backyard showed her any sympathy even in this desolate state.

"My lord..." When Qin Mei turned and saw the murderous expression on Chu Suifeng’s face, her voice softened, and her face displayed fear.

Both Situ Gong and Bai Xian were indeed incredible.

In an instant, they came out with solemn expressions. "My lord, there’s a tunnel."

Chapter 732: Chapter 732: See Again (1)_1

Upon hearing this, fear and desperation immediately filled Qin Meiren’s eyes, while Chu Suifeng had already burst into her room.

Situ Gong and Bai Xian exchanged a look before reentering the room.

"Oh heavens."

"What’s going on?"

"The Prince isn’t going to take his anger out on us, is he?"

...

The women in the courtyard forgot about decorum and gathered together, gossiping like an exploded pot. They were all shocked by Qin Meiren’s boldness, and worried about their own safety. Having spent many years in the Wang Residence, the Prince’s unpredictable and vengeful temperament was deeply ingrained in their hearts.

At this moment, no one hesitated to blame the ashen-faced maidservants.

"Madam." Qin Meiren’s maid, trembling, took her into her arms. Counting on it, these maids were still loyal.

"Hehe, are you scared?" Qin Meiren suddenly laughed.

The maids sobbed softly, with none of them answering her question. Whether they answered or not, everyone knew the answer in their hearts.

Although Qin Meiren was heavily punished, her living standards were not affected. The room was fully furnished, complete with a heated bed and wall, providing ample warmth.

However, Chu Suifeng’s heart was cold, a kind of coldness that seeped into his bones.

Situ Gong and Bai Xian also had grave expressions on their faces: the secret tunnel was right under Qin Meiren’s bed. The armored troops had searched the place once before and failed to discover it.

What chilled Situ Gong and Bai Xian even more was the presence of a traitor within the Wang Residence. Because Qin Meiren and her few maids alone couldn’t have gotten Lin Ziyin out.

"Search," Chu Suifeng gritted out.

"Prince, we should question them separately," Situ Gong suggested seriously.

Thus, overnight, the situation within the Wang Residence began to change again.

"I never thought you could be so ruthless." Hong Ying, looking at Ming Meiren who was beaten to a pulp, still couldn’t quench her anger. "The Prince and Princess treated you well. Why would you help outsiders hurt the Princess?"

"You wouldn’t understand." Ming Meiren was already injured. After being beaten again, she was barely hanging on to life. But even so, there was no fear on her face. With a mocking gaze, she watched Hong Ying, "You’ve never been in love; how would you understand my heart?"

"The Prince doesn’t love you. You should know that from the very beginning, when you were chosen to enter the backyard, the Prince hoped that you could manage the women there and prevent them from causing troubles." Lun Luo looked at her coldly as if looking at a dead person. The sisterly feelings of the past were gone, "All of us are trained hidden guards for the Princess. A farmer’s daughter, she doesn’t understand anything, how can she marry the Prince? Even if it was any lady from an aristocratic family in Feng City, I would be willing to let go. But she can’t."

"Don’t waste words with her, where exactly did you send the Princess?" Huangying, very angry, whipped her once more.

"Hehe." Ming Meiren suddenly laughed, "I want to tell you, it doesn’t hurt at all. Because my heart hurts more than my body. You don’t understand anything. I have no regrets, not at all. This woman is a farmer’s wife who doesn’t understand anything. Why did she get to marry the Prince? Even if I had to give up to any young lady from an aristocratic family in Feng City, I would be willing. However, that is not the case with her."

"Fool." Huangying angrily whipped her one more time. Another wound was added to Ming Meiren’s body; the raw flesh was exposed and the wound looked fearsome.

But Ming Meiren looked as if she felt nothing at all; the anger in her eyes was still the same, "Lin Ziyin doesn’t deserve the Prince. The mistress of the Wang Residence should not be her, I am not wrong."

Chapter 733: Chapter 733: See Again (2)_1

If it were not for her potentially spilling information about the Lady of King Ling, Hong Ying and the others would have killed her on the spot. The black-armored soldiers have various ways of punishing enemies, each one more brutal than the last. But Ming Mei Ren had been trained in her day, and she had withstood all of these forms of punishment.

"What kind of woman do you think is worthy of the Prince?" Just then, Bai Xian and Situ Gong entered. The one asking the question was Situ Gong, who was pulling off a light smile, acting as if he was gossiping with Ming Mei Ren.

"Mr. Situ." Facing Situ Gong, Ming Mei Ren’s tone had a hint of respect. "The one who can match the Prince should, at least, hail from an aristocratic family in Feng City."

"Those women are nothing but ornaments in the Prince’s eyes." Bai Xian said with a cold smile, "Just like those women in the backyard, if the Prince desired them, then the Wang Residence would not have gone so long without a mistress."

"Even so, Lin Ziyin doesn’t deserve the Prince. Other than her skill in business, what can she do?" Ming Mei Ren’s voice became cold and dismissive towards Lin Ziyin, "Moreover, she is jealous and refuses to let the Prince take concubines. Who does she think she is?"

"The last sentence should be your true feelings, shouldn’t it?" Situ Gong sat down upon his chair, "Even if the Princess were a farmer’s daughter, she would still be worthy of Prince. If you wish to hear it, I will tell you."

Ming Mei Ren’s contempt was clear in her eyes.

Seeing her disbelief, Situ Gong smiled and "kindly" informed her of Lin Ziyin’s great achievements.

"No, she’s just a farmer’s daughter." After hearing Situ Gong’s words, Ming Mei Ren’s eyes gleamed with malice.

"So what if she’s a farmer’s daughter?" Situ Gong smiled and answered, "I am also a mere farmer. The goodness of the Princess is not something a fool like you could comprehend. It is precisely because the Princess is devoted to the Prince, that she demands there be no other women by his side. As for the Prince, haven’t you thought about it? If the Prince did not care for the Princess, how could he accept her demands? Or have you always seen the Prince as weak?"

Ming Mei Ren shook her head silently, her eyes showing a lost and desperate look.

No, Lin Ziyin is not that capable. How could she have invented the crossbow, the ballista? How could the mechanical devices for the fields also be her creation? The thirty-six stratagems, the strategies, how could she, a woman, understand them more than Situ Gong or the Prince? Yes, Situ must have lied to trick her into confessing.

"Since you are so worried about the Prince, why then do you torture him?" Bai Xian asked, looking at her with a cold smile, "Unless you are blind, have you not noticed that ever since the Princess disappeared, the Prince has been on the verge of madness?"

Ming Mei Ren remained silent.

"Do you believe that the enemy really abducted the Princess because of the Prince?" Situ Gong dropped a bombshell, "Think about the consequences if the Princess falls into their hands."

"You wretched woman." Chu Suifeng walked in, looking at Ming Mei Ren like she was a corpse, "Just a lowly servant, yet dreamt of rising to the heavens in a step."

The remark hit Ming Mei Ren hard. She could bear the insults of Hong Ying and Lun Luo, tolerate Bai Xian’s mockery and endure the harsh punishment of the black-armored soldiers, but she could not bear Chu Suifeng’s indifference, the man she had loved for all these years.

"Your Highness." She raised her head and looked at Chu Suifeng desolately, "Everything I’ve done was to make your eyes linger on me for a moment longer."

Huangying and the others were infuriated when they heard her refer to herself as a concubine in front of Chu Suifeng. They wished they could step forward and kill her themselves. Chu Suifeng was even angrier. He glared coldly at Ming Mei Ren, "Don’t let her die. Let her experience all ninety-nine forms of punishment."

Chapter 734: Chapter 734: See Again (3)_1

"My Lord." Ming Meiren looked at him excitedly. In Ming Meiren’s heart, no matter how cruel Hong Ying and the others were, Chu Suifeng was not. Because she had given almost everything for Chu Suifeng. Why couldn’t he understand her feelings?

"It has been confirmed." Congyi hurriedly came in to report, "Her maid is a spy from the North Country, and a black-armored soldier in the residence has been bribed by her. The Princess should be hidden somewhere in the city, and after she left Wang Residence, they’re no longer responsible for her."

"No." Ming Meiren pricked up her ears, "How could Qingting be a spy from the North Country? She clearly is..."

"Brainless." Situ Gong sneered at her, "You don’t even know when the people around you are compromised, yet you were chosen by the Prince to manage the back courtyard."

With the confessions of Qingting and the black-armored soldier, Situ Gong actually knew that Ming Meiren had not participated in the kidnapping of Lin Ziyin. But even so, Ming Meiren was not without responsibility.

Qingting, the black-armored soldier, and the people in Qin Meiren’s room dug a tunnel together. As the manager of the back courtyard, did she really received no word about it at all?

In the final analysis, Ming Meiren had a selfish heart. And it was precisely this bit of selfishness that allowed Lin Ziyin to be secretly taken out of Wang Residence.

"Search the whole city again." Chu Suifeng gave the order coldly.

"My Lord, it’s already midnight, we should wait till dawn. The city gates are sealed, and the folks from North Country definitely couldn’t take the Princess out of the city." Situ Gong stopped him.

Even if Chu Suifeng was the supreme ruler of the Northern Land, if he repeatedly spared lives, it wouldn’t be good. With just one day and one night, the citizens of Feng City who were unaware of the truth had already begun to panic.

Should there be a widespread search tonight, the people would likely panic even more. Besides, once Situ Gong learned that the people from the North Country had kidnapped Lin Ziyin, he was rather relieved. Because his guess was, if the people from the North Country were targeting Lin Ziyin, they must know what she’s capable of.

So, they risked coming to the Wang Residence to kidnap her, with an obvious motive. The people from the North Country definitely did not want to harm Lin Ziyin. On the contrary, they would take good care of Lin Ziyin along the journey to achieve their aim, not letting her suffer even a bit of grievance.

"Rest, and start the search immediately when day breaks." Chu Suifeng was not stupid; anything that Situ Gong could think of, he too had thought of. As soon as he confirmed that Lin Ziyin was not in mortal danger, Chu Suifeng immediately recovered his calmness.

Chu Suifeng was able to manage the entire Northern Land by himself, showing that his tactics and wisdom were indeed remarkable. Once he calmed down, he immediately began to consider in his heart: who in the entire Northern Land might be involved in this? What was their purpose? What methods could the enemy use to take Lin Ziyin out of Feng City? He pondered each one in his mind.

Situ Gong and Bai Xian were relieved to see him finally regain his calmness. However, the disappearance of the Princess also exposed the inadequacies in the management of the Wang Residence. The two began to consider how to strengthen the defensive capabilities of the Wang Residence.

That night, there were enormous gains. Ming Meiren and Qingting were all subjected to the heaviest of punishments, and the traitorous black-armored soldier was even worse off, being paraded to the vegetable market every day to be subjected to a slow, torturous death.

The following day, before dawn, all the main family members of the Lin Family arrived at Wang Residence.

"My Lord, has the Princess really disappeared?" Lin Changshu couldn’t wait to question Chu Suifeng as soon as he saw him.

Tears were already on the faces of Lin Zige and Guo Huiniang, while Lin Changting clenched his fists and gritted his teeth without saying a word.

Looking at the older Lin family head who seemed to have aged a lot in the past few days, Chu Suifeng felt terribly guilty. He knew that Lin Ziyin had always valued family ties, and now that she was not in the Wang Residence, he had to take good care of her elderly family members.

Chapter 735: Chapter 735: See Again (4)_1

"We have received some information," Chu Suifeng chose not to withhold the truth from them, "It appears that someone from the North Country has kidnapped the Princess."

"So much for you being a Prince. My sister was kidnapped from within the royal residence. What use are your Black Armoured Guards?" Lin Changting glared at him in anger.

"Brother," Lin Changshu played the elder’s part, sternly chastising him.

"It’s the barbaric Tatars who are to blame." For once, Lin Zige did not lose her temper, instead siding with Chu Suifeng.

"Watch how you speak to the Prince," the old master rebuked, enraged.

Changting, having received rebuke from his family, tearfully broke down.

Chu Suifeng had barely slept last night; his face was haggard and his eyes were even more red, and the accusations from Lin Changting were hard for him to bear. "I’m sorry. It was my fault. I did not protect your sister well. Rest assured, I swear on my life that I will find her as quickly as possible and bring her back safely," he declared.

At his words, Lin Changting’s tears fell even harder.

"My lord, Madame You seeks an audience," Bai Xian reported, his face grave.

Following him, Situ Gong spoke up, "Madame You seems to know the princess’s whereabouts."

"Really?" Upon hearing this, Lin Zige was eager to rush out and question Madame You herself.

"Stay put. You’re always restless. Wait until the prince has handled this, then you will naturally know. Don’t cause trouble," the old master scolded.

"Sister, listen to Grandfather," Guo Huiniang held her back.

"Prepare some food for our grandmaster and his companions," Chu Suifeng, suppressing his urgency, arranged for the members of the Lin Family to be taken care of first.

"My Lord, I will take good care of the Old Master," Qin Aunt bowed in response.

"Go for it. There are people watching our side. We are all family. You don’t have to worry about us," the old master waved his hand and told her.

Chu Suifeng nodded in acknowledgment and quickly walked out of the courtyard with Congyi and others. The idea that Madame You might know Lin Ziyin’s whereabouts made him want to move three steps at a time.

"Old Master, please," Qin Aunt led the elderly Lin towards the floral hall.

On the other side, Madame You had been brought into a room by the Black Armoured Guards. She only had one maidservant accompanying her on her visit today.

"Where is the Princess?" Chu Suifeng immediately interrogated her upon seeing her.

Madame You was startled and turned to see not only Prince Chu Suifeng entering the room, but also Bai Xian, Situ Gong and others following behind.

This was a rare opportunity! Thinking of the child in her house, she gritted her teeth and knelt down before Chu Suifeng, "Please, my Lord, spare my son and me."

After saying that, she refused to say another word.

The maid by her side trembled and knelt down as well, remaining silent with her head low.

Chu Suifeng’s face was unreadable, a mixture of emotions. No one had ever threatened him to his face before. Madame You was pretty audacious, as the King of the Northern Land, he certainly knew about the You Residence selling grains illicitly, including the processes where Madame You and Li Jiesong were involved. But due to continuous incidents occurring, he hadn’t had time to deal with Madame You and her husband.

Madame You certainly knew how to exploit loop holes! Even if Madame You didn’t specify her conditions, Chu Suifeng could guess what she wanted.

"I can spare you." His sharp gaze fixed on Madame You, who, however, kept her eyes downcast and did not meet his.

Madame You feared she couldn’t persist under Chu Suifeng’s gaze for much longer. Her visit today had filled her with fear and anxiety. If possible, she would avoid crossing paths with Chu Suifeng for the rest of her life. Unfortunately, she had no choice left.

Gritting her teeth and putting everything on the line, she decided to appear before the Prince.