Ch. 751..755: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 751-755

Chapter 751: Chapter 751: Falling into a Desperate Situation (6)_1

The encircling enemies, upon seeing their reckless behavior, were taken aback.

After all, it was a deep ravine at the bottom of the hill, rolling down like this, it would either lead to their death or cause severe injuries.

Tana did not abandon Lin Ziyin at the critical moment. The instant they rolled down the hillside, she tightly embraced Lin Ziyin, using her own body as a buffer, blocking much of the damage for Lin Ziyin.

Soon, two large snowballs rolled away at a swift speed from the hillside.

The people above were anxiously watching, yet none of them had the courage like Lin Ziyin and his group to follow suit. They looked at each other and at the scene below, not saying a word.

"You broke your promise." The people from Changchun Country angrily glared at the Crown Prince’s people, "We agreed to hand the Princess over to us, on what basis did you try to kill her?"

"Kill them." After losing Lin Ziyin, the Crown Prince’s men started fighting the people from Changchun Country.

"You?" The ambassador of Changchun Country was shocked and rushed to fight back, causing both sides to start fighting against each other.

The lady from the Mu Family in Feng City boarded a carriage and headed straight for the inn. Once at the inn, she had her maid explain her purpose, "Madam Mu from the Marquis Residence seeks to meet with the Prince."

Mu Family’s lady hesitated multiple times in the carriage before deciding to seek help directly from the Prince, disregarding the King. Although both the Princes would exert more pressure on the Lin King, the chances of success would be greater.

Even though she is not in Capital City, she knows the Prince belongs to the Crown Prince’s group, and the King is the Crown Prince’s rival. The Crown Prince’s birth mother, the current Empress, is her cousin of the Mu Family. Coming over to seek the Prince’s assistance would increase her chances.

Since it was a matter of life and death for her children, Lady Mu did not dare to take it lightly.

Wearing a silver cloak, Lady Mu waited alone for news in the wind, appearing desolate. The only ones accompanying her were her maid, that could only be considered part of the Mu Family.

"Madam, both the young master and young miss will be safe." Her maid reassured her in low voice, lacking confidence herself.

Lady Mu remained still, well-aware of how bleak the outlook was. Chu Suifeng was like a ferocious tiger, a king in the Northern Land. Even if the Empress herself came, Chu Suifeng might not show her due respect.

But what could she do? Her children, her lifetime of pride, were being punished. Ever since she was young, she had always looked down on the Marquis. Therefore, she devoted all her energy to her children.

There’s a saying among the people that parents tend to spoil the youngest child. This is very true in her case. For many years, she was certain that her eldest son would be the one to inherit the title of the Marquis, and her daughter would become the most noble woman in the Northern Land. In doing so, she had given all her love to these two children, almost forgetting her second child.

But reality shattered all her hopes. The ones in trouble were her most loved children. She won’t allow, she can’t allow anything to happen to her children!

"Madam, please. The Prince is waiting for you in the courtyard," a guard respectfully informed her upon coming out.

Lady Mu, seeing his behavior, immediately felt relieved. The Prince hadn’t refused to see her, granting her a glimmer of hope for pleading her case.

As she entered, Lady Mu’s steps were increasingly hurried. But the guard leading the way showed no hurry and seemed utterly oblivious to her anxious demeanor.

Lady Mu, being at the mercy of the Prince, dared not rashly vent her frustrations at his guard, no matter how much hurry she was in.

Luckily, the distance from the main gate to the courtyard wasn’t too far, so Lady Mu quickly arrived at the entrance of the courtyard.

Chapter 752: Chapter 752: Falling into a Desperate Situation (7)_1

"Eunuch Miao." When Madam Mu was living in the Capital City, Eunuch Miao was still a novice. Given her status at the time, she would have surely looked down upon Eunuch Miao. But times have changed, and when Madam Mu saw Eunuch Miao again, she no longer dared to view him with a shred of contempt.

Feng City wasn’t exactly small, and oddly enough, Eunuch Miao was now extremely cautious, paying close attention to any and all matters big or small in the city. As such, a major event such as Consort Lin’s disappearance was not something he would overlook or fail to notice.

The moment Madam Mu appeared, he guessed her intent. If this had happened when he first arrived in Feng City, Eunuch Miao would not have missed such an opportunity to please the Empress.

But ever since the downfall of Feng City, he had suffered at the hands of Chu Suifeng. Moreover, there was compromising evidence of his misdeeds in Chu Suifeng’s possession. Given Eunuch Miao’s cunning, he obviously wanted to avoid this proverbial flood.

"Who are you?" Eunuch Miao feigned ignorance, his tone somewhat flippant.

Madam Mu, also a smart woman, felt a sudden wave of unease from Eunuch Miao’s attitude.

If an eunuch could be so condescending, what would be the stance of Prince Rui? Would Prince Rui risk offending Chu Suifeng to protect her, a less-favored daughter of the Mu Family? All of this remained uncertain.

Fortunately, the courtyard where Prince Rui resided was right next door. Without much hesitation, Madam Mu stepped into Prince Rui’s courtyard, following a palace guard.

"Hmph, she’s courting death." Eunuch Miao entered his own courtyard, and the doors were immediately shut behind him.

"So Madam Mu managed to find her way here?" Lin Haisheng asked with a scornful laugh.

"Sir Lin, have you considered taking Lin Wanwan away from the Northern Land?" Given that they were both now in the same boat, Lin Haisheng didn’t hide anything from Eunuch Miao.

"That girl Wanwan is only trying to protect herself," Lin Haisheng replied with a melancholic sigh, but didn’t directly answer whether he would take Lin Wanwan away from the Northern Land.

"Given consort Lin’s great contribution and Prince Liang’s temperament, he’ll surely allow consort Lin to leave, as long as you request it," Eunuch Miao suggested. The two men were in the same predicament, and due to Chu Suifeng, they had grown closer.

"Since you refer to her as ’concubine,’ how could I bring her back? Even if I were to bring her back home, where would I place her? Which gentleman would dare to marry her?" Lin Haisheng said with a bitter smile. "I acted impulsively and asked my clan leader to send some men. I just hope it doesn’t anger Prince Liang."

Lin Haisheng was particularly troubled. Initially, he had planned to use the clan leader’s influence to force Master Lin into agreeing to a return to the Lin Family, without having understood Chu Suifeng’s personality. But now it all seemed like a pipe dream.

He had hoped to leave earlier and intercept his own clan’s men on the way, but now he was trapped in Feng City. He didn’t even know if the clan leader had sent anyone.

"There’s going to be some excitement," Wu lamented while sitting in his courtyard.

"Your Highness, Prince Liang’s men have spotted our people," a guard whispered.

"That is inconsequential," Chu King replied with a languid smile. What could Chu Suifeng do, after all? Chu Suiyun was by no means Li Yanran. Unless Prince Liang could capture him, nothing could touch him.

Moreover, even if they were currently in the Northern Lands, Chu Suiyun had the ability to defend himself. He was convinced that Chu Suifeng, with his intelligence, would not make any hasty moves against him.

"Madam Mu has sought Prince Rui’s help, but she is unaware that although Prince Rui appears gentle, he is in fact the most ruthless among us brothers. She has sought help from the wrong person. If she had been smarter and sought my help, perhaps out of respect for the Empress, I might have aided her. But this is also good. Watching a spectacle is better than creating one," Chu King spoke with a leisurely smile.

No one in the room dared to respond.

Rolling down from the mountain was not at all a pleasant experience. Even with Tana protecting Lin Ziyin as they rolled down, Lin Ziyin still sustained some minor abrasions.

Given that she was guarded and still had it so bad, one could only imagine Tana’s condition, who was at the periphery of the fall.

"Don’t move." Lin Ziyin removed her scarf and bandaged Tana’s broken leg. Having spent time in a military camp, she was familiar with basic first aid. Anything more complicated, however, was beyond her capabilities.

"How’s Bayan?" Tana’s attitude towards Lin Ziyin had improved somewhat since she didn’t flee while they were both injured. Tana’s tone of voice was also less sharp.

"He’s in worse shape than you," Lin Ziyin shook her head and said, "He hit a tree, and it seems his back is injured, he probably won’t be able to move for now. You’ve just broken both legs."

Tana was wildly incensed by Lin Ziyin’s sarcastic remark.

"Give me the dagger." Lin Ziyin reached out to take the weapon.

"What are you trying to do?" Tana was on high alert, her eyes turned steely.

"Oh, come on." Lin Ziyin couldn’t help but laugh, "If I wanted to run, I would’ve done so already, why would I wait for you two to wake up?"

Tana was not placated by Lin Ziyin’s words — she didn’t hand over the dagger; instead, she held onto it even more tightly. Her curved knife was misplaced during the tumble down the hill.

"Hey, big fella." Seeing Tana’s obstinacy, Lin Ziyin turned to Bayan, "Do you have any weapons, like a dagger or something?"

Bayan was more relaxed towards her, he drew a dagger from his belt and silently handed it to Lin Ziyin, "It’s very sharp, be careful while handling it."

"Thank you." Lin Ziyin accepted the dagger and began heading towards the woods.

"What are you trying to do?" Tana called out sharply.

"What else but to escape? If you’re capable, come and catch me." Lin Ziyin turned and cheekily stuck out her tongue at Tana, then without a backward glance, she disappeared into the forest.

Chapter 753: Chapter 753 Difficulties (1)_1

"Bayan, is she really running away?" Tana worriedly asked as she watched her enter the forest.

"Even if she does, can we stop her?" Bayan responded indifferently.

"And you gave her a dagger?" Tana questioned, visibly angered.

"If she really runs away, having a dagger will make her safer." Bayan’s voice was as indifferent as ever.

If the situation was different, Tana would certainly crack a joke at him. She never expected Bayan to have such a side to him.

Unexpectedly, Bayan continued seriously, "We can’t stop her, but as long as she survives, the people who come to help us from the Second Prince will surely find her."

Well, that made sense.

Tana no longer felt resentful about Bayan giving Lin Ziyin a dagger.

Lying on winter snow was uncomfortable, and they were both seriously injured. Lin Ziyin had merely patched up their wounds, and they were unable to move. Especially Bayan; he had a back injury and was forced to lie on the frosty ground. The cold was bone-chilling.

Even with sunlight shining on them in such cold weather, they couldn’t feel any warmth at all.

"If the people of the Second Prince do not find us in time, I wonder how long we will be able to hold on," Tana said softly.

"Hmm." Bayan’s voice also sounded dull.

"Even if she runs away, the chances of Princess Ling surviving are slim. She is a weak woman with no skills to defend herself. The wilderness is full of wild animals; she will either freeze to death or be eaten by them. If she’s unlucky and encounters the people of the First Prince, she will surely die," Tana rambled.

She felt that if she didn’t talk, she would suffocate. In the face of death, all desires and ambitious thoughts were forsaken.

"Bayan, if we survive and get back, what do you want to do?"

What could he do? Bayan didn’t know. He was a practical man. Firstly, he was not dead yet though the situation was grim. Secondly, if he could survive, wouldn’t he know by then? There was no need to think about it now. With such leisure time, he’d rather consider if there was a way for them to survive and return.

"So, you’ve followed the Second Prince for so many years, and you’ve never found a pretty girl to have a child with? Isn’t it a bit late for regrets now?" Tana couldn’t help but say.

Bayan remained silent. Tana’s words stirred many thoughts within him. Lying in the snow, unable to move, if he and Tana didn’t say something, they might just die quietly.

Normally, as the personal guard of the Second Prince, he thought about serving the Prince and fighting for the country, never considering private matters, let alone his family. Now, in the midst of Tana’s chatter, he was actually reminded of the girls in the North Country and his own family. If he had settled down earlier, his child could be riding a horse by now.

And, if he died like this, who would remember him?

"Bayan, what do you think of me? Let’s do this: if we both survive and get back, I’ll marry you." This was said in a jesting tone.

Bayan didn’t even glance at her, "You’re not suitable."

"Why am I not suitable?" What was originally a joke turned serious when she was rejected. Tana questioned.

Bayan remained silent, and Tana glared at him in annoyance.

Although she had a carefree personality, she was quite beautiful. Bayan’s rejection made her feel indignant and furious, a feeling any woman would understand when rejected by a man. Tana was in this state of mind at the moment.

She secretly resolved that if they made it back, she would stick to Bayan for the rest of her life.

Chapter 754: Chapter 754 Difficulties (2)_1

As a result of Bayan’s lack of cooperation, after Tana talked to herself for a while, she lost her interest in talking, too. Both of them fell into silence, and they could feel the heat within their bodies dissipating. But even if they knew that, what could they do?

"Well, isn’t the feeling of basking in the sun soothing?" Just at that moment, Lin Ziyin miraculously reappeared, dragging a huge pine branch behind her.

Tana was astonished. How on earth did she manage to get such a big pine branch?

Lin Ziyin was about to collapse from heat exhaustion. Indeed, labor turns out to be the best way to keep warm. Look at her, she was freezing to death just a while ago, but now she’s so hot she could barely stand keeping her thick cotton coat on. In reality, she nonchalantly unbuttoned her coat.

Tana stared at her, dumbfounded. She didn’t understand how Lin Ziyin could be so forthright. Wasn’t it said that all women from the Northern Land were very reserved? Indeed, the queen had so far always been very shy and quiet on this journey.

Who would have thought she was actually this kind of character in private?

"I’m exhausted, let me rest for a while." Lin Ziyin was panting heavily and the northern wind was so strong. She felt chilled after only a short while, so she immediately got back to work. "You two must pull through this. You must not get a fever. I mean literally get too hot. If that happens, I wouldn’t be able to do anything to help in this environment."

Tana and Bayan stared at her as if seeing a ghost.

"There’s a cave not far ahead. I’ll move you there so you can get away from the cold wind." Regardless of the strange expressions on Bayan and Tana’s faces, she dragged the pine branch to Bayan first.

Then she bent down to put Bayan onto the pine branch.

"Save Tana first." Bayan finally deigned to say something.

"Now is not the time for heroism." Lin Ziyin reprimanded him impatiently.

Hearing about ’heroism’, Tana blushed, and then turned to look at Bayan. But he didn’t spare her a glance, he just insisted, "Help Tana."

"No, you go first." Tana felt that Lin Ziyin was definitely taking this chance to retaliate because she knew she hadn’t been very nice to Lin Ziyin during the trip.

Bayan remained silent, but his gaze was stern.

"That’s enough." Lin Ziyin urged him impatiently, "You’re much bigger, and your injuries are more severe. If you stay in the cold a little longer you might not survive. She’s only injured her leg. I don’t think it’s broken, probably twisted. What are you being so anxious for?"

Having said that, she ignored Bayan’s reaction and forcibly placed him on the pine branch. "Hold tight," she said.

Bayan, whose waist hurt so much he couldn’t move, was pushed onto the pine branch. His face flushed with effort and pain.

"Stop moving around." Tana urged. She glanced at Lin Ziyin a bit shyly and felt ashamed of her previous suspicions.

The snow was heavy, and it wasn’t easy for Lin Ziyin to drag a person through it. The short distance felt endless.

Lying on the pine branch, Bayan felt guilty. He was supposed to be the one protecting the queen, but now, everything was completely reversed.

Luckily, the cave Lin Ziyin mentioned was not far away, hidden within a pine forest.

"That nearly killed me." Lin Ziyin gasped for breath. Arriving in the cave, she threw Bayan on the ground, and asked, "Do you have a lighter?"

"Yes," Bayan nodded.

Lin Ziyin didn’t bother asking him for the lighter and instead went out again, dragging the pine branch behind her.

As Bayan watched her leave, he felt a slight relief. He had feared Lin Ziyin would hold a grudge and not go back to rescue Tana.

"Get on this now." Lin Ziyin sighed as she approached Tana.

Chapter 755: Chapter 755 Difficulties (3)_1

Tana had injured her leg; the rest of her wounds were minor. Upon hearing Lin Ziyin’s words, she silently climbed onto the pine branches.

Lin Ziyin started to drag her exhaustingly upwards again.

"Why did you save me?" Tana, after a long silence, couldn’t help but voice her question.

"Do you think I wanted to save you?" Lin Ziyin responded bluntly, "I’m just the kind of person who cherishes her life. I didn’t really want to save you considering how you treated me along the way. Don’t bring up how you saved me—that’s your responsibility."

Hearing her panting while she rambled on, Tana, who hadn’t received a direct answer, repeated, "Why did you save me?"

"I told you, I cherish my life. Consider it this way—there are only two possible outcomes. One is that we are lucky and get found by the second prince’s people. Then, having saved you and the tall guy, you all will owe me. You would have to treat me twice as good. Secondly, if we’re unlucky, having you two around gives me bargaining chips for negotiation. Perhaps that could spare my life."

"The first prince won’t spare you just because of me and Bayan." Tana hoped she could see reality clearly.

"No worries." Lin Ziyin cheerfully replied, "We will cross that bridge when we get there. You might not matter, but the tall guy seems to be quite important."

Tana...

By the time Lin Ziyin transported them to the cave, she was completely exhausted.

"I’m sorry," Bayan started with bitterness, "and thank you."

Lin Ziyin waved her hand dismissively and wheezed, "Save it. I’m a realist. Instead of paying lip service, it’d be better if you live and repay me later."

She checked the outside and sighed slightly. Night was fast approaching. If they couldn’t come up with a survival plan, they might freeze to death over the night. After all, the temperature could drop to freezing at night. And, they had two injured people here.

"Let’s first figure out how to survive." She resigned herself and left the cave.

"Where are you going?" Tana asked, surprised.

"Running away." Lin Ziyin responded irritably.

Both Bayan and Tana fell silent as they didn’t believe Lin Ziyin would abandon them and escape on her own this time.

Lin Ziyin didn’t stay out for long. Soon, she returned to the cave with an armful of pine branches and something wrapped in a scarf on her back.

The mystery was solved shortly thereafter.

Lin Ziyin unwrapped the scarf, revealing pine needles and dried grass inside.

"I don’t care anymore, we’ll light a fire when it gets darker. If our enemies discover us first, that’s just our bad luck." She tossed the pine branches aside, and put the pine needles and dried grass together, "While it’s not yet dark, I’ll go out and find some more branches. Luckily, we’re surrounded by pine forests, so there should be plenty of dead branches."

"Thank you." Bayan thanked her once again.

Lin Ziyin didn’t say anything, but went out again. She collected a considerable amount of firewood by the time it got dark.

"Judging visually, we should have enough firewood to last till dawn." Lin Ziyin sighed, quite satisfied with her efforts.

"Lighter." She held out her hand.

Bayan fumbled for a while before handing over the lighter.

Lin Ziyin wasn’t very familiar with how to use it and struggled for a while before managing to light the fire.

She had brought back plenty of pine needles, carrying them into the cave like a hamster stocking up its nest.