Ch. 771..775: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 771-775
Chapter 771: Chapter 771: Internal Struggle (5)_1
Li Second Master from the second branch of the Li Family went pale with fury at Li Jieyong, "Nephew, you are a filial child. It’s understandable for you to bury your mother. But that girl died due to a criminal penalty. If we allow her into the Li Family ancestral tombs, how will it reflect on the honor of our ancestors?"
His meaning was clear: he did not agree to allow Li Yanran to be buried in the ancestral tomb.
"A person’s death is like a snuffed out lamp. Since my sister is no more, the sins she committed during her lifetime vanish as well. Hasn’t Second Uncle noticed that even the Prince has stopped pursuing it?" Li Jieyong insisted, remembering his mother’s instructions before she passed away.
"The Prince isn’t refraining from pursuing it, he simply can’t be bothered," The Second Master of Li Family was insistent, "In the future, when your children and grandchildren visit the ancestral graveyard, do you plan on burning offerings for her?"
"Second Uncle, more words won’t help. I will take care of my mother and sister’s burial affairs, rest assured. If Second Uncle does not approve, your branch can refrain from burning offerings for her." Li Jieyong gazed at him with a derisive smile, tired of his opportunistic attitude.
"Eldest brother, our nephew has not become the family head yet and he already wants to use the rights of a family head. You should say something." Li Second Master began to sow discord with cold mockery.
The Marquis of Li, Li Houye, was also displeased with Li Jieyong’s obstinacy. He was about to reprimand Li Jieyong when he saw the Prince Rui and his guards arrive.
"The person is already dead, and since Prince Ling isn’t pursuing it, let’s fulfill the deceased’s wish. The Mu Family has not been informed about this. Li Houye, you should write a letter and I’ll bring it with me. After all, the lady was a daughter of the Mu Family, and the empress might be heartbroken after learning about this," Prince Rui spoke gently, yet his words exerted pressure, "I heard that your lady and the empress were very close."
On hearing this, Li Houye and Li Second Master broke into a cold sweat.
Prince Rui was clearly threatening them. Despite their awareness, they dared not oppose him. Chu Suifeng was the king of the Northern Land, and they dared not mess with him. But even though Prince Rui didn’t have much say within Feng City, he was still a prince and could easily deal with the Li Family.
Moreover, what Prince Rui said made sense. Lady Mu was a daughter of the Mu Family, she carried the Mu Family bloodline. If the empress and the Mu Family were to become aware of the Li Family’s mistreatment of Lady Mu, the Li Family’s future would be difficult.
"Yes, your highness, you are absolutely correct," Li Houye quickly changed his attitude, feigning a sorrowful expression, "They were still my wife and daughter despite everything; naturally, I won’t mistreat them."
Prince Rui nodded in satisfaction, "Good to know."
After speaking, he glanced at Li Jieyong, whose face had turned red, and seemed to approve of his behavior.
Li Jieyong isn’t Li Jiesong. He may seem average because he didn’t get much attention, but he is actually a rather shrewd person. He understood Prince Rui’s goodwill, but because he precisely understood it, he did not want to get too close to Prince Rui.
Lady Mu’s end and her dying reminder had awakened him from a dream.
After Prince Rui’s interference, the funeral affairs of Lady Mu were settled without any resistance from Li Second Master.
"Your Highness, Si San and the others have not caught up with the Princess. She must have reached the North Country," reported Situ Gong quietly within the Prince’s residence.
"Your Highness, by the time the Princess enters the territory of the North Country, it will become much harder to save her there," stated Mei Hanqing, his brows furrowed in worry.
Chu Suifeng was more worried about Lin Ziyin than anyone else, but he couldn’t say it, and he didn’t want to say it.
Chapter 772: Chapter 772: Internal Struggle (6)_1
"Relocate Wu Qi and Wa Jie to Feng City, the sooner, the better." His gaze had never left the map on the wall.
"Yes, Your Highness." Situ Gong did not oppose, nor did he need to ask him how or why.
"Mei, the affairs of Feng City will be in your hands." Chu Suifeng said.
"Your Highness, are you planning to head to the North Country personally?" Mei Hanqing was startled, breaking out in a cold sweat.
"The queen is there, naturally, I must be there too. The affairs of Feng City have delayed my journey." Chu Suifeng responded calmly. "If those restless ones stir up trouble, Mei, don’t be polite. This is Feng City, not Capital City."
"I will take care of Feng City’s affairs." Mei Hanqing bowed in response.
"Your Highness, the martial monks from Ding’an Temple have arrived." Congyi reported upon entering.
"Have them wait in the side chamber." Chu Suifeng gave a chilly reply, "Bai Xian, is the New Year’s gift for the Lin Family ready?"
"It’s ready. Since it’s the first year, I’ve made the gifts especially generous." Bai Xian replied respectfully. "Here is the list."
Chu Suifeng glanced over the list, "Add more."
Bai Xian complied, sighing internally. He had already prepared generous gifts, and still, Prince Chu was not satisfied. It was clear that the Prince felt guilty for the Lin Family due to the disappearance of the queen.
It was already the 28th day of the year. Ma Zhicai had seen enough hustle and bustle in Feng City. Now that Li Yanran was dead, he was completely safe. He wasn’t worried about Chu Suifeng confronting him, so he leisurely bought some New Year’s goods in Feng City and brought them back.
In the North Country, at twilight, Lin Ziyin finally arrived at the military camp.
"Meeting the second prince." As soon as she entered the range of the encampment, a group of soldiers came to greet her.
Alhatu was being ushered forward by his people, but he didn’t forget about Lin Ziyin. "Prepare the best tent for Miss Lin."
"Yes, Your Highness." A mighty officer complied, while he secretly took a glance at Lin Ziyin, clearly curious about the legendary queen of Prince Chu.
Lin Ziyin had left her palanquin, her expression as calm as ever, regardless of the strangers examining her.
"Miss Lin, please." Upon arriving in front of a grand tent, Alhatu gestured invitingly.
Suppressing the pain from the injuries on her feet, Lin Ziyin entered the tent with a composed expression.
The tent was luxurious, with a grand carpet spread out and six pots of coal burning lustily on the stands around it.
"Prepare some food." Alhatu ordered.
Only a middle-aged general and a bearded man accompanied him inside.
Their gazes upon Lin Ziyin were scrutinizing. She also observed them, silently guessing their identities.
"This is General Batulu, and that one is Siqin Qimuge." Alhatu enthusiastically introduced the two men to Lin Ziyin after they seated themselves.
"General, advisor." Lin Ziyin nodded slightly to them.
Batulu looked at her seriously, then nodded in acknowledgment. He found Lin Ziyin’s attitude acceptable, given she was the queen of Prince Chu, her status was lofty enough.
"Queen." Batulu and Siqin Qimuge greeted her with a salute.
"Prince, let’s cut to the chase." Lin Ziyin did not want to beat around the bush. She came straight to the point, "Bringing me out of Feng City in this manner, I assume you have something more than just catching up on old times."
Such direct questioning made Batulu regard her anew. In the eyes of the North Countrymen, Qin ladies were always delicate and weak. Just a mere obstacle or setback would make them feel like the sky was falling.
Chapter 773: Chapter 773: Internal Struggle (7)_1
Lin Ziyin’s figure was petite, at least in the eyes of the towering Major General Batulu, she was short.
He had thought that the Prince’s Consort would be one of those delicate ladies who never failed to conceal their sorrow, shedding tears at the slightest upset, however, her disposition turned out to be quite outspoken.
Such an unabashed personality aligns well with Batulu’s liking, and he watched with great interest as Alhatu sparred with her.
"The Prince’s Consort is indeed outspoken," Alhatu admitted freely, "I have heard that the Prince’s Consort has a method to remove the smell from cow and sheep milk, and also to make sheep wool soft and fragrant?"
"Does the Second Prince want to get this method from me?" Lin Ziyin asked with a faint smile, not denying that she possessed such a skill.
"Yes." Alhatu admitted frankly. When speaking with a clever person, there was no need for detours, which would only backfire.
"The North Country and Northern Land seem to be at odds, does the Second Prince think I would easily tell you the method?" Lin Ziyin countered.
"The Prince’s Consort would naturally not disclose the method so easily. But I can assure you that as long as you provide us with the formula, I will definitely persuade my father and the Prince to agree to a no-war pact between the two nations," Alhatu responded earnestly. "I am not in favor of war, and have always been a supporter of peace. I believe the Prince’s Consort has heard of this."
Lin Ziyin nodded; indeed, she had heard of it, but what of it, "Indeed, I have heard that Second Prince is very upright, but I have also heard that the North Country’s Emperor favors war and invasion."
"State Preceptor and Brukan tend towards aggression and conquest, which is why I invited the Prince’s Consort here: I hope that, through practical actions, the Prince’s Consort can touch my father’s heart and join me in persuading him to abandon the war. I believe we have common interests in this matter," Alhatu explained with a smile.
"War and politics are men’s affairs, I think the Second Prince has sought the wrong person. I am just a weak woman, how could I persuade the Emperor of North Country to give up his war plans?" Lin Ziyin did not want to get involved in the internal strife of the North Country.
It would be difficult to persuade the Emperor of the North Country to give up his attack on the Northern Land. Due to resource restrictions, the North Country was colder than the Northern Land; moreover, they did not value the development of agriculture. To some extent, the people of the North Country were more envious of the abundant South of Daqin than the people of the Northern Land.
"The Prince’s Consort is being too modest." Alhatu said with a smile, "If the Prince’s Consort is willing to share her valuable farming experiences with us, I believe my father would absolutely not want to wage war."
Lin Ziyin merely responded with a mute smile.
"During this visit, I was hoping the Prince’s Consort could take a look at the soil and climate of our North Country to determine if it’s suitable for growing cereal and wheat?" Alhatu bluntly revealed all his intentions to demonstrate his sincerity.
"The Prince’s Consort isn’t very knowledgeable about farming; the knowledgeable ones are those who work on the Prince’s farm. All I did was occasionally give some advice," Lin Ziyin said with a smile.
"I don’t ask for much, just some advice. I hope the Prince’s Consort does not belittle herself. Why not wait until the spring to see the peasant’s cultivation before making any decisions?" Alhatu held high hopes for her.
Lin Ziyin could not argue with him and did not wish to continue the discourse any further.
Not long after, a group of soldiers came in with food, comprising of roasted lamb shank and mutton. The hot food effused a unique, lamb-like aroma.
"This is our traditional hand-torn lamb of North Country. It tastes different when eaten hot." Now that Lin Ziyin knew his intentions, Alhatu did not want to force her to agree immediately to his demands. Instead, he enthusiastically invited Lin Ziyin to join him for the meal.
The aroma wafting from the delicious lamb shank could not whet Lin Ziyin’s appetite. As a picky eater, she cared not for the ingredients but the taste.
What Alhatu and the others smelled as an enticing aroma, she recognized as the overpowering smell of mutton.
She didn’t like this smell, but for the occasion, and, of course, to fill her stomach, she reluctantly tore off a piece of lamb and put it into her mouth.
The mutton smell was indeed strong; she frowned as she swallowed it.
"How is it, not to the Prince’s Consort’s liking?" Alhatu, noticing her dislike, asked with concern.
Lin Ziyin didn’t hide her thoughts and nodded, "I’m not quite accustomed to this mutton smell."
"You people from Daqin like to add a lot of strong spices to your lamb, which completely covers the fresh taste of the meat. However, this is a borderland, and the chefs who can cook Daqin’s food are not here. Once you accompany me to the Capital City, my Residence has several chefs from the Northern Land. Then, you can enjoy some delicious food," Alhatu said apologetically.
"There is a great difference between the food cultures of the two countries, let alone other aspects. Is the Second Prince sure he can accept my views? Or, can the Second Prince be sure that he can convince your Emperor to accept my views?" Lin Ziyin used the opportunity to counter-question.
"How can we know the result without trying?" Alhatu said with a smile, "As long as it can make the people of the North Country live a stable life, the Emperor and the people will definitely accept the Prince’s Consort’s views."
Lin Ziyin smiled faintly and shook her head without further arguing on the matter.
Besides, she barely ate any lamb, even though she was still hungry. The arid lamb was quite unpalatable.
"Servants, send Miss Lin back to her tent." Alhatu ordered.
Immediately, two guards stepped forward and ushered Lin Ziyin out.
"Alhatu, are you sure that the Prince’s Consort can make the people live a stable life?" Once she left, the usually quiet Batulu finally spoke, his words filled with doubt.
Chapter 774: Chapter 774: A Despicable Person Gets Promoted (1)_1
The smile on Alhatu’s face faded slightly. Even Batulu was skeptical of the Consort’s abilities, an indication of the reactions of others. The Emperor would certainly not take the Consort seriously.
Could he protect the Consort then?
Lin Ziyin’s safety became the most troublesome issue at the moment, yet Alhatu had no regrets about his decisions.
He firmly believed that the Consort was unique. News from the Northern Land suggested that the woman was a mystery. Nevertheless, it was worth betting on her, considering that she had married into the royal family. If the Consort could bring a stable life to the people of North Country, the Emperor would surely support him.
Correctly speaking, Alhatu focused on governing state affairs, while the Crown Prince Brukan concentrated on the military defense of their homeland.
Their divergent directions led to a tense relationship between the two brothers.
"The climate and soil of the Northern Land are similar to ours. According to the spies’ reports, the manor of Chu Suifeng and the Consort’s familial manor have been yielding abundant crops. It is said that, in the coming spring, the farmers of the North will be encouraged to grow crops on a larger scale," Alhatu explained calmly. "Chu Suifeng is a sleeping tiger, and for many years, had there not been the emperor’s doubt in him and the emperor’s withholding, why would he be happy to guard that small place in the North. Now that he has found a way to store grains, do you think he would tolerate the constant provocations from our North Country?"
"Are you afraid that the final result would be a mutual defeat?" Batulu’s expression became serious.
"A mutual defeat would still be good." Alhatu replied with a bitter smile. "During the last war, the State Preceptor led over a hundred thousand soldiers. Just take a look at how many made it back? We were lucky enough to receive a few northern crossbows, but our soldiers couldn’t even take them apart without breaking them, and those became sharper within a half year. All of our North Country men are warriors, but they are merely flesh and blood. How could they withstand the cold weapons of the North?"
"Indeed, those weapons are incredibly sharp, effortlessly cutting through several of our knives without a single notch." Siqin Qimuge nodded in approval.
"Given enough supplies and preparation time, how long do you think our warriors can withstand Chu Suifeng? Chu Suifeng is both intelligent and brave, strict in governing his army, and generously surrounded by able men, especially Situ Gong, who adds wings to the tiger. In a year, there would be ample food for the northern soldiers, and their physical strength may surpass ours. What’s worse, Situ Gong and Chu Suifeng seem to be delving deep into battle formations. If another war breaks out, we would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage." Alhatu’s bitter smile became even more pronounced.
"These words - the Second Prince must never say in front of the Emperor." Batulu quickly cut him off.
"The Emperor has trusted the State Preceptor over the past few years, but after the defeat in Border City, the Emperor has grown discontent with the State Preceptor. As long as the Consort is willing to help convince the Emperor, within the next few decades, the two kingdoms may live in peace and the common people wouldn’t suffer as much," Alhatu said.
"The Second Prince is too soft-hearted, which is why the Emperor disfavors you. Our North Country’s warriors were born fearless of death. They are willing to die and bleed for our country," Batulu passionately admonished him.
"That’s easy to say, but everyone has their own parents. Who would want to lose their lives for no reason? If we continue to fight once Chu Suifeng grows strong, we’re simply sending soldiers to their death," Alhatu said, "I would prefer that all the common people could live and work in peace and stability. Furthermore, the manpower of North Country is limited. The wars over the past few years have already claimed many of our warriors’ lives. If we continue like this, we will have no one left."
Chapter 775: Chapter 775: The Triumph of the Vile (2)_1
"The Second Prince is just too kind-hearted." Batulu couldn’t help but want to discipline him. How could a generation’s great hero have such a woman’s mercy?
"What if the Prince Consort refuses?" Si Qin Qimuge asked.
"Then kill her." Batulu’s eyes revealed a fierce light. "But at that time, it will definitely anger Chu Suifeng. But if the Prince does not kill her, the Crown Prince and State Preceptor will surely impeach the Prince because of this matter, has the Prince thought about his route of retreat?"
"I would rather be impeached than kill the Prince Consort. According to the spy’s report, Chu Suifeng is extremely fond of the Prince Consort. If we kill the Prince Consort, Chu Suifeng will definitely go mad and he might not hesitate to sacrifice the lives of the people and soldiers of both countries to fight." Alhatu answered confidently.
"By bringing the Prince Consort to the North Country, the Prince has already angered Chu Suifeng." Si Qin Qimuge points out the fact with a bitter smile.
"As long as the Prince Consort is willing to give in, Chu Suifeng will surely agree to a truce in the end." Alhatu seems to know Chu Suifeng’s personality very well, "and he should be thankful to us. If it wasn’t for me saving the Prince Consort from the Crown Prince’s hands, she would be a corpse by now."
"As long as the Prince Consort is on the land of the North Country, Chu Suifeng will never owe the Prince a favor. If anything happens to the Prince Consort on the land of the North Country, Chu Suifeng will definitely make the Prince his number one enemy." Batulu analyzed calmly, "So, The Prince Consort is a thorny issue right now. She cannot be abandoned or killed and must be protected at all costs. Even then, if we finally send her out of North Country, both the Imperial Court officials and the people of the country will think the Prince is a coward. The end result is a loss no matter how you look at it."
"Even if there is a glimmer of hope, I must not miss any opportunities." Alhatu sighed, his attitude very firm, "At dawn tomorrow, I will start my journey back to the Capital City."
"Prince, be careful on your way." Batulu warned, "The Prince Consort was robbed from the Crown Prince by you, he will surely not let this end easily. The journey back might not be peaceful."
"No problem, I’m not alone." Alhatu answered dismissively, "The day after tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, I hope to return to Capital City before the palace banquet."
"I will send people to escort you back." Batulu said.
"Alright."
Lin Ziyin followed the soldiers to the front of the tent, the guard lifted the curtain of the tent respectfully and said to her, "Miss, please come in. This is where you will stay tonight."
Lin Ziyin nodded and then bowed her head and went into the tent.
The decoration inside the tent was very luxurious, even the carpet laid on the ground was much better than the previous tent. There were even many small playthings placed on a wooden rack at the side.
It was clear that Alhatu had put a lot of thought into preparing her lodging.
For Lin Ziyin, luxury was of no relevance. She was tired and sleepy now, all she wanted was to find a place to rest.
There were no maids in the tent, even though she was sticky all over, she didn’t want to take a bath. So she simply went to lie down on the bed and fell asleep. There were several fire basins in the tent, the temperature inside was very warm, and within a short while, she was asleep.
It wasn’t that she was fearless, but Lin Ziyin knew that this place was Batulu’s territory, a military camp, neither the people of Changchun Country nor those of the Crown Prince would choose to attack her here.
Even the people sent by Chu Suifeng, they wouldn’t choose to abduct people here.
Tens of people against thousands of well-trained soldiers, only a fool would barge in.
Just as she was sleeping soundly, Luo Yan and Si Jinhan, who were hiding in the woods, had lost their way.