Ch. 786..790: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 786-790

Chapter 786: Chapter 786: Meeting (6)_1

She was dressed in a traditional gown of the North Country, so the tall maid, after obtaining her permission, neatly combed her hair into a style popular among the girls of North Country.

"Miss, the Second Prince is waiting for you downstairs," the tall maid said with perfect etiquette. She didn’t talk much but her manners were top-notch, it was clear that she had gone through professional training.

Luckily, Lin Ziyin was not fond of conversations. She merely nodded subtly and stood up to follow the maid downstairs.

Since they had booked the entire inn, only the Second Prince’s party was present there.

Once Lin Ziyin came downstairs, she saw that the table in front of Alhatu was filled with various breakfast items. Surprisingly, it also included common Northland home-made rice porridge and small cage buns.

It was evident that Alhatu had put some effort into catering to her palate.

"Sir, the Shopkeeper asked me to bring you another pot of honey tea," a waiter came over with a tray of tea, smiling brightly.

"This is a snack specially prepared for the distinguished guests by the cook," the shopkeeper himself had arrived.

Lin Ziyin didn’t move, but watched the Shopkeeper and the waiter with a gentle smile.

However, Alhatu initiated the conversation, "You are too kind, Shopkeeper."

"We will be closing the shop for the New Year after seeing off our guests. Since you have been so generous, I would like to offer this little snack as a New Year’s gift. It can serve as a little refreshment for your journey," the Shopkeeper said, his face all smiles and exuding goodwill.

"Thank you," Lin Ziyin also responded.

"Well, in that case, we will not refuse your kind gesture," Alhatu courteously accepted, "Place it on the table."

The Shopkeeper and the waiter, one with a tea tray and the other with a basket, approached the table cheerfully.

Once they were next to the table, their faces filled with respect, they placed their respective items on the table.

Suddenly, the waiter pulled out a dagger from under the tea tray and thrust towards Lin Ziyin, while the Shopkeeper brandished two shiny daggers in Alhatu’s direction.

Alhatu and Lin Ziyin already had their guards up. In the urgent situation, Alhatu kicked away the chair Lin Ziyin was sitting on, drawing his sword from his waist to fend off the attack.

With great finesse, Alhatu kicked away the chair so skillfully that Lin Ziyin did not fall down but instead, was thrown into the air.

Behind Lin Ziyin stood her tall maid, who caught her in perfect timing. The guards surrounding her promptly drew their weapons and encircled them. Meanwhile, about a dozen individuals appeared abruptly within the inn.

These men were all dressed as waiters, revealing that they were part of the inn’s staff.

"So it seems, this royal prince has ended up in a den of thieves," Alhatu remarked coldly in their direction.

As his guards stepped forward, he swiftly moved beside Lin Ziyin.

The inn’s Shopkeeper finally realized that Alhatu had seen through his disguise long ago. So he dropped his pretenses, stood up straight and said, "The Second Prince is indeed very astute. However, the intelligent have committed the most foolish act."

"Is that so?" Alhatu replied, back in his usual sophisticated demeanor.

"This woman belongs to the Prince of the Northern Land, Chu Suifeng has killed so many of our brothers from the North Country. To think that the Second Prince is associating with such a woman! And going to great lengths to protect her, does the Second Prince not fear the disapproval of our brave men from the North Country?" The Shopkeeper accusingly addressed Alhatu, his gaze towards Lin Ziyin was full of deep-seated hatred.

From their eyes, Lin Ziyin could tell just how much they truly despised her.

Chapter 787: Chapter 787: Meeting (7)_1

However, being accused with substantial allegations by the one who tried to kill her left Lin Ziyin livid. "Do you even consider yourself a warrior because you assassinate people? Stop putting a feather in your cap."

Her words could drive someone crazy with annoyance. But indeed, she had drawn the assassin’s attention.

"Shut up, demoness," the shopkeeper shouted angrily at her.

"If you want to kill me, you should at least give me a fair chance to defend myself," Lin Ziyin said, staring at them without fear, "unless you’re afraid to listen to what I have to say."

"Boss, let’s not waste words with her." A man who looked like a cook shot a cold glance at Lin Ziyin and then said to the shopkeeper.

Lin Ziyin sneered at them and said, "So, this is the courage of men from the North Country."

"How dare you demoness belittle our North Country’s warriors!" An offended character like a waiter was fired up, wanting to charge at her.

Alhatur’s guards immediately unsheathed their weapons to protect both Lin Ziyin and Alhatur.

The shopkeeper remained silent, focusing intensely on Lin Ziyin as he thought of a way to escape. He knew well that the guards surrounding Alhatur were all highly skilled, with potentially many hidden ones lurking to protect Alhatur. He dared not take any inappropriate actions last night, for fear of having his plans exposed and losing the chance to kill her.

He had aimed for a swift victory this morning by catching Lin Ziyin off guard and killing her, and then escaping. Yet, given the current situation, that plan was no longer viable.

If he couldn’t escape, he had to kill the Prince’s wife.

"Second Prince, this time you really got me in trouble," said Lin Ziyin, looking at Alhatur with a bitter smile. "Even though people from your North Country were the ones who invaded our Northern Land first, I’m fine with you guys not taking responsibility. I was living peacefully in Northern Land, yet the Second Prince dragged me here as a guest. Now, I have become a thorn in the flesh of people from your North Country."

She threw out her hands in a hopeless gesture.

"As I said, as long as I’m here, your life is safe," Alhatur stated solemnly once more.

"I’m afraid that’s not totally up to you," The shopkeeper, vexed by their indifference as if they had everything under control, got furious. He rushed out first, followed by the waiter, cook, and others.

"Sorry, ma’am," a tall maid murmured as she grabbed Lin Ziyin by the waist to shield her and lead her outside. A group of guards immediately covered their retreat, encircling them in the center.

"Thinking of escaping? No way out!" The shopkeeper pulled out a large knife from his counter and started hacking around.

By then, Lin Ziyin and her group had already made it outside.

Dawn was just breaking, with barely any pedestrians on the street.

The sound of fights quickly awoken the nearby residents who were still in bed. Fortunately, they dared not to step out, so the fight didn’t harm any innocents.

The assassins at the inn were obviously skilled martial artists, clearly not the actual owners of the inn.

Unfortunately, those by Alhatur’s side were even more formidable. In a short while, only the shopkeeper, the tea server, and the cook were left alive among the assassins.

The three men stood back to back, warily watching the surrounding guards.

"Drop your weapons and you will be spared a painful death," Alhatur said in a cold voice.

"Frightened, aren’t you!" The shopkeeper spat at him in scorn, gripping his large knife tighter.

"Kill them," Alhatur ordered unfalteringly upon seeing their stubborn refusal.

As the order was issued, a bloody massacre unfolded again. In no time, the shopkeeper and the waiter fell to the ground lifeless.

Lin Ziyin was secretly shocked, not by the bloodshed or the losses of the assassins, but by Alhatur’s decisiveness. Everyone spoke highly of the Second Prince of the North Country, depicting him as a bodhisattva full of elegance and gentility, with the demeanor of a literary, Jiangnan gentleman.

Today’s incident, however, revealed Alhatur’s true nature to Lin Ziyin. As expected, no one from the imperial family is benign. The dangers looming over her journey to the North Country were far more intense than she anticipated.

"Drop your weapons," a military general from the government offices arrived on the scene with a group of men when the guards were about to clean up and look for clues.

Without uttering a word, Alhatur showed his badge.

"I pay my respects to Second Prince His Highness," Seeing the badge, the military general was terrified and immediately kneeled on the ground. The officials following him also fell to their knees.

"Clean up the scene," Alhatur coldly ordered, then instructed his guards, "set off immediately."

And so, Lin Ziyin boarded the carriage again.

Unfortunately, the attempted assassination at the inn was only a starting point. On their way, they encountered several more assassination attempts, but Alhatur’s men took care of all of them.

On the morning of the first day of the New Year, the weary group finally returned to the Capital City.

"It’s the prince, the Crown Prince," The carriage suddenly halted right when it got to a bustling street.

Seated in the carriage, Lin Ziyin knew these words were intentionally said for her to hear.

Tana, by Lin Ziyin’s side, immediately went on guard, subtly reaching for her waist.

Instead, Lin Ziyin became relaxed as she calmly lifted the curtain to sneak a peek at the legendary Crown Prince of the North Country.

 

Chapter 788: Chapter 788: North Country Wind and Cloud(1)_1

Legend has it that Alhatu, the second prince of the North Country, does not share any resemblances with his eldest brother. More specifically, Alhatu lacked the ruggedness distinct to northerners. If his identity were unknown, no one would suspect that Alhatu was from the North Country. His physique was rather frail, with fair skin, and he exhibited the graceful temperament of a Southern scholar, unlike his elder brother Brukan, who was the embodiment of a typical North Country man. One could guess that Brukan, while sitting on a horse, must be well over six feet tall, a robust figure evident even through padded clothing.

Lin Ziyin slightly frowned, judging from Brukan’s sullen eyebrow and gloomy eyes, this man seemed difficult to get along with.

However, whether he was agreeable or easy to dispatch no longer seemed within her control.

With a ’since it’s here, let’s deal with it’ attitude, Lin Ziyin gently dropped the curtain in her hand.

Tana, observing her nervously, then gently shook her head at her.

Lin Ziyin understood--Tana was telling her to calm down.

She smiled faintly and then bowed her head, appearing to no longer be concerned with the events outside, yet she pricked up her ears.

Seeing her actions, Tana finally moved her attention off Lin Ziyin, too, pricking up her ears to listen to the noise outside.

"Eldest brother." As the younger brother, Alhatu was the first to greet Brukan.

The people with Brukan had stopped, curiously gazing at Alhatu and the carriage behind him. Alhatu’s thoughtfulness incited a fleeting sense of triumph within Brukan. However, upon seeing the carriage behind Alhatu, his eyes darkened again.

"Alhatu, going out this early in the New Year?" Brukan asked with a sarcastic laugh.

The disputes among the royal brothers of the Northern Land were no secret. And in the rowdy North Country, the norm even among siblings was to frequently address each other directly by name. Alhatu’s address towards Brukan was one of respect.

Given Brukan’s pride, he surely wouldn’t lower his head to Alhatu first. "The royal banquet is going to start soon, you better not be late."

"I definitely won’t cause a delay, I’ll be there shortly." Alhatu emitted a warmth akin to the spring breeze. Yet, Brukan could not afford to underestimate this brother of his.

The King of North Country had many sons, pretending composure in front of one another while each harbored different thoughts. Among them, Brukan despised Alhatu the most, the brother who always seemed to be grinning. Truth be told, Alhatu had seriously harmed him numerous times.

Harsh experiences had tamed down Brukan in Alhatu’s presence.

"Who’s in the carriage? Your lover?" Brukan rode up to the carriage as he spoke, then reached out to lift the carriage curtain.

"There’s a difference between men and women, elder brother," Alhatu responded with a grin, blocking Brukan’s hand.

Tana inside the carriage was covered in cold sweat due to fear, her muscles tensing on catching sight of Brukan.

In contrast, Lin Ziyin sat still inside the carriage, unperturbed.

"Just over a woman?" Brukan’s face darkened.

"Exactly because it is a woman that you, my elder brother, should avoid inappropriate actions," Alhatu said with no intention of backing down.

"You are putting a woman ahead of our fraternal affection?" Brukan questioned coldly, staring intensively at Alhatu.

Chapter 789: Chapter 789: North Country Wind and Cloud(2)_1

Alhatu replied in a good-natured manner, "Brother, these are two different matters. A woman is a woman; brotherly affection is brotherly affection. I do not want her to be terrified, for she had quite a few scares on the journey back with me."

Their words were highly suggestive, and indeed, both men understood each other perfectly well. The only thing left was for someone to break the silence.

Brukan did not retract his hand. The guards following him immediately grew tense, each one placing their hand on the weapon at their waist.

Those next to Alhatu were even more anxious. They knew exactly who was sitting in the carriage. When they entered the city, the second prince had ordered them to protect the person in the carriage with their lives. If the other party was provoking them, they certainly could not show weakness.

"Eldest Prince," at this moment, the curtain inside the carriage behind them was lifted, revealing a face with a full beard, "Tana and I are injured, the second prince has shown concern and allowed us to rest in the carriage."

The speaker was Bayan.

Bayan was Alhatu’s most trusted guard, and of course Brukan knew of his existence. When he saw Bayan’s pale face and the cold sweat on his forehead, his eyes darkened even more.

"Your humble servant greets the Eldest Prince." From within the carriage, Tana respectfully greeted, "Please forgive me, Eldest Prince, my legs are injured and I cannot leave the carriage to pay respects."

With that being said, if Brukan insisted on further investigating the person in the carriage, it would be a blatant act of provocation.

The Eldest Prince certainly would not engage in this kind of public confrontation. He gave Alhatu another gloomy look. "Trying to sound profound. It’s just two servants who got hurt, what’s there to hide?"

"On the journey back home, I encountered many nuisances. Bayan and Tana both got injured for my sake, there’s nothing honorable about that. Eldest brother, surely you don’t expect me to return and announce to everyone that I was ambushed? While others might just laugh at me, our mother and father would certainly worry." Alhatu explained with a faint smile.

"They are hurt, but just as long as you are not. " The Eldest Prince finally withdrew his hand awkwardly.

"No worry, they are just minor injuries. However, the one behind this is probably frustrated." Alhatu answered sarcastically.

"Go home and change your clothes now, don’t delay the court attendance." Brukan’s tone was certainly annoyed.

"Thank you, great Eldest brother." Alhatu moved his people aside to make a path.

Brukan glared fiercely at the carriage once more before leaving with his guards without looking back.

Alhatu watched their retreating backs, and with a wave of his hand, his carriage continued on its way.

The weight of the carriage wheels pressing on the stone had a heavy sound.

Lin Ziyin was feeling exactly that kind of heaviness.

She had just arrived in the city and trouble had already found her, and she had no one of her own at her side. Leaving the North Country seemed to be hard.

"Miss, we have arrived." Tana had been sneaking peeks at her anxiously the whole journey.

Whenever Lin Ziyin glanced back, she would unnaturally avert her gaze. A faint smile crossed Lin Ziyin’s face, Tana seemed to be extremely loyal to Alhatu. However, she hadn’t expected that the little incident in the mountains would make Tana betray him.

The carriage didn’t stop, but instead entered the yard through a small door.

"Please, miss." The carriage finally stopped at the second gate, and then a tall maid appeared, reaching out to Lin Ziyin.

Chapter 790: Chapter 790: North Country Wind and Cloud(3)_1

Lin Ziyin didn’t dismount from the carriage until Tana was helped to descend.

Artificial hills, small bridges, and flowing streams were numerous in Alhatu’s Wang Residence, which brimmed with the charm of Jiangnan. The decoration revealed his longing for the fecund lands of Jiangnan in Daqin.

Regrettably, it was now winter. All the water in the lake had frozen solid, and heavy snow layered atop the green pines, presenting a distinct scenery of the North Country.

Every maid and young servant within the Residence showed a look of surprise when they saw Lin Ziyin, but none dared to openly stare at her.

Alhatu was all smiles, seemingly in high spirits.

He personally led the way, taking Lin Ziyin to a courtyard.

The interior was extravagantly decorated. Astonishingly, the room had underfloor heating and a chimney, making it feel like spring the moment one stepped in.

"I hired artisans from the Northern Land. They are very clever in their designs." Alhatu immediately explained with a smile upon seeing her surprised expression.

Lin Ziyin nodded, "The second prince seems open to innovations."

Her comment was meant as a compliment, and Alhatu smiled with satisfaction.

"He is my butler. If you need anything, you can go to him. Yi Lian will be in charge of taking care of you. I’m going to the Imperial Palace and may not return until tonight." Alhatu briefed Lin Ziyin on his schedule, like a husband preparing to go out.

"The second prince is too kind. I am but a captive. The prince doesn’t need to announce his whereabouts to me." Lin Ziyin answered distantly, taking a seat on a chair and not bothering to look at him again.

Alhatu was taken aback, as this was the first time Lin Ziyin mockingly dismissed him. Could this be her true character?

"I take my leave." With her acting so coldly towards him, Alhatu found it inappropriate to linger any longer.

"Lady Lin, if you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask me." Yi Lian spoke respectfully, but her face was devoid of any emotion.

Alhatu had been thoughtful; he had assigned more than ten maids to serve Lin Ziyin in her room. Without any order from Lin Ziyin, they all stood respectfully to one side, awaiting her instructions.

"I want hot water." Lin Ziyin commanded indifferently, "And a change of clothes."

"Yes, I will prepare those right away. Please wait a moment, miss." One of the maids responded and went out to fulfill her orders.

She had no opportunity to bathe while on the run, especially as she had sweated thoroughly during the chase. Lin Ziyin felt that she smelled horribly sour and wouldn’t deny herself a bath now that she had the chance.

Submerging herself in the hot water, she almost fell asleep.

When she got out, the maids brought her more of the unique North Country women’s clothing.

Lin Ziyin didn’t complain and obediently put them on.

However, Alhatu did not economize, all the prepared clothes were of the finest quality.

As expected, Alhatu didn’t return at noon.

However, Yi Lian had the kitchen prepare an elaborate feast for Lin Ziyin alone.

A spread of thirty dishes, a sign of extravagance, finally brought some green vegetables to the dining table. Though there wasn’t a huge variety, the freshness was what mattered.

She picked up her chopsticks and began to eat with relish.

All of the maids attending to her in the room kept their heads bowed and remained silent, only Yi Lian was busily serving dishes to the table.

At this meal, Lin Ziyin ate till she was full to bursting.

When Alhatu returned from the Imperial Palace that night, Lin Ziyin was already asleep.

Alhatu stood in front of the courtyard, dumbfounded. He then smiled wryly. The Princess Consort of the Lyne Kingdom was finally showing her temper. On the first day of the new year, he had been given the cold shoulder.