Ch. 856..860: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 856-860

Chapter 856: Chapter 856: Revenge (6)

Chu Suifeng held back his anger, and so he chose to break with the Imperial Court. Moreover, even as things developed, perhaps even if the Northern Land was willing to compromise, the Imperial Court would not be willing to give Chu Suifeng time to grow.

If there really was to be a battle, the position of Liao City became extremely important.

Since the Prince was willing to fight, then as his wife, she must not drag him down. Lin Ziyin was not willing to bring modern firearms to ancient times because their lethality was too great, and she neither wanted nor wished to witness such a gruesome scene. Therefore, during the previous battle at Border City, she did not design any firearms for Chu Suifeng.

But now things were different, and in a war flanked on two sides, Chu Suifeng might not be able to handle both, and the ambition of the North Country was always far from small. She did not want Chu Suifeng to make the slightest mistake.

As long as they could take Liao City as quickly as possible and give the opposition a strong deterrence, then the advantage would appear on the side of the Northern Land.

"Dangerous?" Chu Suifeng looked at her seriously.

Lin Ziyin nodded.

"I will have someone do it, and there won’t be any mistakes," Chu Suifeng assured earnestly.

"Mm, these next few days I also need to visit the newly built seedling sheds," Lin Ziyin said.

Meanwhile, the residences in Capital City had finally received the letters sent from the Northern Land, and even in the Imperial Palace, missives from the Northern Land had arrived. The content was similar; in the letters and missives, Chu Suifeng explained why he was sending back the beautiful ladies from his harem and bluntly stated that, due to their original health conditions, those ladies were still virgins, hoping that the residences would take the ladies back soon. Of course, if the residences did not take them back, he would, according to the laws of the Northern Land, allow those ladies to be self-reliant and join the population breaking new ground.

When the residences received the letter, there was a stir. The letter sent by Chu Suifeng was nothing short of a provocation and insult. Their well-raised daughters had been sent over, and the Prince actually disdainfully refused to accept them; wasn’t he slapping them in the face?

Moreover, Chu Suifeng’s intention was clearly provocative. What if the Emperor became suspicious because of this?

In their rage, all the ministers who received the letters rushed to the Imperial Palace to seek justice.

The Emperor was looking at the people below with a gloomy face, "What do you all think?"

Initially, the ministers made a fuss to get the Emperor’s support and also to alleviate his concerns. But when the Emperor threw the question back to them, it put them in a difficult position.

To accept or not to accept? Whichever choice they made was troubling. If they complained in front of the Emperor, did they not appear to be inciting the Emperor to start a war?

A silence fell across the great hall.

"Father, your son believes the Prince’s actions are inappropriate," the Crown Prince stood up, and all the ministers sighed with relief and looked at the Crown Prince gratefully, "It has always been said that a good woman does not serve two husbands; his hasty demand for the residences to take back the women is a clear disdain for the residences, and also disrespect towards the Father Emperor."

"Reporting to the Emperor, the Prince asked this old minister to take his daughter back. How can she show her face in the Capital City? The Prince is simply not giving her a way to live; please, Emperor, give me justice," the Crown Prince’s tutor stood out and cried wronged.

"Please, Emperor, give us justice," all the officials with daughters in the Northern Land knelt down and begged.

"Emperor, this matter is all because the Prince is too doting on the Princess Consort. The Princess Consort was taken by the North Country people for several days, which has tainted her purity. She is not worthy of sitting in the position of Princess Consort, please, Emperor, think thrice," an old minister stood out.

"I also believe the Princess Consort should be demoted. With a tainted reputation, she not only smears the Prince’s name but also subjects the Royal Family to criticism."

...

Seeing the speaker, the Prince’s heart sneered non-stop.

 

Chapter 857: Chapter 857: Revenge (7)

Most of the speakers were of the Crown Prince’s faction, and the officials supporting him, seeing his indifference, also held their silence.

"Crown Prince Chu, what do you think of this matter?" the emperor asked with a gloomy face.

The Crown Prince sneered inwardly. He took the initiative to advise and whether the emperor liked it or not, he would not hold a grudge against him. But if Crown Prince Chu did not answer well, well...

"Replying to Father Emperor, your son thinks this matter should be carefully considered." As expected, once Crown Prince Chu’s words were spoken, the emperor’s expression grew even worse.

"Your son believes this matter is double-sided. The previous emperor decreed that King Ling could decide on his own marriage. Whether Princess Consort Ling is good or not, it is his choice. Furthermore, your son has heard that she was abducted by North Country people because she possessed unique skills. A capable person always has a bit of pride. If Princess Consort Ling were truly impure, your son believes King Ling would never tolerate it, and Princess Consort Ling would have no face to return to Northern Land. The fact that King Ling has sent petitions and letters shows his sincerity and shows no disrespect to the emperor. However, secondly, he is not entirely without fault. All young ladies of the noble houses are reputable, and King Ling’s neglect towards them is somewhat inappropriate. Please, Father Emperor, consider this," Crown Prince Chu proved to be quite cunning.

The Crown Prince was livid with rage; the good and the bad were all articulated by him, yet it amounted to nothing.

"Please, Emperor, make your decision." Those who supported the third prince stepped forward.

"Let each residence take back their people. As for arrangements, see to it yourselves." After the prolonged debate, nothing was resolved, and it seemed the emperor was favoring King Ling; although the ministers were apprehensive, they dared not say much.

The emperor returned to the Imperial Study Room and in anger, threw the petitions all over the floor.

Chu Suifeng’s challenges, how could he not know? Yet Daqin had been without war for years, and now Northern Land belonged to Chu Suifeng’s jurisdiction; the territory was entirely Chu Suifeng’s to command.

What could he do? He could anticipate that even if he decreed, Chu Suifeng would not obey him, and sending troops to attack would be the most unwise decision. An emperor feeling helpless against his son, how could he not be enraged?

"Summon Little Dezi to carry my edict to Northern Land." Nevertheless, not taking any action would not sit well with him. After calming himself for a moment, he began to write the royal decree.

Eunuch Miao sighed in relief outside; he had been terrified by Chu Suifeng, and he never wanted to return to Northern Land again. Since he had returned injured, the emperor had not been too displeased with him, which was a blessing in disguise.

After returning to his residence, Lin Ziyin’s family crowded around to ask about the events. He merely shook his head slightly.

Today in the grand hall, he had said nothing. Not because he was feigning depth, but out of guilt. The last time he left Northern Land, Lin Wanwan had reported to Chu Suifeng, who was willing to let her return to Capital City with him, but he refused.

Since then, Lin Wanwan was unwilling to see him, knowing that his daughter resented him. Moreover, he had a premonition that Lin Wanwan would never return to Capital City, but he spoke none of this to his family.

When the officials returned home, the residences were in an uproar since none knew how to manage after retrieving their people.

The emperor’s heart was always hard to predict.

This explosive news was the biggest yet.

The next day, a huge scandal erupted in Capital City; Prince Rui’s consort had committed adultery and was caught. Much like Prince Rui, several high officials’ wives had also been made cuckolds.

The adulterers had been caught red-handed; Prince Rui and the others could not cover it up.

Before the Zongren Residence could arrive to arrest those involved at Prince Rui’s Residence, news came that Prince Rui’s consort had hanged herself in suicide.

These days, the streets of Capital City were abuzz with everyone discussing the matter. Scandals were always hot topics for public debate.

Prince Rui hid at home, daring not to venture out, staring at the cold bed where Prince Rui’s consort lay, his eyes filled with fierceness. "Chu Suifeng, I swear I’m not human if I don’t kill you."

From the actions in the hall, many ministers also guessed it was Chu Suifeng’s doing since all who were affected had insulted King Ling’s wife. This was Chu Suifeng’s blatant retaliation, widely recognized but dared not to be spoken of.

Whether it was Prince Rui or the high officials, all kept silent, showing that Chu Suifeng’s tactic of killing the chicken to scare the monkeys was quite effective.

The Crown Prince was on tenterhooks for days, ordering the Prince Residence to tighten security. He too had slandered Lin Ziyin in the hall; now all that was left was for his wife not to cuckhold him.

He was destined to be Crown Prince, so infidelity of the Crown Princess Consort was unacceptable.

Fortunately, for half a month the Prince Residence remained calm, and the Crown Princess Consort did not stray from the Crown Prince’s side.

Just when the Crown Prince was slightly relieved, Capital City’s streets and alleys were plastered with images of the Crown Princess Consort and another man, along with captions—it was practically a riveting drama.

"Chu Suifeng." When the Crown Prince saw the removed images and play script, he nearly went mad. Especially since small text emphasized: If coincidental with the Crown Princess Consort’s story, it’s purely coincidental.

A blatant slap in the face.

Without indicating, it might have been alright, but with those few words marked, it was impossible not to think of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess Consort.

The Crown Princess Consort fainted when she heard the news.

The emperor, furiously enraged, decreed a strict investigation into the matter. For a time, Capital City was in complete chaos.

 

Chapter 858: Chapter 858: Ending (1)

Far in the Northern Land, Lin Ziyin didn’t know that Chu Suifeng had taken such a big sigh of relief for her behind the scenes; she was incredibly busy. In the warm March, the warm sheds of each province were all activated.

Prince’s manor and the skilled farmers of Shili Village were many, and many were drawn to various places to help with seedling cultivation. But she had to take care of various businesses while also overseeing the seedlings, and more importantly, she managed to spend two hours a day nestled in Tianji Pavilion.

"Princess, Princess," she probably fainted due to exhaustion in the warm shed while observing the seedlings, creating panic among Hong Ying and others who immediately lifted her up, and someone went to find a doctor.

The Lin Family was all startled, and Jue Yuan and doctor Xu were pulled in immediately.

"What happened?" Zige and Guo Huiniang saw Doctor Xu withdraw his hand and immediately asked anxiously.

The grandfather and Lin Changshu outside were even more anxious.

Doctor Xu wore a broad smile on his face, and Jue Yuan also looked joyous.

"Come on, speak," Zige urged.

"Congratulations, the Princess is showing a happy pulse," Doctor Xu reported joyfully.

"Really?" Guo Huiniang and Zige could not close their mouths for joy.

"I’ll go out and tell Grandfather and Big Brother," Zige said with a surprised expression as she trotted out.

Seeing her run out and noticing Lin Ziyin on the bed with her eyes slightly closed, Guo Huiniang quietly stepped lighter and then softly asked Doctor Xu and Jue Yuan to step outside.

"I’ll report the good news to the Prince," Hong Ying joyously went out, while Guo Huiniang and Huangying Qiaoqiao quietly stayed in the room waiting for Lin Ziyin to wake up.

Doctor Xu said the Princess had merely fallen asleep due to consecutive days of toil.

Outside, the anxious grandfather and Lin Changshu didn’t dare to enter to inquire.

"Grandfather, sister is pregnant," Zige ran out excitedly to share the news.

"Good, good, good," the grandfather and others were so happy they hardly knew what else to say.

Lin Changshu was incessantly rubbing his hands, even more excited than when he heard Guo Huiniang was pregnant.

In a moment, the entire Lin Family became overjoyed.

Chu Suifeng in Feng City had not followed Lin Ziyin, he was busy training all the soldiers for the upcoming battle of Liao City.

"Prince, a letter from Shili Village," Congyi handed him a small note.

Chu Suifeng’s expression changed, he stood up abruptly and hurriedly snatched the note from Congyi’s hand, having been frightened by the last incident.

Yet, when he opened the note and clearly saw the contents, he laughed heartily, "Mr. Situ, I’ll leave the matters here to you."

Si Jinhan and Luo Yan looked bewildered at him.

Chu Suifeng didn’t explain and left hurriedly with Congyi and others.

Mr. Situ, seeing the note left on the table, picked it up without any expression and after reading it, a big smile appeared, "Ha ha, wonderful!"

"What’s the matter? Mr. Situ, tell us," everyone became even more curious.

"The Princess is pregnant, the Prince has an heir. This is a great joy for the Northern Land," Mr. Situ explained loudly.

Immediately, the camp was filled with deafening cheers, and the laughter soon spread throughout the entire camp.

Si Jinhan’s smile was forced, but he was truly happy—for Chu Suifeng and for her.

"Really?" Chu Suifeng rode his horse fast, reaching Shili Village in half an hour, then directly rushed into Lin Ziyin’s room.

Lin Ziyin had just woken up, and Guo Huiniang and Zige were advising her on things to be mindful of.

Chapter 859: Chapter 859: Conclusion (2)

To be honest, Lin Ziyin was somewhat surprised by the arrival of the child. To put it accurately, she had not yet prepared for the arrival of the child. Considering her age, she was only seventeen and still a minor in modern terms, and now she was to be a mother, which was quite startling.

However, she soon became happy again.

Having a child who was blood-related to her was such a wonderful thing! She imagined having one more child by her side in the future. Deep inside, she was a person lacking love, so she craved love and lively interactions. That’s why she particularly adored Yanzhi and the two chubby children from her brother and sister-in-law’s family. Now, she could be the mother of a chubby baby, surrounded by a sense of happiness.

The arrival of Chu Suifeng made her even more delighted. "Hmm."

Facing Chu Suifeng’s eager inquiries, she shyly nodded her head.

A family of three was what she had dreamed of since her childhood, something she had never experienced, but she could give her child this complete love.

"Um. Doctor Xu and Monk Jue Yuan had visited," Lin Ziyin shyly responded.

"From now on, in the Residence, you should take good care of your body and not worry about the farm or business matters anymore," Chu Suifeng sternly instructed.

He didn’t learn about her fainting in the greenhouse until after they reached Shili Village from the old master, and he almost felt weak at the knees. The child was important, but for him, Lin Ziyin was even more so.

Worried, he had Master Hui Zhen come over again.

"It’s just a bit of fatigue; everything else is fine," Master Hui Zhen said with a smile, he was happy too. Thinking about having a little radish like Chu Suifeng to tease in the future made him glad.

It had been many years since he had teased Chu Suifeng; it was not fun once he had grown up.

If Chu Suifeng and Lin Ziyin knew what the old Monk was thinking at the moment, the couple would definitely gang up to give him a good beating.

"After returning to the Residence, let Nanny Lu and Nanny Qin stay by your side. As for the diet, Master Hui Zhen and Doctor Xu have discussed it too. You just need to take good care of yourself, and don’t worry about anything else," Chu Suifeng became assertive.

"There are things I can put aside for now, but not the things I make myself," Lin Ziyin softly said, "Just a few more, and I will be done soon. This thing is too dangerous; I can’t let others make it, nor can I let others learn to."

Chu Suifeng was surprised; whatever Ziyin valued so much was definitely not ordinary. But he was even more concerned about Lin Ziyin’s health.

"I’ll only work for one hour a day, and then it will be done quickly," Lin Ziyin said again.

Seeing her serious gaze, Chu Suifeng finally nodded in agreement.

When they returned to the Wang Residence, Hui Niang and others became much more cautious. Lin Changshu laid three thick quilts in the carriage and was still not at ease.

"Brother, sister-in-law, it’s not as serious as you think. Master Hui Zhen and Doctor Xu have both said that my health is fine," Lin Ziyin, seeing everyone on edge, said with a smile.

"You are now carrying two lives; you can’t be careless," Lin Changshu responded seriously. "Your sister-in-law used to work tirelessly in the fields, her body is robust. You’ve always been weaker; you can’t compare to her."

"Listening to my brother and sister-in-law is definitely right," Chu Suifeng, seeing more people supporting him and afraid that his words wouldn’t be taken to heart by Lin Ziyin, thus placed Lin Changshu and Guo Huiniang in front.

"Being about to become a mother, you can’t be so willful, don’t make the Prince worry too much." There were no female elders at home to give Lin Ziyin behind-the-scenes guidance, and the old master couldn’t say much more, simply using the authority of an elder to let Lin Ziyin heed Chu Suifeng’s arrangements more.

Chapter 860: Chapter 860: Ending (3)

Although everyone was being overly cautious and a bit long-winded, Lin Ziyin didn’t mind at all. She knew it was her family’s way of showing their love and care for her.

On the ride back, because of her, the speed of the carriage was significantly reduced.

Once they entered the Wang Residence, all the servants were extremely careful, not making a single sound. The food on the table in the evening was plentiful but bland. Lin Ziyin liked spicy food, yet there wasn’t a single shred of chili pepper on the table.

She quickly lost her appetite, but Chu Suifeng insisted and made her eat a lot.

Thus, Lin Ziyin entered a lethargic state like a giant panda; however, just as she had requested, she went to Tianji Building every day.

After fifteen days, Si Jinhan, Mr. Situ, Luo Er, and other main generals all appeared in an open area near the mountains.

Lin Ziyin had three odd-looking objects by her side.

"Si San, pull this string and throw it into the distance, make sure it’s far, at least fifty meters away," Lin Ziyin instructed.

An ordinary soldier could throw it at most thirty to forty meters, but Si Jinhan, skilled in martial arts, should be able to throw it much farther.

After seeing her demonstrate with an empty grenade, Si Jinhan pulled the pin of the grenade briskly and threw it; it went much farther than Lin Ziyin had asked, reaching seventy to eighty meters because he had heard Lin Ziyin repeatedly stress how dangerous these strange contraptions were.

Indeed, they were extremely dangerous. Everyone only heard a loud boom, and the place where the grenade fell exploded into a hole, flinging stones and vegetation far and wide.

Everyone was stunned. Even the well-informed General Situ was dumbfounded.

"What is this?" Si Jinhan asked in surprise.

"A grenade," Lin Ziyin replied calmly.

"The lethality is too great," General Wu said excitedly.

General Situ and Chu Suifeng had already gone to check the site, and soon they came back, "Let me try."

"Once the pin is pulled, you must throw it as fast as possible; otherwise, it may accidentally harm our own people," Lin Ziyin cautioned.

Chu Suifeng nodded, pulled the pin of another grenade, and threw it in a different direction. There was a boom, and a crater appeared, spraying spots of dirt on the snowy ground.

If it had been on harder ground, the flying chunks of dirt could have hurt people! Everyone, having come from battlefields, immediately recognized the significance of this new kind of weapon.

"I can only make two thousand of them, no more. This weapon hurts people too severely," Lin Ziyin said quietly.

Everyone was silent. Chu Suifeng stepped forward and took her hand, "It’s dangerous. Even if you are willing to make them, I won’t allow it."

"Don’t let anyone try using them. It’s very dangerous. If the proportions are wrong, it could easily kill our own people," Lin Ziyin still worried.

"What the Princess decides is an imperial order. We naturally will not disobey," Situ Gong said, visibly moved.

He didn’t like warfare and wasn’t an enthusiast by nature. In fact, he preferred a tranquil life, but the situation in the Northern Land was too complex. Perhaps the battle at Liao City could finally bring peace.

Everyone also voiced their agreement.

Lin Ziyin nodded.

After testing the three grenades, everyone headed back.

"Actually, using gunpowder, many thermal weapons can be made, but the emergence of thermal weapons would change so much, even lead to widespread carnage. I don’t want..." on the way back, Lin Ziyin quietly explained to Chu Suifeng.

"No need to worry, I understand it all. Anything you dislike or don’t want to do, I will make sure no one else gets involved," Chu Suifeng declared, cutting her off decisively, "You have already done too much for me and the Northern Land."