The Princess of Northern Land
Chapter 297: Implementing Another Plan(7)_1

Chapter 297: Chapter 297: Implementing Another Plan(7)_1

"Where did this idea come from; when did the Prince ever indulge common women?" Lin Ziyin questioned back, baffled. What the hell was going on? It sounded like nonsense.

"How should I punish you? Spank you?" Chu Suifeng reached out his hand, his face darkened with displeasure.

Chu Suifeng resorted to action as soon as he spoke, irritating Lin Ziyin immensely. It felt as though Chu Suifeng had gone mad. It seemed like they were barely acquainted. This morning, she had been pleading with him for help, only to be met with scorn and sarcasm. Now he was playing the victim. To whom was he trying to prove himself? And even more so, he was being unreasonable. Lin Ziyin wasn’t his offender, let alone his subordinate. She couldn’t possibly report to him every time she went to the market, could she?

Angry and defiant, Lin Ziyin evaded Chu Suifeng’s attack with a swift movement.

You resist? Chu Suifeng fumed. Lin Ziyin would not apologize for her actions and even dared to dodge him. He quickened his attack, his expression turning serious.

Lin Ziyin didn’t know why Chu Suifeng was acting like a madman, she didn’t dare fight back too fiercely, fearing to worry her family.

Despite Lin Ziyin’s ability to spar with Chu Suifeng and hold her ground for a while, their fight was more playful than serious. She was more used to his style and techniques; but Chu Suifeng had been in a foul mood recently and had no patience for sparring. He now dealt out lethal moves, utilizing the knowledge of her close combat techniques.

Her attempts at evasion were futile.

"Ouch." Caught off-guard, Lin Ziyin stumbled over a stool, her body promptly falling backward.

Damn it, this is going to hurt.

Lin Ziyin thought of rolling on the spot, hoping it could lessen the impact.

Yet, the expected pain didn’t come. Instead, she found herself landing in a warm embrace.

Looking up, she saw Chu Suifeng’s handsome, worried face. Realizing how closely her face was to his, Lin Ziyin felt somewhat shy. The tension between them was replaced with ambiguity.

"Lady, what happened?" Qiaoqiao, who was outside, couldn’t resist asking when she heard the commotion.

"It’s nothing... just tripped over a chair." Worried that Qiaoqiao might come in and see her and Chu Suifeng’s current state, Lin Ziyin quickly answered aloud.

Upon hearing this, Qiaoqiao decided not to come in.

"Let me go." Lin Ziyin said, blushing.

Chu Suifeng helped her to stand upright by lifting her gently by the waist.

"Prince, do you still want to listen to the lesson?" Lin Ziyin wanted to slap herself. Why did she blush over such a trivial incident? Considering Chu Suifeng was the cause of this accident, she glared at him discreetly. To her surprise, she found Chu Suifeng sitting in the chair, gazing back at her.

Lin Ziyin jumped, quickly lowered her head, and began her lecture, coughing to cover her embarrassment.

"From now on, you’re not allowed to deceive me without reason." Chu Suifeng commanded coldly.

Lin Ziyin found him bothersome. Was she expected to never venture out without his permission? Ridiculous!

However, as she fell silent, Chu Suifeng took it as an agreement and finally eased up on her.

There had been unrest in Feng City in recent days, as the citizens finally discovered the identities of the bodies displayed on the execution ground. Rumor had it that they were assassins who planned to kill the Prince.

Upon learning that the Prince, protector of the Northern Land, was the target of the assassination, the citizens vented their anger by pelting the corpses with stones.

Li Yanran feigned illness within her residence, feeling unsettled. She sent her maid out to gather information, her interest in the bodies piqued. The maid couldn’t understand why Li Yanran was interested in the bodies, but the love of gossip is universally human. Thus, the maid dutifully brought back daily news.

With each piece of news Li Yanran heard, her fear heightened. Gradually, she fell genuinely ill. After punishing the servants in her courtyard, the Lady Dowager showed her sympathy towards her ill daughter.

After five days, the maid brought back an update, "It seems that the mastermind behind the assassins has been found. The Wang Residence hasn’t revealed who it is yet. But I heard that it’s likely to be a spy from the Tatars."

"Really?" Li Yanran sat up abruptly from her bed.

"Of course, that’s what everyone outside is saying." The maid replied earnestly.

Li Yanran’s sickness seemed to have vanished overnight. When Lady You received the news the following day, she decided to visit casually.

"Sister, you look much better, your complexion has improved." Lady You said tenderly, taking Li Yanran’s hand in hers.

"Thank you, sister-in-law, for your concern." Li Yanran quite liked Lady You who was generous and intelligent in addition to being particularly kind to her.

"There has been an incessant string of frustrating events of late." Lady You said with a sigh.

"How so?" Li Yanran was puzzled, having been too preoccupied worrying about the Prince catching her to pay attention to household matters.

"It’s all because of that shop in the southern city."

Hearing Lady You mention the shop in the southern city, Li Yanran’s resentment flared once more. On account of Lin Ziyin’s misconduct, the household was troubled and even her own illness had been due to Lin Ziyin.

"Sigh... Why bring up these upsetting matters with you? Anyway, I believe the Lin Family’s business isn’t going to last long. Although our Northern Land produces plenty of soybeans, people depend on them for survival and the military requires them for horse feed. If anyone else begins to take over the soybean market, the Lin Family’s business will not just collapse, but the Prince might even have to step in."