The Princess of Northern Land
Chapter 366: Prosperity (6)_1

Chapter 366: Chapter 366: Prosperity (6)_1

Upon hearing the State Preceptor’s proposition, Alhatu began to bitterly smile to himself. It was within expectations that the State Preceptor would support the Eldest Prince, since he was the prince’s mentor, and the Emperor had great trust in him.

"The climate in the Northern Land is not suitable for farming. Losing the support of the Imperial Court, on top of provoking the aristocrats of Feng City, Chu Suifeng will inevitably reap the consequences by autumn. The aristocrats of the Northern Land are true locals; how could they sit back and let Chu Suifeng have his way? Their current inaction is surely a precursor to striking Chu Suifeng when the time is right. I’ve been training the Fire Bull Formation, which is starting to show promise. Come winter, we can attack Border City, and Chu Suifeng with his internal worries of the aristocrats and external threats from our North Country’s warriors, will certainly have his hands full. Once the Northern Land is captured, the Khan’s army can easily march southward; Daqin will have no choice but to pay tribute to us."

"State Preceptor, what should we do if Changchun Country takes advantage of our absence and makes a surprise attack?" Alhatu asked coldly.

"The second prince is overthinking." The State Preceptor sneered, "Changchun Country is not that strong; they are good at naval warfare, yet they’ve been quiet during all these years without causing any conflicts with us. Moreover, with the arrival of the winter months and its freezing waters, how would they mobilize an attack?"

The Khan nodded, finding the State Preceptor’s analysis reasonable. Changchun Country, over the years, had kept to themselves and had never provoked any conflicts with the North Country. Furthermore, Changchun Country’s expertise in naval warfare does not suggest any provocations in winter.

"Why has my younger brother become so timid? You’re not acting like a North Country warrior at all," the Eldest Prince sneered at Alhatu.

Seeing the two princes squabble, the Court Officials wisely kept silent. Yet, many of them looked at Alhatu with mild disdain.

Alhatu bitterly smiled inwardly. The North Country greatly worshipped military strength; his indirect approach to saving the country was not accepted by the Court Officials. Under Chu Suifeng’s administration, although the Northern Land was not impregnable, it was solidly defended. In addition, Chu Suifeng was highly favored by the military; it was virtually impossible to capture the Northern Land quickly. Ever since Chu Suifeng gained military power as a child, he displayed outstanding military talent. The North Country’s many years of raids hardly took any advantage and instead, due to their annual warfare, the North Country’s people found it hard to make a living.

However, the Eldest Prince, the State Preceptor, and others disregarded the people’s hardship and blamed it all on Chu Suifeng. What use was his single voice of advice?

Even though there were now those who supported him in the court, the majority of those who held military power sided with the Eldest Prince. He felt so helpless!

With the arrival of May, the warmth of the southern spring was generously bestowed upon the Northern Land. The weather in the Northern Land warmed up, and the beans and corn planted in April had already sprouted, neatly lining up and filling people’s hearts with joy when they looked at it.

Most of the newly cultivated land in Lin Ziyin’s control was planted with beans and corn. By May, the focus shifted towards planting a lot of sweet beets, vegetables and especially tomatoes and chilies on the newly cultivated land; potatoes were also planted on a large scale.

"Everyone, pay attention to how this is done," Lin Ziyin instructed the villagers on how to plant as he stood in the field.

The rice seedlings cultivated at the end of March had already grown palm-length, appearing very tender.

"You need to plant six rows in a meter, introducing two to three plants in each spot, but don’t plant them too deep." Lin Ziyin stayed on the bund guiding the villagers for a while, then instructed them to watch as the others continued to plant the seeds.