The Princess of Northern Land
Chapter 404 Wheat Harvest(2)_1

Chapter 404: Chapter 404 Wheat Harvest(2)_1

"Please, Prince, send me the materials for making crossbows, and I will personally make some for you. However, there’s something I want to clarify first," Lin Ziyin said in a low voice, avoiding eye contact with Chu Suifeng.

"Hmm." Chu Suifeng’s expression and tone were indifferent.

"I hope that no one disassembles the crossbows I make. I will design mechanisms into them, equipped with poisoned needles. If anyone tries to take them apart, they will be injured by the poison," Lin Ziyin managed to say while holding her breath, unsure if her words would anger Chu Suifeng.

Even if it angered the Prince, she still felt the need to say it. She didn’t want others to steal the fruits of her labor. Most importantly, the continuous-firing crossbows had a long range, and anyone hit by the arrows would more than likely lose their life.

Having been stationed in a military camp, Lin Ziyin had witnessed the life-and-death struggles on battlefields. Despite her kindness, she distinguished right from wrong clearly. Any mercy towards the enemy in battle was, in fact, cruelty towards oneself and one’s comrades.

There was no middle ground in this situation! In this ancient age of cold weaponry, she wasn’t interested in hearing about humanitarian principles or sparing innocent civilians. Once a battlefield was entered, the two opposing sides have to vie for victory, and in order to ensure their own triumph, they must be willing to sacrifice the lives of the enemy.

"Why?" Si Jinhan’s face hardened, "If your crossbows are superior, why not allow the people of Tianji Building to learn from you? It would also expedite the process."

"If the Third Prince insists on having others work with me, I regret that I simply can’t agree," Lin Ziyin coldly rejected, her attitude turning stubborn.

"Stubborn." Si Jinhan was livid.

Lin Ziyin was even angrier. Si Jinhan was a damn annoying pest who really thought he could push her about. If he dared to provoke her further, she would do nothing at all. If Tatars were to invade, she would only have to strengthen their defenses and prepare more defensive weapons for the people on her estate. Worse comes to worst, she could take her family and flee. She didn’t believe that she wouldn’t be able to find a foothold with her abilities.

There were plenty of mountains and forests. In extremity, she could take her family and servants and hide deep in the mountains. Given the abundant resources there, could a large group of them starve?

"Don’t think about leaving me behind," Chu Suifeng’s gaze changed, his voice icy. This ungrateful girl wanted to abandon him after just a few pressing words from Si Jinhan. Did she not care at all about the camaraderie they’d shared these past days? "Do as you wish. If you don’t want anyone to disassemble them, you can put in the deadliest poison needles."

He was agreeing to her terms. Lin Ziyin suddenly lifted her head.

Chu Suifeng kept his eyes on her, his face solemn with a hint of hurt.

Hurt? Lin Ziyin was taken aback and touched her nose, suspecting she might have overreacted a bit.

"No one under the heavens can force you to do something you don’t want to. If they dare to, this prince will be the first to object," Chu Suifeng met her eyes and said deliberately, word by word.

What did he mean? Was that a promise? Lin Ziyin could understand each word, but when they were strung together, she seemed to lose their meaning.

Si Jinhan and Luo Yan were taken aback upon hearing this, their gazes towards Lin Ziyin fraught with complexity.

Lin Ziyin did not dwell on Chu Suifeng’s words; or rather, she didn’t want to think too deeply about them. She would interpret it as Chu Suifeng showing her respect due to their business partnership for now.

"I’ll give another blueprint to the Prince, which can be used to instruct the engineers at Tianji Building to start making ballistas as soon as possible. On the battlefield against the Fire Bull Formation, they can also be of certain use," Lin Ziyin magnanimously offered.