The Princess of Northern Land
Chapter 850: The Fate of the Ma Family (7)

Chapter 850: Chapter 850: The Fate of the Ma Family (7)

"Whore, may you never rest in peace. These two bastards won’t have a good end either; they betrayed their own father, even Heaven won’t tolerate them." Ma Zhicai’s face twisted grotesquely, his already long face stretching even further.

"Shut your mouth, the one who deserves retribution is you." Lou Zheng, along with a dozen others, squeezed out from the crowd, "Your Ma Family disliked the poor and loved the rich first, breaking off the marriage, and in the end, you even blame the Princess. Ma Erlang brought it upon himself—if he hadn’t harbored evil intentions towards the Lin Family and snuck in to steal from them, how could he have been wanted? It’s your own sinister heart to blame, yet you blame others."

Lou Zheng had seen the armored soldiers raiding Ma Family’s home and, upon understanding the situation clearly, brought several villagers who were not off duty. He arrived just in time to hear Ma Zhicai’s words, causing him to bristle with anger.

"It’s the Lin Family, all the machinations of the Lin Family. Bao Family, you whore, what benefits did you receive to throw such filth upon my son? Oh heavens, there’s no way out anymore. Heaven, open your eyes." The Yan Family matriarch had yet to grasp the seriousness of the situation. Seeing Ma Zhicai in such a sorry state, she immediately began to make a scene.

Chu Suifeng and Lin Ziyin’s expressions remained unchanged, watching her as if they were observing a buffoon.

In contrast, Ma Youcai was terrified, "It wasn’t me, I had nothing to do with it. It was him, it was Ma Zhicai who colluded with the enemy. I saw it." Before even being interrogated, this fellow unexpectedly provided information, "He hid the items in a secret compartment in his own house, I know all about it."

"Are you possessed, spouting nonsense?" If it weren’t for being restrained, the Yan Family matriarch would definitely have gone over to give her younger son a few slaps to wake him up.

"Prince, Princess, we have already split from the family and severed relations. Their family’s affairs have nothing to do with my family. Lou Zheng and the villagers can testify to this, elder, you knew this at the beginning too." Mrs. Huang, though scared, held her two children tightly and knelt down to clarify.

"Yes, we split from the family and severed relations." Ma Xincai quickly echoed, captured along the way, he felt as if the sky was falling. He didn’t know what exactly had happened until he arrived in Feng City and discovered that Ma Zhicai was involved in a major incident, leaving him dumbstruck.

He could not admit, absolutely could not admit, collusion was the most shameful crime, one that implicated the entire family.

He hadn’t offended anyone and he had two children; he didn’t want to die, nor did he want to just cut off his future. But he didn’t know what to do, Mrs. Huang’s calmness seemed to stabilize his nerves.

He finally chose to save his immediate family.

"I can testify, everything Mrs. Huang said is true."

"What he said is true." The elder also came under the protection of Jue Ming and Yu Shao’en, squeezing forward.

"Grandfather." Lin Ziyin greeted warmly.

"You’ve done so much for the Northern Land, and since they are ungrateful, from now on, you no longer need to consider them. If the Prince is also displeased, you can come back with grandfather to the North Country; as long as there’s a bite to eat at home, you won’t starve." The elder looked at her with sadness and guilt, but more so with affection.

"Grandfather, calm yourself." Chu Suifeng came over sheepishly, quietly pulling Lin Ziyin to his side, "I naturally won’t allow anyone to bully the Princess, and those who dare bully the Princess won’t be spared."

Mrs. Huang’s family was finally no longer implicated.

What else was there to misunderstand at this point? The onlooking villagers, fearing the Lin family’s workshop might truly close down thus affecting their livelihoods, immediately started to shout indignantly, demanding severe punishment for the culprit.

"It’s you who harmed us, all of you caused this. We didn’t collude with anyone." Ma Zhicai struggled, howling.

"Bring up all the spies." Situ Gong, seeing him still unrepentant, sneered and ordered the armored soldiers.

Before long, Ma Erlang and a group of people from the North Country were brought forward. Some people even recognized some of them as the inn’s shopkeeper and helpers.

"Speak up." Situ Gong said with a sneer.

"The warriors of the North Country aren’t afraid of death. Being captured is our lack of skill, we have nothing to say." The shopkeeper said proudly.

"Dad." Ergouzi looked at Ma Erlang in surprise, Bao Family’s face tinged with sorrow, while Da Gouzi glared angrily at the somewhat sleazy man before him.

Ma Erlang opened his mouth but said nothing.

"It’s you, you caused all this, you bring misfortune on yourself and want us to share your fate," Ma Dazhang glared viciously at Ma Erlang.

Mrs. Huang, fearful for her children, quickly pulled her two children back while Ma Xincai silently protected his mother and siblings.

Towards Ma Zhicai and his parents, he felt somewhat disheartened. Why make trouble when you could have been living a good life? Who else to blame for ending up like this?

Mrs. Huang was even more determined to go back and properly teach her two children, ensuring they did not stray.

"It was you, big brother, who instigated the initial theft at the Lin Family. Zhicai, I advised him, told him not to tread this path, but he wouldn’t listen. You blame me, but whom can I blame?" Having heard Ma Dazhang’s accusations, Ma Erlang was heart-wrenched. His parents had died early, and he had always followed Ma Dazhang’s lead. If it weren’t for Ma Dazhang persistently instigating him, he wouldn’t have harbored resentment against the Lin Family, nor coveted their wealth, leading to today’s dire situation—it was all his own doing, and he closed his eyes in despair.

"His dad." Bao Family approached Ma Erlang with her two children, "I don’t care how others see you, but I know you’ve been good to us three. Don’t blame me, I can’t let my two children be..."

"I don’t have such a father." Da Gouzi pointed at him and shouted loudly, his emotions extremely agitated.