The Princess of Northern Land

"The Lin family has bought so many people back that it seems like they’re not planning to hire anyone else for the oil mill," a disgruntled villager commented.

"Didn’t you hear? They’re placing trust in the people they bought," someone responded sarcastically.

"In such a short period, the Lin family has bought so many people, it seems they’ve prospered."

"You don’t need to mention it, anyone can see that," another countered.

...

Lou Zheng’s ears filled with the villagers’ discussions, sparking in him uncertainty. With the Lin family having so many servants, might they let go of his two sons?

Thinking of that, he lost interest in making idle small talk with the villagers and walked away, worry lingering in his heart.

"Miss, I can read and am skilled at farming," a fair-skinned man cried out desperately to Lin Ziyin.

But Lin Ziyin was already moving on, ignoring his plea.

"Great Monk, there are a few here with serious injuries, could you please take a look?" Back at home, Lin Ziyin bluntly stated her request to Hui Zhen.

"One hen and plate of red braised pork," Hui Zhen responded unabashedly, now that they were not in the village.

The convicts at the bottom looked at the Great Monk in surprise.

When did monks start eating meat?

Yet Hui Zhen maintained a nonchalant expression as he spoke, as though discussing something important.

"Benefactor Lin, don’t forget us," two medicinal monks interjected. They were martial monks who had long abandoned their vegetarian diets, frequently hunting in the mountains and indulging in meat and wine, proclaiming, "the wine and meat pass through the intestines, but Buddha stays in the heart."

The only reason they got away with it was that the host of the temple hadn’t caught them in the act.

Had they been less familiar with Lin Ziyin’s family, they would have continued to present themselves as devout, ethical monks. Unfortunately, after numerous visits to the Lin family and exposure to their lavish meals, the monks’ true natures were revealed.

Since the Great Monk himself acted in this manner, the other martial monks felt free to behave similarly, often resorting to physical force to secure a spot when there was a chance to dine at the Lin family’s household.

"Wait, I will personally prepare your meals in a moment. Take a look at the patients first," Lin Ziyin said.

"Line up," Hui Zhen ordered the unsettled crowd, immediately after receiving her response.

The purchased servants followed the command and formed an orderly line for Hui Zhen and the medicinal monks to check.

It didn’t take long for the results to come back.

Perhaps due to it being summer, although these people were weak, they didn’t suffer from any contagious diseases. Most of them were burly men bearing injuries from whips and blunt objects.

Such injuries were trivial for the likes of Hui Zhen and his monks.

"Great Monk, you may rest in the lobby for a while. I have some matters to attend to," Lin Ziyin said.

"Alright, you go on with your business," Hui Zhen nodded, "We will be heading up the mountain to gather some herbs."

Hearing this, Lin Ziyin asked no further and went about her work, arranging the bought men.

"The married ones among you will stay in the courtyards on the left side, and the unmarried ones will stay in the front courtyard as guards. Later, we’ll send you food and vegetables. Solve your eating issues by yourselves," Lin Ziyin instructed, focusing on the woman who introduced herself as a cook.

"Yes, I’ll do my best," the cook replied nervously.

"Rest and recover for a few days. You’ll likely be busy afterward, and I’ll assign you to work. Men who do well each month will receive half a guan as wages, and the same applies to women. Children, however, will not have to work," Lin Ziyin continued, not bothering to get to know the servants and making an effort to establish her authority, "You must have realized by now that we are just a small, rustic family. I don’t care about your former identities. Now that I have bought you, you are to understand your place and not harbor any extraordinary dreams. My only requirements are for you to carry out your duties and be loyal to the Lin family. Conversely, if I can buy you, I can also return you."

Her words were direct and devoid of diplomacy, though they held no threats.

It seemed as though she was merely clarifying the situation.

In fact, that was exactly how Lin Ziyin had intended it.

Next, Lin Ziyin had all the servants introduced to the Lin family and informed them of their social rank.

The servants respectfully greeted each family member.

When people referred to them as Master and Mistress, the likes of Lin Changshu and Guo Huiniang felt painfully uncomfortable. They looked at Lin Ziyin pleadingly, to which Lin Ziyin responded with a gentle, encouraging smile. It was only a matter of time before they had to acclimate themselves to these status changes.

"Come with me," Lin Ziyin stood up, and they obediently followed her to the unoccupied premises on the left. After assigning accommodations, she realized they had no extra clothing or necessary bedding.

"Wait a while, I will have someone provide you with necessary clothes and bedding for you to prepare," Lin Ziyin said casually.

"Yes, Miss," the servants responded uniformly.

Having gone through exile, life-and-death struggles, and the collapse of their families, they were good judges of character. Although their stay at the Lin family’s residence was short, they had already discerned that the true authority in this new setting was not the male members nor the elderly head of the family, but the young girl standing before them.

"Rest now." Lin Ziyin left them to their own devices and departed.

"Big brother," after she left, a man came up to Yu Sha’ou, asking concernedly, "Can you make it?" 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"It’s fine, just superficial injuries," Yu Sha’ou replied. Among the prisoners, he was the most severely injured, with one of his legs broken.

"Is this place really reliable?" Another man muttered anxiously.

"That kind of talk will not be tolerated in the future," Yu Sha’ou’s face darkened. "Remember, no matter what kind of lives these people lead, they saved us in our time of hardship. If it weren’t for Miss Lin, we might not have survived the journey to the far North. Especially the children." He cast a grateful glance at his wife and child.

"From now on, our only masters are the Lin family. There is no more talk of escorts." He reiterated solemnly, "If any among us bear ill intent towards the Lin family, our family will be the first to disagree."

After uttering these words, he scanned the group with a stern gaze.

"You’re right, big brother. Count us in. If anyone acts against the Lin family, even at the cost of our lives, we will not let them off," the cook’s family unanimously agreed. The rest of the families soon echoed their sentiment.

Only the scholar held his head high, his face full of disdain.