Shocking! Five men are in love with the same woman!

At this moment, light and shadow intertwined within the private room.

The girls danced gracefully to the melodious sounds of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments.

Their skirts fluttered like colorful clouds, their waists swayed like willows in the breeze, and their eyes and brows exuded charm and allure.

Most of the envoys' eyes were already captivated by the song and dance performance on stage, their eyes gleaming with lust.

Those pairs of eyes were as greedy as hungry wolves, staring intently at the girls' graceful figures, their lips unconsciously curving upwards into lewd smiles that were nauseating.

Some envoys couldn't help but lick their lips, their Adam's apples bobbing up and down, as if they wanted to swallow these beautiful women whole.

Their eyes made no attempt to conceal their inner desires; they were completely immersed in this world of sensual pleasures.

One of the envoys from the northern desert was a bloated man with a fat head and big ears. His face was flushed red with excitement, and his eyes were wide open. He was trying his best to restrain himself from rushing onto the stage.

Another tall, thin envoy from the Northern Li squinted his narrow eyes and occasionally stuck out his tongue to lick his dry lips.

He would occasionally whisper to his companions, uttering obscene words, his eyes filled with lewdness.

There was also an envoy from the southern border region, who appeared rather reserved, sitting upright in his seat.

But his trembling hand gripping the wine glass and his rapid breathing betrayed the restlessness in his heart.

His gaze never left the girls, his eyes revealing an uncontrollable longing.

Lingyan sat to the side, taking in all of this, and couldn't help but feel a surge of disgust and helplessness.

Then she looked at Chu Xiyao beside her and asked with a smile, "What does the Ninth Prince think?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Xiyao's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile: "What Your Highness says is absolutely right. In the past, I was indeed too bound by worldly views. Now I realize that whether the environment is polluted or not is not the decisive factor. The real key is whether the heart is pure or not. In the midst of prosperity, the heart can be like a lotus; in the midst of mud, it can remain pure."

Upon hearing this, a hint of resonance flashed in Ling Yan's eyes.

She nodded slightly in agreement, and then said in a more open-minded tone, "That's right. The human heart is like a mirror, reflecting everything. Some people have dirty hearts, and even if they are in the most sacred place, their hearts are still dirty. Some people have noble hearts, and even if they are in the mud, their hearts are still pure."

After saying that, she gracefully picked up her wine glass and gently raised it towards Chu Xiyao.

The two men exchanged a smile, then tilted their heads back and drank it all in one gulp, displaying their boldness and carefree spirit.

At this moment, Xiao Muyao asked in a worried voice, "Is Yan'er fit to drink alcohol?"

Lingyan smiled at him and said, "Don't worry, I'm perfectly healthy. I'll be fine with just a drink tonight."

Xiao Muyao was finally relieved.

Lingyan then looked at the three from Xuan Yue Kingdom and found that they were uninterested, bored, and utterly dull.

No, how can I let her three favorite girls be so bland?

So she gave a hand gesture to the hidden guards.

The guards obeyed and left.

Before long, the madam reappeared in the private room and first bowed respectfully.

Then she asked in a soft voice, "Is there anything I can do for Your Highness, Princess Rui?"

Ling Yan smiled slightly and said casually, "Are there any men in the building who can accompany us? If not, go to Nanfeng Pavilion and borrow a few. Just say that Princess Rui is hosting a banquet for the envoys tonight, and we must show them hospitality."

Upon hearing this, the madam immediately understood Lingyan's intention.

She glanced apologetically at the three envoys from Xuan Yue Kingdom, then respectfully apologized, saying, "Your Highness, please forgive me. It was my oversight that I failed to consider the feelings of our distinguished ladies. Please rest assured, Your Highness, we have suitable men in Liuchun Pavilion who can make arrangements. I will go and make the arrangements right away."

After the madam left, the three from Xuan Yue Kingdom looked at Ling Yan with great joy and gratitude.

Yun Shao sincerely praised, "Your Highness is so thoughtful and considerate. Thank you for thinking of us."

Yun Xiyan's excitement was palpable.

She excitedly grasped Lingyan's hand, her eyes sparkling with an unprecedented light: "Your Highness, you truly understand us so well!"

Yun Wanshuang didn't speak, but the meaning conveyed in her eyes was the same as the other two.

Before long, the madam entered the private room again.

She bowed respectfully and replied, "Your Highness, I have arranged for the person to be in the private room next door as you instructed, and everything is ready."

Upon hearing this, Lingyan smiled with satisfaction. She casually took out a silver ingot from her sleeve and gently placed it on the table as a reward for the madam's attentive service.

Seeing this, the madam beamed with joy, thanked her profusely, and happily left the private room.

Then, Lingyan slowly stood up, followed closely by the three envoys from Xuan Yue Kingdom.

At this moment, all three of them had an expectant look in their eyes.

Lingyan originally intended to leave immediately, but then felt she couldn't forget to observe proper etiquette.

He then explained to the envoys, "Gentlemen, we also have envoys from the Xuan Yue Kingdom here, so I have specially invited some men to accompany us. They are in the private room next door, so please excuse us for now."

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone was shocked once again.

They could understand why the envoy from Xuan Yue Kingdom wanted men to accompany him.

But she just said "we," doesn't that mean that Princess Rui herself also seeks pleasure with men?

This was in front of her legal husband.

For a moment, they seemed to have their throats blocked, unable to utter a sound.

While everyone was still in shock, Xiao Muyao looked at Ling Yan with a gentle and tolerant gaze.

A faint smile played on her lips as she softly said, "Go ahead, have fun."

His tone contained no hint of dissatisfaction or blame, but rather was full of doting affection and trust for Lingyan.

Lingyan rewarded him with a kiss.

It was just a kiss on the cheek.

Then, he happily left with the three from Xuan Yue Kingdom.

Princess Yingluo immediately followed.

After the women had all left, everyone looked at Xiao Muyao again.

They were incredibly curious to find that he didn't seem to care at all.

Then someone asked, "How could Prince Rui allow the Princess Consort to behave like this? Isn't this...?"

Is she not a virtuous woman?

Although he didn't say the last four words, everyone present understood what he meant.

Xiao Muyao smiled slightly upon hearing this and asked in return, "Why should we care? We men can seek companionship from women, so why can't women seek companionship from men? Besides, my queen is sensible and nothing will happen."

After he finished speaking, the entire private room fell into a deathly silence once again.

The group looked at each other, then fell silent.

The issue isn't whether something happens or not; the issue is that asking a man to accompany you is simply inappropriate!

However, it is clear that Prince Rui did not find anything wrong with this.

His calm and composed attitude led those around him to remain silent, despite any criticisms.

With Princess Rui's beauty, they were truly willing to accompany her!

It's just that they don't even look at them.

After listening to Xiao Muyao's words, Chu Xiyao felt an indescribable admiration.

In this world, men like Prince Rui, who possess extraordinary rationality and insight, and who have a deep understanding and respect for women, are extremely rare.

There are many self-important and despicable people who take pleasure in oppressing women, and they are utterly contemptible.

Lingyan and the others arrived at the private room next door.

Seeing Princess Yingluo follow her in like a ghost, Lingyan remained silent.

At this moment, the dozen or so handsome men in the private room saw them and immediately knelt down to pay their respects.

Lingyan waved her sleeve lightly, signaling everyone to stand up. Then they all took their seats, and everything seemed so natural and smooth.

At this moment, Lingyan waved her sleeve, and Princess Yingluo was immediately drugged and collapsed onto the table.

The dozen or so men were immediately terrified.

Ling Yan reassured everyone, unconcerned, "Don't be afraid, everyone. It's just a sleeping potion. Let's begin the performance."

Everyone was relieved to hear this, and then they quickly composed themselves and began to play.

After the sounds of string and wind instruments began, Yun Xiyan looked at Lingyan and smiled, "The Princess Consort is truly to my liking. She knows how to drug someone who's an eyesore, otherwise it would ruin my mood!"

Lingyan smiled brightly and replied, "You're right, it does affect my mood, so let her sleep and we'll do our own thing."

Princess Yingluo probably hates her so much she wants to eat her alive.

So it's not a big deal that she drugged her at this point.

She already hated her, no matter what.

She's been silent all day, which is incredibly unusual.

I'm afraid he's harboring some evil intentions!

Lingyan guessed correctly; Princess Yingluo did indeed want to observe her closely in order to find her weaknesses and mistakes and then deal with her.

At this moment, Yun Shao jokingly said with a smile, "Judging from the way the princess acted today, I feel that you are not like a person of Da Zhao, but more like a person of our Xuan Yue Kingdom. Every move and every word you make is like a woman of our Xuan Yue Kingdom."

Yun Wanshuang nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right, it suits our taste perfectly."

Lingyan replied with a smile, "I also really want to be a citizen of your Xuan Yue Kingdom, but unfortunately I can't. However, although I am in Da Zhao, I am not restricted in any way. I can still do whatever I want and act as I please, without being bound by worldly conventions. Perhaps that is why I can get along with you so well."

Yun Xiyan smiled ambiguously and said, "That's right. Your Highness dared to tease the Ninth Prince of Western Chu in front of Prince Rui today. You really acted recklessly. Moreover, the Ninth Prince of Western Chu also has feelings for you."

Lingyan had actually figured it out, but she pretended not to understand and asked, "Oh? How do you know?"

Yun Xiyan laughed and said, "I can tell from the shrimp-peeling incident today. When you ask him to peel shrimp for you, he is very happy and does it immediately. But when it was my turn, he looked embarrassed and made up some lame excuse about cutting his finger. It was obviously a lie."

Yun Shao picked up the thread and said, "That's right. This is something that can only be done by someone close to you. And didn't you notice that he's been silently watching you all day? Although you are very beautiful, and many of the envoys have been staring at you, their eyes are lecherous. But the Ninth Prince is different. There's something different in his eyes, something he may not even realize himself."

Lingyan also noticed that he did treat her somewhat differently.

I remember someone saying that there are three things in the world that cannot be hidden at all.

Poverty, cough, love.

How could he, as the person involved, not see or feel her unusual behavior?

Moreover, she deliberately tested him today, which made him even more certain.

He was only somewhat interested in her and had a bit of a crush on her, but that was about it.