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

Thus, the beheading operation lasted for a full thirteen days before all the prisoners were executed.

For those thirteen days, Lingyan appeared at the execution ground every day to personally oversee the executions.

The people didn't actually want to see beheadings, but they still came to the execution ground every day just to see Lingyan.

Once everyone's issues were resolved, all that remained was to handle the follow-up matters.

Lingyan herself couldn't remember exactly how many people she had killed these past few days; in short, a great many.

From officials to wealthy merchants and ordinary citizens, no one was spared.

The officials who came to Jiangnan with Lingyan are now terrified of her.

In particular, the officials who expressed their dissatisfaction with Lingyan that night tried their best to minimize their presence.

Although they deeply admired and revered the Crown Princess.

Such swift and decisive action results in exceptionally high efficiency.

I thought it would be a difficult case that would take a long time to solve, but it was closed in a short period of time.

This was all thanks to the Crown Princess's foresight in controlling everyone in advance; otherwise, it would have wasted so much time and manpower.

But while they admired the Crown Princess, they were also extremely afraid of her.

After all, she's really not like a normal person.

Let alone women, how many men in the world are like her?

This woman is psychologically strong to the point of being abnormal.

How could they not be afraid?

Fortunately, once we return to Beijing, we won't have to see each other every day anymore.

Lingyan paid no attention to their thoughts; she was busy filling the vacancies for officials in Jiangnan.

She has also released all the innocent officials and returned all their property intact.

These officials showed no dissatisfaction, and bid farewell to Lingyan with great trepidation and lingering fear.

Because there were so many vacancies, Lingyan had to bring in officials from other places to make the appointments.

While she was busy with these things, Xiao Muyao's letter arrived.

Letters from He Jingchuan and Lu Yanqing were also mixed in.

Lingyan touched the letter as soon as she received it.

Good grief, is this a letter?

It feels like a book, it's so thick.

Chu Xiyao also saw the thick stack of letters.

Although I wondered why the three of them were talking so much, I thought that I might do the same if I were in their shoes.

So he just stood there quietly without saying a word.

The moon was already high in the sky when Lingyan first opened Xiao Muyao's letter.

After she finished reading about what had happened in the capital, she finally felt relieved.

Just be fine.

Then I continued to see his caring and nagging words, and I couldn't help but smile, feeling warm inside.

When she saw the final words of longing, her smile became even brighter.

After reading it, she smiled and picked up He Jingchuan's letter.

The content written above was similar to Xiao Muyao's, almost identical, and it made her feel comforted in the same way.

The content of Lu Yanqing's last letter was similar, but it also made her feel tenderness and love.

The three of them wrote so much, and you could feel their care and longing from their words.

Although the writing was similar and contained a lot of words, she did not feel impatient at all.

After reading all three letters, she smiled and replied to each of them.

She began by recounting everything that had happened to her during this period.

Then I asked them a few questions.

Finally, their longing for each other was reciprocated.

After farewell, I remember meeting each other, several times the soul dream is with you.

Tonight, I'll light the silver lamp again, still fearing our meeting is but a dream.

The three replies were all similar, except that the letter to Xiao Muyao included her suggestions regarding the upcoming imperial examination.

She proposed abolishing the recommendation and examination system, and judging solely on talent and learning, regardless of financial background or fame.

They also proposed anonymous copying to ensure fairness.

They do not consider family background or handwriting when identifying students; they judge success or failure solely by ability.

She raised these two points in an effort to make the imperial examination system fairer.

Of course, she also knows that there is no absolute fairness in this world, and she can only achieve relative fairness.

Finally, I wanted to bring up the issue of women participating in scientific expeditions, but I felt the time was not right and so I didn't.

After Lingyan finished replying to the letter and sent it out, Chu Xiyao said quietly from the side, "Lingling's two lines of poetry are really amazing. Could you write a poem like that for me?"

Lingyan teased, "Are you jealous?"

Chu Xiyao denied it, saying, "I'm not jealous. I know you don't like the rivalry between us. I just feel that I should have what the three of them have."

Lingyan smiled and said, "That's good. We really shouldn't favor one over the other."

So she looked at Chu Xiyao and said softly, "I only wish your heart were like mine, then I would never betray your love."

Chu Xiyao was very satisfied and happy after hearing this, his eyes filled with tenderness and joy.

Those dazzling eyes seemed to hold a thousand stars within them.

He smiled gently and replied, "I will follow you to the ends of the earth, and my longing for you will never be in vain. I wish to enjoy the world's splendor with you, spend the long years together, and let our longing be forever intertwined."

………………

With everything settled and the capital city peaceful and stable, there was nothing to worry about.

The huge weight that had been pressing on Ling Yan's heart finally lifted, and she could finally relax.

So she decided to explore Jiangnan properly before returning to the capital.

Because this might be the only time I'll ever come to Jiangnan in my lifetime.

So the next morning, she put on her hat and went to Shantang Street.

Stepping onto this street, the bluestone pavement under your feet seems to have witnessed countless footsteps, smooth yet bearing the marks of time.

Occasionally, a few tender green moss sprouts from the cracks in the stone slabs, as if telling the long-standing stories they have witnessed.

The streets are lined with well-arranged ancient buildings, with white walls, black tiles, and upturned eaves.

The black roof tiles, layered upon each other like fish scales, shimmered faintly in the sunlight.

The shops along the street are lined up one after another.

In the silk shop, the colorful silk brocades are as dazzling as colorful clouds, and their delicate texture makes people want to reach out and touch them.

The teahouse signboard swayed gently in the breeze, and the aroma of tea wafted through the air, attracting passersby to stop and admire it.

The waiter at the door greeted the guests warmly, his hearty laughter echoing through the street.

At the food stall, steaming hot pan-fried buns, with their golden-brown, crispy bottoms, burst with delicious broth the moment you take a bite.

The sweet crabapple cake, sprinkled with a layer of icing sugar, exudes an enticing aroma.

Street vendors selling candied hawthorns roam the streets and alleys, their bright red candied hawthorns glistening in the sunlight, making one's mouth water.

The river meanders along the street, its water crystal clear, where fish can be seen swimming happily.

On the river, small boats swayed by, the boatmen at the bows leisurely rowing, while cormorants at the sterns sometimes dipped into the water to catch fish, and sometimes flapped their wings and flew high.

The lanterns at the bow of the boat swayed gently in the breeze, reflecting on the water and creating a shimmering effect.

An arched bridge spans the river, its body adorned with exquisite carvings, some depicting auspicious mythical beasts, others beautiful flowers.

Standing on the bridge, overlooking the bustling scene on both sides of the river, the melodious Suzhou storytelling music reaches your ears. The soft Wu dialect singing seems to take you into a dreamlike world.

As the sun sets, its afterglow spills onto the rooftops and water of Shantang Street, casting a golden veil over the entire ancient street.

As night falls and the streetlights come on, the streets become even more lively and bustling.

The lanterns illuminated the streets, where people strolled about, shopping, enjoying food, or admiring the night view, immersing themselves in the gentleness and prosperity of Jiangnan.

Lingyan was satisfied and relaxed after a day of shopping.

This scene, so full of everyday life, is always incredibly comforting and heartwarming.

She thoroughly enjoyed strolling through it.