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

Lingyan led fifty-two women slowly down the mountain.

The officers and soldiers who were mainly tasked with suppressing the bandits are unlikely to return today.

So she led them down the mountain and they stayed at an inn in the city.

They have booked the entire inn.

After they had bathed and rested, Lingyan asked Yunmeng to tell them to gather in the courtyard.

When the girls came out and saw Lingyan sitting in the center of the courtyard, they all knelt down and paid their respects.

"Greetings, Crown Princess!"

The voices were clear and loud, filled with awe and gratitude.

Ling Yan smiled slightly and gestured for them to stand up.

Then her gaze softened, like the warm spring sun sweeping across their faces, and she asked softly, "What are your plans for the future? If you want to go home, I can send someone to take you back; if you don't want to go home, you can do whatever you want to do; if you have nowhere to go, I will make proper arrangements for you."

Everyone felt extremely bitter upon hearing this.

Come back home?

How could they possibly go home?

Given their current situation, how could their families possibly accept them back?

Looking at their expressions, Lingyan understood their situation.

She sighed softly, her voice warm yet firm, and said, “Don’t be afraid that your family will dislike you. If they do, then they don’t truly love you, and you can leave. If they don’t, then they definitely hope you can come home. So, don’t hurt the people who truly care about you.”

Upon hearing this, the girls felt a sudden sense of relief.

It was as if a ray of light pierced through the gloom in their hearts.

At this moment, one of the women mustered her courage and asked cautiously, "Your Highness, if my family rejects me after I return home and I have nowhere to go, can I still turn around and ask Your Highness to take us in?"

Upon hearing this, Ling Yan's smile widened even more: "Of course, you are most welcome. You can come to me anytime, anywhere."

Hearing Lingyan's assurance, the girls were finally completely relieved.

Then half of the girls said they wanted to go home.

Lingyan also sent people to escort them home.

The remaining half of the girls were well aware of their family members' character.

Knowing they would be looked down upon if they went back, there was no need for them to return.

Lingyan looked at them and understood their thoughts.

So he smiled and said, "If you want to follow me, I will make sure you can support yourselves. If you don't want to follow me, I will still take care of you. The choice is yours."

Upon hearing this, all the girls' eyes shone with determination.

They all knelt down, their voices filled with utmost sincerity and determination, saying, "We are willing to follow Her Highness the Crown Princess to the death!"

She rescued them from the clutches of wolves and tigers, so she is their salvation.

She gave them new life and hope; this kindness is as heavy as a mountain and as deep as the sea, and cannot be measured in words.

Therefore, they are willing to follow her closely for the rest of their lives, regardless of wind or rain, or hardships.

I would go through fire and water for her without hesitation.

Ling Yan was not surprised at all.

Instead, he smiled and replied, "Alright, from now on, you are my people."

………………

The operation to suppress the bandits ended in just six days.

The bandits were simply too weak to fight back.

They're just taking advantage of the terrain.

Without this advantage, they would be at the mercy of others.

After all the bandits were wiped out, the 280 men who had led the way were also eliminated by Chu Xiyao's secret guards.

Thus, the battle to suppress the bandits came to a successful conclusion, with all the bandits wiped out and none escaping.

The gold, silver, and other valuables seized from these mountain strongholds were dazzling and overwhelming.

Lingyan decided to distribute a portion of it to the officers and soldiers who participated in the operation as a reward.

The remaining portion would be taken to the capital and added to the national treasury.

Furthermore, the old women in these mountain villages who used vulgar language and cooked were also released after investigations revealed they had not committed any evil deeds.

In the end, only the poor women who had been kidnapped by the bandits remained.

These mountain strongholds collectively robbed nearly two thousand women.

Lingyan was so angry that she wanted to drag them out and whip their corpses.

Finally, these women were comforted and consoled by the women who had been with them before.

They empathize with them and will surely be able to persuade them to cheer up.

After these women rallied, three hundred of them expressed a desire to return home.

Lingyan then sent someone to escort them back.

The remaining women all decided to follow Lingyan from now on.

Lingyan did not refuse.

Her shops and entertainment venues all need a lot of women!

Now her shops have spread across half of Dazhao City, and she needs people for every job in every process.

Of the twenty-seven women who had returned home earlier, twenty eventually came back.

This means that only seven households did not discriminate against them.

By this time, the twenty women who had returned had completely lost faith in their families.

The remaining thousand-plus women were in the same boat; they had no homes or families left, and all they wanted to do for the Crown Princess for the rest of their lives was to serve her well.

After learning about each person in detail, she assigned them to suitable positions in various places.

She believes that given an opportunity, they will be able to demonstrate their talents and value.

After everything was taken care of, it was time to continue the journey back to Beijing.

It was already late, so they stayed overnight at the inn, preparing to depart for Beijing early the next morning.

Meanwhile, the series of things Lingyan did in Jiangnan had already spread throughout Da Zhao and the other six kingdoms.

After this incident, when people mentioned Lingyan again, they no longer talked about her beauty and talent.

The current discussions focus on her character and methods.

Planning ahead shows exceptional wisdom.

Cruel, indifferent, and ruthless.

She was able to investigate and handle such a major case so quickly and efficiently, which shows her remarkable abilities.

She even personally supervised the executions, watching with an unfazed expression as head after head was severed and life after life vanished.

His expression didn't change at all during that time.

This is even more chilling.

And in the end, she even subjected him to the punishment of being cut into a thousand pieces.

It is evident that he is both cold-hearted and strong-willed.

How can there be such an outstanding genius in every aspect!

There really is such a stunningly talented woman in the world.

Many people admire and praise this immensely.

Not long after, they heard another piece of news about her.

She single-handedly wiped out thirty-eight surrounding mountain strongholds in just a few days.

How terrifying!

Everyone was amazed!

This is something they can only dream of.

How did she manage to do that?

How can you be so amazing!

Their extraordinary wisdom and strategy filled them with admiration and utter respect.

Such a remarkable person is truly a rare find in this world!

It was truly their good fortune to be born in the same era as her!

In an instant, the people's admiration for her was as boundless as a surging river.

The adoration for her had reached its peak.

Upon hearing this news, the civil and military officials of the Great Zhao Dynasty were filled with mixed emotions.

They exclaimed in unison: "As expected, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess are husband and wife! They are a match made in heaven! They are such a perfect couple!"

The two were equally bloodthirsty and ruthless, and equally unparalleled in their skill.

This couple is absolutely insane!

Both of them were awe-inspiring, yet they couldn't help but admire their strength and methods.

………………

Meanwhile, inside the inn...

It was just past midnight, the dead of night.

Chu Xiyao was holding Lingyan as she quietly fell asleep, but suddenly opened his eyes with a stern expression.

Then gently released her as she tried to get up.

The moment he moved, Lingyan woke up as well.

With his eyes closed and his mind unclear, he asked, "What's wrong?"

Chu Xiyao replied softly, "I heard a large group of people sneaking in from outside. We've already booked this inn, so these people must be after you."

Upon hearing this, Ling Yan slowly opened her eyes and said irritably, "This is fucking ridiculous. Disturbing my sleep in the middle of the night, can't you come during the day?"

Chu Xiyao chuckled and said, "The assassins chose this time to come because people are most tired and defenses are weak at this time, and also because it's easy to hide things at night. But it's alright. Judging from the sounds, they've already engaged with the guards. They can't break in. Besides, I'm here to protect you!"

Lingyan said worriedly, "I know they can't hurt me, but there's also Yunmeng and those powerless officials."

Upon hearing this, Chu Xiyao immediately replied, "If you're worried about Yunmeng, then we can go to her room and protect her together. Anyway, she knows about our relationship."

Upon hearing this, Ling Yan immediately got up and dressed with Chu Xiyao.

Then, after leaving the room, I arrived at the door of Yunmeng's room.