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

Then the group sat down at the table, and Lingyan carefully explained the entire assassination attempt and its aftermath to them.

Her narration unfolds like a slowly unfurling scroll, every detail vividly portrayed, making the reader feel as if they were there, experiencing the thrill of the moment.

Of course, she omitted Chu Xiyao and Shen Qingchen during the process.

They only said that the Crown Prince's secret guards helped her escape and escorted her back safely.

Later, on the way back, they met Chu Xiyao and then returned together.

Upon hearing this, the five of them naturally believed her explanation.

The Eighth Princess kept saying with relief, "Luckily, my sister-in-law is clever and noticed their scheme in advance. And thankfully, the Crown Prince's secret guards are strong enough to protect her, otherwise the consequences would have been..."

The Ninth Princess chimed in, "Indeed! Good will prevail over evil, and they will not succeed no matter what."

The Seventh Princess then asked, "Has anyone found out who was behind this?"

In fact, most of those present could guess who was behind it; it was none other than the princes.

Lingyan replied with a smile, "Soon, we'll know who it is soon."

Although she was smiling, her voice was full of coldness.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Muxue looked at her and said, "If you need anything, just say the word."

Xie Zhiyi followed suit, saying, "That's right, this grudge must be avenged. If you encounter any difficulties, we can help you."

The three princesses then offered their help.

The Seventh Princess believed that her brother, the Ninth Prince, was definitely not the person behind it all.

Therefore, she can help without any reservations.

As for the Ninth Princess, her full brother is the Third Prince, Prince Yi.

Prince Yi was highly skilled in martial arts, unconventional, and unrestrained. He disliked formalities and etiquette.

My only love is the battlefield.

He doesn't care about anything else.

Therefore, the Ninth Princess felt that the mastermind behind the assassination could not possibly be her imperial brother.

Then there's naturally no need to worry.

Ling Yan felt a warm glow in her heart upon hearing this and replied with a smile, "Okay, I will definitely ask you if I need anything."

She wasn't the type of person who wouldn't ask her friends for help just because she was afraid of bothering them.

What are friends for? They're there to cause trouble.

As long as it doesn't harm them, their families, or their interests, she will naturally ask them for help.

At this moment, the Eighth Princess's gaze subtly swept over Jiang Muxue.

He then turned to Lingyan, a troubled look on his face: "Sister-in-law, do you know? The Empress Dowager has arranged a marriage for me. This marriage is very good. No matter how you look at the person, their age, ability, appearance, and family background, they are all top-notch. Logically, I should be satisfied, and I am indeed very satisfied with this person. But I don't know why I just feel a little uncomfortable."

Lingyan naturally noticed the Eighth Princess's glance at Jiang Muxue earlier and had already made some guesses in her mind.

So she asked softly, "If you're not dissatisfied with the marriage itself, nor with the person, then you must be dissatisfied with Mother?"

After a moment of contemplation, the Eighth Princess replied in a sullen voice, "Yes, I know that my mother loves me. She went to great lengths to find such a good marriage for me, but I always feel that she did this not just for me, but more for my brother, to win him over as an ally. And I am just a pawn being manipulated and used."

This statement is quite straightforward and very obvious.

Upon hearing this, the Seventh Princess and Xie Zhiyi exchanged a glance, guessing what had happened.

The next moment, Jiang Muxue spoke frankly to the Eighth Princess: "My brother is a good person and has no bad habits. If you are willing, my brother and our whole family will cherish you. If you are not willing, we will not blame you. Just cancel the marriage."

Upon hearing this, the Eighth Princess immediately shook her head and said, "No, I am not dissatisfied with this marriage. I just do not want my marriage to be mixed with other purposes. It has nothing to do with your brother."

Jiang Muxue naturally understood what she meant, so she didn't blame her.

Lingyan could tell that the Eighth Princess was actually quite satisfied with this marriage.

She was just getting stuck on one thing for a moment, and she was conflicted.

So she comforted her, saying, "Your mother is quite considerate of you, much better than most parents. That's why she chose such a remarkable person for you. She just felt that your marriage and winning over the Marquis of Anyuan's faction were not mutually exclusive, and that you could have the best of both worlds."

She thinks this marriage is perfect for you, but you feel that your mother only cares about Xiao Muyao and hasn't considered that she's using your marriage as a bargaining chip, so you're upset, right?

Upon hearing this, the Eighth Princess immediately nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, I just feel that even though they are all her children, why is she so biased? Is it just because I am a daughter?"

Lingyan nodded and replied, "You're right. Your mother loves you, but she doesn't love you as much as you love Xiao Muyao. It's true that you're a daughter, but there are so many people in the world who prefer sons to daughters. I'm afraid 99% of families are like that. This is a problem that people in this era all have, so you can't blame your mother."

Let alone ancient times, can the phenomenon of valuing sons over daughters be completely eliminated or changed even in modern times?

Do not make jokes.

Upon hearing this, the Eighth Princess pondered it carefully and found it to be true.

This is not a problem unique to the empress dowager, but rather a prevalent concept in the entire society.

Thinking of this, the sadness in her heart finally lessened a bit.

Lingyan then continued, "Another point is that you feel sad because your mother didn't let you choose your future husband, and you feel that she disregarded your wishes, right?"

The Eighth Princess nodded gently.

Lingyan chuckled upon hearing this, "Silly child, if your mother really didn't care about your wishes, she would have arranged this marriage directly instead of asking you if you were satisfied. It was because you were satisfied that your mother arranged this marriage, wasn't it? If you said you were not satisfied, believe me, your mother would never force you. Even if she wanted to win over Marquis Anyuan, she would never force you to marry against your will."

Upon hearing this, a hint of uncertainty flashed in the Eighth Princess's eyes.

She asked hesitantly, "Is that so? Will Mother really stop forcing me just because I'm unwilling? But she..."

Lingyan smiled and said, "But she is willing to do anything for Xiao Muyao, right? But you are her own daughter. Even for Xiao Muyao, she would never sacrifice your life's happiness. If you don't believe me, you can go back today and tell your mother that you are not satisfied with this marriage. See what your mother will do. Then you will know whether what I said is right or not."

In fact, the Empress treated her daughter much better than many other families.

At least in her heart, her daughter was a person, not an object or a tool; she truly loved her.

Aside from Xiao Muyao, the most important person to her in this world was probably the Eighth Princess.

Otherwise, how could the Eighth Princess have developed such an innocent and carefree personality?

This kind of temperament can only be formed under the excessive pampering.

After hearing Lingyan's words, the Eighth Princess's heart had already tipped slightly in her favor.

But she still needed to verify it one last time to completely dispel her doubts.

So she smiled and thanked Lingyan, saying, "Thank you, sister-in-law, I understand."

Xie Zhiyi sighed beside her, her brows furrowed with worry, and said, "My parents have been working hard on my marriage lately, but I'm not satisfied with any of the men they've chosen. Do you think my standards are too high?"

Upon hearing this, Lingyan immediately retorted, "Why should I think it's because my standards are too high? Could it be that those men are all too ordinary and therefore don't meet your requirements? Marriage is a lifelong commitment; how can you compromise so easily?"

The Seventh Princess agreed, saying, "That's right, don't lower your standards. This is a lifelong matter, so you must keep your eyes open and find someone you can truly entrust your life to."

The Eighth Princess added, "That's right! Sister Xie is so outstanding, she should be matched with someone who is excellent in every way. Don't make a hasty decision just because others are urging you."

The Ninth Princess agreed, saying, "No rush, take your time choosing. With Sister Xie's qualifications, she will definitely be able to choose the most suitable one in the end, so there's no need to be hasty."

Since the Ninth Princess is only thirteen years old and not in a hurry to get married, she thinks Xie Zhiyi should take it slow.

Actually, thirteen years old was not young in ancient times.

However, Consort Liang, the mother of the Ninth Princess, was not in such a hurry.

Why marry off your daughter so early?

Are you really that impatient?

She wished her daughter could stay a few more years!

As for the Ninth Princess herself, she doesn't care about it at all now.

There is no man in my heart, so I draw my sword to be a god of nature.