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

After listening to what the others said, Xie Zhiyi immediately stopped doubting herself.

That's right, it's because all these men are too mediocre, not because she has high standards.

After successfully convincing herself, Xie Zhiyi felt relieved and happy.

It felt as if a heavy psychological burden had been lifted.

Seeing that Jiang Muxue had been silent all along, she asked with concern, "What does the princess think?"

Jiang Muxue smiled sarcastically upon hearing this, and replied bitterly, "What right do I, a nineteen-year-old old maid, have to talk about this?"

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a sharp pang in their hearts.

They looked at her with heartache, feeling a pang of sadness and bitterness in themselves.

Lingyan was in the most torment.

She really wanted to tell her about He Jingchuan and her so that she could give up and stop wasting her time waiting year after year.

However, this matter is of great importance, and she cannot guarantee that she will not go crazy and turn evil after learning about it, thus ruining herself.

After all, she had liked He Jingchuan for eight years.

Ultimately, she will be the only one affected by this.

Even if everyone finds out, they won't blame He Jingchuan.

They would only regard it as a romantic affair.

All the filth would be thrown at her, and everyone's accusations and insults would be directed at her.

But even though it's a mutually agreeable arrangement, in the end, it's only the woman who suffers.

This is the tragedy of women in this era; it is so unfair.

Although she felt she hadn't done anything wrong, she naturally felt she was right since she dared to do it.

Unfortunately, the times did not allow it, so she could only do it secretly.

Therefore, this matter must not be exposed.

Even if it's exposed, both people should bear the consequences. Why should she bear it all alone?

But this is impossible.

That's why she hesitated at this moment, wondering whether or not to tell Jiang Muxue about it.

She couldn't bear to see her waste her life like this because of He Jingchuan.

For this, he endured ridicule and criticism from others.

Let everyone treat her as a joke and a negative example.

If it weren't for He Jingchuan, with her qualifications, she probably would have married a perfect husband long ago.

What should she do?

Even as they parted ways that evening, Lingyan hadn't decided whether or not to tell her about it.

This is a gamble.

If we win, everyone will be happy.

If she loses, she will be utterly disgraced.

So she was hesitant to make a decision for a while.

At this moment, she was unaware that Jiang Muxue would soon discover this matter on her own.

Upon returning to the Crown Prince's residence, Xiao Muyao was indeed still not back.

She sat at the table and waited for him.

Xiao Muyao returned exhausted around the same time as the previous night.

Lingyan originally wanted to ask for his opinion.

Seeing how exhausted he was, she didn't say anything.

He's already so tired from dealing with national affairs every day; she shouldn't add to his burden.

In any case, he was just offering advice; in the end, it was still her who made the decision.

Then there's even less need to speak up.

Seeing her sitting at the table waiting for him, Xiao Muyao smiled and quickly walked over to her, hugged her, and asked softly, "Why aren't you resting yet?"

Lingyan tidied his hair and replied, "I've been waiting for you!"

Xiao Muyao frowned and said, "You told me not to wait for you, but you are still waiting for me. You don't need to wait for me anymore."

Ling Yan smiled and said, "Okay! I understand."

After Xiao Muyao was relieved, he continued to say to her, "Father Emperor wants you to come to the palace tomorrow, probably to inquire about the matter in Jiangnan."

In fact, on the day she returned to the capital, she submitted a memorial to Emperor Jingzhao detailing everything that had happened during her trip to the south.

Emperor Jingzhao never summoned her to the palace to report after that, and she thought it was unnecessary!

Lingyan nodded and replied, "I understand. Tomorrow I will also check on Father's condition. It has been going on for months and there is no improvement. After that, I will also visit Mother."

Xiao Muyao smiled gently and said, "It's up to you to decide."

………………

As the last vestiges of darkness faded, the east began to lighten with the first light of dawn.

That touch of white gradually spread out, like rice paper being soaked in ink.

Until a bright red sun bursts forth, radiating boundless light, and a new day begins in this splendid glow.

Lingyan boarded a carriage early in the morning and headed to the palace.

After successfully entering the palace and arriving at Longteng Palace, Lingyan entered the hall with light steps after being informed.

After bowing and standing up as usual, I saw Emperor Jingzhao sitting on the soft couch with a haggard face, dark circles under his eyes, and an extremely weathered appearance.

Then Emperor Jingzhao inquired about the details of her assassination attempt.

Lingyan used the same excuse as usual to get away with it.

In fact, she thought Emperor Jingzhao should be able to guess that it was one of his sons who did it.

It's just that everyone knows the truth but no one has said it out loud.

At this moment, Emperor Jingzhao's expression turned serious and stern as he looked at her and asked, "You handled the Jiangnan matter very well this time, better than I expected. However, you did not consult me ​​beforehand and took it upon yourself to deal with so many officials. Did you think I would disagree with your handling of the matter, so you acted first and reported later? Aren't you afraid that I will hold you accountable?"

They won't necessarily accuse me, but they will certainly blame me.

Lingyan did not inform Emperor Jingzhao in advance so that he could make a decision, because she was afraid that he would be too lenient and punish her too lightly. That's why she acted first and informed him later.

So even if Emperor Jingzhao later found out and disagreed with her handling of the matter, what could he do?

Anyway, the matter has been completed and the goal has been achieved.

There was nothing he could do about her; at most, he could only make a mental note of it.

But would she care?

They don't care at all.

But now it seems that Emperor Jingzhao did not blame her.

This shows that he agreed with her handling of the matter, but he blamed her for not trusting him and for not informing him in advance.

Seeing that she had understood his thoughts, Emperor Jingzhao snorted coldly, "I am not senile yet. These corrupt officials in the court must be made an example of. So I will not blame you. You have done very well. It will be a blessing for the Great Zhao and the Sixth Prince to have such a powerful Empress in the future. It seems that I made the right choice in bestowing this marriage upon you."

Upon hearing this, Lingyan recalled the matter of the arranged marriage.

Her mother had only given birth to her a few days before both her parents left her to go to the battlefield and die for their country.

This battle was a great victory, and my parents made great contributions to the imperial court.

Therefore, in order to show his boundless imperial grace and to demonstrate his benevolence, Emperor Jingzhao intended to show that he would never forget the ministers who were devoted to the country.

He posthumously conferred the title of Duke upon his father and the title of General upon his mother.

He also betrothed his only legitimate son to the daughter of a meritorious official.

This move won praise from the entire court and the people.

It was regarded as a symbol of the emperor's boundless grace and utmost benevolence.

In the past few years, Emperor Jingzhao would often ask about her, so the people in the household did not dare to neglect her and took good care of her.

However, by the time she was three years old, Emperor Jingzhao had gradually forgotten about her and never inquired about her again.

So they started cutting back on her food and rations, her brothers and sisters bullied her, and the servants didn't take her seriously.

She then began to curry favor with the old lady, who was the person with the highest status and the greatest power in the mansion.

Actually, there was no bullying involved; it was just that they reduced her food rations and ignored her.

But she didn't care about any of that.

She grew up peacefully until she was eight years old.

Until the old lady passed away that year, she lost the person who sheltered her.

Emperor Jingzhao has never mentioned her in the past few years, and even her fiancé has acted as if she doesn't exist and hasn't asked her a single question.

Undeterred, these people decided to intensify their torment of her.

She didn't want to fight with these people or engage in petty squabbles; she just wanted to live her life quietly.

So she moved to the most secluded courtyard in the mansion and lived a peaceful life, keeping to herself and them.

She grew up peacefully until she was fifteen.