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

Lingyan watched Yang Huan quietly, her eyes revealing understanding and contemplation.

After he finished speaking, she took a small sip of tea.

After setting down his teacup, he slowly spoke: "Greedy? Ungrateful? No, I don't think so."

Her gaze softened and hardened. “Everyone has their own pursuits and aspirations, which is only natural. You have dreamed of serving A Yao and becoming an official since you were a child. This is not greed, but an ambition. After experiencing many hardships, you are still able to be satisfied with life and not give up your aspirations. This shows that you are a person with perseverance and pursuits.”

Then Lingyan leaned forward slightly and continued in a sincere tone: "Even though you have suffered some hardships over the years, you have never given up your beliefs. Although you are living a comfortable life now, the flame in your heart has not been extinguished. This is not because you are ungrateful, but because you are taking responsibility for your life. You have the ability and talent. If you can enter the court as an official, you will definitely be able to make more contributions to Ayao and the people."

She paused, giving Yang Huan some time to process her words, and then continued, "Life is full of choices and opportunities. Sometimes we need to be brave enough to pursue what we truly want. You don't need to feel guilty about your aspirations. As long as you stay true to yourself, whether you become a manager or an official, you can realize your value."

Then, Lingyan looked at him with encouraging eyes and said, "Yang Huan, believe in your abilities and value. This imperial examination will be your first step into the court. I will give you your freedom to leave. From now on, you can realize your dream of rising to prominence, show your talent and ambition in the court, seek the well-being of the people, and be loyal to the country."

"I also believe that you will be able to gain a firm foothold in the ever-changing officialdom and create your own brilliant future. I wish you a bright future, with flowers accompanying you all the way. May you overcome all obstacles and forge ahead on the road to realizing your dreams."

Yang Huan's eyes reddened slightly upon hearing this. He gazed deeply at Ling Yan, his heart filled with gratitude and respect.

His heart was like a surging sea, turbulent and complex.

He was grateful to the Crown Princess for the freedom and encouragement she had given him; this kindness weighed heavily on his heart.

I was momentarily at a loss for words.

After a long while, he finally composed himself and joked with a smile, "The imperial examination is just around the corner, and the Crown Princess is only telling me about this now. Isn't it a little late?"

Lingyan smiled and looked at him, saying, "I have faith in the abilities of the people I have chosen, so it's not too late. Besides, I believe you will definitely be on the list this time."

Yang Huan was even more moved upon hearing this.

He then straightened his back, his voice trembling slightly but with unwavering determination, and said, "I will always remember the Crown Princess's kindness. Thank you for your support and encouragement. I will cherish this opportunity and live up to your expectations and trust."

Lingyan was very satisfied with this.

Then she continued, “You should focus on preparing for the imperial examination during this time. As for who will succeed you, I already have her in mind. Although I haven’t told her yet, I think she will be very willing. So starting from the day after tomorrow, after you have a few days to hand over the reins to her, you will officially step down from the position of head steward. From now on, the court is where you should be.”

Upon hearing this, Yang Huan immediately replied respectfully, "Your subordinate understands."

This should be the last time he calls her that.

From then on, they were addressed as ministers.

...............

The next day, the sky was as clear as a jewel, and the clouds floated as lightly as if they were floating.

After lunch, Lingyan visited the residence of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

Meng Huai'an had not yet left his post, so he was naturally not at home.

The Seventh Princess only learned of Lingyan's visit after being informed.

At that time, she had just finished having lunch with her daughter Yingying and had just taken her daughter for her afternoon nap.

So at that moment she immediately instructed the nanny and maids to keep a close eye on her daughter before she put on a smile and went out to greet Lingyan.

At this moment, Lingyan was led into the main hall by the butler.

Not long after they sat down, the Seventh Princess arrived.

After the two greeted each other with smiles, the Seventh Princess instructed the servants to serve hot tea and pastries, and then dismissed them.

Lingyan first greeted her with pleasantries, saying, "Seeing how comfortable you are with your life, it seems that choosing Meng Huai'an back then was indeed the right choice. If nothing unexpected happens, he should be the next Minister of Justice. There are probably countless women outside who envy your life now."

Upon hearing this, the Seventh Princess lowered her head and smiled gently.

But then Lingyan suddenly changed the subject and said, “But I feel that they are not you, they don’t understand you at all. Although you live a very comfortable and peaceful life every day, Meng Huai’an spoils you to the bone, your daughter is obedient and well-behaved, you have no parents-in-law to serve you, and no other elders or relatives to serve you. There are no concubines in the mansion to compete with you, so the mansion is very quiet. All the servants are managed well by you. And since you are a princess, no one dares to disrespect you.”

The Seventh Princess looked somewhat complicated upon hearing this.

Lingyan continued, "Such a life is perhaps the envy of many women in the world, but I feel that you are not as carefree as everyone thinks. Every day, besides taking care of Yingying, you are managing the household. But with your abilities, managing only a small mansion is a waste of your talents. So you must still feel some resentment and discontent."

The seventh princess bit her lip and clenched the handkerchief in her hand tightly.

Lingyan continued, every word she spoke resonating deeply with the Seventh Princess.

"But you don't know what you should do, or what you can do to dispel the injustice in your heart. You are clearly no less talented than many men, but you can only confine yourself to this mansion and cannot fully display your ambitions and talents. I also know that what confines you is not Meng Huai'an, but the constraints that this world places on women. So are you willing to break free from these constraints and no longer be confined to one mansion, but to the whole world?"

The Seventh Princess was slightly taken aback after hearing Ling Yan's last words.

Break free from constraints and venture out into the world.

Upon hearing these words, she felt as if a fire had been ignited within her, burning fiercely and filling her with intense excitement.

So she already knew her decision at that moment.

Therefore, she raised her head and looked at Lingyan, her eyes full of determination, and said, "Sister-in-law is right. In fact, my life is really good. I think I should be content, but I always have a feeling of resentment in my heart, and I don't know how to get rid of it. I often think that it would be good to live like this for the rest of my life, but in the end, I still feel that I don't want to live like this."

“I’ve thought that if I were a man, I might have had more opportunities to showcase my talents. Unfortunately, I am a woman, and there are too many constraints on women in this world. So I’ve always felt that things are good as they are now. It wasn’t until I heard my sister-in-law’s words that I realized that I have never given up on my principles.”

Then a resolute look appeared on her face, and she continued, "So of course I'm willing. I'm willing to try to break free from this constraint, no longer confined to one place, but to see a wider world."