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

When Lingyan learned about this, she felt extremely happy.

The Zhou family dared to abduct so many women; they deserve to die a thousand deaths.

Now they've finally gotten their comeuppance, which can be considered a vindication for these women.

They were just the executioners; the mastermind has not yet been identified.

Xiao Muyao has exhausted all means to force them to reveal who the mastermind is.

But they had nothing left and were about to be beheaded, so they had nothing left to care about.

Therefore, they deliberately refused to speak, hoping to leave Xiao Muyao anxious and helpless.

They deliberately didn't tell him, deliberately didn't give him the answer.

Therefore, they never found out who the mastermind was until their deaths.

It's okay, we'll find out eventually.

Lu Yanqing is still investigating, and Xiao Muyao is also investigating.

I suppose we're not far from finding out who's behind it all; it's just a few people, after all.

………………

Before we knew it, it was time for the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.

The banquet was held in the evening.

But by noon, the streets and alleys of the capital were already bustling with activity, and carriages from all over the country were heading to the palace in an endless stream.

Lingyan and Xiao Muyao, however, were not in such a hurry and set off in the afternoon.

They didn't have to queue like everyone else when they arrived at the palace; they entered directly through the palace gates.

The banquet had not yet begun, and the male and female relatives were naturally waiting in separate areas.

So the two parted ways at the crossroads.

Lingyan went alone to the women's rest area, which is the Imperial Garden.

The Imperial Garden was a riot of color, with flowers blooming in abundance and their fragrance filling the air.

At this time, apart from the Empress and the concubines, all the other female relatives had arrived, with Lingyan being the last to arrive.

Upon seeing her arrival, all the noble ladies of lower status than her curtsied.

Lingyan also paid her respects to the princesses and consorts of the princes as equals.

He paid his respects to the older princesses and consorts, who were of the same generation as Emperor Jingzhao or of a higher generation.

Everyone was chatting and laughing, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

Lingyan glanced at everyone present; some smiled gently at her, while others smiled kindly at her.

Some looked at her with smiles, some with admiration, and some with resentment.

Some even dared not look at her and quickly lowered their heads.

Cousin Yang was the one who dared not look at her, as if she had become a psychological shadow for her.

At this moment, the Seventh Princess, the Eighth Princess, the Ninth Princess, Xie Zhiyi, and some noble ladies who had gone boating on the lake that day gathered around her and started chatting.

It looks like she's being fawned over by everyone.

The sixth princess snorted coldly.

Sitting alone on the side, I felt angry and embarrassed.

Because no one around her dared to come up and talk to her.

She's a princess! A princess!

But how did they end up being despised by everyone?

At this moment, Xie Zhiyi looked at Ling Yan and exclaimed, "Your Highness looks so beautiful today! You are truly stunning, with a captivating beauty and a spirit as clear as autumn water and as pure as snow."

The Eighth Princess said with pride, "Of course! But you're wrong. When is your sister-in-law not beautiful?"

Xie Zhiyi laughed and said, "Yes, yes, yes! I misspoke."

Ling Yan's attire today was different from usual; she wore a stunningly beautiful purple dress that fluttered gently like smoke in the breeze.

The purple color of her dress resembled the most magnificent sunset in the sky, and the delicate silk fabric shimmered with a faint light, clinging tightly to her graceful and exquisite figure, perfectly outlining her curves.

Her face was like a finely carved piece of jade, with a faint blush like the morning glow, just like a delicate peach blossom in early spring, fresh and charming.

Beneath her high and straight nose, her lips were naturally red, like ripe cherries, fresh and juicy. The slightly upturned corners of her mouth held a faint, captivating smile, as if containing endless charm.

She appears noble, like a fairy in the clouds, elegant, like a rare orchid in a secluded valley, and subtly mysterious and alluring, making her even more stunning and otherworldly.

The Seventh Princess smiled softly, "I see that my sister-in-law's health has improved recently; her face is not as pale as before."

The Ninth Princess said bitterly, "It's all that family's fault. They didn't call a doctor for my sister-in-law when she was sick, which is why she ended up with all these injuries and illnesses. Now she's all better. She's recovered in just a short time. I really hate those people!"

Lingyan comforted her, "Alright, alright, I'm showing signs of recovery now, and they're all suffering terribly. I've put this matter behind me."

The Ninth Princess's emotions calmed down somewhat.

At this moment, a noble lady walked slowly towards them with graceful steps.

She walked gracefully in, dressed in an elegant lotus-colored dress, like a graceful lotus emerging from the water.

Her skin was as white as snow, and against the backdrop of lotus root color, it appeared even more delicate and smooth, radiating a soft luster like mutton fat jade.

Her face was like a meticulously painted portrait of a lady, with eyebrows like crescent moons, gently curved, exuding a subtle gentleness.

Her eyes were as clear as autumn water, their gentle ripples seemingly containing tender affection, captivating all who looked upon them.

She was slender and graceful, with an innate elegance and poise. She exuded a serene and captivating aura, as if she were a fairy who had stepped out of a poem or painting.

Upon approaching, she smiled warmly and bowed gracefully, saying, "This humble woman, Jiang Muxue, greets Princess Rui, and the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Princesses."

Jiang Muxue, Princess Wenyi.

Anyuan is the only daughter.

Marquis Anyuan was in charge of the border of the Great Zhao Dynasty. He spent half his life on the battlefield and made countless contributions to the Great Zhao Dynasty. He was a great hero who stood tall and upright.

Lingyan smiled in return and said, "Princess, there's no need for such formalities."

Her voice was gentle and kind, like a spring breeze, warming one's heart.

Jiang Muxue continued with a gentle smile, "I was far away on the border when I returned to the capital to attend the palace banquet. I found that everyone in Dazhao was talking about Princess Rui and praising her amazing talent. I also read a few of her poems and found them truly amazing. Therefore, I greatly admire her. Today, I am honored to have the opportunity to meet her."

Lingyan smiled and replied, "Your Highness is too kind."

Jiang Muxue was also sensible; after exchanging greetings, she left.

"I will not disturb Your Highness and the princesses any longer. I hope that I will have more time to have in-depth exchanges with Your Highness in the future."

Lingyan smiled and said, "It is my great honor to be able to associate with the Princess."

After Jiang Muxue finished her greetings and left, Ling Yan frowned in thought.

The princess gave her a feeling of being bathed in a spring breeze. She was well-mannered and polite, as if every action and every word had been carefully considered and was just right.

But she always felt something was off.

I can't quite explain why, but it just doesn't feel as simple as it seems on the surface.

Seeing that she was deep in thought, the Ninth Princess asked curiously, "What are you thinking about, sister-in-law?"

The others also turned to look at her.

Lingyan smiled gently, her light smile like a spring breeze: "It's nothing. Do you know anything about Princess Wenyi?"

The Eighth Princess immediately raised her hand excitedly and said, "I know, I know! Princess Wenyi is most famous not for her looks or talent, but for the fact that she was over eighteen and still refused to get married. It is said that she had too high standards and looked down on everyone, which made her the laughingstock of many people!"

Ling Yan didn't find anything to be ashamed of.

After all, with those qualifications, it's quite normal for them to have high standards and look down on ordinary people.

Besides, eighteen is really young, but the ancients obviously had a different idea from hers.

Lingyan pressed further, "Are there any others?"

The Seventh Princess shook her head and said, "She doesn't stay in the capital often, so we know very little about her. We only found out about her because the whole of Da Zhao knew about this."

At this moment, the Ninth Princess gestured for them to move away from the crowd and go to a relatively private place.

When they were completely out of everyone's sight, leaving only a few of them.

The Ninth Princess smiled mysteriously and lowered her voice, saying, "I know something about her that no one else knows. My mother told me."

Her tone was full of anticipation and mystery, as if she were about to reveal a major secret.