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

Everything has been settled, and all doubts have been resolved.

Lu Yanqing then helped He Jingchuan return to the main hall.

Everyone was astonished to see him looking so disheveled, as if he had been in a fight and lost.

His clothes were disheveled and soaking wet, as if he had struggled out of the water.

Instantly, discussions arose in the hall, like ripples on the water, layer upon layer.

He Jingchuan walked to the center of the main hall, bowed, and then explained, "Your Majesty, I was just taking a walk in the garden when my old injury flared up. I lost my balance and fell into the pond, but fortunately Commander Lu saved me."

Lu Yanqing was completely soaked, but his elegance was still undeniable.

This attracted many women in the hall who wanted to look but dared not.

Only one noble lady kept her gaze fixed on He Jingchuan, never looking away.

This person is Jiang Muxue.

She looked at He Jingchuan with eyes full of worry, her gaze filled with concern and deep affection.

After hearing this, Emperor Jingzhao asked with a worried expression, "My dear minister, has your old injury recurred? How serious is it? Should we summon the imperial physician to take a look?"

He Jingchuan politely declined, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty. It's just an old ailment; I'll be fine after some rest."

Emperor Jingzhao was relieved and then instructed, "Since you are not feeling well, my dear minister, please return to your residence to rest."

He Jing immediately said with tears of gratitude, "Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty. I shall take my leave."

After saying this, he left the main hall.

They encountered Lingyan and Xiao Muyao, who had just returned, at the entrance.

After exchanging polite greetings, they parted ways.

The people in the main hall greeted Prince Rui and his wife with smiles as they watched them return from moon-viewing.

The two of them returned the greetings to everyone in a polite and respectful manner.

He then sat back in his original seat.

Lingyan looked at the empty seat of Consort Shu, as well as the empty seats of some officials' wives.

It seems there's quite a large team involved in catching adulterers!

It was just destined to be a fruitless trip.

Sure enough, half an hour later.

Consort Shu returned to the main hall with a gloomy expression.

Her eyes flashed with anger and resentment, as if they were about to explode at any moment.

The ladies, however, remained calm, presumably unaware of the situation and were simply being used.

Consort Shu's anger surged within her chest. She tried her best to suppress it, but she still couldn't hide the emotions that were about to erupt.

So she walked up to Emperor Jingzhao, bowed, and then asked, "Your Majesty, I suddenly feel unwell. May I take my leave?"

Her voice trembled slightly, clearly from anger.

Emperor Jingzhao checked the time and realized it was indeed very late; he was starting to feel the strain.

So he stood up and said to everyone, "It's getting late, the banquet should be over, everyone can leave now."

Everyone quickly rose to respectfully see off Emperor Jingzhao and his consorts.

Before leaving, the Empress glanced at Xiao Muyao and Lingyan and said, "It's noon."

Xiao Muyao and Ling Yan nodded slightly, indicating that they understood.

After bidding farewell to the three princesses, Lingyan went to find Xie Zhiyi.

On the way out of the palace, she whispered to her, "When you bowed and thanked the emperor tonight, I saw the emperor's admiration for you, and I also saw him looking at several princes who were not yet married. Do you understand what that means?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Zhiyi almost lost her balance.

He asked in a horrified tone, "Your Majesty intends for me to marry one of the princes?"

Lingyan nodded gently and said seriously, "Yes, but we don't know which one it is yet. You should prepare yourself mentally in advance. If you want to get married, then prepare for marriage. If you don't want to get married, you should also prepare yourself in advance."

Xie Zhiyi immediately shook her head and refused, saying, "No! I don't want to get married, I don't want to get married!"

Lingyan knew she wouldn't want to, which is why she told her in advance.

So he comforted her, saying, "Don't worry, after all, the imperial decree hasn't been issued yet, and things aren't settled yet. There are many ways to avoid this. For example, your birth chart is too strong, so it's not suitable for you to marry into the royal family to avoid any clashes. Or, you're already engaged. Or, your body makes it difficult for you to conceive. You can also make a fuss about the prince you're going to marry. In short, there are many ways."

Hearing her say that, Xie Zhiyi's panicked heart gradually calmed down.

Indeed, with so many ways to avoid it, why panic?

She calmed herself down, composed herself, and looked at Lingyan with utmost sincerity, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness, for coming to tell me about this and for trying to find a way to help me. I understand, and I will try to avoid it."

Upon hearing this, Lingyan smiled sweetly, her smile as warm as the spring sun.

She waved her hand gently and said, "No need to be polite. We are friends. Just tell me if you need anything. After all, I am a princess, and I can help you in some way."

Xie Zhiyi smiled gratefully and said, "Definitely."

The two then parted ways at the palace gate.

Lingyan and Xiao Muyao boarded the carriage and returned to the Prince Rui's residence.

Lingyan was so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open, so Xiao Muyao gently carried her down from the carriage.

Back in the bedroom, he helped her take a bath.

Finally, he dried her off, held her in his arms, and they fell asleep in bed.

Before going to sleep, he kissed her very carefully, then held her and fell asleep peacefully.

………………

Ling Yan woke up the next morning to a kiss that Xiao Muyao found extremely gentle, but which she found extremely heavy.

Xiao Muyao stopped his kissing attempt only after Ling Yan opened her eyes.

He gently stroked her soft hair, his tone filled with deep apology: "I'm sorry, I still accidentally woke you up."

Xiao Muyao's voice, which had just woken up, was mellow and deep, with a slight hoarseness, making it sound exceptionally sexy.

Lingyan couldn't help but smile; her smile was gentle and warm.

Then she put her arms around Xiao Muyao's shoulders, moved closer to him, and whispered, "It's okay, let's continue."

Then, Lingyan took the initiative to raise her head and gently kissed Xiao Muyao's lips.

They've been indulging in unrestrained pleasure every night lately, and since they missed out on that last night, they're definitely going to make up for it now...

………………

By the time the two got up to head to the palace, the midday sun was already shining obliquely into the windows of the main hall, clearly indicating that they were late.

When they arrived at the Empress's Phoenix Palace, the Empress had clearly been waiting for a long time.

After the two entered the hall and bowed, they sat down to the left and right of the Empress.

The Empress naturally understood why they had arrived so late, and felt that the two were inconsiderate and lacked decorum.

But she wouldn't say that out loud.

Even if she were her own mother, she wouldn't say such private things, lest it embarrass her son.

So she looked at Xiao Muyao with a reproachful expression and said, "My son has been neglecting his mother lately. He hasn't come to see his mother in a long time. It's true that he has forgotten his mother after getting married."

Ling Yan remained smiling and unaffected by these words.

Xiao Muyao glanced at Ling Yan and found that she was not acting strangely.

He then spoke softly, "Mother, you are overthinking it. I have been busy lately, which is why I have rarely seen you."

The Empress naturally did not believe it.

No matter how busy he is, doesn't he still spend every day with this woman?

It seems this woman has indeed captivated the prince, making him so engrossed in love that he's almost forgotten his serious duties.

So she sternly warned, "Don't try to fob me off with these words. I know the truth perfectly well. Just don't forget what's most important to you. Never let personal matters interfere with public duty."

Xiao Muyao respectfully replied, "Your subject will remember."

The Empress then turned her gaze to Lingyan.

After scrutinizing her for a while, he said in a stiff tone, "My son dotes on you and can't live without you. Even if I don't like you, I won't target you. Otherwise, I would be going against my son and putting him in a difficult position between us. Nothing in this world is more important than my son."

Even though I hate you and don't want you to become Princess Rui, the fact remains. For my son, I'm willing to give everything, so I can compromise. Therefore, you must do your best to take care of and serve your husband, or you won't have an easy time!

After he finished speaking, he stared intently at her, demanding a clear and satisfactory answer from her.