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

Yang Huan looked at Ling Yan, his deep voice revealing an undeniable determination: "That's why I dare not gamble. I must protect myself and prepare in advance so that I won't be purged when the time comes."

To be honest, I've considered other methods before, but none compare to yours. Given the Prince's favor towards you, as long as I'm your person, he certainly won't harm me."

Ling Yan chuckled and said, "You're contradicting yourself. You just said he would change, so why wouldn't his feelings for me change? And how can you guarantee that his feelings for me will remain the same in the future?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Huan's expression became even more resolute, and he said with absolute certainty, "No! No matter how much the Prince changes, he will never change his feelings for the Princess. That will never change."

Because once a prince sets his mind on someone, that person will always be the same for him!

Ling Yan smiled faintly and said, "You seem to have a lot of faith in him."

Yang Huan continued, "You don't need to think that I have any ulterior motives or other intentions. You know that you are my only way out, so don't worry, you can use me with confidence."

"But I can't let this matter come to light right now, I can't let others know about it, otherwise I'm afraid the whole Chengde Marquis's family will stick around wanting a share of the pie. Although I know they won't succeed, it will still be troublesome. So I can wait until they are dealt with, and then I can appear in public openly."

They really did consider everything.

Lingyan pressed further, "Are you so sure they'll be purged?"

Yang Huan sneered, "Of course, I know exactly who they are. If they commit any serious crimes, they will definitely be dealt with by the Prince."

Lingyan nodded in agreement.

After all, she wanted Xiao Muyao to deal with them now.

However, they haven't committed any major crimes yet, so we can't deal with them right now.

Seeing that she had no reaction, Yang Huan continued, "I have learned how to manage a shop, and I have also learned everything else. I will never hold you back, and I will never let you regret using me."

Everything that needed to be said has been said; now we just wait for her to make a decision.

Lingyan had actually been looking for a second-in-command to manage all the affairs of the shop, since she couldn't handle it all by herself, and it was impossible for her to be stuck in the shop every day.

During this time, she also had Xiao Muyao, Lu Yanqing and He Jingchuan help her search.

However, none of the people she found were suitable; there were always some shortcomings that made her dissatisfied.

Now it seems that fate has its own arrangements, and this person who came to our door is clearly the most suitable second-in-command.

He has everything: temperament, ability, loyalty, character, and methods. He's the one.

If she is the chairperson, then he must be the general manager.

From now on, he will be second only to her, and she can entrust him with anything.

Not bad.

Under his anxious yet expectant gaze, Lingyan smiled and said, "There's still some time before the business opens. During this time, you can go to each shop to familiarize yourself with it. Also, I'll have someone deliver a booklet to you tomorrow. You must read and thoroughly understand the contents of this booklet. There will be a trial period after the business opens, which will last for one month."

She had prepared this booklet long ago; it was meant for the second-in-command.

Yang Huan was overjoyed to finally receive her affirmative answer.

The joy in my heart surged like a tidal wave, almost overflowing from my eyes.

He stood up abruptly, knelt on both knees, and bowed with the utmost sincerity, saying, "Your Highness's great kindness and virtue are unforgettable and will be forever etched in my heart!"

Lingyan frowned and said, "Get up. From now on, don't call yourself a commoner anymore. Call yourself your subordinate."

Yang Huan rose as instructed and respectfully replied, "Yes, Your Highness, I understand."

Lingyan gave a final warning: "Remember, it's a one-month trial period. If you can't pass my test after a month, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Upon hearing this, Yang Huan felt a surge of fighting spirit and determination.

He replied solemnly, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will do my utmost and will never fail your expectations and trust."

He will definitely try his best to stay.

This time, his fate is in his own hands, and he will not let this opportunity slip away.

Lingyan nodded, indicating that she thought highly of him.

Now that everything was settled, Ling Yan got up and left.

Yang Huan bowed respectfully to see her off, and only straightened up after she left the private room.

His eyes were filled with high morale and tears of gratitude.

………………

The moment Lingyan stepped out of the teahouse, night had already quietly fallen, and the last rays of the setting sun were swallowed by the darkness.

Just as she, Yingshuang, Yingdie, and Yunmeng were preparing to return to the mansion.

A group of men dressed in black and with their faces covered by black veils suddenly appeared at the entrance of the teahouse and surrounded them.

The three reacted almost simultaneously, their figures flashing as they stood in front of Ling Yan like indestructible guardians, forming an impenetrable defensive line.

The hidden guards, sensing the danger, revealed themselves without hesitation, silently blending into the sudden standoff.

The two sides were vastly different in number. Although Lingyan's side had four people plus twenty well-trained guards.

However, the opposing force consisted of a large group of seventy or eighty well-trained guards and assassins, whose imposing presence was not to be underestimated.

These men in black were clearly well-prepared; their equipment and tactics exuded a ruthless professionalism.

Faced with such a formidable enemy, Lingyan's bodyguards knew the situation was dire, but they showed no sign of backing down.

The lead bodyguard made a swift decision, sending a signal flare streaking across the night sky.

However, this distress signal was like a stone sinking into the sea, precisely intercepted and shot down by the enemy's well-prepared guards.

Immediately afterwards, the other guards, along with Shadow Frost and Shadow Butterfly, also tried to release signal flares.

Without exception, they were all shot down by the enemy.

This scene instantly weighed heavily on Lingyan and her group, filling the air with a sense of oppression and tension.

They have already used up all their signal flares.

We have no choice but to fight it out.

The person opposite them was now looking at Ling Yan.

The leader spoke smugly and shamelessly: "You've run out of signal flares, haven't you? Hmph, we made thorough preparations, just waiting for you to pull this trick! Princess Rui, a wise person knows when to yield. You'd better come with us obediently. Our master is a man who cherishes women and cannot bear to hurt the princess."

Ling Yan showed no sign of panic, but remained calm and composed.

She already knew who sent these people.

The person who dared to lay a hand on a princess in the street must be of extraordinary status.

The phrase "cherishing beauty and tenderness" further solidified her suspicions about the person behind the scenes.

As expected, it was those disgusting princes.

I just don't know which one it is.

The itching powder they used last time didn't deter them at all; their lustful desires haven't disappeared, and now they actually dare to kidnap people in the street!

She didn't speak, clearly indicating she wouldn't cooperate with them.

Seeing this, the leader of the men in black on the other side sneered, "Since the princess is not cooperating, then we have no choice but to force her to cooperate." His words were cold and resolute.

At his command, the masked men behind him surged forward like a tide, instantly clashing with the palace's guards in a fierce melee.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the leader of the men in black approached Lingyan, while Ying Shuang and Ying Die, like two bolts of lightning, quickly stood in front of her and engaged in a fierce battle with this highly skilled opponent.

Ling Yan observed the situation coldly, secretly assessing it in her mind.

The leader's martial arts skills were indeed superb; even if Shadow Frost and Shadow Butterfly joined forces, they would find it difficult to gain the upper hand in a short period of time.

The remaining masked men were evenly matched with the Prince's secret guards, and the battle was extremely fierce.

Even if the two sides are equal in strength, they are at a disadvantage in terms of numbers.

The result is obvious.

They were no match for the opposing side.

She carefully considered her options.

The signal flares are gone, and there's no one on the street. Even if there were people, they wouldn't dare to step forward.

That leaves only Yang Huan.

Yang Huan couldn't possibly have missed the commotion; he must have seen that she was trapped here.

He'll need her to save his life in the future.

Since he is a person who does not know martial arts, he cannot fight these people head-on, so he will definitely go to call for reinforcements.

So all they need to do is stall for time until Yang Huan arrives with reinforcements.

Having found a solution, she was no longer anxious and became even more calm and composed.

Then, while the guards were fighting these people, she took the opportunity to begin her hunt with silver needles.

Her movements were swift and precise, hitting the target every time.

Each silver needle was like the whisper of death, silently piercing the night and striking the enemy's vitals.

Seeing this, Yunmeng was not to be outdone and fought alongside Lingyan.

The two worked together seamlessly, and in the blink of an eye, more than a dozen masked men had fallen to their silver needles.

This sudden turn of events forced the remaining masked men to distract themselves.

They had to fight fiercely against the Prince's secret guards while also constantly guarding against Lingyan and Yunmeng's sneak attacks, making the situation even more complicated and unpredictable.

In fact, if it weren't for the presence of the Prince's guards, Lingyan would have intended to use poison.

Unfortunately, they couldn't afford to harm their own people, so they had to resort to using silver needles as a second-best option.