After returning to the capital to farm, the abandoned concubine made a comeback.

After the flood receded, the land was left in ruins.

Muddy water, carrying broken branches and leaves, flowed between the ridges of the fields. The once lush green crops were now leaning and swaying, as if they had been ravaged by a giant beast.

Lin Qin stood on the edge of the field, looking at the tragic scene before her, feeling as if a huge rock was pressing down on her heart, making it hard to breathe.

This was fertile land that she and the villagers had painstakingly cultivated, and now...

"Madam Lin, what are we going to do?" An old farmer walked over shakily, his cloudy eyes filled with despair. "This year's harvest is probably all gone..."

The surrounding villagers also looked worried and sighed.

The children were so frightened that they cried loudly, their cries echoing across the empty fields, adding to the desolation.

Lin Qin took a deep breath, forcing back the tears welling up in her eyes.

She can't cry; she's everyone's pillar of support, she has to be strong!

"Don't panic, everyone!" Lin Qin said loudly, her tone firm and strong. "Natural disasters are merciless, but people are compassionate! If we work together, we can definitely rebuild our homes!"

Seeing Lin Qin's determined gaze, the villagers' previously panicked hearts gradually calmed down.

Yes, Lin Niangzi led them from nothing to where they are today, what difficulties could they not overcome?

However, misfortunes never come singly.

Before everyone could recover from the devastation of the flood, an even more unsettling message arrived: Ma the bully was coming!

"Ma the bully?" Lin Qin frowned. She had heard of this name before. He was a notorious local bully who oppressed the people and committed all sorts of evil deeds.

I heard that he has long coveted this fertile farmland, and he certainly won't let this opportunity pass him by after the flood.

"Lady Lin, what should we do? Ma the bully is a ruthless character!" The villagers began to panic again.

Lin Qin pondered for a moment, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes.

"What's there to be afraid of! We'll meet force with force, and we'll deal with any challenge! We absolutely cannot let ourselves be slaughtered!" She paused, her tone firm, "Now, everyone, listen to my command..."

Lin Qin quickly organized the villagers to replant the seedlings that could still be saved and guided them to dig ditches to drain water and lower the water level in the fields.

She even recalled the "deep fertilization" method she had seen in a documentary, instructing villagers to bury wood ash deep in the soil, claiming it could improve soil fertility.

Although the villagers were skeptical, they did as Lin Qin did, seeing her confident demeanor.

Surprisingly, these methods actually worked!

The seedlings, which had been drooping, miraculously recovered. Although the losses were heavy, at least a portion of the harvest was saved.

The villagers were overjoyed, and their eyes were filled with admiration as they looked at Lin Qin. She was no ordinary demoted concubine; she was a savior!

Lin Qin looked at the fields where hope had been rekindled and smiled with relief.

However, the good times did not last long.

Ma the bully, accompanied by a gang of thugs, arrived at the farm in a menacing manner.

He was dressed in silk, with slicked-back hair and a powdered face, and he was holding a folding fan in his hand, looking just like a haughty rooster.

"I heard the manager of this farm is a discarded concubine? She's quite pretty!" Ma the bully squinted, looking Lin Qin up and down, his tone flippant. "If you know what's good for you, hand over this farm obediently, and I'll let you enjoy the good life with me!" His lackeys behind him burst into laughter, their lewd chuckles echoing through the room.

Lin Qin remained expressionless, her cold gaze sweeping over the rabble.

"This farm was bestowed by the Emperor and was also painstakingly cultivated by the villagers. Why should it be handed over to you?"

"Why should I?" Ma the bully laughed arrogantly, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Because I'm the biggest landlord within a hundred miles! There's nothing I can't get if I set my sights on it!" He slammed his folding fan shut, pointed at Lin Qin, and said viciously, "I'm giving you one last chance. Hand it over, or not!"

Lin Qin sneered, "I'd like to see how you 'can't have' it."

Enraged by Lin Qin's composed attitude, Ma the bully's face darkened, and he spat out a single word viciously: "Go!"

Just as Ma's henchmen were about to step forward, Lin Qin suddenly shouted, "Wait! Do you know that this place is blessed by heaven and protected by gods? If you dare to forcibly occupy it, you will be punished by heaven!"

When these words came out, everyone was stunned.

Ma's henchmen looked at each other, hesitant and confused.

Although Ma the bully did not believe in these superstitious beliefs, Lin Qin's imposing presence made him hesitate.

"Stop pretending!" Ma the bully roared, his voice trembling with fear, but his grip on the folding fan tightened unconsciously.

The clerk behind him, Song, rolled his eyes and whispered in Ma's ear, "Master, this woman might be bluffing. Why don't we test her first?"

Ma, the bully, thought this made sense, so he pointed at one of his men and said, "You, go and take a look!"

The subordinate walked cautiously to the farm gate, and just as he was about to push the door open, a loud "bang" startled him so much that he fell to the ground.

It turned out that a large tree in the farm had been blown down by the wind and had fallen right at the entrance, completely blocking the gate.

"This...this is the will of Heaven!" Several cowardly lackeys were so frightened that they knelt down and kept kowtowing.

Seeing this, Ma the bully felt a chill run down his spine, but he still forced a smile and said, "It's just a coincidence! Attack!"

Just then, a villager rushed over, carrying a package in his hand.

"Madam Lin, this...this was sent from the capital!"

Lin Qin took the package, opened it, and found a letter and some silver inside.

The letter was written by Zhu Ling. In addition to expressing his longing for Lin Qin, the letter also detailed some strategies for dealing with the bullies.

After reading the letter, Lin Qin felt a warm current surge in her heart, and her eyes became a little moist.

She carefully put the letter away, then said to the villagers, "Don't be afraid, everyone! The prince has sent someone with silver; we have money now! We can..."

Before Lin Qin could finish speaking, Ma the bully snatched the letter from her hand. After reading it, his face turned ashen.

"You abandoned concubine, how dare you collude with the prince! Guards, take her away..."

"Let's see who dares!" Lin Qin suddenly stood up, her eyes glaring sharply at Ma the bully. "You dare touch me and see what happens!"

Lin Qin's sharp shout, with its overwhelming force, left Ma the bully speechless for a moment.

He waved his hand, his bravado masking his fear, signaling his men to continue the attack, while muttering under his breath, "A discarded concubine dares to be so insolent in front of me! Once I catch you, I'll see how I deal with you!"

Inspired by Lin Qin, the villagers picked up hoes, rakes, sickles and other farm tools, forming an impregnable human wall to guard the farm gate tightly.

Although they were afraid, the thought of everything Lin Qin had done for them, and the soon-to-be-harvested fields behind them, transformed their fear into courage.

"Charge! Charge! Whoever snatches that little wench, I'll reward him with ten taels of silver!" Seeing that force wasn't working, Ma the bully started bribing his men.

With such a generous reward, brave men will surely emerge. Several desperate thugs charged forward with howls, brandishing their clubs and smashing them at the villagers.

"Beat them! Beat them hard! I'll take responsibility if they die!" Lin Qin shouted defiantly, directing the villagers to fight back.

In an instant, chaos erupted at the entrance of the farm, with sticks flying and shouts of killing filling the air.

Although the villagers had not received professional training, they were all skilled farmers, strong, and ruthless.

In addition, Lin Qin's skillful command led to the defeat of Ma Eba's men.

Ma was furious. He hadn't expected these peasants to be so tenacious, and he couldn't subdue them for the time being.

Enraged, he drew his sword and prepared to fight himself.

Just then, Master Song, with his sharp eyes, saw a cloud of dust rising in the distance and quickly grabbed Ma the bully: "Master, it's bad! The soldiers are here!"

Ma the bully's expression changed, and he quickly sheathed his sword, muttering under his breath, "Bad luck! You're lucky! We'll see!" With that, he led his men and slunk away.

The villagers cheered and celebrated their hard-won victory.

Lin Qin felt little joy as she watched Ma Eba flee in a disheveled state.

She knew that Ma the bully wouldn't let it go, and that the fields would need to be repaired after the flood, meaning they would face even more challenges ahead.

In the stillness of the night, Lin Qin stood at the entrance of the farm, gazing at the dark night sky in the distance, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

She didn't know what would happen next, but she knew she had to be strong and protect this land and these kind-hearted villagers.

Suddenly, a dark figure emerged from the darkness. Lin Qin asked warily, "Who's there?"

The shadowy figure slowly approached, revealing a familiar face; it was Zhu Ling.

He looked at Lin Qin, his eyes filled with heartache: "Qin'er, you've suffered so much..."

Lin Qin's nose tingled, and she forced back her tears, shaking her head: "I'm fine..."

Zhu Ling gently pulled Lin Qin into his arms and whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid, I'm here for you..."

"Your Highness, in the capital..." A guard in black suddenly appeared, interrupting Zhu Ling.