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

Lin Qin looked at the clear sky, but felt a vague unease in her heart.

Although the torrential rain of the past few days has passed, the suffocating sense of oppression lingers.

She knew all too well that this was just the calm before the storm.

"We must plan ahead..." she murmured to herself, then turned to Zhu Ling and said, "I've thought of a way to strengthen the dikes. Let's go take a look."

The two walked side by side on the ridge of the field, and Zhu Ling would occasionally reach out to brush the fallen leaves that had fallen into Lin Qin's hair.

"Qin'er, you're always so thoughtful and prepared. It really puts my mind at ease." Zhu Ling smiled gently, his eyes full of affection.

Lin Qin arrived at the previously constructed dam and carefully inspected every detail.

She gently stroked the compacted soil with her hand, her brow furrowed.

Although the dam withstood the last torrential rain, it might not be able to withstand an even more intense downpour.

“Look here,” Lin Qin pointed to the bottom of the dam, “After the last rain, there has been a slight collapse here. If there is another heavy rain…” She didn’t finish her sentence, but Zhu Ling understood what she meant.

Just then, a villager came running up in a panic, panting, and said, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Constable Feng from the county is here, and he says... says..."

"What did you say?" Lin Qin's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition surged into her heart.

"They say... the weather forecast shows there will be even bigger rainstorms soon, much worse than last time!" The villager's voice trembled, his face filled with fear.

Lin Qin looked up at the sky; it was cloudless and sunny.

But beneath this seemingly calm surface lies a huge crisis.

The surrounding villagers gradually gathered around, their faces showing unease and anxiety.

The air seemed to freeze, making it hard to breathe.

Lin Qin took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.

“Don’t panic,” she said in a deep voice, “We still have time.” She turned to look at Zhu Ling, “Your Highness, it seems we need to speed things up…” Her eyes gleamed with determination, as if to say that no matter what, she would protect this land and these villagers.

She grabbed Zhu Ling's hand and said firmly, "Let's go!"

Lin Qin and Zhu Ling immediately gathered the villagers and, based on the knowledge she had learned from modern times, improved the structure of the dike, reinforced the houses, and dredged the ditches.

With her decisive leadership, the villagers worked with great enthusiasm, and the farm was bustling with activity.

"The princess is truly amazing! How come we didn't think of this method!" "That's right! I feel at ease working with the princess!" The villagers were busy at work and discussing among themselves, their admiration for Lin Qin was evident in their words.

A few days later, the torrential rain arrived as expected, even more intense than before.

The wind howled, the rain poured down, and the world was in chaos.

However, this time the farm was like a sturdy ship, standing firm in the wind and rain.

Lin Qin's improved dikes and drainage system played a significant role in effectively controlling water levels and protecting the lives and property of the farm and villagers.

After the rain stopped and the sky cleared, the villagers who had survived the ordeal cheered and were extremely grateful to Lin Qin.

"The princess is truly a living bodhisattva! She saved all our lives!" Lin Qin looked at the thriving farm, her heart filled with a sense of accomplishment.

However, the tree wants to be quiet but the wind keeps on.

Seeing Lin Qin escape danger once again, Ma the bully was consumed by jealousy and furious.

"This little wench has a tough life!" He slammed his hand on the table, making the teacup jump. "Master Song, you need to think of a way to bring her down!"

Master Song's eyes darted around, and he smiled slyly, "Master, I have an idea..." He leaned close to Ma the bully's ear and whispered a few words.

Upon hearing this, Ma the bully smiled with satisfaction: "Good! Let's do it that way!"

The next day, Constable Feng, accompanied by several constables, arrived at the farm in a menacing manner.

"Mr. Lin, someone has reported you for possessing contraband. Come with us!" Officer Feng said arrogantly.

Faced with the sudden accusations, Lin Qin remained calm and showed no sign of panic.

Her gaze was sharp as she swept her eyes over Officer Feng and the others, a slight smile playing on her lips...

"Since we're going to search, let's search."

Lin Qin did not panic and beg for mercy as Ma the bully and Master Song had expected. Instead, she generously invited them to search her.

"Since Constable Feng is so certain, then search. However, if no contraband is found, the charge of slandering the Princess Consort will be dealt with seriously." Lin Qin's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority, making Constable Feng's heart pound.

This constable Feng was nothing but a bully who preyed on the weak and feared the strong. He was used to lording it over everyone, and now that he saw Lin Qin so calm, he was a little unsure of what to do.

He secretly glanced at Ma the bully and Master Song hiding behind the crowd. The two men gestured for him to make a move, but Officer Feng hesitated to step forward.

"Your Highness, this...this..." Constable Feng stammered, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

"What? Officer Feng, have you changed your mind?" Lin Qin looked at him with a half-smile, her eyes filled with mockery.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar, growing louder and more urgent as it approached.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a fine horse galloping towards them, and the rider on it was none other than Prince Zhu Ling.

He was dressed in a dark, close-fitting outfit, his face was gloomy, and there was a hint of anger between his brows. It was clear at a glance that he was up to no good.

"Qin'er, what's going on?" Zhu Ling dismounted and quickly walked to Lin Qin's side, shielding her behind him. He glanced sharply at Constable Feng and the others.

Lin Qin felt relieved when she saw Zhu Ling appear.

She smiled slightly and briefly explained the whole story to Zhu Ling.

Zhu Ling's face darkened further after hearing this.

He snorted coldly, his gaze piercing like a knife as he looked at Constable Feng: "Constable Feng, how dare you slander the Princess! Do you know what crime this is?"

Officer Feng trembled with fear and knelt down with a thud: "Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me! I... I was just following orders!"

"On orders? On whose orders?" Zhu Ling's voice was icy, carrying a hint of murderous intent.

Officer Feng trembled, not daring to look up, and pointed with his finger at Ma the bully and Master Song hiding behind the crowd.

The crowd parted automatically, revealing the panicked faces of Ma the bully and Master Song.

Zhu Ling looked at the two of them, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips...

"Master Ma, Master Song, it's been a long time."

Zhu Ling sneered, his eyes sweeping over Ma the bully and Master Song like sharp blades: "Master Ma, Master Song, you two are really persistent! Haven't you learned your lesson from last time?"

The bully, though blustering, shouted, "Your Highness, don't try to bully me! I'm a law-abiding citizen! This shrew is hiding contraband; I'm doing this out of a sense of justice!"

"Suppressing family ties for the greater good? I think you're just crying wolf!" Lin Qin sneered. "Officer Feng, since Master Ma insists, then search him! I want to see what tricks he can pull out!"

Constable Feng was caught in a dilemma. The prince's intimidating presence made him hesitant to act rashly, but he also couldn't afford to offend the powerful Ma.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and stammered, "This...this..."

Seeing that Constable Feng was hesitant to act, Ma the bully became enraged. He shoved Constable Feng aside and yelled at the thugs behind him, "Search! If you don't find anything, tear this farm down!"

Ma the bully's henchmen swarmed forward, charging menacingly toward the farm.

"Let's see who dares!" Zhu Ling roared, his voice like a thunderclap, making everyone's eardrums ring.

He stepped forward, blocking Lin Qin's path, exuding a powerful aura of intimidation.

The villagers also grabbed their weapons and stood in front of Lin Qin and Zhu Ling, confronting Ma the bully's thugs.

The air was filled with a strong smell of gunpowder, and a conflict was about to break out.

Just then, Lin Qin suddenly spoke up, "Wait!" She walked up to Ma the bully, staring at him coldly, "Mr. Ma, are you sure you want to search me?"

Ma the bully felt uneasy under Lin Qin's gaze, but he still forced himself to remain calm and said, "Of course! I'm not afraid of you!"

Lin Qin's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile: "Alright! Then search! But let me make this clear beforehand, if we don't find any contraband, how will you explain yourself?"

Ma the bully said with his neck stiff, "If we can't find anything, I...I..." He was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to answer.

Lin Qin pressed on, "What? Mr. Ma can't say anything now? In that case, let's draw up a written agreement! It'll be in black and white, so no one can deny it later!"

The bully was caught in a dilemma and had no choice but to agree.

In front of everyone, Lin Qin wrote a written agreement that clearly stated the consequences Ma the bully would have to bear if no contraband was found during the search.

Ma the bully gritted his teeth and pressed his fingerprint on the document.

The search began. Ma's thugs stormed into the farm, ransacking it, but found nothing.

Ma the bully's face grew increasingly grim; he knew he was doomed this time.

Just then, Lin Qin walked to Zhu Ling's side and whispered, "Your Highness, look..." She pointed to a small hill in the distance, where there seemed to be shadowy figures moving...