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

Zhu Ling followed Lin Qin's gaze and saw shadowy figures on the hillside; indeed, someone was lying in ambush.

"It seems that Ma the bully was prepared." Zhu Ling's eyes turned cold, and a chill emanated from his body.

Lin Qin knew that Ma the bully would not let the matter rest, so she became wary of everything around her.

As expected, after the search yielded nothing, Ma the bully did not show any frustration on his face, but instead revealed a sinister smile.

“Since there are no contraband items on Boss Lin’s farm, that’s naturally the best. However…” He deliberately dragged out his words, his eyes darting around at the surrounding villagers, “this world is unpredictable; who knows if someone might frame us?”

Lin Qin sneered inwardly; this bully Ma really wouldn't shed a tear until he saw the coffin.

“Master Ma, you are mistaken. The innocent are innocent, and the guilty are guilty. I have acted uprightly and sat honestly, and I am not afraid of the machinations of petty people.”

Ma the bully smiled sinisterly: "Is that so? We'll see!" He waved his hand, signaling his men to disperse.

Lin Qin remained vigilant, her eyes flashing with determination, creating a tense atmosphere as if a storm was brewing.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before Master Song began his performance.

He feigned deep sorrow and said to the surrounding villagers, "Alas, the world is going to the dogs! I heard that this Boss Lin is having an affair with a prince of the current dynasty... Alas, how immoral!"

The villagers began pointing and whispering about Lin Qin.

Lin Qin felt the strange looks from the villagers and was very sad. She felt that her efforts might be in vain because of these rumors, and a sense of powerlessness arose spontaneously.

"Your Highness..." Lin Qin's voice was choked with emotion. She turned to look at Zhu Ling, only to find that Zhu Ling's face was terribly gloomy.

He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes flashing with a cold light.

"Master Song, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want!" Zhu Ling's voice was deep and powerful, carrying an unquestionable authority.

Zhu Ling stepped forward, shielding Lin Qin behind him, his body radiating a chilling aura, like an iceberg.

"Master Song, I advise you to be careful with your words. Slandering the Princess is a capital offense!"

Master Song was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost knelt on the ground.

He stammered, "Your Highness, I... I only heard it from someone else..."

"Who told you that?" Zhu Ling pressed closer, his eyes sharp as knives. "Bring up the person who spread the rumors!"

Ma the bully's face also turned ugly.

He didn't expect Zhu Ling to personally step in to protect Lin Qin, which ruined all his previous plans.

He forced himself to remain calm and said, "Your Highness, there might be some misunderstanding..."

"Misunderstanding?" Zhu Ling sneered. "I think it's clearly someone deliberately spreading rumors and causing trouble!" He turned to the surrounding villagers and said in a loud voice, "I hereby declare that Lin Qin is my queen consort. Anyone who dares to disrespect her is going against me!"

Seeing how the prince protected Lin Qin, the villagers stopped talking and their eyes were filled with awe.

Lin Qin was filled with gratitude. She knew that Zhu Ling's appearance not only protected her reputation but also gave her a great sense of security.

Ma the bully and Master Song slunk away from the farm, but they did not give up.

That night, Ma's men sneaked into the farm and sabotaged the irrigation facilities.

The next morning, Lin Qin discovered that the water in the farmland had dried up and the crops had begun to wither.

Lin Qin was furious. She immediately gathered the villagers and found Ma the bully's men, who were gloating over their misfortune.

"You despicable scoundrels, how dare you destroy our farmland!"

Ma's henchmen were all fierce and ruthless, showing no fear of Lin Qin whatsoever.

"Hmph, we're just following orders. If you know what's good for you, get out of here!"

Lin Qin clenched her fists tightly, her eyes flashing with anger.

The villagers were also filled with righteous indignation, and they all picked up hoes and shovels, ready to fight to the death with Ma the bully's men.

The atmosphere was tense and on the verge of breaking out.

Lin Qin took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

She knew that a head-on confrontation would only result in mutual destruction.

Suddenly, an idea struck her, and a cold smile appeared on her lips.

"Bullshit Ma, since you like playing dirty tricks so much, let's play big!" Lin Qin's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of dominance. "Let's make a bet..."

Lin Qin didn't take action immediately, but instead curled her lips into a mysterious smile.

"Brother Ma, since you like playing dirty tricks so much, let's play big! How about we make a bet?"

Ma the bully was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

"A bet? You? What do you want to bet?" He glanced at Lin Qin with disdain, thinking she was just a weak woman who was not worth fearing at all.

Lin Qin remained calm and composed, her eyes gleaming with confidence.

"Let's bet... who can make this stone float on the water within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn." She pointed to a huge rock next to her, her tone calm but carrying an undeniable air of dominance.

Ma's henchmen looked at each other, all thinking that Lin Qin had gone mad.

How could such a large rock float on the water?

Even Ma the bully was stunned. He looked at Lin Qin suspiciously, wondering to himself: What is this woman up to?

"If you lose, take your people and leave the farm, and never come back to harass us again," Lin Qin added, her tone firm and leaving no room for refusal.

Ma the bully came to his senses and burst into laughter.

"Fine! I promise you! If I lose, I'll leave the farm and never do it again! But what if you lose?" His greedy gaze roamed over Lin Qin, his eyes filled with wicked intent.

Lin Qin met his gaze without fear, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"If I lose, you can do whatever you want with me." She said calmly, as if she didn't care about winning or losing at all.

Zhu Ling watched Lin Qin silently from the side, her eyes filled with trust and encouragement.

He believed that Lin Qin would definitely find a way to win this bet.

Lin Qin felt Zhu Ling's gaze and her heart was filled with strength.

She took a deep breath, her eyes gleaming with determination.

Ma's men were all sweating for him. They felt that Lin Qin was not joking, but they couldn't figure out how she could make the stone float.

This eerie atmosphere made them uneasy.

"Okay! It's a deal!" Ma the bully agreed immediately, feeling confident of victory and not taking Lin Qin seriously at all.

His underestimation of his enemy made his subordinates even more worried.

This turn of events took everyone by surprise.

The time it takes for an incense stick to burn is almost up, and Ma's men are in a panic, but they still can't come up with any solutions.

Lin Qin, on the other hand, maintained a calm and composed expression, with a mysterious smile on her lips.

"Bullshit Ma, are you ready?" Lin Qin's clear and loud voice broke the silence of the scene.

Looking at Lin Qin's confident demeanor, Ma Eba suddenly felt a sense of unease.

"You...what exactly do you want to do?"

Lin Qin smiled slightly, but did not answer his question. Instead, she turned to look at Zhu Ling.

"Your Highness, we may begin."

Zhu Ling nodded, her eyes filled with doting affection.

He gently patted Lin Qin's hand, signaling her to go ahead and do it.

Lin Qin took a deep breath, walked to the edge of the pool, slowly squatted down, and then...

Lin Qin took out a palm-sized wooden board from her sleeve and placed it on the water.

Then, she took out a gourd from another sleeve, uncorked it, and carefully poured the white powder inside onto the wooden board.

"What is this?" Ma the bully asked curiously, and his men craned their necks to see what it was.

"Soap powder," Lin Qin replied casually, a sly smile playing on her lips.

Everyone looked blank, clearly having never heard of this term before.

Lin Qin gently placed the boulder on the wooden board.

The miracle happened!

The boulder actually floated steadily on the water!

"Holy crap! What kind of godlike move is this?" Ma's henchmen exclaimed in surprise, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

Ma the bully was completely dumbfounded; his jaw almost dropped to the ground.

He never imagined that Lin Qin would win the bet using such an unbelievable method.

“A bet is a bet, Mr. Ma, please!” Lin Qin raised her chin, signaling Ma the bully to keep his promise.

Ma the bully's face turned ashen, yet he was utterly helpless.

He glared at Lin Qin fiercely, then led his men away from the farm in a sorry state.

The villagers erupted in thunderous cheers, proud of Lin Qin's wisdom and courage.

Lin Qin smiled and greeted the villagers, but she was not completely relaxed.

She knew that Ma, the bully, would not give up easily, and that the struggle was far from over.

In the stillness of the night, Lin Qin stood in the courtyard, gazing at the starry sky, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

Zhu Ling walked to her side and gently embraced her.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

Lin Qin leaned against Zhu Ling's chest, feeling his warm embrace, and felt much more at ease.

"Thank you, my lord."

"Silly girl, we're husband and wife, no need for thanks." Zhu Ling gently stroked Lin Qin's hair. "What are you planning to do next?"

Lin Qin raised her head, her eyes flashing with determination. "I will make that bully Ma pay the price!"

Suddenly, a series of urgent knocks shattered the tranquility of the night. "Your Highness! Something terrible has happened..."