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

Dust billowed as the thunderous sound of horses' hooves approached from afar, shattering the silence of the mountains.

A group of men dressed in black, each with a fierce look on their face and wielding swords, pounced on the convoy like demons crawling out of hell.

"Kill them! Loot them all!" The burly man at the head of the group, with a full beard and wielding a large, ghost-headed knife, had a booming voice; he was none other than the infamous bandit Ma.

The surrounding trees swayed in the wind, making a rustling sound, as if they were the bandits' accomplices, cheering them on.

The dappled shadows of the trees and the dim light added to the eerie and terrifying atmosphere.

Lin Qin involuntarily tightened her grip on the reins, her palms slightly sweaty. The air was thick with the pungent smell of blood, making her almost nauseous.

"Protect the Prince! Protect the Princess!" General Wu shouted, directing his soldiers to fight.

Swords clashed, producing a piercing metallic scraping sound and sparks flying everywhere.

Although the soldiers were brave, they were outnumbered and gradually began to falter.

A soldier's arm was slashed, and blood gushed out, staining the ground red.

The bandit Ma brandished his ghost-head broadsword, cutting down the soldiers who stood in his way as easily as chopping melons and vegetables.

"If you know what's good for you, hand over the stuff right now! I might spare your lives!" He laughed arrogantly, his voice echoing through the valley, sending chills down everyone's spines.

Zhu Ling's face turned ashen. He drew his sword from his waist and joined the battle.

His swordsmanship was fierce and deadly; several bandits fell to his sword in an instant.

Although Lin Qin did not know martial arts, she did not back down.

She took a bow and arrow from the carriage, aimed at a bandit who was about to ambush Zhu Ling, and shot an arrow.

The arrow struck the robber squarely in the chest, and he fell to the ground.

Lin Qin showed no panic whatsoever; instead, a cold smile appeared on her face.

"Hmph, you dare to mess with my people? Don't you know who I am?" She drew her bow again, her eyes blazing, like a lioness protecting her cubs.

The battle grew increasingly fierce, with both sides becoming bloodthirsty.

The bandit leader was furious when he couldn't break through the defenses after a long siege.

"Men, charge! Whoever gets the loot will be richly rewarded!" With that command, the bandits attacked even more frantically, and the soldiers suffered heavy casualties.

Lin Qin frowned as she looked at the chaotic scene before her.

"This won't do, I have to think of something..." she muttered to herself, her gaze sweeping over the surrounding terrain. Suddenly, a sly smile appeared on her lips.

"I've got it!" she shouted to Zhu Ling. "Your Highness, lead some men to lure the bandits to..." She whispered a few words in Zhu Ling's ear.

After listening, Zhu Ling exclaimed, "Alright, we'll do it your way!" He shouted, "Brothers, follow me!" With that, he turned his horse around and charged off in one direction...

Zhu Ling led his soldiers in a fighting retreat, and as expected, the bandit Ma fell for the trap, leading his men in a relentless pursuit like headless flies.

Lin Qin seized the opportunity and directed the remaining soldiers to push the prepared logs and boulders down the hillside.

A deafening roar followed as logs and boulders rolled down the mountain like tigers descending a mountain, sending screams of agony filling the air. Many bandits were knocked to the ground, their cries of pain echoing through the air.

Seeing the situation was turning against him, the bandit Ma realized he had fallen into Lin Qin's trap. Enraged, he pointed at Lin Qin and cursed, "You bitch! How dare you scheme against me! When I catch you, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

Lin Qin sneered, took a barrel of oil from the carriage, and poured it at the bandits, instantly igniting a fire.

The raging fire instantly trapped the bandits, and screams and pleas for mercy filled the air, along with the smell of burning flesh.

Seeing this, Zhu Ling quickly returned to Lin Qin's side, shielding her behind him, her tone tinged with reproach: "You're taking too much risks. What if you hurt yourself?"

Lin Qin felt a warmth in her heart, but she pretended to be relaxed and said, "I'm perfectly fine, aren't I? Besides, I'm going to be the Queen of the Countryside, what's a little scene like this? Moreover, my wisdom is top-notch, I'd be doing a disservice to my transmigrator status if I didn't completely outwit these bandits!"

Looking at Lin Qin's bright smile, all of Zhu Ling's worries vanished instantly, replaced by deep love and pride.

His little princess is indeed extraordinary.

He held Lin Qin's hand tightly, his eyes filled with tenderness, "Leave these things to me from now on, you just need to take good care of yourself."

Looking into his resolute eyes, Lin Qin felt a surge of sweetness in her heart. She winked playfully and said, "Alright then, from now on I'll be responsible for being beautiful, and you'll be responsible for fighting and killing."

The two smiled at each other. The soldiers around them looked at them with admiration and envy. They had never expected that the princess was not only brave and resourceful, but also so loving with the prince.

Just then, General Wu rushed over and said anxiously, "Your Highness, Your Highness, our soldiers..."

General Wu, his face filled with anxiety, pointed to the scene of wailing and lamentation not far away, and said in a heavy tone, "Your Highness, Your Highness, many of our brothers have been wounded, and a lot of supplies have been damaged..."

Lin Qin looked in the direction General Wu was pointing and saw many soldiers lying on the ground groaning in pain, with bandages and medicines scattered all over the ground, soaked in blood.

Several sacks filled with grain were also slashed by swords, and the grain was scattered all over the ground, looking particularly glaring in the dust.

The air was filled with the stench of blood and moldy grain, making one want to vomit.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

Now is not the time to wallow in sorrow; she must find a way to resolve her current predicament as soon as possible.

"General Wu, how are the wounded?" Lin Qin asked in a deep voice, her gaze firm.

"Your Highness, there are more than a dozen seriously injured people, and countless others with minor injuries." General Wu's voice trembled slightly, clearly shocked by the tragic scene before him.

"Gather the wounded first. Give the minor injuries a simple bandage, and the seriously injured..." Lin Qin paused, her gaze falling on the scattered supplies on the ground, and an idea flashed through her mind.

"For those who are seriously injured, first clean the wound with strong liquor, then bandage it with a clean cloth."

“Strong liquor? Your Highness, this…” General Wu hesitated. He had never heard of using strong liquor to clean wounds before.

"Do as I say!" Lin Qin's tone left no room for argument. "The situation is urgent now, we can't worry about anything else."

Zhu Ling looked at Lin Qin's calm and decisive demeanor and felt a deep sense of admiration.

He knew that his queen was about to do something "earth-shattering and awe-inspiring" again.

Lin Qin took some planks, nails, and ropes from the carriage and began to get busy.

She nailed the planks together to make a simple shield, and then tied sharp iron nails to the shield.

"Your Highness, what are you doing..." General Wu looked at Lin Qin's actions with a puzzled expression.

"This is an upgraded version of the spiked club, to give the bandits a little surprise," Lin Qin explained while she was busy working.

"A spiked club? That's a pretty imposing name!" Zhu Ling looked at the "spiked club" in Lin Qin's hand with great interest.

Lin Qin made several "wolf's tooth clubs" and used the remaining wooden planks and iron nails to make simple chevaux-de-frise, which were placed on both sides of the road to form a simple defensive fortification.

After finishing all this, Lin Qin clapped her hands, looked at her "masterpiece," and nodded in satisfaction.

"Hehe, let these robbers taste the power of modern technology!"

"Your Highness, you are truly... a genius!" General Wu exclaimed, looking at Lin Qin's "masterpiece".

Just then, Ma the bandit led his remaining men up again, and were taken aback when they saw the defensive fortifications in front of them.

"What the hell is this?"

Lin Qin sneered, picked up a spiked club, and threw it at the bandit leading the charge.

"Here's a little gift for you!"

The spiked club struck the robber squarely in the chest, and the sharp iron nails instantly pierced his body. The robber screamed and fell to the ground.

"Brothers, charge! Don't be scared by these bastards!" the bandit Ma roared in exasperation.

The bandits launched another attack, but Lin Qin's "masterpiece" was unexpectedly sturdy, and no matter how the bandits hacked and slashed, they could not break through it.

"What's going on? How can these broken wooden planks be so hard?" The bandit leader Ma looked at the unmoving defensive fortifications, his mind filled with doubt.

"Looks like I'll have to pull out all the stops..." Lin Qin's lips curled into a sly smile as she took one from the carriage...

Lin Qin took a strangely shaped device from the carriage—a simple flamethrower made of bamboo tubes and leather bags.

"Try my flamethrower!" Lin Qin pressed the switch, and a fire dragon instantly shot out, rushing straight towards the bandits.

"Ah! What kind of sorcery is this!" The bandits were terrified and fled in all directions.

"Brothers, charge! Burn these damned bandits to death!" General Wu's morale soared upon seeing this, and he led his soldiers in a fierce battle.

Under Lin Qin's flamethrower and the soldiers' valiant fighting, the bandits were routed, abandoning their armor and fleeing in disarray.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the bandit Ma disregarded all pride and fled with his tail between his legs.

"We won! We won!" The soldiers cheered, the joy of surviving a disaster filling the air.

Lin Qin and Zhu Ling exchanged a smile, their hearts filled with a sense of accomplishment.

After a period of rest, Lin Qin and the others continued to escort relief supplies towards the disaster-stricken areas.

Along the way, they witnessed the cruel scenes of famine: cracked fields, barren of everything; collapsed houses, a scene of utter devastation; and emaciated, ragged victims.

"Your Highness, look..." General Wu pointed to a little girl in tattered clothes in front of him, his voice choked with emotion.

The little girl was curled up by the roadside, thin and bony, with empty eyes, like a walking corpse.

Lin Qin was deeply touched. She walked up to the little girl, knelt down, and gently asked, "Little sister, what's your name?"

The little girl didn't answer; she just stared blankly at Lin Qin, her eyes devoid of any light.

Lin Qin took some food and water from the carriage and handed them to the little girl, saying, "Have something to eat."

The little girl hesitated for a moment, but eventually took the food and began to wolf it down.

Looking at the little girl, Lin Qin's eyes welled up with tears.

She knew that this famine had brought immense suffering to the people, and she was determined to do everything in her power to help the victims overcome their difficulties.

Finally, they arrived at a small town on the edge of the famine-stricken region.

The scene in the town was equally shocking: houses collapsed, streets deserted, with only a few stray dogs foraging for food.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, let's rest here for a while," General Wu suggested.

"Okay." Lin Qin nodded, but her heart was filled with worry.

She knew that the real challenge had just begun.

Just then, a soldier rushed over, shouting, "Report! Your Highness, Your Highness, something terrible has happened!"

"What happened?" Zhu Ling asked in a deep voice.

"The imperial court... the imperial court..." The soldier gasped for breath, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.

"What's wrong with the imperial court?" A sense of foreboding rose in Lin Qin's heart.

The soldier took a deep breath. "The imperial court... the imperial court has an censor impeaching the princess, saying that the princess's motives for disaster relief are impure!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Qin and Zhu Ling's expressions changed drastically...