Even the crown prince is getting a marriage of convenience? Why are you in such a hurry to stop bein

These two were among the few friends of the original owner, and because they shared similar tastes, they could be considered to have a few genuine feelings for each other.

In this marriage, the two of them were the most vocal in their opposition.

Lin Yu pushed Gu Mingheng aside in exasperation and said angrily.

"I told you, Lin Wan'er didn't really want to marry you."

"If she dares to cheat on you today, she might get pregnant tomorrow. You won't be blind to her again this time, will you? If you are, then you, Xiao Lie, will truly become a bastard and can forget about ever showing your face in the capital again."

Xiao Lie was speechless. He did want to get rid of Lin Wan'er, this thorn in his side, but with the emperor over his head, was it really that easy?

He spoke slowly, reminding her, "Miss Lin, this marriage was personally bestowed by His Majesty. No one can get out of this situation without His Majesty's approval."

For a moment, Gu Mingheng and Lin Yu were so shocked that their jaws almost dropped to the ground.

Gu Mingheng stammered, incredulous.

"What do you mean? Did you ask His Majesty to grant you a divorce, but he didn't agree? Why...why is that?"

Lin Yu seemed to have thought of something and let out a cold snort.

"What else could it be? He insisted on the marriage before, and now he's backing out so quickly. Isn't that a slap in the face to the Emperor? Besides, if he really divorces, wouldn't that indirectly confirm the matter? Where would that leave the Third Prince's face? Where would that leave the royal family's face?"

"Perhaps the Emperor will even encourage him to be loving and affectionate with Lin Wan'er?"

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow, staring at Xiao Lie. "Am I right?"

Xiao Lie couldn't help but look at the girl with new respect. This little girl was quite clever; she had guessed most of the emperor's thoughts after hearing only a few words from him.

Seeing Xiao Lie's tacit agreement, Gu Mingheng felt even more disillusioned. "Isn't this just burying your head in the sand? This matter has caused quite a stir, the whole capital knows about it, what's the point of covering it up now?"

"What's the use? Of course, it's to clean up the mess the Third Prince made. No matter how important Xiao Lie is, is he more important than his real son?"

Gu Mingheng found it hard to accept. He had been taught at home to be loyal to patriotism, so he couldn't stand Lin Yu's dismissive words.

He muttered, "His Majesty is known for his kindness and virtue... how could he be such an unfair person? Besides, if His Majesty were biased, why did he do it in the first place..."

He suddenly realized something halfway through his sentence and his eyes widened in surprise.

"You don't mean His Majesty favors the Third Prince and is paving the way for him, do you?"

If the emperor truly favored the third prince, he would naturally not allow him to bear the stigma of having an affair with a subject's wife. Therefore, no matter how big the matter became, the emperor pretended to be deaf and dumb, maintaining an ambiguous attitude and attempting to gloss over the situation.

At this point, Xiao Lie seemed to realize something.

He hadn't thought of this before, but now that he thinks about it, Lin Yu's words seem to make a lot of sense.

"Wait a minute," Gu Mingheng murmured, rubbing his chin and frowning, "But if that happens, wouldn't the Third Prince hate Xiao Lie to death if he were to ascend the throne one day?"

After all, in Jiang Heng's eyes, it wasn't that Xiao Lie had stolen his wife, but that Xiao Lie had stolen his childhood sweetheart. This hatred would only intensify over time. Even if Jiang Heng was indifferent to him and the Xiao family now, things might not be so in the future.

Xiao Lie narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing a deep malice in those few words.

Is the old emperor determined not to let them go? Even if he kicks the bucket, he still has to choose another successor to carry on his legacy.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the private room fell silent. Gu Mingheng and Lin Yu exchanged a glance, not daring to say another word.

Seeing the atmosphere freeze, Gu Mingheng immediately gave an awkward smile.

"Hehehe, we were just talking nonsense, don't take it to heart."

"Yes, yes." Lin Yu was taken aback, then realized what was happening and quickly echoed, trying to laugh it off and brush it off.

Xiao Lie feigned a relaxed smile, but a dark glint flashed in his eyes.

Suddenly, the commotion on the street caught their attention.

A beautiful young woman with a sorrowful expression was being blocked by several noble ladies.

Shen Qinglan took a step back and frowned.

"Princess, I have other matters to attend to today, so I won't be able to reminisce with you."

She lifted her foot to leave, but was stopped by Meng Yue. Shen Qinglan's maidservant, standing to the side, blushed slightly and couldn't help but scold her softly.

"Princess, what exactly do you want to do?"

"What?" Meng Yue narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, then suddenly sneered, "You dare to question my actions, you lowly servant? Guards, open your mouths thirty times!"

Thirty lashes, and that maid's face will be ruined for days. As the saying goes, even when hitting someone, you have to consider their owner.

Seeing that Meng Yue's maids had indeed surrounded her, Shen Qinglan's expression suddenly turned fierce as she glared at them.

"How dare you! Do you think I, a mere maidservant of the Princess Consort, deserve to be disciplined by you?"

She raised her voice, "Princess, I have been tolerant of you because you are the Prince's cousin, but don't push your luck. As the Princess Consort of Kang, my status is no lower than yours. If I were to file a complaint before the Emperor, you would not be able to get away with it."

The woman's face was cold and her gaze frosty. Her sudden sternness was quite intimidating, causing the several noble ladies to hesitate. Meng Yue's face flushed red with rage.

"You barren hen, how dare you yell at me, the princess?"

"Ha, if it weren't for the fact that you're listed in the royal register and can't be easily divorced, my cousin would have divorced you long ago!"

Shen Qingge's face turned pale, and she suddenly clenched her fist. The two of them, mistress and servant, stood alone in front of this group of hateful noble ladies, looking rather pitiful.

Upon seeing this, Lin Yu frowned slightly, her face showing disgust.

"It's really pitiful for Princess Kang to have a cousin like Meng Yue. She loves Prince Kang but can't marry into his household, so she thinks of taking it out on the Princess. Unfortunately, Prince Kang is a person who can't distinguish right from wrong."

After a moment's thought, Xiao Lie understood.

The marriage between Prince Kang and Princess Kang was secured by Prince Kang's birth mother, Consort Xian, and was personally bestowed by the Emperor; it should have been a match made in heaven. However, Jiang Heng loved someone else and was forced into marriage, which led to his cold and hostile attitude towards Princess Kang.

Not only did he treat Princess Kang coldly and isolated her at home, but he also pretended not to know when Meng Yue repeatedly made things difficult for him outside. He would even deliberately take sides when things escalated, warning Princess Kang to behave herself.

As time went on, Shen Qinglan became increasingly taciturn, while Meng Yue, believing she had her cousin's backing, became increasingly smug and determined to drive this woman, whom her cousin disliked, away from his side so that she could take her place.

But she forgot that although the Meng family held a hereditary title and was deeply favored by the Emperor, it was merely an empty shell, appearing respectable and noble. The Meng family had virtually no power in the court this generation. Since the Consort Xian wanted to help the Third Prince ascend the throne, no matter how selective she was, she would not choose the Meng family.

Meng Yue was completely unaware of this. Instead, she was furious that a woman whose status, family background, and position were inferior to hers had taken her place. She wanted to suppress her at every turn and make her own marriage possible.