Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

Half a month later, the second prince of Chu led a delegation to Jinling and presented a letter of state, formally proposing to annul the marriage alliance between the two countries on the grounds that the crown prince of Rui had been distant from him and that the couple's relationship had broken down.

The letter of divorce, written in Xiao Ce's own handwriting, was presented to the Chu envoy by Emperor Liang three times. Emperor Liang was certain that it was indeed Xiao Ce's handwriting. With the Chu envoy's letter in front of him and his firm stance, and considering that Emperor Liang had previously inquired about Xiao Ce's attitude and found him to be indifferent, Emperor Liang hesitated for a long time before finally agreeing to Chu's request and dissolving the marriage alliance between the two countries.

The moment Ling Xi received the official letter bearing the imperial seal of Liang, her heart, which had been pounding for days, finally began to relax. With this official letter finalized, the marriage alliance between the two countries was null and void. Coupled with the divorce agreement personally written by Xiao Ce in her hand, she and Xiao Ce were no longer nominally bound together.

She leaned back in the pavilion chair, her fingers gently stroking the fur of the white cat in her arms, and a sense of unease welled up in her heart again.

Xiao Ce was completely unaware of everything when he left Jinling. If he returned to Jinling and found out that she had dissolved the marriage with a divorce agreement, I wonder what his reaction would be.

She gently stroked her flat stomach again. She hadn't figured out what to do with the baby yet. It had been three months, and her parents and brother still didn't know the baby existed.

The kitten seemed to sense her unease and tugged at her sleeve with its paw. She looked at the vast, empty courtyard and felt a sudden emptiness in her heart.

"Princess."

"Wushuang? What brings you here?"

After she returned safely to Jicheng, she originally planned to set up a room in her own courtyard to settle Wushuang, but unexpectedly, her brother sent someone to take Wushuang back the very next day.

Wushuang thought she would return to Jinling in two or three months at most. Thinking it was better to avoid trouble, she simply continued to hide her background and stay in the Huan Prince's mansion. She felt that she was more at ease as before. However, she did not expect that Prince Heng would transfer her back to Qingyu Courtyard.

Ling Xi raised her hand to soothe the kitten rubbing against her lap, then looked at Wu Shuang, her brows still furrowed with lingering worry.

"I came to ask the princess when we should set off to return to Jinling. I received a letter from my mother the other day, in which my brother is scheduled to marry Miss Yang in the autumn, and I am told not to delay the time."

Wushuang gets straight to the point, never engaging in unnecessary formalities.

Ling Xi paused, realizing she hadn't told Wu Shuang yet. She had hesitated to speak of it before because the divorce was still undecided; now that she had the official letter, it was time to tell her the truth.

"Wushuang... I'm sorry, there's something I haven't told you yet. Jinling, I'm not going back. I... I've already divorced Xiao Ce."

Ling Xi's gaze fell slowly onto the lotus pond outside the pavilion, her expression calm and revealing no trace of joy or anger.

"Divorce? When did that happen?"

Wushuang's brows furrowed suddenly, filled with astonishment.

"The letter of state that the Chu envoy just received today renders the marriage alliance null and void. From now on, the Liang and Chu states will only need to engage in trade and mutually beneficial exchanges."

"Princess...why do you want to divorce Prince Xiao?"

Wushuang looked puzzled, and for the first time, she showed such a stunned expression.

Ling Xi only briefly recounted how Xiao Ce and Mu Wanning had harmed their elder brother. Wu Shuang remained silent for a long time before finally nodding slightly.

"Since it is a decision made after careful consideration by the princess, it is good as long as the princess has thought it through."

Wushuang couldn't utter any comforting words; what she said was only what she thought.

"Is Wushuang worried about how to bring this up with her brother?"

Seeing that Wushuang's brows were still furrowed, Ling Xi asked softly.

"Um."

"If you don't want to reveal your true identity to my brother, there is a way."

Ling Xi stroked the docile kitten in her arms and slowly made a suggestion.

"I'll find an excuse to borrow you in a few days, then you can leave quietly. After you leave, I'll talk to my brother."

After a moment's thought, Wushuang decided that this method was feasible and immediately bowed in respect.

"Thank you, Princess."

"Princess, the Princess has sent someone to invite you to the outer hall."

Pei Lan strode into the pavilion. Ling Xi's fingertips paused on the white cat's fur as she looked up and asked:

"Did Mother say what it was about?"

"Just now, I heard from Granny Li that it was Madam Yang and Miss Yang who came to visit."

"The Yang family? The Yang family, the chief minister's family?"

"Indeed! I heard that the Prince and Princess intend to form a marriage alliance with the Yang family. Madam Yang has specially brought Miss Yang as a guest today, and by the way, let Miss Yang meet our young master."

Perrin spoke in a low voice, his eyes filled with joy.

"My brother's here too?"

Ling Xi's heart stirred, and she turned to look at Wushuang beside her. She saw that Wushuang's expression was calm and serene, just like always.

"Yes! The young master is already in the front hall. Miss Yang is naturally reserved since this is her first visit, so the princess specially sent Li Mama to invite the princess to accompany her."

Ling Xi casually gathered her skirt, picked up the white cat, and handed it to Wushuang.

"Wushuang, help me take Wutong back to my brother. I'm going to the front hall first."

"it is good."

Ling Xi quickly walked towards the outer hall. Wu Shuang was still standing in the pavilion, turning around and gazing at Ling Xi's departing figure for a long time. The soft black cat in her arms rubbed against the back of her hand and let out a soft meow.

Wutong is Ling Heng's cat. Wushuang has lived in Qingyu Courtyard for many years, and it is closer to her than Ling Xi.

Wushuang gently stroked its fluffy white fur with her fingertips, her eyes darkening slightly. After a moment, she carried Wutong away from the pavilion.

When Ling Heng returned to Qingyu Courtyard, he could see the figure by the stone table in the corner of the courtyard from afar. Wushuang rested one hand on the edge of the table, while the other hand gently stroked Wutong. Wutong lay curled up on the stone surface, its eyes narrowed, its whole body relaxed, enjoying the moment peacefully.

A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves in the courtyard, casting dappled shadows; the courtyard was quiet and still.

Ling Heng stood still for a moment, his brows furrowed, his gaze falling on the person and the cat by the stone table. After hesitating for a moment, he slowly stepped forward.

Upon hearing footsteps, Wushuang immediately looked up, her hand stroking Wutong paused slightly, and Wutong lazily lifted her eyelids before curling back into place.

"Your Highness."

Wushuang immediately stood up. Wutong suddenly lost the warmth in her palm, flicked her tail in dissatisfaction, and meowed softly.

Ling Heng stared intently at her for a moment, his expression calm, before speaking softly:

"Come to my study."

Looking at the prince's lonely back, Wushuang's brows gradually furrowed. On the second day after returning to the Huan Prince's mansion, the prince transferred her from the princess's courtyard back to Qingyu Courtyard. She originally thought that the prince had some important task to assign to her, but not only did he not have any task, but he also had Qingyun and Arno serving as his guards on weekdays.

For a whole month, she idled away her time in Qingyu Courtyard, just like the days when she first returned to the Qin Mansion.

She lowered her eyes, sighed silently, and quickly followed. Seeing her leave, Wu Tong immediately jumped down from the stone table, its tail held high and taut, its rump bobbing as it quietly followed behind Wu Shuang.

The study door was open, and she stepped lightly across the threshold. She was quite familiar with Ling Heng's study; she and Qingyun could usually come and go as they pleased.