I just got divorced, and this cold, ruthless, and powerful minister is begging for a third child eve

Taking advantage of the quiet between thunderclaps, he took out the Lu Ban ruler hidden in his sleeve and pointed it at an inconspicuous spot.

The tip of the ruler gently pressed into the brick joint, and with a swift flick of the wrist, as if something had been moved, the wall emitted a low, muffled sound.

She quickly put away the ruler, stood up, and took a half-step back.

She glanced at the wall, then left with Lingxiang.

Back at Qingwu Garden, a clap of thunder was followed by a deafening roar, and then the crisp sound of bricks and tiles shattering!

Lingxiang was startled by the sound and turned to look in the direction of Shou'an Hall.

Screams echoed continuously from Shou'an Hall.

"Something's happened! Something's happened!"

Lingxiang listened to the discussion at the door for a while, then immediately ran back to look at her young lady.

"Girl! It was you just now..."

Gu Mingshuang gently tapped Lingxiang's nose.

"This has nothing to do with your daughter; it's just that some people have done too many bad things."

Lingxiang burst out laughing.

"Girl! That was so satisfying!"

As she spoke, she asked nervously:

"Miss, what about the lady and the others?"

Gu Mingshuang knew her concerns and said:

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. No one will die. If Meng dies at this critical juncture, not only will I not be able to get a divorce, but I'll also have to wear mourning clothes for her."

Lingxiang felt extremely disgusted at the thought of that scene.

Then, she hurriedly walked towards the gate of the courtyard.

"This servant will go and spread the word!"

Although the courtyard gate was locked, the servants and women guarding the gate kept gossiping.

"Half of Shou'an Hall collapsed! And it was precisely the half where the Old Madam and her aunt lived! Everyone else was completely unharmed!"

"I heard that the old lady and her aunt were dug out from the chamber pot, covered in filth! The kitchen is urgently boiling water!"

Lingxiang suppressed a laugh and said softly to the outside:

"If you do too many bad things, who knows if you'll be struck by lightning? What goes around comes around! No one escapes the wrath of Heaven!"

Soon, the rumors became increasingly bizarre.

at this time.

Exhausted, Song Linyuan stood amidst the ruins of Shou'an Hall, directing his servants to dig out his mother's precious medicinal herbs and jewelry.

Suddenly, a servant covered his nose and dug out a medicine packet from the corner.

"Your Highness! Something terrible has happened! The Old Madam's medicine has been smashed into the chamber pot!"

Song Linyuan's vision went black.

"What?"

The servant hurriedly handed over the medicine packet.

The stench made Song Linyuan stagger.

He hurriedly said:

"They're all soaked and rotten, how can we use them? Go get another batch!"

The servant said awkwardly:

"Your Highness, this medicine costs five hundred taels..."

Song Linyuan choked, only then remembering that these were all medicinal herbs that Gu Mingshuang had pawned as jewelry to buy back, and they were extremely precious!

Hearing his mother's painful groans from inside the warm room, he didn't have time to think further and frowned, saying:

"Go! Wash these herbs first, and we'll make do for the night!"

Soon, a bowl of medicine with a distinct flavor was placed to Meng's lips.

She groggily covered her forehead.

"Yuan'er, is there a mistake in the kitchen?"

Song Linyuan comforted him, saying:

"Mother, the medicine is only slightly soiled. The doctor checked and it won't affect its efficacy. Please use some first to relieve your pain."

Smelling the unpleasant odor, Meng opened her mouth at her son's words.

After drinking the medicine, Madam Meng gagged and said:

"Yuan'er, I really can't drink this medicine. Please have someone expedite the preparation of some more."

Thinking back to these medicines, when Gu Mingshuang used to send them to the Marquis's mansion, there were always extras, and they had to be combined with warming and nourishing herbs to reduce the harmful side effects of the medicines.

Even without Gu Mingshuang, the cost of medicine alone would be enough to overwhelm him, and Song Linyuan's face flushed.

He placed the medicine bowl heavily on the small table in front of the bed.

"Mother, is Mingshuang really treating you so badly?"

Meng froze for a moment before looking away.

"Yuan'er, did Madam Gu say something to you again?"

Seeing his expression, Meng frowned and said:

"Yuan'er, my biggest regret is that you were left to wander outside since you were a child and were raised by the Gu family to have such a terrible personality."

"The heritage of a distinguished family cannot be squandered with money, do you understand?"

Song Linyuan suddenly stood up.

"But Mother, without taking care of the family, I would have starved to death on the streets of Qingzhou!"

Meng choked, her expression changing drastically.

"What exactly did she say to you?"

Song Linyuan felt a tightness in his chest and turned to walk outside.

"Mother, please rest well. I still have things to take care of..."

Watching Song Linyuan flee as if he were running away, Madam Meng raised her hand and swept the medicine bowl away, shattering it into pieces.

Song Linyuan walked out of Shou'an Hall with his head down.

Thinking back to what his elder sister had just told him, he must keep Gu Mingshuang's dowry.

He felt a chill in the Marquis's residence, even though it was summer.

"cousin."

He stopped when Xie Lanyu's voice rang out.

Xie Lanyu stepped forward and handed over a box.

"Cousin, this is my dowry. Take it and pawn it to buy medicine for Mother. I won't need much of it in the future."

Song Linyuan's eyes showed even more heartache, and he reached out to stop him.

"Need not."

Xie Lanyu lowered her head.

"Cousin, go and keep your sister-in-law company. She built Shou'an Hall, and now that it's collapsed, she's more heartbroken than anyone else."

Song Linyuan's brow twitched slightly.

"What did you say?"

Xie Lanyu looked up at him.

"Cousin, she'll definitely be sad."

Song Linyuan frowned.

"Yes, she was the one who sent people to renovate Shou'an Hall..."

Xie Lanyu bowed her head in greeting.

"Cousin, it's getting late, I need to go see Mother, so I'll take my leave now."

Xie Lanyu left carrying the lantern, her silhouette appearing even more slender in the candlelight.

Song Linyuan stood still, a thought lingering in his mind.

A moment later, he summoned the butler.

"Regarding the renovation of the Marquis's residence, I need to know what the Heir Apparent's wife did, who she met, how much money she spent, and how long it will take to find out."

The butler quickly said:

"It will take at least two days to investigate these matters."

Song Linyuan nodded.

"Get it done right away!"

After the person left, Song Linyuan sat behind his desk in silence for a long time.

When he came to his senses, he realized that he was holding the jade pendant in his hand.

On the day Gu Mingshuang came of age, she personally tied this jade pendant around his waist; it was a token of their engagement.

Suddenly, many old memories flooded his mind, mixed with the image of the girl's increasingly radiant face, smiling as she called out to him.

Suddenly, a thought popped into his mind.

Even if Gu Mingshuang really turns the Marquis's mansion upside down, as long as she is willing to behave herself, he is still willing to support her for life.

That night, Song Linyuan tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

It wasn't until dawn that Song Linyuan, with bruises in his eyes, arrived at the entrance of Qingwu Garden.

Gu Mingshuang wore a light blue dress today, without any hairpins or hair ornaments. Her hair was simply tied into a bun and secured with a wooden hairpin.

Such simple decorations made her already radiant face appear even more refined.

Song Linyuan was stunned for a moment.

Gu Mingshuang looked at him.

"Should we set off now?"

Although she appeared calm, she was somewhat apprehensive about going to the Duke of Anguo's mansion to see that person today.

Song Linyuan watched as her elegant skirt swept across the bluestone pavement, light and graceful, like the wind.

He felt a mix of emotions, pursed his lips, and turned to follow.

We can talk to her about other things later; the most important thing today is to go and apologize.

As he spoke, he noticed that Gu Mingshuang was holding a small brocade box in her hand.

"Mingshuang, what is this?"

Gu Mingshuang weighed the things in her hand and said casually:

"Apologetic gift".

Song Linyuan's face stiffened, and he said:

"Mingshuang, where is the precious gift you prepared?"

Gu Mingshuang ignored her and turned to look out the window.

"That's all, I think it's enough."

She only cares about money! She doesn't care about his future at all! Song Linyuan's tone became a bit harsher.

"Mingshuang, I'm talking to you."

Gu Mingshuang did not turn around.

"I don't want to hear any more of this."

Song Linyuan frowned.

He has always put her first in everything, but she is still not satisfied.

The carriage lurched, and Song Linyuan instinctively reached out to grab her, but Gu Mingshuang moved away from him first.

Song Linyuan's hand remained suspended in mid-air for a while before finally resting it on his knee.

Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the carriage curtains, falling on Gu Mingshuang's bright profile, and Song Linyuan was slightly lost in thought.

His anger inexplicably dissipated, leaving behind only a sense of powerlessness.

He seemed to have no idea whatsoever about the woman he had been with for ten years.

Thinking of his business, he glanced at the small box in Gu Mingshuang's hand and was quite displeased. He then sent someone to buy some precious medicinal herbs before heading to the Duke of Anguo's mansion.

"Your Highness, we have arrived at the Duke of Anguo's residence!"

Song Linyuan came to his senses, only to see that she had jumped off the carriage first.

"Ming Shuang, you mustn't be impolite here."

Song Linyuan turned his head and saw Gu Mingshuang walking briskly toward the gate of the Duke of Anguo's mansion.

Song Linyuan's face turned pale, and he chased after them.

"Ming Shuang! Wait at the door for the summons!"

But the next moment, Song Linyuan's expression stiffened.

He hadn't even caught up to the steps when he saw the gate open!

The guards who came out led Gu Mingshuang inside.

Song Linyuan froze.

The last time he came back, not only did he not enter the house, but all the gifts he brought were thrown out.

Later, after making inquiries, he learned that what Duke Anguo truly wanted was for the instigator of that farce to be handed over.

They tentatively brought Gu Mingshuang along, and it turned out to be true.

Thinking of Duke Anguo's tyrannical nature, he frowned uneasyly.

Fortunately, I didn't listen to Ayu. If I had brought her here to confess, the little girl would probably have fainted from fright by now.

Composing himself, Song Linyuan quickly followed.

However, after turning a few corners, the guards led the two to a courtyard gate.

Clanging sounds kept coming from inside, mixed with screams.

Song Linyuan's face was pale, and he could almost smell the blood.

Sword Shadow turned his head, looked at the two of them, and said:

"The master has given the order: only one person should be seen."

Song Linyuan, his face pale, hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands and pleaded:

"Could you please make an exception? I brought my wife here to apologize."

Gu Mingshuang bypassed Song Linyuan and went forward first.

"No need for that, I'll go in myself."

A look of surprise flashed in Jianying's eyes. He hadn't expected that this Crown Princess would be so extraordinary.

He had been by the master's side for many years and had never seen a woman dare to go in after hearing such a noise on her first visit!

He glanced again at Song Linyuan's white fingers clutching the brocade box, said nothing more, and led Gu Mingshuang toward the courtyard gate.

Song Linyuan hurriedly handed over the box in his hand.

"Ming Shuang! Bring an apology gift!"

He was genuinely afraid that Gu Mingshuang would anger the Duke of Anguo by using something that was not respectable.

She'll suffer then!

But Gu Mingshuang ignored her and pushed open the courtyard gate.

The courtyard gate quickly closed behind her, and as Song Linyuan heard the sound of the lock clicking shut, he felt a mix of emotions.

He wanted to knock on the door, but his raised hand stopped.

However, Gu Mingshuang stood still, her eyes wide open.

His usually composed expression froze.

In the center of the courtyard, a shirtless man stood by the stove.

He held a hammer in his hand and was hammering down the red-hot iron bar one blow at a time.

Sweat streamed down his handsome, sharply defined face, along his shoulder blades, and onto his back, where old and new wounds overlapped, and his lower abdomen…

A gaze swept over her, and Gu Mingshuang abruptly lowered her head, feeling her cheeks burning intensely...