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

Chapter 15: Heartbreaking?

"My lord."

Gu Mingshuang came to her senses and felt flustered for the first time.

She suppressed her embarrassment and hastily performed the proper greeting.

She was quite surprised when she thought about the rumors she had heard on the way.

It is said that Duke Anguo lived an extremely extravagant life as soon as he returned to the capital, relying on his military achievements.

He often spent lavishly on things like repairing horse farms and expanding hunting grounds, frequently mobilizing hundreds of craftsmen. Even the royal gardens had to give way to him in terms of manpower.

How could someone like that be forging iron here himself?

She glanced at him again secretly. Qin Mo was much younger than she had imagined. She had originally thought that the Duke of Anguo should be nearing middle age.

Oh right, how could she forget? The old lady of the Qin family had once said that this eldest grandson was about six years older than her.

At that moment, he stood up straight and she saw the lines on his abdomen; her face flushed red again.

Gu Mingshuang quickly lowered her head.

After a moment of silence, a lazy voice came.

"Why are you standing so far away? Are you afraid I'll eat you?"

His tone was still stern and cold, but with a hint of roguishness.

But Qin Mo's roguish air carried a chilling aura that seemed to have emerged from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

It sends a chill down one's spine.

Seeing that she was still standing there in a daze, Qin Mo stopped what he was doing and straightened his back. The clear muscle texture of his side waist was obscured by his belt.

It exudes strength and power.

Gu Mingshuang dared not look any longer, but had no choice but to bite the bullet and take two steps forward.

Only then did she notice that there was another person tied up next to the stove.

The man's hands and feet were bound, and his body was covered with whip marks and burns, with bright red blood flowing onto the floor tiles.

The screams just now must have come from him!

A bodyguard stepped forward and bowed, saying:

"Sir, the coachman confessed that he tampered with the carriage, and he claims that no one instructed him to do so."

Qin Mo chuckled lightly, and with just a flick of his finger, the guards immediately dragged the coachman away.

Gu Mingshuang was shocked; this was the person who had attacked the carriage!

She had discovered the problem with the carriage earlier and had it disintegrate smoothly at the gate.

Seeing the bloodstains on the floor tiles, her heart skipped a beat, and she thought of the rumors about Qin Mo.

He was not only bloodthirsty but also incredibly cruel. If you fell into his hands, you would wish you were dead!

In the brief moment she was distracted, the man by the fireplace had already walked up to her.

The scalding heat made the burning sensation on her face even more intense.

Gu Mingshuang instinctively stepped back, but a large hand blocked her at her lower back.

"Why are you running away? Weren't you incredibly bold last time when you dismantled my carriage?"

Gu Mingshuang was so frightened that she forgot about the large hand on her lower back. Her face turned pale, and she blurted out:

"What?"

Qin Mo didn't speak, his peach blossom eyes revealing neither joy nor anger as he indifferently swept his gaze over the woman before him.

She looks tough, yet she has such a slender body.

Even wrapped in such a simple dress, she still looks exceptionally graceful.

He glanced at her, then deftly released her hand the next moment, as if he had just coldly stopped her.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Gu Mingshuang took a step away from her, seemingly without offending her, but rather as if she disliked him.

Startled, she looked up and met Qin Mo's unfathomable peach blossom eyes.

Gu Mingshuang paused for a moment, then quickly looked away, forcing herself to calm down, and began to explain:

"Your Excellency misunderstands. That carriage had already been tampered with. If I hadn't touched it, it would have disintegrated at its highest speed."

Qin Mo narrowed his eyes slightly, his lazy voice carrying a hint of his usual chill.

"You're right... I guess I should thank you."

Gu Mingshuang calmed herself down and continued:

"You flatter me, Your Excellency."

As she spoke, she handed over the small brocade box in her hand.

"I offended the Duke at the lotus viewing banquet, and I have come today to apologize. This is my sincere intention."

Qin Mo did not reach out.

"Do you know how the things Song Linyuan brought last time got out?"

Gu Mingshuang lowered her head and calmly said:

"This humble woman is different from him; I will only bring things that are useful to the Duke."

After a moment of silence, Qin Mo reached out and took the brocade box.

His eyes flickered slightly after he opened it.

"You think you can make me admit defeat just because you drew a carriage blueprint?"

Gu Mingshuang slowly opened her mouth and said:

"My lord, this carriage is not only sturdy, but some of the blueprints are still incomplete, allowing for the placement of crossbows inside. From the outside, there is no sign of anything unusual about it."

Qin Mo suddenly reached out and pinched Gu Mingshuang's chin.

"You want me to acquire lethal weapons in Kyoto? You dare say that!"

Gu Mingshuang was suddenly restrained, and she clenched her fingers in fright.

Forced to look up and meet his gaze, her heart tightened for a moment as she looked into his dark eyes.

"This humble woman is acting in the best interests of the Duke."

Qin Mo looked at Gu Mingshuang's fair skin, which appeared even whiter after being stained with the black ash from his fingertips.

At this moment, a very faint fragrance lingered around my nose.

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

The darkness in his eyes deepened.

"Okay, I'll take it."

But his hand hadn't let go yet.

Gu Mingshuang's chin was pinched painfully, and she subconsciously stood on tiptoe.

However, the pressure on his chin dissipated the next moment.

She stumbled and almost fell into the man's arms!

When she touched the man's firm chest, her face immediately turned bright red.

She seemed to have burned her hands and quickly stepped back.

"Since Your Excellency has accepted the apology gift, then I will not trouble you any further..."

Qin Mo raised his eyes coldly.

"Did I let you leave?"

Gu Mingshuang was so startled that she stopped in her tracks.

"Is there anything else you need, Your Excellency?"

Qin Mo slowly took the outer robe from Jian Ying's hand and lazily put it on.

"You know about crossbows?"

Gu Mingshuang didn't understand his meaning, but still spoke up:

"He only knows the basics."

Qin Mo's lips curled slightly as he glanced at the sword shadow.

"Go and fetch my crossbow."

Sword Shadow paused for a moment before turning around.

He simply couldn't understand what his master was doing!

Soon, Qin Mo led Gu Mingshuang up to the pavilion behind him.

Gu Mingshuang followed suspiciously and immediately spotted Song Linyuan pacing back and forth outside the courtyard gate.

Qin Mo suddenly took the bow and aimed it at Song Linyuan outside the door.

Gu Mingshuang's expression hardened, and she blurted out:

"My lord!"

Qin Mo's eyelids twitched slightly, and a layer of anger seemed to suddenly appear in his eyes.

"Feeling sorry for him?"

Gu Mingshuang's face was pale, and she didn't know what to say, but the bow was suddenly handed to her.

Qin Mo's slightly roguish voice rang in her ear.

"If you shoot the brocade box in your husband's hand, the Ningyuan Marquis's offense will be forgiven."

Gu Mingshuang looked up in surprise, but Qin Mo's face showed no sign of joking.

Knowing Qin Mo's decisive nature, Gu Mingshuang composed herself and took the bow.

She drew an arrow, deftly pulled back the string, and aimed it at the brocade box in Song Linyuan's hand.

Just then, a large hand landed on the bow and pulled it taut with her strength.

Gu Mingshuang's heart skipped a beat. If that force had been off by even half an inch, Song Linyuan would have been dead without a doubt!

Qin Mo's piercing voice was in her ear.

"Make sure you look carefully."

Gu Mingshuang frowned and adjusted her direction.

whoosh-

The arrow's fletching grazed Song Linyuan's earlobe before piercing the brocade box.

"what!"

A scream rang out.

Song Linyuan stumbled and fell into the pool.

wow-

Only after the guards pulled him out did he realize that it was Duke Anguo practicing archery!

He was still shaken; that arrow had been enough to kill him!

He slumped down by the pool, looking utterly dejected, gasping for breath, and incredibly relieved that Ayu hadn't come.

Suddenly the sunlight in front of him was blocked, and Song Linyuan looked up in a panic, only to meet Gu Mingshuang's eyes.

He frowned, his tone carrying the usual reprimand.

"Ming Shuang! Have you angered Duke Anguo again?"

Gu Mingshuang glanced at him coldly without saying a word.

Song Linyuan got up and looked at the brocade box that had fallen to the ground. The feathered arrow on it had almost pierced through the entire box.

Unable to pull out the arrow, he chased after the box, urgently asking:

"The Duke of Anguo holds a high position and wields great power. Your petty cleverness is truly beneath his notice. Go again, kneel down and apologize, and offer this apology gift. Perhaps then..."

Gu Mingshuang glanced at him indifferently.

"Your Highness, why don't you send it yourself?"

Song Linyuan stood there, stunned.

His face froze for a moment when he thought of the arrow that had just been shot at him.

"Ming Shuang, I..."

Gu Mingshuang curled her lips coldly.

"Your Highness dares not?"

Song Linyuan was soaked to the bone, water dripping down his face, making his complexion appear even paler.

He tugged at Gu Mingshuang's sleeve, frowning as he said:

"Mingshuang, I know you're angry, but you promised me you'd protect Ayu."

Gu Mingshuang looked at him and suddenly found it utterly ridiculous.

"What if protecting her costs me my life? Will the Crown Prince exchange her for me?"

Song Linyuan's face froze. He opened his mouth, then turned his face away.

"Mingshuang, if we bring Ayu back, it will only make the Duke angrier, and no one will benefit in the end. It would be better to keep you..."

Gu Mingshuang's nose tingled slightly, and she interrupted him.

"So, I'm the one most suitable to be sacrificed."

Without looking at him again, Gu Mingshuang turned and walked outside.

These words pierced his heart, and Song Linyuan felt a dull pain in his chest.

He wanted to catch up with Gu Mingshuang, but thinking of Ayu's matter, he hesitated for a moment and then turned back to walk towards the courtyard he had just been in.

Upon seeing the sword's shadow, Song Linyuan recognized it as a trusted confidant of the Duke and hurriedly stepped forward, saying:

"My wife comes from a humble background and has a bad temper. She offended the Duke, and I apologize to him on her behalf!"

As he spoke, Song Linyuan handed over the brocade box.

"My wife brought the wrong thing earlier. This is the apology gift that the Marquis's mansion prepared for the Duke..."

Sword Shadow glanced at Song Linyuan and said coldly:

"Master said that he has accepted the apology gift from the Marquis's mansion, and this matter is considered closed. As for the young master's belongings, if he does not take them with him, they will be dealt with in the same way as last time."

Song Linyuan was stunned.

The Duke didn't want his things, but he accepted the apology gift.

That means he accepted the gift from Gu Mingshuang!

He stared at the sword shadow in disbelief and pressed for an answer:

"But there's a mistake?"

Sword Shadow frowned. The warrior, who had fought his way through countless battles, exuded a chilling aura that immediately made Song Linyuan swallow his words and hastily leave.

Sword Shadow returned to the attic.

The master was still standing there, looking at something.

He was stroking the bow he had just used.

"My lord, the young master and his wife have already left."

Qin Mo murmured repeatedly:

"The Crown Princess..."

He frowned, a hint of murderous intent inexplicably rising in his eyes, as he stroked the bowstring.

If that arrow had been just half an inch off, it would have been perfect.

At this moment, there seemed to be a very faint fragrance remaining on the bow.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"His temper is just like when he was a child; he looks quiet, but he's actually more cunning than a fox."

Sword Shadow stared at his master in astonishment.