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

Madam Liang straightened her expression, sighed softly, and said:

"I know you're a very perceptive girl, and I won't hide it from you. Nowadays, no one in the Liang family can live up to the glory of their ancestors, and they're almost losing their voice in the Ministry of Works."

"If we can acquire the Duke of Anguo's garden this time, it will be a great help to the Liang family..."

Not long after, as Gu Mingshuang left Madam Liang's courtyard, she saw Song Lanfang waiting at the intersection.

Song Lanfang looked at Gu Mingshuang with a wary expression, and when she saw that the maid Lingxiang was carrying a lot of expensive gifts, her face turned even more unpleasant.

"Gu Mingshuang, what kind of spell did you cast on the old lady? Why is she being so nice to you?"

Gu Mingshuang didn't want to pay any attention to Song Lanfang and turned around to walk past her.

Song Lanfang relentlessly pursued her.

"I'm talking to you! And why am I hearing today that you were the one who saved my marriage?"

Gu Mingshuang stopped and glanced at Song Lanfang.

"So what if it is?"

Song Lanfang's face turned ashen.

"I don't need your help!"

Gu Mingshuang said coldly:

"Fine, then you can ask to leave the marriage and cancel the engagement. That means I haven't helped you."

Song Lanfang blushed and said in a shrill voice:

"You! Shut up!"

She reached out to grab Gu Mingshuang, but couldn't even touch the hem of Gu Mingshuang's clothes.

Lingxiang stepped forward and bumped into her.

"Don't touch my girl!"

Already injured on her head, Song Lanfang weakly bumped into a pillar, crying out in pain.

She instinctively reached out to hit Lingxiang, but before she could even raise her hand, she met Gu Mingshuang's icy gaze.

Gu Mingshuang said coldly:

"I've said it before, this is the last time. From now on, I have nothing to do with you."

Song Lanfang gritted her teeth and cursed:

"Don't talk like that! You're so eager to climb the social ladder, and you've finally managed to get on board with the Earl's family. Do you really think you can just give up your ties with them?"

After a pause, Song Lanfang stopped her again and said:

"Gu Mingshuang, I know you can't stay in the Marquis's mansion any longer. I can give you a chance."

"As long as you can help me win over my husband and give birth to a legitimate son, I can act as a matchmaker for you with the Liang family."

Gu Mingshuang frowned, not wanting to say another word to her, and walked away.

Seeing Gu Mingshuang leave without saying a word, Song Lanfang felt as if she had been slapped in the face, her cheeks burning hot.

She kicked a pebble on the ground in annoyance.

"Has Gu Mingshuang lost her mind? How much money can she possibly make by trying to squeeze out of the Marquis's mansion? The Earl's mansion is the real gold mine!"

If it weren't for Gu Mingshuang's shrewdness and ability to handle the Liang family matriarch, she wouldn't have been willing to give her this opportunity to cooperate.

Just then, a maid rushed in to report.

"Second Young Madam! That woman has just been expelled from the manor! Before she left, she was given a potion of abortifacient medicine. It was Madam who personally led the way to arrange it. Even when Second Master pleaded with Master, it was to no avail!"

While Song Lanfang felt a sense of satisfaction, her heart also skipped a beat.

Her mother-in-law is the kind of person who wouldn't even step on an ant, yet she's so efficient and ruthless in her work!

She just wanted to abort the child, and hadn't even dared to buy the medicine yet!

She frowned, then suddenly quickened her pace, wanting to stop Gu Mingshuang and ask what to do.

But after taking only two steps, Song Lanfang stopped in anger, feeling like she was going crazy. What was the point of asking that bitch? She would only make a fool of herself!

At this moment, inside the Shou'an Hall of the Ningyuan Marquis's residence.

Meng was anxiously waiting for news.

She calmed down a little when she saw Xie Lanyu bring over the bird's nest soup.

"Ayu, why are you doing these servant's chores again? You have so many important things to do."

Xie Lanyu sat obediently by the bedside, picked up the bird's nest porridge, and said:

"Nothing is more important than my mother's health. I know she is worried about my elder sister, so I have already found a way to discuss this matter with my fellow disciples."

"He was a colleague of the Liang family in the Ministry of Works, so he should be able to help..."

Holding her wrist, Meng smiled with satisfaction:

"I knew you cared about your mother the most, and you were also the most successful. But you don't need to worry about this matter; the Gu family has already taken care of it."

Xie Lanyu looked up in surprise.

"Did Mother ask my cousin-in-law to handle it?"

Meng quickly said:

"She was the one who handled the last time Fang'er's wedding went wrong."

Xie Lanyu frowned slightly.

"Mother, my cousin-in-law has no relatives in Kyoto, and the Earl's family is of high social standing. How could she possibly do such a thing?"

Meng seemed to have been enlightened.

"Yes, I didn't think much of it before. How could a woman with no connections make Madam Liang suffer such a loss? What makes her so special?"

Xie Lanyu lowered her eyes.

"Ayu said she couldn't say for sure, but she was worried about her cousin-in-law. After all, she was a woman, and it was really worrying to see her working so hard outside."

Meng's heart skipped a beat.

"Yes, how could a woman of such lowly status do something like this? Could it be that she did something to wrong Yuan'er?"

Xie Lanyu seemed to have said something wrong and quickly replied:

"Mother, please don't misunderstand my cousin's wife. She wouldn't do anything to wrong my cousin."

Just then, the steward rushed in and reported:

"Madam! Good news! This old servant has been keeping watch at the Liang family's gate, and the matter has been resolved!"

The butler explained the situation of the Liang family in detail, and learned how the Liang family originally planned to bully the Song family, but Gu Mingshuang resolved the problem shortly after she went in!

However, Meng did not feel the joy she should have felt.

Based on Xie Lanyu's earlier reminder, she felt increasingly uneasy.

Where did Gu Mingshuang get such great abilities?

"She must have done something wrong!"

Xie Lanyu pulled Meng Shi aside and persuaded her:

"Mother, please don't misunderstand, or my cousin will be heartbroken!"

Meng held Xie Lanyu down.

"You're still defending her? If she hadn't wronged Yuan'er, why would she have caused such a scene lately? And she's even trying every means to embezzle money from the manor!"

As she spoke, Madam Meng raised her eyes and said to Xie Lanyu:

"Alright, you still have important things to do. Don't forget your birthday is coming soon; it will be a special day for you. Your mother will take care of these matters."

Xie Lanyu nodded obediently.

"Mother, don't worry, I've thought it all out. On the day of the birthday ceremony, I will reveal Mr. Yulou's identity and use that little building to give Song Jiabo a good reputation."

Meng looked at Xie Lanyu with increasing satisfaction.

"Good child, I can only rest assured when the Song family is in your and Yuan'er's hands from now on."

After letting Xie Lanyu leave, Madam Meng thought for a moment and immediately sent someone to the government office to deliver a message.

"Let's postpone the transfer of ownership for a while longer."

She needs to find a way to get leverage over Gu Mingshuang so that she can make Gu Mingshuang spit out the money!

At this moment, Gu Mingshuang returned to Qingwu Garden with Lingxiang.

Lingxiang asked:

"Would you like to inform Madam, young lady?"

Gu Mingshuang began to speak:

"The people from the Marquis's residence went with us to the Liang family, so the news should have been sent back long ago."

Lingxiang then realized.

"No wonder no one came to ask about the girl when she came back."

She was very angry.

"Is Madam spying on the young lady? That's far too domineering!"

Gu Mingshuang said:

"As long as she completes the file transfer, that's fine."

She didn't want to pursue the matter with the Marquis's mansion any further.

Then, Gu Mingshuang looked at the prepared dowry and said:

"Prepare the vehicles and horses; we'll start moving tomorrow morning."

Lingxiang nodded emphatically.

"Finally, we can go!"

However, at that moment, there were footsteps outside the door.

Gu Mingshuang cautiously grabbed the Lu Ban ruler beside her and carefully approached the courtyard gate.

She timed it perfectly and suddenly opened the door.

Unexpectedly, the person at the door was none other than Qi Huan!

"Lord Qi?"

Gu Mingshuang spoke in surprise.

Qi Huan was already surprised to see that it was a woman, and being recognized made him even more embarrassed.

But then I remembered that Xie Lanyu had mentioned that the Crown Prince's wife lived nearby.

It seems that my junior sister told the Crown Prince's wife that he would be at the Marquis's residence these days.

Qi Huan lowered his head in embarrassment, not daring to look at the woman before him any longer, and only bowed his hands in apology:

"I apologize for my rudeness! I was in a hurry to find some wood and didn't expect to take the wrong path and bump into the Crown Princess!"

Seeing that he indeed didn't recognize her, Gu Mingshuang's brows twitched slightly, and she stopped in her tracks, speaking distantly:

"It's alright, Lord Qi, please feel free to do as you please."

Just as Qi Huan was about to leave, he caught a glimpse of a cold light out of the corner of his eye.

He wanted to go forward and see clearly, but the courtyard gate was already closed.

He frowned.

That beam of light just now looked like a Lu Ban ruler.

Moreover, that Lu Ban ruler was unusual. His and his junior sister's were both made of wood, but the one just now seemed to be made of black iron!

He frowned. He had never heard of the Marquis's daughter-in-law being knowledgeable in architecture.

Could he have misread it?

Realizing that he was still standing at the entrance of the Marquis's daughter-in-law's courtyard, which was extremely impolite, Qi Huan didn't have time to think further and quickly walked in the opposite direction.

Before long, Qi Huan met Xie Lanyu.

Xie Lanyu looked at the nearly completed building, a smile on her usually cool face.

"Senior brother, thanks to you, otherwise this little building would have collapsed long ago."

Duke Huan of Qi said gently:

"I only delayed things for you for a few days; I'm just glad it puts your mind at ease."

Xie Lanyu bit her lip.

"I know that my senior brother even turned down the job offered by the Duke of Anguo to help me, and I feel really bad about it."

Qi Huan looked at her with pity.

"It's alright, the errand can be done anytime. You only have one birthday a year."

Xie Lanyu raised her eyes, looked at Qi Huan, and said:

"Senior brother, I feel bad about it. Let me help you with the job at the Duke of Anguo's mansion."

Qi Huan frowned slightly.

"Junior sister, I would agree to anything else, but the Duke of Anguo is too cold-hearted and unpredictable. I am not at ease letting you work for him."

Xie Lanyu tugged at Qi Huan's sleeve and said coquettishly:

"Senior brother, but I really want to help you. Besides, wouldn't it be enough if you just assigned some people to accompany me? With your guidance in secret, I'm sure I can get it done!"

Qi Huan couldn't resist her coaxing and pleading, so he had no choice but to agree.

"Alright, I'll go to the Duke of Anguo's residence tomorrow."

Xie Lanyu smiled as she saw Qi Huan off.

Two days ago, Song Linyuan said he would help her get the opportunity to build a garden for the Duke of Anguo, but for some reason he suddenly disappeared without a trace.

She never intended to hang herself on Song Linyuan.

Sure enough, even without Song Linyuan, she still had Qi Huan by her side.

It can also pave the way for her.

The next day, at Qingwu Garden.

Gu Mingshuang learned as soon as she woke up that there had been a change in the official transfer of documents.

Gu Mingshuang's face darkened when she saw Granny Yan, who had come to deliver the message.

"I don't want to hear those excuses, Granny. Why don't you just say it directly? Is Madam planning to use you and then discard you?"