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

Although she was not interested in the affairs of the Marquis's mansion, she would not tolerate anyone harming Xie Lanyu.

At this moment, Qi Huan, in a daze, stepped forward and bowed to the Princess of Zhennan.

"Your Highness, I was indeed downstairs just now, but I did not see anyone attack this building."

Xie Lanyu stared wide-eyed at Qi Huan in disbelief.

She was certain she saw Qi Huan confronting someone, and she knew Qi Huan's character; he would never protect someone who wanted to harm her!

"Senior brother, what's wrong with you?"

Xie Lanyu stepped forward and grabbed Qi Huan's sleeve, speaking urgently:

"You must have known someone wanted to harm me, otherwise you wouldn't have rushed here like this, right?"

Princess Zhennan frowned when she saw Qi Huan and said:

"I remember you. You are Lord Qi from the Ministry of Works. I remember you were in charge of the construction of the royal summer palace. You are a rare talent."

"If someone had really tampered with this building, you would probably be able to tell."

Duke Huan of Qi replied:

"Your Highness, this building was not maliciously damaged, but rather it had inherent problems that caused it to collapse."

Xie Lanyu suddenly pushed Qi Huan away.

"What are you talking about? You clearly reinforced it for me! This building couldn't possibly collapse today!"

Qi Huan supported Xie Lanyu, whose expression was almost manic, and frowned, saying:

"I did help my junior sister reinforce the building, but it still can't cover up the flaws in the crossbeams. Junior sister, this building can only exist on paper; it's impossible to build it."

"Why!" Xie Lanyu stared intently at Qi Huan, suddenly remembering the person she had just seen opposite Qi Huan. The person was mostly obscured by a pillar, and only a glimpse of their clothes could be seen.

It has a purple skirt!

Moreover, it's not just any purple; it's the most expensive smoky purple of this era.

None of the ladies and young women present had it!

She spotted Gu Mingshuang in the crowd at a glance.

A purple skirt!

"It's her! It's her, isn't it! It's Gu Mingshuang!"

She suddenly frowned and looked at Qi Huan.

"No wonder you're protecting her. You've been seen near Qingwu Garden many times before, and you even said you weren't specifically looking for her!"

"Senior Brother Qi, how exactly did she bewitch you! How could you protect her like this? You promised you would protect me!"

Qi Huan frowned and said in a deep voice:

"I didn't..."

Before Qi Huan could finish speaking, the Princess of Zhennan shouted sternly:

Who is Gu Mingshuang?

Lingxiang, who was next to Gu Mingshuang, turned pale with fright and grabbed her mistress in fear.

"girl……"

Gu Mingshuang looked at her reassuringly and whispered:

"Don't be afraid."

At this moment, the crowd had automatically parted to make way for a path.

Gu Mingshuang withdrew her gaze, walked to the front, and calmly and composedly bowed.

"Ming Shuang greets the Princess."

The moment Princess Zhennan saw Gu Mingshuang, she was momentarily stunned, and the anger on her face unconsciously dissipated.

But Gu Mingshuang quickly lowered her eyes, pursed her lips, and seemed to want to look at those eyes again.

At this moment, Xie Lanyu glared fiercely at Gu Mingshuang.

"You did it! You've always held a grudge against me, and now you've done something like this. You must be very pleased with yourself, right?!"

Xie Lanyu's voice pulled her back to reality.

The old woman beside her whispered:

"Your Highness, this Gu is the heir apparent of the Marquis's mansion. She just had a few words with the Marquis's wife over there, and it seems they just got divorced."

Princess Zhennan frowned. She had just heard it too. As soon as the Marquis's mansion was in trouble, the Crown Princess immediately distanced herself from it and was very disrespectful to her mother-in-law.

How could a woman like this remind her of her Ah Bao?

Princess Zhennan felt that she was just being distracted, so she said in a deep voice:

"If someone has indeed acted maliciously and deliberately smeared Lanyu, this Princess will not let this matter rest!"

Gu Mingshuang calmly spoke:

"Whether this small building was damaged by human intervention or collapsed on its own, an inspection will tell us. If Miss Lanyu does not believe Lord Qi, then please invite other officials from the Ministry of Works."

"As for whether there is anything wrong with this building, please provide the blueprints, Miss Lanyu."

Xie Lanyu's expression froze.

Seeing Gu Mingshuang's expression and her confidently asking for the blueprints, she felt a pang of anxiety. Could it be that this matter really had nothing to do with Gu Mingshuang?

She finally calmed down. If she really invited other people from the Ministry of Works, wouldn't they find out something else? Then her reputation would be completely ruined!

Although her birthday banquet was a disaster, the Princess Consort of Zhennan is still on her side, so she still has a chance.

So Xie Lanyu looked at Qi Huan beside her, gently tugged at his sleeve, and said through gritted teeth:

"It's not that I don't trust you, senior brother. I was just a little anxious. Senior brother, I lost my parents and have been living under the roof of the Marquis's mansion for many years. It was only after I met you that I felt the warmth of home. I'm just too afraid of losing you."

Qi Huan's expression softened; he couldn't bear to blame her after all. He simply reached out to support Xie Lanyu and said gently:

"Junior sister, I know that you have poured your heart and soul into this birthday banquet. You have done your best. This time it was not a man-made disaster, but an accident. Perhaps it was the craftsman's negligence that magnified a small flaw in the blueprint, leading to the collapse."

Xie Lanyu immediately nodded obediently.

"Senior brother, I understand. It's all my fault for frightening everyone."

Princess Zhennan said slowly:

"Fortunately, no one was injured today. Even without this viewing tower, Lan Yu's talent is undeniable. Let's leave this matter here."

"Lord Qi, I'll trouble you to help Lanyu clean up the mess."

After hearing this, everyone understood that the Princess Consort of Zhennan meant to protect Xie Lanyu, so no one dared to criticize or question her and swallowed their words.

Qi Huan also stepped forward and respectfully accepted.

At this moment, Princess Zhennan looked at Gu Mingshuang with a warning expression.

"If anyone goes against my wishes and insists on making things difficult for Lanyu, I will pursue the matter to the end."

She could tell that Gu Mingshuang was indeed hostile towards Xie Lanyu.

Moreover, Gu Mingshuang remained calm and composed in that situation, not only to exonerate herself but also to completely crush Lan Yu's path to fame in front of everyone today.

Lan Yu achieved fame at a young age; how could she possibly deal with someone so cunning and scheming?

Just then, Madam Meng hurriedly stepped forward and pleaded:

"Fortunately, the Princess Consort is here today, otherwise I really wouldn't know what to do. I've made such a scene and become a laughing stock for everyone. I hope you won't spread this matter for the sake of the Princess Consort."

Everyone agreed and reassured Madam Meng.

Princess Zhennan recalled what Xie Lanyu had said when she asked her to intercept the divorce papers. Lanyu meant well and her intention was to persuade Gu Mingshuang not to act impulsively.

She frowned slightly, thinking that Lan Yu was too kind-hearted to care for someone who wanted to harm her.

She simply said:

"Other matters are one thing, but this divorce is no child's play. Since it has already been filed with the government, I, the Princess Consort, will act as a witness today. From now on, Lady Gu will no longer be the Heir Apparent's wife of the Marquis's family and will have no further connection with the Marquis's family."

Meng's face turned pale.

"Your Highness...this..."

Before Meng could speak, Gu Mingshuang had already stepped forward and bowed.

"Thank you for making the decision, Your Highness."

Princess Zhennan frowned, feeling that Gu Mingshuang's attitude was somewhat strange.

How could a woman who wants to curry favor with the powerful be so decisive? Is she still putting on airs?

Just as the Princess Consort of Zhennan was filled with doubt, Gu Mingshuang turned to look at Madam Meng.

"Please give me the divorce papers, madam."

Even if Meng was unwilling at this moment, she had no choice but to take out the documents and hand them over.

Gu Mingshuang accepted the document decisively, handed over the family seal, and turned to leave with Lingxiang.

As I stepped out of Xiaoxiang Pavilion, the hustle and bustle behind me gradually faded away with the wind.

Gu Mingshuang walked very lightly and quickly, but was stopped halfway.

"Ming Shuang!"

Seeing Song Linyuan looking lost and dejected, Gu Mingshuang spoke calmly.

"I presume the young master already knows. Thanks to the princess's intervention, I am now severing all ties with the Marquis's mansion. As for the divorce papers the young master has, they should be in the hands of the lady."

"Divorce papers..." Song Linyuan's face turned ashen.

"Why? Mingshuang, why!"

"I've been thinking about how to make up for what I didn't give you before, and I'm trying to make up for everything I didn't give you before!"

He reached out and pressed down on Gu Mingshuang's wrist, forcing her to look up at him, as if he wanted to see the gentleness and joy of the past in those cold, frosty eyes.

No, there's nothing there!

Thinking back to the pain in her eyes when she was begged to give up her position as the principal wife, she forced herself not to shed a tear, just like the night her father passed away, when she didn't shed a single tear and simply sat silently in the mourning hall.

It wasn't that she wasn't heartbroken, but rather that there is no greater sorrow than a broken heart.

He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart.

"Mingshuang, I will never let you suffer again. I will send Xie Lanyu away, and I will not marry her..."

Gu Mingshuang said in a deep voice:

"Your Highness, you don't need to do anything for me anymore. From now on, we'll part ways and be even."

Looking at Gu Mingshuang's indifferent eyes, Song Linyuan felt a sharp pain in his chest, as if it were stuffed with soaked cotton, making it hard to breathe and causing a heavy, throbbing pain.

His vision grew increasingly blurry, and he seemed to see the bright young girl from before joyfully calling him her future husband.

He didn't know when it started, but Gu Mingshuang seemed to be engraved into his bones and blood. He had come to regard her as an indispensable part of his life.

Seeing Gu Mingshuang turn around, his eyes were red, and he finally couldn't help but speak.

"Mingshuang! Why! I don't want anything anymore, I just want to live a good life with you, why do you have to leave!"

Gu Mingshuang looked at him coldly.

"Song Linyuan, you are now a person of some standing. Let's part ways gracefully and amicably."

Song Linyuan's face suddenly darkened.

"Do you really have to be so stubborn with me? Why don't you think about your own place? Where can you go without me? Who else would want to marry you?"

"Do you really think that Duke can give you anything? He's just playing with you! You might not even get to be a concubine in the end!"

"Even if you come back begging me then, I won't turn back!"

Gu Mingshuang gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"Your Highness, even if I become a concubine or a mistress in the future, it's none of your concern."

Song Linyuan suddenly overturned the wooden frame at the end of the corridor, shattering flowerpots all over the ground.

"You'll regret this!"

Gu Mingshuang didn't have time to back away and was hit on the right foot by the flowerpot. She frowned and gasped.

Song Linyuan paused slightly, wanting to step forward, but was stopped by another, even faster figure.

When Gu Mingshuang saw the figure in dark robes rush out from around the corner and block her way, she was stunned and stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

"Lord Duke? What are you doing here?"