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

Meng's face turned pale, and she almost fell if the old woman beside her hadn't been supporting her.

"Yuan'er! You...you actually lost your mind for a woman like that!"

"Look how she treats you! You're so considerate of her, but does she have any sincerity at all? She doesn't even want to see you!"

"She's even having illicit affairs with other men. Does she have any virtue whatsoever? Why can't you see that she's completely incapable of being a good wife!"

Song Linyuan clenched his fists, his face turning deathly pale.

"She's not like that! She just misunderstood me, that's why she acted that way..."

Madam Meng stared in disbelief at her own son, her chest heaving.

When she first met Yuan'er, her Yuan'er was so handsome, tall and elegant, more noble and dashing than many young masters from noble families.

He was so sensible, following her to worship the ancestors and reunite with the clan. Who wouldn't envy her at that time?

Yuan'er is her and the Marquis's only legitimate son. He inherited all their good qualities. Even after being separated from his family for more than ten years, he did not turn out badly and is still a noble young master with a noble spirit in his bones!

She was extremely pleased and grew to love her son more and more the more she looked at him.

Knowing she had failed her son, she did everything she could to pave the way for him, hiring renowned scholars in Kyoto to teach him and personally taking him to various banquets, all so that her son would become famous in Kyoto.

But everything started to change after Gu Mingshuang insisted on coming to Kyoto!

She was not an ungrateful person; she prepared generous gifts and sent them to Qingzhou, implying that Gu Mingshuang should stay in Qingzhou and live a life of wealth and comfort.

But how could this woman let go of the opportunity to curry favor with the Marquis's family?

After Gu Mingshuang arrived in Kyoto, she gave her another chance, allowing her to remarry into a collateral branch of the Song family, which would also lead to a life of wealth and honor.

But she still refused and used her own methods to force herself into becoming the Crown Prince's wife!

Now she's using divorce as a pretext to advance, causing Di Yuan'er to lose touch with her birth mother. What a cunning and wicked woman!

"Good! Very good! What a vicious woman!" Madam Meng turned and pointed inside the yamen, shouting sternly:

"Go! Convey my message: the Marquis's mansion will absolutely not drop the case! No one else is allowed to drop it except me!"

She's determined to make Gu Mingshuang pay the price this time!

Song Linyuan rushed forward and said urgently:

"Mother! Why did you do this?"

Meng turned around and got into the carriage.

"She's so vicious and doesn't know what's good for her. Then let's handle this according to the law. I'll confront her in court once the Dali Temple has found evidence of her crimes!"

Song Linyuan's face turned pale.

He was not ignorant of the law. With his mother gone, the yamen could only detain Mingshuang until they found evidence of her crime and then hold court.

Then Ming Shuang would really be locked up!

"Mother! Don't go..."

Meng lowered the carriage curtain.

"Yuan'er, don't blame your mother for being heartless. You need to wake up. You are the only hope for the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion to support its family. Your mother has to make this decision for you!"

As the carriage departed, Song Linyuan paused in mid-air, then slowly lowered his hand.

He took a step back and leaned against the pillar by the door, his face growing even paler.

Blood was still dripping from the wound on the back of his hand. He stared at the bright red bloodstains, his eyes narrowing.

The servant boy quickly went to find out what was going on and ran back to report:

"Your Highness! Your Highness's Consort... oh no, Miss Gu has been detained. The officials inside said that our lady said she was feeling unwell, and the yamen will only continue to investigate the case once she recovers."

Song Linyuan leaned against the pillar, his face growing paler and paler.

At this moment, Qi Huan walked out of the government office.

Qi Huan's face darkened upon seeing Song Linyuan.

"The Ningyuan Marquis's mansion has truly opened my eyes. To force such a weak woman like this is utterly despicable!"

Song Linyuan snapped out of his daze and strode toward Qi Huan.

"Where's Mingshuang?! How is she?"

Qi Huan shook off Song Linyuan's hand.

"Sister Mingshuang said she will wait for justice and will never bow her head."

Song Linyuan frowned.

"I'll go explain to her! This is my mother's wish, not mine! I'll go to my mother and ask her to drop the case!"

Qi Huan spoke coldly:

"Why must you be so hypocritical, Your Highness? If you truly wanted to stop it, the Lady of the Marquis wouldn't have made a scene at the Dali Temple. You're just trying to use this opportunity to force Sister Mingshuang to back down."

After a pause, Qi Huan stopped looking at Song Linyuan.

"Ming Shuang will not see you. You should leave."

After saying that, Qi Huan pushed Song Linyuan aside and got into the carriage.

His face was solemn as he spoke to the coachman:

"Return to the Qi family's old house immediately."

The coachman was taken aback. His master usually lived outside and rarely came back. Why was he in such a hurry to return to the old house today?

Not daring to delay, the coachman quickly drove the carriage toward the Qi family.

Qi Huan's eyes were closed, but his brows were slightly furrowed.

After joining the Ministry of Works and gaining the Emperor's trust, he moved to his private residence to live alone, citing his busy official duties.

He just wanted to do his job well and didn't want to face the flattery and suspicion of his clansmen.

After all, his father had remarried ten years ago and had a legitimate son, so his son, left behind by his deceased first wife, was already superfluous.

That's why he made the difficult decision to go to Qingzhou and follow Master Yun back then.

Those were his darkest days, but it was there that he met the person he wanted to protect most in his life.

Now, she stands before him, suffering all kinds of injustices, with no one to stand up for her.

How could he possibly ignore it?

However, the carriage suddenly stopped.

Qi Huan frowned; he knew they hadn't arrived at the old house yet.

"What happened?"

The driver quickly said:

"My lord, it's Miss Lanyu!"

Qi Huan lifted the carriage curtain and, sure enough, saw Xie Lanyu jump down from the carriage and walk over.

"Senior brother..."

Xie Lanyu, dressed in white, boarded his carriage timidly with red eyes.

She bit her lip, her reddened eyes looking at Qi Huan, her voice slightly hoarse.

"After the birthday banquet, Senior Brother refused to see Lan Yu again. Was he disappointed in her?"

When Qi Huan saw Xie Lanyu's reddened eyes, for the first time, he felt not pity, but a furrowed brow.

"No, I'm just busy with something and don't have time to think about it."

Xie Lanyu reached out and grabbed Qi Huan's sleeve.

"Senior brother, I'm sorry. I was wrong before. I shouldn't have blamed you for what happened to that little building. It was my drawing that had a problem. I shouldn't have been so willful. Please don't be angry anymore, okay?"

Xie Lanyu looked up, tears still glistening in her eyes.

"Senior brother, my parents have been gone for a long time. I'm living under someone else's roof in this capital. I've always regarded you as my older brother."

"Without you, I really don't know how I would go on living."

Seeing her obediently admit her mistake, Qi Huan sighed inwardly.

Although he initially helped Xie Lanyu become his disciple because he was thinking of Ming Shuang, he later saw Xie Lanyu's hard work and talent.

In the end, it was he who chose to support Xie Lanyu, and it was he who spoiled her, which is why she became like this.

Qi Huan turned his head, his voice softening slightly.

"I'm not angry. I will teach you well in the future so that you can have a work that will make you famous as soon as possible. Then you won't need to rely on anyone anymore."

A look of joy flashed in Xie Lanyu's eyes. She nodded emphatically and said:

"Senior brother, the princess said that as long as I can take on the job at the Anguo Duke's garden, she will recommend me to the Empress."

"Senior brother, you'll help me, right? You're the only one I can rely on now."

Qi Huan suddenly frowned, not expecting Xie Lanyu to ask him to do such a thing.

He suddenly thought of Gu Mingshuang, who never wanted to trouble him and would never look at him with teary eyes like this, asking him what he wanted.

His brows furrowed even more.

There was something weighing on my heart, a dull feeling, and a sense of unease.

"I have already introduced you to the Duke. I cannot influence his decision if he is unwilling."

Xie Lanyu's expression hardened slightly, and she blurted out:

"Why doesn't Senior Brother intervene in this matter in his capacity as the head of the Ministry of Works...?"

Qi Huan's expression paused slightly.

"Lanyu, please don't say things like that again."

At this moment, he even began to doubt whether he had misjudged the person. How could someone he had carefully nurtured for so long harbor such feelings?

With that, Qi Huan looked away.

"I'll have someone send you home first. I have something to attend to at the Qi residence."

Afterwards, Qi Huan got off the carriage first and ordered Xie Lanyu to be sent back to the Ningyuan Marquis's residence.

Xie Lanyu clenched her fingers.

In the past, Qi Huan would agree to anything she cried, but this time he not only refused, but even tried to drive her away!

Xie Lanyu recalled how Qi Huan had carefully protected Gu Mingshuang as he escorted her to the Dali Temple, treating her like a precious jewel.

She bit her lip and obediently agreed, but a cold glint flashed in her eyes from an angle no one could see.

At this moment, inside the Dali Temple.

Gu Mingshuang was temporarily taken to prison.

The two jailers in front of him whispered:

"There's no evidence whatsoever, so why put him in jail? What if he's innocent?"

"You have no idea, this has offended a powerful figure. Even if she didn't do it, she'll still suffer!"

"Oh? Did the official say when the trial would be held?"

"You little brat, you can't resist beautiful women, can you? That's none of our business!"

……

Gu Mingshuang listened to the guards' whispers and calmly walked into the empty cell.

There haven't been any updates yet, so it seems that Uncle Du has already taken Green Lotus to a safe place.

She knew Green Lotus's condition well and figured that Green Lotus had become suspicious long ago. She vomited most of the poison immediately after taking it, which is why she was able to save her life.

If Green Lotus wakes up, there will be a turning point in this case.

Gu Mingshuang lowered her eyelids slightly.

Meng's actions this time were rather strange.

Without even any evidence, it's as if they're certain they can pin the crime on her.

Gu Mingshuang slightly raised her eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.

Could it be that Meng was so certain because she believed that Lühe was dead?

Was the poison given to the old lady also administered by Meng?

Gu Mingshuang frowned. If Meng Shi wanted to frame someone, there was no need to choose the old lady. After all, the risk of doing so was too great.

Unless doing so would kill two birds with one stone for her.

Just then, footsteps could be heard outside.

"Ming Shuang!"

Upon hearing Song Linyuan's voice, Gu Mingshuang frowned.

The next moment, Song Linyuan appeared before her.

Song Linyuan's eyes reddened as he reached out and pressed down on the prison door.

"Mingshuang, don't be afraid. I've already spoken to the jailer. Mother is just angry right now, that's why she won't drop the case. I'll go back and talk to her..."

Gu Mingshuang raised her eyes and looked at Song Linyuan with a cold and distant expression.

"Young Master Song, you're wasting your time here. You'd be better off spending it investigating who poisoned the old lady."

Song Linyuan frowned.

"Mingshuang, you still won't tell me? Fine, if you won't tell me, then don't. I've already made up my mind about this. The Marquis's mansion wronged you before, but this matter can't be blamed on you."

Gu Mingshuang didn't want to talk to him about this anymore, and turned her head to say:

"If the young master has nothing else to say, he should go back and persuade the Lady of the Marquis to tell the truth, or have her come to the yamen as soon as possible to cooperate in investigating this case."

Song Linyuan frowned, gripping the iron bars of the door tightly, his broken fingers bleeding again.

"Mingshuang, why are you so stubborn? How can a woman like you stay in prison? Can't you just humble yourself?"

Gu Mingshuang looked intently at Song Linyuan.

"If I'm going to live, I'll live with dignity. You want me to bow my head? The Marquis's mansion is not worthy of that!"