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

Du Cang frowned as he looked at his young lady, but he saw a confident composure in her eyes, not blind kindness.

He breathed a sigh of relief; he knew the girl wouldn't be so foolish and soft-hearted.

Qi Huan frowned and said urgently:

"Sister Mingshuang, I shouldn't have come. Please don't force yourself because of me, I feel really bad about it."

Gu Mingshuang said:

"Brother Qi, don't worry. I'm just making sure she's qualified to participate in the selection. If she doesn't have real skills, her coming here won't change anything."

"If she has real skills, I can't interfere with Duke Anguo's choice."

She was in charge of this selection process, and she naturally knew that Xie Lanyu was not capable of passing her selection.

She had indeed considered making Xie Lanyu's name disappear, but now she has changed her mind.

If Xue Zhao can't find out Xie Lanyu's background, at least letting her participate in the selection process can be a test for her.

Qi Huan's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at Gu Mingshuang with a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of mixed emotions, often including regret or apprehension).

"Ming Shuang, thank you. I will teach Lan Yu to be grateful, to avoid arrogance and impetuosity, and never to act willfully again. Apart from that, I will not help her again."

After Qi Huan left, Gu Mingshuang said to Du Cang:

"Uncle Du, go and deliver a message, and report her name as well."

Although she couldn't be bothered to give Xie Lanyu a second glance, she needed to figure out the strange things about Xie Lanyu.

If Xie Lanyu has a powerful backer she can't afford to offend besides the Princess of Zhennan, then she needs to eliminate this potential threat as soon as possible to ensure her peace of mind!

Soon, the doctor came out of Xiaoli's room.

He prescribed the medicine and gave the instructions:

"The child's external injuries are not serious and have all been treated. However, she is much shorter than her peers, which is due to a long-standing ailment. Only with proper care can it be alleviated."

Gu Mingshuang listened to these words with a frown, took the prescription, nodded, and said:

"Thank you for your help, doctor."

After seeing the doctor off, Du Cang sighed:

"Luckily, this child met a girl, otherwise he would probably be dead by now..."

Gu Mingshuang's expression hardened slightly. In the eyes of those powerful and wealthy people, a child like Xiaoli was nothing more than a plaything to amuse themselves, not even worth as much as the life of an animal.

She said in a deep voice:

"It's been so long, and the Liang family still hasn't made a move?"

Du Cang shook his head.

"I only heard that two imperial physicians were summoned today, but there's no other news."

Gu Mingshuang said coldly:

"Liang Jin got into trouble at the gambling den in the south of the city. If we investigate, it will inevitably expose the scandal of the second son of the Liang family going to gambling dens and gladiatorial arenas, which will have a great impact on the Liang family's reputation."

Du Cang sarcastically retorted:

"They still know how to cover their shame! Not to mention Xiao Li, who knows how many others have died in front of Liang Jin before!"

Gu Mingshuang's face darkened.

She had never known before that Liang Jin was such a hypocrite.

"The sword that struck him this time was from the Duke of Anguo. I haven't settled my score with him yet. When he comes out, I won't let him off so easily."

The next morning, Gu Mingshuang was awakened by the noise outside.

She frowned as she stood up, and then heard Lingxiang say:

"Miss! It's Young Master Xue! He's even invited two renowned chefs to our residence to cook! Everyone's gathered in the kitchen right now!"

This Xue Zhao! Gu Mingshuang changed her clothes, washed up, and walked towards the kitchen. Sure enough, she saw a whole courtyard of people gathered at the door.

Xue Zhao was still dressed as a wealthy young master, with a belt inlaid with gold and jade, and a rare white jade hair ornament.

He smiled as he helped pass the dishes out from the doorway.

"Everyone gets a share today!"

Everyone looked at Xue Zhao with delight, and even the younger maids exclaimed in surprise.

Lingxiang couldn't help but laugh as she stood next to Gu Mingshuang:

"Young Master Xue is still the same as ever."

Gu Mingshuang narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled:

"He's got a business mind; he won't act until he sees a clear benefit. He's very shrewd."

"However, it's also more comfortable to deal with people like that."

As they were talking, Xue Zhao saw Gu Mingshuang and immediately brought over a plate of pastries that he had prepared.

"Mingshuang, this is something I specially asked the chef to make. It's been adjusted to your taste, I guarantee you'll like it!"

Gu Mingshuang picked up a piece and said lazily:

"You're here so early? Don't you need to worry about your shops?"

Xue Zhao smiled as he fanned Gu Mingshuang from the side.

"Since I have such a rare opportunity to serve the God of Wealth I worship today, how could I be lazy?"

As he spoke, Xue Zhao led Gu Mingshuang toward the carriage outside, lowering his voice to say:

"What we said yesterday was really true. Xie Lanyu is indeed not simple. This morning, she not only had her confinement lifted, but she also moved to live with the old lady of the Song family."

While Gu Mingshuang was in shock, she turned to look at Xue Zhao.

"You even found out that she moved in with Old Madam Song?"

Xue Zhao chuckled.

"I need to keep a close eye on the people and things I've set my sights on, otherwise it would be my loss if someone else got there first."

Then, putting aside his joking tone, he added:

"Last night, Madam Song's trusted nanny also went to that warehouse. I think Xie Lanyu must have used this batch of goods to intimidate that old woman from the Song family."

Gu Mingshuang finished the pastries casually before slowly speaking:

"The Song family is almost starving, so such a rare item would certainly tempt the old lady."

As she spoke, Gu Mingshuang noticed the very eye-catching carriage parked at the entrance.

Not only was it magnificent, but even the wheels were edged with gold!

Her expression hardened slightly, and she coughed.

"Xue Zhao! This...this can't be serious, can it?"

Xue Zhao raised an eyebrow.

"I already told you, today you're going to go to the Marquis's mansion in style, so they can see you in a good light!"

Seeing that people nearby were looking over, Gu Mingshuang felt extremely embarrassed and quickly pushed Xue Zhao aside and climbed into the car.

"Let's go!"

At this time, the news reached the Duke of Anguo's mansion.

The guards urgently reported this.

"My lord, I saw that they were behaving very intimately. The man complimented Miss Gu on her beauty, and Miss Gu touched his arm in public and said she wanted to leave with him quickly!"

With a sharp crack, the pen broke in the dark-faced man's hand...