Your Highness, your wife has had her virginity mark applied and married someone else.

Shen Mingshu knelt down immediately, her eyes red and broken: "Auntie, Mingshu never expected that Miss Lu would... would take advantage of A-Yuan's drunkenness to... and..."

"With him?!" Zhang Yuxin's expression suddenly darkened, and she slammed her hand on the table, urging, "Could it be that...?"

Shen Mingshu bit her lip tightly and nodded weakly: "That's why the Lu family is so anxious to force A-Yuan to get engaged. Aunt, I... I really don't know what to do."

Zhang Yu never expected the Lu family's daughter to be so frivolous. They had only known each other for a short time, yet she had done such a despicable thing!

If things continue like this, the day the results are announced after the imperial examinations will most likely become the day the two get married.

By then, it will be difficult to get the Night Domain back from the old woman...

Seeing the solemn look on Zhang Yu's face, Shen Mingshu continued to add fuel to the fire.

"Aunt, Miss Lu really likes A-Yuan. For this reason, Young Master Lu even promised A-Yuan on her behalf that if A-Yuan is willing to get rid of me, he will recommend him for the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel after he finishes his exams."

"What?!"

"The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel?!" Zhang Yu stood up in shock and anger, his eyes wide with astonishment. "The Lu family actually provided this?"

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel is a third-rank official, higher than Wei Ziye, and even higher than Lu Yanzhi!

If things continue like this, it won't be long before Wei Ziye is completely cut off from the position of head of the Wei family!

This is Zhang Yu's bottom line, and it's also what she fears most!

She absolutely cannot let this happen.

Can……

The thought of Old Lady Wei as an obstacle made her grit her teeth in hatred.

None of the men in the Zhang family are outstanding. Old Mrs. Wei has repeatedly mocked the Zhang family as a phoenix family that rose to prominence by relying on the women in the clan.

She married into the Wei family and relied on constantly supporting the Zhang family to enable the two Zhang daughters to enter the palace as concubines. However, she could no longer interfere in important political affairs.

Wei Xu had forcibly brought her brother into the Ministry of Personnel, but over the years, he remained only a minor official.

The others are even worse, utterly hopeless.

Now that the Wei family has declined, the Zhang family has fallen to the bottom. She has been hesitant to take action against Old Madam Wei, fearing that one move would have far-reaching consequences.

She wouldn't take that risk for Wei Yuan.

But now, things have spiraled out of her control.

Wei Yuan had only been in the capital for a little over a month, yet he had already built up his own power base and was even showing signs of surpassing Wei Ziye.

Zhang Yu frowned and sat down in deep thought—this matter required further consideration.

"You should go back now."

Shen Mingshu was very obedient and respectfully withdrew.

However, she sat by the bedside and waited all day, but Wei Yuan never returned.

Looking up at the sky, she didn't ask the guards about the situation, but simply accepted it in silence.

If this relationship can be cleanly let go, that would be a good thing.

……

Evening, at Plum Garden.

Zhang Yu was still pondering a more secure way out when the maid combing her hair accidentally pulled out a strand of her hair. Zhang Yu felt the pain and slapped her hard.

"Take her away and chop off her hands!"

"Madam, please spare me! I didn't mean to!"

"Alright," Wei Xu said impatiently, waving everyone away. "What are you making such a racket for so late at night? Can't you just put up with your awful temper!"

"Bang!" Zhang Yu slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "What kind of temper do I have? Wei Xu, if I didn't have this temper, I would have been tormented to death by you and your mother all these years!"

"Zhang Shi!" Wei Xu glared angrily, warning, "That's my mother! This is the Wei residence, not your Zhang residence where you can bully others!"

"You, you, you, Wei Xu—" Zhang Yu, tears welling in her eyes, pointed at Wei Xu angrily, "Have you been seeing another little vixen outside?!"

Wei Xu's face stiffened, and he turned and went straight to bed: "I can't be bothered with you."

"Explain yourself!" Zhang Yu angrily ripped off his blanket. "Whose bastard is this this time! Wei Xu! You're so old, yet you're still so shameless—ah!"

“Pah!”

Zhang Yu was slapped hard and fell to the ground.

Wei Xu rose with a chilling air, his face devoid of any mercy: "Zhang Yu, I've had enough of you all these years! What man in this Celestial Empire doesn't have three wives and four concubines!"

"I already showed you enough respect by driving the Yuan family away back then, but now you show no remorse whatsoever, remaining narrow-minded, jealous, and vicious, utterly devoid of any virtues of gentleness and obedience!"

"If it weren't for you, how could I have become so estranged from my mother!"

"Can't you see any sign of my concession? You're pushing me every step of the way, determined to extinguish the Wei family's lineage!"

Wei Xu took out a letter of divorce from his pocket and threw it in front of her, his tone extremely cold.

"If you can live like this, then live it; if you can't, then get out."

After saying that, he picked up his robe, brushed past Zhang Yu who was sitting blankly on the ground, and stepped out the door.

Unexpectedly, when he opened the door, he was face to face with Wei Ziye.

Wei Xu's face stiffened. He opened his mouth, hesitated, and finally sighed heavily before walking out and closing the door behind him.

……

Standing in the pavilion in the courtyard with Wei Ziye, Wei Xu looked lost in thought.

"Did you hear everything?"

"Hmm." Wei Ziye lowered his eyes to look at his reflection in the water, his eyes cooler than the moonlight reflected in the water: "Father once said that he loved Mother."

Wei Ziye's reminder instantly stirred up Wei Xu's long-forgotten memories.

He gave a self-deprecating, helpless smile: "Yes, in the past."

"..."

Wei Ziye unconsciously clenched his fist, then heard Wei Xu speak calmly.

"Ah, matters of the heart are ultimately like a mirage. The more you hold on to the beautiful past, the more it will shatter."

"I loved her too much back then, which is why the Wei family has been dragged into this mess."

Wei Xu looked at Wei Ziye with a complicated expression: "Father knows that you have never let go of that girl from the Shen family, but Ziye, you must know that what is forced will not last."

"Your father won't ask you for specific details, he just wants to remind you that the Wei family can't afford to suffer losses from both sides."

"Either accept yourself, tame her, and make her work for you."

"Or, kill her completely."

……

Huanhua Courtyard.

Shen Mingshu slept very restlessly.

Her delicate brows were furrowed. In her dream, she heard her father's laughter one moment and her mother's screams the next, alternating back and forth. With a splitting headache, she woke up in a cold sweat.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tall figure standing by the bed.

"what!"

Shen Mingshu was startled and quickly hugged the blanket.

Upon recognizing Wei Ziye, she gritted her teeth and threw the pillow at him fiercely!

"Are you crazy?!"

The pillow hit his chest and landed in his hand, and only then did Wei Ziye slowly withdraw his gaze from Shen Mingshu.

He looked at the soft pillow in his hand, thinking of his father's words, and a barely perceptible glint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

He lowered his eyes, his voice deep in the darkness.

"The stronger Gu eats the weaker Gu."

"Shen Mingshu, how could you be so certain of your Gu that day when you knew nothing about the situation—"

"Can you eat me?"

"..."