Watching his mother's departing figure, Huo Jiwen felt an indescribable panic.

However, the matter was quickly suppressed. After all, she was his own mother, and there's no such thing as a grudge that lasts overnight between a mother and son.

After that, he should be filial to her and coax her, and things should be fine.

Then, the joy of being able to marry Shi Lingqiao replaced the panic.

Huo Jiwen also knew that his mother disliked Lingqiao and did not want her to marry into the family, so she probably wouldn't help him propose marriage or send betrothal gifts.

So he instructed his servants to find out how to propose to the woman and how to make the wedding grand.

If his mother won't hold the wedding, it's better if he does it himself. That way, he can give Lingqiao a grand and glamorous wedding, making all the noble ladies in the capital envious of her.

While Huo Jiwen was still having a sweet dream, Qingyou left the courtyard.

She instructed the steward, "Ji Wen will soon no longer be the heir of the Duke's mansion. From now on, he will be treated as a legitimate son."

She further emphasized, "From today onwards, no matter what he does, if he wants to withdraw money or goods from the warehouse, he will need my permission before I can give them to him."

For Char Siu Bao to marry that white lotus flower in a grand and lavish manner, just like in his original life, was a pipe dream.

She said she wouldn't interfere, so naturally she wouldn't even interfere with the betrothal gifts.

This will all belong to Huo Xi in the future; don't even think about getting a free ride.

The steward assumed that the lady wanted to control the young master through the betrothal gifts and other means, so he nodded and said, "Yes!"

Qingyou went back to the yard and had a wonderful nap.

The next morning, she put on a tired-looking makeup to make her face appear smaller before entering the palace.

She deliberately wore an outfit that made her look very slim, and with her haggard appearance and weak gait, it was as if she had lost a lot of weight in a short period of time after a serious illness.

This time, she went directly to the imperial study to see the emperor.

When the emperor summoned Qingyou inside, he couldn't help but feel distressed and heartbroken upon seeing his younger sister's thin and frail appearance.

His sister, being the only legitimate princess, was favored by their father when he was alive, and even more so after he ascended the throne, living a flamboyant and glamorous life.

She didn't suffer any grievances after marrying into the Duke's mansion. Although her husband died in battle, she controlled the entire mansion and lived a very comfortable life. Every time I saw her, she had a rosy complexion.

It's nothing like it is now, as if it would collapse with a gust of wind.

Qingyou bowed upon entering, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

The emperor raised his hand, "Quickly, you may dispense with the formalities."

He asked with concern, "Are you feeling any better? Why have you lost so much weight?"

Qingyou looked up at him and smiled, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I'm feeling better."

Seeing her forced smile, the emperor felt even worse. "Did you come to the palace today for something?"

His sister hadn't come to see him alone for many years.

Qingyou's eyes reddened instantly. She took out a piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it to the eunuch serving the emperor.

The eunuch then respectfully handed it over to the emperor.

The emperor opened it and took a look, somewhat puzzled.

After reading the contents of the paper and the signatures of his sister and nephew, his face turned extremely pale.

He couldn't help but slap the table, "Outrageous, absolutely outrageous!"

He looked at his sister with some disbelief and asked, "Huo Jiwen voluntarily gave up his title of Duke for that woman?"

Qingyou nodded. "Yes, he did it voluntarily."

“He went on a hunger strike to force me to compromise and agree to let him marry Shi Lingqiao. I think he’s made up his mind and won’t turn back.”

"Originally, I just wanted to scare him by saying that if he insisted on marrying Shi Lingqiao, I would go to the palace and ask my brother to strip him of his title as heir, and he could forget about inheriting the Duke's mansion in the future."

"He could only choose one between his family business, his mother, and Shi Lingqiao, but he chose Shi Lingqiao without hesitation."

"He also told me that he couldn't live without that woman."

Qingyou took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes. "I'm really disappointed. I never thought the Duke's mansion could produce such a romantic."

Not only was the younger sister surprised, but the emperor also never expected his nephew to make such a choice.

He pondered for a moment and asked, "So what are you thinking now?"

Originally intended to scare her nephew, the younger sister is now in a difficult position.

Not stripping the heir apparent of his position will only embolden his nephew to act with even greater impunity in the future.

But if he is stripped of his title as heir apparent, will he still be able to inherit the title of Duke in the future?

If this happened in any other family, he would definitely not hesitate to strip such an unfilial person of their inheritance rights.

But now that his own sister and nephew are involved, he is not so decisive.

Qingyou lowered her head and thought for a while before looking up and saying, "Please, Your Majesty, strip it of its power."

With tears in her eyes, she continued, "With his personality, he is simply not suited to inherit the Duke's mansion."

"He is blinded by lust and acts impulsively, refusing to listen to others' advice. If the Emperor were to send him to the frontier to lead troops into battle in the future, he would likely suffer repeated defeats."

"This will not only harm the soldiers who defend the country on the frontier, but also ruin the country."

"I cannot let him harm others, himself, and the country."

The emperor was astonished by her words. "You mean, not only should he be stripped of his title as heir apparent, but he will also be barred from inheriting the title of Duke?"

Qingyou nodded, "Yes, that's what I think too."

Seeing that the emperor was deep in thought and didn't speak, Qingyou knew what he was hesitating about.

In his heart, he might think that it's better for his own nephew to inherit the Duke's mansion than for an outsider, since it's better to keep the wealth within the family.

But Qingyou also knew how to dispel his hesitation.

She sighed and added, "He insists on marrying Shi Lingqiao, and I have already agreed. But Shi Lingqiao is backed by the Fourth Prince."

“Brother, my husband once told me that the Duke’s Mansion will always be loyal to the Emperor and must never participate in the struggle for the throne.”

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