Upon hearing this, everyone present gasped and stared at Li Jiaojiao as if they had seen a ghost.

The surroundings became so quiet you could hear a pin drop!

Seeing the sudden silence and the strange looks people were giving her, Li Jiaojiao frowned, looking quite anxious.

"Granny Yu, what are you waiting for? Go find Madam Hou and drive Ye Shi and her lover and the rest of the family out!"

"Shut up!" The Duchess, finally snapping out of her shock, lunged forward and covered her mouth: "This is Second Master Shen!"

"Ugh... Mother! What are you doing!" Li Jiaojiao shoved the Duchess aside and shouted angrily, "What Second Master Shen?"

"It's Master Shen, the second master of the Marquis of Dingguo's mansion!"

Before Li Jiaojiao could react, Shen Zhiyan's icy voice rang out:

"This is my home! Who are you trying to kick out? Say that again!"

"What do you mean, your home? You..." Li Jiaojiao paused, finally realizing what was happening, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Everyone looked at her with shocked and mocking eyes.

Her mind went blank for a second, and she stood there, stunned.

This man... is Ye Xuan's husband! Ye Caiping's lover... is he from the Marquis of Dingguo's mansion?

And it's Master Shen the Second? That's the Marquis of Dingguo's...younger brother?

Is this his home?

If she were to marry Shen Xingyue, wouldn't that man be her second uncle? This...

But...did I offend him?

No, it doesn't matter whose uncle he is now; what matters is my own lie...

Amidst the deathly pale faces of Li Jiaojiao and the Duchess, Shen Zhiyan took Ye Caiping's hand, and his cold voice rang out:

"Ladies and gentlemen, this lady's surname is Ye, given name Caiping. She is the Lady Ye, who was bestowed the title of Lady Ye in May. She is my fiancée, Shen Zhiyan. We will be getting married on the 20th of the first month next year. I would like to invite you all to attend the wedding banquet at my residence."

The surrounding guests all took a deep breath and looked at Ye Caiping.

This... is Master Shen's peasant girl fiancée?

She was stunningly beautiful; if you didn't know, you wouldn't guess she came from a farming family. Her demeanor was elegant and noble, with a touch of ethereal grace.

So this is what she looks like. No wonder Master Shen took a liking to her.

At least her appearance and temperament are excellent; she would stand out even among noblewomen.

Shen Zhiyan's cold gaze fell on Li Jiaojiao again: "The hairpin in Caiping's hair was a gift from me, Shen, to her as an engagement present. When did it become Miss Li's property?"

Li Jiaojiao's expression changed.

Her mind was reeling, and she stood there dumbfounded.

After learning about Ye Caiping's relationship with Shen Zhiyan, the Duchess was terrified and turned pale.

How could this be...?

Ye Caiping, a lowly peasant woman, a peasant woman whom she wouldn't even give a second glance to, actually became Master Shen's fiancée.

Now, under Shen Zhiyan's interrogation, the Duchess's face turned deathly pale, her whole body trembled and went limp, and she forced a smile:

"That...it was just a misunderstanding. I gave Jiaojiao a similar hairpin a while ago, but she lost it. Today I'm just making an apology."

"Misunderstanding and admitting fault?" Ye Caiping stared coldly at Li Jiaojiao: "I'm not like Miss Li, who would slander people at the drop of a hat."

“I’m being reasonable. Madam claims she has an identical one, so please provide proof! Where did you buy it, or who gave it to you? Even if it’s part of your dowry, it should be listed on the dowry list. Such an expensive item couldn’t have been picked up off the street!”

Looking at Ye Caiping's cold face, the Duchess was both afraid and angry, and stammered, "Lady Ye... one should be lenient when possible."

Ye Caiping sneered: "When Miss Li was abusing her power just now, did she show any leniency? Fine, if you won't provide evidence, I will."

She looked at Li Jiaojiao, knowing what Li Jiaojiao feared most, so she said that:

"This Miss Li is originally from Li Family Village, Yue'an County, Nanzhou—"

"Shut up!" Li Jiaojiao's mind went blank, it felt like it was about to explode. She couldn't let her say it! She absolutely couldn't let her say it!

Thinking this, she pointed at Ye Caiping and roared, "So what if you're Second Master Shen's fiancée! I'm the adopted daughter of the Duke's mansion! Mother—"

As she spoke, she turned back and pulled at the Duchess: "Mother, I am your daughter! Don't you believe me? I'm telling the truth, that hairpin is mine!"

"So what if it's a Marquis's mansion! Does that give them the right to twist the truth? We're a Duke's mansion! We're a whole rank higher than a Marquis's mansion! Are we just going to let them bully us like this?"

"Jiaojiao!" The Duchess was stunned by Li Jiaojiao's words and tried to cover her mouth, but it was too late.

The surrounding guests all stared at Li Jiaojiao with expressions of utter disbelief.

Good heavens, is she crazy?

"Mother!" Li Jiaojiao was truly on the verge of madness. "We are the Duke's Mansion! We are the Duke's Mansion! They are just the Marquis's Mansion! Why should we be afraid of them? Mother is too kind and weak. We must show the Duke's Mansion's dignity! We can't let them bully us! We—"

"Shut up, Li Jiaojiao, are you crazy!" A young woman in her twenties rushed up; she was none other than Qiao, the daughter-in-law of the Duchess.

Qiao was always a blockhead; even if someone insulted her ten times, she wouldn't utter a single word.

This time, however, Li Jiaojiao pushed him to the limit, and he got so scared that he started cursing:

"What do you know! What duke's mansion or marquis's mansion... that's just a title! Although... a title is important, there are things more important than that."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!