Gu Han frowned and said, "But you didn't do it for me! To you, I was a choice you had no other choice but to make."

Li Jiaojiao was taken aback, then her face darkened: "What do you mean? Do you want me to stay and live or die with the Duke of Pingguo's mansion in order to prove something?"

"I was planning to go with you anyway, it just so happened that the Duke's mansion encountered this situation. Just because of that, you doubt my feelings for you?"

"When you were a beggar, you were seriously injured. Was it all a lie that I took you home to seek medical treatment?"

"You were penniless and lame, yet I took you in and cared for you for over half a year. Is that all a lie?"

"Was all our affection... just a lie?"

"If all of this is fake, then what is real? What is real?"

As she spoke, Li Jiaojiao was already sobbing uncontrollably, screaming:

"You used to be a lame beggar, and I never looked down on you. Now I look down on you? Search your conscience, doesn't it hurt?"

Gu Han was stunned. Yes, no matter what happened to the Duke of Pingguo's mansion, how could he doubt Jiao Jiao's feelings for him! Was he even human? He—

"Oh my, Miss Li is so deeply devoted to love and loyalty?" Qian San's eyes widened. "But why did she go and look for a husband from another family when she had just become the adopted daughter of the Duke's mansion?"

"Back then, during the Great Cold, you were sent to the estate. Madam took her to the market to buy jewelry, saying that she needed to dress up beautifully for Old Madam Shen's birthday banquet so that Old Madam Shen would take a liking to her and marry her off to the young master Shen. At that time, I was the one who followed behind carrying the things. Miss Li was so happy!"

Gu Han: "..."

Madam Gu: "..."

Li Jiaojiao was so frightened she almost jumped out of her skin. She shouted urgently, "I didn't! Don't talk nonsense!"

Qian San: "If you're so bold, call Xiao Lü and Granny Yu over here and see if you two were plotting against Prince Shen back then."

Li Jiaojiao choked, her face turning deathly pale, and could only shake her head repeatedly: "No..."

Gu Han looked at her in disbelief: "You actually thought about marrying someone else?"

"No! You'd rather believe a servant than me?" Li Jiaojiao was both frightened and indignant.

Gu Han shook his head: "I don't know. I don't even know who to believe anymore. You saved me back then..."

Qian San: "Is it because her family is well-known locally, and she wanted to show off her uniqueness and kindness, or is it because you're good-looking?"

Gu Han: "I was penniless, and you've been taking me in all this time..."

Qian San: "Is your family short of servants? I've seen plenty of masters like her who don't want to pay wages and just want to freeload off us."

Gu Han was stunned. He recalled that during his time at the Li family, he was indeed busy from morning till night, doing the work of a servant.

Gu Han felt dizzy and disoriented, as if the world was spinning around him and he was not seeing reality.

Was she saving him just a moment of vanity?

Did she take him in because her household needed servants?

Is her choosing him now only because she has no other choice?

Furthermore, she even considered marrying someone else!

Li Jiaojiao angrily said, "Qian San, this is the Ningguo Marquis's residence. It's not your place to spout nonsense, you servant. Get out!"

Qian San gritted his teeth and said, "The Duke wants you to go back and cooperate with the investigation."

"Who does he think he is? I am the eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis of Ningguo's mansion. Does he think he can just make me go back whenever he wants? Is he the prefect? ​​What right does he have to do that?"

Qian San looked at Madam Gu: "Madam, what do you say?"

Madam Gu frowned: "Report back to your master, our household is in a mess too. Let the prefect speak to us about what's going on."

Qian San cupped his hands in greeting: "Alright, then I'll take my leave now."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Li Jiaojiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She wiped away her tears and walked palely to Gu Han's side: "Gu Han..."

"Don't touch me. I need to calm down."

After saying that, Gu Han limped out of the house.

Old Madam Gu stared at Li Jiaojiao with a cold expression, and finally gave a self-deprecating bitter smile: "Sure enough, none of the women who can marry into our family are simple."

After saying this, she shook her head, took the hand of a servant, and left dejectedly.

This home is ruined!

It's completely rotten!

Forget it, let everything be destroyed!

......

After Qian San returned to his residence and reported back, the Duke of Pingguo was furious again, but he was powerless to do anything about the Marquis of Ningguo's residence.

The following day, the trial of the case at the Duke of Pingguo's residence began.

The yamen runners arrived at the Ningguo Marquis's residence and summoned Li Jiaojiao to the court.

Li Jiaojiao's face turned ashen; she didn't want to go.

Madam Gu's maidservant relayed a message to her, saying that the yamen had issued a summons and she had to be present.

Li Jiaojiao then went to the yamen with a livid face.

Upon entering the courtroom, one sees all the masters of the Pingguo Duke's mansion present, but due to their status, the Pingguo Duke, his wife, and Liu Shangwei are all given seats.

Liu Xiawei, Granny Yu, and Xiao Lü knelt on the ground, along with Manager Xie from Deli Money Shop.

Upon seeing Li Jiaojiao, the three members of the Pingguo family—Duke Pingguo and his sons—had their eyes turn red.

Lady Pingguo looked at Li Jiaojiao with concern, noticing that she looked pale and seemed to have lost weight.

After going through the proper procedures and recounting the entire incident, Manager Xie said:

"The accusations made by the Duke of Pingguo's mansion against our bank are utterly slanderous. You are simply trying to renege on your debts. You clearly needed the money urgently and sold the goods to us, but now you're suddenly going back on your word."

"Hehe, I understand now. Your Pingguo Duke's Mansion is putting on a show. First, you had Liu Xiawei sell the goods to us, then you turned around and said he stole them, that it was a setup, and then you made us return the goods to you. You're cheating our money bank out of our money."

The Duke of Pingguo jumped up in anger: "You—"

Prefect Song slammed his gavel: "Silence! Duke Pingguo, you claim that Deli Money Shop set a trap, where is your evidence?"

"Where are the keys you mentioned? The wallet? The note?"

Duke Ping: "..."

A hint of mockery flashed in Deli Qianzhuang's eyes. These things had been stolen by the big man when Liu Xiawei came to sell his goods.

The key had been melted down into molten iron, and the purse and note had long since been burned.

Prefect Song then looked at Li Jiaojiao: "Young Madam Gu, they said you threw the key to Liu Xiawei. Also, you touched the key before the incident."

Li Jiaojiao's expression changed: "What evidence do you have to prove that I threw the key to Liu Xiawei? Yes... I touched the key, but Granny Yu and the Duchess of Pingguo also touched it. Why can't it be Granny Yu who stole it?"

Prefect Song rubbed his temples; what Li Jiaojiao said made sense.

The problem now is that there's no evidence. The promised key, wallet, and note are nowhere to be found.

Prefect Song said, "I have found that you have visited Deli Money Shop several times before this."

Lady Pingguo was startled, her heart pounding.

Thinking back to the day Li Jiaojiao left, remembering how she insisted on touching the keys, and how she still frequents Deli Money Exchange...

Li Jiaojiao said, "A money exchange? Of course I deposit money there! I have 10,000 taels of dowry, and I deposited it all in there, exchanging it for banknotes."

She was also clever, so every time she went out, she took some silver with her to deposit.

She also took out several silver notes.