Li Jiaojiao's face turned pale: "No..."

The Duchess of Pingguo's grievances came crashing down like a tidal wave: "What do you mean, 'not what'? You know better than anyone that the Duke's mansion's entire fortune is gone!"

"I've also been divorced by Liu Jiasheng! He took everyone and left the capital, leaving me penniless! I've come to you for help! I... I... have nothing left. I came to find you... and you... you actually refused to see me, just to look at a tiny account book?"

"What, is this little ledger more important than me? More important than me?"

Li Jiaojiao said urgently, "No! That's not what I meant. Anyway... let's go inside and talk about it!"

The surrounding area was full of maids and servants, all watching the spectacle!

Moreover, Gu Han was in the courtyard not far away...

"What do you mean, 'come inside'! Now you know to invite me in? What were you doing just now?" Li Jiaojiao's words made her even more indignant. Tears streamed down her face as she waved her hands haphazardly. "Back then, you were just a lowly maid. I insisted on taking you in as my goddaughter despite the objections of Liu Jiasheng and others."

"I spoil you more than I ever have. Even knowing that the Duke's mansion was about to collapse, I still let you leave with a dowry of ten thousand taels. Is that true?"

Li Jiaojiao's face was pale, and she bit her lip tightly: "That, that is of course true. I know how good you are to me, Mother... I was just too tired and felt a little unwell. I didn't want you to worry, so I thought I'd let you find an inn to rest first, and then I'll come to see you when I feel better."

Lady Pingguo's heart ached, and tears streamed down her face: "Then why send me to the outskirts of the capital? Why the outskirts of the capital?"

Li Jiaojiao's face was pale, and she couldn't say a word.

After a long while, he said, "Well... it's all because there are too many things going on in the capital. I was afraid that you would be laughed at by people you know, so I wanted you to rest somewhere where no one knows you."

Lady Pingguo felt a little better: "And then?"

Li Jiaojiao pursed her lips: "And then what?"

How will I live from now on?

Li Jiaojiao paused for a moment: "Anyway... does our Ningguo Marquis's mansion not even have enough to support a relative? I will take good care of my mother then."

The Duchess of Pingguo looked at her with a pale face and asked, "How can you be filial?"

Li Jiaojiao was a little annoyed. She had already said she would take good care of her, so why was she asked how she would do that? What, did she really want to take her into her home and treat her like an ancestor?

"Anyway... I will definitely make sure my mother lives a good life and is not bullied by anyone."

Lady Pingguo tentatively asked, "Will you come to see me often?"

Li Jiaojiao nodded hurriedly: "Of course. I will visit you every few days. Mother... let's go inside first! Or, shall I personally see you off as you leave the capital? Quick, Xuehua, prepare the carriage!"

The Duchess of Pingguo was as if she had been doused with ice water; she didn't utter a single word about her intention to leave the capital!

Lady Pingguo collapsed instantly, screaming, "Weren't you going to leave the capital? Why are you visiting me every few days? How are you visiting me?"

Li Jiaojiao's expression changed drastically. How did she know? She had only told the old lady about this.

Mother hasn't seen the old lady either, so...

Thinking about it, she suddenly glared at Xuehua!

Snowflakes pouted.

Li Jiaojiao was almost furious. Could it be that this wretched maid...? Now was not the time to think about that. She hurriedly said:

"What nonsense is Mother talking about... What do you mean by leaving Beijing? We have no plans to leave Beijing!"

The Duchess of Pingguo stared at her blankly: "Jiaojiao, am I a fool? Or blind?"

She understood Li Jiaojiao's terrified reaction and the way she glared at Xuehua!

Li Jiaojiao was trying to hide it from him; she wanted to run away...

Lady Pingguo's eyes widened, tears streaming down her face: "Why? I've been so good to you, why are you treating me like this?"

Li Jiaojiao said with annoyance, "How have I treated you? I just... I just said I would take good care of you, so why do you trust a maid instead of me?"

"Trust you? Haven't I always trusted you? But this is the consequence of trusting you!" The Duchess of Pingguo roared as if she had lost her mind. "Because I trusted you, because I thought you were a pure and innocent girl, I took you in as my goddaughter!"

"Because I trusted you, when you falsely accused Ye Caiping of stealing your hairpin at the Shen family's house, even though I knew you didn't have that hairpin, I still believed you in the end and continued to help you! Instead of wrongly accusing an innocent person!"

"Because I believed you, I sided with you when Xiawei and Granny Yu both said you were a suspect. I even gave false testimony for you in court! But the truth is, you actually went out that day! You went out!"

"It was you who colluded with Deli Money Shop, using your power to sell out the entire Duke Pingguo's mansion! You sold me out! This is the consequence of trusting you! Li Jiaojiao, this is the consequence of trusting you—"

After she finished speaking, the Duchess of Pingguo's eyes widened.

Good heavens, what did she say?

Yes, actually, she had always harbored these doubts in her heart...

But in the end, she still chose to believe Li Jiaojiao.

Moreover, she was unwilling to face her own choices and kept deceiving herself until now... when everything has come to light.

Li Jiaojiao's face darkened: "You, you're slandering me! What do you mean you gave false testimony? That's a matter of great importance to the whole family... You're not stupid! It's the truth, I didn't go out! Now... you've been divorced and are down on your luck, so you want to bite me! I've called you 'Mother' for so long... and you treat me like this!"

As the Duchess of Pingguo listened to her lies and observed her every expression, her mind went blank once again.

How could she say these things without blushing or her heart skipping a beat?

Why is this possible?