In the afternoon, past midnight—
Ye Caiping, Shen Zhiyan, Shen Manman, Old Madam Shen, and the Lady of Ningguo Marquis entered the palace together, and even the Jin'er sisters came along.
They all gathered in the Imperial Flower Courtyard to chat with Empress Dowager Shen.
A short while later, Li Jiaojiao, Gu Han, and the Duke and Duchess of Pingguo were led over by palace maids.
When Li Jiaojiao saw Ye Caiping, her expression changed: "What are you doing—"
She wanted to say, "Why are you here too?" but the painful experience of being slapped at the Shen family's house last time made her immediately shut up.
When faced with Empress Dowager Shen's majestic eyes, his body immediately stiffened.
The palace maid standing to the side said coldly, "Why haven't you paid your respects yet?"
Li Jiaojiao and Gu Han quickly greeted her, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
"Anything else?"
Li Jiaojiao insisted, "I have met Old Madam Shen, Marquis Dingguo, Madam Shen, Princess Changyi... Lady Ye, Lady Ye."
Gu Han also read it aloud. He felt a pang of heartache looking at Li Jiaojiao's humiliated appearance.
He secretly made up his mind that he would work hard to climb up the social ladder and never let Jiao Jiao suffer such injustice again.
At this moment, Old Madam Gu also came over with several people.
After exchanging greetings, Gu Han looked at her with bright eyes: "Grandmother, I'm so sorry, I made things like this..."
Gu Shen was, after all, her son, and Gu Han knew that Old Madam Gu must be feeling terrible at this moment.
With tears welling in her eyes, Old Madam Gu waved her hand, "I understand, I get it all..."
Gu Han was deeply moved. Sure enough, his grandmother still loved him.
Empress Dowager Shen said calmly, "Madam Gu, now that everyone is here, it's time to decide who will inherit your title."
Madam Gu looked at Gu Han apologetically: "Your Majesty, please let the title be inherited by Gu Shao, the son of the second branch of the family! Gu Shao is already engaged, and his fiancée is Pang Xue'er, the second daughter of the Pang family. The marriage decree can be in his fiancée's name."
Knowing that the Empress Dowager did not want Shen Manman to marry into the Gu family, Madam Gu immediately said the following words to dispel the Empress Dowager's concerns.
The Empress Dowager nodded: "Alright."
Gu Han and Li Jiaojiao's group were stunned, then their minds went blank. Gu Han looked at Old Madam Gu in disbelief:
"Grandmother, what are you saying? I am the heir! I am the heir! How can Gu Shao inherit the title!"
He worked so hard and waited so long, only to have his cousin benefit from it?
Li Jiaojiao was also dizzy; she was the wife of the heir apparent, the wife of the marquis...
How could that be?
Old Madam Gu looked at him with guilt: "Han'er... I'm sorry, but... Grandmother will still not mistreat you."
Upon learning that Gu Han was lame and had a criminal record for theft, Old Madam Gu made the decision that Gu Han could not inherit the title.
Moreover, he had neither official rank nor talent; if he had either of those qualities, she would have seriously considered his future. Unfortunately, he had neither.
Because of Gu Shen's affair, the Ningguo Marquis's mansion will be ruined.
Their Ningguo Marquis's mansion needs a marquis who can uphold the family's authority, not a cripple who has been to prison.
That's why she was so tolerant of his marriage to Li Jiaojiao.
Gu Han felt a chill run through his body as he listened to her words: "What will you use to compensate me? What can compensate for a marquis's title?"
Li Jiaojiao was also losing her temper: "You old hag, you keep saying you love him, is this how you love him?"
"How dare you shout at Her Majesty!" said Eunuch Yu from the side.
Gu Han and Li Jiaojiao then remembered that Empress Dowager Shen was still there, their expressions changed slightly, and they immediately shut their mouths.
Gu Han immediately knelt before Empress Dowager Shen: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, how can this matter be decided by Grandmother alone? I am the heir of the Marquis of Ningguo! I am the eldest son of the legitimate wife!"
"He was only deprived of the title of heir by being framed by Gu Shen. Now that the villain has been punished, the title of heir should rightfully be returned to him."
"If Your Highness were to bestow the title upon someone else, wouldn't that be tantamount to approving of Gu Shen's actions?"
"Insolence!" Eunuch Yu shouted coldly.
Empress Dowager Shen was not angry: "You said it yourself, it is only right. But are your actions after leaving the capital worthy of your status as the heir apparent?"
"Putting everything else aside, you went to jail for theft, and I wasn't wrong to do it, was I?"
Gu Han's expression changed drastically: "Your Majesty... I... I did not steal anything. I wanted to return to the capital, but... I encountered a mad dog. The dog chased me to Qinghe Village, and that's when I ran into Ye Shu's house."
"I accidentally trampled a few flowers... and then I was taken away by the constables. My crime... was also trampling precious flowers and plants. If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, you can check my criminal record..."
Because Lu Lingxian had intended to take credit for Gu Han's crimes, Gu Han's criminal record only mentioned trampling on flowers and plants, and never mentioned cassava.
Empress Dowager Shen's expression grew cold: "Gu Han, do I look that easy to fool? What you have done is ten or a hundred times more heinous than theft."
Gu Han broke out in a cold sweat: "I...I'm a villain..."
At the time, he wanted to... steal Ye Caiping's credit! To profit from it!
Sitting in the back, Ye Caiping looked at Gu Han as if he were a fool. Anyone who appeared in front of the Empress Dowager would be exposed without any evidence.
Empress Dowager Shen's face darkened: "I originally thought you were just making a mistake on a whim. I never expected you would dare to lie to me like this. Guards, throw Gu Han out of the palace!"
Two guards immediately stepped forward, covered his mouth, and dragged him out.
Li Jiaojiao looked at Gu Han, who was suddenly dragged away, her face turned pale, and she trembled with fear.
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