In the parlor, the Guardian Lady heard from the maids that Shen Qingluan had confronted the Princess Consort and then run off. She was frantic with worry. Having lost her husband in middle age, she had only this one daughter.
When Duke Hu Guo died in battle, the Emperor, out of compassion, had allowed her to adopt a son from the clan to inherit the title of Duke. But the Guardian Lady refused. If she were to choose someone from the clan to inherit the title, once he was firmly established, wouldn't she and her daughter be at the mercy of an outsider?
Their vast family estate would also fall into an outsider's hands.
So she submitted a memorial to the throne, stating there was no need for anyone to inherit the title. She would simply adopt a child in the future to ensure Duke Hu Guo's family line did not end.
The Emperor, happy to reclaim the title of Duke, generously granted her the title of Guardian Lady as a form of compensation.
