As her last note faded, Chen's mother, who had been standing outside the door and had heard everything, staggered and almost collapsed to the ground.

"Mother!" Shen Jinshu exclaimed, successfully interrupting the conversation in the room.

Shen Feng's expression changed drastically. He took a few steps out of the study, and the sight of the dark crowd and familiar faces gave him a headache.

It's over, completely over.

The secret he had painstakingly concealed for so many years was finally exposed.

"Shen Feng, I think you need to give me an explanation." For the first time, Shen's mother did not address him as "Lord Marquis."

The Shen brothers, who rushed over upon hearing the news, also looked at him coldly, their hearts filled with turbulent emotions.

A switch? Chen the wet nurse?

It turns out they were biological sisters, not stolen by enemies, but switched by their own father.

But why did he do this? Was his benefactor's daughter more important than his own daughter?

"It's all a misunderstanding. Shen Ru is delirious and talking nonsense. We've been married for many years, don't you know what kind of person I am?" Shen Feng was still being stubborn at this point, refusing to admit defeat until he was faced with a fatal blow.

If he were to truly admit to switching the identities of his two daughters and heartlessly abandoning the other daughter in the mountains to fend for herself, his reputation would be completely ruined.

Seeing that Madam Shen's expression was somewhat moved, and that she seemed about to be deceived again, Song Zhiyu sneered, "Misunderstanding? Your skill in lying through your teeth, Lord Marquis, is getting more and more impressive."

She knew Shen Feng would try to argue, but she never expected someone to be so shameless.

"Song Zhiyu, stop trying to sow discord. Father isn't that kind of person," Shen Mingyi said in a low voice. Although Shen Ru's words shocked him, he still couldn't believe them.

"Fool." Song Zhiyu glanced at him with a mocking expression, her red lips uttering two words lightly, making no attempt to hide the contempt in her words.

Seeing this, Shen Ru came to her senses. She licked her dry lips, left these words with her head down, and tried to leave, saying, "Yes, I was just talking nonsense. Sister-in-law, don't think too much about it."

Song Zhiyu stood in front of Shen Ru, blocking her way. "Wait, an acquaintance of yours wants to see you."

Song Zhiyu waved her hand, and Lu Bai's figure immediately appeared outside the door, followed by an old woman with her head bowed.

“Nanny Chen!” Mother Shen recognized the person at a glance.

"Madam, I'm so sorry!" Nurse Chen suddenly knelt down in front of Madam Shen, crying with snot and tears streaming down her face.

After living in hiding for so many years, constantly on edge, she deeply regrets her initial choice.

"Your Excellency should recognize this person quite well, after all, you've been inquiring about her for so many years, wishing you could get rid of her as soon as possible to completely bury all the filth you've done." Song Zhiyu smiled as she looked at Shen Feng's ever-changing expression, but her words were barbed.

Although Madam Shen's eyes were on Shen Feng, her words were clearly directed at Nanny Chen, "What exactly is going on?"

She always felt that the truth that was about to unfold was something she didn't want to accept.

Shen Feng's eyes hardened, and he unceremoniously threw mud at Song Zhiyu, "This is Song Zhiyu's conspiracy. She just can't stand to see the Marquis's mansion doing well. Madam, don't believe her."

But he secretly gripped the guard's sword hilt, intending to use the same trick again.

But this time Song Zhiyu wouldn't let him have his way. She blocked Shen Feng's longsword. "Lord Marquis, are you trying to kill me to silence me again?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she used force to knock the longsword out of Shen Feng's hand.

With a sharp "clang," the longsword fell to the ground, the crisp sound pulling everyone back to reality.

Everyone stared at Shen Feng with complicated expressions, clearly understanding something.

If you truly have nothing to hide, why would you think of killing someone to cover it up?

Terrified, Chen, the wet nurse, finally made up her mind and told everything she knew. "Madam, this old servant is so sorry."

"Back then, this old servant took the Marquis's money and, against my conscience, switched the two children. I also followed the Marquis's orders and... threw Miss Song into the deep mountains. If it weren't for Miss Song's good fortune, she might have died long ago."

After blurting out all these words, Chen the wet nurse felt a sense of relief.

Her biggest regret was throwing her newborn child into the deep mountains, completely cutting off the child's chance of survival.

The lady treated her so well, yet she killed the lady's daughter for money.

Whenever she thought about this, she was in great pain and couldn't sleep at night.

When Song Zhiyu found her, she was both frightened and overjoyed. She never expected that the child from back then would survive and grow up to be such a beautiful young woman.

"Is everything you said true?" Mother Shen felt as if something had exploded in her head, leaving her dazed.

Even tigers don't eat their cubs, so why would the Marquis be so cruel to his own daughter?

"It's absolutely true, this old servant would never dare to deceive you, Madam." Tears streamed down Chen's face; she truly regretted her actions.

But once the arrow is released, there's no turning back; she's already on the wrong path, with no room for regret.

The mother questioned hysterically, "Why? Why did you do this? Zhiyu is your own daughter!"

She racked her brains but couldn't understand how Shen Feng, who clearly doted on his sons, could be so heartless as to take the life of his own daughter.

If he simply wanted to take his benefactor's daughter back to raise, he could have said so directly. She wouldn't be unable to tolerate a child, and might even treat her as her own.

Why must she kill her own daughter? Shen's mother felt as if the sky had fallen.

Shen Yuzhou and the others also looked at Shen Feng with red eyes, filled with anger, resentment, and confusion.

"Why? Because I need to make room for her mistress." Song Zhiyu said quietly, dropping another bombshell.

A single sentence can cause a huge uproar; its power is no less than the truth that was just revealed.

"Nonsense! Song Zhiyu, shut up!" Shen Feng's pupils widened in shock, never expecting that Song Zhiyu even knew about this.

If he still held onto hope just moments before, now he felt there was no turning back.

Shen Mingyi snapped out of his shock and instinctively defended Shen Jinshu, saying, "Song Zhiyu, I know you've never liked Shu'er, but you can't just slander her reputation like that."

He absolutely did not believe Song Zhiyu's words, absolutely not!

"You're so afraid I'll reveal the truth because you're afraid your image as a good man, built up over decades, will completely collapse. Because no one would have guessed that this good man, who doesn't take concubines and whose eyes are only for his wife, is actually a complete hypocrite."

The concubine's son was the same age as the eldest son, and the emperor even openly kept the concubine's son by his side, addressing him as master and disciple—this was utterly absurd.

Song Zhiyu's cold gaze fell directly on Shen Rushan, her eyes like sharp daggers, completely peeling away their hypocritical facade.

It goes without saying who the mistress she was referring to was.