Upon hearing this, Butler Lin was greatly alarmed, and his fake smile almost crumbled. Under Song Zhiyu's slightly oppressive gaze, he awkwardly raised his hand to wipe the fine sweat that kept appearing on his forehead.

He considered his words carefully and was about to explain when he heard Song Zhiyu sneer, her sharp and cold gaze sweeping over everyone in the courtyard. "No one is allowed to step out of this courtyard before I return. I'm going to settle this score properly."

"I will take back every single Star Grass you destroyed from the Shen family." With that, she turned and left without looking back.

Everyone present was stunned by her terrifying aura, their bodies stiff and unable to move, and could only watch helplessly as Song Zhiyu left.

"Second Miss..." Butler Lin looked at Song Zhiyu's aggressive back and suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

Since the incident of falling into the water, the second young lady's personality has changed drastically. She is no longer the little girl who could be easily manipulated. Even the arrogant and domineering third young lady has fallen into her hands.

Not to mention the two behemoths behind the Second Miss, the Princess's Mansion and the Duke of Ling's Mansion, both of which are known for protecting their own and are definitely not people that the current Marquis's Mansion can afford to offend.

Thinking of the Fourth Young Master who was still suffering in the Hall of Punishments, Steward Lin couldn't help but smile bitterly, regretting that he hadn't been able to persuade him to stay.

By offending the second young lady, the Marquis has really bitten off more than he can chew.

*

Main courtyard.

"Father, these are all congratulatory gifts from the Princess's Mansion and the Duke of Ling's Mansion to Zhiyu. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to do this?" Shen Muxun looked down at the several large boxes of treasures on the ground, his face showing a conflicted expression.

He regarded money as something external to himself, was obsessed with medicine, and considered himself superior, so he had many complaints about Shen Feng's actions.

Shen Feng looked completely at ease, though in his heart he had long considered these things as his own. "What's wrong with that? These things were originally gifts for the Marquis's mansion, and should be used for public purposes. How can she keep them all to herself?"

Besides, the Marquis's mansion has raised her for so long; it's time for her to repay them.

“But…” Shen Muxun hesitated, still feeling that doing so was not quite appropriate, but he had no way to refute it.

If this gets out, outsiders will probably laugh at their manor.

Seeing that Shen Feng's face darkened and he was about to get angry, Shen Mingyi quickly spoke up and stuffed a yellowed book into Shen Muxun's hand to stop him from continuing, "Second brother, this is for you."

Shen Muxun lowered his head, but when he saw the ink on the book, his tightly furrowed brows instantly relaxed, his eyes flashed with a brilliant light, and his steady voice even trembled slightly, "This is Master Fulan's handwritten notes!"

"Second Brother has always admired Master Fu Lan and wanted to learn his treatment methods. It just so happens that among the congratulatory gifts sent by the Duke of Ling's Mansion was a handwritten note by Master Fu Lan."

This book contains detailed records of various leg ailments and their treatments. If Second Brother can decipher this manual, perhaps Eldest Brother's legs can be saved. Shen Mingyi was adept at manipulating people's hearts, and with a single move, he could accurately grasp Shen Muxun's Achilles' heel.

Seeing Shen Muxun staring intently at the notes, his eyes filled with even greater fervor, Shen Mingyi couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.

His second brother was obsessed with medicine, and in his eyes, this tattered notebook was probably more valuable than those dozen boxes of treasures.

“You’re right. As long as I can master Master Fu Lan’s treatment method, there’s hope for my brother’s leg.” Shen Muxun was overjoyed, flipping through the journal with obvious delight, having completely forgotten what had just been said.

With Master Fu Lan's notes, his chances of curing Shen Yuzhou were much greater.

Shen Feng laughed loudly, raised his hand and patted Shen Muxun's shoulder, his face showing relief, "Good, I believe in you. As long as you can cure your elder brother's leg, the glory of the Chengen Marquis's mansion will be just around the corner."

Shen Yuzhou is a genius that the Lintian Dynasty has only seen once in a hundred years. He has been highly regarded by the Marquis's family since childhood, and they are just waiting for the right time to ask him to be named the heir apparent.

Unexpectedly, an accident caught them off guard.

If it weren't for his broken leg, the Marquis's mansion wouldn't have fallen into such a state.

If Shen Muxun can truly heal Shen Yuzhou's legs, it will only be a matter of time before the Chengen Marquis's Mansion regains its former glory.

"I will definitely not let Father down." Shen Muxun nodded heavily. Whether for the sake of the Chengen Marquis's Mansion or for his own sake, he was determined to heal his elder brother's leg and help him stand up again.

Even without Song Zhiyu, he could still cure his older brother.

"Father, what do you plan to do with these things?" Shen Mingyi's eyes flickered slightly, and his large, well-defined fingers pointed to the remaining boxes of treasures.

He also set his sights on these things, and a hint of greed was hard to hide in his eyes.

With the money, he could make up for the recent losses of several shops and expand his business.

What he lacks now is money.

"Rushan is currently at a crucial stage of his rise, and we can't hold him back. He is my personal disciple, and I've devoted a great deal of effort to cultivating him. If he succeeds, the Marquis's mansion will naturally benefit as well."

"But as you know, because of the matter concerning Grand Tutor Chu, my position in the court is quite precarious, and it has even implicated Rushan. In order to make Rushan's career path easier, and for the future of the Marquis's mansion, this money still needs to be spent." Shen Feng explained his plan, but he did not seek Shen Mingyi's opinion.

"As for your shop, let's put it aside for now. Your promotion is more important." He knew Shen Mingyi's thoughts, but he didn't take him to heart. With a single, casual remark, he plunged Shen Mingyi into despair.

How can a merchant who reeks of money be compared to an important official in the imperial court?

It seems that the heavy responsibility of restoring the Marquis's mansion to its former glory can only be entrusted to Shen Rushan.

Upon hearing this, Shen Mingyi's smile froze. He hadn't expected his father to spend so much money to curry favor with Shen Rushan, while ignoring his own affairs.

He is clearly the father's biological son, so why is he so biased towards an outsider?

It was only then that Shen Mingyi finally understood what Song Zhiyu had felt, though he was unaware of it at the time.

"Father..." Shen Mingyi was indignant and wanted to say something, but was interrupted by a loud noise from not far away.

"Bang!"

The main gate of the courtyard was kicked open, and Song Zhiyu stood at the door with a cold face, slowly walking in amidst a group of servants blocking her way.

The servants, their eyes wary, retreated step by step, holding wooden sticks, not daring to hurt Song Zhiyu.

Things are different now. Song Zhiyu is no longer the powerless and vulnerable second young lady of the Marquis's mansion who was bullied by others. Instead, she is the savior of three noble people.

Everyone knows that those three noblemen are notoriously protective of their own; even if they had ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare to harm her in the slightest.