Before leaving, Song Zhiyu handed the ointment to Su Ying and gently instructed, "Remember to apply the ointment. Don't stop for even a day. I'll come back when I have time in a while."

As long as Su Ying applies the medicine on time as instructed, the scars on her face will gradually improve, and perhaps they will be fully healed in less than three months.

"This servant understands." Su Ying nodded, gripping the medicine bottle tightly in her hand, a warm feeling washing over her.

Miss is truly a wonderful woman.

If the Su family had not fallen from grace, she might have become friends with the young lady.

But now...

Su Ying gave a self-deprecating smile, her resentment towards Prince Li deepening, and she couldn't help but touch her face.

She desperately wanted to heal the wounds on her face.

Song Zhiyu crossed the village entrance and turned his gaze to the back mountain not far away. Recalling the timeline of his previous life, he said meaningfully, "The back mountain has been rather unsettled lately. If you have nothing to do, don't go there."

"Okay." Su Ying was puzzled, but she still agreed without hesitation.

She thought that Song Zhiyu would never harm her.

"Do you know Qingfeng Village?" Song Zhiyu smiled, but her thoughts had already drifted far away.

Taking advantage of the easily defensible terrain of Fengyin Mountain, Qingfeng Village became increasingly arrogant, and the imperial court could not allow it to go unchecked.

Two months later, the imperial court would send troops to suppress the bandits, but all of them returned empty-handed, with heavy casualties.

The officials who were ordered to suppress the bandits were also held accountable for their poor performance and were demoted three ranks.

The culprit behind all of this was King Li.

He and Qingfeng Village cooperated and achieved mutual benefit by stepping on the corpses of innocent civilians and soldiers. One had money, and the other had power, gradually developing their own power without caring about the lives of others.

As long as the King remains in the court, Qingfeng Village will not be successfully besieged.

If she hadn't worried about Shen Yanxi being captured and tortured in the village in her previous life, and hadn't used a treacherous scheme, she wouldn't have been able to so easily destroy Qingfeng Village and eliminate this scourge that plagued the region.

Before the bandits were successfully eliminated, she had more important things to do.

*

The study of the Marquis of Chengen's residence.

"Knock knock knock~"

A dull knocking sounded from outside the door, accompanied by the chirping of cicadas, and sounded especially clear in the silent night.

"Go in." Shen Feng didn't even raise his head, his hands moving non-stop as he stood in front of the table, splashing ink and wielding his brush, unusually calm and composed.

Shen Jinshu pushed open the door and entered. "Father, did you summon your daughter here because of something important?"

"The lake tour banquet is in two days. Are you confident you can come out on top this time?" Shen Feng put down his brush, admiring his masterpiece with considerable satisfaction. His tone was casual, as if he were asking a question unintentionally.

Shen Jinshu smiled, her words brimming with pride, "Father, rest assured, I am determined to win the championship at this lake tour banquet and will certainly not disappoint you."

With Lian Siyi no longer her biggest obstacle, no one among the noble ladies of the capital can threaten her status as the number one talented woman.

The title of champion will be hers sooner or later.

Shen Jinshu was very confident in her abilities.

Upon hearing this, Shen Feng laughed loudly, finally releasing the pent-up frustration that had been building up in his heart for many days. "You are my proudest daughter. I have high hopes for you and naturally trust you."

Shen Jinshu has never caused him any trouble since childhood. She is kind, sensible, and meticulous. Not only is she proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but she has also brought a lot of honor to the Marquis's mansion.

Whether they were officials of the same court or noble families, everyone envied him for having such a well-educated, polite, filial, and gentle daughter.

Shen Feng has never regretted his decision to switch his two daughters. Even if he had to do it all over again, he would still make the same choice.

Some people are destined to be abandoned.

Shen Jinshu stood quietly to the side, her smile serene. "Father, is there anything different about this year's lake tour banquet?"

Shen Feng's unusual behavior made her realize that something was wrong.

In previous years, although my father valued the lake cruise banquet, he never gave any special instructions. Why is it like this year...?

"The Empress Dowager attaches great importance to this year's lake tour banquet, as if she wants to select consorts for the princes from among the noble ladies of various families."

"The Prince is in his prime and has no principal wife yet. If you can win the championship, you can also ask the Empress Dowager for a favor." Shen Feng had planned everything. He was extremely confident that Shen Jinshu would win the championship.

"I understand, daughter." Shen Jinshu lowered her head slightly, the strands of hair falling across her forehead cleverly concealing the dark glint in her eyes.

Hearing that this year's champion's reward is particularly generous, the gold and silver treasures are secondary; what attracts Shen Jinshu the most is the prize added by the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager's personal promise was worth its weight in gold, and Shen Jinshu would not easily let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Once she successfully married the Prince of Li, and the deed was done, she would no longer have to live in fear, lest the truth about her origins be exposed.

Anyone who dares to stand in her way must be prepared to face her retaliation.

Shen Jinshu quickly went through the list in her mind but couldn't find any noble ladies who posed a threat to her, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Since Chu Sangyue's affair was exposed last time, the Prince of Li has been somewhat dissatisfied with her.

From now on, she will have to be more careful.

However, Song Zhiyu's existence always threatened her, and the slightest carelessness could lead to utter ruin.

Song Zhiyu is cunning and manipulative, and she has learned a lot from her experience by having suffered several setbacks at his hands.

She would never take action herself unless absolutely necessary, lest she unnecessarily give Song Zhiyu leverage over her.

It seems she'll have to rely on others to get things done.

Shen Jinshu's eyes darkened slightly, and she had already made up her mind.

Song Zhiyu has offended quite a few people, and she only needs to provoke them a few times to make them work for her.

"But I'm worried that something might happen to my second sister." Shen Jinshu suppressed the rising corners of her lips, revealing a perfectly measured expression of worry on her face.

Shen Feng's face showed disdain, and his words were full of contempt. "Song Zhiyu is neither talented nor virtuous. You don't need to take her to heart. Just focus on preparing for the lake tour banquet. I have my own plans for her."

A daughter who cannot be used by the Marquis's household will find her own place.

"Then I'll head back now." Having received Shen Feng's permission, Shen Jinshu, having achieved her goal, did not linger any longer.

Although she had ways to deal with Song Zhiyu, she still had to be prepared for both possibilities and absolutely could not leave Song Zhiyu any way out.