Song Zhiyu sneered and pointed casually, "Paying back debts is a matter of course. Has Madam Ye forgotten that the Marquis wrote me an IOU to pay back your debts?"
However, when the agreed-upon deadline arrived, he was unable to repay the money and had no choice but to use these items to settle the debt.
"He's your father! How could you really force him to pay back the money? That's incredibly unfilial!" Ye Rou clutched her chest, looking incredulous, and accused Song Zhiyu without a shred of guilt.
Song Zhiyu gave an impatient twitch of her lips. She was tired of hearing this, and she couldn't be bothered to watch Ye Rou's act. "Why don't you pay it for him? It just so happens that this matter started because of you, so the wronged should be held accountable. If you pay back the money, I will return the items exactly as they were, how about that?"
"..." Ye Rou choked, her expression stiffening. How could she have gotten so much money?
Besides, she never intended to pay it back in the first place.
Shen Feng had assured her that Song Zhiyu would never get the money back, and even if she did, he wouldn't have the money and would drag things out until Song Zhiyu was worn out.
But who could have predicted that Song Zhiyu would start moving things instead of getting the money? He almost emptied the entire Mingde Courtyard.
Ye Rou gritted her teeth in resentment. If Song Zhiyu hadn't deliberately inflated the price and set her up at the auction that day, she wouldn't have been willing to spend several thousand taels to buy a piece of clothing, which is why she feels disgusted whenever she sees that outfit now.
But Song Zhiyu wasn't about to let her off so easily. Her smile held a hint of mischief. "Why isn't Madam Ye saying anything?"
He was so eloquent when he was criticizing her, but now that the debt is on his own shoulders, he's become mute.
Ye Rou gently wiped away the tears rolling down her cheeks with a handkerchief, playing the emotional card, "You don't lack this little bit of money, we're all family, why force me like this?"
"As for other people, I may or may not accept this money. But for the Marquis's mansion, I must return every single penny to them." Song Zhiyu wasn't a fool to let Shen Feng spend her money to support his mistress, who happened to be Shen Jinshu's own mother.
"You..." Ye Rou's forced smile almost crumbled. She had long known that Song Zhiyu was a tough nut to crack and difficult to deal with, but she hadn't expected her to be so direct, not even willing to put on a show.
"The Lintian Dynasty values filial piety above all else. Aren't you afraid that if this gets out and the Emperor becomes displeased with your treatment of your own father, he will sever your ties with the Crown Prince?"
Shen Rushan, who had been standing quietly to the side, staring at Song Zhiyu with a sinister gaze, spoke directly to the key point, his words carrying a threat.
Shen Rushan was not actually aware of the relationship between Song Zhiyu and the Crown Prince, but if Song Zhiyu wanted to marry into the royal family, she would inevitably have some reservations.
He was betting on how much Song Zhiyu valued the position of Crown Princess.
If Song Zhiyu stops, she will be exposing her weakness to him, making it easy for him to manipulate her in the future.
A hint of smugness flickered in Shen Rushan's gloomy eyes, but this smugness quickly turned into astonishment amidst Song Zhiyu's sneers.
"Fine, let all the people of the capital see how the Marquis of Chengen's family refuses to pay their debts and how they bully a powerless and weak woman like me, even trying to take away the money I've worked so hard to earn."
Song Zhiyu would not be threatened by Shen Rushan. As for reputation, to her, good reputation is icing on the cake, and bad reputation is no big deal, because there will always be someone who cares more about it than she does.
Song Zhiyu's words placed her in the position of the weak, making her seem quite pitiful.
It makes the Chengen Marquis's mansion seem despicable, as they even covet their own daughter's money.
People tend to subconsciously side with the weak. Even if they feel that Song Zhiyu's actions are inappropriate, they may not necessarily stand on Shen Feng's side.
In the end, it was the Marquis of Chengen's mansion that suffered the most, and Shen Feng's reputation was also severely damaged.
Having figured out the details, Chen Rushan's sinister gaze deepened.
This matter concerns his biological mother, and if not handled properly, it could very likely implicate him.
Although he was highly regarded by the emperor, there was still Pei Qingyan ahead of him. Before his position was secure, his reputation could not be damaged in the slightest.
Song Zhiyu looked up at the sky and saw that most of the things in Mingde Courtyard had been moved. She had no intention of getting entangled with Shen Rushan any longer. She led a group of servants and maids out of the courtyard gate and returned to her own courtyard.
No sooner had Song Zhiyu left than Shen Feng rushed back. When he saw the chaotic scene in the courtyard, he almost fainted.
"That rebellious daughter!"
All his remaining treasures were looted by Song Zhiyu, and he didn't even see a trace of them.
Shen Feng's molars were almost ground to powder, his anger rising to the top of his head, and he was panting heavily.
Song Zhiyu's move completely emptied the Hou Mansion, leaving Shen Feng with no intention of even selling his treasures.
As for the batch of silver that the King needed, he could only try to find another way.
Seeing that no one was around, Ye Rou gently stroked Shen Feng's chest to help him catch his breath, occasionally grumbling to herself.
“This second young lady was not raised by the Marquis, so she can’t be tame. Forty thousand taels is nothing to her, but she insists on being aggressive and doesn’t care about the father-daughter relationship with you, Marquis.”
She lives in the Marquis's mansion and eats its food, yet she won't contribute a single tael of silver. How heartless! After she marries, all that silver will become her dowry, benefiting someone else.
Ye Rou's eyes reddened with jealousy. Those silver coins that Song Zhiyu had should have belonged to the Marquis's mansion, and they should have belonged to her too.
What method will she use to get Song Zhiyu's money?
Ye Rou pondered the few words she had just blurted out, her eyes growing brighter and brighter, and a bold idea suddenly popped into her head.
Perhaps, she really could get all of Song Zhiyu's money without lifting a finger.
*
Night falls at Songxi Courtyard.
"Miss, a letter from Su Ying."
As she spoke, Lu Bai took out a letter from her sleeve and handed it to Song Zhiyu. "She has lived up to Miss's expectations and has successfully entered the Li Prince's mansion. I heard that the Li Prince is quite fond of her."
Song Zhiyu looked pleased and slowly lit the letter by bringing it close to the candle on the table. "Once Shen Jinshu is released from confinement, the world outside will change. Have someone keep an eye on her and don't let her reach too far."
In no time, the golden flames engulfed the letter, leaving only ashes.
Song Zhiyu's ambiguous expression became even more difficult to discern in the flickering candlelight. "For the remaining month, keep all news about Su Ying under wraps. Don't let Shen Jinshu know about her existence. Consider this my way of doing a good deed to the end."
If Shen Jinshu finds out about Su Ying's existence too soon, she'll be in danger.
The Prince of Li is currently only infatuated with Su Ying's face; he has no real feelings for her.
Even if Shen Jinshu takes action to eliminate Su Ying, Prince Li, for the sake of his immediate interests, would certainly not blame Shen Jinshu further, even if he was dissatisfied.
This is not what she wanted to see.
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