Shen Feng had just mocked Song Zhiyu for having no place to stay in the capital, but the next moment, the emperor bestowed upon him a mansion. It was truly a slap in the face.
"Congratulations, Miss Song! This is an immense favor from His Majesty." Steward Li put away his serious expression and showed a respectful smile as he congratulated her.
He glanced at the stunned Shen family members out of the corner of his eye, his heart filled with disdain. They had mistaken a pearl for a fish eye; they would regret it later.
"Thank you, Eunuch Li. I hope you will accept this small gift." Song Zhiyu winked at Lu Bai, and a bulging purse was immediately stuffed into Eunuch Li's hand.
"No, no, this servant is only acting on His Majesty's orders. How can I accept anything from the county princess?" Eunuch Li quickly changed his tune, his face beaming with a smile.
Song Zhiyu smiled and said, "Father-in-law, you must be tired from your journey. There may be times when you need my help, so please don't refuse."
The chief eunuch by His Majesty's side carries far more weight than ordinary people, so it's always a good idea to cultivate a good relationship with him.
Moreover, Song Zhiyu has no shortage of money these days.
"The county princess has rendered a great service this time. His Majesty thought about it for a long time before finally deciding on the reward." Eunuch Li couldn't stop smiling as he told Song Zhiyu about the delayed reward, which also showed how much Emperor Yun valued her.
The two talked for a while, completely forgetting about Shen Feng and the others behind them.
Unfortunately, Shen Feng couldn't get angry, so he could only grit his teeth and stand at the back, regretting his actions to the core.
If he had known Song Zhiyu would have such good fortune, he shouldn't have signed that letter severing ties with his family.
"I'm afraid I might not be able to entertain you properly, so I won't keep you any longer, Eunuch. There's only half an incense stick left, and I still have some things in my courtyard that I haven't moved. I don't want to be a step too late and make the Marquis unhappy." Song Zhiyu glanced at Shen Feng with a half-smile, subtly trying to sow discord between him and Shen Feng.
People who come out of the palace are all shrewd and capable, not to mention Chief Eunuch Li, who is by Emperor Yun's side.
A glint of shrewdness flashed in Eunuch Li's eyes as he said to Shen Feng with a forced smile, "I almost forgot, His Majesty also instructed me to convey an imperial edict to Lord Shen. Now that Lord Shen has been stripped of his title, he can no longer reside in the Chengen Marquis's mansion."
However, His Majesty is merciful and has granted Lord Shen three days to move out of the Marquis's residence; there must be no delay.
Is this even a matter of taking back the mansion?
Upon hearing this, Madam Shen immediately rolled her eyes and nearly fainted.
Shen Feng almost lost his balance, never expecting His Majesty to be so ruthless.
Staying in the Marquis's mansion, he could still deceive himself, convinced that he would eventually regain his title and restore the glory of the Marquis's mansion.
But Eunuch Li's words were like a bolt from the blue, leaving him no longer able to deceive himself.
Where should they go after leaving the Marquis's residence?
It's true what they say, what goes around comes around. Just a moment ago he was making things difficult for Song Zhiyu, and now the boomerang has hit him instead.
"Our decree has been delivered, Lord Shen, you'd better hurry." Eunuch Li, always adept at hitting the nail on the head, left these words with a swift stride.
*
When Song Zhiyu packed her things and left, the mansion was shrouded in gloom; its former glory was long gone.
Shen Yuzhou stood not far away, quietly watching Song Zhiyu's back, feeling an indescribable bitterness in his heart.
“After leaving the Marquis’s mansion, she really had nothing to do with us anymore.” Shen Yanxi lowered his eyelids, a few sobs escaping his throat.
He regretted it.
If they had known Shen Jinshu's true identity earlier, if they had known the suffering Song Zhiyu had endured, perhaps they wouldn't have ended up like this.
Ultimately, it's all their own fault, and they have no one to blame but themselves.
If they had shared even a fraction of the patience and affection they showed to Shen Jinshu with Song Zhiyu, she wouldn't have been so disheartened as to want to sever ties.
Unfortunately, we can't go back.
Shen Yuzhou felt a lump in his throat; they should all pay the price for the mistakes they had made.
The culprits, in particular, do not deserve forgiveness.
Thinking of this, Shen Yuzhou's gaze darkened; he had never hated Shen Feng so much.
Even when the truth about the fall off the cliff was revealed and his father chose to protect Shen Jinshu, he did not feel this much hatred.
Seeing Song Zhiyu walking further and further away, Shen Yuzhou pulled himself back to reality and followed her at a distance.
*
Outside the mansion gate, three handsome men, each with their own unique charm, had been waiting for a long time.
Song Zhiyu stepped across the threshold, completely leaving the Marquis's residence, and felt a surge of joy in his heart.
She spotted three tall, upright figures standing outside the mansion gate at a glance, and a long-lost smile appeared on her face. "Brother."
"Let's go, take our little Yu'er home." Jiang Jiyao reached out and patted Song Zhiyu's head, taking the medicine box from her hand very naturally, his tone doting.
Song Zhiyu followed Pei Qingyan into the carriage. "Why did you all come? I can manage on my own."
"The Marquis's mansion is a place that devours people without spitting out the bones; we don't trust you." Su Jinyang glanced indifferently at the figures in the shadows, his smile not reaching his eyes.
The carriage slowly departed, followed by dozens of boxes, its grand spectacle attracting attention.
Song Zhiyu left openly and honestly, looking as if he had been driven out of the Marquis's mansion rather than as if he had completely rid himself of something unclean.
"I never expected that Miss Song would actually sever ties with the Marquis's family. What kind of deep-seated hatred or resentment could she possibly have?" The uninformed commoners sighed in disbelief. Song Zhiyu was the first person to sever ties with her own parents.
"You don't know this yet, do you? The disappearance of the second young lady of the Marquis's mansion was not a coincidence, but rather the work of the Marquis of Chengen..."
Thanks to Song Zhiyu's deliberate propaganda, within half a day, the entire capital city knew about the despicable things Shen Feng had done.
His reputation plummeted instantly, and he was pelted with rotten eggs and scorned whenever he went out.
But what hurt him even more was yet to come: after moving out of the Marquis's mansion, they couldn't find anywhere to live.
The moment the people of the capital saw Shen Feng, they spat on the ground in disgust; no one was willing to sell their houses to him.
"I don't let heartless people live in my house, get out!" After saying this, the people immediately drove the person away, so as not to dirty their land.
Shen Feng was thoroughly scolded that day, his face dark with anger, and he hated Song Zhiyu to the core.
She must have spread the news, otherwise why would the people hate him so much? He has never suffered like this before.
"My lord, what are we going to do now that we can't find a place to stay?" Ye Rou was dumbfounded. She never expected that her more than 20 years of forbearance would result in such a result.
"There's always a way. No one doesn't want money." Shen Feng said confidently. He didn't believe that anyone would refuse money that was offered to them.
Shen Yuzhou stood silently to the side, leaning on his cane, a faint mockery in his eyes.
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