Three days later, the case of Shen Kui mistakenly killing Sun Cai Nan was closed, and Sun Tian Zheng wanted to avenge his only son's tragic death. Shen Kui was executed at Wu Men.

  Countless people rushed to tell each other, all wanting to see how this young talent with a promising future ended up in such a situation. Some sympathized with Shen Yuan, while others scolded Jing Chu as a beauty who brought disaster, and the noisy voices were quite lively.

  Shen Yuan never thought that he would have such a day, he was proud and arrogant, with the intention of climbing up and making everyone see his achievements, but now he is being pointed at by the "inferior people" in his eyes, and his heart is extremely uncomfortable.

  More and more people threw vegetable leaves and rotten eggs at Shen Yuan, dirty things with a foul smell stuck to his body. Without thinking, it must be the Sun family's doing. Shen Yuan knelt on the execution platform, beside him was the executioner. Originally, at this time, if the prisoner had family members, they could come to see off the prisoner for the last journey, feed him the farewell meal and drink the farewell wine. But today, not a single person from the Shen family came.

  Shen Xin doesn't need to be said, he has already been at odds with the other members of the Shen family, how could he come over. Shen Gui has always been one to avoid trouble and seek benefits, let alone Ruan Yun who is even more out of her mind. Old Lady Shen's legs are not convenient, but even if they were, she probably wouldn't be willing to come either. It's strange that the usually gentle and righteous third house didn't show up today. It seems like they had a hard time deciding between maintaining their dignity and offending the Sun family, before finally making this decision.

  The people of Shen's family are like this, and in other people's eyes, they only feel a sigh.

  Shen Yuan raised his head, the scorching sun shone brightly over the capital city. It was clear that the New Year had just passed, and the remaining chill of winter smiled faintly. The dazzling sunlight was as piercing as a summer day. At noon, the executioner spat out a mouthful of wine, raised the giant ghost head knife, and chopped down with a single stroke!

  The sword has fallen!

  The crowd erupted into screams, the women covering their eyes in terror. The head rolled off the stage and into the crowd, rolling for a moment before blood began to spill out. On the ground, Shen Yuan's eyes were wide open, seemingly still slightly confused, as if this severed head would speak again at any moment.

  Someone saw him, quietly turned around and disappeared into the crowd.

  At this moment, the Shen Mansion was also a dead silence.

  It's not that it didn't happen just because it wasn't mentioned, but Shen Yuan's death still greatly injured the Shen family. To say that the Shen family's descendants weren't exactly thriving, and Shen Yuan was one of the best among them - such a rare talent, who might have been able to hold up the Shen family's sky in the future, died miserably under the executioner's blade, at least it wasn't easy for the people of the Shen family to accept.

  Shen Wan was sitting in the house when a young servant rushed in and said, "The execution has been carried out, and the people at the execution ground have already sent Second Master back."

  The Sun family finally agreed to return Shen Yuan's body to the Shen family, which was already a huge concession. Although they didn't openly clash with Sun Tianzheng, in handling Shen Yuan's case, they also catered to Sun Tianzheng's wishes. However, everyone knew that from now on, the Shen and Sun families would be sworn enemies, it just remained to be seen how deep this enmity would run.

  "After bringing it back, no need to stop the spirit, bury it as soon as possible within a few days." Shen Wan sighed and his mind was heavy.

  "Is Master still worried about this matter?" Chen Ruoqiu walked over and said softly, "We are also powerless to do anything about this matter, after all, the Sun family is not an ordinary family."

  "I just feel that..." Shen Wan shook his head: "Something is not quite right, haven't you noticed?" Shen Wan said: "Lately, the Shen family seems to have encountered some bad luck, one thing after another."

  "Could it be something unclean?" Chen Ruoqiu's heart skipped a beat.

  "What nonsense is this?"

  Chen Ruoqiu hastily said, "I was just talking nonsense, Master. Don't mind it." She felt a bit annoyed in her heart. Shen Wan disliked the most were these strange and supernatural things. Just now, she had spoken carelessly, fearing that she might have displeased Shen Wan. She opened her mouth to agree with Shen Wan's previous words: "It seems so, but it appears that only Second Brother's family has been having troubles all along. First, it was Qing Jie, then Second Sister-in-law, and now it's Yuan Ge..." Chen Ruoqiu felt more and more uneasy in her heart as she spoke. Although she had looked down on and envied Ren Yuanyun in the past, after Ren Yuanyun went mad, there seemed to be no one left in this mansion who could stand on the same side with her. Luo Xueyan? Shen Xin and Shen Wan were not born from the same mother's womb, how could they truly care about her?

  "It's indeed so," Shen Wanda said: "Nor does one know with whom the second brother had made an enemy in his daily life, now looking at it all together, it seems as if he had long been plotting."

  "Second Brother will inevitably offend some people in the officialdom tomorrow." Chen Ruoqiu said, "But why did it happen this year, it seems that from the time Fifth Sister fell into the water and woke up, things have been happening one after another..."

  "Are you saying it's Xiao Wu's doing?" Shen Wan Hao laughed: "If Xiao Wu had such skills, I'm afraid the world would be in chaos." He patted Chen Ruo Qiu's hand comfortingly: "I know these days have been tough for you too, don't think wildly, a young girl like Xiao Wu doesn't have such abilities. It's said that her brother and sister-in-law taught her, but they wouldn't use such clumsy methods, they've always been straightforward..." Shen Wan said: "I'll pay attention to this matter, don't think about it too much, focus on arranging a marriage for Yu'er instead, she's also at the age where she should be getting married."

  As soon as Shen Yue's marriage was mentioned, Chen Ruoqiu suppressed her suspicions about Shen Miao. Shen Wan valued offspring more than Shen Gui, and all these years had never been dissatisfied that Shen Yue was a daughter, and truly loved Shen Yue. Chen Ruoqiu smiled: "I'll listen to Master."

  In the Western Courtyard, Shen Miao was dressing up. Jing Xiu helped her tidy up her hair while saying, "The coffin of Second Young Master has been brought back, and it's said that the burial will be held soon. Not even a grand funeral will be held."

  Except for the eldest son, all members of the Shen family have some vanity. Just like when Old Lady Shen celebrated her birthday with a grand banquet that everyone in town knew about, as the eldest son of the second house, Shen Keng's death was not even properly mourned, which is quite heartless. Of course, there are reasons to cover up, but more importantly, it's likely that people in the imperial court who would be willing to offend Sun Tianzheng for Shen Gui's sake are few, and even if they really held a funeral, there wouldn't be many people coming to pay their respects, and instead would become a laughing stock.

  "The Second Master has not been in the mansion during the day for several days." Gu Yu also said, "Even if he returns, he will rest in Wan Niang's courtyard. At this time, no matter what, they are still his own flesh and blood, yet he is so heartless."

  Shen Miao smiled: "During the day, he's busy winning over and distancing himself from his courtiers. As for night time, if he doesn't rest in Empress Wan's chambers, does that mean he wants to share a bed with Second Aunt?"

  She had originally wanted to take the opportunity to scold Shen Gui for his heartlessness, but unexpectedly Shen Miao loudly said the four words "same bed, shared pillow", making Gu Yu somewhat embarrassed, and also not knowing why Shen Miao was becoming more and more daring. Clearly, in terms of etiquette, there wasn't a single thing that could be criticized, yet when it came to matters between men and women, how come she didn't know how to be modest? Even if she just pretended to be, it would be better, otherwise later on, any man who saw her would only be shocked by Shen Miao's boldness, which one would dare to get close to her?

  Shen Miao didn't notice Gu Yu's expression, so she didn't know that he had so many thoughts in his mind. She just said: "What about the news from the Sun family?"

  "The Sun family is too tight-lipped, and the people below know very little about it." Jingzhen hastily said: "I only know that Miss Biao's life must be difficult. I heard that on the first day, the first day..." She couldn't continue speaking.

  "What's wrong on the first day?" Shen Miao turned her head and looked at Jing Xuan.

  Jing Zhen said, "I heard that on the first day, they drugged Miss Biao and the horses in the stable, making them... At that time, Old Master Sun even had all the servants watch from outside the stable."

  "Human and horse?"

  Jing Zhen's face suddenly turned red. Gu Yu was still asking, "Are all the people in the Sun family perverts?" The pain of being raped by a horse was not just physical, but also mental, especially when so many servants had seen her shameful scene, she felt like she would rather die than live.

  Jing Yu was still asking questions, and Shen Miao's expression changed slightly. She had thought that these dirty things should not be said in front of Shen Miao, lest they sully her ears. But when she turned around, she saw Shen Miao looking calm and composed, without a hint of shyness or surprise on her face. Instead, she uttered a shocking sentence: "Lord Sun is too kind, actually, it can be done with cattle."

  "Auntie, young lady..." Zhang's mouth was agape in shock.

  "What's the big deal?" Shen Miao glanced at her. In the harem, this method was often used to deal with women who didn't listen. She hadn't used it before, as Shen Miao was accustomed to directly sentencing them to death and didn't want to bother with extra trouble. However, she had once seen Consort Mei punish a palace maid who had been having an affair with a eunuch by feeding her aphrodisiacs for public bulls and then throwing her into the bullpen, where she was tortured to death.

  As a result, Sun Tianzheng's methods are nothing out of the ordinary. However, he has no idea that his actions have shocked and astonished Xing Zhen and Gu Yu.

  After a while, Jing Zhen finally found her voice and asked: "Where is the young lady going now?"

  "Go to Caiyun Garden."

  "What is the young lady going there for?" Gu Yu was surprised: "Now that Second Master is not around, are you going to look for Madame Wan?"

  Shen Miao shook her head: "I'm looking for Second Aunt."

  "Second Mistress has gone mad..." Gu Yu reminded.

  "Not necessarily."

  Caiyun Garden has turned upside down now.

  It was only a few months ago that the entire Shen Mansion, or more accurately, the second house of the Shen family, also known as Caiyun Garden, underwent earth-shaking changes.

  In the past, the second lady who was once so proud and carefree has become a madwoman. The intelligent and elegant elder sister has become a prostitute who committed adultery and took her own life in prison. Even the outstanding young master, the pride of his family, has been reduced to a prisoner, beheaded by the executioner's knife in front of the citizens. Life is like a play, but this play at Caiyun Garden is too tragic.

  The only comfort is that the second wife, Ren Yuanyun, still has a legitimate younger son, Shen Yuanbai. However, Shen Yuanbai was raised by Old Lady Shen, and if Ren Yuanyun didn't go mad, relying on Shen Yuanbai, she could temporarily secure her position as the first wife. But it's only temporary, who knows... whether Shen Gui will take concubines in the future or not? After all, Shen Gui has always been fond of women, and it's possible that he might have more sons.

  Compared to Ren Yuanyun's misfortune, Wan Niangniang, who had been quiet for many years, seemed to have welcomed spring. After being humble and low-key for so many years, even her own daughter hadn't seen the light of day in years, but this time it was as if she had divine help. Shen Gui may be emotionally distant, but he treated women well. As long as Wan Niangniang firmly grasped Shen Gui's heart, regained honor and favor, Shen Dongling's status would only rise with the tide.

  "Winter lotus, in a few days I'll let Master change you to another courtyard." Madam Wan said with a smile while doing her needlework. It was probably because Shen Gang had already passed away and Shen Yuanbai was still young, now Ren Yuanyun could no longer threaten her, so Madam Wan's eyes and eyebrows were filled with joy, and there was a hint of delight in her words.

  "What's going on outside?" Shen Dongling, who was reading behind the screen, looked up.

  "You've been squeezed in with me in this courtyard for a long time, other girls at your age have already had their own separate courtyards arranged, you should move out too, after all, it's a bit cramped here."

  "They are legitimate daughters, I am an illegitimate daughter." Shen Dongling said calmly.

  Upon hearing this, Wan Niang's heart ached. Shen Dongling's humble origins were an unchangeable fact and a source of resentment for her. She believed that Shen Dongling was in no way inferior to Shen Qing or Shen Yue, yet for the past decade or so, she had been forced to compromise and struggle to make ends meet. Now that things were finally looking up, how could she bear to watch Shen Dongling continue to be overly cautious and humble?

  "Earlier, the young lady had a vacant house, you don't have to sleep in her room, sleep in another one. The young lady's courtyard has a good orientation and beautiful scenery, it would be a waste to leave it empty. Now that the old master is treating us well, I think he will agree to this request."

  "No need, Auntie." Shen Dongling refused her suggestion: "At this time, it's not a good opportunity to make a move. We've endured for over ten years, no need to rush now. Although Father is being kind to us now, what kind of person he is at heart, you also understand, Auntie. Let's wait until things are more settled before discussing this matter."

  Wan Yiniang wanted to persuade her again, but suddenly saw her personal maid Luhua rush in and hastily say: "Yiniang, the fifth young lady has come to our courtyard!"

  "Miss Wu?" Madam Wan suddenly stood up: "What did she come to me for?"

  Shen Dongling also looked at Luhua.

  Lu Hua shook her head and said, "I'm not here to find the madam. I saw her go into the second mistress's resting quarters."

  "Miss Five goes to see Second Madam!" Aunt Wan's voice suddenly rose: "What is Miss Five going to do with Second Madam? Second Madam has already gone mad!"

  "The slave was thinking of sneaking in to listen, but the fifth young lady brought a few maids to block her way, and everyone else was kept far away outside the house, unable to hear or see anything." Lu Hua asked: "Auntie, what should we do now?"

  Mrs. Wan paced back and forth in the house, muttering to herself: "What's going on? Could it be that Fifth Miss went to visit Second Madam? But Second Madam and Fifth Miss had a lot of disagreements before, how could Fifth Miss be so kind-hearted?" She looked at Shen Dongling: "Dongling, what do you think?"

  Shen Dongling lowered her eyes and thought for a moment before saying, "Since we can't eavesdrop, let's just stay put and not try to pry. Fifth Sister is no ordinary person, once she does something, she has thorough preparations in place. Even if we use all sorts of methods, it's still impossible to find out."

  "Is it going to end like this?" Madam Wan was somewhat unwilling: "What if she and the second madam are plotting something together?"

  "Neither the second lady nor the fifth sister are people who can put aside their grudges with a single smile." Shen Dongling said calmly: "Besides, we have never been at odds with the fifth sister. Even if she wants to scheme against someone, it won't be us." She looked at Wan Niangniang: "We'll just wait and watch the show."

  Outside Caiyun Garden, Guyu Baolu Frost descended three people guarding the house a few steps away, and Shen Miao entered the house with a start. The other maids in the courtyard were all doing their own things in an orderly manner. Ren Yuanyun had already gone mad, so naturally there was no need for the servants to fawn on her anymore, as people always step on those who are down and flatter those who are up. Moreover, in the past, Ren Yuanyun's treatment of the servants was strict, compared to Ren Yuanyun, they were more willing to curry favor with the gentle and kind Wan Niangniang.

  Therefore, facing Shen Miao who had a big backing, these maids did not dare to stop her.

  However, not everyone is like that. Ren Yuanyun has had her own confidants all these years, namely her personal maids Xianglan and Caiju. At this moment, inside the house, Xianglan and Caiju were staring at Shen Miao with a fierce gaze.

  Facing the two women's fierce gaze, Shen Miao remained calm and collected. Since these two were unwilling to leave, it didn't matter if they overheard.

  On the bed, a woman sat in the corner wrapped in a quilt, her eyes unfocused, her hair seemingly combed and then rumpled by herself, with saliva still dripping on her clothes. Her lips moved slightly, not looking at anyone, just staring at the sky, muttering something unknown.

  "Miss Wu, you see now, our mistress is not well. Your disturbance will only worsen her condition," said Xianglan.

  "I came to tell you something today, Auntie," Shen Miao said with a faint smile: "I think you already know, although you're ill, but the news should still be sensitive, Second Brother was beheaded at noon today, his body is lying in the coffin, and will soon be buried."

  "Miss Wu, the mistress is ill! You can't listen to these words!" Cai Ju shouted sternly. However, although Xiang Lan and Cai Ju had severe expressions, they didn't have the guts to lay hands on Shen Miao, and instead tried to forcibly drive her out. Now they all knew that Shen Miao was not someone to be trifled with, and a large part of the reason why the second house had fallen to such a state was because Shen Miao had been secretly stirring up trouble. Shen Miao could almost be considered an enemy of the second house, but now not only did she have deep schemes herself, but also had the backing of Shen Xin and his wife. This made it so that in this declining second house, no one dared to oppose her.

  Shen Miaoli ignored the two maids and looked at Ren Yuanyun with a faint smile: "I suppose Second Aunt also knows that today, when Second Brother was executed, not one person from the manor came to pay their respects. Not Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Third Aunt, or even Old Madame. None of them were there." She gazed at Ren Yuanyun: "I think that if Second Aunt hadn't been ill, she would have definitely gone back to see Second Brother off on his final journey. Now, it's just as well; on the road to the Yellow Springs, Second Brother is all alone, so pitifully lonely."

  "Eldest Sister!" Xiang Lan couldn't help but shout again.

  "What are you afraid of?" Shen Miao's lips curled up: "Second Aunt is ill now and can't understand my words, are you afraid that I will stimulate Second Aunt?"

  "It's not natural." Xiang Lan hastily denied.

  "Then you'd better stay quiet and obedient," Shen Miao raised an eyebrow: "Otherwise, I also have a way to make you serve your wife forever."

  Xianglan and Caiju were shocked in their hearts. Shen Miao's words, which were full of certainty, actually made them feel a chill run down their spines.

  "Second Brother was about to leave when Second Aunt fell ill, so he never got to see her. I suppose Second Brother's heart is also aching; now that it's come to this, neither Father nor Mother has seen him off, and it's really quite pitiful."

  Ren Yuanyun was still staring intently at the ceiling, with a foolish expression on her face, but the hand placed beside her body had fingers that were almost imperceptibly curled.

  "The other day, Wan's wife still came to find me." Shen Miao smiled and said: "I think she wants to hurry up and get along with me. If I can say a few good words for her in front of the old lady in the future, it's likely that Second Uncle will support her as his legitimate wife."

  As soon as this was said, Xianglan and Caiju both turned pale. Everyone knew that now the second wife, Wan Niangniang, had regained favor again. In the past, Ren Yuanyun had forced Wan to endure her days in hiding, so when Wan gained power and even rose to become a first wife, wouldn't she take revenge on everyone? Having already fallen out with Shen Gui, and being treated coldly by Old Lady Shen, how miserable would Ren Yuanyun's future be?

  "I'm naturally unwilling." Shen Miao tilted her head and thought for a moment: "Second Aunt is the main wife of the manor, I will naturally stand on Second Aunt's side. But Wan Niangzi seems to be unwilling to give up, besides, now that Seventh Brother is still with Old Madame, but when Seventh Brother grows up, Wan Niangzi will also be promoted to a proper wife, and you, Second Aunt, are still ill, won't Seventh Brother be raised by Wan Niangzi? Hmm, Wan Niangzi has made friends with me, does she also have this intention?"

  "You dare to bully my Seventh Brother, I will make you wish you were dead!" A hoarse voice came from the corner, Ren Yuanyun's throat was rough and extremely unpleasant. Those eyes that had been staring at the sky since entering the house were now fixed on Shen Miao, revealing a fierce glow, like a ferocious wolf.

  "How would I dare to bully Seventh Brother?" Shen Miao smiled slightly: "If Second Aunt doesn't believe me, I can swear an oath. If I were to bully Seventh Brother, may heaven strike me with lightning and I not die a good death."

  As soon as the words fell, several people in the house looked at each other in surprise. Jing Zhen, who had not spoken all along, was a little anxious, how could Shen Miao make such a heavy oath? They had always taken oaths very seriously, and Shen Miao said it so calmly that she didn't even have a chance to stop her.

  Ren Yuanyun did not relax her vigilance against Shen Miao, she coldly sneered: "You went to great lengths to come here and say these provocative words, wanting to see if I've gone mad or not. It won't be just to make this poisonous vow, will it?" She said: "Shen Miao, I couldn't defeat you, it was my mistake for underestimating you. If I could do it again, I would have killed you before you grew up to be like this, and I wouldn't have shown any mercy!"

  "Second Aunt is really good at joking," Shen Miao said: "When have you ever been kind and gentle to me?"

  "You've driven me to this point, Qing'er and Yuan'er's troubles are also not unrelated to you. If it weren't for Seventh Brother, I would have made sure we both ended up the same way." Ren Yuanyun gritted her teeth.

  "I know that Second Aunt couldn't bear to abandon Seventh Brother either, so I also know that Second Aunt won't be ill for much longer."

  "What exactly do you want to do?" Ren Yuanyun stared at her: "What other tricks do you have, go ahead and use them?"

  Shen Miao smiled warmly: "Second Aunt, why must you speak so unkindly? I've come to actually give you a way out."

  "What way out?" Ren Yuanyun said with a bitter expression: "We've reached this point, what way out do I still have?"

  "Does Second Aunt think that the current situation is the worst it can get?" Shen Miao was surprised: "Second Aunt has always been clever, how could she be so muddled?"

  "What do you want to say?" Ren Yuanyun's face sank.

  "It's simple." Shen Miao smiled: "Nowadays, in the courtyard, Aunt Wan has coaxed Second Uncle into happiness, but Second Aunt hasn't thought that if Aunt Wan were to give birth to a son for Second Uncle... how would Seventh Brother take it?"

  Ren Yuanyun's body stiffened suddenly.

  "Second Uncle values either Madam Wan or Second Aunt, and Second Aunt is also aware of this. Therefore, it's unknown whether Second Uncle will value the son born to Madam Wan or Seventh Brother. If one day Madam Wan is promoted to be a legitimate wife, then this household will have two legitimate sons, but these two legitimate sons are not biological brothers. I wonder," Shen Miao said in a low voice, "will they end up killing each other?"

  Ren Yuanyun was shocked and her heart skipped a beat.

  "That one has Wan's wife to rely on, the seventh brother has the second aunt to rely on, but as for the second aunt, at that time, can you still speak with her in the second house like before?"

  Shen Miao's words were like a knife to the heart, and Ren Yuanyun couldn't help but retort: "That cheap woman didn't give birth to a son in the past, and it's even more impossible for her to give birth to one in the future!"

  "Second Aunt is indeed clever." Shen Miao sighed and said, "This is what I wanted to say. Does Second Aunt think that in the future, Second Uncle will not have any other women besides Wan Niang?"

  She was so open and calm when discussing the affairs of her elders, it was breathtaking. Ren Yuanyun was stunned by Shen Miao's words, Ah, yes, what kind of virtue does Shen Gui have that she doesn't know about? How could Shen Gui only have one woman? Even when she was still the main wife, Shen Gui would bring concubines into the house one after another, if not for her giving those women infertility medicine, I'm afraid the second household would be overcrowded by now.

  "Look, even if you guard against it for a moment, you can't guard against it for a lifetime. Even if you guard against one concubine, there will be another. The number of women in the world who can bear children is countless, and the number of women who want to enter the second house is also countless. Unless Second Aunt can still control the inner courtyard like before, giving each of Second Uncle's women a infertility potion, but can today's Second Aunt still have that ability? Even if she does, in those days, Concubine Wan still gave birth to Third Sister, will there be another Concubine Wan in the future?"

  Ren Yuanyun's face showed a hint of panic, Shen Miao's words were all piercing her weak points. What she could rely on was having given birth to a son, if even this was gone, what would happen in the future?

  "Second Aunt, do you really want to see the family and the silver that you've worked so hard to manage being taken over by someone else's son, rather than Second Brother or Seventh Young Master? Second Brother is a brilliant and outstanding person, everything in the second house should be his, but now he's been robbed of it, and someone else is taking his place, making him wear the clothes of a substitute husband. Are you willing to accept this?"

  "What do you want to say?"

  "I'll give you a way out." Shen Miao smiled slightly and pulled out a package from her sleeve, placing it in Ren Yuanyun's hand.

  "Infertility medicine, for men." she said softly.