Three days later, the case of Shen Yuan accidentally killing Sun Cainan came to an end. Sun Tianzheng, determined to avenge his only son’s tragic death, ensured Shen Yuan would be executed at the Wumen Gate.

Countless commoners spread the news, all wanting to see how this once-promising, talented youth had met such a fate. Some felt sympathy for Shen Yuan, while others cursed Jing Chuchu as a femme fatale who brought disaster. The noise of their arguments created quite a lively scene.

Shen Yuan had probably never imagined he would face such a day. Arrogant and ambitious, he had always wanted to climb higher, to make everyone witness his achievements. Now he was being pointed at and gossiped about by those he considered “lowly commoners,” which must have been extremely painful for him.

More people threw vegetable leaves and rotten eggs at Shen Yuan. Filthy, putrid things covered his body—undoubtedly the work of the Sun family. Shen Yuan knelt on the execution platform with the executioner beside him. Normally, at this time, if a condemned prisoner had family, they would come to send him off on his final journey, feeding him a last meal and giving him a final drink. But today, not a single person from the Shen family had come.

There was no need to mention Shen Xin, who was already at odds with the rest of the Shen family, so how would he come? Shen Gui had always been one to pursue advantage and avoid harm. Ren Wanyun had gone mad. The Old Madam Shen had difficulty walking, but even if her legs were nimble, she probably wouldn’t have come either. The surprising part was that the usually gentle and righteous Third Branch had also not appeared today. It seemed they had struggled for some time between upholding righteousness and offending the Sun family before making their decision.

Seeing the Shen family’s behavior, others could only sigh in dismay.

Shen Yuan raised his head. The brilliant sun shone over the capital city. Though it was just after the New Year with winter’s chill lingering, the golden sunlight was as piercing as summer. Noon had arrived. The executioner spat out a mouthful of wine, raised the massive executioner’s blade, and brought it down on Shen Yuan’s head!

The blade fell!

A wave of shocked cries burst from the crowd. Women covered their eyes in fear. The severed head rolled down from the platform into the crowd, rolling for a moment before blood spilled out. On the ground, Shen Yuan’s eyes remained wide open, still showing a trace of confusion, as if the head, already separated from the body, might still speak.

Someone who witnessed this quietly turned and disappeared into the crowd.

At this moment, the Shen mansion was also enveloped in deathly silence.

Just because it wasn’t mentioned didn’t mean it hadn’t happened. Shen Yuan’s death had indeed severely wounded the Shen family’s vitality. The Shen family’s descendants weren’t particularly prosperous, and Shen Yuan had been among the most promising. Such a rare talent, someone who might have held up a corner of the Shen family’s sky in the future, died so wretchedly under the executioner’s blade. At the very least, the people of the Shen family couldn’t help but feel grief.

Shen Wan sat in his room when a servant boy came running in and reported, “The execution has been completed. The people at the execution ground have already delivered the Second Young Master’s body back.”

The Sun family ultimately agreed to return Shen Yuan’s body to the Shen family, which was already a great concession. Although they hadn’t openly clashed with Sun Tianzheng and had followed his wishes in handling Shen Yuan’s matter, everyone knew that from now on, the Shen and Sun families had become enemies. It just remained to be seen how deep this enmity would run.

“After receiving the body, there’s no need for a wake. Bury him as soon as possible, within a few days,” Shen Wan sighed, his thoughts heavy.

“Is the Master still worried about this matter?” Chen Ruoqiu approached and said gently, “We were helpless regarding Yue’er’s situation. After all, the Sun family isn’t an ordinary household.”

“I just feel…” Shen Wan shook his head. “Something isn’t right about all this. Haven’t you noticed?”

“Recently, it’s as if the Shen family has encountered some ill fortune,” Shen Wan continued. “One mishap after another.”

“Could it be some unclean thing?” Chen Ruoqiu’s heart skipped a beat.

Shen Wan was startled. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Chen Ruoqiu quickly said, “I was just speaking carelessly. Please don’t mind me.” She felt some regret in her heart. Shen Wan detested supernatural talk the most, and her thoughtless comment had likely displeased him. She hastened to agree with what Shen Wan had said earlier: “Indeed, it does seem that all the misfortunes have been happening to Second Brother’s family. First it was Qing, then Second Sister-in-law, and now Yue…” As Chen Ruoqiu continued speaking, she felt increasingly uneasy. Although she had previously looked down on and envied Ren Wanyun, after Ren Wanyun went mad, there seemed to be no one in the mansion who could stand beside her. Luo Xuenian? Shen Xin and Shen Wan weren’t born from the same mother, so how could they truly be of one heart?

“That’s exactly it,” Shen Wan said. “I wonder who Second Brother offended in his official capacity. Looking at everything together now, it seems as if it was all planned.”

“Second Brother, being an official, must have offended some people,” Chen Ruoqiu said. “But why did everything happen this year? Thinking about it, it seems that ever since Fifth Sister woke up after falling into the water, these incidents have been occurring one after another…”

“You’re not suggesting that Little Five is behind all this, are you?” Shen Wan laughed. “If Little Five had such capabilities, I fear the world would be in chaos.” He comfortingly patted Chen Ruoqiu’s hand. “I know you’ve had a difficult time these days. Don’t overthink things. Little Five is just a girl, how could she have such abilities? It’s plausible to say that Big Brother and Sister-in-law taught her, but they would never use such a slow, torturous method. They’ve always been quick and decisive…” Shen Wan said, “I’ll keep an eye on this matter. Don’t worry too much about it. Instead, focus on Yue’s marriage arrangements. She’s reaching the age where we should be discussing potential matches.”

At the mention of Shen Yue’s marriage prospects, Chen Ruoqiu set aside her suspicions about Shen Miao. Shen Wan valued offspring more than Shen Gui did, and over the years, he had never despised Shen Yue for being a daughter, genuinely loving her instead. Chen Ruoqiu smiled and said, “I’ll do as you say.”

In the western courtyard, Shen Miao was putting on her clothes while Jingzhe helped arrange her hair, saying, “Second Young Master’s coffin has already been brought back. I heard they’ll bury him soon, without even holding a proper funeral.”

The Shen family, except for the First Branch, all cared about maintaining appearances. Just as Old Madam Shen would hold grand banquets for her birthday celebrations that the whole city knew about, for Shen Yuan, as the eldest legitimate son of the Second Branch, to die without even a proper funeral seemed rather cold-hearted. This was partly to avoid embarrassment, but more importantly, those in the court willing to offend Sun Tianzheng for Shen Gui’s sake were few. Even if a funeral were held, few people would come to pay respects, which would only invite ridicule.

“Second Master hasn’t been at the mansion during the day these past few days,” Guyu also said. “Even when he returns, he rests in Concubine Wan’s chambers. At a time like this, this is still his flesh and blood, yet he shows such indifference.”

Shen Miao smiled. “During the day, he’s busy trying to reconnect with court officials who have distanced themselves from him. As for the nights, if he’s not staying in Concubine Wan’s chambers, would you expect him to share a bed with Second Aunt?”

She had intended to use this opportunity to reproach Shen Gui for his heartlessness, but when Shen Miao casually uttered the words “share a bed,” Guyu felt somewhat embarrassed. She wondered why Shen Miao had become increasingly bold lately. Though her conduct and etiquette were impeccable, why did she seem to have no sense of shame when it came to matters between men and women? Even pretending to be shy would be better; otherwise, when men saw her, they would only be shocked by Shen Miao’s boldness. Who would dare approach her?

Shen Miao hadn’t noticed Guyu’s expression and thus didn’t realize Guyu had so many thoughts. She only asked, “What news do we have from our people sent to spy on the Sun family?”

“The Sun family is keeping things too closely guarded. Even the servants know very little,” Jingzhe quickly replied. “All we know is that Young Miss’s days must be difficult. I heard that on the first day, the first day…” She couldn’t continue.

“What happened on the first day?” Shen Miao turned her head to look at Jingzhe.

Jingzhe stammered, “I heard that on the first day, they drugged Young Miss and a horse from the stable, making them… At that time, Old Master Sun even had all the servants watch outside the stable.”

Guyu nearly choked on her saliva. “A person and a horse?”

Jingzhe’s face instantly turned crimson. Guyu continued asking, “The Sun family must all be perverts!” The forced union of a human and a horse—how much pain Jing Chuchu must have endured. This wasn’t just physical pain; being seen in such a degrading state by so many servants, she must have felt death would be preferable to living.

Seeing Guyu still pursuing the matter relentlessly, Jingzhe felt somewhat angry. She had wanted to avoid discussing such filthy matters in front of Shen Miao to keep from sullying her ears. Unexpectedly, when she turned her head, she saw Shen Miao with a composed expression. Far from showing shame, she didn’t even display a hint of surprise. Instead, she uttered words that nearly made their jaws drop: “Master Sun is too merciful. He could have used a bull instead.”

“Young Miss…” Jingzhe’s mouth fell open.

Shen Miao glanced at her. “What’s there to be so surprised about?” In the imperial palace, this method was frequently used to deal with disobedient women. She had never employed it herself—Shen Miao preferred to simply order executions rather than create complications. However, she had once witnessed Madam Mei punishing a palace maid who had been caught in a relationship with a eunuch. She had the maid drugged and thrown into a bull pen with a bull that had been given aphrodisiacs, torturing her to death.

Therefore, Sun Tianzheng’s methods weren’t surprising to her. But she didn’t realize how shocking her reaction appeared to Jingzhe and Guyu.

After a while, Jingzhe finally found her voice again and asked, “Where is Young Miss going now?”

“To Caiyun Garden.”

“What is Young Miss going there for?” Guyu asked in surprise. “Second Master isn’t there now. Is Young Miss going to see Concubine Wan?”

Shen Miao shook her head. “I’m looking for Second Aunt.”

“Second Madam has gone mad…” Guyu reminded her.

“That remains to be seen.”

In Caiyun Garden, the world had been completely turned upside down.

In just a few short months, the entire Shen mansion—or more precisely, the Second Branch of the Shen family residing in Caiyun Garden—had undergone earth-shattering changes.

The once-proud Second Madam was now a madwoman. The graceful and intelligent eldest daughter had become a promiscuous woman who committed suicide in prison after being caught having an illicit affair. Even the outstanding, talented Second Young Master had become a prisoner and died under the executioner’s blade before the entire city. Life was like a play, and the play of Caiyun Garden had become far too tragic.

The only consolation was that Second Madam Ren Wanyun still had a legitimate second son, Shen Yuanbai. But Shen Yuanbai was being raised by Old Madam Shen. If Ren Wanyun hadn’t gone mad, she could have relied on Shen Yuanbai to temporarily secure her position as the main wife. But it would only be temporary—who knew whether Shen Gui would take another concubine in the future? After all, Shen Gui had always been fond of women. Having another son wasn’t impossible.

Compared to Ren Wanyun’s continuous misfortunes, Concubine Wan, whose quarters had been quiet for many years, seemed to be experiencing a springtime revival. After keeping a low profile for so many years, even allowing her daughter to remain unseen for years, she unexpectedly received what seemed like divine assistance. While Shen Gui might be indifferent to family ties, he treated women well. As long as Concubine Wan firmly held Shen Gui’s heart and regained his favor, Shen Dongling’s status would also rise.

“Dongling, in a few days, I’ll ask the Master to give you a new courtyard,” Concubine Wan said with a smile as she worked on her needlework. Perhaps because Shen Yuan was dead and Shen Yuanbai was still young, with Ren Wanyun no longer a threat to her, Concubine Wan’s eyes and eyebrows were filled with joy, and her words carried a hint of delight.

“What courtyard?” Shen Dongling raised her head from behind the screen where she was reading.

“You’ve been cramped with me in one courtyard all this time. Other young ladies your age have long been given their courtyards. You should move out too; this place is too crowded,” said Concubine Wan.

“They are legitimate daughters; I am a concubine’s daughter,” Shen Dongling replied calmly.

Hearing this, Concubine Wan felt a pang in her heart. Shen Dongling’s birth status was something she could not change, and it was something that troubled her deeply. She believed that Shen Dongling was no less than Shen Qing or Shen Yue, but for more than a decade, she could only let Shen Dongling compromise. Now that they had finally weathered the storm, how could she watch Shen Dongling continue to be so cautious?

Concubine Wan said, “The Eldest Young Miss’s former courtyard has been vacated. You don’t have to sleep in her room; you can sleep in another one. The Eldest Young Miss’s courtyard has a good orientation and beautiful scenery. It would be a shame to leave it empty. Now that the Master treats us well, I think he would agree to this request.”

“There’s no need, Concubine Mother,” Shen Dongling rejected her suggestion. “Now is not the time to stand out. We’ve endured for more than ten years; there’s no rush. Father may be good to us now, but we both know what kind of person he is at heart. Let’s wait until things are more stable before discussing this matter.”

Concubine Wan was about to persuade her further when she suddenly saw her maid, Luhua, rushing in anxiously, saying, “Concubine, Fifth Young Miss has come to our courtyard!”

“Fifth Young Miss?” Concubine Wan immediately stood up. “What does she want with me?”

Shen Dongling also looked toward Luhua.

Luhua shook her head and said, “She’s not here to see you, madam. I saw her go to Second Madam’s recuperation room.”

“Fifth Young Miss is visiting Second Madam!” Concubine Wan’s voice suddenly rose. “What does Fifth Young Miss want with Second Madam? Second Madam has already gone mad!”

“I wanted to eavesdrop, but Fifth Young Miss brought several maids who blocked me strictly. Other people were kept far away from the room; we couldn’t hear or see anything,” Luhua asked. “Concubine, what should we do now?”

Concubine Wan paced anxiously around the room, muttering to herself, “What’s going on? Could Fifth Young Miss be visiting Second Madam out of concern? But Second Madam and Fifth Young Miss have had many disagreements before; how could Fifth Young Miss be so kind-hearted?” She looked at Shen Dongling. “Dongling, what do you think?”

Shen Dongling lowered her eyes in thought for a moment before saying, “Since we can’t eavesdrop, we should stay put and not try to pry. Fifth Sister is not a simple person. Whatever she’s doing, she must be fully prepared. No matter what methods we use, we probably won’t be able to find out anything.”

“Are we just going to let it go like this?” Concubine Wan felt somewhat reluctant. “What if she and Second Madam are plotting something?”

“Neither Second Madam nor Fifth Sister is the type to forgive and forget with a smile,” Shen Dongling said calmly. “Besides, we’ve never opposed Fifth Sister, so even if she’s planning something, it wouldn’t be directed at us.” She looked at Concubine Wan. “We’ll just wait and see what happens.”

Outside Caiyun Garden, Guyu, Bailu, and Shuangjiang stood guard several steps away from the room, while Jingzhe followed Shen Miao inside. The other maids in the courtyard diligently went about their business. Since Ren Wanyun had gone mad, the servants no longer needed to curry favor with her. People tended to step on the lowly and flatter the powerful. Moreover, Ren Wanyun had always been harsh with servants, so compared to her, they preferred to please the gentle and virtuous Concubine Wan.

Therefore, when Shen Miao, who had the First Branch’s backing, arrived, none of these maids tried to stop her.

However, not everyone was like this. Over the years, Ren Wanyun had her trusted confidantes—her maids, Xianglan and Caiju. Now inside the room, Xianglan and Caiju were glaring vigilantly at Shen Miao.

Facing their fierce gazes, Shen Miao remained completely unfazed. Since these two refused to leave, it didn’t matter if they overheard.

On the bed, a woman wrapped in blankets sat in the corner, her gaze unfocused. Her hair seemed to have been combed but then disheveled by her tugging. There was even drool on her clothes. Her lips moved slightly, but she didn’t look at anyone, only staring at the ceiling, muttering something incomprehensible.

“Fifth Young Miss, as you can see, our Madam is unwell. Your disturbance will only worsen her condition,” said Xianglan.

“I came today to tell Second Aunt something,” Shen Miao smiled slightly. “I think Second Aunt already knows, even though she’s ill. The news must still reach her—Second Brother was executed at noon today. His body lies in a coffin and will soon be buried.”

“Fifth Young Miss, Madam is already ill! She cannot hear such things!” Caiju shouted sternly. However, although Xianglan and Caiju looked severe, they truly didn’t dare to physically force Shen Miao out. By now, they all knew that Shen Miao was no pushover. The Second Branch’s current predicament was largely due to Shen Miao’s behind-the-scenes manipulation. Shen Miao could almost be considered an enemy of the Second Branch, but not only was she cunning, she also had Shen Xin and his wife backing her. In this increasingly diminished Second Branch, no one dared to confront her.

Shen Miao completely ignored the two maids and smiled at Ren Wanyun, saying, “I suppose Second Aunt also knows that today, when Second Brother was executed, not a single person from the family went to see him. Neither Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Third Aunt, nor the Old Madam—not one of them appeared.” She looked at Ren Wanyun. “I think if Second Aunt hadn’t been ill, you would have gone to send Second Brother off on his final journey. As it is now, Second Brother is alone on the path to the underworld, so lonely, how pitiful.”

“Fifth Young Miss!” Xianglan couldn’t help but shout again.

“What are you afraid of?” Shen Miao’s lips curled. “Second Aunt is ill now and doesn’t understand my words. Are you perhaps afraid I’ll upset her?”

“Of course not,” Xianglan hurriedly denied.

“Then you’d better stay still and keep quiet,” Shen Miao raised an eyebrow. “Otherwise, I have ways to ensure you’ll never serve your mistress again.”

Xianglan and Caiju were shocked. The certainty in Shen Miao’s voice gave them a chilling sensation.

“Second Brother was on his way out when Second Aunt fell ill, so she never saw him one last time. I imagine Second Brother must have been heartbroken. At the end, neither parent was there to see him; it’s truly tragic.”

Ren Wanyun still stared intently at the ceiling with a vacant expression, but the fingers resting at her side barely perceptibly curled slightly.

“A few days ago, Concubine Wan came to see me,” Shen Miao smiled. “She’s probably eager to establish a good relationship with me. If I put in a good word for her with the Old Madam in the future, Second Uncle might be more likely to elevate her to the status of a secondary wife.”

At these words, Xianglan and Caiju both paled. Everyone knew that Concubine Wan had regained favor in the Second Branch. In the past, Ren Wanyun had forced Wan to live in humble submission. Once Wan rose to power, possibly becoming a secondary wife, wouldn’t she spend her life taking revenge? Already distant from Shen Gui and not favored by Old Madam Shen, how miserable would Ren Wanyun’s future be?

“I certainly wouldn’t want that,” Shen Miao tilted her head thoughtfully. “Second Aunt is the legitimate wife of the household, so I would naturally stand by her side. But Concubine Wan seems determined, and besides, Seventh Brother is still with the Old Madam. But if Seventh Brother grows up and Concubine Wan becomes a secondary wife while Second Aunt is still ill, wouldn’t Seventh Brother be raised under Concubine Wan? Tsk, tsk, I wonder if Concubine Wan’s attempt to get on my good side also includes such considerations?”

“If you dare scheme against my Seventh Son, I will make you wish you were dead!” From the corner, Ren Wanyun let out a roaring shout. Her voice was coarse and extremely unpleasant for some reason. The eyes that had been fixed on the ceiling since entering the room were now firmly locked on Shen Miao, emitting a ferocious light like that of a vicious wolf.

“How could I scheme against Seventh Brother?” Shen Miao smiled slightly. “If Second Aunt doesn’t believe me, I can swear an oath. If I ever scheme against Seventh Brother, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death.”

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone in the room looked surprised. Jingzhe, who had been silent, grew anxious. How could Shen Miao make such a severe oath? They had always taken oaths very seriously, yet Shen Miao spoke so casually that Jingzhe didn’t even have a chance to stop her.

Ren Wanyun wasn’t reassured by this and scoffed coldly: “You go to such lengths to come here and say these things to provoke me, to see if I’m mad or not. Surely you didn’t come just to make this vicious oath?” She continued, “Shen Miao, I can’t outsmart you. I underestimated you. If I could do it all over again, I would have killed you before you grew to what you are now, and I wouldn’t have shown any mercy!”

“Second Aunt is joking,” Shen Miao said. “When have you ever shown me mercy?”

“You’ve pushed me to this state. Qing’s and Yue’s misfortunes are not unrelated to you. If it weren’t for Seventh Son, I would end it all and take you down with me,” Ren Wanyun said through gritted teeth.

“I know Second Aunt wouldn’t risk everything for Seventh Brother’s sake, so I also know Second Aunt’s illness won’t last long,” said Shen Miao.

“What exactly do you want?” Ren Wanyun stared at her intently. “What other tactics do you have? Go ahead and use them!”

Shen Miao smiled warmly. “Second Aunt, why speak so harshly? I’ve come actually to give you a way out.”

“A way out?” Ren Wanyun said bitterly. “At this point, what way out do I have?”

“Does Second Aunt think the current situation is as bad as it gets?” Shen Miao asked in surprise. “Second Aunt has always been clever; how could you be so confused?”

“What are you trying to say?” Ren Wanyun’s face darkened.

“It’s simple,” Shen Miao smiled. Currently, Concubine Wan has Second Uncle wrapped around her finger. Hasn’t Second Aunt considered what would happen if Concubine Wan gave Second Uncle a son? What would become of Seventh Brother then?”

Ren Wanyun’s body stiffened.

“Whether Second Uncle values Concubine Wan or Second Aunt more, Second Aunt knows in her heart. Therefore, whether Second Uncle would value a son born to Concubine Wan or Seventh Brother more is also uncertain. If someday Concubine Wan is elevated to the status of a secondary wife, this Second Branch would have two legitimate sons, but these two legitimate sons would not be blood brothers. Guess what,” Shen Miao lowered her voice, “might they fight to the death?”

Ren Wanyun listened with growing alarm.

“That one would have Concubine Wan’s protection, while Seventh Brother would have Second Aunt’s. But Second Aunt, at that time, would you still have the same influence in the Second Branch as before?”

Shen Miao’s words struck at the heart, and Ren Wanyun couldn’t help but retort, “That cheap woman couldn’t bear a son before, and she certainly won’t bear one in the future!”

“Second Aunt is indeed intelligent,” Shen Miao sighed. “This is exactly what I wanted to say. Does Second Aunt think that in the future, Second Uncle will only have Concubine Wan and no other women?”

Her frankness in discussing the relationships of her elders with such calm and composure was remarkable. Ren Wanyun was momentarily taken aback by Shen Miao’s words. Yes, she knew Shen Gui’s character better than anyone. How could Shen Gui have only one woman? Even when she was still the mistress of the household, Shen Gui had brought in concubine after concubine. If she hadn’t fed those seductresses infertility medicine, the Second Branch would probably be overcrowded by now.

“You see, you can guard against it temporarily but not forever. You can guard against one Concubine Wan, but there will be others. Countless women in the world can bear children, and countless women who want to enter the Second Branch. Unless Second Aunt can still control the inner courtyard as before and feed infertility medicine to each of Second Uncle’s women—but can the current Second Aunt still have that ability? Even if you could, back then, Concubine Wan still gave birth to Third Sister. In the future, might there not be another Concubine Wan?”

Ren Wanyun’s face showed a hint of panic. Shen Miao’s words stabbed at her vulnerabilities one by one. All she could rely on was having given birth to a son. If even that advantage was gone, what would she do in the future?

“Second Aunt, do you want to watch as the home you’ve painstakingly managed, the family’s money, end up not with Second Brother, not with Seventh Brother, but with the sons of other women? Second Brother was brilliant; everything in the Second Branch should have been his. Now others have taken his place, and he’s paved the way for others. Can you accept that?”

Ren Wanyun stared at Shen Miao. “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m giving you a way out,” Shen Miao smiled slightly, taking a package from her sleeve and placing it in Ren Wanyun’s hand.

“Infertility medicine, for men,” she said softly.