The Emperor's heart is won, she sits on the Phoenix Throne! The Divine Physician's Eldest

"Does Madam Song mean that Miss Song the Second is a servant in the Marquis's mansion?"

Shen Pei's stern and cold voice rang out.

Old Madam Song's long fingernails dug into the ground, and sweat began to bead on her forehead.

As expected, Shen Pei came to protect Song Siyao.

Song Si looked at Shen Pei with some surprise, but then thought that it was probably because he had promised to help Shen Pei treat his leg yesterday that he had offered to help.

Song Yu'er's eyes were filled with hatred, and she was driven mad with jealousy. How could Song Siyao be so lucky? She was just a divorced woman, so why did she get the powerful Shen Pei to help her?

She thought to herself that Song Siyao must have used some underhanded methods, how despicable!

Not daring to offend, Madam Song quickly turned her head and said with a forced smile, "Your Highness is joking. Si Yao is the esteemed second young lady of the Marquis's mansion, how could she be a servant?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Shen Pei's expression grew even colder.

Madam Song understood perfectly well. She looked at the servants around her and shouted, "What are you all standing there for? Second Miss is home. Hurry up and help her carry her things inside!"

"Yes, Madam." All the maids and servants immediately began to move, carrying Song Siyao's dowry away.

Song Siyao glanced at Yu Xiang, who immediately understood and followed her to keep an eye on the dowry.

"Madam Song, Miss Song is the only bloodline of the Marquis of Zhenbei. If I find out that she has suffered even the slightest grievance at home, I will punish you!"

Shen Pei's tone was domineering, openly and legitimately supporting Song Siyao.

"Yes, Your Highness." Old Madam Song dared not look directly at Shen Pei.

"Everyone, step back," Shen Pei ordered, and Old Madam Song led the others away.

Song Yu'er took a few steps and then turned back. She looked at Song Siyao's back with a fierce expression. Once Shen Pei arrived, her courtyard would be lost.

Song Siyao stole her courtyard, she'll definitely make Song Siyao pay!

Song Siyao was unaware of Song Yu'er's malice. She was thanking Shen Pei, "Thank you for your help, Your Highness."

"Of course, I'm still waiting for you to heal my leg." Shen Pei thought of what Wei Xin had found out about Song Siyao's experience at the General's Mansion yesterday, and he felt sorry for Song Siyan's sister.

"Miss Song, won't you invite me in for a seat?" Shen Pei asked.

“I just got home today, and it’s a complete mess. I’ll ask Your Highness to come again after I’ve tidied it up,” Song Siyao replied.

"I await Miss Song's invitation." Shen Pei looked at Song Siyao and said to Wei Xin, "Let's go."

"Respectfully seeing off Your Highness." Song Siyao watched Shen Pei board the carriage before turning and leaving.

Following Hongshao's guidance, she arrived at the courtyard where the original owner had lived.

With Shen Pei's help, no one in the mansion dared to stop her. Soon, Song Yu'er's things were all moved out, and her belongings were arranged neatly.

Song Yu'er was forced to move to a remote and dilapidated courtyard.

Everywhere she looked was desolate, and in her anger, she smashed an expensive ceramic vase on the ground.

"Miss, this is a piece of fine porcelain given to you by Deputy Commander Meng," the maid Xilan reminded her in a high-pitched voice.

Song Yu'er's heart bled as she looked at the shattered Qiancui porcelain vase on the ground. This vase cost fifty taels of silver, while her monthly salary was only ten taels of silver.

"You brat, why didn't you warn me sooner?"

Song Yu'er pinched Xilan's arm hard.

"This servant knows her mistake, please spare my life, Miss." Xilan hurriedly knelt down, her knees landing right on the broken porcelain shards. The shards pierced her knees, sending a sharp, piercing pain through her.

This wasn't the first time Song Yu'er had taken her anger out on her servants; Xi Lan was already used to it.

"Aren't you getting up and doing your work?" Song Yu'er shouted.

"Yes, thank you for sparing my life, Miss." Xilan was in so much pain that she was covered in sweat and almost couldn't stand up.

Song Yu'er didn't care at all. "Take the money from your monthly allowance for the broken vase. I'm going out now. Clean up the yard before I come back, or you'll be held responsible."

"Yes, ma'am."

After leaving the Marquis's residence, Song Yu'er headed towards the General's residence. The vase was broken, and she wanted to find Meng Zhanting to see if she could get something from him to make up for her current unhappiness.

General's Mansion.

"Master, why are you only just getting back? Song Siyao colluded with Minister Yan and almost beat Ting'er and me to death."

The two old ladies couldn't lie down, so they could only lie face down on the bed, which was a bit unseemly, but they didn't care about that anymore.

"Why didn't you send someone to tell me? With me here, Minister Yan would at least give me some face."

The second master, Meng Rencheng, was a seventh-rank compiler in the Hanlin Academy and a classmate of Yan Bo'an.

"I sent someone to deliver a message to you, didn't you receive it?" The second old lady asked with a puzzled look.

Meng Rencheng shook his head, looking distressed and angry. He wondered how things could have changed so much when he left home in the morning and returned from his shift.

He was a respected editor, and the fact that his wife and children had been beaten by his former classmate was an immense humiliation for him.

Unfortunately, Yan Bo'an's official rank was far higher than his, and he didn't even have the courage to confront Yan Bo'an.

"Ting'er, how could you be so confused? Song Siyao took all her dowry with her when she left. Does that mean she's been eating and living in my general's mansion for free for the past three months?"

Meng Rencheng wanted Song Siyao to pay for his food and lodging here for three months.

Meng Zhanting was seething with anger, but he was also stubborn and proud. He said defiantly, "Father, who cares about her money? Raising her for three months is like raising a dog. I'm about to be promoted to commander, and I'll have plenty of money then!"

It's not that he doesn't care, it's that he can't get it.

"Yes, our Ting'er will soon be a commander, and the one thing he will never lack is money."

The two old ladies looked at the green peppers and asked, "How much silver do we have left in our accounts?"

"Only two hundred taels of silver," Green Pepper said.

"What?!" The Second Madam was shocked. She slapped the bed. "That damned Song Siyao has emptied my General's Mansion's coffers. What a jinx!"

After scolding me, the second old lady's eyes hardened. "Qingjiao, leave me one hundred taels of silver for medicine, fifty taels for personal use, and the remaining fifty taels in the account. I am injured and not feeling well, so I need to rest. I will hand over the power of managing the household to the third son's wife."

"Yes, this servant will take care of it right away." Qingjiao took the account book to see Third Madam Luo.

Because the second lady was in poor health, Luo had been taking care of her.

Just now, the two old ladies said they were going to rest, so Madam Luo returned to her own courtyard to have a sip of water.

She hadn't even finished her tea when she saw Green Pepper arrive. Thinking it was the Second Madam needing her service again, she quickly got up and asked...

"Is my mother feeling unwell again?"

After bowing to Madam Luo, Qingjiao said, "No, Third Madam, the Second Madam needs to rest and recuperate, and has instructed that the power of managing the household be handed over to you. These are the household's account books."

Madam Luo took the account book, and Qingjiao said, "Third Madam, the Second Madam needs me, so I'll be leaving now."

As soon as Qingjiao stepped out of the courtyard, she heard Luo's angry voice, "Heavens! How can such a large general's mansion only have fifty taels of silver in its public accounts? How are we supposed to live?"

"Madam, please keep your voice down, lest someone overhear and gossip about you to the Second Madam," the maid Dou Dou reminded Madam Luo.

Madam Luo's eyes reddened with anger. She slammed the account book on the table. "She just thinks I'm easy to bully. Before, with Song Siyao's dowry, life in this mansion was alright. Now that Song Siyao is gone, she knows things are tough for the mansion, so she dumped this mess on me! Where am I supposed to find money to supplement the expenses?"

She sat at the table, buried her face in her arms, and began to cry.

If her family had been more powerful, she really would have wanted to return the account book to the second matriarch.

When Qingjiao returned, she ran into Song Yu'er. She went inside to report, "Second Madam, Miss Song has arrived."