The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 100 - 99

Chapter 99

At the same time, inside the private room adjacent to Mu Yingying’s, when Mu Qingxuan was invited into the room, she found that there were only herself and a tall man, who was standing gazing out the window at the scenery, inside the room. The table was filled with a variety of dishes, as if prepared for a group of more than ten people to eat.

However, it seemed that only she and he would be sharing this meal...

"I didn’t expect Your Majesty to have time to enjoy the festival," Mu Qingxuan said as she walked over to sit on the chair opposite him without bothering to pay formal respects. She spoke in a teasing tone.

The relationship between her and him had long surpassed the need for paying respect or remaining silent due to the disparity of their status.

She couldn’t pinpoint when it had started, but Mu Qingxuan had gradually become more comfortable around Chen Feng Yue, speaking her mind without fear. When realized, she found herself seemed to be an exception for the Emperor tacitly.

"Well...who asked me to finish my work ahead of schedule?"

Chen Feng Yue smiled slightly and shrugged. He turned to look at the young girl in front of him, his sharp eyes softening unconsciously. "I saw you and your sister enter this restaurant, so I asked my eunuch to invite you to join me."

"You knew I was here with my sister and still separated us," Mu Qingxuan secretly pouted.

"I did say I could join you two at your table. Or you could have brought your sister along. I hear this seventh young miss is quite adorable. Mu Gongzhen often boasts about her to me. I’d like to see her with my own eyes,"

Chen Feng Yue said with a sly smile, recalling how Mu Gongzhen often spoke of his youngest sister with the affection of a doting father. It made him feel a bit irritated. Mu Qingxuan smiled slightly at his words.

"Of course, my Ying’er is the cutest. Neither her brother nor I would let Your Majesty sully her!"

"Sully?" Chen Feng Yue raised his eyebrows slightly. "Are you saying I would corrupt her?"

"You said it yourself, Your Majesty. I didn’t say anything. But Ying’er is pure-hearted. If someone as imposing as Your Majesty were to approach her, she might get scared,"

Mu Qingxuan said nonchalantly. Meanwhile, the trusted eunuch, who stood in the corner of the room, felt his heart racing at the girl’s audacious words. If it had been anyone else, they might have lost their head by now.

When the trusted eunuch turned to look at his master’s expression, he was even more shocked. Instead of being angry, his master wore a cheerful smile, as if he were a child who had just been praised.

"It’s true what you said, little girl." Chen Fengye was not only unoffended but in an even better mood.

For him, since childhood, very few people had dared to speak to him in such a biting manner. So, it was a refreshing change that excited him when he heard these sharp words instead of the usual insincere flattery. Especially since these words came from the young girl before him, Chen Feng Yue found it quite amusing.

"I invited you here to join me for this meal. There’s so much food, and I’m afraid I can’t finish it all by myself. Consider it a thank you for all the help you’ve given me," Chen Feng Yue said with a smile, his tone softer than before.

The usually stern-faced Son of Heaven was now smiling. If any officials saw this, they would think they were dreaming...

Mu Qingxuan glanced at the food before her and couldn’t help but silently criticize him. Knowing he couldn’t finish it all alone, why did he order so much? Even with her joining, they wouldn’t finish it.

As Chen Feng Yue began to pick up food with his chopsticks, he spoke in an even tone, "I know you’re silently cursing me..."

"I am not."

"You are."

"I’m not, Your Majesty."

"Just looking at your face, I can tell."

"Your Majesty is imagining things..."

Among the array of dishes on the table, the two continued to bicker, neither willing to yield. Despite this, the atmosphere in the room was surprisingly relaxed and familiar, much like that of a husband and wife bickering over a meal in their home...

...

..

.

After Mu Qingxuan finished her meal with Chen Feng Yue, she excused herself to return to Mu Yingying’s room before they both rejoined the others at the carriage during the Hai hour. The entire Mu family members then made their way back to their manors.

Time flew by swiftly. In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed. During this time, many things began to fall into place. Mu Gongzhen had managed to resolve all outstanding matters and finally completed the decoration of the Zhuiping Residence, which had been bestowed upon him.

Once the Zhuiping Residence was newly decorated, Mu Gongzhen discussed with his two younger sisters about moving to the Zhuiping Residence to separate themselves from the Mu family manor. Although they couldn’t officially separate the family just yet, moving out to the bestowed residence was feasible. After all, the Zhuiping Residence was personally granted by the Emperor, and Mu Gongzhen had been appointed as the Left Side Chancellor. Therefore, moving to the bestowed residence was entirely appropriate.

This afternoon, the three siblings started packing their belongings without informing anyone in the manor beforehand, intending to announce it later to avoid unnecessary complications. As Mu Yingying reviewed the list of items to be moved to the Zhuiping Residence, she added a few more items with a flick of her brush.

"Take all of these. As long as it’s valuable and can be sold...take everything."

Mu Yingying handed the paper to Su Su with a mysterious smile. Her big, round eyes sparkled like jewels. The reports she received from her people monitoring her father’s business venture had put her in a particularly good mood these past few days.

She truly had to thank her father for providing her with such a grand spectacle. It was worth every effort to have her people investigate the matter thoroughly...

Since this grand performance was going so well, she would make sure it became even more entertaining!

Su Su, who had noticed her mistress’s changing mood for a while, couldn’t help but ask, "What good news do you have, Miss? You seem to be in an exceptionally good mood."

"Of course, I’m in a good mood. I’ve got a grand show right here for me to watch," Mu Yingying said with a laugh.

The small figure rose from her chair and walked out of the room; her face adorned with a smile. Before leaving, she reminded her personal maid once more,

"Don’t forget...anything that can be sold for money, take it all! Put it in the chest that was bestowed upon my eldest brother!"

After saying this, Mu Yingying walked to her eldest brother’s quarters, humming a tune with a broad smile on her round face that never seemed to fade. Any servant passing by could tell that the seventh young miss was in a particularly good mood today.

Soon, Mu Yingying arrived at Mu Gongzhen’s quarters. Upon entering, she found that besides her dear brother, her eldest sister was also present. As both of them noticed their youngest sister’s unusual demeanor, they immediately felt a strange premonition.

"What’s the good news today, Ying’er? Why can’t you stop smiling?"

Mu Qingxuan, who was closest, greeted her sister while helping her brother organize the documents, ready to move at any moment.

"Tsk, tsk, I’m not telling you. I’ll take you to see it for yourselves," Mu Yingying said with an adorably mischievous expression, making both her siblings laugh.

"Ying’er, you know, whenever you smile like that, it usually means someone is about to have a misfortune..." Mu Gongzhen, quite familiar with Mu Yingying’s nature, teased her.

If he remembered correctly, every time his youngest sister said she had something fun or was in a particularly good mood, it always meant something big was about to happen. The incidents with the Su family and Shin Wang were prime examples.

Who knew who would become the subject of Ying’er’s amusement this time...

"This time, it wasn’t my doing."

Mu Yingying raised both hands in the air and continued, "It’s someone else’s doing. It’s just that the performers in this drama happen to be people close to us, so we get to watch the show as well."

Mu Gongzhen shook his head slightly, amused by his sister’s mischievousness. Once he finished organizing the last stack of documents, he stepped forward and gently took Mu Yingying’s hand.

"Then, before we go watch this show, let’s take care of our matters first."

"Yes," Mu Yingying responded cheerfully. She took her brother’s hand in one of hers and her sister Mu Qingxuan’s in the other. Together, the three of them headed toward the main quarters.

Main Quarters

In the main hall, the gathering place for the Mu family members, everyone was assembled today, including all the concubines and young misses. Mu Gongzhen had previously sent someone to inform Elder Mu Furen that there was an important announcement to be made, hence the meeting.

Now, everyone had arrived. Mu Gongzhen and his two sisters took their seats according to tradition. However, one seat remained vacant—the seat of the head of the family, Mu Cui Ming!

"Isn’t Cui Ming here?"

Elder Mu Furen asked Su Ming, puzzled. Even though the family was all present, the head of the family was absent. Su Ming quickly responded to her query.

"Elder Furen, the master left early this morning."

"That child..." Elder Mu Furen couldn’t help but sigh in exasperation.

Lately, her son had been acting oddly. Ever since the eldest grandson was appointed as the Left Side Chancellor, her son had been restless, rarely staying at home. Fortunately, upon inquiry, he was only gathering with other officials and not indulging in wine and women, or else their future would be in jeopardy.

"Zhen’er, your father is unavailable today. Will it matter if he’s not here for your announcement?"

She turned to her grandson with a questioning look. Seeing him nod in response, Elder Mu Furen smiled gently.

"Today, I have called everyone in the family to gather because there is an important announcement to make. I have thought about this for quite some time and have finally decided. So, I wish to inform everyone."

Mu Gongzhen clasped his hands together and placed them on his lap, speaking in a steady voice. Seeing that everyone in the room was listening intently, he continued, "I, along with my siblings..."

Thud!

Before Mu Gongzhen could finish speaking, a male servant came running into the hall with a panicked expression. In his haste, he tripped over his own feet and fell to the floor with a loud thud. Quickly getting up, he crawled on his knees towards the Elder Furen.

“El...Elder Furen! Something has happened to the master!”

Elder Mu Furen squinted at the disheveled state of the servant before her with a heavy heart, her eyebrows knitting together as an uneasy feeling settled in her heart.

“What has happened?”

“Elder Furen, people from Fengkong Repository have surrounded the entrance to our residence. They are blocking the master from entering and have threatened to use force if he insists on coming in!” the servant reported anxiously.

Everyone in the hall was immediately alarmed upon hearing this. Why would Fengkong Repository’s people block the entrance to their residence?

And why would they show such blatant disrespect to Mu Cui Ming?

What on earth was going on?

Mu Gongzhen and Mu Qingxuan, however, did not react with as much panic as the others. They were merely surprised and then seemed to realize something. When they glanced at their sister, they found Mu Yingying looking back at them, her big, round eyes sparkling with amusement and a sly smile on her round face.

It seemed that the big drama Ying’er mentioned was indeed unfolding right now...

“If there wasn’t a serious reason, would Fengkong Repository’s people dare to cause trouble?”

Elder Mu Furen lowered her eyes slightly, contemplating the situation. Fengkong Repository’s actions might appear disrespectful, but they wouldn’t dare provoke the Mu family without a necessary reason.

“I...I don’t know, Elder Furen.”

The servant was drenched in sweat from the pressure of her scrutinizing gaze. He didn’t have the courage to relay what he overheard from Fengkong Repository’s people while speaking with the master in front of the manor. All he could do was kneel and tremble.

“Invite the guests inside. We can discuss the matter calmly,” Elder Mu Furen instructed Su Ming after making up her mind.

The best approach now was to bring both parties together for a discussion to prevent the situation from escalating and becoming gossip fodder for the public. With her grandson newly appointed as the Left Side Chancellor,

Any scandal would be detrimental.

Shortly after, Su Ming returned to the hall with five guests in tow. Among them was Mu Cui Ming, who looked visibly weary, as if he hadn’t slept well. The other four wore the uniforms of the Fengkong Repository, their expressions stoic and unreadable.

“You must be from Fengkong Repository. Please, have a seat,”

Elder Mu Furen spoke with a friendly smile, waving her hand in the air to signal the servants to bring more chairs into the room. However, before the servants could do so, one of the men from Fengkong Repository spoke up.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Elder Mu Furen, but we do not wish to trouble you much today. We are here simply to collect the money owed by Mu Patriarch according to the agreement,”

He said politely, displaying none of the aggressive demeanor like thugs they had shown earlier when blocking the entrance to the residence. Before coming to Mu Manor, they had been instructed by their manager to strictly demand the repayment of the loan from Mu Patriarch without showing disrespect to others,

Especially to Master Mu, his son.

“Collect the money?”

Elder Furen repeated, unsure. When she turned to look at her son, Mu Cui Ming was avoiding her gaze as if hiding something. Everyone else in the room also exchanged confused looks.

The Mu family, as wealthy as they were, needed to have money collected?

“I apologize, but I do not understand...”

Elder Mu Furen asked again, feeling a vein throb in her temples. The more she saw her son’s anxious face, the more certain she became that he had gotten himself into trouble.

The representative from Fengkong Repository glanced at Mu Cui Ming, seeming to understand something, then unrolled a document and began to read it aloud for everyone to hear. “Mu Cui Ming, the head of the Mu family, signed a loan agreement with Fengkong Repository on behalf of Fengyi Restaurant on the tenth day of the eighth month for a total of four hundred thousand taels of gold, with Fengyi Restaurant as collateral. The agreement stated that repayments were to be made every ten days.

“However, on the twenty-fifth day of the eighth month, Fengkong Repository discovered that the head of the Mu family had defaulted on his payments. Furthermore, an investigation revealed that the newly opened Fengyi Restaurant could not continue its operations due to significant losses. All the operators of Fengyi Restaurant decided to cease operations, and according to the agreement, they must repay the borrowed amount. Upon appraising the restaurant, it was found that there was still a shortfall of two hundred thousand taels of gold.

“For several days now, Fengkong Repository has been trying to arrange a meeting with the head of the Mu family, but he has been avoiding us at every turn. As a last resort, we had to come and wait here to speak with him directly.”

“Our Fengkong Repository operates as a legitimate financial institution. If the head of the Mu family does not repay the loan as agreed, we will have no choice but to take the matter to court...”

Thud!

As soon as the representative from Fengkong Repository finished speaking, everyone in the room froze as if they had been doused in cold water. The financial situation of the Mu family was no secret; all members were well aware of it. How would they ever come up with two hundred thousand taels of gold to repay?

“Cui Ming...what have you done?” Elder Mu Furen took a deep breath and asked her son in disbelief.

“I...I just invested the money in a business with some friends. Who could have predicted that the venture would end in such a disaster? Investment always carries risks, Mother, you know that,” Mu Cui Ming tried to excuse himself shamelessly.

Initially, the business had seemed promising, with the potential for immense profit in sight. But suddenly, everything turned upside down!

Now, he was in debt for over two hundred thousand taels of gold!

The Mu family manor was nearly emptied of valuables, how was he supposed to find the money to repay the debt!?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read ‘The Return of the Seventh Young Lady’ before anyone else with more Chapters at http://www.jinovel.com/en