The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 130 - 129

Chapter 129

The atmosphere in the room remained shrouded in silence. No one dared to speak, all waiting to hear Elder Mu Furen’s decision and opinion. However, as time passed, Elder Mu Furen still didn’t say anything. Unable to endure the uncomfortable silence any longer, Mu Cui Ming, who was seated nearby, spoke up first to break it.

"If you truly regret what you did, then let the past be the past,"

Mu Cui Ming said casually. He himself did not care about the events of the past. After all, his beautiful wife had returned, and she had been granted the title of Second Rank Lady. Thus, he saw no reason to dwell on past grievances.

As soon as Mu Cui Ming finished speaking, Elder Mu Furen shot him a cold glance and spoke in a frosty tone, "Let the past be the past?"

"You should keep quiet. If someone genuinely regrets their actions, why would they allow things to simply be forgotten?"

These sarcastic words made Bai Lijun’s eyes darken immediately, but since she was bowing her head, no one noticed.

She had knelt and apologized sincerely, yet this old woman still wouldn’t let it go!

Just wait until she regained power in the manor. She would repay this humiliation in kind!

"Mother...I truly regret my actions. Whatever you ask of me to atone for my sins, I will do it sincerely..." Bai Lijun said with a firm voice, trying to hold back her sobs.

"Hmph!"

Elder Mu Furen scoffed before a cold smile spread across her face. "Will you truly do anything?"

"Yes."

"Then go apologize to Zhen’er, Xuan’er, and Ying’er yourself! If my three grandchildren can forgive you, then I will not hold the past against you."

Upon hearing this, Bai Lijun immediately gritted her teeth to suppress the anger within her. Apologize to those three brats?

Dream on!

It was because of those wretched kids that she and her daughters had suffered such torment!

It should be them who come and beg for forgiveness from her!

"Mother..."

As Bai Lijun was about to say something, Mu Luofei interrupted, "Grandmother is right. In this matter, Mother is at fault towards Brother Gongzhen, Sister Qingxuan, and Sister Yingying. It is only proper for Mother to apologize." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Hearing this, Bai Lijun turned sharply to look at her daughter in confusion, but Mu Luofei’s words made Elder Mu Furen nod with satisfaction.

At least this granddaughter could discern right from wrong and understand propriety...

Seeing that her grandmother was beginning to agree, Mu Luofei continued, "However, I don’t think merely apologizing will erase the wrongs done. It would be more beneficial to make amends through actions, don’t you think, Grandmother?"

"Just apologizing won’t ease the bitterness in many people’s hearts. It would be better if Mother could show her sincerity and remorse through her actions. From now on, I believe Mother will fulfill her duties as the principal wife and take good care of everyone in the Mu family. I just hope Grandmother will give her a chance to redeem herself."

Mu Luofei’s words were not entirely unreasonable, causing Elder Mu Furen to waver. However, the memory of Bai Lijun’s past wickedness served as a constant reminder, making it difficult for Elder Mu Furen to trust her.

"...Furthermore, the entire capital is watching our Mu family, including the Empress Dowager in the royal palace. Mother has now been granted the title of Second Rank Lady, and I have become a Lady as well. If news of family discord were to spread, it would surely become a laughingstock throughout the capital."

Mu Luofei used both soft and hard tactics to persuade her grandmother. If she and her mother hadn’t received titles from the Empress Dowager, today’s events might not have ended well. But the situation had changed. With their current titles and status, they had significant leverage within the family!

Her words left Elder Mu Furen deeply troubled. If she punished Bai Lijun, it might displease the Empress Dowager, since Bai Lijun’s title was granted for her exemplary virtues in raising her daughters.

Punishing Bai Lijun or making her apologize for past misdeeds would be like slapping the Empress Dowager’s face.

"This matter..."

"I agree with Fei’er...the Lady!"

Mu Cui Ming quickly voiced his opinion, realizing the potential benefits and harms of this situation. The Mu family had just received kindness from the Empress Dowager. If anything damaged the Empress Dowager’s honor, even ten heads wouldn’t be enough to save them from execution.

"Mother, Bai Lijun has already been punished by being sent to the countryside temple to reflect on her actions. She has faced her consequences. Please don’t be narrow-minded, Mother. Give her a chance to make amends."

"It’s not that I’m being narrow-minded, but..."

"Mother, don’t forget that the Mu family has just emerged from a dire situation. Many eyes are watching us right now. If we make even a single misstep, we will give our enemies an opportunity to strike again,"

Mu Cui Ming quickly interrupted his mother, not giving Elder Mu Furen a chance to continue. He stood up and walked over to help Bai Lijun, who was kneeling, to her feet and then spoke in a gentle tone.

"From now on, I hope you will perform your duties as Mu Furen even better."

"Yes, my dear," Bai Lijun replied sweetly, showing a grateful expression. She then turned to thank Elder Mu Furen, "Thank you, Mother, for giving me this opportunity. I will conduct myself well and live up to the chance you have given me."

Elder Mu Furen frowned deeply; her brows almost knitted together. Her troublesome son had taken the liberty of handling the situation, leaving her with no opportunity to make any decisions. However, the words of her son and granddaughter did hold some reason. Elder Mu Furen was thus reluctantly forced to let the matter proceed as it had.

"...Very well, I will be watching,"

Elder Mu Furen said coldly, her eyes showing a hint of resignation. Given that the Mu family was currently surrounded by external enemies, she had no choice but to let things be to avoid internal strife.

"I had arranged accommodations for you earlier. Bai Lijun and Shuang’er will continue to use their previous quarters, but Lady Ping An will have a new quarters that was just renovated." After finishing her statement, Elder Mu Furen ordered everyone to disperse and rest.

Xie Yang was assigned the task of leading the three to their newly redecorated quarters. As the four of them walked towards their assigned quarters, Bai Lijun spoke with a faint, ambiguous smile.

"Since Mother has given the task of preparing the quarters, it seems you have been managing the household in my absence, Concubine Xie."

"You flatter me, Mu Furen. After you left, the Mu manor lacked a proper overseer. Elder Mu Furen entrusted me with some responsibilities, that’s all," Xie Yang replied with a slight smile, her tone respectful.

"Then you must have worked hard. However, from now on, I will handle the household duties myself to fulfill my responsibilities, which I neglected before. This way, you won’t have to trouble yourself any longer, Concubine Xie."

Although Bai Lijun spoke with a smile, it did not reach her eyes, causing those who heard her to feel a chill. Xie Yang did not respond and merely smiled in return.

Inside her sleeves, Xie Yang’s hands clenched into fists. Her eyes flashed coldly for a moment. Bai Lijun had just returned and was already reclaiming power from her!

However, Xie Yang had not been idle. Many of the servants in the manor had already become her people. Even if Bai Lijun reclaimed her authority, she would not be able to manage the household smoothly.

Soon, Xie Yang led Bai Lijun and Mu Qin Shuang to inspect their quarters, one by one, before taking them to Mu Luofei’s new quarters. As soon as Mu Luofei arrived at her newly renovated quarters, satisfaction filled her eyes.

"This is the newly renovated quarters specifically for you, Lady Ping An,"

Xie Yang said to Mu Luofei with a friendly demeanor. Seeing the satisfaction in the other’s eyes, a cunning smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

"This quarters used to belong to the Seventh Young Miss and is the largest and most beautifully decorated in the entire manor. However, after the Seventh Young Miss moved to Zhuiping Residence, this place was left vacant. Elder Mu Furen then ordered renovations before designating it as your new quarters."

As Xie Yang finished speaking, the satisfaction in Mu Luofei’s eyes quickly turned dark. Her beautiful face froze momentarily before a cold expression took over.

So, this was Mu Yingying’s quarters!

While they had been wandering outside the manor, that girl had been living in the largest and most beautiful quarters?

Judging by its size, it was even bigger than the one Mu Luofei had previously occupied!

"Why did Grandmother place me here? What about my old quarters?"

Mu Luofei asked sternly. The gentleness she had shown earlier vanished completely. She had no intention of pretending to be a gentle and virtuous lady in front of a lowly concubine.

Upon learning that this quarters had been Mu Yingying’s, Mu Luofei felt nothing but disgust and anger. She would rather return to her old place than stay in a quarters that had belonged to an enemy!

Just the thought of using things left by her enemy made Mu Luofei almost lose her mind with rage!

"Uh...Your old quarters was given to the Fifth Young Miss. Right now, only the Seventh Young Miss’s old quarters is available,"

Xie Yang replied carefully. Seeing the icy look on Mu Luofei’s face, she secretly reveled in the success of igniting the trio’s fury.

She knew well that the three of them could never truly change. The display in the hall earlier had merely been an act. Thus, Xie Yang intentionally brought up this matter to unsettle Mu Luofei, which worked perfectly as Mu Luofei was now seething with anger.

Good!

Very good!

They had been cast out of the manor like trash, and now upon their return, everything Mu Luofei once had was taken from her!

Status, reputation, social standing—even her quarters had been taken!

And now she had to live in a place that had belonged to her enemy, like a beggar accepting unwanted leftovers from the other!

People in the Mu Family...you dared to do this to me!

Mu Luofei closed her eyes to control her anger, taking a deep breath and adjusting her expression to be normal as much as possible. When she opened her eyes again, her demeanor was calm once more.

The entire Mu family, Mu Gongzhen, Mu Qingxuan, and Mu Yingying, she would make them pay for this!

"I am quite tired from the journey today, so I think I will rest for a while," Mu Luofei said calmly, her words were no different from directly dismissing Xie Yang.

"If there is anything you are not satisfied with regarding this quarters, you can send someone to inform me at any time," Xie Yang said before leaving.

Once Xie Yang had left, only the three mother and daughters remained. Bai Lijun gently squeezed her daughter’s shoulder to comfort her. She knew that Mu Luofei was extremely upset by what she perceived as a humiliating act.

"We will reclaim what is rightfully ours. For now, be patient, my dear."

"I understand," Mu Luofei replied softly. Despite her dissatisfaction, she knew she couldn’t afford to act rashly like before. With age and the harsh experiences they had endured, the three of them had grown and learned what was appropriate and what wasn’t.

If she let her emotions take control now, their plans would surely be ruined!

"Since this is the situation, it works to our advantage. The person we serve has ordered us to find a certain map from the three siblings. Let’s start by searching Mu Yingying’s old quarters,"

Bai Lijun reminded her two daughters in a low voice, her expression serious. Mu Luofei and Mu Qin Shuang both understood the importance of this task and were fully cooperative.

Soon, the three of them entered the residence. Inside, it was luxuriously decorated, fitting for the titled lady. However, to Mu Luofei, everything felt irritating from the moment she stepped inside. Even the air she breathed felt repulsive.

The three of them spread out, diligently searching for something that resembled a map. But after two hours, they found nothing, despite thoroughly searching every nook and cranny...

"I think it might not be here,"

Mu Luofei voiced her thoughts, and Bai Lijun and Mu Qin Shuang agreed. Bai Lijun had initially suspected that the item might have been taken to Zhuiping Residence by the three siblings. But to be sure, they wanted to search the Mu manor first.

"If it’s not here, we can search Mu Gongzhen’s and Mu Qingxuan’s old quarters next. If we still don’t find it, we will have to send someone to search Zhuiping Residence."

Bai Lijun sighed lightly, her face revealing a troubled expression. If she didn’t find this item soon, she feared it might displease that certain person. If that person became displeased, the support that the three of them had received for their revenge would likely disappear as well.

Their primary objective now was to find the map as ordered, and their secondary goal was to establish a stable power base in the capital to exact their revenge on their enemies!

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