The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 131 - 130

Chapter 130

After the light faded beyond the horizon, the veil of night crept over the entire capital. Apart from the bustling commercial district, all other areas were completely quiet, including the Mu manor, which had returned to its former tranquility, different from the morning. However, tonight, many people had worries weighing on their minds, making it difficult to fall asleep.

In the study, a restricted area within the Mu manor, Mu Cui Ming was diligently reading documents he had brought back from the Secretariat. Due to the Mu family’s recent scandal involving bribery, Mu Cui Ming had accumulated a significant backlog of work.

Now that the Mu family had regained its peace, he dedicated most of his time to sorting through the piled-up documents.

Knock, knock, knock.

"It’s me, my dear,"

A sweet voice called, capturing the attention of the person in the room. Recognizing the voice immediately, Mu Cui Ming replied nonchalantly,

"Come in."

At his words, the door opened, and a figure stepped inside, bringing with her a sweet fragrance mixed with a hint of herbs.

"I heard that you’ve been working late into the night in the study for several nights now, so I took the liberty of making some soup for you," Bai Lijun said with a faint smile as she placed a tray holding a bowl of soup, that she had prepared, on the table before him.

Mu Cui Ming glanced at the soup and then at his wife’s gentle face. Having worked for hours without a break, a bit of soup sounded appealing...

"Thank you, Furen. It’s always you who cares for me,"

Mu Cui Ming set aside the documents then took the bowl of soup. Bai Lijun walked around behind her husband and placed her hands on his shoulders, massaging them to relieve his tension.

"Seeing you work so hard makes me feel all the more guilty."

Mu Cui Ming, in the middle of sipping the soup, glanced at her with a puzzled expression. Seeing this, Bai Lijun continued in a low voice, as if in deep remorse,

"Although you never blamed me for the past, I am fully aware of the wrongs I’ve committed. It was my blinded ambition that led me to do terrible things, and those actions may have brought trouble to you and the Mu family...I deeply regret my mistakes, my dear."

"You have learned your lesson, and that eases my mind. I only hope you won’t repeat your mistakes," Mu Cui Ming said reassuringly, placing the empty bowl of soup back on the table.

"Yes, my dear, I will never act foolishly like that again..."

Bai Lijun gave him a sweet smile. Her long, slender eyes brimmed with unshed tears, making her look pitiful and evoking a soft-hearted response from Mu Cui Ming. Unable to resist comforting his beautiful wife, he spoke again.

"Now that you’ve been appointed as a Second Rank Lady by the Empress Dowager herself, I hope you will help maintain the dignity and peace of the Mu family."

Hearing this, Bai Lijun looked at her husband with gratitude, her delicate hand reaching out to hold his. "I will fulfill my duties as your wife to the best of my ability. I deeply regret leaving all the household matters for Concubine Xie to manage alone for so long."

"But now that I’ve returned, I hope you will give me a chance to redeem myself and fulfill my role properly."

"This matter..."

Mu Cui Ming didn’t immediately agree. He paused to think for a moment. Traditionally, the inner household affairs were managed by the women of the family, and he usually didn’t interfere.

His mother had taken over these responsibilities during Bai Lijun’s time at the temple, and Concubine Xie had been assisting by his mother’s request. To suddenly ask his mother and Concubine Xie to hand over all their duties to Bai Lijun might not sit well with them...

Bai Lijun, standing beside him, could guess her husband’s concerns. Her eyes, which had previously shown vulnerability, now glinted coldly for a brief moment. "Now that everyone in the capital knows about my new title, the Mu family will soon need to host a banquet to follow tradition. If it becomes known that the household is managed by a concubine, I fear..."

"You might lose face, my dear. Moreover, you might be criticized for favoring a concubine over your principal wife. While our family understands the circumstances, outsiders don’t. I worry about your reputation."

Bai Lijun’s words were like a wake-up call for Mu Cui Ming. He had been arguing with his mother frequently and didn’t want more conflicts, but his beautiful wife’s reminder made him realize that she now had a new status. Moreover, the Mu family was under intense scrutiny in the capital.

A single misstep could be exploited by their enemies!

That was close!

"Thank you for always keeping me grounded. I will have Butler Tao inform Concubine Xie to hand over the account books and keys to you by tomorrow."

"Thank you, my dear. I won’t let you down." Bai Lijun lowered her eyes slightly to hide the satisfied gleam in them.

"Thank you for the soup. If there’s nothing else, you should go rest. I’ll get back to my work."

Mu Cui Ming was about to turn back to his paperworks when Bai Lijun interjected, "Actually, there’s one more thing I need to inform you about regarding Fei’er. Earlier, the Empress Dowager mentioned that she would personally arrange for Fei’er to attend the Imperial Academy. I think Fei’er will be able to start her studies there soon."

"The Empress Dowager said she would handle it herself?"

Mu Cui Ming couldn’t hide his astonishment. The Imperial Academy was a prestigious institution established by the royal court, where scholars of great repute from across the land were invited to teach. Admissions were strictly regulated, and once a term had started, no matter how noble a family was, they couldn’t enroll their children mid-term. Only royal intervention could make such exceptions.

For the Empress Dowager to personally ensure this matter was a great honor for the Mu family and showed how much she valued Mu Luofei!

"Yes, the Empress Dowager said that since Fei’er had been away for so long, she would need to catch up with the other young misses. Therefore, she wants Fei’er to start studying at the Imperial Academy immediately to keep pace with her peers."

"Good! Very good!"

Mu Cui Ming said with genuine delight. The Empress Dowager’s favor towards his daughter would undoubtedly benefit him as her father.

"In that case, for the upcoming banquet, we must make it grand to show our gratitude for the Empress Dowager’s kindness!"

"Yes, my dear. If you don’t mind, I would like to take charge of organizing this banquet. Although I only stayed in the palace for a short time, I have learned the customs and met several Furens from the Empress Dowager’s palace. I believe I can host the banquet in a way that will please our guests,"

Bai Lijun proposed, explaining her reasoning clearly. Mu Cui Ming agreed with her suggestion, so he approved, "Then you take charge of the banquet. If you need anything or lack any resources, let me know immediately."

"Thank you, my dear."

Seeing that there was nothing else to discuss, Bai Lijun excused herself and returned to her quarters, while Mu Cui Ming continued with his work.

As Bai Lijun left the room and walked through the dark, quiet corridors, the gentle face and loving eyes she had shown earlier quickly vanished. Her expression turned cold and emotionless, her eyes filled with a chilling indifference, leaving no trace of the gentle woman she had appeared to be moments ago.

Now, her plan has progressed another step!

Not only had she returned to the Mu family, but she had also reclaimed her power!

Once she had consolidated more power, taking revenge on her enemies would be easy...

After Bai Lijun returned to her quarters, she went straight to her bedroom and retrieved a wooden chest she had brought back from the royal palace. She opened it and carefully took out a thin book from inside, reading it slowly line by line. Her expression was unreadable.

Inside the book was a list of the Furens and young misses from prominent families in the capital who had connections with the Empress Dowager!

During her time in the royal palace, she had met some of these women and secretly recorded their names to use in the future. The opportunity had come sooner than expected, which was why Bai Lijun had volunteered to take charge of organizing the upcoming banquet herself.

To build her power, she needed to establish relationships with these high-ranking women, leveraging her status as a Second Rank Lady and her daughter’s title of Lady Ping An. This would certainly facilitate building connections with these Furens.

Bai Lijun first targeted the families that supported the Empress Dowager, as she had already met them in the royal palace. With the Empress Dowager’s backing, it would be easier to approach and befriend them.

Bai Lijun looked away from the book and gazed into the darkness outside the window. Her eyes gleamed coldly, like a demon waiting for the right moment to strike.

The upcoming banquet would be the official debut of her and her two daughters!

It would also be the first step in establishing their power!

Those who had wronged them, just waited, they would soon face retribution!

Main Quarters

Meanwhile, in the main quarters of the Mu manor, in the bedroom, there were two figures: one leaning against the bedpost and the other skillfully massaging her mistress’s temples.

"Even though Bai Lijun has been appointed as a Second Rank Lady, I do not believe her actions this morning were genuine. If she truly felt remorse as she claimed, she would have sincerely gone to apologize to my three grandchildren,"

Elder Mu Furen expressed her thoughts. Her son had already made the decision earlier that morning, and due to the new titles of her daughter-in-law and granddaughter, Elder Mu Furen could not act as she wished. She could only adapt to the situation.

At this moment, she couldn’t help but voice her discontent.

“Things are not the same as they used to be,” Su Ming refrained from commenting further and continued massaging her mistress’s temples, only offering a brief response.

“What was Bai Lijun’s attitude today?”

“The servant I sent to keep an eye on her reported that just now, the Furen brought soup to the master in his study. After that, Butler Tao was called to the study and then went straight to Concubine Xie’s quarters to deliver the master’s orders that she hand over the account books and keys to the Furen by tomorrow,” Su Ming reported truthfully.

Upon hearing this, Elder Mu Furen was not particularly surprised, as she had anticipated this might happen.

“See! She hasn’t even been back for a day and already she’s trying to reclaim power in the household without any regard for me!”

Elder Mu Furen spoke with a scowl, her eyes flashing with a hint of anger. Her brows furrowed deeply.

Bai Lijun’s actions confirmed Elder Mu Furen’s suspicions: no matter how much time passed, people’s inherent natures were hard to change!

It seemed Bai Lijun intended to challenge her authority. If she didn’t prepare, she wouldn’t be able to protect her grandchildren in the future if Bai Lijun were to attempt anything malicious as she had in the past...

“Tell our people to keep a close watch on her. As for the family assets under my care, move them to the trading houses for safekeeping. Make sure no one in the family knows about this, especially Bai Lijun. Even if she gains control over household affairs, I will not let her manage all the family assets!”

Elder Mu Furen ordered firmly, her expression more serious than ever. Su Ming, understanding her mistress’s intentions, promptly acknowledged the command and went to carry it out swiftly.

Since the incident where the Mu family lost everything to Fengkong Repository due to the debt, Elder Mu Furen had secretly set aside a portion of the family’s assets under her private management, unknown even to her son.

This was to prevent a repeat of such a disaster and to prepare for any future emergencies. From recent events in the capital, she had realized the critical importance of wealth. Life in the capital without money was fraught with difficulties, especially for officials who needed funds to grease the wheels of their affairs.

If anything were to happen to the Mu family in the future, this reserve could at least be used to help them in times of need!

Therefore, Elder Mu Furen instructed her trusted aide to privately deposit these assets at the external trading houses, away from Bai Lijun’s scrutiny. Even if Bai Lijun managed to take over household affairs, she would not be aware of or have access to these hidden assets...

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