The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 138 - 137

Chapter 137

Zhuiping Residence

After the three siblings had dinner together, Mu Yingying took Mu Qingxuan to sit at Mu Gongzhen’s quarters.

"Since the incident, Shin Wang has remained quiet. What do you think, Brother?"

Mu Yingying asked curiously, her big, round eyes gleaming with a strange light, as if harboring a scheme.

"I think it’s natural for a fierce tiger to hibernate after a battle that left it wounded, but it won’t be for long..." Mu Gongzhen replied, sipping his tea.

"Do you think Shin Wang has given up on the idea of forming an alliance with the Mu family by marriage?" Mu Yingying pouted with a hint of displeasure, recalling Shin Wang’s desire to marry her sister.

Dream on!

Mu Gongzhen pondered for a moment before responding. "It’s hard to say. The power of the Mu family is too tempting. How could Shin Wang and the Empress Dowager not want to seize it?"

"That’s true..."

Upon hearing that, Mu Yingying smiled slightly. Her eyes sparkled mischievously, like a little devil. In truth, she did not want Shin Wang to give up on the marriage alliance with the Mu family.

Because that would ruin the plan she had recently devised!

If her plan succeeded, there would be many exciting developments to look forward to...

Mu Gongzhen glanced at his youngest sister’s crafty expression, knowing immediately that this little demon had something up her sleeve.

"Ying’er, what are you planning?"

"All these times, we’ve been trying to get rid of Shin Wang from Sister, but without success. Now that we have more power, there’s a possibility that the Empress Dowager might enforce a royal marriage decree. If that happens, it would be difficult to handle,"

Mu Yingying explained, considering various possibilities. Upon hearing the words "royal marriage decree," Mu Qingxuan’s face paled slightly. Mu Gongzhen, thinking it over, saw the potential for it and didn’t dismiss the idea.

"If what the Empress Dowager and Shin Wang truly want is to unite their power with the Mu family, then we should let them have their wish..."

Mu Yingying said, causing her two siblings to look at her in confusion. Previously, they had been trying to thwart Shin Wang’s plans, but now she suggested granting their enemy’s wish.

Seeing their confusion, Mu Yingying continued elaborating unhurriedly. "They want to unite with the ’Mu family,’ but we are no longer part of the Mu family, are we? So, letting them have their way isn’t a bad thing, and it could even benefit us."

Upon hearing this, the two siblings immediately understood what their youngest sister wanted. The Empress Dowager and Shin Wang wanted to marry the Mu family, but they were unaware that the siblings had already separated from the main family. Therefore, the Mu family they sought didn’t include them.

How cunning!

"If Shin Wang is to marry someone from the Mu family, who would it be? The remaining young misses of the Mu family are either too young or are not of suitable status," Mu Qingxuan thought of the remaining half-sisters in the Mu family but did not find anyone with a suitable status to marry Shin Wang.

"Didn’t the Mu family recently have a new lady?"

“Do you mean...” Mu Qingxuan turned to her sister in shock. But upon seeing Mu Yingying’s mischievous smile and the playful gleam in her eyes, she immediately understood that her sister had already planned everything.

Even Mu Gongzhen couldn’t help but smile briefly at the cunning and playful nature of their little sister.

“In our past lives, Shin Wang and Mu Luofei loved each other deeply. Why should we hinder this destined pair in this life? Perhaps supporting their union could be seen as creating good karma for us,” Mu Yingying said with a mocking smile. Her eyes glinted coldly as she thought of the two in their previous lives.

It would be a shame if such rotten individuals didn’t end up together...

After all, she had no intention of letting either of them go. Helping them achieve their wish and then dragging them down into the dirt would be far more satisfying.

Shin Wang, a man greedy for power, would surely be deceived and let his guard down when he united with the Mu family by marriage. But once he realized that all his efforts were in vain and that he had married a potentially twisted woman like Mu Luofei, his life would become anything but peaceful. Mu Yingying was eager to see his reaction when that day came.

Mu Luofei, an ambitious woman who wanted to climb to the top regardless of the method with a twisted heart that was hard to heal, would feel like she was soaring through the skies upon marrying Shin Wang. But when her seemingly sweet reality turned into a living hell, she wondered if Mu Luofei would still be happy then...

It was like releasing a bird from its cage, letting it taste the hope that was about to be fulfilled, before shooting it down, ensuring it fell to the ground.

The higher it flew, the more it would hurt when it fell!

Mu Gongzhen reached out to gently pat Mu Yingying’s head, bringing her back from her thoughts. Her big, round eyes, which had been cold, now sparkled mischievously once more.

“But will Shin Wang agree to marry Mu Luofei?”

Mu Qingxuan asked with curiosity. After all, Shin Wang and Mu Luofei had never met in this life, and many things had changed from their past lives, so she was unsure that history would repeat itself.

“He will certainly agree. Shin Wang only wants to align his power with the Mu family. Previously, he clung to you because you were the only suitable eldest young miss of the direct line in the Mu family. But now, Mu Luofei has become a viable option.”

“Mu Luofei is the same age as you and holds the title of the second young miss of the direct line. Moreover, she has been granted the title of Lady Ping An and is favored by the Empress Dowager. She seems like a more appealing choice than you, Sister. Shin Wang will likely lose interest in you.”

Mu Yingying’s reasoning was quite logical. Mu Luofei’s return had changed many variables, including the choice of marriage alliances with the Mu family.

“I also think Shin Wang would be interested in someone like Mu Luofei. Especially after many of the Empress Dowager’s supporters were eliminated, they would want to strengthen their power through more alliances,” Mu Gongzhen agreed.

Seeing that her two siblings seemed to approve of her plan, Mu Yingying’s lips curled into a malevolent smile. “...So, all we need to do is support this destined union to make it happen.”

"Leave this to me. I do love putting on a show." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Mu Gongzhen glanced at his sister’s gleeful eyes and sighed softly. His little sister truly did enjoy the fun.

Seeing no objections from her siblings, Mu Yingying smiled broadly. Ever since she had conceived this plan, she had been eager to set it in motion. She couldn’t wait to see Mu Luofei’s face when she thought she was about to soar to new heights.

"Oh, by the way, what about the enemies in the shadows? Any updates?" Mu Yingying shifted the conversation to a topic that had been bothering her. Unable to find answers, she found it difficult to let go.

"There has been no movement yet. However, in three days, the Empress Dowager will visit the abbot at the imperial temple again privately. I plan to use this opportunity to quietly leak the news in the palace. If the enemy’s goal is to kill the Empress Dowager, they will surely make a move."

Mu Yingying nodded in agreement. The three siblings chatted for a while longer before returning to their respective quarters.

...

..

.

While Mu Yingying was busy planning her grand matchmaking scheme, a figure in black appeared before her, kneeling in respect and reporting the movements within the Mu Manor.

"Miss, the other day, Bai Lijun took her daughters to search the old quarters at the back of the manor belonging to the Eldest Young Miss. It seems they haven’t found what they were looking for. I suspect their next target will be the old quarters of the Eldest Young Master."

Mu Yingying frowned slightly, her eyes showing irritation. The three women had already ransacked her old quarters, and now they had moved on to her sister’s. She was sure their next target would be her eldest brother’s.

Though these old quarters were now empty and devoid of valuables, Mu Yingying couldn’t help but feel annoyed. She didn’t know what they were looking for, but it must be something important, considering their persistence...

She was quite certain they had already taken everything of value. Whatever the three women were searching for was definitely not in the Mu Manor. Then, it would most likely be at Zhuiping Residence!

If the item they sought was indeed that important, it wouldn’t be long before the three women tried to come and search the Zhuiping Residence. But whether they would get the opportunity, they would just have to wait and see.

What was it that the enemy desired so much?

Mu Yingying tried to think it over, but she couldn’t figure it out and decided to set it aside for now. "And what have they been doing lately?"

"Mostly, Bai Lijun and her daughters have been busy preparing for the upcoming banquet. I heard that in three days, they plan to personally go to the commercial district to select items."

Three days from now, huh...?

The petite figure glanced at the information on the documents on her desk and then smiled slyly. She hadn’t expected the opportunity she was waiting for to arrive so soon.

Three days from now, the Empress Dowager would be visiting the imperial temple privately. According to her informant, Shin Wang would be escorting the Empress Dowager himself. Based on the Empress Dowager’s schedule, which stated the returning time, after Shin Wang escorted her back to the royal palace, they would pass through the commercial district on their way to Shin Wang Palace.

The commercial district would be a suitable place for a performance...

"Return and keep an eye on the Mu family. If there are any updates, I will send someone to inform you," she ordered calmly before returning to her documents.

"Yes, Miss," the man in black replied before disappearing without a trace.

Mu Yingying continued to plan unhurriedly. She combined the reports from her informants with the information her brother provided, carefully considering every step to ensure the highest chance of success and minimize potential repercussions from any oversights.

When planning something significant, everything must be meticulously calculated and reviewed repeatedly until confident it was flawless.

She spent more than four hours planning until she was sure the plan would work. Then, she called for Su Su to give instructions according to her plan and disseminated the news to her people in various positions to prepare for the next steps.

Three days later

That afternoon, after finishing lunch, Bai Lijun and her two daughters prepared to go by carriage to the commercial district. She had informed Mu Cui Ming of this plan the night before.

Recently, Bai Lijun had been busy with preparations for the banquet and compiling the guest list. She hoped to use this event to elegantly introduce herself and her daughters to high society, and she also planned to use this opportunity to establish good relations with the noblewomen in the capital to build her power base.

Thus, the banquet could not afford even the slightest mistake!

Today, Bai Lijun planned to personally select items for the banquet and find beautiful jewelry for her daughters to wear and stand out at the event.

"The commercial district is bustling today. Once I finish choosing the items on the list, I’ll take you both to browse for jewelry, alright?" Bai Lijun lifted the curtain to glance at the crowd outside before letting it fall back down.

"That’s a good idea, Mother. Although the items bestowed by the Empress Dowager are indeed exquisite, they are only suitable for significant occasions. For everyday wear, I don’t have many beautiful accessories,"

Mu Luofei agreed with her mother. Now that she was a titled lady, her attire had to be more appropriate for her status. It wasn’t just for special events like banquets but also for her everyday appearance.

"That’s true. And what about you, Shuang’er?" Bai Lijun turned to ask her youngest daughter.

"I want to try the food at the Ma Jun Tea House. I’ve heard the servants at the manor talk about how it’s becoming very famous in the capital," Mu Qin Shuang answered honestly. While she was somewhat interested in jewelry, it wasn’t nearly as intriguing as the highly-praised food.

Perhaps it was because Mu Qin Shuang was only twelve years old that she still had the curiosity typical of a young girl. She wasn’t yet very interested in beautifying herself, unlike her older sister, who was nearing the age to pin her hair and thus paid more attention to her appearance.

"Alright then. Once we’ve finished buying everything we need, we’ll stop by Ma Jun Tea House for a meal before heading home," Bai Lijun patted her daughter’s head affectionately, though her eyes showed a fleeting wave.

In just a few months, it would be two years since the terrible events that the three of them had endured, and Bai Lijun often dreamt about those humiliating times.

Despite trying not to think about them, every time she slept, the memories always surfaced in her dreams...

Bai Lijun closed her eyes briefly before opening them again, trying to dispel the strange feeling in her heart. She turned her attention back to the present and ignored the past.

After all, everything had changed.

After a short while, the carriage stopped in the commercial district. The three of them went out to browse the shops and select the items they needed for the preparation of the banquet. Once they had everything they needed, Bai Lijun instructed the coachman to take them to the jewelry shops on the other side of the street.

However, before the carriage could reach its destination, it had to stop because the street was too crowded with people.

The three decided to get out and walk to the other side of the street themselves.

As they walked, Mu Luofei felt increasingly uncomfortable as the people around them pressed closer, crowding her. Her face showed signs of irritation.

Why were these people crowding her?

As Mu Luofei tried to push through the throng, she suddenly felt a shove from behind. Caught off guard, she fell to the ground.

Ouch!

"Make way for the horses! Make way!"

Sitting on the ground, Mu Luofei looked up in alarm at the shouting. A group of riders was charging down the street at high speed, with her directly in their path.

With the speed at which the horses were approaching, Mu Luofei had no chance to get out of the way. Her face turned pale with fear and panic, overwhelming her mind.

Ahh!

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