The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 139 - 138

Chapter 138

As Mu Luofei faced this life-threatening situation, she instinctively closed her eyes and raised her arms to shield her face, bracing herself for the impact of the large horse charging towards her.

The sound of horses neighing echoed throughout the area, causing widespread panic among the people. They quickly retreated to the sides, leaving a wide-open space in the middle for the horses to rampage freely.

Initially, Mu Luofei thought she would surely be injured, but as time passed, she didn’t feel any pain. Instead, she sensed strong arms lifting her away from the road.

She quickly opened her eyes to assess the situation and found herself standing by the side of the road. The group of men who had ridden on the horses was surrounding the black horse, trying to calm it down.

“Are you alright, Miss?”

A deep voice spoke beside her. She turned to look and saw a handsome young man she had never met before. He was tall, with a well-defined face and captivating eyes. His overall appearance was noble, seeming like a powerful significant individual.

As Mu Luofei locked eyes with him, she uncontrollably felt an inexplicable sensation. Moreover, she was now in his embrace, so she was unconsciously flustered as a young girl.

“I...I am fine, thank you.”

She lowered her head down slightly in embarrassment, gently trying to move away from his embrace.

Shin Wang observed her closely for a while, his eyes showing admiration for her beauty. Aside from the eldest young miss of the Mu family, it was his second time he had seen such a stunning woman.

He let his gaze travel from her high forehead to her long, elegant eyebrows, down to her delicate eyelashes, then to her cheeks that were now as red as a tomato, and finally to her delicate lips. Her appearance was sweet and inviting, making one want to protect her.

She was truly a beautiful woman!

“I apologize for my earlier impropriety, Miss. But due to the urgency of the situation, I had no other choice.”

Shin Wang concealed his appreciation for her beauty and resumed his composed demeanor. He stepped back to maintain a respectful distance.

“It’s alright. If you hadn’t helped me, I would have been in serious trouble,” Mu Luofei said with a smile, glancing at him again before looking away slightly.

The more she looked at him, the more impressed she was. Her heart raced uncontrollably.

He was the most handsome man she had ever met!

While the two were secretly admiring each other, a voice called out from not far away, and a figure approached them.

"Fei’er! How are you, Fei’er!?"

Bai Lijun rushed over to check on her daughter, full of concern. She had witnessed the dangerous incident herself but was kept at bay by the surrounding crowd and couldn’t get to her daughter in time.

"I’m alright, Mother. This gentleman here helped me," Mu Luofei introduced her rescuer to her mother. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"Thank you for saving my daughter’s life. If there is anything we can do to repay you, please let us know." After hearing what had happened, Bai Lijun also felt impressed by the young man standing before her.

As she observed him, she couldn’t help but nod in approval of his appearance. He seemed to be from a noble family. If he were to become her daughter’s suitor, it would be quite favorable...

"There’s no need for that. I simply offered a helping hand. There’s no need to talk about repayment," Shin Wang declined graciously with a warm smile, occasionally glancing at the beautiful woman in front of him, causing her to blush.

"Your Highness, the black horse has been calmed as per your command!"

A young man from the group of riders approached and reported loudly to Shin Wang.

The actions and words of this person caused a stir among the surrounding people, including the mother and daughter duo. They turned to look at the handsome young man they had just spoken with in shock.

Your Highness?

If it wasn’t mistaken, in this region, there were only two Wangs: Duan Wang and Shin Wang. Duan Wang was already married, so he had to be an older man. The remaining one was Shin Wang, who was renowned for his handsome appearance who was yet to take a consort.

Then, this person must be Shin Wang!

"Long lives Shin Wang. Please forgive my mother and me for our ignorance and any disrespectful words we may have spoken earlier, Your Highness."

Mu Luofei, who was a quick wit, quickly bowed deeply. While she bowed in respect, her eyes gleamed instantly. Knowing that he was a Wang only increased her admiration for him.

"Long lives Shin Wang,"

The surrounding crowd followed her lead, bowing respectfully in unison. Most of them were commoners, and encountering royalty filled them with anxiety and fear.

"No need for such formalities," Shin Wang nodded to Mu Luofei, signaling his men to disperse the crowd.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Mu Luofei stood up gracefully, her voice gentle and courteous. "Knowing that Your Highness was the one who saved me, if I truly cannot repay you, I would feel terribly guilty."

"If you feel that way, then how about treating me to a meal?" Shin Wang had no intention of rejecting her kindness, seeing it as an opportunity to get to know this intriguing woman better.

"Very well, Your Highness,"

Mu Luofei agreed with a gentle smile. They proceeded to enter a renowned restaurant for this special meal together.

Unbeknownst to anyone, their actions and the unfolding events were being observed by someone from afar.

Mu Yingying, watching from the third floor of a nearby eatery, smirked slyly. Her big, round eyes sparkled with satisfaction and amusement.

Her plan had gone off without a hitch and with surprising ease. Perhaps it was destiny that these two were meant to be together, making it easy for them to develop a rapport upon meeting.

The petite figure sipped the remaining tea in her cup before standing up and stretching to relieve her stiff muscles. The sly expression on her face transformed into one of icy determination.

Now that this act of her play was concluded, it was time to move on to the next phase...

...

..

Late that night, Mu Yingying discussed with her brother, Mu Gongzhen, in his study for a long time. He recounted the day’s occurrences in detail.

"Today’s journey for the Empress Dowager went smoothly. There wasn’t a single unusual incident, even a minor one, despite us having leaked information. The enemies in the shadow didn’t act. It seems that the previous incident, their target is not the Empress Dowager."

"If the enemy’s target isn’t the Empress Dowager as we previously thought, it leaves only one possibility. That is—they are creating opportunities to make the three women appear as the Empress Dowager’s benefactors," Mu Yingying analyzed the unfolded event unhurriedly, her confidence growing as the day’s lack of attacks confirmed her suspicions.

"It seems the previous assassination attempt was just another scene in their elaborate play..."

Mu Gongzhen nodded in agreement. "I believe the same. The enemy’s target wasn’t the Empress Dowager from the beginning. That’s why we couldn’t find any clues around her. We misjudged from the start."

"Then the enemies in shadow we’ve been tracking are in league with the three women?" Mu Yingying frowned, her small face showing a troubled look.

"These people are highly skilled, as we all know. We’ve tried to trace them for a long time but found nothing which shows their capabilities. But why would such a mysterious group support these three women?"

"If you say they belong to Bai Lijun, I can’t believe she could develop such a capable force in such a short time."

The more Mu Yingying thought about it, the less it made sense. If Bai Lijun really had such a force, given her intense hatred and impulsive nature, she would have sent assassins to eliminate the three siblings long ago, instead of letting things drag out like this.

"Perhaps this mysterious force doesn’t belong to Bai Lijun, but rather, Bai Lijun belongs to them,"

Mu Gongzhen speculated after a long contemplation. His words snapped Mu Yingying out of her thoughts, her eyes widening slightly as if she had an epiphany.

"That’s right! This is the most plausible scenario. If Bai Lijun and her daughters are pawns of this mysterious force, it answers all our questions, including the staged assassination attempt on the Empress Dowager to elevate the three women’s status and enable their grand return to the capital."

"From another perspective, Bai Lijun and her daughters are nothing more than pawns in the hands of these hidden figures. No matter how much they want to take revenge on us, being manipulated from behind the scenes forces them to stay on the path and follow the orders of their benefactors in shadow,"

Mu Yingying’s analysis was sharp, even earning a nod of approval from Mu Gongzhen.

When the doubts in their minds began to clear, the two siblings exchanged a knowing glance. Their previous efforts had been fruitless because they had been looking in the wrong direction. But now, they knew the correct direction to aim.

"Since Bai Lijun is a pawn of those in the shadows, given their past efforts to help, they must have invested quite a bit in the three of them. They won’t easily give up this pawn,"

Mu Gongzhen said coldly, a peculiar smile playing on his lips. Upon hearing this, Mu Yingying immediately understood her brother’s thoughts. A sly smile spread across her small face.

"Then we’ll force the enemies in the shadows to reveal themselves. They won’t give up their pawn easily..."

"My Ying’er is indeed clever," Mu Gongzhen reached out to stroke her head affectionately, then continued, "Leave this matter to me."

"Yes, Brother," Mu Yingying responded obediently.

Right now, she had plenty of matters to handle herself, and it would be good to let her brother deal with some things, giving her more time to focus on her own tasks.

As Mu Gongzhen looked at his sister with gentle eyes, something suddenly came to mind. He turned and walked over to the table, picking up a letter and handing it to her.

"This was delivered by someone from the Mu family this afternoon. I didn’t pay it much mind, but I thought Ying’er might be interested."

"Hmm?"

Mu Yingying quickly took the letter and opened it, finding an invitation to a celebration hosted by the Mu family to be held in less than a month. There was also a note included.

The note mentioned Bai Lijun’s regret over past mistakes and expressed a wish for the three siblings to attend the event to rebuild their family bond. It was signed by Bai Lijun himself, indicating that she had personally sent the invitation and note.

Family, my foot!

Mu Yingying snorted and couldn’t help but curl her lip in disdain. Bai Lijun truly had a thick skin. Not to mention the past life, just the things she had done to the three siblings in this life were intolerable enough, yet she still had the nerve to talk about family.

Mu Gongzhen had anticipated his sister’s reaction, so he simply smiled slightly, not at all surprised. "My informants reported that Bai Lijun has invited only major noble families, most of whom are supporters of the Empress Dowager. It seems she intends to use this event to form alliances."

"Does she really think everything will go as smoothly as she desires?" Mu Yingying let out a cold smile, her big, round eyes flashing with coldness for a moment.

"Since they’ve invested so much in this banquet, if the results don’t turn out as they hoped, I’m very curious to see what their expressions will be like?" As she finished speaking, her eyes gleamed with amusement.

"Well, if you’re curious, then let’s make it happen..."

Mu Gongzhen was more than willing to support his little sister. Her seemingly ruthless words, in his eyes, were just another display of her endearing character.

"Then let’s make our next move, Eldest Brother," Mu Yingying said, her eyes sparkling. Mu Gongzhen nodded immediately.

As long as his sister desired something, he was always ready to make it happen!

Two days later, a major incident occurred in the capital, causing an uproar in the royal court and among the noble families. The Left Side Chancellor, Mu Gongzhen, submitted a petition to the Emperor to reopen the case of the Cheng Bei Hou Manor from years ago.

When the officials heard the name of the Cheng Bei Hou Manor, many were bewildered. Those who were involved were filled with anxiety. The bloody incident from before hadn’t faded from memory, and now there was a sign of another potential bloodshed.

Initially, the senior officials opposed reopening the case, considering it a serious matter that had already been judged by the former Emperor. Reopening it would be seen as an insult to the former Emperor.

However, Mu Gongzhen didn’t give them a chance to argue. He presented evidence to the Emperor in the middle of the throne room, along with several key witnesses, leaving the officials speechless and unable to refute.

Ultimately, the Emperor approved the reopening of the case. Given its serious nature and widespread implications, the Emperor declared that he would personally oversee the investigation.

After the news of the Cheng Bei Hou Manor case’s reopening was announced, it garnered significant attention from the public. Many still remembered Cheng Bei Hou and some believed he was wrongfully accused, while others were convinced that Cheng Bei Hou was a rebel and harbored deep resentment.

The reopening of this case had far-reaching consequences. Regardless of the outcome, it was detrimental to the royal court. This was why the senior officials were keen to oppose it.

If the investigation revealed that Cheng Bei Hou’s case had been wrongly judged, it would mean that the former Emperor and the royal court had cruelly sentenced a loyal noble family to death. Without appropriate compensation and accountability, it could lead to an uprising from those who had remained loyal to the former Cheng Bei Hou.

Despite the officials’ efforts to oppose the Emperor, they couldn’t succeed. The investigation proceeded smoothly, as if it had been meticulously prepared in advance, with ample evidence and key witnesses.

In the end, the investigation took only a week, but the results shocked the entire region: Cheng Bei Hou had been wrongfully accused!

The findings revealed that Cheng Bei Hou was not a rebel but had been framed by fellow courtiers. Those who orchestrated the false accusations against Cheng Bei Hou were numerous and included noble families that had been purged during the Su family incident, as well as some who still enjoyed power and comfort.

The Emperor issued an imperial decree to arrest all those involved in framing Cheng Bei Hou. They were sentenced to death along with their families, except for children under the age of ten, who were sent to be slaves at the border.

This decree affected dozens of noble families. Some of those who were implicated were demoted to lower-ranking officials in distant cities, while others were stripped of their titles altogether. It was essentially another purge of the royal court!

The scent of blood filled the capital from this case, yet it did not cast fear or gloom over the people.

On the contrary, they cheered with joy, believing that the heaven was still perceptive. Good people should be rewarded, and evil ones punished by heaven. Ultimately, Cheng Bei Hou had received justice...

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