The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 144 - 143

Chapter 143

Late that same night, Mu Gongzhen and Mu Yingying were discussing certain matters in the main quarters. Mu Qingxuan had already fallen asleep due to exhaustion from the day’s ceremony.

"My men reported that during the day, some people broke into the quarters and searched for something, just as Ying’er predicted. These individuals were quite skilled; two managed to escape, while three chose to commit suicide. Our men who were positioned here managed to capture only two who were still breathing,"

Mu Gongzhen relayed the details to his sister. His eyes openly revealed both surprise and admiration for her keen analytical abilities.

Three days ago, Mu Yingying had come to him with her suspicions about a possible intrusion into Zhuiping Residence during the hairpin ceremony. When he initially heard that, Mu Gongzhen was puzzled. Zhuiping Residence was always well-guarded; who would dare invade the tiger’s den?

However, Mu Yingying did not provide further details, only saying that she needed more confirmation before explaining everything...

Respecting his sister’s wishes, Mu Gongzhen couldn’t refuse. He discreetly placed additional guards in hidden positions within the residence to avoid detection by any potential intruders. When the intruders attempted to break into Zhuiping Residence, his men would be ready to apprehend them immediately.

"It turned out just as I predicted,"

Mu Yingying lowered her eyes in contemplation. She unwittingly tapped her finger rhythmically on the table as she thought.

Initially, she hadn’t considered this scenario. However, three days ago, her spies monitoring the movements in the Mu family manor reported unusual behavior from Bai Lijun and her daughters. They had been seen sneaking into the old quarters of her eldest brother, searching for something but apparently not finding what they sought.

If she remembered correctly, the trio had already searched all the old quarters of the three siblings, yet they hadn’t found what they were looking for. It was unclear whether this was their own initiative or orders from a mysterious force behind them.

Judging by their determination, the enemy wouldn’t give up easily. There was a high chance they would attempt to search Zhuiping Residence, but they had to wait for a perfect opportunity...

Mu Yingying couldn’t help but consider the hairpin ceremony as the perfect opportunity. On that day, the three siblings had to travel to the Mu family manor, and some servants from Zhuiping Residence had to follow them to help transport the gifts back. This would make the residence quieter than usual and an ideal time for an intrusion!

Given this, although Mu Yingying wasn’t entirely certain, she believed that it was better to be cautious rather than regretful. She thus discussed the matter with her elder brother immediately, planning to place hidden guards throughout the residence to trap the intruders.

And today, after they returned from the hairpin ceremony, their men reported the intrusion just as planned. This event made Mu Yingying more confident in various things.

“Previously, my spies who were monitoring the movements in the Mu family reported that Bai Lijun often found a chance to sneak into our old quarters searching for something, but judging by her behavior, it seems she couldn’t find what she was looking for. So, I suspect these actions are orders from someone in the shadows behind her,”

Mu Yingying summarized. Mu Gongzhen quickly understood and pieced everything together. He pondered for a while before asking, “So you think someone in the shadows sent people to infiltrate our residence to find something, which is why you asked me to increase security?”

“Yes, exactly as you thought. Today’s results only strengthen my belief. It seems this mysterious force that we’re keeping an eye on is after something in our possession. Since they can’t reveal themselves, they use a pawn like Bai Lijun instead.”

Mu Gongzhen pondered for a moment. What Mu Yingying said made sense. If this were true, the enemy’s target wasn’t to support Bai Lijun and her daughters as they had suspected.

Instead, it was the three siblings themselves who were the targets of the enemy in the shadows!

From the reports he received, his well-trained men, skilled as imperial guards, struggled against the intruders, resulting in only two captures while the two escaped or the rest committed suicide, and his own men were also badly injured.

This demonstrated the true capabilities and skill level of the enemy in the shadows. The enemy even had a mysterious force that was as powerful as the imperial guards. From the information Mu Gongzhen had, he couldn’t think of anyone in the region capable of forming such a formidable force.

"I’ll handle the interrogations myself. You must be more careful from now on. This enemy is not to be underestimated," Mu Gongzhen warned his sister seriously.

He could protect himself and his younger sister had the Emperor’s quiet protection, but he worried about his youngest sister who often traveled alone to plan against their enemies.

"I understand, Eldest Brother. Don’t worry,"

Mu Yingying replied with a smile. Seeing the concern in her brother’s eyes, she felt a warmth in her heart. He always cared for her deeply.

"I’ll leave the intruders to you. This time the enemy made a mistake. No matter how tight-lipped they are, we’ll eventually get some clues out of them. I know that one day, they’ll slip up and reveal themselves..."

Mu Yingying smirked slyly. The enemy had always been cautious, leaving no traces, but this time they sent living captives for them to extract information. It would be such a waste if she did not accept the opportunity!

...

..

.

Within a mysterious mansion located in a common merchant residential area, a middle-aged man sat behind a desk, listening to a report with a blank expression. As he finished listening, his eyes suddenly gleamed with intensity.

"Send people to monitor Zhuiping Residence’s movements. Do not take any action unless I give the order. For now, just observe their movements," he instructed his subordinates in a calm yet cold and displeased tone.

"But, sir, two of our men were captured. I’m afraid they will be tortured for information. If they can’t hold out..."

"If they can’t hold out, what can we do? Should we send people to infiltrate and eliminate them? Haven’t you thought that even today, they had already set a trap for us? If we send more people, wouldn’t we just be jumping into the enemy’s snare?" The ordinary-looking man with an unremarkable face replied coldly.

He was none other than the mysterious man behind the three women!

Today’s actions could be considered as a misstep. He hadn’t expected Mu Gongzhen to have hidden forces ready, leading to not only their plans being thwarted but also some of their men being captured for interrogation.

Fortunately, he had prepared for this possibility. The captured individuals were all assassins who had been trained as death squads, part of a secret force he had nurtured, so they knew nothing beyond their orders and his identity as their master.

He pondered whether Mu Gongzhen had been cautious by nature that he arranged his men to hide discreetly today, or he had discovered some clue that alerted him in advance to their plan...

The mysterious man thought through the possibilities unhurriedly, staring into the darkness outside the window.

Now that Mu Gongzhen was aware of their existence, any further movements would likely be discovered soon. It seemed he needed to halt their actions for a while. For him, the timing wasn’t as important as the outcome.

"Order our men to cease all activities. Only continue monitoring the capital’s movements."

"Understood, sir," his subordinate responded quickly before disappearing into the darkness.

Imperial Academy

Several days after the Mu family’s hairpin ceremony, Mu Luofei finally began attending the Imperial Academy with the Empress Dowager’s help. She was warmly received by the students there, partly because of her noble status as a lady and partly due to the Empress Dowager’s backing shown during the hairpin ceremony.

In contrast, Mu Qingxuan’s life remained unchanged. Although people around her began to pay her more attention, she didn’t mind much. She continued her routine, valuing her close friend, Lady Fei Yang, also known as Meng Liting.

As they walked to have a meal during lunch break, Meng Liting couldn’t help but tease her friend, "It’s a shame I couldn’t attend your hairpin ceremony because my mother fell ill, and I had to attend to her. But I heard many surprising things happened that day, didn’t they?"

"There were some surprises, but nothing particularly interesting."

Mu Qingxuan met her friend’s teasing gaze briefly and immediately knew what her friend wanted to talk about, so she looked away, pretending she knew nothing. This made Meng Liting laugh.

"You, don’t act like you don’t know." Meng Liting leaned closer to whisper, "I heard His Majesty bestowed many gifts upon you, including a hairpin for the ceremony. I’m sure all the women in the capital were beside themselves with envy."

"Eunuch Fu said it was all in recognition of my brother’s merits. Don’t let your imagination run wild," Mu Qingxuan dismissed lightly, though she smiled unknowingly.

"Keke. Look at you. Your mouth says nothing happened, but look at you now, your happiness is overflowing that it can’t be hidden."

Meng Liting couldn’t help but tease her friend, laughing. She knew a bit about the relationship between Mu Qingxuan and the Emperor. If they truly ended up together and her friend was happy, she would be genuinely delighted for her...

As the two beauties chatted on their way, Mu Luofei walked nearby with some high-born young misses. She glanced at Mu Qingxuan at the front and noticed someone following her. Recognizing the figure, a strange light flashed in her eyes, unnoticed by anyone else.

"Eldest Sister, I didn’t get the chance to congratulate you yesterday. I hope you won’t hold it against me,"

Mu Luofei said sweetly, stepping in front of Mu Qingxuan. Her beautiful face showed sincere innocence.

Mu Qingxuan frowned slightly without replying. She did not know what her enemy was planning this time, so she wanted to wait and see.

Meng Liting, standing nearby, looked calmly at the young woman before her. She had heard about Mu Luofei’s past deeds from Mu Yingying and her friend, which made her aware of the enmity between them and thus dislike Mu Luofei as well.

She wondered what trick her friend’s troublesome half-sister was planning this time...

"So it’s Lady Ping An. You are Qingxuan’s sister; why make such formal congratulations? Don’t be so distant,"

Meng Liting responded on her friend’s behalf, completely rejecting Mu Luofei’s words and taking Mu Qingxuan’s hand, ready to walk past without acknowledging her further. But Mu Luofei stepped in front of them again, blocking their path.

"Apologies...but who might you be?"

Mu Luofei asked politely, her face still adorned with a smile, though there was a coldness behind it.

Before Meng Liting could respond, the woman beside Mu Luofei whispered Meng Liting’s identity to her. Upon learning Meng Liting’s status, a mysterious smile appeared at the corners of Mu Luofei’s mouth.

"So it’s Lady Fei Yang. You misunderstood. I didn’t intend to be distant from my elder sister. I just wanted to congratulate her on the many gifts His Majesty bestowed upon her, including the precious millennium jade hairpin. I never knew my sister had such a good relationship with His Majesty,"

Mu Luofei said with a joyful tone. However, her voice was loud enough for those nearby to hear, drawing their attention to Mu Qingxuan.

"Eh...If I remember correctly, Father once said that you and Shin Wang had a good relationship. Why is it now that you and His Majesty seem so close?"

Mu Luofei continued with a puzzled expression, her innocent demeanor making it seem like she was merely asking a genuine question. Yet, her words suggested that Mu Qingxuan had relationships with multiple men, causing the surrounding onlookers to view her with surprise and disdain.

"I didn’t expect the Eldest Young Miss of the Mu family to be like this."

"Indeed, she always seemed so composed and dignified, but in fact, she’s just using her beauty to seduce men."

"I’ve heard rumors about her and Shin Wang before. She’s definitely a cunning vixen..."

Hearing the gossip, Meng Liting couldn’t stand to see her friend being slandered any longer and was about to defend her. However, Mu Qingxuan stopped her, sending a look to signal for her to stay calm. Then she stepped forward and slapped Mu Luofei hard.

Slap! 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Ow!"

Mu Luofei’s head snapped to the side from the force of the slap, and a red handprint appeared on her right cheek. She turned back to look at Mu Qingxuan in disbelief, shocked that she had actually hit her. The onlookers were equally stunned, drawing in sharp breaths in panic.

"You are truly audacious, gossiping about the royal family and even daring to gossip about the Emperor. Even if you had ten heads, it wouldn’t be enough to atone for the punishment according to the law!"

Mu Qingxuan reprimanded her harshly, as if scolding a wayward younger sister. Her words immediately brought Mu Luofei and the surrounding crowd to their senses. Gossiping about the royal family alone was punishable by death, let alone gossiping about the Emperor.

"You are no longer just the Second Young Miss of the Mu family; you are now a titled lady personally appointed by the Empress Dowager. Moreover, you have grown into a young woman and are no longer a child who doesn’t know better. Never do something so thoughtless again,"

Mu Qingxuan warned in a softer tone, showing a weary expression. She stepped forward to gently touch Mu Luofei’s slapped cheek, momentarily revealing a mocking smile that no one noticed.

"What I did was to teach you not to go astray. I hope my dear sister understands my good intentions."

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

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