The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 165 - 164

Chapter 164

After Mu Luofei was confined, Mu Tingge lived comfortably within the palace under Shin Wang’s care and attention. Meanwhile, Mu Luofei, who was confined, seethed over the humiliation caused by Shin Wang and his adulteress.

As the days of confinement dragged on, Mu Luofei began to lose control of herself, reverting to her old, vicious habits. She frequently took out her anger on the maids, causing fear among the palace servants, who avoided her room. Although Shin Wang heard about her outbursts, he paid no mind. No matter how much Mu Luofei threw a tantrum, she could not leave her room to cause trouble elsewhere.

In a large quarters on the west wing of Shin Wang Palace, a beautifully decorated and spacious area comparable to the consort’s quarters, a garden of blooming flowers surrounded the serene and tranquil setting.

Inside, a young woman reclined on a daybed, her growing belly becoming more noticeable. Two maids attended to her, massaging her body with respect and care.

"This morning, the kitchen staff reported that the food sent to the Consort since the previous day hasn’t been touched," one maid quietly informed her mistress.

"Since the Consort hasn’t eaten in days, she must be feeling unwell. Tell the kitchen to prepare some light food, like plain porridge and stir-fried vegetables, and send it to her instead,"

Mu Tingge still closed her eyes as she said with a smile, but then opening her eyes slowly to reveal a fleeting, strange glint.

"Yes, Miss," the maid replied quickly and left to carry out the orders.

"Miss...if the Consort reports this to Shin Wang, won’t you be in trouble?"

The other maid asked with concern. Understanding the maid’s worry, Mu Tingge explained with a faint, ambiguous smile.

"Why would I be troubled by this? Everyone knows that the Consort hasn’t touched her food for several meals. As her sister, I was simply worried she might fall ill. That’s why I had the kitchen prepare some light dishes for her health."

"Even if the Consort complains to Shin Wang, my good intentions as her younger sister will surely be understood by him..."

Mu Tingge flashed a sinister smile at the corner of her mouth, recalling the times when she had been bullied by Mu Luofei and Bai Lijun in the past. It was during a harsh winter, and she was just a naive child. Yet, Bai Lijun had ordered the kitchen to send only plain porridge and stir-fried vegetables for her and her mother to eat.

In the freezing cold, they were never satisfied with such meager food. Night after night, they went to bed hungry. Mu Tingge would never forget that suffering!

Now, she was merely repaying the three of them for what they had done...

...

..

.

Meanwhile, Mu Luofei, who had been confined for five days, received her daily meal from the kitchen as usual in the evening. However, she didn’t feel hungry. She continued to ignore the food, as she had been doing.

Driven by her desire to spite Shin Wang and the humiliation she had received, this had left her unable to eat or sleep since the confinement, and she had grown considerably thin. Her once radiant beauty had become pale and dull.

Her close maid, who was always by her side, went to set up the meal as usual. When she saw the food this time, she couldn’t help but be shocked. She glanced nervously at her mistress. Normally, after she finished setting up the meal, she would always persuade her to eat even though the Consort never touched the food in the end.

But seeing this meal, she instantly knew that someone was definitely trying to harass the Consort!

If the Consort saw this meal, she would surely erupt in a fit of rage!

Mu Luofei, sitting by the window, suddenly sensed something amiss with her maid. She glanced at her with a suspicious look in her eyes.

“What is it?”

“N...nothing, Your Highness,” the maid quickly bowed her head, denying it in a trembling voice.

But such a guilty demeanor could hardly escape Mu Luofei’s keen eyes. She frowned deeply, staring coldly at the maid before shouting loudly,

“Even a servant like you dares to lie to your mistress now?”

Thud!

“I...I wouldn’t dare, Your Highness,” the maid immediately dropped to her knees forcefully, bowing her head low in fear.

Mu Luofei snorted coldly, rising to walk over to the maid. As she approached, she finally noticed the food on the table that she had been ignoring for days. Her almond-shaped eyes suddenly blazed with fury.

Bang!

“What is this? Is this even fit for humans!? Even though I am under confinement, I am still a consort! How dare you insult me like this!?”

Mu Luofei roared with anger that was boiling in her chest. She swept the tray of food off the table with great force, sending it crashing to the floor, the food scattered everywhere. The porridge in the bowl could hardly be called porridge; it contained only a few grains of rice at the bottom, with the rest being clear water. The stir-fried vegetables were just plain greens, without a single piece of meat.

Was she, a royal consort, supposed to eat food that even pigs wouldn’t touch?

How insolent?!

"That harlot Mu Tingge! If I ever get out, I will surely kill you!"

Mu Luofei spat through gritted teeth, seething with deep-seated hatred. She didn’t need to guess to know that this was the handiwork of that lowly Mu Tingge. After all, the only person with authority in the palace aside from her now was Mu Tingge, who had gained the favor of Shin Wang.

With her being confined by Shin Wang’s orders, the servants had naturally shifted their allegiance to Mu Tingge!

No!

She couldn’t let this continue. If she did, Mu Tingge would surely seize control of the palace!

Mu Luofei pondered ways to free herself from the confinement. She thought long and hard before a plan sparked in her mind. Her eyes glinted with a cunning light as she approached the maid kneeling on the floor and whispered some instructions.

...

..

Late morning the next day, while Mu Tingge was resting during her midday nap, a maid came rushing in to report to her mistress in anxious manner.

"Miss, something has happened! Just now, someone reported that the Consort has fainted. Shin Wang has already sent for the royal physician. It is said that after the Consort ate her dinner last night, she began to feel unwell, with fever and constantly vomiting. By morning, she had lost consciousness!"

"How could this be?"

Mu Tingge sat up abruptly, her face a picture of shock, her brows knitted tightly. Her beautiful face showed a serious expression. She had merely instructed the kitchen to prepare light meals for the Consort, with no tricks involved. So why had Mu Luofei fallen ill and fainted?

It must be another scheme of that cunning fox, Mu Luofei.

"If Shin Wang investigates this, will we get into trouble, Miss?" the maid asked in a trembling voice, beginning to fear that she might be punished, but she was warned by Mu Tingge first.

"Why are you worried? I only told you to have the kitchen prepare light meals. Many people knew about it. If Mu Luofei tries to accuse me, she’ll need solid evidence. Without it...she can only blame the kitchen. It won’t trouble us."

"Come! Let’s go see her," Mu Tingge said firmly, changing her clothes and heading straight for the Consort’s quarters.

Soon, Mu Tingge arrived at the Consort’s quarters and received a report from the royal physicians as they exited the Consort’s room. They diagnosed that the Consort’s fainting was due to anxiety, poor nutrition, and lack of rest. If she didn’t recuperate properly, her condition could become chronic.

As a result, Shin Wang lifted the confinement order and instructed the kitchen to provide nourishing food for the Consort with every meal. Although he was displeased with Mu Luofei, he couldn’t let anything happen to her because of the Mu family’s backing.

Otherwise, it would sour his relationship with the Mu family...

After the confinement was lifted, Mu Luofei rested in her quarters for three to four days before resuming her duties in the palace. The kitchen servants were forced to take the blame and were severely punished, some were whipped to death and others were sold into slavery, causing fear and panic among the servants in the Shin Wang Palace.

Zhuiping Residence

Inside the study room of the quarters, a slender figure of a young girl sat with her arms crossed, listening intently to her informant’s report. As she heard about the recent events in Shin Wang Palace, a mischievous smile appeared on her face.

"Shin Wang Palace seems quite lively these days. How could I let my father miss out on such entertainment..."

Mu Yingying smiled slightly. Ever since the incidents at Shin Wang Palace, her father remained completely unaware of the disgraceful actions of his two daughters.

Even though the news of Shin Wang having another woman pregnant had spread widely, no one knew who the concubine was. This must be the work of the Empress Dowager, who kept the matter under wraps. After all, the fact that two sisters shared the same husband was hardly something to be proud of.

Mu Yingying believed that even her father must be aware of this, yet he kept his mouth tightly shut, maintaining the secrecy. It was undoubtedly due to concerns over his reputation and image. For someone like Mu Cui Ming, who valued his status above all else, if word got out that his daughters were fighting over the same man, he would surely lose face!

But how could she let her father off so easily...?

Such a disgraceful matter, as his daughter, she felt it her duty to help facilitate it!

"Send someone to spread rumors in the capital. Let it be known that before the Consort met Shin Wang, he was already deeply in love with the third young miss of the Mu family. However, when the Consort met Shin Wang, she fell deeply in love with him. Despite knowing full well about Shin Wang’s relationship with her sister, the Consort still fought to take her sister’s lover away. Being a daughter of a concubine, the third young miss had no choice but to yield to the Consort."

"But the Consort did not stop there. She used her power in the household to bully her half-sister in every possible way, making the third young miss’s life miserable. Shin Wang, blinded by the power and captivated by the beauty’s charms, as the saying went: a beauty can topple a region. In the end, Shin Wang agreed to marry the Consort and abandoned the third young miss without a second thought. Eventually, Shin Wang learned that his former lover, the third young miss, was pregnant with his child, his only offspring. Without hesitation, he took her into his care within the palace. Yet, the third young miss continues to endure the Consort’s torment to this day..."

Upon finishing, Mu Yingying let out a light laugh, her big, round eyes gleaming with amusement. The story she had concocted was quite impressive, not only humiliating her father but also painting Mu Luofei as a villain who stole her half-sister’s lover and making Shin Wang appear as a fickle man who discarded women at will.

If these rumors spread, no one would care whether it was true or false. People would be more interested in trampling on those mentioned in the gossip. Especially among the nobility, sincerity was rare; they wore false masks towards each other. If anyone stumbled, the rest would be ready to trample them down completely.

The excitement had just begun. She hoped they all enjoy this drama...

Before long, the bizarre rumors had spread widely throughout the capital, creating quite a stir, especially among the officials and their families. They whispered about it incessantly behind closed doors. Whenever Mu Cui Ming attended court or went to work, he was met with scornful and mocking glances.

For someone who valued his reputation and image like Mu Cui Ming, these events made him feel like a laughingstock in other people’s eyes. He felt deeply embarrassed and humiliated by what was happening. Eventually, he took a three-day leave from work to avoid the scrutinizing eyes of the officials.

Bai Lijun also began to decline invitations to social gatherings. Whenever she attended the banquets of noble ladies, she was constantly gossiped about regarding her daughters mentioned in the rumors. Despite her denials, no one believed her. They continued to gossip, branding her as a wicked stepmother who helped her daughter steal love and fortune from her stepdaughter.

Eventually, Bai Lijun could no longer endure the constant gossip. She withdrew and remained secluded within her quarters, avoiding social gatherings for a long time. The once good relationship between her and her husband began to deteriorate. Mu Cui Ming blamed the entire situation on Bai Lijun.

If Bai Lijun, as the mistress of the household, had managed the household affair well and cared for all the young misses attentively, such disgraceful events would never have occurred. The sisters wouldn’t have had to share a husband in such a shameful manner!

Although Bai Lijun did not accept or agree with this in her heart, she couldn’t do anything about it. Arguing back would only worsen their marital relationship, which would not bode well for the future.

On the other hand, Elder Mu Furen’s health declined continuously after hearing the news. The old woman was overwhelmed with disappointment, shock, and sadness. She had dreamed of seeing the Mu family flourish, but all she witnessed now was its steady decline.

Elder Mu Furen had tried to support the Mu family throughout, but upon learning of the recent events, she lost the will and strength to continue doing so. The Mu family no longer had any reputation or honor to uphold. Family members were scattered, living separately like strangers.

The patriarch of the family was foolish and selfish, obsessed with power and wealth. The mistress of the house was filled with jealousy and malice. The young misses did not love or support each other, fighting over men and ending up sharing a husband, with one even becoming pregnant before marriage!

Disgraceful!

It was a great shame for the family!

Now, Elder Mu Furen was like a lamp with a flickering flame, close to going out. The continuous disappointment and sadness had consumed her life, nearly drained. With her spirit broken, her physical strength was also fading. Elder Mu Furen had resigned herself to her fate. She no longer had hope or saw any light for the Mu family.

She decided that once she passed away, she would seek forgiveness from their ancestors in the afterlife...

To be continued in volume 6.

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