The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 166 - 165

Chapter 165

In the bedroom of the main quarters, which served as the center of the Mu family manor, following the series of events and the spread of rumors about the two Mu sisters sharing a husband, Elder Mu Furen’s condition had continuously deteriorated. She could now only lie in bed all day and night, unable to muster the strength to move.

"Su...Ming."

A raspy and faint voice called from inside the room. Su Ming, who was preparing nourishing medicines for her mistress not far away, hurried over at the sound.

"I am here, Miss." Su Ming knelt beside Elder Mu Furen’s bed. She looked at her mistress, who seemed to have aged another decade, with a heavy heart.

"I...I can’t go on any longer."

Elder Mu Furen gathered what little strength she had to speak, glancing at her faithful maid. "That sum of money...I asked you to handle, distribute it equally among all the grandchildren. If I pass...please take care of Mu Jie. She has no one else to rely on. Besides me, there is no one in this house she can depend on."

"Miss, sob. Please, don’t say such things, sob. You will definitely be alright,"

Su Ming replied, tears streaming down her face. The worsening condition of Elder Mu Furen had already filled her with dread, and hearing these final instructions terrified her even more. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"You...are the one I trust most. You have always been by my side. In this life, I cannot bear to see the Mu family fall into ruin. My passing...is only fitting," Elder Mu Furen said with a faint smile. The face that had been so burdened with worry and stress now showed an expression of genuine release.

Su Ming knew she could not hold her mistress back, so she could only sob and hold the elderly woman’s hand tightly. After a long silence from the bed, Su Ming looked up to find Elder Mu Furen lying still with her eyes closed, as if in a peaceful sleep.

However, Su Ming knew that this was unusual. She carefully reached out to feel for her mistress’s breath. When she felt nothing, she quickly withdrew her hand, covering her face and crying out loud.

Su Ming had served her mistress since she was a young miss, accompanying her to the Mu family when she got married. She had always been by Elder Mu Furen’s sides and had witnessed both the joy and sorrow her mistress had endured. She never thought she would have to watch her mistress pass away right before her eyes.

After crying for a long time, Su Ming stood up and backed away from the bed for a proper distance. She knelt on the floor and bowed her head low to the ground.

"Su Ming, pays her respects to the Elder Furen,"

she said softly, her voice breaking with sobs. Then she looked up at her mistress once more. "I will do everything you have asked, Miss. Please rest in peace."

Having spoken, Su Ming stood and left to deliver the heartbreaking news to the entire Mu family. When Mu Cui Ming heard the news, he quickly gathered all the members of the Mu family to pay their final respects to Elder Mu Furen. Many who heard the news were shocked by her passing, though few were truly deeply saddened.

In particular, Bai Lijun could barely contain her joy.

In contrast, Mu Jie, upon hearing the news, was the only one in the Mu household who genuinely grieved the passing of her grandmother. Although her bond with her grandmother had only recently grown closer, Mu Jie had felt true love and concern from her. She had often cared for her grandmother during her illness, which made their bond even stronger.

Upon hearing the tragic news, Mu Jie felt as though her world had collapsed. The only blood relative who had provided her warmth and light was now gone, leaving her feeling utterly alone once more.

Even though the manor was filled with people, including many blood relatives, Mu Jie felt a profound sense of loneliness...

After paying her final respects to her grandmother at the main quarters, Mu Jie observed that the other members of the Mu family who had gathered earlier were putting on faces of sorrow as if they mourned Elder Mu Furen’s passing. However, Mu Jie noticed that their sorrow did not reach their eyes; their eyes had only indifferent, as if they did not care about Elder Mu Furen’s death at all.

Mu Jie glanced at these people once more, then lowered her head to hide the displeasure in her eyes. Her delicate hands, hidden beneath her sleeves, clenched into fists to suppress her rage. Despite Grandmother’s constant care and efforts to maintain the Mu family’s honor, and her attempts to restrain Bai Lijun’s excesses, these people showed no genuine grief over her passing.

Even her father, Mu Cui Ming, her grandmother’s own son, did not shed a single tear for his departed mother!

Mu Jie looked up once more at her grandmother’s lifeless body on the bed and thought to herself that it was perhaps a blessing that her grandmother was now free from the filth of the Mu family...

...

..

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Zhuiping Residence

After Mu Gongzhen returned from work, the three siblings gathered together for their usual dinner. The meal was proceeding peacefully when a maid came in to report some news.

"Master, someone from the Mu family has just informed us that Elder Mu Furen has passed away."

Clatter!

Mu Yingying’s chopsticks fell to the floor with a loud sound. Her face froze momentarily, her wide eyes filled with shock as she stared blankly.

Did she...hear that correctly?

Mu Yingying repeatedly questioned herself. A wave of pain struck her heart like a crashing wave. Even though she had prepared herself for the day her grandmother would pass away, the actual moment felt like a heavy hammer striking her heart.

"Ying’er..."

Mu Qingxuan turned to his sister with concern. Among the three siblings, Mu Yingying had been the closest to their grandmother. Hearing such terrible news, the two older siblings were most worried about her.

Mu Yingying slowly closed her eyes, pressing her lips together tightly. Soon, her body began to tremble, and sobs escaped her lips.

Seeing this, Mu Qingxuan immediately pulled her sister into her arms, comforting her as she cried. Mu Yingying had no idea how long she wept, but she knew that her grandmother was no longer with her.

She had tried countless times to persuade her grandmother to live with them, but her grandmother had always refused. Mu Yingying couldn’t force her. In the end, her grandmother’s heartache over the recent events, which were part of Mu Yingying’s plans to deal with their enemies, led to her early death.

Even though she knew it wasn’t entirely her fault, Mu Yingying couldn’t help but think she was partly to blame for her grandmother’s death. If she hadn’t orchestrated everything, perhaps her grandmother wouldn’t have been so heartbroken, fallen severely ill, and died like this.

Was this...because of her?

Mu Yingying was lost in her thoughts for a long time, blaming herself for her grandmother’s death. Even though she had long prepared herself for the inevitable day her grandmother would pass away, the actual moment brought her a sorrow far greater than she had imagined. Her heart ached in a way she had never felt before.

She cried in her sister’s embrace until she had no more tears to shed and eventually fell asleep. Mu Gongzhen then carried his youngest sister to her quarters to rest, planning to pay their respects to their grandmother the next day.

As dawn broke, Mu Yingying awoke early with a startle, tears streaming down her face as she remembered her grandmother. While she was sleeping the previous night, she had dreamt of her grandmother who had always given her warmth and the constant echo of her affectionate call, Ying’er, resonated in her mind, making her wish she could stay in that dream forever.

When Su Su entered the room and saw her young miss crying, she hurried to comfort her in a panic. It took a while before Mu Yingying calmed down. Her eyes were red and swollen, looking very pitiful.

Mu Yingying had Su Su help her change clothes immediately and then went to join her siblings to pay their respects at the Mu family manor. This was the first and likely the last time the three siblings visited the Mu family manor together since they had separated from the family. It was a rare moment of unity for the Mu family members.

If Grandmother could see this...she would be very happy.

Upon entering the main hall of the Mu family manor, they saw a large coffin prominently displayed in the center. The Mu family members were all dressed in white mourning clothes to honor the passing of Elder Mu Furen. The three siblings knelt and paid their respects before the coffin and then stepped aside to stand by the wall.

Mu Yingying noticed Su Ming sitting and weeping beside the coffin. Without hesitation, she walked over to her. "Grandmother Su Ming."

"Sob, Seventh Young Miss, sob."

Su Ming wept, reaching out to grasp Mu Yingying’s small hand. She glanced at the coffin and murmured, "Miss, Seventh Young Miss has come to see you. Look, she is here."

Mu Yingying said nothing, just reached out her hand and gently rubbed Su Ming’s back to comfort her while gazing at the coffin with sorrow. Tears welled up in her eyes and trickled down her cheeks uncontrollably.

While the atmosphere in the room was enveloped in sorrow, a sudden announcement echoed from the front of the hall.

"The Consort arrives!"

Mu Luofei’s slender figure entered the hall with a composed demeanor. After a period of recuperation, her previously pale face had regained its brightness, and her once-thin body had filled out somewhat. However, her eyes still held a somber expression.

Mu Luofei glanced briefly at Mu Qingxuan and Mu Yingying before kneeling to pay her respects before the coffin. After completing the customary bow to her grandmother, she stood and walked over to her mother at the side of the room.

Probably because she was preoccupied with dealing with Mu Tingge, Mu Luofei seemed disinterested in the three siblings, which allowed the funeral to proceed without any disruptions to the peace of the departed.

Mu Yingying slowly looked up at Mu Luofei, Bai Lijun, and her father, Mu Cui Ming, with a cold gaze. These individuals were among the reasons her grandmother had died of a broken heart. Now that her grandmother was gone, she had no reason to hold back against her enemies any longer!

From now on, the true downfall of the Mu family would begin!

...

..

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After the funeral of Elder Mu Furen concluded, Bai Lijun took full control of managing the Mu family manor. Everything seemed to return to normal, as if nothing had happened. Only Mu Jie had become even more withdrawn, her presence in the household fading as if she were invisible.

However, not long after the funeral, Su Ming, the maid who had served Elder Mu Furen, requested permission from Mu Cui Ming to serve Mu Jie. She explained that it was her mistress’s dying wish. Seeing no issue with this, Mu Cui Ming agreed, allowing Su Ming to stay by Mu Jie’s side.

Though Elder Mu Furen had passed, there remained many of the household servants who were grateful for her kindness. They willingly took orders from Su Ming. Thus, when Su Ming was by Mu Jie’s side, she was well-protected and cared for, preventing anyone from mistreating her.

As another month passed, an incident occurred at Shin Wang Palace. While Mu Tingge was traveling with Shin Wang to a temple to pray, they were ambushed by assassins on their way back. Shin Wang sustained minor injuries, but Mu Tingge, who was six months pregnant, was gravely injured, causing a temporary hemorrhage. Fortunately, she received timely medical treatment, saving her unborn child.

This incident caused great alarm for both Shin Wang and the Empress Dowager. They immediately began searching for the mastermind behind the assassination attempt. Shin Wang also had a heated argument with Mu Luofei, suspecting her involvement in the plot.

After all, if something had happened to Mu Tingge’s unborn child, the person who would be most pleased would undoubtedly be Mu Luofei!

However, due to the lack of concrete evidence and Mu Luofei’s adamant denial of any involvement, Shin Wang no longer trusted his wife. This led to another fierce argument between the couple. Mu Luofei, unable to control her emotions, accidentally insulted Shin Wang, which resulted in her being ordered to be flogged for disrespecting the royal family and being placed under confinement again.

Shortly after, the Empress Dowager and Shin Wang’s investigation revealed that Mu Luofei and Bai Lijun were indeed involved in the assassination attempt, just as they had suspected. The Empress Dowager was furious, but due to the Mu family’s influence backing the mother and daughter, she couldn’t punish them severely. Thus, she pretended to turn a blind eye, allowing Shin Wang to vent his anger on his consort.

Upon discovering the evidence, Shin Wang ordered the Consort to be brought in for questioning again. Although she continued to deny any involvement, the evidence pointed directly to her. Without hesitation, Shin Wang ordered her to be flogged over twenty times to release his anger for nearly losing his only heir.

Mu Luofei fainted from the excruciating pain of the twenty flogging. When she regained consciousness, she found herself unable to move due to the severe wounds on her back, which was caused by the flogging. Moreover, she was kept under confinement with no one to care for her, except for her close maid who continued to serve her.

Mu Luofei lay in bed, gritting her teeth in anger. She never imagined that Shin Wang would dare to punish her so severely. The love and bond that once existed between them seemed to mean nothing to him now. Despite her vehement denials, he refused to listen to her at all.

Mu Luofei could only lie there, crying from both emotional and physical pain. She had once dreamed that marrying into the royal family as a consort would elevate her status to the heavens, granting her power and wealth to live comfortably forever.

But what had she encountered instead?!

Her dignity had been trampled repeatedly!

She was treated as less than a human, punished severely for a crime she didn’t commit!

She had to endure a level of suffering she had never experienced before!

She made up her mind. If she survived this ordeal, she would make sure that that harlot Mu Tingge, the Empress Dowager, and especially Shin Wang, would pay dearly!

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