The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 174 - 173

Chapter 173

After the fire had been extinguished and the tragic news of the fifth young miss’s death had spread, the Mu Manor was thrown into turmoil once more. With the patriarch of the house, Mu Cui Ming, taken to the court and the matriarch, Bai Lijun, missing without a trace, Servant Tao had to step in to handle the funeral arrangements for the fifth young miss.

The atmosphere at the funeral was somber and eerie, starkly different from usual. No one in the Mu family seemed to mourn her passing. Lan Yi, Mu An Yue, and Mu Qin Shuang did not even pay their respects, treating Mu Jie’s death as a trivial matter not worth their time.

Servant Tao was the only one who managed the funeral until the ceremony concluded...

For seven days, the Mu family received no news about Mu Cui Ming. No one knew whether the investigation was progressing well or what the final outcome would be. The remaining family members could only wait in fear until the next day, news about Mu Cui Ming surfaced.

In the early hours of this morning, amidst the oppressive silence and tension of the Mu Manor, the arrival of over thirty soldiers caused a significant commotion. The remaining servants were alarmed and quickly sent someone to fetch Servant Tao, who was still overseeing the household’s affairs, to handle the situation.

“You have come in such numbers...what do you need from us?”

Servant Tao asked the soldier before him politely, though he had a good idea why they were there. He feared that the investigation into his master had ended unfavorably, prompting this military intrusion.

“Listen well, Mu family! The investigation is complete. Mu Cui Ming has been found guilty of embezzling state funds! All evidence and witnesses corroborate this. The head of the Court of Justice has received orders from the Empress Dowager and His Majesty to execute the sentence according to the law. Mu Cui Ming and his family of nine generations will be executed in three days! All members of the Mu family will be taken to the imperial prison to await execution!”

The soldier’s declaration echoed through the manor. The servants of the Mu family, who heard this, turned pale with fear. The worst had come to pass:

The Mu family was sentenced to nine generations execution!

"Arrest everyone associated with the Mu family! All assets of the Mu family will be confiscated and transferred to the imperial treasury according to the law. Spread out and carry out your duties!"

The commanding officer’s order rang out, and the soldiers promptly dispersed to fulfill their tasks. Some units began arresting everyone connected to the Mu family to take them to the imperial prison. Others ransacked the manor, seizing valuables and assets to be sent to the imperial treasury as per legal procedures.

Meanwhile, Mu Qin Shuang, who was playing inside her quarters, was alarmed when she saw unfamiliar soldiers storming in. Her panic intensified when they moved to arrest her, prompting her to struggle and resist.

"Let go of me! Who are you? How dare you touch me!?"

Mu Qin Shuang shrieked and tried her best to fight against the soldiers’ grip. Initially, the two soldiers ignored her protests, but when she decided to lower her head and bit one of their hands, the soldier, enraged, slapped her hard across the face.

Slap!

Mu Qin Shuang was thrown to the ground by the force of the blow, her body aching from the impact. The slapped area on her face went numb for a moment before it turned to pain, bringing tears to her eyes.

"Y...you dare slap me?"

Mu Qin Shuang held her swollen cheek, glaring at the soldier with fierce anger. "You dare slap me! Do you know who I am!? I am a young miss of the Mu family! My sister is the consort! You lowly scum, my sister and father will see to your punishment!"

"This insolent brat...She’s just a young girl, but her words and actions are insufferable. She’s really making me want to kill her,"

The soldier muttered through gritted teeth in anger. Initially, he paid no attention to her, but she kept resisting the arrest from the beginning, and she even dared to bite his hand until it drew blood. There were also her words and actions; who exactly did not know their place?!

"You dare insult me! You deserve to die! I’ll have my sister deal with you!"

Upon hearing the criticism, Mu Qin Shuang’s anger boiled over as she lost control. She stood up and started throwing objects continuously at the two soldiers.

Crash!

Bang!

Thud!

The two soldiers deflected the flying objects and seized the opportunity to grab her, roughly throwing her back to the ground. Their faces were dark with fury, having exhausted their patience with her.

"You wretched brat! Even at death’s door, you still won’t give up your insolence. Your sister is a consort, you say? Your father a high-ranking official? Well, the entire nine generations of the Mu family has been sentenced to death! In three days, you will all be dead!"

One of the soldiers shouted angrily. Mu Qin Shuang’s body froze as she heard his words, her eyes widening in shock. What she just heard...it couldn’t be true, could it?

Death by extermination of nine generations?

No, it couldn’t be true...

No!

It had to be a lie!

How could this be possible?!

"Y...you’re lying! You must be lying. I am the sixth young miss of the Mu family, the sister of a consort. There’s no way we would be sentenced to death for nine generations." Mu Qin Shuang pursed her lips hard, refusing to accept what she heard. Her subconscious mind sought out lies to mask the truth, driven by instinct.

However, her words only elicited mocking smiles from the two soldiers, feeling that she was pathetic. Not long ago, she had been looking down on them, but now she couldn’t accept the truth.

She was so pathetic!

"Believe what you will. But the fact remains, you’re already as good as dead!"

With that, the two soldiers roughly hauled Mu Qin Shuang to her feet and dragged her outside to join the rest of the Mu family.

"No! Let me go! I’m not going!"

Mu Qin Shuang continued to struggle, screaming, cursing and hurling insults, but she couldn’t break free. When she was finally tied up with the remaining members of the Mu family, she realized the soldiers had been telling the truth. Lan Yi, Mu An Yue, Servant Tao, and all the Mu family servants were bound together in the courtyard.

Dozens of soldiers were busily hauling belongings out of the residence. The once flourishing and prosperous Mu family had now fallen into ruin, its former glory completely erased. The courtyard was filled with the sounds of wailing and lamentation as the bound family members cried out in despair, knowing they couldn’t escape their grim fate.

"Take everyone to the imperial prison to await execution in three days!"

The commanding officer announced loudly. The soldiers then began loading everyone onto government carts to transport them to the imperial prison. As the soldiers left, the once-grand Mu Manor became an abandoned ruin...

The Imperial Prison

In the farthest cell of a dark and filthy corridor, a figure lay curled up on the floor. At the sound of numerous footsteps approaching, the figure began to stir. The person struggled to rise and then crawled over to the front of the cell, gripping the bars.

As he emerged from the shadows, his gaunt and dirt-streaked face became visible. Dried blood stained the knees of his pants, indicating that something had happened to his legs, rendering him crippled.

Krrrrr

The man used his remaining strength to grasp the bars, peering through them toward the source of the footsteps. He strained his eyes until he saw the shapes of soldiers and a large group of people coming his way.

"I...I seek an audience with the Empress Dowager!"

He croaked as he tried to make those people hear his voice. "Someone, please...inform the Empress Dowager. I...I need to see her."

He continued to shout with relentless effort. When the group finally drew near, he raised his head and called out to the leading soldier again.

"Please, tell the Empress Dowager. I...I need to see her!"

"Even at death’s door, you still have delusions of grandeur! A prisoner sentenced to death for nine generations like you deserves an audience with the Empress Dowager? Spit...keep dreaming!"

The soldier spat at the person in the cell before moving on to the opposite cell, ignoring the man entirely. As the group following the soldier passed by, a loud cry rang out.

"Father!"

Mu Qin Shuang, who had been brought along, stared at the man in the opposite cell with an expression of disbelief. She recognized him instantly. The man crawling and grabbing the cage was her father who had been taken for interrogation earlier.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Mu Cui Ming looked up. His eyes widened as he saw that the group consisted of the remaining members of the Mu family, including his daughter.

"Father...it is you! You must help us! The soldiers said we will be executed along with nine generations of our family. That’s not true, is it?"

Mu Qin Shuang struggled against the soldiers’ grip, trying to reach her father, her eyes filled with hope as she waited for his response. However, she had to be disappointed yet again as she saw her father’s reaction.

Mu Cui Ming gave no answer. He didn’t even acknowledge his daughter. Instead, he used his remaining strength to crawl back into the shadows against the wall. The sound of his body dragging across the floor echoed in the darkness before fading away.

"Father..."

Mu Qin Shuang couldn’t believe the response that she had received. If her father said nothing, it meant there was no denying their fate. And seeing the state he was in, she couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to him?

"Move it, move it! What a waste of time!"

A soldier grumbled as he dragged the young girl into the cell in the opposite direction, locked the door, and left. Mu Qin Shuang found herself confined, facing her father with a mix of confusion and despair.

On Mu Cui Ming’s side, it wasn’t that he didn’t want to response to his daughter, but he simply had no capacity to care for anyone else. He himself was beyond help, so how could he assist his daughter or anyone else?!

Seven days ago, after Mu Cui Ming had been taken for interrogation, he endured relentless torture. His legs were beaten to the point of permanent disability, the bones shattered beyond repair. He suffered excruciating pain throughout the past seven days.

Though he had committed no crime, no one believed him. They tortured him and forced him to accept the truth about embezzling the state funds until he finally broke and signed a confession admitting to embezzlement.

That was when Mu Cui Ming was freed from the torture, and they brought him to this cell. Though the torture stopped, his legs were permanently crippled, forcing him to crawl on his arms.

His state was extremely pathetic!

Mu Cui Ming tried to plead with the guards to send a message to the Empress Dowager or Shin Wang, hoping they might intervene. He believed someone had framed him, and if he could meet those in power, he might yet escape death.

But no matter how hard he tried, his efforts were futile...

Despite his innocence, he faced a death sentence.

The Mu family he had worked so hard to elevate to power and prestige was now collapsing in an instant!

What cruel irony!

...

..

.

Later that night, amidst the darkness and silence of the imperial prison, the sound of steady footsteps echoed down the corridor, heading towards the cell at the far end. Mu Qin Shuang, unable to sleep, turned her head towards the source of the sound, filled with curiosity.

Seeing the silhouette approach, Mu Qin Shuang’s curiosity grew stronger. She instinctively stood up and gripped the bars of her cell to get a better look. Soon, the figure came closer and stopped in front of her, and a look of panic appeared on Mu Qin Shuang’s face.

“Y...you.”

“It’s been a while. I trust you’ve been well,”

Mu Yingying removed the hood that covered her face and greeted her half-sister with a smile. Mu Qin Shuang was startled, her eyes widening as if she had seen a ghost.

“H...how did you get in here?”

Mu Qin Shuang asked in bewilderment, glancing around for the guards, but saw none. Even the other prisoners seemed to be in a deep sleep, unaware of Mu Yingying’s presence.

“I just wanted to see how you’re doing. As for the guards and everyone else, they’ve all been drugged. No one knows I’m here...except for you.”

A sly smile played on Mu Yingying’s lips. Her big round eyes sparkled with a strange light that sent a shiver down Mu Qin Shuang’s spine. A bad feeling washed over her, but the realization that she was the only one imprisoned while Mu Yingying was free ignited a sudden fury within her.

“Why weren’t you captured too!? The Mu family has been sentenced to death for nine generations. How did you escape?”

“Mu Qin Shuang, are you really that stupid or just pretending? My siblings and I separated from the Mu family long ago. No matter what happens to the Mu family now, it has nothing to do with us,” Mu Yingying couldn’t help but laugh at the foolishness of her half-sister’s question.

“Wait...this is your doing, isn’t it!? You wretched girl! It was you!”

Mu Qin Shuang glared at Mu Yingying with intense hatred, reaching out to grab her, but Mu Yingying deftly dodged and instead grabbed Mu Qin Shuang’s wrist, squeezing it tightly. Mu Qin Shuang’s face contorted in pain.

“Let go of me! It hurts! You wretched girl!”

“Hey...Mu Qin Shuang, shall I tell you something interesting?”

Mu Yingying smiled slyly, her eyes gleaming with amusement as if she were enjoying a great joke. She tightened her grip, causing Mu Qin Shuang to cry out in pain.

“Let go of me! You wretched girl! You vile creature!” Mu Qin Shuang cursed continuously, trying to pull her arm back, but she was no match for Mu Yingying’s strength.

“Shh, shh. I’m being kind enough to give you some last bit of mercy before you die. Don’t you want to hear news about your mother? Hmm?”

Mu Yingying shushed her a few times, feigning sympathy. Upon hearing this, Mu Qin Shuang froze momentarily, then stared at Mu Yingying with wide, panic-stricken eyes. “W...what did you do to my mother?”

“You’re mistaken. I didn’t do anything. Not to your mother, not to you, and not to the Mu family. I didn’t do a thing,” Mu Yingying said with a serious expression, as if to confirm her words, before breaking into a wicked smile that sent chills down Mu Qin Shuang’s spine. “I didn’t lay a finger on any of you. I merely guided you all walking towards the gates of hell by yourselves.”

“You! You wretched girl! What have you done!? What have you done...?”

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

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