The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 90 - 89

Chapter 89

Two Hour Earlier.

After the thin man, who was Mu Yingying’s agent disguised as a member of the Imperial Academy, delivered the news to Duan Wang Palace, he returned to report to his mistress at the secret mansion. He then received new orders from Mu Yingying to inform Eldest Young Master’s men of the next phase of their plan.

Using his lightness skill, he navigated out of the capital, finding a secluded spot in the large forest about ten li from the city. He then set off a red signal flare into the sky to communicate with both parties who were already on standby.

On one side were Mu Gongzhen’s men, prepared and waiting at the palace. On the other side were Mu Yingying’s people, lying in wait along the route to Laifeng City. When the signal flare was ignited, Mu Gongzhen’s men in the palace immediately reported to their master in the royal study.

Mu Yingying’s men, closest to the flare, then picked up one from their sleeve and set off another signal flare to inform their comrades ten li further away. This process continued, with signal flares being ignited in succession from the capital to Laifeng City.

Eventually, when the final signal flare was set off outside Laifeng City, Mu Yingying’s men in the capital saw it and began executing their plan. Mu Yingying dispatched over five hundreds skilled men to encircle and apprehend the Su family people who were secretly mining in the valley near Laifeng City.

The operation was carried out swiftly and accurately, with the assailants striking silently, catching the Su family guards in the mine off guard. Ultimately, the Su family’s defenses were overwhelmed, and they were all captured in a short time, completing the mission within two hours.

Initially, the plan involved long-distance signaling using consecutive signal flares instead of using speed horses to relay messages. The distance from the capital to Laifeng City was considerable, and using speed horses would have taken over six hours to deliver the message.

Such a delay could have led to errors, so Mu Yingying devised a plan using signal flares. Her people were stationed at various relay points along the route to Laifeng City, ensuring continuous signaling in a short period.

This method might have caused some alarm among the villagers who saw the repeated signal flares, but if the plan succeeded, it was definitely more worthwhile than sending speed horses. It also allowed for a quicker response, preventing the enemy from alerting the Su family in the capital. Throughout the signaling process, over a hundred signal flares were ignited along the route to Laifeng City!

Royal Palace

Inside the grand royal study, all the eunuchs and servants had been escorted out, leaving only the Emperor and Mu Gongzhen. One was sitting on the throne reading petitions with a stern demeanor, while the other sat below, sipping tea with a relaxed attitude.

Despite the silence that filled the room, it was not an uncomfortable silence. There was a relaxed, easy atmosphere between the sovereign and his minister, more like that of old friends than the tense atmosphere that one might expect.

As Mu Gongzhen quietly sipped his tea, two figures entered the room. Leading was the Emperor’s trusted eunuch, followed by Ding Yang, Mu Gongzhen’s close aide. Upon entering, Ding Yang immediately whispered something to his master.

“Young Master...the signal flare has been lit.”

Mu Gongzhen placed his teacup on the table and nodded. He turned to look at his friend and superior, who was still reading petitions on the throne. “The flare has been lit. Shall we proceed with the next phase of the plan, Your Majesty?”

“So, it’s finally time,” Chen Feng Yue said with a sly smile. He set down the petition and took a teacup from the eunuch to quench his thirst. “After my eunuch calls for a meeting of the ministers in the throne room, have your men lead some of my imperial soldiers to surround the Su family’s residence.”

“Did you hear that, Ding Yang?” Mu Gongzhen turned to ask his confidant calmly. Ding Yang, already prepared for the orders, stepped forward to acknowledge the Emperor’s command.

“I humbly accept the order, Your Majesty!”

After Ding Yang’s response, the Emperor’s trusted eunuch escorted him out to implement the plan immediately. Once they were alone again, Chen Feng Yue leaned back against his chair, appearing relaxed.

“Do you think we’ll hook up any fish this time?”

“You misspoke, Your Majesty.” Mu Gongzhen smirked, then added, “This time, we’re not using a fishing rod. We’re using a net. The fish will have no way to escape...”

“Quite right,”

Chen Feng Yue chuckled softly, his sharp eyes briefly revealing a cold glint. After waiting for so long, it was finally time to deal with the Su family. If he didn’t strike first, the Su family would eventually strike against him!

This matter had to be handled carefully and concluded swiftly to prevent interference from the Empress Dowager’s faction, who could seize any opportunity to meddle. Therefore, Chen Feng Yue had been consulting Mu Gongzhen on this plan for quite some time.

Several days ago, when Mu Gongzhen came to discuss the plan to deal with the Su family that would be implemented soon, Chen Feng Yue agreed without hesitation and fully supported the plan.

"Gongzhen, you are still as astute and decisive as ever. Your plan seems flawless. Initially, I thought we would have to wait a while longer before taking action against the Su family, but you managed to gather evidence and devise a plan so swiftly. I truly admire you..."

Chen Feng Yue couldn’t help but praise his close friend. Since he first met Mu Gongzhen many years ago, Mu Gongzhen had never disappointed him. Mu Gongzhen’s exceptional abilities and intelligence earned Chen Feng Yue’s genuine respect, leading to a smooth and strong friendship between them.

Mu Gongzhen, sitting below, merely smiled in response without saying anything. Who would have thought that this seemingly brilliant plan was actually conceived by his younger sister!

Flashback to several days prior: Mu Gongzhen had just returned to the manor after a court meeting when he found Mu Yingying waiting for him at his quarters. After exchanging greetings and some casual conversation, Mu Yingying openly expressed her intentions and initiated a serious discussion with her elder brother.

"Eldest Brother, the Su family has always been looking for ways to get you in trouble, even to the point of wanting you executed. I think it’s time to deal with our enemies."

"The Su family?" Mu Gongzhen repeated, as if unsure if he had heard correctly. His younger sister wanted to take action against the Su family, one of the three major factions?

"Yes, I believe His Majesty would also not want to keep the Su family around much longer. And you know the Su family will eventually rebel. So why not act now, catch them off guard, and settle the score for their previous attempts on your life?"

Mu Yingying spoke with an innocent face as if she were discussing something mundane. In reality, it was a grave matter that could shake the capital. Although Mu Yingying had previously taken some actions against the Su family with her eldest brother’s help, those were merely minor retributions for their attempts on his life.

It was actually from this point onward that it was the time for true retribution!

The Su family dreamed of framing her brother for execution? Then she would use the truth to bring about their execution instead!

"Ying’er...you do realize this is a huge matter with widespread consequences and difficult to manage, right? We must be extremely cautious. Besides ensuring there are no mistakes while dealing with the Su family, we also need to prevent other power factions from interfering."

Mu Gongzhen sat down in a large chair behind his desk, explaining the risks of this plan to his youngest sister. He never imagined that his little sister would have such courage. While he knew Ying’er was intelligent and capable more than she looked, he couldn’t allow her to bear such risks.

Mu Yingying, who could guess her elder brother’s thoughts, immediately gave an endearing smile. “Don’t worry, Brother. I am well aware of the risks, which is why I wanted to discuss the plan with you today.”

“If you agree, you can present this plan to His Majesty. As for me, I won’t be directly involved. I’ll just be a good observer from behind.”

Unable to resist the pleading eyes of his little sister, Mu Gongzhen finally relented. “Alright, let’s hear your plan...”

“I believe you already know this. My men have found that one of the Su family’s sources of income is illegal mining. This is a serious crime they have kept well-hidden. If we want to take down the Su family, we should start with this.”

Mu Yingying began to explain her detailed plan to her elder brother, step by step, in a calm and measured tone.

“The crime of illegal mining alone carries the death penalty. But to completely eliminate our enemy, we can link this to their plans for rebellion. From the Su family’s financial records, it’s clear they are already preparing for a rebellion. While I don’t know all the details, I believe you might have more insight from your past life. If we can charge the Su family with both crimes, they won’t escape punishment even if they had a hundred lives!”

Mu Gongzhen considered her words carefully. He knew a fair amount about the Su family’s weapon stockpiles and private forces intended for rebellion from his previous life when he was an official and had to investigate this matter.

“But the Su family is quite cautious and has strong defenses in place. It won’t be easy to deal with them,” Mu Gongzhen objected. If the Su family were easy to handle, they wouldn’t have held power for so long.

“That’s true. That’s why if we are to take down the Su family, we can’t afford to spend too much time planning. The best approach is a swift and unexpected attack. Speed will be our advantage. Striking first gives us a higher chance of success,”

Mu Yingying said with a slight smile, her big, round eyes gleaming solemnly. The longer they took to plan, the greater the risk of their scheme leaking out and alerting the enemy. A sudden attack would catch the enemy off guard, giving them a three-out-of-four chance of success!

“A sudden attack will require a large and skilled force. If we use His Majesty’s personal troops to move out of the capital for this operation, the Su family’s spies will undoubtedly notice.” 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Mu Gongzhen frowned deeply. In the capital, even the royal palace was filled with the Su family’s spies, making it difficult to move a large force in a short amount of time.

Mu Yingying’s face lit up with a cunning smile upon hearing the remark. “Don’t worry, Eldest Brother. Who said we would use His Majesty’s troops? We’ll use my people instead...”

“Your people?”

“Yes, my people are spread out around the outskirts of the capital. They can be assembled whenever needed, and they are quite skilled. I don’t think they are any less capable than the imperial soldiers. Leave this to me, Brother.”

“For the rest, you and His Majesty can handle it. Once I make my move, I’ll send someone to inform you, and then you and His Majesty can proceed to take down the Su family.”

“Th...this,”

Mu Gongzhen hesitated for a long time. From his sister’s words, it was clear she had planned this well. Today, she came to inform him rather than consult him. It seemed that Ying’er had already made up her mind.

“Ying’er...why do you want to take action against the Su family?” He asked, curious. It didn’t seem like she just wanted to take action on a whim like she said.

“In truth, there’s not much to it...” Mu Yingying lowered her eyes slightly before flashing a mischievous smile. “If you ask for the root cause of all this, it would be you, Eldest Brother.”

“Hmm?”

Mu Gongzhen raised his eyebrows in confusion. Mu Yingying chuckled softly and continued, “It’s because Eldest Brother is too charming. Many young misses have fallen for you, and one of them is the eldest young miss of the Su family.”

The eldest young miss of the Su family?

Mu Gongzhen showed a puzzled expression, not understanding. He spent his days focused on his work, not caring about matters of romance. It was no wonder he was unaware of any such woman. Hearing that Young Miss Su was involved only added to his confusion.

“Young Miss Su may appear to be a gentle and lovely lady, like a white lotus, but in reality, she is incredibly ruthless. I had people investigate, and it turns out that several young misses from various families have had their reputations ruined and even lost their lives because of Su Baimiao.”

“All these young misses had feelings for you, my good brother. Some even asked their parents to come and discuss the engagement with you at our manor. But before that could happen, the news reached Su Baimiao. The next day, those girls met with misfortune. None of them had a good ending...”

“Although there is no direct evidence linking Su Baimiao to these incidents, when my people traced back to the origin of this, they found that the person who gave all the orders to the perpetrators was Su Baimiao’s personal servant.”

“What a terrifying white lotus...”

Mu Yingying recounted the story with a mocking laugh before meeting Mu Gongzhen’s eyes with a playful look, making Mu Gongzhen shudder involuntarily.

Given what his little sister had said, Mu Gongzhen wasn’t too surprised. After all, he had experienced dealing with women who pretended to be virtuous, like his stepmother and half-sisters, since his previous life!

“And what exactly did that woman do to make you want to deal with the Su family, Ying’er?”

Mu Yingying immediately flashed a wicked smile, her big, round eyes now gleaming with a cold light, starkly different from the innocent childlike demeanor she had displayed moments before.

“Originally, I had no interest in her, Brother. But this time, she intends to harm Sister Liting and even aims to take her life. Therefore, I think the Su family has been living too comfortably...”

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