The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 94 - 93

Chapter 93

"The imperial decree has been announced. You should all cooperate to avoid further injury." The Emperor’s close eunuch scanned the pale, terrified faces of the Su family members, who seemed to have been struck senseless.

"Soldiers! Arrest all members of the Su family in the residence, including the servants, and imprison them in the imperial prison!"

At the eunuch’s command, the soldiers quickly dispersed to detain over a hundred individuals within the Su family. The family members in the hall, who had been in shock, began to panic as soon as they were detained by the soldiers.

"W...Wait! This must be a misunderstanding, right? Th...There’s no way the Su family would rebel. No way!"

Su Baimiao struggled against the soldiers’ grip, protesting vehemently. Her beautiful face showed defiance, and her gaze towards the imperial decree in the Emperor’s close eunuch’s hand was unusually fierce.

"Whether it’s a misunderstanding or not, the imperial decree has been issued. Don’t be stubborn and get yourself hurt," the eunuch responded coldly. He glanced briefly at the woman who was known as the capital’s goddess, desired by many.

Falling from such a height to the lowest point was not surprising if she refused to accept it.

"N...No! It’s impossible! That decree is a fake! Yes! It’s a fake!" Su Baimiao, unable to accept the reality, pointed towards the imperial decree and shouted disrespectful words, as if she had lost her sanity.

Yes...that decree couldn’t be real!

Her Su family, which had been prominent for three reigns, couldn’t possibly meet such an end!

It was impossible!

This was all a misunderstanding!

This wasn’t real!

Initially, the Emperor’s close eunuch didn’t pay much attention to this Young Miss Su. However, upon hearing her disrespectful words and seeing her contemptuous demeanor towards His Majesty, his eyes turned icy. His voice became cold, intimidating.

"Su Baimiao...Is the death penalty alone not enough for you? How dare you insult His Majesty’s decree in this manner?"

"I didn’t..."

Smack!

Before Su Baimiao could finish her protest, she was slapped hard across the face by her mother, Su Furen, snapping her back to reality.

"Miao’er! Get a grip! His Majesty’s decree is the ultimate judgment. It is not something you can question or insult!"

Su Furen’s stern voice reprimanded her daughter. As she saw the red handprint on her daughter’s delicate cheek, her eyes filled with tears. From childhood until now, she had always pampered her daughter, never even raising her voice, let alone her hand. Seeing the dire situation that her daughter made a grave mistake, she had to act quickly to wake Su Baimiao up in order to protect her from receiving more severe punishment.

"Even if you don’t want to accept the truth, you must! You are no longer the daughter of an official but the daughter of a traitorous official, and you yourself are now a death-row prisoner!" Her mother’s words struck Su Baimiao’s heart like a heavy hammer, shattering it into pieces. Being a clever person, she knew the truth, but she just didn’t want to accept it!

Previously, she was the highly esteemed young miss of the Su family, envied and admired by everyone in the capital. But now?

She had become a death-row prisoner, the daughter of a traitorous official.

Su Baimiao collapsed to the floor, completely drained of strength. Her beautiful face was pale, and her eyes showed confusion that quickly turned to hopelessness. The physical pain of the slap faded quickly, unable to compare to the agony of accepting this harsh reality.

The Su family...had fallen?

She was to be executed...

Su Furen looked at her intelligent daughter with sorrowful eyes before turning to the Emperor’s close eunuch and bowing her head in plea. "Please have mercy on my daughter. She did not mean it; she is just struggling to accept the change."

"Su Furen has disciplined your daughter well," he acknowledged, not intending to push further. "Now it is time to take everyone to the imperial prison."

With that, all the members of the Su family, over a hundred people, were taken to the imperial prison to await execution in seven days. Su Baimiao, lost in despair, let herself be taken without any resistance.

Imperial Prison

After the Su family was arrested for treason and their crimes were gradually revealed, more than a hundred people of the Su family were ordered to be imprisoned in the imperial prison, awaiting execution in seven days. The Su family members were separated by gender in different cells, while the servants were held in another cell as well.

Amidst the enveloping darkness of the night that had descended over the capital, within the securely built imperial prison, there was not even a crack through which the moon or sun could be seen. The torches lining the prison corridors were inexplicably extinguished, allowing the pervasive darkness to take over the scant light that had been present.

The guards assigned to watch over the prison lay unconscious, just like the other prisoners who were now in such a deep sleep that no amount of shaking could wake them...

In the cell housing all the Su family’s servants, who awaited their execution, a servant stirred awake from her slumber due to a faint noise. As she rubbed her eyes to see clearly in the darkness, she noticed a shadowy figure standing just outside the cell.

“Are you Xiao Pin?”

The servant immediately snapped out of her drowsiness upon hearing the mysterious figure call her name. She squinted, trying to discern the features of the person before her but could only make out a silhouette amidst the darkness.

This servant was none other than Xiao Pin, Su Baimiao’s personal servant!

“W...Who are you?” Xiao Pin asked, her voice trembling. For someone to secretly enter the imperial prison under such abnormal circumstances, they were surely no ordinary person!

“Who I am is not important. What’s important is that I have a proposal for you.”

“......”

Though merely a servant, Xiao Pin was clever and had handled many of Su Baimiao’s dirty dealings. She instantly sensed the gravity of the situation. Not knowing the identity of the stranger, it would not be wise to accept any offer hastily.

“You must realize that the Su family will not survive this, and neither will you. My offer is this: give me all the evidence of Su Baimiao’s dirty deeds, and I will ensure that your family is not implicated.”

The mysterious figure’s cold voice was measured, but each word made Xiao Pin’s heart race uncontrollably.

This person knew about the dirty deeds she’d done with the young miss!

And they’re using her family as leverage!

“I...I don’t know what you’re talking about,”

Xiao Pin said softly, lowering her gaze. If the dirty deeds she had done for her young miss came to light, she would face additional punishment and certainly not die a peaceful death!

“What loyalty! But you must realize by now that even Su Baimiao couldn’t save herself. How do you expect to save yourself alone?”

Hearing this harsh truth, Xiao Pin bit her lip tightly, her heart feeling as heavy as if weighed down by a giant stone.

“Do you know who people despise the most?”

“......”

"Of course, it’s the mastermind behind it all, not just a pawn!"

“You, who are merely a pawn in Su Baimiao’s hands, think anyone will care about you? I need evidence to deal with Su Baimiao. Given the victims your mistress has created, you’re sure to die a better death than she will...”

The cold voice continued as if discussing a mundane, but for Xiao Pin, who was listening, it sent chills down her spine. The terrifying words were spoken with such coldness, instilling a great deal of fear in her.

What should she do?

Should she really help this mysterious person?

Could she truly betray her young miss?

“You must be hesitant. Let me make your decision easier. If you don’t give me the evidence, I will use the evidence I already have to continue the investigation. This might involve dragging your innocent family into it. But if you cooperate with me, I will ensure your family stays clear of this mess.”

“You need to decide who is more important, Su Baimiao or your family?”

These words put tremendous pressure on Xiao Pin. Her small hand inside her sleeve clenched into a fist with tension. Over the years, the dirty deeds she did for her young miss were solely her own doing. Her family knew nothing about it. If an investigation ensued, they would surely be dragged in for questioning!

Her family had redeemed themselves to become ordinary farmers outside the capital. They were no longer servants like her. Moreover, the family consisted of only elderly and young children. The money she sent home supported them all this time. If they got involved in this case, death would be their only outcome...

She couldn’t let her family get involved!

The Su family had already fallen! She no longer needed to obey Su Baimiao!

If she had to die in the end, let her at least protect her family one last time!

“I will help! I will provide all the evidence!”

Having made her decision, Xiao Pin immediately revealed the details of all the evidence and witnesses she could gather. Though she had destroyed some evidence to prevent it from being traced back to Su Baimiao, there were still significant clues left that could be compiled into crucial evidence.

Mu Manor

Amidst the darkness, a figure adeptly using lightness skill weaved through the paths leading into Mu Manor with great familiarity, before disappearing into one of the buildings unnoticed. Once that figure was inside, Su Su approached and helped remove the large black cloak from her mistress.

“Miss, you could have sent someone else. Why did you have to go yourself? Such a dangerous place...I was very worried,”

Su Su draped the large cloak over her arm while grumbling to her little mistress, unable to hold back her worry. Mu Yingying, having just removed the black cloak, quickly tidied her clothes with a smile.

“Oh, Su Su, I didn’t go alone. I had over thirty shadow guards with me, and I also had Sister Qingxuan’s sleeping powder to help. That’s why everything went smoothly tonight.”

Mu Yingying reassured her with a smile. The petite figure spun around and sat behind a large wooden desk, picking up a brush to write something on paper. Seeing her young miss’s nonchalant attitude, Su Su let out a big sigh.

“Even so, you shouldn’t have gone yourself. The imperial prison is extremely dangerous. If something went wrong, you could have been in serious trouble.”

“You’re worrying too much, Su Su. Because the imperial prison is so dangerous, it’s not a place I could easily sneak into. But then, why did everything go so smoothly?” Mu Yingying continued writing on the paper while chatting with Su Su, her small face smiling continuously as if in a good mood.

“Exactly, the imperial prison is so dangerous. How did you manage to sneak in?” Su Su thought about her mistress’s words with confusion before voicing her thoughts. “Is it because your shadow guards are highly skilled...”

Her shadow guards were highly skilled?

Mu Yingying smiled upon hearing her maid’s thoughts. While it was true that her shadow guards were highly skilled, with only thirty of them, there was no way they could sneak into the heavily guarded imperial prison so easily.

If she guessed correctly, the reason she could easily sneak into the imperial prison tonight must have been her eldest brother’s doing, ordering the imperial guards, lurking around the prison, to turn a blind eye!

Aside from the Emperor, only her elder brother had the ability to command the imperial guards. Moreover, she had previously discussed tonight’s plan with him, so it was no surprise that he secretly helped her.

Thus, Mu Yingying successfully sneaked into the imperial prison to propose an exchange of benefits with the Su family’s prisoner!

It seemed she would have to thank her eldest brother later...

“Su Su, don’t worry. My eldest brother is aware of this matter.”

“Eldest Young Master?” Su Su raised her eyebrows in surprise. How could the eldest young master allow his sister to undertake such a dangerous task...

Having finished writing, Mu Yingying placed the brush down on a stand immediately and blew the ink dry. Once the ink was dry, she handed the paper to the person in front of her. “Su Su, these are the details of the clues that can be compiled into evidence of all the wrongdoings Su Baimiao committed, including mysterious deaths and tragic incidents leading to some young misses’ suicides. All these misfortunes Su Baimiao had caused were out of jealousy”

“I need you to send someone to gather these clues within three days.”

“Understood.” Su Su, upon receiving her orders, immediately adopted a serious demeanor before swiftly turning to leave and carry out the task.

Once alone in the room, Mu Yingying relaxed against the back of her chair, her big, round eyes gazing out into the dark night sky with a chilling look in her eyes.

Su Baimiao...The karma you’d accumulated from your jealousy and the harm you’d inflicted on so many—would you be able to bear the consequences when they came back to you?

Three days later, a significant commotion arose once again, causing quite a stir in the capital. Dozens of noble families gathered to convene a court session to investigate the crimes of Su Baimiao, the eldest young miss of the Su family, a death-row prisoner who faced multiple charges.

They had solid evidence and witnesses pointing to Su Baimiao as the perpetrator of numerous heinous acts, including the mysterious death of one noble’s daughter, the false accusations leading to another noble’s daughter’s suicide, the degradation of yet another noble’s daughter to the point of insanity, and many other atrocities that were brought to light.

Although Su Baimiao was already sentenced to death, the victims were all daughters of noble families, which escalated the matter to the Emperor. Ultimately, the Emperor decided to issue a new imperial decree, increasing Su Baimiao’s punishment to atone for her sins.

Instead of being beheaded, Su Baimiao was sentenced to death by being torn apart by five horses! Furthermore, her body would be thrown to the wolves, leaving no remains. This was a far more severe punishment!

Being beheaded would have been a relatively painless death, but being torn apart by five horses would subject the prisoner to immense suffering before finally dying!

When the imperial decree was announced, all of Su Baimiao’s crimes and misdeeds spread throughout the capital, causing quite a sensation. Who would have thought that the seemingly beautiful and gentle goddess was actually a ruthless demon at heart!?

Those who once admired and praised Su Baimiao turned to curse and revile her without mercy. All of this was a result of Su Baimiao’s own actions, leading to her ultimate downfall today...

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