The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 97 - 96

Chapter 96

Shin Wang Palace

After the master of Shin Wang Palace returned, an oppressive atmosphere enveloped the entire palace. The servants and guards became exceedingly cautious in their actions and words, fearing they might inadvertently provoke their master’s anger.

In the innermost part of the residence, a young man sat with his arms crossed behind a large desk, his face cold, and his sharp eyes betraying his irritation.

"Explain! How did everything turn out like this?"

Shin Wang demanded of his trusted aide, whom he had left in charge during his absence from the capital. This right-hand man had consistently executed his duties well and had earned Shin Wang’s trust, but his recent failure had deeply displeased Shin Wang.

"Your Highness, before His Majesty announced the imperial decree, everything seemed normal. Until the day of the court meeting to discuss the promotion of officials, several usually neutral officials, along with the faction supporting His Majesty, advocated for Mu Gongzhen to be appointed as the Left Side Chancellor."

A middle-aged man with a perpetually calm demeanor, bowing his head slightly in deference while reporting truthfully. This man was Hu Tian, Shin Wang’s most trusted right-hand man.

"It’s not surprising that His Majesty’s faction would support Mu Gongzhen, but why did the neutral officials get involved? Did Mu Gongzhen solicit their support?"

Shin Wang furrowed his brows in confusion. Originally, it was because Mu Gongzhen had talents and potential that even His Majesty was interested in him, so Shin Wang had intended to win over the Mu family before they could align with His Majesty. However, this time, Mu Gongzhen’s maneuver to secure neutral officials’ backing, supporting him to become the Left Side Chancellor, suggested he might be positioning himself as a third power faction, reminiscent of the now-defunct Su family.

If true, this would significantly complicate Shin Wang’s plans!

"Your Highness, I had our people monitor the Mu manor and the officials in the capital constantly but found that Mu Gongzhen did nothing unusual. He never met with any officials. It was Mu Cui Ming, his father, who was bribing officials everywhere,"

Hu Tian paused, reflecting on something before speaking again. "I believe this might be the work of His Majesty, Your Highness."

“His Majesty?”

"Yes, Your Highness. It seems that Mu Gongzhen has not yet agreed to join His Majesty’s faction. Thus, His Majesty seeks to win over Mu Gongzhen by helping to promote him. The neutral officials were likely persuaded by His Majesty to support Mu Gongzhen as well."

Upon hearing this, Shin Wang’s eyes sparkled with fury. Mu Gongzhen must be quite valuable to His Majesty for him to go to such lengths. The more His Majesty desired Mu Gongzhen, the more Shin Wang felt the urgency to win him over first!

If he couldn’t, then Mu Gongzhen would have to be eliminated!

"Have our people keep a close watch on Mu Gongzhen. Report every movement to me," Shin Wang ordered in a stern tone, his entire being exuding a chilling aura.

"Yes, Your Highness," Hu Tian replied promptly before inquiring further, "What will Your Highness do about the Mu family?"

Shin Wang narrowed his eyes slightly before letting out a cold smile. "If the support plan fails, then we must resort to a plan to create a debt of gratitude to control the Mu family...”

“Let the pawns we’ve prepared begin their move!"

Mu Manor

Crash!

The sound of a porcelain vase shattering echoed from within the main quarters. Mu Cui Ming, seething with rage, glared at the broken shards of the vase before him, then turned to find something else to throw to vent his anger.

"Master! Please stop!"

A sweet voice cried out in alarm as a delicate figure of a woman rushed to embrace Mu Cui Ming’s arm. "Master, if you keep breaking these precious vases, you’ll only be reducing our remaining assets even further..."

Mu Cui Ming, lost in his fury, suddenly came to his senses. He froze, then placed the vase in his hand back on the table, cursing under his breath.

"Hmph! If it weren’t for that worthless son of mine, I wouldn’t have lost so much money!"

"Master, please don’t let your anger affect your health," Xie Yang, seeing that her husband had calmed down, gently admonished him. She helped him to a chair in another room, then poured tea for him to soothe his nerves.

"Although you didn’t get the promotion you hoped for, the position didn’t go to some unknown person. In the end, it was the eldest young master who was appointed. The position still belongs to the Mu family."

"Hah! Look at him. Even before he got the position, he barely acknowledged me. Now that he’s got the position, do you think he’ll give me any respect!? I’m the one who spent the money, but the fame and glory go to that ungrateful son!"

Mu Cui Ming drank his tea in one gulp and slammed the cup down on the table with a loud thud. Although his son’s promotion to Left Side Chancellor brought some benefits and prestige to the Mu family, the fact that he, as the father, was being overshadowed by his own son was a great humiliation!

When others came to congratulate him that his son had become Left Side Chancellor, Mu Cui Ming didn’t know how to respond. It was quite awkward for him to accept that his son now held more power than he did. In terms of official ranking, he would even have to bow to his own son.

Historically, in families where both father and son served in civil service, the father always held a higher position. It was unheard of for the son to surpass the father in rank like this!

This situation only made people think that the father was less capable than the son, which filled Mu Cui Ming with a sense of frustration every time he saw the strange looks from other officials.

He had spent a lot of money bribing people, only to end up being made a fool of!

It was infuriating!

Seeing her husband so enraged, Xie Yang secretly felt quite pleased. The conflict between her husband and his son would certainly benefit her, the concubine. If she bore a son, it would not be difficult to make him the object of her husband’s affection.

"Please calm down, my dear. After all, the eldest young master must show you respect. Otherwise, he would be deemed ungrateful. The higher his position, the more he will need to be careful," Xie Yang soothed, walking behind her husband to massage his shoulders.

"Let’s hope that’s the case!"

Mu Cui Ming exhaled irritably. Thinking about the dwindling funds in the Mu family’s treasury, the veins on his temples throbbed intensely, as if they might burst.

"Because of this situation, I invested a lot of money and effort. We spent a significant amount, and I’m worried that in the future, the Mu family might face financial difficulties..."

Xie Yang moved her hands from his shoulders to massage his temples, speaking softly, "Actually, there is a way to remedy this, my dear."

"Hmm?"

"Recently, when I was at the tailor shop in the commercial district, I overheard some high-ranking officials’ Furens discussing a new investment in a business consortium. They mentioned that several officials were pooling their resources to create a new enterprise,"

Xie Yang said in a measured tone, as if she were recounting something that had nothing to do with her and she had accidentally overheard. Her beautiful face remained adorned with a smile as she continued to massage her husband’s temples attentively.

"As I heard it, many officials are involved in this investment. By contributing a sum of money, we will receive dividends from the profits every year, which will amount to a significant sum. Furthermore, with numerous officials backing this business, it is bound to run smoothly and prosper."

Mu Cui Ming was intrigued by the prospect. If this business venture was legitimate, all he had to do was gather his funds and invest. The more he invested, the larger his share of the profits. If the business thrived, he wouldn’t need to do anything—he could just sit back and collect the dividends each year.

It was truly a way to live off the fat of the land![1]

"Is this true? Those Furens could have been merely gossiping..."

Mu Cui Ming raised his eyebrows. Though the idea was appealing, investments carried risks. Before making any decisions, he needed to verify the information thoroughly.

"I’m not sure, my dear. Perhaps you should talk to some officials in other residences. If this is true, you wouldn’t want to miss out on such a good opportunity,"

Xie Yang suggested, smiling warmly as she gazed at her husband. She adeptly began untying his hair, preparing him for bed.

"Mmm...I’ll consider it."

Mu Cui Ming nodded, allowing his beautiful concubine to help him change into his clothes as usual. As he looked at her gentle, lovely face, his gaze softened.

During the time Bai Lijun was exiled, he had entrusted Xie Yang, the beautiful concubine, with managing the household affairs. She had done an excellent job, handling both minor and major matters efficiently.

Although some decisions required approval from Servant Tao under the orders of the Elder Furen, Xie Yang never had any issues. She was always humble and respectful towards the main residence, which prevented Elder Mu Furen from intervening in her affairs.

After Xie Yang had finished attending to her husband and ensured he was settled in bed, she returned to her quarters with her daughter. Since Mu Cui Ming hadn’t asked her to stay the night, she had no choice but to go back to her own quarters.

Upon returning to her quarters, the gentle expression on Xie Yang’s beautiful face vanished instantly. The usual smile faded, leaving behind a composed, impassive countenance. The warmth in her eyes was replaced by a cold look.

"Where is Ge’er?" Xie Yang asked her maid calmly, sipping the tea that the servant had poured for her to quench her thirst.

"I’m here, Mother..."

A languid voice responded as a thirteen-year-old girl gracefully entered the room. She was Mu Tingge, the third young miss of the Mu family and Xie Yang’s daughter.

The young girl wore a light pink dress with a flowing, flower-embroidered skirt that looked quite elegant. Her skin was fair and smooth like jade, her face long and well-shaped, and her almond-shaped eyes were so clear like an innocent; her thin lips rosy.

It could be said that Mu Tingge was quite a charming young girl. Anyone who saw her would surely adore her. Although her beauty couldn’t compete with her elder sisters, Mu Qingxuan and Mu Luofei, who were elegant and otherworldly, she still stood out among ordinary girls without a doubt.

“Where have you been playing again?”

Xie Yang asked with a smile, beckoning her daughter to sit beside her. “You must have been ‘having fun’ with Mu An Yue.”

“Who told Mu An Yue to be so foolish, Mother? Just a few words of provocation and she lost her temper and started hitting. In the end, Grandmother punished her,”

Mu Tingge laughed softly, her laughter filled with mockery. Her innocent almond-shaped eyes sparkled with amusement for a moment.

“Don’t just play around. From now on, don’t forget to get close to those three siblings,” Xie Yang reminded, gently patting her daughter’s head.

“It’s not that I don’t want to, Mother. But those people are not easy to approach...”

Mu Tingge pouted as she thought of Mu Gongzhen, Mu Qingxuan, and Mu Yingying. Even though they shared the same surname and were from the same household and bloodline, she didn’t know why she felt distinctly separated from them.

Although Mu Luofei and Mu Qin Shuang, who used to suppress other siblings, were no longer in the residence, she still felt that she was overshadowed by the status and birth of the three children of the former Furen. Furthermore, those three didn’t interact with others much, making it quite difficult for Mu Tingge to get close to them suddenly.

“Well, now that Mu Gongzhen has become the Left Side Chancellor, the future of the Mu family depends on him. Getting close to him is definitely not a bad idea,”

Xie Yang comforted her daughter and explained. “These days, Mu Gongzhen often works outside the residence, and Mu Qingxuan attends the Imperial Academy. So, the only one you can approach is Mu Yingying.”

“If you can get close to Mu Yingying, it will be easier for you to help Mother handle things...”

Hearing that she could assist her mother in handling matters more smoothly, Mu Tingge’s eyes immediately lit up. Although she didn’t know exactly what her mother was planning, it was definitely beneficial for both of them!

“I’ll try tomorrow, Mother.”

“That’s my good girl.” Xie Yang hugged her daughter close, gently stroking her head.

“Soon, the two of us will be able to hold our heads high...”

...

..

.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Mu manor, in a quiet room late at night, Mu Yingying sat reading some documents at her desk with a relaxed demeanor. When a shadow guard used lightness skill to sneak in and report news, Mu Yingying put down the documents in her hand.

"Miss, there are now five more people secretly watching the Mu manor. They are all around the outer perimeter of the manor, with three of them near Eldest Young Master’s quarters."

"Hmph! Shin Wang must be getting anxious,"

Mu Yingying scoffed mockingly. She was well aware that people had been sent to monitor the Mu family’s movements, but did they really think mere surveillance would reveal their true actions?

Certainly not!

The enemy sending people to watch them was actually beneficial. It saved them the trouble of putting on an elaborate show. By simply acting for these spies, the enemy would unwittingly follow her plan without any means of escape...

"Leave them be. Make sure none of you reveal yourselves."

"Understood," the shadow guard responded immediately and then used his lightness skill to disappear into his usual hiding spot.

With the room empty, Mu Yingying propped her chin on her hand and revealed a sly smile. Now that her eldest brother had fully assumed the position of Left Side Chancellor, he was a major new power faction. Shin Wang’s men must be quite uneasy.

If her eldest brother continued to maintain his neutral standing, it wouldn’t be long before the enemy, unable to stand the tension, would devise a plan to force him to choose sides...

And when that time came, it would be her golden opportunity to strike against Shin Wang!

Ah...the time had come to settle the score with Shin Wang!

[1] An idiom means to be rich enough to live well without having to do very much.

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