The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 61 - 60

Chapter 60

Mu Gongzhen narrowed his eyes and looked at the man in front of him with a cold gaze. Actually, from the very first exchange of moves, he knew who the other person was. They had been secretly friends for four years, often sparring and exchanging skills. There was no way he wouldn’t recognize Chen Feng Yue’s moves.

Outsiders might not know about their secret friendship. They only knew that the Emperor favored Master Mu and made him a close official. But in reality, they were close friends.

Although Mu Gongzhen recognized that the man intruding into his sister’s quarters at night was his friend, he did not hold back. He considered it a lesson for this impudent person who dared thinking to disrespect his sister!

"Your Majesty...I’m afraid tonight I must insist we have a serious talk," Mu Gongzhen’s icy voice sent shivers down Chen Feng Yue’s spine.

This was not going to be just a talk...

Mu Qingxuan sighed deeply and gently touched her brother’s arm. "Brother, I can explain this. There’s no need to worry."

"Xuan’er, go back inside and wait for me. I’ll come talk to you after I deal with His Majesty."

Mu Gongzhen patted his sister’s shoulder gently. His previously stern gaze softened considerably.

"But..."

"No buts. Go back inside,"

Mu Gongzhen gave no chance for his sister to argue; he insisted, his tone more serious. Seeing the situation was turning unfavorable, Xiao Chun quickly came over and led her young miss back inside as ordered.

Once it was just the two of them outside, Mu Gongzhen turned back to face his friend with a calm expression, speaking in a more familiar, friendly manner.

"It’s not convenient to talk here. Let’s go to my quarters and change clothes first."

Chen Feng Yue nodded in agreement and followed Mu Gongzhen to another quarter. When Ding Yang saw who was with his eldest young master, he paused for a moment before stepping outside to guard the door.

After the two men had changed into dry clothes, Chen Feng Yue sat down opposite Mu Gongzhen. The intense gaze Mu Gongzhen gave him made Chen Feng Yue feel strangely uneasy. He reached out to pour himself a cup of tea to calm his nerves.

Seeing his friend’s relaxed demeanor, Mu Gongzhen spoke in a cold tone. "Shall I gather the officials to submit a petition for you to appoint a consort?"

Pwoosh!

“Cough, cough.”

Chen Feng Yue choked and coughed repeatedly upon hearing those words. He patted his chest several times until the coughing subsided.

“Go...Gongzhen! You’re ruthless!”

"I see you’re so free that you’re breaking into Xuan’er’s quarters at night. It seems the inner palace must be too empty. If that’s the case, just let me know, and I’ll arrange for some women to be appointed to the palace.”

Mu Gongzhen pulled out a handkerchief from the drawer and wiped the spilled tea off the table as if it were something repulsive.

"You misunderstand, Gongzhen. I have no such intentions. I’ve been living peacefully for many years. Please don’t create problems for me,"

Chen Feng Yue immediately denied. Just the thought of women causing chaos in the palace like during his father’s reign gave him a headache.

With many women came many problems...

"So why are you in my sister’s quarters late at night? And I saw you coming out from inside her quarters..." Mu Gongzhen’s eyes flashed dangerously as he continued,

"What exactly are you up to?"

Chen Feng Yue knew his friend’s nature well, especially his overprotectiveness of his sister, like a hen guarding its eggs.

However, he didn’t expect his friend to be so different this time. Chen Feng Yue straightened his back, his handsome face showing a serious expression.

"I admit what I did was wrong, but I didn’t do anything improper to your sister. I was only here to discuss a personal matter.”

Mu Gongzhen raised his eyebrows slightly. "A personal matter?"

"You probably don’t know that your sister is a disciple of Divine Doctor Li."

Chen Feng Yue watched Mu Gongzhen’s face shift to one of surprise and disbelief. As he suspected, Mu Gongzhen had no idea about his sister’s capabilities.

"Xuan’er...is a disciple of Divine Doctor Li?"

Mu Gongzhen furrowed his brows deeply. How could he not know anything about such an important matter?

“Your sister is not just a disciple of Divine Doctor Li but also possesses skills nearly as formidable as her master. I got to know her because several years ago, after Divine Doctor Li left the capital, he sent his disciple to monitor the health of Feng Guogong.”

“At that time, she displayed her skills before us. Later on, Qingxuan has been assisting me, helping with cases involving poisonings and gathering clues about toxins in the palace. Meeting her during the day would be too risky. If anyone found out...the one in the most danger would be your sister.”

"Because of all these reasons, I agreed with her to discuss matters at night here at her quarters to avoid enemy spies and prevent this secret from leaking. But rest assured, I swear to the heavens! I, Chen Feng Yue, have never overstepped or done anything inappropriate to your sister, Qingxuan!"

Chen Feng Yue explained the entire situation in detail, hoping to clear up any misunderstandings with his friend. However, seeing Mu Gongzhen still looking icy, he couldn’t help but continue speaking.

"And your sister is only fourteen, about ten years younger than me. Do you really think I would be interested in her..."

Mu Gongzhen’s icy gaze bore into Chen Feng Yue, making him quickly shut his mouth. "And all this time, you never thought to inform me?"

"Well...I thought it would be better not to tell you. If I had told you earlier, you wouldn’t have allowed her to help me, right?"

"So, you’ve been dishonoring my sister like this all along? Even though Xuan’er isn’t yet of age to put on a hairpin, if anyone found out, it would cause a scandal and ruin her reputation! How would you take responsibility for that?!" Mu Gongzhen grunted in his throat with anger.

Though his anger had subsided a bit after hearing the explanation, thinking of the risks that could arise at any time, he felt the urge to beat some sense into his friend once more!

"What are you worried about? If it came to that, I would take responsibility and marry her into the palace as my empress..." Before Chen Feng Yue could finish, a stern voice cut in.

"Don’t you dare entertain such thoughts!"

"I will never let my sister get involved with the hell that is the imperial palace!"

Mu Gongzhen declared firmly. He knew better than anyone what the palace was like, especially the inner palace. It was no different from a battlefield where women fought each other, doing anything to gain power.

Given that the place was filled with thorns, why would he let his sister face such hardships?

Chen Feng Yue couldn’t deny the truth of that, so he fell silent, not arguing further, recalling memories of living with his mother in the inner palace. It truly was hell on earth...

"Go back and don’t come here again. Xuan’er is only fourteen. She should live like an ordinary girl, not get entangled in such dangerous matters."

Mu Gongzhen sighed, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes, lost in thought.

"I have a suggestion for you. From what I know of Qingxuan, she’s a strong-minded girl. Before you make any decisions, try talking to her first," Chen Feng Yue said with a good intention before leaving.

Nearly half of fifteen minutes later, Mu Gongzhen opened his eyes, showing confusion. He stood up and walked toward his sister’s quarters. It seemed he would have to have a clear discussion with Xuan’er tonight...

Meanwhile, in Mu Qingxuan’s quarters, the master and servant sat waiting for her eldest brother to return as instructed. Xiao Chun repeatedly glanced toward the door, looking more agitated than usual.

"Miss, I have never seen Eldest Young Master this serious before. I’m afraid he must be truly angry this time," Xiao Chun said to her mistress with restlessness.

Mu Qingxuan pursed her lips slightly, her eyes flickering. "No...Eldest Brother is a reasonable person. He will understand what happened."

"But even so, the fact that His Majesty intruded upon your quarters in the dead of night is still wrong. What if the young master holds it against you?"

Xiao Chun was almost on the verge of tears, fearing that her young miss would be punished because of what happened.

The young girl on the bed lowered her eyes to hide her nervousness. She knew her eldest brother’s temperament well. If there was anything to worry about, it was only that today’s incident might disappoint him.

Krrr~

The door opened, and the tall figure of Mu Gongzhen stepped inside. He looked at his sister with calm eyes. Knowing what she should do, Xiao Chun quietly withdrew from the room, leaving the siblings to talk in private.

"Brother..."

Mu Qingxuan looked up at her brother and called out softly. Mu Gongzhen smiled, a smile full of tenderness, and reached out to stroke her head affectionately.

"You don’t need to worry about anything. I’m not blaming you. I just wanted to talk."

"Brother...I’m sorry,"

She lowered her head slightly and apologized, genuinely from her heart. If her brother had scolded her, she might have felt better, but he remained kind and comforted her with unwavering love and affection, making her feel even more guilty that she didn’t know where to put herself.

"Xuan’er, why did you hide this from me? We three siblings only have each other. Can’t you avoid putting yourself in danger? Can’t you tell me about it if something happens?"

Mu Gongzhen asked with a smile, his sharp eyes filled with hope. He wanted to talk things through to fix what had happened. He didn’t want his sister to bear everything alone.

"Sob...sob...Br...Brother...Waah..."

Unable to hide her vulnerability any longer, Mu Qingxuan began to cry, throwing herself weakly into her brother’s warm embrace like a little bird seeking shelter.

Mu Gongzhen didn’t rush to ask for the truth. He patted his strong hand on his sister’s shoulder several times to comfort her.

"I was never angry with you about today’s events. I was only worried about you."

"The fact that you’re helping His Majesty with work isn’t wrong. However, you’re just a young girl. Everything involving His Majesty is fraught with danger. You need to be aware of this reality. If something were to happen to you, how would your brother and Ying’er live on?”

“As for you being a disciple of Divine Doctor Li, I won’t ask for the reasons or details because I’m glad you have the skills and knowledge. Some things are destined by the heavens. Think of it as fate that Divine Doctor Li took you as his disciple without my knowledge. But what I am concerned about is His Majesty.”

“Working for His Majesty is one thing, but having him secretly visit you at night to discuss work is quite another. If something were to go wrong and someone in the household accidentally found out, it would mean your reputation and possibly your life, Xuan’er.”

“You’re my sister. You still have me to rely on. Don’t forget that. If you have something on your mind, can you tell me? Don’t bear it alone. If you didn’t have something troubling you, how could you agree to help His Majesty in the first place?"

Mu Gongzhen comforted his sister while speaking his mind. He knew Mu Qingxuan’s nature well enough. She was a gentle and lovely child that everyone adored, who usually wouldn’t cause worry. However, when problems arose, she would keep them to herself and act as if everything was normal, despite the inner pressure.

He didn’t want his sister to feel isolated. After all, Mu Gongzhen was her older brother, and he remembered their mother’s words to take care of his sisters and ensure they lived happy and bright lives. So, he wouldn’t let Xuan’er bear the suffer alone!

"I...I understand,"

Mu Qingxuan said, sobbing. She looked up into her brother’s worried eyes, seeing his face and demeanor uncharacteristically fragile.

Over the years, including the past life, her eldest brother had always been strong in front of them, never showing weakness. She didn’t realize how much she had scared and worried him this time, to the point of showing such vulnerability...

Mu Qingxuan held back her tears, her hands clenched her skirt tightly. She resolved that she would not let her brother worry and suffer any longer!

She would tell him everything!

She would not keep him away from these matters, causing him to feel scared and isolated again!

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