The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 66 - 65

Chapter 65

After Mu Yingying and Lu Jiu had had the conversation, the following morning Lu Jiu came to bid farewell to Mu Yingying once again before his departure. Eventually, the day came for the Mu family to set off for the capital. The servants woke up at dawn to prepare, and Mu Yingying did the same.

When she joined her grandmother at the main quarters, she found that Elder Mu Furen had been ready for a while. Once everything was in order, Elder Mu Furen took her little granddaughter to the large carriage that had been prepared. The caravan for this journey was quite substantial, consisting of more than ten carriages.

This was necessary to transport all the remaining belongings from their manor and to bring the servants to take care of them in the capital. Consequently, a significant number of carriages were needed to move all the people and goods to the capital.

The journey went smoothly. The caravan stopped to rest in various towns along the way without rushing. Whenever they encountered a beautiful place, Elder Mu Furen would often take Mu Yingying out to enjoy the natural scenery. This leisurely pace extended the journey to nearly two months before they finally reached the capital.

As the caravan approached the city gates, Su Ming presented the Mu family’s emblem to the gate guards to verify their identity. Upon seeing that they were from the household of the Left side Deputy Chancellor Mu, the soldiers quickly offered to guide the caravan to the gate of the manor.

Soon, the caravan came to a halt. Su Ming lifted the curtain to survey the surroundings. In front of them was the large gate of the Mu manor, prominently displaying the Mu family name. A group of people was waiting to welcome them at the gate.

"Elder Furen, the master, and the young masters and young misses have come out to welcome you at the gate,"

Su Ming reported to her mistress, who had been resting with her eyes closed. Elder Mu Furen opened her eyes, revealing a serene gaze, and smiled gently.

"Then let us disembark. They must be weary of waiting."

"Yes, Miss,"

Su Ming replied. She then descended from the carriage first and helped Elder Mu Furen down before Mu Yingying followed. The young girl took a moment to look around. Everything here was just as it had been in her previous life. Nothing had changed.

As they approached the gate, Mu Cui Ming, who had been waiting for a long time, stepped forward to greet his mother according to custom.

“Mother, you must be exhausted from your journey. I must apologize for my unfilial behavior as I was caught up in important work and couldn’t personally come to greet you at the city gate.”

“You had work to do, I understand. There’s no need to blame yourself,”

Elder Mu Furen placed a gentle hand on her son’s arm, her face showing the kind, motherly look. Hearing this, Mu Cui Ming finally lifted his head.

“I had the main quarters cleaned up. Please, come inside,” Mu Cui Ming said with a smile as he helped his mother into the manor.

Mu Yingying, following behind, curtsied to her father absentmindedly. Once he turned his back, she ran to embrace her two older siblings, her face lit up with a wide, bright smile.

“Brother, Sister!”

Mu Gongzhen and Mu Qingxuan, who had been waiting, opened their arms to receive the small, soft figure rushing towards them. Mu Qingxuan gently patted the little girl’s head.

“It’s been almost a year since we last saw you, Ying’er. You’ve grown quite a bit.”

“Of course! Grandmother often says I’ve grown taller.”

Mu Yingying beamed and buried her face in her sister’s sleeve out of affection.

Seeing that Mu Yingying was only fussing over Mu Qingxuan, Mu Gongzhen pretended to be upset. “Ying’er only hugs sister. What about your brother?”

“Of course, I’ll hug you too!” Mu Yingying laughed as she looked up at her eldest brother.

“Don’t be so petty. Sister Qingxuan is also your sister, Eldest Brother.”

Mu Yingying teased, then jumped into her brother’s arms. The three siblings laughed and chatted happily, the warm atmosphere enveloping them as they followed the group into the hall of the main quarters.

In the main hall, the Mu family members had already taken their seats. The three Mu siblings, who had arrived later, walked separately and sat down according to their ranks. Mu Gongzhen, as the eldest young master, sat in the last seat next to their father, while Mu Qingxuan and Mu Yingying sat with their other siblings in descending order.

“Mother, you’ve traveled a long way. Please, have some tea to ease your fatigue,”

Mu Cui Ming said with concern, nodding to Butler Tao as a signal for the maids to bring in the tea. Once the tea and snacks were arranged on the tables, Elder Mu Furen picked up a teacup and took a sip.

“Excellent tea...”

Elder Mu Furen praised as soon as she tasted it, her fatigue dissipating, leaving only a feeling of refreshment emanating from inside.

Mu Cui Ming smiled without saying anything further. The others in the room also began to sip their tea and enjoy the snacks. Once Elder Mu Furen had relaxed a bit, she spoke in a gentle voice.

"From what I observed, the household seems to be managed quite well. The servants know their duties, and the house is spotless."

"All of this is thanks to Xie Yang," Mu Cui Ming glanced at the beautiful concubine sitting not far from him, then continued,

"Since returning to the capital, I have assigned Xie Yang to oversee the household affairs. She has proven to be quite capable, bringing a considerable amount of peace to the Mu manor."

Xie Yang, seated in the concubine’s position next to the young misses, immediately stood up and bowed respectfully to Elder Mu Furen before turning to bow to her husband, her beautiful face lowered with a shy expression.

"The master praises me too much. I only try to take good care of the servants. Many things in the household are decided by Butler Tao. I merely assist with minor tasks."

Previously, Bai Lijun had always suppressed the two concubines, leaving them with no significant role in the household. However, after Bai Lijun was exiled to the family temple, the two beautiful concubines began to compete for favor again. Eventually, Xie Yang gained the upper hand.

Since Mu Cui Ming had agreed to let her manage the household affairs. Although most decisions were still made by Butler Tao, and she had to respect his authority, unable to touch the family assets, she was able to give orders and discipline the servants.

With this small amount of power, Xie Yang earned the respect and fear of most servants in the residence. Even her rival, Concubine Lan, had to endure and tolerate her. Over the past year, the lives of Xie Yang and her daughter, the third young miss, had significantly improved.

Elder Mu Furen nodded inwardly in approval of this concubine. As long as this woman knew her boundaries and didn’t abuse her power to oppress other family members, Elder Mu Furen had no reason to interfere.

"Having someone to help manage the household affairs is quite beneficial."

Receiving Elder Mu Furen’s praise, Xie Yang couldn’t help but smile to herself. She wasn’t foolish enough to make an enemy of Elder Mu Furen like Bai Lijun had. In this household, the most powerful person was undoubtedly Elder Mu Furen!

If she could win Elder Mu Furen’s favor, she wouldn’t have to fear anything...

"If I’m not mistaken, Xuan’er is nearing the age to pin her hair, isn’t she?" Elder Mu Furen suddenly remembered and turned to look at her beautiful granddaughter.

As she gazed at her closely, it was as if the image of her deceased daughter-in-law overlapped with Mu Qingxuan. She was as beautiful as her mother.

"Yes, in four months it will be her birthday. I thought about holding the hairpin ceremony[1] one month after she turns fifteen. It’s an auspicious time," Mu Cui Ming glanced at his eldest daughter.

Originally, he had not paid much attention to this daughter, but after Fei’er and Shuang’er were gone, Xuan’er became the one who could best represent the family. Over the past year, sending her to various banquets, he frequently received compliments on her unparalleled beauty.

It made him feel proud. Having such a beautiful daughter was like possessing a precious gem worthy of a region. If he wished to form alliances with other families to increase his power, he could send his daughter to marry and forge those connections.

Therefore, he paid special attention to this hairpin ceremony, intending to make it grand and impressive, to show the whole capital how invaluable, gem-liked his daughter was!

Mu Yingying, who was eating sweets, couldn’t help but flash a mocking smile. How could she not know her father’s ulterior motives? If he thought he could use her sister as a stepping stone to achieve greater power, he should think again!

However, she wouldn’t oppose him raising her sister’s status during this time. Such a positive thing should happen, as her sister deserved it since the previous life...

“That’s good then. Xuan’er is the eldest young miss of the Mu family, so everything should be prepared appropriately to match her status,”

Elder Mu Furen nodded in agreement before turning her gaze to survey the other granddaughters.

Having been away for a year, the other granddaughters, born of concubines, had grown more or less. Some appeared more composed, no longer showing signs of constant fear and panic. Some seemed more cheerful. It appeared that with Bai Lijun no longer around, things had improved considerably.

After the casual conversation ended, everyone returned to their own quarters. Mu Gongzhen and Mu Qingxuan took Mu Yingying to the prepared quarters. Though it wasn’t as spacious and beautiful as the one in Qingyun City, it was decorated nicely, showing the care and attention of her siblings.

“If you need anything, just let me know, and I’ll have it brought to you,” Mu Gongzhen said gently, his eyes full of warmth as he looked at the small figure before him.

“Thank you both very much,”

Mu Yingying gave them a sweet smile before exploring the quarters. She was quite impressed with the decorations.

Around the quarters was a small flower garden, adding color and beauty. Behind the quarters was a medium-sized tree providing shade, with a wooden swing perfectly sized for Mu Yingying.

“Alright then, Ying’er, you should rest now. If you need anything, you can come to my quarters. You’ve traveled far, so take a nap,”

Mu Qingxuan led the little one to the bed, bending down to help her remove her shoes, and laying her down.

Mu Yingying obediently followed her sister’s instructions, a small smile always on her face. The warmth her brother and sister provided made her feel incredibly happy...

Once they left, Su Su, who had been waiting outside, came into the room as Mu Yingying sprang up from the bed.

"Su Su, please call our people who were sent to the capital earlier. I want to know about the changes in the manor over the past five years."

"Yes, Miss."

Su Su placed the tray with the teapot on the table beside the daybed and then turned to leave to carry out the order.

Mu Yingying bent down to put on her shoes before getting up from her bed and walking to the daybed by the window. She poured herself some tea and sipped it as she waited.

Before long, Su Su returned with a maid who had accompanied Auntie Yang’s carriage back to the capital five years ago. The maid entered and respectfully curtsied to Mu Yingying. Su Su then left the room to stand guard outside, ensuring that no one would overhear or see anything inappropriate.

"Greetings, Miss."

"No need for formalities. The task I assigned you before, you all did well. When you return, collect your reward from Uncle Wang."

Mu Yingying waved her hand, indicating for the maid to rise. The maid obeyed and bowed her head in gratitude.

"Thank you, Miss."

"What is the situation in the manor? Is there anything unusual?"

Mu Yingying asked while sipping her tea, her big, round eyes gazing out at the flower garden beyond the window.

"Miss, recently, Concubine Xie has taken over managing the household affairs, but she hasn’t touched any of the family assets. She’s just been dealing with Concubine Lan. As for the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Young Misses, they haven’t caused any trouble. The unusual part concerns the Eldest Young Master and Eldest Young Miss."

"Several months ago, in the middle of the night, while I was discussing and exchanging information with Uncle Wang’s shadow guards, a fight broke out at the Eldest Young Miss’s quarters. The servants hid in the shadows to observe and saw that the two men fighting were the Eldest Young Master and the other was definitely the Emperor."

"The Emperor?"

Mu Yingying raised her eyebrows in surprise. What did the Emperor have to do with this? And why would His Majesty visit the manor in the middle of the night?

"Yes, Miss. We are certain we heard correctly. Eldest Young Master addressed the man as Your Majesty. From what we overheard, the reason for the fight was that His Majesty..." The servant hesitated, glancing at Mu Yingying with a troubled expression.

"What about His Majesty?"

Mu Yingying frowned deeply. She knew her eldest brother well. If it wasn’t something serious, he wouldn’t have resorted to physical confrontation with the Emperor.

"His Majesty has been frequently visiting Eldest Young Miss’s quarters in the dead of night, Miss!"

Upon hearing this, Mu Yingying’s face darkened immediately. Why hadn’t she known that Sister Qingxuan had such interactions with the Emperor, to the point of visiting her quarters at night?

If she remembered correctly, in her previous life, her sister didn’t know the Emperor at all. Even if her sister had been reincarnated like her, it didn’t mean she would have the chance to become this close to the Emperor. Moreover, given Sister Qingxuan’s character, she wouldn’t have allowed any man to enter her residence at night unless they were someone very close to her.

"After the fight ended, Eldest Young Master invited His Majesty to continue their conversation at his quarters. His Majesty left after their discussion, and then Eldest Young Master went to speak with Eldest Young Miss late into the night before returning to his own quarters, Miss."

Mu Yingying listened quietly, analyzing the situation in her mind. If her eldest brother had let the Emperor go so easily, it probably wasn’t a major issue or breach of propriety. There must be some reason or agreement between her sister and the Emperor.

When her eldest brother found out, he went to speak with her sister. But what was it that made Sister Qingxuan so close to the Emperor?

Could it be that Sister Qingxuan wanted to borrow the Emperor’s power as a shield to prevent the three of them from meeting a tragic end like in their previous life?

This reason seemed highly plausible. However, Mu Yingying felt no sense of relief. Working with the Emperor was like riding a tiger; it was hard to get off. If anything went wrong, it would be too late to fix it.

Moreover, what worried her most was the close relationship between Mu Qingxuan and the Emperor. A man and a woman getting so close and understanding each other—how could there not be other feelings involved? If that were the case, her sister was playing with fire...

[1] Hairpin ceremony is a coming-of-age ceremony, marking the transition from childhood to adulthood of a Chinese woman and involves the use of a hairpin.

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