The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 80 - 79

Chapter 79

After returning to the manor, Mu Yingying called Su Su to give some instructions in her room. Whether her suspicions were correct or not, taking action first was better than risking any potential problems. After all, it was her own doing that Cheng Fuyuan harbored a grudge against Meng Liting, due to a scheme she had orchestrated. Mu Yingying would not let others suffer for her actions!

“Send someone to investigate what Su Baimiao and Cheng Fuyuan have been doing and where they have been over the past few days. Do not overlook even the servants around them.”

“Yes, Miss,” Su Su nodded, then asked curiously, “Do you think there’s something wrong with this Su Baimiao?”

“Whether there is or not, we will find out soon enough....”

Mu Yingying gazed out the window, a mysterious smile playing on her lips. The smile was enough to send shivers down onlooker’s spine.

 

Royal Study, Palace of Basui Region.

Inside the royal study of the Emperor, it was unusually quiet. The servants and eunuchs had been escorted to wait outside by the Emperor’s trusted eunuch, leaving only the Emperor and the Crown Prince to talk privately.

Lu Jiu stood looking at the person on the throne before him, his eyes calm and his face expressionless. He did not speak to initiate the conversation, allowing silence to envelop them. When the Emperor saw that his son, who had been missing for over six years, showed no intention of speaking first and seemed distant and cold as if they were not father and son, he sighed in resignation.

“Ren’er...How have you been?”

“Your Majesty, I have been quite comfortable. My life has been simple, without the constant worry of not waking up the next morning,” Lu Jiu responded indifferently, his voice colder than the thousand years glacier.

The Emperor’s smile faded briefly. Ever since his son appeared in the throne room several days ago, he had always addressed him as Your Majesty, never once calling him Father like other sons would.

It seemed that the father-son relationship was beyond repair...

“Can you tell me what exactly happened at that time? Where have you been and what have you experienced?” The Emperor set his brush down on the stand, clasping his hands as he looked intently at the tall figure before him, ready to listen to his son’s story.

"Do you really want to know, Your Majesty?" Lu Jiu smirked mockingly before shrugging lightly. "Then I’ll tell you..."

"That night six years ago, during the fire, Mother took me out of the palace, but she got trapped inside a room and couldn’t escape in time, resulting in her dying in the flames. As for me, after escaping, I was hunted by assassins and had to survive day by day."

Lu Jiu recounted the story at a steady pace, his expression neutral as if telling a story unrelated to himself. However, if one observed closely, they would notice the faint traces of pain in his calm eyes.

"Although I managed to escape the hunting many times, I was eventually caught by slave traders and taken to Qingzhou Region, where I was sold as a servant to a local official."

The Emperor’s heart clenched upon hearing this. He knew well that being a royal, especially the Crown Prince, meant never having a peaceful life, but he hadn’t imagined that his son would face such a tragic fate so soon after being appointed Crown Prince.

His eyes fell on the mask covering Lu Jiu’s face, filled with a sense of guilt. It seemed these extraordinary experiences had shaped Lu Jiu into someone with such a formidable personality.

"That mask..."

"It just covers the scars to avoid frightening people," Lu Jiu replied indifferently, raising his hand to remove the mask, revealing horrific burn scars.

The Emperor unintentionally held his breath for a moment upon seeing the scars. His sharp eyes showed a mix of shock and pity. The scars were severe, making him wonder just how much pain his son must have endured.

"I...I will have the royal physicians find a way to heal these scars,"

The Emperor said in a firm voice, his eyes lowering slightly. The guilt in his heart prevented him from meeting his son’s cold gaze for long. Seeing that the Emperor had stopped focusing on his scars, Lu Jiu put the mask back on and declined, "Thank you, Your Majesty, but I do not need it!"

"How can that be? Appearance affects one’s image. Having such scars might make people fear you."

"Image is just an illusion. Actions are what matter," Lu Jiu stated without hesitation. He had seen many who created false images to appear good, but he never cared about appearances himself. He believed that actions spoke louder. Additionally, Lu Jiu was still waiting for a promise made five years ago by a certain someone.

That small child, no taller than his waist, had promised to heal his face. So, Lu Jiu was willing to wait for that child to find a way to heal his face alone!

"Then do as you please. When you return, rest well. I will hold a banquet to officially welcome you back in seven days. As for your mother’s issue, do not worry. No one will disturb her again," the Emperor sighed. He decided not to argue or force his son any further. Now that his son had just returned, he wanted to improve their father-son relationship first.

Lu Jiu raised his eyebrows slightly, his eyes filled with mockery. "Your Majesty is concerned about my mother? If I remember correctly, you doubted her before."

"It’s not that I doubted her. It’s just that if there were clear evidence, I had to follow the laws of the land," the Emperor replied, guilt welling up from deep within.

It was true that he had doubted Empress Du, but he also couldn’t help but feel guilty about her passing. For the past six years, he had never been able to let go of the matter in his heart, and it was only now, upon seeing his lost son, that he felt somewhat relieved.

"Hmph!"

Lu Jiu scoffed coldly, his voice even icier as he said, "Your Majesty, do not feign guilt. When my mother was alive, you never cared about her. Now that she’s gone, don’t pretend to feel remorse."

"It’s disgusting!"

The Emperor was momentarily stunned. His son’s words were like a thousand venomous needles piercing his heart. He should have been angry at his son’s disrespect, but instead, he felt even more guilty and ashamed, unable to face his son any longer.

"J...Just go,"

The Emperor said softly after a long silence. Lu Jiu clasped his hands and bowed respectfully and then turned and left the room immediately. His back was straight as a stone pillar, the coldness emanating from him even icier than a thousand-year-old glacier.

The Emperor watched his son leave until he was out of sight, then leaned weakly against his throne. Memories from the past flooded his mind, and guilt and sorrow engulfed him.

Empress Du had been married to him to strengthen his claim to the throne. The Emperor had already had a beloved, which was Gui Fei. Over the years, he had always cherished and cared for Gui Fei, often neglecting Empress Du. However, when Empress Du passed away six years ago, he felt as if something had been lost. The warmth, gentleness, and care she had always shown, which he had ignored, were now deeply missed...

He hadn’t realized when the shadow of the woman he had always neglected began to occupy a place in his heart. It was only after she was gone that he understood his own feelings, but by then, it was too late!

The Emperor could not bring her back. If he had protected her better, she wouldn’t have had to leave like this, and their only son wouldn’t have gone missing for so long. Now that the Crown Prince had returned, the Emperor was determined to give him everything he deserved to atone for his guilt towards Empress Du.

Meanwhile, Lu Jiu, who had just walked out of the royal study, encountered a woman standing in front of the palace. The Emperor’s trusted eunuch was greeting her respectfully.

"Your Grace, it’s not that I’m trying to block your way, but the Emperor has instructed that he wishes to speak privately with his guest. Please forgive me."

"What guest could be more important than me?"

A sweet voice exclaimed. The woman, in her late thirties but still incredibly beautiful, had a charming and alluring face. Her attire of deep blue and jade accessories made her look elegant and captivating.

She was Gui Fei, the most powerful woman in the inner palace and the Emperor’s beloved, who he had cherished for over ten years, so her power in the inner palace was immense. Even though she hadn’t been appointed as the Empress, in the inner palace, she was treated as one in all but name!

"But..."

"No need to trouble yourself, eunuch. The guest is leaving now. His Majesty should be free of any business,"

Lu Jiu said coldly as he approached. Gui Fei turned to see him, and her enchanting eyes flickered with curiosity. "Who are you?"

"Salutations to the Crown Prince," the eunuch bowed as per the etiquette, speaking loudly to ensure that everyone knew that the person before them was the Crown Prince who had just returned to the royal court.

Upon hearing that the Crown Prince was present, the servants and eunuchs accompanying Gui Fei quickly followed suit, bowing and curtsying to pay their respects.

"Salutations to the Crown Prince." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Oh...it’s the recently found Crown Prince." Gui Fei smiled briefly on the corner of her lips, that smile was full of mockery. Her eyes, staring at the half of his face, flashed with malice before returning to normal. "Your eyes resemble the late Empress’s very much."

"How are you, Gui Fei?"

Lu Jiu didn’t care about her attitude, not even bothering to pay respect in return. He merely asked with a mysterious smile. His demeanor made Gui Fei shiver, though she maintained her composed smile.

"I am well, naturally. It seems the only one not doing well is the Crown Prince, having wandered outside the palace for many years."

"As long as Gui Fei is well," Lu Jiu said with a light laugh, his eyes openly mocking. "Because perhaps your comfort may soon disappear entirely!"

Gui Fei narrowed her eyes slightly, her beautiful face showing a fierce expression. "The Crown Prince speaks so rudely. After all, I am like a mother to you now."

"Gui Fei thinks too much,"

Lu Jiu laughed upon hearing her words, his laughter filled with mockery. He shook his head a few times in exasperation before making a sarcastic remark.

"My mother is only the Empress. Surely, you don’t think you could become the Empress yourself, do you? If that’s what you think, you should reconsider. Six years have passed. If His Majesty truly intended to appoint you as Empress, he wouldn’t have let so much time slip by..."

With that, Lu Jiu flashed a cold smile and walked away without looking back. Gui Fei, struck by his words, turned pale. Her slender hands clenched into fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms.

She had known the truth of what he said deep down but had refused to accept it. However, having her enemy bring it up so bluntly made her momentarily breathless with anger.

"Miss..."

Her close servant, seeing her mistress standing silently for a long time, approached and asked with concern, only to be struck hard across the face, causing her to fall to the ground.

Slap!

"Back to the palace!"

Gui Fei commanded sharply, her beautiful face twisted with rage, looking quite terrifying. Her heart was ablaze with fury, ready to explode. She had thought that with the Empress gone, everything would go smoothly. Yet, with her son still alive and now returned, he was an obstacle preventing her and her son from ascending the throne!

It was infuriating!

Why didn’t that child die along with his mother!?

"Aren’t you going to enter, Miss?" the eunuch asked with curiosity. When he saw her piercing gaze, he bowed his head and remained silent.

"Hmph!"

Gui Fei flung her sleeves, got on the palanquin, and quickly left, her anger lashed out towards the maids and eunuchs around her. They hurriedly followed, fearful of their mistress.

Three days after the return of the lost Crown Prince to the royal court, a strange event caused widespread panic among the populace. All the crops planted around the outskirts of the capital, including nearby villages, suddenly withered and died simultaneously!

Not only did the plants perish, but numerous animals, both large and small, also fell ill and died suddenly. This phenomenon occurred simultaneously across all areas within a ten-li radius of the capital the following morning. Everything was wiped out, causing great alarm and fear among the populace.

Moreover, after this event, rumors spread widely among the people about the cause of this ominous sign. It was said that someone with a demonic fate that could devour the city had returned to the capital. Before any more serious incidents occurred, there would be bad omens, such as plants withering and animals suddenly dying.

The villagers wholeheartedly believed these rumors, causing widespread fear. The rumors spread like wildfire, and within two days, everyone in the capital had heard them. This led to a great deal of panic and confusion.

When the royal court announced the return of the Crown Prince, who had been missing for over six years, tens of thousands of eyes immediately turned to Lu Jiu. The people, stirred up by the rumors, connected the two events, creating a huge storm in the capital. The populace began to think uniformly about the Crown Prince’s return. Many were convinced that the Crown Prince was the one with the rumored demonic fate that could devour the city, the cause of all the bad omens that had occurred...

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