The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 105 - 104
Chapter 104
"Create substance to give rise to rumors?"
Mu Qingxuan repeated the phrase in confusion. When she turned to see the mischievous glint in her younger sister’s eyes, her curiosity intensified. If it was about scheming, no one among the three siblings could compare to their youngest sister.
"Yes. Actually, these aren’t false accusations like typical rumors. At least eight out of ten parts of it are true. It actually can’t be called fabricating things as it’s more about exposing the truth to the public." Mu Yingying’s slight smile tugged at her lips. She then added,
"The financial troubles of the Mu family are known to quite a few officials in the royal court, given that Mu Cui Ming has been borrowing money from them. If they send someone to investigate, they will easily find out that the financial issues stem from losses in his business venture, resulting in a substantial debt to Fengkong Repository."
"Besides the court officials, the workers at Fengkong Repository also know about the Mu family’s debt. If we spread the rumor about the Mu family’s financial troubles, walls have ears and doors have eyes. It won’t take long for people to learn about this, which will lend credibility to our rumors and make them seem more truthful."
"As for the rumors about the relationship between the Mu family and Shin Wang, when Mu Cui Ming met with him at Emerald Lake, there were surely people around who saw it. Even if they didn’t witness Mu Cui Ming meeting Shin Wang on the boat, just confirming that a large boat with Shin Wang’s emblem was at Emerald Lake on the same day, and that Mu Cui Ming went out on the lake early that morning, will already raise suspicions about their relationship."
"The final part of the rumor is about how the Mu family suddenly overcame their financial troubles and started spending lavishly. We can use the evidence of the Mu family paying off the debt to Fengkong Repository and their extravagant spending to substantiate this. By spreading these three rumors, people will naturally connect the dots and make various speculations, which will certainly not end well for them..."
After explaining her plan in detail, Mu Yingying felt quite parched. When she turned to pour herself some tea, she found that Mu Gongzhen had already poured it, as if he knew she would need it.
She took the teacup and sipped it, smiling at her brother in thanks. Meanwhile, Mu Gongzhen simply gazed at his youngest sister with sparkling eyes, his deep black eyes unmistakably revealing his pride.
"Ying’er is the best!"
Mu Qingxuan praised sincerely. She wondered why in her past life she had never known that her younger sister was this clever. If she had to be enemies with Mu Yingying, she would rather choose to be enemies with the whole world...
"You’re exaggerating, Sister. This plan isn’t that brilliant. It’s just that many things fell into place, and the timing was right," Mu Yingying replied, sharing her thoughts.
If the enemy hadn’t targeted the Mu family first, she wouldn’t have been able to exploit these gaps in their plan. She merely observed the enemy’s plan meticulously and used each point to weave a net to ensnare them.
Moreover, what gave them an advantage was that their enemy was in the open while they remained hidden. If, one day, they were careless and did something rashly, causing them to be exposed, Mu Yingying doubted they could easily contend with their enemies anymore.
Hence, Mu Yingying tried to proceed with utmost caution in every matter, crafting meticulous plans to avoid causing troubles that would lead to them losing their advantage...
"In that case, let me handle the rumors,"
Mu Gongzhen offered, taking responsibility for the plan. He wanted to fulfill his role as the eldest brother and ensure his two younger sisters didn’t face any danger, no matter how small.
"Alright, that’s good. It’ll give me time to go out and have some fun,"
Mu Yingying joked, sticking her tongue out playfully at her brother. She could guess his intentions and saw no need to refuse or stop him.
Trust was crucial. Therefore, the three siblings had to trust each other to work together and defeat their enemies!
Mu Manor
The next day, after Mu Cui Ming had used the money to settle the debt with Fengkong Repository and held a feast that same evening, the members of the Mu family returned to their previous prosperous life. The somber atmosphere in the manor turned into one of liveliness and joy, as it had been before the troubles. However, while many returned to their comfortable lives, three individuals still lived in hardship, struggling with hunger as if it were the norm.
In the central kitchen of the Mu manor, two figures stood talking for a long time. Throughout their conversation, the large figure of the middle-aged, plump cook continually berated the thin, small figure in dull-colored clothes standing before her, casting looks of disdain nonstop. Spittle from the cook’s angry tirade frequently landed on the hair of the small figure who barely reached her waist.
Despite this, the small figure stood quietly, head bowed, not responding in any way, just listening to the cook’s taunts in silence.
"Fifth Young Miss! Can you stop being so selfish? We already sent food to your quarters this morning. Why are you here now asking for more food?" The cook shouted at the small figure in front of her with an irritated tone, her round face scowling with displeasure.
"This...is for Nanny Fang. She’s been seriously ill for three days now. The food sent earlier was only for me; there was nothing for her,"
Mu Jie replied calmly, showing no signs of fear. Her expression was indifferent, seeming emotionless, as if she had long grown accustomed to this situation.
"Nanny Fang? Hmph, you come all the way here to trouble me for more food for that old servant? Fifth Young Miss, you sure care about the servants. Why don’t you care about this servant here then? Don’t you know it’s my break time now and well past breakfast? Where do you expect me to find more food!?"
The cook retorted without saving face, her tone dripping with sarcasm and disdain. Lacking the respect that the servant was supposed to have toward the master.
Although the girl in front of her was the fifth young miss of the Mu family, it was well-known in the manor that she was not favored by the family head, nor did Elder Mu Furen show her any concern. Since the death of her concubine mother several years ago, Mu Jie had been raised by Nanny Fang and had been mostly forgotten by the rest of the family. She often bore the brunt of others’ frustrations and was frequently bullied by the other young misses of the family.
As a result, the servants in the manor often neglected and disdained her. Some even dared to bully her, treating her no better than a servant despite her title as a young miss...
Ignoring the cook’s words, Mu Jie reached into her sleeve and took out five taels of silver, holding them out to the cook. The sight of the money quickly silenced the cook’s harsh words, and her scowl softened noticeably.
"Since Fifth Young Miss cares so much for the old servant like Nany Fang, I’ll find some food for you." The cook quickly pocketed the five taels of silver and adopted a more pleasant demeanor.
Mu Jie watched the cook’s plump figure walk inside to get the food, her eyes momentarily cold. She pressed her thin lips together slightly. The five taels of silver was a huge sum of money that had not been easy for her to come by. If it weren’t for Nanny Fang’s severe illness and need for food to sustain her life, Mu Jie would never have handed over the money for food.
Soon, the cook returned with a paper-wrapped package of food, her smile now mocking.
"This is the best I could do, Miss. I hope you’re satisfied."
Seeing the food she had exchanged for five taels of silver, Mu Jie clenched her fists in anger under her sleeves. The food the cook had given her could barely be called food—it was nothing more than leftovers. The paper package contained two mantou[1] with two to three bites taken out of them and a single boiled egg, small enough to fit in one bite.
"Why haven’t you taken the food yet, Fifth Young Miss? Or are you not satisfied?" The cook’s face twisted in displeasure as she spoke.
Seeing this, Mu Jie quickly extended her hand to take the food, resignedly accepting it under the cook’s mocking gaze. With food in hand, Mu Jie immediately hurried back to her quarters.
Even though the food was unappetizing, it would still be enough to sustain the life of the sick person. As long as Nanny Fang was still breathing, there was hope for her to continue living...
Mu Jie’s quarters were located behind the garden of the Mu family manor. Taking the main path would take a considerable amount of time, so Mu Jie chose to take a shortcut through the back of Concubine Xie’s quarters to save as much time as possible. Because she was small and thin, smaller than other children her age, she could easily slip through the bushes unnoticed.
As Mu Jie was passing by the tall bushes near the back window of Concubine Xie’s quarters, she overheard a conversation between a man and a woman inside. When she heard the name of someone she knew mentioned in the conversation, her steady footsteps abruptly halted, and she began to listen intently.
"What excuse should I use to take Qingxuan to meet Shin Wang at Emerald Lake this evening? If the excuse isn’t reasonable, that Mu Gongzhen will never let her go,"
Mu Cui Ming, who was waiting for his beautiful concubine to finish dressing him, muttered with worry. The agreement he had made with Shin Wang was to find an opportunity for Shin Wang to form a relationship with his eldest daughter, potentially leading to a marriage alliance.
If his eldest daughter still lived in the manor and had not moved to Zhuiping Residence with his eldest son, he wouldn’t need to make up excuses to lure her to meet Shin Wang. He could simply order her as her father. But now that she lived at Zhuiping Residence and Mu Gongzhen was stubborn, it wouldn’t be easy to achieve what he wanted.
"If Shin Wang doesn’t meet Qingxuan this evening, he will surely be angry," Mu Cui Ming sighed heavily.
"How about saying that the headmaster of the Imperial Academy wants to meet with her? Since the big competition is approaching, so the headmaster has urgent matters to discuss. For this reason, the Eldest Young Master probably wouldn’t object, and the Eldest Young Miss herself wouldn’t refuse," Xie Yang, who was fastening her husband’s belt, suggested.
"This...might work,"
Mu Cui Ming pondered for a moment and then continued, "But I’m worried that if Qingxuan finds out she’s been deceived, she might cause a scene."
"Don’t worry, my dear. The Eldest Young Miss has studied at the Imperial Academy for quite some time. She knows how to conduct herself. Even if she wants to cause trouble, she wouldn’t dare to do so in front of Shin Wang. Besides, she might even be pleased to have the chance to be with him," Xie Yang reassured him naturally, her beautiful face displaying a charming smile.
"That’s true. As her father, it’s my duty to decide on her marriage. How could she possibly defy me?"
Mu Cui Ming nodded in agreement, the heaviness in his heart quickly dissipating, replaced by joy as he imagined the future prosperity that would come from an alliance with Shin Wang.
While Mu Cui Ming was lost in his thoughts, Xie Yang, having finished dressing him, glanced at her husband with a peculiar look for a moment.
Outside, Mu Jie, who had been eavesdropping, quickly hurried back to her own quarters. As she walked, she pondered over what she had overheard. Although the conversation seemed beneficial for Mu Qingxuan, she still needed to know about the plot before being deceived. How she would react afterward was up to her.
Originally, Mu Jie had been a recluse, never involving herself with others, not even her own blood siblings. But when she looked down at the bundle of food in her hands, she felt conflicted. If it weren’t for the white jade bracelet that Mu Yingying had bought for her during the last festival, she wouldn’t have had anything to sell in exchange for money to buy medicine and bribe the cook for food to help Nanny Fang survive.
To Mu Jie, Nanny Fang was like a mother who had raised her. Now that Nanny Fang was gravely ill, Mu Jie had no means to help her. But because of the white jade bracelet she sold, she had money to buy medicine and food for Nanny Fang. This could be called a debt of gratitude.
Nanny Fang had always taught her about a debt of gratitude, saying that even the smallest debt should be repaid. After a moment’s hesitation, Mu Jie made up her mind. Whether the news was good or bad, to repay the kindness Mu Yingying had shown by buying her the white jade bracelet that she had exchanged for medicine to save Nanny Fang, she had to find a way to inform Mu Qingxuan before their father sent someone first!
As she walked back to her quarters, Mu Jie was deep in thought about what had transpired. She didn’t realize she had arrived until she heard her close servant calling her.
"Miss?"
The slender servant named Lu Xin called out to her mistress curiously. While she came out to change the water for wiping Nanny Fang, she noticed Mu Jie standing at the door, lost in thought, so Lu Xin couldn’t help but worry for her mistress.
Regaining her senses, Mu Jie nodded to her servant to indicate that she was fine. She then walked into the shabby quarters where an elderly woman with a pale face lay on an old mattress.
"Nanny Fang, I’ve brought you some food. Please sit up and eat."
Mu Jie’s previously expressionless face softened, like a different person; her eyes filled with concern and sadness. She knelt down and gently helped the elderly woman sit up with great difficulty.
“Mi...Miss...ea...eat...b...by...yourself...pl...please.”
Nanny Fang forced out the words with all her remaining strength. Once she finished speaking, her face looked extremely exhausted, as if she had used up all her energy to say those few words. Seeing this, Mu Jie’s eyes immediately welled up with tears. She shook her head vigorously in defiance.
“No, Nanny. I’ve already eaten. You eat, please.”
Mu Jie tore mantou into small pieces and holding it up to the dry lips of the person before her, her eyes pleading.
Nanny Fang looked at the tearful face of her young miss, her heart tightening painfully. When her gaze fell on the thin, emaciated arms that extended from the sleeves, she felt a surge of anguish so intense she almost wanted to cry herself. Her young miss was still so young, yet she had to endure so much hardship.
If it weren’t for her own severe illness, the young miss wouldn’t have had to suffer like this...
Despite her deep sorrow, Nanny Fang couldn’t show her emotions. Ultimately, to prevent Mu Jie from being more distressed, Nanny Fang forced herself to eat the food prepared for her, crying deep inside.
[1] Mantou, or Chinese steamed bun, is a white and soft type of steamed bread or bun popular in northern China.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read ‘The Return of the Seventh Young Lady’ before anyone else with more Chapters at http://www.jinovel.com/en
