The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 124 - 123

Chapter 123

Grrrrrr~

As Elder Mu Furen was inspecting her granddaughter, the little girl’s stomach growled loudly. The entire area fell silent instantly, causing Mu Jie to blush with embarrassment.

Despite having eaten a steamed bun that morning, why did her stomach have to betray her now!?

“Hungry?” The Elder Furen smiled warmly at her granddaughter’s endearing demeanor.

“A...a little bit, Grandmother.”

“Didn’t you have enough to eat this morning? Why didn’t you ask the kitchen to send more?” The Elder Furen inquired, her eyes fixed on her granddaughter with an unusual warmth and gentleness.

Mu Jie bit her lip slightly, as if hesitated, before replying, “Th...this morning, the kitchen only sent pickled vegetables, Grandmother. They said there wasn’t anything more and that they would need to wait until evening to buy more supplies.”

Hearing this, Elder Mu Furen’s brows furrowed again. How could breakfast consist of only pickled vegetables? Even the servants had meat to eat. How could a young miss of the Mu family be expected to eat just vegetables?

No wonder Mu Jie was so thin. She must have been treated like this for many years.

It seemed she had neglected this granddaughter too much...

The Elder Furen uncontrollably felt a pang of guilt. Because of her neglect, her own granddaughter had to live a life no better than that of a servant. From clothes to food, how could she be called a young miss?

“Jie’er, come to the quarters with me. I’ll have someone prepare some proper food for you at my quarters.”

The Elder Furen extended her hand to take the girl’s small hand as she said gently. Mu Jie, who had never been treated like this before, was quite startled. Her reaction did not go unnoticed by Elder Mu Furen, making her feel even more guilty.

Since Ying’er was no longer here, she should turn her attention to the well-being of her other granddaughters in the manor, ensuring none of them had to suffer any longer!

As Elder Mu Furen led her granddaughter out of the garden, she exchanged a knowing glance with Su Ming before continuing to hold Mu Jie’s hand as they walked back to the main quarters. On the way, the Elder Furen engaged the girl in conversation to ease her nervousness.

Thus, the bond between the grandmother and granddaughter began to grow stronger...

Main Quarters

After Elder Mu Furen brought Mu Jie back to the main residence, she immediately called for someone to measure her granddaughter’s sizes anew to order clothes that would fit her properly and suit her age.

"Winter will be here soon, so let’s have some new outfits made in advance,"

The Elder Furen said as she watched Mu Jie stand still for her measurements. Then she turned to another servant and gave further instructions, "Take fabric from the storeroom and have four casual outfits, five thick winter outfits, and three cloaks made for Jie’er."

"Yes, Miss,"

The servant responded promptly. Meanwhile, the servant taking Mu Jie’s measurements completed her task and exited to contact the tailor for the new clothes.

"Actually...there’s no need to have so many clothes made, Grandmother. I can manage with just two outfits,"

Mu Jie said softly, feeling quite overwhelmed by the sudden generosity as her grandmother ordered so many tailored clothes for her. Throughout her life, she had owned no more than ten articles of clothing, all of which needed frequent mending.

Suddenly having so many new clothes at once made her uneasy...

Elder Mu Furen raised her eyebrows at this, "Nonsense, child. You must remember, you are a young miss of the Mu family. A few outfits are nothing."

"Y...yes, Grandmother," Mu Jie conceded, falling silent and trying to remain composed.

"Jie’er, don’t worry. From now on, I will let you see what it truly means to be the fifth young miss of the Mu family,"

Elder Mu Furen said with a gentle smile. Seeing the mix of fear and astonishment on her granddaughter’s face as she received what rightfully belonged to her saddened her deeply.

Elder Mu Furen realized she had neglected this grandchild too much, causing her to grow accustomed to such hardship. The way Mu Jie acted, constantly fearful of making mistakes like a servant, and her tattered clothes and poor diet indicated that she needed to be re-taught from the beginning.

Jie’er needed to understand her status and the things she rightfully deserved!

Even though this grandchild was born of a concubine, she was still a young miss of the Mu family and her own granddaughter. Elder Mu Furen would not allow her to continue being treated so poorly.

It was her fault for being unaware of these matters before, causing her to neglect, but now that she knew, she would ensure it never happened again!

"Elder Furen, the meal is ready,"

Su Ming immediately reported after returning from the kitchen, where she had overseen the preparations herself. Elder Mu Furen nodded in acknowledgment and led her granddaughter by the hand to the adjacent room to dine together.

When the grandmother and granddaughter arrived at the dining table, they found it laden with various dishes, each filled with meats and enticing aroma. Mu Jie, who had never had the chance to eat such good food before, swallowed hard.

"Come, sit and eat with Grandmother." Elder Mu Furen gently pushed Mu Jie towards a chair while she took a seat beside her.

Mu Jie looked at the abundance of food on the table in disbelief and then asked again for reassurance, "I...can eat this?"

"Of course, you can. In the future, if you want anything else, just tell the kitchen, and I’ll make sure they know,"

Elder Mu Furen replied firmly, trying to establish her granddaughter’s confidence. However, internally, she was filled with guilt and pity for her granddaughter.

Even having a proper meal, her granddaughter had to ask if she could really eat it...

This was a clear indication that Mu Jie had never tasted such food before!

"Try this; it’s really delicious. It’s Grandmother’s favorite."

Elder Mu Furen picked a few pieces of duck meat from her chopsticks and placed them into Mu Jie’s bowl. When Mu Jie took a bite, her eyes lit up, and a smile spread across her once expressionless face, making Elder Mu Furen, who was watching, smile as well.

Throughout the meal, Elder Mu Furen barely ate anything herself. Instead, she kept putting food into her granddaughter’s bowl, watching her eat with joy. Mu Jie ate over three bowls of rice, feeling so full that she could hardly move.

Fortunately, Elder Mu Furen had Su Ming prepare a broth to aid digestion. After drinking it, Mu Jie felt some relief from the tightness in her stomach.

"It’s getting late. You should go back and rest, Jie’er. Come back tomorrow and keep me company,"

Elder Mu Furen said, patting Mu Jie’s backhand gently. Her eyes were warm and kind that Mu Jie could sense it, this eased her nervousness and wariness significantly.

"Yes, Grandmother," Mu Jie replied brightly, smiling genuinely.

Seeing her granddaughter smile for the first time brought great joy to Elder Mu Furen’s heart, signaling that Jie’er was beginning to trust her.

"Good girl." Elder Mu Furen couldn’t help but reach out to gently pat Mu Jie’s head before turning to her trusted aide. "Su Ming, escort the Fifth Young Lady back to her quarters."

"Yes, Miss," Su Ming responded promptly. The two women exchanged a knowing glance.

After Su Ming escorted Mu Jie back to her quarters, she quietly observed the state of the quarters that the Fifth Young Miss lived in and its furnishings, she then went back to report to her mistress.

Along the way, as Su Ming escorted Mu Jie back personally, they were under the watchful eyes of many servants, subtly announcing that the Fifth Young Miss was now under Elder Mu Furen’s protection and no longer neglected!

The servants who had previously treated Mu Jie poorly were now anxious, fearing that the Fifth Young Miss might report their behavior to the Elder Furen. This caused a ripple of unease throughout the Mu manor that night, creating a new wave of hidden turmoil and confusion among the household staff...

Meanwhile, when Su Ming returned to the main quarters, she immediately reported the living conditions around the Fifth Young Miss’s quarters to her mistress. Upon hearing the report, Elder Mu Furen raised her hand to her forehead and held it there for a long time.

"That poor child. Her mother passed away when she was very young, and her father neglected her. This led to her being bullied so badly. Even I, her grandmother, have neglected her in recent times..."

The Elder Furen felt a deep sense of regret. Thinking about the state of her granddaughter, whom she had met today, she realized that others might mistake her for a servant girl in the household. Jie’er was originally a lovely and endearing child, her adorable face resembled her late mother. However, due to malnutrition, she had become thin and stunted, which overshadowed her natural beauty.

In just three years, Mu Jie would reach the age to pin her hair. If her health and diet were not improved soon, she might not develop properly...

"Punish all the servants in the manor for their negligence in their duties. They failed to care for the Fifth Young Miss according to her status. Deduct one tael of silver from their salaries for the next three months, without exception!"

The Elder Furen ordered sternly, her once gentle face now serious and imposing. "Move Jie’er to the eastern quarters. As for her meals, clothing, and all necessary items, I trust you to personally oversee them."

"Yes, Miss," Su Ming responded promptly.

After Elder Mu Furen’s orders were relayed to the servants in the manor, many were thrown into confusion and panic. The sudden shift in the winds was like an unexpected tidal wave.

However, what everyone clearly understood was that the Fifth Young Miss could no longer be ignored!

From this point forward, the Fifth Young Miss had become Elder Mu Furen’s favored granddaughter!

Chining Palace

Meanwhile, at Chining Palace in the inner palace, the close servant of the Empress Dowager had sent people to investigate the affairs of the three mothers and daughters and the Mu family itself. Once she had the information, she reported it in detail to her mistress.

"Your Majesty, I have discovered that when the Mu family first moved to the capital, they did not bring Elder Mu Furen with them due to her poor health. Additionally, the youngest daughter of the late Mu Furen, the Seventh Young Miss, was left behind. The old servants of the Mu manor said it was Bai Lijun’s idea to torment the children of the principal wife. She suggested that the Seventh Young Miss stay behind to care for Elder Mu Furen, causing displeasure among the Eldest Young Master and Eldest Young Miss, who were the children of the principal wife..."

"Subsequently, the three mothers and daughters frequently competed with the children of the principal wife, eventually rising to prominence in the family due to the affection of the family head, Mu Cui Ming. However, after returning to their hometown in Qingyun City when the Eldest Young Master passed the examination as Zhuangyuan, something happened. As a result, Bai Lijun and her two daughters were sent to a rural temple to observe precepts, Your Majesty."

"...However, the details are unclear because this servant did not return to Qingyun City. All the servants who did return were replaced. I suspect that something major occurred, prompting the Mu family to replace all their servants to prevent information from leaking about the incident, Your Majesty."

The Empress Dowager, who had been listening, pondered deeply. What her confidante reported wasn’t much different from what she had already surmised. Ultimately, it boiled down to a power struggle between the legitimate children and the concubine’s children.

From the looks of it, even though she didn’t know what had transpired in Qingyun City, it was clear that the three mothers and daughters had lost this round of the game. Thus, they were sent to a temple to observe precepts, while the legitimate children returned to power within the family.

Now, Mu Gongzhen had risen to become the Left Side Chancellor, obviously wielding more power than his father. However, this was only in the political realm. Within the family, his authority still couldn’t match that of the family head, his father...

If the three mothers and daughters returned to the Mu family now, the household would become lively again. However, with Mu Gongzhen’s new position as Left Side Chancellor, the trio would be at a disadvantage, unable to contend with the legitimate children as before. Using them as pawns might seem pointless.

To make the three women useful pawns, she would have to give them an advantage...

"This is likely just the usual scheming between the legitimate children and the stepmother and her daughters. The difference is that last time, the three mothers and daughters lost. Time probably honed them into a sharp weapon ready to strike their enemies,"

The Empress Dowager mused aloud with a flat voice, her eyes reflecting a mysterious and unreadable light.

"Your Majesty, I don’t think these three can be trusted. When Mu Luofei spoke of the past to you, I believe she intended to use your influence to settle scores within the Mu family," the confidante voiced her thought.

"I am aware of that."

The Empress Dowager tugged a sly smile on the corner of her mouth. "That’s why I said that time and resentment have honed them into sharp weapons. It’s just a pity they haven’t had a chance to strike their enemies yet..."

"Mu Cui Ming has already allied with Shin Wang since the money issue last time, making it difficult to pull him away. But Mu Gongzhen is different. He remains calm and hasn’t shown any signs of siding with us. This worries me; he might be planning something."

"The appearance of these three mothers and daughters is timely. Since they want to use my influence to reintegrate into the Mu family, I will give them that chance and use them to keep an eye on Mu Gongzhen from within. If something goes wrong, we can act quickly."

With that, the close servant began to understand her mistress’s intentions but couldn’t help feeling apprehensive.

"But, Your Majesty, if we arm these three, won’t they eventually turn against us?"

The Empress Dowager’s smile turned cold. It was a coldness that came from the depth of her heart. "Who said I’m arming them?"

"I’m merely clearing a path for these sharp weapons to strike their enemies. The more chaotic the Mu family becomes, the easier it will be for us to control them."

"And as for those three mothers and daughters?"

"They are just pawns to me. If any pawn becomes useless or rebellious, I will simply crush them to dust!"

Her eyes, once cold, now gleamed with a fierce ruthlessness. To the Empress Dowager, the three mothers and daughters were nothing more than pawns and playthings for her amusement.

Being merely pawns in her hand, destroying them would be no difficult task if the need arose...

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