The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 140 - 139

Chapter 139

While the citizens rejoiced, the royal court was in turmoil as if it had just weathered a massive storm. The officials kept reserved in fear, especially those associated with the Empress Dowager.

To the general public, it appeared that the officials who were purged were guilty of crimes related to Cheng Bei Hou’s case. However, people within the royal court noticed something unusual.

The officials who were punished were not only involved in Cheng Bei Hou’s case, even those with the slightest connection were affected. Notably, all of these officials were aligned with the Empress Dowager!

Upon a bit of reflection, the courtiers quickly realized that Cheng Bei Hou’s case was just a front. The true purpose was the Emperor’s move to weaken the Empress Dowager’s power!

This turn of events caused significant resentment for the Empress Dowager. She never imagined that the Emperor would strike at her so stealthily. However, no matter how angry she was, she had to endure and wait for the right moment to retaliate. Any rash actions on her part now might lead her into a trap set by her enemies.

After Cheng Bei Hou’s case was resolved, the Emperor immediately released the last surviving heir of the Cheng Bei Hou Manor. He then issued an imperial decree appointing a young man who had shown great merit in helping the army suppress a rebellion the previous year as the new Cheng Bei Hou. The Emperor also restored all the lands and assets that had been seized from the Cheng Bei Hou Manor.

The imperial decree appointing the new Cheng Bei Hou created a huge wave in the capital, causing quite a stir. The Cheng Bei Hou Manor, thought to be extinct, but there was a surviving heir, who also possessed commendable merits.

When those who had once been loyal to the former Cheng Bei Hou heard the news, they rejoiced deeply. They flocked to the capital in droves to pledge their allegiance to the new Cheng Bei Hou, the last surviving heir of the lineage.

Not long after reclaiming his power in the capital, the new Cheng Bei Hou ordered his subordinates to search for any surviving blood relatives. Upon learning of this, the Emperor promptly sent out additional forces to aid in the search.

Throughout the search for the remaining heirs of the Cheng Bei Hou Manor, they encountered constant bad news. All the contemporaries who had been sent to the borders as slaves had perished. Those who had been sent as royal slaves to various cities were either missing or had died in their childhood.

Even though Cheng Bei Hou had prepared himself for the worst, his hardened heart trembled uncontrollably when he received this news.

Just when he was about to give up and accept the grim reality, he received the long-awaited good news. It turned out that the only surviving blood relative was none other than his own younger sister!

Moreover, she wasn’t far away at all but had been living in the capital all along!

This news quickly spread throughout the capital. When the Emperor learned of it, he was deeply saddened by the wrongful judgement made by the former Emperor and the royal court, which had led to the deaths of hundreds of Cheng Bei Hou’s family. As a result, the Emperor issued a decree adopting Cheng Bei Hou’s sister as his own and bestowed upon her the title of Princess Wei Yang.

A month passed swiftly that it seemed like the blink of an eye; but it was a month filled with so many twists and turns that it left many people bewildered.

It began with the reopening of Cheng Bei Hou’s case, revealing the wrongful judgement and leading to the execution of hundreds of lives in the implicated families. Cheng Bei Hou, once thought to be extinct, regained his power. His sister, who had wandered outside for so long, was adopted by the Emperor and elevated to the status of a princess.

Some who were once at the pinnacle of their lives fell to the lowest point, while others who were at rock bottom rose to the pinnacle...

As peace returned to the capital, the Cheng Bei Hou Manor emerged as a new power center, attracting the attention of all political factions. It became a key factor that disrupted the political balance.

Numerous noblewomen in the capital became highly interested in Princess Wei Yang. Since the Cheng Bei Hou Manor hadn’t aligned with any faction, many noble families sought to build a good relationship with them.

Meanwhile, the courtiers aligned with the Empress Dowager remained quiet and withdrawn, avoiding social gatherings temporarily, waiting for the political turbulence to settle.

As a result, Bai Lijun and Mu Luofei, who had previously been in the spotlight, were forgotten. Their grand and luxurious banquet had to be drastically altered.

That’s because most of the invitations sent to the Empress Dowager’s faction were declined, citing reasons of seclusion. Bai Lijun understood that this was a fallout from the recent court events.

Moreover, even the noblewomen who had initially intended to curry favor with the mother and daughter duo turned their attention to Princess Wei Yang. This shift rendered the banquet that Bai Lijun and Mu Luofei had eagerly anticipated entirely different from what they had hoped for...

Ma Jun Tea House

In the private room on the top floor of Ma Jun Tea House, four figures were engaged in a relaxed conversation. The atmosphere was calm and simple as two men and two women exchanged words continuously.

"I have heard everything from my sister. I must thank both of you immensely for extending your help to us, especially you, Seventh Young Miss. You saved my sister’s life. I am willing to repay this debt, even with my own life if necessary!"

The young man with sharp features spoke earnestly, his eyes full of genuine gratitude as he bowed his head in thanks to the people in front of him.

This man was none other than the current Cheng Bei Hou!

"Cheng Bei Hou, you speak too heavily. I helped you for my own benefit," Mu Gongzhen said straightforwardly, not pretending to be altruistic.

Cheng Bei Hou paused briefly before responding with a smile, "Even so, you are still the benefactors of the Cheng Bei Hou Manor. From now on, I will follow your orders without objection..."

Earlier, his sister had recounted the events in detail, making Cheng Bei Hou deeply grateful to Seventh Young Miss for saving his sister six years ago. He was also no fool; he knew that his reinstatement as Cheng Bei Hou was due to the efforts of the Left Side Chancellor, Mu Gongzhen.

"Are you sure? You must realize how many factions the court is divided into now. And soon, there will be major bloodshed. Are you really ready to get involved in this war?" Mu Gongzhen cautioned.

A civil war was as brutal as a war between nations. If one fell, not only would they lose everything they had, but their loved ones and family would also be dragged into it.

Anyone who decided to get involved in a civil war must be prepared to bear the risk of eventual defeat!

Cheng Bei Hou lowered his eyes slightly, silently contemplating the events. His family, broken and scattered for many years, was finally reunited. However, if he truly got involved in politics, there might come a day when they would be torn apart again.

But so what?

Now, he had only his sister left. Even if he didn’t extend his hand, a third party would surely drag them into this civil war anyway.

Since he would inevitably become involved, it was better to align with his benefactors...

"I have made my decision. From now on, the Cheng Bei Hou Manor will stand with Left Side Chancellor Mu!"

His voice was filled with determination and resolve, his expression serious and rare in its intensity.

Hearing this, Mu Gongzhen’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction instantly. This meant that now more than half of the power in the royal court had fallen under the Emperor’s control.

Given time to strengthen the power of Cheng Bei Hou, they would undoubtedly gain an advantage over their enemies.

When the two men wanted to continue discussing future plans, Mu Yingying led Princess Wei Yang to sit in the adjacent room.

"Congratulations, Your Highness, on reuniting with Cheng Bei Hou and regaining justice," Mu Yingying said with a gentle smile.

"Please don’t be so formal, Miss. Princess or not, I am still the same Fei Ren whom you saved,"

Princess Wei Yang, or Fei Ren, quickly stopped her mistress from using formalities. Even though her status had changed, her loyalty to Seventh Young Miss remained the same.

"You...very well, if that’s what you wish. When we’re alone, I’ll speak normally as before. But in public, I must adhere to proper decorum," Mu Yingying agreed readily.

She was glad she had helped and taken care of Fei Ren. Despite her elevated status, Fei Ren remained humble and loyal.

"Yes," Fei Ren smiled sincerely and continued, "If there is anything you need me to do, please let me know, Miss. I now have the means to assist you."

"There are things you can do, but not just yet. You’ll be busy with many changes for now. For the time being, observe and monitor the movements of those trying to approach you. It would be wise to form some alliances; it will benefit you as well,"

Mu Yingying paused for a moment, then reached out to hold Fei Ren’s hand. "Most importantly, live your life as you wish. Do what you want to do. Make up for the lost time."

"This...You’re still as kind as ever, Miss."

Fei Ren looked at the petite figure before her with deep gratitude. No matter how many years had passed, Seventh Young Miss remained the same. Even though Fei Ren had become a princess and was willing to be used as a pawn for her benefactor, the other party refused to treat her as such.

"Don’t forget to behave like a proper princess. If anyone dares to bully or insult you, handle it so you don’t tarnish your name!" Mu Yingying said half-jokingly, with a genuine smile.

Even if Fei Ren had become a princess now, but the fact that she was Mu Yingying’s person would never change. And as she was one of her people, Mu Yingying would take good care of her!

Meanwhile, at the seemingly calm Mu Manor, Bai Lijun and Mu Luofei were in a foul mood. They had invested considerable effort, both physically and emotionally, and personal wealth, granted by the Empress Dowager, into organizing the celebratory banquet.

This event was intended to launch themselves grandly and forge connections with noblewomen. However, due to recent court events, only a handful of guests attended the banquet, and most of them were merely ordinary officials rather than the high-ranking nobility they had hoped for.

With mostly mid-level officials attending, the networking they had aimed for yielded little benefit. Consequently, the banquet turned out to be a substantial loss for the three of them.

The money invested did not match the outcomes at all!

Therefore, Bai Lijun was distressed over the financial loss, often leading to bouts of bad temper. Similarly, Mu Luofei was irritated that all the attention she once enjoyed had been entirely snatched by Princess Wei Yang.

Despite these setbacks, there was also a silver lining that made Bai Lijun and Mu Luofei not feel too unfortunate.

After the incident where Shin Wang had saved Mu Luofei’s life and shared a meal with her at the restaurant, she had many opportunities to meet him again in the following weeks. Their relationship quickly blossomed as a result.

Mu Luofei was highly pleased with Shin Wang, and it seemed the feeling was mutual...

As their relationship developed rapidly, it was natural for people to take notice. Many officials and noblewomen noticed their growing closeness, leading to widespread rumors among the aristocracy.

This relationship caught the attention of many, including the Empress Dowager. However, she did not object to their relationship, as she already favored Mu Luofei. If Shin Wang and Mu Luofei maintained a good relationship, it would strengthen ties between the Empress Dowager’s faction and the Mu family.

From a political perspective, whether or not their relationship led to an engagement or marriage in the end, it would all have the same outcome, which was that the Mu family had formed a strong alliance with Shin Wang and the Empress Dowager!

Because of this, the Empress Dowager chose to overlook the situation, leaving it to the young couple. Even Mu Cui Ming, upon learning the news, turned a blind eye and occasionally supported his daughter.

If Mu Luofei married into Shin Wang Palace, he would become the father-in-law of Shin Wang. When that time came, his power would increase and gain greater respect and fear from many.

Bai Lijun also knew about this and was quite pleased. If the relationship succeeded, her daughter would surely become a royal consort!

With Mu Luofei as a royal consort, the three of them would rise to greater heights of power, and no one would dare to bully them again. Even their nemesis, the three Mu siblings, would not be able to contend with them.

Because of this, Bai Lijun and Mu Luofei began planning to secure the position of Shin Wang’s primary consort for Mu Luofei. Once she became the primary consort, she would be able to deal with the three siblings appropriately!

While many were dreaming of future possibilities, no one realized that the unfolding events were being orchestrated by a third party to make the events go as they wanted.

This third party was none other than the young Seventh Young Miss, who no one expected. Right now, she sat comfortably in her quarters, listening to the unfolding events with a relaxed demeanor.

The relationship between Shin Wang and Mu Luofei had developed exactly as she had intended. Unbeknownst to the two, Mu Yingying had been manipulating their interactions from the beginning, allowing the relationship to grow and reach this point.

Mu Yingying had given Mu Luofei hope regarding the position of primary consort. If her guess was correct, Mu Luofei likely dreamed of this position every night. Once she became the primary consort, she would undoubtedly plan to deal with them.

What Mu Luofei and others did not know was that Mu Yingying had already dug a pitfall for her. When Shin Wang married Mu Luofei as his primary consort, it would mark the beginning of a downfall that would drag Mu Luofei, Bai Lijun, Shin Wang, the Empress Dowager, and all related enemies down!

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