The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 146 - 145

Chapter 145

After capturing two of the intruders from the previous raid on the Zhuiping Residence, Mu Gongzhen spent a long time interrogating them, trying to extract clues from the enemy. However, the results were not very satisfactory. When Mu Yingying inquired about the progress, he disclosed all the details he knew so far without holding back.

"These two are truly death squad members. No matter how much they were tortured, they didn’t utter a single word."

Hearing this, Mu Yingying furrowed her brows slightly. "It seems the enemy prepared well in advance, using death squad members confident enough not to reveal anything. They are indeed very meticulous."

"Even though we haven’t learned anything particularly useful, there’s at least one thing I’ve discovered." Mu Gongzhen pondered for a moment before continuing, "These people are not from the Qingzhou Region."

"Really?" Mu Yingying was visibly shocked, her big, round round eyes reflecting her heavy thoughts.

Initially, she believed the hidden enemy to be a force under the command of some powerful figure within the region. After all, it wasn’t only in the capital that dangerous adversaries lurked. However, she never imagined that the hidden enemy would be from another region!

"I’m quite sure about this. I’m not sure if these people are foreign spies sneaking into the capital to gather intelligence, or if they were sent specifically for a mission." Mu Gongzhen’s expression was more serious than usual, his eyes becoming noticeably sharper.

If the hidden enemy was indeed from another region, this matter was much more significant than they had thought. It involved not just them but also the state.

Qingzhou Region had only been peaceful for a short time. If foreign spies suddenly appeared, it would surely cause great turmoil in the royal court...

Mu Yingying also understood the gravity of the situation. If the hidden enemy was someone within the region, she might still be able to investigate and deal with them on equal terms. But if the enemy was from another region, it would put her at a disadvantage, unable to confront them fully.

It seemed that this was no ordinary matter!

"If the enemy is a spy here to gather information, why would they target us? Using the three mother and daughters as pawns and sneaking in to find something in our residence, no matter how I think about it, it feels like there’s a fog obscuring the truth," Mu Yingying sighed heavily, feeling a headache coming on as she tried to piece things together.

"I’m not sure either. But even if the three mother and daughters are used as future pawns, they can still create considerable trouble in the capital. As for the intrusion, it seems the enemy’s target is something in our residence. If we can find out what they were looking for from the captives, we might be able to clear up our doubts."

Mu Yingying nodded in agreement and proposed a plan. "Since you’ve been interrogating them for so long without success, I think you should seek advice from Eldest Sister. I heard she has some powerful poisons..."

"Alright, I’ll visit Xuan’er tomorrow," Mu Gongzhen agreed without hesitation.

"All these times, the enemy seemed very interested in something we possess. Now that their attempt to infiltrate our residence has failed, they might stop their activities for a while to avoid revealing more clues. I think they will now rely on a pawn like Bai Lijun to move on their behalf," Mu Yingying paused briefly before an idea formed in her mind.

"I think using Bai Lijun is the only way for them to operate under their orders without exposing themselves. I’m sure the enemy will secretly protect that three women."

Mu Gongzhen looked at his sister with confusion, unsure of her intent. Seeing this, Mu Yingying continued without rushing.

"When the captives refuse to talk, we simply need to capture more of them. The more people we have, the greater our chances. Even if they’re all death squad members, not everyone is not afraid of death. I believe someone will eventually break and give us the information."

Her words immediately made Mu Gongzhen understand her intention. The plan seemed quite effective. Continuing to interrogate without doing anything else would be a waste of time and this also provided an opportunity for the enemy to reorganize.

"Even though the enemy has quietly retreated and remains inactive, it’s only temporarily. Given their cautious approach, afraid that we might find a clue, they likely have reasons to avoid exposure or overt actions. So, I think that this is a perfect opportunity for us to take the offensive," Mu Yingying explained her thoughts. Seeing her brother nod in agreement without objection, she continued.

"Now that we know the enemy uses the three women as pawns, they’ll undoubtedly protect them. Normally, we might not find clues linking us to the enemy. But now, the enemy is within reach, isn’t it? Since they are protecting the three, we just need to send people to assassinate those pawns."

"On the surface, it will look like an assassination attempt on the three mother and daughters, which the enemy will fiercely protect. We probably won’t succeed in killing them. However, our true goal is to capture one of the enemy for more interrogation. So, during the confrontation, our people must seize the opportunity to capture one of them alive for questioning."

"One assassination attempt could capture one enemy, two attempts could yield two. The more we try, the more chances we have to capture their people and extract information. Not only will we get more people to find clues but also keeps the enemy too occupied to devise new plans or make any moves..."

After Mu Yingying finished explaining her plan, Mu Gongzhen was astounded by his sister’s strategic thinking. If Ying’er were a man, she would undoubtedly be a top strategist by the Emperor’s side.

"What do you think, Brother?"

Seeing her brother not saying anything, Mu Yingying couldn’t help but feel curious, her big, clear eyes blinking, looking quite endearing.

Mu Gongzhen shook his head slightly before smiling gently. "Ying’er always comes up with such good ideas. If you were a man, I would surely hand over my position as Left Side Chancellor to you."

"Who wants that? I’d rather travel and play freely," Mu Yingying laughed, wrinkling her nose.

"Who told you to be so clever?" Mu Gongzhen praised her genuinely before returning to the matter at hand. "Leave dealing with the hidden enemy to me."

"Alright."

Mu Yingying nodded happily. Recently, she was busy weakening the Empress Dowager’s power and didn’t have the time to deal with the hidden enemy. Letting her brother handle it was the best option.

Several days later, on a road between the commercial district and the residential area of the officials, a carriage bearing the Mu family’s crest was moving at a normal speed. Inside the carriage were Bai Lijun and her two daughters, returning from the commercial district.

As the carriage moved steadily, it suddenly came to an abrupt stop, causing the passengers inside to be thrown against the walls hard. The impact caused pain for the three, especially for Mu Qin Shuang, whose head struck the edge of the window so hard that tears welled up in her eyes.

"What kind of idiot drives this carriage!? When we get back, I’ll have you flogged to death!"

Mu Qin Shuang shouted angrily outside, raising her hand to clutch her head that bumped into the edge of the window in pain. Bai Lijun, seeing her daughter in tears, quickly checked her condition, finding only a slight swelling on Mu Qin Shuang’s head.

"I’ll have someone apply a poultice when we get back. It should be better by tomorrow morning," Bai Lijun reassured her daughter before turning to check on Mu Luofei.

"I’m fine, Mother." Mu Luofei smiled softly, trying to ease her mother’s worry, she then glanced outside the carriage, noticing the unusual silence.

Typically, for such an incident, the coachman would apologize profusely and ask for mercy, but up until now, there had been no sound at all, which seemed very strange.

Could something have happened...?

Mu Luofei began to had a bad premonition, her slender eyebrows furrowing, her eyes turning serious. Bai Lijun noticed her daughter’s unusual demeanor and couldn’t help but ask, "What’s wrong?"

"I just feel like..."

Thunk!

Ahh!

Before Mu Luofei could finish her sentence, a sword’s blade suddenly pierced through the window curtain, startling the three women. The blade was heading straight for Mu Qin Shuang, who was closest. Instinctively, Bai Lijun pulled her daughter into her arms, preparing to shield her from the attack.

But before the blade could strike Bai Lijun, there was a clash outside, and the sword was retracted as the sound of a fight broke out.

Clang!

Slash!

The continuous sound of clashing weapons filled the air, intensifying the fear in the carriage. Mu Luofei, with trembling hands, lifted the curtain to see what was happening. Outside, a chaotic scene unfolded with a group of men in black engaged in a fierce battle.

"Wh...what is happening!?"

Bai Lijun clutched the trembling Mu Qin Shuang tightly, staring at the scene in panic. Her face paled and her eyes filled with fear.

"We are being assassinated!"

Mu Luofei said through gritted teeth. Though she was shocked by the incident and lost her composure for a moment, she quickly regained her composure. She bit her trembling lip, trying to stay calm. However, the longer she watched and listened, the more it reminded her of the kidnapping incident two years ago, a nightmare she once experienced.

Her beautiful face changed colors, and her composure disappeared entirely. As the nightmare returned, it felt as if she were back in that moment. Fear enveloped her mind, and the suffering pain from that traumatic experience surged up, causing Mu Luofei to feel tightness in her chest and struggle to breathe. She gasped for air as if she were suffocating.

No!

Someone, please help!

Get her out of here!

Huff, huff.

Mu Luofei’s breathing grew heavier, and she lost her balance, leaning against the carriage wall. Seeing her daughter’s distress, Bai Lijun snapped back to reality. She quickly released Mu Qin Shuang from her embrace and moved to support Mu Luofei.

"Fei’er! Get a grip! Breathe deeply! Look at me, I’m right here!"

Bai Lijun anxiously urged her eldest daughter, shaking her shoulders firmly several times, hoping to bring her back to her senses. The shaking worked, and soon Mu Luofei escaped her nightmare. She took several deep breaths, regaining her composure.

"I’m...I’m alright now." Mu Luofei looked into her mother’s eyes. Though her face was still pale, her eyes were clear and focused.

Seeing this, Bai Lijun felt relieved. She turned to check on Mu Qin Shuang, who was also shaken by the assassination attempt. Her small frame was trembling as if she had a fever, huddled in the corner of the carriage, holding her knees in fear.

Bai Lijun’s heart ached as if struck by a heavy hammer. She quickly went to comfort her youngest daughter.

Thunk!

Another sword pierced the carriage, but luckily, no one was in its path, so the three women remained unharmed. Mu Luofei and Bai Lijun stared at the sword’s blade, reflecting their faces, with utmost fear from the depth their hearts.

"Mother, we can’t stay in the carriage any longer. We have protection outside. It’s better to get out than to be sitting targets," Mu Luofei said anxiously to her mother, and Bai Lijun agreed.

They had been lucky so far, so they weren’t near the area the blade pierced through, but who knew if they would be so fortunate next time?

Having made up their minds, the three quickly exited the carriage. Outside, they found chaos, with groups of men engaged in fierce combat. Upon seeing the three women, one of the guards shouted to his comrades.

"Divide the group and protect the three of them back to the manor! The rest of us will hold off the enemy!"

Upon hearing this, some of the men in black broke away from the fight to surround the three women quickly, and then they waited for the rest to engage the attackers to buy time, so that they could find a chance to escort the three away.

Meanwhile, the mysterious assailants who had come to assassinate the three women glanced at each other knowingly. They then encircled the remaining guards and resumed their fierce attack...

...

..

.

After being safely escorted back to the Mu family manor, Bai Lijun and her daughters learned that their protectors were secretly sent by that person. This revelation brought them great relief, knowing that that person had been secretly safeguarding them all along. This was why they could escape from today’s incident.

Following the orders of the person who backed them, Bai Lijun and her daughters acted as if nothing had happened, waiting for further instructions. The assassination attempt had left them deeply shaken, realizing that without the secret protection, they might not have survived.

What Bai Lijun and her daughters did not know was that this was just the beginning!

Following that day’s assassination attempt, similar incidents continued to plague them. Whether outside the manor or within, attempts on their lives occurred daily. Though they managed to survive each time, they sometimes sustained injuries. There were many times that Bai Lijun and Mu Luofei tried to uncover the culprits and devise preventive measures, but their efforts were always in vain.

This constant threat forced the three to live in a state of perpetual fear of every step they took. They dared not step outside and eventually confined themselves to one quarters, using illness as an excuse to cut off from the outside world until things calmed down. Only then did they dare to step outside the quarters.

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