The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 183 - 182

Chapter 182

"It’s Hai hour. Beware of fire during this dry season."

The sound of a small gong echoed along with the voice of an elderly man, warning the people who were now drifting into slumber in the night. But that wasn’t everyone, for this was the capital of the Daling Region and a bustling commercial district. Even at night, there were still people wandering the streets with intentions unknown.

Some were out seeking pleasure and enjoyment with the beautiful women at the famous brothel in town, where the women were skilled in singing and dancing, or perhaps adept at games like gambling, which men often longed for. Others were out to do things that couldn’t be done during the day, as they were deemed inappropriate for anyone to know.

Such as the graceful lady, whose every gesture exuded the elegance, which was in line with the title of the greatest woman in the land, and fitting her role as the mistress of a grand mansion in this commercial area. She was engrossed in reading a document in her hand, completely absorbed in what she was doing, with a calm and composed expression on her face.

Knock, knock, knock.

"..."

The sound of knocking at the study door, made by someone, brought the beautiful lady back to reality from the depths of the document in front of her.

At the same moment, a breeze from the window brushed against her fresh, makeup-free face, causing her long, jet-black hair to flutter, adding even more charm to her appearance.

"Come in,"

Mu Yingying said in a steady voice, glancing down at the document in her hand as if nothing had happened. Shortly after, the door opened. Lu Jiu entered with a tray of food, as he did every evening.

The aroma of the food wafted to Mu Yingying’s nose, making her stomach growl slightly in protest. She put the document down and smiled faintly, her big, round eyes sparkling. Since Lu Jiu had returned to her side, Mu Yingying felt well taken care of, no less than when Su Su was with her.

She had thought that coming to the Daling Region without Su Su would make her life a bit more difficult, but it wasn’t so. Lu Jiu took care of everything for her on Su Su’s behalf, managing the servants to do their duties well and attending to her needs without her having to ask.

The way he cared for her from the first day hadn’t changed at all...

"Is that the midnight snack? Having you by my side like this is truly a blessing. Did you know that eating your longevity noodles every night gives me the strength to battle my enemies?"

Mu Yingying said with a playful smile, looking at Lu Jiu, who was preparing her noodle bowl, her voice filled with joy, like a child who had received her favorite thing.

Lu Jiu didn’t respond with words. He just smiled back, looking at her with warm, gentle eyes, feeling a deep affection for her. He then placed the bowl of noodles in front of her, ready for her to eat.

While Mu Yingying was savoring the longevity noodles, Lu Jiu walked over to close the window slightly to prevent the cold wind from blowing in. He waited until the young woman finished her meal before he went to pour her some tea out of habit. He then tidily placed the dishes on a tray and set them in the corner of the table.

If the officials of the Basui Region saw their Crown Prince doing such work akin to that of a servant, they would surely faint. To others, such actions might seem degrading and only suitable for servants. However, to Lu Jiu, he was willing to do anything for this woman without feeling the slightest loss of dignity.

"Lu Jiu...Your longevity noodles are just as delicious as ever. I’ve been eating them every day for so long and I still don’t get tired of them. What exactly do you put in them?"

Mu Yingying teased, patting her full stomach with satisfaction. She closed her eyes in contentment, completely relaxed from her favorite dish, showing none of the ladylike demeanor she usually exhibited in public.

"In that case, I must thank you for your kind words, Miss,"

Lu Jiu replied, bringing the tea he had prepared to Mu Yingying, following the customary practice of serving tea after a meal. Though it was said to be out of customary, from another perspective, it resembled a husband caring for his wife. Yet Mu Yingying didn’t notice anything amiss.

"Thank you? I should be the one thanking you. For this cup of tea too...thank you,"

Mu Yingying said, raising the beautiful teacup in a gesture of gratitude. Despite knowing well that she shouldn’t do this due to their differing statuses, her playful nature made her dare to continue doing so, as long as he didn’t stop her.

And surely, even if that day came, she wouldn’t stop. Just like now, she placed the teacup down and teasingly spoke to Lu Jiu again.

"Sigh, if those old officials of the Basui Region knew that their Crown Prince, the heir to the throne of the region, was serving a woman like me, mm...They would probably be crying and banging their heads on the floor or some might even have heart attacks."

With that, Mu Yingying laughed out loud, her big, round eyes sparkling so brightly that Lu Jiu found it hard to look away. The beaming face filled with happiness was something he wished to preserve forever. He thought that such a joyful and playful expression suited her well,

And he never wanted her to experience any sorrow again...

"Miss, haven’t I told you before that I do not care about the words of those officials? The only thing I care about is the oath I made to you from the beginning,"

Lu Jiu said calmly, yet it contained sincerity for eight out of ten parts. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, his eyes soft and gentle like warm water ready to comfort her.

"Just because of the oath?"

Mu Yingying asked in curiosity, feeling a strange emotion in her heart as if waiting for a particular answer from him. Upon hearing this, Lu Jiu turned to look into her eyes with a warm gaze, his usually stoic face softening, his eyes showing utmost sincerity.

"Because I am willing...willing to stay by your side like this."

"..."

Mu Yingying didn’t respond. She locked eyes with him for a long time amid the silence that enveloped the room. The only sounds were the breeze carrying flower petals into the night sky and the soft rustling of the curtains, similar to her flowing black hair brushing against her goddess-like face.

In that moment, as Mu Yingying listened to the response from the person before her, her heart unexpectedly trembled. Her mind went blank for a moment, and she couldn’t think of what to say or do next, hearing only the irregular thumping of her heart.

It took Mu Yingying a while to regain her composure. She turned her face away, feigning a laugh to mask her unusual behavior.

"Hahaha, alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore. But what about my tea? When will I get to drink it, Your Highness?"

In the end, everything concluded with Mu Yingying, the one who teased, surrendering to the sincerity of the man in front of her, who gazed at her with a serious yet warm look, akin to the midday sun. The one being teased couldn’t help but sigh at the sight of her smiling face.

Lu Jiu knew well what kind of person she was, but he allowed her to tease and play with him endlessly. He, too, felt at ease whenever they were together...

Once everything returned to normal, the two resumed their usual activity of playing Weiqi together. As they played, they discussed and strategized about dealing with their enemies.

"The bait has been set, and the fish has taken it,"

Lu Jiu said, placing a black piece on the board, causing the young woman about to place her white piece to pause and ask,

"Taken the bait? What do you mean?"

After asking, Mu Yingying placed her piece on the board calmly, giving Lu Jiu time to take a piece from the small jar and place it on the board before he explained further.

"That’s right. Two days ago, the Crown Prince sent people to investigate the restaurant about that employee, just as we expected. Our people have followed the plan perfectly, staging that employee’s suicide and leaving a few clues to muddy the waters even further."

"And the outcome?"

Mu Yingying asked again after placing her penultimate piece on the board. Lu Jiu quickly replied, "Of course, they were completely convinced. They’ve already reported the clues from the scene to the Crown Prince."

"Good...Now that the water is muddy, we need to make it even murkier. This capital of Daliang has been peaceful for too long, so long that it’s becoming quite boring. We need some chaos to liven things up."

Mu Yingying calmly placed her final piece on the board with a cunning smile, revealing her intentions to Lu Jiu without any attempt to hide them. He glanced at the final piece on the board, inscribed with the word ruin, then back at her mischievous demeanor, his eyes filled with gentle affection...

Eastern Palace

"The matter of that suspicious employee was initially investigated by my people to a considerable extent, but unfortunately, the employee committed suicide before we could get to the bottom of it."

A young, handsome man with the bearing of royalty and the title of heir to the throne of the region spoke with a calm voice, taking a sip from his teacup after finishing his sentence. His words startled the others in the room, but before anyone could speak, the Crown Prince continued.

"Although it appears to be a suicide meant to take secrets to the grave, in reality, it was a staged performance meant to deceive us."

After speaking, the Crown Prince placed the teacup on the table before him, leaving a moment for those in the room to ponder his words. Then, the eldest young master of the Hou Manor, unable to contain his curiosity, spoke up.

"A staged performance? Your Highness, do you mean to say..."

"Precisely. Someone orchestrated this entire event because, at the scene, my informants found this."

The Crown Prince raised his hand to signal for his trusted eunuch to bring something into the room. There were no fewer than four young men present in the study which few people could enter, all close confidants and allies of the Crown Prince.

When the item was brought in and revealed, it caused the Third Prince, who should not have let it slip out, to blurt out in confusion and surprise.

"A porcelain bottle? Could it be..."

"Exactly as you think. This porcelain bottle still contains traces of Jingkai poison. This is solid evidence that the employee was indeed the one who administered the poison."

As soon as the Crown Prince finished speaking, everyone fell silent again. All eyes of the people in the study were fixed on the porcelain bottle, thoughts aligning towards the same suspicions, especially the Third Prince, who seemed the most contemplative. However, someone in the room was quicker to voice his thoughts.

"If it is as Your Highness says, I believe the true mastermind hired this employee to carry out the act and then silenced him to cover all tracks, ensuring we can investigate no further."

Of course, the person who had blurted out this idea after a moment of silence was Fu Tianma. His words, spoken after some contemplation, reflected his icy and ruthless personality, convincing the others in the room to agree with his assessment.

Until the carefree Hao Mingye added his perspective, "Your Highness, I believe the mastermind behind this must have considerable power in the capital. Otherwise, they couldn’t have cleaned up so thoroughly. Moreover, the aim of this move seems to be targeting Ben Yanggong. Could it be that the perpetrator is an enemy of Ben Yanggong...?"

"No, the enemies of Ben Yanggong are merely minor officials. Do you think a low-ranking official would dare to do something like this? If it were me, I would rather sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fighting among themselves[1] than get involved myself,"

The eldest young master of the Fu family, interrupted almost immediately after Hao Mingye suggested the enemy of Ben Yanggong was responsible. Fu Tianma knew that Ben Yanggong’s enemies were just low-ranking officials, and even if they had such intentions, they would likely only think about it without taking action.

"You’re right. I agree with this point. If they planned something beyond their means, wouldn’t it be better to watch others act? Taking action themselves would only bring losses,"

The Third Prince added in agreement. The room fell silent again, with everyone displaying serious expressions, especially the Third Prince, who seemed more troubled than ever. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince remained silent, holding the porcelain bottle, his thoughts inscrutable.

If it was as his Third Brother and Fu Tianma suggested, then who was the mastermind behind Ben Yanggong’s assassination?

As the Crown Prince pondered the mastermind behind Ben Yanggong’s poisoning, his younger brother of the same mother, who had been silent, spoke again. This time, however, his words brought clarity to the room.

"I remember now! I was wondering why I felt like I had forgotten something. If I’m not mistaken, didn’t the Fifth Brother receive an assignment from Father to handle affairs in the north last year? Could it be that the mastermind behind Ben Yanggong’s assassination is the Fifth Brother?"

"..."

Silence engulfed the room once more as the Third Prince’s revelation about the porcelain bottle in the Crown Prince’s hand led everyone to the same conclusion: the Fifth Prince might be the one behind the entire plot.

Especially the Crown Prince, who began to feel a growing suspicion towards this theory proposed by his younger brother more than anyone else.

[1] A proverb means a situation where you are in a safe position while others are fighting for their survival.

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