The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 91 - 90

Chapter 90

“That woman wants to harm Miss Fei Yang?”

Mu Gongzhen repeated the sentence in confusion. He might not know the eldest young miss of the Su family, but he was quite familiar with Miss Fei Yang. She was a good-natured and cheerful woman, and a friend to both his sisters. If someone intended to harm her, it was no wonder Ying’er was planning to act against them so severely.

“Yes, I fear she saw you and Sister Liting being close at the banquet at Duan Wang Palace, and now she wants to harm Sister Liting. And she’s working with our old enemy, Young Miss Cheng,” Mu Yingying said with a mocking laugh, recalling Cheng Fuyuan.

Mu Gongzhen thought briefly about Young Miss Cheng before remembering that she was the malicious woman who constantly bullied his Ying’er.

“And how did you find out about this, Ying’er?”

“I’ve had an informant in the Cheng household since our time in Qingyun City. A few days before the Imperial Academy’s classes began, my informant reported that Su Baimiao visited Cheng Fuyuan at her residence personally,” Mu Yingying explained in detail, her big, round eyes gleaming with excitement as if she were recounting an amusing tale. “The Su and Cheng families aren’t particularly close, so it’s unusual for Su Baimiao to visit Cheng Fuyuan in person like that.”

“Later, when I went to Ma Jun Tea House with Sister Liting, we saw Su Baimiao there with her friends. As we sat and had tea together, I noticed that Su Baimiao’s gaze towards Sister Liting was quite abnormal. Although her eyes appeared to smile, they sometimes revealed a sinister glint.”

“Do you know who she reminded me of, Brother?”

Mu Yingying asked playfully, a mischievous smile appearing on her small face. Mu Gongzhen, who had been listening attentively, shook his head in response. Mu Yingying continued,

“Su Baimiao’s gaze reminded me of Mu Luofei because it was so similar! I trust my instincts quite a bit. After returning home, I had someone keep a closer watch on Su Baimiao and Cheng Fuyuan. Soon, we discovered they were indeed acting suspiciously. First, Cheng Fuyuan went to a shop to buy ingredients with her personal servant. When my people investigated the shop, they found out she bought finely ground peanut powder.”

“Luckily, I remembered that five years ago in Qingyun City, Sister Liting had mentioned she was allergic to peanuts. I immediately understood their goal. The next day, Cheng Fuyuan went to Xiangzhou Alley, where Su Baimiao’s servant talked to a man, who turned out to be a kitchen worker at the Imperial Academy. Later, Su Baimiao’s servant met with Cheng Fuyuan at the corner of the street.”

"From everything that happened, I think those two planned to harm Sister Liting using peanut powder, which is her only weakness. Just a small contact or ingestion could cause a severe allergic reaction, possibly leading to death. This is no trivial matter..."

As Mu Yingying thought about the potential danger Meng Liting could face, her expression turned serious. She would never let anyone who wanted to harm her loved ones get away with it!

"Initially, I planned to expose both of them, but upon reflection, I realized that it would be difficult to unmask Su Baimiao. The other side is quite well-prepared, and all the evidence we have or can link only points to Cheng Fuyuan. She has been set up as the scapegoat. It’s laughable that she intended to harm others without realizing she was being used herself..."

Mu Yingying’s smile turned cold, and she let out a soft laugh. Her big, round eyes gleamed with unhidden mockery. Even Mu Gongzhen, who had been listening attentively, couldn’t help but agree with his younger sister’s words.

The most pathetic thing was a fool who thought they were clever!

"So, since we can’t unmask Su Baimiao directly, let’s deal with her through the Su family. After all, the punishment the Su family will face will be fitting for her malicious actions!"

Hearing the whole story, Mu Gongzhen immediately understood the main reason Ying’er wanted to act against the Su family. It was because of Su Baimiao’s intent to harm Miss Fei Yang. If it weren’t for Su Baimiao’s actions, the Su family might have lasted another year or two. It seemed that Left Side Chancellor Su Anming would be very proud to know that his niece’s actions were shortening his lifespan!

“Go ahead with your plan. I’ll take care of the rest.” Mu Gongzhen nodded at his younger sister, giving her a reassuring smile. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Seeing this, Mu Yingying walked over to her brother, stood on her tiptoes, and gave him a big kiss on the cheek as a thank you, smiling adorably.

“Thank you, Eldest Brother!”

With that, she turned and walked back to her quarters, leaving her brother to contemplate the next steps. She could have planned everything herself, but she didn’t want to overstep her brother or the Emperor too much. So, she would just catch the culprits and let her brother handle the rest according to the law.

Soon after, Mu Yingying arrived at the back quarters of Mu Qingxuan. After consulting with her eldest brother, she needed to discuss the next steps with her eldest sister, who would be part of this grand scheme as well!

Within the tranquil back quarters, Mu Qingxuan’s slender figure sat quietly reading a book on potion making by the window. Her peach blossom eyes lingered over the words for a long time. Though her beautiful face remained composed, it still radiated an ethereal elegance, akin to an immortal.

Mu Yingying, who had just entered, leaned against the doorframe and watched the scene before her with a smile. Her sister was so beautiful that no matter how many times she looked, she never tired of it. She wondered what kind of fate her sister would have in this life...

Mu Qingxuan, sensing a pair of eyes watching her, looked up momentarily and saw the familiar small figure standing not far away, staring at her.

"Ying’er...When did you arrive? Why are you standing over there?"

Her gentle voice filled the air, and her peach blossom eyes softened. She placed her book on the table beside her and gestured for her younger sister to sit on a vacant seat next to her.

Mu Yingying obediently walked over and sat down beside her sister, saying teasingly, "I just arrived. The view is so beautiful that I couldn’t help but stop and admire it."

"Such a young girl, learning to tease already!" Mu Qingxuan pretended to scold before laughing. She reached out to gently stroke her sister’s head. "So, what brings you to me today?"

"You always see right through me," Mu Yingying smiled and continued, "I came to discuss a certain opera scene with you. I’m afraid I’ll need you to perform it in my place."

"An opera scene?"

Mu Qingxuan raised her eyebrows in surprise. Seeing her sister’s mischievous face, her smile widened instantly. What could her little sister be planning this time?

"Yes, just a scene in an opera. To outwit a fool who thinks they’re clever..."

Mu Yingying’s sly smile grew as she explained the details to her sister. "My informant in the Cheng household reported that Cheng Fuyuan and Su Baimiao are conspiring to harm Sister Liting."

"What did you say?"

Mu Qingxuan’s brows furrowed instantly, her gentle face turning serious. Meng Liting had been her close friend from their past life to this one. The other had always been kind and helpful. Anyone intending to harm Meng Liting would have to get past her first!

"Several days ago, Su Baimiao met with Cheng Fuyuan at her quarters. I fear they discussed their plans then. Later, Cheng Fuyuan went out to buy something from a small ingredient shop in the commercial district. My informant discovered it was finely ground peanut powder..."

Mu Qingxuan’s frown deepened upon hearing that Cheng Fuyuan had bought finely ground peanut powder. Having been friends for so long, Mu Qingxuan knew about Meng Liting’s peanut allergy since their past life. Even the slightest contact or ingestion of peanuts could easily kill her.

Furthermore, Cheng Fuyuan knew about this as well, so there was no way she would buy finely ground peanut powder for any other reason than to harm Meng Liting!

“Additionally, Su Baimiao sent someone to hire and make arrangements with a kitchen worker at the Imperial Academy. It seems they plan to have that worker secretly add finely ground peanut powder to lunch meal. However, we don’t know exactly when they will act.”

Mu Yingying provided the details succinctly to avoid wasting more time. She truly didn’t know when the enemy would strike, so it was best to be prepared in advance.

“Su Baimiao, you say?” Mu Qingxuan repeated the name of Cheng Fuyuan’s accomplice in confusion. As far as she could remember, Meng Liting had never been personally acquainted with Su Baimiao, and they had no conflicts between them. So why would the other party want to harm Meng Liting?

“Why did she collaborate with Cheng Fuyuan? Young Miss Su walks a path completely different from ours.”

“The jealousy of women is something we cannot predict...”

Mu Yingying lowered her gaze slightly, recalling past events. Upon reflecting, many incidents in her past life often stemmed from the jealousy and envy harbored by women, such as Bai Lijun, Mu Luofei, Mu Qin Shuang, and Cheng Fuyuan.

Every one of them became her enemy solely out of jealousy, ultimately leading to an endless cycle of hatred!

“Actually, it’s not that Su Baimiao is collaborating with Cheng Fuyuan, but rather that Cheng Fuyuan is being used by Su Baimiao...”

“So, Su Baimiao is the real mastermind?” Mu Qingxuan asked in bewilderment. She could understand the malevolence of Cheng Fuyuan, but the gentle and sweet-seeming Su Baimiao? That was harder to believe.

“I’m afraid we can’t directly deal with Su Baimiao this time, as she has been quite meticulous in her actions. So, I discussed with our eldest brother that we will target the Su family instead!”

Mu Yingying explained unhurriedly. Mu Qingxuan wasn’t a fool either. As she began to ponder over her sister’s words, she started to grasp the situation more clearly.

“So, how do you want me to play this act?”

“I think that once the Imperial Academy reopens, they will surely act. We just don’t know when. I want you to be prepared by brewing an antidote for the peanut allergy in advance for Sister Liting to take as a precaution.”

“When they act, it will surely be during lunch. I think you’ll notice when the time comes. You and Sister Liting should play along, pretending everything is going according to their plan, to lull them into a false sense of security before revealing their true faces!”

“Once the matter is resolved, it will be time to deal with the Su family and Su Baimiao...”

Mu Yingying spoke with a cold tone, her big, round eyes glinting with a chilling light, making her seem quite formidable. She had let Cheng Fuyuan live long enough; it was time to settle the score with this debtor. As for Su Baimiao, did she think she could escape this?

Surely not!

Who knew which punishment would be more severe: the punishment for harming the noble lady or the punishment for a family accused of treason...

Imperial Academy

After hearing the startling news from her servant, Su Baimiao’s body froze momentarily, her beautiful face turning pale in an unprecedented manner. The severity of this matter was beyond her ability to predict.

"Baimiao...are you all right? Perhaps it’s just a misunderstanding. Why don’t you go back to the manor and see for yourself?" Wan Ningtong tried to comfort her friend, genuinely worried. Having soldiers surround a manor was no small matter, especially when it was the residence of the Left Side Chancellor. However, she couldn’t make any decisions, so she just tried to comfort her friend.

"Yes, yes, it might be a misunderstanding. You should go back to the manor and wait for the news. Things might clear up soon," Jiao Fangniang quickly supported Wan Ningtong’s words; she herself was just as anxious as her friend.

"O...okay."

Su Baimiao replied with a trembling voice, taking a deep breath and trying to calm herself to be ready for anything that would happen. She hoped there was still a way to resolve the situation.

"I should return to the manor first. I’ll see you again soon." She bid her friends goodbye and swiftly followed her servant back to the manor.

Seeing Su Baimiao leave, Wan Ningtong and Jiao Fangniang also decided to head back to their homes to inquire about the situation from their families. Shortly afterward, guards from Duan Wang Palace hurried into the room to report something to Duan Wang. Upon hearing the report, Duan Wang’s stern face showed a hint of surprise before returning to his usual calm demeanor.

"Young Miss Mu, Ben Wang must leave Ting’er in your care for now. Ben Wang has an urgent matter to attend to," Duan Wang said as he emerged from behind the screen, addressing Mu Qingxuan, who was seated in the corner of the room.

"With pleasure, Your Highness. I will take good care of the lady,"

Mu Qingxuan replied willingly. Once Duan Wang left, the doctors in the room also dispersed until only Mu Qingxuan and Meng Liting remained. She then walked over and closed the door.

As soon as the door was shut, the figure on the bed, which should have been unconscious, suddenly opened her eyes. Her gaze was clear, with no sign of the illness she had been feigning earlier.

"Finally, they’re gone. I was getting so stiff lying here motionless," Meng Liting said as she sat up, laughing and revealing a playful smile.

"But it was worth it, wasn’t it?"

Mu Qingxuan walked past the screen toward the bed, taking out a small porcelain bottle from her sleeve. She poured a pill into her hand and handed it to Meng Liting along with a cup of water.

"Indeed," Meng Liting raised her eyebrows slightly as she took the pill and water. "The medicine you gave me earlier worked wonders, Qingxuan. The allergic rash on my body looked so real, I almost believed it myself."

"I am a disciple of the Divine Doctor, after all. I wouldn’t want to tarnish his name," Mu Qingxuan responded playfully, and the two of them laughed together.

Soon, the red rash all over Meng Liting’s body began to fade rapidly, revealing her clear, fair skin as if the frightening rash had been nothing more than an illusion.

"So, what do we do next?" Meng Liting asked, curiosity evident in her voice. She had a rough idea of the plan and had played her part well.

"Nothing more needs to be done. We’ll leave the rest to Brother Gongzhen,"

Mu Qingxuan replied with a mysterious smile, her peach blossom eyes sparkling with excitement as if anticipating an entertaining show.

"From here on, we’ll just sit back and watch the fun unfold..."

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