Female-dominated society: Striving for the position of powerful minister, doting on Xiao Yunqing

When Mu Yunqing heard Mu Yan say those words, his cold and handsome face flushed slightly, his ear tips turned red, and his expression was somewhat surprised. He looked up at Mu Yan, his eyes filled with shock.

"Oh, so you're the Third Miss's husband. Forgive my poor eyesight, hahaha, the two of you have such a good relationship!"

The coachman lifted the curtain and gestured for the three to board the carriage. The three then got into the carriage one after another.

Inside the carriage

Mu Yan and Mu Yunqing sat on one side, while Xiao Ran sat alone on the other side.

Xiao Ran was actually a little unhappy. Why didn't the young lady sit with her? Why did she have to sit next to that stinky man?

Thinking about it, she pouted and couldn't help but glare at Mu Yunqing.

Fortunately, Mu Yunqing was resting with his eyes closed and was completely unaware of what was happening, while Mu Yan, who was standing to the side, was also looking down at a medical book.

So, Xiao Ran, emboldened by lust, began to openly stare at Mu Yan. His gaze was completely genuine, devoid of any artifice.

Wow, she looks better and better! I really want to be her friend!! ? ///▽/// ?.

It was still early and a bit dark outside, so the light inside the carriage was also dim, but this did not diminish Mu Yan's beauty at all.

She had her long hair pulled back, with a few stray strands falling around her ears. Her features were delicate and defined. She was not wearing any makeup, yet she was breathtakingly beautiful. Xiao Ran felt that this trip was really worth it!

Whose good man goes on a long trip and is accompanied by a beautiful woman? Hehe, it's me! It's me! Xiao Ran smiled like an aunt.

Perhaps it was the intense gaze of the person opposite her, Mu Yan suddenly looked up and glanced at Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran: Overjoyed!! Ahhh, she looked at me! She looked at me! Waaaaah, her eyes are so beautiful, and she looks even more beautiful when she looks at me!

Mu Yan: ……

Now Mu Yan truly understood. The person opposite her was genuinely looking at her, and judging from her expression, he seemed to like her very much.

Oh no, I'm in deep trouble. It's not just my life that's in danger, it's the rest of my life.

Mu Yan tried hard to recall, but the heroines in those time-travel novels always seemed to encounter either a prince or an emperor... Uh... But! There are no princes or emperors in this world!

Mu Yan panicked. Was she going to be tied to this princess? Mu Yan was terrified and moved closer to Mu Yunqing with her book.

Feeling Mu Yan move, Mu Yunqing opened his eyes and looked up at her. He then saw Mu Yan take his arm and hug him tightly.

But Mu Yan didn't look at him; instead, she looked at the person opposite her.

Mu Yan looked up at Xiao Ran, and Xiao Ran looked back at her.

What Muyan is conveying is, "Look, I have a man, and I love him very much, so I won't like you."

But in Xiao Ran's eyes, it was, "He's mine, we have a great relationship, don't try to take him away."

Ah, Xiao Ran really wanted to explain clearly: she wasn't, she didn't, she was looking at her!

Although the man was also very handsome, she had a keen eye and could tell they were a couple, so she kept her eyes fixed straight ahead.

When Mu Yan saw the subtle change in Xiao Ran's expression, she felt a surge of smugness. Her brows furrowed with undisguised joy, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. Mu Yunqing took in everything.

Having achieved her goal, Mu Yan released Mu Yunqing's hand, picked up the medical book, and sheepishly moved to the other side.

So they were just using him as a tool.

"Can I call you Ayan?" Xiao Ran asked Mu Yan with a smile.

Mu Yan's inner thoughts: No! No! Absolutely not! NO, NO, NO!

"You can call me whatever you want, Princess," Mu Yan said without batting an eye.

Oh my god, can I call her my wife? Can I? Can I? Waaaaah, I really want to call her my wife!

Since I came into this world, it's been so long since I've felt such an urgent desire to get close to someone!

Yes, Xiao Ran was a die-hard fangirl back in the 20th century. She was a well-known fangirl who would become a fan of anyone who was good-looking, and her fighting spirit was off the charts!

She's an expert at everything: fighting haters, building fans, greeting people at the airport, and seeing them off!

If you are good-looking enough, even if you are attacked by 100,000 haters, she will fight to the end!

Of course, she likes you a lot, but she likes more than just you.

She has many favorite idols, both male and female, a real mixed bag, too many to watch, simply too many.

"Hehe, then let's call her Ayan!" Xiao Ran thought to herself, feeling quite pleased.

"Well, as long as the princess likes it." Anyway, I was resistant to it no matter what.

You can call me Aran~

Mu Yan (inner monologue): I don't want to, I refuse, I'd rather call you princess.

"Yes, Princess." She agreed very quickly.

Mu Yunqing listened quietly as she told lies without batting an eye.

"Ayan, are you aware of the flood situation in Wenzhou?"

Xiao Ran tried hard to find topics to talk about, saying whatever came to mind.

"Hmm, I know a little. What's wrong?" Mu Yan looked up at her. The girl seemed a little nervous.

Tsk, her damn charm.

"It's nothing, I was just asking you..."

"Yes, Princess." Mu Yan smiled gently at her to show her politeness; she absolutely could not be like Mu Yunqing.

Damn it!! How can someone smile so beautifully? Waaaaah, Xiao Ran is completely mesmerized.

Xiao Ran and Mu Yan chatted casually, completely unaware that they came from the same world.

The carriage traveled along the road, and time flew by.

The journey from Kyoto to Wenzhou isn't actually that far. If you travel day and night at a fast pace, you'll arrive in a day and a night. If you rest along the way, it will take two days and one night.

_Yunyan Pavilion

To fulfill her daughter's wish, Mu Yunyan took the initiative to invite the Empress to Yunyan Pavilion to admire the lotus flowers, and even personally prepared a table of desserts.

It's summer now, the perfect time for lotus flowers to bloom.

The lotus pond is clean and clear, and you can vaguely see the fish swimming in it. The lotus leaves are close together, and the lotus flowers are of varying heights, making it extremely beautiful.

The air was filled with a faint fragrance of lotus flowers.

"Your Majesty, please try this." Mu Yunyan reached out and placed a piece of osmanthus cake on the Empress's plate.

"Why is Minister Mu being so kind to me today?" Xiao Ning took a bite of the pastry and looked up at Mu Yunyan.

"Can't I be nice to Your Majesty?" Mu Yunyan asked softly.

"Hmph, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Tell me, which of my treasures have you taken a fancy to this time? I'm in a good mood today, so I grant your request!" She took another bite of the pastry, as she loved the sweet taste.

"There is no treasure I desire, but there is something I need to discuss with His Majesty."

"What? You're worried and want to go to Wenzhou?" Xiao Ning raised her phoenix eyes slightly, looking directly at Mu Yunyan.

If that's the case, she'll look down on Mu Yunyan.

"No, Your Majesty, you are overthinking it. I did not mean that. I believe that the princess and Ayan can handle the flood."

“That is very good. However, apart from this matter, I really can’t think of anything else that Minister Mu wants to discuss with me. Minister Mu may speak frankly.”

"If Ayan can successfully quell the flood, I would like to ask for some reward on his behalf."

"What reward?" The Empress suddenly felt a pang of heartache. Her mother had taken quite a few good things from her, and her daughter was probably just as bad.

“Ayan told me that she wanted an official position.”

"Does Minister Mu mean for me to bestow an official title upon her?"

"It's not 'please,' it's 'please.'" Mu Yunyan said respectfully.

"Haha, I grant it, but whether she can be granted a title depends on her fate."

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great favor!" Mu Yunyan bowed to Xiao Ning in the manner of a subject to a ruler.

"Hey, hey, you can't do that. There are no outsiders here. Get up quickly." Xiao Ning said, reaching out to help Mu Yunyan up.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, but a ruler is a ruler, and a subject is a subject; this distinction cannot be overridden." Mu Yunyan's eyes were firm.

From a young age, her mother taught her to be polite, so that she wouldn't suffer in social situations.

Her mother said, "If someone gives you a way out, you can't be foolish enough to just go along with them. Otherwise, you'll be controlled by them, and then it will be too late."

If someone sets a stage for you, don't rush to climb it. Remember your place and never overstep your bounds. Don't let temporary gains cloud your judgment.

The reason why people are divided into different classes is because people are fundamentally different.

You can start from scratch, but you must never accept charity from others.

What others give you is ultimately what others give you, and you will have to give it back.

Mu Yunyan always remembered these words, and even though she knew that the Empress treated her like a sister, she would never overstep her bounds.

She always remembered the Empress's kindness to her, and her mother said that it all had to be repaid.

_Flower House

A big customer came to the building today. As soon as he entered, he threw a large bag of silver on the counter, shouting that he wanted to see Nian and propose marriage.

This man's surname is Wu, and his given name is Cancan. His name sounds nice, but he's not good-looking. He used to be a poor man, but later he went into the pork business, made a lot of money, and is now considered a well-known figure in Kyoto.

She brought four chests of silver to the brothel today, all for the sake of bringing Nian under her wing. Ever since she saw Nian at the courtesan competition, she has been unable to forget her, and her mind is constantly on her mind.

You should know that Nian's reputation is renowned far and wide; his beauty is known to all.

If she were to marry him, she could easily save face when going shopping or attending business meetings with him! Besides, he's still a virgin, and she genuinely likes him; it's a win-win situation no matter how you look at it.

Wu Cancan became increasingly happy as she thought about it, her face crinkling with laughter, which looked rather frightening from a distance.

Well, she's really rich, but she's also really ugly. She's a total fat girl, and to make matters worse, she's dark-skinned. Her body is about the size of two nimbals, and she has a huge belly. She has countless flabby bits of fat on her body, and she shakes when she walks.

This is not even considered being despised.

What's even worse is that this person often forces good women into prostitution, is fickle, and wants to take in new women every three to five days. And today, he came to Nian.

She waited downstairs for a long time, but didn't even see Nian's figure. Then she started swearing and sprayed saliva all over the face of the servant girl who was serving her.

"Where is he? Tell him to come out! Damn it, who gave him the nerve to make me wait so long!" Wu Can slapped the teapot on the table and smashed it.

The people nearby were startled.

"Please don't be angry, I'll go upstairs and call again." Xiao Si said, then slunk upstairs.

_Nian's room

The madam and Nian sat facing each other, Nian's face showing obvious anger.

"Does Father mean that he wants Nian Nian to marry the man downstairs?" Nian's face was very displeased.

“Of course not, how could Father bear to marry my Nian Nian to such a person?” The madam said, gently stroking Nian’s hair.

"Then let her go. Niannian doesn't want to see her." Nian said with a haughty expression.

He really didn't want to see her. Seeing her made him feel nauseous, so nauseous he wanted to vomit, so nauseous he felt vomiting, and he probably wouldn't want to eat for three days.

"If Niannian goes to see him, Father will let her go, okay?"

"Oh no!" Nian shook off his hand.

“If Father wants to see you, Father will go see you himself. I’m tired, I need to rest.” Nian said as she walked toward the wooden bed.

Sigh... He's my own son, I'll spoil him. I'll see him if I want.

So the madam's father went downstairs to see Wu Can. The two stood together, and Wu Can appeared to be several years older than the madam's father.

"I want to see Nian, what are you doing here?" Wu Can said, hands on his hips, his demeanor aggressive.

"Oh, you want to see Nian? I'm afraid you won't be able to see her today. My Nian Nian hasn't been feeling well lately and just took her medicine and went to sleep," the madam said casually.

"Sick? You were perfectly fine yesterday?"

“How can yesterday compare to today?” the madam said with a smile.

Wu Cancan looked at the man in front of her, who was not much less handsome than Nian, and began to have wicked thoughts.

"Since I can't see Nian, then you'll have to keep me company." As he spoke, his fat hand touched the madam's face.

"I would be happy to keep you company, but it's not dark yet. Why don't you have a few drinks with me first, sir?" The madam removed her fat hand from her face.

"Haha, I love you just the way you are." Wu Cancan laughed heartily.

"Please, sir," the madam gestured.

The two then went upstairs, and with the madam's efforts, Wu Can was finally made to be completely drunk, with a drug powder added to his drink to make him feel weak.

"Strip her clothes off and get two men to carry her to the bed!" the madam said casually, calling to the male prostitutes outside.

"Yes."

"Hmph, this coward, still wants to sleep with me? He'd better go reincarnate for another thousand years!" The madam couldn't help but sneer.

To be honest, describing her as a toad lusting after a swan is an understatement. She's far more than just a toad; probably ten wouldn't be enough.

She started touching him inappropriately while drinking, leering at him like she'd never seen a man before. I was so disgusted!

The brothel owner had done many similar things. Whenever he encountered a man who was ugly but rich, he would get him drunk, strip him naked, throw him on the bed to create a false impression, and then sit back and wait to collect his money.

If you meet a woman who is good-looking and rich, it's fine to sleep with her. If she gets tired, just add some medicine powder to her wine, let her fall asleep, and she will naturally wake up when the time comes, and then you can collect money again.

His male prostitutes often did the same, but the old fox was shrewder and the brothel owner was more skilled than most.

After dealing with these matters, the madam went to Nian's room.

You have to take care of your own son yourself.

"Niannian~" the madam whispered, lifting the corner of the blanket.

"Hmph!" Nian glanced at the madam, then turned over and faced away from him.

"Don't ignore your father, he has already taken care of it."

"Really? You're not lying to me." Nian peeked out.

"When has your father ever lied to you?"

"Alright, Father, you mustn't do that again next time. Nian Nian has someone she likes," Nian said earnestly to her madam.

"You have someone you like? Is it a princess?"

When the madam heard that Nian had someone she liked, she felt a mix of joy and sorrow. People in their line of work weren't allowed to have feelings.

Well, thankfully Niannian is clean, but... if she really likes the princess, it's probably impossible for her in this lifetime.

"Father, why do you only think of the princess? It's not a princess."

"The one I like is the one who saved me at the courtesan competition that day," Nian said with a smile, feeling happy just thinking about Muyan.

Although I climbed over the wall to see her that night and found nothing, and even saw her with a man, I was still very happy.

But she said that man was just her subordinate. Hmph, he didn't believe her. The two were clearly so intimate. She must have lied to avoid hurting his feelings.

Upon hearing Nian Nian's words, the brothel owner's pupils dilated in shock! A courtesan competition! The one who saved his Nian Nian was a man!!

"Father, what's wrong?" Nian asked, looking at the shocked madam.

"It's okay...it's okay, as long as Niannian likes it, it's fine."

I like men... It's fine if I like men, because men won't lie to men.

“But Father, it seems she has already married someone.”

"She's married one!" The madam nearly vomited blood. Sure enough, you never know which will come first, tomorrow or an accident.

"Hmm...they still have a good relationship. Do I still have a chance?"

"Niannian, to tell you the truth, I'm afraid it's not possible." The madam made up her mind to sever this ill-fated relationship.

"Look at him, he's already married one woman, but he hasn't married a second one yet. Why do you think that is?"

Is she waiting for me?

"Bullshit, why is he waiting for you? It's been so long and he still hasn't married, which means he's not going to marry anyone else. He only wants that one person. Do you understand the concept of 'one love for one lifetime'?"

"No, I won't listen. Father, go away." Nian said, trying to shoo the madam away.

……