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

"Didn't you say it had to be alive?"

Mu Yunqing asked a question with slight doubt, then pressed the pressure points on the shopkeeper, knocked him to the ground, and walked out with his sword.

"Just do as I say. Besides, what's wrong with killing a few for fun?" Ling Qi said with a smile.

"Alright, let's play then." Mu Yunqing said, using his lightness skill to leap onto the roof.

He had to go and check on Su Qin; he hadn't seen him for several years and didn't know how much his skills had improved.

If he gets injured, it will be troublesome; it will be difficult to explain to the Jiang family.

___

When Mu Yunqing arrived, Su Qin was fighting with a burly man.

The burly man was enormous, roughly the size of two men, with visible muscles all over his body, and his fists looked incredibly hard.

Unsure whether Su Qin could win, Mu Yunqing squatted on the eaves and watched with great interest.

Suddenly, the burly man grabbed Su Qin's hand. Given the situation, Su Qin was clearly going to get hurt. Mu Yunqing's eyes darkened, and he drew his sword, ready to go and save him.

In the next instant, Su Qin swiftly broke free from the strong man's control, then pinned his hands behind his back and pressed him down, forcing him to lie prone on the ground.

"Hmph, you dare to play dirty tricks on me? I'll show you!"

Su Qin said this and kicked the burly man hard.

Mu Yunqing jumped down from the roof, a smirk playing on his lips, and said, "Alright, just don't kick someone to death!"

Su Qin turned around at the sound, a hint of grievance flashing in her eyes, and pouted, "Brother, he just tricked me!"

"Do you think your brother is blind? I've been looking at him for ages!" Mu Yunqing said with a look of disgust.

"Hehe~" Su Qin scratched his head and laughed shyly.

"What are you grinning about? Give me the rope!" Mu Yunqing said, bending down and grabbing the burly man's hand.

"it is good!"

Su Qin hurriedly threw the ropes binding her to Mu Yunqing.

Mu Yunqing tied up the burly man and whistled into the air.

Two men in black immediately flew down.

"Take him back," Mu Yunqing said coldly.

"Yes."

The man in black lifted the burly man, bowed to Mu Yunqing, and then turned and left.

"Brother, aren't the guys in black one of our own?"

Su Qin looked somewhat surprised. Wasn't it said that only those in red clothes were allowed?

"Yes, someone sent by the Empress." Mu Yunqing said, glancing at Su Qin.

This guy seems incredibly naive.

Hiss, Su Qin suddenly felt a pang of conscience. He seemed to have accidentally injured a few people just now. Well, it should be alright, right?

Since we're all on the same side, getting stabbed a couple of times shouldn't be a big deal.

Before Su Qin could recover, Mu Yunqing tossed out a sentence, "Stay close to me," and turned to leave.

Suqin had no choice but to catch up.

The two walked to a street. It was early morning, and a layer of white mist filled the air, making it seem eerie.

A group of women in red, about twenty or thirty in number, walked towards us; they made quite a grand entrance.

The people at the front carried bamboo baskets in their left hands and kept sprinkling medicinal powder with their right hands. When the wind blew, their red skirts fluttered and the medicinal powder drifted everywhere.

The people behind them were playing the flute and drums, the rhythm sometimes fast and sometimes slow. The melody was quite nice, but it made me feel a little dizzy.

Those women in red all had slender waists, their faces were draped in light gauze, and the deadly bells on their wrists jingled with every step they took.

The sound of bells and flutes mingling together is, you know what, kind of scary in the middle of the night.

Behind them were hundreds and thousands of young boys and girls, who seemed to be controlled by something, obediently following the woman in red.

"Brother, where are they going?"

Suqin looked at the group of people in front of her and asked.

"Back to the capital."

"Now? Walking on the street in the middle of the night, making such a racket? Are you sure it's alright?" Su Qin's eyes almost popped out of their sockets in shock.

"Don't worry, no one else can hear you."

Seeing Su Qin's surprised expression, Mu Yunqing knew that this kid had come up with some strange ideas again. He then curled his lips and said, "You're one of us."

"They have to be our own people, I've killed so many of them!"

"Alright, alright, stop joking around. Go back, wash up, and go to sleep." Mu Yunqing said, using her lightness skill to fly towards the roof.

"Hey, wait for me!" Su Qin hurriedly chased after him.

_

next morning

京都

The long street was adorned with colorful ribbons, and red carpets were laid on the ground. Several handsome men carried flower baskets and scattered flowers.

Men, women, and children all crowded onto the street.

Today is the day that His Highness Xiao Yu'an returns to the capital.

Xiao Yu'an, only twenty-three years old, is already a very capable diplomat despite his young age.

She deserves much credit for the peaceful life that Fengqi Kingdom enjoys today.

In addition, as a princess who has never married, she possesses both noble status and widespread fame. Men in the capital are eager to marry her.

Sure enough, the street was already packed with people before the person even arrived.

"Ah, Your Highness is finally back! Who knows how long I've been waiting."

"Tch, someone like you wants to marry His Highness? Bah!"

"What's the rush? Didn't you see that the Li family member is here too?"

"Their carriage alone is far more valuable than yours. If His Highness were to marry, it would have to be something like that!"

"Exactly! Rich people always make sure their spouses are of equal social standing! What are you doing here, you little punk!"

Following their gaze, everyone saw a carriage parked below the long street, its light gleaming even from afar.

The person sitting in the carriage was none other than Li Yunxi, the noble son of Grand Tutor Li.

"Li Yunxi? Never heard of her. Can someone tell me about her?"

"This Li Yunxi is the only son of the Li family. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and is a true lady of a prominent family in Fengqi Kingdom."

"He was born with exceptional intelligence. I heard that he could compose poems and paint at the age of seven. Now he is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and is also skilled in singing, dancing and embroidery."

"The Empress has invited him to the palace to paint many times. What an honor this is!"

"Life itself is extremely beautiful; even just a glimpse of its back can captivate countless people."

"The dream man of Kyoto women, but unfortunately the threshold of the Li family is too high, and no one can get close to him."

"Oh my, this person seems to be someone of great importance!"

"He wouldn't have waited here specifically for His Highness, would he?"

"Oh, His Highness's carriage has arrived!"

Hearing the shouts, a group of people rushed over and surrounded the carriage.

The so-called welcome back to the capital for Xiao Yu'an was actually just a way for powerful families to make their sons appear in front of His Highness and prepare for His Highness's future husband selection.

Xiao Yu'an looked at the people below and couldn't help but feel disgusted. They didn't even know to look in the mirror before going out. What kind of trash dared to squeeze in front of his carriage?

But she couldn't say it; she couldn't let the persona she had painstakingly maintained for so long be ruined.

"Your Highness, this is a poem I wrote for you!" A man in white leaned forward excitedly.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, look at her! She changed her clothes specially!"

"Your Highness, look at me!"

"Your Highness, Your Highness, look at me, look at me!"

The men below were pulling and tugging at each other, scrambling to squeeze onto the carriage.

Several men even reached out and grabbed the hem of her dress.

She couldn't take it anymore and kicked the person to the ground.

She shouted sternly, "I am a princess, how dare you lowly wretch lay a finger on me! You ignorant fools! If this happens again, I will kill you without mercy!"

Seeing that Xiao Yu'an was angry, the guards nearby hurriedly sent the people in the road away.

"Get out of the way! His Highness still needs to enter the palace to meet the Emperor!"

"If we delay the appointed time, His Majesty will punish us with beheading!"

The guard drew his sword to scare the crowd.

Upon seeing this, everyone hurriedly retreated, and only then did Xiao Yu'an show a hint of joy.

The men on both sides of the street watched with longing eyes. They had gone to great lengths for this day, putting on exquisite makeup and wearing new clothes.

They were hoping that His Highness would at least glance at them, but now, His Highness doesn't even want to look at them anymore.

Xiao Yu'an didn't take these men seriously. In her eyes, they were nothing but vulgar women, not presentable at all.

Moreover, she currently has no plans to get married; she is only focused on gaining fame and fortune.

The main problem was that they couldn't find a suitable candidate. Men in Kyoto are good at imitation; whoever dresses well, a group of people will follow suit and copy their makeup.

After all that effort, everyone on the street has the same makeup look, it's not very interesting.

Xiao Yu'an turned his head and glanced at Li Yunxi, who was peeking out from behind the curtain not far away.

It was a beautiful, androgynous face, with a simple updo, a longevity lock around her neck, and a moon-white robe. Every gesture she made exuded nobility and elegance.

"Whose young master is that?" Xiao Yu'an asked with great interest.

"Your Highness, he is the son of Grand Tutor Li."

"Mm." Xiao Yu'an nodded and smiled slightly. Only someone like him would be worthy of her, Xiao Yu'an.

Li Taifu, right? You should go and meet him at the Japanese Palace.

On the other side, Li Yunxi frowned when she saw the aloof Xiao Yu'an.

"Does the young master not like it?" the young boy serving nearby asked in a low voice.

Li Yunxi gave a faint reply and then told the driver to head back home.

This prince is not the wife he envisioned.

Empress's Palace

"Your Majesty, the case of Qing Nu Yin has been closed. He is in prison."

“The boys and girls who were arrested were all sent back overnight.”

Ling Qi reported to the Empress one by one.

"Where is Mu Yunqing?" the Empress asked calmly.

"He went back to Wenzhou," Ling Qi reported truthfully.

The Empress leaned lazily against the couch, a slight smile playing on her red lips, and said, "Have him come to see me tonight."

"Yes."

"Your Majesty, should Mu Yunqing take his medicine?"

"No need," the Empress replied coldly.

“But…” This is Red Moon’s rule.

"I have my own plans. You may leave. I am tired."

Xiao Ning closed her eyes as she spoke, gently rubbing her temples, looking very tired.

Upon seeing this, Ling Qi bowed and withdrew.

The hall fell silent again.

Counting the days, her Aran should be coming back soon. I wonder how the flood is being treated.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince requests an audience!" a guard rushed in to report.

"Let her in," the Empress said, rising to tidy her hair before sitting down in front of the bronze mirror.

Looking at his aging face in the mirror, a hint of displeasure appeared on his face.

She raised her wrist, picked up a box of rouge, and casually applied it to her face.

"Yu'an greets Your Majesty." Xiao Yu'an knelt before Xiao Ning.

The Empress turned her head and smiled faintly: "My son, rise."

“The contracts with the neighboring countries have already been signed, but… that Blue Feather Kingdom…” Xiao Yu’an said, glancing up at Xiao Ning’s expression.

"You've been gone for three whole months and still haven't managed to take down the Blue Feather Kingdom?" The Empress raised a brow, turned to look at Xiao Yu'an, and said sternly, "Yu'an, you've truly disappointed your mother!"

Xiao Yu'an trembled with fright and immediately knelt down: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, I will resolve this as soon as possible!"

"I beg Your Majesty to give your son another chance!"

Xiao Yu'an begged for mercy in a voice that was almost cracking, his eyes filled with fear.

The person before me is an empress; killing or dismembering her is as simple as uttering a word.

"No need for further trouble, Yu'an, I have already given you a chance," the Empress said coldly.

"No, Mother Empress, please believe me! Give me another chance." Xiao Yu'an knelt on the ground and kowtowed.

Seeing this, the Empress sighed and lazily said, "Fine, I'll give you one more chance. Go and discuss it again in a month. If it doesn't work out, you don't need to come back!"

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness!"

"Alright, you can go now. The journey must have been bumpy, you must be tired. Go back and get some rest."

"My son, I obey."

Xiao Yu'an ran back to Anning Palace in a disheveled state.

_

Anning Hall

As soon as Xiao Yu'an entered the room, he started smashing things, scattering cups and teapots everywhere. A maidservant saw this and hurriedly ran out to lock the door for Xiao Yu'an.

Over the years, they had gotten used to it, and whenever they saw her like this, they would think that the eldest princess had gone mad.

The Empress instructed that if the eldest princess was like this, there was no need to panic or call the imperial physician. Just lock the door and let her go crazy for a while; she was just having an episode.

Actually, no, Xiao Yu'an has always been a normal person. She was driven crazy little by little by the Empress.

From childhood to adulthood, she was constantly forced by the Empress to learn this and that, and if she did not do well in the slightest, the Empress would beat and scold her like a madwoman.

Of course, no one knows about these things, and no one has inquired about them for more than 20 years.

She knew perfectly well that the Empress didn't like her, but the Empress insisted on pretending to like her very much.

He took her to various high-end banquets and introduced her to court officials.

Xiao Yu'an screamed like a madman, "Why! Why!"

"I'm your daughter too! How dare you treat me like this!"

"I've done so much for you! How dare you treat me like this!"

"Xiao Ning... I hate you!"

"I am going to kill you!"

"what!"

"I will cut you into pieces!"

Xiao Yu'an roared and overturned the desk, scattering the books everywhere.

She stumbled around the room, smashing whatever she saw.

The sound of breaking objects brought her comfort.

She liked watching them shatter into pieces.

It was as if she had shattered, as if she had been smashed to pieces by the Empress.

Xiao Yu'an collapsed to the ground, and suddenly burst into laughter, the entire palace filled with her maniacal laughter.

The maids outside the door hid in fear, afraid that Xiao Yu'an would kick the door open and drag people in to beat them, just like before.

After a while, she suddenly started to cry.

After the crying subsided, she fell asleep on the ground as usual.

Only when they heard no more noise from inside did the maids open the door and go in to clean.

They bathed and dressed Xiao Yu'an, put her on the bed, tucked her in, and lit some sleep-inducing aromatherapy.

Clean the room thoroughly, replace the old furniture with new ones, and tidy up the messy books.

It was as if nothing had just happened.