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

Ling Qi entered the palace and respectfully bowed to the Empress.

The Empress sat on her high throne, her eyes cold as she looked at Ling Qi. "Is it really as you say, that Sun Chengyue hanged herself?"

Ling Qi was startled, but remained calm on the surface. "Your Majesty, I saw it with my own eyes, and it is indeed so."

The Empress sneered, "I am not a fool. I heard that there was something strange happening at the Sun residence last night."

Ling Qi quickly explained, "Perhaps it was because the servants panicked when they discovered Sun Chengyue had hanged herself."

The Empress played with the jade pendant in her hand. "Never mind, no matter what, her death is a good thing for me. Mu Yunqing has done a great service this time."

Ling Qi replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. Mu Yunqing risked his life to investigate last night and indeed made a great contribution."

The Empress nodded. "Is there anything he desires?"

"I don't know."

"Then let him come to see me!" the Empress tentatively suggested.

Ling Qi was stunned for a moment before speaking, "Your Majesty, this person's whereabouts are uncertain, and besides... besides, he is just a commoner, what qualifications does he have to enter the palace to meet the Emperor!"

"Do you really think so?" the Empress asked her in return.

"Ling Qi wouldn't dare to lie."

"Then reward him with a thousand taels of gold and a quantity of fine silks and satins. You can send them to him tonight."

"Yes."

Ling Qi accepted the order and withdrew.

-Li Mansion

Grand Tutor Li held a grand birthday banquet for Li Yunxi, inviting many ministers from the court, including Mu Yan and Xiao Ran.

The banquet was bustling with guests, with food being served continuously. Guests arrived carrying gifts of all sizes, creating a lively and lively atmosphere.

In one corner of the courtyard, the gifts given to Li Yunxi were piled up almost like a mountain.

This banquet, ostensibly a birthday celebration, was actually a meeting to select a son-in-law.

Seeing that his son was getting older, Grand Tutor Li had no choice but to act first. He took advantage of the banquet to choose a good wife for Li Yunxi.

In a corner of the courtyard, the gifts given to Li Yunxi were piled up almost like a mountain. He was unpacking the gifts with elegant manners and slow, deliberate steps.

He searched through the gifts and his eyes lit up when he saw the gift from Mu Yan.

Xiao Ran ate with Mu Yan for a while, then summoned the Empress back to the palace. Mu Yan wandered around alone for a while, then took some snacks, paid her respects to Grand Tutor Li, and prepared to return.

Seeing Mu Yan pass by, Li Yunxi hurriedly came forward and said softly, "Third Miss, you are so thoughtful. I really like the gift you gave me!"

"As long as you like it."

Li Yunxi put on the bracelet, and the red jade looked even more vibrant against her fair wrist.

"This red jade suits you quite well!" Mu Yan casually complimented.

"The gift was well chosen by Miss Third!" Li Yunxi said with a smile, as if she had received a precious treasure.

Hearing this, Mu Yan scratched her head sheepishly. This wasn't a gift she had chosen; she had just grabbed it from the drawer before leaving.

However, as long as he likes it, the "gift" wasn't given in vain.

Looking at the pastries in Mu Yan's hand, Li Yunxi asked reluctantly, "Third Miss, are you leaving already?"

"Well, it's getting late, and I have things to attend to at the manor, so I should head back now."

"In that case, I won't keep you any longer, Miss. The path outside the manor is under repair, so please be careful when you pass by."

"Alright, I've got it. I'll visit you another day." After saying goodbye to Li Yunxi, Mu Yan turned and left.

Prime Minister's Mansion

Mu Yan hummed a little tune from the Protestant Church, carrying the snacks she brought from the Li residence, and swaggered towards the Green Bamboo Garden.

According to Xiangqin, Muyunqing has a sweet tooth, and the Li family's pastries are excellent, so he should like them.

Mu Yan imagined Mu Yunqing's reaction upon seeing the snacks, and her steps quickened.

If Mu Yunqing really likes this pastry, how much favorability will I get!

Green Bamboo Garden

As dusk fell, when Mu Yan arrived at the door, the lights inside were already on.

She intended to go straight in, but then remembered what Mu Yunqing had said, so she raised her hand and knocked on the door.

Hearing the noise, Mu Yunqing got up and opened the door.

"How did you come."

"I brought you some snacks, have a taste, these are good stuff!" Mu Yan said as she sat down, not at all reserved.

"Thank you for coming all this way to bring me some snacks," Mu Yunqing said calmly, her tone devoid of emotion.

"Hey, stop talking about how hard it is, hurry up and try it!" Mu Yan said, handing a pastry to Mu Yunqing.

Mu Yunqing took the pastry, tasted it, and said, "It's alright."

"What do you mean by 'can still'? Does it mean it's delicious or not?" Mu Yan pressed.

"It's quite delicious," Mu Yunqing said, raising her hand to pour herself a cup of tea.

"As long as it tastes good, what have you been busy with today?" Mu Yan said, looking around the room and glancing up at the medicine box on the cabinet.

"Why did you take the first-aid kit out? Are you injured?"

"No, I just tidied up a bit when I had nothing else to do." Mu Yunqing's eyes darted around as she subtly pulled up her sleeve to cover the injury on her wrist.

Mu Yan reacted quickly, raising her hand to brush away Mu Yunqing's sleeve.

"You still say you don't have it? What is it?"

“It’s an injury,” Mu Yunqing replied earnestly.

……

Mu Yan cursed inwardly, "Doesn't she know this is an injury? She's not blind."

It's strange, though. Mu Yunqing stays in the manor all day, so where did he get injured?

Moreover, the scar on his wrist was clearly from a longsword wound, and she didn't remember Mu Yunqing having any longsword.

There is only one possibility: Mu Yunqing has secretly run away again.

"Have you taken the medicine?"

Mu Yunqing nodded.

"You should rest well these next few days; you don't need to do anything in the manor."

Mu Yunqing paused for a moment, then replied, "Okay."

That's fine, since he has other things to do these days anyway.

"Then you should get some rest. I won't bother you anymore." Mu Yan said and then left the room.

I had only taken a few steps when the system was activated.

"Aladdin! Look at your good male lead! He keeps everything from me. Just tell me, how is this romance supposed to continue?" Mu Yan looked at him as if she wouldn't let him rest until he gave her an explanation.

Aladdin rubbed his eyes and said dismissively, "Oh, I already told you, the male lead is easy to win over!"

"Really? Then tell me, what's a good strategy?"

"Oh, just do it like this, and then do it like that, and that'll be fine," Aladdin mumbled.

Mu Yan rolled her eyes at Aladdin and said, "Let's ignore Mu Yunqing for now and check the side quests. Why isn't there any progress?"

"Of course there are side quests, but I haven't updated them for you because you haven't been in a good mood these past few days," Aladdin said, pursing his lips.

It's like treating kindness with contempt, or casting pearls before swine.

"Then hurry up and update, I've been so bored these past few days!" Mu Yan said, stretching.

Beep... The system is updating automatically.

Loading task...

The task will be broadcast to you soon:

[Side Mission 2: Protect the Li family and eliminate the secret guards.]

"The Li family? Which Li family? That Grand Tutor Li?"

"Yes, that's him."

"Okay, I understand. I'll go check it out tomorrow."

"Okay, host, I'll take my leave now!" Aladdin said and went offline with a beep. It was so sleepy that it had to go back and catch up on its sleep.

Mu Yan didn't linger and turned back to Fanglan Garden.

Imperial Palace (Hall of Tranquility)

Xiao Yu'an lazily soaked in the pool, wrapped in a red robe embroidered with exquisite patterns in gold thread, which appeared and disappeared with her movements, like a golden dragon in motion.

Her face was as white as snow, her eyes as bright as stars, her nose was straight and delicate, her lips were as red as fire, and her wet black hair was draped over her shoulders, with a few strands sticking to her cheeks, adding to her charm.

The bathtub was filled with petals, the vibrant colors of roses spreading across the water. Wisps of steam rose from the surface, blurring everything around them, leaving only this fragrant haven.

The pool walls, paved with warm jade, radiated a gentle luster and felt warm to the touch. In a corner, an exquisite incense burner stood, its wisps of smoke rising slowly, filling the air with a delicate fragrance that mingled with the scent of flower petals, creating a mesmerizing atmosphere.

Upon closer inspection, one could see a man kneeling by the pool, his clothes soaked through. Whether from the cold or fear, his body was trembling.

Xiao Yu'an casually picked up the wine beside him, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, then raised his hand and pinched the man's chin.

"Pei Xuan, Pei Xuan, you've been in Xinghe Palace for so long, yet you still can't catch Xiao Ran's eye. Tell me... why should I keep you around?" Xiao Yu'an's voice was as cold as snow in the dead of winter, sending chills down one's spine.

Pei Xuan turned pale with fright and hurriedly begged for mercy: "Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me! This servant will definitely find another way to please Your Highness."

Xiao Yu'an sneered, "Hmph, do you think I'll still believe you? However, considering you were once of some use, I'll give you one more chance. If you still fail, you can come to me with your head." Before she finished speaking, she suddenly released her grip and forcefully threw the wine cup in her hand at Pei Xuan.

With a sharp "bang," the wine glass smashed onto Pei Xuan, splashing wine everywhere and instantly soaking his pristine white clothes.

Her white clothes, stained with wine, made her look even more charming.

Seeing this, Xiao Yu'an waved his hand to let Pei Xuan come closer and ordered him to kneel outside Xinghe Hall in this manner.

As long as Xiao Ran keeps Pei Xuan here, she will have a chance to drag her down with her.

Xinghe Hall

Xiao Ran had just come out of the washroom, her belt not even tightened yet, when she spotted a white shadow outside the hall. It was too dark to see clearly whether it was a person or a ghost.

"Bring me a lantern!" Xiao Ran called to the maid behind her to bring her a lantern.

"Your Highness, it's raining outside, you'd better not go out!"

"It's nothing, I'll go take a look." After saying that, Xiao Ran picked up the lantern and walked forward, with the maid behind her hurriedly holding an umbrella to follow her.

Upon closer inspection, a man was found kneeling on the ground.

"Which palace are you from? What are you doing here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

Seeing that Xiao Ran had taken the bait, Pei Xuan feigned pitifulness and said, "I am from the palace of the eldest princess. Today I accidentally broke a cup, and the eldest princess punished me by making me kneel here."

Pei Xuan sobbed as she spoke. She was already beautiful, and when she cried, she looked even more pitiful, like a pear blossom in the rain.

Xiao Ran didn't know how to comfort people, so she just stood there blankly, while Pei Xuan cried even harder beside her.

"Your Highness, please save me! It hurts so much from kneeling! Please save me!" Pei Xuan said, grabbing Xiao Ran's leg.

"Hey, don't... don't do this," Xiao Ran said as she pulled Pei Xuan's hand away.

"Your Highness, please save me!" Pei Xuan pleaded incessantly.

Xiao Ran's mind was in complete turmoil.

But at this very moment, my own little schemes started churning inside me.

[Xiao Ran, please save him! He's so pitiful!]

[Xiao Ran, you'd better not meddle in other people's business. These are people from someone else's palace!]

Xiao Ran felt that both sides had a point, so she decided to compromise and give him an umbrella, even as the rain was getting heavier.

In this way, I guess you could say I saved him.

Yes, she's really smart!