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

A group of men in black rushed towards them, and the leader shouted, "She's there! Grab her!"

Mu Yan's expression changed, and she cursed under her breath, "You've come at the worst possible time."

Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed Mu Yunqing and used his lightness skill to run in another direction, with the men in black in hot pursuit.

"I thought you were lying to me, but it turns out it was true!" Mu Yan said as she ran, leading Mu Yunqing through the houses, but the man in black was extremely fast and was about to catch up.

Mu Yan was extremely anxious when she suddenly spotted a clothing store on the street.

He then pulled Mu Yunqing into the shop, quickly changed two sets of clothes, and wrapped his hair with a cloth to disguise himself as an ordinary citizen.

The two blended into the crowd, and the men in black lost their target for a moment, searching everywhere.

"Where to go?"

"Find a safe place to hide first, then figure out how to get rid of them."

As they were talking, they walked into a narrow alley. Unexpectedly, several men in black were standing at the end of the alley.

It's a trap.

The other side had anticipated that they would run this way.

Damn it, she should have realized this sooner. Traveling every day, those people already knew her whereabouts. She should have brought a sword with her when she went out.

But now, nothing can change anything.

Mu Yan gritted her teeth, pushed Mu Yunqing behind her, and prepared to fight to the death.

Mu Yunqing stepped forward, wanting to fight alongside Mu Yan.

Mu Yan gripped the hairpin tightly in her hand; it was her only weapon. Mu Yunqing drew the soft sword from his waist, its blade gleaming coldly.

The man in black slowly approached, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"Be careful," Mu Yan said softly, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.

The alley was dimly lit and filled with a sense of oppression.

A man in black lunged at her, but Mu Yan dodged to the side and used her hairpin to stab the man in the throat. A few drops of blood splattered onto the wall.

At the same time, Mu Yunqing began to kill enemies, her soft sword dancing like a serpent, instantly slicing through the chest of a man in black.

But the enemies were numerous and quickly surrounded her again. Mu Yan's eyes were resolute, and she kicked the person in front of her away.

Mu Yunqing quickened his swordplay, his sword shadows forming a dense protective barrier around the two. Sweat streamed down his forehead, dripping into his eyes, but he paid no heed.

In the midst of their fight, a loud shout suddenly rang out from the alleyway entrance: "Stop!"

Everyone was surprised, for it turned out that government troops had arrived.

Upon seeing this, the men in black exchanged glances and then scattered and fled.

Mu Yan breathed a sigh of relief, pulled off the headscarf, and her legs went weak as she leaned against the wall. Mu Yunqing quickly supported her and gently asked if she was injured.

Mu Yan shook her head, looking at the departing soldiers with a heart full of doubts. She didn't know who had sent the message, but at least she was temporarily out of danger.

"I'm exhausted. But speaking of which, when did your swordsmanship become so good?" Mu Yan asked suspiciously.

She had only taught him the basics before; no matter how smart he was, he couldn't possibly master this sword technique.

"Someone taught me," Mu Yunqing said calmly.

Su Qin, hiding under the eaves, was so angry he was itching to bite her. He was no ordinary person.

Mu Yan glanced at the person on the roof and asked, "The others? Is it that white-haired man from Wenzhou?"

"Ah."

"He knows some swordsmanship, and I learned some self-defense techniques from him. It's getting late, Master, you should go back and rest." Mu Yunqing added, afraid that Mu Yan would press him further.

"Alright then." Upon hearing this, Mu Yan stood up, patted her dress, and walked forward.

If he doesn't want to talk about it, that's fine; everyone has their own secrets.

Besides, knowing some martial arts for self-defense wouldn't do any harm; it would also save her some effort.

However, the reason she left was actually to give Mu Yunqing and Su Qin time to talk.

She's increasingly convinced that Mu Yunqing is gay.

Sigh, the road to winning back my husband is long and arduous.

_

After Mu Yan left, Su Qin jumped down from the eaves.

"Why did you just tell her I was just a stranger?!"

"It was just something I blurted out in a moment of panic. But you, what brings you here again, dressed so scantily!" Mu Yunqing said, reaching out to tug at Su Qin's ear.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Be gentle, be gentle! I haven't been here for a long time and I wanted to see you, but who knew you would suddenly be being chased by someone."

"Really?"

“That’s right!” Su Qin replied, running happily to Mu Yunqing’s side.

The two walked side by side, the moonlight falling on them like water, and the surroundings were so quiet that only the sound of their footsteps could be heard.

Mu Yunqing stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his moon-white robe swaying gently in the wind. His face was fair and jade-like, and his sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes revealed a hint of coldness, but when he looked at Su Qin, his expression softened.

Su Qin, dressed in a light blue robe, followed closely behind Mu Yunqing.

His white hair was casually draped over his shoulders, his face was as exquisite as a finely carved piece of jade, and his large eyes sparkled with a lively light under the moonlight.

The breeze blows by, bringing with it the scent of flowers.

Su Qin tilted her head to look at Mu Yunqing, a faint smile curving her lips, a smile even brighter than the moonlight.

"Today's events were truly perilous," he said softly.

Mu Yunqing nodded slightly, "Yes, it's all thanks to your timely arrival."

"Hehe." Su Qin chuckled softly, without replying.

"Don't come again next time."

"Why can't I come? Am I disturbing you and the third young lady of the Prime Minister's residence?"

"I was afraid you'd be cold!" Mu Yunqing said, raising his hand again to tap Su Qin's head.

The two continued walking slowly, the moonlight stretching their shadows longer and longer, as if trying to blend their affection into the endless night.

Imperial Palace (Xinghe Hall)

Xiao Ran was lying in bed, just about to fall asleep, when she heard a noise outside the door.

They're really restless! She'd like to see which bastard dares to disturb her peaceful sleep!

Xiao Ran got out of bed angrily, shuffled to the door in her slippers, and flung it open, only to see Pei Xuan standing there.

He was dressed in a black robe, his hair was somewhat disheveled, and his face showed a hint of panic.

"What's wrong with you? Making such a commotion in the middle of the night." Xiao Ran glared at him angrily.

Pei Xuan hesitated, his eyes darting away.

Xiao Ran was furious and reached out to grab Pei Xuan.

Damn it, it's that man again! He's so annoying!

It's already haunting me even before it's dead; imagine how difficult it would be to keep me company if it were really dead!

Xiao Ran gripped his arm tightly and said angrily, "Tell me, what's wrong with you now? Why are you making such a fuss every day?"

Pei Xuan winced in pain but dared not break free. She whispered, "No, I'm not. I've just run into some trouble and want to find a place to hide."

Xiao Ran snorted coldly, increasing the pressure on her hand. "It's always the same excuse. Do you think I'm a fool?"

Pei Xuan could only beg for mercy, "Second Prince, this time it's true. Someone was chasing me, and I ran here in a panic. There is absolutely no falsehood in my words."

Hearing his pitiful words, Xiao Ran loosened her grip slightly, but still held him tightly. "It had better be that way. If I find out you lied to me, I won't let you off easily." After saying that, she pulled Pei Xuan into the house and slammed the door shut.

During the struggle, a sharp clang was heard as a dagger fell to the ground.

She stared intently at the person in front of her, and sneered, "How dare you! Are you trying to assassinate me with a dagger?"

"No, Your Highness, I really don't have it," Pei Xuan said, putting on that pitiful look again.

Xiao Ran became even more furious upon hearing this, and increased the pressure on her hand, "Now that things have come to this, you still want to argue?"

Pei Xuan remained silent, lowering his eyes and kneeling on the ground.

Do you think I'll feel sorry for you if you act like this?

"This humble servant dares not hope for Your Highness's pity, I only beg Your Highness..." Pei Xuan knelt and moved to Xiao Ran's side, weeping. "Please, Your Highness, do not send this humble servant away."

Xiao Ran turned away from him.

She had only kept him because she felt sorry for him.

Now it seems she's the one who's pitiful.

If she had fallen into a deep sleep tonight, that dagger on the ground would probably be stuck in her body by now.

"Your Highness...Your Highness, please don't send me away."

"I did have ulterior motives for approaching Your Highness, but I never intended to harm you."

"Then what's the deal with this dagger?" Xiao Ran turned to look at him.

"This is my personal protective item."

"Ha, something for self-defense?" Xiao Ran scoffed.

Seeing that Xiao Ran did not believe him, Pei Xuan's eyes immediately filled with tears, and he said in a trembling voice, "If Your Highness does not believe me, I have nothing more to say. You may beat or kill me as you please!"

"I told you before, no one will hurt you if you're by my side, so why do you need to carry a dagger?" Xiao Ran retorted.

“Your Highness is unaware… I have been bullied since I was a child. This dagger is something I have carried with me since I was a child. I have absolutely no intention of disobeying my superiors. Your Highness, please understand.”

"Fine, I won't pursue this matter any further today, but once you recover, you must move out of Xinghe Palace. Xinghe Palace never accommodates outsiders," Xiao Ran said, feigning indifference.

Looking at that face, she simply couldn't bring herself to be cruel.

"Your Highness..."

"Shut up, don't say another word, or get out!"

Upon hearing this, Pei Xuan shut his mouth and knelt quietly to the side.

"What are you doing kneeling here? Go back to sleep!"

"I'll go back right now," Pei Xuan said, standing up and walking outside.

Seeing that he had left, Xiao Ran threw her shoes aside and quickly burrowed into bed.

Have a good night's sleep.

next day

The Prime Minister's Residence (Courtyard)

With the autumn banquet approaching, Mu Xue was rehearsing her play in the courtyard when she caught sight of Mu Yan in the corridor and called out to her, "Third sister, where are you going? You seem to be in such a good mood!"

"Do I need to inform you where I'm going?" Mu Yan said coldly.

"Of course not, but I've heard some rumors and I'm afraid you might do something that would damage the reputation of the Prime Minister's residence."

"Rumors?"

"Yes, haven't you heard, little sister? It's all over the capital," Mu Xue asked, feigning surprise.

Mu Yan sneered, but her face showed doubt. "Why don't you tell me what the rumor is? Could it be that you made it up to slander me, sister?"

Mu Xue's expression changed slightly, but she quickly returned to normal and said coquettishly, "What do you mean by this, little sister? I'm just concerned about you. It's just a rumor that you've been pestering the young master of the Li family every day since your advances were rejected."

"Are you so eager to tell me this because you want to see me panic?" Mu Yan paused for a moment, then continued, "Unfortunately, I didn't do it, so I didn't do it. On the contrary, it's you who are so actively spreading rumors, which really arouses suspicion."

Mu Xue was startled, not expecting Mu Yan to be so calm. A hint of embarrassment and anger appeared on her face. "Don't talk nonsense. I only meant well."

Mu Yan took a step closer, a mocking smile playing on her lips. "Ha, kindness? I can't afford that." As she spoke, she leaned close to Mu Xue's ear and warned, "If you continue to spread such malicious rumors, don't blame me for being ruthless. When this gets to Mother's door, let's see who's embarrassed."

After speaking, Mu Yan turned and left, leaving Mu Xue standing there, trembling with anger.

Everyone in the manor says that Mu Yan's personality has changed drastically. She didn't realize it before, but she understands it now.

In the past, Mu Yan would be easily angered by just a few words.