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

Mu Yunqing suddenly stopped, and Mu Yan, unable to brake in time, crashed into his back.

"Hiss." Mu Yan rubbed her nose and complained, "All you do is walk around, and you don't even react when you hear me. It makes me feel like a lapdog."

"Ok?"

"Nothing, I'm just praising you."

"Really? What did you say to me?"

"I'm praising your intelligence and competence. Let's go, or it'll be dawn soon." Mu Yan casually brushed him off and pushed him forward.

Slow down any further, or it will really be dawn.

Bringing a man home so early in the morning? Good heavens! If Mu Xue sees this, she'll make a huge fuss about her.

Green Bamboo Garden

When Mu Yunqing returned, he saw Ling Qi lying sprawled on a bamboo chair, with Pei Xuan leaning against the door.

They all arrived quite well this time.

When you really need someone, you won't see a soul in sight.

Mu Yunqing raised his hand to open the door, and the two people beside him turned to look at him at the sound.

Mu Yunqing: "..."

Ling Qi stood up abruptly, patted the chair, and said with an awkward smile, "You're back."

"Hmm, what are you doing here again?"

Ling Qi felt like the sky had fallen when she heard this. "You're asking me why I came here? Why don't you ask him!"

"He's one of us," Mu Yunqing replied, then stepped inside, feeling quite sleepy.

The door slammed shut with a loud bang.

Pei Xuan gave Ling Qi a provocative look, his eyes clearly saying, "I'm one of us."

"Hmph, what a smug little man." Ling Qi cursed and hurriedly ran away. She didn't want to be beaten by Pei Xuan again.

_

Dushuisi

After resting for a while, Mu Yan set off again for the Capital Water Bureau.

Disguised as a servant, she sneaked into the Water Conservancy Bureau, where daytime security was much tighter than nighttime. She almost gave herself away at the entrance, but luckily she cleverly claimed to be a new recruit.

Otherwise, he would probably be kneeling in the main hall right now.

Mu Yan tiptoed into the study, only to find a group of people sitting inside. She quickly withdrew her feet.

The table was laden with fine wine and various delicacies, all hearty dishes at a glance. The group gathered together to drink and make merry, laughing heartily.

They were all fat and overweight, living a very comfortable life.

Looking at the people in front of her, Mu Yan felt a surge of disgust.

The people in the city were suffering terribly, afflicted by the plague every day, while the city dwellers were carefree and happy.

How could the regularly cleaned ditches be so disgusting? It seems that all the money allocated by the imperial court has been swallowed up by these people.

If you're going to slack off on your duties every day, there's no need for you to stay in this position any longer.

A bunch of parasites should go to jail.

Mu Yan gritted her teeth, suppressing the urge to rush in and kill them.

Revealing one's identity at this point would only render all previous efforts futile; solid evidence is essential.

After thinking for a moment, she quietly went around to the back of the study.

A small window was half-closed, and the branches of the osmanthus tree on the wall swayed gently in the wind, with petals falling gracefully.

Peeking through the crack in the window, one of the men, drunk, pulled out an account book and said smugly, "These accounts are flawless. Who can find out that we embezzled water management funds?"

The others laughed and chimed in.

Mu Yan was secretly delighted; this was exactly the evidence she was looking for. Just as she was feeling pleased, a cat suddenly darted out and meowed.

The people inside immediately became alert and shouted, "Who's outside?"

Mu Yan's heart was in her throat.

She was clinging to the wall, unable to move at all; any movement would cause the osmanthus tree to rustle. In this critical moment, she had no choice but to imitate a cat's meow and make sounds like a cat running away.

The people inside breathed a sigh of relief and resumed drinking and having fun.

After a while, everyone left, having eaten and drunk their fill.

Mu Yan climbed through the window, took the account book, and was about to turn and leave when she looked up and saw Wu Yunlan, the supervisor of the Water Conservancy Bureau, surrounding her with a group of people.

"Take her down immediately!" Wu Yunlan shouted sternly.

Her attendants immediately rushed towards her.

Mu Yan withdrew her gaze, tucked the ledger into her bosom, drew her sword, and with a flash of cold light, instantly felled several people, her movements as swift as a ghost.

"You think you can take me down? Go back to your old ways and eat for a few more years!" Mu Yan said coldly.

"Hmph, still so stubborn even when death is imminent," Wu Yunlan said hastily as the crowd dwindled. "Hurry up and attack! Fifty taels of silver will be your reward for capturing her!"

Upon hearing this, the servant's eyes lit up. A human life for fifty taels of silver—it was worth it! He would rather die than not get his hands on those fifty taels.

Even worse, some people, without a second thought, picked up their swords and slashed at Mu Yan.

Mu Yan dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack, but still suffered a cut on her back. She winced in pain, turned, and kicked the servant to the ground, her eyes coldly fixed on the others. "Overestimating yourself."

Undeterred, the servant charged forward again.

With a swing of his longsword, several more men fell.

Seeing this, Wu Yunlan turned to run and call for help, but Mu Yan took the opportunity to escape.

He ran breathlessly into the alley to hide, and when he opened the ledger, he found it was full of blank pages.

Mu Yan angrily threw the ledger out.

Just as I was about to curse, I heard a scream from the other side of the alley.

Mu Yan thought she had misheard, but when she looked up, she saw a man in an orange-yellow robe walking towards her with his eyes covered.

"Which bastard attacked me?! Did he eat bear's heart and leopard's gall bladder?!"

I've got guts.

Song Qi'an simply couldn't bring himself to say the remaining two words.

He suddenly felt his eyes stop hurting. This wasn't some heartless monster; this was clearly a fairy.

Mu Yan leaned quietly against the wall, her black clothes making her look like a shadow in the night. A few strands of hair fell beside her cheeks, and her clear, cold eyes revealed a hint of weariness.

The walls of the dimly lit alley were mottled and exuded a damp and decaying smell, yet they could not conceal her overall aura.

Song Qi'an was completely stunned. It took him a while to come back to his senses, and he coughed awkwardly.

"My name is Song Qi'an. I spoke without thinking just now. I hope you won't take it to heart, young lady."

Mu Yan slightly raised her eyes, scrutinizing him without saying a word.

She was afraid that if she replied, the man would immediately say, "How wonderful! I am but a humble scholar."

Song Qi'an felt embarrassed and scratched his head, then said, "Are you being chased, Miss? If you have nowhere to go, why don't you come back to my residence with me for a while?"

Mu Yan sneered, "No need, you should mind your own business." With that, she turned to leave.

Song Qi'an quickly blocked her path, "Miss, to be honest, I see that you are quite skilled, and my household is in need of someone as capable as you. I wonder if you would consider it?"

Mu Yan looked up at him; her left eye was bruised, indicating a serious injury.

He's not bad looking, but unfortunately he has a mouth.

Seeing that Mu Yan ignored him, Song Qi'an raised his hand and waved it in front of her eyes, "Miss, aunt..."

"You son of a bitch, are you sick in the head?" Mu Yan cursed in a low voice.

I was already annoyed because I couldn't get the ledger, and my wound was hurting, and now I had to listen to his rambling on and on.

Song Qi'an was furious. He even thought that being so scholarly made him seem cultured.

She actually said he was sick.

No one has ever dared to insult him like that since he was a child.

"How dare you! Do you know who I am?" Song Qi'an was enraged and tried to intimidate him by revealing his identity.

Mu Yan didn't want to pay him any attention and picked up her sword, ready to use her light-footed skill to leave.

Song Qi'an clung to her, holding onto her leg and refusing to let her leave.

Mu Yan turned around helplessly, "How much money do you want? I'll give it to you."

"You think you can just give me a little money and leave me alone? What kind of person do you take me for?"

"Then what do you want?"

Song Qi'an didn't reply, but tentatively asked, "You really don't know who I am?"

Why should I need to know who you are?

It's best not to let her know.

If she really found out, she would definitely get up at night and kick down his door frame.

"I am Song Qi'an, the eldest son of the Marquis of Zhongyi." Song Qi'an spoke confidently, but the expected exclamation did not come.

Mu Yan looked at him as if he were mentally challenged, her eyes full of disdain.

What's the difference between this and those guys who constantly brag about me being 185cm tall?

"What kind of look is that? This is utter disrespect, contempt for the powerful and wealthy!"

"Please let me go. Don't you even look at the injury on my back?" Mu Yan said weakly.

If this drags on any longer, people will really die.

Just as Song Qi'an was about to speak, Mu Yan suddenly collapsed on him. He quickly reached out to help her up, but his hand was covered in blood.

Seeing that the injury was so serious, Song Qi'an disregarded everything else and took the person back to his residence immediately.

Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness

Song Qi'an brought Mu Yan to his residence and instructed his servants to quickly find a doctor to treat her.

When the doctor arrived, he shook his head upon seeing the wound on Mu Yan's back. "This girl has lost too much blood. I can only do my best." Song Qi'an paced anxiously to the side.

After some treatment, Mu Yan's condition finally stabilized.

Song Qi'an stayed by the bedside, once again marveling at Mu Yan's courage.

He, Song Qi'an, is the young marquis of the Marquis of Zhongyi's mansion.

The Song family has had only one son for three generations, so he will inevitably be the one to sit in the Marquis's mansion in the future.

Spoiled since childhood, with money and power at his fingertips.

Even though he was a man, few in the capital dared to look down on him.

Many people tried to curry favor with him, but he never even glanced at them; instead, she turned her back on him.

This was truly the first time he had ever met someone who didn't take him seriously.

_

When Mu Yan woke up, she looked up and saw Song Qi'an with his lips upturned in front of her.

"With your lips pouting so high, are you trying to stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun?"

Song Qi'an was speechless.

Seeing his discomfiture and the dark circles under his eyes, Mu Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"What are you laughing laughing!"

"Is it any of your business if I laugh?" Mu Yan retorted, raising her eyes to look him up and down.

Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, illuminating his handsome face. His nose was straight and high, like a mountain peak, and his lips, naturally red, were slightly pouting, revealing a touch of childlike innocence. His eyes were deep and unfathomable, like a still pool, and even the bruise on his left eye could not conceal his charm. His long eyelashes fluttered gently like butterfly wings.

He wore a purple robe embroidered with gold, with intricate and exquisite cloud patterns outlined in silver thread at the hem, and a white jade belt around his waist, which made him look even more upright.

Well, she's quite attractive.

"Hmph, I saved you, and you not only don't appreciate it, but you're also so arrogant."

"Who asked you to save me? Mind your own business. If you hadn't been so persistent, would you even have had a chance to save me?"

Song Qi'an stomped his foot in anger. He was about to say something, but then worried that it would disturb Mu Yan's injury, so he just snorted loudly and pretended to leave the room.

He had already taken half a step, but the person behind him didn't call out to him, so he walked back around.

"You..." Song Qi'an crossed his arms, feeling somewhat displeased by Mu Yan's indifferent reaction. "Don't you have anything to say?"

What I want to say.

"I'm about to leave. Think carefully about what you should say."

Mu Yan: "..."

Your leaving is none of my business.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Song Qi'an rolled her eyes at her. "I'm asking you a question."

"Brother, I'm still sick. How about I get up and give you a round of applause?" Mu Yan said helplessly.

"No need for applause, but you can think about how you want to repay me."

"How much?"

Song Qi'an sighed, pacing back and forth in front of her with his fan in hand, looking at her with a disappointed expression. "No, why do you keep bringing up money!"

"If something can be solved with money, why not use money?" Mu Yan retorted.

"I'm putting this out there today: this matter can't be solved with money."

"What do you want?"

"I haven't decided yet. I'll tell you when I do!" Song Qi'an said with a smile.

Forget it, don’t hit someone who smiles at you.

Mu Yan rolled over and sat up, but the movement was so big that it tore open the wound on her back, making her wince in pain.

She frowned and asked, "How long have I been lying here?"

"The time of a stick of incense."

Mu Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, if she had stayed up all night, that girl Xiang Qin would have been worried.

She straightened her clothes and prepared to walk out the door.

Song Qi'an quickly stopped him, "I haven't agreed to let you leave yet."

Mu Yan raised her eyes and glared at him. "When did I ever need your permission to return to the manor?" With that, she shrugged off Song Qi'an and strode forward.

Although Song Qi'an was unwilling, he couldn't force her to stay, so he could only snort coldly, "Don't forget what you promised me."

Mu Yan walked forward on her own.

Who agreed to that?

This is the first time I've ever seen a man so persistent and clingy.

Above the court

The atmosphere inside the magnificent hall was oppressive and somber, with the matter of the epidemic weighing heavily on everyone's hearts like a boulder.

The Empress sat high on her phoenix throne, her expression solemn.

Du Yanqiu stepped forward first, his voice booming: "Your Majesty, I believe that the city gates should be kept closed to prevent the further spread of the disease."

Mu Yunyan sneered and stepped forward to retort, "Lord Du, you are mistaken. There are many people in the city. If the city gates are closed, the lack of supplies will only hasten death. We should find a good doctor to treat them as soon as possible."

Outside the palace, a fierce wind howled, seemingly lamenting the ruthlessness of the plague. Inside, the candlelight flickered, reflecting the ministers' ever-changing expressions.

Enraged, Du Yanqiu pointed at Mu Yunyan and yelled, "What do you know! The most important thing now is to prevent the spread of the epidemic and not let it affect other countries."

Mu Yunyan raised her eyebrows and said angrily, "Lord Du is so cold-hearted, disregarding the lives of the people in the city and only thinking about other countries. It is utterly absurd."

The Empress coughed lightly, and the palace fell silent instantly, with only the howling wind outside, like the weeping of countless wronged souls.

The Empress spoke slowly: "My two ministers, please do not quarrel. I have summoned you today to discuss a perfect plan."

"Your Majesty, the affairs of the world should prioritize the people. If we do not expedite treatment and cause public outrage, not only will this epidemic be a disaster, but the entire Phoenix Perch Kingdom will be doomed," Mu Yunyan said earnestly.

Du Yanqiu snorted coldly, "Your Excellency is in such a hurry to treat someone, is it because someone in your family has fallen ill?"

Mu Yunyan's face suddenly darkened. She had clearly blocked the news, so how did it get out?

Seeing Mu Yunyan's unpleasant expression, Du Yanqiu's tone became even more arrogant, "Is your expression so bad, my lord, that you are speechless because I have hit the nail on the head?"

Mu Yunyan composed herself and replied loudly, "Lord Du, please don't make baseless accusations. I am wholeheartedly devoted to the country and its people, and I have handled my family affairs properly without affecting others. On the contrary, Lord Du, why are you in such a hurry to close the city? Have you accepted benefits from other countries and are trying to weaken our country's strength by taking advantage of the epidemic?"

Upon hearing this, Du Yanqiu's face flushed red. "You're talking nonsense!"

The Empress's cold gaze swept over the two of them. "Enough! At this time, with the plague raging, you, as subjects, are not thinking of solutions, but instead attacking each other. What kind of behavior is this!"

Mu Yunyan quickly bowed and said, “Your Majesty, please calm down. I think we should first send people to investigate whether there are any usable herbs in the surrounding area, then organize doctors in the city to conduct a joint consultation, and at the same time open the granaries to distribute food to stabilize the people’s morale. As for the concern about the spread of the epidemic, we can send small teams to guard the city gates, so that people are not allowed to enter or leave at will, while also ensuring the transportation of supplies.”

The Empress nodded slightly. "Prime Minister's plan is brilliant."

Du Yanqiu was about to argue when the Empress raised her hand to stop her. "As the Prime Minister says, Du Yanqiu, you will be responsible for assisting. If there are any mistakes, I will hold you accountable."

Du Yanqiu could only glare at Mu Yunyan resentfully before agreeing to the matter.

"Alright, there's no point in saying more. Everyone, just do your jobs and do your best. You may all leave now."

"Your Majesty, we obey your command. Long live the Emperor!"