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

“My lord, you don’t come to the palace often, so you may not know that all the palace maids’ clothes are the same color!” He shook his head. “You can’t tell them apart.”

After a pause, Wei Chengfeng continued, "In our line of work, when we encounter palace maids who die, we usually judge them to have committed suicide out of fear of punishment."

Mu Yunqing frowned slightly. "Is this how it's been judged in previous years?"

“Yes,” he lowered his voice, “Sir, you must know that there are thousands of people in this palace, and someone dies every few days. How can we investigate if we don’t do this?”

"You mean," Mu Yunqing said in a deep voice, "that even if the deceased was wronged, we should just ignore it?"

"Of course..." Wei Chengfeng saw that he looked unwell and changed his words, "Of course not, wouldn't that make him a corrupt official? How could our Dali Temple have a corrupt official!"

“In that case,” Mu Yunqing covered the body, “we will investigate the case carefully for her, so that she can rest assured.”

"You're right, sir. I'll get right on it!" Wei Chengfeng said and ran outside.

A little while later, they brought over a ladder.

"Sir, let's climb up onto the roof and take a look; perhaps we can find a clue!"

Mu Yunqing nodded and leaped onto the eaves in a flash.

Wei Chengfeng's mouth formed an "O" shape, "My lord..."

"What, sir? Hurry up and come up."

"Yes, yes, yes," Wei Chengfeng hurriedly climbed the stairs, "This humble official will be right there."

Looking at the broken tiles on the eaves, Mu Yunqing already had a guess in his mind. "Look here, she didn't fall down by herself."

"Could it be..." Wei Chengfeng feigned agreement, but in reality, he knew nothing.

If it didn't fall down on its own, then it must have fallen down by itself.

It couldn't have been someone who pushed her down.

But it's not impossible.

Thinking of this, Wei Chengfeng said, "My lord, I think this palace maid might have been pushed down."

“Yes,” Mu Yunqing nodded, “Go on.”

……

"My lord, I have finished speaking."

"Okay, go take a look behind the house."

"Yes!" Wei Chengfeng replied, then slunk down the stairs again.

_

Anning Hall

Xiao Yu'an was dressed in gorgeous clothes, with a noble and arrogant expression.

"You mean, not only was Mu Yan not afraid, she even carried the person out?"

“Yes, I saw her carried out with my own eyes,” Fang Li said. “She even sat in front of the house all night, as if she was plotting something.”

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Should I send someone to deal with her?"

“It doesn’t matter,” Xiao Yu’an sneered. “No matter how clever she is, the Dali Temple can’t reach me.”

"Your Highness, why not let me finish her off with one strike to prevent any future troubles?"

Xiao Yu'an scoffed, then looked coldly at Fang Li, "Do you want me to collect your corpse?"

"Your Highness, I dare not..." Fang Li hurriedly knelt down, "Your Highness, I only wish to share your burdens."

"To share my burdens?" Xiao Yu'an gently traced her face with his fingertips. "Then keep a close eye on her for me. Without my orders, you are not allowed to harm her in the slightest."

"I obey my orders."

"get out."

"Yes."

_

Military training ground

As soon as Wei Chengfeng reached the back of the house, he heard a soft sobbing sound.

He followed the sound and found a young eunuch huddled in a corner, trembling. "Why are you crying here? Do you know something?"

The young eunuch was so frightened that he kowtowed repeatedly, "My lord, I was just passing by, I really don't know anything."

"You know nothing?" Mu Yunqing jumped down from the eaves and landed steadily beside Wei Chengfeng.

“Yes…” The little eunuch looked up at Mu Yunqing, “I don’t know anything.”

Mu Yunqing squatted down, his eyes piercing. "If you tell the truth now, I can be lenient with you. But if you wait until the evidence is presented, you will have no chance."

The young eunuch trembled like a leaf, and after hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke, "Sir, I saw a figure flash by and go that way." He pointed to a flower bush.

Mu Yunqing and Wei Chengfeng exchanged a glance and immediately ran in that direction.

Behind the flower bushes was an abandoned hut, and as the two approached, they heard whispers coming from inside.

Peeking through the crack in the door, one could see an old woman coercing and bribing a young palace maid.

"As long as you don't tell, no one will know."

"But……"

“If you do as I say, you’ll be rewarded,” the old woman whispered. “Don’t be ungrateful.”

The palace maid was trembling with fear and refused to agree no matter what she said.

"My lord..." Wei Chengfeng whispered, "Aren't we going in yet?"

"hold on."

"Sir, if we wait any longer, they'll run away, and then it will be too late to regret it."

"If you act rashly, you will only alert the enemy."

Wei Chengfeng didn't understand, but he didn't dare to say anything.

She's just a palace maid or nanny, so what is Lord Mu afraid of?

Arrest them directly and bring them to justice; it'll be easier to go back and rest sooner.

They just keep waiting.

"Walk."

Wei Chengfeng was stunned for a moment, then looked up and saw that the person was gone.

"My lord..." he whispered, but was suddenly lifted up. Just as he was about to shout, his mouth was covered.

The man carried him to the gate of Dali Temple.

Wei Chengfeng turned around and saw an unfamiliar face.

Could it be a new adult?

Thinking of this possibility, he stepped forward and said, "You are...?"

Pei Xuan patted the dust off his shoulders. "Just call me Pei Xuan."

"Oh, Lord Pei..."

“I’m not some Lord Pei, I’m just like you.” Pei Xuan pushed him forward, “Let’s go, our master is still waiting for us inside.”

"Good good."

_

Dali Temple

Main Hall

Shen Chenxi sat at his desk with a dark expression.

He shouldn't have listened to Mu Yunqing; listening to Mu Yunqing will bring him bad luck for eight lifetimes.

How dare they make him wait so long! They've neglected their duties! He'll have to report them to the authorities someday!

Hearing footsteps outside the door, Shen Chenxi quickly suppressed her anger and pretended to be calm.

"Lord Shen," Mu Yunqing asked knowingly, "why are you sitting here?"

“Ha,” Shen Chenxi threw the case file on the table, “Lord Mu has finally decided to come back.”

"What are you saying? I went to investigate a case, not to go out for fun. Why would I be reluctant to come back?"

What case are you investigating?

"A palace maid died at the military training ground."

"A mere palace maid," Shen Chenxi paused deliberately, his deep eyes seemingly seeing through everything, "is actually worth Lord Mu making a personal trip for?"

"Since it's a case, I have to go eventually."

"is it?"

“What’s wrong with that?” Mu Yunqing said slowly, “As long as someone reports a crime, even if it’s just a dead dog, we still have to go and check it out.”

"Ha, Lord Mu's example is quite vivid," he chuckled, and continued, "If I were to die one day, would Lord Mu seek justice for me?"

"They keep asking boring questions."

Shen Chenxi smiled faintly, but his eyes were unfathomable. "Lord Mu finds it boring because you have the answer in your heart, but you are unwilling to say it."

"Since you already know, why bother saying it?"

"I just want to hear Lord Mu say it himself."

“I’ve said it before: if someone reports a crime, even if it’s just a dead dog, I have to go and check it out.”

Shen Chenxi: "..."

How dare they compare him to a dog? They're asking for it.

“What Lord Mu said is absolutely right,” he deliberately raised an eyebrow, his smile unrestrained and arrogant. “If Lord Mu were to encounter any misfortune, I would certainly follow your method and do everything in my power to help you.”

Mu Yunqing didn't reply, but instead poured herself a cup of tea. "Have you been to see the Yang family?"

"No," Shen Chenxi replied matter-of-factly.

"Okay, then I'll go again tomorrow."

"I hope that Lord Shepherd will keep his promise."

"Don't worry," Mu Yunqing patted his shoulder, "I will definitely go with you tomorrow."

Outside

Wei Chengfeng and Pei Xuan eavesdropped by pressing the door shut.

"Tomorrow? They're going to the Yang family to investigate a case?" Wei Chengfeng asked anxiously. "That won't do! The Yang family's case is incredibly difficult!"

“I know,” Pei Xuan made a shushing gesture, “keep your voice down, don’t let anyone hear you.”

"You can't hear me, but believe me."

Wei Chengfeng had been eavesdropping more than once or twice; he was quite adept at it.

"Can't you hear what?" Mu Yunqing poked his head out of the window. "Your loud voice can't be blocked even through a door."

Wei Chengfeng quickly covered his mouth, "I won't say anymore, I won't say anymore."

"Alright, you should go back now," Mu Yunqing said, turning to Pei Xuan. "Pei Xuan, come in."

"Yes."

_

Military training ground

Autumn's Blossom clung to Mu Yan like a leech, following her wherever she went.

"In the end what you want?"

"Come back to Qingcheng Mountain with me."

"Why should I go back with you?" Mu Yan said as she walked. "Besides, running away without permission is a capital offense. Aren't you afraid of losing your head?"

"Of course I'm afraid, but I want you to come back with me even more."

“I won’t go back with you,” she paused, then continued, “but you, why do you spend all your time pursuing those strange things?”

“What do you mean by strange things?” Qiu Yi said speechlessly. “This is called the Dao. It is the principle of nature, so how is it strange?”

“No matter what kind of law it is,” Mu Yan said seriously, “you don’t need to study it anymore. You won’t figure it out even if you think about it for a hundred years.”

“I know, that’s why I need you to come back with me,” Qiu Yi said with a smile. “If I can’t understand it, doesn’t my master understand it too?”

"Your master?" Mu Yan looked up at her, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes. "Who is it?"

Seeing her change in attitude, Qiu quickly asked, "Want to know?"

"Do not want to."

Autumn's Thoughts: "..."

Why are you still so stubborn?

Undeterred, Qiu Yi continued, "My master is a renowned Taoist priest from Qingcheng Mountain, with profound Taoist skills. If you come with me, I will surely be able to unravel the mystery surrounding you."

Mu Yan paused, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes: "What mystery surrounds me?"

Qiu Yi's eyes lit up, and she quickly stepped forward: "Have you never realized that you are different from others? Your aura is on a completely different level from others, and even those evil spirits seem to be afraid of you."

She became more and more curious as she talked, wondering how a person's aura could change so much.

In just a few years, he transformed from someone full of evil to someone full of righteousness.

Could he be possessed by a ghost?

Mu Yan glanced at her indifferently, "You can't even come up with a decent excuse. What's the difference between your words and those of a con artist?"

Qiu Yi was speechless and helplessly said, "If you won't believe me and won't come with me, don't come begging me when you want to find out the truth later!"

“Who in their right mind would bother with these things?” Mu Yan put her arm around her shoulder and said earnestly, “Take my advice, don’t worry about all that, just focus on practicing your basic skills.”

Qiu Yi brushed her hand away, "Hmph, my affairs are none of your concern!"

She didn't come to the military training ground to kill enemies and earn merit, so why bother practicing so many basic skills?

"Fine, don't listen then," Mu Yan strode forward, "Let's go back to training."

Qiuyi had no choice but to follow her again.

_

On the other side, inside the Dali Temple.

Pei Xuan entered the room and stood respectfully.

Mu Yunqing's expression was serious: "Did you discover anything else about what happened at the military training ground today?"

Pei Xuan replied, "My lord, I believe that there must be a powerful figure behind that old woman and the palace maid."

Mu Yunqing nodded slightly: "This matter needs to be investigated secretly, and we must not alert the enemy."

"What should my subordinates do?"

"Keep an eye on it for now; eventually, a flaw will be revealed."

"Yes."

_

The night was as dark as ink, and a cold wind howled.

Xiao Ran strolled leisurely down the long street, with Nian supporting her from the side.

“Your Highness, the palace gates are already locked,” he asked her in a low voice, “why don’t you find an inn to sleep in?”

"No," Xiao Ran said drunkenly, "If Mother finds out, she'll scold me again."

“But you can’t go back now.”

“We can go back,” Xiao Ran patted her chest and said, “Trust me, just keep walking, keep walking, and you’ll get back.”

Having no other options, he could only help her walk forward.

Xiao Ran had never drunk so much alcohol before, but for some reason, she drank so much by herself today.

"Your Highness, we've arrived at the palace gates," Nian called softly.

"Thank you," Xiao Ran said, taking out her purse from her bosom. "Here you go."

"Your Highness has spent a lot of money today, there's no need to be so polite."

"Here you go, take it."

"Your Highness, I cannot accept this."

Xiao Ran panicked upon hearing the word "slave".

“Pei Xuan,” Xiao Ran murmured, cupping Nian’s face in her hands, “You are Pei Xuan, you are Pei Xuan, you are Pei Xuan, right?”

“Your Highness,” Nian gently moved her hand away, “you have mistaken me for someone else.”

“I won’t mistake you,” Xiao Ran said, gripping his hand tightly. “You are, you are Pei Xuan.”

“Your Highness,” Nian withdrew her hand, looking troubled, “it’s getting late, I should go back.”

Xiao Ran stood there, stunned, watching Nian leave.

A cold wind blew, and as the effects of the alcohol wore off, Xiao Ran realized her earlier outburst and was filled with remorse.

That's insane, everyone looks like someone else.

Xiao Ran, oh Xiao Ran, how could you be so spineless?

Getting drunk is bad enough, but mistaking someone for someone else is just too embarrassing.

She sat in the corner for a while in the cold wind before slowly getting up and crawling through a dog hole in the palace wall.

_

next day

When Xiao Ran woke up, she found herself lying in a side hall.

"Your Highness, you're awake?" Chaoyue asked softly.

"How did I end up here?" Xiao Ran rubbed her head. "Ouch, my head still hurts a little."

"Your Highness, you fell asleep under the tree last night."

"Under the tree?" Xiao Ran blushed and coughed lightly. "No...no one saw us, right?"

"No," Chaoyue smiled, "Don't worry, I've sent them all away."

"That's good, that's good." Xiao Ran breathed a sigh of relief. "If someone had seen us, I would have been finished."

“No one will notice,” Chaoyue handed her the ginger soup. “Your Highness, drink it while it’s hot to warm you up.”

“Okay,” Xiao Ran took the ginger soup and drank it all in one gulp.

"Besides the headache, does Your Highness feel any other discomfort?"

Xiao Ran shook her head. "That's all."

"Alright, then I'll go get some medicine and come back in a bit."

"Okay," Xiao Ran replied, then wrapped herself in the blanket and went back to sleep.