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

“There’s no injured crane here,” Song Qinghe said. “Don’t change the subject!”

“Look, its wings,” Song Qi’an pointed to the white crane in the painting, “are clearly injured.”

Song Qinghe looked in the direction Song Qi'an pointed, and from his angle, it really did look like a wounded crane.

“That’s just ink smudged, not some kind of injury to the crane,” Song Qinghe sighed. “But you, can’t you give me a break?”

Song Qi'an lowered his head and remained silent.

"You're usually quite talkative, why aren't you saying anything now?"

“If I really say it,” Song Qi’an said in a muffled voice, “you’ll just get upset.”

"Hmph," Song Qinghe snorted, "You know I'm unhappy, yet you still say it; that's your fault!"

"Yes, yes, it's all my fault. I'm an unfilial son. I'm sorry," Song Qi'an said with a smile, changing the subject. "You want to hear this, right? Humph, I won't say it."

"Rebel!"

"Oh, calm down, calm down," Song Qi'an helped her to a seat, feigning a sigh, "Getting angry over a disobedient son like me, oh, it's not worth it, not worth it at all!"

"It would be such a waste if someone as beautiful as you were to get wrinkles from my anger!"

Song Qinghe was amused by him, "You don't seem to care about being embarrassed."

“What’s there to be ashamed of in front of my own mother!” Song Qi’an handed her a cup of tea and said solicitously, “Mother, can you do me a favor?”

Song Qinghe paused as she took the tea. "What kind of help?"

"Why don't you drink your tea first?" Seeing her hesitation, Song Qi'an poured himself a cup of tea and drank it down in one gulp. "Don't worry, it's not poisoned! I wouldn't dare to harm you even if you had ten lives!"

“I’m not afraid you’ll poison me,” Song Qinghe said, taking the tea. “I’m afraid you’ll set a trap for me.”

"Just tell me, will you help or not?"

"Tell me what it is first."

“I heard you have a shop in the south of the city,” Song Qi’an said with a smile. “You don’t need it, give it to me.”

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Of course it's useful."

"Want to start a business?" She paused, turning her head to look at Song Qi'an. "Or do you want to pawn it for money?"

“How could I bear to pawn your things?” Song Qi’an raised his hand and swore, “Just give them to me, I promise I won’t cause any trouble!”

“It’s not that I don’t want to give it to you,” Song Qinghe explained. “That shop in the south of the city is in a bad location and doesn’t make much money all year round. It’s just a shell and has no real value.”

"If you really want a shop, why don't you go to the west side of the city and pick one out?"

Song Qi'an shook his head, "Mother, I only want the one in the south of the city."

Song Qinghe couldn't refuse him, so she agreed.

“Remember,” Song Qinghe handed him the keys, “don’t cause any trouble.”

"Don't worry!" Song Qi'an patted his chest and said, "I will never cause trouble!" After saying that, he took the keys and ran off with Mu Dong.

_

Seongnam

A biting wind howled, and fallen leaves fluttered down.

The carriage moved slowly along the stone-paved road, the wind rustling the bells and making a series of clear sounds, the wheels rolling over fallen leaves and leaving shallow tracks.

Before long, the carriage came to a smooth stop.

Song Qi'an stepped down from the carriage and looked around at the shop in front of him.

The windows were bare and the tiles crumbled, dust swirling in the dim light. Cobwebs covered the corners, and even the signboard was crooked.

Mu Dong asked worriedly, "Young master, this shop is so dilapidated, what is it used for?"

Song Qi'an smiled mysteriously: "You don't need to worry about that. This place will be transformed soon."

After saying that, he stepped into the shop.

The situation inside the shop wasn't much better; dust was everywhere, tables and chairs were overturned, and there was a strange smell.

"Mu Dong, go and call a few people over," Song Qi'an said, taking off his money pouch and tossing it to Mu Dong. "Clean up the shop first, hmm... replace the tables, chairs, doors, and windows, and then buy some things to decorate it."

“Yes,” Mu Dong said, seeing Song Qi’an about to leave, and quickly called out to him, “Young Master…where are you going?”

"Let's go upstairs and take a look." Song Qi'an slowly walked up the stairs, the wooden stairs making a slight creaking sound.

There is a rooftop terrace upstairs. Standing on the edge of the terrace and looking down, you can see the military training ground.

Song Qi'an's eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

There was an unexpected surprise.

_

Dali Temple

Wei Chengfeng stood beside Mu Yunqing, organizing the case files. "Lord Mu, why didn't Lord Shen come today?"

"Perhaps he is ill," Mu Yunqing said calmly.

“Aren’t you and Lord Shen friends?” Wei Chengfeng said. “Lord Shen is ill, why don’t you go and see him?”

Mu Yunqing looked up and glared at him. "If you're really that bored, go and weed the yard."

Wei Chengfeng chuckled and quickly said, "No, no, I'd better focus on organizing the case files."

"Where is Pei Xuan? Have you seen him?"

“Lord Pei… oh, I mean Pei Xuan, I met him earlier.”

Where did you meet?

"They're right here in the courtyard," Wei Chengfeng said, as if remembering something, his mouth suddenly agape. "Sir, have those two been kidnapped?"

Mu Yunqing: "..."

"At your age," Mu Yunqing rubbed his temples, "you don't even know to bring your brain with you when you go out."

Upon hearing this, Wei Chengfeng felt extremely wronged. He had only made unfounded guesses because he was worried about Lord Shen.

He might not even be able to guess it if it were someone else!

However, to be fair, these two adults are quite formidable.

It's been several days already, and he still hasn't been dismissed by His Majesty.

Judging from this trend, he might stay in his position. He'd better be careful what he says, or he'll have a hard time in the future.

"Lord Mu is right," Wei Chengfeng said with a fawning smile. "I will definitely bring the brains with me tomorrow."

The cold wind howled, making the wind chimes jingle, and with a "bang," the flowerpot on the windowsill crashed heavily to the ground.

"What broke?" Mu Yunqing frowned and looked out the window.

"My lord, please don't be anxious," Wei Chengfeng said. "Let me go out and take a look!"

Mu Yunqing nodded.

Wei Chengfeng stepped out and soon returned to stand by the window, holding a cat.

"Sir, it's an orange cat."

Mu Yunqing looked up and saw the kitten obediently letting him hold it, without making a fuss.

"Carry it in."

"Yes." Wei Chengfeng replied and hurriedly carried the cat inside. "Sir, its paw seems to be injured."

"Let me see," Mu Yunqing took the cat from his hands and examined it carefully. "It was probably hit by a flowerpot. Bring the first-aid kit over."

"Sir, humans and animals are different; this medicine probably won't work."

The cat in her arms meowed softly. Mu Yunqing looked down at it, a smile playing on her lips. "So you think what he said is right?"

The orange cat meowed again.

“Alright, then I’ll do as you say,” Mu Yunqing gently stroked its head and put it back in Wei Chengfeng’s arms. “Let’s find a doctor to take a look at it.”

“This…” Wei Chengfeng hesitated for a moment, but still had to obey. “This humble official will take it away now.” After saying that, he walked outside.

"Wait a minute," Mu Yunqing got up and wrapped the blanket around the orange cat, "It's windy outside, keep it safe."

"Yes."

_

Yang's

Shen Chenxi and Pei Xuan stood against the wall.

"Why do you have such a dark expression?" Shen Chenxi said lazily, raising her lips. "Are you surprised to see me?"

Pei Xuan dared not.

"You and your master are really alike, equally detestable."

Pei Xuan's face darkened further, and he said in a deep voice, "Talking about people behind their backs is not the act of a gentleman."

"Then tell me, what exactly constitutes the behavior of a gentleman?"

“Anything is fine, but not someone like Lord Shen.”

“You’re eavesdropping through the wall now,” Shen Chenxi retorted, “which isn’t exactly gentlemanly behavior.”

Pei Xuan didn't want to talk to him.

He felt that this so-called Lord Shen was no different from a venomous scorpion—sharp-tongued, ruthless, and scheming.

He was no good person; he wanted his master to stay away from him.

Shen Chenxi looked at him with a half-smile, "Why hasn't your master arrived yet? Has he forgotten again?"

“Perhaps something has delayed him,” Pei Xuan said. “Even if he doesn’t come, the two of us should still resolve the matter.”

"Yes, everything is ready, we're just waiting for her to take the bait."

“What should we do if she doesn’t believe us?” Pei Xuan asked.

“She will definitely believe it,” Shen Chenxi said calmly. “She has no reason not to believe it.”

"Lord Shen is quite confident," Mu Yunqing said leisurely. "Then I'll wait and see what the show is like."

The two of them turned to look at Mu Yunqing.

“Master,” Pei Xuan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him arrive, “You’ve finally come.”

He didn't want to spend a single moment longer with Shen Chenxi.

"Mm," Mu Yunqing responded, and jumped down from the eaves.

“I thought,” Shen Chenxi said with a smile, “that Lord Mu wouldn’t be coming.”

"How could we not watch a play personally arranged by Lord Shen?"

"Then you should take a good look."

_

Not long after.

A few people had gathered outside the door, talking amongst themselves.

"I heard that the Yang family's case has been closed, but I don't know if it's true or not."

"It must be true. It's spread everywhere. If it weren't true, no one would dare to spread it!"

"I heard the storyteller say it yesterday, it must be true!"

"So how exactly did Ah Jing die?"

"He was beaten to death! Poor Jing, she ended up with such a family!"

"That's right, it took three years for her case to be overturned after she died. She probably didn't have a single good day in the afterlife!"

"I don't know, only the Yang family can decide this matter!"

"The door is tightly shut, and there's not a sound. We have no idea if it's true or not!"

More and more people gathered, forming three layers around the crowd, and the discussions grew louder and louder. Yang Jiaxin could no longer contain herself.

Several times he tried to rush out to explain, but Yang Qiaoyue held him back each time.

“Mother, you can’t go out,” Yang Qiaoyue said. “If you go out, we’re really doomed.”

"Are we just going to stay here and let these people talk nonsense?"

“Ah Jing is already dead, what’s wrong with letting people say a few things!” Yang Qiaoyue complained. “She was always causing trouble when she was alive, and now that she’s dead, she still can’t let us have peace of mind…”

"Shut up!" Yang Jiaxin stopped her. "We're the ones who let her down."

“But… that was her own fault,” Yang Qiaoyue said. “If she hadn’t insisted on going to Zuixianglou, she wouldn’t have died there.”

“She did it all for the family,” Yang Jiaxin sighed. “It’s all my fault. If I were stronger, she wouldn’t have to go out and risk her life.”

“Mother, please don’t say that,” Yang Qiaoyue’s eyes reddened. “It’s my fault. If I hadn’t been so timid, A-Jing wouldn’t have died unjustly.”

"Fine, it's come to this now, I'll go and explain things to them!" Yang Jiaxin said, opening the door and leaving.

As soon as Yang Jiaxin stepped out, everyone fell silent and turned their gazes to her.

She took a deep breath and said loudly, "Fellow villagers, the matter of A-Jing is not as the rumors say."

The crowd whispered among themselves, clearly not believing it.

Seeing this, Yang Jiaxin continued, "A-Jing was indeed harmed by villains. It's our fault for being cowardly and afraid of trouble, and for refusing to tell the government the truth, which has prevented her from resting in peace for three years after her death."

"Now I understand, I will do my best to cooperate with the government in the investigation, so that... so that Ah Jing can rest in peace."

“In that case, come with me back to Dali Temple,” Mu Yunqing said.

When the people saw the government officials arrive, they all stepped back.

“Okay, I’ll go with you,” Yang Jiaxin said, “as long as you can give A-Jing justice.”

Pei Xuan assured him, "Don't worry, my master will definitely help you find out the truth."

_

Yang Jiaxin followed Mu Yunqing and the others to Dali Temple.

The atmosphere in the main hall was somber.

Although Yang Jiaxin was afraid, she forced herself to remain calm because she thought about being able to clear A Jing's name.

Mu Yunqing began his interrogation, "Do you still remember what that person looked like when A-Jing offended him before his death?"

“I don’t remember…” Yang Jiaxin cried. “Now that three years have passed, even if I do remember, I can’t find it again.”

"Since you knew, why didn't you report it three years ago?"

“My lord… I’ve told you that my family is timid and afraid of trouble,” she said, her voice choked with emotion. “We’re afraid of offending people, which is why we’ve refused to report this to the police.”

"You dismiss these past three years with a simple 'cowardly and timid' statement," Shen Chenxi said, looking down at her in a low voice. "I have a feeling there's more to this than meets the eye."

Yang Jiaxin's face turned pale, and she stammered, "This humble subject...this humble subject would not dare to deceive you, sir."

Mu Yunqing said sternly, "If you don't tell the truth, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Yang Jiaxin knelt down with a thud and tearfully told the whole truth.

The Yang family had been poor for generations, unable to afford schooling or start a business, and their lives became increasingly difficult, with none of them amounting to anything.

Yang Jiaxin was in poor health, and Yang Qiaoyue was weak and incompetent. After being scolded, she refused to go out to work anymore and stayed at home every day.

The burden of supporting the family fell on Yang Qiaojing's shoulders. She was clever, but her lowly status meant she was constantly suppressed.

He finally found a job, only to be beaten to death.

When Yang Jiaxin arrived, the person had already passed away.

The other party held a high position of power, so everything the Yang family did was in vain, and they had no choice but to swallow their anger.

Later, Zuixianglou sent over one hundred taels of silver as hush money.

"I was confused for a moment and was blinded by that one hundred taels of silver," Yang Jiaxin said, kowtowing. "That's why A-Jing has been wronged for so many years and can't rest in peace."

Everyone who heard this sighed with regret.

His own daughter was brutally murdered on the street, but he neither reported it to the police nor sought revenge.

For a hundred taels of silver, he helped his enemy conceal a case for three years, and now, almost the fourth year later, he is finally willing to reveal the truth.

Yang Jiaxin is truly heartless.

"According to the law, what should be the answer?" Mu Yunqing looked up at Shen Chenxi.

“Knowing that someone is offering bribes and deliberately doing so is considered concealing a case,” Shen Chenxi said calmly. “According to the law, the punishment should be fifty strokes of the cane and exile for three thousand miles.”

Yang Jiaxin collapsed to the ground, her face ashen.

Fifty strokes of the cane, and after that she'd be hanging on by a thread, that would kill her!

Yang Qiaoyue, who was standing to the side, was already so frightened that she retreated behind the screen to hide.

Yang Jiaxin accepted a bribe of one hundred taels of silver, but she was unaware of this.

The Yang family lived in poverty, subsisting on soup every day. Meat was rarely seen on their table, and their clothes were repeatedly mended and washed.

Yang Jiaxin has money, she should use it.

For three whole years, she didn't take out a single penny.

It seems she pocketed it.