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

Many years later, Mu Yunqing still remembers the day he first arrived at the Prime Minister's residence.

She stood on the high platform, while he knelt before the hall.

He presented the note with both hands and signed a contract with her for life and death.

From then on, his fate was no longer in his own hands, and he had to protect Mu Yan at all times.

If Mu Yan is in danger, he must risk his life to save her; if Mu Yan dies, he must be buried with her.

Mu Yunyan was very generous. That very night, she bestowed the Green Bamboo Garden upon him, ensuring he had food and clothing, and he could receive a small monthly allowance. The task she gave him was not difficult; it was simply to protect Mu Yan.

He had a precarious life since childhood, often living under the roof of others and being abandoned repeatedly. Now that he has his own place, he has finally experienced some peace and quiet.

Unfortunately, he met the wrong person, and within a few short years, he was tormented by Mu Yan until he was physically and mentally broken.

He vaguely remembered that she was always accompanied by several girls of similar age, who would bully, humiliate, and tease him together.

She asked him softly, "Where are your father and mother?"

He said, "He's dead."

"Hahahaha~" Mu Yan laughed mockingly and unrestrainedly, without a trace of pity in her eyes.

What's even more ridiculous is that he was too young at the time to understand what she meant.

Now that he's grown up, he realizes that she laughed at him for having no parents.

Her mind was filled with memories of the past, and her mocking laughter echoed in her ears.

They are clearly the same person, but their faces can never be superimposed.

His brows were furrowed, his thin lips were pressed tightly together, and his long fingers covered his head. He felt dizzy and his head was throbbing with pain.

"Mu Yunqing..." Mu Yan called out softly.

"Mu Yunqing, are you alright?"

"Mu Yunqing..."

He vaguely heard someone calling him.

But his head was throbbing, his mind was a mess, he felt a terrible noise all around him, and suddenly everything went black before his eyes and he collapsed.

_

Green Bamboo Garden

Mu Yan invited a doctor to examine her. Although she knew a little about medicine, it was only superficial.

"Doctor, how is he?"

"Don't worry, it's nothing serious. It's just that he was emotionally agitated and temporarily lost blood flow to his brain, causing him to faint."

"When will he wake up?" Mu Yan asked anxiously.

"When the blood supply to all parts of the body is balanced, you will naturally wake up."

"Okay... do you need any medicine?"

"No need for medicine. This young man is in good health, but his complexion is a little pale. Miss, you can find some tonics for him to drink."

"Replenish Qi and Blood~" Hey, I know the answer to this one!

"Um, try to be more restrained in your sex life these days, I'm afraid he'll get emotional again."

The doctor blurted out his answer too quickly, then glanced at the small, dilapidated shack in front of him... Uh, he'd messed up; he seemed to have said something wrong...

"Ahem, Miss, if there's nothing else, I'll be going now. I have to go to the next store~" she said, grabbing her bag and running out.

Mu Yan wanted to ask Xiang Qin to see her off, but Xiang Qin ran off in a flash.

The doctor left, and the room became quiet. Mu Yan lowered her eyes and looked at Mu Yunqing lying on the bed.

Is he that unhappy? Mu Yan looked at Mu Yunqing's furrowed brows and wished she could reach out and smooth them out, but then she thought that it wouldn't be very polite.

But, none of my family members understand, it really affects my appearance!!! No wonder Xiangqin doesn't let her frown, frowning is just so ugly, so ugly!

So she secretly vowed that she would never frown again from now on.

Little did she know that the person before her would cause her endless worry in the years to come.

She got up and tucked him in, then shook her head helplessly. "Sigh, he won't wake up anytime soon... Just lie there, I'll go gather some information!"

Mu Yan thought about it and walked out, gently closing the door behind her.

The courtyard was quiet, and the rustling of the wind through the bamboo grove could be clearly heard.

The moon is exceptionally bright tonight, resembling a crescent moon. Its light spills over the bamboo garden, as if veiled in a light gauze. It is beautiful, yet untouchable.

The bright moon still hangs in the sky, a gentle breeze blows, and Mu Yan, stepping on the swaying bamboo shadows, slowly walks towards Xiang Qin, who is embroidering clothes.

"Hey, Master, what brings you here?" Xiangqin looked up at her master upon hearing footsteps.

"He won't wake up anytime soon, so I came out for some fresh air." He said, sitting down next to Xiangqin and pouring himself a glass of water.

"Oh, is that so? Hehe, Master, look, this is what I embroidered, isn't it beautiful!" Xiangqin said, showing the embroidered pattern to Muyan.

Mu Yan put down her cup and looked down at the pattern in front of her—it was green bamboo!

Mu Yan suddenly looked up at Xiang Qin, somewhat surprised, and asked, "How did you know I like bamboo?"

"Hehe, of course it's observation. I've noticed that you often go to the Green Bamboo Garden, and you always seem to be engrossed in looking at the bamboo. So I thought you must like bamboo."

After Xiangqin finished speaking, she smiled shyly, her eyes full of expectation, sparkling as if saying, "Praise me, praise me, praise me!!"

Mu Yan was somewhat flattered. Xiang Qin was the only girl in all her years of life who had truly been good to her.

She was orphaned at a young age. While other children were crying in their parents' arms, wanting hugs and kisses, she had already begun learning various skills and repairing machinery.

Fortunately, she met a good mentor. Although he was a bit strict, he was really good to her!

Then there's Mu Yunqing...

Apart from that, no one else treated her well.

Oh well, who cares? I had no one to care for me before, but now I have someone to love me. I just need to live happily. Anyway, I have a long road ahead of me!

Mu Yan comforted herself, then smiled and said to Xiang Qin, "You did a great job, I really like it, I'll give you a raise this month!!"

Xiangqin sweetly replied, "Okay," and then lowered her head to continue embroidering the clothes. She wanted to finish embroidering before summer arrived, as the weather was getting hotter and hotter.

Mu Yan stared at Xiang Qin for a while, then suddenly remembered that she had come to gather information. She then tentatively asked, "Xiang Qin, are you familiar with Mu Yunqing?"

Upon hearing this, Xiangqin's small eyes widened suddenly. What was he going to do? Was he trying to find out her preferences because he liked her, or what? In Xiangqin's mind, a whole series of "Ten Thousand Whys of Muyan" was playing out.

"Well, I can only say I know a little bit about it, I'm not very familiar with it."

"Well... can you tell me what kind of person he is on a normal day?"

"On ordinary days? It's just like that!"

What? You mean "like that"? Be more specific!

"Uh, could you be more specific?"

"Well... he's just a bit dull, doesn't like to talk, and prefers to be alone. To be honest, he's not particularly special. Why are you asking this, Master?"

As Xiangqin spoke, she looked up at Muyan with curious eyes that remained fixed on her.

"Uh, just asking to find out what's going on." Mu Yan reached out and poured another glass of water.

"However, my lord, I have a question, but I'm not sure if I should ask it..."

Mu Yan glanced at Xiang Qin; there was some hesitation in the girl's eyes.

"tell me the story."

"Ahem, is this something I can say? Will I get beaten up if I do?" Xiangqin hesitated.

"Ok?"

"Well... Master used to dislike Mu Yunqing, so why does he suddenly... like him?"

The little girl's eyes were timid, as if she really wanted to know. But!! She couldn't tell the truth, could she? She couldn't very well tell the little girl, "Because your master is dead, I am another Mu Yan," could she?

After much thought, Mu Yan decided to imitate the legendary "luring the tiger away from the mountain" strategy and subtly change the subject.

And so she was given a story that shocked her worldview.

At first, Xiangqin told her that the original owner, Muyan, was ruthless and cruel, did not know how to cherish women, and often bullied Muyunqing.

And then it became...

When Mu Yan was displeased, she would whip his body repeatedly, leaving large patches of blood seeping into his white clothes, but she didn't care.

Then one time, Xiangqin went to deliver medicine to Muyunqing. He was washing clothes in the courtyard, and blood was flowing all over the ground.

Then, Mu Yan often used extremely insulting words to curse him, which was considered mild.

"There was one time, I remember it very clearly..." The little girl's voice was a little choked up, perhaps because it really went too far. Her little face hesitated, and she looked up at Mu Yan.

"It's okay, it's okay, go ahead, I'm listening."

"That time it was because Mu Yunqing accidentally burned you when he was adding tea for you... and then you got angry..."

"You called him a slut...and said you'd sell him into a brothel, then you beat and verbally abused him. A few days later, you had red marks on your hands...you were like that at the time..."

"explain."

Perhaps because Mu Yan's tone was a bit frightening, Xiang Qin was so frightened that she immediately knelt down.

"master……"

……

"Why are you kneeling down? Get up! Why do you people kneel down so easily?" He said, reaching out to help Xiangqin up.

The little girl's eyes were brimming with tears, her innocent little eyes fixed on Mu Yan.

"My lord... please forgive me for speaking frankly, but what you did back then... um, it was too cruel, sob sob sob, I dared not look... I hid in the back, and I don't know the details."

“I heard from them that you pulled out Mu Yunqing’s left fingernails, ... and then…”

What?! No way, no way? His hand is perfectly fine today. Mu Yan was speechless. This woman is really too vicious.

"If you can't say it, then don't. Don't be afraid, it's all in the past. I've forgotten everything that happened before. I... can't become the Mu Yan I used to be... Xiang Qin, I'll be good to you." Mu Yan gently comforted her.

Although it sounds a bit like the tone of a scumbag, it's absolutely sincere.

The little girl wiped away her tears and nodded to Mu Yan.

"Master, it's late, let's go back and rest."

"it is good"

After saying that, the two picked up their things and returned to Fanglan Garden (Muyan's residence).

But that night, Mu Yan tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Mu Yan, Mu Yan, you deserved to fall to your death from the wall! Damn it, how could you be so cruel? You turned a perfectly good boy into this mess!

Sigh... Mu Yan let out a long sigh.

Ultimately, she had to bear this burden. After much thought, Mu Yan decided to use "love" to influence him. Mu Yunqing was just too starved for love.

But how do I use love to influence him... cooking? Haha, this question seems a bit beyond my scope.

Mu Yan thought for a while and then drifted off to sleep.

The next day, inside the brothel

Nian sat upright in front of the mirror, while the boy behind him tidied his hair. He looked at his handsome reflection in the mirror and felt very happy.

Today he wore an orange-yellow dress with a light green silk sash around his waist. The colors were difficult to pull off, but they made him look even more radiant and beautiful.

He made a bet with the madam yesterday: if someone spent a fortune on him today, he would be allowed to travel alone for a day.

Thinking of this, Nian's face lit up with a rare joy. She hadn't seen Mu Yan since that day, and she had to take this opportunity to meet her again!

"Young master, it's your turn to appear," the boy beside him whispered.

"Okay." Nian got up, straightened her clothes, and then left the room.

Everyone knew that the courtesan would be performing today, so the area downstairs was already packed with people, and not a single seat was empty.

As soon as Nian stepped out of his room, he heard a commotion downstairs. Ever since he removed his veil and revealed himself, the building had been bustling with activity every single day.

"The...the courtesan is here!!!" someone in the crowd shouted.

Everyone looked up and exclaimed, "Wow, she really is the most beautiful courtesan! She's absolutely gorgeous!"

"Look at that figure, that pretty face, even as a ghost, dying under a peony would be romantic."

“She is becoming more and more beautiful and charming.”

Perhaps because there were too many people praising him, Xiao Ran, who was originally unmoved, also raised his eyes to glance at the so-called courtesan.

The man slowly descended from the platform. He had a handsome face with sharp features, and his features were so exquisite that they seemed to have been sculpted by a celestial being. He had willow-leaf eyebrows, peach blossom eyes, and eyes that were as tender as water, like a dazzling galaxy. He also had a smile on his lips.

He was impeccably dressed, with elegant yet masculine manners. Every frown, smile, and glance he made was breathtakingly beautiful, captivating all who beheld him.

Xiao Ran was stunned by what she saw, and of course, she wasn't the only one.

"Ding ding ding, ding ding ding..."

A burst of gongs and drums sounded, and the madam from the audience came up. He took Nian's hand and led her to the center of the stage. He whispered something to her and then turned and left.

As the music began, Nian danced gracefully to the music, her movements as clear and flowing as water, a sight that soothed and delighted the soul.

He would sometimes raise his wrist, sometimes lower his eyes and smile gently, his sleeves rising and falling like falling flowers.

With a slender waist and graceful movements, she leans forward to dance, her waist as supple as a willow branch drooping in spring, the necklaces tied around her ankles peeking out as she dances.

Small bells adorn the waist, gently colliding with the jade pendants tied to the body. The ethereal and crisp sound of the pendants and bells jingles as the pelvis rotates.

Even though it was just a stunning dance, it won a round of laughter from the audience.

Yue stopped and left, while Nian returned to her room from backstage to rest.

Next comes the reward ceremony, which was common in ancient brothels.

"Lord Wang of Kyoto has awarded me five hundred taels of silver."

"Lord Sun has awarded a thousand taels of silver!!"

"Lord Su, 1200 taels"

"Grand Tutor, 1,500 taels!!!"

Hearing the sounds of accounting being reported, Xiao Ran grew increasingly puzzled and asked the servant pouring water beside her, "What's going on here?"

"Your Highness, this is a tip!"

"A tip? For whom? For that pretty girl who was dancing just now?"

"Yes."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran suddenly felt an itch to try. She danced so well and was so beautiful; she truly deserved a reward.

"If I give him a tip, he'll remember me."

"Of course I will."

Will he be happy?

"Definitely."

Hehe, if I can make this little beauty remember me, then I won't be polite.

"Go and tip him for me."

"How much reward will the princess receive?"

"Ten thousand taels."

"Ten thousand taels?"

"Yes, hurry up, hurry up, I want to be number one!!"

Watching the servant nimbly walk up to the stage and whisper in the accountant's ear that she wanted a reward, Xiao Ran felt a surge of joy. Although she had won the beauty's smile, she felt a pang of heartache; her little treasury was about to be empty again.