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

_

pine forest

Mu Yunqing and Shen Chenxi walked side by side in the snow, leaving a long trail of footprints behind them.

"Lord Mu, it's already this late, why hasn't the man in black shown himself yet?"

"He may have sensed something because there are many people around him today."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a dark shadow flashed by.

"Who goes there?" Shen Chenxi's eyes sharpened, and he quickly gave chase. "Lord Mu, hurry and follow!"

The two chased after him, but after only a few steps, the man in black disappeared again.

"Damn it," Mu Yunqing frowned, glancing around, "He got away again! Lord Shen, are you alright?"

"nothing."

As they were talking, another dark shadow flashed past.

"This way!" Mu Yunqing quickly grabbed Shen Chenxi and chased after the dark figure.

The two chased the man in black without stopping for a moment, but after a while, the shadow disappeared again.

The same thing happened several times in a row, and the two of them were completely fooled.

“This thief is incredibly cunning,” Shen Chenxi stopped, panting, and said, “Lord Mu, chasing him like this isn’t going to solve anything.”

“If we don’t pursue him,” Mu Yunqing said, “he will probably become even more rampant.”

As they were talking, a fluttering sound came from the sky. The two looked up and saw an injured carrier pigeon falling straight down.

Shen Chenxi reached out and caught the carrier pigeon, discovering a small roll of paper tied to its claw.

Unfolding the note, one could see only a few simple words: "Songming Temple, another person has died," written in crooked handwriting as if hastily composed.

Shen Chenxi's expression changed. "At the temple again? Lord Mu, shall we go back and check?"

“I won’t go,” Mu Yunqing said calmly. “This is a diversionary tactic. If you go back, you’ll only fall into his trap.”

"A diversionary tactic?" Shen Chenxi pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Lord Mu is absolutely right. I was too hasty. In your opinion, Lord Mu, what should we do now?"

"Keep chasing him, I want to see what he's up to."

“Alright, we’ll follow Lord Mu’s plan.” Shen Chenxi’s eyes were firm as he continued to chase after Mu Yunqing. “However, we must be careful and not fall into that villain’s trap.”

"Ah."

_

the other side.

Mu Yan was surrounded and attacked by two men in black, and her left shoulder was seriously injured.

After several exchanges, she still couldn't see the two men's faces clearly; one was wearing a mask, and the other had his face covered with a black veil.

His swordsmanship was swift and ruthless, each strike aimed at her vital points, as if it were a fight to the death.

Mu Yan cursed inwardly, "What a jerk!"

She really wanted to kick him to vent her anger, but the difference in strength was too great, and the man in black was pressing her step by step, so she didn't even have a chance to fight back.

Mu Yan swung her sword, but each strike missed its mark. In a moment of carelessness, she lost her footing and fell into a snow cave.

Immediately afterwards, another man in black fell in.

_

Snow Hole

The two fell heavily onto the snow. Mu Yan struggled to her feet and glared coldly at the person beside her.

Weren't those two together? How come this person is more seriously injured than her?

Mu Yan raised her sword and thrust it at him, the blade penetrating three-tenths of an inch.

A fleeting look of relief crossed the man in black's face. He didn't flinch, letting her longsword pierce his chest. "Cough cough..."

He murmured, "Your eyes... are very beautiful, like those of an old friend of mine..."

"An old friend?" Mu Yan said coldly, "Don't try to argue with me. How could I possibly know such a wicked person as you?"

Lin Zhixu chuckled softly, his voice weak yet carrying a hint of nonchalance, "Heh, I knew you wouldn't believe me."

Like her, she never believed me from beginning to end.

He slowly closed his eyes and whispered, "Do it. To die under the eyes of someone I know so well might be a kind of relief..."

Mu Yan was taken aback upon hearing this. She raised her hand and removed the veil from his face, revealing a middle-aged man.

He was handsome and about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old.

She did not know this person.

Seeing her hesitation, Lin Zhixu frowned slightly and forced himself to speak: "You won't kill me?"

“Of course I will kill you,” Mu Yan said, “but now is not the time.”

Lin Zhixu's eyes were unfocused, but his tone carried a hint of self-mockery, "You've gone to great lengths to hunt me down, isn't it all for the sake of eliminating a scourge for the people? Now is the best time... If you don't act now, you won't have such a good opportunity again."

"Heh," Mu Yan scoffed, thrusting her sword a little deeper. "What I lack isn't opportunity. Tell me, who are you!"

Lin Zhixu gave a bitter laugh. "Yes, with your skills, if you wanted to kill me," he coughed violently, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth, "why bother with all this effort..."

Why did you kill him?

Lin Zhixu's expression darkened as he looked down at the long sword at his chest. After a long while, he slowly spoke, "I didn't kill innocent people indiscriminately... I'm just too tired..."

"Tired? What right do you have to say you're tired!"

The moonlight shone on his face, making him appear even paler. "Yes, I'm so tired..." Lin Zhixu gently closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "This world is inherently unfair..."

“Since you know the world is unjust,” Mu Yan said in a deep voice, “you shouldn’t kill people indiscriminately.”

"Murder?" Lin Zhixu's voice was low and filled with endless sorrow. "I've saved so many people along the way, and you actually say I... cough cough..."

"The authorities are searching for you two everywhere; you can't escape."

Lin Zhixu gave a bitter laugh, nonchalantly wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Heh, so what?" His eyes sharpened. "If they want my life, let's see if they have the ability!"

"Stop being so stubborn," Mu Yan said. "Come back to Dali Temple with me; there might still be a chance."

"I did nothing wrong, why would I go to the Dali Temple!" Lin Zhixu struggled to sit up. "Hahahaha, do you think I would obediently go with you?"

"Are you out of your mind!" Mu Yan's eyes widened in shock, and she hurriedly sheathed her sword. "You're rushing to your death."

"I was already injured when I sparred with you just now, and then I was struck by that villain's sword... cough cough," Lin Zhixu coughed up a mouthful of blood, "how am I any different from a dead man in this state?"

"A thief?" Mu Yan pressed, "You don't know that person?"

“How could I know him? You two are ganging up on me…” Lin Zhixu coughed a few more times as he spoke, “I originally thought you two were in cahoots.”

"I thought you were a bad person, which is why I attacked you so viciously."

Lin Zhixu gave a bitter laugh and slowly closed his eyes. "It's my fault, it's my fault for not explaining things clearly to you..."

"Before I die, could you... grant me one request?" he whispered.

"What's the matter?"

A hint of longing flickered in Lin Zhixu's eyes. "I want to know, you..." His voice grew weaker, as if he might breathe his last at any moment, "What's your name?"

"Twilight Beauty".

"Mu Yan..." Lin Zhixu murmured Mu Yan's name repeatedly, his voice weak and almost inaudible, as if he had used all his strength, "A good name, as good as her..."

"Are you...are you okay?"

Lin Zhixu, clinging to his last breath, shakily pulled something from his pocket and handed it to her. "I...I want to ask you to give this to someone..."

"Okay, I promise you."

Lin Zhixu gazed at the hairpin in Mu Yan's hand, his eyes filled with longing. "This is..." His breath grew weaker, and his words became fragmented. "This is what I prepared for her..."

Mu Yan stepped forward to support him and asked, "Who should I give it to?"

"She..." Lin Zhixu's pupils began to dilate, his eyes becoming unfocused. With only a last shred of clarity, he whispered, "Her name is Mu Yunyan..."

Mu Yan's pupils contracted, somewhat incredulous. "Are you... are you sure the name is correct?"

Hearing Mu Yan's words, Lin Zhixu seemed to grasp a ray of light in the darkness, and with his last strength, he spoke, "You...you know her?"

"She's my mother."

“So that’s why…” Lin Zhixu breathed a long sigh of relief, as if all his energy had been drained away. “So she already…” He couldn’t finish his sentence, the rest stuck in his throat.

"What's up with her?"

"It's nothing..." Lin Zhixu forced himself to sit up straight, clutching Mu Yan's sleeve tightly, as if afraid she would disappear if he let go. "To see eyes similar to hers again before I die, I have no regrets..."

He slowly closed his eyes, his voice weak but firm, "Muyan, you must live well..." Lin Zhixu's hand slipped from her sleeve, and he collapsed to the ground, powerless.

“You’re still alive, you should hand her over to her yourself,” Mu Yan helped him up again. “Get up!”

"I...how can I face her..." Lin Zhixu's voice was barely audible, barely audible: "This hairpin...you must give it to Yunyan...tell her, I...I miss her so much..."

“I know, don’t speak yet,” Mu Yan sat beside him, pondering, “We don’t know where that man in black is going. We are both injured, and going out rashly might be more trouble than it’s worth. But if we don’t go out,” Mu Yan glanced at his wound, “you might not make it through the night.”

“It’s alright,” Lin Zhixu said with relief. “Life and death are nothing to me.” He then changed the subject seriously, “Don’t worry, I will cover your escape. You… cough cough… must escape.”

“You’re wrong,” Mu Yan said in a low voice, “If it were you or me, we would both have to escape. Since you’re not a bad person, I wouldn’t just stand by and watch you die.”

Lin Zhixu shook his head, "You can't even take care of yourself, why... bring me along as a burden?"

"How could I not take care of myself?" Mu Yan raised her hand casually and said, "Look at me, I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"

Lin Zhixu smiled but remained silent.

During the battle, he clearly saw the man in black stab her several times; she should have been injured on her shoulder and side.

Especially her shoulder, which must have been badly injured, yet she didn't utter a single sound.

Lin Zhixu felt bitter. If Mu Yan's mother was really Mu Yunyan, then he should really die.

Yunyan must have suffered so much to raise a child of such character.

_

pine forest

Mu Yunqing and his companion walked along the winding mountain path. The surroundings were quiet, with only the occasional chirping of birds.

“Come back,” Mu Yunqing said, “there’s a cliff ahead.”

“This…” Shen Chenxi stopped and looked around, saying, “Lord Mu, we’ve been tricked by that scoundrel again.”

"How cunning," Mu Yunqing said through gritted teeth, his face dark. "He had better pray he doesn't fall into my hands."

“Lord Mu, please don’t be angry,” Shen Chenxi pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up. “This villain must be trying to lure us into a trap. Why don’t we play along?”

"What if he goes and kills someone again?" As if suddenly remembering something, Mu Yunqing hurriedly asked, "Where are the people at the military training ground? Why is there no sign of them?"

"Don't worry, Lord Mu, I've already made all the arrangements," Shen Chenxi reassured him, seeing his worried expression. "The soldiers from the training ground are lying in ambush around the temple. As soon as that thief shows his face, they will capture him."

Mu Yunqing: "..."

That's not what he wanted to ask.

"Yes," Mu Yunqing nodded, "It's good that everything is arranged properly."

Shen Chenxi looked up at the sky and said, "The wind and snow are getting heavier. Let's find a place to take shelter first, and then make further plans."

The two walked towards the cave.

Mu Yunqing casually grabbed a few dry branches, squatted down to start a fire, and said, "Lord Shen, over here."

Shen Chenxi sat down beside him. "Lord Mu, who do you think this thief is?"

"After three days of back and forth, I still haven't seen his true face and have no clue what to do."

Shen Chenxi turned her head to look at him, the firelight gradually brightening and illuminating half of his face.

This was the first time he had seen Mu Yunqing like this; his face was gloomy, clearly angered by the man in black.

"I wonder if Lord Mu has noticed," Shen Chenxi deliberately reminded him, "that there seems to be more than one man in black. One of them is rather thin, and the other is a bit more robust."

“Lord Shen’s observation is indeed meticulous,” Mu Yunqing said. “In that case, these two should be accomplices, but with different roles.”

"To dare to act wildly under the Empress's nose is like deliberately trying to attract attention in order to cover something up."

“Lord Shen is right,” Mu Yunqing said, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. “But what exactly are they trying to cover up? Could it be related to Songming Temple?”

Shen Chenxi shook his head, "Judging from this trend, Songming Temple is just a pretext."

“In your opinion, Lord Shen,” Mu Yunqing paused in his hand, which was poking at the campfire, and looked up at him with a hint of inquiry in his eyes, “who exactly is the mastermind behind this?”

"Shen guessed that it might be someone from the imperial court."

"If that's the case, then it's even more complicated."

Shen Chenxi nodded in deep agreement, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment before shifting away. "Lord Mu is absolutely right. There are quite a few people in this court who want to kill us."

“Lord Shen sees things clearly,” Mu Yunqing laughed self-deprecatingly. “After all, we are men, and we are highly valued by the Empress. It’s inevitable that some people will be jealous. Moreover, the court is divided and there are few male officials. It’s possible that someone might want to use this to get rid of us.”

“Lord Mu is right,” Shen Chenxi said calmly, “Surviving in this court is harder than finding a living person in a pile of dead bodies.”

Upon hearing this, Mu Yunqing looked up at him, and their eyes met.

Shen Chenxi looked away and said, "Lord Mu, it's late. Let's get some rest. We need to continue investigating the case tomorrow."

Mu Yunqing turned to look at the snow falling heavier and heavier outside the cave, "This is the only way."

Shen Chenxi added some firewood to the campfire and took off his cloak to cover him. "Lord Mu, don't catch a cold."

Before Mu Yunqing could answer, he said, "Lord Mu, please don't refuse. We are now in the same boat. If you fall ill, this case will be even more difficult to handle."