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

Mu Yunqing smiled and said, "Then I shall accept your offer."

"Lord Mu," Shen Chenxi lay beside him and asked, "Do you know what the most difficult thing is in this imperial court?"

"Establish a foothold".

Shen Chenxi gently shook his head, his gaze becoming profound. "No, the most difficult thing is to always maintain one's original aspiration in this treacherous court."

Mu Yunqing chuckled lightly: "Lord Shen is actually trying to reason with me."

"Lord Mu, please don't make fun of me," Shen Chenxi said seriously. "What I have said comes from the bottom of my heart."

"Then, Lord Shen, what do you think is the original intention?"

"The original aspiration..." Shen Chenxi's gaze became somewhat unfocused, as if he were recalling something, "Naturally, it was for the people, for the country and its people."

"And what about yourself?" Mu Yunqing asked calmly.

Shen Chenxi was slightly taken aback. "Does Lord Mu want to ask whether my original intention was also for myself?"

“No,” Mu Yunqing said slowly, “I want to know if you have thought about your own way out, apart from your original intentions.”

"A way out?" Shen Chenxi lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then slowly raised his head and tentatively asked, "Does Lord Mu mean that I, Shen, have a way out in this court?"

Mu Yunqing nodded.

Shen Chenxi's heart tightened. Could it be that he had discovered something?

Logically, he shouldn't have asked that question, nor did he have any reason to ask it.

He has always been very good at hiding, so he will never find out.

That leaves only one possibility.

—Mu Yunqing was also testing him.

Thinking of this, he chuckled and feigned dejection, saying, "Lord Mu is joking. Now that I have entered the court as an official, I have long since disregarded life and death, so why would I talk about a way out?"

"You can think about it."

"Those who eat the emperor's food must serve him loyally; it is an duty that officials cannot shirk," Shen Chenxi said solemnly. The stick he was using to stir the campfire suddenly broke, and he seemed not to notice the sparks that splashed onto his hands. "I have long been prepared to devote myself to the court."

Mu Yunqing raised his sword to push the wooden stick aside, then leaned lazily against the stone wall: "With someone like you in the court, I can relax and slack off."

"Lord Mu, what are you saying?" Shen Chenxi's lips curled up slightly, his tone tinged with a hint of teasing. "The two of us are the backbone of the court, how can we shirk our responsibilities?"

"A pillar of strength? Haha," Mu Yunqing scoffed, "I hope you're not a thorn in someone else's side."

Shen Chenxi simply smiled faintly, "So what if they are a thorn in my side? As long as I can work for the well-being of the people and be loyal to the country, I will not hesitate to be slandered."

"Lord Shen's righteousness makes me seem particularly narrow-minded."

"Lord Mu, you flatter me," Shen Chenxi waved his hand, his expression serious. "I know that everything you have done is for the court and for the people."

Mu Yunqing shook his head and smiled.

Upon closer examination, he himself didn't know why he was doing it.

"Lord Mu, it's getting late, you should get some rest."

"Okay," Mu Yunqing replied, then turned away and went to sleep.

_

Snow Hole

The winter snow outside suddenly stopped, and the faint sound of the wind howling could be heard.

The wind and snow seemed to have lessened considerably.

Mu Yan helped the person beside her up. "Let's leave quickly while the wind and snow have subsided a bit."

“No… I can’t be a burden to you,” Lin Zhixu said. “You go quickly, I’ll cover you from behind.”

"If I wanted to escape, why would I need your cover?" Mu Yan forcefully pulled the person up. "Stop talking nonsense and come with me!"

Lin Zhixu had no choice but to let her drag him along.

It was already past midnight, the night was as dark as ink, and thick clouds hung low, slowly drifting across the night sky.

A chilly wind swept by, causing the shadows of the trees to sway erratically. The rustling sound mingled with the chirping of insects, sometimes high and sometimes low, like a continuous drizzle.

The two trudged through the snow, one step at a time, with Mu Yan cautiously looking around.

It's still dark, and there's no guarantee the men in black won't reappear.

Sure enough, after walking only a hundred steps, the man in black suddenly appeared.

Mu Yan dragged Lin Zhixu behind a withered tree and whispered, "If you want to live, don't make a sound." Then she stepped forward to fight.

The man in black saw that she was alone and his eyes were full of provocation.

"Heh, overestimating yourself." He scoffed lightly, then launched the first attack, his sword moving like a dragon, aiming straight for Mu Yan's face.

Mu Yan dodged to the side and slashed at the black-clad man's arm with her sword.

The man in black quickly retreated, followed by another sweeping attack.

Seeing this, Mu Yan leaped up lightly, using the bare tree as leverage to push off, causing the snow on the branches to fall.

He charged toward the man in black like an arrow, his sword tip aimed straight at his throat. The man in black hurriedly used the body of his sword to block.

With a flick of her wrist, Mu Yan changed her thrust into a flick, knocking off the mask of the man in black. The man in black looked panicked and tried to escape.

Mu Yan wasn't about to let him get away. She took a step forward and kicked the man in black in the back of the knee, causing him to fall to his knees with a thud.

Mu Yan held the sword to his neck and said coldly, "Speak, who sent you?"

The man in black kept his lips tightly shut, refusing to utter a single word. Mu Yan snorted coldly and increased the force of her sword, a thin line of blood appearing on the man in black's neck.

The man in black gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "Kill me if you want, stop arguing."

Mu Yan sneered, "Want to die? It's not that easy." With that, she plunged the sword in her hand a little deeper, and blood flowed down.

Cold sweat broke out on the man's forehead, and his body began to tremble slightly.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar. Upon hearing this, the man in black's eyes brightened slightly, as if he had seen a savior.

Mu Yan's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that his accomplices had arrived, given his expression?

Just as she was hesitating whether to deal with the man in black first, she saw him suddenly reach out and grab her sword blade, pull hard, completely ignoring the cut on his hand, use the force to flip over and leap up, and shoot out a silver needle from his sleeve, aiming straight for Mu Yan's knee.

Mu Yan, in pain, kicked him away, and the man in black fell heavily to the ground.

His eyes were fierce as he raised his sword to stab Mu Yan again. Mu Yan dodged the sword with a quick movement, then closed in, grabbing the man in black's wrist with one hand and punching him in the chest with the other.

The man in black groaned and spat out a mouthful of blood, but he still struggled desperately. His face was contorted and his expression was extremely ferocious, as if he were fighting like a trapped beast.

Mu Yan seized the opportunity, snatched the sword from his hand, and stabbed it into his abdomen. The man in black opened his eyes wide and pulled the sword away to stab Mu Yan in the side.

Blood splattered everywhere as the two knelt facing each other, each gripping the other's sword tightly.

Seeing this, Lin Zhixu quickly crawled to the side of the man in black and delivered a final blow to his back.

The man in black then collapsed.

"Muyan...are you alright?" Lin Zhixu's voice trembled as he stared at the pool of red blood on the ground, completely at a loss.

"It's nothing," Mu Yan said, slowly rising while leaning on her sword. "Is he dead?"

"Perhaps... he is dead."

"He got off too easy."

As the sound of horses' hooves drew closer, Mu Yan glanced to the side and saw two people riding towards her in the distance.

As dawn broke, the man on horseback looked towards her.

Shen Chenxi followed Mu Yunqing's gaze and saw a woman with blood on her cheeks standing alone in the wind and snow. Her red dress was particularly eye-catching. She was swaying and about to fall. There were two men in black lying at her feet.

Just as he was about to ask, he caught a glimpse of Mu Yunqing leaping off his horse and galloping towards the woman, gently pulling her into his arms.

"Lord Shen," Mu Yunqing said, "Quickly hold down the man in black, don't let him escape!"

Shen Chenxi stepped forward and pressed down on the man in black. Seeing that he was helping the woman, his eyes flickered slightly. "Lord Mu is kind-hearted, but I wonder who this woman is?"

"Judging from their attire, they seem to be from the military academy," Mu Yunqing replied casually, pretending not to recognize them.

"People from the military training ground?" Shen Chenxi's eyes sharpened, her face filled with disbelief. "One person injured two men in black? However, judging from her appearance, she seems to be seriously injured."

“Hmm,” Mu Yunqing was about to carry the person away when he glanced down and saw another person on the ground. “Lord Shen… this.”

Shen Chenxi followed his gaze and her face immediately darkened. "This kind of villain should be dragged away."

"Don't...don't hurt him," Mu Yan said weakly, "He's a good person."

“Since he is a good person…” Mu Yunqing turned to Shen Chenxi, “I would like to trouble Lord Shen to carry this person on his back and go to meet Commander Xiao.” After saying that, he carried Mu Yan with one hand and dragged the man in black forward with the other.

Shen Chenxi hesitated for a moment but did as she was told. “Lord Mu, why are you doing this? Let’s find a place for her to heal first.”

"Did you carry any medicine with you?"

"No."

"Then let's go back to Songming Temple first. There must be medicine there." Mu Yunqing frowned and walked quickly toward the horses.

Upon returning to the temple, Mu Yunqing immediately ordered a doctor to be summoned to stop the bleeding for both of them.

Shen Chenxi lowered her eyes to look at the person on the bed, her tone slightly teasing: "If it were an ordinary woman, she probably wouldn't have been able to hold on for long."

"She was no ordinary woman to begin with."

"Oh?" Shen Chenxi raised an eyebrow with interest. "Judging from what Lord Mu said, this young lady seems to have some background?"

“Lord Shen,” Mu Yunqing said, “you also know that there are no weaklings on the training ground.”

“That’s natural.” Shen Chenxi chuckled. “Those who can hold positions in that place must be quite capable. It’s just that…”

He paused, then looked thoughtfully at Mu Yunqing, "I am very curious, what exactly is your relationship with this young lady?"

"What relationship could there be?" Mu Yunqing said calmly. "We only met once on the day of the civil service exam. Has Lord Shen forgotten?"

"It was just a brief encounter," Shen Chenxi sipped his tea, glancing at him with a half-smile, "yet Lord Mu takes it so seriously?"

"Lord Shen is mistaken. When have you ever seen me care about her?"

"Really?" Shen Chenxi clearly didn't believe him. "Then why is Lord Mu so concerned about her safety?"

"If it were Lord Shen lying there covered in blood, I would also be worried," Mu Yunqing said calmly. "Let's go find Commander Xiao."

"Lord Mu, please wait a moment." Shen Chenxi put down his teacup and slowly stood up. "It's better to clarify some things to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."

"Misunderstanding?" Mu Yunqing looked at him calmly. "What misunderstanding could there be?"

“Since we both serve in the same court, it’s inevitable that we’ll be under surveillance.” Shen Chenxi walked up to him and lowered her voice. “If someone discovers that your relationship with this person is unusual, what do you think the consequences will be?”

What could be the consequences?

Shen Chenxi chuckled lightly, her eyes holding a knowing look, "Aren't you afraid that someone might use this to make a big deal out of it?"

"Lord Shen is indeed very meticulous. However, you don't need to worry about this matter. Just say that you saved someone if others ask."

“That’s good.” Shen Chenxi nodded slightly, a barely perceptible glint in his deep eyes. “But we still need to find out the woman’s identity, after all… her appearance here is too suspicious.”

“No need to investigate,” Mu Yunqing said, seeing his continued questioning. “Her name is Mu Yan.”

"Mu Yan... is she Prime Minister Mu's daughter?"

“Yes, let’s go,” Mu Yunqing said, stepping outside. “Commander Xiao should be here soon. These are her people; it’s time to hand them over to her.”

"Alright."

As soon as the two stepped out the door, they saw Xiao Qingzhou leading the military training grounds to arrive.

"This humble official greets Commander Xiao."

"No need for formalities," Xiao Qingzhou looked up, "Where is Muyan?"

"She's inside."

"Alright." Xiao Qingzhou stepped inside and noticed Mu Yan was covered in blood, her face pale. "How did you get injured like this?"

"She was seriously injured after subduing the assailant."

"She subdued it all by herself?" A hint of admiration flashed in Xiao Qingzhou's eyes, but his face remained calm.

"Indeed," Mu Yunqing exclaimed, "To dare to fight against villains single-handedly is truly admirable."

Xiao Qingzhou nodded in agreement, then turned to Mu Yunqing, "I'd appreciate it if you two could take her back to the Prime Minister's residence. I still have to go to the palace to report back later."

"That's only right. Commander Xiao, rest assured, the Dali Temple will take care of Miss Mu's safety."

Commander Xiao cupped his hands and said, "Yes, thank you for your trouble."

“Commander Xiao, there’s no need for such formalities,” Mu Yunqing said, turning to his men to prepare a carriage. “Miss Mu was injured while chasing the villains, so it’s only right that we escort her back to her residence.”

Xiao Qingzhou responded and then rode away.

The two led Mu Yan and Lin Zhixu onto the carriage, while the man in black was escorted back to Dali Temple by the soldiers.

_

Prime Minister's Mansion

The carriage stopped in front of the Prime Minister's residence.

Mu Yunqing carried Mu Yan into the room, followed closely by Shen Chenxi carrying Lin Zhixu on his back.

The servant outside glanced at the waist tag on Mu Yunqing's body and hurriedly ran in to report.

A short while later, Mu Yunyan and the others came out to greet them. When Mu Yunyan saw Mu Yan covered in blood, she almost lost her balance.

"What...what's going on?"

"Send her back to her room first," Mu Yunqing said. "I'll tell you the details later."

“Okay,” Mu Yunyan was about to give directions when she saw Mu Yunqing carrying someone toward Fanglan Garden.

"Your Excellency," the attendant said, "there is one more person here. Where should we send him?"

Mu Yunyan glanced at the person on the ground, hurriedly looked away, and said with feigned composure, "Send him to the West Garden."

"Yes."

After settling everything, Mu Yunyan turned to Shen Chenxi and said, "You've worked hard. Come with me to the main hall for a cup of tea."

Shen Chenxi agreed and followed the people to the main hall.

Mu Yunyan was restless the whole way, afraid that she had seen it wrong, yet also afraid that she hadn't.

That face was not much different from what I remembered.

However... after more than twenty years, she found it difficult to confirm.

The boy who used to chase after her and call her "Sister Yunyan" seems to still be following behind her now.

"Sister Yunyan, do you like bamboo dragonflies?" The boy ran up to her with a bamboo dragonfly in his hand. "Look, it can fly into the sky!"

"Oh no, it fell in!" The two stared blankly at the bamboo dragonfly that had fallen into the pond.

"Forget it! Let's not do it." The boy grabbed her hand and ran forward. "Sister Yunyan, I'll take you to see something fun!"

"What are you looking at?"

"Guess what," the boy said mysteriously, pulling a ceramic jar from the bushes. The mouth of the jar was covered with a coarse cloth. "Sister Yunyan, open it and take a look."

"Okay." The girl gently lifted the coarse cloth, and fireflies flew out of the jar one after another, surrounding the two of them.

Spring grasses grow luxuriantly, and fireflies twinkle.

On that starless night, the boy's love illuminated her way home.