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

“But I can’t let go, Yunyan. I’ve been searching for you all these years, but after I found you, I…” Lin Zhixu’s expression darkened, and after hesitating for a moment, he slowly said, “I don’t dare to see you.”

“It’s all in the past,” Mu Yunyan said calmly, concealing the emotions in her eyes. “Just think of it as a dream.”

“Yes, it’s all in the past…” His eyes were a little unfocused, as if he was recalling the past. “But I’ve been gone for so many years. I’m so afraid that you’ve forgotten me.”

“No,” Mu Yunyan shook her head and said, “I haven’t forgotten you.”

How could she easily forget such beautiful memories?

"Really?" Lin Zhixu suddenly coughed violently, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. "I thought I would never see you again in this lifetime, but I never expected..."

Mu Yunyan raised her hand and gently wiped away the bloodstains for him. "I also thought I would never see you again in this life."

Lin Zhixu held her hand and pressed it against his cheek. "I have no regrets about being able to see you again before I die... cough cough..." He coughed again as he spoke, his body becoming unsteady.

"Why is your cough so bad?"

"It's nothing," he waved his hand, trying to sound calm, "I was just a little emotional just now."

“These past years,” Mu Yunyan said with concern, “have caused you so much suffering.”

“It’s not me who’s suffering, it’s you,” Lin Zhixu said with heartache. “Yunyan, I don’t know how you’ve managed to get through all these years.”

He dared not think about how someone who disliked officialdom had climbed step by step to his current position.

He must have suffered so much injustice and hardship.

"It's alright," Mu Yunyan said softly, "No matter how bitter it was, it will all pass."

"You should blame me, you shouldn't have been so calm..."

His calmness frightened him.

“Zhi Xu, one cannot live a lifetime with resentment.” Mu Yunyan said, “Some things can only be forgotten, and even if they cannot be forgotten, they can only be kept in the heart and cannot be mentioned often.”

Just like her feelings for him.

No matter how deep, how heavy, or how reluctant you are, you can only forcefully suppress it.

The pressure lasted for more than 20 years.

When we mention it now, it's like a dream, beautiful yet leaving no trace.

Of course she harbored resentment; she wasn't a saint, and she couldn't help but feel resentment and hatred.

But after a while, you can't bring yourself to complain anymore.

Feelings can never be forced. When Lin Zhixu said he wanted to leave, she didn't say a single word to try and stop him.

Cause and effect are cyclical and cannot be forced.

Her thoughts drifted away, and she only heard the person in front of her say, "I understand, I understand everything."

“Since you understand,” Mu Yunyan instructed, “then focus on recovering from your injuries. If you need anything, just tell the servants and they will bring it to you.”

"it is good."

“Okay,” she said, getting up. “I still have things to take care of. I’ll come see you another day.”

Lin Zhixu nodded and didn't say anything more.

There's no going back now, no matter what.

Looking at the vast mansion, he couldn't help but smile bitterly, and the more he thought about it, the more naive he felt as a child.

He actually dared to dream of being a match for her.

Ridiculous.

_

Dali Temple

Dungeon

Torches flickered all around, casting dappled light on the damp walls.

The man in black was tied to the rack. His hair was disheveled, and his face was covered in dust and blood. He looked extremely haggard. When he raised his head, his eyes met those of Mu Yunqing and the other man.

“You’re finally awake,” Shen Chenxi walked to his side and pressed him for an answer: “What was your purpose in deliberately killing someone?”

The man in black snorted coldly and ignored him.

Shen Chenxi ordered his men to bring out various instruments of torture and place them one by one in front of the man in black. "I'm giving you one last chance. Talk, or not?"

The man in black's pupils contracted, but he remained silent.

"It seems you won't shed tears until you see the coffin." Shen Chenxi picked up the red-hot branding iron and slowly approached the man in black.

As he approached, Shen Chenxi suddenly flicked his wrist, tossing the branding iron into a bucket of water. A puff of white smoke rose instantly. He said with a half-smile, "Lord Mu, tell me, if we leave a few scars on his face, will his master still recognize him?"

“Of course we will,” Mu Yunqing said. “However, this amount of punishment is far from enough to deal with this kind of person.”

"Heh, Lord Mu, don't be impatient. This is just the beginning." Shen Chenxi chuckled and turned to look at the man in black. "I'll give you one more chance. If you insist on not speaking, then don't blame me for being impolite."

The man in black said coldly, "No comment."

"You're quite stubborn." Shen Chenxi's eyes sharpened, and his tone turned icy. "Do you think I can't find out just because you don't talk?"

"You don't know what you can do!"

"Heh, we'll see then." Shen Chenxi gave a wink to the attendant beside him, who understood and stepped forward to hold down the man in black. "Lord Mu, do you think if we cut off his fingers one by one, he'll talk?"

"You!" the man in black struggled, shouting, "If you dare touch me, my master will not let you off easily!"

"Is that so?" Mu Yunqing handed the dagger to Shen Chenxi, looked down at the man in black, and threatened, "When your hands and feet are crippled and you are no longer of any use, do you think the master you have been following will care about your life or death?"

"My master will decide whether I live or die," the man in black said sternly. "It's none of your business to worry about me!"

"Heh, your mouth is harder than a rock." Shen Chenxi chuckled, but suddenly the dagger in her hand turned and pressed against the man in black's neck. "I'll give you one last chance. Talk, or not?"

"Give up on this idea!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Shen Chenxi's eyes as he brought the dagger even closer, leaving a bloody gash on the man's neck. "Don't think I wouldn't dare kill you."

"Lord Shen," Mu Yunqing said, stopping him, "Don't hurt his vital organs."

"What?" Shen Chenxi stopped what she was doing, turned her head to look at him, her expression slightly puzzled. "Lord Mu, have you softened your heart?"

“Lord Shen is overthinking it,” Mu Yunqing replied. “This man has committed many evils and deserves to die. How could I possibly be soft-hearted?”

"So you have some other ideas? Why don't you tell me?" Shen Chenxi sheathed his dagger, stood up straight, and stared intently at Mu Yunqing.

“Why waste your breath on Lord Shen?” Mu Yunqing suggested. “Why not send him to the Ministry of Justice? We are both outside the palace and it is not appropriate for us to do anything. If we send him to the Ministry of Justice, it will be easier for them to explain if His Majesty asks.”

“Lord Mu’s words are true, but this person is quite stubborn. If we hand him over to the Ministry of Justice, I’m afraid we won’t be able to get anything out of him.” Shen Chenxi said carefully, “Furthermore, I just promised the Prime Minister that I would give her an explanation. If I send her away, I will not be able to report back to her, which would be a breach of my promise. It’s really a difficult situation.”

“If that’s the case, then let it go,” Mu Yunqing said. “After all, it wasn’t someone you or I captured. Sending them away rashly would be difficult to explain to both sides.”

“Lord Mu’s words have reminded me,” Shen Chenxi waved his hand, signaling the servants to tie the man back to the rack, and added, “We also need to give an explanation to Commander Xiao.”

Mu Yunqing nodded in agreement, "After all, Miss Mu is one of Commander Xiao's subordinates, so we should give her an explanation."

"I don't think we'll get anything out of them today," Shen Chenxi said, throwing the dagger on the table. "Why don't we torture them a bit more and interrogate them again tomorrow?"

"Alright, we've been traveling a long way, we should take a good rest for a day."

“What Lord Mu says is true,” Shen Chenxi said, cupping his hands in greeting. “Then I shall take my leave.”

Mu Yunqing also cupped his hands in greeting, exchanged a few polite words, and then left.

_

戏园

After the song ended, it was dusk, and the crowd dispersed.

Song Qi'an strolled leisurely along the road, while those around him talked about opera or their feelings.

Of course, there were also people who chatted idly.

A woman in blue said, "I heard that the Third Miss of the Prime Minister's Mansion killed a man in black with her bare hands!"

"Killed him with his bare hands?" The woman in white exclaimed in disbelief, "How is that possible!"

“Why not? Don’t underestimate her,” she said. “That Third Miss’s kung fu is just like the one in the play just now!”

"Is it really that powerful?"

“Of course,” the woman in blue paused, then added, “However, the injuries are quite severe! I heard he can’t even walk!”

"Oh, that's terrible!"

“How could he be so miserable?” she said enviously. “He did a great service to the people by eliminating a scourge!”

"To achieve great deeds and then lose one's life is unacceptable!"

"Why do you care so much?" The two pushed each other as they walked away. "We should hurry home, or your husband will start making a scene again!"

"I know, I know!"

Song Qi'an frowned slightly and turned to look at Mu Dong. "Did I hear that right? You're talking about Miss Mu San?"

“Yes,” Mu Dong praised, “Third Miss is amazing, she actually killed a man in black with her bare hands.”

“Of course she’s amazing, after all, she’s from the military academy!” As he spoke, Song Qi’an’s expression changed, and he asked, “That person said she was seriously injured and couldn’t even walk. Have you heard about that?”

Mu Dong scratched his head and said, "Are you talking about Miss Mu's injury? I heard people in the courtyard mention it a few days ago, but I don't know if it's true or not."

"A few days ago?" Song Qi'an slapped his forehead and said, "I remember now, wasn't it the Songming Temple incident!"

Mu Dong nodded. "Yes, what's wrong?"

"I would like to go to the Prime Minister's residence."

"No," Mu Dong quickly stepped in front of him, "Young Master, the Lord said we must return to the manor before dark!"

"It's not dark yet," Song Qi'an said with a smile. "It's alright, I'll be right back!"

“You can’t go,” Mu Dong hugged his leg tightly. “It’s already very late. If you go, the Lord will punish you.”

"I'm just going to see a friend, I won't do anything." Song Qi'an gently pulled his hand away and coaxed, "Just tell her when you get back, she'll understand."

"You don't have any friends from the Prime Minister's residence," Mu Dong said aggrievedly. "Young Master, you're lying to me again!"

Song Qi'an: "..."

Talk nonsense.

“No, why would I lie to you?” Song Qi’an continued, “Listen to me, just tell her that I went to see Young Master Xie, and she definitely won’t say anything more.”

"Son..."

"Listen to me," Song Qi'an said. "She absolutely trusts me."

“No, young master,” Mu Dong said anxiously, “You’ve used this excuse eight hundred times already, the lord won’t believe it.”

“Then find someone she can trust,” Song Qi’an said, jumping onto the wall. “I’ll try to get there before dark. If she punishes you, remember to stay far away!”

Mu Dong yelled at him, "You better keep your word! You must be back before dark!"

"Understood!" Song Qi'an replied, then jumped off the wall and ran towards the Prime Minister's residence.

_

Prime Minister's Mansion

The moment Song Qi'an stepped inside, Mu Yunyan spotted him.

He said excitedly, "Qi'an greets Your Excellency the Prime Minister!"

"No need for formalities," Mu Yunyan said. "You're here to see Mu Yan too, right?"

Song Qi'an nodded repeatedly.

"We've arrived just in time; Muyan is already awake."

"Thank you for informing me, sir," Song Qi'an said, cupping his hands in greeting. "Then I will go and check on Mu Yan first, and come to see you again later."

"Go."

"Yes!"

Mu Yunyan gazed at Song Qi'an's figure with a beaming smile.

Just a few years ago he was a greenhorn, but now he has grown into such a handsome young man. If you think about it carefully, he is quite a good match for Mu Yan.

In terms of family background, they were a perfect match; in terms of appearance, they were a handsome couple.

Moreover, Song Qi'an is a lively and likable child, making him a good candidate.

Mu Yan is not young anymore; she should start making plans for this soon.

_

Fanglan Garden

Before we even got close, we heard a cheerful laugh.

Song Qi'an peeked out from behind the door, and the two people inside looked up at him at the same time.

"Ayan, who is this...?" Xiao Ran stood up to greet him, and after recognizing the face, she exclaimed excitedly, "I know you!"

Song Qi'an was not surprised.

In this world, there must be at least a hundred, if not ten thousand, people who have seen him and are amazed by him.

"You were with..."

The one arguing with the woman.

Upon hearing this, Song Qi'an hurriedly interrupted her, making up a story: "Yes, I'm the one who was talking to the owner of the theater that day. What a coincidence that you saw me."

"Huh?" Xiao Ran looked puzzled.

"Huh?" Song Qi'an said, "Didn't you hear me clearly?"

Xiao Ran noticed his expression and a look of understanding flashed in her eyes. So he cared about his pride.

She knew it! How could Xiao Ran be wrong?

Well, since that's what they've said, she can't very well call them out.

“Yes, yes,” Xiao Ran echoed, “What a coincidence that we met here.”

"Fate, fate! This is fate." Song Qi'an said dismissively, then walked to Mu Yan's side and asked, "Where are you hurt? Can't you really move?"

“How could I not be able to move?” Mu Yan raised her arm and said, “It’s just a minor injury, nothing serious.”

"Tch, I don't believe it!" Song Qi'an scoffed. "I've heard it all: you killed a man in black with your bare hands, and he couldn't even move."

Mu Yan laughed and joked, "It seems you two have heard the same rumor."

Xiao Ran said angrily, "It's all that storyteller's fault! He just spouted nonsense and scared me half to death!" She turned to Song Qi'an, "Right? He was so awful!"

“Exactly,” Song Qi’an chimed in, “These people are really something, making things up without knowing the truth, misleading young people.”

Is this how you use the phrase "misleading students"?

"Oh dear, don't worry about that for now," Song Qi'an said. "What did the doctor say? When will your injury heal?"

Xiao Ran leaned closer and asked curiously, "Yes, when will it be better? The end of the year is almost here, and we still want to play together!"

"It should be better in half a month," Mu Yan said with a smile. "It's not a serious illness, don't worry, I'll definitely be better by the end of the year."

"Really?" Song Qi'an looked at the bloodstains on her body and couldn't help but feel a little doubtful.

“When have I ever lied to you?” Mu Yan pointed to the stool beside her and said, “Sit down, what are you two doing standing there?”

“Ayan, I won’t sit down,” Xiao Ran said. “I escaped today. Seeing that you are alright, I should go back now.”

"Okay, then be careful on your way." Mu Yan said, calling Xiang Qin to see her off.

"No need to see me off, my carriage is still over there," Xiao Ran instructed. "Take good care of your injuries, I'll come to see you again in a few days!"

"it is good."