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

"Miss Mu will accept the condolences from whichever identity she is addressed to."

Mu Yan stroked her chin and said, "Then let Mu Yunqing come and offer his condolences!"

Mu Yunqing smiled and asked, "How would you like me to express my condolences?"

Mu Yan beckoned to him and said, "Come here."

"What are you doing?" Mu Yunqing took a few steps closer to her.

"I'll show you something." Mu Yan took a blueprint from under her pillow and laid it flat on the table. "Do you remember this place?"

Mu Yunqing lowered his eyes and looked over, then replied, "I remember, this is the path outside Songming Temple."

Mu Yan nodded: "That day when I was chasing the man in black, I saw him disappear into the cliff. I suspected there was a secret passage there, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to escape so quickly."

“A secret passage? It’s not impossible,” Mu Yunqing said. “But you should also know that the person’s lightness skill is not bad, and escaping would be an easy thing for him.”

Mu Yan frowned and said, "But I always feel that things are not that simple. If he simply escaped by relying on his lightness skill, why did he specifically choose that cliff edge? And at that time, he could have just dealt with me directly, but he only kept running away."

Mu Yunqing tapped his fingers lightly on the table, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Perhaps he has some concerns, fearing that his identity might be exposed or that it might cause other trouble. But since you suspect there is a secret passage, I will take some people to investigate it another day."

“That suits me perfectly. However…” Mu Yan cautioned, “This matter must be carried out in secret. If others find out, it may cause unforeseen complications.”

"Okay, it's all up to you."

"Lord Mu is quite easy to talk to."

Mu Yunqing said, "You offer advice and strategies to the Dali Temple, so how could I not listen?"

"Then I said I'd marry you, will you listen?" Mu Yan smiled with a hint of slyness.

“I won’t listen,” he said sternly. “Don’t mention these things again.”

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about it then," Mu Yan asked, "How's the interrogation of the man in black going?"

"Escaped."

"They escaped?" Mu Yan pressed, "How did they escape?"

She couldn't understand how the man in black could escape under such severe punishments at the Dali Temple. Unless someone broke him out of prison.

Thinking of this, she looked up at Mu Yunqing: "The Dali Temple has been emptied out?"

"Sort of," Mu Yunqing reassured him, "but you don't need to worry, we will bring him back."

"It's not a question of whether to catch him or not. That guy is incredibly cunning; his moves are so fast you can't even see them. And he's not afraid of death at all. How can you chase him? Even if you do catch him, what can you do? Meeting someone like that is the worst luck imaginable. I've never seen anyone as fearless as him!"

“That day, I had my sword to his neck, but he wasn’t afraid at all. He snatched it and chased after me, beating me mercilessly. Damn it, I didn’t even have the strength to fight back! He forced me into a snow hole, and after I finally crawled out, he caught up with me again. He was extremely difficult to deal with. I was about to die, but he still insisted on stabbing me in the waist, refusing to let go even if it meant death.”

Mu Yan sighed, "Never mind, it doesn't matter whether we arrest him or not now. We just hope he won't hurt anyone again."

Mu Yunqing listened quietly, and after a long while, he said, "I will bring him back and stop him from hurting people." He left after saying this.

The room fell silent again.

Mu Yan wasn't surprised by his actions; she knew Mu Yunqing's personality was unpredictable.

But nobody provoked him!

She talks too much? Maybe.

_

Prime Minister's Mansion

Main Hall

Mu Yunqing handed the letter to Mu Yunyan and said respectfully, "This was given to you by Lord Shen. Please take a look."

She opened the letter, read a few lines, and her expression grew increasingly grave. "Is this true?"

"I wonder which matter Your Excellency is referring to?"

"Didn't Shen Chenxi tell you about Zhang Xunyu secretly harboring assassins?" Mu Yunyan asked.

Mu Yunqing's eyes widened in surprise: "Zhang Xunyu is secretly harboring assassins?"

"Since you don't know, let's take a look together." Mu Yunyan stuffed the letter into his hand and instructed, "I need to go to the palace. If this is true, bring Shen Chenxi to see me at midnight tonight."

"I obey your orders."

_

long street

Pei Xuan was carrying the medicine back when, amidst the bustling crowd, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure.

The man walked briskly, his pale yellow brocade robe standing out in the crowd, and his movements were also very eye-catching.

She swung her arms as she walked forward, her long hair, held upright by her jade crown, billowing high with her movements, and the jade pendants at her waist jingling.

He knew without even thinking that the person was Xiao Ran.

Just as she was about to look away, she glanced to the side and saw the thief behind Xiao Ran brazenly stealing her purse.

Xiao Ran, however, was completely unaware of this and ran towards the cockfighting arena on her own.

Pei Xuan would never chase after her to remind her; in her eyes, he, Pei Xuan, was nothing more than a dead man.

How could a dead person appear in broad daylight? Of course not, but he still followed them as if possessed.

_

Cockfighting Arena

Xiao Ran swaggered into the arena and declared boldly, "Bring out your most majestic rooster! I'm going to win big today!"

"Alright!" the boss laughed. "Come with me and see, this rooster is really fierce today, I guarantee you'll win!"

Xiao Ran patted her shoulder and said, "I'm relieved to hear you say that!"

"You can rest assured about my work! I guarantee you'll be satisfied!" The shopkeeper led Xiao Ran to look at all the most expensive roosters in the yard and said respectfully, "Which one do you like? I'll catch it for you!"

Xiao Ran scanned all the roosters in the enclosure, pointed to the black rooster in the corner, and said, "I want that one!"

"Your Highness has excellent taste!" the shopkeeper said with a fawning smile. "This is our prized possession, and it is a perfect match for Your Highness! Indeed, for a person of noble status, everything must be paired with the most noble of things!"

"Okay," Xiao Ran nodded and said, "Hurry up and catch it for me, I can't wait to start winning!"

"Alright!" The shopkeeper reached out and grabbed the black rooster by the foot, lifting it up and handing it to Xiao Ran. "Your Highness, please catch this!"

Xiao Ran took the rooster and ran downstairs excitedly.

The place downstairs was bustling with noise, and the fight went on for three rounds.

She held the rooster high above her head and shouted, "My Black General, who dares to fight me!"

A collective sigh rippled through the crowd.

"Oh my, the store's prized possession! Who dares to compare with her?"

"You don't even need to compete to know who will win. Just look at those claws and that mouth; they look fierce."

"I dare not compare, I dare not compare."

"What's there to be afraid of? So what if it's General Black? My Fire Phoenix can still win!"

Xiao Ran looked over at the sound and saw a woman in blue holding a red rooster. She held her chin high and looked extremely confident.

“Alright, then let’s have a match today!” Xiao Ran walked towards her.

“Let’s compete, who’s afraid of who!” The woman in blue also walked closer to her.

The two men released the roosters into the arena, and the crowd gathered around as the two prized possessions of the shop competed.

"Come on, come on, let's get started!" the arena clerk shouted. "Same rules as always, the more you bet, the more you win! The less you bet, the less you win!"

"I'm betting three ounces on the Fire Phoenix!"

"I'll bet four ounces!"

"I'll bet ten taels on the Fire Phoenix!"

"I'll bet too!"

The crowd gathered to place bets, some on the Fire Phoenix, some on the Black General.

Before the competition even started, morale had already been halved.

Xiao Ran was unconvinced and reached for the money pouch at her waist. There was no rule against pledging herself, and she was going to use money to win back the face she had lost!

Huh? Where's the purse? She couldn't find it anywhere.

Could it be on the left? Thinking of this possibility, Xiao Ran reached to the left again, but still couldn't find it.

Pei Xuan watched from the shadows. Seeing her like this, he took a few steps off the stage and handed the money pouch to her waist.

Xiao Ran casually reached out and grabbed the money pouch, causing Pei Xuan to quickly withdraw his hand and back away.

Consider it... something I owed her before.

"I want to bet on General Hei," Xiao Ran slammed the silver on the table and declared domineeringly, "Fifty taels!"

"Wow! You're betting so much, aren't you afraid of losing?"

Xiao Ran said, "Hmph, I'm not so bad at losing!"

"Alright, let's start the competition!" Fighting Master raised his hand and banged on the pot lid, and a series of crackling sounds filled the arena, officially starting the competition.

General Black took the lead, leaping onto the fire phoenix with a flap of his wings, his head held high, full of vigor. The fire phoenix unleashed its full power, tossing its head and throwing General Black away.

The Black General returned with a vengeance, this time choosing to attack from behind. It raised its foot and viciously scratched the Fire Phoenix several times. Enraged, the Fire Phoenix turned its head and began to frantically peck at the Black General's head.

Black General was pecked and forced to retreat repeatedly. Just when it seemed that he was about to be driven off the field by the fire phoenix, Black General suddenly flapped his wings and forced the fire phoenix back a few steps.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Black General circled around behind Fire Phoenix and launched another attack. Fire Phoenix was not about to let it bully it. With a kick, it knocked Black General back and then pressed down on him. Black General struggled fiercely, and chicken feathers flew everywhere.

The crowd waved the chicken feathers and continued watching the game, with a few susceptible individuals sneezing occasionally.

The fire phoenix showed no mercy, continuing to peck fiercely at the black general.

Xiao Ran's smile vanished, and she quickly said, "Get up! Get up! Hit it!"

The woman in blue scoffed, "Don't waste your energy! My Fire Phoenix is ​​famous..."

She couldn't finish her sentence because General Black had successfully countered and was now chasing Fire Phoenix all over the arena.

The fire phoenix's cry was incredibly tragic, like a pig being slaughtered during the New Year. General Black didn't care and was determined to get back all the suffering he had endured.

After several blows, the Fire Phoenix was brutally beaten by the Black General.

The woman in blue looked rather grim, and in a fit of anger, she threw a stone at the black general.

"What are you doing!" Xiao Ran stared at her and said, "Can't you handle this? You resorted to sneak attacks!"

"So what? There's no rule against off-field rescues here!" the woman in blue said matter-of-factly.

"If everyone were like you, how could we even play the game?"

"That's just how I am, what's it to you!"

Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, Fighting Arena Xiao Si quickly pulled them apart, saying, "Don't fight, you two! The competition isn't over yet, so please be friendly!"

The woman in blue snorted coldly and turned her head away from Xiao Ran. Xiao Ran didn't want to look at her either and continued to watch the battle with her head down.

General Black maintained the upper hand, and Fire Phoenix suffered repeated defeats, seemingly on the verge of victory.

Suddenly, the fire phoenix leaped up and pecked the black general until he was a mangled mess. The black general had been chasing the fire phoenix and was already exhausted. Now, even if he wanted to run, he couldn't, and could only let the fire phoenix bully him.

The woman in blue became smug: "See? I told you so! My Fire Phoenix is ​​famously invincible! Your Black General is far inferior to it!"

As soon as she finished speaking, General Black collapsed to the ground, kicked his feet, closed his eyes, and the arena erupted in cheers.

"The Phoenix has won!"

"I knew it! It must be the Fire Phoenix!"

“You’ve made a profit, you’ve made a profit!”

The group gathered to divide the silver. Xiao Ran left dejectedly, hugging the black general. Pei Xuan secretly followed behind her.

Xiao Ran looked at the rooster in her arms, feeling both angry and sad.

She looked so imposing, how could she die so quickly? And she even gave her such a domineering name.

It's nothing special, except for being black.

She reached out and touched the Black General's head; there was no breath at all, so he must be completely dead.

"I'm so sorry you had to die at the hands of your own colleagues."

Xiao Ran casually found an open space, dug a hole, and buried the rooster in it.

His hands were red from digging the hole, but he still clasped his fingers together and bowed devoutly to the rooster, muttering, "May I be reborn into a better life and never have to come to the cockfighting arena again."

Pei Xuan was both amused and exasperated.

He finally understood: Xiao Ran was the kind of person who would pay her respects no matter who died.

In the past, we worshipped him, burned paper money for him, and mourned for him in the same way.

There is no emotion, only conscience.

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, then turned and left.

_

Xinghe Hall

Xiao Ran rubbed her hands as she returned to her room. When Chao Yue saw her return, she quickly took a cloak and wrapped it around her.

"Your Highness, where have you come from?" Chaoyue asked. "Why is there so much snow?" As she spoke, she gently brushed the snow off Xiao Ran's hair.

Xiao Ran replied, "I went to the open space across the long street. Ahhhh, Chaoyue, I'm so cold!"

What are you going to do in that open space?

"A rooster was buried."

Chaoyue smiled and praised, "Our Highness is truly a kind and beautiful person!"

"Hehe, I think so too!" Xiao Ran took out a money pouch from his pocket and said, "Chaoyue, I've spent all my money today, can you help me add some more?"

“Okay,” Chaoyue took the money pouch and looked at it. She felt it was a bit unfamiliar. She didn’t remember that her prince had such a money pouch.

Chaoyue asked, "Your Highness, is this purse truly yours?"

"Yes, I've had it with me all day!" Xiao Ran took off her wet shoes and socks and ran barefoot around the palace. "Chaoyue, do you know what I did today?"

"I don't know," Chaoyue handed her clean shoes and socks, and said softly, "I only know that the ground is cold, and Your Highness will easily get sick if you do this."

"Don't worry! I won't get sick!"

Chaoyue pressed Xiao Ran back into her seat: "You have to wear it even if you don't get sick."

"Alright." Xiao Ran had no choice but to obediently put on her shoes. She asked, "Chaoyue, did Mother Empress come today?"

"No, His Majesty went out with Prime Minister Mu today and hasn't returned yet."

"Prime Minister Mu?" Xiao Ran paused in putting on his shoes, then looked up at her: "Where are you going?"

"I don't know, perhaps it's something important."

"Could something have happened at the Prime Minister's residence?" Xiao Ran asked worriedly.

"Your Highness, what are you thinking?" Chaoyue said with a smile, "The Prime Minister's residence was perfectly fine, how could something have happened!"

“That makes sense,” Xiao Ran said, standing up. “Chaoyue, please prepare some hot water for me.”

"Yes."