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

Dali Temple

The room was filled with the smoke of herbs, and the window diagonally opposite the door was wide open; a cold wind blew in along the windowsill, but no one seemed to close it.

“Lord Mu,” Wei Chengfeng said while massaging his shoulders, “I’m telling you, you’re just too nervous. You have to trust Old Zhao’s medical skills; he can definitely cure you!”

Mu Yunqing said, "Alright, I believe him."

“Just relying on the medicine won’t work; you also need to cooperate with the treatment.” Wei Chengfeng handed him the medicine: “You have to keep taking this medicine. It’s a bit bitter, but for your eyes, it’s all good… no, all beneficial.”

"Rest a little longer, give it to me when it's cooled down."

“That won’t do,” Wei Chengfeng said. “That’s what you said last night, and when I got up this morning, I saw that you hadn’t even moved the medicine bowl. If you do this every day, how will your eyes get better?”

And his family's business, Old Zhao's, was definitely doomed to fail, but he didn't dare say it out loud.

Mu Yunqing couldn't help but ask, "Have you taken this medicine yourself?"

"How can I drink this? I'm not sick. Besides, how can we, as lower-ranking officials, compete with our superiors for medicine?" Wei Chengfeng guiltily touched his nose and coaxed, "Oh, please drink it without worry, this medicine isn't poisonous! If you get sick from drinking it, I'll bring you Old Zhao's head!"

"No need for that." Mu Yunqing held out his hand to him: "Take it here, I'll drink it."

Wei Chengfeng handed him the medicine with a smile. After seeing him drink it, he stroked his beard with satisfaction and praised, "Lord Mu, you look so dashing and elegant as you drink your medicine!"

"No need for such talk." Mu Yunqing put down the medicine bowl and instructed, "You should go and see if Lord Shen has returned yet."

"Alright!" Wei Chengfeng replied, walked around the table, and headed towards the door.

Wei Chengfeng glanced around and replied, "Lord Mu, it's pitch black outside, there's nothing there." After a pause, he added, "Sir, why don't I go out and look for him? Lord Shen hasn't returned yet so late, I'm afraid he's been kidnapped by thieves."

Mu Yunqing laughed and asked, "Did the thief kidnap him, or did he kidnap the thief?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Wei Chengfeng saw Shen Chenxi dragging a man in black into the room.

He exclaimed with delight, "Lord Mu, Lord Shen really did bring back a thief!"

Shen Chenxi: "..."

"Where has Lord Shen gone?" Mu Yunqing asked.

“We went to arrest someone,” Shen Chenxi removed her veil, took a sip of tea, and then said, “The window is so wide open, are you afraid the thief won’t be able to find the entrance?”

Mu Yunqing said calmly, "It was specially opened in case some thieves couldn't find the way."

Shen Chenxi snorted lightly: "Lord Mu is quite kind."

"Alright, let's get down to business."

“I went to the Zhang residence today. There are many people imprisoned in the dungeon,” Shen Chenxi said. “However, they are no longer ordinary people; they have all been trained as assassins. Those people are extremely vicious. If we release them… it might cause unrest. If we don’t release them, we can’t keep them imprisoned indefinitely. Lord Mu, what are your thoughts?”

"Who are these assassins?" Mu Yunqing asked.

“They include men, women, young and old,” Shen Chenxi said. “If Lord Mu can’t think of anything, he might as well send them to the frontier or assign them to repair the imperial mausoleum.”

"Let's talk about it after it's done. They're innocent people, after all."

"Innocent?" Shen Chenxi chuckled, his tone tinged with sarcasm. "To be trained as a suicide squad, one must have a lot of blood on their hands. How can you say they are innocent?"

Mu Yunqing frowned slightly and said slowly, "Lord Shen, you are mistaken. They became assassins not of their own volition, but rather were likely manipulated and driven by someone behind the scenes. If we simply punish them, wouldn't that be playing right into the hands of the mastermind?"

After listening, Shen Chenxi remained silent for a moment, as if he had realized something: "Lord Mu is right. So, what do you think should be done?"

Mu Yunqing said, "Rashly punishing them will only be detrimental to the Dali Temple. There's no guarantee that Zhang Xunyu won't take the opportunity to retaliate. It would be better to first try to save their minds before convicting or pardoning them."

Wei Chengfeng, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but interject, "But Lord Mu, how easy is that? What if we can't save his mind? Wouldn't that be like raising a tiger to cause trouble?"

“Of course we won’t be completely unprepared. Before we act, we need to disperse and imprison these people; once their strength is dispersed and weakened, they will no longer pose a threat.” Mu Yunqing continued, “Then we’ll find someone who can break the mind control technique, and the matter will be considered settled.”

Shen Chenxi nodded: "That is a solution, but it is really hard to find someone who can solve this problem."

“You can ask Old Zhao!” Wei Chengfeng leaned closer to the two of them and whispered, “You don’t know, Old Zhao loves to study these strange and unusual techniques. He has a bunch of spiritual herbs stored in the backyard and is just wondering where to use them! If you trust him, you can let him give it a try.”

Fearing the two might disagree, Wei Chengfeng added, "Old Zhao's family has been practicing medicine for five generations; everyone in the neighborhood praises him! Besides, he himself has dedicated most of his life to studying medicine, and his skills are absolutely top-notch. With just a word from you two gentlemen, I can bring him over to test the medicine in your presence!"

Shen Chenxi pondered for a moment and looked at Mu Yunqing: "What do you think, Lord Mu? Although Old Zhao's medical skills are excellent, this matter is of great importance and cannot be taken lightly."

Mu Yunqing gently tapped the armrest and spoke after a long while: "There is no better way now, so let him try. But we need to inform him of the pros and cons beforehand so that he can be fully prepared."

Wei Chengfeng was overjoyed: "Your Excellency is wise. I will go and bring Old Zhao here immediately."

"No rush," Mu Yunqing said, "It's getting late, so let's not bother him any longer."

"No trouble at all! How could this be considered a disturbance? Don't worry, sir, he's still awake!" Wei Chengfeng hurriedly said, "Even if he were asleep, I could wake him up! The important matter is more important, sir, don't worry about whether he lives or dies!"

Mu Yunqing was amused by him and teased, "You certainly know how to attract business for him."

"You can't say that. I'm only thinking of the Dali Temple. Letting someone we know well handle this will save us some trouble!" Wei Chengfeng chuckled and asked, "So, what do you think of this business... should we do it or not?"

Mu Yunqing shook his head helplessly: "Then I'll have to trouble you to make the trip."

Having received permission, Wei Chengfeng excitedly rushed out of the room to find Old Zhao.

Before long, he arrived in a hurry with Zhao Siheng.

After bowing to Mu Yunqing and Shen Chenxi, Zhao Siheng said, "My lords, Lord Wei has already told me the general situation. Although I cannot guarantee success, I will do my best."

Mu Yunqing nodded slightly: "Elder Zhao is very kind. Let's begin working on this tomorrow. You should go back and get some rest tonight and prepare what you need."

After agreeing, Zhao Siheng left with Wei Chengfeng.

_

Prime Minister's Mansion

Mu Yan slept until noon, and called out to Xiang Qin several times, but Xiang Qin did not respond.

She hurriedly changed her clothes and got out of bed. As soon as she pushed open the door, she bumped into the maid carrying water.

"Third...Third Miss!" The maid knelt down and said, "I didn't mean to, I didn't know you were behind the door!"

"It's alright," Mu Yan patted the water stains off her dress and asked, "Where's Xiang Qin? Do you know where she went?"

"This morning, someone from the young lady's courtyard came to say that they had acquired a few new red plum blossoms. Seeing that your courtyard was deserted, they sent Xiangqin to fetch some decorations."

"How long have you been there?"

"Two hours have passed."

Mu Yan's eyes turned cold. She whispered a few instructions to the maid and then went to Mu Xi's courtyard.

As soon as I stepped inside, I saw the bundle of bright red plum blossoms on the table.

The fire in the courtyard was blazing, causing the petals to curl up. The person seated seemed not to notice her, continuing to admire the plum blossom.

Mu Yan strolled up to her and said, "Elder sister has such refined tastes, sitting in the courtyard admiring the flowers despite the wind and snow."

Mu Xi then looked up at her and said with a light laugh, "Third sister is here. Please sit down. The red plum blossoms are in full bloom. I was thinking that your courtyard was lacking some color, so I asked Xiangqin to bring them here to add some joy to your life."

"Thank you for your kindness, elder sister. But Xiangqin has been gone for so long, I was worried something had happened to her."

Mu Xi put down Hongmei and said casually, "We just chatted a bit more and wanted to know how my sister is doing."

Mu Yan sneered, "I never knew my sister had become so kind."

Mu Xi's expression changed slightly, but she quickly returned to normal. "What are you saying, sister? We're sisters, it's only right that I show some concern."

Mu Yan stepped forward, picked up a sprig of red plum blossom and examined it closely. "This red plum blossom is indeed beautiful, but if it is tainted with inappropriate thoughts, it will lose its beauty."

Mu Xi was startled. Had Mu Yan noticed something? She tried to remain calm, "Sister, there's a hidden meaning in your words. I'm too foolish to understand."

Mu Yan looked directly into her eyes, "Sister, you know perfectly well what's going on, why pretend to be stupid?"

"Oh, Third Sister is blaming me." Mu Xi bent down to pick up the porcelain shards from the ground and said regretfully, "It's not that I deliberately made things difficult for her, but this imperial gift was broken for no reason. If she is not punished, it will be difficult to make amends."

“That reason is really far-fetched,” Mu Yan said. “Xiang Qin is always cautious, how could she break things for no reason?”

"Does my third sister suspect that I deliberately framed her?"

Mu Yan stared at the porcelain shard in her hand, a half-smile on her face, and said, "I didn't think so before, but what you said, elder sister, has made me a little suspicious."

"Everyone in the courtyard saw it; she broke it herself by accident," Mu Xi said, feeling wronged. "Is Third Sister really going to frame me for a servant without cause?"

Mu Yan withdrew her gaze and said, "Let's put aside whether she's innocent or not for now, take me to see her first."

Mu Xi hesitated for a moment, then led Mu Yan towards the woodshed. Pushing open the door, they saw Xiang Qin huddled in a corner, her body covered in wounds.

Mu Yan rushed over and hugged Xiang Qin with heartache, saying coldly, "Is this your so-called punishment? It's a bit too much."

"My sister is truly innocent. I only instructed the servants to punish her slightly." Mu Xi feigned innocence: "These servants are truly heartless. They didn't know their own strength and injured her like this."

"Is that so? In that case, these people in your courtyard can't be kept around either. They're all two-faced and don't do things according to their master's wishes. If this continues, they might start to ride roughshod over you." Mu Yan looked up at her and said, "How about this, I'll take advantage of my rare free time today to teach them a lesson so they'll know who the master is."

Upon hearing this, Mu Xi panicked and hurriedly stopped her, saying, "Third sister, this is unacceptable. After all, they are people from my courtyard, so it's better for me to discipline them myself."

Mu Yan raised an eyebrow: "Didn't you just say they were disobedient? I offered to help discipline them, but why are you unwilling now? Is there some hidden reason behind this?"

Mu Xi was speechless for a moment, and could only laugh awkwardly and say, "Sister, you're joking. There's no secret. I think Xiangqin is badly injured. Why don't you take her back to heal her wounds first, so she won't have any scars left?"

Mu Yan picked up Xiang Qin and said, "Sister, you don't need to worry about this. I will handle my people myself. But those people in your courtyard who have no respect for their master need to be properly disciplined. If they do it again, they will not be let off lightly."

After Mu Yan left with Xiang Qin in her arms, Mu Xi's smile widened.

It was just a servant, yet Mu Yan was in such a hurry.

If we move a few more, will she get so anxious that she bursts into tears?

Wow, just thinking about it is exciting.

_

Fanglan Garden

Mu Yan carried Xiang Qin back to the room and carefully applied medicine and bandaged her wounds.

Xiangqin sobbed uncontrollably, "Master, it's all my fault. I've caused you trouble again. Waaah, if it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would have lost my life."

"It's not exactly troublesome, but you're really foolish," Mu Yan said helplessly. "If someone calls you, you just go and ask them to do it. Isn't that just asking to be bullied?"

Xiangqin stammered, "I...I thought Miss really wanted to give you plum blossoms. She's usually so gentle. I never expected her to be so heartless!"

The young girl wiped away her tears and said, "Master, I've already suffered a loss before you. Don't let her deceive you in the future. She...she's not a good person! We can't let her do anything wrong!"

Mu Yan's gaze was cold and stern: "She is so ruthless, I will not let her off easily."

Just then, a maid walked in from outside: "Third Miss! I have completed the task you asked me to do." She stuffed the portrait into Mu Yan's hand and whispered, "This is the portrait of that person. He stayed in the second bunk in the east courtyard last night. He has a black mole on the back of his neck, so he is not hard to find."

"Yes, thank you for your trouble," Mu Yan took out some silver from the drawer and gave it to her: "Don't make a fuss about this. If a third person finds out, come to me with your head tonight."

The maid was startled and quickly said, "Third Miss, don't worry, I will definitely keep my mouth shut!"

"Go back."

"Yes..." the maid replied and hurriedly ran out.

"Master," Xiangqin said urgently, "she's not from our courtyard! You can't trust her!"

"I know."

"Then why did you still assign her tasks?"

Mu Yan said, "You don't need to worry about these things, just focus on recovering from your injuries."

“Master,” Xiangqin looked up at her, “Xiangqin is thick-skinned and tough, a beating is nothing to me. I don’t want you to offend the young lady for my sake.”

"Offend?" Mu Yan smiled and said, "This is not offending, this is returning the favor."

_

Dali Temple

Zhao Siheng brought a bunch of bottles and jars into the main hall, taking up a large space.

"Old Zhao, come closer!" Wei Chengfeng dragged the medicine pot out: "Lord Mu is blind. If we trip him, we'll both lose a piece of flesh."

"Okay, okay!" Zhao Siheng replied verbally, inwardly groaning. His precious children were being dragged away so casually by that old bastard Wei Chengfeng; it truly broke his heart.

"Hey!" Wei Chengfeng waved his hand in front of his eyes: "Old Zhao, what are you daydreaming about!"

"None of your business, you old codger!"

"That sounds nice, but who'll be with you when I die!" Wei Chengfeng said, "You old stubborn fool!"

Zhao Siheng choked and buried his head in tidying up the medicine jars, ignoring Wei Chengfeng's attempts to rouse him.