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

Cai Mansion

Cai Fei was lying in the courtyard sunbathing when she saw Mu Yunqing coming. She was so startled that she almost fell off her rocking chair.

Mu Yunqing said, "Master Cai, are you so leisurely that you've forgotten someone died in your manor?"

"I haven't forgotten, I haven't forgotten." Cai Fei smiled and pulled up a chair for him. "How could I forget what you asked me to do? I've already questioned that coachman. Besides taking me, he also took Su Cheng that day."

"Can you find out what Su Cheng went there for?"

“The coachman was very tight-lipped, only saying that he dropped me off at a dilapidated temple on the outskirts of the city and then returned. I sent people to investigate and found signs of a fight there, as well as some bloodstains,” Cai Fei said cautiously as she poured tea for Mu Yunqing.

Mu Yunqing picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and his eyes flashed with coldness. "There's only one dilapidated temple in this capital, Youlang Valley. Su Cheng is neither good at literature nor martial arts, so what would he do in such a place? You dare to use such a lame excuse to fool me?"

“You’re wronging me,” Cai Fei said. “I used to have a thousand thoughts, but now I wouldn’t dare to reveal even a little. I went to the Valley of the Dark Wolves myself. There were wolves howling all around, and corpses everywhere. There was even incense ash left in the temple. That incense was the one Su Cheng used. He definitely went to the dilapidated temple, and more than once.”

“Incense ash alone proves nothing.” Mu Yunqing put down his teacup and said, “Su said he loved that incense, and perhaps others loved it too. It is common for people in the world to have similar tastes. Tell me some more useful clues.”

Cai Fei looked troubled: "Lord Mu, you are really putting me in a difficult position. I have already told you everything I know, and I can't say anything more."

Mu Yunqing snorted coldly, "You've been married to Su Cheng for three years, and you really don't know anything about his preferences?"

“I do know a little,” Cai Fei said, “but it’s all trivial stuff and won’t be of any use to your investigation.”

"tell me the story."

"Su said he has a sweet tooth and loves to eat pear cakes, often with tea..."

Mu Yunqing said helplessly, "Can't you just pick the important points? Or do you think I'm particularly interested in what he likes to eat?"

Cai Fei hurriedly waved her hand, "No, no, no, sir, the point I want to make is that every time he finished eating the crabapple cake, he would take out a white handkerchief to wipe the corner of his mouth. That handkerchief was made of special material and was exquisitely embroidered with a crabapple blossom on it. And in that dilapidated temple, I saw the same handkerchief fragments."

Mu Yunqing looked up at her, "Are you sure?"

Cai Fei nodded quickly, "It's absolutely true. I've seen that handkerchief many times, I would never mistake it."

Mu Yunqing stood up and paced back and forth. "It seems that Su Cheng is definitely involved in this matter. But why did he go to that dilapidated temple in Youlang Valley? And with whom did he fight?"

Cai Fei lowered her head and dared not speak.

Mu Yunqing glanced at her and asked, "What's the name of the incense that Su Cheng often uses?"

"Replying to Your Excellency, it is also called Tanglixiang."

"What are his habits when using this incense?"

“Habit…” Cai Fei pondered for a moment and said, “All I know is that Su Cheng suffers from insomnia for many years, and when he burns incense at night, he often asks someone to add some Polygala tenuifolia powder.”

"Alright, I've got it." Mu Yunqing instructed, "Keep an eye on him, and pay close attention to his movements and behavior."

Cai Fei replied, "Yes, sir. However, Su Cheng is a cautious person. If he notices that someone is following and monitoring him, he may take precautions."

Mu Yunqing raised an eyebrow slightly: "You don't need to worry about that. I will arrange it properly. You just need to keep me informed of the news on your end." With that, he turned and left.

Cai Fei watched Mu Yunqing's departing figure and breathed a sigh of relief, finally seeing this big shot off.

What is this person's purpose in having her keep an eye on Su Cheng every day? Su Cheng looks so frail, how could she be the one who killed Liang Younian? It's simply wishful thinking. But it's fine this way, as long as they don't investigate her, everything is fine.

_

牧场

The group waited until dark, but Ge Qingyou did not open the door again.

Ge Qingyou naturally wouldn't open the door; the mere sight of that madwoman annoyed her. She babbled incoherently, demanding money every single day—just a few taels of silver, really! She claimed she hadn't eaten for three days, yet she looked perfectly energetic; she was just trying to extort money from people. At her age, she couldn't even quiet down. If it weren't for the money she'd embezzled a few years ago, she wouldn't have bothered with this madwoman for even a day longer.

She only hoped that the madwoman would die soon, so as to avoid any unforeseen complications that could ruin the reputation of her Ge family.

"Let's go, Grandma," Mu Yan stood up and helped the old woman up, "We'll take you home."

The old woman shook her head, refusing to leave. "Young lady, you should go back first. I've kept you occupied for so long and even hurt your people. I... I really don't know how to apologize."

“It’s alright, Grandma,” Lingyun said, pointing to her forehead. “Look, my injury has healed. It’s nothing serious.”

"but I……"

"Let's go home first," Mu Yan gently pulled her along. "It's getting cold now, and if we stay any longer we'll catch a cold, and medical treatment isn't cheap."

The old woman was helped along by her mother, seemingly in agreement. In truth, the only thing that could have persuaded her to leave was the phrase, "Medical treatment is expensive." She struggled to even afford food, let alone have the spare money for medical care. She herded sheep every morning in the wind, her health failing her days. Now she was merely barely managing to survive, hoping only to see her children one last time before she died.

The group continued onward, the path beneath their feet difficult to traverse—steep and slippery, a single misstep could send them tumbling into a ditch. After an unknown amount of time, they finally reached a thatched hut. Mu Yan and the others had intended to leave after seeing their loved one off, but the old woman insisted on inviting them in, so the four of them had no choice but to go inside and sit down.

The room was simply furnished, with only an earthen bed and nothing else. The old woman sat on the ground, reached out to pick up some dry firewood and started a fire. As the firelight gradually grew, her figure appeared even thinner.

Mu Yan couldn't help but ask, "Grandma, I see you're getting on in years, why are you still working so hard outside?"

The old woman sighed and said, "I'm old and don't have much money. I have no money on hand, so I can't make ends meet and I have to find any job I can find."

"And what about your children?" Ling Yun asked as well.

"Children..." The old woman looked dazed, as if she were recalling something. She said, "My children are all in other places and haven't been home for a long time."

Ning Xi said, "With the year-end approaching, aren't you going to come back to see me?"

“I haven’t heard from them,” the old woman said. “They probably aren’t coming back. Oh, why bring this up?” She got up, took a pot, and started drawing water. “You’ve been waiting at the ranch all day. You must be hungry. I’ll cook you some noodle soup.”

"No need, Grandma, we're not hungry," Mu Yan said. "We escaped today, and it's getting late; we should go back now."

The old woman didn't insist on keeping Mu Yan after hearing her words, but her eyes held a hint of melancholy. After Mu Yan and the others left the thatched hut, she gazed at the faint firelight inside and sighed deeply.

Occasionally, she also longs for someone to talk to her.

But even her children couldn't do that, let alone anyone else. All these years, she's been alone. If she doesn't get sick, she's fine, but if she does, she's practically dead.

She was not someone who clung to life or feared death; she simply wanted to see her children one last time before she died.

_

Military training ground

All the lights in the venue were turned off, except for the lights still on in Xiao Qingzhou's room.

Ling Yun pulled the three of them to a corner and whispered, "Commander Xiao is known for going to bed early at our military training ground. If she's still up at this hour, she's probably waiting for us. We'll all go in together. We're not afraid of her. Those with family connections can rely on their family connections, and those with official positions can rely on their official positions!"

Ning Xi asked, "What if there's nothing there?"

"Then we'll have to adapt to the situation," Ling Yun said, pushing the three of them into the house.

Xiao Qingzhou glanced at them sideways and said sternly, "You still know how to come back?"

Ling Yun mustered his courage and stepped forward. "Commander Xiao, we encountered some problems today, which is why we are late."

Xiao Qingzhou snorted, "What happened? Did you go out to be lazy and play?"

Mu Yan quickly explained, "We met an old woman at the ranch whose sheep were trapped. We helped rescue them and then escorted her home, which is why we were delayed."

Xiao Qingzhou's expression softened slightly. "Since you've done a good deed, I'll let you off this time. But this is a one-time exception."

Ling Yun asked, "Are you...really letting us go?"

"You can stand outside if you don't want to leave."

"Let's go! I promise we'll get as far away as possible!" Ling Yun responded, grabbed the three of them, and ran off.

_

The next morning, Mu Yunqing went to the clinic after breakfast. When he entered, Zhao Siheng was picking medicinal herbs inside.

"Old Zhao," Mu Yunqing called out, sitting down beside him.

Zhao Siheng held the collected medicinal herbs in his hand, looked up and said, "Lord Mu has arrived. Let me wash my hands before I speak with you." He placed the herbs in the basket, washed his hands, and asked, "Lord Mu, are you feeling unwell?"

Mu Yunqing shook his head and said, "I came to ask you about a kind of fragrance called Tangli Fragrance. It is said that adding Polygala tenuifolia powder can help with sleep."

Zhao Siheng pondered for a moment, "The scent of pear blossoms is quite common, but adding Polygala tenuifolia powder does indeed help with sleep. Why is Your Excellency suddenly interested in spices?"

Mu Yunqing then recounted the story of Su Cheng.

Zhao Siheng frowned. "Even for insomnia, medication shouldn't be used like this. Polygala tenuifolia has calming and sleep-aiding effects, but it tastes extremely bitter. How can it be used with aromatherapy?"

"Are you saying there are doubts about this trip?"

"It's not just doubtful, it's downright absurd." Zhao Siheng grabbed a handful of Polygala tenuifolia from the medicine cabinet and said, "If he really wanted to treat his insomnia, he should have decocted this medicine and taken it. Putting it in incense, humph, it wouldn't work even if it were used for thousands of years."

Upon hearing Zhao Siheng's words, Mu Yunqing's doubts deepened. Those who are ill all hope for a speedy recovery, yet Su Cheng is doing the opposite, deliberately delaying the illness. This is hardly beneficial to either himself or the doctor.

He asked, "Mr. Zhao, in your opinion, is there a deeper meaning behind Su's actions?"

Zhao Siheng stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I dare not make a judgment, but his actions are illogical. Perhaps he is trying to cover up something else." He raised his hand to pour Mu Yunqing a cup of medicinal tea and comforted him, "You don't need to worry too much. As time goes by, people's true colors will eventually show. Even if they want to hide it, they will eventually be unable to."

"Old Zhao is absolutely right." Mu Yunqing held his teacup, swirling the tea for a while before asking, "Have all the assassins from the Zhang family been cured?"

“Most of them have recovered, some have already gone home, and some…” Zhao Siheng sighed, “Some are still insane, and no amount of medicine can help them.”

Mu Yunqing said, "It's good that you're willing to take the medicine. I'll trouble you to treat me again. If there's still no improvement after half a month, we'll just have to let nature take its course."

"Don't worry, I will definitely handle this matter properly." After replying, Zhao Siheng stared into Mu Yunqing's eyes and asked, "My lord, have your eyes looked strange these past few days?"

“No,” Mu Yunqing said, raising his hand to splash the tea out. “It is much clearer than before. Old Zhao is truly a miracle worker.”

Zhao Siheng chuckled, "It's good that you're alright. I was worried that I might have used too much medicine and hurt your eyes."

"Even if you are injured, I don't blame you," Mu Yunqing said. "It was I who begged you to heal me as soon as possible."

Zhao Siheng said, "Sir, you're taking this case too seriously. Medicine can't be rushed, and everything should be done step by step. I'll let you off the hook this time, but I won't make an exception for you next time. Healing an illness and recovering from an injury still requires a slow process."

Mu Yunqing nodded, "You're right."

"Alright," Zhao Siheng glanced at the sword on his body and said, "Go take care of business first. I can't help you with anything even if you talk to me all day."

“Old Zhao, you are mistaken,” Mu Yunqing said. “Your medical skills are superb, and you have helped me countless times along the way. I should be the one thanking you. However, besides important matters, I also need you to make a trip to the Shen residence for me.”

"The Shen residence?"

"That's right." Mu Yunqing said, "Lord Shen has been suffering from an old illness these past few days, and despite consulting many doctors, he hasn't gotten better. So I'd like to ask you to come and take a look."

Zhao Siheng paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement. He didn't actually want to get involved with the Shen family. It wasn't that he disliked Shen Chenxi, but powerful families were used to using their influence to bully others. He had learned his lesson once and didn't want to get involved again.

Shen Chenxi treated people with courtesy, but the Shen family members might not be so. He was straightforward and couldn't stand being slighted. He usually avoided these important people when performing acupuncture and consultations, fearing that he might lose his life if he wasn't careful. But he was also afraid of offending Mu Yunqing, which would make it difficult to do business in the future and would also be detrimental to Wei Chengfeng's career, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.

“In that case, I will not disturb you any longer,” Mu Yunqing said, cupping his hands in farewell.

After bidding farewell to Zhao Siheng, Mu Yunqing headed straight for Youlang Valley. Youlang Valley got its name from the vicious wolves that inhabited it. People used to hunt there, but as more and more people were killed by the wolves, the valley gradually became deserted.

The valley lost its human presence, and the wolves grew even more rampant. They dared to roam the valley even during the day, biting and killing indiscriminately on anyone they saw. At night, their howling was incessant, frightening passersby into staying away.

Mu Yunqing walked through the valley, where all was silent. He heard neither howling wolves nor chirping forest birds.

Snow covered the withered trees, and occasionally the sound of breaking branches could be heard. Looking closely, one could vaguely see white bones hidden among the weeds. The bones were scattered and fragmented, and every few steps, another pile could be seen, making one's scalp tingle.

Mu Yunqing walked along the path through the overgrown weeds when he suddenly heard a soft rustling sound. He cautiously drew his sword, only to have a rabbit leap out.