After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 32

Lu Huating was on his way back home when he encountered Chen Yu, who was blocking the entrance to Prince Yan’s residence, glaring at him intensely.

Seeing no way to avoid this, Lu Huating had no choice but to accept the Ministry of Rites’ records and accounts.

After a long look, he said, “Minister Chen, the Ministry of Rites’ expenses are too high.”

Before Chen Yu could respond, Lu Huating crossed off the largest item. “The Starlight Tower, a legacy of Chu, is already built. Have the Ministry of Works modify it from the outside, make it a tower—no need for a new pavilion.”

“As for the banquet, carpets, and linings for the ceremonial robes, I think we can do without them.”

With just a few strokes, he cut down the expenses. In simple terms: there was no money.

Chen Yu couldn’t hold back and pointed at Lu Huating’s nose, angrily scolding him, “This plan was drafted by over ten members of the Ministry of Rites according to the old system! You dare to cross things out? This is national business, not some mud-pit you can play in!”

“What will you do if I succeed?” Lu Huating raised his gaze, a cold sneer in his black eyes, enough to be intimidating.

Jian Su tugged at Chen Yu’s sleeve. “Sir, please calm down. Our advisor here was once a disciple of Master Zengjia—he understands these ceremonies better than anyone. The foreign envoys will be pleased.”

Half skeptical and short of breath, Chen Yu lowered his hand, watching Lu Huating strike off another item.

Alarmed, Chen Yu protested, “Hey, you can’t cross off that item—it’s a person!”

Lu Huating looked at the list with a faint smile. “I know.”

The name he crossed out was Lin Yujia, a sixth-ranked official of the Ministry of Rites.

“Prince Yan’s residence is far, and the minister is getting older—there’s no need for you to make the journey personally,” Lu Huating returned the account to Chen Yu. “Next time, have this official Lin come to discuss it with me.”

Sunlight lit up the intricate maps on the ground. Over dark lines, paths for nobles and commoners were marked in red and blue. Lu Huating, after morning court, leaned over his desk, arm resting, and remained silent.

“Is he sleeping, or is it his headache again?” Zhu Su asked softly. Jian Su and Kuang Su shook their heads.

“Someone will be coming soon. Shouldn’t we clean up the floor?” Chi Su remarked, looking at the colorful inks spread on the ground, whispering, “Who dares to wake him?”

“Step aside, watch me.” Jian Su rummaged through his pockets and found a copper coin, which he tossed near Lu Huating’s face.

The coin landed on the desk with a crisp sound, and Lu Huating woke abruptly, his sharp gaze startling Jian Su, who swallowed and mumbled, “Advisor, have you thought about this Lady Coin…”

“Get out,” Lu Huating responded lightly.

In an instant, Jian Su and the other shadow guards rushed out in a flurry. He received a stream of complaints: “Why throw a coin? Are you crazy?”

Jian Su couldn’t defend himself. “You don’t understand! I can’t explain!”

Inside, Lu Huating rolled up a carefully mounted silk scroll and set it aside.

Underneath the scroll was a sheet of unused draft paper. Morning light filtered over the thin paper, casting a soft glow on it, and the coin cast a small, delicate shadow like an autumn cicada.

Lu Huating picked up the coin, pausing briefly. With ink still liquid in the inkwell, he suddenly took up a brush, dipped it, and began to sketch on the paper.

His strokes were wild yet swift, full of a casual but intense energy. The dark ink spread as he worked, and his shadow guards clustered by the window, whispering,
“The Advisor is painting a beauty!”

Lu Huating rarely painted. The refined hobbies often boasted by noblemen seemed to him to be useless trifles. Only when his emotions surged, like during a painful headache, did he indulge.

A long skirt and trailing shawl spread upward, adorned with a bronze waist charm. The front of the upper robe and sleeves were embroidered with chrysanthemum motifs, the attire of a palace maid. The white inner garment had a clasp at the collar.

Few could fasten a clasp so tightly that it perfectly fit the collar against the neck, which was slender and graceful, adding a hint of delicacy. Hidden within the clasp might be poison.

The tip of his brush marked the clasp with a bright red, like a venomous serpent’s tongue.

“Why doesn’t this beauty have a face…?” Zhu Su murmured from outside the window.

Holding his brush, Lu Huating seemed lost in thought.

That pair of eyes… dark pupils, with a faint curve at the corner—refined and reserved. When looking up at someone, they had an especially shy quality.

However, the appearance from the past life and the current seemed… somewhat different. Apart from the eyes, the face shape, and placement of features varied slightly.

This subtle difference made her face blur in his mind, eluding any clear image. Lu Huating’s brush hung in mid-air, and he finally threw it down in frustration. Ink splattered, and his expression turned dark as he looked at the unfinished painting.

Could it be that… her face is fake?

“Advisor, Official Lin has arrived,” Jian Su announced.

Lin Yujia strode into Prince Yan’s residence.

The Prince’s rejection of the Ministry’s plans had wasted all his careful “preparations.” After days of sleepless nights, he had only his own talents left to persuade Lu Huating.

He had investigated Lu Huating’s background and found he came from a humble family, with no official rank.

No rank? That makes him a commoner—what’s to fear from him? Bracing himself with this thought, Lin Yujia quickened his pace.

Until he saw the lone green oiled-paper umbrella resting in the empty courtyard, tilted under the sun.

As he got closer, the plum blossoms painted on the umbrella became clearer. Despite the cooling weather, he broke into a cold sweat.

Wasn’t this the umbrella he had given to Qun Qing? How could it be here at Prince Yan’s residence?

“Official Lin, is this your umbrella?” Lu Huating’s voice came from inside, carrying a hint of curiosity.

“It looks like one I lost a few days ago,” Lin Yujia replied, regaining his composure. “But oil-paper umbrellas all look similar.”

Entering the side hall, he noted the iced arrangements and landscape paintings on the walls. The carefully placed bookshelves and incense burners showed elegance on par with the finest noble residences in Chang’an.

Lin Yujia’s gaze swept to a bamboo basket filled with scrolls—clearly, the owner was no stranger to literature, causing his confidence to waver. Looking up, he saw Lu Huating behind the desk, his dark hair, and jade-like features lending an air of charm. Even Lin Yujia, who considered himself handsome, felt outclassed. The advisor’s gaze held a faint mockery that carried a suppressive intensity, igniting a spark of anger in Lin Yujia.

“Is this the Advisor’s umbrella?” Lin Yujia asked, “Leaving it out in the sun like this will damage it. It would be better to keep it under the eaves.”

“You’ve misunderstood, Official,” Lu Huating wrote a few characters, “Someone threw it away, but a friend of mine has a habit of collecting discarded items. I had no idea where to place it, so I left it outside.”

Lin Yujia’s face darkened.

He clenched his fists, dropping all pretense of pleasantries, and pulled out a new draft from his sleeve. “Organizing a large-scale ceremony is the Ministry’s duty. Given that this is a national matter, I ask that Prince Yan doesn’t make things difficult. Since the Advisor isn’t satisfied with the original budget, I have a revised plan…”

Without a word, Lu Huating tossed a scroll to Lin Yujia.

It was heavy, and Lin Yujia barely caught it, wincing as it hit his arm. He looked up at Lu Huating in irritation.

“I’ve drawn it up for you,” Lu Huating said indifferently. “You’re here to collect my plan today—I don’t have time for anything else.”

Through the slit of the scroll, Lin Yujia glimpsed detailed notes. Realizing he was left with no room to intervene, he felt his anger boiling over.
“Advisor, drafting plans is the Ministry’s duty. Isn’t Prince Yan’s residence overstepping?”

“Today in court, the Emperor praised this plan. Let me read his response to you,” Lu Huating picked up the imperial report, “The Emperor believes that opening the Blue Sky and Red Gates, receiving the relic from the north, and sealing off the southern side of the Starlight Tower with troops achieves both public accessibility and security, leaving no chance for spies to slip into the palace.”

“Official Lin, come over and take a look.” Lu Huating gestured.

At the mention of “spy,” Lin Yujia’s anger chilled with a tinge of fear. Lu Huating’s words seemed deliberately pointed, as if they were directed precisely at him.

Without realizing, he stepped closer, his gaze drifting not to the Emperor’s comment but to Lu Huating’s unyielding demeanor.

Lu Huating noticed Lin Yujia’s change in expression and followed his gaze to the painting on the table. Lin Yujia felt as if he had been struck; although the woman’s face in the painting was left blank, her clothing clearly resembled that of Qun Qing. How many palace maids of her rank could there be in the palace?

If the umbrella outside was a coincidence, then what about this painting? Lin Yujia’s fingertips trembled. Could Qun Qing be secretly betraying the Southern Chu? It was unlikely given her enmity with Prince Yan.

That left two possibilities: either Prince Yan’s household was suspicious of her, or someone else had their eyes on his young fiancée.

How could he allow others to spy on his fiancée like this?

The thought of his fiancée being viewed this way ignited a surge of jealousy. He tried to lift the painting, saying, “I didn’t know Advisor Lu was skilled in painting. This painting is very vivid—could I have it?”

Lu Huating gripped his wrist through his sleeve and said with a smile. “Lord Lin, Do you always demand things so casually in other people’s homes? ”

They exchanged a tense look as Lin Yujia, veins bulging, forced a smile. “Ah, forgive me. May I ask, who is in the painting, Advisor Lu?”

Lu Huating smirked, “My wife.”

Lin Yujia, sensing that Lu Huating was watching his reaction, chuckled incredulously. “Advisor Lu must be joking. I know you’re not yet married.”

Lu Huating simply smiled, taking up the painting and examining it closely.

“Let me ask you,” his voice grew cold, shadows darkening his gaze. “Do you want your umbrella or this painting?”

“What do you mean by this?” Lin Yujia sensed the threat.

“In Dachen, disloyalty leads to death. An umbrella shields you from wind and rain,” Lu Huating sneered,

“but if you take this painting, it won’t protect your official path.”

Lin Yujia went pale. Although the Yan Prince’s household had no proof, Lu Huating had indeed uncovered his identity as a spy, and Qun Qing’s as well. If Lu Huating reported them, they’d face more than just losing their positions—they’d lose their lives.

But Lu Huating coveted Qunqing, so he didn’t tell anyone about it, hoping to use this to force her…

He couldn’t afford any missteps now. He would have to retreat quietly.

After a moment, Lu Huating heard the hurried footsteps of Lin Yujia leaving. Jian Su came in, alarmed. “Advisor, that man… he took the umbrella!”

“Good, saved me the trouble of throwing it away,” Lu Huating scoffed, “Useless fool.”

How did she end up with an engagement to such a man? Or is that loser good at flattering his wife?

As he thought coldly, he tossed the portrait on the table.

The fragile paper fluttered, its faceless woman as easily abandoned as a stray leaf on an adversary’s desk.

Jian Su, seeing Lu Huating gazing at the painting, asked, “It’s a really good painting. I’ll help you frame it.”

“Burn it,” he replied.

Lu Huating watched the fire consume the painting, sunlight reflecting on his pale brow, exposing beads of sweat. After three sleepless nights following a court meeting and completing a critical map, he still had ten days to obtain the accounts from the Cui family…

The piercing headache made the sunlight unbearable. As he turned back toward the house, he suddenly collapsed, recognizing this as the beginning of a loss of control.

“Advisor!” Four hidden guards rushed forward, covering him as he fell silently.

“Quick, bring all the yellow vanilla from the residence!” Jian Su shouted, panic-stricken. Lu Huating convulsed silently, a single sandalwood bead falling and bouncing on the ground, its sound like shattered jade.

He thought, she should be the one suffering. In the void, his gaze settled on the beam above, eyes filled with pain and hatred. Only seeing her blood stain her green dress could make her understand the agony of being poisoned.

“Advisor Lu was absent from court today,” Lan Yue said. “It’s reported he fell suddenly ill.”

Qun Qing’s needle pricked her finger, a drop of blood welling up. She wiped it away with a cloth. “Suddenly ill?”

“Yes, the young eunuch from the Taiji Hall said someone from the Yan Prince’s household arrived early to request leave. The Crown Prince granted three days.”

She looked out the window, feeling heat rise along her temples. This was no ordinary illness for Lu Huating. If he had any strength left, he’d never use “sudden illness” as an excuse for leave; he must be truly incapacitated.

Yellow vanilla was rarely used in sachets, and the fact that it was in Lu Huating’s hinted at something peculiar. She had forced him to attend morning court without rest, wanting to confirm her suspicion. Today, it appeared he, like the Crown Prince, was afflicted with Xiangsi Yin (Lovesickness Poison).

She was certain Lu Huating was poisoned, just like the Crown Prince.

People poisoned with Xiangsi Yin suffered from fatigue and headaches. Unlike the Crown Prince, who had access to rare medicines, Lu Huating had managed to conceal his condition without such treatment. How had he done it?

Remembering that he only worked for half the day, under the guise of laziness, Qun Qing realized he had been masking his illness.

Thinking of this, Qunqing broke out in a cold sweat and couldn’t help but admire this man’s tenacity and endurance.

The poison was not hers, nor was it a legacy from the previous life. He had been poisoned long before they met, but he didn’t know who had poisoned him, so when she admitted to giving Prince Yan the Xiangsi Yin before she died in the previous life, his expression suddenly turned into hatred…

After figuring this out, Qunqing felt relieved.

Knowing she was skilled with this poison, he would assume she could also cure it, like the prince, that she could detoxify and wanted the method to do so.

Qunqing stood up and carefully poured rosemary into a glass jar typically used for fireflies, but in her nervousness, she spilled a bit.

She wiped the bottle’s rim as though nothing had happened and handed it to Lan Yue. “When I met the Princess of Yan in the palace last time, she mentioned wanting to try our Western Region spices. This scent helps relieve headaches; please give it to Jian Su in the Yan Palace on my behalf. Also, don’t let the prince find out—he doesn’t like us mingling with people from the Yan Palace.”

“It’s just sharing some spices, nothing serious. I’m not delivering any information.” Lan Yue watched her scoop the spice, then accepted it and left. “Don’t worry; there’s no need to trouble His Highness over such a small matter.”

Qunqing watched as Lan Yue departed.

Lin Yujia’s condition still needs tending, and Lu Huating must stay alive for now. This will at least show goodwill.

Mother always said there was no cure for Xiangsi Yin, but she had to act as if she knew of one until she could leave the palace safely.

That way, even if Lu Huating held any resentment, she knew he wouldn’t kill her—she held something he needed.