My Husband Became the Most Powerful Minister - Chapter 1

In the month of March, when the apricot blossoms bloom.

A colossal joke quickly spread throughout the capital.

In the streets and alleys, whispers could be faintly heard in tea houses and taverns.

Even the scholars waiting for the spring examination results were discussing this—Miss Helan, born into a prestigious family with strict traditions, was expected to be dignified and virtuous, yet her beauty was becoming increasingly enchanting.

“…Is Miss Helan really that beautiful? Has anyone seen her?”

“I’ve only been in the capital for a little over a month, how would I have had the chance?”

“Hey, Brother Lin, you must have seen her, right? Aren’t you familiar with Young Master Helan? When you visited their residence, didn’t you see his sister at least once?”

The boy who was called out suddenly turned red in the face.

He tightly clenched his sleeves, and in a low voice said, “To speak of a lady’s appearance is not the behavior of a gentleman.”

“Lin, you are being too old-fashioned! Who in the capital doesn’t know that Miss Helan is beautiful?”

“Exactly, exactly. Shaoyan, does that mean you’ve seen her?”

“Quick, tell us, what does Miss Helan look like to make the Duke of Cao Shizi so infatuated, to the point of almost ruining a good marriage and making the old duke furious enough to consider petitioning to strip him of his title?”

This incident has become a widely discussed joke lately.

A few days ago, the Duke of Cao’s family held a wedding, with the Shizi marrying a well-matched princess.

Originally, the plan was to hold a grand banquet to celebrate this joyous occasion, but on the day of the wedding, as the auspicious hour approached, the groom was still reluctant to leave his home to fetch the bride. In the end, he was practically dragged out by the family servants, his expression not one of a groom, but rather resembling that of someone attending a funeral.

After finally receiving the bride and arriving at the hall to perform the rites, this groom again hesitated to kneel.

After repeated urging, it seemed he finally made up his mind, tossing aside the red silk in his hand. In front of everyone, he knelt and said, “Father and Mother, I am unfilial; I do not wish to marry her. The one I want to marry… is someone else!”

As soon as those words were spoken, it was like boiling oil splashed everywhere, causing a huge uproar.

The prince, the father-in-law, was said to have been so furious that he nearly fainted on the spot, and the bride was crying as she was supported away by the matron.

The old duke, who had served in the military in his youth, was ready to use his cane to beat this unfilial son to death right there in the wedding hall. It was such a chaotic scene that if it weren’t for the duke’s wife holding him back, it might have ended in tragedy.

Yet that son of the Duke of Cao still wore a lovesick expression, getting beaten to a pulp but refusing to repent.

News couldn’t be kept under wraps for long, and soon everyone knew.

The woman who had captured the heart of the Duke of Cao’s son was none other than the daughter of Master Helan, the Left Minister, Helan Ci. If it were someone else, perhaps others would still be somewhat skeptical, but once Helan Ci’s name was mentioned, everyone instantly understood.

Indeed, it was hardly surprising.

In the capital city, there is certainly no shortage of beauties; the prominent young ladies who are both renowned and graceful are countless. However, one who is as breathtakingly beautiful as Helan Ci is truly one of a kind.

Before she even reached the age of maturity, there were already other young gentlemen who would fight over her just for a single glance, consumed by jealousy.

After that, every time she went out, it would cause a stir. Some young masters would fight to catch a glimpse of Miss Helan when she fell into the water, or they would rush out of the city upon hearing that she was going to pay her respects. More than a dozen cars of young men from various families rushed out of the city, causing congestion at the city gate. And what’s more, there are even those who want to climb over the walls and sneak into Helan Mansion. Over the course of a year, they can catch seven or eight would-be intruders.

In this way, Miss Helan’s beauty became increasingly renowned, and the number of people eager to catch a glimpse of the enchanting lady was countless.

If Helan Ci were truly exaggerating, it would be one thing, but she indeed possessed a beauty that could captivate a city, difficult to describe in words.

In the capital, some dashing scholars composed verses praising her looks, some saying she was “a beauty of exquisite charm,” others calling her “elegant and unparalleled,” and still others describing her as “bewitchingly delicate.” The variety of praises was endless, infuriating Master Helan to the point where he wished he could directly grab those who spoke so.

After all, Helan Ci was a well-bred young lady, and it was inappropriate for her beauty to be used as a topic of gossip, especially when some comments were laced with affection, which was even more improper.

No family would be pleased by such behavior.

Moreover, the Helan family upheld a strict family ethos, their decorum so rigorous it bordered on rigid.

After Helan Ci grew up, the rumors about Master Helan wanting to marry off his daughter for money made him furious, causing him to fly into a rage.

In the Censorate, it was common to see the director with a dark expression, while the usually bold censors fell silent, all burying themselves in writing memorials, afraid of provoking his ire.

Master Helan had thought about stopping these rumors, but those literati slipped away quickly, and it was difficult to actually arrest anyone for it. Even harder was silencing the gossip, so he could only continue to educate his daughter to be cautious in her words and actions.

But despite being cautious, no one expected such a scandal to arise.

The incident of Duke Cao’s son causing a scene at the wedding banquet spread throughout the capital in less than half a day, becoming a huge joke, and even the reputation of the Helan family was tarnished.

If it said that he had never interacted with her, it’s hard to explain why Cao Guo’s son was so desperate for her; if there had been private contact, then it would be another story…

Thus, some people sarcastically remarked, “No wonder the Helan family has turned away all those who came to propose marriage, saying they would wait until she turns eighteen to discuss marriage; they were actually aiming for a higher status.”

“It’s a pity that cleverness has backfired; now, even if she dies, the Cao family will never let her through the door.”

“Indeed, a beauty can bring disaster.”

“They say one should marry a virtuous wife; I absolutely will not marry a woman like that.”

This last remark garnered widespread agreement among the scholars present.

The earlier speaker, Lin, couldn’t help but try to defend, “Miss Helan is not…”

Unfortunately, his voice was too soft and was quickly drowned out.

“By the way, what do you think, Ji’an?”

“Brother Ji’an is as favored by women as Miss Helan is by men.”

“Is there another banquet tomorrow? I’m envious of you.”

The young man in a pure white scholar’s robe leaned against the window, slightly turning his head at the sound, revealing a calm and humble smile. His peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, and even those of the same gender found it hard not to be captivated by his appearance and demeanor.

Moreover, this fellow is no straw bag, but rather the highly renowned Lu Wuyou, the top scholar of Qingzhou from last year, who is currently making waves in the scholarly circle.

“I, like all of you, believe that one should marry a virtuous wife.”

His gaze was clear, and his voice was exceptionally smooth, showing no hint of interest in the earlier discussion about romance.

“Brother Ji’an, you’re being sly; we’re asking for your opinion on Miss Helan!”

Before he could finish speaking, a small boy rushed over, his face full of excitement.

“Miss Helan seems to be leaving the residence…”

Before he could catch his breath, the scholars who had just been chatting amiably rushed out from the second floor of the tavern in a frenzy.

A moment later, only Lin and Lu were left staring at each other, with Zuo also following them.

No one expected Helan Ci to leave the residence at this moment, and she did so grandly through the main entrance.

According to everyone’s expectations, she should have been confined at home to avoid suspicion, especially since wherever Helan Ci went, she would face criticism.

****

Helan Mansion is In the north of the city, on the left is the residence of Master Zhang, the Minister of Household Affairs, and on the right is the ancestral home of Master Qing Zhan of Dali Temple. The main entrance of Helan Mansion is sandwiched in the middle, which is a bit amusingly cramped.

However, no one is particularly minded about this, as the crowd around is bustling, more than one might expect, occasionally mixed with some wealthy young masters accompanied by their servants.

So everyone is not very keen on making small talk.

There are even some occasional frictions.

“Who stepped on my foot?!”

“Stop pushing, stop pushing! When will Miss Helan come out?”

Just as they were speaking, a girl dressed in a water-red short jacket with gold embroidery and a pleated butterfly skirt stepped out, leading four or five maids.

The girl wore a golden hairpin shaped like a peony, and a pair of purple jade tassel earrings swayed gently by her earlobes. A circle of gold necklaces hung from her collar, and she was adorned with jingling accessories, radiating a dazzling aura.

Immediately, the people outside stretched their necks and widened their eyes to look.

The girl had delicate brows and almond-shaped eyes, cherry lips, and a graceful nose—indeed a beauty. However… while she was indeed pretty, it felt a bit exaggerated to call her breathtakingly beautiful; it wasn’t that dramatic.

The young man beside shook his folding fan and sneered, “That’s Miss Yao, the cousin of Miss Helan.”

Sure enough, the jewel-adorned girl got into the carriage parked outside, and then someone else stepped out.

This time, it was a young girl in white, wearing a veil, accompanied by only a maid. Her dress was plain, and she wore no jewelry at all; only a simple peach wood hairpin could be faintly seen on her head, and her earrings were also very simple, making her features hard to discern.

“Don’t push, don’t…”

Immediately, someone expressed disappointment, “Is that all? I just ran so hard for this…”

Those who were visiting for the first time thought she was just a maid from the manor and didn’t pay much attention. However, those who had been there several times couldn’t contain their excitement and rushed forward.

“Miss Helan!”

“??? Are you joking? That’s Miss Helan? Master Helan is a dignified daughter of a second-rank Left Minister; surely his family can’t be this… shabby!”

The young man with the fan continued to sneer, “Master Helan is known for his integrity in the capital; why are you barking like a dog?”

“Brother, you must be here for the first time. Master Helan is famous for his unadorned sleeves*.”

“Even with unadorned sleeves, it shouldn’t be…” The speaker seemed somewhat disappointed.

As the saying goes, “People rely on their clothing, and Buddha relies on gold**…”

Suddenly, a gust of wind rose, lifting the white veil from the hat of the girl in white. She seemed indifferent, merely glancing at the source of the wind.

The face that had been concealed was instantly revealed to the eyes of the crowd.

The sun shone brightly from above, casting a gentle veil of light that fell perfectly on her snow-white complexion, creating an unreal, hazy glow. Her long, raven-like eyelashes fluttered gently, obscuring her delicate, transparent eyes, resembling a butterfly poised to take flight—fragile and beautiful, as if it would shatter at a touch, utterly unlike a real person.

She stood outside the gate, surrounded by a brilliance that no jewels could match, illuminating the entire hall.

The few inexpensive items she wore suddenly seemed exquisitely crafted and priceless.

No matter how you look at it, it feels like a scene that shouldn’t exist in this world.

The crowd that was just noisy moments ago fell silent instantly, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, and even the sound of footsteps disappeared.

It was as if everyone was frozen.

Time itself seemed to come to a standstill.

Helan Ci’s gaze descended from the horizon, pausing slightly at a certain point, and just as it met someone else’s perfunctory smile, their eyes quickly separated, as if competing to see who could be more indifferent. The corner of her lips twitched slightly before she quickly averted her gaze and stepped onto the carriage.

As the carriage gradually drove away, some people seemed to awaken from a dream.

“…Is that Miss Helan?”

“Is it really possible for someone in this world to look like that?!”

“Does the Helan family still take in servants, the kind who have studied the Four Books and Five Classics…?”

“In an instant, I can understand that young master of the Cao family…”

Just moments ago, the scholar who had said, “When marrying, choose a virtuous wife; I would never marry a woman like that,” was now clinging to Lu Wuyou’s shoulder, staring foolishly at the departing figure of Helan Ci, and tremblingly said, “Brother Ji’an, Miss Helan seemed to smile at me just now. Do you think….i have some hope?”

“No,” Lu Wuyou calmly move his shoulder and said, “Wake up, it’s a dream.”

1. 1. unassuming, doesn’t like to be extravagant.

1. 1. Just as a Buddha statue is more impressive when adorned with gold, a person is often judged by their clothing and outward appearance. an idiom with similar meaning in English would be “Clothes make the man”

1. 1. 世子 (shì zǐ) – Heir Apparent
      It specifically refers to the heir apparent to a throne or a high-ranking noble title, especially in imperial China.

t/n: bear with me for over the top hyperbole descriptions of our lead couple appearance /ᐠ – ˕ -マྀིྀི