My Husband Became the Most Powerful Minister - Chapter 14

Helan Ci quickly stacked the medicine bowl on the table back in place, and continued to lie down on the bed, pretending to be asleep.

As soon as she lay down, she saw Lu Wuyou leaning against the car roof, locking eyes with her.

Helan Ci: “…”

He lowered his eyes, placed his index finger against his lips, and silently made a “shh” gesture.

Prince Xiao Nanxun had already lifted the curtain and entered. Helan Ci quickly closed her eyes, instantly feeling a cold gaze piercing through her, scanning the surroundings like a predator searching for its prey.

She had anticipated that the prince would come looking for trouble, but she didn’t expect him to come so quickly.

Helan Ci tried her best to keep her breathing steady, not revealing any signs.

Xiao Nanxun’s footsteps stopped in front of the table.

Following his gaze, one could see a bowl filled with medicinal soup on the table. Moving closer, the girl’s cloud-like black hair was piled on the pillow, her face half-covered by hair, making her face appear palm-sized. Her thin lips were a reddish hue, her skin pale and almost translucent. In the dimly lit carriage, her exquisite beauty was like that of a divine creation.

Even the slightest touch would feel like blasphemy.

She lay on her side, her eyes tightly closed, her breathing soft, wrapped in the quilt, with only one delicate hand hanging down by her cheek.

A few drops of bl00d remained on the bed, a scene of extreme sorrow.

“…Being this sick, it’s my fault.”

“However, Miss Helan, you haven’t taken your medicine yet, how could you fall asleep?”

His voice was cold and slow, low like a whisper. Because the surroundings were quiet, every word was exceptionally clear.

After speaking, Xiao Nanxun picked up the medicine bowl and walked straight towards Helan Ci.

Helan Ci’s hair stood on end, and she held her breath more cautiously, focusing intently.

Until the cold fingertips touched the hand that was hanging by her cheek, the man’s breath drew near, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “Miss Helan…”

Like a ghostly whisper.

Helan Ci finally showed a startled expression as if waking up. She suddenly widened her eyes, shook off Xiao Nanxun’s hand, and stepped back abruptly, imitating Lu Wuyou, coughing repeatedly and speaking in a panicked tone, “Wh-who?”

Xiao Nanxun slowly stood up, his face showing no signs of anger or joy, but he appeared inexplicably chilling. “I was worried about Miss Helan’s health, so I came to check on you.” After a slight pause, he broke into a cold smile, “Why aren’t you drinking the medicine?”

What he was holding looked less like medicine and more like poison.

Helan Ci instantly understood why those noble ladies who tried to climb the social ladder were all scared off, and she sincerely sympathized with the lady who was betrothed to him.

“Thank you, Your Highness, for your concern. I will drink it right away.”

As she spoke, she reached out to take the medicine from Xiao Nanxun’s hand.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Nanxun extended his other hand, grabbing Helan Ci’s wrist and pulling her over.

The distance between them closed instantly. Helan Ci stumbled and almost fell into Xiao Nanxun’s arms, terrified. She quickly braced herself against the edge of the bed to avoid getting too close, while desperately trying to break free from his tight grip.

Xiao Nanxun chuckled again, “Miss is weak and sickly; let me feed you the medicine.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he held the bowl firmly and brought it to her lips.

“Your Highness, please respect yourself!”

Helan Ci had endured for a long time and finally got a bit angry. She leaned back, covering her lips, and said sternly, “My father has received Your Majesty’s grace and holds a position among the Nine Ministers. He has always respected Your Highness… However, there are still differences between men and women. This matter is not appropriate according to etiquette. Please let go, Your Highness. This official daughter can drink it herself.”

Xiao Nanxun’s tone suddenly turned cold, “Respect? The kind of respect that wants me to roll as far away as possible?”

“…”

He is too temperamental.

Helan Ci quickly remedied, “Your Highness, how can you say such a thing? My father has never shown you any disrespect…” After a moment, she added, “Nor have I.”

Xiao Nanxuan paused for a moment, finally releasing her wrist, sneering, and the jade and silver chains hanging from him swayed lightly, the golden crown on his head shining brightly.

“If that’s the case, why do you fear me so much, and… betray my goodwill?”

Isn’t it because you’re a terrifying person?

Helan Ci silently retorted in her heart, but on the surface, she weakly uttered four words, “It’s against etiquette.”

“Is it?” Xiao Nanxuan said mockingly, “If etiquette were so, I wouldn’t be here.”

That’s true.

The Emperor had a relationship with Noble Consort Li, and then he was born out of wedlock. He could say this himself, but the subjects absolutely could not.

To avoid stepping on the other party’s sore spot again, Helan Ci simply covered her mouth and continued to pretend to cough weakly.

“Your Highness… I… cough cough…”

Her complexion was already very pale, and she had been feeling unwell during the day, making her face even paler. Under the pretense of being sick, she coughed so hard that her shoulders trembled, her slender body curled inward, her eyelashes trembled lightly, her eyes glistening with tears, a thin layer of moisture clinging to her lashes, ready to fall but not falling, her black hair cascading down her snow-white clothes, like a wounded lone crane.

At this point, Helan Ci regretted a bit. If she had known that asking Lu Wuxiu for that packet of bl00d earlier and applying it to her lips would have had a better effect.

Xiao Nanxuan indeed paused.

Finally, someone outside trembled and said, “Your Highness, the convoy is about to depart…”

Helan Ci let out a small sigh of relief, but still didn’t dare to let her guard down.

Xiao Nanxun finally put the medicine bowl back on the table, but then deliberately provoking, “I can’t rest easy unless I see you drink the medicine, Miss Helan.”

Helan Ci had no choice but to cough and tremble as she reached for the bowl, looking increasingly pitiful.

She picked up the bowl of Lu Wuyou’s medicine and was truly speechless for a moment—who would have thought she would end up drinking this medicine in the end?

In just a moment, Helan Ci steeled her heart and drank the medicine.

The medicinal juice slid down her slightly raised, slender neck, the lines exquisitely beautiful. Xiao Nanxun’s gaze moved from the girl’s delicately refined cheeks to her jaw, then to her neck, and finally to her slightly moist, rosy lips. His eyes were dark and unclear, and his fingers, resting by his side, flexed and stretched as if in restraint.

Before he could not help but reach out, Helan Ci had already placed the bowl down, lowered her head, and stepped back, her voice soft and low: “…I bid you farewell, Your Highness.”

Xiao Nanxun did not make any further moves, merely saying, “I will come to visit you again,” before leaving.

Helan Ci slumped her shoulders, leaning sideways on the couch, and unknowingly broke into a cold sweat.

Every time she dealt with him, it took all her strength.

Before she could catch her breath, someone lightly landed beside her, glanced at the medicinal bowl with a mischievous smile, then turned to her and said, “Really… thank you, Miss Helan.”

For some reason, upon hearing this voice, Helan Ci finally felt her spirit truly relax.

She let out a long breath, feeling frustrated: “…Are you sure this medicine is safe for me to drink?”

“Rest assured, I have some knowledge of medicine,” Lu Wuyou slightly raised the corners of his eyes, giving her a reassuring look, “Otherwise, how could I have fooled them when they checked my pulse just now?”

Helan Ci was half-convinced, and then heard Lu Wuyou laugh and say, “Looking at it this way, we really do have a bit of a shared fate.”

Nonsense.

How could the Shao’an Gongzhu be as terrifying as the second prince?

Helan Ci couldn’t help but respond, “Not at all. Lu Daren, with your six consecutive successes, the emperor’s favor, and being a court official, you certainly wouldn’t be as unfortunate as I am.”

Lu Wuyou took out another piece of pastry from his pocket and placed it on the table.

Helan Ci glanced at him, suspecting how much he had actually taken from the Shao’an Gongzhu.

“Why is Miss Helan blaming me? If the Second Prince really wanted to disregard the rules just now, I wouldn’t have just stood by… But after all, he is favored by the Emperor, and I completely don’t want to get involved in the succession issue. Offending him would be quite troublesome.”

He calmly finished speaking, moved two bowls aside, found a pot, and poured a bit of tea for each of them, leisurely saying, “Here, have some tea to calm your nerves.”

Helan Ci also knew that there was no need for the other party to offend the Second Prince for her sake.

She silently took a bite of the pastry, the sweetness exploding on her lips and tongue.

“What kind of pastry is this? Why is it so sweet…”

Lu Wuyou paused: “It’s water chestnut cake. Is it too sweet?”

Helan Ci nodded.

She was almost sick from the sweetness.

“Alright, then drink some tea.”

Helan Ci had no mood for it, only taking a few small sips before retreating to rub her wrist.

The carriage slowly started moving, the strong medicinal smell still lingering inside. The old imperial physician and the young medical attendant didn’t know if they would get back on the carriage, and the two sat on opposite sides, not speaking for a long time.

After an unknown period, Lu Wuyou’s clear and gentle voice sounded: “You really don’t like that Second Prince?”

Helan Ci also wanted to maintain some calm, but having been used to sparring, she instinctively replied, “Aren’t you also rejecting the princess’s goodwill?”

This kind of conversation could easily kill the mood.

However, they had never really had a peaceful conversation, and being forced to stay in the same space felt somewhat awkward.

Lu Wuyou showed no anger, not even turning his head: “Because she likes me, I have to reject her. But I don’t dislike her. She currently looks more like a… spoiled little girl.”

Hearing his serious answer, Helan Ci was somewhat surprised.

“So you really have a fiancée?”

Lu Wuyou glanced at her: “Who told you that?”

“Didn’t you say it yourself…”

“Do you believe when I lie to a little girl?”

“…”

“Oh, I forgot, Miss Helan, according to the calendar, you’re also a little girl.”

Helan Ci glared back, ready to retort: ” Lu Daren, saying that makes it sound like you’re forty years older than me, almost ready to be buried.”

The conversation was too familiar.

Lu Wuyou couldn’t help but laugh: “I thought Miss Helan was so scared she couldn’t eat or sleep, and now she can retort. This should be enough for now.” He thought for a moment, then said, “Since we know each other, Miss Helan, if you trust me, I have a type of medicine here. You apply it to a sharp object, and if you’re attacked, use the object with the medicine on the attacker. They won’t bleed, but will feel weak all over and fall into a deep sleep, not waking up for at least two hours.”

Helan Ci was taken aback, unable to believe the other person’s kindness: “…Why?”

She asked without context, but both were clever people.

Lu Wuyou raised an eyebrow, his peach blossom eyes sparkling, and smiled with a hint of mischief: “Of course—it’s to see your current disbelief.”

“…”

Helan Ci didn’t understand why Lu Wuyou, who was seen as a gentleman by others, was acting so mischievously in front of her. It wouldn’t hurt to keep up the act a bit longer.

However, after thinking it over, she realized that her temper in front of him wasn’t exactly good either.

In any case, whether true or false, Helan Ci still accepted it in the end.

She had heard from Yao Qianxue before that there were such drugs in the black market. Although she wanted to be prepared for self-defense, a noble lady like her couldn’t possibly get her hands on such things.

Then she couldn’t help but feel that Lu Wuyou was becoming increasingly dangerous, so it was better not to make an enemy of him—next time, she would try to be nicer to him.

***

The convoy didn’t arrive at the Changyong Hunting Grounds until three-quarters past yushi*, stopping outside the specially constructed Changyong Palace.

As the sun gradually set in the west, the entire Changyong Palace looked like a giant beast lying in the vast grassland, with clear springs and blue lakes faintly visible, lush groves, and a gentle cool breeze bringing the refreshing fragrance of the grass and trees.

Even though Helan Ci has no choice but came here, she was momentarily lost in thought—ever since returning to the capital, knowing that her face easily attracted attention, she rarely ventured out of the city for outings. Thus, even just seeing the green mountains and clear waters had become a luxury.

This might even be thanks to the Second Prince.

After settling into the women’s courtyard for the night, washing up, and changing into nightclothes, Helan Ci was so exhausted that she almost fell asleep immediately. However, she didn’t dare sleep too deeply, as there were strangers all around, and even Shuang Zhi wasn’t by her side.

She even kept a self-defense iron hairpin under her pillow.

Fortunately, she passed the first night safely, but when Helan Ci woke up, she inevitably felt a bit groggy.

As she tied her hair and sleepily stepped outside, she heard the black-clad girl next door—now she knew it was Chu Lan, the second daughter of the Governor of Yizhou—exclaim in surprise, “Why aren’t you wearing riding clothes?”

Helan Ci turned her head, startled, “Huh?”

Chu Lan looked at the beautiful face of the girl in white, momentarily stunned, then turned her head and said, “Uh… if you didn’t bring any, I can lend you a set… You’re about my size, just a bit slimmer, so it should fit.”

Helan Ci calmly replied, “Thank you for your kind offer, but I don’t know how to ride a horse.”

“Then why are you here…” What on earth are you doing here?

Helan Ci helplessly said, “I’ve already told you, it’s hard to defy the emperor’s orders.”

As soon as they stepped out, they saw several martial young ladies with long hair tied back, dressed in riding gear, accompanied by lightly armed martial generals and aristocratic youths, heading straight to the hunting grounds’ horse track from the palace gate.

On the first day of the Chang Yong hunting grounds, there would usually be some competitions like horse racing, lassoing, and mounted archery held at the training ground, just to warm up. The noble ladies and their families would also go to watch, and only on the following two days would they enter the inner hunting grounds.

At this moment, in the training ground, the lightly armed aristocratic youths were chatting while walking their horses.

“Have you heard? Miss Helan from the Chief Censorate is here too.”

“Is that possible? That scholarly lady wouldn’t come here…”

Someone tugged the reins and laughed, “So what if she came! Just look at that Cao shizi, oh no, we should call him the former Cao shizi… who would dare to provoke that big devil? Besides, we’ve seen all kinds of beautiful women in the pleasure quarters. No one can compare to the courtesan of Tianxiang Pavilion.”

“Brother Zhao is right. The praise is just because of her family’s status. If you really marry her, you’ll have to support her. It’s not worth the loss.”

“Only that fool Li Ting would do something so stupid for a woman, losing his title in the process.”

Just then, two young girls, one in black and one in white, walked in from the entrance of the female spectators’ area. The girl in black wore riding attire, looking valiant and spirited, while the girl in white, dressed in a simple white dress, seemed out of place. Her skirt fluttered gently, and her attire was extremely simple.

There were other noblewomen dressed in gold and silver, accompanied by maids and servants, but everyone was captivated by the girl in white at first glance.

Countless gazes fell on her face.

Immediately, someone gasped, followed by the sounds of horses falling, people dismounting, and coughing. Some couldn’t help but step forward to take a closer look, while others hurried to call their friends to come and see, causing the courtyard to be in chaos.

Even the young masters who had been boasting just a moment ago fell silent.

“…Looks like Li Ting isn’t so foolish after all.”

“With her looks…… it’s not impossible…”

The young master who hadn’t spoken before couldn’t hold back anymore: “Has she already been betrothed? Is it too late for me to tell my mother now…”

“You were the ones who said earlier that the courtesan from Tianxiang Pavilion was better, it has nothing to do with me! Miss Helan doesn’t seem to be good at riding, I’ll go ask her if she needs help!”

“Despicable! Shameless! Clearly, I came first!”

Before he could get closer, he heard the girl in black cough lightly, her voice tinged with a hint of nervousness: “Do you… want to ride a horse? I can teach you.”

Everyone: ……Damn! How come there’s someone who is even earlier!

1. 酉时 (yǒu shí) is one of the twelve hours. The ancient Chinese divided a day into twelve hours, each of which is equivalent to two hours today. Youshi corresponds to 17:00 to 19:00.