My Husband Became the Most Powerful Minister - Chapter 29

Helan Ci was startled. Seeing him sit up, she also sat up and asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

Lu Wuyou pressed his forehead twice again, as if feeling very uncomfortable, then lifted the blanket and got out of bed. He lit the candle, his long hair cascading down, leaving only a side profile for Helan Ci.

Helan Ci reflected on himself for a moment; she hadn’t provoked or offended him just now.

Her body was washed clean, and there was no random movement, not even a tiny sound was made.

Seeing Lu Wuyou lying there in a daze, she couldn’t help but ask, “Are you really going to sleep on the floor?”

Lu Wuyou struggled.

The bed is warm and soft, while the floor is hard and cold. Naturally, he doesn’t want to sleep on the floor, but it’s obvious that lying on the bed won’t help him sleep either.

Blame him for digging his own grave, taking initiative to take off her wedding dress out of the blue.

He swore that when he wanted to take off that wedding dress, he had no ulterior motives whatsoever; he simply wanted to help and, subtly, to compensate for the anger of that day out of a sense of revenge. But when he reached the third button, he found the wedding dress coming undone, revealing the thin undergarment inside. The soft body of the woman wrapped in the garment was slightly trembling, but she lowered her head with lips tightly pressed, and let him continue to unfast….

It seems like she shows no resistance to anything he does.

Lu Wuyou struggled to control his fingers, deftly and swiftly continuing to unbutton her clothes. Although he tried to avoid touching her body, his breathing became uneven, as if he were unwrapping a long-awaited gift.

Then He Lan Ci grabbed his wrist—

She spoke softly, in a tone that was both gentle and tender, almost unbearable, yet still carrying a hint of pleading as she told him she would take them off herself.

This is fundamentally a reverse request.

At that time, he wanted to tear her clothes off.

Lu Wuyou reluctantly released his grip and retreated back to the couch. He even began to wonder if He Lan Ci had ever spoken to him in this tone before.

No, absolutely not.

Her voice, although soft, was equally indifferent, devoid of emotion, as if merely stating facts. When they were at odds with each other, it even carried a hint of coldness.

——It will never be as sticky as it is now.

Helan Ci went to the washroom, and that wedding dress was taken off and placed within Lu Wuyou’s immediate view. The ribbons were untied, and the entire skirt drooped on the rosewood chair, sliding down a bit, resembling a giant blooming red flower.

Lu Wuyou reached up to adjust it, preventing it from falling. However, it felt warm to the touch, still carrying the girl’s body heat and a hint of her damp, fragrant sweat. He clearly remembered how Helan Ci looked wearing it; just moments ago, it had been on her body, but now it was taken off—

Like handling a hot potato, he rolled up the wedding dress and tossed it onto the chair, extinguished most of the lights, and returned to the bed, hoping to calm his mind and sleep.

But he can’t calm down at all.

In the quiet room, the sound of running water from the washrm kept interrupting his thoughts.
When the sound of the water finally stopped, she also walked out from there.

As soon as Helan Ci got closer, Lu Wuyou caught a faint, subtle scent of fresh bath soap at the tip of his nose. He didn’t quite remember what kind of incense placed in the washroom was like, but it inexplicably reminded him of that night… It was a similar faint scent, unlike those strong fragrances that could be smelled from afar, which were made by applying powder and incense to clothes. This scent was so faint that it couldn’t be detected without getting close.

Thus, he became increasingly troubled.

Helan Ci was only wearing a white nightgown, her soft black hair tied to one side of her body, making her appear exceptionally slender. Since it was still a bit damp, the nightgown clung to her body, perfectly showcasing her graceful figure. Her legs were long, her waist was slim, then it arched upward into a proud curve.

When she passed in front of Lu Wuyou, he had to turn his gaze away, but other images naturally surfaced in his mind.

The two lay side by side, and even though he could only hear the slightly nervous breathing of the person next to him, it still disturbed his sleep, making him feel somewhat lightheaded—but he wasn’t drunk, really.

Rationally and clearly knowing that if anything were to happen now, it certainly wouldn’t be due to drunkenness.

Lu Wuyou thought with a hint of self-mockery, “It can’t be that the effects of the medicine have lasted this long and still be recurring, right?”

Sleeping in the outer room isn’t a big deal, but if he accidentally gets seen in the morning, it might lead to misunderstandings, and explaining it would be quite troublesome.

Lu Wuyou stood in front of the candlelight, pondering for a moment, then heard Helan Ci say, “Are you not used to sleeping with someone else? Uh, actually, I’m not very used to it either… How about I sleep in the outer room?”

Helan Ci’s logic was very simple: this was his house, his home. As an outsider, it was naturally inappropriate to occupy his bed and let him sleep elsewhere—especially on the floor.

She was just about to get out of bed when Lu Wuyou finally turned to look at her, seemingly helpless, and said, “Don’t move.”

Helan Ci paused for a moment and said, “What to do?”

Lu Wuyou paused for a moment, then suddenly walked towards her. They were both lightly dressed, and Helan Ci clenched the fingers hidden in her sleeve. Since the marriage had already been consummated, she had some idea of what might happen next. It wasn’t like it hadn’t happened before, but she felt so exhausted from all the commotion tonight that she doubted Lu Wuyou had the energy or inclination for anything more.

He stopped in front of her, and Helan Ci instinctively looked up.

A small light flickered like a bean, casting a hazy glow on the girl’s flawless face. Her beauty, already like it had its own halo, appeared even more stunning in this light, almost making her look like a figure from a painting. Her long eyelashes fluttered, light and soft, like a butterfly flapping its wings. That fragile beauty gave the impression that it could be easily plucked and manipulated at will. that uncontrollable feeling surged once again.

Lu Wuyou’s gaze lingered on her slightly pursed lips, which at this moment shouldn’t have lipstick on them, yet they still appeared reddish.

God knows how many times he looked at it that night.

They have known each other for a long time; he has no reason to be swayed by lust at this moment—

Before he could finish thinking, Lu Wuyou had already slightly bent down.

Helan Ci was somewhat surprised, gripping her fingers tighter, but didn’t move. She just gently closed her eyes with body trembling slightly.

Lu Wuyou stopped just a finger’s breadth away from her lips.

The problem is that they were really too familiar with each other before. They would argue and confront each other every time, and they couldn’t help but speak to each other in the most sarcastic and twisted ways. Although he always knew that Helan Ci was beautiful, he never had any such thoughts. He had seen countless men in the Jiangliu Academy trying to curry favor with Helan Ci, but when Helan Ci remained unmoved, he even thought to himself, with a hint of mockery, that men who were seduced by beauty were fools.

No matter how beautiful, it is still just a pair of eyes, a nose, and a mouth.

After a hundred years, everyone will be nothing but a handful of dirt. What difference will it make?

He won’t be a fool.

But what is he doing now?

Last time, one could say it was due to the effects of the medicine that he couldn’t control himself. Now that there’s no medicine, he is rational and clear-headed. The girl before him is not entirely willing either; she just lost her virginity to him, so she was forced to marry him.

In this matter, Helan Ci has even less room for choice than he does.

Essentially, there is no emotion between the two that is strong enough to cause this incident to happen.

As Lu Wuyou’s thoughts grew more numerous, it became increasingly difficult to continue his actions. He finally, slowly, slowly withdrew.

Helan Ci waited for a long time without any sign of movement. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Lu Wuyou withdrawing, a look of struggle on his face. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his breath very unsteady, even looking a bit like that night.

She also doesn’t know what he’s struggling with.

The one who will get hurt is not him.

Helan Ci blinked twice and finally couldn’t help but say, “……Do you want to kiss or not?”

Lu Wuyou turned to look at her, his peach blossom eyes drooping in a show of restraint, revealing a hint of melancholy. Hearing Helan Ci’s familiar tone, he finally couldn’t help but say, “If it weren’t for the fact that I still consider myself somewhat of a gentleman, do you think you could sit here and talk to me properly?”

Helan Ci paused and said, “Aren’t you tired?”

“When did I ever tell you I was tired?”

Helan Ci recalled, “You were listless during dinner, barely said a few words when you got back, then hurriedly changed clothes, took a bath, and went to bed… I thought you were very tired.”

Lu Wuyou felt that he had been slandered.

Although today was indeed a day full of hassle, it was far from tiring. At least compared to being supervised by his father back home, practicing swordsmanship without a moment’s rest from morning till night, it was much easier.

And he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow and say, “Am I tired or not, Miss Helan, you want to…”

The words “see” were swallowed back, as this statement was clearly a bit inappropriate.

He wasn’t tired, but Helan Ci was indeed very sleepy. Normally, she would have already gone to bed by this time. Although she hadn’t done much today, so she wasn’t really exhausted, it was still normal for her body to feel sleepy at this hour.

Just before, she was tense, but after exchanging a few words, she felt that the person in front of her was still the familiar Lu Wuyou, and she inexplicably felt a bit relaxed.

Helan Ci simply sat on the edge of the bed and said, “If you want to kiss, kiss. If you want to sleep, sleep. If you can’t sleep, I’ll go sleep outside. Don’t toss and turn at night… Just to clarify, I sleep pretty well. I won’t be sprawled out, I don’t grind my teeth, I don’t talk in my sleep, but I might toss and turn a bit. I don’t have a habit of getting up at night, and if I wake up in the middle of the night, I will try to not make a noise.”

Lu Wuyou replied, “Don’t worry, I sleep very well. I can lie in one position all night, and my breathing can be minimized. Don’t think I’m dead just because I’m quiet.” Then he hesitated, “…Can I really kiss?”

Helan Ci thought he was really complicated; she had already married him, how could she stop him?

She nodded and said, “Hmm.”

Lu Wuyou’s expression changed again, and he said, “Do you really want, with me…”

Helan Ci said, “Then I’ll go to sleep.”

She pretended to fall onto the bed, and the next moment, Lu Wuyou held her jaw and finally pressed his lips against the two he had been longing for all night.

This time the two of them were conscious and close to each other, the feeling was somewhat indescribable.

Helan Ci was still sitting on the edge of the bed, feeling Lu Wu You lifting her chin with one hand and supporting the back of her neck with the other, leaning forward, one knee resting on the outside of her thigh, giving her no space to retreat.

She supported herself with both hands on the bed, slightly tilting her head back.

His lips were burning; after a brief moment of hesitation, he extended his tongue.

Helan Ci’s mind went blank for a moment.

Lu Wuyou’s tongue traced her lips delicately, as if savoring a delicacy, one lick after another, causing her lips to start to slightly heat up. She inexplicably recalled how he had repeatedly said earlier that he wanted to “rub her lipstick” for her. Was this how he wanted to do it?

Before she could collect her thoughts, Lu Wuyou, as if savoring her lips enough, opened her lips with the tip of his tongue, pressed against her teeth, and began to pry open her mouth.

Helan Ci’s head thumped twice at the back, her breathing became a bit erratic, but she still obediently opened her mouth.

When the tip of the tongue first touches, it feels as if it’s been electrified.

Helan Ci’s fingers tensed and curled, gripping the sheet tightly. Her head instinctively wanted to pull back, but Lu Wuyou quickly followed, as if wanting to savor the rest of her, meticulously, not willing to miss a single inch. Soon, Helan Ci’s breathing became rapid. She tilted her head back, her tongue trying to avoid contact carefully, but in such a small area, it was hard not to touch again.

And every time they meet, she can’t help but shiver all over, her scalp feeling a bit numb.

Clearly, it wasn’t the first time, but last time I was out of it and still felt my lips and teeth parched, only remembering the comfort, not anything else. In reality, it wasn’t this stimulating.

Helan Ci couldn’t help but move back.

However, when she moved back, Lu Wuyou moved forward, still kissing her without stopping. When Helan Ci’s back touched the cold wall, Lu Wuyou had already completely climbed onto the couch, spread his knees and knelt in front of her, pushed her against the wall, and hooked her tongue.

Helan Ci felt a little unwell, her ears were filled with the sound of sploshing, and the soft, fragmented sounds she made herself.

Helan Ci felt as if he had experienced a déjà vu.

Helan Ci finally couldn’t bear it any longer and stretched out her soft, limp arms, pressing down on Lu Wuyou’s shoulders. She gently exerted some force, trying to push away the person who was getting closer and closer, and her loosely fitting nightgown was almost slipping off her shoulders.

Lu Wuyou felt the resistance from the person who was being kissed into a puddle by him, slowly stopped, released his lips, and pulled back a bit.

Looking down, he realized that he might have gone a bit too far.

Lu Wuyou didn’t dare to look at her anymore, quickly getting off the bed and pouring himself a cup of tea. Due to his nervousness, he almost spilled the water everywhere. After taking a sip, he realized that using tea to cool down was like trying to put out a fire with a drop of water. He turned around and left the room without hesitation.

Leaving Helan Ci alone, breathing erratically and collapsing onto the bed.

She originally thought it would be similar to last time, at most feeling a bit unwell afterward, but it was different. When she was conscious, it was completely different; she could clearly feel how the other person was devouring her bit by bit.

The overly intense reaction almost made Helan Ci feel a bit dizzy.

If things were just happening directly, that would be fine. The pain wasn’t something she couldn’t endure, she could probably bear it with a little patience. But the problem was, Lu Wu You was taking his time, slowly…Helan Ci’s mind raced, but all she could think of were rather inappropriate terms, something like “indecent” and “frivolous”.

But she just pushed Lu Wuyou away, and then he walked straight out like that. She wondered if he was angry.

Helan Ci hesitated for a moment, wanting to get out of bed to take a look. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she realized her legs were a bit weak. She vaguely heard the sound of water and tentatively called out, “……Lu Daren?”

Lu Wuyou’s voice came through after a while, muffled: “…… I’m fine.”

“……Oh.”

Helan Ci wanted to ask him if he was going to continue, but she was a bit hesitant and could only sit on the bed, staring blankly at the tip of her toes. Just a moment ago, her neck had almost turned completely red.

After a while, Lu Wuyou came out of the washroom, turned around, took a quilt and a mattress from the cupboard, spread them on the floor, and fell asleep.

Helan Ci was taken aback for a moment: “Why did you really sleep on the floor?”

Lu Wuyou didn’t even lift his head and said, “Don’t talk, go to sleep.”

Helan Ci said, “……Then why don’t you come up instead?”

Lu Wuyou’s voice was very annoyed as he said, “Miss Helan, did you hear the beating of the drum outside? It’s almost the fourth watch¹, do you still plan to get up in the morning?”

Helan Ci: “……”

She really didn’t hear it.

And, Lu Wuyou really got angry.

Okay, she shouldn’t have pushed him away, but she couldn’t control her body’s reaction. It was because he kissed her so, so… Her mouth was still full of his taste.

Helan Ci sat on the edge of the bed for a while, and seeing that Lu Wuyou was truly motionless, as if he had fallen asleep, she no longer insisted. Holding the blanket, she lay down and fell asleep as well.

The night just passed like that.

Helan Ci had a regular routine; although she went to bed late, she still woke up as usual when the sun rose. Feeling a bit sleep-deprived, she got out of bed.

Just as I was about to wash up, I heard Lu Wuyou’s voice saying, “Miss Helan, how many hours have you slept?”

Helan Ci tied up her long hair and said, “Lu Daren, if you’re tired, just sleep for a while more.”

Lu Wuyou’s voice carried a hint of peculiarity as he said, “Are you implying that on the day after the wedding night, the bride got up early while the groom still lay in bed, unable to wake up?”

“Uh…”

Helan Ci didn’t think that much.

Lu Wuyou had already scrambled up from the ground.

The people outside heard the noise inside and quickly said, “Daren, Furen, do you need us to come in and serve you?”

Lu Wuyou wrapped the mattress and quilt together and tossed them into the cupboard. He rummaged through the bed and found the white silk, squeezed a bit from the bl00d bag, covered it with the quilt, then rubbed his forehead and said, “Come in.”

The chef was chased away by Lu Wuyou last night, and Helan Ci thought she would have to go hungry in the morning.

Unexpectedly, after sitting down, there were already bowls of congee with side dishes, sweet glutinous rice cakes, and even two bowls of minced meat and egg custard on the table.

Qingye said very attentively, “I just went out to buy these. If Furen doesn’t like them, I can exchange them for something else tomorrow.”

Helan Ci herself won’t have any objections.

The two sat silently across from each other, eating.

In the Great Yong Dynasty, officials were given leave when they got married. Not to mention, Lu Wuyou’s leave from the Hanlin Academy hadn’t even been used up, so they were actually quite free today. As the new bride, He Lan Ci should have been serving tea to her parents-in-law, getting to know her sisters-in-law and relatives, and learning about her husband’s family’s customs, etc. She already knew all of these without Yao Qianxue to tell her.

But the problem is, right now, in the entire household, apart from the two of them, there are no other relatives of Lu Wuyou at all.

Helan Ci looked around with a blank mind, and after finishing eating, tentatively said, “Lu Daren, should we go pay a visit to your maternal uncle and aunt, as well as your great-uncle?” She was trying very hard to remember these titles.

Lu Wuyou wiped his mouth clean and said, “I have the same plan. We’ll leave in a bit.”

Two flowers blooming, each showing its beauty.

In stark contrast to the harmonious atmosphere of the Lu residence, the Palace appeared utterly cold and eerie.

The palace maids come and go, none daring to lower their heads to look, for the most favored Prince, who is now kneeling at the steps, is the one most cherished by the Emperor.

No one knows what mistake he made; they only know that last night the emperor was furious and punished him by making him kneel outside for reflection. Even Shao’an Gongzhu were ordered to be placed under house arrest, not allowing him to leave her mansion even a step.

Early in the morning, Noble Consort Li rushed over upon hearing the news, her delicate face looking haggard, with a somewhat disheveled appearance.

“Your Majesty…” Her eyes were filled with tears, “What on earth is happening? What did Xun’er do wrong?”

The Emperor, still fuming, softened a bit upon seeing his beloved concubine: “You might as well ask that brat yourself what he did late at night. He almost caused a major disaster.”

Noble Consort Li sniffed and tears fell down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away with a handkerchief, “It’s all my fault. It’s because I didn’t teach him properly at Qingquan Temple that he got into trouble again…” Her eye makeup was slightly smudged. “Your Majesty, please don’t be angry. You can punish me however you want. It’s all my fault.”

Seeing her cry so sadly, Emperor Shun couldn’t bring himself to say that he had broken into someone’s bridal chamber last night, intending to assault the bride, but accidentally almost assaulted his own sister.

If this matter were to get out, what face would he have left, and what face would the royal family have left?

He had just hit him, and this matter was already absurd enough, but now this kind of ridiculous thing happens.

Xiao Nanxun knelt all night, his body swaying unsteadily, his complexion growing increasingly worse.

The First Prince, Xiao Nanbo, who rushed over upon hearing the news. Seeing the situation, he entered the palace and said, “Father, I just saw the look on my younger brother’s face, and it really didn’t seem good. If it’s not a major issue, let him get up first.”

When Emperor Shun saw his eldest son, his expression was somewhat indifferent: “Don’t worry about him. If he can’t kneel anymore, the palace servants will help him up.”

Xiao Nanbo seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief: “Then I can rest assured.”

That said, after the afternoon, Emperor Shun still made a detour to take a look.
Xiao Nanxun’s lips were pale and dry, and his complexion was indeed very bad. Although he grew up in Qingquan Temple, he had been living a life of luxury and comfort for many years after returning, so he really couldn’t stand the punishment.

“Do you realize you were wrong?”

“This son knows his mistake; I was momentarily confused.” His voice was faint, barely a whisper.

“I clearly just reprimanded you.”

Xiao Nanxun swayed, and the golden crown on his head was about to fall off. Emperor Shun then said, “I will grant Miss Helan an imperial decree bestowing upon her the title of a fifth-rank lady. This is in recognition of her long-standing ties with Compiler Lu in Qingzhou, as well as the devoted service of Chief Censor Helan to the empire. I trust you understand what this means.”

Xiao Nanxun performed a deep bow to the ground.

“Alright, go back now, don’t make your mother worry.”

Xiao Nanxun straightened himself and said, “Didn’t Imperial Father say he would find someone to lecture me on the classics?”

“Oh? So you finally willing to listen?”

Xiao Nanxun replied, “Your son reflected on his actions through the night and feels truly ashamed. Since Imperial Father intends to appoint someone for the task, why not let Grand Scholar Lu be the one? Having achieved first place in the imperial examinations three times in a row, his knowledge is as vast as a carriage full of books. Your son wishes to turn over a new leaf and truly repent for past mistakes.”

Emperor Shun looked down at his son’s face, which seemed to genuinely show a bit of remorse. He scanned his son’s features again and finally said, “Very well. If that is truly your wish, then so be it.”

******

After having breakfast and resting for a while, Helan Ci and Lu Wuyou took a carriage to the Zhou residence, which belonged to Lu Wuyou’s maternal great-uncle, Zhou Gu Wen. This gentleman held the position of a Langzhong² in the Ministry of Works, a post neither particularly high nor low in rank. However, the most notable thing about the household was perhaps the fact that it had produced Lu Wuyou.

Helan Ci was very nervous and asked him, “Is there anything I should be aware of…?”

Lu Wuyou propped his head and said, “No… oh, there might be a few of women over there.”

When the carriage came to a stop and they entered the Zhou residence, she quickly realized that Lu Wuyou’s information might have been misleading.

A large number of women, yes—but these weren’t just the usual meddling aunts and cousins. Instead, they were—

“Cousin Lu brought his wife back!”

“What? Cousin Lu actually got married? I can’t believe it!”

“Everyone in the city saw it, how could it be fake…”

As soon as Helan Ci stepped through the door, she heard the chattering of young ladies in the distance, and she was momentarily stunned.

Behind her, Lu Wuyou spoke leisurely, “Can’t be helped. Since my uncle’s wife is too sociable, a whole bunch of random cousin misses have gathered here. Every time I visit, I have to stay on high alert. But now, finally, I’m safe.”

He gave Helan Ci’s shoulder a light pat and said with an air of self-satisfaction, “I’m a taken man now.”

Helan Ci: “…?”

She was already starting to regret this.

Lu Wuyou flashed her a small smile and added, “I’ve helped you so many times before, so shouldn’t you help me deal with a little trouble this time?”

Then, with a playful glint in his eyes, he reassured her, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you too, wife³.”