My Husband Became the Most Powerful Minister - Chapter 30

Lu Wuyou’s paternal uncle also held a position in the Ministry of Works, but since he had entered through the provincial examination (juren), he was merely a subordinate Vice Envoy.

In the Great Yong dynasty, official appointments were largely determined by one’s success in the imperial examinations. This was precisely why the Hanlin Academy was regarded as prestigious—though its highest rank was no more than Zheng Wupin (fifth-rank official), Hanlin scholars were exempt from formal courtesies when dealing with non-Hanlin officials below the third rank—unless they are close ministers of the emperor. Moreover, promotion is often the only path available.

For someone like Lu Wuyou, who had achieved zhuangyuan, such a privileged path was unquestioned.

He led Helan Ci inside, and the servants of the residence all greeted them with the utmost respect. Though excitement was evident in their eyes—especially when they looked at Helan Ci—not a single one of them lost their composure or behaved inappropriately.

—The Zhou family was well-disciplined.

Just as Helan Ci was thinking this, she caught sight of Lu Wuyou’s paternal uncle and aunt in the main hall. Before coming, she had asked about them, and Lu Wuyou had told her that his great-uncle was the eldest brother of his maternal grandfather. He had one son and one daughter; the daughter had already married, and the son was now his paternal uncle. The family, he had assured her, was harmonious and kind

Now that she saw them in person, that did seem to be the case.

Lu Wuyou’s uncle, Zhou Yanchen, was a refined and scholarly-looking man, his features carrying a natural elegance. His wife, Yu Furen, had a gentle and graceful appearance, the very image of a woman raised in a household steeped in poetry, etiquette, and tradition.

In their presence, Lu Wuyou conducted himself with decorum—polite, composed, and impeccably well-mannered.

Helan Ci followed his lead.

Yu Furen slipped her a pair of jade bracelets as a gift, gently asked a few questions, and then couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “At first, some families came to inquire about Ji’an, and he told me to refuse them all. As elders, we were secretly worried about his marriage, fearing that his high standards would delay him. Who would have thought that he already had a suitable choice in his heart?”

Lu Wuyou, with a look of apology, said, “Your nephew has someone he loves. I just couldn’t get permission before, so I couldn’t say much. By a stroke of luck, I won her father’s favor and was able to marry my beloved. I was overjoyed and took the liberty of proposing on my own and even arranged the wedding without permission. I hope Aunt can forgive me.”

Although Helan Ci had also talked nonsense before, hearing Lu Wuyou say such cheesy nonsense so seriously still felt a bit awkward.

“I know you’re worried that a long night brings many dreams¹.…” Madam Yu couldn’t help but laugh again. “I must admit, I was quite curious before—just what kind of young lady could have you so utterly captivated, so impatient to bring her home? But now that I’ve seen her, I understand. Miss Helan is truly a rare beauty.”

“You two were just married last night. There was really no need to rush over so soon.”

Helan Ci smiled down, trying hard to appear shy.

Lu Wuyou actually had a blush that was quite fitting for the occasion, and then he looked at her with an unusually gentle gaze.

Helan Ci: “……”

She lowered her head, quickly avoiding his gaze, and got goosebumps all over.

Lu Wuyou even helped her explain, “She is shy by nature and not good with words. Last night, she… I hope Uncle and Aunt can understand.”

Zhou Daren and Yu Furen exchanged a glance, as if recalling their own newlywed days, and both revealed a knowing and very satisfied smile. After saying a few more kind words, they allowed him to meet his great-uncle alone.

Helan Ci was left alone, which was a bit awkward.

Lu Wuyou might have noticed, as he patted the back of her hand and continued with that unusually gentle and considerate gaze and tone, “You wait here for a moment, I’ll be back soon, okay, don’t be afraid.”

Helan Ci missed the normal Lu Wuyou very much, but still whispered, “……yes.”

Zhou Daren and Yu Furen exchanged a smile again.

The air was filled with a cheerful atmosphere, as if she alone were the only one suffering in this world.

As the wife of a nephew, it was not appropriate for Zhou Daren to stay for too long. Before long, only Yu Furen remained, holding Helan Ci’s wrist and speaking to her in a low voice: “Last night, we sent someone over, and I heard that Ji’an took you out for a meal in the middle of the night. He has rather particular tastes—you’ll have to be patient with him.”

Helan Ci gave a slight nod.

It didn’t really matter to her—she can eat whatever was being served. Besides, the food had indeed been delicious.

Yu Furen continued, “Some things should have been said to you by Ji’an’s mother, but since she is not here right now, I, as your aunt, can only speak on her behalf…” After saying this, she leaned close to Helan Ci’s ear and whispered a few words.

Helan Ci’s face instantly flushed.

Yu Furen, seemingly still not at ease, slipped a small booklet from her sleeve to her, probably knowing that her biological mother had passed away. She meticulously instructed her on such matters: “…Ji’an is young , who has just tasted sweetness, should not be allowed to do everything as he wants… there are also some positions that are easier and less tiring, or ones that are more likely to lead to pregnancy. I’ve marked them in this booklet. You can look at it privately when you go back.”

Helan Ci has probably already guessed what it is.

She felt that the booklet in her hand was burning hot.

When she saw Lu Wuyou again, Lu Wuyou was leisurely strolling out. Seeing her complexion, his expression changed slightly, and he instinctively said, “……Why is your face so red?”

Helan Ci didn’t want it this way either. Just a moment ago, her aunt had teased her, acting like someone who had been through it all, telling her that there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

Although they just kissed last night…

Helan Ci tried hard to calm herself and said, “……It’s nothing.”

Lu Wuyou unnaturally averted his gaze and said, “In a bit, we need to go to the inner courtyard to see my cousins.” He took out two silk pouches from his sleeve and handed them to Helan Ci, “Just give them the gifts directly.”

She actually prepared gifts as well, but it probably won’t be as impressive as Lu Wuyou’s.

Helan Ci silently accepted it and said, “Can you…stop being so cheesy later?”

Lu Wuyou decisively refused, saying, “That probably is not possible. If we don’t act affectionately, how can we make others give up? It’s just like before… with the Gongzhu. If that really won’t work, just pretend I’m…” He paused. “You don’t have someone you like, do you?”

Helan Ci shook her head.

Lu Wuyou said, “Then just pretend I’m your father.”

Helan Ci: “…???”

Lu Wuyou continued, “Act a little more dependent, a little more like a bird on a branch—like you can’t live without me.”

Helan Ci had to correct him. “I don’t even act that way with my father.” In fact, she often argued with him.

Lu Wuyou lowered his voice. “Or… like that night, when you held onto me.”

That night…when she held onto him?

Helan Ci recalled the scene from that time, and her face suddenly turned a bit ungracious. She silently began reciting the Dao De Jing² in her mind, trying her best to regain her composure. “…Fine, I’ll try my best.”

As soon as they entered the inner courtyard, they heard a crisp and melodious sound.

“Hello, cousin-in-law, you’re so beautiful!” A handsome young lad of about twelve or thirteen ran over with a big smile. Helan Ci, taking the opportunity, handed over one of the pouches Lu Wuyou had given him. “Thank you, cousin-in-law. I just saw you and thought, cousin-in-law, you’re really too beautiful. No wonder my cousin couldn’t wait to move out.”

Lu Wuyou’s tone was a bit more casual this time, but his expression remained gentle as he said softly, “Go back and study, I’ll test you later.”

“……yes.” The young boy dragged out the word, hanging his head in a pitiful manner, “By the way, Qinjiejie³, Yu jiejie and the others heard that you were coming back today, and they started putting on makeup early in the morning. Cousin, good luck to you.”

After he finished speaking, he slipped away.

Helan Ci couldn’t help but say, “Well, he really does seem like part of your family.”

Lu Wuyou dragged out his words lazily, “I wasn’t as terrible at studying as he is. That little troublemaker can’t even recite the Thousand Character Classic without me holding him down—let’s not even talk about the Four Books and Five Classics.” He sighed. “All he likes is scribbling and doodling, just like his grandfather—who, by the way, is also my great-uncle.”

Helan Ci had heard about this. His great-uncle, Zhou Guwen, worked in the Ministry of Works’ Department of Water Conservancy and was particularly skilled at drawing engineering plans for bridges and ships.

“Following in his grandfather’s footsteps and joining the Ministry of Works wouldn’t be a bad path.”

Lu Wuyou chuckled lightly, “He can’t even pass the provincial exam. He’s dreaming if he thinks he’ll get into the Ministry.”

The two were talking, and over there, the swallows and warblers⁴ were also slowly making their way over.

At first glance, Helan Ci counted at least seven or eight of them. Most were frail and graceful, their beauty soft and delicate, evoking a sense of pity. Their gazes toward Lu Wuyou were filled with sorrow. The awkward part was that four or five of them were dressed almost identical to her.

Lu Wuyou leaned in and murmured dryly, “Told you to change your outfit.”

Helan Ci whispered back, “Mine has red trim on the collar… But seriously, where did you get so many cousins?”

Lu Wuyou explained, “I already told you, they’re my aunt’s relatives. They’re hoping to marry well and are using this place as a stepping stone. Nothing wrong with that, but their methods are a bit much. Honestly, I find it exhausting.”

Helan Ci said, “But weren’t you just…” Just a temporary guest, a young master in name only. Before the imperial examination, his own position surely was uncertain in the eyes of others.

Lu Wuyou glanced sideways with his sparkling peach blossom eyes, as if answering her question with his face.

Helan Ci paused for a moment and said, “Which one is your cousin?”

Lu Wuyou replied, “The youngest one.”

Just as he spoke, a round-faced, chubby-armed little girl—no more than seven years old—came charging toward him like a cannonball, crashed straight into his embrace.

Lu Wuyou’s expression softened with warmth. He crouched down, ruffled the little girl’s hair, and pulled a piece of candy from his sleeve, handing it to her.

“Have you been behaving well lately?”

The little girl smiled as she took the candy, stuffed it into her mouth, and mumbled, “I’m super well-behaved.” Then she turned to He Lan Ci and said, “Saozi⁵, hello!”

Helan Ci took out the pouch that Lu Wuyou had given her, thought for a moment, and then also handed over a pair of plum blossom knots adorned with tassels that she had prepared herself—of course, they weren’t her handiwork; they were made by Shuang Zhi.

The little girl immediately hung it on her waist and cheerfully said, “Thank you, Saozi.”

Lu Wuyou ruffled her hair again and said, “Has your brother been bullying you lately?”

The little girl shook her head.

Lu Wuyou continued in a gentle voice, “If he doesn’t study well, remember to tell me.”

The little girl nodded immediately.

Helan Ci always felt that this version of Lu Wuyou seemed a bit strange. After all, when she had seen him before, he had always been aloof and arrogant, speaking politely but always maintaining a sense of distance, as if wearing a mask. But now, his gentleness was genuine, his closeness was genuine, and even the curve of his smile was exceptionally soft, as if he had taken off his armor.

It made her feel a bit dazed.

At that moment, a soft, gentle female voice was heard.

“Lu Biaoge⁶, why are you only thinking about Sister Yan’er? You must have forgotten all about us.”

Lu Wuyou stood up, and another girl over there said, “Lu Biaoge is now the Zhuangyuan and has married a wife. He won’t pay any attention to us anymore.”

At that moment, someone covered their sleeve and sniffed, saying, “I thought Lu Biaoge really wasn’t interested in women, but he just dislikes me because I’m ugly.”

“At first, we, we…” Someone even started to sob softly.

Helan Ci: “……”

Ah, this… is indeed a bit difficult to handle.

She looked at Lu Wuyou with sympathy, only to see Lu Wuyou looking back at her with eyes full of tenderness and affection, speaking in an extremely gentle tone: “Right now, my heart truly holds only her, your saozi, and can no longer accommodate anyone else.”

Helan Ci looked at the gaze he directed at her and tried hard to appear shy: “…Mm, um.”

Lu Wuyou squinted.

Helan Ci made an effort and softly said, “Husband, me too, I only have feelings for you…” Last time, she had a grudge against the princess because of the drugging incident, so her anger drove her to deliberately provoke her. But these few young ladies had no grievances or enmities with her, so now she could only say she tried her best.

Lu Wuyou was probably a bit dissatisfied with her acting, so he simply wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his embrace.

Helan Ci unexpectedly bumped into his embrace, a pair of teasing peach blossom eyes gazing at her affectionately. The hand that held her arm tightened slightly, and Lu Wuyou gently kissed the tips of her hair.

He kissed her as if she were his most precious treasure, completely different from the lustful kiss last night.

Helan Ci stiffened slightly.

With a “crack,” the handle of a young lady’s fan was snapped in her hand.
Another one was left speechless, probably because she never expected that after getting married, Lu Biaoge, who was always gentle and distant, adhering strictly to etiquette, would change so drastically, as if he had no sense of shame at all.

She immediately reddened her eyes and choked out, “So it is, I understand.”

There are still people who won’t give up, pulling out a piece of paper and saying, “Lu Biaoge, this is a poem I wrote. You promised to help me review it before, does that still count?”

Lu Wuyou slightly turned his head and said, “That would have to be decided by my wife.” He looked at Helan Ci and continued with affectionate eyes, “What do you think?”

Helan Ci wriggled a bit out of his embrace, hesitatingly said to that cousin, “…How about I help you look?”

Miss Biao: “……?”

She snapped back, lifted her chin slightly, and said with a hint of pride, “Can you?”

Helan Ci walked over and took the note, looking down to see it was a sorrowful love poem, written in a mournful and delicate manner, but…

At this point, she was not very polite: “The third and fourth lines have some tonal issues, the fifth and seventh lines have repeated meanings, the language is ornate but somewhat awkward, and using ‘lean’ instead of ‘beside’ in the eighth line seems more appropriate.”

That woman’s face instantly turned beet red, and she looked at Lu Wuyou as if seeking help.

Lu Wuyou walked over, lightly brushing Helan Ci’s forehead with his fingertips, and whispered, “Wife, you are truly as sharp as ice and snow.”

He had never praised her in this regard before. When they were at odds, he would occasionally pick on her for her mistakes—although she would also nitpick and find faults. To outsiders, it might seem like they were flirting, but Helan Ci knew that they were just driving each other crazy.

Who would have thought that there would come a moment when she would be praised by Lu Wuyou with such admiration while standing here?

The Miss who just delivered the poem snatched her own note from Helan Ci’s hand and, without looking back, covered her face and left the room.

In this way, others are even more afraid to step forward.

Can’t compete in looks, can’t compete in family background, can’t even compete in talent and knowledge—what else can they compete in?

Most important of all was Lu Wuyou’s utterly devoted, deeply affectionate demeanor—it left them completely powerless. Who would have thought he was even capable of treating a woman like this? He had long been known as a Liu Xiahui⁷ who was utterly impervious to advances, no matter how subtle or direct.

Because of this, the young ladies of the household had all been secretly competing for his attention. They knew he was a Jieyuan, a provincial exam top scorer, and a Juren—but if he were to pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi, then he would truly be out of reach.

Some sent him poetry, some served him tea. Some, knowing his love for sweets, made delicate pastries for him.

Over time, the tactics escalated—

Some “accidentally” fell into the water before him. Some twisted their ankles in his presence. Some “dropped” their handkerchiefs, hoping he would pick them up. Some pretended to fall asleep near him. Some feigned illness. Some even went as far as sneaking into his room in the middle of the night, clad in barely-there clothing.

Unfortunately, Lu Wuyou remained unmoved by the winds.

Aside from occasionally stepping out to socialize with fellow scholars, he spent all his time locked away, wholeheartedly immersed in the study of the classics. The most anyone ever saw him do was playing around with his younger cousins.

Helan Ci pressed Lu Wuyou’s hand and finally couldn’t stand it anymore, signaling him not to keep staring at her like that. It really gave her goosebumps all over.

Lu Wuyou’s gaze slightly lowered, and he turned to her, pressing her hand down a bit, but to others, it looked like they were exchanging affectionate glances. Lu Wuyou slowly raised his eyebrows, revealing his ultimate intention: “To avoid displeasing my wife, I kindly ask all my cousins to refrain from visiting me in the future.”

The remaining few well-dressed young ladies exchanged glances, and with no other choice, they slowly retreated with a sigh.

Soon, only his cousin was left. The little girl, with a piece of candy in her mouth, blinked her big eyes and said, “You two are so affectionate. Will all married couple be like this?”

Lu Wuyou “hmm”-ed lightly, easily lifted the little girl onto his arm, and said, “Is my room still there?”

“Yes! Mom and Dad even had someone clean up, and nothing has been touched.”

Lu Wuyou smiled and asked Helan Ci, “Do you want to go over and sit for a while?”

He finally returned to normal at this point.

Helan Ci said, “If you don’t mind.”

Lu Wuyou almost burst out laughing: “You’ve already been living in the same house as me, do you think I still care about this?”

Helan Ci: “……”

The room was very clean and refreshing, and there were quite a few books on the shelf. Seeing that he really didn’t mind, Helan Ci casually pulled one out.

Lu Wuyou put the little girl down, then took out a few pieces of sealed candy from the cabinet and gave them to her. He said to Helan Ci, “These are reviews of current affairs essays used in the imperial examinations, leave them for Ning’an later. Oh, that’s for my cousin Zhou Ning’an and also for my cousin Zhou Ningyan. Hmm…” He seemed to remember something, then looked down at the little girl and said, “Do you know your Saozi name yet? Her surname is Helan, and her given name is Ci.”

The little girl held up the candy and said, “I know, Helan, it’s a compound surname!”

Lu Wuyou said with a smile, “Right, very clever.”

Just now, Helan Ci, who was praised for being exceptionally intelligent and somewhat flattered, paused for a moment.

Lu Wuyou said again, “Alright, you’ve had enough candy, you can go ahead now.”

The little girl rolled her big eyes and said, “I want a paper boat first!”

Lu Wuyou grabbed a sheet of paper from the desk, swiftly folded it with nimble fingers, and handed her a neatly crafted paper boat. “Happy now?”

The little girl held the paper boat, her eyes darting around, and with a clever look, she said, “Cousin, you’re in such a hurry to send me away, are you going to get cozy with saozi?”

Lu Wuyou: “……”

Helan Ci: “……”

“My parents always kick me out like this too.” The little girl, with her short legs, walked out very helplessly, and sighed, “Sigh, adults are all the same after they get married. I’m leaving now, remember to close the door.”

The two watched the round figure disappear into the distance, momentarily at a loss for words.

Helan Ci coughed lightly, lowered her eyes, and said, “…Your uncle and aunt have a pretty good relationship.”

Lu Wuyou’s throat bobbed slightly as he replied, “…Why are you so nervous? It’s not like I actually plan to get cozy with you here.”