My Husband Became the Most Powerful Minister - Chapter 34

It was clearly a simple truth, but after saying it, Helan Ci still felt an inexplicable sense of embarrassment.

Probably because Lu Wuyou’s gaze on her was too direct and completely unrestrained.

In the past, there had been men who looked at her, but they never stared for long—certainly not like Lu Wuyou, who leisurely took his time observing her, as if it were only natural.

Helan Ci simply treated him like a block of wood and continued with her tasks.

Since Lu Wuyou had put in so much effort and sincerity to marry her, Helan Ci naturally reciprocated by helping him as much as she could. Besides, this was something she was already familiar with.

After she finished speaking, she heard Lu Wuyou chuckle softly.

She fiddled with the abacus she had brought over, trying her best to ignore his distractions.

Just then, Zizhu entered and said, “Young Lord, that person has been taught a lesson. These are the findings from my early inquiries.”

Lu Wuyou slightly adjusted his demeanor and took the papers to read.

Helan Ci recalled Qing Ye’s words and couldn’t help but ask nervously, “A lesson?”

Lu Wuyou read as he answered, “That guy who tried to touch you last night—I gave him a good beating. Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious… But his older brother is merely a Jinyiwei commander, yet he dares to act so arrogantly. I suspect he’s not very cautious in his dealings, so I did a little investigation and will send someone to check a few more times…” He cast a meaningful glance at He Lanci and smiled. “The Censorate probably won’t turn a blind eye to it.”

Helan Ci had to remind him, “Lu daren, you are only a sixth-rank official now.”

Lu Wuyou said, “But I’m a Hanlin scholar. Besides, if His Majesty really promotes me to the position of Zhongyun, that would make me a proper sixth-rank official.”

Although it’s arrogant… his words weren’t wrong.

Her father had never managed to enter the Hanlin Academy. Instead, he had gone directly to the Ministry of Justice to observe government affairs, which he considered one of his lifelong regrets. The highest position in the Hanlin Academy was a fifth-rank scholar, but once one was assigned elsewhere, they typically started at third-rank ministerial positions and could even rise to become a top cabinet minister.

Therefore, promotions within the Hanlin Academy are relatively difficult, which is why the Zhanshi Fu is used for transition, creating more opportunities for advancement.

Even so, if Lu Wuyou actually succeeded in getting promoted, his speed would be terrifying.

Helan Ci, fearing he was being too arrogant, couldn’t help but retort, “But some Hanlin scholars end up spending their whole lives in the academy, just writing books.”

Lu Wuyou was in a good mood at the moment, so he smiled at her and said, “…… Do you think I would?”

Helan Ci: “……”

He was really quite arrogant.

“Well, work hard on your promotion, then.” He Lanci picked up her booklet. “I’m going to tidy up a bit more.”

She also wrote a shopping list, instructing someone to purchase decorations and necessities that Lu Wuyou hadn’t had time to prepare in his haste. When he took the list from Qingye and glanced at it, he noticed that it even specified which shop to buy from and included estimated prices.

Lu Wuyou considered himself fairly grounded. As an official who had to write policy essays, so naturally, he couldn’t be completely ignorant about people’s livelihoods. He would usually inquire while eating or passing by, but he had never gone into such detail.

“Go ahead and buy these. And while you’re at it, help me find out the prices at a few more shops.”

Qingye heard Lu Wuyou’s order and quickly said, “Got it!”

Things that needed to be bought were bought, things that needed to be put away were put away. The courtyard, which had previously looked like a marketplace, was now cleared up. Since he was in a hurry he hadn’t been able to do a thorough cleaning. Firecrackers were set off during the wedding, leaving scattered remnants everywhere. Now everything had been cleaned up, even the window frames were wiped spotless.

The most surprising part was that some previously barren patches of land in the courtyard had been dug up, with a few delicate saplings planted in their place.

Lu Wuyou couldn’t help but ask, “What are these?”

Helan Ci answered, “Magnolia trees. I asked you before, and you said anything was fine. Having trees in the courtyard provides shade in summer and shelter from snow in winter.”

Looking at the frail little saplings, Lu Wuyou asked, “How long will it take for them to grow?”

Helan Ci thought for a moment before answering uncertainly, “…Six or seven years, I think.”

Lu Wuyou chuckled. “You really think ahead. What if—”

Helan Ci didn’t expect him to be so unconfident at this moment: “We shouldn’t… be forced to divorce within five or six years, right?”

Lu Wuyou said, “…What are you thinking? I meant, what if we move to a bigger house?”

Helan Ci: “……?”

Initially, the house had been hastily arranged for their wedding. The servants had been running around in a hurry, but now, everything was gradually falling into place. Lu Wuyou finally understood why his colleagues had told him that rhe house before and after marriage was completely different.

Actually… He Lanci looked the way she did, and he had only seen her like this when she was studying. When he married her, he hadn’t expected her to do anything at all.

Even if she did nothing, the household would still function, albeit in a rough manner.

As Lu Wuyou was thinking about this, he noticed that in the evening, after everyone else had gone to rest, He Lanci was still busy with something in the courtyard.

When he walked closer, he saw that she seemed to be spinning in circles… or maybe dancing.

…Hmm? She also can dance?

Leaning lazily against the small sapling, Lu Wuyou watched her from behind, wanting to admire the beauty’s dance. But the more he watched, the more he felt something was off.

This didn’t look like dancing—it was more like…

He stepped forward, held Helan Ci’s arm, and said in an incredulous tone, “…… Are you practicing Xingyi Quan?”

Caught off guard, Helan Ci’s cheeks turned slightly red, but she quickly suppressed it and calmly said, “…I told you I would remember to exercise.”

This is equivalent to acquiescing.

Lu Wuyou let go of her arm, covered his lips with his hand, and turned his face slightly away. “…I almost didn’t recognize it.”

Back in Qingzhou, Jiangliu Academy had a tradition of teaching male students a set of Xingyi Quan to prevent them from becoming too frail. It was said to have originated from a general of the previous dynasty, and every morning before their reading sessions, they were required to practice it.

Lu Wuyou had always found it too rigid and embarrassing, so he often pretended to be sick to avoid it. Since his academic performance was outstanding, the teachers never bothered to reprimand him.

But as far as he remembered, female students weren’t required to learn this.

He vaguely remembered that it wasn’t like this.

He shrugged his shoulders and continued, “…Did you sneakily learn it in Qingzhou?”

Helan Ci’s face flushed at this point: “I didn’t sneakily learn, I learned openly and honestly… It’s just that I was standing on the library tower, and the Master agreed.”

She was seriously ill in her childhood, and although she improved after going to Qingzhou, she still often felt weak and fragile, as if she would collapse with a gust of wind. Therefore, she worked hard to make herself stronger, at least so she wouldn’t be out of breath after running a few steps.

So, when she saw the male students practicing, she became also wanted to learn.

After asking for permission, her teacher allowed her to practice alone on the library tower. However, since she was too far away, she couldn’t see the movements clearly and only picked up a rough outline. After returning to the capital, fearing her father would scold her, she hardly practiced at all.

“Stop dancing—no, I mean, stop practicing that,” Lu Wuyou chuckled as he turned his head, “If you want to train, I’ll teach you.”

Helan Ci was surprised. “You can teach?”

Lu Wuyou replied, “I wouldn’t call myself a martial arts master, but teaching you will be easy… Come here.”

“En.”

Helan Ci obediently walked over.

Lu Wuyou said, “I’ll check your bones. If you feel uncomfortable at any time, just say so.”

She nodded, extending her arm as he instructed.

Lu Wuyou pressed along her shoulders, down her arms, then traced along her spine, moving to her waist. Skipping past her hips, he continued down to her calves.

Although she felt a little self-conscious, Lu Wuyou’s gaze remained clear, and his actions were precise and restrained, without any hint of impropriety. This put Helan Ci at ease.

After finishing the examination, Lu Wuyou thought for a moment and said, “Your body has already taken shape. I’m afraid I can only start teaching you from the most basic movements. Also…” He pointed to her lower back, “Next time, if you sit for too long, remember to get up and move around. Otherwise, you might experience soreness here in the future.”

Helan Ci nodded seriously, eager to learn. “…Can we start now?”

At that moment, it seemed that tiny sparks flickered in her eyes again.

Lu Wuyou was beginning to understand why she could pick up so many random skills.

“First, loosen up your arms and legs. We’ll start with the horse stance.”

Helan Ci was unusually obedient, not even bickering with him.

Although Lu Wuyou had trained in martial arts for years, this was his first time teaching someone else, so he was particularly meticulous. He carefully corrected her posture and stance, and when he saw beads of sweat forming on her forehead, he even felt a slight sense of accomplishment.

Helan Ci had always been a diligent learner, and now that she could feel her body warming up, she was convinced this was beneficial.

By the time sweat lightly dotted her hairline and the moon had risen high in the sky, her body felt sore, and her breaths carried the heat of exertion. Lu Wuyou finally said, “That’s enough for today. You’ll probably feel sore tomorrow, but that’s normal for a first session.”

Helan Ci nodded.

Lu Wuyou added, “Keep practicing, and it’ll get easier.”

She nodded again, then suddenly thought of Lu Wuyou’s qinggong skill, effortlessly moving across rooftops. She couldn’t help but ask with hopeful anticipation, “……If I practice for a long time, will there be a day when I can be like you?”

Almost as soon as she asked, she saw Lu Wuyou turn around and burst into laughter.

Helan Ci: “……”

His shoulders shook with mirth, his peach blossom eyes curving into a smile as he tried to reassure her between chuckles, “Hmm, who knows…? Hmm, it should work out, you have to believe in yourself.”

Helan Ci really wanted to bite him.

But she was too tired.

After bathing and changing, she lay on her bed, still thinking about the movements from earlier in the evening. She even sketched a few of them on paper, albeit somewhat clumsily. Just as Lu Wuyou had said, her body ached with soreness, but it wasn’t unbearable.

Meanwhile, Lu Wuyou also stepped out of the washroom. He had washed his hair that night, and when he came out, it was still damp. But within moments, steam rose from his head, and soon, his long hair had dried completely.

Helan Ci stared wide-eyed, unable to resist getting up and asking, “What was that just now?”

Lu Wuyou said in a casual tone, “Oh… I used internal energy to dry it, otherwise I’d be stuck waiting for my hair to dry on its own.”

Helan Ci couldn’t help but feel envious. She had to wash her hair every two or three days. Although her hair only reached her waist, drying it was indeed troublesome, so she was very tempted and said, “Can I learn this?”

Lu Wuyou turned to look at her. “…You haven’t even learned to walk yet, and you’re already thinking about running?”

Helan Ci hesitated and said, “…… Is it that hard to learn?”

Lu Wuyou said, “I’ve been practicing since I was a child, for over ten years. What do you think?”

Who would have thought that Helan Ci suddenly became more excited and said, “In ten years, I won’t be that old either. Starting to learn now doesn’t seem impossible…”

Lu Wuyou stared at her beautiful face, momentarily at a loss for words.

While Helan Ci was still lost in her thoughts, she suddenly felt a strand of his hair brush against her shoulder, tickling her skin. She instinctively tilted her head, and the next thing she knew, a cool, slender finger lifted her chin—before a kiss landed softly upon her lips.

Lu Wuyou’s lips lingered, exploring as though savoring a sweet dessert before bed.

The kiss wasn’t particularly intense, but it was deeply entangled, his tongue curling around hers. Just as Helan Ci instinctively tried to pull back, Lu Wuyou pressed a familiar spot on her lower back, drawing her closer as he continued his slow, indulgent tasting.

His hand could easily encircle her waist, leaving her with no room to struggle. She could only let him take his liberties.

It wasn’t a heated kiss, but it was still undeniably thrilling.

Helan Ci’s cheeks flushed, her fingers clutching at his sleeve. She thought about pushing him away but recalled how sulky he had been last time. So, she endured it. Lu Wuyou, meanwhile, seemed insatiable, lingering at her lips, his breath slightly unsteady. Even the hand holding her chin had unconsciously slid down to her neck, brushing over the pale, delicate skin. His ear caught the faint, breathy sounds she made.

Releasing her lips, Lu Wuyou took a couple of deep breaths and asked, “…Why didn’t you push me away?”

Helan Ci was just as confused. “…Can I push you?”

“You think I’m…” Lu Wuyou was at a loss for words. Looking at the girl in front of him, who was dazed from his kiss, he got off the bed and said, “You told me you didn’t mind if I didn’t ask first. If you regret it now, it’s not too late.”

Helan Ci watched blankly as he headed back to the bathing chamber, then stared down at her toes in a daze.

When Lu Wuyou returned, he simply extinguished the lamp and lay down to sleep. Helan Ci followed suit, burying herself under the blankets. The two remained silent for a long time. She wasn’t sure if he had fallen asleep.

After closing her eyes for a while, she reopened them, staring into the darkness before whispering, “I don’t really mind. It’s just… too stimulating. It’s hard to get used to it.”

After waiting for a long time without a response, Helan Ci thought Lu Wuyou had already fallen asleep.

At that moment, Lu Wuyou’s voice came over very softly: “…… too stimulating?”

Helan Ci nodded, then suddenly realized he couldn’t see in the dark, and said, “Hmm…” She even comforted him, saying, “Maybe if we kiss a few more times, it’ll be fine.”

“……”

This time, his response was delayed, and when it came, it was accompanied by a familiar gritted-teeth tone.

“…Helan Ci, you’d better be serious.”

Helan Ci said, “I haven’t lied to you…”

Lu Wuyou turned over and said, “Sleep.”

Helan Ci said, “…… Oh.”

*****

Lu Wuyou’s leave had ended, and he resumed his official duties. However, since the imperial decree had not yet been formally issued, he still had to return to the Hanlin Academy to continue compiling historical records.

The moment he returned, he received an extremely enthusiastic welcome—or rather, it would be more accurate to say that the gazes from everyone in the editorial office were filled with envy and curiosity.

“Brother Ji’an, you’ve been on leave for quite a long time…”

“The day of the wedding banquet is still vivid in my mind. It’s just a pity we didn’t get to play pranks on your wedding night.

“Lu (O think it’s a nickname for Lu Wuyou)Liuyang, having such beautiful and charming companions by your side these past few days, are you perhaps a bit too happy to think of anything else… Ah, thinking that Miss Helan actually married you, I, I…”

“That night at the wedding banquet, I kept a same-hometown friend company, drinking ourselves into a stupor. He wrote dozens of love poems for Miss Helan… Ji’an, don’t get the wrong idea! Don’t worry, Miss Helan didn’t accept a single one.”

Some people are even more shameless and just go ahead and say some nonsense.

“Brother Lu, how does the wedding night feel?”

“Ji’an, though you’re still young, you shouldn’t waste yourself like this. You must pace yourself, lest you end up like Minister Chao of the Bureau of Communications—barely past thirty and already useless. Here, I have some pills and a secret manual on vitality training, guaranteed to keep you strong. It’s not expensive—just one tael of silver for you.”

Lu Wuyou smiled gently, brushing them all off with seemingly sincere yet perfunctory replies.

Even his superior, Senior Compiler Shen, who also served as the head of the Hanlin Academy, teased him, “Editor Lu, if you’re still feeling unwell, you can take two more days off. We’re not too busy anyway.”

The Hanlin Academy, known for its stable career progression and composed mostly of proud scholars, had a relatively mild political atmosphere compared to other government offices.

After Lu Wuyou dealt with those people, he encountered Lin Zhang.

Before Lin Zhang could even begin to look at him with a complicated expression, Lu Wuyou walked over first and said, “That day, Miss Helan and I were just acting, to make the second miss of Marquis Kangning give up. It seems that the effect was indeed good, I hope Shaoyan won’t misunderstand.”

Lin Zhang exclaimed in surprise, “……? So that’s how it was?”

Lu Wuyou said, “I always treated Miss Helan with utmost respect and did not offend her in the slightest.”

Lin Zhang immediately felt ashamed and said, “I actually misunderstood Ji’an before, but… how could Miss Helan be willing to cooperate? She even… even… put in so much effort to row the boat.”

Lu Wuyou said, “She said she just wanted to get some exercise. Shaoyan, you might have misunderstood her—she’s actually quite sturdy.”

Lin Zhang was stunned by Lu Wuyou’s words: “Sturdy, sturdy?”

Lu Wuyou thought it would be a good opportunity to make him give up completely, so he continued, “Yeah, I even saw her practicing Xingyi Quan last night.”

Lin Zhang, dazed and confused: “……”

Satisfied that he had successfully misled him, Lu Wuyou was about to leave when Lin Zhang hesitated and said, “…Ji’an, I have one more question.”

He paused and said, “Hmm?”

Lin Zhang lowered his gaze and said, ““I know it’s inappropriate for me to ask this, but… do you truly have no feelings for Miss Helan?”

This question was indeed inappropriate. Lu Wuyou raised an eyebrow, pondering how best to respond so Lin Zhang would give up completely. An idea came to him, and he said,”No, I changed my mind after the wedding night. Miss Helan is indeed a beauty. After all, I am a man, and Shaoyan should understand that. Now, I truly regard her as my wife.” He even patted Lin Zhang’s shoulder kindly and added, “Brother Shaoyan, you’re not young anymore either. It’s best if you find a wife soon.”

Lin Zhang took two steps back, his expression one of indescribable complexity.

Lu Wuyou, however, felt no sympathy. The two of them were close, and he had indeed wronged Lin Zhang to some extent in the past, but since the marriage had already happened, it was inappropriate for Lin Zhang to continue lingering on this matter.

Lin Zhanglong also realized it and said, “I understand now, I won’t bring it up again in the future.”

Seizing the moment, Lu Wuyou finally said something he had wanted to say for a long time: “A real man doesn’t worry about finding a wife—just don’t get hung up on a single tree.”

Originally, he also wanted to say that Second Miss Wei is not that… but he felt a little too heartless, so he didn’t say it.

****

At the appointed time, Lu Wuyou finished his duties and returned home. Just as he loosened the collar of his official robe, he saw Qingye coming to greet him. At the moment, there were people at the entrance, so he said, “Master, you’re back? I’ll have the kitchen serve the dishes right away.”

Lu Wuyou casually asked, “Where’s furen?”

Qingye whispered, “…checking if the roof is leaking.”

Lu Wuyou: “……?”

He walked around to the back of the house and saw a ladder set up. At this time, Helan Ci had at least changed into a pair of dirty-resistant black clothes and was tinkering with something on the roof.

Lu Wuyou drove away the people below, propped up the ladder and climbed up, stepping into the air with both feet, and then stood on the eaves next to Helan Ci.

Helan Ci wasn’t surprised to see him floated up, and with satisfaction, she examined the roof and said, “I’ve checked it, all the gaps are sealed tight, it shouldn’t leak.”

At this moment, Lu Wuyou’s expression was as hard to describe as Lin Zhang’s. He sighed and said, “Isn’t it enough to just let others come up and take a look?”

Saying this, he picked up Helan Ci and flew down from above.

After HeLan Cii steadied herself, she explained, “At the very least, I wanted to see what a properly maintained roof looks like, so that in the future—”

Lu Wuyou looked at Helan Ci, who was covered in dust and had dirty, fair and slender fingers, with some disdain, and said, “If the roof really leaks one day, I can fix it myself, no need for you… Hurry up and wash your hands and change your clothes. Are you going to have a meal?”

“Yeah…” Helan Ci nodded, then said with a somewhat strange tone, “You probably don’t know how to fix a roof, do you?”

Lu Wuyou casually said, “…… Can’t I learn? Fine, I’ll go fix the roof of the Helan residence tomorrow.”

Helan Ci responded sincerely, “That would really be a great help.”

Lu Wuyou turned to look at her and said, “……? Aren’t you going to decline?”

Helan Ci said, “Ahem… that’s a bit too polite, isn’t it?”

Lu Wuyou, with a half-smile, said, “You’re not being very polite to me right now.”