My Husband Became the Most Powerful Minister - Chapter 41

Helan Ci thought Lu Wuyou was showing off his martial arts. He must’ve really been stifled in the capital.

From afar, they saw a group of bandits lurking outside the official road. Lu Wuyou ordered his men to lay in ambush behind them like </span>a mantis stalking a cicada, unaware of the oriole behind¹. The bandits were still relaxed, gathered around a fire, not knowing what they were cooking. Lu Wuyou had already dismounted from the carriage, swiftly knocking out the one keeping watch with the warning arrow in his hand.

After that, he didn’t call anyone to rush over; he just went over alone.

Helan Ci sat in the carriage waiting for him. Perhaps feeling a bit thirsty earlier, Lu Wuyou got off the carriage and brewed a pot of tea inside. The small stove was still bubbling, having just come to a boil not long ago. Lu Wuyou then returned to the carriage, his brows and eyes filled with a relaxed joy, as if he had just done something extremely pleasurable. He raised a hand to pour a cup of tea, raised his brows slightly, and looked at Helan Ci with his peach blossom eyes shimmering: “Did you see that just now?”

Helan Ci said, “…Uh, I was waiting for the tea to boil.”

“……”

Lu Wuyou paused for a moment, then poured another cup of tea and smiled. “Never mind. I’ve already notified the capital guards. When there’s a disaster, things won’t be peaceful. In the end, it’s the common people who suffer.”

Helan Ci took a sip of tea before lifting the curtain again.

Everyone had been taken down by Lu Wuyou, and the scene that had just been so cheerful was now left with only a few horses nearby still grazing contentedly.

Lu Wuyou still wanted to say something, but saw Helan Ci looking at the horse with slightly brightened eyes. She had seen her eyes shine like this during the suburban sacrifice, but they quickly dimmed again.

“……You want to learn?”

Helan Ci nodded and said, “Yes, but if it delays your official duties, then forget it.”

Lu Wuyou casually said, “What’s there to delay? It’s still early, we’ll go back when it’s time to light the lanterns. You have plenty of time, just don’t cry if you can’t learn it later.”

Helan Ci said speechlessly, “…… I wouldn’t cry.”

Lu Wuyou lifted his eyelids and said, “Who was crying in the carriage just now, with their eyes all red?”

Helan Ci couldn’t be bothered with him, already lifting her skirt and stepping down from the carriage.

……Running away when you can’t win an argument, who did she learn that from?

Anyway, the horses is just there and no one is taking care of them, so they’’ll just borrow it for a while.

Lu Wuyou chose a gentler horse and pointed it out to Helan Ci. At the same time, he grabbed the reins with one hand, stepped into the stirrup, and slowly mounted the horse in a demonstrative manner. Afterward, he turned to her and asked, “Do you want to learn on your own, or… ride with me? I can teach you step by step.”

While speaking, he extended his hand.

Helan Ci didn’t hesitate at all and stepped towards another horse.As if afraid his hand would be left awkwardly hanging, she added, “If I ride with you, I might not be able to learn.”

Lu Wuyou touched his nose and said, “How would you know if you don’t try? I haven’t shared a ride with anyone before; this is a special privilege. Think about it.”

Helan Ci did not budge in the slightest.

She had some difficulty reaching the reins.She struggled a bit to reach the reins. Her skirt got in the way and made it hard to step into the stirrup, so she folded up the hem a bit. Her movements looked quite precarious.Lu Wuyou dismounted and helped steady the reins. “Move slowly. Don’t fall off.”

Helan Ci hesitated and said, “…Will I really fall?”

Lu Wuyou couldn’t help but laugh and said, “As long as I’m here, that’s definitely not going to happen.”

She really doesn’t look like someone who can ride a horse, more like someone who can soar through the clouds, but now, whether it’s the expression on her face or the movements of her hands, she is very serious, with a faint air of resolve as if preparing for death.

Helan Ci finally managed to get on the horse cautiously, but still didn’t dare to move. Lu Wuyou held the reins and slowly led her around in a circle, before Helan Ci quietly asked him, “What does it feel like to gallop on horseback?”

Lu Wuyou said: “Very happy.”

Helan Ci couldn’t help asking: “How happy?”

Lu Wuyou said: “I’m not sure if it’s happier than kissing you.”

Helan Ci paused for a moment and said, “… Can you use a metaphor I can understand?”

Lu Wuyou said, “Aren’t you happy being close to me?”

Helan Ci went quiet again, and started missing the blunt honesty of Hua Weiling. They were born of the same mother, so why had Lu Wuyou turned out this way? Why couldn’t he, why couldn’t he…

Lu Wuyou continued with the previous topic: “We’ve kissed so many times. You looked pretty into it. Miss Helan, why are you pretending otherwise now?”

Helan Ci’s mind was now swarmed with the countless ways Lu Wuyou had kissed her. She quickly shook her head to dispel the thoughts and said, “Lu Daren, where’s your sense of shame?”

Lu Wuyou paused and said, “So in your eyes, I still have that thing?”

At this point, he had already leisurely taken Helan Ci around for another lap.

Helan Ci clenched the reins tightly and said, “Can you let me ride properly?”

Lu Wuyou finally smiled and said, “I was afraid you were too nervous, so I wanted to ease the mood. Riding a horse at full speed is a joy in itself. It’s not like when I’m holding you and doing qinggong. You can imagine the feeling like that. But your body can be controlled, making it go left or right, stop or go, all according to your thoughts. When you let the horse gallop freely, it really feels like you could cover a thousand miles in a day.”

Helan Ci imagined it and couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic.

Lu Wuyou said again, “Actually, it’s not difficult. Whenever you hold the reins tightly and squeeze the horse’s belly, if it gets startled and kicks its hooves, just lean your body down, preferably close to the horse’s back… Overall, it requires strength, but you should have trained quite well these days, so there’s no need to be too scared. Alright…” he said softly, “I’m going to let go of the reins now, so you can ride on your own for a bit.”

“Mm.”

Helan Ci nodded seriously. Lu Wuyou smiled again, then casually loosened the reins, letting her ride.

At first, He Lan Ci didn’t dare go too fast, maintaining the pace of the earlier walk, but couldn’t help but slightly tighten her legs around the horse’s belly, and the speed noticeably increased. At the same time, the jolting sensation became more pronounced, and it took considerable effort to hold the reins steady.

Qingye whispered beside, “Young Lord isn’t worried the Young Furen might fall?”

Lu Wuyou, with an expression that said “My skills are unmatched,” said, “Like I wouldn’t be able to catch her in time.”

She really was learning fast. In no time, the horse was trotting with ease.

Lu Wuyou stood in place, watching Helan Ci like she was heading out on her first adventure. A smile had unconsciously appeared on his face, not the usual faint one, but a genuine smile. His eyes, which were always calm and slightly guarded, now curved into crescent moons, and even the corners of his mouth were lifted in a smile.

And all she was doing was circling on horseback.

After a while, perhaps satisfied, Helan Ci tightened the reins, turned the horse, and rode back towards them.

The hem of her skirt, which had just been tucked up, was now fluttering down. The slender girl riding on horseback had her clothes and skirt billowing in the wind, her eyes shining brightly. Her extraordinarily beautiful face was filled with a clear smile, and the dazzling sunlight cast down, making her seem as if she were glowing, from hazy to blinding, with an unstoppable momentum. The sound of galloping hooves approached.

Lu Wuyou stood in place waiting for her, the corners of his lips slowly curling up.

He realized that it was a moment hard to describe.

It was as if everything around had ceased to matter, the surroundings silent, with only the person rushing towards him, like an arrow piercing the sky, like sunlight breaking through the clouds, like dawn tearing apart the night.

Like Helan Ci was rushing to him, regardless of everything.

—Of course, that was just an illusion.

Helan Ci reached him on horseback, already pulling tight on the reins, trying to stop.

Lu Wuyou snapped back to reality, his figure flashing as he went over to help her stop the galloping horse. Helan Ci, taking the opportunity, steadied herself on the horse’s side and dismounted. A thin sheen of sweat covered her forehead and face, and a light blush lingered on her cheeks from the exertion. Her bright eyes sparkled unusually, and her usually soft voice became lively. With great enthusiasm, she said, “Lu Wuyou, you were right.”

“……I’ve already said, when have I ever lied to you?”

Helan Ci just had a really great time; she had never experienced anything like it before. It was as if… if she went any faster, she could fly.

Lu Wuyou’s fingers trailed along the reins. He hesitated, then couldn’t help himself—reached over and grabbed her wrist. Helan Ci was still coming back to her senses, smiling as she looked over, only to be pulled into Lu Wuyou’s embrace.

Qingye immediately gestured to the others to turn away.

The kiss this time was hotter, more urgent. Gone was the practiced ease of their previous kisses—replaced by something more aggressive, as if he’d snatch what wasn’t given.

Lu Wuyou clasped her waist tightly. In moments, he was already ravaging her lips, invading and claiming.

As if, if she wouldn’t give—it didn’t matter. He’d just take.

Helan Ci might’ve been confused on other days, but right now, her heart was still racing, excitement yet to fade. She didn’t even think it was wrong. In fact, due to the overwhelming excitement, she felt a bit tipsy, and her two jade-like arms instinctively wrapped around Lu Wuyou’s neck.

It was as if he was encouraged by this. Lu Wuyou became even more unrestrained, pressing her against a tree as he kissed her again. His actions were fevered, yet practiced.

Entangled, Helan Ci’s tongue root began to feel a bit numb.

The tree bark behind was rough, and the man in front was stealing her breath. Her body weakened and slid down slightly, but Lu Wuyou grabbed her waist and pulled her up again. Her soft arms rested on his shoulders. He tilted his head, still devouring her lips. Her chest heaved, and the sound of his breathy murmurs echoed in her ears. Her heart pounded—so loud, she couldn’t even moan.

Lu Wuyou, however, pressed even closer, as if wanting to be inseparable.

Helan Ci’s mind gradually went blank, letting Lu Wuyou do as he pleased with her.

His hand even pressed against her waist, forcing her to arch her chest. It then slid down her waist, climbing upwards, rubbing along her spine. A slight, uncontrollable shiver spread throughout her body. If they were on the bed, Helan Ci might have already curled up, unable to withstand it.

But at this moment, there was nowhere to escape. He slid from her left waist to her right waist, his fingertips pressing against her spine, inch by inch, as he caressed her.

As if playing a stringed instrument.

Helan Ci’s fingers tensed, trying to dodge—but moving forward only made her press tighter against that burning body.

A soft laugh was pushed out from the depths of Lu Wuyou’s chest.

He continued to press his lips against Helan Ci’s, his fingers brushing lightly against her sash. It was a simple knot—just a gentle tug, and it would come undone.

So he pulled.

Once. Then again.

Her inner garment loosened further. His fingers slid along the trailing sash, slipping inside, just about to touch her bare skin…

Suddenly, Lu Wuyou snapped back to his senses.

Helan Ci, too, in that abrupt halt of his movement, regained a sliver of clarity. She opened her eyes—and in the bright daylight before them, was struck dumb.

Lu Wuyou pulled himself away with difficulty. Because the kiss had been too intense, a thread of silver still lingered between their lips and teeth. It only broke when he turned his head. He even reached out to help Helan Ci straighten her clothes.

Having lost her support, Helan Ci slowly slid down the tree trunk. Her head lowered, her face flushed hot red as she hurriedly tried to fasten her own sash.

My fingers are trembling, and I can’t even manage to tie the simplest belt.

Her fingers trembled; even the simplest sash became hard to tie.

Her mind was still hazy, unable to return to clarity.

Lu Wuyou’s voice came from above her head, very low and muffled, with a hint of long-lost frustration: “…I lost my mind just now. It won’t happen again.”

Helan Ci didn’t know what to say either; she had almost forgotten the joy of riding the horse.

Seeing her able to stand up again, Lu Wuyou turned around and said, “You get on the carriage first, I’ll go check over there.”

Later, they followed the ridge path and roughly inspected a few estates of the nobles. From here, there was no sign of famine, and both the tenants and soldiers could be vaguely seen. They even passed by and inquired about the conditions of a few farming households.

By the time dusk began to fall, the two of them had just driven the carriage back to the capital.

Perhaps because of the earlier awkward scene, neither of them spoke much after that.

——Lu Wuyou felt that no matter how much of a beast he was, he shouldn’t be untying a girl’s sash in public.

——Helan Ci felt that even if she was married, she couldn’t just hug and kiss someone in public, almost causing a scene. It was too embarrassing; she was really out of her mind.

They had gone out in a rush. Inside the carriage, there was only a small portable stove and a teapot with cups.

To ease the awkwardness, they could only drink tea cup after cup, and fall into silence afterward.

During evening training, even Hua Weiling noticed something was wrong. She asked nervously, “Sister-in-law, did you and my brother have a fight?”

Helan Ci shook her head while stretching her shoulders.

Hua Weiling tried to defend Lu Wuyou, whispering, “My brother… he just speaks a little too freely with people he’s close to, but he’s actually very gentle. Whatever he says, don’t take it to heart.”

Helan Ci had no choice but to force a smile and said, “We didn’t have a fight, nothing happened, don’t worry. Your brother and I… um, we’re doing great.”

Hua Weiling ran off and came back with some storybooks. “Sister-in-law, do you want to read these? They’re really fun! I promise you won’t have any worries after reading them!”

Helan Ci politely declined again, but suddenly remembered something: “……Does that person still write story for you?”

Hua Weiling nodded. “Yeah. I feel like the story is really long. He can’t finish it in a short time, although the parts he’s written so far are quite exciting… And he’s so lazy! He named the heroine in the story after me, and every time I read it, I feel weird…”

Helan Ci: “……”

And you still haven’t realized something’s off?

She hesitated and said, “Do you really want to read that story?”

Hua Weiling replied, “Well, I don’t have anything else to do lately. Just reading for fun… Why? Sister-in-law, are you interested?”

Helan Ci said, “No. Just… be careful.”

Hua Ling laughed and said, “Don’t worry, my brother told me that if he shows any signs of trouble, I’ll beat him up right away. Anyway, his injuries are mostly healed now, so he should be able to take a few punches.”

Helan Ci: “……Alright then.”

She initially wanted to go find Lu Wuyou to discuss it, but felt a bit awkward. Just then, it was evening, and Lu Wuyou was still in the study, writing reports diligently. It seemed he was summarizing what he had seen during the day, so Helan Ci didn’t disturb him and went to bed alone.

*****

“Your Highness, this truly… is due to this official’s incompetence.”

Indeed, quite incompetent.

Xiao Nanxun looked at the presented memorial, his gaze cold and indifferent, his tone chilling: “With so many of you, not one could write better than him?”

The censors below were also sweating profusely, looking at each other, not knowing what to say.

They all knew this second prince was terrifying, but he had the emperor’s favor.

As his subject, they naturally have to beloyal to him and do their best, but they really couldn’t do it. Who would have thought that the usually gentle and somewhat frail Lu Zhuangyuan would be so formidable in literary battle?

Insulting someone without using profanity, but it still feels like cursing at your ancestors’ graves.

Xiao Nanxun then remembered that his father had told him that this was a promising talent, advised him not to keep causing trouble for the person in the future. The country needed capable officials. One day, they might even serve the court together. Better not to make things difficult.

He himself also wanted to let go lightly and laugh away the grudges.

But Xiao Nanxun couldn’t help but think back to that night, to what Helan Ci had said. He had previously regarded her as a beautiful collectible to be admired, thinking it would be easy to obtain, without putting much effort. Once he had her, she would just be one of his countless collectibles, not worth remembering, and he would probably get bored with her soon enough. However, after repeated failures, Xiao Nanxuan had to put in a bit more thought.

What he said that night was quite heartfelt for him.

He didn’t believe any woman could resist.

Wasn’t his mother also the one who gradually rose to the position of being the most favored in the harem, holding an unparalleled status? All it took was for the Empress to die one day, and his mother would be supported by the Emperor to ascend to the throne. From then on, she would be the revered mother of the world, and as the legitimate son, all difficulties would be easily resolved.

But he didn’t understand what she said.

What’s wrong with being a concubine or vying for beauty? Aren’t women always like this? He will pamper her, give her everything she desires—gold, silver, wealth, power, and glory. Later, when she bears him children, she will become one of the most esteemed women in the world.

——Isn’t this what every woman dreams of?

What else does she want?

If before he just wanted to get her, now he has become more obsessed. He wants to prove that that woman will eventually yield, that she is wrong, that she is no different from other women.

He turned to the eunuch beside him and said, “What happened to those two skinny horses that the Governor of Yizhou sent last time?”

“Replying to Your Highness, it’s still in the calligraphy and painting hall of the Yangxin Courtyard.”

*****

The next morning, when Helan Ci awoke, she discovered that Lu Wuyou didn’t seem to have returned to sleep at all.

His bedding was still neatly folded.

After washing up, she quietly tiptoed to Lu Wuyou’s study.

It was very quiet inside. Lu Wuyou lay asleep on the soft couch, still in his clothes. There were faint dark circles under his eyes, covered by his lashes. The memorial he had just finished writing was still on the table, waiting for the ink to dry.

If it were her father’s study, Helan Ci might not have looked.

But since it was Lu Wuyou, she always felt he wouldn’t mind. Driven by curiosity, she gently picked up the memorial Lu Wuyou had placed on the table and read it carefully.

This memorial is quite lengthy, with about three to four thousand words.

Unlike Lu Wuyou’s previous scathing memorials, this one is written with great gravity and seriousness. The language is no longer ornate or showy with quotations, but rather unfolds with a touch of sorrow.

The first half of the memorial describes the hardships of the people, with corpses of the starving on the roads and rampant banditry. The second half talks about the powerful and wealthy hoarding fertile land, encroaching on the people’s land, and mostly concealing their actions, likening them to pests of the nation. It then details the reported acreage and names specific individuals, listing the innocent farmers’ lands that have been encroached upon and oppressed, with each case verifiable.

It is precisely the earnest words that can particularly move people. After reading through the entire text, one could feels anger and later sorrow, making it hard not to shed tears.

Helan Ci finished reading, remained silent for a long time, then gently and solemnly set it down.

Taking a deep breath, she went next door to fetch a blanket and carefully draped it over Lu Wuyou.

He must have been truly exhausted. Even now, he remained fast asleep, undisturbed by her.

Helan Ci thought for a moment, then lowered her head and gently touched his forehead with her lips, whispering, “You’ve worked hard.”

After that, she quietly withdrew.

*****

By evening, Lu Wuyou returned from the office and sat down for dinner as usual.

The three people at the table ate as usual. Since Lu Wuyou and Helan Ci didn’t talk much while eating, Hua Yuling took it upon herself to liven up the atmosphere. After a couple of bites, she began to talk about what she had seen and heard during the day.

During a break in the meal, Helan Ci stole a glance at Lu Wuyou.

Lu Wuyou seemed like he wanted to tease her, but just as he opened his mouth, he turned away silently.

Helan Ci: “…?”

After dinner and exercising, Helan Ci took a bath, dressed in nightclothes, grabbed a book, and sat on the rosewood chair to read. It wasn’t until the oil lamp was almost burnt out that Lu Wuyou came in.

Lu Wuyou came in but didn’t go to the purification room; instead, he directly picked up the quilt.

Helan Ci asked, “…What are you doing?”

Lu Wuyou’s expression was somewhat strange as he said, “I’ve been quite busy lately. I’ll go take a nap in the study for a while. It’s been so long anyway… the servants won’t suspect anything.”

Helan Ci subconsciously said, “You still write memorials? Then… do you need my help?”

Lu Wuyou coughed and said, “Recently, there have been fewer memorials. I can handle them by myself. You should get some rest.”

Helan Ci said, “Or should I stay with you,  red sleeves adding fragrance²?”

Lu Wuyou almost laughed at the phrase. His shoulders trembled as he said, “No need.”

He was just about to leave when he heard Helan Ci’s hesitant voice from behind, “…Are you not going to kiss me today?”