My Husband Became the Most Powerful Minister - Chapter 5

The incident of Shizi of the Cao family causing a scene at the wedding banquet and then creating a ruckus at the Jueyue Temple quickly became known.

Rumors suggested that the two were mutually infatuated, and after the Shizi’s outburst at the wedding, Miss Helan became hesitant. In a fit of rage, the Shizi allegedly attempted to push her into the water, wanting to die together. This event was described in vivid detail, filled with lingering sorrow, and it was obvious to anyone that someone from the Cao noble household was fanning the flames; otherwise, the blame would not have been shifted entirely onto the woman.

Of course, the censors from the censorate did not think so. Their leader’s own daughter had nearly been pushed into the water by a lecherous noble, and yet the blame was being turned upside down—this was absolutely intolerable!

Just among the Thirteen Supervisory Censors*, there was already a great clamor. When added to the dozens of officials from the Six Boards of Censors**, the entire supervisory system united and on that very day sent more than ten memorials to the Tongzhengsi***. The memorials denounced the Shizi of the Cao family, portraying him as a morally corrupt, uncultured, arrogant, and lawless individual.

It was even more than what Helan Ci had anticipated.

Clearly, this was just the beginning.

The officials of the Great Yong Dynasty were as arrogant as mad dogs, offended by the Noble Cao family, akin to poking a hornet’s nest. When they went mad, they dared to criticize even the cabinet ministers, let alone the mere Shizi of the Cao family.

Her father, Helan Jin, was furious about this matter. Yet, this daughter of his was so precious that he couldn’t bear to lay a finger on her, instead he paced back and forth like an angry lion, saying, “If you had obeyed me when I told you to stay at home, this wouldn’t have happened. If anything were to happen to you, how would I explain it to your late mother?”

The maid, Shuang Zhi, knelt on the ground, trembling with fear.

She had come to guard the door but had no idea who had knocked her out. When she woke up and found the young lady missing, she was nearly scared out of her wits.

Helan Ci sighed deeply and said, “Young Master Cao is being willful and reckless; this mistake shouldn’t fall on this daughter.”

“But you are still a girl! If it weren’t for…”

Just then, her brother Helan Jian came in carrying a birdcage. He was dressed in a lake-blue cross-collared robe with a moon-patterned cape, looking like a flamboyant dandy. Upon seeing the scene, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Dad, don’t just scold Xiaoci! That guy from the court isn’t anything special. You should have seen how he looked down on me at first, with his nose in the air. But once he found out Xiaoci is my sister, his face changed… tsk tsk…”

Helan Ci and Helan Jin turned to look at him simultaneously.

The parrot in Helan Jian’s birdcage chirped in response with a couple of “tsk tsk” sounds.

Immediately after, Helan Jin roared in anger, “Why are you dressing like this if you don’t study? And now you’re playing with birds like those unruly people! Where did you buy this bird? Return it right now!”

Helan Jian froze, “Dad, this wasn’t bought; it was given to me!”

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch; if it was given to you, you must return it!”

Helan Ci habitually watched her brother being chased around the courtyard by their father.

Mainly, Helan Jian was indeed disappointing. She was shocked when she came from Qingzhou; her brother had made no progress in three years of studying, relying on connections to enter the Imperial Academy, and to this day, he was still just coasting along, unable to produce even a decent piece of writing, ultimately needing her to ghostwrite for him.

“Miss…”

The steward of the household nervously held the account book.

Seeing that her father would likely not pay attention to her for a while, Helan Ci pulled up Shuang Zhi, took the account book, and headed toward the storeroom, saying, “This month can’t possibly be over budget again, right?”

“…No, Miss.”

Helan Ci quickly flipped through the account book and finally let out a sigh of relief.

Her mother passed away early, and since her father did not remarry, all the household affairs were managed by her.

Her father held a high position among the Nine Ministers, and his official rank was quite prominent. However, in the Great Yong Dynasty, it was difficult for any official to maintain a decent living and social connections solely on their salary; they had to rely on other sources of income.

However, her father was a rigid man of integrity, so much so that he not only refused to use his power for personal gain but also did not want to accept the customary gifts from visiting officials, almost wanting to brand the words “integrity” on his forehead, allowing him to fearlessly present memorials and impeach high-ranking officials.

As a result, every expense in the household had to be meticulously calculated, not to mention her father’s penchant for helping impoverished scholars.

Helan Ci entered the storeroom, her slender fingers deftly moving the abacus beads, flipping through the ledger,

Even though the steward had seen this scene many times, it still felt incredibly magical.

The girl, as pure and clear as the moon goddess, lowered her delicate head. Her skin was translucent, so flawless that it seemed to glow, revealing not a single imperfection. Her loosely tied black hair cascaded gently from her temples, carrying a faint fragrance that accentuated her porcelain-like fragility. The extreme delicacy of her beauty radiated from her very bones, exuding an ethereal aura that seemed untouched by the mundane world.

Such a face should be untouched by worldly affairs, worshipped like a deity in a shrine, free from worries. Yet now, she is… uh, calculating with remarkable skill.

After finishing the calculations, Helan Ci couldn’t help but sigh; their household was truly poor.

This small three-entry house was granted by the Emperor. The Emperor had the intention of giving her father a larger residence, but her father felt that their family of three, including the servants, amounted to fewer than ten people, and there was no need for such a big house. Therefore, he requested to exchange it for a smaller one. The emperor was deeply moved and praised her father, presenting him with a plaque that reads “Two Sleeves of Clear Wind****,” which is now hung right in the center of the main hall.

Every time Helan Ci sees it, her feelings become complicated.

Of course, Helan Ci is still very grateful to the emperor and sincerely hopes he lives a long life. Otherwise, with her father’s fearless attitude of offending powerful colleagues, she seriously doubts that if the emperor were to die, her father would follow suit.

Before Helan Ci could finish her thoughts, her father had already finished dealing with her brother and came to her.

“Come here.”

Helan Ci had no choice but to put down the account book and brace herself to follow him out.

She imagined what her father might say and how she would respond, but as they walked along the corridor, nearing the end, Helan Jin remained silent.

Outside, the sky had darkened, and after a while, her father let out a long sigh, his tone sounding much older.

“…As your father, I do not expect to use you to forge any connections or climb any social ladders, but with your looks, even an innocent man can be blamed for possessing a jewel.”

Helan Jin’s voice was heavy as he said, “Today there is the Cao Shizi, and tomorrow there will be the Zhao Shizi and the Qian Shizi. Father cannot protect you for a lifetime, and you will always be on edge… I have thought it over, and for your sake, the only solution is to arrange your marriage as soon as possible, so you won’t have to worry about those rumors.”

Helan Ci suddenly looked up.

Helan Jin stopped in his tracks, hands behind his back, and said, “Of course, I won’t just marry you off casually. They must have both character and talent. I already have a rough idea of some candidates…”

Helan Ci tried hard to calm herself down, but couldn’t help but ask, “…Who are the candidates?”

She has another reason for not wanting to get married.

After a serious illness in her childhood, Helan Ci had overheard the doctor telling her father that her condition had damaged her foundation, and she would need expensive medicinal herbs for proper care; otherwise, she might not have many children in the future. Under such circumstances, it was difficult for her to prevent her future husband from taking a concubine.

“Marriage is traditionally arranged by the parents and matchmakers. I shouldn’t be discussing this with you… But since you lost your mother at a young age and I have no intention of remarrying, there are many things no one has taught you, and I worry that you might end up marrying the wrong person. Social status is secondary; what matters is that the person is ambitious and truly cares for you.”

After Helan Jin finished this long speech, he stroked his beard and said, “What do you think of young master Zhang from the Ministry of Revenue? He mentioned something about you last year.”

Her father was generally not well-informed about such matters.

Helan Ci immediately began to recall, “I heard he seems to enjoy visiting brothels and has a favored concubine…”

“What about young master Zhao from the Ministry of Rites…”

Helan Ci replied, “I heard he has a very bad temper and often beats his servants.”

“Then…”

“His character is not upright; he’s a wastrel.”

“And…”

“He’s too old.”

Helan Jin had mentioned several candidates, all of which were dismissed by Helan Ci. After staring at her for a while, he said, “What about young master Lin from the Taichang Temple?”

Mentioning Lin Zhang, Helan Ci was momentarily taken aback and couldn’t find any faults to point out.
The other party is indeed a gentleman, upright and honest, hailing from a scholarly family. His talents are commendable, and he is of a similar age to her. There have been no rumors of bad habits or scandalous affairs associated with him. The only issue might be that he is overly modest and blushes whenever he sees her, but that isn’t really a flaw.

She simply couldn’t tell her father directly that she didn’t want to get married.

Helan Jin observed that she finally had nothing to say, stroked his long beard, and decisively said, “Since you have no objections, tomorrow I will have your brother invite Shao Yan to the mansion for a discussion on academic matters. I will ask him privately, and if he is also interested, I will send someone to Lin’s residence to deliver the message.”

*****

Helan Ci felt somewhat out of sorts while reading at night regarding this matter.

She truly had no romantic feelings for Lin Zhang, and they couldn’t be considered familiar with each other. However, if she were to marry, he would indeed be the best choice within her acceptable range. The Lin family also had a strict family tradition, being of noble lineage for generations. Both his father and uncle held official positions in the court, and with the family rule allowing for a concubine only if there were no heirs by the age of forty, they were very friendly towards Helan Ci. It was just that…

Then she felt a bit like she was worrying for nothing, because even if her father wanted her to marry, the other party might not necessarily want to marry her.

It wasn’t that Helan Ci lacked confidence in her appearance; on the contrary, her looks were too striking, which could invite trouble. For most respectable families, she wouldn’t be considered a suitable match. They would prefer a daughter-in-law who was virtuous and demure, with a more modest appearance.

Helan Ci propped her elbow on the table, her fingers gently turning the pages of a book, her sleeves flowing gracefully, revealing half of her fair wrist like a delicate jade.

The candlelight flickered, and under the lamp, the beauty appeared even more enchanting.

The maid, Shuang Zhi, gazed at her for a while, then rested her chin on her hand and said, “Miss, I can tell that Lin Zhang definitely has feelings for you. Every time he comes to the house, he blushes and his ears turn red as soon as he sees your face…” She was confident, “No one could possibly dislike you, Miss!”

Helan Ci smiled and wanted to ask her if he would feel the same way if she didn’t look like this, considering they had hardly exchanged a few words.

But that question was truly meaningless, just a source of self-inflicted worry.

At last, just before going to bed, she remembered that tomorrow was the day the examination results would be announced, and Lin Zhang might not come.

The next day, she hadn’t heard any news all afternoon, so Helan Ci simply practiced her calligraphy in her room.

She had been writing for an unknown amount of time when suddenly, Shuang Zhi ran in, her face full of excitement, saying, “Miss, they’ve arrived!”

Helan Ci held her brush, wanting to continue writing, but she could hear the commotion from the front courtyard.

After a moment, she helplessly realized that she had no desire to write. Listening to the sounds outside, it seemed that more than just Lin Zhang had arrived; likely, it was his classmates as well.

This wasn’t surprising. Inviting only Lin Zhang would be too obvious, and besides, her father had always liked scholars, especially those who excelled in their studies. He often brought people home to offer guidance and give books and when he encountered those from impoverished backgrounds, he even took the initiative to offer financial help.

If that person were to write a few articles that her father appreciates, he would wish to treat that person like his own son—only to come back and scold his own legitimate son with harsh words.

Helan Ci thought about this as she walked outside, glancing at the distant figure through the corridor.

What a stroke of bad luck to run into that pair of peach blossom eyes.

Helan Ci: “…???”

What’s wrong with this person! So relentless like a lingering ghost.

Lu Wuyou stood beside Lin Zhang, his posture straight, a faint smile on his face, looking humble and gentle.

Helan Ci frowned slightly, questioning him with her eyes, “Weren’t you completely uninterested? Why did you come to my residence?” Lu Wuyou subtly shrugged, the corners of his eyes lifting slightly as he gestured towards Lin Zhang, as if to say, “He insisted I come, and I couldn’t refuse.” Then, his gaze retracted, casually shifting away, as if he had never seen her.

Helan Ci kept silent, they finally walked out of the drooping flower gate.

Helan Jian casually waved his folding fan and said, “My dad will be back soon, so feel free to sit and look around… Ah, that’s my younger sister.” With a shift in tone, he suddenly became more serious, “Xiao Ci, what brings you here? Just in time to introduce you, Shao Yan, you know him, and these next few are…”

Helan Ci followed his gaze and looked up.

A total of five young people came, and aside from Lu Wuyou, the other four instantly showed unnatural expressions—either stammering, looking down at the ground, or nervously scratching their heads. Lin Zhang’s face was particularly flushed.

Helan Jian introduced them one by one, and when he mentioned Lu Wuyou, he noticed that Helan Ci’s expression seemed a bit strange, which made him suspicious: “What’s wrong? Have you met before?”

Helan Ci politely replied, “…I don’t know him.”

Lu Wuyou seemed to smile but not really: “I’ve never seen her.”

1. Thirteen Supervisory Censors
   It refers to a division in the censorate. There is 110 officials in this division, their task is to supervising, investigate, report, and impeach local governors in 13 areas (Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Henan, Shandong, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Huguang, Shanxi, and Yunnan) Read more.
2. Six Boards of Censors. 六科 (Liù Kē), one of the central agencies of the ancient Chinese court, functioning as supervisor for six departments, namely the Department of Personnel , the Department of Revenue , the Department of Rites , the Department of Military Affairs, the Department of Criminal Justice , and the Department of Engineering. It is different from the Censorate where FL’s father is the chief. Read more.
3. Tongzhengsi. 通政使司 (Tōngzhèngshǐsī), or thongzhengsi for short,was a government department in imperial China, primarily responsible for the transmission of official documents (like memorials, etc..) between the central government and local administrations. Read more.
4. 兩袖清風 (liǎng xiù qīng fēng) is a Chinese idiom that literally means “two sleeves are clean of wind.” It is used to describe someone who is honest, incorruptible, and free from bribery.

T/N: Thank you for reading! if you want to read more about supervisory system in ancient china you can click the link and auto translate it to english.

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