My Husband Became the Most Powerful Minister - Chapter 62

In the end, Zizhu probably felt humiliated and firmly refused to let her intervene.

 

Helan Ci felt a bit regretful. Once was unfamiliar, twice was familiar; she wasn’t really that afraid anymore. In fact, she had prepared for many possible ways to deal with Xiao Nanxun. As long as she didn’t end up truly imprisoned by him, she wasn’t afraid. Of course, in the end, she hadn’t needed any of them.

 

It was also because Xiao Nanxun let his guard down, thinking that a weak woman like her couldn’t have much ability.

 

This residence was clearly meant to be a golden house to hide his beauty. He hadn’t brought many people along, and the surrounding guards and security were very lax.

 

——Actually, Xiao Nanxun’s thought was not wrong. Under normal circumstances, she indeed wouldn’t have had many people with her. Helan Ci vaguely remembered that in her dream, when she was captured, she had frantically driven a carriage into the deep forest. The jolting had made all her internal organs feel as if they had shifted positions, and she had regretted not knowing how to ride a horse—if she did, she could’ve fled faster.

 

But Lu Wuyou had left her with more than enough menpower.

 

It was even more than what he brought to Yizhou. Lu Wuyou told her not to worry, because…

 

He smiled and said, “None of them can beat me, so it doesn’t matter if I bring many or few, it won’t make much difference. The people I left you with should be enough to keep you safe in most situations—unless you run into a siege by the imperial guards. I even left you two disciples skilled in poison techniques. It’s a last resort, but very effective in emergencies.”

 

For example, just now, they burned a kind of incense called “Frightening Dream” in the room.

 

It was said to be used within their sect to keep subordinates in line. Just a little burned in an incense burner and it can instill fear in people without them realizing it. Closing one’s eyes could somewhat reduce its effects.

 

That was why Helan Ci had covered her eyes for quite a while earlier.

 

And for another example—they had used knockout incense to incapacitate the guards outside.

 

Although time had been tight, before leaving, Helan Ci still remembered to lift a lamp and search Xiao Nanxun’s study, just in case there were any valuable letters or documents. But before she could find any letters, what she saw first were a few paintings.

 

Of herself.

 

Without clothes.

 

Startled, Helan Ci nearly lost her grip on the lamp and burned herself.

 

It looks like it was painted by Xiao Nanxun himself, with extremely delicate brushwork.  It was just that the body depicted somehow looked like someone else’s, and even so, it made her skin crawl.

 

Helan Ci suppressed his nausea and continued flipping through and found some design drawings featuring strange shapes—jade rings, jade beads, golden chains. The designs were bizarre, unsettling no matter how she looked at them.

 

—Soon after, she even found the real items depicted in those designs. They were stored in a jeweled box, cushioned with bright red silk, looking particularly lewd and obscene.

 

It’s like knowing in advance what kind of terrible fate would await if Xiao Nanxun really caught her.

 

Helan Ci inexplicably felt a bit fortunate.

 

In the end, she did manage to find a few letters, tossed aside in a corner like trash.

 

Regretfully, they weren’t related to official business. Instead, they were from Miss Du Ying, the young miss of Anding Marquis. It seemed she sent him one letter a month—there were only two or three here—all filled with delicate reminders and trivial things, written with the kind of reserved seriousness and faint shyness unique to young girls.

 

—Unfortunately, Xiao Nanxun hadn’t even opened them.

 

Helan Ci quietly put them back where they were.

 

***

 

They took advantage of the night to set off again. Even if Xiao Nanxun woke and reacted in time, he likely wouldn’t be able to catch up.

 

Once Helan Ci got on the carriage, a wave of drowsiness instantly swept over her. She had been on guard against Xiao Nanxun all afternoon and hadn’t slept at all.

 

In the past, whenever she traveled far by carriage, she would always worry about unexpected trouble. But perhaps because of Lu Wuyou—even though he wasn’t physically present—there was a strange sense of reassurance that came with him. Before long, she was fast asleep in the carriage.

 

After awhile, she vaguely heard a voice from outside saying, “Madam, we’ve arrived at the post station. Would you like to get down and eat something?”

 

Only then did Helan Ci slowly wake.

 

Before they left, she had everything prepared, including letters from Lu Wuyou and her father. Since she had already made up her mind to travel openly and aboveboard, she planned to follow the post road from one station to the next—it was safer that way.

 

Yesterday, she had only eaten some dry rations she carried with her. Now she got down from the carriage and ordered a few dishes at a tavern next to the station to fill her stomach.

 

She couldn’t help but think regretfully—if only she could be full on dewdrops and flower petals, how much silver that would save.

 

Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly heard a loud voice. It was a captivating and enchanting female voice.

 

“……If you keep chasing after us like this, I might think you want to marry our little prince.”

 

The other person said, “I advise you to stop talking nonsense! I’m just passing by on my way back to Yizhou and want to have another match with you!”

 

“What’s left to compete in? Haven’t we competed enough already?”

 

Helan Ci turned toward the voices and immediately spotted the Northern Di woman she’d seen earlier in the palace during the archery contest.

 

She was riding a tall horse, making her slim waist and long legs all the more striking. Boldly and flamboyantly showing off her stunning face, she seemed completely unconcerned about others watching her. Behind her followed the envoy team from Northern Di, grand and imposing. Most of the goods were tributes from the emperor, while others were likely purchases by Northern Di.

 

The other figure was Miss Chu Lan, whom Helan Ci had also met. She, too, was followed by several rows of armed guards.

 

And just beside them, she even spotted the Northern Di’s little prince, Luo Chen.

 

He had a bitter smile on his face. “Alright, Sangzhuo, stop making fun of me.”

 

The Northern Di woman named Sangzhuo swept her wind-tousled hair aside, smiling sweetly. “Maybe this Lady Chu really does fancy you. If Your Highness wants to go request a marriage decree from the Emperor of Great Yong now, it might actually work.”

 

Chu Lan said, “Stop talking nonsense!”

 

Luo Chen also said, “Stop joking around!”

 

Sang Zhuo was not offended at all; instead, she continued to laugh and said, “Who told our little prince to have unrequited love and choose the wrong object of affection? Out of so many girls in the capital, he didn’t fancy a single one. Now he’s returning, and who knows how he’ll explain this to the king—ah, is this what your Dayong people call ‘speak of the devil’?” She nudged her horse closer to Helan Ci and asked, “This beautiful lady of Daong, why are you here all alone?”

 

Clearly, she had no idea about Helan Ci’s recent circumstances.

 

Chu Lan also spotted Helan Ci. After a moment of surprise, she quickly said, “She has urgent business and is heading to…” Then she lowered her voice and added, “Madam Helan, if you’re going to Yizhou, you can travel with me.”

 

The beef Helan Ci ordered had just arrived, and she was about to pick up her chopsticks.

 

Hearing this, she raised her head and glanced at the guards behind Chu Lan. She nodded firmly to her. “Then I’ll trouble you, Miss Chu.”

 

Luo Chen her and was still very uncomfortable, so he moved to the back of the convoy.

 

Sangzhuo called out, “Hey, why are you running away? Why are you so timid?”

 

Chu Lan glared at her. “You’re the one who lacks tact. Come on…” She drew her bow. “Let’s settle this with one more round!”

 

“Let’s not compete.” Sang Zhuo said with a lazy and charming smile, “Soon we’ll head north, and you all will go south. Maybe we’ll meet again on the battlefield in the future—though I heard that women from Dayong don’t get a chance to fight on the battlefield?”

 

Chu Lan replied, “Who says I won’t? Just you wait!”

 

Once Sangzhuo left, Helan Ci curiously asked, “…Will you really get the chance?”

 

She knew very little about the borderlands of Dayong and had never heard of women going to war. Although the Northern Di had a famous female general, and she wasn’t considered a good thing for Dayong.

 

Chu Lan’s cheeks turned slightly red as she said, “When I was young, I disguised myself as a boy and followed my father to the military camp. As long as one can fight the enemy, there shouldn’t be a distinction between man and woman.”

 

Helan Ci nodded thoughtfully.

 

Chu Lan then said, “Are you… are you okay?”

 

Helan Ci returned to herself and replied as lightly as possible, “I’m just going to Yizhou to find my husband.”

 

Chu Lan was shouting about wanting to compete and was quite arrogant, but now she seems a bit hesitant: “My father is the Commander-in-chief of Yizhou. You can stay at our residence first. If your husband… really met with any misfortune, then… don’t take it too hard.”

 

Helan Ci was surprised but then offered her a sincere smile. “Thank you.”

 

With Chu Lan and his entourage as guards, and traveling along the official road, Helan Ci didn’t encounter much danger along the way. However, the closer they got to Yizhou, the more refugees they saw.

 

The sky was pouring again.

 

Back in Shangjing, such rain was merely an annoyance. But now, sitting inside the tavern and hearing travelers recount the horrors of the flood, her heart grew heavy. The muddy yellow waters broke through the dikes, swallowing farmlands and villages. Those who couldn’t escape lost their lives overnight, while those who did, faced the grim sight of ruined harvests and empty homes, along with unpaid taxes, perhaps thinking it would be better to die.

 

Once the dam broke, the number of dead was countless.

 

She thought again of Xiao Nanxun’s words, and for the first time felt a surge of fury and absurdity—how could someone like him possibly become emperor?

 

This world, after all, could definitely be considered the Xiao family’s world. With the emperor’s favor, he lacked neither money nor resources, yet still stooped to stealing even the funds meant for repairing the dikes.

 

Isn’t this world ruled by the imperial family¹? and these are the emperor’s people²?

 

For a common household, yearly expenses were only a few dozens of taels. Tens of thousands of taels was an astronomical figure.

 

But this was money meant to reinforce the dikes.

 

If they had just been built more sturdily, perhaps fewer people would have died.

 

Helan Ci felt a heaviness in her chest and thought of Lu Wuyou again. No wonder he had delayed for so long without returning. Judging by the timing, the dike must’ve burst not long after he arrived in Yizhou.

 

Yizhou was crisscrossed by waterways and had many dikes.

 

Aside from her worries, she also felt a strange sense of comfort—it’s as if Lu Wuyou was meant to be this kind of person.

 

If he had truly turned a blind eye to it all, she might’ve been… just a little bit disappointed.

 

With all these tangled thoughts, the carriage finally entered the borders of Yizhou and slowly rolled into Jiang’an city.

 

She had once thought of Yizhou as a den of tigers and dragons, but in reality, there weren’t assassins waiting around every corner. After all, she was merely a delicate woman traveling to find her husband.

 

Chu Lan cheerfully led her into the Chu Residence.

 

Although Helan Ci’s status might not have been noteworthy in Shangjing, a land of nobles, it was quite different here in the provinces.

 

Her father is the Left Chief Censor of the Censorate, overseeing supervision and to some extent having the power of life and death over local officials.

 

Chu Daren immediately came out to greet her in person.

 

He was a large, burly man with a stout build and a full beard. After Chu Lan introduced them, he pounded his chest and declared, “Helan Furen, please make yourself at home. If you need anything, just tell Lan’er.”

 

Helan Ci said, “Thank you, Lord Chu, but… I wish to know—my husband, he…”

 

As soon as this matter was mentioned, the other party seemed completely unaware and said, “Madam Helan, I truly have no knowledge of this. Perhaps you should ask the prefect of Jiang’an. He’s the one handling this case.”

 

Helan Ci tidied up her attire in front of the mirror. She wore a simple dress, which was already modest, so it saved her some trouble.

 

It was just that when she went out, she didn’t wear a veil or ride in a sedan chair. The Chu residence was not far from the prefect’s office, so she, along with Shuangzhi and Zizhu, walked over.

 

For a moment, she nearly caused a traffic jam in the streets.

 

Soon enough, word spread like wildfire: the famously beautiful Miss Helan had come to Yizhou in person to search for her husband.

 

Vendors, diners, and idle wanderers alike all came to watch the spectacle.

 

As it turned out, Helan Ci was even more well-known than she’d thought— entirely because of matters with Li Ting of Duke Cao and Lu Wuyou.

 

Whether it’s about a shizi or the Sixth-consecutive-top-scorer Scholar, they are all extremely interesting topics for after-meal conversations. As rumors spread, they twisted and grew more bizarre—some even added the coincidental story of the Dayong Prince and the Northern Di Prince, and so on…

 

In short, she became ever more sensationalized.

 

And everyone reaffirmed the belief of “all professions are inferior, only studying is superior”—See? In the end, the one who got the beauty was the zhuangyuan sent from heaven. So stop wasting time and study hard!

 

If you don’t study, how are you going to get such a wife?

 

Toward this miss Helan, whose name lived more in rumor than in reality, most people’s impression remained that of a delicate beauty—after all, the Capital was a long, long way from here. Many of them might never have had the chance to meet her in their lifetime.

 

Who could’ve thought she’d actually come?

 

Alive and in the flesh!

 

Not long ago, when the people had seen that elegant, refined Zhuangyuan—so handsome that a single smile made both young maidens and newlyweds clutch their hearts—speaking so gently, with such poise and grace, they had all wondered: just what kind of beauty would be worthy of him?

 

Now that they’d seen her, they immediately understood.

 

These two, just by standing together, would surely be a match made in heaven, so eye-catching that they would be unmatched in the world.

 

Alas—such a pity about that top scholar…

 

Heaven is jealous of talent, truly.

 

Amid all the gossip, Helan Ci walked into the yamen with surprising composure. She had long since trained herself to turn a blind ear to such things.

 

The office clearly didn’t expect her to come knocking so soon after she arrived in town, and for a moment, they seemed a bit flustered.

 

Helan Ci had originally planned to first gather information slowly and act cautiously. But honestly, after so long, if there were any flaws in the case, they would’ve already been covered up. Better to catch them off guard—and besides, she didn’t want to wait any longer.

 

A thin-looking man with a long beard hurried over and said, “Greetings, Madam Helan. My surname is Liu, a humble legal advisor to the yamen. Ah, please accept my condolences. If there is anything you wish to know, just ask, but…” He sighed with regret, “On that day, there were a total of ten charred male corpses, and their identities remain unknown, which is why we have not held burial rites have been held yet. And…” He dabbed at the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, “I never imagined Brother Lu would die so young…”

 

Helan Ci whispered, “May I see the case files?”

 

Advisor Liu said, “Ah, I’ll need to seek permission from the magistrate. He is currently busy with the emergency repairs of the river dikes, so he might not be able to attend to this for a while… Our Yizhou is in a dire situation right now. The heavy rain has caused floods, and most of the Qinglan River’s dike breach is within our territory…”

 

Helan Ci let him complain for a while, then continued very calmly: “Then may I see the bodies?”

 

Advisor Liu was taken aback. “The corpses have long since decomposed—they may frighten you. And…” He thoughtfully described just how ghastly they looked.

 

Helan Ci clenched her fingers and said, “It’s fine.”

 

Liu’s eyes flashed with a hint of surprise: “Since the lady insists…”

 

He truly hadn’t expected this delicate, stunning girl to be so calm.

 

Of course, she was still afraid—but if she showed weakness now, she might be easily brushed aside. Helan Ci steadied herself, and as she approached the makeshift morgue, she caught a whiff of an unpleasant odor from a distance, one that even the burning mugwort couldn’t cover up.

 

Advisor Liu explained, “We’re severely short-staffed right now, so the bodies have been kept here temporarily…”

 

The morgue was packed with coffins.

 

Pointing to one row, Advisor Liu asked, “Madam, are you sure you want to look?”

 

Shuangzhi tugged on her sleeve.

 

Helan Ci nodded and motioned for her to step back.

 

Advisor Liu stroked his beard and said, “Someone, help the lady open it.”

 

Even though she’d mentally prepared herself, Helan Ci’s pupils still trembled at the first sight. She closed her eyes and told herself that death is the same for everyone. She had seen starving bodies on the roadside before, and she thought again of the dead deer Xiao Nanxun had once shown her.

 

After a while, she opened her eyes.

 

She began carefully recalling Lu Wuyou’s build—his limbs, his height—then compared them one by one. After spending so much time together, she knew his appearance well. Helan Ci examined each detail carefully and confirmed that none of them matched perfectly. Only then did her heart finally settle.

 

So it had only been a dream.

 

Lu Wuyou is definitely fine.

 

But to the others present, the sight was unnerving.

 

Some even began to doubt—was this really the daughter of Helan Daren, the Imperial Censor? Could she be an impostor? Though, looking at her face, impersonation didn’t seem likely…

 

Even Shuangzhi was nearly frozen with fear. She’d been anxious the moment they stepped into the morgue.

 

Helan Ci said, “Thank you, Advisor Liu. Is there a list of the deceased? And where exactly was the timber warehouse that caught fire? Also…” She thought for a moment, then asked, “Do you know where my husband liked to go during his time in Jiang’an? Whom did he associate with?”

 

Her voice was clear as a bell, calm and composed.

 

Advisor Liu looked troubled. “Well… Brother Lu had a wide circle of friends, he has interacted with everyone from high-ranking officials to commoners. I really don’t know… I only shared two meals with your husband. Perhaps, Madam, you might inquire at Ji Wang³’s residence? Your husband delivered an imperial edict there. Ji Wang even warmly invited him to stay longer—said he wanted the young prince and his subordinates to learn from him.”

 

So Helan Ci turned to visit Ji Wang’s residence.

 

Ji Wangfei received her graciously. This elegant and noble woman wiped away her tears and said, “What a pity indeed… Such a talented and handsome young man… If he hadn’t already been married, I would’ve taken him as a son-in-law…”

 

Helan Ci: “…”

 

Wasn’t that comment a little inappropriate?

 

The Wangfei seemed to realize it too and quickly added, “Ah—Furen, please don’t misunderstand! That was just wishful thinking on my part. But I can understand how you feel. If my husband were so outstanding, and then… If you like, you’re welcome to stay with us for a while. The room we prepared for Lu Daren is still available.”

 

Helan Ci replied awkwardly, “Thank you for your kind offer, but I’ll have to decline.”

 

By the time she’d finished making her rounds, the sky was nearly dark.

 

In her heart, Helan Ci thought: she had gone out of her way to make herself known. If Lu Wuyou was still in Jiang’an, even a fool would know by now that she had arrived!

 

Yet before she saw Lu Wuyou, someone delivered her a secret letter.

 

Shuangzhi was dazed. “Someone bumped into me and dropped it at my feet. Then they just left.”

 

Helan Ci took it, examined it carefully, then opened the envelope.

 

The letter reads: “There is more to your husband’s death than meets the eye. If you wish to know, come to the rouge shop named ‘Peony Fragrance’ in the east of the city after the hour of the rat.”

 

If she were alone, she’d never dare go.

 

But after only a brief hesitation, Helan Ci decided to take the risk. In Shangjing, she might’ve been more cautious—afraid of offending others, afraid to expose Lu Wuyou’s guards’ skills and draw suspicion or cause trouble. But now that she was in Yizhou, her courage had grown considerably.

 

She had Zizhu scout the area in advance. Just after midnight, Helan Ci slipped out of the back gate of the Chu Residence, holding a stack of yellow joss paper in her hands as a cover.

 

The gatekeeper saw her and immediately understood her intent, whispering, “My condolences, Madam.”

 

Helan Ci pressed her lips together, trying to make herself look a bit sadder.

 

Once outside, she donned her veiled hat. Before long, she arrived at the rouge shop in the city’s east.

 

The shop’s door was half-closed, with only a small flicker of candlelight glowing inside.

 

She had brought ten guards—six hidden nearby, and four following her closely. One sleeve concealed a dagger and an iron hairpin; the other, layered escape bangles and a small crossbow. Hidden on her body were also some medicines Lu Wuyou had given her.

 

Upon entering the shop, she saw a clean-faced shopkeeper standing behind the counter. In the dim light of night, his appearance was somewhat unsettling. He fiddled with an abacus and said, “Madam, are you here to buy rouge? We’ve just received a new batch—would you like to come inside and take a look? …Though the space inside is small, it may not fit so many people. At most, Madam may bring one guard. Would that be acceptable?”

 

Helan Ci thought for a moment, then brought Zizhu in with her.

 

Without question,He was the most skilled in martial arts.

 

They passed through a long doorway behind the counter, and the space suddenly opened up, resembling a private room.

 

Opposite them stood a young man she had never seen before, dressed in fine clothes that suggested considerable wealth. When he saw Helan Ci, his eyes lit up instantly, revealing a look she was all too familiar with. He then said, “Helan Furen, it really is…”

 

Helan Ci’s tone was calm and cool: “I’d like to know—what hidden truth do you claim to know?”

 

The man said, “Ah, Furen, don’t be in such a rush. Have a seat and a drink first, let’s take our time…”

 

Helan Ci naturally had no intention of chatting leisurely: “If you don’t know, then I’ll leave.”

 

Seeing that she truly meant to leave, he hurriedly called out, “Why are you in such a hurry? How can I possibly share this news without some benefit? If the lady wants to know, then naturally, some reward is required.”

 

Helan Ci was speechless for a moment, then said, “Then forget it.”

 

“Aren’t you the one who cares so much about your husband? The very day you arrive, and you… Hey! Quick! Stop her! Don’t let her leave! She—”

 

Before he finished speaking, he saw the guards he had summoned being swiftly and decisively knocked to the ground by the expressionless black-clad guard behind her. In the blink of an eye, they all lay unconscious.

 

The man finally panicked. “What use are you all?! I’ve spent so much money on you! There’s so many of you and you can’t even take one man?!”

 

He kept talking while retreating, as if he wanted to escape. Who would have thought that the black-clad guard opposite had already floated over, grabbed his collar, and threw him to the ground? Pain shot through his back, and he cried out, only to have a foot pressed firmly to his chest, nearly making him cough up bl00d.

 

He managed to lift his head, and all he could see were a pair of snowy-white embroidered shoes, paused before him.

 

He managed to lift his head, and all he could see were a pair of snowy-white embroidered shoes, paused before him.

 

The hem of a young woman’s skirt swept across the toes of her shoes. She stood there gracefully—so beautiful it took one’s breath away.

 

She asked softly, “So, do you actually know anything or not?”

 

“Do you know who I am? You just…”

 

Helan Ci was about to reply when she suddenly felt a hand brush against her waist. Startled, she immediately drew her dagger and pointed it at the person. The next moment, she heard an extremely familiar voice ringing in her ears.

 

It was gentle, tinged with laughter, low yet clear and warm.

 

“Miss Helan…” he said with a smile, then wrapped an arm around her waist. “It’s been nearly three months since we last met, and the first thing you do is point a knife at me—is that really appropriate?”

 

Helan Ci trembled, her earlobes began to heat up, and she put the dagger away.

 

“How was I supposed to know it was y—”

 

Before she could tuck it back into her sleeve, he had already pulled her toward the table, pressing her down slightly. At the same time, his other hand slid up through her sleeve, gently enclosing her palm, nudging away the dagger on the verge of slipping, and pinned her wrist.

 

She hadn’t even fully settled on the table before his burning, fervent kiss landed on her lips.

 

More intense than any kiss before.

 

One of her hands braced against the tabletop; her lower back began to slide, but he lifted her back up with an arm around her waist. It had truly been nearly three months since they’d last touched. The moment his tongue slid in, she knew she wasn’t going to hold up.

 

The rush of excitement hit her head like a wave.

 

Helan Ci let out a low, uncontrollable moan, her body flushed and feverish. Wherever he touched—her waist, her skin—turned to water.

 

The rouge boxes that had been neatly displayed on the table clattered to the floor with a few crisp ding-ding sounds. His knee pushed between hers, his body pressing down over her, and his hand guided her lower back into him.

 

His tongue tangled with hers, sucking with such intensity it made her numb.

 

Her scalp tingled.

 

In a daze, her eyes moistened as she lowered her gaze. Just as she reached up to hook her arms around Lu Wuyou’s neck—when she suddenly noticed someone across from them staring at the two in shock.

 

She suddenly came to her senses, feeling an overwhelming sense of shame, and couldn’t help but want to remind him.

 

But the carefree and unrestrained Lu Woyou would still insist on kissing her? She whimpered helplessly, and finally had no choice but to raise her knee and nudge his waist hard. Only then did he release her lips.

 

“……Wake up! Someone’s watching!”

 

Lu Wuyou gestured for the stunned Zizhu to quickly escort the man out. Then he caught her mischievous knee, tugged it slightly against his own waist.

 

Helan Ci glared at him.

 

Lu Wuyou’s chest heaved for a moment, then he loosened his grip. After a while, Helan Ci finally heard his voice again, lingering in her ear, low and hoarse, like a prolonged sigh:

 

“Why are you here?”