My Husband Became the Most Powerful Minister - Chapter 7

On the day the examination results were announced, they had reserved a banquet at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Those who passed and those who didn’t were all drinking heavily inside, some shouting, some reciting poetry, and even a few banging chopsticks while singing and dancing.

Hearing that the successful candidates were celebrating, more and more people came to offer their congratulations.

“I have long heard of young master Lu’s great name, and today I have come to pay my respects!”

“I didn’t expect young master Lu to be so young; I must come to seek your guidance on writing another day…”

The congratulatory voices continued until the early hours of the morning.

Lin Zhang, who couldn’t hold his liquor, was already a bit dazed after being poured drinks for a while. Looking around, he found that only Lu Wuyou was still sober.

Though he had clearly drunk quite a bit, Lu Wuyou’s expression remained clear, his eyes bright, and he lightly spun a delicate porcelain cup between his fingers. When he noticed Lin Zhang looking over Lu Wuyou smiled and said, “Shao Yan is quite spirited tonight; I thought you would make an excuse about preparing for the palace celebration first…”

Lin Zhang pressed his head; he had almost dozed off just now, but the excitement still hadn’t faded.

“Honestly, I’m just too happy tonight…”

As he spoke, the image of the girl’s ethereal beauty floated into his mind, and a blush suddenly appeared on his face.

Lu Wuyou laughed again, the rim of his cup lightly brushing his lips: “Is it because of the marriage and the success in the exams?”

Lin Zhang was taken aback: “How did you know…” He realized he had misspoken.

On a normal day, Lin Zhang would certainly keep his mouth shut, but under the influence of alcohol, he felt a bit lightheaded. Moreover, with such a huge opportunity falling into his lap, no one would remain composed: “…to be honest, Ji’an, it really is the case.”

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but chuckle foolishly.

In the study that day, Master Helan’s words still echoed in his ears, and Lin Zhang could never have imagined he would encounter such good fortune.

He knew very well how many young masters admired Miss Helan. His family background was not prominent, and his personality was dull and uninteresting. Miss Helan treated him no differently than anyone else, which is why Lin Zhang always maintained decorum and never dared to entertain any wild thoughts.

But it seemed that this was no longer a wild thought.

Lin Zhang spoke softly, his voice as faint as a whisper: “I might… marry Miss Helan…”

Lu Wuyou did not respond, and Lin Zhang thought he hadn’t heard.

A gust of night wind brushed against his face, causing him to shiver slightly, waking him up a bit. He realized he shouldn’t have spoken about this matter, but before he could feel relieved, he heard a crisp sound.

Lu Wuyou placed the porcelain cup on the table and softly said, “… Are you really planning to marry her?”

Lin Zhang was taken aback, looking at his friend, and suddenly felt a jolt in his heart.

Lu Wuyou seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled gently at him, “Shaoyan, don’t misunderstand. I have no ulterior motives regarding Miss Helan. If you wish to propose, I would be happy for you, but…” Lin Zhang wasn’t sure if it was because he was drunk, but he felt that Lu Wuyou’s voice sounded a bit casual, “Because you are my friend, I’m saying a few words that may not be pleasant. Miss Helan has many admirers, including someone like the Duke of Cao’s son. If you marry her, it might not be peaceful in the future, and there could be many troubles you haven’t anticipated. Your household may not be tranquil either.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Ji’an.”

Lin Zhang initially breathed a sigh of relief; if he were to compete with Lu Wuyou, he truly had no confidence. But soon, that feeling of relief returned.

He was overwhelmed by ecstasy and indeed didn’t think much further.

Yet, no matter how much he understood the reasoning, just the thought of being able to embrace the beauty made his head start to spin again.

Lin Zhang shook his head, forcing himself to calm down.

“I genuinely want to marry Miss Helan. Do you… think I shouldn’t marry her?”

Lu Wuyou picked up the wine jug and poured himself another full cup, his tone becoming increasingly casual, almost indifferent: “How could that be?” He raised the corners of his eyes, laughing lightly, “To ruin someone’s marriage would earn you resentment. I just think, Shao Yan, you should think this through carefully and not act on impulse, lest you regret it later. Since if you’ve married—then you must take responsibility to the end.”

Lin Zhang nodded in agreement, saying, “A true man should indeed do so.”

Lu Wuyou downed the wine in one gulp and said, “Then you should rest early; tomorrow we still have to visit Master Zuo and Master Fang.”

He looked completely sober as he lifted Lin Zhang, saying, “You’re done for.”

Lin Zhang, with his feet off the ground: “…?”

“Oh, you’ve had too much to drink.” Lu Wuyou set him down, and with a flick of his hand, Lin Zhang fell into a deep sleep.

Navigating through the drunken scholars, Lu Wuyou walked steadily to the window.

Confirming that no one was around, he climbed onto the windowsill with one hand and gracefully leaped onto the roof, his toes lightly tapping the tiles. His wide sleeves flowed like a fairy as he spun and landed, making almost no sound at all, before sitting on the ridge, still holding a slender-necked blue-and-white porcelain wine flask.

As he drank and let the breeze carry the scent of alcohol, Lu Wuyou even casually broke off a branch, instinctively wanting to wield it like a sword, but ultimately restrained himself.

The night breeze was gentle, and he contentedly closed his eyes, beginning to feel a bit drowsy.

Meanwhile, downstairs, someone was sneaking into the Drunken Immortal Pavilion with a wooden stick and a burlap sack.

When Lu Wuyou woke up again, the sky was already dimly bright. He picked up the wine jug and rolled off the bed, then leaped back in through the window sill. The people inside were still sleeping soundly, sprawled in all directions. He took a few steps, suddenly realizing that something was off.

Where is Lin Zhang?

*****

As Helan Ci said, the matter of the Duke of Cao Shizi has indeed been ongoing.

Yao Qianxue came to the residence again, vividly recounting the rumors she had heard from elsewhere: “The Duke of Cao Shizi has really angered everyone this time. The situation of Yunyang Xianzhu is chaotic, and their household is in an uproar. Duke of Cao goes to the emperor every day to plead for forgiveness, but it’s no use… It’s said that this shizi might really lose his position.”

Helan Ci recalled her experiences from that day, still feeling a lingering fear.
Xianzhu hasn’t married him.”

Her father later had someone investigate the monk from Jueyue Temple who was bribed by the Duke of Cao Shizi, but since it concerned her reputation, it wasn’t made public. If it were made public, Li Ting would probably suffer even more.

Yao Qianxue opened her mouth as if to say something but swallowed her words back.

Helan Ci didn’t mind, but the noble household of Yunyang Xianzhu had already spread rumors about her, portraying her as a calamity to the nation, claiming she deliberately seduced other people’s husbands, which drove the Duke of Cao Shizi to madness.

To be honest, her cousin didn’t need to try hard; with a face like hers, even just a smile would make men flock to her like moths to a flame.

It’s truly an unexpected disaster.

As Yao Qianxue sighed inwardly, she heard Helan Ci suddenly speak up, “Cousin, what happened with that Miss from the Kangning Marquis’s residence who wanted to take a scholar?”

Yao Qianxue was taken aback that Helan Ci would ask this, and she paused to recall the amusing incident: “You mean that matter? That Miss really has good taste; the scholar she had her eye on had just won first place in the examination and was celebrating at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. However, because there were too many visitors, she couldn’t find an opportunity to make her move, so she took advantage of the dark and stormy night to launch a surprise attack on the Drunken Immortal Pavilion…”

Helan Ci was slightly shocked: “… A night raid?”

“Yeah, it’s said that they planned to sneak in and catch the person off guard, putting them in sacks. Just think about it, those scholars are all weaklings, right? The servants at the Kangning Marquis’s residence are strong and tall. Once he is caught and brought into the residence, no matter what happens, he won’t be able to explain himself. Even if that scholar is the top scholar, it won’t matter.”

“… What if the truth comes out?”

“With Xunyang Gongzhu pleading for her, no matter how outrageous her actions are, the Emperor won’t really punish her.”

Helan Ci: “…”

Truly, the privileged class.

Yao Qianxue was a bit puzzled: “Why don’t you ask me how it went?”

Helan Ci never really believed that Lu Wu You was that foolish: “…So did she really do it?”

Yao Qianxue couldn’t help but laugh, “This is truly the most ridiculous! Everyone insists that the scholar was definitely at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, and even the servants of the Duke of Kangning turned the place upside down but couldn’t find him. In the end, they had no choice but to kidnap the most handsome young man they could find to take back as a substitute.Late at night, it was hard to see clearly, and Miss Kangning Hou also couldn’t tell the difference. The next morning, when she looked again, he was not the person she wanted. she was furious, and when the young man woke up and realized he was on the young lady’s embroidered couch, he was taken aback, his face ashen. The two had spent an entire night in the room without clarity, and indeed, it was hard to explain this situation.”

“Moreover, to everyone’s surprise, Marquise of Kangning was quite pleased with that scholar from the imperial examination and wanted her to go ahead and marry him despite the mistake. This infuriated the miss, who cried and made a scene, refusing to comply.”

Helan Ci was amazed by the situation and felt a twinge of sympathy: “Whose unfortunate young man could this be?”

Yao Qianxue sighed, “You actually know this person. It’s the son of Lin Shaoqing from the Taichang Temple. I remember his name is Lin Zhang.”

“…!”

Helan Ci’s heart trembled: “… Are you sure???”

“I just heard the news. The Kangning Marquis’s residence is suppressing it to prevent it from spreading, but how could they hide it from me…” Yao Qianxue said with a hint of pride on her face.

Her fiancé, that well-matched young master, was serving as a deputy commander in the Jinyiwei. Not only did he send people to protect her daily, but he also helped her gather gossip.

On the surface, Helan Ci remained calm, but inside, she felt this was even more outrageous than knowing that the Duke of Cao Shizi had caused a scene at her wedding.

“Are you really sure you didn’t mistake someone?”

“I didn’t mistake it! He was the one of the people who celebrated the event at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion and inquired about it. The very next morning, others went to pay a visit to Elder Xu, but he didn’t go himself. It must be him.”

Helan Ci’s mind went blank for a moment.

She had gradually come to accept the idea of marrying Lin Zhang.

Heaven knows how her seemingly certain engagement could take such a turn.

“Xiao Ci?” Yao Qianxue finally noticed that Helan Ci’s expression was off. “Why do you look so pale? Are you feeling unwell again? Should I call a doctor to come take a look?”

The girl lightly bit her lip, her face growing paler while her lips became more vibrant, resembling a bloodied beauty that startled anyone who looked at her.

“I’m fine,” she said softly.

Helan Ci strained to think, feeling that something was a bit strange. Suddenly, she recalled what Lu Wu You had said to her that day, and connected it to the current incident. Clearly, the target was him, yet they had forcibly taken Lin Zhang away. Given her understanding of Lu Wu You, she couldn’t help but feel a hint of…

Even if he doesn’t want Lin Zhang to marry her, there’s no need to push him into another pit of fire!

After all, since Lu Wuyou can avoid it himself, why can’t he lend Lin Zhang a hand?

If it were someone else, Helan Ci might think that the other party had ulterior motives, but since it’s Lu Wuyou, she only has one thought—does this person really think she is more terrifying than the second miss of Kangning?

Can we talk some sense here? How did she offend him so much?

Is he going to take responsibility for ruining this engagement?

1. All of the princess will be changed to its pinyin and not be translated ( for example County Princess will still be Junzhu) to avoid confusion. Read about female titles and rank.

T/N: Thanks for reading! If you are enjoying this story, comment & react and also rate on novelupdates.

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