My Husband Became the Most Powerful Minister - Chapter 9

Lu Wuyou knew that persuasion was likely useless, so he asked Lin Zhang what his plans were afterward.

Lin Zhang was also somewhat at a loss.

For him, having an incident like this, sharing a bed with a woman in disarray, even if it was an accident, he would never shirk responsibility. He would definitely return home immediately to report the matter and then propose to uphold the lady’s reputation.

But he was unwilling, and that second young lady was unwilling as well.

He could still hear the voice of that Miss crying out, “I don’t want to marry him! Just pretend nothing happened! Let him go! Throw him out the back door! I don’t want to see him—”

Lin Zhang had never encountered such an absurd and outrageous scene in his life.

The Marquise of Kangning, however, calmly stroked his beard and said, “Young Master Lin, now that this has happened, you should return home to prepare for the palace examination. After the spring examination, I will send someone to your residence to discuss how to resolve this matter.”

Lin Zhang returned in a daze, slowly realizing that he might be fated to have no connection with Miss Helan in this lifetime.

He moved his lips and said, “This matter is beyond my control; marriage… should naturally be decided by one’s parents.”

In his words, there was a hint of reluctance that even Lin Zhang himself had not noticed.

“Shao Yan,” Lu Wuyou suddenly spoke up, “this matter somewhat falls on me…”

Lin Zhang hurriedly replied, “You can’t blame yourself for this…”

Lu Wuyou chuckled, not mentioning that he felt no guilt himself: “If you truly don’t want to marry that second miss and genuinely wish to marry…” He paused, “Miss Helan, I could certainly help you think of a way.”

His voice was steady, not at all like he was joking.

Lin Zhang was taken aback.

He knew about Lu Wuyou’s background, and Lu Wuyou didn’t shy away from it at all. His parents were not officials; only had an uncle held a position in the Ministry of Works. Although Lu Wuyou’s talent and abilities were beyond doubt, he was still just a scholar for now.

Could it be that he wants to arrange for him to marry the second Miss of the Kangning Marquis?

Lin Zhang’s gaze towards him changed.

“Thank you, Jian’an. I appreciate your kindness! This matter must not implicate you any further!”

Lin Zhang lowered his gaze and said gloomily, “Perhaps it is just that Miss Helan and I are fated to be apart.”

Lu Wuyou always felt that he might be misunderstanding something, but…

“… then so be it.”

After saying this, he inexplicably let out a sigh of relief.

****

The roof of Helan Mansion was finally repaired by a tiler.

Helan Ci looked at the expenses in the accounts and felt unwilling, deciding to try again next time.

Just as the roof was freshly fixed, an unexpected guest arrived outside the door.

A grand procession of luxurious carriages stopped at the mansion’s entrance, blocked by the doorman.

“What are you doing here again?”

This three-courtyard residence of Helan Mansion was surprisingly small; the main gate and the inner gate were just a couple of steps apart. Therefore, as Helan Ci turned her head, she vaguely saw a familiar figure leading the group—it was the gatekeeper from the Duke of Cao’s residence who had once told her not to harbor foolish hopes.

Now, he wore a broad smile and said, “We are here today to apologize to Master Zongxian and Miss Helan. We have offended you in the past, but the old duke has given the shizi a stern lesson, and he will never offend your esteemed daughter again. The old duke specifically instructed the shizi to bring a small gift to express our apologies.”

The doorman replied bluntly, “Master is not available right now; you should leave.”

“This is not a big deal; Miss Helan is the same. At the very least, let us deliver our apology gift first.”

Helan Ci thought to herself that it seemed the matter had escalated significantly, and it might even implicate the Duke of Cao’s residence, which was why they were so going lowly coming to apologize.

After all, these hereditary nobles have always placed great importance on their reputation, and even in their downfall, they refuse to bow their heads.

Ordinary officials would not typically hold a grudge against the nobles, but things have escalated to this point, making it no different from a complete falling out. Helan Ci immediately said to her maid, Shuang Zhi, “Close the gate and tell them to leave.”

Just as she turned around, Li Ting’s voice came from behind.

“Helan Miss, I sincerely came to apologize today. I was confused that day, and I had no intention of offending you.”

To be fair, this voice could be described as deep and full of emotion.

Unfortunately, when Helan Ci heard his voice, she only felt a tingling sensation on her scalp.

“Miss Helan, are you really that heartless?”

“Then what does it matter if we go through those things…”

Helan Ci paused in her steps, anger rising within her.

Is this a sign of desperation for reconciliation, or is he simply intent on ruining her reputation?

She knew that her bad reputation was one thing, but having someone actively slander her was another matter entirely.

The maid, Shuang Zhi, could no longer contain her anger and exclaimed, “What nonsense is he spouting! Miss, how could you possibly have any connection with him?”

Helan Jian had just sent the mason away through the back door and was returning when he heard this remark from Li Ting, and he too was furious.

Without a second thought, he tossed aside his fan and stormed out, saying, “What the hell are you talking about! My sister has nothing to do with a wastrel like you. Clean up your mouth! Be careful, or I’ll teach you a lesson!”

A guest from the Duke of Cao’s residence blocked his path and apologized with a smile, “Young Master He, please don’t be angry. Our young master was just caught up in the moment and spoke out of turn… He meant no harm…”

Outside the Helan residence, there were always some informants lurking around.

As soon as the carriage of the Duke of Cao arrived, many onlookers gathered, and discussions immediately erupted.

It was said that the shizi of the Duke of Cao and Miss Helan had long had a secret affair, but there was no evidence. Nothing is more credible than the parties involved admitting it themselves.

“…Miss Helan truly is a heartless woman.”

“No wonder the shizi was willing to tear up the engagement, risking public outrage, just to…”

“Such a sincere heart wasted!”

“I really didn’t expect this…”

Li Ting, undeterred, added fuel to the fire: “What I said comes from the heart. Since Miss Helan refuses to admit it, then so be it.”

This was hardly an apology; it was clearly looking for trouble.

Li Ting’s engagement was over, so are they taking her to be buried with them?

Her father was indeed summoned unexpectedly just now.

Helan Ci pondered for a moment before decisively saying, “Shuang Zhi, have someone fetch my father, no, my cousin’s invitation to bring the people from the Northern Town Beizhen Fusi* there.” After speaking, she strode towards the door with a coldness in her eyes reminiscent of frost and snow.

She didn’t even wear a veil.

As the gates of the Helan residence swung open, the girl’s face was revealed to everyone’s view without any obstruction.

Even those who were speaking fell silent.

No one silenced them; it was just that after seeing that face, the vast majority of people unconsciously forgot what they had just been saying, fearing that speaking suddenly would disturb such a strangely beautiful illusion.

However, no one expected that the first to break the silence would be Helan Ci.

“Young Master, we have never had any private dealings, so why do you want to harm me like this? You say we have a past, but do you have any evidence?”

Her voice was clear and melodious, like pearls falling on a jade plate, extremely pleasant to the ear, vaguely intoxicating, yet her words carried an undeniable chill.

If her father were here, he would certainly not allow her to confront someone so openly.

But Helan Ci had had enough.

Li Ting stared at her for quite a while, lost in thought.

A few days had passed, and the bruises on his face had faded somewhat, revealing a glimpse of his former charm, but unfortunately, he was merely a façade, with flaws hidden beneath.

No, wait… Helan Ci recalled someone and thought to himself that it was debatable whether he could even be considered a person of substance.

At this moment, Li Ting finally came to his senses. Without a second thought, he pulled out the pink letter he had taken from his pocket at Jueyue Temple and waved it in the air, saying, “This was personally written by the young lady; can you still deny it?”

Helan Ci replied expressionlessly, “Is this all?”

Li Ting countered, “Isn’t this enough?”

Helan Ci’s expression remained calm as she instructed her servant, “Bring a table and the writing materials.”

On the side, Helan Jian suddenly looked uneasy and leaned in to whisper, “Are you really going to write…?”

“What else is there to do?”

“Maybe you should…”

Helan Ci shot him a faint sideways glance.

Helan Jian had no choice but to fall silent.

The table was quickly brought over, and the writing materials were all set up.

More and more onlookers gathered outside the door.

Helan Ci instructed Li Ting to place the love letters on the table.

She picked up the brush, carefully sorted through the broken hairs, dipped it in ink, lightly adjusted the tip at the edge of the inkstone, and then focused intently as she began to write.

The young girl styled her hair in a heart-shaped bun, her long, silky black hair cascading like a waterfall around her pure white neck, flowing like water onto her collar. One hand held the brush while the other tucked her sleeve, and with a flick of her wrist, the brush, soaked in thick ink, swept across the paper.

The ink flowed boldly from the powerful brush tip, spreading freely as if a dragon had entered the sea, or like a swimming dragon soaring in the sky. Each stroke was filled with immense strength, exuding a fierce spirit that could kill; anyone who saw it would have to praise her excellent calligraphy.

In a moment, Helan Ci set down her brush.

She picked up a piece of love letter and held it alongside the one she had just written, calmly saying, “Young Master, this is my handwriting.”

“Do you see any resemblance at all?”

The note was written in the most ordinary small script, the strokes even slightly immature, but at this moment, the paper clearly bore a distinct style, unmistakably belonging to different person.

Li Ting felt somewhat unsteady.

Helan Ci was passing the paper and note around for others to see.

Even those who couldn’t read could tell the difference.

Li Ting’s expression was anxious, still struggling: “Perhaps, perhaps… it was you who had the maid write it…”

Helan Ci replied, “Do you want me to have the maid write it out for you? Or should I have everyone in the household write it for comparison?”

“Shuang Zhi, take the pen.”

The girl’s voice remained gentle and soft, devoid of any harshness.

Yet Li Ting felt an indescribable pressure, which was completely at odds with her appearance, so much so that he found her quite unfamiliar for a moment.

Li Ting racked his brain trying to identify the problem: “And you… your handwriting is similar to that of Young Master Helan…”

Helan Ci replied, “I learned calligraphy together with my brother; what’s so strange about having similar handwriting?”

Beside them, Helan Jian couldn’t help but break into a sweat.

Li Ting’s sweat was pouring down even more than his, and he muttered, “This is impossible, you’re lying to me…”

Helan Ci threw the remaining love letters back at Li Ting, finally feeling a bit of relief, and thus her voice grew even calmer: “Shizi has a marriage contract, yet he privately exchanges letters with another woman. This has nothing to do with me. But shizi insists on pushing this matter onto me, which is truly absurd. As for the apology, I kindly ask shizi to take it back himself, and I hope that shizi will refrain from disturbing the tranquility of my residence in the future.”

Shuang Zhi also peeked out from behind, holding up the recently written letter, and huffed, “Can you see clearly now? Don’t get too carried away!”

Now everyone watching the drama understood.

“So it turns out the young master mistook the person! And he still blames Miss Helan…”

“Perhaps someone played a trick on him, causing such a huge blunder.”

“Besides, this love letter didn’t even have a signature; how could anyone know who wrote it!”

“Exactly! With this situation, Miss Helan is really unfortunate…”

Li Ting swayed, his face pale, as if he wanted to say something more.

The Jin Yi Wei** from the Northern Town Beizhen Fusi had already arrived.

“What’s going on? Why is everyone gathered at Lord Helan’s doorstep? Who’s causing trouble?”

Even if the people from the Duke of Cao’s residence were fearless, seeing this group of fierce figures still made them feel apprehensive. They immediately stopped arguing and left politely.

***

As expected, upon returning and learning of the situation, Helan Jin began to rage.

He repeated the same old points.

“You are a young lady; it’s inappropriate to show your face so freely. How can you act like those shrews and engage in quarrels? You should wait for your father to return; father will help you seek justice. Why must you take matters into your own hands? Is this how a daughter should behave? A temperament that is too bold can easily lead to slander and may cause displeasure in your future in-laws, leading to disharmony in your marriage…”

At this, Helan Jin sighed deeply, “…It would be wise to arrange a marriage for you soon. Do you know…” Her father’s words abruptly halted.

Helan Ci keenly sensed, “Has Father encountered any trouble in the palace?”

“It’s just some official matters,” Helan Jin replied, his tone shifting. “The punishment for the shizi of the Duke of Cao will be announced soon, and it should be quite severe. To prevent rumors, it would be best for you to marry sooner rather than later.”

Helan Ci bit her lip, remaining silent.

Helan Jin looked at his increasingly rebellious daughter, who had returned from their hometown in Qingzhou, and sighed helplessly as an old father in his heart.

He had spoken halfway, yet concealed half of it.

What truly made him feel uneasy was that this matter had escalated too much; originally, the discussions about He Lan’s beauty were merely rumors in the streets, but this time it had even stirred the palace.

The second prince jokingly mentioned that remark outside the palace gates, and to this day, it still sends a chill down his spine.

“Lord Helan, I have heard that Lady Yan’s beauty is extraordinary, almost capable of captivating a city. I wonder if this is true?”

1. Beizhen Fusi. Read More.
   During the reign of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty , Jinyiwei Town Fusi was divided into two divisions: Nanzhen Fusi and Beizhen Fusi.
   “Nanzhen Fusi” is responsible for the law and discipline and military discipline of the guard .”Beizhen Fusi” handles cases designated by the emperor and has its own prison (Edict Prison). It can arrest, torture, and execute on its own without going through the judicial system. Countless people died from torture . There are five guard posts under the division of South and North Towns. It means that Helan Ci’s cousin’s fiance works as Jin Yi Wei in the northern area of Beizhen Fusi.
2. The JinYiWei Command Office, also known as JinYiWei for short, was a service agency established by the Ming Dynasty, reporting directly to the emperor. Read More.

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