Chapter 135 - 104: Bro, You Smell So Good

Chapter 135: Chapter 104: Bro, You Smell So Good

BANG!

The door was pushed open. Lou Yingqi, the current Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, looked over with a face full of anticipation. His somewhat weathered eyes met Lou Tong’s blank stare, and his body trembled violently.

"Father," Lou Tong called out weakly as he looked at Lou Yingqi’s face.

Lou Yingqi let out a heavy sigh of relief. His clenched fists slowly relaxed as he walked over to Lou Tong. He observed his son carefully for a long while. Only after confirming that the child was out of danger did he finally breathe easily. He then glanced at Bai Ziqing, who looked back at him calmly.

Lou Yingqi wanted to bow in gratitude, but his face showed evident awkwardness. "Director... Bai."

Well, he and the uncouth... uh, Eunuch Faction were at odds. So, for a moment, he didn’t know how to act.

"No need to thank me. I am only acting under orders," Bai Ziqing said. He naturally knew what Lou Yingqi was thinking. Calmly pointing at Zeng Anmin, he added, "He is the one who solved the case."

"Oh?" Only then did Lou Yingqi shift his gaze to Zeng Anmin.

"I am Zeng Anmin. Greetings, Vice Minister Lou." Zeng Anmin cupped his hands and bowed to the Vice Minister with a chuckle.

"Zeng Anmin..." Lou Yingqi’s face first registered a slight surprise, followed by sudden realization. He looked earnestly at the young man and asked, "Are you Zeng Liangjiang, whose poetic talents shook Jiangnan?"

"Exactly." Zeng Anmin smiled. "My father is Zeng Shilin."

Hearing this, Lou Yingqi could no longer hold back. He cupped his hands toward Zeng Anmin and said, "I cannot thank you enough for saving his life. I will definitely pay a visit to your home to express my gratitude another day."

Zeng Anmin naturally understood the underlying meaning in his words. He grinned and said, "Vice Minister Lou, Young Master Lou is out of danger now. If it’s convenient, could we speak in private?"

Lou Yingqi’s hands paused slightly. He looked over thoughtfully, their eyes meeting. A strange atmosphere rose in the air.

"Alright." Lou Yingqi gave Zeng Anmin a deep look before leading him out of the room.

In the study of the Lou family’s home.

Zeng Anmin sat opposite Lou Yingqi. The two stared at each other, neither speaking first.

As a Third Grade official of the current dynasty and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Lou Yingqi controlled the flow of wealth across the entire empire. Although there was a Minister above him keeping him in check, the power in his hands could still be considered immense.

"I wonder what it is you wish to say to me," Lou Yingqi said, looking at Zeng Anmin seriously. The young man before him was so composed that Lou Yingqi found him somewhat inscrutable for a moment. Deciding not to beat around the bush, he kept a solemn expression.

Seeing the other party speak, a hint of a smile flashed in Zeng Anmin’s eyes. Then, he spoke earnestly, "Vice Minister Lou, the reason I asked to see you today is actually to save your life!"

The study fell silent.

Lou Yingqi’s face stiffened slightly. His brows furrowed tightly as a gloomy expression flickered across his features. "Nephew Quan Fu, what do you mean by that?"

Zeng Anmin did not answer directly, but he didn’t make Lou Yingqi wait long either. He slowly raised his head, looked straight into Lou Yingqi’s eyes, and uttered four words: "Liangyou Chamber of Commerce."

The air fell quiet once more.

Lou Yingqi had navigated the ups and downs of officialdom for over a decade. This was the first time he found himself in such a situation when speaking with someone a generation younger than him. His resolute face slowly darkened as he stared unblinkingly at Zeng Anmin. After a long time, he forced a few words out of his throat: "What do you know?"

Zeng Anmin’s words forced him to take the matter seriously.

"Such a major incident has occurred in your residence. Surely, Vice Minister Lou, you aren’t completely in the dark, are you?" Zeng Anmin looked at Lou Yingqi with a faint, enigmatic smile. Subconsciously, he picked up the delicate Jade Toad from the desk and began to gently toy with it. He sat back in his chair, looking entirely at ease, his expression relaxed and unhurried.

Lou Yingqi stared fixedly at Zeng Anmin for a while before slowly turning his head toward the window. "I don’t know what you’re talking about, Nephew."

Zeng Anmin chuckled inwardly. Was he still playing stubborn? "You don’t know?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "How about I say a few words to help jog your memory?"

Lou Yingqi narrowed his eyes slightly and turned back to face him.

"Let me think..." Zeng Anmin was actually extremely relaxed. He reached up and tapped his forehead. Then, he shifted into an incredibly comfortable posture, continuously toying with the Jade Toad in his hand as his leisurely voice rang out, "A year ago, the northern drought..."

As he spoke, his gaze drifted to Lou Yingqi’s face. Sure enough, at the sound of those few simple words, Lou Yingqi’s gaze snapped toward him, as sharp as a sword.

Zeng Anmin paid it no mind and continued, "Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Ren Weizhi, Liu Sanjiang of the Liangyou Chamber of Commerce..." He paused, looking at Lou Yingqi with great interest. "Do I need to go on?"

Lou Yingqi’s brows were deeply furrowed. His hands beneath the desk clenched involuntarily, but he still didn’t speak.

Zeng Anmin merely gave a soft chuckle. "Two years ago, during the Jiangnan floods, whose pockets did the eight million taels of silver fall into?" He blinked and continued staring at Lou Yingqi. "It should have been Ren Weizhi too, right? And the Liangyou Chamber of Commerce... or perhaps... Prince Qi? And..."

He stopped there, not saying that particular name out loud because he himself didn’t know who the sender of the secret letter was. He could only tell from the handwriting that it was a woman.

Finally, Lou Yingqi could hold back no longer. He snapped his head up and stared straight at Zeng Anmin. After a long pause, a trace of defeat seeped into his voice as he asked, "Are you here to act as a persuader for the Eldest Princess too?"