Volume Two, Chapter Three

Having said that, she raised her hand to remove the Black Gauze Hat from her head, placed it on her waist with her left hand, and knelt down with her right hand while lifting her official robe.

"Judging from the rules and regulations, it goes without saying that he should resign from his position as the head of the Six Ministries Commander Mansion. In my opinion, Academy Student Zhu should leave the Dongxu Mansion and never be employed again, so that he can learn from this." Long Ang's brows were cold, and he was unmoved by the "bitter trick" before him. "Lord Nian, you started this trouble. What do you think?"

Nian Youyu moment of silence, the man kneeling below the hall, though possessing a cleverness that he disliked, shared a similar uprightness with Xiaojiu. If he had truly embezzled the money, Xiaojiu wouldn't have had to work so hard at Xiaonian. Indeed, there were no signs of waste or extravagance in those food boxes. Therefore, his words just now confirmed the flow of the money. Someone must have informed the subordinates in the Ministry of Works that this newly appointed Zhu Commander Mansion had gotten his position through connections, lacked real talent, and was completely clueless about building and repairs, making him easy to fool. Thus, he had a ledger in his hands.

The person who was digging this hole behind the scenes already knew what was going on.

His dark eyes darted around, and Nian Youyu glanced directly at Long Ang, the Minister of Rites, who was sitting opposite him. The other man stared at him openly without any intention of avoiding him, and the warm smile in his eyes seemed to Nian Youyu to be an extremely cold glint.

He not only wanted to expel Zhu Bafu from the Six Ministries, but also from the Dongxu Mansion, preferably making him unable to stay in the Capital. If necessary, he wouldn't mind waving his hand and making this eyesore of Zhu Bafu disappear from the world.

Hmph, he had long known that although Long Ang had a gentle and approachable demeanor, he was not someone to be trifled with. But he never expected that Long Ang had dug such a deep pit, one that had already reached right up to the Ministry of Revenue's doorstep.

For over Nian Youyu, he had no interest in any personal relationships or grudges; he only used account books and abacuses to tell the truth.

He doesn't care about meddling in other people's affairs unless he has a good amount of money to use to bring them down, protect them, or help them rise to power.

"... I don't think that's necessary."

Long Ang narrowed her eyes, which were lined with silk, and asked, "What does 'Xiao Yu' mean?" She called her by her affectionate nickname, her rosy lips curving into a slight smile, but her tone carried a hint of danger.

"Whether Lord Zhu withdraws from the Six Ministries or leaves the Dongxu Mansion, I don't care. What I need is for the account figures to match. The rest is none of my business." Nian Youyu crossed his arms and glanced back at Long Ang indifferently.

Long Ang his eyebrows and his smile widened. "So, you're saying Lord Zhu has to pay back the money?"

Author's Note:

Hahaha... I feel so guilty after seeing everyone's comments TAT Don't worry, I'll definitely finish this project, trust me! Back to writing...

Chapter 45, Volume Two, Chapter Three

"Huh? Pay... pay back the money?" When did she become in debt again? She didn't get a single penny, so all she got was debt?

"That's right." Nian Youyu nodded. "As long as the missing money is made up, this matter will be over."

"But... but I..." Before she could finish the sentence, a long-suppressed voice interrupted her.

"How much he owes, I'll pay it back."

It was the Young Master's voice that made her unable to look away, staring blankly in his direction.

His gaze remained fixed on her without wavering, as if he had been watching her ever since she entered his sight. Whether she lowered her head, avoided his gaze, or deliberately ignored his presence, he silently observed her every expression with the same look, waiting for her to have had enough of hiding and to steal a glance at him from some point and angle.

Once he caught her gaze, he had no intention of letting her go. The intense look in his eyes was more irresistible than any physical action. It was impossible to escape from his woven web of gaze.

He looked at her, unconcerned that his words had created an eerily awkward silence in the room, and slowly repeated, "I'll pay it for him, no matter who he owes or how much."

She clearly didn't want to owe him anything, and she clearly didn't want to worry about him, yet he kept bringing her into his troubles time and time again.

Because of her one sentence, "let's break up," they were no longer related. He hated this state of no relationship. He was fed up with the predicament of desperately wanting to get close to someone but not even being able to find an excuse. Even if it was a debt relationship, even if it was someone who owed someone, even if it was just a favor, as long as someone owed him something, they were no longer no longer unrelated.

"Since Grand Secretary Li is willing to pay off all of Lord Zhu's debts without harming the national treasury or interfering with public funds, can this matter be left as it is?" Wei Chenmu asked as his first question.

With Nian Youyu shrug, "I don't care, as long as someone is willing to pay the full amount."

"Where are the two Lord Long?" Wei Chenmu looked at Long Ang and Longyang beside him.

Longyang Yang whistled cheekily, his eyes fixed on Zhu Bafu as if he'd discovered something amusing. "This is going to be a good show. It won't be fun if Zhu Bajie isn't around, right, bro?"

Long Ang remained silent, only pursing his lips and narrowing his eyes as he looked at Zhu Bafu, who was still Li Chenjing, before glancing at Your Majesty, who had been silent for a long time.

Seeing Long Ang's probing gaze directed at him, His Your Majesty feigned surprise and looked back at him, "Why is Lord Long looking at me like that?"

Long Ang remained silent, stood up, and used his fan to partially cover his red lips. He whispered quietly in the Your Majesty's ear, "I'm laughing at Your Emperor. Even in your heroic act, you're a step behind Xiaojing. Lord Zhu's heart is currently completely filled with Xiaojing."

"Lord Long, there's no need to worry about me." He turned his head and whispered in Long Ang's ear, "Being first doesn't necessarily mean you'll win. Shouldn't you understand this principle best, Lord Long?"

In an instant, Long Ang's expression changed drastically. His ever-present smile froze into ice, his whole body trembled slightly, his eyes almost pierced out frost-covered flames, and he even bit his rosy lips between his teeth.