Shen Jun thought for a moment, his eyes flickering. “Among those six, there is no such talent. However, I do know of such a person.”
Gu Huaiyu arched an eyebrow. “Who?”
“Wei Qingya.”
Shen Jun hesitated, then spoke a more famous nickname. “Wei Ten-Coins.”
Gu Huaiyu seemed to have heard this name before. He looked up, signaling for him to continue.
“Wei Qingya once served as a registrar in the Bureau of Merchant Taxes, specifically managing merchant traffic and customs revenue. This person is extremely methodical in his actions…”
Shen Jun paused, then let out a soft chuckle. “If he takes a bribe, he definitely gets the job done. And if he takes a job, he definitely does it well. Even if a beggar asks him for help, they have to scrape together ten copper coins first. Thus, he earned the name ‘Wei Ten-Coins’.”
Gu Huaiyu rested his knuckles against his chin, interest sparking in his eyes. “A man with a way to create wealth.”
Shen Jun nodded in agreement. “And regardless of the size of the matter or the amount of silver, the quality of his work is consistent. He is highly efficient and cheats neither the young nor the old.”
Gu Huaiyu’s lips curved slightly. That sounded like someone born with a love for gold—a perfect “money basket” to manage the finances. “Good. Where is he now?”
The smile vanished from Shen Jun’s face, replaced by a serious expression. “He was dismissed from office.”
In Great Chen, the scholar-officials ruled the land. Unless one committed a crime that outraged both gods and men, once the official cap was put on, it was very hard to take off.
Gu Huaiyu became even more intrigued.
Shen Jun’s voice dropped a few notches. “Before Wei Qingya entered the civil service, he deliberately starved his biological father to death. When the matter came to light years later, Grand Preceptor Dong personally submitted a memorial, requesting the Emperor dismiss him for the crime of ‘violating human ethics’ and ban him from ever holding office again.”
The smile on Gu Huaiyu’s lips faded a bit. “Oh? And you’re still recommending him to me?”
Shen Jun walked a few steps closer to the desk, leaning in toward the side of Gu Huaiyu’s face. He caught the scent of that ripe agarwood. He closed his eyes for a moment before continuing, “After Wei Qingya was dismissed, he went to the Jingnan District and opened a gambling house.”
Gu Huaiyu looked up at him.
“The gambling house specifically caters to the high-ranking nobility. With every drop of the tiles, gold and silver surge. He started with the gambling house, and now he is the secret owner of the largest bank in the capital. Rumor has it that the silver flowing through his accounts is like a sea, wealthy enough to rival a nation.”
As the Director of the Secretariat, Shen Jun was very familiar with the movements of officials in the capital.
Gu Huaiyu’s pockets were indeed empty. He reached out and lightly patted Shen Jun’s warm cheek. “Bring him to the Chancellery to see me tomorrow.”
Shen Jun leaned his body forward slightly. “If the Lord Chancellor wants to use this man, this is the most difficult part.”
“Hmm?”
“Wei Qingya is utterly disillusioned with the imperial court. When his official robes were stripped from him, he shouted at the palace gates—”
“‘The entire court is full of idiots! I’ve endured it for three years, and today I can finally say it comfortably—you lot aren’t even fit to stand in the same temple as me!'”
Gu Huaiyu laughed. He could tell this was a tough nut to crack. Although he was thirsty for financial talent, he wouldn’t tolerate someone pointing at his nose and cursing him.
“No matter. Go and invite him. Just say the Lord Chancellor is the one asking.”
Shen Jun nodded slightly. “I understand.”
He turned to leave, but then heard Gu Huaiyu call out hesitantly: “Shen Jun.”
Shen Jun paused and turned to bow. “Does the Lord Chancellor have further instructions?”
“Look up and look at me.”
Shen Jun slowly raised his head. The man sitting behind the desk had skin like snow and features like jade, with lips as red as cinnabar. The mink-trimmed robes framed that stunningly beautiful face; one extra look was enough to make one’s throat go dry.
But now, that beauty turned his head, narrowing his eyes as if asking casually, “Have you ever felt desire for me?”
Shen Jun’s pupils constricted violently. He suddenly slammed his knees to the ground and kowtowed. “My Lord’s majesty is like the sun and moon. How could I dare…”
Gu Huaiyu wanted to get to the bottom of the matter, pressing aggressively, “Is it that you don’t dare, or that you never have?”
Shen Jun’s forehead was pressed tightly against the carpet. In the shadows, his eyes shimmered with light. He closed his eyes before finally speaking. “I do not dare to have delusions about the Lord Chancellor. With your majesty above, I do not dare to harbor improper thoughts.”
The doubts in Gu Huaiyu’s heart lessened. Aside from Pei Jingyi, who had no boundaries, others probably didn’t feel lust for him.
Shen Jun hesitated for a moment, then suddenly looked up and asked, “I do not know why the Lord Chancellor asks this. Is it because the Emperor or General Pei has offended you?”
The Emperor?
What did this have to do with Yuan Zhuo?
Gu Huaiyu narrowed his eyes slightly. He carelessly pulled open his overlapping collar, revealing a stretch of snow-white neck. “Would you like to spend a night with me?”
“Speak the truth. I will not blame you.”
