Chapter 81: Are You Into Men Too?! Part 3

“Then, the Chancellor’s decree arrived, and the grain prices plummeted. Those merchants who had traveled thousands of miles could neither ship the grain back nor bear to sell it at a loss…”

“So, this official…”

At this point, Wei Qingya straightened up and made a “please” gesture with a smile. “In the name of disaster relief, I used the treasury funds to buy up all the grain in their hands. Once the price stabilized, I turned it around and sold it, making a net profit of three hundred thousand taels.”

Gu Huaiyu’s eyes lit up at the sound of a heavy coin purse.

Wei Qingya was exceptionally clever, adding at just the right moment, “All of this money has been sent to the Chancellor’s private treasury. This official did not take a single cent.”

This was the most pleasing thing Gu Huaiyu had heard in days.

Even if those other troublesome subordinates were all thinking of climbing into his bed, at least this one before him was only thinking of stuffing gold into his pockets.

He set down the scroll, a warm smile playing on his lips as he praised, “Qingya, you are my Deng Tong.”

(T/N: Deng Tong was a famous historical favorite of an Emperor, granted a copper mine and immense wealth.)

Wei Qingya looked up directly at Gu Huaiyu. His throat moved as if he wanted to say something, but he ultimately smiled. “To be able to share the Lord Chancellor’s burdens is the blessing of three lifetimes for Qingya.”

Seeing that he was still kneeling, Gu Huaiyu waved a wide sleeve. “Qingya, rise.”

Then, he turned to an attendant. “Bring my private collection of Wuyi tea.”

Receiving such an honor, Wei Qingya didn’t look surprised. Instead, his expression flickered with something unreadable, and he remained on the ground.

Gu Huaiyu assumed he was simply being overly formal. He stood up, walked over to the man, and reached down to help him up. “Are your legs numb? There is no need for such—”

The words died in Wei Qingya’s ear.

The sudden scent of incense from Gu Huaiyu made Wei Qingya’s breath hitch. He stared blankly at the jade-like face so close to his own, instinctively allowing Gu Huaiyu to pull him up.

Gu Huaiyu noticed a thin layer of sweat on the man’s forehead, as if he were harboring some difficult secret. Amused, Gu Huaiyu pulled a silk handkerchief from his sleeve to lightly pat it dry. “Qingya, you were born in the sixth year of Longping? That makes you two years older than me.”

Wei Qingya’s sweat intensified, and a flush crept up his pale cheeks. He could only respond mechanically, “The Chancellor… is young and promising…”

“What I mean to say is—” Gu Huaiyu saw the sweat wasn’t stopping, so he simply handed the handkerchief to him. “Since you are older than me, stop calling me ‘Lord Chancellor.'”

Wei Qingya subconsciously grasped the soft fabric.

Gu Huaiyu didn’t move any closer, his shimmering eyes making it hard for anyone to look away. “In private, you may call me Huaiyu. Calling me ‘Lord Chancellor’ is too distant.”

Something buzzed in Wei Qingya’s mind. He blurted out, “…Just like General Pei?”

Gu Huaiyu found the question strange, but he nodded with a smile. “What, are you unwilling to be close to me?”

Wei Qingya was more than willing, but no matter how much his composure slipped, he knew such good fortune didn’t come without a catch.

He suddenly took a few steps back, steadying his racing heart. “This official has one more mistake to confess.”

The smile in Gu Huaiyu’s eyes instantly froze.

He was far too familiar with this expression. Xie Shaoling had looked like this when talking about “Master Plum,” and Shen Jun had looked the same when talking about “blasphemy.”

“What…” His eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as he asked coldly, “Are you into men too?!”

Truly, the people before him had ruined the path for those following.

Wei Qingya saw the change in his expression and could easily guess what had happened with the others. He could only give a bitter laugh. “This official made an error in the ledgers a few days ago and almost under-reported a portion of the military pay. I ask for the Chancellor’s punishment.”

Gu Huaiyu had truly been startled. His tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly. “Why so serious, Qingya? Such a small matter…”

“The Chancellor is magnanimous.”

Wei Qingya bowed and took his leave with a smile.

Compared to Xie Shaoling, who worked like he was on stimulants, or the calculating Shen Jun, Wei Qingya wasn’t in a hurry. As a businessman, he understood one thing best: to squeeze out the competition, one had to first prepare enough capital.

If three hundred thousand taels wasn’t enough, he would just earn three million. As long as the Ministry of Revenue’s golden abacus was in his hands, was he really afraid he couldn’t catch Gu Huaiyu’s eye?