These words were plain and simple, yet deeply earnest in every sentence.
Yuwei had not yet managed to calm her emotions, and upon hearing this, her eyes instantly turned red as tears spilled over her lashes.
She raised her hand to wipe away her tears, her voice choked with emotion yet filled with certainty: “Master will definitely return safe and sound! From today onwards, you are one of us at Fan Lou, a brother who has shared adversity with us!”
Lou Tingxue looked at the young man before him and said, “We will all remember this kindness.”
Lowering his gaze to the account book in his hands, he added, “Your name is Su Nian’an. It says here that three years ago, you treated Zhu Dongfeng to a bowl of plain tea, so he owes you three copper coins.”
The young man’s face flushed red, so embarrassed that he didn’t know what to say.
Miss Yuwei, however, felt a deep wave of sentiment and said, “Three years ago? That was when Master had just arrived in Da Liang. Master left his homeland, determined to make a name for himself here. He was penniless back then, and it was fortunate that Boss Su helped him out.”
She looked at Lou Tingxue and continued, “This account book was recorded stroke by stroke by Master himself, so there is definitely no mistake.”
Lou Tingxue smiled faintly and closed the ledger.
Looking at Su Nian’an in front of him, he said, “Although I don’t know what business you are running now, you used to run a tea house. Perhaps you are facing some difficulties at the moment, so I will take it upon myself to give you some money to help you through this rough patch.”
As he spoke, Lou Tingxue pulled a gold ingot from the chest and pushed it in front of Su Nian’an.
Su Nian’an’s eyes immediately reddened with emotion. “This… thank you, Young Master!”
After seeing off the young man, Yuwei stepped into the sunset and returned to the inner hall of Fan Lou.
The moment she entered, she paced back and forth in excitement, saying, “This man is truly the most loyal person I have ever met in Da Liang! His long robe was washed until it faded, yet his backbone is sturdier than anyone else’s! When everyone else wanted to leave, he was the only one willing to stay!”
Yuwei wished she could recount the young man’s virtues ten times over.
Lou Tingxue didn’t even raise his head. “You’ve only met him once. How do you know he is really that kind of person?”
Yuwei argued, “For him to speak such words just now, his character certainly can’t be bad!”
Having finished calculating the accounts, Lou Tingxue closed the ledger, raised his eyes to look at her, and said, “Humans are different from animals; humans excel at disguise. Do you know his true purpose in coming here today? It isn’t what he claimed at all—just like the rest of them, he came here for money.”
At those words, Yuwei froze completely.
She stood frozen on the spot, as if unable to comprehend his words. “Young Master Lou, what are you talking about?”
“His clothes are old and worn, the cuffs are frayed at the edges, and the cloth belt at his waist is loosely tied—at a single glance, you can tell he is broke.” Lou Tingxue’s gaze fixed on Yuwei’s face. “Furthermore, his shoes are tattered and severely worn down at the soles, with mud stains on the tips. He clearly just traveled a long distance on foot, or perhaps he just suffered a complete business failure.”
Yuwei listened in dazed silence, her mind in complete disarray. “But he said he was willing to stay and help!”
Lou Tingxue dismissed it even more casually: “Talk is cheap, yet he hasn’t lifted a finger to actually do anything. Anyone can speak pretty words, and anyone can offer icing on the cake.”
“He cannot produce large sums of money, nor does he have powerful backing, so in truth, he cannot help Zhu Dongfeng with anything at all. The only thing he can offer is this stance of ‘never abandoning in times of crisis.’ He is gambling on Zhu Dongfeng’s safety, gambling that Fan Lou can weather the storm.”
Lou Tingxue looked at Yuwei and said, “Once Zhu Dongfeng returns safely and Fan Lou rises again, his ‘favor’ today will translate into boundless profits. Even if he loses the gamble, he merely ran a few errands around Fan Lou at no real loss to himself. It is a very clever bargain.”
Yuwei was completely stunned, rendered speechless for a long time.
She opened her mouth, only to realize that every single point of Lou Tingxue’s analysis was entirely accurate. She felt that her tears of emotion earlier were nothing short of a joke.
Instantly turning embarrassed and furious, Yuwei said, “Young Master, why didn’t you expose him just now! This man looks down on Master far too much, actually treating this friendship as a gambling chip. To harbor such deep scheming… it makes me sick just thinking about it!”
As she spoke, she turned to walk outside, adding, “I’ll go drag him back right now and demand to know what malicious intent he truly has!”
However, Lou Tingxue called back the furious Yuwei: “As the saying goes, ‘Judge a gentleman by his actions, not his motives; if judged by motives, there are no saints in this world.’ There is no need for you to dig into what he was truly thinking. Whether he came with a gambler’s mindset or out of genuine remembrance of old times, while everyone else abandoned Fan Lou today, he chose to stay. That alone is enough.”
At these words, everyone fell silent.
Lin Shi and Wen Xiao nodded in unison: “Young Master Lou said it well! Although we don’t quite understand it all, Young Master Lou sounds no different from how Master speaks on ordinary days. From this, it’s clear you two are truly a match made in heaven!”
Lou Tingxue was caught off guard—how did this suddenly get dragged back to Zhu Dongfeng again?!
He lowered his eyes to look at the account book in his hands and remarked, “Zhu Dongfeng is quite a figure. In just three years, he went from having not a single penny to becoming the wealthiest man under heaven. The connections and resources he accumulated over these three years—stretching from wealthy merchants and tycoons down to foot peddlers and servants—have truly opened my eyes.”
Anxious about Zhu Dongfeng’s safety, Yuwei asked, “Can these people actually help Master right now?”
Lou Tingxue replied, “Of course they can.”
Recalling the Vice Censor-in-Chief he had seen a few days prior, he immediately made up his mind.
“We are going to see the Vice Censor-in-Chief, Shen Yanzhi,” Lou Tingxue said.
Before long, Lou Tingxue stood before the vermilion-lacquered main gate of the Shen Manor.
He wore a moon-white long robe with a trace of dust clinging to the cuffs, clearly having rushed all the way here.
“Please inform your master that I wish to see Lord Shen, the Vice Censor-in-Chief,” Lou Tingxue said to the gatekeeper servant before him.
Hearing this, the servant went inside to report, but when he returned, a awkward expression covered his face. “Forgive me, Young Master. My master is buried in official business today and explicitly ordered not to receive outside visitors. Please return another day.”
Having said this, the servant turned to withdraw, even moving to shut the heavy vermilion doors, adopting an explicit posture of turning guests away.
Lou Tingxue took a step forward, gently pressing his hand against the door leaf. “Lord Shen holds a high position in the imperial court and is busy with affairs. He might not be in the manor right now, but I must see him today.”
Yuwei was anxious beyond belief. “Master is in grave danger, and right now, Lord Shen is our only hope. Please, convey our message once more!”
Though the servant felt a touch of pity, he still pulled the doors shut, saying, “His Lordship explicitly said he will see no one. Heavy snow is falling today, cold enough to freeze one’s soul away. You had better head back quickly.”
The vermilion doors closed tightly, shutting them out.
A sudden gust of freezing wind blew past, causing Lou Tingxue to sneeze from the chill.
Although Yuwei cared deeply about Zhu Dongfeng’s safety, she could not bear to see Lou Tingxue suffer either. “Forget it, the snow is heavy today. Young Master Lou, please return with us first. It won’t be too late to come back another day.”
Yet Lou Tingxue didn’t move an inch. “No. Today, I am definitely going to wait until I see him.”
He was true to his word. As heavy snow fluttered down, nearly burying them in white, the servants outside the Shen Manor changed shifts twice, their gazes toward them gradually shifting into admiration.
After roughly the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the manor doors finally opened slowly.
A maidservant walked out briskly, bowing her hands toward Lou Tingxue in a polite greeting: “Young Master has waited long. His Lordship invites you inside.”
Lou Tingxue’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly.
However, his legs had long gone numb from the cold. The moment he took a step forward, he stumbled, nearly collapsing to the ground.
“Young Master, be careful!” Yuwei hurriedly supported him.
Lou Tingxue reached out to grab a nearby pillar, his fingertips clutching so tightly they turned white before he managed to steady his frame.
Knitting his brows slightly, he composed himself, then stepped into the Shen Manor step by step. After passing through several courtyards, he finally saw Shen Yanzhi in the study.
At this moment, Lou Tingxue’s hair was slightly disheveled and his robe was dusted with snow, yet his gaze remained firm—a breathtakingly captivating sight.
Shen Yanzhi sat upright behind the writing desk, looking at Lou Tingxue without a word.
Lou Tingxue suddenly stumbled forward a step, his voice raspy as he spoke: “Lord Shen, right now, you are the only one who can save Zhu Dongfeng!”
Coming back to his senses, Shen Yanzhi looked at Lou Tingxue and said helplessly, “Young Master Lou, it isn’t that I am unwilling to save him. It’s just that Zhu Dongfeng is implicated in a case of smuggling private salt. The evidence is conclusive, and His Imperial Majesty is already thunderously enraged. This matter has created an uproar across the court—no one can save him.”
These words were like a bucket of ice water poured mercilessly over everyone’s hearts.
Yuwei instantly grew furious and anxious, her body swaying slightly. “Master never touched the salt business in the past! He must have been framed!”
Recalling the three salt merchants from a few days ago, she added, “Those three salt merchants colluded to sell private salt! Master stole their business, so they framed him out of revenge!”
Shen Yanzhi let out a sigh, his eyes filled with helplessness. “This matter requires His Majesty to believe it first.”
Lin Shi, standing to the side, asked, “Is there truly no leeway left in this matter?”
Shen Yanzhi replied, “Those three have long framed all evidence of private salt trading under Zhu Dongfeng’s name. Now, the entire court believes that Zhu Dongfeng was smuggling private salt. Even if I have the mind to help, I am powerless.”
Having reached this point, there was no longer any need for further words; Shen Yanzhi made it clear that he had no intention of getting involved in this affair.
Feigning grief, Lou Tingxue said, “Forget it… It seems we truly cannot save Boss Zhu.”
He let out a sigh and slowly lowered his eyes, glistening tear-drops shimmering in his lashes looking so thoroughly pitiable and endearing that who could possibly bear to make him sad?
Seeming unable to bear it, Shen Yanzhi suddenly spoke up: “Young Master Lou shares a deep friendship with Boss Zhu. Since that is the case, I will allow you to visit him in the prison so that you two may say a proper farewell.”
At these words, Lou Tingxue couldn’t help but look up at him.
Shen Yanzhi added, “However, the prison is a heavily guarded place. You must not linger long, nor can you mention the details of the case for others to overhear. Young Master Lou must keep this strictly in mind.”
Lou Tingxue had merely been put on an act, never expecting it would actually yield this result.
He didn’t actually want to see Zhu Dongfeng, but he harbored doubts in his heart, and making a trip wouldn’t hurt. Thus, pretending to be overwhelmed with gratitude, he said, “Thank you, Lord Shen! We will never forget such immense kindness and virtue!”
Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lou Tingxue followed the jailer and rushed to the prison.
The prison was dark and damp, the air thick with the stench of mold and rust. And right inside the cell for death-row inmates stood a tall and straight figure.