Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 289 The Dispute over the Ministry of Revenue
"Lu Huai, after careful consideration, if that woman with the mole is related to Jiang Liuyun, then Zixiaofang might not be safe either," Lin Zhiqing said thoughtfully.
"I will first write to Yan Yu and ask him to investigate the activities of this woman with the mole in Yongqing. In the meantime, Zixiaofang will need you to keep an eye on things."

"Don't worry about this," Lu Huai agreed.

"It shouldn't affect your official duties, right?" Lin Zhiqing asked with some concern. "If you have other matters to attend to, just prioritize those."

“I have indeed been busy lately, but this matter is somewhat related to the Zhenyuan Marquis's residence.” Lu Huai placed the portrait of the woman with the mole in Lin Zhiqing's hands:
"The reason why the matter of erasing the records of the imperial gifts from the Lin family went so smoothly was because Xu Yuansui, the Minister of Revenue, had a grudge against the Minister of War."

"The six ministers appear to be independent, but in reality they are closely related and check each other."

"Lord Xu has a past relationship with my father and is a pure minister who dislikes playing power games."

"But the Minister of War and the Marquis of Zhenyuan's mansion are in cahoots. In the past, the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue only had friction over the distribution of grain and fodder, but there was no major conflict between them."

"Until Uncle Lin's treasonous act was brought up again, Lord Xu reviewed the grain records left by the previous Minister of Revenue and discovered some discrepancies."

"Lord Xu suspects there's something wrong with the grain sent to the border earlier, and the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion is also involved in this matter. My help to you this time is also to indirectly investigate the grain issue."

Lu Huai made no attempt to conceal anything and revealed everything about the Ministry of Revenue.

Lin Zhiqing's brows furrowed with disgust: "Supplies are the foundation of war. The Marquis of Zhenyuan's mansion has committed such a heinous act; they deserve to die."

After saying that, she seemed to have thought of something and asked with some doubt, "However, you should have many people above you, so why did this matter fall on your shoulders?"

"Could it be because of the destruction of the records of the imperial gifts bestowed upon the Lin family? Did Lord Xu pressure you?"

Lu Huai was amused by her: "Oppression? That's not the case. Don't worry, this matter has nothing to do with the Lin family."

"Besides, don't you think Lord Xu assigned me to this task simply because I'm clever?"

Hearing this, Lin Zhiqing smiled.
"You're not humble at all."

As she spoke, she took out paper and pen, leaned over the table to write a letter to Yan Yu, and kept asking for news as she spoke:
"However, I heard that Lord Xu Yuansui is about to retire and return to his hometown. He has no sons and no one to inherit his position. Do you know who will take over the position of Minister of Revenue?"

"Is it the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue or the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue?"

Lu Huai smiled faintly, but a hint of worry lingered between his brows: "I don't know."

Lin Zhiqing was engrossed in writing a letter and didn't notice Lu Huai's facial expression. He replied:

"I just hope it's someone who has no grudge against the Lin family. There are far too few people in the court who support the Lin family."

"Yes, it will be." Lu Huai's gaze was extremely gentle.

Their eyes met, a tacit understanding unspoken between them.

"Ahem." After a brief eye contact, Lin Zhiqing looked away first: "It's been a long time since I've seen Nan Yue. Has she been busy lately?"

The topic shift was a bit abrupt, but Lu Huai still answered very seriously: "She's been quite busy lately, so the Lu Family Clinic can't stay open."

"She thought of those people who couldn't afford medical treatment and wanted to reopen a clinic."

"Reopening? Have preparations already begun?" Lin Zhiqing had been busy investigating Aunt Mu's matter these past few days and hadn't paid attention to this.
"The Lu Family Clinic couldn't open because you directly helped the Lin Family last time. Even if the clinic reopens, the higher-ups probably won't let Nan Yue continue operating peacefully."

“It's not ready yet. She knows it won't be open for long, but she can't let go of those people.” Lu Huai smiled.

"It's alright. The Lu family has deep pockets. If they close again, they can just reopen."

Well... having money means you can do whatever you want.

Lin Zhiqing pursed her lips slightly: "I do have an idea, but I don't know if it's feasible." "Tell me about it?" Lu Huai became interested.

“You know the business of Jianxintang. Several officials need to be treated there, so as long as the Lin family doesn’t encounter any major problems, they shouldn’t collapse,” Lin Zhiqing said slowly.

Thinking of the officials, including the Grand Protector, who supported the retrial of Lin Congrong's case in the imperial court, Lu Huai suddenly realized what was going on.

He had previously wondered why Taibao, a person who disliked the Lin family, would side with them.

In retrospect, the usefulness of the philosophy of mind is indeed immense.

“Jianxintang is indeed stable.” Lu Huai nodded.

Lin Zhiqing leaned forward: "You know I've been very busy lately, and I don't have the time or energy to manage Jianxintang. What do you think about me buying the shop next door and letting Nanyue open a regular clinic there?"

"On the surface, the clinic is under my name and belongs to the same lineage as Jianxintang, so the higher-ups can't touch it. But behind the scenes, the ordinary clinic still belongs to Nanyue."

"While she runs her regular clinic, she can help me look after Jianxintang, how about that?"

Although the amount of information was substantial, Lu Huai quickly grasped Lin Zhiqing's meaning. He pondered for a moment:
"I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but I still need to ask my sister's opinion on this matter."

“Of course.” Lin Zhiqing’s eyes sparkled: “If Nan Yue agrees, as a thank you for looking after Jianxintang, I can give her 10% of the profits every month.”

In an instant, Lin Zhiqing had already come up with a plan in her mind, feeling that she should be thorough in every aspect.

Unexpectedly, Lu Huai refused her outright: "No, this is equivalent to you helping my sister, so there's no question of giving her any benefits."

"Let's keep things separate. Leaving aside what you've done for me these past few days, Nan Yue has gone to great lengths; a ten percent profit is nothing." Lin Zhiqing didn't see anything wrong with it.
"Besides, I wouldn't say that if I didn't have money. I'm a fairly well-off woman now, although I can't compare to you, I can still afford to give you a 10% interest."

“It’s no problem for you to look after Jianxintang. I’ll tell my sister about opening a clinic, and she can make the decision.” Lu Huai didn’t say anything more.

But Lin Zhiqing noticed the hesitation on his face and asked directly, "Do you still have some concerns?"

Lu Huai did have some reservations: "My sister has no problem with management skills, but she is really generous when it comes to the people."

"If things go smoothly, I will make up for the losses incurred by Jianxintang." He was worried that Lin Zhiqing would lose money.

Lin Zhiqing didn't expect Lu Huai to care about this. She chuckled and said, "What's the big deal? Most people really do have a hard life."

"Some things have to be done by someone."

At this point, she jokingly added, "Lord Lu, you don't believe in the capabilities of my Jianxin Hall!"

Lu Huai had rarely seen such a bright smile on Lin Zhiqing's face recently, and he couldn't help but smile back.

"Master, Master!"

Yun Feng's anxious voice suddenly came from outside, breaking the momentary silence.

Lu Huai snapped out of his reverie, remembering that he still had things to do, and his smile faded somewhat.

He turned to say goodbye to Lin Zhiqing, but Lin Zhiqing spoke first:

"Go ahead and do what you need to do. The news you brought tonight is enough."

"Leave the rest to me."