Upon his return to China in 1925, Zeng was named to the Kuomintang Central Committee and a political operative of the National Revolutionary Army.

Zeng also served as deputy minister of the Agriculture and Mineral Resources.

As director of the Zhejiang Provincial Infrastructure Department, Zeng oversaw several construction projects including the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Railway [zh] and the Qiantang River Bridge.

He assumed the mayoralty of Guangzhou between 1936 and 1938, before taking office as transportation and communications minister in 1942.

After resigning the office in 1945 for health reasons, Zeng was elected to the Legislative Yuan in 1948.