Chapter 1018: Blocking the Door

Several days had passed since the Prince of Chu was locked in the imperial prison.

Chen Chen Guanlou called Chen Quan over and asked, "How is the Prince of Chu?"

"Everything's normal. No screaming about wanting to die or anything. Just a poor appetite, no hunger. Maybe it's the summer heat getting to him!"

"He's locked in the great prison—what summer heat? The great prison is far cooler than it is out here."

Chen Quan's lips moved a few times. He gave an awkward laugh. "You're right, my lord. This one must have misjudged."

"Not necessarily wrong! That man is too emotional, too weighed down with thoughts! He's the type I least like dealing with. Back in the day with the Great Ming King, now that was what a proper rebel ought to look like. Unafraid of death, eating and drinking as he pleased, never forgetting the great cause of rebellion for a moment, always trying to lure others into taking up his work. Now look at the Prince of Chu—where does he resemble a serious rebel? If the two of them swapped places, who knows, maybe a whole different situation would have opened up."

Chen Quan: …

Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?

He could only bow his head and listen, not daring to speak half a word.

Far too treasonous!

Warden Chen has backers and connections, so naturally he isn't afraid. But he can't—he's just a small fry. Some things you can think, but you absolutely must not say them aloud.

"Then what should we do now?"

"What does Imperial Physician Mu say?"

"Imperial Physician Mu says it's not a problem for now. Once the weather cools and his appetite picks up, he can put the lost weight back on."

"Since Old Mu says it's nothing, we don't need to bother with him. Look after him properly. Don't be stingy with food and drink, don't skimp on the treatment he's owed. The man paid for it."

"Understood! Whatever crime he committed, he's still a member of the Daiyeshi Sect. I've already ordered the jailers below not to act rashly! Anyone who dares act rashly will be dealt with!"

"Very well! Send someone to keep a close eye on Li Shuan!"

"You still suspect him?"

"Should I not suspect him?"

Chen Quan was puzzled. "If you suspect him, my lord, why not transfer him away? For instance, move him to the third-class great prison. The ones locked up there are all riffraff from the three teachings and nine streams. Even if he killed someone there, it wouldn't affect the big picture."

Chen Chen Guanlou tapped the tabletop lightly, silent for a moment before saying, "There's something odd about Li Shuan. I suspect he has a background. What exactly that background is, I haven't figured out yet. Keeping him in the first-class great prison is also a way to see what he'll do. How does he usually behave?"

"By the book! Not outstanding, not stupid—middling, unremarkable."

"A private salt smuggler, and yet somehow unremarkable? With that brain of his, ten jailers combined wouldn't be his match. Clearly he's deliberately hiding his abilities, refusing to stand out."

Chen Quan added, "There's someone guarding the Prince of Chu's cell door every hour of the day. Even if Li Shuan wanted to do something, he'd have a hard time getting close."

"Better safe than sorry. In any case, send someone to keep a close watch on him."

"Yes, my lord!"

The Prince of Chu's appetite was poor, but as long as no one died or fell ill, Chen Chen Guanlou didn't bother with it. As for the matter the head steward had entrusted—don't rush, take it slow. First let the Prince of Chu get used to life in the imperial prison, let him go through the usual emotional ups and downs. When the timing was right, he'd go chat and gossip with the man himself.

He went deep into the great prison to visit Old Cai.

Old Cai had grown even older, his body increasingly useless.

"If you don't make an effort, you're going to die in prison. Truly content with that?" Chen Chen Guanlou asked.

Old Cai waved a hand, unconcerned, looking as though he'd long since made peace with life and death. "If I die, I die. I should've died decades ago."

"If you don't find someone to borrow some money, I'll take you out for some air, to get a bit of sun."

Deep in the great prison, there was only weak light; sunlight never reached it, summer or winter.

Decades without seeing the sun, and still alive—one had to admit, the man's vitality was remarkably stubborn, his body truly sturdy, able to endure such a long life of endless darkness.

"Who could I borrow money from, old man? Warden Chen, don't make jokes. In my condition, basking in the sun would probably kill me faster."

"Not necessarily. How about I have someone take a look at you, estimate your exact time of death."

"You…" Old Cai didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Never mind! A worthless life—won't trouble an imperial physician to make the trip."

"Fine then! Looks like you've got at least two or three years left. Whenever you figure it out, have a servant pass word along. Whether you've got money or not, you're going to die!"

Chen Chen Guanlou finished his inspection of the cells. With nothing to do, he went to the Ministry of Justice to mooch ice. He wanted Sun Sun Daoning to reimburse this year's ice expenses.

Ice prices had risen this year, more than doubling the ice expenditure. He wanted the Ministry of Justice to cover the overrun. Whether it worked or not, he'd try first. If it really couldn't be reimbursed, no loss.

He took various receipts and went to find Sun Sun Daoning.

But Sun Sun Daoning wasn't at the office—said to have gone to the imperial palace and not yet returned.

He asked around, "Did something happen that the Minister went to the imperial palace?"

"What else could it be? The rebel Prince of Chu business. How exactly to deal with him, whether to try him, how to try him—His Majesty must give the nod on this. Without His Majesty's nod, the man can only be kept locked up, and the Juan Sect paperwork can't be written."

"Just for this, making a special trip to the imperial palace? A round trip will take several days."

"Ain't that the truth. The Zhengshitang won't do its proper job, so the Minister has to make the trip himself."

"The Prince of Chu's family—I heard some are locked up in the Court of Imperial Prison. Aren't you afraid those black-hearted, ruthless people in the Court of Imperial Prison will kill them?"

"They wouldn't dare kill them! Without word from the palace, the Court of Imperial Prison wouldn't dare act rashly."

Chen Chen Guanlou spent half the day shooting the breeze with people at the Ministry of Justice, and even chatted for a while with his former superior, Little Fan Da Ren. He didn't leave the Ministry of Justice until quitting time.

When he got home, he saw a horse carriage blocking the doorway.

Who had come looking for him now?

Sister Sister Chunxiang stood at her own doorway, grabbed Chen Chen Guanlou and pulled him inside the gate, and whispered, "There's a Miss in the carriage, southern accent. When did you get to know a Miss from the south?"

So it wasn't the palace maid Bilu!

"A Miss from the south? I don't know any!"

Even if he really did know one, it'd be a girl from the pleasure quarter. Over there, money changes hands and that's that.

Besides, he never ran his mouth making any promises to the girls—no talk of buying their freedom, no talk of taking them into his household, no talk of "I'll protect you." He never said a word, not a single word. He only ever sought a moment's pleasure, never uttered a single half-true promise.

He knew some women were easily swept up, taking a man's words at face value without a second thought. Once trouble came, they'd remember those promises, clutch at them like a straw to save their lives, and come knocking at his door.

And then there were women who loved to fill in the blanks themselves—one casual word from a man, and they'd spin it into a whole love story: eternal devotion, growing old together, even the children's names all picked out.

He spent years running wild among the flowers, rich in experience, and would never make that kind of mistake.

Therefore, there was absolutely no reason for a pleasure-quarter girl to come knocking at his door.

"You really don't recognize her?" Sister Sister Chunxiang clearly didn't believe him, suspecting he had been fooling around outside again and brought trouble home.

"I really don't recognize any Miss from the south."

His last trip south had been to kill Wang Wu. Once it was done, his mood was foul, so he went straight back to Jingcheng without lingering at all, and hadn't even so much as petted a cat or teased a dog.

"I'll go say hello first, sound her out."

"Have a nice chat! That Miss looks young and pretty—good wife material. When opportunity comes knocking, you have to seize it."

Chen Chen Guanlou didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Seize what?!

Stop talking nonsense.