Chapter 1239: A Woman Even Chen Guanlou Can't Beat

"A person fights for a breath, a Buddha fights for a stick of incense! Am I, Gu Yiyang, that bad? Although I don't have a degree, I've at least read books for so many years. Not to mention being erudite, at least I'm broad-minded and experienced; I still have some insights in the area of miscellaneous essays."

Gu Yiyang was fierce in appearance but weak in reality, clearly lacking confidence.

Chen Guanlou smiled but not quite. "Just to fight for a breath?"

"En!"

"You really have ambition!"

Gu Yiyang hummed twice, ultimately because of a lack of confidence, not refuting.

Chen Guanlou restrained himself a bit.

Considering the other party was treating him tonight, he had to be polite. He couldn't eat and then mock. That would be too shameless!

Gu Yiyang became happy in the blink of an eye, drinking happily. "When I get familiar with the Ministry of Rites, if you want to change places, come find me."

"Don't! Thanks! I don't plan to change places. If I really want to change places, the Hou Fu will arrange it for me."

"That's also true. You have the Hou Fu as a backer, so it's not my turn to worry. However, what's so good about the Heavenly Prison that you insist on nesting inside; don't you dislike it?"

"Making money, how could I dislike it? You forgot, I also earned a sum of money from you."

For a moment, the atmosphere was a bit awkward.

He knew how to kill a conversation.

After a long while, Gu Yiyang muttered, "There are plenty of places to make money; why insist on guarding the Heavenly Prison?"

"Naturally because it's easy, no need to worry about someone reporting it. Even if the capital is in chaos, it won't reach the Heavenly Prison."

Collecting money from prisoners in the Heavenly Prison is a matter of course, and it has been so since ancient times. Investigations wouldn't even reach the Heavenly Prison. Even if the Emperor came, he couldn't stop the prison guards from asking prisoners for money.

Besides, it wasn't taking it for nothing; taking money to help handle affairs is a matter of mutual consent, a fair transaction. There was no coercion or intimidation.

There was no way to report it.

Gu Yiyang had never thought about this problem; after this reminder, he suddenly realized. "No wonder. According to what you said, besides the poor environment and low status, the Heavenly Prison is really a good place."

"Then will you come?" Chen Guanlou smiled but not quite.

Gu Yiyang shook his head repeatedly, shaking like a rattle-drum.

He wasn't short of money; why would he degenerate himself to work in the Heavenly Prison? If his family knew, they would definitely break his legs, thinking he was shameful. He himself also felt it was shameful.

A noble son must have the style and pomp of a noble son; this is not only his own face but also the family's face.

When talking about marriage, having an official title might even allow him to climb up to a noble lady. Of course, the lower limit of his marriage was also higher than others' upper limits.

However, there were many brothers in the family, and they would compare with each other—comparing knowledge, comparing appearance and height, comparing favor, comparing wives, comparing the official positions of the wives' families, comparing the wives' dowries...

With many brothers, there were many contradictions.

If it weren't for the elders and the clan leader pressing down from above, they would have long since turned the sky upside down.

It looked more decent than the naked survival struggle between brothers in the countryside, but in reality, it was even more bloody and cruel. The damage without seeing blood, destroying a person from the body to the spirit, was more cruel than the mutual fighting that saw blood.

Gu Yiyang only had a brain that wasn't working well intermittently; it didn't mean he was stupid.

Having sat in the Heavenly Prison once, he could be considered to have made progress, knowing what he wanted, knowing how to fight for it, and even learning to fight for favor at home, calling himself poor every three days, plucking wool from the public account. If one hasn't suffered the bitterness of lacking money, one doesn't know how important money is.

He envied Chen Guanlou's means of making money, but he would absolutely not degenerate himself to earn that money. Unless, others took the initiative to send it to his door.

This is face!

Chen Guanlou smiled happily; he had seen many people like Gu Yiyang and had long since adapted well.

The two continued to eat and drink; anyway, they were wine and meat friends, chatting about wind, flowers, snow, and moon, and the night passed.

The Heavenly Prison was peaceful.

Wu She and the other three had long waited for the second court session.

Chen Guanlou occasionally ran to the Ministry of Justice to inquire about news, knowing that the fighting in the imperial court was fierce. Chen Guanfu and that group of military nobles were still very capable; the local officials responsible for transporting grain and fodder at the front were all arrested.

This move by the Marquis of Pingjiang could be said to be bloodless, and he had eliminated the civil officials who were eyesores and troublesome.

Impressive!

At first glance, Marquis Pingjiang seemed to be at a disadvantage. Once they started the contest in the capital, it became clear that he was just feigning weakness, which didn't mean he was truly weak. By cutting and striking, he made the best use of Wu She and the others as chess pieces, successfully achieving his goal while incidentally warning the Imperial Inspector.

No wonder Marquis Pingjiang, while disdaining the four of them, still demanded that their lives be preserved as much as possible.

This bunch of people really have sharp minds!

Court struggles are damn complicated!

The weather was getting colder, and after several consecutive days of rain, it seemed like everyone in the capital had caught a cold. Walking down the street, one could see adults and children with runny noses everywhere.

The Mu Family Clinic was busy; Mu Wenxu hadn't come to the Heavenly Prison for duty in many days, spending every day at the clinic treating patients. His niece, Su Rongrong, even ran over to the Mu Family Clinic to help.

That brat, she hadn't even married into the family yet, and she was already siding with the Mu family.

Chen Xiaolan was so angry she went to bring her home personally and gave her a sound thrashing.

Su Rongrong ran to Chen Guanlou, sobbing and complaining.

"Uncle, my mother is being unreasonable; please speak to her for me."

"How would I dare provoke your mother? Your mother even hits me!" Chen Guanlou was very cowardly. "Be a good girl, and don't go to the Mu family for a while. Once your mother's anger subsides, I'll put in a few good words for you."

Su Rongrong was disappointed in him. "Uncle, you're a Ninth-Rank warrior; how can you be afraid of my mother?"

"Don't talk about me being a Ninth-Rank warrior; even if I became an immortal one day, she would still be my sister. If she hits me, I have to take it. Don't bring me trouble; I don't want to be beaten at my age. Stop crying, here's money, go buy some fabric and make yourself some clothes."

In both his lifetimes, Chen Guanlou had only learned to use money to dismiss women.

Regardless of whether they were grown women or young girls, whenever they were crying, he would always use money to dismiss them.

Problems that can be solved with money are not big problems.

"Uncle, it's too much; I can't take it."

Chen Guanlou looked at the denomination of the banknote: one hundred taels. It was indeed too much for a young girl.

He felt around and fished out a ten-tael banknote from the crevice of his drawer. "This isn't much, take it."

Su Rongrong took the banknote.

Chen Guanlou started worrying again. "Is it enough to spend? Is ten taels a bit too little? You can't buy much with it."

"Ten taels is plenty; it's enough for my family's food expenses for three months." Su Rongrong thought to herself, no wonder Mother always says Uncle is spendthrift and has no plans.

"Young girls all love beauty; having money in hand keeps the heart calm. If you see clothes or jewelry you like, buy them if you have the money." Chen Guanlou always held the belief that both men and women should have money. He fished out a few more ten-tael banknotes and forcibly stuffed them into Su Rongrong's hands.

"Take them all! Don't tell your mother! Watch out, she might confiscate them. Be good next time and don't provoke her. She's going through menopause now, and her temper is irritable."

"What is menopause?"

"Ask your future husband; he's a physician, he understands!"

Chen Guanlou very irresponsibly dismissed her.