Chapter 141: I Am Greedy for Life and Afraid of Death

"Even if what you say makes sense, so what? I'm just a lowly jailer—matters of nobles and royalty aren't for me to worry about."

Chen Guanlou adopted an unyielding stance, clearly telling Yu Zhaoan not to scheme against him—he wouldn't fall for it. Even if it were true, what difference did it make? The Second Young Master's virtues or vices wouldn't interfere with his duties.

Yu Zhaoan pointed at Chen Guanlou, looking utterly enraged.

He furiously shouted:

"You—you—you… you treat my kindness as donkey's liver and gallbladder. How dare you! Don't you know I'm saving your life? After all this time together, I thought you had some merit—clever enough to be worth warning. That's why I've gone out of my way to tell you the truth: don't trust the Second Young Master, don't let yourself be tricked, or you'll lose your life. Yet you can't recognize a good man—you misunderstand my intentions. You're downright deserving of death."

Yu Zhaoan flew into a rage, wishing to tear Chen Guanlou apart with five horses.

How dare this piece of trash question him?

His fury, stoked by being untrusted, erupted instantly—his third-rank power surged forth. The pressure alone made prisoners in the neighboring cells cry out in pain.

Chen Guanlou could have easily resisted, but feared exposing himself—he feigned unbearable agony instead. As long as his secret remained hidden, he'd endure anything.

He clung to the bars, on the verge of collapsing, when Yu Zhaoan finally withdrew his power.

Chen Guanlou gasped for breath, sweat pouring from his brow.

He silently sighed: Acting is exhausting.

Yu Zhaoan crouched beside him, feigning concern: "See? I could've killed you easily, yet I patiently warned you, pleaded with you, told you the truth—afraid you'd be murdered without knowing why. But you? You'd rather believe that fraud, the Second Young Master, than trust me. Unthinkable. Chen Tou, tell me—should I punish you?"

Chen Guanlou turned his head and sneered: "May I ask, my lord, how exactly do you intend to punish me?"

His gaze infuriated Yu Zhaoan further: "Chen Guanlou, don't be ungrateful. I have countless ways to deal with you."

Chen Guanlou stood, brushed the dust off his clothes, and said: "Why play the hypocrite, Lord Yu? If you want to punish me, go ahead—no one can stop you. But who to thank, what to do—I'll judge for myself. Still, I thank you for your kind warning; it showed me the true depths of human nature. I'm just a lowly jailer—what merit do I have to warrant the concern of two noble lords? After careful thought, the only way I can repay their favor is by doing my duty well. Goodbye."

"Chen Guanlou, when your head rolls, you'll remember my kindness. I'll be waiting for that day."

Yu Zhaoan, seething with resentment, roared.

Chen Guanlou laughed heartily and, as usual, gave him the middle finger.

Yu Zhaoan stomped in fury, powerless to act—only waiting, waiting for the next chance, the next opportunity to properly mock Chen Guanlou.

In his mind, this brat Chen Guanlou would eventually die at the Second Young Master's hands. Nobles never had a good bone in their bodies. The Second Young Master had been steeped in such ways for years—he wouldn't be an exception.

Yu Zhaoan's words confirmed one thing for Chen Guanlou again: none of the prisoners in the Heavenly Prison could be trusted. All were utterly corrupt.

All crows are black—the world has no good souls.

He carried on with his duties as usual, and when free, he drank with Master Du.

"With the Great Lord leading troops into battle, can we still keep doing business?"

Since tasting the thrill of great wealth, Master Du couldn't let go. With the Great Lord gone, their income stream was cut. No wonder he looked so anxious—even fine yellow wine tasted bland, and the fine dishes on the table were wasted.

Chen Guanlou ate and drank as usual, undisturbed.

He told Master Du not to worry so much—when the cart reaches the mountain, a path will appear.

"The Great Lord is only going to war—he won't stay away forever. I heard the old Emperor ordered him to move quickly and crush the rebels. This campaign won't last long—it'll end soon."

Chen Guanlou drank his wine, contentedly.

Two days ago, the Great Lord led three thousand troops from the Capital Garrison, officially setting out.

Originally, he'd planned to select five thousand soldiers, but the old Emperor pressed urgently, and the Ministry of War and Ministry of Revenue delivered supplies and funds efficiently.

All was ready except the east wind.

Forced by circumstances, the Great Lord could only lead three thousand troops to Jinzhou to quell the rebels and repay the Emperor's grace.

Alongside his few hundred personal guards, the Great Lord took with him over a dozen young men from the Chen clan.

These Chen clan members followed the Great Lord solely to earn military merit and secure their futures. With good fortune, they might even secure titles and honors for their families.

The Great Lord's campaign was a monumental blessing for the Chen clan. If they won, if they fought well, if they shone, the entire Chen clan would rise with him—everyone rejoicing.

But what if they lost?

No one had ever considered that question.

In everyone's mind, the Great Lord could not lose. The court could not lose.

If they lost, the Great Qian Dynasty would collapse.

The Great Qian Dynasty was at its zenith, ruled by a sage monarch—how could it lose?

Previous defeats were due to weak border troops, fragmented command, and no strong leader.

Now, with the Great Lord leading, he would unify the local forces and deliver a crushing blow to the rebels—finally ending the rebellion in Jinzhou.

Not only the Chen clan believed this—most of the capital did too. They had full confidence in the Great Lord's campaign. Some even exaggeratedly began celebrating victory in advance.

"I only hope the Great Lord finishes the war quickly and returns to the capital so our business can resume. Tell me, you're also surnamed Chen—everyone else follows the Great Lord to chase their futures, yet you cling to your jailer's post. If you'd only mentioned it to him, he'd have promoted you. A military career is far better than guarding a prison."

Master Du was always nagging.

Chen Guanlou had long grown tired of such complaints about his lack of ambition.

He didn't mind—he knew Master Du meant well.

He laughed heartily: "I'm a coward—I dare not go to the battlefield. Master, don't tease me."

"You're a coward?"

Master Du looked as if he'd never met Chen Guanlou before, then burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Hahaha… you call yourself a coward? I've never met anyone braver than you."

Chen Guanlou laid it bare: "Alright, I'm not brave—I'm just greedy for life and afraid of death. I won't go to the battlefield. Master, I told you the truth—don't laugh at me."

"Truly greedy for life and afraid of death?" Master Du was skeptical—he felt Chen Guanlou was just tricking him.