Chapter 1474: The conservative faction is still too radical

Chen Guanlou had a bit of a headache.

He admired Magistrate Ding's spirit of refusing to give up and firmly seeking to live despite being trapped in a desperate situation.

But he didn't like the look of the other party.

The other party wasn't ugly, but his face definitely didn't belong to a good person.

He admitted he had the bad habit of judging people by their appearance, but he was determined not to change it.

"Magistrate Ding, if you were truly innocent, that would be one thing, and I would help you. But you are a death-row inmate! The Ministry of Justice has already passed judgment! The charges are nailed down, the evidence is conclusive. Don't give me that nonsense about not admitting guilt. I've seen at least five thousand corrupt officials, and every single one claimed they were innocent, yet not one of them was."

"Twenty thousand taels, how about that?" Magistrate Ding couldn't be bothered to argue and stated his price directly.

Chen Guanlou remained unmoved. "You should just accept your fate! Not having your nine generations executed is already an extra act of grace. Don't be ungrateful!"

"Is the Ministry of Justice raiding my home also considered an act of grace?"

"Shouldn't your home be raided?" Chen Guanlou laughed in anger. "Magistrate Ding, you are too self-righteous. You climbed up from the bottom, so you decided you represent the bottom, and therefore shouldn't die! Ask yourself, isn't that nonsense! Everyone knows what you're thinking in your heart!"

"Twenty-five thousand taels, help me out. I will remember your kindness for the rest of my life!" Magistrate Ding increased the stakes again.

Chen Guanlou sneered. "I don't care if you remember my kindness! A person like you might turn hostile and report me someday!"

"I swear, I will never report you. If I report you, may I be worse than a pig or dog, struck by lightning, and die without a burial place!" Magistrate Ding raised his hand and swore.

In this era, swearing had a certain binding force and credibility.

However, Chen Guanlou did not trust Magistrate Ding.

He had seen many people like this; they were typical egoists, everything could be used "for me"! They would stop at nothing to achieve their goals, fawning on superiors and being harsh to subordinates! They called each other brothers to their faces, but behind their backs, they were full of underhanded tricks. They were more ruthless than anyone when it came to stabbing their own brothers in the back!

This kind of person was a venomous snake, always waiting for an opportunity to strike!

Chen Guanlou didn't dare to let the other party go.

"I don't believe in oaths, swearing is useless!" Chen Guanlou said lightly, dismissing the other party.

Magistrate Ding was so angry his eyes turned black and his heart ached.

"Jiang Jiang Yucheng Chen, what must I do for you to help me? Is it not enough that I offer money?"

Chen Guanlou smiled mockingly. "Magistrate Ding, if you weren't so aggressive, I might have helped you out of convenience. But you... to be honest, helping you is a huge risk. Change your request, and I'll charge you a little less. How about that?"

"I just want to live!" Magistrate Ding was on the verge of a breakdown. Why was this person so stubborn, why wouldn't he take money when it was offered? Could it be that his money smelled worse than others'? Did the other party look down on him?

"Jiang Jiang Yucheng Chen, why won't you help me? Did I offend you in some way?" He asked humbly for advice.

Chen Guanlou smiled and said, as if joking: "I don't like the look of you; does that count as you offending me?"

Magistrate Ding stammered, looking bewildered, completely unable to understand.

He subconsciously touched his cheeks; was he hideous to look at, or incredibly ugly?

"Is it that I'm ugly to you?" Magistrate Ding muttered to himself, unable to believe it.

Chen Guanlou hummed. "It's not that ugly! Be quiet, change your request, and maybe I'll agree to help you."

"I'm about to die, what other requests could I have."

Magistrate Ding instantly withered, sitting on the bed board in a decadent manner, looking like he had lost all hope. He looked very aggrieved!

Chen Guanlou reminded him again, "There's only half a month left before the execution ground, Magistrate Ding, seize the opportunity, don't hesitate. Once you've thought it through, tell the prison guard, and I will come to see you again."

After speaking, he turned and left, continuing his patrol of the prison cells.

Recently, a heavyweight official had arrived at the Heavenly Prison: Cao Song, a Minister of the Secretariat!

Minister Cao gave the impression of being somewhat rigid and conservative; he belonged to the conservative faction in the imperial court and was also the leader of the Chu Party. His ancestral home was not far from the fief of the "Prince of Chu."

Back then, when the Prince of Chu rebelled, many people in his family died. His elderly mother hanged herself in the main hall, and he swore in the imperial court that he and the Prince of Chu were irreconcilable! He was a firm member of the anti-Chu faction!

Later, when the Prince of Chu was destroyed, he even improvised a poem, and Emperor Jian Shi called him a pillar of the state to his face, treating him as a trusted confidant.

However, this pair of monarch and subject had been in a stalemate since the second half of last year.

At the beginning of this year, they had a complete falling out.

The reason lay in the four words "rigid and conservative."

Seeing that it was already the tenth year of Jian Shi, and the Emperor still had no intention of naming a Crown Prince, Minister Cao became anxious. He was so anxious he was burning up.

He submitted memorials several times, requesting the Emperor to name an heir. And he mobilized officials in the court to force the Emperor to name an heir.

Moreover, he demanded that the Third Imperial Prince must be named.

Because the Third Imperial Prince was the legitimate son, he was justified and had more legitimacy than all the other princes!

He was clearly the leader of the Third Imperial Prince's faction.

Did the Third Imperial Prince appreciate it?

It is said that at the beginning, when it was just a small scuffle, he appreciated it.

Later, when the commotion grew large, making Emperor Jian Shi very dissatisfied, the Third Imperial Prince was impatient to distance himself, not wanting to have anything to do with Cao Song. He even ran to Emperor Jian Shi himself to explain, indicating he had no intention of fighting for the throne and only wanted to be a filial and obedient son.

Whether Emperor Jian Shi believed it or not was unimportant.

The key was this action, which backstabbed Cao Song; it is said that Cao Song cursed the Third Imperial Prince in his mansion: "A boy is not worth planning with!"

The Third Imperial Prince cursed Cao Song in his mansion: "The old rascal is causing great harm!"

The two cursed each other from afar, fighting!

It made people laugh!

Cursing was cursing, but Cao Song did not change his ambition, still supporting the Third Imperial Prince, demanding the Emperor name the Third Imperial Prince as the Crown Prince. He even went so far as to cause a scene at the morning court!

The Third Imperial Prince gritted his teeth in hatred, deeply suspecting that Cao Song was not sincerely supporting him at all, but was a spy sent by his other brothers! He had never seen an official who acted like Cao Song!

It is said that because of Cao Song, the Third Imperial Prince was so angry he cried!

This was no longer a problem of a "pig teammate," it was clearly a "stirring stick"!

Not only disgusting himself, but also disgusting others!

The Third Imperial Prince discovered that the look his father gave him was a bit strange, seemingly even a bit sympathetic.

Cao Song was making such a huge fuss, it was too excessive. So much so that the court was making a scene every day about naming a Crown Prince.

Emperor Jian Shi's temper was already bad; after enduring it for more than half a year, he finally couldn't take it anymore and ordered Xie Changling to deal with Cao Song.

Xie Changling was a cunning person; he simply used the excuse of forming a clique for private gain, harboring different intentions, manipulating the imperial succession, and hollowing out imperial power to throw Cao Song directly into the Heavenly Prison, ordering the Three Judicial Offices to hold a joint trial!

Charges like corruption and perverting the law weren't even fit to be brought to the table! They had to be tried according to forming a clique for private gain and harboring different intentions! The general direction absolutely could not go astray!

Chen Guanlou arranged for the prison guards to clean up the VIP prison cell.

Early in the morning, he stood in the courtyard, waiting for Minister Cao's arrival.

The Minister of Justice, Sun Daoning, personally escorted Minister Cao Song to the Heavenly Prison.

Minister Cao had a dark face and a beard; he was clearly a rough-looking martial general, yet he was doing the work of a civil official.

It is said that when he was young, he was a handsome man and was named the Third Place Scholar by the late Emperor. ===== CHAPTER 1475 =====