Chapter 1481

Lord Ding suddenly feigned death, stood up with a 'swish,' and clawed at the prison cell bars.

His eyes were shining, shining with startling intensity.

Chen Guanlou felt a slight sense of disgust and took a step back.

"Jiang Jiang Yucheng Chen, since you have slept with my daughter, I agree to betroth her to you as a concubine. In that case, I can be considered your father-in-law. You must address me as Father-in-law! Good son-in-law, please help me, save me, and I will be grateful to you for the rest of my life. How much money do you want? Name a figure, and I will certainly present it with both hands."

Chen Guanlou was thoroughly disgusted by being called 'Father-in-law.'

He hadn't even called Prince Lu that; how could he possibly acknowledge someone surnamed Ding as a father-in-law?

He really wanted to kill the man surnamed Ding on the spot. The other party was indeed an old slicker who knew exactly how to disgust people.

He suppressed the disgust in his heart. "Lord Ding, don't make me look down on you!"

"It doesn't matter, you can despise me all you want! As long as you can save me, I'll even be your grandson if it means getting out."

Chen Guanlou rubbed his brow. "There's nothing to talk about! Give up. Be quiet; when you go to the execution ground, I'll let you be a well-fed ghost and give you a generous last meal. If you insist on making a scene, I'll let you taste what it's like to wish you were dead."

Lord Ding was left speechless, all the pleas for help he had prepared swallowed back down.

This was because he could see that the other party wasn't joking, but was being serious. If he dared to continue playing the fool, the other party would take measures to deal with him.

He had heard of the fearsome reputation of the Heavenly Prison's torture chamber; anyone who went in never came out as a whole person. Life and death were left to fate!

Even though he was about to go to the execution ground, he still wanted to live a few more days. Every day he could live was a day gained!

He decisively shut his mouth, sat down on the bed board, and made no further sound.

Chen Guanlou was very satisfied with this.

Next, he went to visit Lord Cao.

Lord Cao was sitting in his cell, holding a book, appearing to read with great interest, without a hint of worry. He seemed not to care about his situation at all. He was worthy of being a high-ranking court official who dared to challenge the Emperor.

"Lord Cao, have you been comfortable these past few days? Have the prison guards given you any trouble?"

Upon hearing this, Lord Cao put down the book in his hand.

Chen Guanlou glanced at the title; oh my, it was actually a piece of popular fiction, not a serious book. How strange!

"Many thanks for your concern, Jiang Jiang Yucheng Chen. I am doing very well, and no one has given me any trouble. Jiang Jiang Yucheng Chen seems quite curious about the book I am reading."

"Yes, I am indeed curious." Chen Guanlou admitted it openly. "I thought that someone of your stature would only read the classics and histories, and never read idle books!"

"A fallacy! A great fallacy! 'Poor scholar, poor scholar'—the word 'poor' sums up the hardships of studying. What can one do? Either rely on writing letters for others to earn money, or write popular fiction to earn money. Of the popular fiction on the market, at least eight out of ten were written by poor scholars. In my early years, when the mood struck, I also wrote this kind of book, which was quite popular with booksellers, earning several hundred taels of silver a year in writing fees."

Wow!

Chen Guanlou exclaimed in wonder.

The high-ranking court official before him was actually a bestselling author.

"My lord, did you really write books? What kind of content did you write? Could it be about talented scholars and beautiful ladies?"

"Vulgar!" Lord Cao looked proud, his eyes full of disdain. "Talented scholars and beautiful ladies have already been written to death; there's nothing new there. How could I, in my writing, follow the beaten path? Naturally, I had to innovate!"

"Tell me, how did you innovate?"

"My books wrote about the pugilistic world and the imperial court; back then, they were at the top of the bestseller list. How many people were so obsessed with my books that they couldn't sleep at night!"

Speaking of those years, Lord Cao was quite proud.

There wasn't a single scholar who wasn't arrogant; they all thought they were heaven-sent geniuses. If one had talent, one had to show it!

As the saying goes, there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts; no one was willing to submit to anyone else.

"Thinking back, I only used half a month to write the first volume of a book, one or two hundred thousand words, in one go. After submitting the manuscript, not a single word was changed; the bookseller published it, and as soon as it hit the market, it exploded. Afterward, numerous literati imitated my books, but not one could surpass me. In the realm of the pugilistic world and the imperial court, I stood alone at the top. It wasn't until many years later that my record was broken. I've already thought it through: if His Majesty cannot tolerate me, I will resign from office, return to my hometown to farm, and when I have nothing to do, I will write books, which will be enough to make a living."

Upon hearing this, Chen Guanlou burst into laughter.

"Lord Cao, you really know how to joke. As a pillar of the imperial court like you, how could His Majesty let you go home to retire? Don't even think about leaving the capital until the day you die in your position. If you want to leave early, that's fine too—dying in the Heavenly Prison will allow you to leave early."

How could a minister of the Secretariat leave the capital easily?

Wanting to retreat unscathed and go home to retire? Keep dreaming!

Wu Dashou had already retired back then, but after Emperor Emperor Jian Shi ascended the throne, when the reckoning came, he died as thoroughly as one could die. Even his nine generations were not spared.

Upon hearing this, Lord Cao's complexion turned as black as ink.

His skin was already dark, and with his face sinking like this, it was even more frightening; his official authority was quite great, and he could easily intimidate people.

However, Chen Guanlou didn't buy it.

"Lord Cao, don't be angry. You should know I'm not talking nonsense; every word is the truth. As the saying goes, it's lonely at the top; the previous Minister Wu is a cautionary tale. You must not harbor delusions of going home to farm and retire. And don't threaten His Majesty with resignation. Our Emperor has a bad temper and won't be threatened by anyone. To this day, the only person who has dared to threaten him and still retreat unscathed is Marquis Pingjiang. You are not Marquis Pingjiang; you have no military power in your hands, nor do you have loyal generals. As long as you dare to mention resigning, His Majesty will dare to kill you!"

Lord Cao's expression softened slightly. "You certainly understand His Majesty."

Chen Guanlou laughed heartily. "I don't understand His Majesty, but I understand the officials who are thrown into prison. I have read their files; I know how much they were favored and valued by His Majesty back then, and how their lives were turned upside down once they were imprisoned. There are very few who can get out safely. If you are willing to bow your head, you will certainly be able to get out safely. Lord Cao, are you willing to bow your head?"

He smiled, yet not quite, as if he were watching a joke.

Lord Cao snorted coldly. "You are mocking me. Good lad, you're still holding a grudge."

"My lord, you flatter me; I have a pile of shortcomings, and I'm very petty."

"Your skin is certainly thick! It's a pity you didn't enter the officialdom." Lord Cao sighed with emotion.

This actually made Chen Guanlou look like a petty man who had achieved success.

He gave a light cough, restrained himself slightly, and stopped grinning.

"My lord, you joke. With my meager abilities, how would I dare to mix in the officialdom? I'd be eaten clean sooner or later, without even a bone fragment left."

"You do have self-awareness." Lord Cao raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Are you holding a grudge because I insulted Minister Sun earlier?"

"Not at all! I just think that you are an elder who doesn't act like one, have no self-awareness, and are fond of lecturing others. And yet, I am the type of person who hates being lectured the most. Unless someone asks for advice voluntarily."

Chen Guanlou spoke bluntly.

Lord Cao puffed out his beard and glared, but he didn't get angry; instead, he said, "You say I'm fond of lecturing others, and I admit it! You say I have no self-awareness, and I won't admit that. As for being an elder who doesn't act like one, I'm already at a great age, so why bother with so much? This is the age when one should be arrogant and proud!"

How reasonable!