Chapter 1516: Just Consider Us Incompatible by Fate, Fire and Water Irreconcilable

On the day Dou Shu broke off the engagement, Chen Chen Guanlou went down to the first-class prison cell to take a look at Qiu Gui.

Not dead!

Very good!

He told the other party the news of Dou Shu breaking off the engagement.

Qiu Gui had no reaction at first, then sighed, "Let her break it off, then! She wants to cut ties with us, breaking off the engagement is the right call. The groom's family didn't make things difficult for her?"

"With the Ministry of Justice standing up for her, who could make things difficult for her?"

"Why would the Ministry of Justice stand up for her?" Qiu Gui was baffled.

"What do you think?" Chen Chen Guanlou said with a half-smile.

Qiu Gui figured it out too, and laughed self-deprecatingly, "From now on, she's a lone girl, this world won't be easy on her. You all think I'm Dou Shu's enemy, but you don't know how treacherous the hearts of men outside are. At least I kept her life; outside, there are plenty more people more vicious than me, Qiu Gui."

"No matter how hard it gets, it's still better than being forced by you to jump into a pit of fire."

"Pit of fire?" Qiu Gui laughed coldly again and again, "Whether it's a pit of fire is debatable. Now that she's broken off the engagement, those men outside won't have any scruples. I'd like to see how a lone girl like her manages."

"No need for you to worry, Your Majesty will bestow a marriage upon her."

"Impossible!" Qiu Gui's defenses crumbled instantly, "Absolutely impossible! Why would His Majesty bestow a marriage on her? You're talking nonsense! Absolutely impossible."

Dou Shu, a lone girl — what gives her such good fortune?

He refused to believe it!

"If you don't believe it, let's wait and see. Once the marriage decree comes down, I'll be the first to tell you."

Qiu Gui's face twisted hideously.

He was already this miserable, and still had to face the execution of his entire clan.

That little brat Dou Shu — what gives her such good luck, to actually be bestowed a marriage by the Emperor.

What gives?

"Have you ever considered that she was originally a young lady with extremely good fortune? Before, she was suppressed by you, yet she could still preserve her life and grow up safely. Now that she's no longer suppressed by you, naturally she gets better and better, stronger and stronger."

The more Chen Chen Guanlou mulled it over, the more he became convinced that Dou Shu had a bit of fortune on her. Being able to turn things around in a situation like this — if that isn't destiny, what is it?

Anyone else in her place would have obediently married by now, unable to stir up the slightest ripple.

"Nonsense! She's just a little brat, where would she get any fortune from? Sooner or later she's just someone meant to be married off."

"Someone meant to be married off!?" Chen Chen Guanlou's expression turned somewhat amused, "In your eyes, a young lady is just someone meant to be married off — then what is your own dear daughter? You'd better watch your mouth and accumulate some virtue, otherwise I can't guarantee what unspeakable things will befall your wife and children."

"You, you..." Qiu Gui's face was full of disbelief.

The outside world says Warden Chen is the most rule-abiding, the most reputation-conscious. What is he doing now?

"Yes, I am threatening you. You'd better keep your mouth clean."

Chen Chen Guanlou revealed a smile full of malice, "There are plenty of people who are unhappy with you. I just need to loosen my grip a little, and there will be plenty of people coming to assassinate you. The conclusion will be that you, Qiu Gui, died by suicide out of fear of punishment! And after death, your corpse will be flogged!"

"I... even ants cling to life. Until the very end, I absolutely will not kill myself. So, if I die in the prison, it must be at the hands of others." Qiu Gui shouted loudly, hoping that other imprisoned officials could hear his voice.

Chen Chen Guanlou saw through his plan at a glance, and scoffed, "Don't waste your effort. In two days you'll be brought to trial — remember to confess honestly."

"How can it be so soon already?" Qiu Gui shuddered all over.

"Naturally because the evidence is conclusive, the witness testimony and physical evidence are already complete, and the chain of evidence is intact."

Qiu Gui looked as if he had lost his parents.

He suddenly asked, "The bones from over a dozen years ago — how can you be sure those bones are Dou Anzhi's? Don't try to fool me."

Chen Chen Guanlou had already prepared to leave. Hearing these words, he turned his head and glanced at the other party, "Do you remember, Dou Anzhi had a token on his person."

"A token?"

Qiu Gui looked somewhat blank.

"And to think you were his study companion — do I really need to remind you of this?" Chen Chen Guanlou mocked.

"Impossible, what token could there be." Qiu Gui denied outright, "The sachet, the jade pendant, the thumb ring — even the crown was taken off. Even the outer robe he wore was stripped off. Where would a token come from? Don't try to trick me."

Chen Chen Guanlou lowered his head and smiled, "Qiu Gui, you don't die unjustly. When I called you petty and clever, I was right. Considering you're about to face trial, I'll give you a hint — the ring!"

"What ring? Make yourself clear. There were so many rings, which one exactly? Come back, finish what you were saying."

Chen Chen Guanlou walked farther and farther away, and Qiu Gui's voice echoed in the dim corridor.

He stopped by to take a look at Lord Cao Song.

Lord Cao had been weighed down by worries these past few days, his mood not at all pleasant. He didn't even read his beloved storybooks anymore. All day long he sighed and fretted, unable to find relief.

Chen Chen Guanlou knew the reason.

The year Dou Anzhi took the imperial examination, Lord Cao was the chief examiner. He was Dou Anzhi's proper and official mentor!

And the result...

Sigh...

He poured out his heart to Chen Chen Guanlou, "After Dou Anzhi finished his mourning period, he came up to Jingcheng to seek an appointment. At the time, this old man even met him once. I found him gloomy and lifeless, every action and word carrying a careful, cautious air — very much to my dislike. He was nothing like the high-spirited, carefree young man he'd been before the examination! So young in years, yet living like an old codger. I didn't chat with him in depth either, just waved him off.

Later, he went through someone else's connections and got a position in the Ministry of Revenue. This old man watched, and still found him utterly lacking in ambition. Who could have imagined that the person this old man met back then was actually a fake! This old man said it myself — a man so high-spirited and confident back then, how could he have become a completely different person in just a few short years? This old man had a chance to discover the truth, but unfortunately, sigh..."

"Even if you had noticed something suspicious back then, you wouldn't have exposed it." Chen Chen Guanlou said softly.

"Nonsense! Why wouldn't this old man have exposed it?"

"You said it yourself — you were the chief examiner. If you tore open his background, it might well have dragged the examination itself into it."

"Even so, this old man would not have knowingly found him suspicious and yet done nothing about it."

"You already did nothing about it." Chen Chen Guanlou gave a mocking smile, "Back then, when Qiu Gui impersonated Dou Anzhi to seek an appointment, you found him disagreeable. Dare you say you didn't suspect anything at the time? Didn't have the slightest hesitation or doubt? You simply didn't care, that's all."

"Of course not!" Lord Cao swore an oath.

Chen Chen Guanlou smiled and said nothing — he didn't believe a single word.

Cao Song was so angry he let out a howl — having his character questioned was harder to bear than being beheaded.

"What must this old man do to prove it, for you to believe?"

Chen Chen Guanlou spread his hands. "I don't care! No matter what you say, I won't believe it."

"Why are you so stubborn? Why must you doubt me?"

"Lord Cao, stop putting on that act of worrying for the nation and its people, righteous and above-board. Do you know how fake you look? Every person has desires, every person has selfish motives. Just be a normal person, would you?"

"Absurd! You little thief…"

Lord Cao, furious and beside himself, howled and raged, pounding the wall, unable to vent his anger.

"Little thief, I shall debate you!"

"No debate!" Chen Chen Guanlou refused without hesitation. "I won't play word games with you. You have your life principles, I have my standards for judging people. Just consider us fatally incompatible, like fire and water."

"Utter nonsense! My good name has been utterly destroyed by your hands!"