Chapter 1573

Early in the morning, Sun Daojing came to the Heavenly Prison.

Chen Guanlou teased him, "Old Sun, you're finally done with your business. If you didn't appear again, Official Cao Song would have to crash to death in the prison cell."

"Nonsense!" Sun Daojing pretended to be angry, "You didn't make things difficult for him, did you."

"Why would I make things difficult for him? I'm not that bored."

Sun Daojing gave a hum, indicating he believed him.

A moment later, he asked curiously, "This old man heard that Xie Xiang sought you out for a talk."

"That's right. A few days ago, Xie Xiang had nothing to do and invited me to drink. Old Sun, are you curious?" Chen Guanlou leaned in, smiling with a look that was not quite a smile.

Sun Daojing seemed to have been stepped on his tail, becoming angry from embarrassment, "Don't talk nonsense. This old man is worried that you don't know the weight of your words and offended someone."

"You've seen Xie Xiang these past two days; does he look like someone offended by me? Although I don't have a gatekeeper for my mouth, when it comes to getting things done, when have I ever messed up?"

Sun Daojing couldn't refute this.

Chen Guanlou had a pile of bad habits, but when it came to getting things done, he was still very reliable. Otherwise, he wouldn't have handed over some matters that were inconvenient to make public to the other party to handle.

"Listening to you, he sought you out to handle things?"

"That's right!" Chen Guanlou admitted generously.

"What matters did he seek you out to handle?"

"Guess!" Chen Guanlou smiled, looking very easy to talk to, yet he didn't reveal a single bit of information.

Sun Daojing was truly curious, "Could it be for the Hou Fu."

Chen Guanlou smiled without saying a word.

"Marquis Pingjiang has managed the Northwest for over ten years; this is inappropriate. Xie Xiang sought you out for Marquis Pingjiang? Can you persuade Marquis Pingjiang to abandon military power?"

"Are you kidding? If I had that kind of ability, the position of Left Minister wouldn't be Xie's turn; it should be mine to sit in. Old Sun, don't guess wildly; it's not good for you. At your age, pay attention to health preservation." Chen Guanlou kindly reminded him.

Matters without a shadow, both sides hadn't reached a formal cooperation yet, how could it be publicized to the whole world.

If matters are not secret, they will not succeed!

If the ruler is not secret, he will lose his ministers!

Keeping one's mouth shut like a bottle is the basic professional quality of being a middleman.

"Stinking brat, actually mocking this old man." Sun Daojing snorted coldly, truly dissatisfied. He didn't pursue the questioning anymore. Some matters, just have a count in your heart, there's no need to make them public. Just wait and see how the future develops.

He went down to the Jia-rank prison and went to see Cao Song in person.

Chen Guanlou went to see Wei Yushi, Wei Wubing.

The external injuries on his body were basically healed, but his bones still needed to be nursed; worried that he would move around randomly and hurt his bones, wooden boards were tied to his legs to fix them.

He sat on the bed board, looking listless.

"Why does Jiang Jiang Yucheng Chen have time today?"

"Minister Sun of the Ministry of Justice is patrolling the prison cells; I am accompanying him! Wei Yushi, do you have anything to say? I can help you invite Minister Sun over."

Wei Wubing shook his head, "I am a prisoner, and it was the late Emperor who personally ordered my arrest. With the new Emperor ascending the throne, to show filial piety, it is impossible to release me. I just want to know when the verdict will be handed down, whether I live or die, at least give me a definite word. Dragging it out like this is very hard to endure."

"You are certainly clear about your situation. Releasing you is of course impossible; you aren't that important. However, your impeachment of Consort Jing and her son can please the new Emperor to a certain extent. Your case might have a turning point."

Wei Wubing raised his eyebrows slightly, "The Emperor cannot release me openly. Jiang Jiang Yucheng Chen, why don't you tell me the truth, what do you want me to do? If I want to live, what price do I need to pay?"

"Wei Yushi is indeed on the right track. To guarantee your life, exile for twenty years, not implicating your family, thirty thousand taels. Is this price fair enough?"

"Impossible!"

The bait in front was tempting enough, but the price was truly too high. Wei Wubing turned his face instantly.

"I am a Zhang Yushi, a Zhang Yushi who abides by the rules, does not fear power, and has never been corrupt. Let alone thirty thousand taels, even three thousand taels I cannot take out."

Chen Guanlou smiled with a look that was not quite a smile, kindly reminding the other party, "It doesn't matter if you can't take it out; the Wei family can take it out. You were thrown into the Heavenly Prison; how heartbroken your parents must be! How worried your wife and children must be about you. If you don't think for yourself, you should think for them. Your Wei family, in your ancestral home, is at least considered a local wealthy family. Scrape it together, thirty thousand taels can definitely be scraped together."

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Wei Wubing was exasperated, "The world says the Heavenly Prison is desperate for money; I didn't dare to believe it completely, ten rumors out of ten are wrong. Now I know, it's that I was too kind; I never expected the rumors weren't wrong, but rather beautified. It's not just desperate for money, it's clearly extortion and blackmail; you are swindling!"

When Chen Guanlou heard this, he was instantly unhappy.

What is called extortion and blackmail, it's clearly slander.

He said angrily, "Wei Yushi, food can be eaten randomly, but words cannot be spoken randomly. Don't bring your occupational disease to the Heavenly Prison. This place, the Heavenly Prison, doesn't like to label people. What the Heavenly Prison does is all a deal of mutual consent; where does extortion come from? If you aren't willing, just say so directly; what benefit does slandering me have for you?

I kindly came up with an idea for you, thought of a way for you, to save you from death. It only takes twenty years, and your children can participate in the imperial examination without being affected by your case. Thirty thousand taels, this price can be said to be extremely fair. Ask other convicted officials if I have ever quoted a random price. If you don't understand the market, don't talk nonsense, okay.

If you don't understand the market, just listen to me. How can you randomly convict and label people? Your style of doing things in the Censorate is truly outrageous, too chaotic, and not allowed!"

Chen Guanlou complained while reasoning.

He didn't like dealing with Censors; not everyone was as clear-headed as Yu Zhaoan.

The Censors of Great Ming all had brain diseases and were stubborn when doing things. If you say they are stupid, they are better at drilling than anyone else, and wherever there is a disturbance, there is their figure. If you say they are smart, that mouth babbling, all the civil and military officials in the court were offended by them.

To talk about poisonous tongues, it still had to be this group of Censors.

Too capable of tossing and turning!

Wei Wubing's cheeks were red with anger.

He wanted to stand up and confront Chen Guanlou to suppress the other party with momentum.

Unfortunately, his body was not good for walking, so he had to give up.

Sitting on the bed board, he always felt that he had lost a step in momentum, very unwilling.

He wanted to take a deep breath, "I don't know what the rules for pricing in your Heavenly Prison are, but anyway, to me, thirty thousand taels is absolutely an astronomical price. I would rather die than let you earn thirty thousand taels."

"It doesn't matter!" Chen Guanlou smiled lightly, "After you die, the agents of the Six Shanmen will naturally raid your home, and all the property of the Wei family will be confiscated. Your children, your future grandchildren, will all lose the qualification for the imperial examination. Even no academy will take them in.

By the time your great-grandson lives to the age of reading, haha, by then your Wei family will have long lost the plaque of a scholarly family, and all interpersonal relationships will become empty. The fruits of several generations of effort will be destroyed in your hands in one day. Congratulations, Wei Yushi, although the Wei family has fallen, you have finally preserved your own innocent reputation! Congratulations, congratulations!"