Chapter 1574

Wei Wubing, who had very hard bones, suddenly collapsed.

He could accept death, accept infamy, accept the slander of others, but he couldn't accept his family being implicated by him, his descendants being implicated, and from then on being unable to enter the academy and unable to take the imperial examination to become an official.

Three generations unable to take the imperial examination to become an official, three generations of people!

Decades later, when the great-grandson grows up, everything will be too late. The Wei family will be completely destroyed, with no possibility of turning over.

He was a scholar, he came from a small place, he was a Zhang Yushi, he was not a noble young master who didn't understand the hardships of the people.

He knew too well how difficult it was for a fallen farming family, a poor farming family, to turn over. It even required the strength of three generations to possibly seize the opportunity to turn over.

Becoming an official was just the first step.

The heavy hardships after entering the officialdom were the beginning.

Being able to stand firmly in the officialdom and protect descendants, the difficulty here was even far greater than the difficulty of the imperial examination.

No official dared to guarantee that they could retreat unscathed after being an official for decades. Not entering the Heavenly Prison a few times, not entering the Imperial Prison once, they wouldn't even be embarrassed to say they were familiar with the entire officialdom and knew the entire officialdom's ecological niche like the back of their hand.

Prison was a compulsory course for Great Ming officials!

He was in unbearable pain.

However, Chen Guanlou just stood outside the prison door, watching him coldly, without the slightest sympathy or pity, and even with a bit of malice in his eyes.

"Are you human?" Wei Wubing cursed angrily, "Seeing me in this state, are you very proud?"

Chen Guanlou shook his head, "I can collect five thousand taels less from you, twenty-five thousand taels, you consider for yourself whether you want to do this deal. I said, the Heavenly Prison values mutual consent and never does that kind of forced buying and selling."

Wei Wubing's hatred was sky-high, gritting his teeth, "Too expensive! Ten thousand taels at most."

Chen Guanlou sneered, "Wei Yushi really knows how to bargain; one knife down, directly breaking the bones. The money isn't taken by me alone; the brothers in the Heavenly Prison need to eat, and the officials of the Ministry of Justice need to eat. The imperial court owes the Ministry of Justice so much salary and grain; what do you think the Ministry of Justice relies on to continue operating? It relies entirely on the Heavenly Prison!

Every single penny I collect from you convicted officials is used in the places it should be used. Wei Yushi, you wouldn't think the prison guards and prisoners in the Heavenly Prison only need to drink water to survive, would you."

Wei Wubing's face turned red with anger, his lips trembling.

He was resentful and counted them one by one, "You collect money to interfere with criminal litigation, and you still have reason. If one thousand out of ten thousand taels fell into the public account of the Heavenly Prison, I would respect you as a good man! Don't talk to me about this and that.

I have worked in the Censorate for so many years; I know exactly what the prisons in the capital are like. No matter how high-sounding you say it, you cannot change the fact that you extort, are corrupt, and monopolize litigation. Not to mention corruption, just talking about monopolizing litigation, cutting off your head ten times wouldn't be enough!"

"I'm so scared!" Chen Guanlou laughed loudly.

Wei Wubing's eyes were red, wishing he could tear the other party apart.

After laughing, Chen Guanlou said softly: "Do you think the Ministry of Justice doesn't know I monopolize litigation? Do you think the Dali Temple doesn't know? Do you think all the civil and military officials don't know? Do you think the palace doesn't know? Everyone knows, but no official or Zhang Yushi has ever thought of impeaching a prison guard or prison warden. Have you thought about why? You have worked in the Censorate for so many years; why have you never thought of impeaching me?

You and I know clearly that prison is the last wall of the law, the bottom line of the law. If you don't give the prison guards and prison wardens a way to live, this wall will collapse instantly. The way to live is silver! The way to live is the road-buying money of you high-and-mighty court officials. Without this money, you would have died eight hundred years ago and wouldn't be alive to argue with me about how many times my head should be cut off for monopolizing litigation!

Wei Yushi, you are a smart person; I advise you not to do stupid things. You can refuse my deal, but please don't slander or poke through the window paper. I don't care; I am magnanimous and can hold a boat, so I can not argue with you. However, those prison guards outside are all narrow-minded, and each one of them has ruthless methods. I manage them, so they follow the rules. But if I loosen my hand even a little, they would dare to overturn the roof of the Heavenly Prison. Take care of yourself!"

"Are you threatening me?" Wei Wubing asked angrily.

Chen Guanlou sneered and looked him up and down, "What value do you have that is worth my threatening? I really don't look down on your three melons and two dates. If it weren't for the fact that this month's target hadn't been completed, I wouldn't even bother to pay attention to you. There are plenty of corrupt officials with money in this prison; if I look for two casually, they would all be more on the right track than you."

Wei Wubing was exasperated and very unconvinced, "How do I have no value? I am the first person to impeach Consort Jing and her son in front of the late Emperor! Just by this courage of mine, my value is far higher than those corrupt officials."

Chen Guanlou sneered and mocked, "It's meaningless for you to argue this with me. In the Heavenly Prison, only look at who has money; having money has value. If you want to discuss your own great achievements, blow your own horn as much as you want after you get out. You don't need to blow your own horn with me."

"You are truly..." Wei Wubing didn't know which word to use for a while to accurately describe Chen Guanlou.

If you say he doesn't understand, when talking about the ways of the officialdom, he can be said to be very clear, seeing through it more thoroughly than those who are serious officials.

If you say he understands, the words he says and the things he does, none of them can be taken out. All of them are aimed at making people hate him.

He does whatever makes people hate him, not paying attention at all! He just stabs people in the heart. Purely annoying people!

Chen Guanlou stared at the other party and suddenly laughed, "Wei Yushi, you are quite interesting. Hypocrisy is truly hypocrisy, and sincerity is also serious sincerity. For the sake of Zhao Mingqiao, I will give you a discount; eighteen thousand taels, I will help you close the case, how about that?"

"Too expensive!"

"You are truly stingy! How much do you say is appropriate?" Chen Guanlou didn't mind the other party bargaining; this showed that the business could be talked about.

The Wei family was not a big wealthy family; at most, they were small local powerful families with some family business.

Powerful families and powerful families have essential differences!

Powerful families in big places and powerful families in small places are not on the same magnitude.

The Wei family belonged to the typical small local powerful family, with some assets, but not many. Compared to the serious big local powerful families, they couldn't even compare to one of their fingers. But in a small place, this bit of strength was enough.

This is like the difference between an eighteenth-tier small county town and a first- or second-tier big metropolis; the units of measurement are not the same.

Wei Wubing suppressed his anger and hatred and thought about this question seriously for the first time.

He could die, but he couldn't implicate the family after death, implicate his descendants, and cut off the roots of the Wei family. The Wei family's development to today was truly the result of several generations of effort.

So, do you want to live?

Live and be exiled?

Surviving in a lowly manner.

It seems he had no choice.

He gritted his teeth and said angrily: "Twelve thousand taels, this is all the assets I can take out."