Chapter 180: A slap in the face

Prison Clerk Fan arrived late.

Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan had already passed the stage of his greatest anger, so Prison Clerk Fan was considered to have saved his life. But he was still scolded by Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan behind closed doors.

Master Little Fan's face was gray and white. Returning to the office, he called Chen Guanlou to his side. "I know everything about the matter; today's matter is thanks to you helping to cover it up."

"It should be done."

Master Little Fan wiped his face.

A few steps away, Chen Guanlou could still smell the alcohol on him, as well as the stench of a hangover. How much did he drink last night, and how dissolute was he!

Looking at his swollen eyes and his abnormally pale complexion, Chen Guanlou said in a low voice, "My lord, I know a physician who is particularly good at nourishing the body."

"Oh?" Prison Clerk Fan was indeed interested.

Chen Guanlou immediately gave the address and said, "He is especially good at nourishing yin and tonifying yang; everyone who has been there says it's good."

Prison Clerk Fan was suddenly overjoyed. "I have been racking my brains for the imperial court, so I should nourish my body. Little Chen, you are very good! When I am away, you will be in charge of all matters in the Jia-character prison; I trust you."

"Thank you, my lord!" Chen Guanlou was also overjoyed, and both sides were happy.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard's actions were indeed fast.

There was no movement on Sun Daoning's side, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard had already arrived at the Heavenly Prison again with the edict to take the person.

As soon as Prison Clerk Fan saw the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he was so scared that his bones went soft, and he hurriedly hid back in the office, refusing to show his face no matter what.

Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan followed the 'delay' strategy and also chose to avoid seeing them.

Now, only Chen Guanlou was left to come forward to entertain them.

Fortunately, the person who came this time was not Xiao Jincheng, but just a small flag officer. Chen Guanlou invited the person to the signing room to drink tea and chat. When men chat with men, and two men who are not familiar with each other, what do they talk about? Of course, they talk about women!

Chatting about women in brothels, which brothel's girls had high quality and good service, which one's wine and snacks were delicious, which one's price was good and quality was beautiful—once the topic deepened, it was like finding a soulmate, and they couldn't wait to call each other brothers.

Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard flag officer knew clearly that Chen Guanlou was delaying time, since Chen Guanlou spoke well and could talk about the points, let him delay.

Before coming, the higher-ups had given instructions: don't mind drinking a few more cups of tea and see what kind of movement Sun Daoning could make. Xiao Jincheng was waiting for a slap in the face—slapping Sun Daoning's face, slapping the Ministry of Justice's face, and slapping the face of the civil official group.

Others feared offending the civil official group, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard, as the hunting dog of the Son of Heaven, did not fear them. They didn't rely on civil officials for promotion; their future and wealth were all in the Emperor's single thought, and they only needed to serve the Emperor well.

Whoever the Emperor said to arrest, even if it were a Sage, they would execute it without discount.

Today, it was just to put the interrogation of Yu Zhaoan on the right path, so as to avoid someone settling old scores in the future.

Xiao Jincheng actually hid a small thought: he wanted to use Sun Daoning's disturbance to go into the palace to request an edict and cut ties with Jiang Tu's side. A hunting dog being too close to a treacherous official was not a good thing and easily aroused the Emperor's suspicion.

Master Little Fan peered at the door and saw Chen Guanlou coaxing the group of Embroidered Uniform Guards, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan was also paying attention to the movement in the signing room and was very surprised, asking Private Secretary Li beside him, "Why is the Embroidered Uniform Guard not in a hurry now? They were in such a hurry before!"

Private Secretary Li pointed to the sky and muttered, "I guess the higher-ups are fighting. Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard has received the Imperial Edict, there should be a procedure for how far to interrogate. The Yu family behind Yu Zhaoan is not an ordinary local tycoon; that is a proper great family, and they even produced an Empress in the past."

Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan nodded repeatedly. "Reasonable. Prince Jin is also Yu Zhaoan's senior fellow apprentice; with such a relationship, Sun Daoning might really be able to find a way."

Private Secretary Li had a different view. This round clearly the Embroidered Uniform Guard won, which meant Jiang Tu won. Jiang Tu was like a mad dog, actually crazy enough to take Yu Zhaoan as a target, slapping the face of the Jixia Academy, wild beyond measure. But His Majesty gave the Embroidered Uniform Guard the edict; in this way, could it be that His Majesty was also happy to see Jiang Tu slap the face of the Jixia Academy?

This was not a good sign!

Unaccountably, Private Secretary Li's heart jumped, and he was greatly frightened. He didn't dare to think deeply anymore.

In the 47th year of Taixing, it had just started, and such a big disturbance had already been made; this year was probably even less peaceful than last year.

When the sky was dark, Sun Daoning arrived.

Also arriving was Xiao Jincheng, surrounded by a group of Embroidered Uniform Guards. He was here to slap faces—slapping Sun Daoning's face.

"Lord Sun, I am here to take the person; the arrest warrant you wanted is here. This time, you shouldn't dare to stop me, right?"

He had the posture of a winner, with a sneer at the corner of his mouth, and his whole body exuded the unique arrogance of the Embroidered Uniform Guard: viewing others as nothing! Viewing commoners as pigs and dogs!

Sun Daoning's face was livid, his eyes very frantic, but exceptionally suppressed.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Don't be too proud! His Majesty said it's just interrogation, not torture. If I find out you are privately torturing Yu Zhaoan, I will definitely fight this lawsuit."

"Lord Sun, rest assured, we, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, always act according to the rules and never mess around. Little ones, go and bring Yu Zhaoan to me; tonight I will personally sit in the hall for interrogation." Xiao Jincheng's face sank, and the sense of oppression came rushing toward him; the entire Heavenly Prison seemed to be controlled by him.

The group of Embroidered Uniform Guards agreed in unison and rushed into the Jia-character prison.

Chen Guanlou hurriedly led the prison guards in front of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and informed Yu Zhaoan, "The Embroidered Uniform Guard has requested an edict and is holding the arrest warrant to take the person; even Lord Sun cannot stop them. Lord Yu, pray for your own blessings."

Yu Zhaoan's face was gray and white, and he was completely struck. His lips trembled twice before he could spit out a sound. "This is a calamity in my fate; I cannot hide from it. Has the letter been sent?"

Chen Guanlou nodded. "I have personally delivered it into the hands of the head steward at the mansion."

"That's good, that's good!"

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is here; Lord Yu, do not resist hard, and do not be sharp-tongued." After saying this, he personally opened the prison door.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard were like wolves and tigers, holding Yu Zhaoan's two arms and dragging him away like a dog.

Yu Zhaoan indeed listened to the advice, did not resist hard, did not be sharp-tongued, and suffered a little less physical pain.

As a prison guard of the Heavenly Prison, Chen Guanlou knew clearly that there were many ways to deal with prisoners; without using torture, there were plenty of ways to make people wish they were dead. His advice to Yu Zhaoan to cooperate with the Embroidered Uniform Guard was absolutely sincere. The methods of dealing with people in the Imperial Prison were definitely far more than in the Heavenly Prison. There was no need to suffer more because of a sharp tongue.

The group of prison guards stood in front of the railing, watching the Embroidered Uniform Guard take Yu Zhaoan away, everyone silent, with the helplessness of resignation and fear and resentment toward the Embroidered Uniform Guard in their silence.

Qian Fugui stood behind Chen Guanlou and muttered in a low voice, "I don't know if Lord Yu can walk out of the Imperial Prison in one piece."

"I think it's difficult! The Embroidered Uniform Guard came to take the person with great fanfare, clearly wanting to kill the chicken to warn the monkey," Xiao Jin said, worthy of being an old oil-slick, seeing through the Embroidered Uniform Guard's true intention. ===== CHAPTER 181 =====