Chapter 181

The struggle continues.

Several days after Yu Zhaoan was brought in for interrogation, a new batch of prisoners arrived at the Tianlao. The most crucial and most conspicuous among them was Liu Daowen, Jiang Tu's top lackey and Director of the Ministry of Public Works' Construction Bureau.

Liu Daowen was universally recognized as a corrupt official. Though his rank was low and he dared not live in a mansion violating imperial regulations beneath the Son of Heaven's gaze, the interior decorations of his home left all who saw them awestruck, saying they had gained new insight. He kept over a dozen concubines; just a month ago, he took his fourteenth concubine, a girl barely sixteen.

His son was a true heir to his ways.

Chen Guanlou frequently visited brothels; five out of ten times he encountered the eldest son of the Liu family. The other five times, the young master was either aboard a flower boat or in the chamber of some courtesan. This youth had earned a fearsome reputation on the Flower Street for lavishing thousands of taels to win a beauty's smile—many courtesans longed to fleece him.

With Liu Daowen's meager official salary alone, it was impossible for him to fund his son's extravagant reputation on the Flower Street, let alone support his household.

Yet he maintained a harem of beauties and allowed his son to squander money freely—clearly, this man had embezzled vast sums. For years, he sailed smoothly, untouched by accusations, all thanks to his powerful patron, Jiang Tu.

Now that Jiang Tu was at war with the civil official bloc, and Jiang Tu had moved against Yu Zhaoan, the civil officials immediately retaliated by arresting Liu Daowen, their number-one henchman, leaving him reeling.

Unjust!

A grave injustice!

He had done nothing wrong—he merely committed the common mistake every official makes. Why arrest him? On what grounds? When the big bosses above fight, can't they leave the little men below alone?

To repay Chen Guanlou for having covered for him earlier, Fan Yuli scribbled a note, assigning Liu Daowen—the god of wealth—to Chen Guanlou's territory, subtly hinting that Chen should boldly squeeze him dry. Whether everyone ate porridge or rice this month depended entirely on how much silver he could extract.

Shi Hong was dissatisfied and sought out Fan Yuli, pleading to be given charge of Liu Daowen.

"I guarantee I'll extract more than Chen Guanlou. If he gets a thousand taels, I'll get at least fifteen hundred. If he gets two thousand, I'll get three thousand."

For a moment, Fan Yuli was tempted. But he quickly rejected Shi Hong.

"Don't make trouble for me. Liu Daowen is both a god of wealth and Jiang Tu's man—you can't handle the delicate balance. This man must be entrusted to Chen Guanlou."

"I have restraint, my lord. Please give me a chance," Shi Hong said, his eyes wide with earnest ambition.

Fan Yuli clicked his tongue in disdain.

He thought: this fellow doesn't even have a beautiful cousin. If he did, he might consider it—becoming a brother-in-law to his uncle would be quite pleasant.

Hmph!

He was a man of principle—he would never change his mind on a whim, nor betray his top lieutenant, Chen Guanlou. After all, when real trouble came, Chen Guanlou was the one who could truly hold the line, who could truly ease his burdens. Shi Hong's mind was filled only with money, and his methods were crude, utterly devoid of elegance.

Liu Daowen was no ordinary man, though his rank was only fifth grade. His patron, however, was Jiang Tu.

The civil official bloc dared not provoke him; Jiang Tu was even more untouchable.

If they handed him over to Shi Hong, they'd surely invite disaster.

In the end, Young Fan firmly chose Chen Guanlou, to preserve their bond.

When Xiao Jin and the others heard the news, they were thrilled—a big fish had finally arrived. Each of them rolled up their sleeves, ready to show their skills; this month, they planned to eat their fill and finally taste meat.

Chen Guanlou warned them all: "Don't get too cocky. Keep your limits. We want the money, but we must also ensure his safety—no obvious external injuries, no evidence that can be used against us. Understood?"

"Chen Tou, rest assured—we've done this a hundred times. We'll keep perfect control, no external injuries." Qian Fugui and the others patted their chests, swearing solemnly.

Xiao Jin added, "Chen Tou, is there a cap this time? Liu Daowen's served Jiang Tu for years—his wealth must be at least fifty thousand taels, maybe a hundred. If we don't squeeze out ten or eight, we'd be betraying our own conscience."

Chen Guanlou snorted. Every one of them was money-blind, with not a shred of foresight.

Can we expect to swallow this big fish whole? What a dream!

He said coldly: "If you don't mind Jiang Tu hating you and marking your lives for death, go ahead and squeeze him dry."

"This…"

At these words, the jailers exchanged uneasy glances.

Xiao Jin asked cautiously: "Will Jiang Tu protect Liu Daowen?"

"Whether he protects him or not doesn't matter. What matters is that if we're too greedy, someone will take offense—and even provoke public outrage. Jiang Tu, for the sake of his face, will never let this go. With his standing in the Emperor's eyes, taking your lives is a single word away."

The jailers shuddered with dread.

"Please, Chen Tou, tell us how to set the limit. How much is acceptable?"

Chen Guanlou tapped his desk lightly, closed his eyes in thought, then set his target: "Five thousand taels. No more. Know when to stop, or you won't last."

Five thousand taels seemed low, given Liu Daowen's corruption.

But they were mere bottom-rung jailers. Five thousand taels was still a massive sum—and it was safe, within the acceptable range the big bosses above would tolerate.

"Fine! We'll aim for five thousand taels, as Chen Tou says. Let's hope Liu Daowen is sensible—don't force us to use extreme measures."

The cleverer jailers immediately began calculating how much each would get—whether to head straight to the gambling den or the brothel after cashing in. All of them were beaming.

A god of wealth worth five thousand taels—rare even in a year. Just as the new year began, the A-Cell Block welcomed this god of wealth. Clearly, welcoming the god on the fifth day worked—greatly worked. This would be a lucky year indeed!

Having understood the plan, the jailers began dividing tasks. From the moment Liu Daowen entered the prison, the money extraction plan was already underway.

Liu Daowen, a seasoned official, had heard rumors of the Tianlao's ways.

In official circles these past two years, a saying had become popular: "The end of every official's career is the Tianlao."

It was wise to learn the Tianlao's rules whenever one had spare time.

On the very day Liu Daowen was imprisoned, his household steward delivered eight hundred taels of silver to the Tianlao, requesting fair treatment and forbidding underhanded violence.

The money was accepted. The beating continued.

Liu Daowen was starved for two days. A man who had enjoyed a life of luxury for over a decade, he now struggled to adapt to the prison's squalor while enduring agonizing hunger. In just two days, it felt as if he had endured eighteen layers of hell—his beard was unkempt, his body reeked of sour stench, fleas and bedbugs tormented him, and his fair skin erupted in red welts, itching so fiercely he wanted to scratch his flesh off.

I can't take it anymore!

Give me food! Give me water! I don't even ask for fine tea—ordinary tea will do! And if you could bring a bowl of nourishing chicken soup…

"I need to see Chen Tou! I need to see Chen Tou! I have something important to tell him! You want money? I'll pay you—once I see Chen Tou!"