Chapter 182: I

"You want to see me?"

Chen Guanlou arrived at the prison gate, feeling a pang of nostalgia—this cell had once held Yu Zhaoan, and now held Liu Daowen; both were locked in a deadly struggle, yet now shared the same cell.

Fate!

"Chen Tou, you come from a prestigious family and have broad horizons—you must know full well that I will be released sooner or later. You treat me so harshly even after I've paid the full amount as required by protocol—do you truly fear no grudge from me?"

The moment Liu Daowen spoke, that condescending, haughty air struck straight into Chen Guanlou's nostrils, making him want to slash the man open with a single blade.

He raised an eyebrow, his gaze icy as he stared at the man. "Officials come and go all the time—when has the Heavenly Prison ever feared anyone? Besides, as a scholar, how could you stoop to quarreling with jailers who can't even read a single character? It's beneath you, unworthy of your status—it only makes you look petty and narrow-minded. Your Grace should focus on court affairs, state matters—wasting your energy on petty squabbles with jailers is utterly unwise."

Liu Daowen laughed in fury.

But he couldn't refute it—otherwise, he'd prove exactly what Chen Guanlou accused him of: petty, lacking grace, lacking wisdom. Does a man quarrel with ants? Likewise, can a disgraced official quarrel with jailers?

This is the nature of the Heavenly Prison—jailers have always acted this way. If you truly took offense, who would dare be a jailer? Who would uphold the law's baseline?

Liu Daowen's heart and liver ached with rage. "But you still can't treat me this way. I paid!"

"Perhaps you don't understand. Though the Heavenly Prison has fixed rates, we occasionally adjust them flexibly. Your payment was insufficient."

Liu Daowen pointed at Chen Guanlou, weak from two days without food, yet still feeling the fire of rage burning from deep within him—at least enough to burn two stories high.

"I have never seen such a brazen, shameless wretch as you."

"Your Grace is too modest. We're alike, we're alike!" Chen Guanlou grinned.

Liu Daowen clenched his eyes shut, nearly fainting. What did "we're alike" even mean? He'd taken bribes, but he'd merely committed the same sin every official committed.

Besides, he hadn't sought them—others offered them willingly. If he refused, he'd seem uncouth, out of touch, disrespectful. If he refused, how would those below him survive? How would those above him be appeased? What of Jiang Tu?

He bore the expectations of countless people, the pressure of countless burdens—he accepted silver passively. Was that wrong? What wrong was there?

Compared to the blatant robbery of the Heavenly Prison, he was noble and pure, as white as jade, like a blooming white lotus—spotless, immaculate, untainted.

"Don't you dare sully my reputation!" Liu Daowen declared with righteous indignation.

Chen Guanlou stood speechless, incredulous.

A knife stabbed in the ass—I've seen it all now!

This guy, universally known as a corrupt official, talks to me about reputation?

Tsk tsk!

I've seen it! I've seen it!

He immediately threw his own words back at him: "Liu Daowen, you're truly a talent! In all my years as a jailer, I've never met anyone as brazen and shameless as you. You're the very model of our kind, the standard to learn from."

Liu Daowen was so furious he nearly spat blood. "Y-you—you dare slander me! I'll sue you for defamation!"

Chen Guanlou sighed in deep admiration, his face sincere. "A true talent, truly a talent! Someone, bring ink and brush—record every word of Liu Daowen's sayings. Everyone must study them, must grasp their essence. I've always said your methods are too crude—now you believe me, don't you? From now on, learn well from Liu Daowen. Master his skill of having a face thicker than city walls. Understood?"

"Understood!"

Chen Guanxin, the cleverest of them all, rushed to fetch a full set of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, ready to record Liu Daowen's sayings.

Seeing this, Liu Daowen realized Chen Guanlou was serious—his face turned ashen with rage. "Chen, don't push too far! I spoke to you politely, yet you deliberately slander me, ruin my reputation—what are you really after?"

"Your Grace, don't get angry, calm down, calm down. Look at you—plump and prosperous. Your future days depend on this body of flesh—you can't afford to ruin your health."

Liu Daowen, the plump and prosperous: …

His fat belly rose and fell, spectacularly—filled entirely with the people's blood and sweat!

Liu Daowen took several deep breaths, finally regaining his wits—he realized he'd been led astray by Chen Guanlou.

He gritted his teeth. Today, he'd have to pay out some blood. Otherwise, these wolf-like, tiger-like jailers had no idea what tortures they'd prepared for him.

He asked directly: "How much do you want? Name your price."

"Now you're talking!" Chen Guanlou beamed. "I've always said—everything can be negotiated. Your Grace, rest assured: the Heavenly Prison jailers understand protocol, understand human nature—we won't overcharge. Five thousand taels. No haggling."

"Why don't you just rob a bank?!" Liu Daowen roared.

Five thousand taels could buy the actual post of county magistrate of a top-tier county. With the right connections, even a prefectural governor could be arranged.

The Heavenly Prison had audacity—demanding the salary of a prefectural governor outright.

Chen Guanlou smiled. "You don't have to pay."

Don't pay? Then keep starving. Keep suffering. If you like suffering, you'll never run out of it.

"Don't you know what five thousand taels can buy? What official posts it can secure in the bureaucracy? Don't you realize this price is monstrous?"

Chen Guanlou smiled and countered: "So you admit you've been involved in selling official posts?"

"Don't slander me! I'm discussing five thousand taels!"

"Exactly," Chen Guanlou said, slouching carelessly, acting flippant and frivolous.

The more casual he was, the angrier Liu Daowen grew—a mouthful of blood choked his throat, itching to spray onto the man's face.

"You can't do this!" Liu Daowen tried reasoning. "This price is too high—even your Heavenly Prison can't swallow it. You're not some ignorant jailer—you're from the Chen family of Jingcheng. You should know the rules."

Chen Guanlou lowered his head and smiled, his eyes full of contempt.

He stepped closer to the bars, speaking only loud enough for the two of them to hear: "Thank you for the reminder. I've already calculated it—five thousand taels is precisely the bottom line. As long as we don't cross it, those above will turn a blind eye. After all, Your Grace is famed in the bureaucracy for your extravagance."

Liu Daowen's vision went black—he wished he could faint right then.

This is too much!

This is too much!

Worse still—Chen Guanlou was an expert. He wasn't in the bureaucracy, yet understood its rules perfectly—he knew five thousand taels was the bottom line.

He demanded urgently: "How do you know all this?"

"Didn't you just say it yourself? I'm from the prestigious Chen family of Jingcheng. I have this much insight."