Chapter 197: New Official Takes Office

Fan Yucheng got his wished-for promotion and, before leaving, squeezed out one final sum.

Fan Yuli remained in post, refusing to leave with Fan Yucheng. In his own words, "I must guard the Tianlao for my uncle; I won't let others ruin this place."

Pfft!

It was plain that Fan Yucheng looked down on Fan Yuli, despising his incompetence and the drag he caused. Even as kin, he refused to lift him up.

Fan Yuli felt deep fear and loneliness inside.

He feared the new Yucheng would come after him.

He remained anxious for days, until the new Yucheng arrived and took office.

The new Yucheng was surnamed Niu—Niu Yucheng—a native of the capital, formerly serving in a county yamen. No one knew who he'd bribed, but he'd been transferred to Tianlao as Yucheng.

Upon arrival, he summoned a full meeting of all Yuli and stressed one point above all: maintain the status quo! Don't be nervous—do exactly as you've always done.

His statement won immediate support; many Yuli relaxed.

Chen Guanlou believed they relaxed too soon. Niu Yucheng had just arrived and hadn't yet grasped the situation—maintaining the status quo was inevitable. But once he understood everything, the three fires of a new official's tenure would surely blaze.

He decided to give Niu Yucheng a substantial gift to lay a solid foundation.

Of course, this gift couldn't come from him alone; it was most appropriate for all four Banheads to pool their money.

Shi Hong was the first to object.

He'd spent a fortune on Fan Yucheng, even given him his cousin as a concubine, just to secure the Banhead position. Now that Fan Yucheng had been promoted and left, Shi Hong had barely recouped his investment and made a tiny profit—and already he was being asked to gift the new Niu Yucheng.

So after a whole year of hard work, he was just making money for the Yucheng? Then what was the point of being Banhead? He'd be better off returning to the rank of jailer—at least he wouldn't be this stressed.

"Hong Tou, think long-term. Niu Yucheng won't leave for at least two or three years. Isn't that enough time to recoup your investment? Conversely, if you offend him now out of spite, do you even think you'll be able to keep your post for the next two or three years? If you don't want it, plenty of others are waiting to take your place—they just need an opening."

Wu Banhead's words were crude, but they held truth—honest, heartfelt advice meant for Shi Hong's own good.

Shi Hong resented it, yet knew that refusing to gift would only bring him ruin. He scowled and asked, "How much?"

Wu Banhead glanced at Chen Guanlou. "Chen Tou, how much do you think is appropriate?"

"Fifty taels each?"

"That's too much," Wang Banhead said, face twisted in pain. Unlike Chen Guanlou, who had no family to support, he carried heavy burdens—over ten mouths to feed, children needing education, expenses piling up. Every copper had to be counted.

Shi Hong nodded eagerly. "Fifty taels is too much. What about thirty?"

Thirty taels he could bear. Fifty meant cutting flesh.

Of the four Banheads, Chen Guanlou alone had no burdens—not even a wife or household. Combined with his trade in antiques and calligraphy, he was the only one with plenty of money.

The other three Banheads had all considered antiques and calligraphy trading, but lacked patronage, connections, and feared being swindled. A painting worth a thousand taels would be offered ten taels by a dealer—with no room to haggle—and they'd be left bleeding. Worse, the dealers' patrons were powerful figures no lowly jailer could ever challenge. This profitable trade was simply out of their reach.

Fortunately, Chen Guanlou understood the rule against hoarding gains. Whenever he made a deal, he always shared a portion. Thus, the other three Banheads gladly referred imprisoned officials to him, asking only for a cut.

But such deals were rare—not every imprisoned official was desperate enough to sell family heirlooms. Sometimes months passed without a single sale.

Chen Guanlou tapped the table lightly. "I've inquired a bit about this Niu Yucheng—he previously served in the criminal office of a county yamen and knows the inner workings of prisons inside and out. Give too little, and you won't please him—you'll offend him. None of you want your money wasted, do you? If we're to court Niu Yucheng, let's be generous. What do you say?"

Wang Banhead frowned deeply, puffing his pipe relentlessly until the room reeked of smoke that wouldn't dissipate.

Wu Banhead looked relaxed, indifferent. He was skilled at business—beyond Tianlao's income, he had other ventures. Fifty taels was no burden.

Shi Hong's face twisted in pain—he clearly resented it.

Chen Guanlou struck the table harder, instantly drawing all three men's attention. "If no one objects, it's settled. Tomorrow, pay up and we'll go see Niu Yucheng together. Also, I've reserved a top-tier banquet at Guanmei Pavilion and hired two singers."

"That's more than fifty taels," Shi Hong said at once. "Shouldn't we go to Zui Xiang Pavilion and hire a top-class courtesan? At least ten taels—and more if we keep her overnight."

The math was unbearable. Every calculation made his heart ache.

"Hong Tou, think bigger. Don't fixate on petty gains—look to the long term," Chen Guanlou said.

Shi Hong's lip twitched; he snorted but said nothing.

Wu Banhead laughed. "If you're short on cash, Hong Tou, I can lend you some. I'll give you a good rate."

"Thank you for your kindness, Wu Banhead, but no," Shi Hong replied coldly. If he had to borrow, he'd rather go to Chen Guanlou—he at least didn't charge interest. Wu Banhead, by contrast, was a bloodsucker; even short-term loans among colleagues came with interest. To be this calculating, no wonder no one liked him.

Wang Banhead sighed. "Chen Tou's right. Give too little, and you'll be despised—or worse, offended—and your money wasted. Better to give more and win favor. Whether Guanmei Pavilion or Zui Xiang Pavilion, we split the cost evenly. Let's hope a big fish comes soon to make up for this loss."

"Let's squeeze Liu Daowen again," Shi Hong suggested, heartless as ever.

The other three immediately opposed it.

"Tianlao has its rules—we can't break them."

"That's not how things are done. Break the rules, and you'll invite retaliation."

"Hong Tou, don't keep milking the same sheep. Tianlao has many imprisoned officials, and more will keep coming. Think long-term—have vision."

"Squeezing Liu Daowen is easy—cleaning up afterward is hard. What if Niu Yucheng is ruthless and demands we hand over five thousand taels next? Where would we get that money? Liu Daowen may be a prisoner, but don't forget—he's backed by Jiang Tu. Jiang Tu killing us would be no harder than squashing a fly. Even Yu Zhaoan, so powerful, was outmaneuvered by Jiang Tu."

The others spoke at once; Shi Hong's face turned from green to purple, then white. He'd made another fool of himself, mocked by his colleagues. His stupidity had dragged down the average IQ of all four Banheads.

Shameful!