Chapter 252

Niu Yucheng sat in his chair, sighing heavily, looking utterly regretful.

"Just now, in my haste, I spoke improperly to Senior Sun. I must have offended him. Alas! What shall I do?"

He was deeply remorseful. But if this were to happen again, he would still confront Sun Daoning without hesitation—it was a matter of life and death.

"Senior, don't worry too much. Senior Sun isn't a petty man; he likely won't hold it against you," Chen Guanlou said, offering hollow reassurance.

Niu Yucheng waved his hand frantically. "You don't understand the mindset of officials. As a subordinate, I openly defied him and nearly left him humiliated—he must hate me with every fiber of his being. He's probably already plotting how to ruin me. Alas, it seems my days here in the Tianlao are numbered."

What a pity. He actually liked this place—plenty of money, little work. As long as no high-ranking official was thrown into the Tianlao, everything was perfect.

Chen Guanlou:...

"Senior, rest assured. Before the Grand Tutor leaves the Tianlao, Senior Sun won't take any action—he must ensure stability here."

Personnel changes are the greatest source of instability.

To be safe, Niu Yucheng must remain in his post—at least until the Grand Tutor's case is settled.

"You're right," Niu Yucheng mused. "Xiao Chen, how long do you think this Grand Tutor case will drag on?"

"That depends on the Emperor's will."

"Everyone knows the Emperor dislikes the Crown Prince. I believe this case won't be resolved in less than half a year, maybe not even a year."

If the case isn't closed, the Grand Tutor can't be released—meaning Niu could keep his position indefinitely. And to maintain stability, Sun Daoning wouldn't dare harass him during this time; he might even warn others not to trouble the Tianlao at all.

Hehe!

Niu Yucheng chuckled. "Xiao Chen, come closer."

Chen Guanlou stepped forward two paces, vaguely guessing what Niu Yucheng was about to propose.

Sure enough, Niu ordered him: "Hurry up and sell more meal packages. Don't care about public criticism—I'll handle it and suppress any complaints. Remember: keep the accounts clean."

Meal packages must never enter the official ledger—those funds are taxed by the Ministry of Justice. Keeping them off the books means the profits stay within the family, with Niu Yucheng taking the lion's share. All he needed was a black heart—he could rake in a fortune. With money, he could bribe connections, transfer out of the Ministry of Justice, and escape Sun Daoning, this plague.

This plan was perfect!

Niu Yucheng didn't believe in making people work without rewards—that wasn't his style.

He promised: "Do your duty well and ease my burdens. Before I leave, I'll find a way to promote you to jailer. Then I'll push Xiao Fan out—you'll take over as head of the Jia-cell prison."

Chen Guanlou bowed in gratitude but declined: "Xiao Fan is a fine man. I'm unworthy of replacing him."

He didn't want to offend Xiao Fan.

Xiao Fan was currently a rank-eight official in the Ministry of Justice. If Chen replaced him, wouldn't Xiao Fan harbor resentment and wait for a chance to make his life hell?

Not worth making an enemy.

Besides, he'd already made plenty of money. Whether he became a jailer or not didn't matter.

Niu Yucheng smiled knowingly. "I understand your concern. If you don't want to offend Xiao Fan, I'll assign you to the Yi-cell or Bing-cell prison."

Chen Guanlou had to restate his position: he had no desire to replace anyone. He was perfectly content staying in the Jia-cell—plenty of money, little work, no blood or gore. Unlike the Yi-cell and Bing-cell, where prisoners were routinely dragged to the interrogation rooms for torture.

Being promoted to jailer was good, but making enemies wasn't worth it.

Niu Yucheng raised an eyebrow slightly. "Fine. I understand your wishes. Don't worry—I'll arrange it. If needed, I'll set a precedent: two jailers per prison."

Huh?

Brilliant idea.

Chen Guanlou didn't want to leave the Jia-cell, didn't want to offend Xiao Fan, yet still wanted promotion to jailer—how to solve it perfectly? Two jailers per prison: perfect. One handles money, the other handles people—clear division of duties. Concentrating both personnel and financial authority in one person was indeed inappropriate.

Moreover, this would solve the problem of jailer employment.

"Senior, your brilliance leaves me in awe!" Chen Guanlou quickly flattered him. If Niu kept his promise, Chen would work tirelessly to help him squeeze out every last coin.

There were countless ways to make money in the Tianlao—it only depended on whether you wanted to and how black your heart was.

Extorting corrupt officials gave him zero guilt.

Niu Yucheng burst into laughter, thoroughly pleased with his own genius idea—he was a true talent.

Someone with his genuine ability and drive shouldn't be wasted in the Tianlao.

At this moment, Niu Yucheng actually began to think leaving the Tianlao was a wise choice. He wouldn't wait for Sun Daoning to remove him—he'd resign on his own when the time came.

"Xiao Chen, work hard. I have faith in you. You're educated and capable—you'll eventually use your talents to escape this place. This isn't a place for scholars. It's not meant to be permanent."

"Thank you, Senior, for thinking of me. I'll work hard," Chen Guanlou replied smoothly.

Niu Yucheng sighed. "Right now, we must unite and get through the Grand Tutor's case together. Any difficulties, come to me—I'll handle them. If anyone disobeys orders, I'll stand up for you. Whoever causes trouble, I'll remove them."

With Niu Yucheng's words, Chen Guanlou now held a feather as if it were an imperial edict.

Back in the Jia-cell prison, he called an expanded meeting of all jailers, emphasizing discipline and security.

He radiated authority, imposing pressure, and declared sternly: "I've always turned a blind eye to your private dealings outside—taking bribes, passing messages, delivering items. But this time, the Grand Tutor's safety is at stake. Whoever takes money from outsiders and makes my life difficult—I'll make their life hell. Whoever tries to screw me, I'll screw them back. Understood?"

"Understood!" the jailers shouted in unison.

Chen Guanlou knew their nature and pressed on: "Don't think I'm joking. I'll be blunt: the Grand Tutor's safety isn't just about my head—it's about all your heads."

"I'm Chen—I'm backed by the Hou Fu. If trouble comes, I can call on them to save myself. Who can you call? When it happens, you're dead. For your own sake, keep your hands off the money, tighten your belts, and bury your greed. When this case ends, I'll compensate you all."

"Chen Tou, rest assured—I'll watch them. Whoever takes outside money, I'll teach them a lesson myself, no need for you to lift a finger," Xiao Jin declared first.

Then Qian Fugui, Chen Quan, and Liu She quickly pledged loyalty, vowing not to take bribes. The other jailers chimed in one after another.

"Whoever takes outside money is a bastard."

"Only a turtle's son takes money from outsiders."

"No matter how much money, what good is it if you're dead?"

"Chen Tou, don't worry—we know right from wrong."

"We all remember the Tianlao's rules. We'll follow them strictly and not give Chen Tou any trouble."

"Trust Chen Tou—we'll get the job done!"