Chapter 254

Sun Daoning's warning clearly carried deeper meaning.

Chen Guanlou felt a flicker of unease and dared to say, "Your Excellency, please clarify!"

Sun Daoning hesitated, as if weighing whether to spell it out more plainly: "You need only remember to uphold your duty."

Chen Guanlou blinked. Upholding one's duty had many subtleties.

A sudden insight struck him—he asked at once: "May I ask, Your Excellency, why has the Zhuang family sent no one to protect the Grand Tutor?"

"The Grand Tutor is imprisoned; the Zhuang family is in chaos, all looking to the Eastern Palace. Have the cooks sent by the Zhuang family been investigated? Any issues?"

"They've been checked. They're household-born servants of the Zhuang family; the Grand Tutor has always eaten their food."

"Good. I'm busy with official duties—do your job well."

Sun Daoning had no wish to say more; after giving his instructions, he left the Tianlao.

Chen Guanlou first sought approval from Officer Niu, absorbed the underlying meaning, then led the jailers to meet the Eastern Palace guards. Long-term cooperation required good relations.

Officer Cui came from a noble lineage—the famed Qingzhou Cui clan—and bore the unmistakable arrogance of a noble scion. When he learned Chen Guanlou hailed from the Chen family of Jingcheng, the Chen of Pingjiang Marquis, he blurted: "How could you sink so low?"

He clearly assumed Chen Guanlou was one of his kind—both from noble families.

How could a noble son degrade himself by becoming a jailer?

Degraded!

Chen Guanlou's lip twitched. He hadn't heard words like that in two years; hearing them now was jarring.

He gave a light laugh and explained casually: "Out of five generations."

"Even if you're out of five generations, you still shouldn't…" He had enough sense to notice Chen Guanlou's expression darken and swallowed his words. But his gaze betrayed clear disdain.

Chen Guanlou chuckled, pretending indifference: "Your twelve men work in three shifts, guarding the Grand Tutor's cell every day. Ask him for details—he'll accompany you the whole way."

He stepped aside, revealing Xiao Jin.

Xiao Jin: …

Xiao Jin forced a smile: "Any difficulties, feel free to ask me."

Officer Cui stared at Chen Guanlou. He wasn't ignorant of social nuance—living in the Eastern Palace meant he understood people well. He not only understood, he excelled at it. But in his mind, a Tianlao jailer wasn't worth his social effort—not even Chen Guanlou. Typical aloofness. Typical noble scion behavior.

"Who calls the shots in the Jia-cell prison?"

Chen Guanlou raised an eyebrow slightly: "I'm merely assisting Officer Fan with miscellaneous duties."

"Alright, understood."

Neither had any desire to cultivate closeness. The planned welcome banquet was canceled. Chen Guanlou had no patience for these guard lords.

Clearly, the guard lords looked down on the jailers too—unwilling to drink with them, deeming it beneath them.

Both sides Moqi ed perfectly: as if no welcome banquet had ever been planned.

Chen Guanlou returned to the duty room; Xiao Jin and the others followed, awaiting further orders.

"Follow the rules. Uphold your duty." Chen Guanlou suddenly grasped the deeper meaning behind Sun Daoning's words—these Eastern Palace guards were hard to deal with, each with their noses in the air, looking down on others.

Think about it: when the Crown Prince ascends, these loyal guards will all be posted as officials, starting at least at fifth rank. The most capable might even earn a noble title.

With such a high starting point, how could they possibly mingle on equal terms with lowly jailers? This was a society with rigid class divisions—nobles never dined with commoners.

More crucially, these guards were all cultivators, the weakest at Second Rank. Their leader, Officer Cui, was even a Fifth Rank cultivator.

Cultivators this rare were seldom seen on the market—yet the Eastern Palace had dozens. As the saying went: high-rank cultivators had only three places to go—sect, noble house, imperial family!

There was no fourth option.

No one had ever seen a high-rank cultivator wandering the martial world alone.

Xiao Jin and the others looked hesitant.

Chen Guanlou raised an eyebrow: "Speak plainly."

"Chief Chen, those men are cultivators. I'm worried."

"What's there to worry about? Keep your distance and show respect. Do you think they'd dare kill freely? This is Tianlao—our territory." Chen Guanlou's tone was casual, but his eyes held a cold ruthlessness; the duty room, already chilly, suddenly felt suffocating.

Seeing their discomfort, Chen Guanlou immediately reined in his aura: "Don't worry—I'm here. I'll protect you."

"Chief Chen is righteous."

"Chief Chen, rest assured—we won't provoke them. Any requests, we'll fulfill them."

"We'll get along well with them."

Serving masters—serving whom is serving.

"We won't cause Chief Chen any trouble."

"Enough, enough—I appreciate your hearts. We've worked together for years; I know your temperaments. None of you seek trouble. Don't overworry—we all share the same goal: protecting the Grand Tutor's safety. I doubt they'll go too far."

Chen Guanlou did his best to reassure them—he could see they were uneasy. These were Eastern Palace guards—unreachable, their words laced with caution.

He arranged the shifts and contingency plans, then accompanied the physician to examine the Grand Tutor.

The physician came daily to Tianlao to take the Grand Tutor's pulse—it was Chen Guanlou's own suggestion. He feared the worst.

Physician Mu was impatient but had no choice.

"Do you know why I didn't become an Imperial Physician? Because I refuse to treat these people—too many headaches. You've made my life harder."

"Old Master, please understand me. They've handed me this burning coal. What can I do? I'm asking you to endure the daily trip. Rest assured—I'll get you two old ginseng roots. Officials' homes have plenty of treasures."

He decided: next time, no antiques or calligraphy—only rare medicinal herbs, to repay Physician Mu's kindness.

"You swore it—two old ginseng roots, a hundred years. Ninety-nine won't do. Must be over a hundred."

"Yes, yes, I'll find them. You know my abilities."

Physician Mu snorted, picked up his medical case, and went to take the Zhuang Grand Tutor's pulse, ensuring his safety.

Officer Cui was absent; after arranging the shifts, Chen Guanlou led the rest away.

Chen Guanlou looked at the two gatekeepers—two others guarded the corridor and the bars, Second and Third Rank. Not to boast, but he could wipe them out with one finger.

"You four can rotate shifts. Guarding a cell is monotonous."

The Eastern Palace guards glanced at him, ignoring him.

Chen Guanlou pinched his nose—his own fault for speaking up.

He followed Physician Mu into the cell.

The Zhuang Grand Tutor had a book beside him, half-read.

Physician Mu was taking his pulse.

"Little Chen's here!" The Grand Tutor was in excellent spirits, smiling warmly. "I told you before—no need to come daily. I'm perfectly safe here in Tianlao."