Chapter 347

Chen Guanlou refused Xie Changling and ignored him thereafter.

As for whether other jailers would act as messengers for money, Chen Guanlou didn't care and couldn't care. He had repeatedly ordered them not to collude secretly with outsiders, warning them not to be used as pawns and lose their lives. But most of these jailers had sunk into greed and refused to listen to his advice.

Good words cannot save a man doomed to die.

Besides, the Tianlaomiao was as porous as a sieve—no one knew how many spies and moles lurked inside. Wang Qiren had been quietly smuggled out of the prison; clearly, this was the work of an inside agent.

But he did not investigate the matter.

Let there be moles.

If there were moles for the cultists in Tianlaomiao, there must also be moles from the former Crown Prince's household.

He turned a blind eye—as long as they didn't block his path to wealth. He seized control of finances and personnel, and pretended ignorance of everything happening beneath the surface.

A few days later, he suddenly heard that Master Fu had stolen the concubine of Prison Warden Lei and was caught in the act—his legs broken and thrown out.

He raised an eyebrow. Zhang Yuli's hand was fast—and his methods, ruthless.

After this incident, Master Fu vanished from Tianlaomiao. Later, he heard the man had been expelled from the capital and slunk back home in disgrace.

This kind of revenge... hehe, so you see, stick to the rules, and everyone benefits. Though jailers are lowly, they move through all circles of society; secretly, they can ruin a man with ease.

Prison wardens, private secretaries—don't think your higher status gives you license to exploit and break the rules.

Only by mutual respect for boundaries can things last.

After Master Fu's affair, Prison Warden Lei seemed to wake up, realizing something was amiss. Of course, he could no longer keep Master Fu. Stealing his concubine was undeniable fact.

He had risen from the bottom, endured countless underhanded tricks of the lowly, understood their vengeful nature, and knew their logic.

Especially now, he was inside Tianlaomiao.

The jailers here had far more ruthless methods and deeper connections than anyone he'd ever encountered before.

Too hasty!

He deeply reflected: in his rush to make money, his recent actions had indeed been too reckless.

Thinking of Master Fu's fate, he shivered despite the summer heat. He imagined—if these jailers turned their methods on him, the consequences were unthinkable.

Think about who's locked up here: lustful monsters, demons, flower-pickers, murderers, servants and stewards of wealthy households, seasoned political veterans. Gathered in Tianlaomiao, the jailers could easily pick out a few useful men from among them.

All the conspiracies, all the vile, cunning, and vicious techniques in the world were concentrated here—like a doctoral program in crime, every single one a master.

Just take a little of it, and you can quietly destroy a man's reputation, ruin his family, end his life.

Prison Warden Lei, horrified by his own thoughts, trembled violently in the midsummer heat, drenched in cold sweat.

He didn't know who exactly had done it. He only knew that every jailer was aware of Master Fu's fate—but not one would come to warn him.

The jailers of Tianlaomiao are iron; the prison wardens flow like water.

The jailers stick together; they won't tolerate a traitor. Internal conflicts are settled internally; externally, their interests are unified. The prison warden is an outsider.

Soon, Prison Warden Lei took action—he lowered his cut, and everything returned to the old rules. Money? There's no end to it.

Then, he hired a more respectable private secretary, one with a scholar's degree. The new secretary was Zhu—Master Zhu, who had spent half his life in ruin but had finally awakened, working diligently as secretary, advising his employer.

On his first encounter with the jailers, Master Zhu maintained his dignity while cautiously probing, announcing Prison Warden Lei's decision.

The jailers: …

Hah!

Clearly, you need a lesson before you understand who truly rules this patch of ground.

At lunch, Chen Guanlou gave Zhang Yuli a thumbs-up. Impressive!

Zhang Yuli waved it off. Just a small matter, not worth mentioning.

A lowly private secretary? Easy to handle. We didn't act before because it wasn't necessary. Now we did, because he was an eyesore.

Greed? Normal. We all work here for money—big brother doesn't mock little brother. But you must follow the rules. Rules are the foundation of peaceful coexistence.

For those who break the rules, Tianlaomiao has its own methods.

Master Fu's departure was just a minor incident.

Prison Warden Lei's change of attitude was a good thing.

This year is bound to be turbulent.

When Chen Guanlou finished his shift, he passed by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and overheard a mumbled phrase: Lu Mingchuan is dead!

What?

Was Lu Mingchuan the man he thought of?

Lu Mingchuan is dead?

Impossible.

That old bastard was in peak health—he could live another ten or twenty years. Old and cunning, ambitious to the core—how could he just die with a casual word?

He stopped a passing Embroidered Uniform Guard. "Is Lu Mingchuan really dead?"

Most of the Embroidered Uniform Guard nearby now recognized Chen Guanlou's face—he was too handsome to forget.

So when he asked, the guard didn't say, "Who are you?" but nodded. "Yes, dead. This morning we went to the Lu residence. The case is now under the Ministry of Justice."

"Why is the Ministry of Justice handling it? Lu Mingchuan was a senior scholar of the court—his sudden death, and you don't investigate?"

"Suicide. What's there to investigate?"

Chen Guanlou stared, dumbfounded.

What?

He was certain his ears hadn't failed him—Lu Mingchuan committing suicide? What nonsense.

A man so obsessed with survival would kill himself?

It was the height of absurdity.

He didn't believe it!

He refused to believe Lu Mingchuan had committed suicide.

He canceled his appointment with Du Fuzi and rushed to the Lu residence—sure enough, he saw familiar faces from the Six Ministries coming and going.

He grabbed a familiar yamen runner. "What's going on?"

"Oh, it's Prisoner Chen. Are you related to the Lu family?"

"No. Just passing by, curious."

"Oh. Poisoned himself. Probably couldn't take it anymore."

Chen Guanlou entered the Lu residence. The Lu family looked as if disaster had struck—numb, hopeless.

In the main hall, he saw Zhao Mingqiao, negotiating with the Six Ministries, trying to wrap up the case quickly and arrange the funeral. In this heat, the body couldn't be kept.

Zhao Mingqiao turned and saw Chen Guanlou—clearly stunned, surprised.

He walked straight over. "Chen… Brother, what are you doing here?"

"I heard Master Lu poisoned himself. Is it true?"

"It's true."

"Do you believe it?" Chen Guanlou stared hard at Zhao Mingqiao.

Zhao Mingqiao's face was open. "Of course I believe it." His eyes, clear and sharp, flashed a fleeting, unreadable glint.