Chapter 361

Do I have a face that people dislike?

Chen Guanlou asked seriously.

Could it be that my face has drawn assassins upon me?

After reviewing it all day, he reached this conclusion—and even he found it absurd. Had he drunk too much today? Was his mind unclear?

"Chen Brother, do you have some mistaken perception of your own looks?" Qi Wuxiu remarked with subtle sarcasm.

"What do you mean?"

"Your face is very attractive to women."

"So you mean men hate my face?" Could it really be because of this? Chen Guanlou suddenly felt his thoughts clear. A man as handsome as him would naturally draw resentment among other men.

"Not at all. Honestly, your face is just average—about the same as mine." Qi Wuxiu said with unashamed boldness.

Chen Guanlou let out a cold laugh. "I'm not blind!"

Qi Wuxiu protested, "When I go to the brothels, the courtesans all flock around me."

"Of course they flock around you—you're the god of wealth. When I go to brothels, I don't even pay, and the courtesans pay me. Do you have that?"

Qi Wuxiu: …

He truly didn't.

Can't compare, can't compare!

Slightly inferior! Just barely!

"Why are you suddenly asking this? Has someone been giving you trouble?" Qi Wuxiu, after all, was Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Chen Guanlou shook his head, not telling the truth, only saying: "I feel someone is secretly watching me. After thinking it over, I'm just a lowly jailer—I've offended no one. Could it be some woman has taken a fancy to me, and her husband found out?"

"You're imagining things," Qi Wuxiu scoffed. "Don't think just because you have a face, every woman will lust after you."

Chen Guanlou glanced at him, saying nothing—but his eyes clearly said: You're jealous.

Qi Wuxiu, still Bufuqi, asked seriously: "Is someone truly watching you in secret?"

Chen Guanlou nodded.

Qi Wuxiu volunteered: "Shall I secretly investigate for you?"

"Won't it trouble you?" Chen Guanlou asked.

"I'll do it myself—it's no trouble. Lately there's little to do; I can spare the time."

"Thanks! I'll treat you to a brothel drink another day. How could you Embroidered Uniform Guards possibly be idle? Our Tianlao just received a new batch of prisoners; the ZhaoYu should be even busier."

Qi Wuxiu waved his hand. "Higher-ups suddenly ordered a slight restraint on recent arrests. Probably the palace has new ideas."

Chen Guanlou was surprised—he was quick to connect dots. "Could this be related to Minister Yu's impeachment of Prince Zhong?"

"I don't know. I don't understand these things. When Prince Chu rebelled, I thought we'd be swamped—but instead we've grown idle." Qi Wuxiu wasn't good at complex thinking—he was a competent executor, not a leader.

Chen Guanlou held his teacup, pondering: "Based on your Embroidered Uniform Guard experience, how significant is Minister Yu's impeachment of Prince Zhong?"

"Not too bad. Since Prince Zhong was deposed, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has been ordered to secretly monitor the Prince's mansion. I even did night watch. Minister Yu's impeachment was unexpected, but thinking deeper, I suspect he got the Emperor's hint and wanted to curry favor—hence this move. As for impact? Prince Zhong is already deposed—he's no longer the Crown Prince. Sigh!"

"You accept Prince Zhong's deposition so calmly? I thought you'd rebel against heaven, cry your eyes out, and get drunk for three days." Chen Guanlou teased.

Qi Wuxiu blushed slightly, self-deprecatingly smiling: "I'm just a nobody. I can't change anyone's mind or alter any fact—I can only bow and accept."

The youthful boy, once full of simple, righteous ideals, had ultimately been defeated by reality—accepting his fate, becoming a quiet, occasionally slacking-off civil servant who abandoned grand ambitions.

Chen Guanlou raised his teacup. "To this damned heaven."

After finishing one cup, he poured another. "From now on, brothers, let's focus on making money!"

"Making money!" Qi Wuxiu pursed his lips. "You're right. Making money is real—it's what we should pursue. I'm starting to understand those corrupt officials. The state salary is hard to live on; you can't chase morality or justice—money is the last path. If you have no money, that state salary becomes a useless bone—tasteless to eat, a shame to throw away."

"Brother, you've awakened. Making money is our true pursuit—everything else is smoke and mirrors. Justice? That's a castle in the air. Justice isn't in you or me, isn't in the law—it's in one word from above. We're just the lowest tools. As tools, never harbor unrealistic fantasies. Making money is the only true path."

Chen Guanlou draped his arm over Qi Wuxiu's shoulder, delivering a grand speech, drilling into him his own money-making philosophy as if giving a lecture, determined to purge Qi Wuxiu's mind of all its messy ideals.

Qi Wuxiu wasn't easily brainwashed.

"Your Tianlao makes money easily—extort the prisoners. No one investigates. But our Embroidered Uniform Guard must extort honest citizens—that's not right."

"Extort corrupt officials," Chen Guanlou offered without a hint of guilt.

Qi Wuxiu shook his head immediately, rejecting the idea outright. "Before being convicted, corrupt officials are still pillars of the court—I dare not go extort them. Otherwise, I'd die without knowing how."

"So you see—your Embroidered Uniform Guard finds it harder to make money than our Tianlao. You risk leaving evidence; if later investigated, you'll end up in ZhaoYu. We have no such worries—so long as we don't kill them, no one cares whether a corrupt official was extorted."

"It's different. You Embroidered Uniform Guards have power, status, and prestige—your name alone can stop children from crying at night. Heaven is fair: it gives you status, and takes back a bit in wealth. Likewise, we Tianlao jailers gain money but lose status—we're looked down upon. See? Even Heaven understands balance."

Chen Guanlou spoke with solemn seriousness.

Qi Wuxiu thought it over, then nodded. "That does make sense. Once an official gains status, to get wealth he must become corrupt—and that breaks the balance. Once broken, collapse is inevitable. Chen Brother, I toast you—you're a man of great wisdom. Are you truly not considering joining the Embroidered Uniform Guard? Staying in Tianlao is a waste of talent."

"Why would I join your Embroidered Uniform Guard? Less pay, more work, far from home—I'm not crazy." Chen Guanlou retorted. "Do you even make as much as my pocket money each month?"

Qi Wuxiu: …

So hurt.

Not only was his face outshone—his income was too.

"Hearing you say that, maybe I should join your Tianlao?"

"Bro, my dear brother, don't ruin me. I'm young—I don't want to die!"

Bring an Embroidered Uniform Guard into the Tianlao? Believe me—in minutes, every single person there would unite to teach him the ways of life.