Chapter 368

"Don't! Chief Chen, don't misunderstand—I absolutely have no intention to mock you! But I truly don't know why the Six Ministries came to interrogate at midnight—I'm just as confused as you are!"

"Then why scream for help? The Six Ministries aren't the Embroidered Uniform Guard—they won't just kill you on a whim," Chen Guanlou snapped.

Liu Xianghe looked embarrassed. "I was just scared! I screamed without thinking. Thank heaven Chief Chen was here to block the Six Ministries' men—I'm deeply grateful."

"Enough with the thanks. You've shown not a shred of sincerity. How many words out of your mouth are even true?"

Chen Guanlou snorted. Fine—he wouldn't press further. He had no desire to dig up trouble for himself.

"Mind your own business!"

"Chief Chen, don't leave! I'm still terrified!"

"Get the hell out. You're not a woman."

Chen Guanlou kicked the prison door and turned away. Checking the hour, he could still catch a nap.

When he woke, yawning, and slowly washed his face and rinsed his mouth, Wu Bandou stood before him, looking awkward and hesitant to speak.

"It's barely morning. Why aren't you patrolling the cells? Why are you watching me wash up?"

"I heard about last night. Thank you, my lord, for blocking the Six Ministries' men. They came to take a prisoner without official documents—do they really think the Tianlao is easy to bully?"

"I'm the jailer of the Jia-1 cell block, and I happened to be staying at Tianlao last night. When something happened, I had to step in. I couldn't expect the junior jailers to stop the Six Ministries—they haven't got the guts."

"Yang Dudou bet there'd be no one in charge at night, and he came under the Six Ministries' banner to extract the prisoner. But he got unlucky—he ran into you staying at Tianlao," Wu Bandou chuckled. "I've inquired—he's been away on assignments for years. His sudden return to the capital can't just be for leave."

"What are you suggesting?" Chen Guanlou wasn't surprised Wu Bandou was well-informed—they were sister units, and Wu was a veteran of Tianlao; knowing something about the Six Ministries was normal.

"I specifically asked. His case isn't closed. His sudden return to the capital must have hidden motives."

Wu Bandou hated Yang Dudou with every fiber of his being. Liu Xianghe was under his jurisdiction. If Chen Guanlou hadn't been there last night, Yang would've succeeded. By the time Wu arrived for duty, it would've been too late. Lose a prisoner without documents, without procedure—and if Liu Xianghe met with misfortune, Wu would bear full responsibility. Not only would he lose his position as Bandou—he might even lose his head.

Just thinking of it sent chills down his spine.

He was endlessly grateful to Chen Guanlou—it was a life-saving act.

"Just remember this: without official documents, you can only interrogate prisoners within Tianlao's grounds. If they want to take a prisoner away, don't be polite. Take the case to the Ministry of Justice—we'll still have the moral high ground."

Chen Guanlou patted Wu Bandou on the shoulder, giving him confidence.

Wu Bandou grunted. "My lord, rest assured—if Yang Dudou comes again to interrogate, I'll keep my eyes wide open. I won't treat them with any courtesy. If they exploit our gaps, we owe them no respect."

"That's the right attitude. Go on, don't loiter in front of me—it's getting hot."

Chen Guanlou dismissed Wu Bandou, ate breakfast, then sipped tea and read outdated official bulletins.

Lu Datou slacked off, sneaking to the office to eat an ice stick. "What's so interesting about those outdated bulletins? You're always holding them."

"You wouldn't understand," Chen Guanlou said, offering no explanation.

"I definitely don't understand. Are you really not going to investigate that tailing incident?"

"No. Even Old Zhao couldn't find a lead—how could I? I'm not a professional investigator. If trouble comes, I'll deal with it. The fortune-teller said I'm blessed with great fortune and immortality."

"You're an immortal? You'll live forever?" Lu Datou scoffed.

Chen Guanlou chuckled. Sigh—he was telling the truth, but no one believed him.

"I heard the Six Ministries raided Tianlao last night, trying to extract a prisoner, and you stopped them."

"Mm. That happened."

"How did you stop them?"

"No documents. No procedure. Just a verbal demand. Would you agree to that?"

"Of course not," Lu Datou shook his head vigorously. "Unless someone high up vouched for them—like Jail Warden Lei."

Dream on.

Jail Warden Lei never came to Tianlao for duty—why expect him to vouch? Lei only wanted money; everything else he ignored. Direct. Crude. By birth, he was illiterate—and in the eyes of scholars, anyone who hadn't studied properly was an illiterate. He'd never rise. So why not focus on lining his pockets? Once he had enough, he'd transfer to another post—Jail Warden again, maybe—and keep taking bribes.

"Aren't you worried about offending the Six Ministries?" Lu Datou asked curiously.

Chen Guanlou snorted. "Tianlao and the Six Ministries are sister units—not superior and subordinate. The Six Ministries have no authority over Tianlao. Why should we bow to them? You lot—you hear outsiders call jailers lowly, and you actually believe it. You let the Six Ministries take whatever they want. Can't you show some pride?"

"Come on, who doesn't want pride? But you need the conditions, right? We jailers—we're just a bunch of…"

Chen Guanlou cut him off sharply.

His face darkened. "Stop. Don't pollute my ears. You think you're lowly—I don't. We all draw state salaries. Who's nobler than whom? We earn our pay. Why act so guilty?

Even if the Six Ministries' men are powerful, they can't do our job. Our work is hard, exhausting, demanding—why should we still be looked down upon? Outsiders sneer—that's one thing. But when you sneer at yourselves? When you look down on your own worth? I'm done with you."

Lu Datou immediately shouted back—he refused to accept it.

"My brother Chen, Chief Chen—you talk from a place of comfort. Tianlao has hundreds of people. Only you and Zhu Shiyi, who serves Jail Warden Lei, have actually studied. Jailers are just rough, crude, gambling drunks—only care about money. Only you've slightly raised the image of jailers.

It's been years now, and still, many can't understand: why, with your background, tied to Hou Fu, would you choose to become a jailer—a lowly job?"

"You say we draw state salaries—true. But the court doesn't see it that way. The court doesn't think we're state employees—we're cattle and horses, Suishikediaonaodai, our status even lower than the prisoners in the cells."

"And don't ever say 'we draw state salaries' again—if it reaches the ears of court ministers, you'll be in deep trouble. Officials think themselves superior. For them, to hear jailers called state employees? That's an insult. An insult—do you understand?"