Chapter 368

"Don't! Prison Clerk Chen, please don't misunderstand, this official absolutely has no intention of toying with you. However, this official really doesn't know why the people from the Six Shanmen interrogated me in the middle of the night, I am also completely confused!"

"Then why are you calling for help? The Six Shanmen is not the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they won't take your life casually." Chen Guanlou scolded.

Liu Xianghe looked embarrassed, "Isn't it because I'm afraid! I called for help subconsciously. Thanks to Prison Clerk Chen's wise and martial leadership, you blocked the agents of the Six Shanmen. This official is extremely grateful."

"Alright, stop being grateful, there is no sincerity at all. Out of the words coming out of your mouth, how many are actually true?"

Chen Guanlou gave a cold snort; if he didn't want to say it, fine, he didn't want to get to the bottom of it and bring trouble upon himself.

"You better take care of yourself!"

"Prison Clerk Chen, don't go! I'm still scared in my heart."

"Get lost, you're not a woman."

Chen Guanlou kicked the prison door and turned to leave. Looking at the time, he could still nap for a while.

When he woke up yawning and was leisurely rinsing his mouth and washing his face, Commandant Wu was already standing in front of him, looking coy and hesitant to speak.

"Early in the morning, Commandant Wu, why aren't you patrolling the prison cells, but running over to watch me wash up?"

"I heard about what happened last night. Thank you, my lord, for stopping the agents of the Six Shanmen. Wanting to take a prisoner without official documents, they really think our Heavenly Prison is easy to bully."

"I am a prison clerk of the Jia-block prison, and I just happened to be resting in the Heavenly Prison last night. When something happened, of course I had to step forward. I couldn't expect the prison guards below to stop the people from the Six Shanmen; they don't have that kind of courage yet."

"That Commandant Yang was betting that there would be no one in charge at night, coming to interrogate the prisoner under the banner of the Six Shanmen. But he didn't expect to be unlucky and run into you, my lord, resting in the Heavenly Prison." Commandant Wu gave a laugh, "The small one has inquired; this Commandant Yang has been working outside for years. Returning to the capital suddenly this time, it definitely isn't as simple as just a vacation."

"What do you mean?" Chen Guanlou was not surprised that Commandant Wu was well-informed; after all, they were brother units and he was an old hand in the Heavenly Prison, so it was normal to know some news about the Six Shanmen.

"I specifically asked, the case in his hands hasn't been closed yet, and returning to the capital suddenly, there must be something strange about it."

Commandant Wu hated Commandant Yang to death in his heart. Liu Xianghe was a prisoner under his jurisdiction; if Chen Guanlou hadn't been there last night, Commandant Yang would have definitely succeeded. By the time he came to work in the morning, it would have been too late. Missing a prisoner, without official documents, and without following procedures, if something happened to Liu Xianghe, he would have to bear all the responsibility. Not to mention that his position as Commandant would not be preserved, perhaps even his own head would have to move.

Thinking about it made him break out in a cold sweat.

He was extremely grateful to Chen Guanlou; this was a life-saving grace!

"You only need to remember, without official documents, they can only interrogate prisoners within the domain of the Heavenly Prison. If they want to take the prisoner away, don't be polite. At worst, we can take the lawsuit to the Ministry of Justice; in the end, we are the ones in the right."

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

Commandant Wu gave a grunt, "My lord, rest assured, if Commandant Yang comes to interrogate the prisoner again, I will definitely keep a closer eye on things. I won't be polite to them. They take advantage of our loopholes, so we don't need to give them any face."

"You're right to think that way. Go get busy, don't stand in front of me, it's weirdly hot."

Chen Guanlou dismissed Commandant Wu, finished his breakfast, and began to drink tea and read the expired official gazettes.

Lu Datou was slacking off, running to the office to eat an ice pop, "What's so good about those expired official gazettes? I see you holding them every day."

"You don't understand." Chen Guanlou didn't explain.

"I definitely don't understand. About that matter of you being followed, are you really not going to continue investigating?"

"Not investigating. Even the Old Chaofeng couldn't find any clues, how could I? I'm not a professional investigator. In short, when soldiers come, block them; when water comes, cover it with earth. The fortune teller said that I have great fortune and a great life, and I will live forever."

"I'm an immortal, and you're going to live forever." Lu Datou retorted.

Chen Guanlou gave a laugh, ai, he was clearly telling the truth, but no one was willing to believe it.

"I heard that last night the Six Shanmen raided the Heavenly Prison, wanting to take the prisoner away, but were stopped by you."

"Hmm, there is such a thing."

"How did you stop them?"

"No official documents, no procedures, just empty words to take the person. If it were you, could you agree?"

"That's definitely impossible to agree to." Lu Datou shook his head repeatedly, "Unless someone from above provides a guarantee, such as Jiang Jiang Yucheng Lei."

Keep dreaming!

Jiang Jiang Yucheng Lei doesn't even come to the Heavenly Prison to work on weekdays, and you expect him to provide a guarantee. Jiang Jiang Yucheng Lei only wants money, and nothing else. His goal is clear and crude. Anyway, with his background, and being illiterate—anyone who hasn't seriously studied books is an illiterate in the eyes of scholars—he definitely won't be able to rise. Since that's the case, it's better to focus on making money; once he's made enough, in two years he'll change to another place and continue to hold a position like Jiang Jiang Yucheng, and continue to make money.

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

Chen Guanlou gave a cold snort, "The Heavenly Prison and the Six Shanmen are brother units, not superior and subordinate. The Six Shanmen can't control the Heavenly Prison, so why should we be a head lower than them? You guys, outsiders say we prison guards are lowly, so you really think you are lowly, letting the Six Shanmen take whatever they want. Can you guys show some backbone?"

"Look at what you're saying, who doesn't want to show backbone! But you have to have the conditions for it, right? We prison guards are just a group of..."

Chen Guanlou decisively interrupted the other party's words.

His expression sank, and he said with dissatisfaction, "Stop talking, don't pollute my ears. You consider yourselves lowly, but I don't. We are all eating the public's food, who is more noble than whom? We haven't earned any less money, why do you have such a guilty look?

No matter how powerful the agents of the Six Shanmen are, they can't do the work of a prison guard. With this bitterness and this fatigue of being a prison guard, having paid so much, why should we still be looked down upon by others? It's one thing for outsiders to look down on us, but the key is that you look down on yourselves, you don't even respect yourselves. I really admire you guys."

Lu Datou immediately started shouting; he wasn't convinced!

He argued, "My Chen brother, Prison Clerk Chen, you are standing and talking without back pain. Among the hundreds of people in the Heavenly Prison, you are the only one who has seriously studied books, plus Master Zhu beside Jiang Jiang Yucheng Lei. Prison guards are just a group of rough men and gamblers who only have eyes for money. It's only you who slightly improved the image of prison guards.

It's been several years, and in fact, many people still can't figure out why you, with the backing of the Hou Fu, would be unable to think straight and come to do this lowly job of a prison guard.

You say we eat the public's food, and you're not wrong, but the imperial court doesn't recognize it. The imperial court won't think we are people who eat the public's food; we are just a group of cattle and horses whose heads can fall at any time, and our status is not even as good as the prisoners inside the cells.

And also, don't say that thing about eating the public's food in the future; if it reaches the ears of the court officials, you will definitely be in big trouble. Officials all think highly of themselves; if prison guards eat the public's food together with officials, people will think it's an insult. An insult, understand?"