Chapter 37: Spend Money to Avert Disaster

Xu Fugui nodded vaguely, staring hopefully at Fan Yucheng, wishing for more hints. If necessary, he’d pay a sum of silver to curry favor with Fan.

Fan Yucheng glanced at the dense Xu Fugui and snorted in disdain: “Vice Minister Sun is focused on investigating the case—he has no time to meddle in the trivial affairs of the Heavenly Prison. But just because he doesn’t inquire doesn’t mean he won’t casually mention something at a critical moment. If Commander Wu loses face, do you think you’ll escape unscathed?”

Not at all! Absolutely not!

An official’s face is heaven itself—must be defended at all costs.

Xu Fugui finally understood. “We lowly men have erred and deserve punishment. I intended to personally beg Commander Wu for forgiveness, but feared defiling his eyes. This matter requires your assistance, Master Fan—I am eternally grateful.”

Xu Fugui’s thinking was simple: no official dislikes money. Any problem solvable with silver isn’t a real problem. If his life is spared, silver will come again. As long as the Heavenly Prison remains full, the jailers will never be poor.

Before life, silver is nothing.

Fan Yucheng was pleased with Xu Fugui’s tact, yet kept his face stern, merely grunting in acknowledgment.

Xu Fugui had to swallow his pride, sidestepping the others, and named a sum.

Fan Yucheng finally nodded in satisfaction and urged Xu Fugui to act quickly.

“Death may be spared, but living punishment cannot be avoided—you’d best prepare yourself mentally.”

“What does the master mean…?”

“Someone must step forward to bear the blame.”

In an instant, Xu Fugui’s mind flashed a name: Zhang Wantong!

That bastard Zhang Wantong, relying on his seniority, never gave him any respect. Now that Zhang had messed up, Xu had no reason to protect him.

He immediately replied, “I’ll submit the list as soon as possible.”

“Excellent!”

Fan Yucheng left.

Xu Fugui took the main seat and began reprimanding the jailers.

“Gathering to gamble, abandoning posts, slacking off—normally these aren’t serious offenses, just a scolding and it’s over. But this time, you’re unlucky—you’ve walked straight into the gun barrel. Your misfortune drags me down too. Don’t expect the higher-ups to spare us. You all heard Fan Yucheng’s words: fifty taels each. Gather it within two days. And remember—silver only buys your lives; whether you keep your posts or not is beyond my control.”

“Fifty taels? That’s a death sentence!”

“Too much? Then don’t pay. Suffer the consequences yourself.”

“Can’t we just beat them for it?”

“Beat them, beat them—always thinking of beating them. After you beat them and clean up their mess, will you pay for your own salary next month? Will you even eat? Do you know the higher-ups haven’t allocated funds in half a year? Forget beating them. That’s it. Dismissed.”

The jailers groaned inwardly—fifty taels in two days? It was a death sentence.

As soon as Xu Fugui left, the men began complaining bitterly, cursing their bad luck for falling under Sun Daoning’s watch. Though all resented Sun, none dared voice it openly—afraid some turncoat might sneak a report and bring disaster upon them.

Lu Datou’s face turned green.

That night he lost everything—not only the silver he’d borrowed, but also gambling debts.

He was a notorious gambler; all relatives and friends had been bled dry. Now he could think of only Chen Guanlou.

“Little Chen, you’ve got to help me this time! I’m truly out of options. Who’d have thought bad luck could make you choke on cold water? Just save my post—I’ll repay you within two months, I swear!”

Chen Guanlou sighed helplessly. “Big Head, I’m not refusing you—I know your situation. I’ve only been here six months. I’ve saved every copper, yet I can’t spare two sets of fifty taels. I can lend you at most five taels—don’t think it’s too little, Big Head.”

Lu Datou was deeply disappointed.

But then he reconsidered—five taels was still one-tenth of what he needed.

“Good brother, I’ll never forget this favor. Give me the silver now—I still need to find more elsewhere.”

Chen Guanlou claimed the silver wasn’t with him—he’d bring it tomorrow.

Lu Datou warned him to bring it tomorrow, then hurried off to the cells, clearly planning to extort money from the prisoners.

The other gamblers acted the same—every one turned to the prisoners for cash, launching a coordinated night of extortion and “blessings.”

Chen Guanlou hid in the watchroom and slept soundly.

For the first time, the watchroom felt quiet and empty.

Within two days, every jailer paid the full fifty taels. The jailers of the Jia and Yi wards also suffered, forced to pay.

Suddenly, resentment filled the Heavenly Prison. Many secretly cursed Sun Daoning—wishing his sons had no anus. Why wake at midnight to raid the prison? Why meddle in affairs that weren’t his? He must be mad.

But the matter was far from over.

A few days after the silver was paid, the real crisis arrived.

First to be removed was Zhang Wantong. Fan Yucheng gave him two choices: either demote himself to laborer, or leave the Heavenly Prison.

Zhang Wantong had always been arrogant and accustomed to comfort—he could never accept becoming a laborer. Laborers cleaned latrines and carried corpses.

Zhang Wantong was no ordinary man. Outside the prison, he’d find his place.

So he decisively chose to leave.

Five of his most loyal disciples followed him out of the prison to seek fortune beyond its walls. Only one chose to stay.

Fan Yucheng showed special favor to the jailer who abandoned Zhang Wantong—did not assign him to labor, kept him as a jailer.

With Zhang Wantong’s departure, the Bing ward was purged, replaced with fresh faces.

Meanwhile, the Jia and Yi wards also replaced a batch of jailers.

One day, Chen Guanlou was summoned to the office.

This was his second time entering the office—the first had been on his first day, when Jiang Yucheng was in charge.

Fan Yucheng’s tone was unusually warm.

“Little Chen, since you came to the Heavenly Prison, your conduct has been exemplary—never late, never absent, never abandoned your post. On the night Vice Minister Sun’s surprise inspection came, you were the only one present and dutiful—you preserved the prison’s dignity when all others failed.”

“I don’t deserve your praise, Master—I merely did my duty.”

“Your greatest strength is sticking to your duty. No wonder you’re from the Chen family—you’re nothing like those old hands. I heard you studied?”

“Your Excellency, I studied for several years, but failed to make anything of it.”

Fan Yucheng nodded sympathetically. “I studied for years too, and failed. The imperial examinations are brutal! How many scholars are there in the land? How few rise to the top? Yet we scholars must keep our aspirations—even if we fail the exams, we must not lose our spirit.”

“Your teachings are etched in my heart, Master.”

“You’re excellent!” Fan Yucheng praised Chen Guanlou again. “Though forced into the lowly role of jailer, you still uphold the dignity of a scholar, refusing to sink to the level of the others. I am very pleased.”

“It’s only right,” Chen Guanlou replied, as always humble and reserved.

Fan Yucheng laughed heartily, clearly satisfied. After all that buildup, the main course was finally served.

“The Jia ward has a vacancy. Since it requires literate personnel, I intend to transfer you to the Jia ward.”

What?

Chen Guanlou froze.