Chapter 384

The autumn wind became cool.

Chen Guanlou sat in the office flipping through account books.

There were two sets of accounts, public and private; the public accounts had to be handed over to the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Justice would take a cut based on the amounts in the public accounts. The private accounts were shared privately within the Heavenly Prison; of course, a portion was still extracted as tribute to the officials above.

If one didn't serve the people above well, the private accounts would have to be entered into the public accounts, and all of it would be cut by the Ministry of Justice.

He didn't know if Sun Daoning had a share in the private account cuts; he had never asked, and he didn't want to ask. As long as he didn't want to worry, these matters couldn't bother him.

The public accounts maintained their usual stability, neither increasing nor decreasing; the amount was like it had taken root, not moving at all. Regarding this, everyone knew it clearly and was also very satisfied.

Not moving meant stability.

The most important thing in officialdom is stability.

The private accounts had a small increase.

Autumn had arrived, the weather was crisp and clear, the best season of the year. The imprisoned officials couldn't hold back; they all wanted to come out to get some air, to disperse the bad luck and gloom of the past year, hoping for good fortune in the coming year.

One hundred taels for one opportunity to get air was expensive, but also not expensive. It depended on the person.

The imprisoned officials in the Heavenly Prison basically didn't lack money. There were poor capital officials, but their numbers were scarce, and they weren't there at all times.

By saving in other aspects, such as bathing less often, changing high-quality rice paper to ordinary paper, eating meat less often, and drinking wine fewer times, one hundred taels could be had.

For the imprisoned officials who had been locked up in the sunless Heavenly Prison for years, sunlight, dew, a breeze, and clear tea were more precious than anything and worth spending money on.

The small courtyard at the back for getting air had also been changed; it was paved with stone slabs, had more flowers and plants, and the rooms had been decorated simply, with bright windows and clean tables, and the four treasures of the study—everything that should be there was not missing. At a glance, one would think they had entered someone's study.

If conditions permitted, two beautiful maidservants could even be arranged to serve.

Unfortunately, the Heavenly Prison could not accommodate women. Once a woman entered the Heavenly Prison, it was like a sheep entering a tiger's den; don't think about leaving unscathed. Don't expect moral conscience to exist in a purely male territory. Look at the female prisoners next door; those high courtyard walls blocked all prying eyes and prevented all untoward incidents from happening.

Human nature cannot withstand testing!

Chen Guanlou came to the small courtyard and saw Xie Changling sitting on a rocking chair, squinting his eyes and sunbathing. On the tea table beside him was a cup of clear tea and a half-read notebook of miscellaneous notes. The other prisoners getting air at the same time were either lying down or sitting, however they felt comfortable, however they felt lazy, all of them in the sunlight. They were like greedy addicts, frantically absorbing the nourishment of the sunlight.

For every day thereafter, they had to rely on this half-day of sunlight nourishment to hold on; they couldn't afford to waste even a tiny bit.

"Lord Xie is comfortable."

Chen Guanlou brought a chair and sat down, chatting casually.

Xie Changling opened his eyes a crack and glanced at the other person, "Prison Clerk Chen, I trust you have been well. I heard you just returned from a business trip."

"I've been back for many days, rested for a few, and haven't had time to go down to the Heavenly Prison to inspect the cells. Why, haven't seen each other for these days, and Lord Xie has been thinking of this official?"

"Without Prison Clerk Chen, the Heavenly Prison has once again become that filthy and ugly place in people's mouths. I didn't feel it before, but only with a comparison did I suddenly realize the importance of Prison Clerk Chen. As long as you are in the Heavenly Prison for one day, those prison guards and head constables all know to follow the rules and etiquette, and occasionally even pay attention to hygiene. When you are not here, one by one they reveal their true colors, which is quite unbearable."

"How is it unbearable? It's just being slightly more prone to gambling, a bit dirtier, and having a fouler mouth."

Chen Guanlou was very clear about the character of the prison guards; if not controlled, one by one they would let themselves go, being as dirty and smelly as possible. In such hot weather, who would believe that someone actually hadn't bathed, brushed their teeth, washed their face, or changed clothes for a month—a whole month—and still felt very good about themselves. They were so smelly that they could be smelled three li away against the wind.

The Heavenly Prison had such people, and there was more than one; they were in nests, and no one should look down on anyone else.

After Chen Guanlou became a prison clerk, he strictly required that they change their clothes at least every three days. There were several sets of uniforms; it wasn't like they didn't have clothes to change into. Even if they didn't want to wash their clothes themselves, hiring an old woman to wash clothes and do cleaning didn't cost much money. Compared to the income of a prison guard, it was a drop in the bucket, and it was convenient for themselves, hygienic for themselves, and could provide job opportunities for others. It was a work of immeasurable merit.

When he was there, the prison guards would honestly follow the hygiene requirements and try their best to keep themselves clean.

He had been on a business trip for nearly a month, and with no one to manage this group of prison guards, one by one they reverted to their old habits. In such hot weather, they could sweat several times a day; not changing or washing for ten days or half a month—one could imagine how strong the smell was.

The smell of the Heavenly Prison was already unpleasant, and added to the smell on the prison guards, an outsider suddenly stepping into the Heavenly Prison could be suffocated.

Xie Changling was a favored son of heaven, and all the suffering of his life had been endured in the Heavenly Prison.

No wonder, as soon as they met, he started complaining.

"This official can understand Prison Clerk Chen's feeling of caring for his subordinates, but this official disagrees with Prison Clerk Chen's statement. It is not just a little prone to gambling, a bit dirtier, and a bit smellier. It is by no means a little, but a world of difference; it is a chasm, a natural barrier. However, it also lets me know that Prison Clerk Chen's control over his subordinates is remarkable. As soon as you returned, everyone under you became honest. Today, almost all of them changed into clean uniforms, and it is rare that they even used soap to bathe."

Chen Guanlou heard it; almost every sentence of Xie Changling's was filled with deep resentment.

He didn't know that his subordinates had all changed clothes and bathed today. It seemed the prison guards valued his requirements very much. Very good, very good, it must be maintained.

If he hoped that the working environment could be improved, he had to start by changing the people.

"They are all rough people, Lord Xie, please bear with them. Next time you want to sunbathe, I will have someone brew a cup of tea for you separately; it's tea leaves I brought from the Hou Fu, you can't drink them outside."

"Many thanks for Prison Clerk Chen's kindness. I am a bit impatient."

"When I returned, I heard people say that His Highness the Prince of Zhong has been having a hard time lately, arguing in a war of words with Prime Minister Yu."

"What war of words? Everything is the Emperor's will!"

Xie Changling lowered his head, his heart filled with heavy resentment. Although he hid it very well, it was still detected by Chen Guanlou. This resentment was directed at the old Emperor.

Tsk tsk!

The old Emperor is hated by people!

The more people who hate him, the better.

"The Prince of Chu rebelled, so someone must take responsibility. Everyone knows clearly that this responsibility lies with His Majesty; if it weren't for His Majesty's stubbornness, the Prince of Chu would never have had the courage to raise an army to rebel and would only have continued to lie low. His Majesty wants face and cares about his reputation; he is absolutely unwilling to come forward and bear such serious consequences, and no one is more suitable than His Highness the Prince of Zhong. A heaven-sent opportunity! One could take advantage of this opportunity to thoroughly resolve the Prince of Zhong and settle this case. But instead..."

Yu Zhaoan took the lead and pulled the Prince of Zhong into this whirlpool, which instead preserved the Prince of Zhong.

Where there is debate, there are variables. Where there are variables, there are opportunities. Where there are opportunities, there is survival.

The old Emperor fell into Yu Zhaoan's treacherous scheme.