Chapter 413: The Great Ming King Has Arrived

Lei Yucheng wasn't raised to be easily frightened, but he took Chen Guanlou's words seriously.

He ordered his private secretary to scour the Tianlao's case records overnight and discreetly inquired among acquaintances.

Only after asking did he realize Chen Guanlou hadn't lied—whenever a major prisoner was locked in Tianlao, prison breaks inevitably occurred. Even prisoners of lesser importance, like those in the Bing-character cells, had seen several escape attempts, and the ones taken were always obscure inmates.

The most infamous case was the abduction of the Grand Tutor—his whereabouts remain unknown to this day, alive or dead, no one knows. Such a high-ranking, crucial figure, under the protection of the Crown Prince's guards, was snatched away in broad daylight. Despite the full force of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Six Ministries' Bureau, not a trace of the Grand Tutor was found.

Fortunately, the Grand Tutor's case was blamed on the Crown Prince, and Tianlao escaped blame.

But the rebel Great Ming King has no Crown Prince's guards watching him—what if he's stolen away?

After much deliberation, Chen Guanlou's plan was still the best: report the facts to the Ministry of Justice superiors and request additional personnel to share the burden.

Lei Yucheng was utterly exhausted.

He never imagined that the position of Tianlao warden brought money so quickly, yet the risks were equally high. The lower cells were far easier—housing only ordinary criminals, with hardly any important figures. Even if they died inside, no one would ask.

Tianlao was a place where officials were constantly arrested, each with powerful patrons—none could be provoked. Before sentencing, these officials were still masters. After sentencing, depending on the strength of their patrons, some remained masters, others became grandsons.

To survive long-term in Tianlao, one needed an iron heart. A few more high-profile rebels would scare anyone to death.

Early the next morning, Lei Yucheng appeared in the Tianlao office with a face ravaged by insomnia and eyes swollen with bloodshot veins.

He ordered all other matters suspended: the Bing-character and Ding-character cells must keep their own jailers in line—no one was to come upstairs and show their face. Everyone must stay in the duty rooms and behave.

The jailers of the Jia-character cell must follow their assigned shifts precisely, with zero errors or omissions. Whoever dared to act up today would regret it.

Lei Yucheng specifically summoned Chen Guanlou to accompany him, ready to take his advice at any moment.

Waiting idly wasn't an option.

Chen Guanlou suggested Lei Yucheng consider touring the cells to pass the time.

Lei Yucheng had no appetite for it—he'd rather sit in the office, staring blankly and sipping tea, than descend into the dungeon; it was bad luck.

Chen Guanlou didn't press him, and sat with him in the office, sipping tea and waiting.

Around mid-morning, the rebel Great Ming King arrived at Tianlao under the escort of the Six Ministries' Bureau.

Chen Guanlou followed behind Lei Yucheng, leading a group of jailers who were presentable, alert, and in good spirits, to greet the rebel Great Ming King and the Ministry of Justice official.

As expected, the Ministry's representative was none other than Vice Minister Sun Daoning.

The rebel Great Ming King was locked inside a prisoner cart, filthy and disheveled—hair and beard matted with dirt, face obscured, features indistinct, dried blood caked on his clothes and skin. His frame was unusually tall and muscular for an ordinary man.

Though wounded, he remained sharp—he suddenly opened his eyes and locked onto Chen Guanlou's gaze.

His eyes were strikingly bright, yet utterly devoid of emotion—as if he had lost all human feeling.

Chen Guanlou nodded to him in greeting, then calmly instructed his jailers to proceed with the handover.

Lei Yucheng paid no attention to the rebel Great Ming King—he kept pressing close to Sun Daoning, urging him to the office for tea.

"Tea can wait. First, complete the handover and lock him in the cell. I won't feel safe unless I see it with my own eyes."

"Your Excellency is right." Lei Yucheng wiped sweat from his brow. He suddenly remembered—he had never once descended into Tianlao. What if Sun Daoning asked about the cell conditions? How would he answer?

At this moment, he could only rely on Chen Guanlou.

Chen Guanlou gave Lei Yucheng a reassuring glance—he was here, and everything was under control.

Look at how well they coordinated. As long as Lei Yucheng stayed out of the Jia-character cell's affairs, didn't interfere or issue orders, and simply collected money, Chen Guanlou was the perfect subordinate—100% cooperative.

Lei Yucheng: …

He both loved and hated Chen Guanlou, torn between the two. Yet he had no power over him. If Chen Guanlou had any other surname, Lei Yucheng would have removed him eight hundred years ago.

After completing the handover, the prisoner cart opened. The Great Ming King, bound in heavy chains, struggled down from the cart with the help of jailers. Then, slowly, he followed the jailers toward the Jia-character cell.

The Great Ming King was a fourth-rank martial cultivator who had spent years living on the edge of death, fighting on battlefields—his combat strength far exceeded that of an ordinary fourth-rank cultivator. The jailers dared not slack. No one would be foolish enough to remove his chains before he was locked in the cell. Despite the chains making his movement painfully slow, and with Ministry officials watching, the jailers were under immense pressure.

But the jailers selected today were highly competent. Under heavy pressure, they remained loyal, followed procedure, and carried out their duties with solemn faces.

Chen Guanlou had promised them: if today's duties were performed flawlessly and left a good impression on the officials, everyone would receive a generous bonus.

For the sake of the bonus, the jailers shed their usual lazy attitudes—each stood tall, chest out, mimicking the Embroidered Uniform Guard's bearing. Their demeanor, ignoring the surroundings, made them look like elite soldiers in a military camp.

It was all an illusion.

Everyone knew it was performative—yet from Lei Yucheng down to Sun Daoning, all praised the jailers' impressive morale: excellent, must be maintained.

Chen Guanlou kept a stern face but secretly gave the jailers a thumbs-up—hold it together. Don't slack until the Ministry official leaves.

The jailers: …

Their bellies stuck out even more!

The cell for the Great Ming King had been renovated—everything replaced: wooden bars swapped for iron, floor changed to natural blue stone tiles, positioned far from windows and other imprisoned officials. The cell was close to the duty room—any disturbance could be swiftly addressed by a call to the guards inside.

Every detail was perfected, leaving no blind spots.

Sun Daoning stepped forward first to inspect it. "Lei Yucheng, Tianlao's work is thorough. Excellent—you clearly put in real effort."

Lei Yucheng was both elated and tense. "Ever since receiving the Ministry's order, Tianlao has worked overtime to prepare. Your approval, Vice Minister Sun, is the greatest praise we could receive."