Chapter 415: What Are You, Anyway?

"This rowdy behavior is utterly unbecoming."

Sun Daoning rebuked him sternly, assuming an imposing demeanor and driving the frantic Lei Yucheng back.

"So what if someone tries to break in? The Imperial Prison isn't the first to face an escape attempt."

Sun Daoning talks big without feeling the pressure.

Lei Yucheng was nearly driven mad; he disregarded hierarchy and official decorum, interrupting sharply: "But the rebel leader, Great Ming Wang, is a man specifically chosen by His Majesty for the heavenly sacrifice—he's not like any other prisoner! If he's stolen away, Your Excellency will surely bear the blame."

"How dare you!" Sun Daoning's face turned ashen. "Do you think I'm unaware of the gravity of this matter? Do you need to remind me? Who do you think you are?"

Lei Yucheng's face flushed crimson, filled with humiliation, embarrassment, and utter shame.

Chen Guanlou hid in the corner, pretending not to exist, minimizing his presence to spare Lei Yucheng a shred of dignity.

"His Majesty intends to sacrifice the rebel Great Ming Wang's flesh and blood in the heavenly rite—this is known throughout the land," Sun Daoning said calmly, calming his anger. "There is still some debate within the court on this matter. For now, the Imperial Prison's duty is merely to guard the rebel Great Ming Wang. If anything unfortunate should happen, it would be understandable."

"Your Excellency may be lenient toward us and let us off the hook, but I fear the palace won't accept that excuse," Lei Yucheng said cautiously.

He spoke the truth.

The old emperor's stubbornness and arrogance were evident in how he deposed the crown prince. If court officials had truly been able to persuade him, they wouldn't be secretly cursing him like overworked slaves, wishing him dead every day.

The old emperor has decreed that the rebel Great Ming Wang must be used for the sacrifice—no one else will do.

Is this even a sacrifice?

It's a warning to all subjects: behave, see what happens to those who rebel?

No one else could serve the same purpose as the rebel Great Ming Wang—he is irreplaceable, unique, one of a kind.

If anything were to happen, Lei Yucheng broke into a cold sweat, unable to imagine the consequences—it was terrifying. He feared he himself would be the one led to the execution ground. The thought of his head falling made him want to collapse and weep on the spot, begging Sun Daoning for even a sliver of mercy.

"Chen Guanlou, do you think someone will attempt to break him out?"

Sun Daoning suddenly turned the question to Chen Guanlou.

Chen Guanlou could no longer pretend to be invisible; he ventured cautiously: "I'd estimate a fifty percent chance. Rumor has it some of the rebel remnants are still at large—fierce, fearless, and ruthless. Others harbor resentment toward the court and are scheming behind the scenes to sabotage next year's sacrifice. Compared to infiltrating the palace, storming the Imperial Prison seems far simpler."

"Your Excellency, did you hear that? A prison break is virtually inevitable—it's bound to happen. With only these guards, we can't possibly hold back those ferocious bandits. Unless you station martial experts to guard the Great Ming Wang, I must speak plainly: the prison has no confidence in preserving his life."

Facing the threat of execution, Lei Yucheng summoned courage he'd never shown before, standing up to Sun Daoning and demanding martial guardians. He refused to back down until his demand was met.

Chen Guanlou silently gave him a thumbs-up.

In the face of death, Lei Yucheng had unleashed 120% of his strength—impressive! Just one more push, and success is within reach.

Sun Daoning stroked his beard, frowning in thought.

Both men spoke sense: the danger of holding the Great Ming Wang in the Imperial Prison was foreseeable, and so too was the likelihood of an escape attempt.

Normally, if a threat is foreseeable, one should assign suitable guards to protect the prisoner—or even render him barely alive, so he couldn't be taken even if someone tried.

But the sacrifice requires a healthy Great Ming Wang; rendering him incapacitated is out of the question. Poisoning him carries the risk of failure.

No matter how much he considered it, Sun Daoning's true stance had always been passive indifference—he even secretly hoped the Great Ming Wang would be stolen away, thereby disrupting the sacrifice.

He was not alone in this sentiment among court officials.

No one wished to see the old emperor's reign proceed smoothly.

They all prayed he would fall gravely ill, become a normal elderly man, rather than remain vigorous, domineering, and stubbornly clinging to absolute power as a healthy but foolish emperor.

He narrowed his eyes, ignoring the despairing Lei Yucheng, and fixed his gaze on Chen Guanlou: "Chen Yuli, I entrust the Great Ming Wang to you. Can you guarantee you'll complete your mission?"

"What mission?" Chen Guanlou asked ambiguously. He needed clarity—no vague "mission" could bind him. He couldn't guarantee anything.

Sun Daoning snorted, rose, and walked out.

Chen Guanlou hesitated briefly, then followed.

Lei Yucheng:...

He, the chief warden of the Imperial Prison, was being outmaneuvered by a mere jailer. Worse still, this seemed to have already become an established fact within the Ministry of Justice—with no one questioning it.

What kind of world is this? How corrupt, how dark.

This can't be allowed.

It violates all bureaucratic norms! Bypassing a superior and assigning orders directly to subordinates? That's not how things are done.

Sun Daoning led Chen Guanlou to a secluded spot.

The day was overcast, with a northwest wind howling bitterly, stinging their faces.

"Beijing's winter is actually beautiful. But once the wind blows, no matter how lovely the scenery, it becomes unbearable—you just want to hide indoors, away from that hateful north wind."

Sun Daoning gazed toward the horizon, speaking as casually as if chatting with an old friend about something utterly ordinary.

Chen Guanlou nodded in agreement: "Yes, whenever the wind blows in Beijing, everything feels wrong."

"Do you know what winters are like in the south?"

Chen Guanlou:...

In his past life, he knew—but in this life, he shouldn't. He'd never spent a winter in the south.

So he shook his head: "Do you know, Your Excellency?"

"Most of my studies took place in the south. It's never this cold—the winter remains lush and green. When it doesn't rain, even a little sunshine feels wonderfully comforting. But when it rains, the endless dampness seeps into your bones, making you shiver from within. Southern winters are easy to endure—you never lack food. The real hardship is spring. When spring arrives and the rain comes, the entire south becomes a curtain of water—indoors and outdoors feel identical. I dislike southern springs, and I dislike northern springs too—the wind never stops. Chen Yuli, do you like spring?"

Is he really asking about spring?

Chen Guanlou fell silent, feigning ignorance. He wasn't convincing—but it was enough to signal his stance.