Chapter 416: Turn One Eye, Close the Other

"What do you think of next spring's Heaven-Worshipping Ceremony?" Sun Daoning knew Chen Guanlou was pretending ignorance, so he abandoned vague, evasive phrasing and cut straight to the point—sure the man couldn't keep up the act.

As a slightly inept actor, Chen Guanlou chose to keep pretending.

He tilted his head, feigned deep thought, then answered solemnly: "I plan to lie down and watch."

In that instant, Sun Daoning's face twisted into a grotesque snarl, desperate to strangle him. After several deep breaths and repeated self-reminders not to stoop to the man's level, he barely suppressed his rage.

"Chen Jailor, are you determined to play the fool to the end?"

"My lord, I'm merely a lowly jailor—not even a proper official. How could I possibly merit your attention? I'm terrified! Whatever you wish me to do, just give the order directly—there's no need to seek my thoughts or advice. I have none worth offering."

Chen Guanlou protested his innocence.

As a jailor, he was fully aware of his place: never overstepping, never presuming importance. He did only his assigned duties and never meddled in others' affairs.

Yet certain people always wanted him to do more work—without paying a single coin, determined to get free labor.

The world didn't offer such good deals.

What he hated most was being taken advantage of, forced to work overtime for nothing.

Getting him to work was simple: pay him enough, and he had no objection to overtime.

Every imprisoned official in the jail understood this—why didn't Sun Daoning? Or was he pretending ignorance?

Sun Daoning narrowed his eyes, realizing he'd used the wrong approach.

You couldn't handle these seasoned veterans of the Heavenly Prison with courtly rhetoric.

Though Chen Guanlou differed from other jailers, they were fundamentally the same: dead set on money.

"Chen Jailor, how much money will it take for you to do my bidding?"

"Serving my lord is my duty—and my honor," Chen Guanlou replied with empty official platitudes. He wouldn't be fooled unless the man offered a price outright.

Sun Daoning chuckled. "I'll be frank: the Ministry of Justice sent no one. Only the Heavenly Prison's own strength can protect the rebel king, Da Ming Wang. If he's kidnapped, the Heavenly Prison bears full responsibility. When the palace demands accountability, all of you will be beheaded."

Chen Guanlou raised an eyebrow—unmoved.

He'd already guessed this. Nothing surprising. Some people wished Da Ming Wang would die in prison.

"Aren't you afraid?" Sun Daoning asked, slightly startled.

Chen Guanlou countered: "You've got more to say, don't you? But why not say it all at once? There's no need to test me—I'm truly impervious to all tactics."

Sun Daoning fumed. He'd never met someone so impervious to pressure or flattery—every rhetorical trick failed. He'd have to resort to money.

But as a high-ranking imperial official, using such crude, base language felt degrading—as if he himself were sinking into vulgarity.

Suppressing his discomfort, he said: "If you follow my orders, I'll personally ensure the safety of everyone in the Heavenly Prison. You can verify my reputation outside. Additionally, I'll give you a substantial labor bonus. How's that?"

"How much?" Chen Guanlou asked bluntly. The wind howled outside; in this bitter winter, he preferred staying indoors by the fire.

"Five hundred taels. How's that?"

"My lord, my current worth far exceeds five hundred taels. Unless you're an imprisoned official, and we're trading favors, it won't do."

"Chen Guanlou, you're insolent."

"I'm merely speaking the truth. Even if you refuse to protect the Heavenly Prison, when Da Ming Wang is harmed, not everyone here will die. Da Ming Wang is too vital—his death will shake the entire court. At that point, ministers will be too busy bickering to care about a tiny, insignificant prison. Second, it was the Ministry of Justice that fought hard to bring Da Ming Wang here. If he's harmed, the Ministry bears the first blame—and the Embroidered Uniform Guard won't miss a chance to strike while he's down. At that moment, you may not even save yourself, let alone protect the prison. Five hundred taels to make me risk my life? The price is far too low."

Sun Daoning first glared in fury, then burst into laughter. "Chen Jailor, you've finally shown your true face—spoken your real thoughts. Getting a single honest word from you was truly difficult."

Chen Guanlou spread his hands. "You're the one who droned on for ages without getting to the point. It's freezing—this is deadly. I just want to go back inside. So I'll say a few truths. Please, say something useful."

"My request is simple: just turn a blind eye. Afterwards, I'll protect you and reward you. You think five hundred taels is too little? Then one thousand."

"Still not enough," Chen Guanlou said, still scowling. "The Marquis's household pays me this much for a job. You're asking me to risk my life for a thousand taels? Ha! But consider this: I don't need money—but many others do. You could use this sum to hire someone else. In fact, if you do nothing at all—just turn a blind eye, as you said—someone else will inevitably act, relieving you of the burden."

"Do you know what I intend to do?" Sun Daoning asked curiously.

Chen Guanlou smiled at him. "I don't need to know your goal. I only need to know you don't truly care about Da Ming Wang's safety."

Sun Daoning stared at him with complex eyes, then took a deep breath. "Your task is to protect Da Ming Wang's safety. That is my official order to you."

Chen Guanlou: …

Ha!

"You won't even take a thousand taels? Then forget it. Today never happened."

"By all means, send your people in. I guarantee I'll turn a blind eye—won't interfere at all," Chen Guanlou said. "And I won't take a single copper coin."

Sun Daoning frowned, visibly irritated.

Chen Guanlou smiled at him. "My specialty is turning a blind eye. The A-Cell Block is like a sieve—anything can get in, anything can get out. As long as the surface harmony and overall integrity of the A-Cell Block remain intact, I always operate through the gaps between my fingers, seeing only what slips through. If things get even slightly complicated, I become blind—completely blind."

Sun Daoning laughed too, his mood suddenly bright. "Being a blind man isn't so bad. I'd like to be one myself—but I can't."

"You're Vice Minister of Justice—you can't afford to be blind. If you have no further orders, I'm going back to warm myself by the fire. Do as you please."