Chapter 416: Turn a Blind Eye

"What is your view on the Heaven Worship Ceremony at the beginning of next spring?" Sun Sun Daoning knew Chen Chen Guanlou was playing dumb, so he decisively abandoned his vague and ambiguous approach and chose to get straight to the point. He refused to believe the other man could keep up the act.

As a somewhat 'clumsy' actor, Chen Chen Guanlou chose to keep playing dumb.

He tilted his head, struck a thoughtful pose, and finally answered in all seriousness: "I plan to watch it lying down."

For a moment, Sun Sun Daoning's face twisted hideously, wishing he could strangle the man. He took several deep breaths in a row, repeatedly telling himself there was no need to take the bait, before barely managing to suppress his fury.

"Chen the Prison Overseer, are you planning to keep playing dumb till the very end?"

"My lord, I am only a minor prison overseer, hardly even an official. What virtue or ability do I possess that The Official Values should set his sights on me? I am terrified within! If my lord wishes me to do something, please give the order directly. There really is no need to seek my thoughts or suggestions. I cannot offer any thoughts or suggestions of value."

Chen Chen Guanlou cried injustice.

As a prison overseer, he was truly self-aware, never overstepping his bounds, never thinking too highly of himself. He only did what was his job, never meddling in other matters.

But certain people always wanted him to do extra work without paying, determined to take advantage of him for free.

Where in the world is there such a fine thing?

What he hated most was being taken advantage of for free, working overtime without pay.

Getting him to do things was simple — as long as the price was right, he actually didn't mind working overtime.

The imprisoned officials in the prison all understood this principle, so why didn't Sun Sun Daoning? Or was he playing dumb too?

Sun Sun Daoning narrowed his eyes, seemingly realizing he had used the wrong approach.

Dealing with these old slickers in the Heaven Prison, one couldn't use the bureaucratic rhetoric.

Although Chen Chen Guanlou was different from the other Heaven Prison guards, the essence was the same — desperate for money.

"Chen the Prison Overseer, how much money do you want before you'll do this official's bidding?"

"Sharing my lord's burdens is both my duty and my honor." Chen Chen Guanlou uttered the cheap official pleasantries. He would not be fooled, unless the other party offered a price first.

Sun Sun Daoning chuckled. "Let this official tell you plainly — the Ministry of Justice has sent no one. We can only rely on the Heaven Prison's own strength to protect the rebel Wang Si. If Wang Si is taken, the Heaven Prison will bear full responsibility. When the palace comes to hold us accountable, every one of you will be beheaded."

Chen Chen Guanlou raised an eyebrow, unmoved.

He had long guessed this; it was no surprise at all. Certain people would be only too glad to see Wang Si die in prison.

"You're not afraid?" Sun Sun Daoning asked, slightly surprised.

Chen Chen Guanlou countered: "My lord surely has more to say, but whatever the rest is, why not say it all at once? There's really no need to test me — I truly am impervious to honey or vinegar."

Sun Sun Daoning fumed. It was the first time he'd met someone who was immune to both soft and hard tactics; no rhetoric seemed to work. It seemed he'd have to open the path with money.

But as a dignified imperial official, using the crudest and most vulgar rhetoric made him truly uncomfortable, as if he himself had become coarse and unsightly.

Enduring his discomfort, he said: "If you agree to follow this official's instructions, afterward this official will do everything in his power to protect everyone in the Heaven Prison, top to bottom. You can rest assured on this point — you can go out and inquire about this official's reputation. Additionally, this official will give you a sum for your trouble. How does that sound?"

"How much for the trouble?" Chen Chen Guanlou asked bluntly. The wind was howling outside; in the dead of winter he still preferred to stay indoors by the fire.

"Five hundred taels, how about it?"

"My lord, my current price hasn't been something five hundred taels could hire for a long time. Unless my lord is an imprisoned official — then mutual benefit would be about right."

"Chen Chen Guanlou, you are very presumptuous."

"I merely spoke a word of truth to my lord. In fact, even if my lord refuses to protect the Heaven Prison, if something truly happens to Wang Si, the Heaven Prison people won't necessarily die. How Heavy Wang Si is — if something happens to him, the entire court will be shaken. At that time, the court will be too busy arguing to have any time to spare for a small, inconspicuous Heaven Prison. Secondly, it was the Ministry of Justice that fought hard to bring Wang Si over in the first place. If something happens to Wang Si, the Ministry of Justice will bear the brunt — the Brocaded Guards will certainly not pass up the chance to add insult to injury. When the time comes, my lord may not even be able to save himself, let alone spare the hands to protect the Heaven Prison. A mere five hundred taels, asking me to risk my life for my lord — the price is too low."

Sun Sun Daoning was first seething with rage, then quickly laughed through his anger. "Chen the Prison Overseer, you've finally shown your true colors and spoken your mind. Hearing one honest word from you is truly not easy."

Chen Chen Guanlou spread his hands. "Who told my lord to ramble on and on without ever getting to the point? It's so cold, it's killing me. I want to get back to my room early, so I can only reluctantly say a few honest words. Please, my lord, say something useful."

"What this official wants you to do is very simple — turn a blind eye. Afterward, this official will certainly protect you and give you a reward. You think five hundred taels is too little, then how about a thousand taels?"

"Not much of an improvement." Chen Chen Guanlou still wore a look of disdain. "When Hou Fu sends me to do something, they offer this much." He held up several fingers at the man. "My lord sends me to do something that carries mortal risk, and offers only a thousand taels. Hah! But thinking about it differently — I'm not short on money, but plenty of people outside are. My lord can take this money and find someone else to cooperate with you. In fact, my lord doesn't need to do anything at all — just as you said, turn a blind eye, and someone will inevitably be unable to restrain themselves and jump out to share my lord's burden."

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

Chen Chen Guanlou smiled at him. "I don't need to know my lord's purpose. It's enough for me to know that my lord is not sincerely concerned about Wang Si's safety."

Sun Sun Daoning looked at him with a complicated gaze, drew a deep breath, and said: "You are to protect Wang Si's safety — that is the assignment this official is giving you."

Chen Chen Guanlou: ……

Heh!

"You won't take the job even for a thousand taels — then this matter is void. Today, let's pretend nothing happened."

"My lord may go ahead and plant people inside. I guarantee I'll turn a blind eye and won't cause any trouble." Chen Chen Guanlou said so. "And I won't take a single copper."

Sun Sun Daoning's brow furrowed tightly, looking very irritated.

Chen Chen Guanlou smiled at him. "The thing I'm best at is turning a blind eye. The Jia-block prison is like a sieve — anything can be sent in, anything can be sent out. As long as the surface harmony and integrity of the Jia-block prison aren't disrupted, I've always worked through the cracks of my fingers, only able to see what's between the cracks. Once there's a bit too much going on, I see nothing at all — I become a blind man with eyes open."

Sun Sun Daoning laughed along with him, his mood seemingly turning pleasant at once. "Being a blind man with eyes open isn't bad either. This official would like to be one but can't manage it."

"My lord is a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice — you can't be a blind man with eyes open. If my lord has no other instructions, I'll go back to my room to warm myself by the fire. Please, help yourself."