Chapter 449: Would You Like a Cake? The Cakes They Draw Can Be Huge and Round

You're too impulsive.

It's not impulsive. I've already considered this for a long time.

Qi Wuxiu did not conceal his thoughts—he chose to speak frankly.

He was a sincere young man, an excellent executor, full of dreams and aspirations. To him, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was justice, was right.

But when he actually joined this organization, he realized things were far more complex than he imagined. The Embroidered Uniform Guard was not just justice—it was personal grudges, a tool, a thug, a machine of violence. In short, the outside world's judgment of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was not excessive, not unjust.

Again and again, he persuaded himself.

Until this time, the Embroidered Uniform Guard stood up for Jiang Tu.

The matter was small, but it was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Jiang Tu was a sycophantic worm, destined to be nailed to the pillar of shame. Yet the Embroidered Uniform Guard, as a government law enforcement body, reached out to help Jiang Tu.

There was no justice, no right or wrong—only positions and tools.

As a part of this tool, he had no choice but to accept it. And this would not be the last time—similar situations would come countless times in the future.

I found it easy to persuade others, but hard to persuade myself.

Qi Wuxiu let out a bitter laugh.

He had persuaded himself countless times: keep going, don't care about the right and wrong inside. You're just a thug.

Chen Guanlou poured him wine. "If I told you every yamen was equally corrupt, that darkness existed wherever there was profit, would you still want to leave the Embroidered Uniform Guard? Staying here, at least you can occasionally use your power to do things that ease your conscience, help people you want to help. Leave, and you forfeit those chances entirely."

Qi Wuxiu was surprised. "You're against me leaving? I thought you'd support me."

Chen Guanlou smiled. "I don't want you to regret it. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is rotten, but no more so than the officialdom, no more so than the yamens. You've seen enough—you know how cases are handled down below. Are all those locked up in prison truly guilty? Not necessarily."

If you leave the Embroidered Uniform Guard, do you think you'll never face darkness again? The reality will likely be worse—darkness will only grow. At least now, you wear this skin, and within a small scope, you can do things that ease your conscience, protect those you wish to protect.

Lose this skin, and what will happen to those you once protected? Have you thought of that? If your current suffering is a five, once you shed this skin, your suffering will rise to ten. I'm not exaggerating.

In this age, in this world, a person must wear a skin. Even if it pricks, you must wear it—because this skin is both a shackle and armor. It depends on how you use it.

Qi Wuxiu stared, stunned—as if Chen Guanlou's simple truths had silenced him. Or perhaps he hadn't expected that the usually fiery Chen Guanlou thought so differently: neither agreeing with him nor joining him in cursing the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Instead, he patiently analyzed the pros and cons.

"So, you can accept it, right?" he asked uncertainly.

Chen Guanlou nodded. "Of course I can accept it. As for darkness, the Heavenly Prison is no less so. But I don't despise it—I work within my power, within the rules, to gradually improve the conditions of the Jia-class cells. So far, progress has been decent. See? If you know how to seize opportunities, you can catch a glimmer of light in the darkness. Things are never entirely bad—they're usually mixed."

Qi Wuxiu shook his head repeatedly. "I'm not as strong as you. I can't do it."

"Don't rush to deny yourself. Until you try, how do you know you can't? Don't just listen to your elders—they suppress you mostly to control you, not simply for your own good. Learn to trust and affirm yourself sometimes."

Chen Guanlou sipped his wine, speaking softly like someone who had walked the path, guiding a lost lamb.

At his age, after being beaten by society, to feel cynical and reject oneself was only natural. He had been the same once—complaining while still crawling forward.

Nothing in this world is perfect—somewhere, always, there's a flaw.

What to do?

If you lack the power to overturn the table and rewrite the rules, you must learn to accept it, and try to exploit its loopholes.

"So you don't support me leaving the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Mm. If you insist on leaving, it's not impossible. If you have nowhere else to go, you can come to the Heavenly Prison."

"As a jailer?"

"Too much of a waste to be just a jailer. You could be an instructor—manage those jailers for me. The jailers here are far too rotten and absurd. I, frankly, don't want to deal with such trivial matters."

"Does the Heavenly Prison even have a position called instructor?"

"It didn't before. But once you arrive, it will." Chen Guanlou smiled at him, signaling reassurance.

Qi Wuxiu opened his mouth. "Without realizing it, you've already gained the power to assign people freely in the Heavenly Prison. That's impressive."

Chen Guanlou laughed heartily. "This is nothing. If you're willing, you can reach this level in the Embroidered Uniform Guard too."

"No. The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Heavenly Prison are completely different yamens. To climb up, besides background, the most important thing is to earn the Emperor's trust and execute his orders without the slightest deviation. I clearly can't do that."

"You don't have to become the Commander." Chen Guanlou urged him. "A Company Commander or a Thousand-Household Commander is fine too. If you can get transferred to the provinces as a Thousand-Household, that's truly free."

Qi Wuxiu fell silent.

Chen Guanlou seemed to have no ambition, yet his goals were firm and righteous—he cared nothing for empty titles, only real power. In essence, he was ambitious.

Qi Wuxiu appeared to be someone striving upward, but his ambition was not so great. He often cared more about empty titles than real power.

Their differing views created completely different approaches to work.

Chen Guanlou only cared about tangible, visible benefits—he didn't care about fame. So those who offered empty promises all failed before him.

Anyone who tries to cheat with empty promises should go as far away as possible.

In contrast, Qi Wuxiu ate up empty promises and pledges. He was willing to sacrifice immediate gains for a hypothetical future.

One was a hardened veteran who had gutted fish at Da Run Fa for ten years; the other was still a passionate youth who could be fooled by a single drawn pancake.

Qi Wuxiu swallowed a full cup of wine, his throat burning.

He frowned slightly. "After what you said, I don't even know anymore whether I should leave the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Chen Guanlou seized the chance to urge him: "Since you haven't decided yet, keep thinking. Keep working for now—it's already year-end, and the New Year is near. At least get your year-end bonus, so you won't be broke during the holidays and be laughed at."