Chapter 494: Gelded, Enter the Palace to Serve as a Eunuch

Zhao Mingqiao finished in one go, a letter written in the blink of an eye. He placed it in an envelope and sealed it shut, to prevent anyone from peeking.

He handed the envelope to Chen Chen Guanlou. "Please pass this to Jiang Tu, Warden Chen. I'll wait for his reply."

Chen Chen Guanlou weighed it in his hand, nodded, and said, "Lord Zhao, wait a moment."

He went down to the great prison himself, delivered the letter into Jiang Tu's hands, and told him, "Zhao Mingqiao is waiting for your reply. Read it quickly and give him an answer."

"Zhao Mingqiao? What business does someone surnamed Zhao have with me? He's the one who got me thrown into prison. He's surely feeling very pleased with himself now — is he here to laugh at me?"

"Do you think he's that free? The matter of choosing the new Emperor hasn't been settled yet. Do you really think he'd have the leisure to come all the way to the Heavenly Prison just to laugh at you? Which matter in the palace isn't more important than you?"

Chen Chen Guanlou's barrage of questions made Jiang Tu's face turn green, as if he'd been slapped across the face.

"If he's not here to laugh at me, what business do I have with him?"

"You'll know once you read what's in the letter."

"You don't know?"

"He said this matter can only be between the two of you, for you to discuss with each other. It's a secret between you. If I weren't worried about your safety, I'd have arranged for you two to meet face to face."

"This official absolutely refuses to see him. If I did, I'd spit in his face first." Jiang Tu said bitterly, then violently tore open the envelope. As he read the contents of the letter, his expression kept shifting — surprise, fear, panic, unease…

Watching Jiang Tu's expressions change, Chen Chen Guanlou guessed to himself: could Zhao Mingqiao have hit Jiang Tu right where it hurts, gotten hold of some big handle on him?

Just as he was about to ask, no one expected Jiang Tu to roll the letter up, stuff it into his mouth, and swallow it whole.

Chen Chen Guanlou: …

He muttered a complaint, "Was that really necessary? Do you have any idea that the Heavenly Prison's Grade-A cells operate on good faith? If we say we won't look, we absolutely won't glance at it."

"Warden Chen has misunderstood. I was worried the contents might leak and implicate you." Jiang Tu gave a sycophantic smile — a smile that was especially insincere.

Chen Chen Guanlou gave a cold laugh. Whoever believes that is a dog. He asked, "Do you want to reply to Zhao Mingqiao?"

Jiang Tu clenched his teeth, paced back and forth in his cell, looking utterly torn and unable to make a decision, deeply conflicted.

Chen Chen Guanlou didn't press him, just made small talk. "It's been so many days now, and the palace is still in an uproar. What do you think — has anyone taken the chance to indulge in licentiousness within the palace walls?"

"Everyone's busy fighting for power and profit, who has the time for that sort of thing? Though, as for the palace guards, one can't say for sure… whether that sort of thing has happened, we'll know in a few months — just see if any palace maids' bellies start swelling up. It'll be obvious at a glance." Jiang Tu said offhandedly, still troubled over whether to reply to Zhao Mingqiao.

Chen Chen Guanlou asked curiously, "If a palace maid's belly is found to be swelling, how is it handled?"

"Executed on the spot!"

"And the man too?"

"Of course. Especially the man — he must die. If he's not put to death, then he's gelded and sent into the palace to serve as a eunuch." Jiang Tu, worthy of being a trusted minister by the late Emperor's side, knew every rule of the palace inside and out.

"All these years going in and out of the palace, tell me honestly — have you ever… Don't worry, I absolutely won't spread it around. As a favored minister by the late Emperor's side, you must have had the chance to get close to the women of the inner palace, right?"

"That's… absolutely never happened. Warden Chen, don't talk nonsense and frame me. I'm pure and clean. The women in my household are no less beautiful than those in the palace. I have no need to do something so taboo." Jiang Tu declared with great conviction, only short of swearing an oath to heaven.

Does Chen Chen Guanlou believe it?

He definitely doesn't!

"The late Emperor hadn't visited the inner palace for years — didn't the consorts have any thoughts about it?"

"What do you take the inner palace to be? What sort of people do you take the consorts to be? They carry the rise and fall of their families, the futures of their children on their shoulders — how could they risk themselves for that sort of thing? Do you take them for shameless brothel strumpets with nothing in their heads but men? Warden Chen, your understanding is far too shallow."

Chen Chen Guanlou laughed in exasperation. Buddy, this is a chat, idle talk — no personal attacks allowed.

"Lord Jiang is in such a hurry — could it be that I've hit the mark?"

"Nonsense. Don't think you can pry anything out of my mouth. Please reply to Zhao Mingqiao for me… I'll write him a letter myself, so as not to trouble you."

Chen Chen Guanlou didn't press the matter, and ordered the jailer to provide the Four Treasures of the Study.

As he was leaving, he said, "Another day I'll come discuss the interesting affairs of the inner palace with you, my lord."

Jiang Tu was so angry he glared and puffed, repeatedly clarifying, "This official has never set foot in the inner palace. Don't wrong me."

Chen Chen Guanlou laughed heartily, waved his hand, and walked out of the great prison with the letter.

When Zhao Mingqiao received the reply, he didn't rush to open it. Instead, he made small talk with Chen Chen Guanlou for a few lines.

Chen Chen Guanlou asked casually, "Who do you favor to be Emperor?"

"Does it matter who becomes Emperor?"

"Aren't you going to uphold your orthodoxy?" Chen Chen Guanlou found it a little strange.

Zhao Mingqiao laughed lightly. "What is orthodoxy? These past days I've thought about it a great deal. In my view, working for the welfare of all the people under heaven — that is orthodoxy."

Huh?

This doesn't match what he used to say. Has he been elevated?

"What brought you to this new realization?"

"It was you!"

"Me?" Chen Chen Guanlou was greatly puzzled. "What virtue or ability do I have to be the source of your thoughts? Don't talk nonsense, don't drag me into it."

"It was your cavalier attitude toward imperial power that inspired me, and the things you said back then that enlightened me. Though I'm in the officialdom, I've pulled myself out of it and look at everything around me as an observer. Suddenly I discovered… everything in the past seems to have gone wrong."

"Don't say I enlightened you. From the day Mr. Lu passed away, a new voice had already taken root in your heart." Chen Chen Guanlou firmly refused to acknowledge that Zhao Mingqiao's intellectual transformation had anything to do with him. Even if there really was some connection, don't drag him into it.

He respected people with faith, admired people with conviction, but he was unwilling to be one of them.

"Fine, I understand, it all has nothing to do with you. But I still want to ask one thing — which Imperial Prince or Imperial Prince do you hope will inherit the great throne?"

"No idea, no thoughts. I've never even had contact with those princes and lords — how would I know who's suitable? These are matters for the great lords of the court to worry about. Don't come asking me."

Zhao Mingqiao smiled subtly, cupped his hands in a salute, and took his leave!

Only after getting into the carriage did he open Jiang Tu's letter. After reading it, he ordered the coachman to head to Princess Princess Qingyang's residence.

In the palace, the court ministers had gathered together. Though it wasn't as noisy and chaotic as a vegetable market, it certainly couldn't be called orderly. A mess — they clustered in twos and threes, arguing and conferring in low voices.

Chen Chen Guanfu came up behind Yu Yu Zhaoan and whispered, "I went to visit His Highness Prince Zhong. He's still unconscious."

Yu Yu Zhaoan said without changing expression, "If he remains unconscious, then we can only give up on His Highness Prince Zhong. The dynasty does not need a second unconscious Emperor."

Chen Chen Guanfu lowered his head and smiled. "Prime Minister Yu, isn't it a bit early to draw conclusions?"

"Early? After dragging this out for so many days, it's not early at all. This prime minister intends to have a proper talk with Prime Minister Li, and settle the choice of new Emperor within three days."

"Three days? Understood."