Chapter 513: A Pity About That Mouth

"You, you, you... you haven't caused enough trouble with Zhao Mingqiao, and now you've come to cause trouble for this official. Chen Guanlou, you are truly going too far. Having Zhao Mingqiao as a troublemaker in the court is already enough, and now you want me to be one too? Tell me the truth, was it this very method you used back then to change Zhao Mingqiao? Such a fine young official, now ruined by you to the point where everyone avoids him like the plague. You have committed a grave sin!"

Sun Daoning was heartbroken and indignant, pointing at Chen Guanlou, wishing he could curse him out loud.

But his status and his cultivation prevented him from saying anything too harsh. He could only repeatedly express his anger.

"Since you love sowing discord so much, why stay in the Heavenly Prison? You should enter the officialdom and go wreak havoc there."

Chen Guanlou wore a look of incomprehension.

Had he done anything?

Had he said anything excessive?

He had merely offered a casual suggestion, telling Sun Daoning to seize the opportunity—since he had a heart for the country and the people, he should take this chance to clean things up. As for the so-called wave of reform, that was just a slight exaggeration. In a three-hundred-year-old dynasty, the stubbornness, inertia, and so-called ancestral customs were unimaginably powerful.

It was certainly not something that could be changed just because some official shouted for change.

The power of inertia was such that sometimes one had to flip the table and rewrite the rules of the game. That meant rebellion! A complete overthrow from the bottom up. In the end, it would be the ordinary people who suffered, and most of those who died would be ordinary people.

How innocent were the ordinary people.

That was why he hoped for a reform from the top down, so that fewer ordinary people would die and fewer would be hurt. If people had to die, let it be the people at the top, the people who made the rules of the game, the princes and nobles.

He stared blankly at the other man and said in a flat tone, "Official Sun, I really misjudged you. I thought you had a public spirit, but now it seems you're no different from the rest—all just petty and self-interested. I merely asked you to try and make some changes, and you react with such a huge response, looking like a coward afraid of death. Forget it, those with different paths cannot make plans together."

Sun Daoning's defenses were breached.

He had actually been looked down upon by a Heavenly Prison guard.

He, a dignified Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, had been looked down upon by a low-ranking clerk—how absurd.

"You don't understand court politics, you don't understand the officialdom, you don't understand the way of being an official, so stop spouting nonsense as if you know everything. The court is not my family's court; it's not up to me alone to decide."

"Then make the like-minded people more numerous and the political enemies fewer. If you can't do that, it just means you have no ability and lack the means. You scholars and bureaucrats, sigh, you're only fit for empty talk. You act all worried about the country and the people all day, but when you're actually asked to do something beneficial for the country and the people, you find all sorts of excuses and difficulties—in short, you just can't do it. You're certainly good at bragging, though; there's no brag you wouldn't dare make."

Chen Guanlou's words were clearly an indiscriminate attack. Any scholar present who heard this would have to turn against him.

"If there were no scholars and bureaucrats in this world, the people would have been in misery long ago, and the dynasty would never have lasted three hundred years. Before you slander scholars and bureaucrats, please first understand how many policies beneficial to the country and the people were fought for by scholars and bureaucrats."

Sun Daoning was so angry he was twitching. He had finally discovered that Chen Guanlou's mouth was truly merciless when it came to hurting people. Not only was his mouth poisonous, but his heart was even more so.

"You're right, but it's a pity that you aren't among those scholars and bureaucrats who benefit the country and the people. You're just a fence-sitter."

"Chen Guanlou, you are presumptuous! I am your superior; is this how you speak to your superior? This is disrespect toward your superior. I could fire you right now and tell you to go home and fend for yourself."

Chen Guanlou secretly rolled his eyes. "Official, you were hit by my words, and now you feel ashamed, so you want to use your power to suppress me? If you want to fire me, go ahead. If I bow my head and beg you for mercy, I won't be surnamed Chen."

"You're noble, you have backbone, you don't need to flatter your superiors. Chen Guanlou, don't forget, the reason you have the confidence to be noble is all because I gave it to you. My fence-sitting is what bought the peace in the Heavenly Prison."

Sun Daoning began to change his strategy; he stopped talking about grand principles. He discovered that he couldn't win an argument with Chen Guanlou. Chen Guanlou hadn't read many books, but he had a set of principles for everything; no matter what was said, the other man could refute it. He was worthy of being the person who cultivated the troublemaker Zhao Mingqiao; his brainwashing skills were excellent.

Chen Guanlou was a bit surprised, deeply feeling that Sun Daoning's thick-skinned nature was staggering. If he hadn't read books and was just a native who only knew a few characters, he might have been fooled by this rhetoric.

He coughed lightly. "The peace in the Heavenly Prison today is thanks to your contribution, but also thanks to the system. The system needs the Heavenly Prison, and the system allows the Heavenly Prison to operate healthily. We are just profit-takers within this system; there's no need to elevate ourselves so high and mighty—it's very uncomfortable and very impractical. It even seems hypocritical and shameless."

Sun Daoning's cheeks twitched; he had been satirized by Chen Guanlou again. He cursed without using dirty words, one set after another—how could he be so good at talking? A perfectly good Heavenly Prison guard, it's a pity about that mouth.

"You might as well just curse me for being hypocritical and shameless."

"There's no need for that. Although you are hypocritical and shameless, you haven't reached the level of being *stinking* shameless. There is a difference in degree. Of course, your self-awareness is worthy of praise. I hope you continue to work hard."

"Shut up! You really think you're something just because I gave you a little praise? Do I need you to lecture me? Who do you think you are?"

"I am the onion of the Heavenly Prison." Chen Guanlou spouted nonsense with a straight face, truly capable of making people die of anger.

Sun Daoning waved his hand, deciding to end all this and call a truce. "The mission is complete; you can go home. In the future, if there's nothing, don't come looking for me; I'm very busy."

Chen Guanlou cupped his hands. "Remember my reward."

"You'll get your share. Remember, keep your mouth shut about the Grand Tutor's matter; don't tell anyone. If the Hou Fu asks, don't reveal a single word. The Grand Tutor's current situation, sigh... that is the Emperor's family business; we officials just follow orders and remember our place."

Chen Guanlou said knowingly, "If this matter is handled well, you should be promoted, Official. Next time we meet, should I address you as Grand Secretary?"

"That's not even on the horizon, stop spouting nonsense. If I really get promoted, I'll send you an invitation to drink."

"With my status, I'm afraid I'm not fit for such elegant company and would ruin the mood of the distinguished guests."

"That's why I'm telling you to become an official. There are so many positions in the Ministry of Justice; as long as you nod, I'll arrange it for you. Once you become an official, you'll be one of us, and you won't have to worry about not being fit for elegant company." Sun Daoning tried to persuade him once more.

Chen Guanlou shook his head. "To be an official who is as hypocritical and shameless as you, bowing and scraping to superiors and the Emperor every day—I'd rather be a prison guard. At least I don't have to bow and scrape."

"You..."

Sun Daoning was so angry he jumped, cursing in his heart:

You bastard, you still have to curse me when we're parting. ===== CHAPTER 514 =====