Chapter 513

"You—you—you… You've already ruined Zhao Jinming, and now you come to corrupt me? Chen Guanlou, you've gone too far. Isn't Zhao Jinming already enough of a shit-stirrer in the court? Do you want me to become one too? Be honest—didn't you use this very method to corrupt Zhao Jinming? That was such a fine young official, and now everyone avoids him as if he were plague. You've committed great sins!"

Sun Daojing, heartbroken and furious, pointed at Chen Guanlou, desperate to curse him out.

But his status, his cultivation, prevented him from uttering anything too vulgar. He could only repeatedly voice his anger.

"You're so fond of sowing discord—why waste your time as a jailer in Tianlaomiao? You belong in the bureaucracy, corrupting officials there."

Chen Guanlou looked utterly baffled.

What had he done?

Had he said anything excessive?

He'd merely offered a casual suggestion—that Sun Daojing seize the opportunity. Since he claimed to have a heart for the state and the people, he should use this chance to thoroughly cleanse the system. As for "sparking a wave of reform," that was just a slight exaggeration. The dynasty had endured three hundred years; its stubbornness, inertia, its so-called ancestral traditions—these forces were unimaginably powerful.

No single official raising his arm could change that.

Inertia was so strong that sometimes you had to overturn the table and rewrite the rules entirely. That meant rebellion—a complete top-down overthrow. In the end, it was the common people who suffered most, and who died in greatest numbers.

How innocent the common people were.

That's why he hoped for reform from above—so fewer commoners would die, so fewer would be hurt. Let the ones who died be those at the top—the architects of the rules, the nobles and aristocrats.

He stared straight at the man, his tone flat: "Magistrate Sun, I misjudged you. I thought you had a public heart. Now I see you're no different from the rest—petty, scheming, crawling. I merely asked you to try making a change, and you react like this—terrified of death. Fine. We walk different paths; we cannot work together."

Sun Daojing cracked.

He had been looked down upon by a jailer from Tianlaomiao.

He, a Vice Minister of Justice, had been scorned by a lowly clerk—how absurd.

"You understand nothing of court politics, nothing of the bureaucracy, nothing of official conduct—so don't spout nonsense as if you know anything. The court isn't my personal court; I don't rule it alone."

"Then make more people who share your ideals, and fewer enemies. If you can't, it just proves you're incompetent, lacking in skill. All you scholar-officials—ah, you're only fit for idle talk. Always pretending to worry for the state and people, yet when asked to actually do something beneficial, you invent every excuse, every obstacle—you simply can't do it. You're brilliant at blowing smoke—there's nothing too outrageous for you to claim."

Chen Guanlou's words were a blanket attack. Any scholar present would have turned on him immediately.

"Without scholar-officials, this realm would have collapsed long ago. The dynasty would never have lasted three hundred years. Before you slander scholar-officials, understand this—how many policies benefiting the state and people were won by scholar-officials?"

Sun Daojing trembled with rage. He'd finally realized: Chen Guanlou's mouth, when it struck, left no mercy. Not only was it venomous—his heart was even more cruel.

"You're right—there's not a single scholar-official benefiting the state and people who is you. You're a weathervane."

"Chen Guanlou, how dare you! I am your superior. Is this how you speak to your superior? This is disrespect—I can dismiss you outright, go home and eat your own food!"

Chen Guanlou secretly rolled his eyes. "You've been exposed—you're ashamed, so now you're using your power to crush me? Dismiss me if you will. If I beg you to spare me, I won't bear the surname Chen."

"You're high-minded, you have backbone, you don't flatter your superiors. Chen Guanlou, don't forget—your high-mindedness comes entirely from me. I, the weathervane, brought peace to Tianlaomiao."

Sun Daojing switched tactics—he stopped arguing principles. He realized he couldn't out-debate Chen Guanlou. Chen read few books, yet he had one argument after another; no matter what Sun said, Chen countered. No wonder he'd molded Zhao Jinming into a shit-stirrer—his brainwashing skills were exceptional.

Chen Guanlou was startled, deeply impressed by Sun Daojing's audacity. If he hadn't been educated—if he were just a local who knew a few characters—he might have been fooled by this line.

He cleared his throat. "The peace of Tianlaomiao today owes credit to you, Magistrate, and to the system. The system needs Tianlaomiao; the system ensures its smooth operation. We are merely beneficiaries within this system—don't inflate your own importance. It's unnatural, impractical, even hypocritical—shameless."

Sun Daojing's cheek twitched—he'd been mocked again. No curses, yet layered, relentless barbs. How could he speak so well? A perfectly decent jailer—too bad he had such a mouth.

"Just say it outright—call me hypocritical, shameless."

"No need to be so blunt. You're hypocritical, you lack shame—but not quite to the point of being shameless. There's a difference in degree. Still, your self-awareness deserves praise. Keep improving."

"Shut up! I said you were fat and now you're panting? Do I need you to lecture me? Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm the onion of Tianlaomiao." Chen Guanlou spoke with perfect seriousness, uttering nonsense—and it was enough to make anyone explode.

Sun Daojing waved his hand, deciding to end it all—ceasefire. "The task is done. You may go home. Don't come to me again unless necessary—I'm very busy."

Chen Guanlou bowed. "Remember my payment."

"You'll get your share. Remember—keep the Taifu's matter secret. Don't tell anyone. If the Hou Fu asks, don't reveal a single word. The Taifu's current condition… ah, it's the Emperor's family affair. We ministers merely follow orders—remember your place."

Chen Guanlou nodded. "Now that this is done, you should be promoted. Next time we meet, should I call you Grand Secretary?"

"Pure fantasy. Don't speak nonsense. If I am promoted, I'll send you an invitation for wine."

"My status makes me unfit to attend such refined gatherings—I'd ruin the guests' enjoyment."

"Then become an official. There are many positions in the Ministry of Justice. Just say yes, and I'll arrange one for you. Once you're an official, you're one of us—you'll never again worry about being unworthy of noble company." Sun Daojing tried once more to persuade him.

Chen Guanlou shook his head. "To be an official like you—hypocritical, shameless, groveling before superiors, groveling before the Emperor—is worse than being a jailer. At least as a jailer, I don't have to kneel and lick boots."

"You—"

Sun Daojing stamped his foot, cursing inwardly:

You bastard—just when we're parting, you insult me again.