Chapter 517: The Death of Jiang Tu

"Prison Warden Chen, you might as well think it through carefully. Since the explosion case happened, the court has been in an uproar — in the end, who benefited? Apart from that one person, everyone else lost out. Do you really think he's innocent?"

Having endured horrific interrogation, Jiang Tu seemed to have achieved some sudden enlightenment; his speech now carried a few shades of Zen, unlike the past him — that hollow-headed treacherous official whose mouth opened and closed only on money and power.

"Jiang Da has already fallen to such a wretched state, yet his courage hasn't shrunk — on the contrary, he's grown bolder." Chen Chen Guanlou remarked with a teasing tone.

Jiang Tu gave a bleak smile and said self-mockingly, "A man's words grow kind when death is near. I'm bound to die, no one can save me. Before I die, speaking a few honest words — that's not too much to ask, is it?"

"Not too much at all. Do you truly believe it was the new emperor who did it?"

"Even if it wasn't him, it can't be separated from him. I've heard people say the Prince of Yan is failing fast."

Chen Chen Guanlou raised an eyebrow — since returning to the capital, this was the first news he'd heard of the Prince of Yan.

"The Prince of Yan is the successor to the throne chosen by the court officials themselves; he poses the greatest threat to Your Majesty. Whether or not he was poisoned, whether or not the poison can be cured, he must die. Otherwise, if the Prince of Yan raises his arm and calls out, his followers will rally like clouds, fundamentally shaking the new emperor's position and shaking the position of the next generation."

Chen Chen Guanlou concurred.

If the Prince of Yan lived, even if he couldn't kill Emperor Jian Shi, the Prince of Yan's sons, backed by 'legitimacy,' would create enormous trouble for Emperor Jian Shi's next generation. If their strength was sufficient, overturning things in a single stroke wouldn't be impossible.

Only with the Prince of Yan dead — and dead early, dead beyond any doubt — could Emperor Jian Shi spend eight or ten years thoroughly eradicating the Prince of Yan's faction's claim to 'legitimacy,' thereby ensuring the throne remained secure and passed smoothly to his own son.

"Even now, do you still think he's innocent? He was able to ascend to the throne — do you truly believe that was luck? There has never been a person who sat on the throne by luck alone. Especially when there were so many competitors."

Jiang Tu swore it with absolute conviction, utterly certain.

"Even if things are as you say, what of it? Matters have reached this point, the dust has settled, we can only accept our fate. Jiang Da, are you innocent?"

"Of course I'm innocent. The altar explosion case — I knew nothing about it in advance. Had I known, I would have stopped it even at the cost of my life. No one wanted the late emperor to live more than I did. The late emperor died a terrible death!"

Jiang Tu wept piteously, and with true sincerity. The late emperor had shown him the grace of recognition and appreciation; all his wealth and status came from the late emperor. In all the world, he was probably the one who missed the late emperor most, who most regretted the past. Because of his negligence, others had exploited the opening, leading to the altar explosion case.

How he regretted the past!

Worn out from crying, Jiang Tu looked up at Chen Chen Guanlou. "Prison Warden Chen, let me die — a swift death. I've said everything, held nothing back."

Chen Chen Guanlou sighed. "A good death is better than a wretched life."

"A life worse than death! If you're afraid of taking responsibility, I'll leave a final letter so the world knows I was forced to death by those people."

Chen Chen Guanlou looked at the other man, who truly no longer looked human — indeed, a life worse than death.

The family had been raided, assets confiscated, and the officials who were supposed to get their share had already gotten it. The altar explosion case — no matter how you stretched it — couldn't be tied to Jiang Tu; at most it was a charge of failure to supervise.

He didn't agree to Jiang Tu's request, only told him to lie down properly and not waste his strength. Then he left the Sky Prison.

Jiang Tu stared at his retreating back and laughed soundlessly, his mouth splitting open, stretching wider and wider.

That very night, Jiang Tu died suddenly in prison.

By the time the jailers discovered it, the corpse had already gone stiff.

The Ministry of Justice official who had come to interrogate rushed to the cell to examine it himself, confirmed the body was indeed Jiang Tu, confirmed the man was thoroughly and completely dead, and cursed: "Bad luck! He was perfectly fine when others came to interrogate, but the moment it's my turn to interrogate, the man dies. What utterly rotten luck."

Having said that, he swept his sleeves and left, radiating furious anger.

Medical Officer Mu crouched in the cell with his medicine box, examining the corpse. Once it was confirmed beyond doubt, the body could be sent to the morgue.

He glanced toward Chen Chen Guanlou, who stood at the cell door.

Chen Chen Guanlou's face was utterly expressionless, looking especially solemn and proper, especially impartial and selfless. Anyone who dared suggest there was anything suspicious about Jiang Tu's death would find him turning hostile the very next second.

Medical Officer Mu understood perfectly and immediately said: "The cause of death is beyond doubt — excessive blood loss, treatment not given in time, he died in agony. Take him away."

The laborers obeyed, wrapped up the corpse, and carried it out of the cell. Immediately, other laborers came in to disinfect and clean.

Medical Officer Mu followed behind Chen Chen Guanlou and left the Sky Prison. Only after entering the office did he close the door and ask, "Prison Warden Chen, you've got some nerve."

"Old Mu, you can eat your meals carelessly, but you can't speak carelessly. I've only just come back from leave, and you come at me out of nowhere with 'some nerve.' What of it — am I not allowed to take a few days off to go out and enjoy myself?"

Chen Chen Guanlou skillfully deployed the tactic of turning the tables, first deflating the other's arrogant momentum.

Medical Officer Mu, however, didn't fall for it, and said sharply: "Don't try to dodge and deflect — you know exactly what I'm talking about. When you weren't back, although Jiang Tu was seriously injured, he was alive and well. The moment you returned, within just a few hours, the man was gone. I'm a Physician — you can fool others, but you can't fool me."

Chen Chen Guanlou snorted coldly, showing not the slightest fear. "Perfect timing — there's something I want to ask you too. Jiang Tu was seriously injured, so why didn't you apply medicine and treat him? That doesn't comply with the regulations for a Grade-A cell."

Medical Officer Mu explained: "He himself refused treatment, saying he'd rather die in agony than drag out a miserable existence. The moment you came back, he truly got his wish. You really do have extraordinary nerve. Countless people above are watching Jiang Tu, all wanting to dig up information from him. You come along and directly finish the man off — someone up there is bound to investigate this. Once the coroner examines the body, nothing can be hidden. Just wait to be reprimanded. Don't end up losing your position as Prison Deputy over this — that would truly not be worth it."

Medical Officer Mu was quite helpless, astonished by Chen Chen Guanlou's boldness, yet admiring of his courage. That wretch Jiang Tu's reputation already stank to high heaven, like a rat in a gutter, despised by everyone. Yet for this one person, Chen Chen Guanlou had stuck to his principle of treating everyone equally once the money was taken — no humiliation, no harsh treatment, and following the principle of doing the job once paid, he had even made several trips on his behalf.

This was a man who did things with principles, and with a bottom line.

He had known the other man didn't like to torment prisoners, especially the kind of torment that left them disabled. Sure enough, Jiang Tu's wretched state must have crossed the other's psychological bottom line — disregarding the consequences, decisively giving poison and poisoning him to death.

He sighed repeatedly.

If he himself one day fell into misfortune, he would also hope to fall into the hands of someone like Chen Chen Guanlou — a person who acted with principles and a bottom line — at least able to maintain some shred of human dignity.

But as a colleague, this was truly an act that invited disaster. It might very well drag him down too.

Annoying!

He was deeply annoyed.

Chen Chen Guanlou, however, wasn't worried at all. "What's mine, no one can take away. Whoever dares to take it, I'll chop off their hand."