Chapter 654

The water bandits sent from the south were true bandits; they didn't even deserve to be called rebels.

Chen Guanlou didn't care for a single one of them.

He threw them all into the prison, three to a cell, with the menials cleaning it every two days. In the height of summer, the stench was simply...

The water bandits protested!

They all paid the same money, so why couldn't they enjoy the same treatment? Whether it was sitting in jail or getting their heads chopped off, there was still discrimination. Were the prison guards even human!

Was that bastard surnamed Chen even human? Even if he was a Ninth Rank martial artist, they cursed him regardless.

Chen Guanlou flicked his ear and instructed Chen Quan, "Tell Old Zhang Tou that the rest is up to him. This bunch of water bandits must receive a proper re-education in the Heavenly Prison so they know what rules are and what the majesty of the imperial court is. By the way, ask them how many robberies they've committed over the years, how many innocent civilians they've killed, and how many merchant ships they've plundered. A bunch of dogs who bully the weak and fear the strong, yet they dare to clamor on my turf. I will discriminate against them; what can they do about it!"

Old Zhang Tou received the order, gave a sly laugh, spat into his palms, rubbed them together, and shouted: "You dogs, work is here! The Jiang Jiang Yucheng himself ordered that this bunch of water bandits must receive re-education in the Heavenly Prison. Everyone, perk up and bring out your best skills. Whoever messes up and can't even interrogate a person properly, don't blame me for whipping him!"

"Old Ancestor, watch closely; this time we guarantee the mission will be completed, and we will never lose face for you. Let the Jiang Jiang Yucheng see our craftsmanship!"

The disciples and grand-disciples in the torture chamber were all howling, as excited as if it were the New Year.

They went to the cells, dragged the water bandits to the torture chamber, and brought out their eighteen kinds of martial arts, determined to make the water bandits confess everything, even the time they peeked at the neighbor's wife bathing when they were children.

Most of these water bandits were seeing the deterrent power of the imperial court for the first time, seeing what a human devil was. Or perhaps, having been devils themselves for so long, returning to the human world made them realize how terrifying devils were and how loathsome their own past faces had been.

In just a few days, all the confessions were obtained.

Chen Guanlou flipped through the confessions and sneered repeatedly.

The things this bunch of water bandits did before they defected to the Prince of Chujiang...

Many people naively believe that the bandits of these times are all targeting the government, killing soldiers, and robbing officials. In fact, these bandits don't dare to rob officials at all; they hide whenever they see one. They rob, kill, and plunder only ordinary people, or at most, wealthy merchants with some connections; not a single official.

This bunch of dogs have very sharp eyes!

They can distinguish at a glance who is an official, who is a commoner, and who is a soft persimmon.

They only pick the soft ones to squeeze!

Their crimes are too numerous to record!

They must be torn apart by five horses!

Chen Guanlou endured and endured, but his thoughts remained unsettled.

He instructed Chen Quan, "Don't send them to the execution ground. Once they get there, these grandsons might still howl and act like heroes of the martial world. We cannot give them the chance to make a name for themselves. They should be like rats in a sewer, dying silently, and no one will notice even when they rot and stink. Their reputation should always be dirty, rotten, and stinking, not that of heroes who rebelled!"

One cannot erase the past stains of these people just because they rebelled.

Rebellion is not a bleaching agent!

Chen Quan blinked, "I'm worried that the Ministry of Justice will ask about it, and there are also the brothers from the Six Shanmen. It is said that when the Six Shanmen were handling cases in the south, they once owed these water bandits a favor. They specifically sent word asking us to take care of them."

Chen Guanlou was furious and cursed, "The Six Shanmen are worth nothing! Why should we repay a favor that the Six Shanmen owe? Is there no law left! You must remember that the Heavenly Prison and the Six Shanmen are brother units. What does 'brother' mean? It means both sides are on equal footing; there is no one higher or lower, no 'older brother' or 'younger brother' distinction. If they want to repay a favor, let them do it themselves; I won't serve them! Understand?"

Chen Quan nodded heavily, "Understood! Don't worry, my lord, I know what to do."

Chen Guanlou was very satisfied; this clansman was very motivated, had a good eye, and was quite good.

He asked casually, "How is Xiao Jin doing lately?"

"Same as always."

"Is he still trapped in his jealousy and hatred of Imperial Consort Xiao's maternal family?" Chen Guanlou couldn't help but frown.

Chen Quan found it hard to comment on his brother's actions, so he just gave two sly laughs and stayed silent.

Chen Guanlou gave a cold snort, "Find an opportunity to remind him a couple of times; dreaming is one thing, but don't take daydreams for reality, and don't get truly trapped in them. Although they are all from fallen families and both surnamed Xiao, there is a barrier between one Xiao and another."

"As you command, my lord, I will certainly get it done. I'll find an opportunity to talk to him in the next two days."

Chen Quan actually didn't want to take this job. He had his eyes set on the position of Prison Clerk, and Xiao Jin was his biggest competitor. Although they used to be good brothers, since they were now competitors, not kicking him while he was down or playing dirty behind his back was the greatest respect he could show for their brotherhood.

Asking him to selflessly help Xiao Jin get ahead made him feel a slight inner resistance. He pondered and planned to subcontract this task to Qian Fugui, and incidentally, win over Liu She. If he got promoted, Liu She could take over as the squad leader.

Perfect!

Chen Guanlou hadn't quite realized yet that his four great lieutenants had already begun to split into cliques and form factions.

Even if he realized this, he wouldn't interfere.

The workplace shouldn't be all harmony anyway.

Prison guards kill without knives, without seeing blood!

A few days after Chen Quan received the order, the water bandits began to die.

One dies, one is dragged out, reported, and the process is followed.

The Ministry of Justice hadn't reacted yet, but the people from the Six Shanmen were getting a bit restless.

Early this morning, Constable Meng from the Six Shanmen came over for tea.

Chen Guanlou exclaimed that he was a rare guest.

During the gambling den case last year, he still owed the man a favor. Although Constable Meng had also benefited, favor debts aren't calculated that way.

People help each other out!

If someone is willing to help, one must remember that favor.

Chen Guanlou entertained him very warmly, exchanging pleasantries and beating around the bush. He knew the other party's intent perfectly well, but he just wouldn't bring up the main topic. Every time the conversation grazed it, he would neatly shift the subject.

Constable Meng also knew that Chen Guanlou knew, and was even very clear about the other party's attitude, but he owed the water bandits a favor. Not all the water bandits had been caught; there were always those who slipped through the net.

People had already sent word to his home, and with their far-reaching influence, he couldn't just turn a blind eye no matter what.

This was a case of rebellion and beheading. If the other party held a grudge and exposed what happened back then, and it was used by political enemies to frame him with the crime of colluding with the enemy and betraying the country, his whole family wouldn't be enough to be beheaded.

Therefore, the best way was to appease the water bandits outside and resolve this matter silently and smoothly, without alerting anyone! Everyone would be happy!

"Jiang Jiang Yucheng Chen, save me!"

Constable Meng was indeed a man, able to bend and stretch! Since they weren't talking about the main topic, he went straight for the jugular! He was one step away from kneeling to Brother Chen.

"What's this about? Boss Meng, you're killing me! You can't do this, you can't!"

Chen Guanlou made a show of helping him up, "If there's anything, speak slowly; it doesn't have to be like this. I will certainly not shirk from helping where I can."

"Only you, Brother Chen, can help me with this; no one else can."

"Don't be anxious, tell me the matter first, let me hear what's going on."