Chapter 78: The Heavenly Prison Will Soon Be Overcrowded

Chen Guanlou had dinner with Lu Datou.

Just found a roadside stall and got a few snacks.

Lu Datou wanted to drink, but was stopped by him. "I have to go to the yamen to serve later. Don't drink on duty, you forgot."

"It's just you who guards those broken rules all day." Lu Datou muttered twice, but didn't insist.

He looked gray-faced, with red bloodshot eyes in his eye sockets, the typical look of excessive indulgence due to lack of sleep from staying up late.

Chen Guanlou advised him: "You should be careful, don't die suddenly one day."

"Pfft pfft pfft, don't curse me."

The two were as familiar as they could be, and they spoke very casually.

Chen Guanlou asked him: "Lost it all again? How much money did you lose this time?"

Lu Datou touched his head, looking unlucky. "Don't mention it. I suspect someone in the gambling house is cheating."

"You know it now?" Chen Guanlou mocked and sneered repeatedly, tsk-tsked twice. "I don't gamble, but I know that the gambling house wants to make money, so there must be a gambling house cheater sitting in town, one to prevent others from cheating, and two to ensure the banker wins money. Like you, who has an errand, has income, and loves to gamble, is the gambling house's favorite customer, long-term, can squeeze you for thirty or fifty years. In the eyes of the gambling house, you are a walking gold ingot, cute and cute."

"Is it as unbearable as you say? Cute and cute came out, don't disgust me."

Lu Datou was unwilling, and felt helpless. Always felt that this year's luck was not good, and didn't win a few times. Everywhere is losing. Very unhappy!

"How much money did you lose?"

Lu Datou gestured with three fingers.

Chen Guanlou raised his eyebrows. "Thirty taels?"

Seeing the other party shake his head, he frowned and confirmed in a low voice: "Three hundred taels? I rely on, how did you lose so much, where did you get so much money?"

The other party's income, Chen Guanlou could calculate, twenty or thirty taels a month at most. Three hundred taels, almost a year's income. Lu Datou's hands were loose, he spent money as soon as he had it, couldn't save money at all, where did he get three hundred taels. There is a ghost here.

Lu Datou looked around, then leaned forward, leaned to Chen Guanlou's ear, and whispered: "Last time, I intercepted a part of the silver. Xu Fugui acquiesced, and gave me another fifty taels afterward."

Chen Guanlou snorted twice. "Only gave you fifty taels? Xu Fugui is a bit too greedy."

Don't look at the Bing-sized prison hitting money every three days, knocking the prisoner's bamboo pole. In fact, most of the money is handed over. The money that falls into the hands of the prison guards is not much. The Bing-sized prison also has no distribution mechanism like the Jia-sized prison, all depending on the conscience of the officials above. Income of one hundred, can take out twenty taels of silver to distribute to the prison guards below, which is considered generous.

Lu Datou sighed. "Still your luck is good, went to the Jia-sized prison, income at least doubled."

More than doubled, several times more.

Chen Guanlou naturally wouldn't reveal his income.

The people in the Jia-sized prison could consciously keep their mouths shut about income. The truth of not worrying about scarcity but worrying about inequality, everyone understands. If the prison guards of the Yi-sized and Bing-sized prisons were allowed to know the truth of the income gap, it is estimated that they would rebel.

The officials above also gave orders repeatedly, emphasizing many times that the primary requirement of the Jia-sized prison is to manage the mouth well, and everything in the Heavenly Prison is not allowed to be said outside. A pen, a piece of paper, a penny, are not allowed to be spit out. Whoever dares to talk nonsense, all drive out.

"How many days do you plan to rest?"

The money is all lost, and the days to come can only be rested. It is called self-cultivation.

Lu Datou shook his head and said, "No matter what, I have to rest until the money is paid out next month."

Chen Guanlou immediately sneered at him, "You deserve to never get rich."

"As long as I have enough to eat, that's fine."

"What will you eat when you're old?"

"By then, my son will take over my shift as a prison guard in the Heavenly Prison, and I won't have to worry about food or drink for the rest of my life until I die."

Lu Datou was very smug when he said this, showing off that he had a son.

Chen Guanlou clicked his tongue twice, "If you're truly sincere, spend some money to send your son to school for two years. When the time comes, I'll find a way to get him a job in the Jia-grade prison."

"For real?"

"As long as you send your son to school, I'll put my word right here. How about it?"

"Then it's a deal."

"Gamble a little less next month and save some money for your son's schooling. If you don't send your son to school within three months, today's promise is void."

"I'll send him, I'll send him, I definitely will. I'll find a place for him when I get back. I heard the Marquis Prefecture runs a clan school; do they accept students outside the Chen family?"

"You can give up that thought. Even if the Chen clan school accepts outside students, they are all children of well-connected families. I don't have the qualifications to stuff connections into the clan school. You can look for Master Su, a private school opened by my brother-in-law's clansmen. I studied there before; they teach well and are strict. It costs about ten taels of silver a year. If your son is good at studying, spend another two taels for brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. With your income, this little bit of silver won't be a problem."

"For a kid to go to school, it actually costs over ten taels a year, that's too expensive." Lu Datou complained repeatedly, full of grievances, as if they were cutting his own flesh.

Chen Guanlou strongly despised him, "You just lost three hundred taels, enough for your son to study for ten or twenty years. I didn't see you feeling heartbroken then. Spending a little money on your son's education will pay off sooner or later, what's there to be reluctant about? Being a father like you, it's a real miracle of filial piety that your son hasn't rebelled against you."

"If my son dares to rebel against me, I'll break his legs right now." Lu Datou said with a fierce look, fully displaying his authority as a father.

Hearing them mention the word "rebel," the shopkeeper hurriedly came out and interjected, "Two gentlemen, two gentlemen, it's not popular to say the word 'rebel' these days. I heard from merchants coming from out of town that because of the continuous drought in Jinzhou, people have truly risen in rebellion, killed many officials, and have already taken several cities. I heard the leader has declared himself the Great Ming Prince. These days, the patrols of the Military and Horse Command are clearly more vicious than before. If the people from the Military and Horse Command hear the word 'rebel,' I'm afraid it will invite disaster."

"In Jinzhou, I heard people say it started at the beginning of the year, and I also heard officials say it could be wiped out overnight. Shopkeeper, from what you're saying, it seems it's getting more and more serious?" Chen Guanlou asked curiously.

The shopkeeper looked around; there was only this one table of guests, and there were few pedestrians on the road as they had all gone home to eat. He whispered, "On the official side, they naturally whitewash it to look good. His Majesty, the old man, likes to hear good news the most; we all know this, right? The actual situation, I heard from those merchants, is that Jinzhou has long been smashed to pieces. The more they suppress the rebels, the more people there are, and the larger the territory becomes. It is said that many poor people who can't afford to eat are actively running toward Jinzhou to join the Great Ming Prince's team."

Hearing this, Chen Guanlou couldn't help but feel a moment of trance.

He was in the capital and didn't feel much; he always felt that the current era should be a prosperous age for the imperial court. Even though they were fighting back and forth in the court, which dynasty wasn't like that? Although the old Emperor was becoming more muddled and greedy, the overall situation in the court was still considered stable. He thought the common people could still afford to eat.

He didn't expect that the flames of rebellion in Jinzhou had already lit up half the sky. Yet, the capital remained full of singing and dancing, the court continued to sing praises, and the situation was excellent and could be wiped out overnight.

He shook his head, as if he could already foresee the day when the Heavenly Prison would be overcrowded.