Chapter 85: If You Don't Give Me Face, I'll Flip the Table

When the shift ended, a small episode occurred.

Chen Guanlou changed his clothes and was about to leave the yamen when he bumped into Wan Zhang Yuli head-on.

The two looked at each other; people who didn't know the situation would definitely mistake them for having a deep relationship. Could they be sworn brothers?

Chen Guanlou smiled vaguely and took the lead in greeting him.

Wan Zhang Yuli kept a straight face. As they brushed past each other, he whispered, "Are you very proud?"

Chen Guanlou looked straight ahead; outside was the bustling capital, the bustling market. He said softly, "I am quite proud."

"Don't be proud too early."

"I can be proud for a while. If Wan Zhang Yuli is not convinced, you can hit me!"

"You..."

Chen Guanlou let out a burst of laughter and left gracefully. He had no interest in chatting with a loser.

The banquet for Warden Fan that night was a joy for both host and guest, and the silver spent was vast.

Chen Guanlou secretly wrapped a packet of silver, making it a lucky number, eighty taels.

Others were about the same as him, maybe less, at most a difference of a few taels or ten taels. The person who spent the least was Li Dahong, who only wrapped fifty taels of silver.

Even this made his flesh ache, his expression twisted.

On Warden Fan's first day on duty, with fine wine, delicious food, and beautiful women accompanying him, plus silver coming in, his heart was so excited and thrilled that he almost shouted that the Heavenly Prison was good, the Heavenly Prison was great, and he wanted to stay in the Heavenly Prison forever.

When young, one doesn't know the Heavenly Prison is good, mistakenly taking hard study as treasure.

That night, Warden Fan held a brothel girl and cried very earnestly. After crying, he secretly swore that he must work hard in the future, maintain the fine traditions of the Heavenly Prison, make it big and strong, and often visit the girls at Zui Xiang Lou.

Once Warden Fan arrived, the Jia-block prison took on a new look from top to bottom.

Li Dahong was clearly left out in the cold, and Chen Guanlou came from behind and was reused. Warden Fan first filled the guards, finally increasing from four guards to ten. He also used the excuse that he had read books, so in the future, the account books would be handed over by him uniformly. The meaning was that the silver would pass through his hands.

Warden Fan knew how to behave, returning the favor, giving Chen Guanlou the opportunity to pass through his hands and make money.

Chen Guanlou:...

A living benefactor!

The other guard head constables, seeing such a big benefit fall into his hands, were so jealous their eyes turned red.

Li Dahong was even more sarcastic and unhappy. "Those who have read books are different; unlike us rough people, even flattering a horse's butt hits the horse's leg."

Chen Guanlou didn't indulge him. "Li Tou, your previous three orders, the silver handed over is insufficient. I'll give you one day to make it up quickly."

Before he called him Brother Li, now he called him Li Tou.

Li Dahong rolled his eyes. "Where is the problem, where is the problem? Do you know how to count, do you have eyes?"

"Don't shout at me! I say it's insufficient, it's insufficient." Chen Guanlou put on airs; he was just making an issue of it today.

"Chen Guanlou, you are a villain who has gained power. Don't think that just because you have Warden Fan as a backer, you can act recklessly. When I handed over the money, it was sufficient; how did it become insufficient when it reached your hands? I want to ask you, where did the money go?"

Li Dahong shouted at the top of his lungs, wishing everyone knew Chen Guanlou had embezzled money. The guards came to the door one after another, looking at each other, not knowing who to believe for a moment.

Chen Guanlou sneered. "Li Tou suspects I embezzled everyone's silver? Qian Fugui, do you know how to use an abacus, do you know how to read an account book? Calculate the accounts for Li Tou in front of everyone. See if he doesn't know how to count, or if I don't know how to count. The insufficient money, whose pocket did it fall into? Spread the account book openly in the sun; whoever's pocket has more money, take it out of their pocket."

Qian Fugui lived up to his name; he knew how to use an abacus since he was a child. It was a pity he didn't become an accountant and became a guard instead.

Today, his skills finally came in handy, and he picked up the abacus on the spot to settle the accounts. There was no need to settle much; just settle the accounts for the last ten days.

The accounts for ten days were not many, and after calculating one by one, the result came out quickly.

Chen Guanlou announced the audit results loudly in front of everyone. "Four percent handed over, three percent into the public account. According to the account book calculation, Li Tou, you should have handed over eight hundred and seventy taels and five mace of silver, but in fact, you only handed over seven hundred and ninety taels and two mace of silver. Where did this difference of eighty taels and three mace of silver go? It couldn't be that I took it, right?"

"I, I, how would I know. Anyway, I always handed over sufficient silver before. How come it's a problem when it reaches you? Chen Tou, don't try to fool me."

Li Dahong's eyes rolled around, pointing the spearhead directly at Chen Guanlou.

Chen Guanlou threw the account book. "The account book is here. If you think I'm fooling you, fine, let's go find the clerk and let him settle the accounts again, how about that? The clerk has the bottom file, so there won't be any mistakes."

"No need!" Li Dahong stiffened his neck, looking very tough. "Who knows if you have already colluded."

Chen Guanlou laughed in anger. "If Li Tou says so, this matter really can't be settled easily; we must go to Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan to reason. I can't bear the charge of collusion for nothing. Li Tou, let's go, let's go see Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan together."

Li Dahong was so angry he jumped up on the spot. "Chen Tou, don't bully people too much! We all eat from the same pot; do you have to go to this extent?"

Chen Guanlou looked at the other party with a smile that wasn't a smile.

Anxious, the other party was anxious.

He waved his hand, and the old slicker Xiao Jin stepped out, driving everyone out of the duty room. "What are you looking at, what's good to look at? Why don't you hurry up and patrol the prison? It's already stinking; hurry up and let the handymen come in to clean, and flush the toilet a few more times. Apply medicine where it should be applied, don't kill anyone."

In the duty room, only Chen Guanlou and Li Dahong remained.

Li Dahong's face was livid, breathing heavily like a big black ox. "I know you are proud now, having gained the appreciation of the two Warden Fans. You scholars just like to group together and don't give us rough people a chance at all."

He complained full of mouth, attributing everything to the fact that he hadn't read books, which was why he was disliked.

Chen Guanlou didn't argue, only saying, "You make up the money, and I won't report this matter; I'll treat it as if it never happened, and we'll still be brothers in the future."

"Make it up? How do you expect me to make it up? Nearly a hundred taels of silver, where do you expect me to make it up? Chen Tou, we've been brothers for so long; tell me how I am as a person, and how I treat you. When you first came, everyone didn't accept you; it was I who helped you save face and suppressed other opposing voices. Not to mention repayment, now that I'm in trouble, how can you bear to force me?"

"Then why did you force me?"

Chen Guanlou suddenly broke out, pointing at Li Dahong's nose and cursing, "Before I took this job, the account book never had any problems. As soon as I took over, you damn well created a deficit of nearly a hundred taels. You deliberately gave me a hard time, gave me embarrassment, wanted everyone to watch me make a fool of myself, and didn't consider my difficulties at all. Now you turn around and ask me to help you, and blame me for forcing you. Li Dahong, have some shame!" ===== CHAPTER 86 =====