Chapter 877: In or Not? Dare or Not?

"You want to amuse yourself at my expense?"

Wang Hai was deeply displeased.

He was not a clown; he had never done anything to please others. This was humiliation, this was being trampled underfoot!

Even if it cost him his life, he had to salvage his dignity.

Seeing the other man getting worked up, Chen Chen Guanlou called out, "Look at you—so young, so hot-headed. Who said I wanted to amuse myself at your expense?"

"You just said so."

"Listen to what someone means, not just what they say—understand? All you do is practice martial arts and never read books? You're not illiterate, so tell me, can't you tell whether I'm trying to amuse myself at your expense, or are you just playing dumb? I just wanted some excitement, got it?"

"I don't get it!"

Chen Chen Guanlou: …

Forget it. They're not on the same path, so there's no point forcing themselves to be on the same wavelength.

Being able to seek common ground while reserving differences is enough!

"I look at that person in the palace and I don't like it, alright?"

"You really dare to say that."

"I have even bolder things to say—want to hear them?" Chen Chen Guanlou said contemptuously. "I'm just afraid that once you hear them, you'll develop an inner demon, and one day you'll suddenly snap and go on a killing spree inside the palace."

"Impossible!" Wang Hai declared, his voice ringing with conviction. He had considerable confidence in his own self-restraint.

Chen Chen Guanlou was utterly disdainful. "Impossible, my foot. You hear a few words and you're already shouting about killing—and you have the nerve to tell me it's impossible. Eunuch Wang, the palace's training program for you is a failure!

Listen carefully to what I'm about to say. One of the principles of getting things done: everything can be negotiated. If negotiation fails, it just means the price wasn't right. If it really won't work, then resorting to force isn't too late.

Second, you must see through the phenomenon to grasp the essence.

Since you don't know which Imperial Prince to back, build a file on each one. Their birth mother's status, family background, the prince's own temper, personality, talent. The strategists around him, his tutors… list it all out, item by item. When the time comes, I'll help you sift through them!"

"Surely that won't actually let us pick out the real heir to the throne?" Wang Hai asked casually.

Chen Chen Guanlou immediately denied it. "Of course not. But it can increase the weight on our side of the scales. No one succeeds by accident—especially not when the imperial succession is at stake. Precisely because the stakes are so high, every step must be taken firmly, done with meticulous care.

Let me tell you this: as long as the Emperor hasn't named a Crown Prince for a single day, the conclusion is that details decide success or failure. The Imperial Princes are the same, and so are we! So I'll ask you—are you in or not? Do you dare?"

Wang Hai fell silent!

Chen Chen Guanlou didn't press him either.

When it comes to placing a bet, when the stake is one's life and fortune, one must think it through carefully.

"You don't have to give me an answer now. I'll give you three days! If I don't hear back from you in three days, I'll treat tonight's conversation as if it never happened."

He was quite decisive himself.

Wang Hai was just a spare piece on the board!

He didn't really expect to accomplish anything major.

Anyway, idle hands make idle work—might as well cause some trouble for certain people in the palace. Better than them coming to cause trouble for the Heaven Prison all day long. Lingering a corpse—some sick trick no normal official would come up with, yet the palace's great genius thought it up and actually carried it out.

Carry it out, then!

But the one carrying it out had to be the Heaven Prison!

That's what really kills you!

If he doesn't teach those people in the palace a lesson, he can't swallow this grudge. During the day, he truly wanted to cut down Eunuch Gan—he almost couldn't hold back.

Five thousand taels could not heal his wounded heart!

He needed something fiercer!

Wang Hai was an excellent entry point—not to be missed. But even if he missed it, it wouldn't matter. Worst case, he'd go cut down Eunuch Gan tomorrow to vent his hatred!

Silence stretched on, as if waiting for the seas to dry and the stones to crumble.

Wang Hai finally stirred. "I'm in! And I dare!"

"Brother Wang, I knew you were a real man! Hahaha…"

Chen Chen Guanlou was overjoyed!

Now there would be some real fun to watch.

"From today on, we're brothers of different fathers and mothers—partners. You go cause some trouble for the man surnamed Gan first. I have some medicine here—if you need to drug him, I'll give you my full support."

"I don't need your medicine! I have my own plans! Just don't get in the way, that's all."

"Relax, I definitely won't get in the way. My life is very regular—home, Heaven Prison, a straight line between two points."

"Has Warden Chen forgotten about the pleasure houses?"

"Pleasure houses are just for leisure, they don't count."

Wang Hai curled his lip and let out a contemptuous snort, looking utterly disdainful.

The two of them had reached a preliminary agreement.

Mission one: cause trouble for Eunuch Gan. Mission two: gather information on the Imperial Princes. Mission three: none for now.

Wang Hai finally left, but not without one parting jab: "The whole room reeks of corpses!"

It made Chen Chen Guanlou so angry he jumped up and down.

Could he be blamed for the stench of corpses? Wasn't it all the palace's doing?

He felt dirty, unbearably foul.

Two more days!

Two more days and it would be over!

Over the next two days, neither Eunuch Gan nor Sun Sun Daoning showed up in person, but both sent people to supervise, ensuring that not a single cut out of the three thousand could be skipped. They also had to make sure Prince Cheng's head and cheeks weren't damaged, so he could be buried with "dignity"!

Emperor Jian Shi wanted it both ways!

He wanted to vent his anger, and he wanted to keep face!

The suffering fell on those below.

Open your mouth up top, and your legs run themselves ragged down below.

The two executioners had it the hardest — three days of high-intensity physical labor and fine, detailed work, their bodies completely hollowed out.

When the three thousand cuts were finally done and the last blade fell, the two executioners could hold on no longer; their vigor and spirit drained away, and they collapsed straight to the ground. Luckily, the jailers standing nearby were quick-eyed and fast-handed and managed to catch and steady them.

"Quickly escort the two of them down to wash up and rest. Tell the main kitchen to prepare a table of light dishes — don't skimp on the ingredients."

Chen Chen Guanlou ordered at once.

The remaining tasks fell to Doctor Mu and the corpse-stitching craftsmen.

He then said to the overseers, "Please ask the two supervisors to count the tally — three thousand cuts, not a single one missing! I won't claim every piece is identical, but they are uniform in size, barely differing from one another. This is a skill honed over ten or twenty years of hard practice — ordinary executioners could never learn it."

"The count has already been verified. There's no need to count it a second time!"

"Since the count is fine, then sign and seal it! That way we can all report our duties properly!"

"This old servant has to sign and seal too?"

"Naturally! Otherwise, what basis would the palace have to acknowledge that the three-thousand-cut task was completed smoothly? This is procedure — not a single step can be skipped. Only when the procedure is correct can everyone be assured of safety, unafraid of anyone coming to investigate. Eunuch, wouldn't you agree?"

Chen Chen Guanlou looked at the palace eunuch — a lapdog by Eunuch Gan's side — with a half-smile.

"Fine! This old servant can sign and seal! However, this old servant demands that the count be verified anew."

Damn!

Knew it — these ball-less fellows are no good sort. Hard to deal with, that's true, and love to nitpick, that's also true.

No way around it — could only trouble Doctor Mu and the others to count it all over again.

Doctor Mu was so angry he nearly died, mustache bristling and eyes bulging!

Do they really think counting shredded flesh is easy? Do they have any idea what a massive undertaking this is?

Chen Chen Guanlou announced loudly, "More pay, better food! Everyone, put your backs into it — let's finish the task the Eunuch assigned as soon as possible."

Hearing about the extra pay, the jailers were bursting with energy.

When Warden Chen says there's extra pay, it's a hundred percent extra pay — he never tricks you!

They worked until dark, and finally finished the count — three thousand cuts, not a single one missing.

"Eunuch, please sign and seal!"