Chapter 95

Even if some people harbored selfish motives, at this critical moment, they did not want the situation to turn so ugly that it couldn't be cleaned up. If the higher-ups held them accountable, everyone would be in deep trouble.

Shi Hong, who had been silent, suddenly asked, "How is Chen Tou so sure that the policy will loosen? I heard that the palace is spending money heavily, and the Ministry of Revenue can't even produce a single coin."

Chen Guanlou glanced at him and said unhurriedly, "The capital is the foundation. If a bowstring is pulled too tight for too long, it will break."

"These words are reasonable." Constable Wu nodded repeatedly, highly approving of Chen Guanlou's insight, thinking that a scholar is indeed different; his speech is elegant yet simple and clear. Unlike the other bunch of crude people who only know how to open their mouths and curse their mothers.

Shi Hong seemed unconvinced, "Then what if?"

Chen Guanlou stared at him and said solemnly, "You had better pray that there is no 'what if'."

With such a serious expression and such a grave demeanor, Shi Hong lost his voice for a moment and forgot how to refute.

After Chen Guanlou left the duty room, Shi Hong finally came back to his senses in a daze, "What's wrong with him? I didn't provoke him, did I?"

Constable Wu gave a hum, "Chen Tou is right; you had better pray there is no 'what if'."

"What does that mean? Can you explain it clearly?" Shi Hong looked bewildered.

Constable Wu did not want to discuss this question and walked away.

Constable Wang chuckled in his heart, patted Shi Hong on the shoulder, and said, "Think for yourself, under what circumstances would there be a 'what if'?"

"How would I know?"

"No, you know. It's just that you haven't thought in that direction. Having served in the Heavenly Prison for so many years, you can be considered to have some experience. Peace and stability are better than anything; if the money is a little less, it's a little less, which is still better than the 'what if' you mentioned."

"Wang Tou, can you explain it more clearly? I haven't read books and only know a few characters. You all speak vaguely, and I really don't understand!" Shi Hong felt extremely aggrieved. Among the four constables, it turned out he was the only fool. Everyone was ganging up to bully him, right?

Not a single person was willing to speak plainly.

Too much!

Constable Wang laughed and said nothing.

Shi Hong immediately understood, "I'll treat you to drinks tonight."

That's more like it.

Constable Wang then kindly cleared up his confusion, "In a place like the Heavenly Prison, there is only one situation where the 'what if' you mentioned would occur, and that is when they start killing people outside. Understand?"

Shi Hong seemed to understand, but it looked like he understood, yet it seemed he hadn't understood completely.

Constable Wang shook his head; this blockhead was truly hopeless. If it weren't for the fact that Shi Hong had a beautiful cousin and came up with the idea of sending his cousin to be a concubine for Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan, even in another ten years, the man surnamed Shi wouldn't have become a constable.

However, when did Shi Hong's brain suddenly open up to come up with the idea of sending his cousin? Could it be that he received guidance from an expert?

Constable Wang made up his mind to take the opportunity to get Shi Hong drunk while drinking tonight and pry out the truth.

Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan sighed and lamented; he called Chen Guanlou to the office to talk.

"It's a headache! The higher-ups have gone too far this time."

Chen Guanlou gave two hums, considering it an agreement. Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan just needed someone to vent to, not someone to offer him advice.

"The money has suddenly decreased by more than half; what are we going to do in the future! Little Chen, the prison guards below haven't caused trouble, have they? The B-grade prison is already in an uproar, and the Jiang Jiang Yucheng is very angry."

"My lord, rest assured, the A-grade prison is currently normal, and everyone's emotions are very stable. They understand that the higher-ups must have had unavoidable difficulties in doing this. Now that the imperial court is in difficulty, we prison guards also have a public spirit, and it is our bounden duty to share the worries for our superiors."

Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan:...

Is it necessary? Is it necessary? Is it necessary to say these set phrases, empty words, and lies in front of him? Damn public spirit.

"Little Chen, you have a public spirit and the idea of sharing worries for your superiors; this is a good thing. However, in front of this official, you don't need to be like this. Let's just chat casually, chat, no need to be restrained."

"My lord is right. I am sometimes prone to nervousness." Chen Guanlou gave a subtle smile, appearing young and shallow in experience, which was very deceptive.

Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan laughed happily, "When I was your age, I was also prone to nervousness. Several times during the scholar examinations, it was because I was too nervous that I rushed to write before I even understood the questions. I was afraid there wouldn't be enough time to answer. Alas..."

"My lord has accumulated much and will surely rise to the blue clouds sooner or later."

"It's no use. Once a clerk, always a clerk. Throughout the dynasties, there were only opportunities for clerks to become officials when a new dynasty was just established. Later, the conditions for becoming an official became more and more stringent. In this life, I have no chance."

Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan felt very regretful and sighed.

If he were a few years younger, he wouldn't have come to the Heavenly Prison to be a prison clerk; he would definitely have continued on the path of the imperial examinations.

Chen Guanlou coughed lightly, "My lord, don't be disappointed. Even as a clerk, there is much that can be done. There are many officials imprisoned below; if my lord sees any you find pleasing, you might as well have more contact with them."

"What do you mean?" Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan immediately became interested and asked Chen Guanlou to explain in detail.

Chen Guanlou told him, "Officials with a background from the Jixia Academy usually have a very high probability of being reinstated to their original positions. They also need a few trusted confidants by their side."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan nodded repeatedly, "You are right. All officials need a few trusted subordinates to handle things. It's just that, how can I determine which imprisoned official is worth investing in? Furthermore, they might not even look at me!"

"My lord just needs to wait patiently. I will keep an eye on the prisoners in the cells for you, and when I encounter a suitable one, I will notify you immediately. At that time, my lord can cater to their preferences..."

After being enlightened by Chen Guanlou, Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan had a feeling of meeting too late. He wished he had met him ten years earlier.

He held Chen Guanlou's hand and sighed repeatedly, declaring that Chen Guanlou was the most loyal and staunch supporter by his side.

Chen Guanlou only felt disgusted and quickly withdrew his hand without a trace. People these days had a bad habit; once they got excited, they liked to hold hands and not let go. They weren't women; two men holding hands tightly was unseemly.

Why did Chen Guanlou fool Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan?

Only because he saw that Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan had the idea of scraping money from the prison guards' pockets. He quickly used the prospect of a future to divert his attention and dispel Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan's idea.

If one wants a future, one cannot push the prison guards too hard. Prisoners deal with prison guards every day; if he gained a reputation for being harsh and greedy to his subordinates, and it reached the ears of those imprisoned officials who were about to be reinstated, what future would there be to speak of?

For an official, reputation is the most important thing. Even if one doesn't care about reputation deep down, at least on the surface, one still has to put on a show. Recruiting someone with a notorious reputation to work by one's side is not worth it.

Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan also knew the severity of this; in his mind, his future was always more important. If there was really a chance to cling to some big shot and gain their appreciation, he could still accept the loss of a little money.

Chen Guanlou secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as Jiang Jiang Yucheng Fan wouldn't be so insane as to empty the prison guards' pockets, the work could still continue.