Chapter 954

Wang Defa pondered Xie Changling’s words.

Clearly, Xie Changling despised the pills offered by Yuquan Palace to the Emperor—too effective. The Emperor now had boundless energy, with nowhere to expend it, so he caused trouble every day.

His behavior grew increasingly erratic.

Since his energy was excessive, add a few beauties to the harem, letting the Emperor expend his surplus vigor on the women in his inner court.

In truth, the pills from Yuquan Palace were merely an excuse.

The real goal was to lure the Emperor with beauty, so he would lose interest in state affairs—let the Political Council handle everything! The Emperor’s conduct harmed governance and the empire’s stability; it was time to impose limits.

Once he understood everything, Wang Defa cursed silently: Xie Changling’s reach was too long.

But…

The palace truly needed more beauties.

Adding beauties was easy; the difficulty lay in evading Xiao Jinsheng’s spies and Xiao Imperial Consort’s eyes.

The Emperor has not yet named a Crown Prince.

Everyone could see the Emperor favored Xiao Imperial Consort most; her three children were likewise cherished and delighted him. Perhaps the future heir was among these three.

Wang Defa was torn.

…

The weather was foul—days of continuous rain, temperatures swinging wildly between cold and hot, one moment wearing summer attire, the next autumn garments.

Chen Guanlou sat in the office, reviewing documents.

Due to the weather, many prisoners in the cells had fallen ill; coughs spread like contagion, rising and falling in waves.

Several jailers were deeply concerned, fearing an epidemic, and hoped measures could be taken to prevent it.

This was necessary.

Chen Guanlou also feared too many deaths; he instructed Physician Mu to spare no effort in prevention, avoiding mass fatalities.

The Bing-character cells had the worst conditions, housing all manner of riffraff, some strong, some frail. Those already sick were isolated—life and death, fortune and fate; if they survived, they were lucky.

The Yi-character cells held noble families; while not all were in peak health, they were far stronger than those in the Bing-character cells, and their illnesses remained controllable.

The Jia-character cells held officials, each pampered and indulged. Even in prison, they ate well and drank well daily—their physical condition was best, though somewhat weak.

Weakness was no concern!

One dose from Physician Mu would cure them instantly.

Physician Mu was swamped, complaining that medicine supplies were insufficient and more herbs were needed.

Chen Guanlou spread his hands. “This isn’t my responsibility. You must approach Logistics—they must procure the herbs. All I can do is report the Tianlao’s condition to the Ministry of Justice and urge them to act swiftly.”

Physician Mu sipped his tea. “In the past few days, five or six have died in the Bing-character cells—already exceeded the quota. Xu Fugui complains to me every time he sees me; I can’t stand him. My lord, please soothe him.”

“If I don’t deduct his pay, what else does he have to complain about?” Chen Guanlou snorted. “He comes to you only to use your mouth to plead with me—for some compensation for the Bing-character cells. He’s obsessed with money, always scheming how to get it. His concubine spends recklessly.”

Physician Mu chuckled. “It’s not his concubine who spends—it’s her brother.”

I heard her younger brother, under the pretense of business, took several sums from him. Most went to gambling; the rest he used for business—and got swindled. A useless wastrel.

Only Xu Fugui, obsessed with his concubine, went so far as to buy a separate house just to keep her away from his wife, terrified she’d be mistreated.”

“Even more absurd!”

Chen Guanlou looked down on such men.

He continued: “I’ve always believed that even if you dote on a concubine, you must not neglect your wife. She bears children, manages the household, cares for in-laws, and maintains relations with relatives and neighbors.

A concubine? She does nothing but flirt and coo—what use is she? She can’t shoulder the burden of managing the household, nor can she host guests or uphold social ties. All she does is spend money.

Such a woman deserves only enough to live on. But Xu Fugui? He’s moved mountains of gold and silver into her chambers. Men blinded by beauty, unable to tell east from west—they’ll eventually learn their lesson.”

“My lord, you speak from comfort. Not everyone is like you, wandering through a garden of flowers without a single petal sticking to you. You must understand Xu the jailer’s old house catching fire.”

Chen Guanlou snorted. “How he dotes on his concubine is none of my concern. But if he lets family matters interfere with his duties, if he acts recklessly, I’ll punish him. When he runs out of money, I’ll see if his concubine still sticks by him. Wretched fool!”

“He should be reprimanded. Xu Fugui has mentioned several times that the Bing-character cells’ accounts are always unclear, always delayed…”

That was enough.

What matters most in Tianlao?

Money, of course!

Only money!

Any problem with money is the greatest problem.

Chen Guanlou took the opportunity to inspect the Bing-character cells, and also visited Zhuang Yifei, who had voluntarily requested imprisonment.

The situation was grim.

As soon as he entered, coughs rose and fell around him.

“Wasn’t isolation ordered? How did this happen?”

He covered his nose and mouth with a handkerchief—the stench inside the cells was nauseating.

“Your Excellency, the isolation cells are full of sick prisoners. No extra space remained, so Jailor Xu ordered them to endure it themselves. Those who survive are lucky; those who don’t deserve it.”

Chen Guanlou frowned slightly. “Have they been given medicine?”

“Yes, yes! Physician Mu ordered two doses daily—we didn’t dare skip any!”

“Where is Jailor Xu?”

“He was here earlier.”

“Seems he went out.”

“Definitely went home to sleep with his concubine.”

The jailers joked.

Chen Guanlou didn’t rebuke them. After inspecting, he saw the situation was dire.

The prisoners in the Bing-character cells included both the strong and the frail; with so many suffering from colds and coughs, the infection would soon spread through the entire cell block.

He asked Zhuang Yifei: “Would you like to be transferred? The illness in the Bing-character cells is spreading too fast—more will die.”

“Thank you, Jailor Chen, for your concern. I’m a martial cultivator—I needn’t worry.”

Chen Guanlou nodded knowingly. “If you don’t wish to transfer, I won’t force you. If you need preventive medicine, say the word. The jailers distribute herbal decoctions daily—Physician Mu prescribed them himself. The herbs aren’t top quality, but they still work.”

“Understood!” Zhuang Yifei wasn’t afraid of the illness spreading. An eighth-rank martial cultivator might not have transcended mortality, but ordinary sicknesses held no power over him. A simple cold or cough meant nothing.

Chen Guanlou pressed for more details, then departed swiftly.

The Bing-character cells were in dire straits—he immediately ordered a thorough cleaning and disinfection.

He also sent someone to summon Xu Fugui.

“Tell Xu Fugui: next time, if I can’t find him during duty hours in Tianlao, he needn’t come back.”