Chapter 96: Forced Throne?

"These days, everyone’s having a hard time!"

As Chen Guanlou patrolled the cells, Yu Zhaoan, unable to stay quiet, feigned profundity and approached him for conversation.

Chen Guanlou had no intention of responding and kept walking forward.

"Someone’s about to fall into misfortune—more precisely, they’re about to die."

He speaks only to shock.

But this trick worked wonders—Chen Guanlou stopped and turned to look at him. "Are you the one who’s going to die?"

Hah!

Yu Zhaoan sneered. "Even if every prisoner in this jail died, it wouldn’t be me. But as for the others? That’s another story."

Chen Guanlou pondered a moment, then decided to play along—to humor the man’s need to show off. "Go on. If what you say makes sense, I’ll admit you’re right."

Yu Zhaoan leaned against the cell door, looking lazy and bored. After being locked in Tianlaomiao so long, even the strongest habits are forced to change. The once neat, clean, powerful Yu Zhaoan had now adapted to the jail’s filth, learned to blend in, and accepted fate’s gifts.

He took a deep breath. "The jailers are causing trouble over money. Can you guess who would go mad enough to touch Tianlaomiao’s funds?"

"A greedy person?" Chen Guanlou ventured.

Yu Zhaoan shook his head with a mysterious smile. "Wrong. It’s someone who wants to do something big. Greedy people rarely change their surroundings—familiar environments make it easier to hoard wealth. Only those seeking grand schemes dare make sweeping changes."

Chen Guanlou raised an eyebrow—he’d learned something. This explanation actually made sense. He’d never considered the issue from this angle before. No wonder he was once Right Assistant Censor—he understood the court’s bureaucracy and human nature inside out.

He’d suffered from never having served in the bureaucracy—half-understood, half-informed. When it came to deeper issues, his past experience no longer held up. Even in the information age of his former life, disclosures about court intrigues were rare—only results were revealed; the processes remained hidden to outsiders and non-participants.

Netizens could only guess whether the Emperor dug the earth with a golden hoe or poured out his soy milk after drinking just one bowl.

"So you mean there’s going to be a major move from above?"

"There will definitely be a major move. Go ask around—have the pay and conditions of clerks and runners in other yamens also been cut?"

"And if they have?"

"If they have, then it’s not just one yamen’s problem—it’s a coordinated purge across all government offices. Hah! Someone’s lost patience and wants to force the throne!" Yu Zhaoan burst into laughter.

Chen Guanlou’s eyebrows twitched in shock.

"Force the throne? Don’t talk nonsense." He lowered his voice, signaling the man to watch his tongue—this wasn’t some place where you could speak freely just because you were locked up.

Yu Zhaoan scoffed, his expression full of disdain. "Do I look like I’m making things up? Have you ever seen the court? Have you ever seen the Emperor? What’s the highest-ranking official you’ve ever met in your life? Was he even seventh rank? Have you ever dealt with any of those bigwigs? You’re just a lowly jailer—what right do you have to question my judgment? I’m telling you, this is a long-planned move. You’d better watch yourself."

Chen Guanlou’s face darkened as he suppressed his rising anger. "Even if you’re right, what should I watch out for?"

Yu Zhaoan smiled sweetly. "Soon, this jail will be overflowing with officials of third rank and above. Tell me—shouldn’t you be careful? There’s even a chance royal relatives will be thrown in. You’ll never satisfy them, no matter how hard you serve. And they’ll crush you as easily as squashing an ant."

Chen Guanlou forced down his unease and asked coldly, "How can you be so certain someone will force the throne?"

"I know exactly how those people think—I used to be one of them. How long has it been since the court sent funds or grain? Almost a year, hasn’t it?"

Yu Zhaoan looked at Chen Guanlou with smug satisfaction.

He paced back and forth in the cell, hands behind his back, as if directing the empire’s fate—full of the bearing of a high official. No wonder he’d once been Right Assistant Censor—he carried himself with undeniable authority.

He continued: "No one cares about the lives of low-ranking clerks. But when needed, the powerful don’t mind exploiting their desperation to add weight to their own scales."

"The Emperor is obsessed with Daoist immortality, spending gold like water, ignoring the people’s suffering, dismissing floods and famines. Even as rebels in Jinzhou grow bolder, his resolve to seek eternal life never wavers. They’re desperate! Everyone is desperate!"

"How could the court’s grandees allow power to fall into the hands of those charlatan Daoists? If it were you, would you accept it? If I were still in the court, I’d beat a few of those filthy Daoists to death on the spot. Look—I’ve been locked up nearly a year, and I still can’t calm my rage. How could the court’s grandees tolerate these petty villains riding roughshod over them?"

"There will be a memorial. There will be a forced throne. The Crown Prince is the perfect target to win over. But the Crown Prince acted too hastily. I sincerely hope he’s smart this time—don’t let these ambitious schemers pull you in. Just watch the show from the sidelines."

"I didn’t know you supported the Crown Prince. I heard you used to constantly impeach him—for minor moral failings and personal habits."

Chen Guanlou was surprised. People never stayed true to anything—only interests mattered.

Yu Zhaoan chuckled, a hint of pride and nostalgia in his expression.

He lifted his chin. "What do you know? That was strategy. The Emperor is old; the Crown Prince is young. That’s extremely dangerous. If you want to protect the Crown Prince, you must impeach him. Never let him appear perfect. There are no saints in this world."

"Impeaching him over trivial habits doesn’t threaten his core power—it makes the Emperor think the Crown Prince doesn’t form factions. The truly clever know the art of first suppressing, then elevating—truth mixed with falsehood, falsehood mixed with truth. Love is hate, hate is love. In the court, if you truly support someone, never show it openly—do it secretly."

"Why are you telling me this? Such private matters—you’re not trying to trap me, are you?" Chen Guanlou eyed him suspiciously.

Yu Zhaoan had spoken more today than usual—unusual.

Something strange always hides a trick.

He didn’t believe Yu Zhaoan had suddenly changed into someone with a strong urge to confide secrets. He assumed the worst—this man had no conscience.

"Fool! I’m teaching you how to survive. When you enter the bureaucracy, you’ll need this."

"I won’t enter the bureaucracy." Chen Guanlou denied it firmly. He was mad if he thought of joining the court. The jail was perfect—few duties, good pay, and no risk of anyone discovering his secrets.

Joining the bureaucracy meant working alongside the elite of humanity—the geniuses among geniuses. Even with his future knowledge, he’d eventually be crushed by their schemes.

Just the resources they controlled were beyond his imagination.