Chapter 989

“Killed him?”

Mu Yiguan asked curiously.

“Since His Excellency asks, he must have encountered someone like this. Did you kill him?”

Chen Guanlou nodded, not avoiding the question, “Killed him!”

Mu Yiguan laughed upon hearing this, clearly satisfied, “Good that you killed him! Since the man is already dead, what is there left for His Excellency to brood over? You are acting in accordance with Heaven’s will! Heaven sees and remembers your merit—you are ridding the people of a scourge!”

Chen Guanlou waved his hand, “You misunderstand. I didn’t kill him because…”

“I understand,” Mu Yiguan unusually interrupted him, “His Excellency must have seen a scene too horrific to behold, witnessed the most cruel and vicious side of human nature, and been deeply shaken.”

“To be honest, for the cold-hearted cruelty of certain people, old man has lived this long and seen so much, yet still often cannot comprehend. You say the men in the interrogation rooms use brutal methods—that’s their job. But those outside… ah… one can only say human nature is not to be looked upon!”

“Old Mu, you seem to have quite some insight into these matters,” Chen Guanlou couldn’t help but become curious.

Mu Yiguan shook his head, “Not insight, really. Just doing this job long enough, seeing enough, naturally brings some understanding. In my life, I seek no fame or glory—only peace and safety. Sometimes lowering your demands cuts your troubles in half.”

Hearing this, Chen Guanlou chuckled.

He wholeheartedly agreed.

“My demands are simple too—I serve in the Tianlao prison, handle my duties, and occasionally take a few days off to enjoy myself.”

“His Excellency’s demands are nothing difficult. Drink tea, drink tea! This tea is surely this year’s new harvest. Indeed, His Excellency has fine things in hand.”

…

The Ministry of Justice issued notice: the corrupt official Zhao Jinming would be taken to the execution ground in three days and publicly beheaded.

Upon learning he was about to be beheaded, Official Zhao wept bitterly—howling, tears and snot streaming down his face. It was hard to imagine a middle-aged man could produce so many tears.

“Chen Yucheng, my life is so miserable!”

Chen Guanlou stood before the prison gate, his lips twitching, unable to bear looking at the man, “Official Zhao, at least wipe your snot. Think of it this way—you’ve enjoyed years of luxury, fine clothes, rich food, and beautiful women. It was worth it!”

“You don’t understand—you simply don’t understand. My daughter has arrived in the capital; even Eunuch Lai said she possesses heavenly beauty. She is now undergoing the palace selection; barring misfortune, she will surely enter the palace and remain by the Emperor’s side. Then, if she whispers a few words in his ear, perhaps I won’t have to die. Alas, alas… why is the Ministry of Justice so eager to cut off my head? I haven’t offended anyone there. Chen Yucheng, you must save me!”

Zhao Jinming knelt down and banged his head on the ground. For survival, he would sacrifice anything.

Chen Guanlou found him repulsive but still patiently advised, “Official Zhao, even if your daughter successfully enters the palace and remains by the Emperor’s side, it will take at least half a year to a year—even under perfect circumstances. In short, no matter what, you will die!”

“Earlier, you seemed resigned to your fate. But now that your daughter has arrived in the capital and passed the preliminary screening, you’ve conjured up unrealistic hopes. Official Zhao, if you go to the execution ground like this, you’ll soil yourself in terror and disgrace yourself utterly.”

“I don’t care—I just want to live. Chen Yucheng, save me, and I’ll betroth my daughter to you.”

Chen Guanlou laughed bitterly, “What do I want with your daughter? I may be a bachelor, but let me tell you—if I wanted to marry, the finest maidens of the capital would line up for me to choose from.”

Zhao Jinming naturally didn’t believe him, “Chen Yucheng, stop boasting. You’re just a prison warden—who would want you?”

“I may be only a prison warden, but you’ve forgotten—I have the Hou Fu behind me, and I’m a ninth-rank martial cultivator. If I wished to marry, plenty would rush to arrange it for me. Keep your daughter.”

Zhao Jinming burst into loud sobs, “Is there truly no hope? Must I die? I don’t want to die!”

“The official order has been issued—no changes possible. Even the Son of Heaven himself cannot alter it. Accept your fate!”

“I can’t accept it! I won’t accept it! Chen Yucheng, think of a way to save me—I’ll repay you handsomely afterward!”

Zhao Jinming was truly terrified of death, wailing incessantly.

Chen Guanlou grew weary of his cries, his expression darkening, “If you keep causing a scene, I’ll have you sent to the interrogation chamber first for a taste of their methods—then to the execution ground. How’s that?”

Zhao Jinming instantly fell silent, yet still unwilling, whimpering, “Chen Yucheng, you took my money—please see it through to the end. Can’t I just treat it as buy one, get one free? I don’t want to die—I haven’t lived enough!”

“Official Zhao, you’ve spent years in officialdom. The Ministry of Justice issued its order: execution in three days. Have you ever seen a case where the sentence was suddenly revoked? If you haven’t, that’s because it never happens. Once the order is issued, even the innocent must die. Unless the Emperor issues a pardon—think how impossible that is. So give up.”

Zhao Jinming knew Chen Guanlou spoke the truth.

To preserve the dignity of the government and the sanctity of the law, any condemned prisoner with a fixed execution date must die—even if innocent. There is never a last-minute reversal of the verdict. Only the Emperor’s personal decree can overturn it.

For the government, overturning a verdict was terrifying.

It meant undoing everything—the officials who handled the case, the constables who investigated, the clerks who recorded it, the private secretaries who devised strategy—all those involved would be ruined.

Who would dare to overturn a verdict?

Unless the truth could no longer be hidden—unless it had shattered the heavens.

Clearly, that exception did not apply to Official Zhao’s case.

Official Zhao’s case was sealed—no possibility of reversal, certain death.

Zhao Jinming knew he had no way out. He could not wait for his daughter to win favor and gain wealth—he could only wail in despair, cursing his bad fortune, cursing that this year he had offended the Grand Duke.

As he wept, he began to curse—cursing his colleagues, cursing the Ministry of Justice, cursing the Tianlao prison, finally turning to curse Xie Changling.

If not for Xie Changling’s push to investigate grain corruption, he would not have lost his head.

“That Xie bastard will die a miserable death!”

Chen Guanlou nodded repeatedly in agreement, “Powerful ministers rarely meet good ends. Your wish may very well come true.”

Hearing this, Zhao Jinming wept and laughed, “Chen Yucheng, have you ever met Xie?”

“Met him? I’ve seen him more than once. When he was imprisoned, I was the one assigned to guard him.”

“Yes, yes—that’s right, he was imprisoned too. How foolish of me to forget. What kind of man is he?”

“An absolute genius, calm and rational. He certainly would never wail like you. Even in prison, Xie Changling maintained the dignity of a nobleman.”

Chen Guanlou spoke plainly, and Zhao Jinming instantly broke down, shouting, “If I had his background, I’d be even greater, even more dignified!”

“Are you sure?”