Why do some old people say that they can't live in the official gate and die in hell? ?

This sentence seems to be "if you can't enter the public gate, you can't die in hell."

The palace gate actually refers to the yamen.

"Don't go to the public gate" in this sentence means don't go to the yamen to complain.

Hell is a dark place.

In other words, "going to the yamen to complain" is as dark as "going to hell"

There is also an old folk saying that can explain this sentence: "The official door faces south, and you can't get in without money."