Above the Galaxy
Chapter 562 - 347: Take Care of Yourself!

Chapter 562: Chapter 347: Take Care of Yourself!

Yu Huoshui, though he had played some dishonorable roles in the case concerning the manure throwing at Zhong Tianque, did not deserve death.

Now the verdict had sentenced him to death, which was the strictest enforcement of the law.

It meant someone wanted him dead, and moreover, that someone could disregard the power of the Yu Family.

So calculated...

In fact, there was no need to calculate, the answer was clear.

However, this was entirely within Tang Fei and the old man’s expectations.

Yu Huoshui had to die; if Yu Huoshui did not die, the conflict between the Zhong brothers would not be intense enough.

Only with Yu Huoshui’s death could Zhong Tianyi’s sense of crisis be exacerbated, urging him to rally all available resources to protect himself.

The reason Tang Fei showed such surprise was because...

I was acting.

Facing such an obviously unreasonable verdict, Tang Fei remained indifferent, which raised suspicions.

Seeing Tang Fei’s astonished expression, Yan Wenli looked up and asked, "What, do you disagree?"

"No, no..." Tang Fei quickly denied it.

A joke, could I dare to object to something you and Zhong Daolong agreed upon?

Do I wish to die?

He paused, then turned to Yan Wenli to ask, "If it’s judged this way... might there be some objections?"

Yan Wenli’s narrow eyes narrowed slightly as he surveyed Tang Fei and asked, "What, are you afraid of the Yu Family’s retaliation?"

With a bitter smile, Tang Fei candidly said, "To say I am not afraid would be a lie. After all, I brought Yu Huoshui here, and now that he’s been sentenced to death, can the Yu Family easily let me go?"

"What are you afraid of? This is the verdict of the entire Monitoring Bureau, not the manifestation of personal will... They should be able to clearly distinguish that."

"Whether they can distinguish clearly is one thing, how they decide after distinguishing is another. Unable to trouble the Monitoring Bureau, they can only come after me, the case officer. Otherwise, how can they vent the anger in their hearts?"

"Don’t worry, you are a case officer of the Monitoring Bureau; should any trouble arise, the Monitoring Bureau will step forward to support you," Yan Wenli looked at Tang Fei and said.

Faced with such a result, he was helpless.

Who asked you to dig up Yu Huoshui? If you hadn’t dug up Yu Huoshui, would the Yu Family hate you?

You dug up Yu Huoshui, and to protect the Second Prince, Zhong Tianyi, as well as maintain the dignity of Royal Family Members, we can only make him permanently silent.

Exactly what Tang Fei had been waiting for, he was not afraid of the Yu Family’s retaliation; he just hoped that when the Yu Family retaliated against him, the Monitoring Bureau and Yan Wenli would stand by his side.

He looked at Yan Wenli sincerely, gratefully saying, "Thank you, Director. Serving under your command is the greatest honor of my life."

"Alright, alright, save such words for the pretty girls," Yan Wenli waved his hand and said, "I called you here so you know where things stand. This case stops with Yu Huoshui, no need for further investigation."

"Yes, I understand," Tang Fei responded.

With Yu Huoshui dead, the case naturally needed to be closed.

Digging further would expose Zhong Tianyi, and such a scandal could no longer be covered up, causing severe embarrassment to the Royal Family.

Although by now, those who should know probably already did, pinning all the blame on Yu Huoshui was merely a fig leaf for the Royal Family.

Yan Wenli waved his hand and said, "Go, be busy."

"Does Director Zhong know the result?" Tang Fei asked.

"No," Yan Wenli responded. "This is the case you handled, and I wanted to inform you first."

"Then I’ll report to Director Zhong," Tang Fei said with a smile. "He’s my direct superior, and I need to report to him promptly."

Yan Wenli looked at Tang Fei meaningfully, nodded, and said, "Hmm, go ahead."

Returning from outside duties, Zhong Jiayuan sensed something ominous upon seeing Tang Fei.

However, it was too late to turn and leave because Tang Fei was quickly approaching him.

"Mr. Zhong, back already?"

Tang Fei greeted Zhong Jiayuan cheerfully.

"Hmm." Zhong Jiayuan nodded and quickly headed to his office.

He did not know what Tang Fei was going to say, but at least he didn’t want it to be a public execution.

"I have something to report to the director," Tang Fei said respectfully.

"Your cases are directly assigned by the Director; you should report directly to him," Zhong Jiayuan responded cheerfully. "You don’t need to make a special trip here, we are brothers, aren’t we?"

"How could I? Even though the case was directly assigned by the Director, you are my direct superior and my guide in the Monitoring Bureau... If I bypass you and report directly to the Director, that would be disrespectful to you. I couldn’t do such a thing."

If anyone else had said this, Zhong Jiayuan would have felt flattered.

After all, bypassing one’s immediate superior to report directly to the Director is something no division leader could tolerate.

However, if that person was Tang Fei...

He thought it was unnecessary.

Zhong Jiayuan pushed open the door to his office, and after Tang Fei entered, he carefully closed it securely.

Then he turned to Tang Fei and asked, "What is it that you want to report?"

"The case of Yu Huoshui is concluded, and the verdict is out," Tang Fei presented the verdict document to Zhong Jiayuan, saying, "You are the primary leader of our division, and this case requires your signature."

A growing unease welled inside Zhong Jiayuan. He opened the folder and upon seeing the death sentence inside, his eyes widened and he looked at Tang Fei, "Death sentence?"

Tang Fei nodded and said, "Yes, death sentence."

"My signature?"

"Of course." Tang Fei’s matter-of-fact manner persisted, "You are the director, and all the case results of the division need the director’s signature to proceed."

"..."

Zhong Jiayuan did not want to sign.

He did not want to die.

That was Yu Huoshui, after all. If he signed off on Yu Huoshui’s death... would the Yu Family fight him to the death?

Although he was not the main investigator or the executioner, he still...

Eh, what did this case have to do with him?

Why did he have to bear such heavy responsibility?

Seeing the unfavorable gaze from Zhong Jiayuan, Tang Fei spoke up to explain, "I’ve already signed as the main investigator, but I can’t sign on behalf of the Director in the case closing notice... Once the Director signs, then I can take it to the Dean’s office for his signature."

Zhong Jiayuan was aware of the procedure and reluctantly pulled out an electronic pen from the desk and signed his own name on the verdict document.

Those mere three characters seemed to drain all the strength from his body.

"This means a deadly feud with the Yu Family..."

"My life is so miserable!"

------

Tang Fei took the folder and said, "Sorry to trouble you, Director. I will now take the case closing notice to the Dean’s office."

After speaking, he bid farewell to Zhong Jiayuan and left.

------

At the Taiji Palace.

Zhong Daolong had just approved a few files and took a sip of his black tea, then asked, "Is he still at the door?"

"Yes," Chen Fenglei nodded, speaking quietly, "The Second Prince has been kneeling at the entrance of Taiji Palace for a long time. We tried to persuade him to go back, but he wouldn’t listen, saying he must meet with you today..."

"Meet with me?" Zhong Daolong’s lips curled into a mocking smile, "For what? To plead for Yu Huoshui? Does he not understand why Yu Huoshui is to die?"

"King, letting His Highness continue kneeling like this isn’t a solution either. Perhaps you should meet him?" Chen Fenglei suggested.

Servants should not involve themselves in Royal Family matters, but if it was friendly advice hoping for harmony, the masters would be pleased.

He didn’t want to see his own son, and if you said not to see, then don’t see.

The master would not be pleased.

"What would I say after meeting him? He wants me to pardon Yu Huoshui, but the death sentence has already been issued... Are you suggesting I recall the verdict? Where would the authority of our national laws stand? What face would the Monitoring Bureau have? How would Yan Wenli manage his affairs afterward?"

"Yes, yes, it was my simplicity in thought," Chen Fenglei apologized.

Zhong Daolong knew it wasn’t that Chen Fenglei had oversimplified things, but there were some words he had to say.

After a slight ponder, Zhong Daolong spoke, "I won’t see him. It would be futile."

"Send him back and tell him not to come out for a while."

Chen Fenglei bowed and asked in a low voice, "What if the Second Prince disagrees?"

"Disagree?" A fierce glint flickered in Zhong Daolong’s eyes as he spoke sternly, "Deliver a message for me..."

------

At the entrance of Taiji Palace, Zhong Tianyi was kneeling erect.

Palace maids and guards occasionally walked past him, but he remained indifferent, as if he did not see them.

Naturally, those palace maids and guards dared not even glance in his direction.

Who would want to be seen in such an embarrassing moment?

If this prince remembered them, could they ever expect to live good days in the future?

Zhong Tianyi deeply cared about his reputation, especially when his power and authority were insufficient, he cared even more about face.

Just like a poor man fears being taunted for lack of money—it cuts too deep...

Would taunting the world’s richest man as a pauper hurt him? Would he care?

But, he had no choice.

Yu Huoshui was about to die.

Yu Huoshui was his friend, his brother, though he had previously considered him just a subordinate.

However, he really was about to meet this fate for working for him.

If he simply ignored the situation and let them euthanize him...

Who would still want to work for him, Zhong Tianyi, in the future?

Moreover, he wanted to test his father’s intentions.

What exactly did they want to do?

Was it to end with Yu Huoshui or was it a new beginning?

He must see his father today, he wanted to have a talk.

He wanted to know, what he truly meant to his father.

Creak...

The sturdy door was pushed open from the inside, and Chen Fenglei walked up to Zhong Tianyi, squatting down beside him and whispered, "Your Highness, you’ve been kneeling here for half the day; please get up and eat something. Don’t ruin your health."

"Where is father? When can he see me?"

"Your Highness, the King is very busy..."

Zhong Tianyi cut off Chen Fenglei’s evasive words and said, "I just asked you about my father. When will he agree to see me? I said, whenever he sees me, that’s when I will get up. If he doesn’t see me, I will keep kneeling here."

"Your Highness, why bother?" Chen Fenglei sighed repeatedly and said, "The King mentioned that he won’t meet you anymore, but he asked me to deliver a message..."

"What message?" Zhong Tianyi asked.

"Be wise."

"Be wise?" Zhong Tianyi was taken aback, then he muttered to himself, "Be wise... such a ’be wise’..."

"The King also said for you not to go out during this period and to rest well at home..."

Zhong Tianyi laughed out loud, his laughter bleak and miserable as he shouted, "Great, really great... not letting me out, he wants to confine me?"

"Great, great... I knew it would end up this way... Confine me, cage me like an animal..."

"That way, I won’t cause trouble for anyone anymore. Cage me..."

"Hahaha, cage me..."