Chapter 166: His Majesty’s personal decree? Protecting the Gao family?
The next morning, inside the prison of the Astronomical Observatory.

Zhao Guanxiang came in with two servants. As soon as they entered the prison, a jailer stepped forward and said, “Hey, Master Chuhu, I heard that you were injured on duty? Why don’t you stay at home and rest for a few more days?”

“Small injury, nothing to worry about.”

Zhao Guanxiang said to the jailer, “Which cell is Gao Linxiang in? Take me to see him!”

This was a routine matter, but as soon as these words came out, the jailer’s expression suddenly changed, and his smile became a little uncomfortable: “This… isn’t appropriate, is it?”

Zhao Guanxiang frowned: “What’s inappropriate?”

The jailer smiled awkwardly and stammered, “Didn’t General Qi take over the Gao family’s case? Logically… you can’t interrogate prisoners who are not related to the case you are in charge of.”

Zhao Guanxiang became suspicious and couldn’t help but look inside the prison.

The jailer quickly stood in front of him, blocking his view.

At this time, Zhang Juzheng said unhappily: “Captain Zhao has not yet handed the case back to the prison. It is reasonable that he is still the chief officer of the case and has the right to interrogate the prisoner.”

The jailer spread his hands and said, “I can’t make the decision. Why don’t you go back to the General Office and ask General Qi to approve your request before coming back?”

“Hey, you…”

Gao He got angry and rolled up his sleeves to step forward, but Zhao Guanxiang blocked him with his hand.

Seeing that the jailer was acting like a rogue in front of him, Zhao Guanxiang could easily sense that there was something fishy going on.

But…playing rogue in front of him?
He took a step towards the jailer, pointed at himself, and said with a smile: “Is this your first day meeting me?”

“Of course I’ve known him for a long time.” The jailer thought Zhao Guanxiang was trying to establish a friendship, so he said with a blank look, “But let’s put things one way and friendship one way. As for official business…”

“I mean, this is not the first day you’ve known me. Have you ever seen me stick to the rules?”

“?”

The jailer realized that something was wrong and was hit on the back of the head by Zhao Guanxiang with his scabbard.

Zhao Guanxiang put away his knife, looked at the jailer lying on the ground, nodded with satisfaction, and said to the two servants behind him: “Let’s go.”

Gao He and Zhang Juzheng were silent for a while, but no one said anything tacitly, and followed Zhao Guanxiang into the prison.

……

Naturally, there is more than one jailer in the prison of the Astronomical Observatory.

Zhao Guanxiang and the other two entered the prison, and suddenly several jailers stood up in panic.

“Captain Zhao?”

“How did you get in?”

“Where’s Ajin? Why didn’t Ajin ring the bell?”

Seeing the panicked look on their faces, Zhao Guanxiang lied, “Oh, Ah Jin had a stomachache and went to the toilet, so I came in by myself.”

“Captain Zhao, this…”

“Stop talking nonsense and take me to see Gao Linxiang!”

Obviously, these jailers knew Zhao Guanxiang much better than the jailer who was guarding the gate just now. They knew the means by which this young tiger captain would not give up until he achieved his goal. After looking at each other, they had no choice but to send one of them to lead the way for Zhao Guanxiang.

Led by the jailer, Zhao Guanxiang and others passed through several corridors and soon met Gao Linxiang in a cell deep in the prison.

The cells outside the Astronomical Observatory were cold and damp, and they were covered with hay piles as beds for the prisoners.

But the cell in front of him was clean and tidy, and it was obvious that someone was cleaning it from time to time.

There is not only a small bed inside, but also a table and chairs, with the four treasures of the study placed on the table.

Gao Linxiang was sitting on the bed in the cell at the moment. Although his luxurious clothes were taken off and he was wearing prison clothes, he was not wearing the shackles that other prisoners had to wear.

Not only that, there was a small table in front of him at the moment, with a wide variety of food on it, all of which were bought from restaurants outside, and there was even a small pot of wine.

Zhao Guanxiang took a look through the iron bars and flew into a rage. He grabbed the collar of the jailer beside him and said, “I told you to guard the prisoner, and this is how you guard him? Is this a prison? Or a restaurant? Do you treat him like a master?”

The jailer immediately begged for mercy: “Captain Zhao, calm down, Captain Zhao, calm down…”

At this time, Gao Linxiang in the prison laughed: “Captain Zhao, why do you have to vent your anger on the people below? I bought all these with real money.”

He held up his chopsticks and pointed at the clean cell: “A cell like this one costs ten taels of silver for a day.”

“These dishes only cost one penny outside, and I gave twenty taels.”

Then, he slowly picked up the wine pot and poured himself a small cup of wine. After drinking it in one gulp, he smiled and said, “This gulp cost me two taels of silver. This pot of wine cost me fifty taels of silver!”

After he finished speaking, he turned his head to look at Zhao Guanxiang outside the prison: “Captain Zhao, this money… why don’t you let them make it? They get the benefit, and I suffer less, isn’t this the best of both worlds?”

Zhao Guanxiang snorted, let go of the jailer, looked at Gao Linxiang, and sneered, “That’s right, you’re almost dead, what’s the point of keeping the money?”

“You are still so sharp-tongued. I won’t argue with you about this.”

Gao Linxiang had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage several times because of Zhao Guanxiang’s anger. Now he has learned his lesson and simply does not argue with Zhao Guanxiang.

Zhao Guanxiang said, “You said you won’t argue, so you won’t argue? Someone, open the prison door. I want to interrogate this prisoner!”

“My Lord, you can’t…”

The jailer, who had just been scolded, couldn’t help but come over to stop them.

Zhao Guanxiang said angrily: “Why not?”

The jailer had a bitter look on his face. He then stretched out his hand and carefully pointed to the end of the corridor, and whispered, “Sir, look over there…”

Zhao Guanxiang looked in the direction he pointed.

This sight almost scared him.

I saw a figure sitting on a wooden bench under the torch in the corner, holding a book and reading it intently.

The man seemed to be aware of someone’s gaze and raised his head, revealing a face covered in lead powder that was as white as a ghost. The firelight made his face clearly bright and dark, making the smile on his face even more sinister.

Zhao Guanxiang was startled and looked at the man in doubt.

His five senses are infinitely sharper than those of ordinary people, and have been significantly improved since he entered the realm of heaven.

But even so, he didn’t notice that there was someone sitting there!

“Who are you? Why are you in the prison of the Sky Patrol?”

When the man heard the question, he slowly put down the book in his hand, stood up, saluted towards Zhao Guanxiang, and answered in a shrill voice: “I am Wei Zhuo, the criminal officer of the East Factory. I am here to supervise the execution under the order of the emperor.”

He clasped his hands together and raised them to the east, his tone still unhurried: “Your Majesty has personally ordered that this case is full of doubts, and the Gao family may not be the definite suspects. No private punishment shall be used until the truth is revealed.”

Then he narrowed his long eyes slightly, glanced at Zhao Guanxiang and said, “If Captain Young Tiger wants to torture him, does His Majesty have the order?”

Eunuch from the East Factory?
Your Majesty’s personal order?

Zhao Guanxiang was stunned for a moment.

The current emperor, who has not taken care of state affairs for a long time, would actually issue an edict personally for a tiny Gao family?

I am not satisfied with the writing, so I deleted it and rewrote it. I am sorry for the late update.

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(End of this chapter)