Chapter 161: Chapter 144: I Want Justice to Be Served
"Heh!"
A cold laugh escaped Pei Shiyi’s thin lips.
He had to admit it now.
Perhaps he had been too arrogant at the beginning, underestimating these men.
’After all, how could any man who managed to stay by Yu Lan’s side be anything but exceptional?’
Pei Shiyi was lost in thought.
He needed to reconsider his strategy.
Without Pei Shiyi’s antics, the atmosphere became much more comfortable and harmonious.
Since they were all out and had run into each other, their two-person date had turned into a group outing.
A row of men, each with a different style but all equally tall, handsome, and outstanding in every way—men you knew not to mess with just by looking at them.
They now stood smiling beside the beautiful young female, surrounding her like stars orbiting the moon.
This sight made many passersby, who were out shopping at the Central Mall on their weekend off, turn their heads.
Yet the men paid no mind to the stares.
They were focused only on Yu Lan, who stood at the center of their circle.
"Lanlan, are you thirsty? Do you need some water?"
"Lanlan, I bought you a small cake. It’s a viral sensation on the Star Network; all the reviews say it’s delicious."
"Lanlan, are your legs tired from walking? Do you need me to carry you on my back? How about I carry you?"
Jun Lin Yuan, who was trying to seize any opportunity to initiate physical contact with Yu Lan, received a collective, condemning glare from everyone else.
Just as Yu Lan was shaking her head, about to say something...
Suddenly, the crowd, which had been strolling leisurely through the mall, seemed to have received some explosive news. Everyone started rushing madly toward one spot.
"Hurry, hurry! Faster!"
"Louisa was escorted back to the Central Star by the Second Legion today! She’s on Central Street right now!"
"That vicious female! Because of her selfishness, tens of thousands of people on the Garbage Star died without timely medical treatment."
"So what if she’s an Empire Princess? She has to pay with her life! She must pay with her life!"
"Besides, don’t forget, Louisa isn’t our Queen’s biological daughter! Now that Princess Yu Lan is back, what right does she have to still occupy the position of Princess?"
"Step down! Step down! She must step down!"
"A scheming, vicious woman like her is unworthy of being an Empire Princess!"
"Quick, the escort procession is about to pass the mall! Everyone, find a good spot, or you’ll miss it!"
The pedestrians clamored.
Yu Lan listened for a while before she finally understood what was happening.
She quickly turned her head to look at Huo Zhanting.
"Louisa’s back."
Huo Zhanting nodded slightly.
Su Xingye spoke up, explaining:
"Yes."
"The First Legion was supposed to be in charge of the escort, but for some reason, the Queen insisted that the Second Legion handle it."
"The Second Legion is stationed near the Garbage Star, so they mobilized their forces immediately after receiving the news."
"So..."
Su Xingye shook his head, his expression turning grim and cold.
By now, all the shoppers near the mall had run off to watch the spectacle.
Those who remained were, nominally, all Yu Lan’s Beast Husbands. Although they were usually jealous and competitive with one another, they could be considered allies now.
There was no need for concealment.
Su Xingye looked at Yu Lan with concern in his eyes, his voice lowering.
"Lanlan, you need to be prepared."
"I’m afraid Louisa won’t be taken down so easily."
Li Yucheng, who was standing nearby with his arms crossed, spoke up next.
"Actually, there’s a question that Jun Lin Yuan and I have discussed."
"We just can’t seem to figure it out."
"It’s said that men die for wealth and birds die for food. Ultimately, it all comes down to personal gain."
"In the animal kingdom, when a mother protects her young, it’s all about affection."
"But Louisa is neither the Queen’s biological daughter, nor does she bring her any benefit."
"Yet the Queen protects her so fiercely, it’s as if they really are mother and daughter."
Li Yucheng frowned slightly and shook his head, truly unable to comprehend why Queen Belina would protect Louisa so staunchly.
When two sides are locked in a life-or-death struggle, a third party’s neutrality isn’t neutrality at all; it’s another form of betrayal.
What’s more, Queen Belina’s actions could hardly be called neutral. She was blatantly standing behind Louisa, supporting her every move.
’Could it really be that the bond of raising a child is stronger than the bond of birth?’
’After so many years of close companionship, has she truly come to see Louisa as her own daughter, and that’s why she’s so protective?’
The men present were all the sharpest of the sharp.
They had been raised with an elite education from a young age.
And they had been taught to be, above all, self-interested.
’Would someone from the top echelons of the aristocracy really give everything for someone else’s heir, while ignoring their own child?’
’And this wasn’t just about some small piece of property, but the entire Empire—the throne that commanded billions of its people.’
’Could it be true?’
A question mark appeared in everyone’s mind.
A thrilling excitement, the kind one feels when about to uncover a hidden secret, exploded in their hearts.
Yu Lan, however, didn’t give it much thought.
She didn’t care in the slightest how Belina treated Louisa; she just wanted the person who had done wrong to receive the punishment she deserved.
"So this time, will Louisa get away with it again, completely unscathed?"
"This is about tens of thousands of lives!"
Yu Lan’s hands, hanging at her sides, clenched into tight fists.
Traces of blood seeped out from between her fingers.
His heart aching, Shen Zueran reached out and gently pried open her clenched fists, one finger at a time.
His firm and powerful voice rang out.
"Of course not."
"This incident has blown up so much that it’s captured interstellar attention. If the public isn’t given a satisfactory explanation, people will be storming the Imperial Palace by tomorrow."
"Under the joint pressure from all of us, Queen Belina had no choice but to concede."
"In a little while, Louisa will be sent directly to the tribunal to be judged."
"As for the final outcome, that will depend on her fate."
A cold, mocking smile played on Shen Zueran’s thin lips, perfectly displaying the cool arrogance of a man born favored by the heavens.
He hadn’t forgotten the last time Louisa had framed Yu Lan and sent her to the tribunal.
This was simply an eye for an eye, blood for blood.
It was her turn to take the stage, to hear the crowd’s furious curses, and to face the Chief Justice’s severe accusations and questioning.
As Shen Zueran finished speaking, the expressions of Huo Zhanting and the others present didn’t change in the slightest.
Clearly, they had known about this all along. In fact, they had been the ones to make it happen.
"That’s good."
Yu Lan breathed a sigh of relief.
Making the wrongdoer accept punishment and letting the souls of the victims rest in peace—this was what she had always wanted to do.
"Thank you all."
Yu Lan said sincerely, her small face extremely earnest.
Su Xingye smiled, a little embarrassed.
"Lanlan, we only did what was right. You don’t have to thank us."
Li Yucheng chimed in:
"That’s right, Lanlan. What happened on the Garbage Star was truly atrocious. I think anyone with a conscience wouldn’t have stood by and done nothing."
Even Jun Lin Yuan nodded in agreement at his words.
Yu Lan was the catalyst, but the fundamental reason they acted was that they couldn’t bear to see so many lives—lives that should have been saved with medical treatment—lost because of the Royal Family’s greed.
"Lanlan, I see someone on the Star Network is live-streaming people throwing eggs at Louisa. Do you want to go watch?"
