Zhang Rou screamed, dodged Zhao Qiang's touch, and shouted madly:
"You are the whore! I am not! I am Madam Ji, the mistress of the Ji family! Who do you think you are? You are not even worthy of carrying my shoes!"
"Why did you come here? Why did you want to hurt me? Get away! Get away! I'm going to kill you... If I kill you, nothing will happen!"
Zhang Rou pulled out the golden hairpin on her head and stabbed Zhao Qiang.
Zhao Qiang was caught off guard and was stabbed directly. The golden hairpin pierced his chest, but Zhang Rou was weak and did not injure his vital parts.
The long knife behind him chopped towards him, and there seemed to be tears in Zhao Qiang's eyes. He was a little unbelievable and froze in place.
"An Wu!" Ji Yunhuan shouted, and An Wu rushed out immediately. With a click, the long sword broke in half, saving Zhao Qiang's life.
The guards also moved. The security guards had long been frightened by the people around the eldest lady, so they quickly threw down their weapons and raised their hands in surrender.
Ji Gongming's eyes were red with anger. "What on earth do you want to do? You're actually helping an outsider?"
Ji Yunhuan remained calm, "I won't help anyone. I just can't bear to see you killing innocent people."
"He was just a street thug! He's dead, so be it! But the Ji family has an unblemished reputation, and such a scandal must not be allowed to spread!"
"Clean reputation? What kind of clean reputation does the Ji family have? You favored your concubine over your wife, killed my mother, and nearly killed me! Zhang Rou hired someone to kill someone. If it weren't for my fate, I would have died in a nunnery long ago!"
"You know everything, yet you feign innocence." Ji Yunhuan pointed at Zhao Qiang, who was covered in blood. "So what if he's just a street thug? At least he's responsible! Unlike you, who are selfish, hypocritical, and cowardly! He shouldn't die here. Let him go!"
Zhao Qiang was stunned when he heard this. He knew that in the eyes of these nobles, his life was worthless and they could beat him to death at any time. But it was really strange that this beautiful young lady actually spoke up for him.
He bowed to Ji Yunhuan and said loudly, "I cannot thank you enough for your kindness. If you need Zhao Qiang in the future, I will go through fire and water for you without hesitation!"
Zhao Qiang grabbed Ji Yongchang and held him in his hand like a chicken.
Ji Yongchang burst into tears, tears and snot streaming down his face. "No! I don't want it! Father, I am the only child in the Ji family. I don't want to go with this untouchable. I don't want to live a hard life. Father, please save me, save me!"
Ji Gongming wanted to beat Ji Yongchang to death! He had painstakingly raised Ji Yongchang for more than ten years, but in the end, he was raising someone else's son!
No wonder Ji Yongchang had no talent for studying but loved to wield swords and sticks. It turned out that he was not his kind at all!
Zhao Qiang punched Ji Yongchang hard and cursed, "I'm a pariah, and so am you, you little bastard! Why are you howling? Even if you scream at the top of your lungs, you're still my offspring!"
"Tsk tsk~ I never thought I'd get a son for free after all my life. Now I have someone to take care of me in my old age. Just follow me and practice martial arts. When you make money in the future, you can honor me and it will be worth it for me saving your life!"
Before leaving, Zhao Qiang couldn't help but look at Zhang Rou again.
Zhang Rou seemed to have gone crazy. She was pinned to the ground by two big men, still struggling and howling.
But these had nothing to do with him anymore. It was Zhang Rou who was unwilling to go with him, but Ji Yongchang was his child after all, and he could not watch Ji Yongchang die.
This corrupt official has a vicious mind. Staying here will only lead to death.
Zhao Qiang knocked Ji Yongchang unconscious with a palm strike and carried him out. He was still holding Zhang Rou's gold hairpin in his hand, which could be worth a lot of money if sold.
Ji Gongming watched the two of them leave. He had never felt so embarrassed as today. He was completely humiliated!
And all this was caused by that bitch Zhang Rou!
Zhang Rou had been tied up. Ji Gongming kicked and beat Zhang Rou again and again, cursing her with the most vicious words!
The old patriarch sighed deeply. He had believed that Ji Gongming was diligent and motivated, and that he had become a top scholar at such a young age, so he must have a bright future. Therefore, the entire clan supported him and helped him to get through the barriers and enter the Ministry of Revenue.
Now it seems that this boy is narrow-minded, cruel and selfish, and is really not capable of handling such a big responsibility.
But it’s too late to say anything now, the Ji family still has to rely on Ji Gongming.
"Alright! Stop it! It's already happened, we should think about how to solve it."
Ji Gongming grabbed Zhang Rou's hair, his eyes fierce, "How do we solve this? Death would be too easy for you."
"Come here, poison her and make her mute, then sell her to the lowest brothel! Don't you like men? Do you like being ridden by thousands of men? I'll grant you your wish!"
"I'll tell the brothel's madam to find you the most vicious and brutal customers to torture you day and night. I'll make you wish you were dead!"
Zhang Rou spat out a mouthful of blood with a shuddering cry, pleading, "No! No! I can still be of use. Yes, I still have the jade pendant. Please spare me... I'll go find the Duke..."
With a loud slap, Ji Gongming slapped Zhang Rou in the face and said with a sinister smile, "Do you think I'll believe your lies? That jade pendant is fake too, right? It's just a trick you used to get back on track!"
"No! The jade pendant is real, Master, please believe me again. Oh, and the poison! The poison was given to me by the eldest princess. I sent someone to smear it on the screen, which is why Xu Junwan had a difficult delivery..."
"Shut up!" Ji Gongming slammed Zhang Rou's head against the wall like a madman, again and again. Zhang Rou's howling became lower and lower, and finally he fainted.
Zhang Rou was dragged away, and Ji Yonglian was also locked up. The servants silently cleaned up the blood in the courtyard, and the ancestral hall was dead silent.
The clan leader could only step forward to take charge of the situation. "Just remember that Zhang Rou and Ji Yongchang have passed away due to illness. We can hold the funeral later. Ji Yonglian is your biological daughter after all. Just lock her up for a few days and don't endanger her life."
Ji Gongming seemed to have aged ten years in an instant. The rage he had just experienced seemed to have consumed all his strength, and he spoke weakly.
"Everyone, please disperse. I am sorry to bother you elders today. This matter is not glorious. I hope you can keep it secret for the sake of the Ji family's reputation."
The elders nodded in agreement, but everyone knew in their hearts that it was just an act of self-deception. It was impossible to hide such a big commotion.
What's more, Zhao Qiang and Ji Yongchang are both alive and well, this is irrefutable evidence!
Ji Yunhuan suddenly stood up and said loudly, "Please stay, everyone. I have something I would like to ask the elders to be witnesses."
"It's already like this, what else do you want to do? Will you be satisfied only if I kill you?" Ji Gongming patted his chest with a look of grief on his face.
"Master Ji, you're worrying too much. Why would I want your life? I just..."
Before he could finish his words, a servant rushed in, his face full of joy, and shouted, "Congratulations, Master! Congratulations, Master! Someone has arrived from the palace! I heard that Master and Young Lady are at the ancestral hall. They can't wait any longer and are already on their way."
"I'm a quick-footed villain, so I came all the way here to announce the good news. Judging from the expressions of the nobles in the palace, it must be great news!"
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