Chapter 448 The disparity in strength is truly significant.
Empress Dowager Song Zhuyi looked at the determination in Jiang Wanjun's eyes and finally nodded.
"This is my token. Just do what I say, and I'll take care of anything that happens." Song Zhuyi placed her token in Jiang Wanjun's hand.
She knew that even if Jiang Wanjun passed the imperial examination and became an official, many men who were used to being high and mighty would still feel resentful.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Jiang Wanjun took the Empress Dowager's token and put it in her bosom.
He instructed someone to arrange for the Empress Dowager to leave the pleasure boat as soon as possible, while he himself walked out through the main gate.
When Jiang Wanjun arrived at the front hall, the girl named Qingqing was already tied up. Several of her companions wanted to stop her, but they were too scared to step forward when they saw the guards holding knives.
"Stop!" Jiang Wanjun shouted.
The Han family steward, who was about to drag the person away, glanced sideways, thinking it was some reckless woman.
Upon seeing Jiang Wanjun in his crimson official robes, his expression became more respectful, and he immediately turned around and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Lord Jiang."
There is currently only one woman in the Dongling Kingdom who can wear official robes. Even if he doesn't know her personally, he does know that she is, so it's not surprising.
Jiang Wanjun took two steps forward and said coldly, "What are you doing?"
The steward of the Han family said with a smile, "Lord Jiang, you may not know this, but this is my young master's new concubine. She took the money and then secretly ran away. That's why my master sent me to bring people to bring her back."
"Catch?" Jiang Wanjun glanced at the little girl next to her, whose hand was still bleeding from the wound caused by resisting.
"I had no idea that this is how the Han family receives guests."
"Furthermore, regarding your mention of taking a concubine, I would like to ask which young master in your household took the concubine?"
The steward of the Han family looked away and gave a signal to the servant behind him. The servant immediately stepped forward and stuffed a heavy bag of silver into Jiang Wanjun's hand.
The steward smiled and said, "Sir, this is a family matter of the Han family. We hope that Lord Jiang will do us a favor."
Jiang Wanjun glanced at the silver in her hand, smiled, and put it into her pocket.
When the steward of the Han family saw that Jiang Wanjun had accepted the silver, he thought that the matter was settled and that there was nothing in the world that money could not solve.
"Then I won't bother you any longer, sir. I need to hurry back to report to my master."
"Did I say you could leave?" Jiang Wanjun said coldly.
"My lord... what do you mean by this?" The steward was taken aback, looking at Jiang Wanjun. "My lord has accepted the money, yet you still won't let them pass?"
"Do you take me for a robber or a bandit? Do you want to collect your toll?"
"What you've done is bribery, and according to the laws of Dongling, you'll be subject to trial, do you understand?"
"I wonder if this was your master's idea or your own?"
The butler, of course, dared not say it was his master's idea, and immediately said with a smile, "Who said this is bribery? I just saw that you were here and assumed you were here to have some fun."
"After all, it was the Han family's affairs that disturbed your peace, sir. This is just a small token of my apology."
The Han family steward wasn't afraid at all; it was just a different way of putting it.
"I won't bother you any longer, sir," the butler said, waving his hand to signal the servant to leave quickly.
Lady Qu tried to step forward anxiously, but Jiang Wanjun stopped her with a hand gesture. "Did I say you could leave?"
Upon hearing this, the steward of the Han family stopped and slowly turned around. His previous politeness was gone. He straightened his back, clasped his hands together in front of him, and a cold smile appeared on his lips. "Then what does Your Excellency mean?"
"Lord Jiang, this is a private matter of our Han family. I advise you not to meddle in other people's business."
"Private matters?" Jiang Wanjun pointed at Qingqing beside her. "You kidnapped someone right in front of me and wanted to take her away for a ghost marriage. Do you really think I'm easy to fool?"
Upon hearing the words "ghost marriage," a hint of worry flashed in the steward's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. "I don't understand what Lord Jiang is saying."
"Lord Jiang, who doesn't know what made you pass the imperial examination?"
"If it weren't for your elder sister, who is a princess, could you, as a single woman, have passed the exam?"
"He's just using his family's power to get an official position for fun. Now that he's in office, he's forgotten he's a woman and comes here to seduce these lowly women."
"Lord Jiang's methods are truly elaborate."
"How dare he be so arrogant!" Madam Qu clenched her fists tightly and scolded in a low voice.
Jiang Wanjun remained calm upon hearing these words, saying, "Today, there are only women like us who are powerless to even kill a chicken on this pleasure boat, and I am the only one without any guards."
"On the contrary, they were all carrying weapons, so he was naturally arrogant."
"If something goes wrong and I die, just blame it on the person in charge here."
“Isn’t that me?” said Lady Qu.
"Hmm," Jiang Wanjun replied casually.
"Then what should we do now, Lord Jiang? The thugs on my ship can only deal with some weak and troublesome young masters. The disparity in strength between them and the other side is really too great."
"Does Lord Jiang know martial arts?"
"You mean dancing?" Jiang Wanjun asked back.
Lady Qu...
"Your Highness is highly skilled in martial arts; I'm thinking of Lord Jiang..."
"You're overthinking it. I can't dance, much less fight. I know how to read books and solve cases."
Lady Qu...
Judging from his calm and composed demeanor, one would think that Lord Jiang possesses exceptional martial arts skills.
"Then I will have someone cover your return first. As long as you live, you will surely be able to avenge us and save Qingqing."
Several girls around them nodded in agreement.
“It’s too late,” Jiang Wanjun said. “The person on the other side seems to have done this kind of thing quite a lot. They’ve already said these words, so they must have already planned how to kill me. They certainly won’t let me leave.”
"Then...what should we do?"
"How about we bring out the Empress Dowager's token?"
“These people are not afraid of you, but they must be afraid of the Empress Dowager.”
Jiang Wanjun shook her head. Even if she and the Empress Dowager were standing here without any guards, the other side would probably still take their lives.
Because he knew that as long as he and the Empress Dowager lived, they would surely die.
Maybe if we die, they will still have a glimmer of hope.
“It’s no use,” Jiang Wanjun said. “There’s only one way to deal with this now.”
"Do as I say."
Jiang Wanjun whispered something in Qu Niangzi's ear, "I'll hold them off here, and you do as I say."
Lady Qu nodded. "Then, Lord Jiang, please be careful."
Lord Jiang's analysis is correct. The people from the Han family have definitely surrounded the pleasure boat, and it's impossible for them to get out.
We can only listen to Lord Jiang's desperate attempt.
Lady Qu quietly slipped out, found two of her sisters, and, along with several servants from the pleasure boat, went down to the cabin.
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