Chapter 415 – Entering Xiangyang (Part 3)
Now, only Jiang Pengji and those poor women remained in the hall.
Her first sentence was—
“I have no interest in you; you don’t need to be so terrified.”
Setting aside the women’s reactions, the audience in the live stream was ready to kneel.
【Qu’er】: Pffft—Are you trying to comfort them or scare them, host?
【Labor Income Tax】: Hmm, seems more like intimidation to me.
【Old Driver Alliance】: The host’s words make sense! She’s a woman, of course, she has no interest in other women.
The viewers in the live stream all knew that Jiang Pengji was a woman, a woman more manly than most men.
However, the injured women were clueless.
“Which families do you all belong to? By tomorrow morning, I’ll send someone to escort you home.”
After saying this, the women below remained silent, only hanging their heads quietly, some even trembling slightly.
Jiang Pengji furrowed her brow, “If you all won’t speak, I’ll assume you want to stay. You know what happens to lovely ladies in a group of men, right? Do you really want to remain silent, refusing to return to your families?”
At that moment, a young girl, around fifteen or sixteen, suddenly dropped to her knees.
With tear-filled eyes, she sobbed, “I am the daughter of a wealthy merchant; those beasts killed my entire family, leaving me all alone. How can I go back? I would rather stay and be abused than agree to that. Please, Young Master, have mercy and give me a swift end.”
Once one spoke up, naturally more followed, and soon, several women were kneeling, pleading.
Compared to the Ninth General’s fierce appearance, Jiang Pengji looked delicate and appeared less harmful.
Even covered in blood at that moment, she was still more delightful than the Ninth General.
Jiang Pengji rubbed her brow and nonchalantly asked, “If you truly wish for death, why are you still alive?”
As soon as those words left her mouth, the expressions of the crowd changed drastically, the remaining color draining from their faces.
Jiang Pengji knew full well what they were thinking—they doubted her honesty, believing she didn’t want to let them go.
Her good intentions were twisted and misunderstood, leaving her feeling quite frustrated.
“I’m not saying this with any malice,” Jiang Pengji spread her hands and said, “Since I’ve promised to send you home, I’ll make sure that happens. The Green Garment Army is a band of thugs, guilty of many crimes and sees human life as worthless, but I’m the official magistrate personally appointed by the Emperor. In Xiangyang, you are all my subjects; how could I harm you? Sigh, if you really have nowhere to go, I’ll find a way to ensure you’re all taken care of. Rest assured, I won’t let anyone bully you.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the expressions on the women’s faces became quite spectacular.
They never dreamed that this ruthless young person in front of them was actually the new magistrate of Xiangyang!
The first girl to speak stuttered, “Y-you really are… the magistrate?”
“Yes, do you need to see the Emperor’s decree?” Jiang Pengji countered.
The woman shook her head wildly like a clapper, her face increasingly pale and a bit embarrassed.
If Jiang Pengji truly was the magistrate, she wouldn’t force them, meaning she genuinely wanted to help them.
Yet… they were indeed homeless.
Jiang Pengji sighed, “For now, you can stay in the magistrate’s office; I’ll arrange everything and then find a way to settle you all. As for the property confiscated by the Green Garment Army, if it truly belongs to you, I’ll make sure it’s returned after sorting things out.”
The crowd spoke in unison, “Thank you, Magistrate.”
【Hualian Supermarket】: Wow, host, are you really planning to return their property? You must be short on money and rations right now, right?
Jiang Pengji rolled her eyes inwardly. Did the audience really see her as such a greedy person?
【Host V】: What I lack is people, not rations.
She was not at a point where she needed to rob orphaned girls of their property!
The women’s hearts were still unsettled, but Jiang Pengji’s attitude gave them confidence.
At this moment, on the mountain peaks flanking the Longhu plank road.
Qi Guanrang hadn’t slept all night, clutching his ever-present feather fan, his gaze anxiously scanning the distance.
“It seems I’ve overestimated that rabble.”
He had thought the Green Garment Army would sneak in for a nighttime raid, but as the night progressed, there wasn’t even a shadow of an enemy.
Feng Jin covered his face with his sleeve and let out a small yawn. “If there’s still no movement after dawn, that would be good news.”
Luo Yue glanced at Qi Guanrang on his left, Feng Jin on his right, and Xu Ke opposite him, whose frown could nearly crush a mosquito.
He secretly scoffed; night watches were not meant for scholars.
It was only just past the midnight mark, and the three of them were already struggling to keep awake.
Luo Yue humbly asked Feng Jin, “I don’t understand what you mean, Mr. Huaiyu.”
Feng Jin replied, “If there’s a nighttime attack in the latter half of the night, it means Young Master is in trouble. The Green Garment Army has not only engaged the Young Master but also sent extra forces to attack the camp. Conversely, if there’s still no movement at dawn, it’s likely that the Young Master has succeeded.”
With one hand fanning himself and the other poking at the bonfire with a dry branch, Qi Guanrang said, “Send someone to the west city gate to check on the situation.”
Luo Yue asked, “What situation?”
“Check if there are any heads hanging on the city wall. If there are unfamiliar heads, it means the Young Master has succeeded. But if it’s someone we know…” Qi Guanrang trailed off, stopping mid-sentence, “…if that’s the case, we’ll also have to plan a way out for these common people and ensure their safety.”
Luo Yue’s expression darkened. “I’ll handle it right away.”
Watching Luo Yue leave, Qi Guanrang turned to Xu Ke and asked, “How likely do you think the Young Master is to succeed this time?”
Xu Ke queried back, “How’s the combat strength of our troops? Does Wenzheng not know?”
Those thousand troops had been outfitted with improved crossbows and strong weaponry; it was the most expensive investment for the troops. After spending such a large sum, how could there be no returns? If they couldn’t even handle ten thousand Green Garment soldiers, what was the point?
A genuine smile spread across Qi Guanrang’s face.
He said, “Knowing is one thing, but the battlefield is unpredictable; who can plan for everything?”
The three looked into the bonfire, their thoughts drifting in various directions.
This night was destined to be a struggle; none had the heart to sleep.
A ray of golden light rose from the east, igniting the morning mist and dispelling the dreary darkness of the night.
Qi Guanrang rubbed his sore eyes and licked his dry lips, appearing calm on the surface while his heart raced like a drum.
He stood straight, gazing at the vast city obscured by morning mist, silently praying.
“Report—”
A shout broke the silence, and all three tightened their fists.
“At the west city gate, a head hanging from a pole is that of the bandit leader, the Ninth General!”
