New Song Dynasty: My Wife is an Imperial Princess

The group walked west along the city wall, bypassed Zhenhuai Gate, and stopped in front of Fuyun Water Gate. Sure enough, several boats bearing the markings of the Jiang and Bai families were moored in the waterway below, waiting for the yamen officials to come forward for inspection.

Because the waterways in the city were rather narrow, the two families' boats were just slightly larger pleasure boats. However, even with only five or six cabins, a total of eight boats were moored at the dock, which was enough to keep the yamen runners busy for quite some time.

After a thorough inspection and inventory, about ten wooden crates were unloaded from each boat, containing the toll money from the two families.

Once the last ship had been counted, the head of the yamen runners on the dock waved to the water gate guards. With a creaking sound of a winch turning, the sluice gate slowly opened, revealing a waterway connecting to the canal.

On the painted boat, the Jiang and Bai families were overjoyed. As soon as they left Fuyun Gate, large ships were waiting on the canal outside. Once they boarded the large ships and headed south to follow the emperor who had just left, they would have completely shaken off the Jin army and were no longer in danger of losing their lives.

As for the things left at home, they were hidden away very carefully. When they returned to Guangling in the future, they could still enjoy millions of assets and continue to be the richest people in the city.

As for the people in the city, what does it have to do with them?

"Wait a minute."

Just as the Jiang family patriarch was instructing the boatmen to prepare to set sail, a slightly cold voice came from above, causing the guards to immediately stop turning the winch. The water gate was already half open. If they wanted to rush out, the boatmen could use their years of experience in rowing to break through the gate. But facing the arrows already nocked on the dock, gleaming silver in the sunlight, who would dare to make any rash moves?

Even the Jiang and Bai family heads felt a chill in their hearts at this moment. They looked up at the group of young people on the city wall. Among them, five were the Qiu brothers, and the other was the eldest son of the Ye family. The young man in the very center, who looked very unfamiliar, was undoubtedly Tang Qian, the Guangling City Lord appointed by the Emperor.

Faced with these six young men, the Jiang and Bai families on the pleasure boat were filled with hatred, yet they were helpless, since the young men had the support of the imperial court.

The two women, who occasionally peeked out from their cabins, blushed furiously.

These six men are all considered young talents in Guangling City. They are wealthy and handsome young men, so how could they not attract the attention of these charming young women?

When Tang Qian met the gaze of one of the girls, he clearly felt Ye Zhao's body tremble slightly. She immediately looked away, a resolute look on her face, but her eyes still held a lingering reluctance.

"What's wrong with you, brother-in-law?" Tang Qian asked knowingly. His cousins ​​all laughed. "It's just that the third young lady of the Jiang family has some connection with Brother Ye. The beauty is about to leave, and it's only natural for Brother Ye to feel sad about parting."

"Please don't joke around, gentlemen. You all know the relationship between the Ye and Jiang families. Besides, with a formidable enemy at hand, I have no time to think about such trivial matters. Let's focus on surviving this great battle first."

There's a story behind this. Could it be an Eastern version of Romeo and Juliet? Tang Qian couldn't resist asking some gossip, but then he saw a young man on the pleasure boat cup his hands towards the city tower: "What instructions does the city lord have?"

"I wouldn't presume to offer guidance," Tang Qian said with a faint smile. "It's just that your two families haven't passed the review yet, so you can't leave the city."

Tang Qian's words caused the two old men at the bow to snort coldly at the same time, and the young man who was talking to him also smiled coldly: "Just now, some yamen runners boarded the ship to check, and we have also paid enough tolls to leave the city. Is this pass issued by the city lord's mansion in my hand fake?"

"The passage order is indeed true, but it's also true that you've shortchanged us. I don't believe that the Jiang and Bai families, after a century of wrangling in Guangling, only have a mere few hundred thousand taels of silver left."

"In recent years, the various exorbitant taxes levied by the imperial court have already placed an unbearable burden on us. My Bai family has long been unable to make ends meet. What we have here is all the silver we have. If the city lord does not believe me, he may send people to continue searching the ship."

“There’s no need for such trouble.” Tang Qian’s expression remained relaxed, seemingly with a slyness that seemed to see through everything. “The hidden compartments in the cabin have long been sealed off. Even if we search again, we won’t find anything suspicious.”

Even after Tang Qian exposed his plan, the young man remained unfazed: "I do not understand the city lord's meaning."

"It doesn't matter if you don't understand. Let your two families and their relatives disembark first, and move all your money and valuables out. Clear all the boats completely. If there are no hidden compartments on the boats, I, the city lord, will personally escort you out of the city."

"The cabins are mostly occupied by women. Isn't the city lord going a bit too far with this?"

The young man's tone turned cold, clearly angered by Tang Qian's unreasonable demand.

Tang Qian, however, was still unconcerned by the other party's murderous glare. He waved to the leader of the Imperial Guards on the dock and said, "In these special times, we can't concern ourselves with such worldly etiquette. If you don't comply, don't blame the City Lord's Mansion for being merciless with their arrows."

"Hold your hand." Seeing the bowstring being drawn again, the young man hurriedly signaled everyone to calm down. "We'll do as you say."

Tang Qian showed no mercy, but if we didn't do as he said, the other side might actually order the arrows to be fired, and then all the wealth on the ship would be confiscated by the prefectural government.

After a brief commotion, the families from several pleasure boats all stood on the docks along the waterway.

Seeing that the Third Miss Jiang Siyu had also come to the shore and stood there with the help of her maid, Ye Zhao suddenly felt an urge to rush down the city wall, but he eventually suppressed it.

With the nation in peril, personal feelings must take a backseat. Jiang Siyu leaving Guangling with her family is perhaps the safest option. Should she stay in the city and die with him? Ye Zhao would much rather she live.

Once there was no one left on the ship, the young man surnamed Jiang raised his head and shouted at Tang Qian, "I implore the city lord to give me an explanation."

“No problem.” Tang Qian then instructed the boatman to bring over a boat that was about the same size as the pleasure boats belonging to the Jiang and Bai families. With the nine boats lined up in a row, Tang Qian ordered the yamen runners in charge of the search to mark the waterline of each pleasure boat.

The two family heads exchanged a glance, and at the same time saw a trace of fear in each other's eyes. Tang Qian didn't even need to board the ship to search; the depth of the waterline alone was enough to indicate that there must still be something hidden inside the emptied pleasure boat.

Tang Qian is really cunning.