Chapter Thirty-Two: The County Office-Com trezentos poemas famosos abalando nações, só quero ser um comerciante rico!(Apoiado na varanda, observo a lua brilhante.)

Jiang Han glanced at the giant, thinking that if a fight broke out later, it would be useful to have some backup.

He did not refuse. He first took Wu Yun back to his home, left her in Jiang Qingyan’s care, and then headed out with Wu Wenhua.

"Where did Young Master Gu go to amuse himself today?" Jiang Han asked the gatekeeper upon arriving at the Gu residence.

"The young master went to Minghuang Teahouse to drink tea and listen to the opera," the gatekeeper replied, assuming he was a friend of the young master.

"Did he meet with any friends?"

"Three or four."

"Good."

Jiang Han nodded and led Wu Wenhua toward Minghuang Teahouse.

Inside the teahouse, Gu Ting was drinking tea and listening to music with a few close friends when he suddenly saw two men walking toward him. It was Jiang Han and that dim-witted giant from the small tavern in the East Market.

"Oh! Isn't this the foolish son of the scholar Jiang? What? Are you here to see me about something?" Gu Ting sneered.

"Was it you who ordered the attack today? The one that caused his sister to drown?"

"So you've come to my doorstep! Fine, so what if it was me? What can you do about it? If you have the guts, take it to the county magistrate and see if they can touch me... Wait!"

Before Gu Ting could finish his sentence, a stool came crashing down toward his face. He swayed and tumbled directly under the table.

Gu Ting let out a miserable shriek, clutching his head and shouting, "How dare you! You dare hit me? Men! Beat them to death!"

Before he could finish the word "beat," Jiang Han slammed another stool into his face. With a pained howl, Gu Ting was silenced.

The servants in the teahouse were stunned for a moment, only reacting once their young master had been beaten to the ground, at which point they swarmed toward Jiang Han. Wu Wenhua jumped into the fray, swinging his fists wildly into the crowd. The teahouse descended into absolute chaos.

Si Jian had been following Jiang Han, observing his every move and recording the details in a notebook. The Ninth Princess admired this man’s talent, and the Fourth Prince appreciated his intellect, but from Si Jian’s perspective, his actions were far too reckless.

The moment he learned who the culprit was, he charged in with that giant without a second thought, never considering the legal ramifications. This behavior was incredibly unwise!

Watching the brutal scene, Si Jian frowned. Wu Wenhua truly possessed superhuman strength; five or six servants were like mere monkeys before him, knocked to the floor with every casual punch. As for Jiang Han, he lacked any sense of martial honor—after ambushing Gu Ting, he had him pinned to the ground, delivering a flurry of wild, unrefined punches.

Jiang Han’s punches were fierce and intimidating, leaving Gu Ting screaming in agony. "You really have no humanity left, do you? To lay a hand on such a young girl—do you have any conscience at all?"

"When I was still engaged to your sister, I treated you, my brother-in-law, quite well. You lose a bet at a brothel and resort to these dirty tactics? If I don't beat you until even your mother wouldn't recognize you today, I'm not a Jiang!"

"Weren't you looking for revenge? Get up and fight me fairly for three hundred rounds!"

Gu Ting curled up, screaming. *Fight fairly? Put down the stool in your hand first!*

"Jiang... you bastard, you dare hit me? I will never let you get away with this!"

"And what can you do to me? If you have the guts, go to the magistrate! See if they can do anything to me!"

"You... you bastard! I won't let you go!"

"Still talking back? Let's see if your mouth is harder than my fist!"

"Jiang Han, stop hitting me, I was wrong..."

"Is 'Jiang Han' a name you can just call out? What should you call me?"

"Brother-in-law... Brother-in-law, I won't do it again! For my sister’s sake, spare my life!"

Gu Ting was reduced to tears. If the beating continued, he wouldn't survive the day, so he chose to feign weakness to escape.

Jiang Han pulled back his fist, mostly because his hand was starting to hurt. He looked up and was startled: the floor was littered with fallen bodies. Gu Ting’s men were wailing on the ground, while Wu Wenhua stood nearby, completely unscathed, with only his clothes slightly soiled.

*This Wu Wenhua truly has natural, superhuman strength!* Jiang Han thought, stunned. A sudden idea crossed his mind: he had to find a way to keep someone this strong by his side—he would make an excellent bodyguard.

Just then, someone shouted, "Stop!"

A head constable wearing black official robes and a sword at his waist arrived with seven or eight subordinates. The constable looked at the scene, his expression shifting, and shouted angrily, "Who is bold enough to cause such chaos and violence within the jurisdiction of Yunyang County!"

The constables drew their swords and surrounded Jiang Han and Wu Wenhua. Wu Wenhua looked nervous and said, "My lord, this matter... this matter was my doing alone. It has nothing to do with this young master."

Jiang Han glanced at Wu Wenhua, a flicker of emotion in his eyes. *This Wu Wenhua... he is a man of value!* He was actually willing to shoulder the blame alone.

Seeing the constable, Gu Ting was ecstatic. He crawled up from the ground, pointing a trembling finger at Jiang Han with a hateful glare. "Head Constable Wang, he attacked me in the street! He tried to kill me! Arrest him!"

Having taken several hits to the face, his speech was slurred and whistling through his teeth.

"Is that Young Master Gu?" Constable Wang asked in shock. "How did you get so badly injured?"

"It was Jiang Han!" Gu Ting spat viciously. "He wants to kill me! Take him away!"

Constable Wang frowned and shouted, "To attempt murder in broad daylight—do you have no regard for the law? Men, take these two to the magistrate’s office!"

As the constables stepped forward to shackle them, Si Jian, watching from the side, frowned slightly. *Jiang Han is truly reckless; he has landed himself in a legal nightmare.*

If Jiang Han were dragged into the county office, he would certainly be charged with public assault. However, a single word from the Prince could get him out, though whether the Prince would choose to intervene remained to be seen. *I must return and report this to the Prince first!*

Gu Ting looked at Jiang Han with a sinister smirk. Yin Lianheng of the Yin family was a registrar at the Jingzhao Prefecture, and with the Gu and Yin families now united by marriage, a single word from him would make securing a conviction for "attempted murder" easy. Not only would he get his revenge, but he could also seize Jiang Han's "Fragrant Dew" business. Two birds with one stone!

Jiang Han remained calm. He was naturally not a reckless man. Before the fight, he had told Jiang Qingyan that if he were taken to the county office, she should go to Wangchao Small Garden to send word. Although Zhongli You was no longer in office, he was a former official with vast connections, and protecting Jiang Han would be effortless for him.

Furthermore, he had instructed Jiang Qingyan to visit Cuiyun Garden to gift the "little rich girl" there a bottle of perfume and inform her of his situation. The power behind that woman was not to be underestimated either.

He believed that even if he had crippled Gu Ting, as long as the great scholar Zhongli and the young lady acted, he would remain unharmed. With this double insurance, he had dared to strike. He would spend at most a day or two in jail before being released.

"My lord, there is no need for shackles. I will go to the office of my own volition."

Jiang Han did not resist, speaking only in a calm, flat tone.

Seeing Jiang Han so composed, as if he had massive backing, Constable Wang felt a flicker of hesitation. He became more cautious and did not order his men to use chains. "Take them to the office!"