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墨書 Inktalez
"Your Highness, I swear to the heavens, I did not gamble!"
Moreover, I can swear to everyone that the operations of our royal residence are normal; this is nothing but a blatant rumor!
Che Chengyun shouted in indignation, desperate to contact the Jingzhao Prefect, insisting that those who spread these rumors must be apprehended!
Du and his subordinates looked at Che Chengyun in confusion, then turned their gaze to the Old Steward. The Old Steward had recently been assigned by Langya Prince to assist Che Chengyun.
At this moment, the Old Steward sighed and said, "Your Highness, we cannot catch everyone. The entire capital, from the common people to the high-ranking officials and even the merchants beneath them, have all heard these rumors! In such a grand situation, if we order arrests, it will only play into their hands. The common folk and merchants will become even more convinced that we are in need of money!"
"This must be Jiang Han's doing, that despicable scoundrel!" Che Chengyun exclaimed angrily. "Find evidence and capture Jiang Han!"
He placed his hands on his hips and paced back and forth in frustration. After a moment of thought, he added, "As for those small merchants demanding money from us, give it to them!"
His subordinates noticed that the Old Steward did not nod in agreement and looked back at Che Chengyun. Just as Che Chengyun was about to erupt with anger, the Old Steward spoke again. "Your Highness, right now it is only the merchants within the capital who are asking us for money! We cannot simply give them our wealth; if this continues for too long and spreads to other regions, the rumors will become like a hurricane! I fear it will lead merchants everywhere to demand early payments from us! If that happens, our royal residence may face a significant crisis."
He expressed that their primary goal at this moment was not to arrest anyone. The more they tried to apprehend people, the worse it would become; it would be akin to pouring oil on fire.
Che Chengyun glared at the Old Steward and roared, "Old Steward, you and I both know that it is Jiang Han who is spreading these rumors to harm me! Are you telling me not to capture Jiang Han? What do you mean by that?"
"Your Highness," the Old Steward replied calmly, "if we go after Jiang Han now, it will only escalate your conflict with him. If this becomes widely known, what could have been settled with just some Weapons and Tokens might turn into a much bigger issue!"
At that time, we might have to give away all five treasures; otherwise, the whole world will be watching us! If we refuse, it will only confirm Jiang Han's slander that our Wangfu is merely a facade! The Old Steward spoke with unwavering confidence.
With a loud crash, Che Chengyun suddenly grabbed a large pile of porcelain and smashed it onto the ground in frustration. After venting his anger on the tables and chairs, he finally said, "So, Jiang Han plotted against me, deliberately spreading rumors. Yet I can only swallow this grievance and hand over the Weapon and Token to Jiang Han to settle this matter?"
Upon hearing this, the Old Steward fell silent for a moment before responding again, "Currently, the core of the rumor is that His Highness stole the Weapon and Token to gamble! Then he sent someone to retrieve them. This is the essence of the rumor and something everyone knows! The only way to dispel this rumor is to hand over the Weapon and Token to Jiang Han as per the gambling agreement! Then clarify that Your Highness did not engage in any gambling!"
"No way!" Che Chengyun shouted angrily. "Just a mere rumor, and you expect me and my father to hand over the Weapon and Token, which our family has built with generations of blood? Impossible! I would rather be unreasonable than give it to you! This is my family's honor; I can offer it in exchange for resources, but if we lose a bet, don’t even dream about us fulfilling our end!"
Seeing Che Chengyun's stubbornness, the Old Steward could only shake his head in despair and stood silently at one side.
Che Chengyun immediately ordered, "Go! Whoever spreads rumors should be beaten up! Also, contact Jingzhao Prefect; do not approach Jiang Han yet, but try to quell the rumors as much as possible! Additionally, distribute the military salaries of my royal guards so they can patrol the streets. If they see anyone spreading rumors, they should strike!"
"Yes, Your Highness!" His subordinates hurried off to carry out the orders.
Two days passed in a flash. The citizens of the capital no longer whispered about it openly. The rumors regarding Che Chengyun and Langya Wangfu seemed to have vanished in an instant.
Meanwhile, in Jiang Han's shop...
Cen Ya spoke with slight concern, " Shopkeeper Jiang, Che Chengyun has ordered his subordinates to suppress the rumors forcefully! Now, in this vast capital, we can hardly hear any discussions about this matter among the common people, merchants, or officials! Should we consider other methods?"
Yan Dong couldn't help but ask, " Shopkeeper Jiang, I never expected Langya Wangfu to be so shameless. They promised a bet but are now dragging their feet. What should we do?"
Her worry was evident on her face, filled with anxiety.
Piao Xue Zhu paced back and forth in anger. " Shopkeeper Jiang, Che Chengyun and his son are just being unreasonable. Let me take action!"
Leaning against the sofa, Jiang Han shook his head slightly and chuckled, "There's no rush. Let the wind blow for a while longer. Rumors can spread quickly; if we try to suppress them forcefully, it will only make them spread faster! The common people may not dare to speak openly, but they will whisper among themselves, and that can be even more powerful than public discourse."
He understood the destructive power of rumors all too well and secretly hoped that Che Chengyun would continue to suppress them aggressively. Those who had been wronged by Che Chengyun would not dare to voice their grievances openly anymore. However, having been wronged and compensated, they would certainly spread rumors in private, embellishing them with their own twists. As long as this information reached various places in the Great Zhou Dynasty, it would be sufficient.
" Shopkeeper Jiang! Xia Guo Jiu Zhu has received orders to remain in our Great Zhou Dynasty!"
Piao Xue Zhu reported on recent developments. "The Xia Kingdom is currently preparing for the Shi Tian Xia grand event and will send scholars to various states!"
The Xia Kingdom had dispatched poets to several vassal states to suppress different factions within those states. This was aimed at ensuring that many vassal states would jointly acknowledge that the Xia Kingdom was not only a martial arts sanctuary but also a center of cultural excellence.
"Are Confucian Scholars coming?" Jiang Han asked with interest. "If we win against these Confucian Scholars, what benefits would it bring to the Great Zhou?"
The benefits could be immense, but the specifics would only become clear after a month when the Confucian Scholar delegation arrived!
Piao Xue Zhu tentatively inquired, " Shopkeeper Jiang, our Great Zhou Dynasty has been engaged in continuous warfare; how are the scholars faring?"
If I truly cannot withstand it, I wonder if Shopkeeper Jiang would be able to come to my aid, Elder Sister?
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