Chapter 275: 275. Chapter 275: The Prefect Arrives

275. Chapter 275: The Prefect Arrives

The entrance and exit of the wharf were blocked tightly by the surrounding soldiers and the motorcade. There were already many people coming and going, and now it was completely impassable.

Jiang Xiaoxiao ultimately didn't take out that jade pendant.

Now was not the time to expose their identities.

Xiao Er, sitting on his horse, frowned, also feeling a bit troubled.

If this continued and caused a traffic jam, they, the personal soldiers of Duan Wang, would also get a bad reputation.

But the Prince's orders could not be disobeyed.

Just then, another team of people hurried over.

Two tall, spirited horses cleared the way in front, followed by a very luxurious carriage, and behind that were dozens of soldiers in Yamen uniforms, coming toward the wharf in a grand manner, immediately attracting a lot of attention.

When they reached the front, the coachman jumped down and lifted the curtain, and a slightly chubby middle-aged man stepped out.

The servants on both sides of the carriage all bowed respectfully.

As soon as Xiao Er saw that person, his gaze revealed a look of surprise.

"I don't know why the Prefect has come here?"

The slightly chubby middle-aged man smiled, looking kind and amiable: "I was wondering why the Xuzhou wharf was so congested today; so it's the personal soldiers of Duan Wang who have come here. I don't know why Commander Xiao has come to my small Xuzhou Prefecture?"

Xiao Er frowned, hearing a hint of unkindness in the other party's words.

This person was the Prefect of Xuzhou, surnamed Yuan.

Prefect Yuan was the biggest official in Xuzhou, equivalent to a mayor, a Fourth Rank official, in charge of the government decrees of a prefecture and overseeing all subordinate counties.

And they were just personal soldiers belonging to Duan Wang; they indeed had no reason to arrest people at will on the Prefect's territory.

But for the sake of caution, Xiao Er still put out Duan Wang's name: "I am acting under the orders of Duan Wang to arrest fugitives. I hope the Prefect will not obstruct us."

Prefect Yuan still narrowed his eyes and smiled: "What a coincidence, I am also acting under the orders of the Cishi to arrest imperial fugitives."

"Cishi?" Xiao Er was stunned.

How did even the Cishi get involved?

The Cishi was an official from the capital, a presence sent by the capital to check the power of local officials, specifically in charge of various prefectures and counties. How could he get involved with the Prefect of Xuzhou?

While he was puzzled, Prefect Yuan had already walked forward, coming to the carriage where Jiang Xiaoxiao was, and spoke gently: "This must be Little Lady Jiang, right? I heard that you captured a batch of bandits and fugitives on the merchant ship and were about to send them to the Yamen. I received orders from above and hurried over."

Jiang Wei, sitting in the coachman's position, narrowed her eyes slightly, as if considering something, and then curled her lips and smiled: "Then I will trouble the Prefect. Those bandits and fugitives are in the back."

Prefect Yuan leaned his head slightly and glanced behind the carriage, and sure enough, he saw the few people who were tied up like zongzi.

With a wave of his hand, the Yamen soldiers on the side immediately stepped forward to take the people away.

"Then I will take these people to the Yamen and let the Cishi judge them personally. As for you all..." The Prefect glanced sideways at the Duan Wang personal soldiers on the horses and said again: "I heard that Little Lady Jiang is an old acquaintance of the Cishi. You have just arrived in Xuzhou; if you don't mind, you can go to my residence to rest for a while, and it won't be too late to reminisce with the Cishi later."

Jiang Wei lowered her eyes, her hands subconsciously clenching the reins in her hands, her voice neither humble nor arrogant: "Thank you for your kindness, my Lord, but there is a patient in the commoner's carriage who needs emergency treatment; I really cannot spare the time."

"No matter, the patient is important." The Prefect waved his hand with a smile, his gaze sweeping over that carriage as if there was nothing there, and then he boarded his own carriage with the support of two servants.

The Yamen soldiers came in a grand manner and left in a grand manner.

Not until the Prefect's carriage had gone far away did Su Wanwan in the carriage ask with surprise: "Xiaoxiao, you actually know the Cishi?! Is it that Cishi surnamed Xie?"

Jiang Xiaoxiao nodded helplessly.

Su Wanwan covered her small mouth in surprise: "Who on earth are you people? Knowing martial arts is one thing, but how do you know such big shots?!"

Jiang Xiaoxiao was silent.

Not only Cishi Xie, they also knew the son of General Shen of the Dingguo Public Mansion.

That was a dignified Second Rank official.

"However..." Su Wanwan's willow eyebrows frowned slightly, "Why didn't you agree to the Prefect's invitation to go to his residence to avoid the limelight?"

The outside was full of Duan Wang's personal soldiers; now they couldn't leave even if they wanted to.

Regarding Su Wanwan's confusion, Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't speak, only sighed deeply.

How could she not know that leaving with the Prefect was the safest and most secure way?

But...

The people sent from the capital to assassinate them knew they had come to Xuzhou; how could the Cishi, who was always paying attention to them, not know?

Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent the Prefect to come as soon as they disembarked. Thinking about it, he must have known about the assassination they encountered on the ship.

Only, whether he came to Xuzhou to save them or for the Tiger Tally, it was still unknown...

The Tiger Tally was something Shen Que had handed to her personally; unless Shen Que asked for it back himself, she couldn't trust anyone.

"What should we do? The outside is full of soldiers under Commander Xiao Lao'er; they are the most powerful personal soldiers under Duan Wang..." Su Wanwan lifted the curtain and looked worriedly at the soldiers who were surrounding them tightly, "How about we show the jade pendant..."

Before she finished speaking, she saw a black-clothed guard riding a fast horse suddenly hurry over and whisper a few words in Xiao Er's ear.

Duan Wang's expression changed instantly, and his gaze shifted, suddenly looking toward the carriage.

Su Wanwan was caught off guard and met Xiao Er's gaze through the small carriage window.

Although it was only for a brief second, she was so startled that she hurriedly lowered the curtain in her hand and patted her chest in lingering fear.

Being so far away, that guy shouldn't have discovered her, right...

Su Wanwan comforted herself luckily.

But after seeing clearly that the person in the carriage was Princess Consort Duan, Xiao Er, as the leader of Duan Wang's personal soldiers, couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

"Is this true?" he asked the black-clothed guard beside him.

That black-clothed guard was a dark guard following Duan Wang, and his hoarse voice said lowly: "The Prince already knows what happened on the ship to the Princess Consort. He ordered us to protect the Princess Consort in secret; he has his own plans."

Xiao Er's face was full of helplessness.

Although he commanded Duan Wang's personal soldiers, as a subordinate, he felt very tired going back and forth between this couple who quarreled, threw tantrums, and broke up every three days.

But he had to do it.

If Jiang Xiaoxiao were here right now, she would definitely curse: "Damn this crazy couple!"

Xiao Er, having received the order, waved his hand and finally withdrew the troops.

Watching Xiao Er ride away, Su Wanwan in the carriage finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sister Wanwan." Jiang Xiaoxiao tilted her little head and asked her, "Speaking of which, why did you leave the Prince's mansion alone? Is that Duan Wang not good to you?" (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 276 =====