"Stop blabbering and tell me if we're going or not! If not, forget it!"
His thoughts exposed by Jiang Yan, Han Mo became a bit flustered and angry.
"Going! Of course, we're going! Why wouldn't we?"
Seeing Han Mo about to lose his temper, Jiang Yan flinched and immediately agreed.
"It would have been easier if you'd said that earlier! Why all the nonsense? Don't you know not to ask what you shouldn't? Be careful, or your future father-in-law might just silence you one day when I'm in a bad mood!"
After kicking him in the backside with annoyance, Han Mo finally felt a bit better.
At this very moment, in Suzhou City, upon hearing of the great victory at Mingzhou, Pu Jinshan felt his entire being go sour.
The great victory at Mingzhou, with Han Mo achieving great merit, meant that their plan to kill Han Mo would likely be stillborn before it even began.
In the past, the money they had sent out would have simply been given and forgotten.
After all, their Pu family was wealthy and prosperous, and this sum of money was nothing significant.
However, these were trying times, and the Pu family's available coin was already quite limited.
To have invested so much money and yet have the matter unaccomplished.
Even as the heir of his father's household, he wouldn't be able to explain this upon his return.
"Young master, we can't delay this any longer. Perhaps we should go to the Wang family tomorrow morning!"
"Yes, young master. He can't possibly take our money and not do anything! If he truly can't handle it, then let him return the money, and we'll find someone else!"
"Enough, all of you, shut your mouths!"
Although these were his father's trusted subordinates, their words made Pu Jinshan frown.
Even though he was unwilling to see all that coin go down the drain, the problem was that Wang Xiang was, after all, the third-in-command of the Southeast Six Circuits Pacification Commissioner's Office.
Furthermore, he was the highest-ranking civil official they could contact within the Pacification Commissioner's Office.
To demand the money back at this juncture, setting aside whether they could even leave the Wang residence alive.
Even if they did return alive and managed to retrieve the money, they would have offended a powerful Deputy Pacification Commissioner.
In these tumultuous times, to offend Wang Xiang to the death, wasn't that inviting disaster?
"No need to wait until tomorrow. I'll go to the Wang family now. However, all of you, keep your mouths shut. Remember this clearly, no matter what, do not mention the money to me again! Do you think the Pu family isn't dying fast enough that you want to offend Wang Xiang?"
After glaring at them fiercely, Pu Jinshan hitched up his sleeves and walked out of the room.
"My lord, are you really going to leave the Pacification Commissioner's Office at this time?"
In Wang Xiang's study, Wang Xiang was discussing the Mingzhou matter with his confidant, Liao Chengdong, an advisor to the Pacification Commissioner's Office.
"If I don't go, I fear no one will be able to control that brat..."
After careful consideration, Wang Xiang said again, his brow furrowed.
"If you must go, my lord, then it must be swift, and the matter must be settled conclusively. After all, the news of the great victory at Mingzhou cannot be suppressed!"
Liao Chengdong naturally knew why Wang Xiang insisted on going to Mingzhou himself at this time.
Therefore, he very wisely skirted around the issue.
After all, although he was Wang Xiang's confidant, getting too involved in such matters would not benefit him.
While the struggles between princes could be bloody, weren't the struggles between advisors also a matter of life and death?
The last time Zong Ze had caused a commotion in the Pacification Commissioner's Office, it had made it very clear to everyone in the office that Han Mo was not simple.
Those of them who knew the inside story were all well aware that without Wang Xiang's intervention, Han Mo would likely be the person most trusted by Zhao Zhen at this very moment.
They had originally thought that by kicking Han Mo to a remote corner like Mingzhou, he would have no further opportunity to achieve merit. Yet, unexpectedly, Han Mo not only achieved merit but also a monumental one.
This great victory at Mingzhou, a victory against superior numbers, where with just 3,000 victorious troops and the miscellaneous garrison troops in Mingzhou city, they had managed to force 30,000 rebels to flee in disarray, ultimately capturing fifteen thousand and beheading eight thousand!
Originally, Wang Xiang might have been able to tamper with his merit.
He could have simply dismissed the rebels as a ragtag bunch. However, precisely at this juncture, the 20,000 reinforcement troops led by Xin Xingzong were defeated and routed by the remnants of the rebel army.
This left Wang Xiang with no room to speak. After all, Xin Xingzong was a trusted subordinate of Tong Guan.
If anyone were to still call those rebels a ragtag bunch, what would that make Xin Xingzong?
"You stay at the Pacification Commissioner's Office and hold onto this document for five days. After five days, then submit the report!"
After careful consideration, Wang Xiang handed the victory report sent by Han Mo to Liao Chengdong.
"My lord, rest assured, I understand what needs to be done!"
Seeing Wang Xiang's somber expression, Liao Chengdong quickly stood up and said.
"Very good. You are my man, and I will not treat you poorly in the future!"
With a cold sneer, Wang Xiang then stood up, reached out, and patted his shoulder.
"Thank you for your promotion, my lord!"
"Alright, it's late. You should go back and rest. Take this document with you!"
"Yes!"
Only after Liao Chengdong left did Wang Xiang once again slump onto the chair, rubbing his temples with a headache.
This brat Han Mo put too much pressure on him. He had clearly kicked him out of the center of power, yet he could still stir up trouble from the shadows.
Moreover, this fellow was like an uncrushable, unbendable, indigestible copper pea. No matter what move he made, this brat could always find a solution.
If it weren't for his previous misjudgment and his preemptive strike against Han Mo, he would truly consider bringing this brat into his own camp right now.
However, as an official at his current position, he naturally understood that in this world, there was no such thing as "if."
There was no medicine for regret in this world, and everyone had to take responsibility for their choices.
He had already drawn his knife against Han Mo, and at this point, there was no possibility of turning enmity into friendship!
Therefore, no matter how difficult this path was, he could only choose to strike first now and nip Han Mo in the bud.
However, Wang Xiang, for all his calculations, had missed one crucial thing: Han Mo was not one of those upright gentlemen he could toy with. His greatest talent was not in meticulous planning, but in directly flipping the table...