"I, I didn't mean it that way..."
After a long hesitation, Li Qingzhao finally couldn't help herself.
This was the only hobby left for the couple in their lives, and at this moment, they could only grit their teeth and take a gamble.
"Then what does Mr. mean?"
"I hope the official can complete this transaction."
"May I know what kind of document you and he originally signed?"
"It's nothing rare, it's Cai Junmo's Zhao Shi Shen Miao Tie!"
After hesitating thrice, Li Qingzhao finally revealed her purpose.
After all, this item was already in Han Mo's hands. As long as he didn't agree, no matter how many people she found, it would be in vain.
Even if the emperor inquired, Han Mo could find an excuse to brush it off.
After all, it was a time of chaos and war everywhere. It was entirely normal for a calligraphy scroll to be destroyed.
"This..."
This time, Han Mo was truly a bit hesitant.
Whether to give this item to Li Qingzhao or not was entirely up to him.
If one were to talk about its preciousness, this item was indeed a rare masterpiece.
After all, not many people might know the name Cai Junmo, but many people knew Cai Xiang.
One of the four great calligraphers of the Northern Song Dynasty, Cai Jing's cousin...
"Does Lord Han have any difficulties?"
Seeing Han Mo's furrowed brows, Li Qingzhao's heart clenched.
"I can only try my best to help Mr. find this item. As for its current whereabouts, I'm not entirely sure. I hope Mr. can understand!"
Seeing her nervous appearance, Han Mo deliberately pondered for a long time before speaking.
"Thank you, Your Excellency, for fulfilling my wish!"
Finally getting the answer she wanted, Li Qingzhao felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"How about this, if Mr. has nothing else to do, why don't you settle down in Mingzhou City first? I will write a letter and send someone to Quanzhou to look for it! After all, when the house was confiscated, there were too many items, and it will probably take some time to find them now!"
This item was indeed as precious as life to Li Qingzhao, but as for Han Mo, this item was not necessarily very precious.
After all, Han Mo was always a pragmatist.
The era of chaos was about to arrive. At this time, perhaps only someone like Li Qingzhao, who truly loved it, could preserve it properly.
"Then I won't disturb Your Excellency. This is my address in the city. I'll have someone deliver the remaining copper coins to Your Excellency later!"
Even Li Qingzhao herself did not expect that Han Mo would agree so readily in the end.
At this moment, she was truly worried if there would be any more twists and turns in this matter.
"There's no hurry for that. Let's wait until the item is found. However, Mr. can rest assured. Although this item belongs to the court, the calligraphy scroll, however good, cannot be turned into weapons or food to help the court quell the rebellion. Since Mr. likes it, I will make the decision today to sell this item to Mr."
After clearing his throat, Han Mo immediately found a plausible excuse for what he was about to do.
"Your Excellency is right. Since that's the case, I'll go back and wait for Your Excellency's news!"
"Han has just returned today and has numerous affairs to attend to, so I won't keep Mr. as a guest. When the item arrives, I will send someone to invite Mr. then!"
After a few more pleasantries, Han Mo personally sent Li Qingzhao out.
Only after Li Qingzhao's sedan chair had gone far away did Han Mo let out a long sigh of relief.
This troublesome person was finally sent away. With this favor, she wouldn't dare to confront him anymore, would she?
After seeing Li Qingzhao off, Han Mo, along with a few attendants, headed to the Mingzhou Prefecture Yamen.
"Big Brother, you're finally back!"
As soon as Han Mo got out of the carriage, Han Shizhong and Li Yueyang came forward to greet him.
"Why are you here?"
This time, Han Mo was truly a bit surprised. Shouldn't he be training troops at this time?
"General Han has a different opinion on the weapons used by the navy, so he specifically came to discuss with me. I think what he said makes a lot of sense. Since Your Excellency is also here, why don't we ask Your Excellency to discuss it together?"
Seeing Han Mo's question, Li Yueyang quickly said with a smile.
"Is there such a thing? Then let's hear it!"
If it were about the deployment of troops, Han Mo might not have much to say. However, when it came to weapons, Han Mo had seen far more wondrous weapons than the two of them.
After all, having over 1000 years of knowledge was not a joke.
"It's like this. According to the original configuration, the Song Dynasty's navy warships should be equipped with battering rams at the bow and stern. However, I think it would be better to equip them with trebuchets instead of battering rams. Each ship should be equipped with a large trebuchet at the bow and stern. The middle section of the ship should be slightly modified, with a window opened above the waterline to configure our Song Dynasty's bed crossbows. Stone projectiles or fire oil should be loaded onto the trebuchets. As long as they hit the enemy ships, they won't be able to escape!"
"Hahahaha, you still say you're not an expert?"
Hearing this, Han Mo couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Opening gunports on ships was a technology that only appeared in the 16th century.
Although it was a small modification, it was a huge leap forward for naval warfare.
After all, the reason why battering rams were still in use was entirely because, in naval combat, weapons like crossbows were unusable in extreme weather conditions.
After all, no one could guarantee that the enemy would not attack when it rained.
Once the bowstrings were wet by the rain, the power of the arrows would be greatly reduced.
However, with gunports, it was different. Bed crossbows and other such weapons could be used inside the ship's cabin, thus greatly reducing the limitations of extreme weather on weapons.
This way, the closer the distance, the greater the power of these siege crossbows.
If two ships were about to dock together, just one crossbow bolt could send them to the bottom of the sea.
"Your idea is very good, but this would require some modifications to the ships. How about this, since we are going to order new ships anyway, why don't we come up with a rough design now and find master shipbuilders to discuss it?"
Unlike other Song officials, Han Mo's attention was largely focused on the sea.
After all, whether it was the Song Dynasty's strategy against the Liao or the Jin, it was impossible for Han Mo to gain dominance in a short period of time.
However, it was different at sea. At this time, he was already the Commissioner of Liangzhe and Fujian Coastal Defense. As long as he did not ask the court for money and could annually remit sufficient taxes to the court, he could personally decide everything else regarding the building of warships and the preparation of the navy.