"The house is not needed anymore. The one prepared by the Zhe family should be almost repaired! We can stay there for a while. After some time, I will have to leave for my post!"
"Brother Mo, you're getting an assignment so soon?"
"Of course. Moreover, it's the prefecture magistrate of Neihuang County, personally appointed by the Emperor!"
Although he was only a minor county magistrate, he was still an official of the imperial court.
More importantly, regardless of his small rank, a county magistrate was a principal official.
Under normal circumstances, even those who had achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations would at best be appointed to a deputy position when first entering officialdom. Even serving as a Hanlin Academy Compiler primarily involved menial tasks within the academy.
To be directly appointed as a principal official upon entering the bureaucracy was an exceptionally generous treatment.
Furthermore, his appointment as county magistrate was personally decreed by the Emperor, making it significantly more valuable than that of an ordinary county magistrate.
Though the little girl did not understand the intricacies of the matter, simply hearing that he was personally appointed by the Emperor was enough to make her exceedingly excited.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to tell Yan'er!"
Watching the little girl dash away, Han Mo smiled but said nothing further.
Under normal circumstances, officials like him, who were assigned to posts in other regions, could naturally bring their families along.
However, the situation in that area was still unclear. He did not wish to rashly bring all these women with him.
If anything were to happen to them on the journey, he would truly regret it beyond measure.
After washing his face with cold water, Han Mo immediately felt much more refreshed.
Normally, a document certifying one's qualifications (出身文书) needed to be processed by himself at the Ministry of Personnel.
Only after completing this could he obtain his official credentials.
But today, they had directly delivered this document to him. It seemed that Liang Shicheng had someone put in a word for him.
Although it was a minor matter, Han Mo understood that this was Liang Shicheng subtly asserting his influence to all the important figures.
Whether Han Mo was willing or not to be associated with Liang Shicheng, the powerful figures in the court had already begun to implicitly acknowledge his favorable relationship with Liang Shicheng.
Although this matter might be criticized in the future, as Liang Shicheng was one of the "Six Villains," Han Mo could not afford to worry about that at the moment. He needed the presence of a powerful patron like Liang Shicheng.
Especially since his appointment as the county magistrate of Neihuang County was a veritable hot potato.
After a quick meal and changing his clothes, Han Mo, accompanied by Xu Fengnian, headed straight for the Ministry of Personnel.
Indeed, with Liang Shicheng's intervention, his affairs proceeded with remarkable smoothness.
According to the Ministry of Personnel's procedures, obtaining official credentials would normally take at least ten days to half a month, requiring extensive networking and facilitation in the interim.
Even as the current top scholar and with the county magistrate position personally appointed by the Emperor, considerable time would still be wasted in the process.
However, today, in less than an hour, he successfully obtained his official credentials and a batch of travel warrants.
The so-called official credential was a simple document briefly describing his background, appearance, and the official post he held.
Then, it was affixed with over a dozen seals, large and small.
One should not underestimate this document. In the current Great Song Dynasty, possessing this document made things incredibly convenient.
The most crucial aspect was that with this document, all exorbitant taxes and levies were waived.
Furthermore, he could enjoy a series of benefits and entitlements from the imperial court.
Even though he was merely a county magistrate of the eighth rank, according to the salary provided by the court, he would receive a monthly stipend of thirty thousand cash, which equated to thirty strings of cash.
In addition to this, there were allowances for two sets of clothing materials each year, ice for the summer, charcoal for the winter, and various other physical provisions – anything one could imagine the court would provide. And most importantly, five qing of official farmland.
This five qing of official farmland did not require his personal cultivation. Designated personnel would be responsible for recruiting tenants to farm it, and he would simply receive half of the grain yield annually.
There were also provisions for the salaries, clothing materials, firewood, charcoal, and other expenses for up to six subordinates.
Moreover, as a county magistrate, he received three hundred strings of cash annually as official expenses, specifically for entertaining guests and handling correspondence.
One should not underestimate these three hundred strings of cash. In Bianliang City, with its high cost of living, three hundred strings of cash might only cover a meal.
However, in smaller county towns, this was an enormous sum. For comparison, during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Great Song, the price for irrigated land of superior quality was fifteen strings of cash per mu, and dry land was eight strings per mu.
Calculated this way, the income from his position as county magistrate alone was enough to make him a local magnate in a small county town.
Furthermore, as a county magistrate, there were naturally countless opportunities for undeclared income, which was impossible to quantify.
"Sir, my master is waiting for you at the restaurant over there. Do you have time to join him?"
As Han Mo was preparing to get into his carriage to go home, a servant dressed in green attire with a small cap suddenly stopped him.
"Your master?"
Han Mo asked with some confusion.
"Sir, you'll know when you see it!"
As the man spoke, he handed Han Mo a plaque.
Upon seeing the words "Prince of Yun's Manor" written on it, Han Mo's mouth twitched.
This Prince Yun was indeed quite cunning. However, this matter also, from another perspective, revealed the terrifying nature of the Imperial City Directorate.
Thinking this, even Han Mo couldn't help but sigh. It was fortunate that he was about to leave for his post.
Otherwise, he would likely have already become a primary target of surveillance for the Imperial City Directorate.
"Your Highness, why are you here?"
When Han Mo followed the man to a private room on the second floor of the restaurant, he saw Prince Yun smilingly looking at him as soon as he entered.
"I happened to be handling some business nearby and saw your carriage here, so I sent someone to wait for you. Thank you for your help yesterday. If not for you, those Jurchens would have truly underestimated our Great Song Dynasty!"
Zhao Kai, while gesturing for Han Mo to sit, personally poured him a cup of wine.
"Your Highness is too kind. Yesterday was merely a moment of rashness; I apologize if I have caused you any amusement!"
Han Mo exchanged pleasantries with a smile, then excused himself to Zhao Kai before sitting opposite him.
"I am not being polite. You should have seen how well-behaved those Jurchens were today. It was truly gratifying!"
Zhao Kai laughed heartily as he spoke.
"Your Highness, you didn't find me here just to talk about this, did you?"
Han Mo took a sip of wine and then, changing the subject, asked directly.
This was, after all, at the entrance of the Ministry of Personnel, and he did not wish to cause himself trouble at the moment.
Prince Yun's identity was too sensitive. Conversing with Prince Yun in private for an extended period would not benefit him.
"It's not a major matter, but the Grand Court Assembly tomorrow should decide on the position of the Grand Defender of Daming. I wish to hear your opinion!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Kai also smiled and went straight to the point.
Han Mo's mouth twitched, and he thought, "Good heavens, this isn't a major matter?"