"Your Highness is too kind; if Han Mo intended to achieve something for that reason, he wouldn't have gone through so much trouble!"
Han Mo quickly helped him up.
Although Zhao Zhen found the words a bit harsh, he himself understood that he was merely a figurehead prince, unloved by all.
He couldn't even raise the funds for disaster relief himself. If Han Mo truly sought any merit by following the emperor, there was no need for him to come here and dawdle with him.
Both the Crown Prince and Prince Yun were clearly better choices.
"Brother Han, what do you think we should do now?"
Zhao Zhen did not want to dwell on this issue and directly changed the subject.
"Your Highness, what we need to do now is naturally to handle this matter properly!"
Han Mo smiled and then pointed at the bustling crowd before them.
"But what about the grain issue?"
The problem had returned to its starting point. Even with Han Mo's full support, they couldn't conjure grain out of thin air at this moment.
"Actually, this problem isn't that difficult. Since they want to play dirty, let's show them what it means to use power to suppress people!"
Han Mo fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said with a smile.
"Don't joke around. There isn't a single simple wealthy merchant in Bianliang City. Those who are speculating on grain all have powerful backing. As a mere figurehead prince, I probably can't suppress them."
Zhao Zhen gave a wry smile and said.
"Your Highness, you underestimate yourself too much. And even if your influence isn't enough, we can borrow the Emperor's influence!"
Han Mo said with a mysterious smile.
"Borrow the Emperor's influence? I can't even get an audience with him, how can I borrow it?"
Zhao Zhen gave another wry smile.
"Your Highness, why be so self-deprecating? Don't you forget that you are the Emperor's direct descendant. Such matters don't require his explicit approval!"
"Then how should we borrow this influence?"
Zhao Zhen was completely confused. At this point, he had been acting entirely on his own initiative.
If the Emperor found out, a beating would be considered light, let alone borrowing the Emperor's influence.
"Actually, Your Highness, you're overcomplicating this. Tomorrow morning, you just need to set up two large banners outside that read 'Disaster Relief by Imperial Decree'!"
Han Mo whispered into Zhao Zhen's ear as he spoke.
"But isn't this deceiving the Emperor?"
Before he could finish, Zhao Zhen's eyes widened.
"Your Highness, this matter is far less complicated than you think. Once you put up these banners, others will naturally step in to settle things for you."
Han Mo smiled and said.
"Are you sure they will settle things, and not 'settle' the two of us?"
Zhao Zhen let out a wry smile.
"If I weren't completely confident, I wouldn't dare to offer you such a suggestion. As long as you display these banners, everything else will fall into place. I will handle the grain issue."
Han Mo said with a smile.
"But..."
Although Han Mo's smile seemed relaxed, Zhao Zhen was truly starting to get scared.
The crime of forging an imperial decree could be minor or major. If the Emperor acknowledged it, it would be a mere word. But if the Emperor didn't acknowledge it, it would be punishable by death.
"There's no 'but.' If anyone impeaches Your Highness, I have ways to make them suffer the consequences!"
Han Mo said with full confidence.
"But..."
Zhao Zhen's words trailed off, and in the end, he could only nod helplessly.
Given what Han Mo had said, if he continued to object, he would appear too sentimental.
Besides, Han Mo said it would be tomorrow, not now. He could still discuss it with Zong Ying after returning home tonight.
"Tomorrow morning, I'll request leave from the academy first. Your Highness, please send a steward to wait for me at the entrance of the Imperial College, and we'll go buy grain together!"
"Then I shall trouble Brother Han with this matter."
"Your Highness is too polite!"
After settling the important matters, the conversation between the two became more relaxed.
It wasn't until it was completely dark that Han Mo returned home.
After returning home, he read for a while before going to bed. However, in the Prince Xin's manor, Zhao Zhen and Zong Ying were staring at each other.
"Your Highness, did he really say that?"
As Prince Xin Zhao Zhen's most trusted confidant, Zhao Zhen naturally wouldn't hide such a significant matter from Zong Ying.
However, Zong Ying couldn't be sure where Han Mo got the courage to ask him to directly forge an imperial decree.
Although he was genuinely happy that Zhao Zhen had managed to win Han Mo over, forging an imperial decree was simply too unbelievable.
If Zhao Zhen's birth mother were still alive, such a thing might have been done.
Even though the Crown Prince and Prince Yun were almost at each other's throats, any other prince who dared to show even the slightest interest in the throne would immediately become their common enemy.
For Zhao Zhen to be so brazenly forging an imperial decree at this time, wasn't he walking straight into a trap?
"He indeed said that, and he also said that tomorrow morning I should find a steward to meet him, and he would solve the grain problem."
Zhao Zhen said with a wry smile.
"The crime of forging an imperial decree..."
Other matters could be overlooked, but the crime of forging an imperial decree was giving Zong Ying a headache.
No matter how eloquently Han Mo spoke, he still felt uneasy.
"What does Mister think?"
Although Zhao Zhen greatly admired Han Mo, on matters like this, he preferred to hear Zong Ying's opinion.
"The Emperor favors him so much, and both the Crown Prince and Prince Yun have tried to recruit him, yet he ultimately chose Your Highness. Since he's willing to go mad once, Your Highness, why not accompany him?"
After a moment of silence, Zong Ying raised his head again.
"Since Mister has said so, at best I'll lose this title of prince. Then, this prince will accompany him in this madness."
Since Zong Ying had said so, Zhao Zhen no longer hesitated.
Such a matter would undoubtedly lead to death for an ordinary person, but regardless, he was still a prince.
At most, he would lose his title of prince, which he didn't have much hope of keeping anyway.
If he trusted Han Mo wrongly, he would only lose a small amount of his annual stipend.
But if he gambled correctly, perhaps this matter could truly pave a bloody path for him.
Throughout history, the path to the throne was always paved with mountains of corpses and seas of blood!
The next morning, at the first hint of dawn, Han Mo hurriedly got out of bed.
After a quick wash, he took his carriage and arrived at the Imperial College early.
Within the Imperial College, requesting leave was quite casual, especially for someone like him who was a sudden appointment.
Everyone knew that the Emperor exceptionally favored this young man.
As soon as he finished requesting leave, a carriage from Prince Xin's manor was already waiting outside.
"Young Official Han, I am Steward Niu Dey, from His Highness's manor. I am here to take your orders!"
Upon seeing Han Mo emerge, Niu Dey quickly stepped forward to bow.
"This carriage is a bit too ostentatious. You can follow behind me. Leave this carriage here."
Looking at the luxurious carriage, Han Mo did not board it but instead got into his own carriage.
"Yes!"