Han Mo, who had been smiling, suddenly wore an unpleasant expression. Was he really encountering a scene of abducting a maiden now?
"Stop!"
Seeing more than a dozen men dressed as household guards approaching, Han Mo stepped forward a few paces, placing himself protectively in front of Chun Tao.
"My good sir, I am Han Mo. My maidservant was a little impolite and inadvertently bumped into you. I beg your esteemed self not to hold it against her. It is the festive season, so please be magnanimous and let her off this once!"
Looking at the greasy-haired man in the crowd, adorned with a large palace flower on his head, Han Mo suppressed his disgust and spoke.
Talking like these ancient people was indeed troublesome. Fortunately, he had been here for over three months, and hadn't made any mistakes.
"Hahaha, you yourself said she was unruly. Since she is unruly, she needs to be disciplined. Since she offended this young master, let me discipline her properly for you! After a month, once I've disciplined her, you can come to the Cai mansion to collect her!"
"Huh, there's another one here? Come, take both of them away!"
As Cai Shu spoke, his lecherous gaze fell upon Han Yan again.
"See who dares to come closer!"
Han Mo spoke while flexing his wrists. With a swing, he snapped off a willow tree by the roadside, about the thickness of a bowl, and gripped it in his hand.
Some of the onlookers immediately started to cheer.
After all, to snap a willow tree as thick as a bowl in one go required hands with several hundred pounds of strength. Anything less and it was simply impossible.
"It's their good fortune that our young master fancies them. You, boy, had better not be ignorant!"
Seeing Han Mo’s ready stance, coupled with his already tall physique – easily six feet tall – the servants felt a hint of fear.
After all, according to the current regulations of the imperial court, a man who was five feet eight inches tall and could draw a six-bushel bow could find a living even in the Upper Four Armies.
Despite their numbers, they were somewhat apprehensive when facing a tough opponent.
"Good fortune? Why don't you let your own mother have some of this 'good fortune'?"
Han Mo's remark instantly drew laughter from the crowd.
"Young master, you'd best know when to stop. This is Young Master Cai, son of Prime Minister Cai. You cannot afford to offend him!"
Seeing that Han Mo had managed to subdue the crowd, the flower vendor quickly whispered a warning to Han Mo from behind.
Young Master Cai, son of Prime Minister Cai?
Han Mo's heart stirred. There were many people surnamed Cai in Tokyo Bianliang City, but the one who could be called Prime Minister Cai could only be Cai Jing!
Damn it, this was truly bad luck. Just going out for a stroll and he had stumbled into such trouble. Had he not checked the almanac before leaving home?
"You lot of useless cowards, seize this troublemaker for me!"
Seeing his household guards hesitating, Cai Shu’s face lost all composure. He immediately shouted sternly.
The household guards, having no choice, drew their staves and charged towards Han Mo.
Han Mo naturally did not hold back. Wielding the willow branch in his hand, he engaged them in combat.
As soon as they started fighting, Han Mo felt the immense strength of this body. He barely exerted himself, and one of the household guards was sent flying.
This innate divine strength was truly impressive. After a few rounds, all the dozen-odd household guards were lying on the ground.
Cai Shu was stunned. He had never expected that this seemingly refined scholar could fight so well, that more than a dozen household guards couldn't handle a mere commoner!
"Gulp—thump—"
Seeing Han Mo approaching him with a fierce glare, Cai Shu swallowed hard.
"Y-you, don't come any closer! My, my grandfather is the current Prime Minister Cai!"
Han Mo pressed forward, and Cai Shu retreated step by step. In his panic, he could only invoke Cai Jing’s name for protection.
"Are you saying that your esteemed grandfather taught you to bully the female members of my Xiang Province Han family on the streets?"
A sudden idea flashed through Han Mo's mind. He was already struggling for startup capital, and this opportunity had practically walked into his lap!
If he didn't make a big scene, it would truly be a disservice to himself. He had Cai Jing behind him, but didn't he also have the Han family behind him?
Even though he wasn't well-received, the Xiang Province Han family, with their generations of esteemed officials, was not to be trifled with.
Xiang Province Han family?
Fine beads of sweat broke out on Cai Shu's forehead. This impoverished-looking fellow was actually from the Xiang Province Han family?
Although he was a scion of a noble family, he wasn't foolish!
The Xiang Province Han family had produced officials for generations. He, a mere dandy, could not afford to insult them!
If this matter reached the ears of the Son of Heaven, even if his grandfather was favored, he would likely be in serious trouble.
Moreover, even if his grandfather could weather the storm, he would probably receive a severe beating upon returning home!
"You're not speaking? So you admit it? Esteemed elders, I, Han Mo, am a descendant of the Xiang Province Han clan. My family has long received imperial favor. I have come to the capital solely to study and cultivate virtue, in preparation for serving the court in the future. I did not expect that merely taking my younger sister for a stroll in Bianliang City would result in such a grave humiliation!"
As Han Mo spoke, he dropped the large willow branch in his hand.
He reached up and wiped away his non-existent tears, then grabbed the bewildered Cai Shu.
As their bodies crossed, he landed a punch directly on Cai Shu's stomach.
His punch was vicious, yet perfectly controlled in its force and angle.
Hidden by the wide robes, almost no one saw his movement. To everyone else, it seemed Han Mo had merely grabbed Cai Shu’s collar in indignation.
But Cai Shu had suffered greatly. With that punch, he spat out the leftovers from last night's meal.
Han Mo’s angle was calculated perfectly. As Cai Shu vomited, the contents landed precisely on his own collar.
"Utterly shameless! You call yourself a son of an official, yet you bring such disgrace upon yourself!"
Before Cai Shu could even react to what had happened, Han Mo swiftly backhanded him across the face.
Caught off guard, Cai Shu lost his balance and toppled backward.
"Ouch—"
However, as soon as he fell, he sprang back up. Although his loose robes concealed any wounds, a piece of cyan fabric was now stuck to a branch of the willow tree Han Mo had used as a weapon.
On the fabric, besides some yellowish-white stains, there were also scattered drops of blood. Judging by the color of the fabric, it seemed to be from Cai Shu's trousers...
Looking at his peculiar stance and the cold sweat covering his head, virtually all the men in the surrounding crowd instinctively tightened their legs.
Even Han Mo was taken aback. This was too coincidental! This was not part of his plan at all; he had only intended to make the fellow bleed a little.
But unexpectedly, this wretch, having committed so many heinous acts, seemed to have met his karmic retribution...
ps: In the Song Dynasty, the term "Xianggong" was not casually used in the Northern Song period; it was an exclusive title for the Prime Minister. Only those who had served as Prime Minister, or were currently serving as Prime Minister, could be called Xianggong. Do not be misled by television dramas.
"Yan Nei" became a general term for the sons of officials during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty. Gao Yan Nei from Water Margin is a representative figure.
The Xiang Province Han family's most renowned figure in the Northern Song was the famous Prime Minister Han Qi. He served three dynasties and enthroned two emperors. His son, Han Zhongyan, also served as Prime Minister. The family was extremely influential in scholarly circles.
The Upper Four Armies refer to the four elite main forces of the Song Dynasty's imperial guards with the highest established treatment: the Pengri Army, the Tianwu Army, the Longwei Army, and the Shenwei Army.