"Alas! There is no kinship in the imperial family..."
After a bitter smile, Zong Ying fell silent.
"Alright, things have come to this. I'll be the villain. You tell the Prince to promptly submit the memorial recommending Fan Daren as Vice Minister of Revenue and Zhang Shaoyou as Official of the Granary Department!"
"I understand. General Zhong has already sent someone to report. The army can be assembled in at most seven days!"
"Everything that needed to be said has been said. As long as we follow General Zhong's orders regarding the deployment, there shouldn't be any problems. I will need at least another ten days to head south, so I'm afraid I won't be able to depart with you."
As Zhao Zhen's confidant, Zong Ying was naturally expected to accompany him south.
However, to avoid suspicion from the Emperor, Han Mo's formal departure south had to be delayed by at least ten days.
"Then we'll meet again in Jiangnan!"
"Jiangnan it is!"
After bidding farewell to Zong Ying, Han Mo boarded his carriage and headed towards the Han Mansion.
"My lord, someone from the mansion just reported that Daoist Zhang from the Shenxiao Palace was beaten while escorting Mr. Yuan Miao back to the Shenxiao Palace!"
"Zhang Ruhui was beaten?"
Han Mo's eyes widened. Those monks were too ruthless!
"It is said that the yamen runners from Kaifeng Prefecture have already arrested more than a dozen thugs, and they have all confessed!"
"Did they say who instructed them?"
"I haven't heard about that..."
"Alright, you take me back first, and then immediately go to Kaifeng Prefecture to find Official Zhang and inquire about the details of this matter."
Although Han Mo himself had no concrete evidence, he was almost certain that the perpetrators were connected to those monks.
"Yes!"
Upon returning to his small courtyard, Han Mo's mind was still occupied with the monks' schemes.
These individuals were too audacious, and their actions even made Han Mo somewhat fearful.
After all, this was Bianliang City, where Lin Ling Su had been operating for several years. If these people dared to cause trouble right at his doorstep, and Lin Ling Su managed to find any leverage, it would truly be a point of no return.
"Look at you, your clothes are all soaked. Hurry up and drink this bowl of ginger soup!"
Looking at the set of clothes Han Mo had changed out of, Zhe Yourong said with a slight reprimand.
"What else could I do? The situation was urgent today. If I had been a moment later, who knows what else might have happened..."
Han Mo could only offer a sheepish explanation for Zhe Yourong's complaint.
"I can't be bothered with you. However, the matters of the court are endless, but your life is your own!"
After handing the bowl of ginger soup to Han Mo, Zhe Yourong picked up the pile of clothes he had taken off and walked towards the door.
"My lord, I've inquired about it! They have all confessed, claiming they were only acting out of righteous indignation because their land was seized by Daoists from the Shenxiao Palace..."
As Zhe Yourong had just left, Xu Fengnian quickly approached Han Mo and said in a low voice.
"Alright, you're dismissed. Go back and rest. Oh, and today's events are to remain strictly confidential, as if nothing happened. Do you understand?"
"I understand!"
Hearing Han Mo's words, Xu Fengnian nodded heavily before turning and walking away.
Although Han Mo couldn't fully decipher the monks' next moves, based on the series of events that unfolded today, Han Mo was almost certain that everything they did was meticulously planned.
If Lin Ling Su didn't calm down and proceed cautiously, the Shenxiao Sect would likely face utter defeat before long.
For instance, speaking ill of the Crown Prince in front of the Emperor today was entirely out of character for Lin Ling Su.
However, Han Mo had no inclination to specifically warn Lin Ling Su at this moment, as frankly, neither monks nor Daoists were particularly good people.
He had already done more than enough. He saw no need to alienate himself completely from those monks solely for Lin Ling Su's sake.
Furthermore, based on the actions of today, Han Mo could already guess that Lin Ling Su was no longer the Lin Ling Su he used to be; he had become excessively arrogant.
Even if Han Mo pointed out the problem directly now, Lin Ling Su might not necessarily listen.
"By the way, I have something I'd like to discuss with you."
Just as Han Mo was contemplating what to do next, Zhe Yourong quietly entered.
"Speak."
"A Japanese maritime merchant approached us today, wanting to order a large batch of goods from us, but he hopes we can negotiate the price and give him a 20% discount on the existing price!"
"You said a maritime merchant from where?"
"Japan! Why? Is there something wrong?"
Seeing Han Mo's shocked expression, Zhe Yourong asked with some curiosity.
"A Japanese maritime merchant? There's no need to negotiate. Directly relay the message: from today onwards, any merchant guild that does business with them, if they want to purchase goods from us, will have a 30% surcharge added to the original price for any product. This is to be a permanent policy!"
Han Mo spoke without hesitation.
"But why?"
Zhe Yourong's eyes widened.
Even if he disliked these people, why not simply refuse to do business with them? Han Mo's actions were tantamount to pushing away money that was readily available.
"If you trust me, then do as I say. Not doing business with the Japanese is a bottom line! This time, not only will we not do business with them, but I will ensure they lose all their capital and are driven to desperation!"
"Did they offend you?"
"Alright, you don't need to ask about this matter. Leave it to me to handle. I'll explain why later!"
"Alright then, I'll have someone inform them of the refusal now."
Although she didn't understand why Han Mo was being so resolute, Zhe Yourong nodded in agreement after a moment's thought.
After all, while the volume of goods these Japanese people wanted to purchase was substantial, compared to the relationship between the two of them, it was insignificant.
Ultimately, their business was unique, and the entire Song Dynasty market was their sole domain. As long as their formulations remained secret, they wouldn't lack buyers in the short term.