Zhong Yanchong rolled his eyes at Han Mo.
As the implementer of the entire plan, countless people had tried to get close to him from the day the plan began.
Among them were those who threatened him, those who tried to lure him with benefits, and some who had inextricable ties with the Zhong family.
Even those without any ties would find ways, using all sorts of connections and methods, to try and break through Zhong Yanchong to get what they wanted.
Since all the necessary groundwork had been laid, he could now hole up in the county office and refuse to see anyone. The people outside truly had no good way to deal with him.
With Han Mo serving as a convenient shield, Zhong Yanchong was naturally happy to take it easy at this moment.
"I say, you're a renowned Zhong Jiyi of the Hebei East Circuit, aren't you? It's no fun hiding here like a turtle pulling its head in!"
While playing chess could be said to cultivate the mind and body, anyone forced to play for seven days and seven nights would likely have a similar expression to Han Mo's.
"Isn't this for your own good? The Master said, 'A young man should guard against lust.' Look at your health; it's been deteriorating day by day since you got married! As a fellow student and friend, if I don't show concern for you, it would truly go against the teachings of the sages!"
"You're just being wicked! Do you believe I'll tell my wife this evening? I have thirty elite soldiers from the Zhe family in my manor. How about you spar with them later?"
Han Mo chuckled sinisterly as he spoke.
"Hey, hey, hey, I say, this is not how you should do things!"
Zhong Yanchong immediately became anxious. What a joke! He had heard about the young lady from the Zhe family.
At the age of thirteen, she had fought alongside her father and brother on the battlefield.
Moreover, she had successfully killed two "iron swallows." Sparring with her would be like looking for trouble!
Although he also came from a military family, his grandfather had strictly trained him since childhood, leaving him with very limited time for martial practice. In contrast, his study time was maintained at least six hours a day.
While Zhong Yanchong's attention was diverted, Han Mo's right pinky finger, concealed by his sleeve, nudged a black piece one square back. Then, as if nothing had happened, he placed a white piece there.
With this single move, Zhong Yanchong was instantly dumbfounded.
The black pieces, which had held a significant advantage, were now trapped and had no escape.
"Hey, I say you're doing it again! Hey, hey, hey, can you stop playing these little tricks when you play chess? Do you really think I'm blind?"
Zhong Yanchong was immediately unhappy. He had been about to win this game, and now he had lost. How could he possibly concede?
"What do you mean 'doing it again'? All's fair in war, right? I've beaten you three times today. If you want to play again, let's do it tomorrow!"
As Han Mo spoke, he quickly swept his sleeve across the chessboard, scattering the pieces into disarray, rendering the game unreadable.
"You always pull this trick, don't you get tired of it!"
Zhong Yanchong was rendered speechless.
"The moves on the chessboard are nothing more than moves within the game and moves outside the game. Since I can't win with moves within the game, I naturally have to resort to moves outside the game!"
Han Mo said meaningfully.
"Have you heard some rumors?"
Upon hearing this, Zhong Yanchong immediately stood up, cautiously surveyed their surroundings, and then lowered his voice to ask.
"Do I need to hear it? It's something one can guess!"
Listening to the pattering rain outside, Han Mo spoke while pouring himself a cup of tea.
"How long do you think they can hold out?"
Zhong Yanchong's expression suddenly became serious.
"It's not about how long *they* can hold out, but how long *the Lord* can hold out. Don't forget, the summer tax collection is about to begin!"
As Han Mo spoke, he stood up and walked to the window.
This was the most difficult part of the entire plan!
Ultimately, the specific tasks still relied on these people to carry out, as there were millions of citizens under the jurisdiction of Hebei Circuit.
Managing so many people and completing the tax collection was no simple matter.
If Xu Churen could not maintain order before the summer tax collection, all the efforts made so far might be in vain.
After all, while recovering the arrears of previous years was important, the annual collection of taxes was also of paramount importance!
The vast majority of the court's expenses came from here.
"You mean they will exert pressure from the higher levels?"
Zhong Yanchong, being exceptionally intelligent, immediately understood.
"This is the only way out for them. Even if they don't, I will force them to!"
Han Mo sneered as he spoke.
"How confident are you of winning this time?"
Zhong Yanchong asked, frowning.
"That depends on who they bet on!"
Han Mo smiled but did not answer directly.
"Is there a difference?"
"Of course, there is! If they bet on Prince Yun, then they will lose everything this time. But if they choose the Crown Prince, then things will become even more interesting!"
As Han Mo said this, his smile sent an inexplicable chill down Zhong Yanchong's spine.
"Regarding His Highness the Crown Prince..."
"Don't forget, I have some connections with Commander Liang!"
"You still need to be careful. After all, it's not just Commander Liang around the Crown Prince. The subordinate officials around His Highness the Crown Prince are not to be trifled with either!"
Zhong Yanchong's words indeed served as a reminder to Han Mo. It was true; it seemed to be the case.
Whether it was Tang Ke or Geng Nanzhong, these individuals were absolute masters of internal strife.
To put it bluntly, these people were true troublemakers, incapable of achieving anything significant but more than capable of ruining everything.
Han Mo had never truly considered their influence before.
Now that he thought about it, these individuals had to be taken into account.
"Don't worry, they are just a few petty clowns!"
After draining the remaining tea in his cup, Han Mo directly patted Zhong Yanchong on the shoulder.
Having just entered officialdom not long ago, Zhong Yanchong's hair was already starting to show streaks of white.
Han Mo actually understood that Zhong Yanchong had been under a lot of psychological pressure recently.
After all, he was the implementer of the entire plan. If there were any mishaps, his political future would be ruined.
"It's quite amusing, really. If that Prime Minister Wang knew that the person scheming against him from behind the scenes was you, what kind of expression do you think he would have?"
Feeling the warmth from Han Mo's palm, Zhong Yanchong suddenly said with a smile.