"My lord!"
Seeing that the fellow was rambling on here and preventing Han Mo from discussing tourism, Lü Ying felt something was amiss in his heart.
Although Li Yan was a confidant of the newly appointed transport commissioner of Hebei circuit, and in terms of official rank alone, his position was indeed higher than Han Mo's.
But Lü Ying knew in his heart that all his past misdeeds were still in Han Mo's hands.
Moreover, having followed Han Mo for a while, he had personally witnessed Han Mo's ability to turn things around with a flip of his hand.
Rather than pledging allegiance to Li Yan at this juncture, it was better to honestly follow Han Mo's lead.
"Since you've already said so, you go and attend to your own matters first. Don't worry, I'll be back shortly! Oh, and tell madam later that we'll be having roast duck for lunch again today!"
After casually giving Lü Ying a few instructions, Han Mo made a gesture of invitation to Li Yan.
Seeing Han Mo's compliant attitude, Li Yan finally nodded with satisfaction and led Han Mo towards the courtyard where they were staying.
"Your subordinate Han Mo, greets the Esteemed Transport Commissioner!"
As soon as he entered the main hall, Han Mo immediately saw the Hebei circuit transport commissioner wearing a purple robe.
Frankly speaking, this Master Tang indeed had a handsome appearance.
Even though he was simply sitting there, he possessed an air of authority that commanded respect without resorting to anger.
"You are Han Mo?"
After sizing Han Mo up and down, Tang Ke casually said.
"It is indeed your subordinate!"
"Aren't you afraid of me?"
Seeing Han Mo's composed demeanor, Tang Ke was somewhat surprised.
"What is there to be afraid of, my lord? Although your subordinate is your subordinate, I am ultimately an official appointed by the court, serving alongside you. As long as I diligently perform my duties, is it possible that Lord Tang would deliberately make things difficult for me?"
Tang Ke had not expected Han Mo to speak in such a manner.
"Hahahaha, as expected of a young hero. The world says the Emperor favors this year's top scholar, and it seems our top scholar truly possesses extraordinary qualities!"
After a brief silence, Tang Ke said to Li Yan with a hearty laugh.
"My lord speaks the truth, our Lord Han is indeed a rare talent!"
Li Yan also said with a smile.
"My lord, you jest. Your humble subordinate is merely a talent of rotten wood, merely receiving His Majesty's grace. If my lord speaks of me thus, your humble subordinate will truly have no place to hide his shame!"
Han Mo considered himself second to none when it came to deflecting.
In any case, he could see that this fellow clearly intended to put him in his place today.
If he were to act meekly, this fellow would only push his luck.
Conversely, if Han Mo adopted a more assertive stance, even Tang Ke would not be able to do much to him in a short period of time.
At least, as of now, they held no leverage over Han Mo.
Coupled with the backing of Xu Churen, Han Mo was not truly afraid of this Hebei circuit transport commissioner.
"Hahahaha, top scholar, there's no need for such excessive self-deprecation. Ever since you arrived in Neihuang County, this once chaotic and war-torn small county has been governed by you to the point where honest people are not afraid of losing their belongings and households remain unlocked at night. If this is not considered talent, then everyone in the world would curse me for being blind to true worth!"
As Tang Ke spoke, he gestured for someone to bring a chair for Han Mo.
Han Mo did not stand on ceremony, excused himself, and sat directly opposite him.
"There's no need to be so nervous. Strictly speaking, we are not strangers. Oh, before I came to Hebei this time, the Crown Prince specifically instructed me to bring you some things!"
As Tang Ke spoke, he clapped his hands.
Soon, two large wooden chests were carried in from outside.
Although the seals on the boxes looked as if the ink had not yet dried, this fellow insisted they were from the Crown Prince. Han Mo was too lazy to argue with him at this moment.
"I am grateful for the Crown Prince's concern, which indeed makes your humble subordinate feel unworthy!"
Since these were gifts delivered to his doorstep, it would be foolish not to accept them.
Therefore, Han Mo unceremoniously swallowed the sugar-coated cannonball that Tang Ke had fired.
"Ah, we are not strangers, you know. If you keep calling yourself 'your subordinate,' I don't know how to proceed with our conversation! Although I am a few years older than you, we are both serving the Crown Prince after all. If you don't mind, let's address each other as brothers!"
Looking at Tang Ke's greying beard, Han Mo's mouth twitched.
Those who knew would understand that this old man was trying to win him over; those who didn't might think he was trying to act young.
Although he didn't know the old man's exact age, judging by his appearance alone, he was clearly someone on the verge of death.
Han Mo truly had no interest in calling himself brothers with him.
"My lord, you jest. While serving in the government, one must naturally adhere to etiquette. If my lord speaks thus, your humble subordinate absolutely dares not accept!"
Han Mo understood that this fellow was playing the emotional card, and he knew what he wanted to say next. However, the matter of Lin Daqian had begun to become increasingly enigmatic.
Before this matter was clarified, even Han Mo did not dare to hand over people to Tang Ke rashly.
Li Bangyan's closeness to the Crown Prince, although it was a part of Han Mo's plan, closeness did not equate to openly joining the Crown Prince's faction.
If Han Mo were to hand over Lin Daqian, Li Bangyan would likely be unable to withdraw from this path, even if he wanted to.
"Hahahaha, I did not expect our top scholar to truly possess the demeanor of a gentleman of antiquity! Remarkable, truly remarkable!"
After his lengthy praise, the other party remained unresponsive, which made Tang Ke somewhat awkward.
However, the matter of Lin Daqian was of immense importance to the Crown Prince. If Li Bangyan could truly be tied to their cause, Zhao Huan would be willing to pay any price.
The Crown Prince's position as a scholar had long left an indelible mark on Tang Ke. The Crown Prince and he shared a destiny of mutual prosperity and ruin.
Even at this moment, Tang Ke was inwardly cursing this fellow for not knowing his place, yet he had to endure it.
"My lord speaks the truth. Our Lord Han is not only skilled in writing, but if one were to examine him closely, he is truly a man of both literary and martial talent! As my lord mentioned, he had just wiped out those bandits and pacified the rampant banditry in Neihuang County. Shortly thereafter, without a single copper coin or grain of rice from the imperial court, relying solely on local donations, he directly solved the flood problem that had plagued Neihuang for years!"
"These matters aside, our Lord Han is truly a master of solving cases!"
Seeing Tang Ke's awkwardness, Li Yan, the consummate supporting actor, immediately stepped in to smooth things over.
Upon hearing that the topic had shifted to case-solving, Han Mo could not help but let out a cold laugh. It seemed the fox's tail could no longer be hidden.