Yu Shen spoke as he stood up, personally picking up the teapot from the table beside him and pouring a cup of tea for Han Mo.
"If the husband successfully takes the throne, I will require the husband to unconditionally trust Han Mou three times at critical junctures!"
Han Mo did not stand on ceremony, accepted the teacup handed by Yu Shen, and said directly.
"No matter what?"
After hearing Han Mo's words, Yu Shen looked at him again with a complex gaze.
He had initially thought this fellow would demand the moon, asking for several official positions, but he hadn't expected Han Mo to make such a straightforward request.
"That's right, no matter what. However, please rest assured, the matters I request will absolutely not harm the husband's interests!"
Seeing Han Mo's earnest expression, Yu Shen frowned, then finally nodded.
"In that case, please await good news!"
Seeing him agree, Han Mo then smiled, picked up the teacup, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Is there nothing else I need to do?"
To his answer, Yu Shen was even more surprised.
"The husband should remain still, and there will naturally be a surprise at the time!"
"Then I will await your good news!"
After taking a deep look at Han Mo, Yu Shen said with a smile.
"The Bian River has been turbulent lately. If the husband is interested, perhaps you could try fishing by the river more often. You might have some unexpected gains!"
"Hearing you say that, it seems you are quite experienced in fishing!"
"Before the husband, how would I dare claim any experience? It's merely some small cleverness of my own. It's late, the husband should rest early. I shall take my leave!"
"Then I will not see you out!"
"Please stay, husband!"
After a few pleasantries, Han Mo finally left Yu Shen's mansion again, returning to his carriage in the darkness.
Seeing Han Mo back in the carriage, Gao Shun and Yue Fei both nodded to him.
"Are there any fish that slipped through the net?"
Glancing at two pairs of shoes revealed in the dark corner, Han Mo asked in a low voice.
"My lord, rest assured, all the hidden posts are here. I have carefully checked all the corners nearby where someone could hide, and there will be no one else!"
After hearing Yue Fei's answer, Han Mo nodded with satisfaction and got into the carriage.
"My lord, where are we going now?"
Relighting the lantern in front of the carriage, Yue Fei then asked in a low voice.
"Let's go, most of the necessary matters have been handled. Now we just need a favorable wind..."
Stretching his body with a long yawn, Han Mo leaned back against the carriage cushion. After a night of activity, he was indeed a bit tired at this hour.
"Yes!"
Although Yue Fei knew Han Mo's words had hidden meanings, he did not press further. Instead, he gently knocked on the carriage door.
——————————————————————
"Brother Wang, how can your luck be so good? You managed to win a bet with odds of one to ten, a total of five thousand strings of cash!"
The next morning, not long after the main gate of the Cuju Bureau opened, a middle-aged man in a light blue scholar's robe walked out smiling.
Even Zhe Wanchun, the chief steward of the Zhe family, couldn't help but praise his good fortune.
"This is just me having a moment of good luck. Compared to the chief steward, it's nothing, absolutely nothing!"
Hearing Zhe Wanchun say this, the middle-aged man in the scholar's robe also quickly said modestly with a smile.
"What are you saying, Official Wang? No matter how I conduct myself, I am merely a small merchant. However, with this 5000 strings of cash, it seems Official Wang will soon rise to prominence!"
Zhe Wanchun spoke as he once again cupped his hands towards the man with a smile.
"Chief Steward Zhe, do you have a way?"
Although Zhe Wanchun's words contained a bit of jest, the man clearly heard something more.
"Brother Wang, although you are not from the northwest, you have served as a county magistrate in the northwest for five years. So, in a sense, we are half of our own. Regarding some matters..."
Zhe Wanchun spoke as he rubbed his two fingers together.
Seeing his expression, Wang Xian immediately understood. Seeing that no one was around, he quickly took two ingots of gold from his sleeve and slipped them into Zhe Wanchun's sleeve.
Although giving away twenty taels of gold at once certainly pained Wang Xian a bit, his movements were without hesitation.
"Official Wang, who in Bianliang City doesn't know that going to the Ministry of Personnel is useless? Rather than hitting a wall there, it's better to try your luck directly at the Cai family!"
After accepting the two gold ingots, Zhe Wanchun lowered his voice and said quietly.
"But will Prime Minister Cai look favorably upon this?"
Hearing him say this, Wang Xian couldn't help but be taken aback.
Although 5000 strings of cash was a large sum for ordinary people, for Cai Jing, the current prime minister, it was probably only enough for a day's meal money...
"You don't know this, Prime Minister Cai would naturally not care, but the Young Prime Minister Cai might not necessarily..."
"Young Prime Minister Cai? Cai Tao?"
After hearing Zhe Wanchun's words, Wang Xian couldn't help but lower his voice and ask.
"You guessed that yourself. I haven't said anything!"
After hearing his words, Zhe Wanchun said with a smile.
"Thank you for your guidance, Chief Steward Zhe. If this matter is successful, Official Wang will surely repay you handsomely in the future!"
Although Zhe Wanchun kept denying it, Wang Xian couldn't help but beam with joy.
He had served as a county magistrate in the northwest for five years and had finally reached this point. However, upon arriving in Bianliang, he felt completely lost.
He had tried his luck at the Ministry of Personnel for days, spending a lot of money but getting nowhere. He had bought a Cuju ticket purely for amusement, only to unexpectedly make a fortune.
Now, while redeeming his prize, he had also found a path for promotion. This made him feel a little elated.
"Official Wang is joking. I am merely an insignificant official. If the steward needs anything in the future, just send someone to write me a letter!"
After thanking Zhe Wanchun profusely and walking out of the Cuju Bureau, Wang Xian, without a second thought, hired a carriage and rushed straight to the Cai mansion.
"Have someone follow him. Don't follow too closely. Just find out if the matter is successful or not!"
Watching Wang Xian get into the carriage, Zhe Wanchun then coldly instructed one of his shop assistants.
"Yes!"