"Are you joking, sir? Do you really think you can shake my Qian family?"
Qian Lang spoke as he stood up and looked at Han Mo intently.
"Whether it can be done or not, let's try and see. What the court cannot do, rebels can. What rebels cannot do, bandits can! I reiterate, if it weren't for dire necessity, I wouldn't wish to be enemies with the Qian family!"
"Is this your threat, sir?"
"You can understand it as a final ultimatum. Whether I have the strength, you know it yourselves! Pride comes before a fall, Brother Qian, you should understand this. Three days should be enough for you to make a decision. I don't have much time to waste. Follow my rules, and I guarantee your family will earn much more than before. Otherwise, it will be a fight to the death!"
"Do you think you have me, my Qian family, cornered?"
"It's not that I have you cornered, it's that you think too highly of yourselves. Do you really believe your family's influence in the region is strong enough to counter the government? Yes, the Qian family was royalty before, but so what? Have you forgotten how Li Yu died?"
"I cannot make this decision myself..."
Under Han Mo's piercing gaze, Qian Lang finally felt the oppressive pressure.
"I'm not asking you to make the decision, I'm just asking you to deliver a message. Remember, you only have three days. Three days from now, at this same place and time, I will await your final answer! My patience is limited. If you cannot make the right choice, I believe someone will soon be very willing to replace your position! I can make the eight great families into seven, and I can certainly make that number even smaller!"
"I bid you farewell, Lord Qian!"
After taking a deep breath, Qian Lang finally cupped his hands towards Han Mo.
"Brother Qian, for the sake of our brotherhood, I'll offer you a piece of advice. If your family elders ultimately choose to oppose me, you might as well buy a boat and set sail in advance!"
Just as Qian Lang was about to reach the door, Han Mo added another remark.
"Thank you for your guidance, sir. However, Qian Lang is a member of the Qian family!"
After turning around and cupping his hands towards Han Mo again, Qian Lang stepped out of Han family's reception hall without hesitation.
"This fellow is quite interesting. It's rare to find such backbone among scholars!"
As soon as Qian Lang left, Zhe Yourong pushed open the door and walked in.
"He is indeed a talent, but he is too deeply entangled by his family. If he cannot break free from the shackles of his family, he will find it difficult to achieve great things in his lifetime!"
Han Mo said indifferently with a smile.
"Do you really intend to use those underhanded tactics against them?"
Zhe Yourong looked at Han Mo with some curiosity.
"There's no other way. I don't have that much time to waste with them, so I have to cut the Gordian knot quickly. I've always disliked playing chess with them. The pace of you making a move and me making a move is too slow. It's better for me to just flip the board!"
As Han Mo spoke, he picked up a wine cup, poured a full glass, and offered it to Zhe Yourong.
"While your method is fast, you also need to be careful not to push them too hard. If they really bite back, it could be quite a troublesome situation, big or small!"
Although they were in Mingzhou City and Han Mo held significant military power, Zhe Yourong still reminded him with some concern.
"What is there to fear? In this turbulent time, besides me, who else can guarantee such substantial returns to His Majesty every year? As you said, the current Emperor only cares about money! Between someone who fills his pockets and someone who steals from his pockets, is there any question about whom to help?"
"It sounds simple, but I'm afraid they might..."
As Zhe Yourong spoke, she suddenly paused.
Upon closer thought, it seemed that at this moment, they really had no good way to deal with Han Mo.
Matters in court were indeed not solely decided by the Emperor, but if Liang Shicheng and Cai Jing were added, it would be extremely difficult to shake Han Mo.
Even if Wang Fu and Cai You joined forces, they would not be able to overcome this powerful trio.
As for Zhao Zhen, that was even less likely. Wang Xiang was being obedient, and with the relationship of Zhong Yan Chong, Zhong Shidao was practically in league with Han Mo.
Zong Ying and his son Zong Ze were almost as close to Han Mo as if they were one person.
The upper echelons were clearly not an option. After much calculation, the only ones who could stand against Han Mo at this time seemed to be the local powers.
But ironically, Han Mo held the position of Grand Coordinator of the Coastal Regions of Liangzhe and Fujian.
He also commanded the powerful fleets of Quanzhou and Mingzhou, along with formidable generals like Yue Fei, Han Shizhong, and Li Bao.
It was truly a case of being unable to stand him yet unable to eliminate him, merely causing annoyance.
"Have you figured it out?"
Seeing Zhe Yourong's speech trail off, Han Mo immediately smiled and asked again.
"How did you do it? This is an unassailable position!"
After understanding everything, Zhe Yourong couldn't help but smile wryly. Could anyone in this world truly think three steps ahead, calculating every move and all of their opponent's retreats?
"The situation wasn't this perfect originally. I have to thank Prime Minister Wang and the others for this. If the two of them hadn't made their move, how could the Cai family have been taken down so easily?"
Han Mo stood up as he spoke and stretched his arms with a long yawn.
"Tell me honestly, did you predict I would enter your mansion? And would hide in your courtyard? Did you deliberately ruin your reputation to lure me here?"
After a long while, just as Han Mo was preparing to receive the admiration from his wife, Zhe Yourong's expression darkened, and she asked again.
"No, is that the main point of the issue? Aren't we discussing how to deal with the powerful families right now?"
Han Mo's eyes widened. How did the conversation suddenly veer off track from his line of thought?
"Stop trying to distract me. Confess truthfully, did you scheme against me back then!"
"I..."
Looking at Zhe Yourong's wary expression, the talented scholar Han felt tears welling up in his eyes.
With her current demeanor, Han Mo felt that no matter how much he explained, she wouldn't believe a single word today...
Damn it, why did I have to act so cool...