This place was sparsely populated to begin with, and it was nighttime. Sending him out to inquire would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
However, before Han Mo could finish his pot of wine, Fan ZhengGuo, who had left in a huff, suddenly returned.
"You still have the mood to drink, you brat?"
Seeing the empty wine pot in front of Han Mo, Fan ZhengGuo snatched the chopsticks from Han Mo's hand with annoyance.
"Uncle Fan, you guys left in such a hurry, I'm also helpless..."
Seeing his angry demeanor, Han Mo also felt a sense of frustration.
"You don't understand? Fine, I'll explain it clearly to you! Have you heard of Li Boji?"
Pointing at Han Mo, Fan ZhengGuo finally asked.
"Of course I've heard of him! They say he was already a Supervising Censor and a Palace Attendant at the age of 30!"
Blinking his eyes, Han Mo replied.
"Since you know this, you should also know that he was later demoted to Jiannan, right?"
Hearing this, Han Mo was stunned. How could he have forgotten this?
Although Li Gang was highly praised by historians and possessed great talent, proving reliable in critical moments, he was often disliked by the emperor.
He passed the Jinshi exam at 29, and by 32, he held the positions of Supervising Censor and Palace Attendant.
However, simply for speaking out about some foolish court affairs, he was stripped of his positions and relegated to the Six Ministries as a mere Yuanwailang (a minor official title).
Yet, even in this reduced capacity, his straightforward nature prevented him from keeping his thoughts to himself.
In the first year of Xuande, taking advantage of the great flood in the capital, he once again invoked the concept of celestial retribution to remind the emperor of the internal and external troubles plaguing the empire in recent years.
However, at that time, Emperor Huizong was engrossed in his pleasures. While other court officials spoke only flattering words, he was the only one speaking the truth, which sealed his fate.
Before long, the emperor directly banished him to Jiannan to serve as a minor tax official.
"I know that, but how did he..."
As Han Mo spoke, he himself was taken aback. Logically, if he was demoted to Jiannan, how could he possibly return to Bianliang City?
"How he returned to Bianliang City? That's your doing!"
At this point, Fan ZhengGuo couldn't help but laugh at himself.
"My doing? Do I have that ability?"
"You certainly don't have that ability, but if it weren't for your schemes, how would Prince Xin have had the chance to go south? The court was fighting on two fronts, and the Emperor was driven mad by money, forcing him to order the provinces to transport tax revenues to the capital by any means necessary!"
Hearing this explanation, Han Mo was dumbfounded. "Damn it, it can be done this way..."
"Do you understand now?"
Fan ZhengGuo sighed again.
"Uncle Fan means you want to keep him in Bianliang?"
"Does that need asking? So many years have passed, and his body is no longer as robust as it was in his youth. The journey to Jiannan is thousands of miles away; I fear it will be a separation of life and death if he goes."
Fan ZhengGuo spoke with deep sadness in his eyes.
"Actually, Uncle Fan, you can do this yourself. Don't forget, you are now the esteemed Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Isn't it a simple matter for you to arrange a position for him in the Ministry?"
Seeing the expression on Fan ZhengGuo's face, Han Mo asked, blinking his eyes.
"Do you think I don't want to? I'm not like you, brat. Although I've established myself in the Ministry of Revenue, it's not so easy to place people there."
Fan ZhengGuo became increasingly agitated. Seeing Han Mo's bright, curious eyes, he unceremoniously slapped the back of his head.
"But Uncle Fan, if you ask me, bringing him back to Bianliang City at this time might not be a good thing for him..."
Although for Han Mo, doing this seemed not too difficult.
After all, given his current status and influence, it would only take a word to send Li Gang back from Jiannan to Bianliang City.
But even if he returned, what then?
The entire court was still a mess. The fact that Fan ZhengGuo and Nie Shan could stably establish themselves in court was partly due to Han Mo's relentless planning, and partly because their personalities were a little more smooth than Li Gang's.
As for Li Gang, he was like a sword that would rather break than bend; he would impeach anything he found objectionable.
Han Mo could help him plan once, but could he help him plan continuously?
As soon as Han Mo stopped, he would likely be kicked out again!
It is only in times of national crisis that good officials are remembered. It was not yet time for Zhao Ji, that spendthrift, to cry and wail, living in constant anxiety, and therefore it was not yet his time to exert his influence!
"Are you looking for a beating, brat? Listen to what you're saying!"
It was better when Han Mo didn't speak. After he spoke, Fan ZhengGuo rolled his eyes so hard they almost reached the heavens.
"Oh, Uncle Fan, don't you understand the logic? I can indeed intervene, but what happens after I intervene? It will only make Uncle Li go through more trouble on the road. Given his personality, he will certainly disapprove of the court's affairs. Instead of making him run back and forth, it's better to let him enjoy a few days of freedom outside!"
"But don't you know how difficult the Shu roads are? How can I not worry about his health if he is alone in Jiannan..."
At this point, Fan ZhengGuo couldn't help but sigh again.
"Uncle Fan, you don't need to worry about this. I'm only saying that his personality is not suited for officialdom in the capital, and I'm not saying that Uncle Li should continue to return to Jiannan!"
"What do you mean?"
"Recently, I've been extremely busy in Liangzhe. Isn't Uncle Li originally from Fujian? I mean to ask him to return to Fujian to help me plan a few things. What do you think, Uncle Fan?"
"That's excellent! Excellent! The Jiangnan water is soft, and he won't be wronged by your side. It's a good opportunity for him to recuperate. Look how thin he's become recently!"
Upon hearing Han Mo's words, Fan ZhengGuo was overjoyed.
Seeing his ecstatic appearance, Han Mo couldn't help but abandon his initial suspicion. Could these two old fellows have some unspeakable secret?