Upon hearing Han Mo's words, Qian Lang felt an inexplicable chill down his spine.
"Thank you for your guidance, sir..."
After taking a few deep breaths, he cupped his fists towards Han Mo again.
"Brother Qionglin is too polite. Since Brother Qionglin has other matters to attend to, I shall not disturb you any longer!"
"Farewell!"
With a mind full of doubts and a heart full of concerns, Qian Lang finally walked out of Han Mo's room once more.
At this moment, he couldn't quite tell if Han Mo was testing him or genuinely planning to go through with it.
However, the one thing he was certain of was that their good days were likely numbered.
"Help me send this letter out. Mr. Yuan and the others have rested for too long. It's time for them to make a move. Since we've already pushed Duke Cai into power, it's time for him to get to work!"
"Understood!"
Taking the envelope, Jiang Yan turned and walked out.
Only after he had gone far away did Han Mo let out a long sigh. Compared to the situation in Bianliang, he was more worried about Hebei at this moment.
There was still no good news from Tong Guan.
This filled Han Mo with worry. Although history seemed to have been altered due to his arrival, looking at the recent dispatches, Han Mo's anxiety only grew.
Especially after seeing the memorial about the Song army's defeat at Baigou and Hexi becoming the scapegoat, Han Mo couldn't shake the feeling of dread.
History was like a stubborn child, always returning to its predetermined track.
If there were no significant variables in history, he might have had enough time to change everything. But at this point, even Han Mo himself doubted whether he could still trust the timelines in his memory.
This great battle was supposed to happen two years later, but now, because of him, it had been brought forward to Xuanhe Year 2.
Everything seemed to have spiraled out of control, yet he lacked the power to alter it all.
Should he invite the Eldest Princess and the others to Quanzhou?
Han Mo's mind became entangled...
"Sir, General Han is back!"
Just as Han Mo was lost in thought, he was suddenly brought back by the voice of his guard.
"General Han?"
"It's Lieutenant Han, sir. He has been conferred the title of Right Martial Officer of the seventh rank and Deputy Envoy of Zhuangzhai by His Majesty. He's truly become a general now!"
Upon hearing Han Mo's question, a nearby guard excitedly explained.
"Only a mere seventh-rank official?"
After hearing this, Han Mo didn't show surprise but instead frowned and asked.
"I..."
After his words, the nearby guard didn't even know how to respond. This was too much.
He had already reached the seventh rank, yet he was still not satisfied?
Military officers always valued rank over grade, and Han Shizhong was still so young.
Even a renowned general like Zhe Kecun didn't hold such a high official position at Han Shizhong's age!
Right Martial Officer, this was already the thirty-fourth tier out of the fifty-three tiers for Song Dynasty military officers!
He had gone from an unknown lieutenant to directly entering the Hengban!
There were countless military officers in the entire Song Dynasty who were blocked below the Hengban their entire lives and never promoted.
Yet, Han Shizhong, at such a young age, had already entered the Hengban. Although it was the lowest tier, it was enough to make him proud.
After all, once one entered the Hengban, they were truly favored by the Emperor!
"Alright, let him in!"
Seeing his strange expression, Han Mo said expressionlessly.
"Understood!"
A moment later, Han Shizhong finally returned to Han Mo's presence.
"Big Brother!"
Standing before Han Mo again, Han Shizhong, without a word, knelt on one knee.
"What are you doing? Why such a grand gesture? Get up quickly!"
Seeing the excitement on his face, Han Mo quickly reached out and helped him up.
However, he soon understood why Han Shizhong was so excited. After all, this young man had been bullied for so long, and now someone was backing him up, making him naturally emotional.
"My parents gave me life, but my Big Brother understands me. If not for Big Brother's cultivation, I'm afraid I would never have had the chance to enter the Hengban in my life!"
As Han Shizhong spoke, tears involuntarily fell.
"Alright, alright, get up. This is just the beginning. You are meant to be a general, a military governor in the future. Are you satisfied with such a trivial official position?"
Even Han Mo hadn't expected him to be so emotional. He quickly comforted him with a smile.
"Yes..."
Seeing Han Mo's sincerity, Han Shizhong wiped the tears from his eyes.
There was no hint of acting; it was purely from emotion.
In his eyes, based on his military achievements, he expected at most a three-rank promotion.
But he never imagined that with the Emperor's happiness, Liang Shicheng's flattery, and Fan Zhengguo's words, the Emperor's decree directly elevated him from an unremarkable lieutenant to a Hengxing official!
What others might take ten years to achieve, he had accomplished in just a few months...
"I thought it would take you at least seven or eight days to get here. Why are you back so soon?"
Pulling Han Shizhong into the room and pouring him a cup of tea, Han Mo spoke again.
"Grand Commandant Liang said that Big Brother is in need of talent right now, so he personally put in a word at the Privy Council and visited the Ministry of Personnel. My official papers were processed in less than two days. Since there was nothing else to do, he sent me back first! Oh, and he also wrote a letter for Big Brother!"
Speaking of this, Han Shizhong remembered that Liang Shicheng had entrusted him with a letter. He quickly fumbled through his clothes and finally retrieved the letter from his inner pocket.
"Oh?"
Han Mo said, extending his hand to take the letter he handed over. After opening the envelope, he read it carefully.
Initially, a slight smile played on his lips, but as he read on, his expression grew increasingly solemn.
"Big Brother, has something happened?"
Seeing Han Mo's tense demeanor, Han Shizhong quickly asked in a low voice.
"There is indeed a small matter, but it's not serious. I originally intended for you to rest after your arduous journey, but now, it seems you won't have time to rest!"
After giving Han Shizhong a deep look, Han Mo spoke again.
"If Big Brother needs me, just command!"