"The world is vast and full of wonders. How will you know if you don't try? Your grandfather is now the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards and a military commissioner of the Yingdao Army, which is already a fourth-rank official position. If he were to transition to a civil official, it would be equivalent to a fourth-rank civil official! If the situation were to become more urgent, he would be sufficiently qualified to be a Military Governor!"
"You mean..."
Zhong Yanchong's jaw hung open.
Han Mo was too audacious in his thinking! To first have Zhong Shidao switch from a military to a civil official, and then push him into the position of Military Governor for the southeast circuits...
"Why are you so surprised? He is already seventy years old. At this age, transitioning from a military to a civil official is a natural course of events. As long as we handle things properly, no one will say anything out of line. If His Majesty happens to be in a good mood, he might even promote his rank by one level!"
"But he is already seventy years old. At this age, even if he were to achieve success, it would likely be for naught..."
Zhong Yanchong understood what Han Mo was planning, but Zhong Shidao's health was declining year by year. Even if he were to successfully quell the Fang La rebellion, officials like Tong Guan would not easily allow him to ascend to the position of Prime Minister. If he couldn't become Prime Minister, he would likely only be able to return home in glory. But in that case, wouldn't Han Mo's efforts be in vain?
"How can it be in vain? Such a great accomplishment can serve to build a group of mid-level support for Your Highness!"
War has always been a fast track to promotion and fortune. According to historical records, the Fang La rebellion would only escalate, with its climax expected in November. At that time, several provinces in the southeast would be implicated. Soon, many officials would be demoted, beheaded, or die in battle, creating many vacancies. For Zhao Zhen, this would be a rare opportunity. If Zhong Shidao could secure the position of Military Governor and quickly quell the rebellion, all the meritorious officials who assisted him would receive rapid promotions. This would perfectly solidify a weak point for Zhao Zhen. Whether Zhong Shidao could ultimately become Prime Minister was not the main point; these mid-level officials alone would be enough to benefit Zhao Zhen immensely. Moreover, if Zhong Shidao returned with a great victory, Han Mo would naturally find a way to ensure he at least qualified for the position of Vice Minister of the Privy Council. At that point, Zhao Zhen would truly have the capital to contend with Prince Yun and the Crown Prince.
"While that may be so, where do we find the 'scapegoat' to pay for this?"
After all was said and done, the problem returned to its origin. Both Zhong Shidao and Xu Churen were impoverished. Prince Xin, Zhao Zhen, was too obvious a target, and using his money would likely lead to countless complications.
"You don't need to worry about that. Go back and inform Lord Xu of my plan, and ask him to prepare a blank memorial for me. Within half a month, there will naturally be a 'scapegoat' to resolve this matter for your grandfather!"
"A blank memorial? Are you joking, Han Brother? Please don't mess around."
Zhong Yanchong understood that what Han Mo meant by a blank memorial was a memorial signed and sealed by Xu Churen. What was the use of such a thing? It was obvious that it would be submitted to the emperor! If Han Mo were to write anything reckless on it, Xu Churen would likely be ruined.
"Why are you getting so worked up? Go back and explain my plan to Lord Xu, and I believe he will agree! Don't worry, this matter will not affect Lord Xu at all!" Han Mo said casually with a smile.
"Han Brother, you must not lie to me..."
"If I lie to you, am I not afraid that your grandfather will lead his army to chase me down everywhere?"
Looking at the smile on Han Mo's face, Zhong Yanchong found himself unable to do anything about him. He was intelligent himself. At this point, since Han Mo was unwilling to elaborate on the plan, he immediately understood that the subsequent plan was probably not convenient for him to know. Since it was inconvenient to know, he could not ask further.
"Since you are so insistent, I will write a letter shortly and have it delivered to Lord Xu together!" After a moment of wry smiling, Zhong Yanchong said directly.
"There is no rush with Lord Xu. Instead, you must personally convey the matter to your grandfather. It is best to hurry, as delays can lead to complications. Do you understand?"
"Don't worry, once this matter is settled here, I will take the time to go back. Traveling at top speed, ten days should be enough!"
Hearing this, Han Mo's mouth twitched slightly. Ten days sounded like a long time, but the distance from Daming Prefecture to Shaanxi was thousands of miles! If he were to make the round trip in ten days, he would probably be completely exhausted.
"I told you to take it easy. If anything happens to you, that would be a real problem!"
"Alright, alright, I know what I'm doing. We've been chatting here for so long, shouldn't you prepare some wine and food?" Although Zhong Yanchong knew that persuading Zhong Shidao would not be an easy task, since he had chosen Zhao Zhen, he had no choice but to spare no effort at this moment.
"Prepare wine and food? Are you trying to welch on your promise? Didn't we agree that you would pay for tonight's drinks?"
"So stingy! Coming to your territory, and you still want me to pay!"
"Who asked you to be the adult? Right, Zhong Ji Yi!"
"Hahaha!"
After finishing their serious discussion, the two clearly relaxed a lot and even started joking with each other. After a brief period of banter, they changed into casual clothes and, with Zhe You Rong and the others, headed to the best restaurant in the entire Neihuang County.
In contrast to Han Mo and his relaxed and happy atmosphere, the entire Tangyin County yamen was shrouded in gloom.
"I warn you, you only have tonight. If there are any more slip-ups here, you'll lose your head to compensate!" After looking at the account books submitted by Liao Wenxing, Pang Yue's voice trembled. He had known that the Tangyin County treasury was severely in deficit, but he had never expected the actual inventory to be so different from the expected inventory.
"My lord, rest assured, by tomorrow morning, I guarantee there will be no problems with the accounts!" Liao Wenxing had narrowly escaped death this time, and with his life on the line, he understood what he needed to do...