“I did contribute some effort to this matter, but whether it succeeds or not ultimately depends on the Emperor’s will. It seems His Highness has good fortune!”
Han Mo smiled, not taking credit for himself.
After all, this matter wasn't originally part of his plan. It was merely an afterthought when Liang Shicheng brought it up, attaching some personal benefit to it.
“Brother Han is truly a divine strategist. I, Zong, am impressed!”
After hearing Han Mo’s words, Zong Ying took a deep breath and earnestly cupped his hands towards Han Mo.
“Didn’t I already say it? This is the Prince’s good fortune, and it has little to do with me! Now that the result is out, you can rest assured. After we return later, there are some things you need to convey to the Prince!”
“Brother Han, please speak!”
Upon hearing Han Mo, Zong Ying quickly became serious.
“The matter with Fang La will likely escalate. Once the Prince takes office, he can use this excuse to thoroughly rectify the local military affairs. After all, with the status of a prince, if he can truly train a strong army, it will be of great use to him in the future!” Han Mo couldn’t say much about the affairs in Jingkang at the moment, but the duties of the Nanjing Military Governor already included rectifying military affairs.
Speaking of this now wouldn’t seem too abrupt.
“It sounds simple enough, but even the forbidden armies in Hebei are rotten through and through. Let alone Nanjing. The Prince doesn’t have many connections; training a strong army is not an easy task…”
Zong Ying said with a wry smile.
“Brother Zong, who says the Prince lacks suitable personnel? Have you forgotten your father?”
Han Mo said with a smile.
“But, but…”
Zong Ying was taken aback, his speech even faltering.
“Recommending relatives is not a taboo. Your father is a true expert in such matters. Why be so modest? Times have changed. The Prince is now the Nanjing Military Governor. Even if the Emperor sends him to take office, he should at least give him some helpers!”
Han Mo winked at Zong Ying as he spoke.
Having been in the Song Dynasty for so long, Han Mo had been cautiously testing the waters.
In the beginning, he was a little worried. What if his actions changed history and affected his own existence?
But now, through these repeated attempts, he suddenly realized that it seemed no matter what he did, it had no impact on himself.
Han Mo himself was unsure of the extent to which his previous actions had affected history, but Zhao Zhen’s appointment as Nanjing Military Governor was a tremendous change to the original timeline.
After all, the original Zhao Zhen was obscure. Now, he had suddenly entered the center of power, his influence even rivaling that of the Crown Prince.
The difference between the two was considerable.
Since such disturbances had no consequences, there was no harm in bringing Zong Ze into service earlier.
Han Mo spoke casually, but Zong Ying took it to heart.
His father was demoted and stationed outside, yet he, as a son, could not help him in any way.
The moment he heard of Zhao Zhen’s appointment as Nanjing Military Governor, he thought of his father, but he immediately dismissed the idea.
Although he really wanted his father to be re-employed by the court, he was unwilling to bring any danger to Zhao Zhen because of his father’s affairs.
After all, Zong Ze’s demotion back then was the Emperor’s personal decree.
“My father offended His Majesty back then. If the Prince were to speak…”
Although Han Mo had voiced what he most wanted to say, Zong Ying was still worried at this moment whether this matter would bring any adverse effects to Zhao Zhen.
“Don’t worry, I’ll speak to Shenxiao Palace. If they don’t mention it, His Majesty won’t care!”
Han Mo knew what he was worried about, but in his current view, this was a trivial matter.
Lin Lingsu was still waiting for his Investiture of the Gods list.
Moreover, the reason Zong Ze was banished and confined to Zhenjiang was merely because he complained a few times in his writings.
It was originally a flimsy pretext. Many years had passed, and even if there was something, Lin Lingsu wouldn't refuse him such a small favor.
“Brother Han, from today onwards, you are my closest brother!”
Hearing Han Mo’s words, Zong Ying almost wept.
After all, the term "confined" was a more polite way of saying it.
To put it bluntly, it was banishment and imprisonment.
Although the court favored scholars, one could imagine the unfair treatment Zong Ze would receive in such an environment.
A loyal official, who was full of patriotic fervor, received such treatment simply for airing his grievances in his writings.
And this happened when he was over sixty years old. During this period, Zong Ying’s mother, Madam Chen, also passed away…
Imprisoned, losing his wife in old age. If it weren’t for Zong Ying’s frequent letters and Zong Ze’s unwillingness to die under such a stigma, he might have taken his own life long ago.
“I don’t like hearing you say that. I thought we were already brothers. After all this talk, you only consider me a good brother now!”
Seeing his reddened eyes, Han Mo made another joke.
“You are right, I misspoke! How about this: when my father returns to the capital, I will personally cook a few dishes for Brother Han?”
Zong Ying took a deep breath and bowed to Han Mo again.
“That’s a nice thought, but I don’t mean anything else. I just want to ask, have you ever cooked before?”
Seeing his excited demeanor, Han Mo asked with a smile.
“This… I did cook a few times when I was young…”
Zong Ying said somewhat awkwardly.
“Then perhaps we should find another place? A gentleman keeps his distance from the kitchen. I think we should just go to Chunfeng Lou instead?”
Han Mo coughed and said again.
“We can go to Chunfeng Lou now. I just want to express my gratitude!”
“Given our relationship, I think Chunfeng Lou is sufficient. There’s really no need for you to cook personally!”
Han Mo’s mouth twitched. He wasn't worried about whether the lad could cook; he was worried about who he would hold accountable if he got food poisoning!