“You! Even if you've learned some martial arts, don't you have any regard for the law?”
Xu Sanbao retreated step by step as he spoke.
The skill Han Mo had just displayed was truly beyond expectation.
He moved with decisiveness, utterly without hesitation, so clean and swift. In just a few exchanges, he had taken down over a dozen burly men.
This was nothing like the subservient Han Mo they knew.
“The law? You’re nothing more than a mere servant of the Han family, a dog daring to bully its master. And now you talk of the law to me? Do you not know what the Great Song laws say about the crime of a wicked servant bullying his master?”
Han Mo was almost amused by him. This fellow was quite adept at playing the victim.
“Zhang Patrol Inspector, Zhang Patrol Inspector! Murder! Help!”
As Xu Sanbao retreated, he wasn’t paying attention to his direction. After a few steps, he felt his back hit a wall. He then slumped to the ground.
Seeing that he had nowhere left to retreat, he closed his eyes and shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Stop!”
Just as Han Mo was feeling perplexed, a man over seven feet tall, dressed in a green official uniform, walked in.
Han Mo actually recognized this fellow. This was Zhang Maolin, one of the patrol inspectors of Kaifeng Prefecture.
“Patrol Inspector Zhang, quickly apprehend this villain! As you can see, such a villain is the most ferocious. Not only is he residing in the驸马府 (Fù mǎ fǔ - Princess's consort's manor), but he also stole household valuables. When we discovered him, he now intends to silence us! You must not let him go!”
Seeing Zhang Maolin and his men walk in, Xu Sanbao clutched at him like a lifeline.
“Oh, who is it? It’s Patrol Inspector Zhang!”
Han Mo showed no fear. He simply dropped the stick he was holding and said with a smile.
“Han Mo from the Han family? We’re old acquaintances, aren’t we? How about this? Is what Steward Xu said true? If you obediently confess, I’ll send someone to the 驸马府 to fetch someone to take you away. This isn’t a major crime. As long as the victim doesn’t pursue it, you’ll be out in three to five days!”
Zhang Maolin spoke while smiling sinisterly.
“Patrol Inspector Zhang, what you said makes no sense!”
Hearing his words, Han Mo immediately understood. This guy was very likely in cahoots with those people.
Otherwise, how could such a coincidence happen in this world?
A patrol inspector of Kaifeng Prefecture. Kaifeng Prefecture hasn’t even opened its gates yet. On such a cold day, why would he be out in the wilderness instead of staying in Kaifeng Prefecture?
“No sense? It seems you’re not prepared to admit it?”
Zhang Maolin said with a cold smile.
“Why would I admit to something I didn’t do? It’s you who is strange, Patrol Inspector Zhang!”
Han Mo suddenly started laughing.
“What are you laughing at?”
Seeing the smile on Han Mo’s face, Zhang Maolin immediately felt a loss of composure.
“I’m laughing because you, Patrol Inspector Zhang, are facing great misfortune and don’t even know it!”
“Hahahaha, I’m facing misfortune? I think you’re like a frog that won’t give up until it reaches the Yellow River, or a corpse that won’t shed tears until it sees the coffin! Men, capture him!”
With a command from Zhang Maolin, the dozen or so constables behind him immediately surrounded Han Mo.
“You should think carefully. Although I, Han Mo, am not a great figure, I am a descendant of the Han family from Xiang Prefecture. My father is also an official appointed by the court, and I am a student of the Imperial Academy. It’s easy for you to capture me, but can you bear the consequences that follow?”
Although Han Mo didn’t take the dozen or so constables seriously, they were, after all, wearing the official uniforms of Kaifeng Prefecture.
If he were to fight them, the nature of the matter would change.
“Are you threatening me?”
Upon hearing Han Mo’s words, Zhang Maolin, who had already made up his mind, suddenly became hesitant again.
What Han Mo said wasn’t unreasonable!
He wasn’t like those street ruffians. He was, after all, a son of an official, and furthermore, a student of the Imperial Academy.
The current dynasty favored scholars. Emperor Taizu himself had left a vow: “The dynasty shall not kill officials or those who offer counsel.”
His status as a scholar alone was enough to make them hesitate.
“You said just now that he stole things from the manor. Is there any evidence?”
Zhang Maolin hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Xu Sanbao.
They had indeed colluded, but the situation seemed to be developing beyond their expectations.
“This…”
Xu Sanbao was now in a panic.
He knew very well that the evidence was in Han Mo’s room. But at this moment, they hadn't even entered the room. Where could they possibly find any evidence?
Without obtaining the evidence on the spot, it was as good as nothing!
Besides, those two maids had already been inside for a long time. Who knew if the item was still in its original place?
“What ‘this’ and ‘that’? Is there evidence or not?”
Seeing Xu Sanbao stammering, Zhang Maolin became impatient.
“I, I didn’t have time to search before he knocked us all down.”
Seeing that Zhang Maolin was about to lose his temper, Xu Sanbao could only stammer out.
“So, you’re saying there’s no evidence?”
Zhang Maolin’s expression immediately turned grim.
If this fellow didn’t have concrete evidence in hand, and he were to push the issue, Han Mo might make a big scene, and he would be the one to suffer.
Although the sum of money given by that person was substantial, he really couldn’t afford the charge of framing a scholar!
After all, the Great Song Dynasty was governed jointly by the Emperor and the scholar-officials!
A student of the Imperial Academy was already considered a standard scholar.
If this matter escalated, that noble person behind them could simply walk away without any consequences, but they themselves might lose their heads!
“As long as we search the room, we’ll find the evidence!”
Seeing that Zhang Maolin seemed to be backing down, Xu Sanbao quickly said.
“Hahahaha, Steward Xu, what you said is quite reasonable. It seems you know the contents of my room better than I do! Tell me, could it be that you put that item there yourself?”
As Han Mo said this, although his face was smiling, the naked killing intent in his eyes made Xu Sanbao shiver all over.
“You, you…”
This time, Xu Sanbao became even more flustered.
“What about me? It seems this matter cannot be let off easily. I usually overlook such servants who fawn on the powerful and trample on the weak. But what do you think my uncle-grandfather will do about this betrayal?”
Seeing that Zhang Maolin still had no intention of leaving, Han Mo, as he spoke, casually waved his sleeve, and a long, rectangular object slid out and fell to the ground.
Zhang Maolin and Han Mo were not far apart. Upon clearly seeing the object that fell to the ground, his throat suddenly felt dry…