"Please grant my request, Father!"
Pu Jinshan, unaware of his father's distress, knelt directly on the ground.
This pushed Pu Haida completely into a corner; he had no choice but to agree!
"Let it be so. Go and wash up and change your clothes first!"
With a sigh, Pu Haida finally acquiesced.
"Jinshan, stay behind. The rest of you, go about your own business!"
"Yes!"
After everyone dispersed, looking at his son, who had suffered so much yet knew nothing, Pu Haida didn't know how to begin.
"Father, your son has disappointed you!"
Seeing Pu Haida's complex gaze, Pu Jinshan said with shame.
"You..."
With another sigh, Pu Haida could no longer utter any words of reprimand. He could only reach out and pat his son's shoulder, then sat down beside him...
——————————————————————————————————————————
"Sir, the spring night is short, why are you out so early?"
Just as dawn broke, Han Mo emerged from the armory and was greeted by Shao Bowen, who was sitting at a roadside breakfast stall.
"Hahahaha, and you have the nerve to say that? Tell me, you top scholar, what is your problem? A young lady sends herself to your door, and you run off halfway!"
Seeing Han Mo approach, Shao Bowen said with a hearty laugh.
"Sir, you are a master strategist. Don't you know the reason for this?"
Although he had been busy all night, Han Mo managed to force a smile when he saw Shao Bowen.
"Don't ask me about these things. My body is very weak now; I don't have the energy to scheme about such matters!"
Shao Bowen spoke as he took a sip of fish porridge.
"This porridge looks good. Get me a bowl too! And get one for them as well! They've been working all night, let them have something to eat first!"
Han Mo didn't press the issue further. Instead, he called out to the vendor nearby and casually tossed out a gold leaf.
"M-my small business, I don't have enough change!"
Although the vendor was overjoyed to sell over a hundred bowls of porridge at once, he appeared troubled looking at the gold leaf Han Mo threw.
"Hahahaha, why are you looking for change? Did you forget what I just told you? You've met a benefactor today, so hurry and serve him. The excess is your reward!"
Shao Bowen spoke while grinning and beckoning the vendor for another bowl.
Han Mo's mouth twitched as he watched the man's jovial demeanor. What kind of benefactor was this?
"Thank you, sir, for your generosity! Thank you, sir, for your generosity!"
Hearing Shao Bowen's words, the vendor's eyes crinkled with joy.
This single gold leaf was equivalent to almost a month's income for him!
"I say, Sir, is this how you earned your reputation as the foremost divine predictor of the Great Song?"
"Truth mixed with falsehood, reality intertwined with illusion. The fact that I can sit here and encounter Your Excellency, is this not his destiny?"
Shao Bowen showed no embarrassment, earnestly and forcefully explaining himself.
"Sir, I feel like you're scamming people."
Even Jiang Yan, who was serving them, couldn't help but mumble quietly.
"Hahahaha!"
His simple sentence made Han Mo burst into laughter.
"Shut up!"
Hearing Han Mo's laughter, Shao Bowen became a little irked.
After the group finished their fish porridge, the soldiers sent by Wang Bing returned to their camps, while Han Mo and Shao Bowen traveled by carriage towards the post station...
"Why are you looking at me like that, Sir?"
In the carriage, Han Mo asked curiously as Shao Bowen kept staring at him.
"You are truly an interesting person!"
Shao Bowen smiled and then said.
"Oh?"
"You say you spare no means to exploit those Japanese to the bone, yet why did you let these corrupt officials off this time?"
"Just this?"
Han Mo asked with a smile.
"Isn't this strange enough?"
Shao Bowen retorted directly.
"It's actually very simple. Towards those Japanese, this humble one has always had only one attitude: those who are not of our kind will surely have different intentions!"
"And what about these corrupt officials? Given their actions, even killing them eight hundred times would be enough. Why did you risk so much to protect them?"
"You know about this, Sir?"
Han Mo asked with some confusion.
"Is this very strange?"
"Alright! Actually, this is even simpler!"
"I am eager to hear the details!"
As Shao Bowen said this, his expression suddenly turned serious.
"Given the current state of affairs, even if we were to kill them all, what would be the use? Rather than replacing them with another batch of corrupt officials and continuing to scheme with them, it's better to keep evidence of their corruption and control them firmly in our hands!"
"But by doing so, aren't you afraid people will say you're forming factions?"
"How can one stand without a faction?"
Han Mo said without hesitation.
"This idea of yours is truly more than just dangerous!"
Shao Bowen said meaningfully.
"Sir, it's not my idea that's dangerous, but the current Great Song dynasty! Haven't you seen it? When the nest is overturned, how can any eggs remain intact?"
"You, you..."
Shao Bowen's pupils contracted, and he looked at Han Mo with disbelief.
He had sacrificed 20 years of his lifespan to glimpse this sliver of heavenly opportunity.
By what right did Han Mo speak of everything with such certainty?
"You want to know how I know, right?"
Han Mo's expression suddenly turned a bit melancholic.
"Many times, I wish I didn't know. If I didn't know, I wouldn't be afraid. But once you know the outcome, people become very conflicted..."
"Jingkang, the sorrow of the Song, the sorrow of the Hua!"
"You, you really know..."
Although Han Mo had already made it clear, Shao Bowen still harbored a sliver of doubt. However, upon hearing the words "Jingkang," he was truly shocked by Han Mo's words.
"I know far more than you imagine, Sir!"
After taking a few deep breaths, Han Mo finally regained his composure.
"Then why..."
"Are you asking why I don't try to change things? Or why I don't report all this to the Emperor?"
Seeing the faint smile on Han Mo's face, Shao Bowen suddenly realized. Yes, even if he told them, what would be the outcome?