"An official position..."
After hearing Han Mo's words, Xu Fengnian seemed to have made up his mind. He took a few deep breaths and nodded vigorously.
Although his reaction was within Han Mo's expectations, seeing him like this, Han Mo couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Alright, I'll have someone load these two bags of cotton onto the carriage and send a couple of people to escort you to the capital. You'll have plenty of time to study on the way, but remember, don't use up all the cotton on the road. Leave at least one bag for the Emperor to ponder!"
"Yes!"
Although he didn't know what Han Mo was planning, Xu Fengnian was ecstatic to be able to get an official position for such a simple task.
In this era, even though the court was already flooded with officials, compared to the vast population, officials in the Great Song Dynasty were still one in ten thousand. Just having an official position was a matter of bringing honor to one's ancestors.
His Xu family had been servants for three generations. To think that he, in his generation, could become an official was truly a blessing from heaven.
"Alright, you can go and prepare yourself!"
After dismissing Xu Fengnian, Han Mo called for Jiang Yan again, handed him the memorial in his hand, and asked him to pick two reliable men to escort Xu Fengnian to the capital.
Having done all this, Han Mo returned to his room, washed up briefly, and then enjoyed a good nap.
When he woke up again, it was already evening.
"The sunset in Mingzhou really has a unique charm!"
"My lord, are you hungry? I'll have someone prepare some food for you!"
Seeing Han Mo come out of his room, Liang Hongyu quickly asked with a smile.
"Stop calling me 'My lord.' From now on, call me 'Big Brother'! It's boring to always eat the same things. How about this, go and call for Han Xiaowei and Li Bao, change your clothes, and let's go out for a good meal!"
"Why call him..."
Upon hearing Han Mo's words, Liang Hongyu's face turned red.
"When you go out to eat, you can't go empty-handed. We have to earn back the money spent on gifts!"
Looking at her flushed face, Han Mo laughed heartily.
"You mean, we're going to visit someone?"
Liang Hongyu finally understood Han Mo's meaning and looked at him curiously.
"That's right, that's exactly what I mean. Tell them to prepare the carriage!"
As Han Mo spoke, he yawned again.
He had slept for too long, and all his muscles ached.
"Yes!"
Upon hearing Han Mo's words, Liang Hongyu didn't press further. She responded and walked ahead.
After a simple wash, Han Mo specifically changed into an official robe, and then, accompanied by Liang Hongyu and the others, got into the carriage and headed towards the west of Mingzhou City.
Mingzhou's terrain sloped from west to east. Wealthy families mostly lived in the west city, while the east city was mainly filled with inns, warehouses, and seafood shops.
"Go to the market and buy a portion of fine pastries. Remember, not too expensive, one string of coins is enough!"
As they passed by a market, Han Mo suddenly instructed.
"Big Brother, is just buying a portion of pastries enough?"
Upon hearing Han Mo's words, Liang Hongyu quickly reminded him.
"It's fine. They're not short of money. Besides, I'm bringing them a way to make money. It's good enough that I'm not charging them!"
As Han Mo spoke, he stretched his back.
"A way to make money?"
Liang Hongyu looked at Han Mo with a hint of curiosity.
"Although your wedding date hasn't been set yet, as your Big Brother, I have to prepare a good dowry for you. Once this matter is settled, you'll have a share in all our future business with the Qian family, no matter how much it is!"
Although Han Mo's voice was not loud, when Liang Hongyu heard the words "business with the Qian family," her eyes widened.
The Liang family was originally an official family in the Liangzhe region. Liang Hongyu knew what kind of family the Qian family was.
Any business that the Qian family took a liking to was a business that earned hundreds of thousands of strings of coins annually!
"Big Brother, this is not acceptable! I, I..."
Han Mo's words truly startled Liang Hongyu. After she reacted, she quickly began to refuse.
"Alright, he's just a minor captain now. In officialdom, besides connections, doesn't it also rely on influence? If I don't give you more dowry, how can you live a comfortable life in the future?"
As Han Mo spoke, he reached for the fruit on the carriage table and ate it slowly.
"But..."
"There's no 'but.' Since you call me Big Brother, I naturally have to fulfill my responsibility as an elder brother. Although you have lost your parents, aren't elder brothers like fathers? Haven't you heard that?"
Han Mo did not want the corrupt practices of officialdom to tarnish Han Shizhong, this war god-like figure.
Therefore, he directly prepared a source of wealth for him.
After all, making a generation of war gods live off the soldiers or embezzle funds was the greatest shame in this world.
"Big Brother..."
Liang Hongyu was truly touched this time, and her eyes turned red.
"Remember this, this property is your dowry. You cannot give it to anyone before you enter the coffin. If he dares to treat you badly, just find someone to tell me, and I'll skin him alive!"
"How could he dare to treat me badly..."
Amused by Han Mo's bandit-like words, Liang Hongyu's carefully cultivated emotions dissipated. Her tears hadn't even fallen before she was made to laugh.
"Hahahaha!"
Seeing her pretty face turn red, Han Mo couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Big Brother, you're teasing me..."
This time, Liang Hongyu's face turned even redder.
"My lord, we've arrived!"
Just as they were joking, Han Shizhong's voice suddenly came from outside the carriage.
"Who are you?"
Seeing Han Mo's carriage stop in front of his house, and with Han Mo wearing an official robe, the Qian family's gatekeeper rushed to greet them.
"Go and tell your master that Han Mo, an official of the Southeastern Six Circuits Pacification Envoy Command, has come on official business!"
Although this was not the Qian family's ancestral home, but merely an ordinary property of the Qian family here, both the vermilion lacquer gate with its copper nails and the two majestic stone lions everywhere showed the extraordinary status of the Qian family.
"Please wait a moment!"