Han Mo's ability to help him secure this position indicated a plan to draw him into Prince Xin's inner circle!
"Alright, today we just drink, no more talk!"
Seeing Zhang Shaoyou about to bow again, Han Mo quickly grabbed his hand.
The meal didn't last long, but in just that short time, Zong Ying found himself thoroughly impressed.
He had never imagined someone could be so familiar with every major and minor affair in the Kaifeng Prefecture.
It could be said that for any official above the fourth rank, Zhang Shaoyou knew their residences and the affairs of their households like the back of his hand.
Which noble's son was dissolute, and which young lady was outwardly kind but inwardly cruel.
Which shopkeeper on the street was affiliated with which noble household?
How much revenue did each household receive annually from them?
These numerous matters were all stored in Zhang Shaoyou's mind.
Originally, Zong Ying had harbored some reservations about Han Mo insisting on promoting him, a Kaifeng Prefecture investigator, to the position of Warehouse Department Official.
But after this meal, even Zong Ying had to admit that Han Mo indeed knew how to utilize talent.
With Zhang Shaoyou, all their affairs in Kaifeng Prefecture would become incredibly convenient. They could even get a relatively accurate quote for how much money to exchange for which position from whom.
"How was it?"
After they had eaten and drunk their fill and Zhang Shaoyou had departed, Han Mo looked at Zong Ying with a smile.
"I'm convinced!"
Zong Ying also smiled and cupped his hands towards Han Mo. It was as if they had said everything, and yet nothing at all.
All was understood without words!
"By the way, those few people you mentioned last time, why do I suddenly find three of them in your Neihuang County?"
Returning to the courtyard, after the servants had served tea, Zong Ying asked with a smile.
"If I didn't make a move on such talent early on, who knows where they would have ended up by now? You should be grateful to have them."
Thinking of Wu Jie and the others who would now be handed over to Zhao Zhen, Han Mo felt a pang of reluctance.
"This Zhang Shaoyou has already benefited the Prince greatly. If those three possess the same abilities you described, then Brother Han, you are truly a great benefactor to the Prince!"
"What benefactor and benefactor? Were these our intentions when we pledged allegiance to the Prince?"
"I misspoke!"
Hearing Han Mo's words, Zong Ying was taken aback, but he quickly realized that his statement had indeed been too formal.
So, he immediately raised his teacup, signaled to Han Mo, and then drank it down in one gulp.
---
"Master! Master!"
As Monk Dao Jian had just emerged from the Crown Prince's mansion, his two disciples waiting outside eagerly rushed over.
"This is in front of the Crown Prince's mansion. What are you doing?"
Seeing their flustered state, Dao Jian glared at them with annoyance.
"Master, look at this!"
Even though he questioned them sternly, the younger disciple quickly handed him a small booklet.
"What is this?"
Although he didn't know what it was, judging by the terrible texture, Dao Jian knew it must be something produced by those small workshops.
"This is a storybook that suddenly appeared in Bianliang City today. It's selling like hotcakes in every street and alley! They say even Li Shishi of the Imperial Fragrance Pavilion is composing music for the lyrics in this storybook!"
"Why are you so agitated over a storybook? Do you not remember what our mission is in Bianliang City?"
Seeing their anxious demeanor, Dao Jian was truly frustrated.
Ordinary folk enjoyed those erotic storybooks. To be shouting and making a fuss in front of the Crown Prince's mansion with such items, how would the Crown Prince perceive him, a revered Buddhist monk, if he saw this?
"No, Master, look at the content inside!"
"Bald donkey!"
"Demonic monk!"
"Fahai, prepare to die!"
Before the master and his disciples had walked far, a group of children playing by the roadside surrounded them.
Dao Jian hadn't understood what was happening yet, but these half-grown children, who looked no more than ten years old, had somehow procured armfuls of rotten vegetables, mixed with some filth, and hurled them at their heads.
"I..."
"Master, run quickly!"
As the old monk was about to say something, his two disciples immediately dragged him and quickly fled into a small alley by the roadside.
"The morals are declining, the morals are declining! How can such things happen under the Son of Heaven's gaze!"
Although Buddhism had been in decline for several years, and the Taoists had practically walked all over them, as one of the leaders of Buddhism, his actual living standards had not diminished much.
Even though he didn't dwell on such matters and found contentment in simple meals, being insulted like this in the street, especially being called a demonic monk and a bald donkey to his face, was truly a first.
"Master, perhaps I should find you a carriage..."
Seeing Dao Jian trembling, the two disciples cautiously asked.
"What carriage? Find a place to change your clothes quickly!"
He wasn't a neat freak, but being covered in stench like this was truly unprecedented.
Especially now, as he represented the entire Buddhist sect.
If Lin Ling Su were to see him like this, he would likely burst into laughter.
"Master, perhaps you should take this..."
Seeing his stubbornness, one of the disciples quietly offered him a straw hat.
"What, am I not presentable? Must Buddhist disciples wear such things when they go out?"
Looking at the straw hats on their heads, Dao Jian grew increasingly angry. He snatched the straw hat and threw it to the ground. Of course, he naturally attributed all of this to Lin Ling Su's machinations.
"No, Master, we..."
"We what? Do you think I'm not already disheveled enough?"
After speaking, Dao Jian walked forward without looking back.
The two disciples exchanged glances and dared not delay, immediately turning and chasing after him.
However, before they had gone far, a drunken man, stumbling along, grabbed his wine pot and smashed it directly onto Dao Jian's head.
"Stinking monk! I can see you're all disciples and grand-disciples of that demonic monk Fahai! Prepare to be taught a lesson by this grandpa!"
Damn it!