"This kind of thing shouldn't be joked about..."
Han Mo's smile vanished instantly.
He just wanted to make a little money, not cause any commotion. If it led to any unnecessary misunderstandings, then things would truly become troublesome.
"Does I look like I'm joking?"
Li Shishi looked at Han Mo with a serious expression.
"These damned profiteers! If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have let them take the books out for printing yesterday!"
Han Mo said with some annoyance.
"Never mind, why talk about this? I've nearly finished composing the melody. Although it's quite different from the usual tunes, if you savor it carefully, it indeed has a unique flavor!"
As Li Shishi spoke, she extended a piece of silk towards him.
When it came to sheet music filled with the five notes of Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, Yu, Han Mo felt a massive headache coming on.
"I'd rather listen to you play it. You can give this to someone else to read!"
After just a glance at the contents, Han Mo returned it with a wry smile.
"Alright! I've specifically invited Sister Lian'er today. Her jade flute playing is absolutely unparalleled in Bianliang city!"
"Jade flute?"
Hearing this, Han Mo suddenly felt a blush and his heart race. How did that sound so wicked?
"What? Is there something wrong? Sister Lian'er's jade flute is famous throughout Bianliang city. I've also learned from her for a period, but I can never capture her divine artistry!"
"You've also learned..."
"Why is your face so red? Is something wrong?"
"No, no, it's all good. Speaking of which, I can enjoy a feast for my ears tonight!"
Han Mo coughed dryly and quickly said.
"Then you wait here for a moment. You probably haven't eaten yet, right? I'll have someone prepare some food for you. By the time you finish, we should be almost ready!"
Although she didn't know what scheme he was hatching in his heart, Li Shishi said with a smile.
"Since that's the case, I won't be polite!"
He had been too busy drinking at noon. He was indeed a bit hungry now. Anyway, as the foremost talent in Bianliang, no matter how much he gorged himself at the Yuxiang Tower, Li Shishi wouldn't charge him.
Going by Han Mo's personality, he wouldn't be polite at this moment.
Not long after, a young maid brought a few small dishes and a large bowl of pearl rice. Although the dishes were generally light, they suited Han Mo's palate perfectly at this moment.
"Lord Han, I've finally found you!"
After finishing his meal, Han Mo was about to look around the place. However, as soon as he stepped out of the room, he saw Zhang Ruhui rushing towards him, beads of sweat all over his forehead.
"Daoist Zhang, what's wrong?"
Seeing him covered in sweat, Han Mo asked curiously.
"Lord Han, my master has something important to discuss with you. I wonder if you..."
Seeing the maids coming and going, Zhang Ruhui stopped mid-sentence.
"At this hour?"
Judging by his hurried demeanor, Han Mo guessed that Lin Ling Su was particularly interested in the Tale of the White Snake.
However, although Lin Ling Su was a plump fish, Han Mo had no intention of getting involved with him again at this time.
After all, their relationship with the Crown Prince had already deteriorated to such an extent. All the Censors in the imperial court were currently holding their breath, preparing to write memorials.
According to the original historical progression, Lin Ling Su was likely to fall into great misfortune soon.
To take a risk for such a charlatan at this moment seemed hardly worth it.
"The matter is urgent, please grant me some convenience, Lord Han!"
Seeing Han Mo hesitating, Zhang Ruhui quickly said.
"Speaking of which, we're not outsiders. I can roughly guess why you're looking for me, but I'm genuinely tied up tonight. How about I write a note for you?"
"Lord Han guessed it?"
"Isn't it because of this?"
Han Mo smiled and then pointed at his hair.
"Since Lord Han has said so, we shall proceed according to your wishes!"
Zhang Ruhui never expected Han Mo to refuse him so directly at this moment. However, he understood that Han Mo was exceptionally clever. Since he said he wanted to write a note for Lin Ling Su, Zhang Ruhui had no choice but to agree, as he couldn't afford to strain the relationship too much.
"In that case, please wait here for a moment, Daoist!"
Han Mo smiled, motioned to a young maid, borrowed some brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, and wrote a note on the nearby desk before handing it to Zhang Ruhui.
"In that case, I shall not disturb Lord Han further!"
"When the moon is full, it wanes; when one is too stiff, one breaks easily..."
Looking at the nine characters written on the note, Lin Ling Su's brows furrowed even tighter.
He could deceive the Emperor so easily, so his mind was hardly dull.
However, often, it was like Lin Ling Su now; even though he knew his path seemed to be mistaken, changing it was not an easy matter at all...
"Master, this brat is clearly being pretentious. I think he just wants to inflate the price!"
Zhang Ruhui had brought the note, so he had naturally already seen its contents.
Seeing Lin Ling Su frown, he quickly whispered by his side.
"If he really wanted to inflate the price, do you think he would have written this note tonight?"
After a brief silence, Lin Ling Su spoke directly.
"We've already reached this point, and those bald donkeys' blades are almost at our throats. Are we still going to retreat now?"
Although these monks only wanted to reclaim what was theirs, from the Daoist perspective, could they really spit out the delicious morsel they had already put in their mouths?
Transforming all the temples under heaven into Daoist palaces was the greatest undertaking Lin Ling Su had ever accomplished in his life.
If he were to be so easily outmaneuvered by those monks, wouldn't all his efforts be in vain?
"What do you think would happen if the Emperor were to switch his support to them?"
Lin Ling Su hesitated for a moment, then suddenly asked leisurely.
"Master, you jest. How could the Emperor possibly support them?"
After his expression shifted several times, Zhang Ruhui quietly replied.
"Whether he supports them or not is another matter, but the human heart is unpredictable. Will the Emperor always stand with us..."