"Magistrate Ma, with such an incident occurring, I too find it hard to believe, but as it has happened, you must try to be more accepting, sir!"
Han Mo spoke unhurriedly.
"You, Han! Do you take Ma for a three-year-old child? Where are the bodies of these people!"
Regardless of the purpose, these individuals were quite important to Tong Guan.
He had expended such great effort precisely to acquire them.
Yet, due to his momentary lapse in vigilance, Han Mo had silenced them all. How could he possibly let this offense slide so easily at this moment?
"Sir, you know perfectly well that in cases of sudden death, as per normal procedure, after the coroner's examination, the bodies are typically cremated immediately!"
"Well said, 'death without proof.' A truly accomplished scholar, both in literature and martial arts!"
Ma Zhiyou was so incensed he found it almost comical.
At this point, he finally understood why Zhong Yanchong had remained so silent. After all this talk, it turned out they had all planned this meticulously.
Han Mo's execution of this plan was indeed masterful.
While it seemed utterly absurd, procedurally, they really had no good way to deal with him.
"You flatter me, sir!"
Han Mo replied with a smile.
"Very well, Lord Han, you may await impeachment!"
Ma Zhiyou understood perfectly that if Han Mo had taken such action, the coroner and all involved parties must have been colluding.
Now that the bodies had been disposed of, and on Han Mo's own territory, with his retinue, it would likely be a waste of time to linger any further.
After uttering a parting threat, he turned and left directly.
"How can I help you?"
Seeing Ma Zhiyou's indignant departure, Zhong Yanchong asked with a wry smile.
"Using the authority of the Pacification Commissioner's office, take the relevant individuals away, then exile them a thousand li to Fuzhou!"
Han Mo stretched his arms long, then said.
"And what about you? With the censors impeaching you, you'll likely be apprehended and brought to the capital!"
Zhong Yanchong looked at Han Mo with some helplessness.
On this matter, he truly couldn't offer much assistance.
"What else can be done? Nothing can be done!"
"You had best not get into any trouble, otherwise, I fear your 'tigress' of a wife will come charging into Bianliang City..."
"Lord Zhong, it is unbecoming of a gentleman to gossip about others behind their backs!"
As soon as Zhong Yanchong finished speaking, Zhe Yourong's voice suddenly came from behind.
"Cough—cough—cough—"
Zhong Yanchong coughed violently, nearly choking to death on his own saliva.
"Hahahaha, see? The Master said, 'If it be not in accordance with propriety, speak not!' You're getting your comeuppance!"
Seeing his embarrassed state, Han Mo couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Hmph!"
Zhe Yourong unceremoniously elbowed Han Mo in the back, causing Han Mo to stumble, nearly falling to the ground.
When one person is down, it often brings more joy to their companions, especially one's bad friends. Seeing Han Mo in trouble, Zhong Yanchong, who had just recovered, also burst into laughter.
"I can't be bothered with you two!"
Seeing their schadenfreude, Zhe Yourong stamped her foot in annoyance and turned to leave directly.
Leaving the two unfortunate fellows to stand in awkward silence, their laughter echoing.
"Well, so much for a good meal, it's ruined now!"
After a long while, Han Mo could only spread his hands in dejection.
"It's all your fault for making me speak carelessly!"
"Hey, hey, hey, I say, Minister Zhong, can you still be trusted? What kind of person are you? That mouth is yours, and I'm not taking responsibility for this!"
Han Mo immediately objected, readily shifting the blame.
"Enough nonsense. I refuse to take responsibility. You figure it out yourself!"
"Oh, give it a rest. Do you think your higher rank gives you the right to pass the buck?"
...
"My lord, Scholar Cai is here!"
As dusk began to fall, Bai Shizhong, who had just finished his duties and was preparing for a bath, heard the voice of the old butler outside.
"What is he doing here at this hour?"
Bai Shizhong frowned and muttered to himself.
"My lord, what should we do?"
"Please invite him to the study for a while, I'll be right there!"
Although he didn't know what this fellow was up to, Bai Shizhong did not dare to alienate Cai You at this moment.
"Yes!"
After quickly changing into a set of casual home attire, Bai Shizhong hurried to his study.
"Jiu'an, why have you come in person? Is there something that requires a subordinate to run an errand?"
Seeing Cai You already seated in the main seat of his study, Bai Shizhong's pupils contracted, his expression stiffened, and then he immediately plastered a smile back on his face.
"My lord is a very busy man now. If I didn't come personally, I fear your subordinates might neglect you!"
Cai You said slowly, without even looking up.
"How, how could that be? You really like to joke with me!"
Bai Shizhong's complexion was clearly a little unnatural. He coughed dryly and then sat on another chair.
Compared to Cai You's leisurely demeanor, Bai Shizhong, the host, appeared rather uncomfortable.
Hearing this, Cai You finally looked up at Bai Shizhong.
That piercing gaze made Bai Shizhong shudder all over, and he quickly stood up.
With his hands nowhere to rest and the muscles around his eyes twitching incessantly, the nearly sixty-year-old Bai Shizhong looked like a child who had made a mistake and was awaiting his father's judgment.
"My lord, have you received any news recently?"
After a long pause, Cai You slowly asked again.
"News? Sir, what are you referring to?"
The Grand Tutor of the Baohe Hall, using "you" to address a subordinate official of the state, finally made Cai You's expression a little better.
"My lord, can't you guess what I'm talking about?"
Cai You looked at Bai Shizhong again with a cold smile.
"Yes, yes! This is the latest intelligence from the Hebei region!"
As Bai Shizhong spoke, he quickly pulled out a thin booklet from his desk.
"My lord's intelligence is quite swift!"
Cai You said, casually flipping through the contents.
However, after only a couple of pages, he immediately lost interest in it.
"Your Excellency is joking. I merely happened to save those two useless individuals last time..."
Upon hearing Cai You's remark, Bai Shizhong quickly explained.
"My lord, I shouldn't have come today, but I've recently heard some unpleasant news, so I had to come and give you a heads-up!"
Seeing his respectful demeanor, Cai You slowly stood up with a cold smile, pausing at each step as he walked over to Bai Shizhong.