"Alright, Brother Zong, do you have any more concerns?" Han Mo asked, smiling at Zong Ying.
"Phew," Zong Ying sighed after a long silence. "Feng Yi came from the imperial palace. He won't be easily fooled, will he?"
"Don't worry, Brother Zong. I'll host a banquet for him today and allocate two million guan to have him handle affairs here. Then, I'll find an excuse to return to Mingzhou first. Once in Mingzhou, I'll disembark briefly, pretend to travel with my wife for a few days, and then claim to have caught a cold..."
"But that won't last ten days. You'll have to show up eventually. Someone needs to manage the Military Commissioner's office, right?" Nothing else bothered Zong Ying, but this was a headache. Han Mo held significant power, and the affairs he needed to manage were countless. Simply this alone required his presence.
"That's where I need your help!"
"Me? You think I can do it?" Zong Ying's eyes widened. He wasn't cut out for this.
"You don't need to worry. In fact, dealing with affairs in Liangzhe and Fujian is the easiest. It's all about money! Just have them list out the detailed figures, then cut two-tenths from the approvals. There won't be any problems in the short term! If the treasury isn't enough, just write a note to the Maritime Trade Office to borrow. They won't make things difficult for you regarding accounts!" Han Mo said, placing a seal in front of Zong Ying.
"You..." Hearing Han Mo's seemingly unreliable plan, Zong Ying was at a loss for words. But upon further reflection, it was indeed true. The Song dynasty's officialdom was like this. With three or four people managing one matter, the least lacking were those who could do things; the constant shortage was always of money and supplies! With a superior like Han Mo who could make money, the people below were truly fortunate.
"I know even with this, it will only last about ten days. After that, you'll have to adapt as circumstances dictate!" Han Mo said with a smile as Zong Ying remained silent.
"Then all these people around you must stay. What about your safety?" Zong Ying asked with a sigh after a serious look at Han Mo.
"Don't worry about that. I have my ways. I can handle a few unfamiliar faces."
"I won't say anything more. I'll stay in Quanzhou for a few days to stall Feng Yi for as long as possible. Remember, you must be extremely careful!" Zong Ying said with a bitter smile after a deep look at Han Mo.
"Rest assured, I'm aware of what needs to be done. There won't be any mistakes! Brother Zong, I'm counting on you!" Han Mo said, earnestly cupping his hands towards Zong Ying.
"Be careful!" Zong Ying nodded with a bitter smile after a long sigh.
After arranging matters with Zong Ying, Han Mo brought his entourage to visit Feng Yi. Just as Han Mo had expected, Feng Yi's jaw dropped when he heard the figure of two million guan. At this moment, he was incredibly grateful that he hadn't been greedy for small gains, otherwise, Han Mo would never have offered him such a lucrative position.
"My Lord, rest assured. I, Feng Yi, will handle all matters here impeccably!"
"Then I'll trouble you, Minister Feng. I've been away for quite some time. I'll be returning to Mingzhou tonight!" Han Mo said with a smile, seeing that he had taken the bait.
"Leaving tonight? So soon?" Feng Yi asked almost instinctively.
"My wife is not accustomed to the weather here after arriving. I'm worried about the child she's carrying!" Han Mo had a ready explanation and chuckled.
"So that's how it is. My Lord is right, one must be careful. Oh, by the way, do you know that someone surnamed Cai impeached you?" After a brief exchange, Feng Yi lowered his voice and asked Han Mo.
"Is there such a thing?" Han Mo understood that Feng Yi was trying to curry favor by mentioning Cai Yunting, but he was happy to play ignorant, letting Feng Yi offer his allegiance first.
"Of course. He told me himself!"
"Oh?"
"My Lord, please don't misunderstand. My godfather instructed me that we are the real allies, and I know the difference!" Feng Yi quickly said, seeing Han Mo's thoughtful expression.
"I naturally believe you, Minister Feng. However, if I, as a new official, were to act against him immediately, people might say I'm purging dissent..."
"My Lord, leave this to me. I am the most suitable person to handle it!" After receiving such a great benefit, Feng Yi immediately volunteered for everything.
"In that case, I entrust this matter to you, Minister Feng!" Seeing his perceptiveness, Han Mo smiled. People truly die for wealth and birds for food. Everything now fell into place. Assigning him the renovation of the Qingyang Iron Mine and having him deal with Cai Yunting would take at least several months. By the time he resolved these two matters, Han Mo would have already returned from Bianliang. Moreover, Cai Yunting's impeachment of him seemed like a good opportunity. A servant of the Cai family becoming a transport commissioner and being corrupt – if this matter were handled properly, it might be difficult to bring down Cai Jing, but dealing with Cai Tao would certainly be possible! Once Cai Tao was removed from Cai Jing's side, how long could that deaf and blind old man last?
"My Lord is joking. We are allies!" Feng Yi said with a smile, looking at Han Mo's expression.
"Cai Yunting himself is not important. However, Minister Feng, there's one thing you must be careful about. It should stop at the level of Scholar Cai. If it goes any higher, it might make things difficult for His Majesty..." Han Mo whispered after taking a sip of tea.
"Ah? My Lord, rest assured, I understand. I understand!" Feng Yi, having come from the imperial palace, understood Han Mo's meaning. Han Mo was reminding him that any correspondence involving Cai Jing should only be seen by the Emperor himself.
"Since that's the case, I won't disturb you further. Minister Feng, Han Mo takes his leave. We'll meet again in Mingzhou!" Han Mo said with a smile, seeing that Feng Yi had understood him.
"See you in Mingzhou! My Lord, have a safe journey!"