"But the matter has already come to this, and the envoy has already set off north. What good would it do to kill them?"
Although Han Mo spoke with certainty, Zhang Shaoyou still didn't take the matter too seriously.
"Brother Shaoyou, do you think this is just a matter of money? If it's a problem that can be solved with just a million strings of cash, then is it still an issue? The Jurchens are a nation of tigers and wolves. From their dispatch of an envoy to the Emperor signing the alliance, less than a month has passed. If you were the Jurchen Emperor, what would you think? Have you ever seen jackals, wolves, and leopards coexist with cattle and sheep?"
"You, you mean..."
When he got halfway through, Zhang Shaoyou himself didn't dare to continue.
"That's right, just wait and see. Once the Liao campaign is settled, it will probably be less than a year before the Jurchens make their move south! What do you think traitors like Cai Jing, Tong Guan, and Zhang Bangchang, who sold their country for glory, would do? As long as they are around, there will never be peace in this world!"
"So you want to..."
As Zhang Shaoyou said this, his eyes were filled with fear.
Compared to him, Han Mo's expression was much calmer. After draining the remaining wine in his cup, he slowly opened his mouth and uttered eight words:
"Inciting a political storm to eliminate traitors for the country!"
"You're crazy, you must be crazy..."
After exhaling a long breath, Zhang Shaoyou couldn't help but say.
"That's right, I am indeed crazy, and at this moment, I am a lucid madman. But Brother Shaoyou, life is but a fleeting few decades. Don't you want to leave your mark on the annals of history? I only ask you one question: Are you willing to go mad with me this time?"
Han Mo spoke as he poured the last drop of wine from the wine pot into his cup.
The joy was not yet over, but the wine was.
"Young master, the boat has reached the shore!"
Under the dim lamplight in the cabin, looking at the ripples in his wine glass, Zhang Shaoyou's chest began to heave violently.
He of course understood that this might be the greatest crisis he would face in his life, but he also knew that this might be his only chance for great success.
Thinking of his unremarkable decades past, and then looking at the youthful Han Mo before him, Zhang Shaoyou suddenly felt his nose sting a little.
In his youth, he had also traveled the world with a sword. But after entering officialdom, he was slowly worn down by his surroundings.
Even he himself could no longer remember how many times he had compromised to protect his official hat.
It seemed that only after meeting Han Mo did he slowly regain his dignity. Although what lay before him might be a narrow plank bridge of certain death, deep down, he always felt a sense of eagerness.
The region of Yan and Zhao was originally full of heroes. Even though they were in officialdom, the passion hidden in their hearts for many years had never disappeared.
"Brother Shaoyou, the boat has reached the shore!"
Han Mo said as he picked up the last cup of wine.
"Hahahaha! Hahahaha!"
Looking at the wine cup in Han Mo's hand, Zhang Shaoyou suddenly burst into laughter, and tears began to stream down his cheeks.
"What are you laughing at, Brother Shaoyou?"
Only after his laughter stopped did Han Mo smile and ask.
"Don't misunderstand me. I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing at myself. I'm much older than you, and in terms of talent, don't laugh at me, I've never truly admired anyone deep down. But today, after hearing your words, I truly feel a burning shame on my face!"
Zhang Shaoyou said as he forcefully slapped his own face.
It hurt, but it made him feel a sense of reality, as if only by doing so could he prove he was still alive at this moment!
"So, Brother Shaoyou, aren't you coming ashore?"
"Go ashore? Why should I go ashore? I, Zhang Shaoyou, have been mediocre for decades. I finally have such an opportunity, and I'm not willing to let it go. Who knows what unique scenery lies in that misty and watery place?"
Zhang Shaoyou said as he picked up his wine cup and drank it down without hesitation.
"Hahahaha!"
"Hahahaha!"
Looking at his heroic demeanor, Han Mo also raised his wine cup, and after drinking it down, they both looked at each other and smiled.
"Set sail. Tonight, my brother and I will tour Bianliang city!"
"Yes!"
After receiving Han Mo's order and responding, Gao Shun drove the small boat and sailed back into the darkness.
Listening to the laughter from the cabin, Gao Shun was on high alert. The faint light from the lantern on the bow of the boat could only illuminate less than ten feet around the small boat. If one was not careful, everyone could fall into the water.
After chatting with Han Mo on the boat for a full hour, Zhang Shaoyou finally returned to the shore.
"Sir! Sir!"
As soon as he stepped ashore, his retainers, who had been following him from a distance, cried and knelt before him.
"Why are you crying so much? Didn't I just meet an acquaintance and have a chat with a friend on the boat?"
After kicking them over impatiently, Zhang Shaoyou looked back at the Bian River.
"It's so late. If you didn't come back soon, we were both going to throw ourselves into the river!"
As Zhang Shaoyou's retainers, they had lost him halfway through. The two retainers were terrified tonight.
After all, Zhang Shaoyou had drunk quite a bit tonight. In Bianliang city, there were always some drunkards who would fall into the river by accident at night and drown.
If anything were to happen to Zhang Shaoyou, they would likely have their heads taken off and kicked like balls.
"Alright, alright, stop wailing here. Aren't I back? Let's go, let's go back and get a good night's sleep. We'll be busy again in a couple of days!"
Looking at the sail that had disappeared into the darkness, Zhang Shaoyou muttered to himself.
"Master, it's so late, you should go to bed!"
In Yu Shen's study, the old servant couldn't help but remind him as he continued to write and draw under the lamp.
"No hurry. I don't know what's wrong today. Perhaps it's a sudden inspiration. In any case, I'm not sleepy at all..."
Yu Shen said as he reached out to adjust the wick of the candle again.
"Dong—dong—dong—"
Just as the old butler was about to say something more, he suddenly heard a knock on the small gate of the backyard.
"It's so late, who could it be?"