Han Mo certainly wouldn't give them a chance to coordinate their stories now that things had come to this point.
Before they could even react or understand what was happening, they were taken away again. Unlike when they arrived, each of them was confined to a small tent next to them, individually.
Furthermore, an incense stick was lit in front of each of them.
This left them no choice but to panic.
After all, Han Mo had clearly stated that if they confessed, perhaps one of them could survive. But if they didn't, all eight of them would die.
Human nature is inherently selfish, especially for scoundrels like them. Since they were willing to sell out Mingzhou's architectural drawings for money, how could they possibly possess a spirit of facing death with equanimity?
"I... I confess!"
Although Lü Xiuming was merely a clerk and held no significant position in the prefectural yamen, he was one of the masterminds behind this operation.
Having been pushed to this extent, and with the incense stick not even a third of the way burned, he couldn't bear the pressure and immediately begged for mercy.
"My son-in-law, here are their confessions!"
A moment later, when Jiang Yan re-entered the tent, she held five confession statements in her hand.
"A bunch of despicable scoundrels! Throw them all into the Death Sentence Camp!"
After a mere glance at the contents, Han Mo lost all interest in these confessions. As he had suspected, the person who had paid the money was the old steward of the Pu family.
When the Pu family's properties were sealed, this fellow, being merely a subordinate and having the merit of personally leading people to search the premises, was not directly imprisoned. Instead, he was merely dismissed.
Yet, this inconspicuous minor figure managed to procure a large sum of money from somewhere.
He had spent nearly 100 taels of gold in total to bribe these villains. The architectural drawings were taken away the first night, and the very next night, Pu Kaishan disappeared.
Moreover, to cover his tracks, this fellow even found a scapegoat.
If Li Yueyang hadn't impulsively gone to the prison to find Pu Kaishan, this secret might not have been discovered for who knows how long.
"My lord, I've found the escape route of Pu Kaishan!"
"Did they escape through the sewage pipes?"
Before Shao Bowen could finish speaking, Han Mo interjected.
"That's right, but they also have a copy of the same architectural drawings. It might be difficult to track them down at this moment..."
Hearing Han Mo's words, Shao Bowen didn't keep him guessing and nodded in agreement.
"If that's the case, then it matches up. Since we can't find them, I don't think we need to search anymore. Let them come find us!"
After a moment's hesitation, Han Mo quickly came up with a solution.
These people hiding in the shadows were like a dagger concealed behind his back, and Han Mo couldn't help but feel apprehensive.
He didn't want to have his throat slit from behind at a crucial moment.
Moreover, this matter was also an excellent opportunity for Han Mo. As long as he could catch them red-handed, he could directly condemn the Pu family.
Mingzhou City was completely sealed off, and their connection with the outside world was likely severed by now.
This was perhaps one of the best pieces of news Han Mo had received so far.
"Does my lord mean to create a vulnerability for them?"
"If we don't give them an opportunity, how will they dare to show themselves at this time? If we don't flush them out, can you sleep soundly at night?"
Hearing Han Mo's words, Shao Bowen also nodded thoughtfully.
"That's indeed true. And if we can catch them red-handed, the subsequent matters will be much simpler. My lord can directly deal with the Pu family!"
As he said this, a hint of excitement appeared on Shao Bowen's face.
"To swallow the Pu family whole might be difficult with my current official position. However, I estimate that after this battle, it should be about right."
Without proper justification, it is difficult to act. To annex the Pu family, the assistance of the navy would undoubtedly be necessary. With Han Mo's name, it might be possible to mobilize the troops of Mingzhou, but mobilizing the troops of Quanzhou would be wishful thinking.
Especially the Quanzhou navy!
Throughout the entire Great Song Dynasty, the strongest navy was not the ceremonial fleet in the Jinming Pond. On the contrary, the most formidable navy was this seemingly inconspicuous Quanzhou naval force.
Although the problem of officers drawing salaries without performing duties had become severe in recent years, they were still the only army in the entire Great Song Dynasty that had sailed out for escort missions.
"My lord, rest assured. Leave this matter to me. Give me a hundred men, and I guarantee they'll all return without coming back!"
"In that case, I shall trouble you, sir!"
Since Shao Bowen had already said so, Han Mo naturally had no intention of stopping him. Moreover, entrusting this kind of matter to Shao Bowen might even bring some unexpected surprises.
As the shouts of battle echoed from the city walls once more, Han Mo's heart couldn't help but clench again.
He never expected that by merely allowing Zhao Zhen to depart a month earlier, Zhao Zhen would have undergone such a significant transformation.
Even in the current situation, knowing that he and Xin Xingzong had a personal grievance, Zhao Zhen still sent Xin Xingzong, who had shown no action at the battle of Hangzhou, to his rescue.
He had done so much for Zhao Zhen, and now that Zhao Zhen's wings were not yet fully grown, he dared to engage in such a "when the birds are gone, the good bow is put away" act. This truly disheartened Han Mo.
However, this matter also served as a wake-up call for Han Mo. The emperors of the old Zhao family were indeed becoming more and more unreliable.
Even Zhao Zhen, whom he had placed great hopes on, could become so arrogant after seizing power.
However, the thought of letting Zhao Zhen, whom he had painstakingly supported, be handed over to Wang Xiang like this truly made Han Mo unwilling.
Zhao Zhen was someone he had personally supported. How could Han Mo tolerate Wang Xiang, that old scoundrel, playing such tricks on him behind his back?
However, this incident had also completely shattered all of Han Mo's illusions. If one wants to be strong, one must be strong oneself. Instead of relying on an unreliable prince, it was better to quietly develop one's own power.
For Zhao Zhen to ascend the throne without Han Mo's support was simply wishful thinking.
If Wang Xiang truly possessed any earth-shattering methods, how could he have been kicked out of Bianliang City by Cai Jing for so many years?