Tang Ke, having reached this point, naturally felt no fear.
"Though orchids may block my path, I shall still weed them out!"
Tang Ke's declaration immediately cast a heavy atmosphere.
This statement clearly conveyed his attitude towards Han Mo. If Han Mo did not align with them, he would face their relentless retaliation!
"My lord, what are you doing? Are you intending to expel those with differing opinions?"
Han Mo picked up his teacup again, took a sip, and then calmly asked.
"When the world is like this, how can we remain detached?"
Tang Ke made no effort to hide his arrogance, sneering at Han Mo.
"Doesn't your lordship feel that your actions are too overbearing?"
Despite the repeated threats, Han Mo showed no intention of giving up his resistance.
"Hahahaha, Magistrate Han, you cannot possibly be so naive! As the ancients say: A gentleman does not form factions, thus he has no support when in trouble! Petty men form alliances, and they help each other! If we can only be gentlemen, wouldn't we be picked off one by one by those petty men?"
This was sheer shamelessness.
Han Mo was too lazy to argue with him. If others formed factions, they were petty men, but if he formed factions, he was a gentleman.
No matter how you put it, he was always in the right!
"Very well, Lord Han, are you willing to pledge allegiance to His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Having reached this juncture, Tang Ke naturally pressed Han Mo once more.
The threat was blatant. If Han Mo dared to defy him, a ruthless purge would follow.
"My lord's words do hold a sliver of truth, however, speaking for myself, my lord, you have found the wrong person! I, Han Mo, harbor no such great ambitions!"
Never mind that Tang Ke was threatening him; even if the Crown Prince himself were here, Han Mo would have nothing to say.
Without wasting any more words, he stood up, preparing to take his leave.
"Magistrate Han, don't forget, this is Hebei! I am the Commissioner of Transport for the Hebei Circuit! If you walk out that door, today's affairs will become quite interesting!"
"My lord, are you threatening me?"
Han Mo, who had already reached the door, suddenly turned back and asked.
"No, no, no, how can this be considered a threat? At most, it is merely this official offering a bit of guidance to a junior!"
Tang Ke shamelessly replied.
"If that is the case, then thank you for your guidance, my lord. However, I am accustomed to freedom, and my back is too straight to bend!"
Han Mo also cupped his hands towards Tang Ke with a cold smile.
Tang Ke gave him no room to maneuver, and now Han Mo had no choice but to face him head-on.
"Very good, indeed a hero emerging from youth. I truly did not expect to see another Kou Pingzhong in Neihuang County today!"
"My lord has many things he hasn't seen. Han Mo also wishes to offer my lord some advice!"
Since there was no way to resolve this amicably, Han Mo no longer intended to leave with a suppressed anger.
"Oh? Then I shall listen with great interest!"
"My lord, this junior wishes to say that in the affairs of the world, things revolve, fortunes change! Thirty years west of the river, thirty years east of the river! Leave a little room for maneuver, and you may meet again in the future! If my lord truly intends to do something, this junior is not made of mud either!"
"That is all I have to say. My lord, take care of yourself! There is no need to see me out. The roads in Hebei have been neglected for a long time; if you fall, you may not be able to get up!"
After leaving a few harsh words, Han Mo turned and left without a second thought.
He did not look at Tang Ke at all from beginning to end, striding out decisively.
"My lord!"
Seeing Han Mo leave, Li Yan stepped forward again.
"To possess such courage at such a young age, he is indeed a promising talent! It is a pity he cannot be used by me..."
Looking at Han Mo's receding back, Tang Ke's expression was one of complex emotion.
He had not expected this young man to be so resolute.
Since the inscription of the Yuanyou Party Stele, the backbone of the Song Dynasty literati had been broken by more than half.
At this time, within the entire imperial court, for someone his age to still have such a backbone was truly rare.
It was a pity that such a promising talent had to be destroyed by his own hand, which made Tang Ke's mood somewhat complex.
"My lord!"
Seeing Tang Ke lost in thought, Li Yan called out softly again.
"I am fine. Alright, proceed according to the worst-case scenario. Just ensure they do it cleanly!"
Taking a deep breath, Tang Ke glanced once more in the direction Han Mo had disappeared.
"Yes!"
Li Yan's pupils contracted. He responded and immediately turned to leave.
The position of Commissioner of Transport for the Hebei Circuit was not only significant for Tang Ke but also for the Crown Prince.
After all, the Crown Prince was severely lacking in high-level support. To help him quickly stabilize his position,
Liang Shicheng had directly handed over the residual forces of Wang Ge and others to Tang Ke, to prevent him from being completely suppressed by Xu Churen.
However, Liang Shicheng did not expect this fellow to directly use the power given to him against Han Mo.
"Are you alright?"
Upon seeing Han Mo return, Zhe Yourong immediately stepped forward.
"What could happen to me? Didn't I tell you? We're having roast duck for lunch today!"
Seeing her concerned gaze, Han Mo smiled and pinched her face.
"What did that old geezer say?"
Zhe Yourong slapped away his lecherous hand, glared at him, and then continued to ask.
"What else could he say? Threats and enticements!"
Han Mo replied with feigned casualness.
"Did you agree?"
"How could I? Am I such a spineless person?"
Han Mo said with a smile.
"But then you've completely offended him?"
Zhe Yourong looked at Han Mo with some concern.
After all, that was Han Mo's superior. Offending one's superior was a major taboo in officialdom!
Especially in this era, with the Hebei Circuit experiencing constant turmoil, if this situation continued to escalate, it would likely be Han Mo who suffered in the end.
"If I offended him, then I offended him. There's nothing I can do. That old geezer didn't give me any room to maneuver; this was my only recourse!"
Han Mo also let out a wry smile. He would have liked to feign compliance, but the other party gave him no opportunity.
"Then what do you plan to do next?"
Zhe Yourong asked with some worry.
"The situation in Hebei is becoming increasingly chaotic. We should focus on our own affairs and leave this place of trouble as soon as possible."
Taking a deep breath, Han Mo said again.