"Then I'll leave this place to Brother Shou Zheng!"
"Brother Han, rest assured, I will deliver every last coin to His Highness!"
In just a short while, Han Mo had actually managed to raise 150,000 guan.
This capability, coupled with the abilities Han Mo had previously displayed and his boldness, truly impressed Zong Ying! After all, even though grain prices were soaring in Bianliang City, a dou of rice only cost 800 wen. Fifteen hundred guan was already a considerable fortune. Ordinary people, let alone possessing it, had likely never even seen so much money. Yet, he had silently, so easily, produced it and handed it over to Prince Xin for disaster relief! The spirit of spending generously made him feel somewhat inferior.
"Second Brother, you just gave them so much money..."
On the way back, Xu Fengnian couldn't help but grumble.
"Drive your cart, stop the incessant chatter!"
Han Mo glared at him irritably. This fellow, now that they were familiar, was showing a tendency towards becoming a chatterbox.
"Yes!"
Hearing Han Mo's words, Xu Fengnian immediately flinched, no longer daring to say anything further. Although this meant he might become penniless again in the short term, Han Mo couldn't bear to watch tens of thousands of people starve to death. Fortunately, there were plenty of ways to make money, and he needed to focus on the imperial examinations, so he didn't have to worry too much about finances.
He took Feng Yuanbao to the small courtyard, and after showing him the entire process, Feng Yuanbao was truly astonished. The method was incredibly simple and could be done by a few women, yet over the years, so many people in the world had failed to come up with this idea…
"Young Master, aren't you afraid I'll learn the method and renege on our agreement?"
Feng Yuanbao said with a wry smile and a shake of his head.
"Would you?"
Han Mo smiled. Did he truly think he was still that unlucky child, unloved by his grandmother and uncle, from a few months ago?
"Alright, you've learned the method. You can have someone deliver the contract later. You can have people come to take these tools away!"
"Young Master, how did you come up with this method?"
Feng Yuanbao finally asked the question he most wanted to ask. Selling these broken things for 150,000 guan to him, it would be a miracle if he felt comfortable about it.
"Well, it was on a dark and stormy night, I dreamed of an old man with a white beard doing it, and I watched him, then I learned it."
Hearing the utterly insincere reply, Feng Yuanbao's eyes almost rolled out of his head. Did anyone actually say such things? However, since the other party had said as much, it was clear he didn't want to be questioned further. As a shrewd individual, he naturally understood such matters.
"Second Brother, Xu Fengnian just said you sold the method, and the money went to Prince Xin for disaster relief?"
After sending Feng Yuanbao away, Han Mo had just returned to his room when Chun Tao rushed over anxiously.
"Yes, there was such a thing, but it wasn't a sale, it was a collaboration! Don't listen to his nonsense!"
Han Mo casually picked up a book, flipped through it, and said nonchalantly.
"He said it was 150,000 guan?"
Chun Tao's eyes widened, counting on her fingers, unsure of what a large sum of money this truly was. Han Mo felt a little speechless; this big-mouthed fellow really needed some discipline.
"Didn't you see the disaster victims outside? If we didn't help, they'd probably all starve to death!"
"But then what do we do?"
Chun Tao's eyes turned a little red. They had spent money to buy those things. Han Mo had even bought a few servants, and now the method was given away, and the money was used for disaster relief, leaving them with nothing.
"Don't worry, it's just a way to make money. There are plenty of them here!"
Han Mo pointed to his head carelessly.
"Hmph! I can't win an argument with you!"
Chun Tao huffed and walked away angrily. Han Mo, with a wry smile, put down the book in his hand.
"You took 150,000 guan to help Prince Xin with disaster relief?"
Cai Wei, sitting on the bed, suddenly said.
"That's right, and I'm regretting it! If you want to mock me, now is the perfect time!"
Han Mo stretched as he spoke.
"But what was your motive for doing so? Aren't you afraid people will say you're trying to win favor?"
Cai Wei frowned and looked at Han Mo curiously.
"The matter was handled by Prince Xin, and the banner raised was for disaster relief on behalf of his father! What does that have to do with me?"
Han Mo spread his hands and said indifferently.
"But what will you gain from it?"
"I'm just being foolishly kind. Are you satisfied with that answer?"
Han Mo suddenly smiled, and he smiled very happily. The education from his previous life was too deeply ingrained in him, making it difficult for him to watch scenes of cannibalism like others without intervening.
"You are a very strange person!"
After a long pause, Cai Wei suddenly said. Whether intentionally or not, her perfectly standard Mandarin had a hint of a peculiar northwestern accent. After a moment of thought, Han Mo realized he had overlooked this detail! That's right! She had been on the battlefield, killed Tie Ya Zi, was from a military family, and paid considerable attention to him. Besides her, who else could it be?
"You are also strange. Why would a young lady like you go to the Cai family to steal?"
With this thought in mind, Han Mo boldly spoke again to test her.
"Wh-what are you talking about? I don't understand!"
Cai Wei denied it again.
"Don't play coy! Miss Zhe, we have an engagement!"
Seeing the shocked expression on her face, Han Mo's confidence in his judgment increased by sixty percent. Last time he said Miss Zhe was an ugly monster, her reaction had been so strong; wasn't that clear enough? He really was quite foolish to have missed such an obvious clue.
"You! How could you..."
Zhe You Rong's face was filled with shock. Hearing her say this, Han Mo immediately smiled, and he smiled very happily.
"You tricked me!"
Zhe You Rong suddenly realized she had been fooled by this kid.
"It's not entirely a trick, but I was still a little unsure, so I just wanted to confirm."
Han Mo said triumphantly.
"How did you guess it was me?"
Zhe You Rong looked at Han Mo warily.
"How did I know? Well, thank your slight northwestern accent. A northwestern accent, killing Tie Ya Zi at thirteen and surviving until now, you must be from a military family. A woman from a northwestern military family who is so interested in me, a wastrel, who else could it be?"
Hearing him say this, Zhe You Rong's expression became even stranger, as if she were looking at a monster.
"Don't look at me like that. If I'm not mistaken, your initial intention was to kill me or force me to break off the engagement, wasn't it?"
Han Mo smiled, his words once again astonishing.