Sun Mo hurriedly bowed to the two, returning very respectfully, "I am Sun Mo, the Prefect of Hedong Prefecture, here to visit the master of the house. I hope you two gentlemen can help pass on a message. I would be most grateful!"
Long Yi flashed and vanished, leaving only an afterimage and the remaining dark guard.
Long Yi whispered a few words to Shi He, who then went inside to inform Fan Zehao!
Sun Mo's arrival truly surprised Fan Zehao and Zhao Jiaqi. They exchanged glances, feeling that Sun Mo's late-night visit and respectful demeanor likely meant he had something to discuss privately, otherwise, he could have simply sent word through official channels instead of coming so late.
Fan Zehao and Zhao Jiaqi decided to meet with Sun Mo to understand the purpose of his visit.
"Bring him in!"
Shi He went out and led Sun Mo into the dilapidated great hall. Near the entrance, Sun Mo deliberately adjusted his clothes and straightened his jade crown before following Shi He into the main room.
The kerosene lamp on the table flickered a few times, making the already dim hall even darker.
On chairs sat a man and a woman. Their faces were unclear, and Sun Mo dared not look for too long, fearing he might offend some important figure.
Perhaps, it was the person he had in mind. If so, it would be all the better.
Fan Zehao watched as Sun Mo walked in with dignified composure, asking him in an even tone, "May I know why Prefect Sun is visiting so late at night?"
"I would not dare. Today, I heard of your son's actions in eliminating evildoers for the people. I merely wished to see which young gentleman possessed such chivalrous spirit, hence I came to visit!"
After Sun Mo finished speaking, he heard no reply from the person seated at the head of the table. He quickly understood that the other party was testing him.
He immediately continued, "Of course, if your son is from the capital, I might have something to discuss. May I know your esteemed son's surname? Could you please inform me?"
"Fan, Ze, Hao."
Upon hearing this name, Sun Mo's heart trembled. It was indeed the Emperor and Empress on a private tour. Though his mind was in turmoil, his expression remained calm. He flicked the hem of his robe, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed three times.
"Your humble servant Sun Mo pays respects to Your Majesty the Emperor, and Your Majesty the Empress. Long live the Emperor, and blessings to the Empress."
Fan Zehao: "We are outside the palace. You may address me as Master Fan. Please rise and sit down to speak!"
"Your humble servant is guilty and dares not rise. I implore Your Majesty to pardon my death sentence, only then will I dare to reply while kneeling!" Sun Mo did not dare to get up.
As an official of a prefecture, being treated as a puppet filled him with helplessness. He had been forced to do things against his conscience and to collude with those people out of necessity.
To survive, he endured humiliation and recorded every wicked deed in his heart. He had even secretly gathered evidence of crimes committed by the prefect and his advisor, and had rescued victims who were near death. All of this was for the day when he could bring down those who had committed these sins.
"Then it depends on whether what you have to say is enough to absolve you of your death sentence," Fan Zehao did not immediately agree.
When even the small town head in this place could act with impunity, how much more so for those higher up? Therefore, he would not spare anyone who committed evil. If their crime was minor and they showed signs of making amends, he would still be lenient.
"Your humble servant understands."
Sun Mo took out a small booklet from his怀. It was densely filled with records of his actions over the years, both overt and covert, detailing everything meticulously.
The handwriting was very small, but it was still legible. The date, location, and what happened were all recorded in great detail.
Fan Zehao and Zhao Jiaqi were greatly shocked after reading it. Unsanctioned mining of gold and iron, the forging of weapons, the recruitment of thugs, bribing officials in the capital, and colluding with local authorities—in this region, the prefect was practically a local emperor!
It was astonishing. The couple was truly taken aback.
Fan Zehao angrily slammed the booklet onto the table, his eyes bloodshot, his aura intensifying, and he roared, "You scoundrel! If they were so lawless, could you not have impeached them? And you still dared to collude with them. What a waste of all those years you spent studying!"
"Your humble servant... knows my mistake, but your humble servant truly did not dare to impeach them!" Sun Mo was in the wrong. Although he had not personally killed anyone, he felt helpless seeing the innocent people who had died.
He had saved those he could, and for those he couldn't, he had secretly given them a proper burial.
If it weren't for the hope of exposing their wicked deeds to the world one day, he would have resigned his official post and wandered the martial world.
"Husband, calm down. Let him finish speaking!"
Hearing his wife's words, Fan Zehao's rage gradually subsided. He took a deep breath and said, "Continue speaking. Tell us everything you know that you dared not report, word for word!"
Sun Mo glanced down at the Empress who had spoken. The rumors of the Emperor being henpecked were indeed true.
Inside the room, only Sun Mo's voice could be heard, occasionally punctuated by Fan Zehao's roar and the woman's gentle persuasion. Unknowingly, the eastern sky began to lighten with the first signs of dawn.
At this point, Sun Mo, who had been kneeling, felt weak and parched. Sweat dripped from his forehead down his cheeks onto his robe. Even so, he did not make excuses for his actions, only hoping that the Emperor would investigate thoroughly and spare him from execution, allowing him to atone for his crimes by living as an ordinary citizen.
Zhao Jiaqi listened clearly and understood his earnest intentions. All he craved was inner peace, free from guilt.
"You may rise. Our meeting last night is to be kept confidential for now. I will send people to collect the evidence and witnesses you have provided. Once the matter is verified and it is proven that you were not involved in murder, the establishment of private arsenals, or harboring thugs with the intent to rebel, the Emperor and I will protect you. If you continue to perform meritorious service, you will be dealt with leniently!"
Sun Mo immediately understood what the Empress meant by "continue to perform meritorious service."
He had been acting as a spy for a long time. Now, his efforts were finally about to see the light of day. He couldn't help but be overjoyed!
"This guilty subject will obey any command from His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress!" His response was resounding, his voice even higher than usual.
This was something he had long awaited, and it was about to be realized. How could he not be happy!
Zhao Jiaqi gave him some instructions and then had Long Yi accompany him.
One reason was to ensure he was not followed by anyone with ulterior motives. Another was to retrieve the evidence. And the third was to collect the people whom Sun Mo had saved.