"Make a big haul? How big?"
As he spoke, Fan Zhengguo's breathing began to quicken.
Seeing Fan Zhengguo's excitement, Yuan Xingchi showed no reaction and instead smiled, holding up three fingers.
"Three million, no, thirty million *guan*! That's impossible, unless you can conjure copper coins out of thin air!"
Halfway through his sentence, Fan Zhengguo himself found it hard to believe.
The Maritime Trade Directorate had been thoroughly reorganized by Han Mo, and most corrupt officials had been ferreted out.
To extract such a large sum at this juncture would require Han Mo to spare no expense and investigate all previous officials.
But if he did that, Han Mo would immediately become the target of widespread criticism.
After all, such an action was taboo.
Although there were no explicit regulations, virtually all civil officials adhered to this unwritten rule.
Once an official retired, their successor would no longer pursue minor wrongdoings such as embezzlement committed during their tenure.
The current atmosphere in official circles was such that if all officials were strictly investigated for corruption according to the law, all officials in the realm would likely be executed, with only a few dozen being innocent.
"Whether it's possible or not is not important, you just tell me if you dare to do it!"
Yuan Xingchi did not answer his question, but instead smiled and said.
"Are you so confident? Let me make it clear, I won't do anything that harms heaven and reason!"
After a moment of hesitation, Fan Zhengguo finally spoke.
"If it were something that harmed heaven and reason, how could I dare to come to you?"
Yuan Xingchi smiled, then stood up, took out a small booklet from his pile of clothes, and handed it to Fan Zhengguo.
"It seems this kid is well-prepared this time and is up to no good, I wonder who he's planning to trick!"
Upon seeing the booklet, Fan Zhengguo immediately laughed.
"You'll know once you read it!"
Yuan Xingchi smiled and said no more, then submerged himself back into the hot water, quietly waiting for Fan Zhengguo to finish reading.
At first, Fan Zhengguo's face held a faint smile, but as he continued reading, his smile quickly disappeared.
"Isn't this a bit too risky?"
After reading the contents of the booklet, Fan Zhengguo couldn't help but gasp. This kid's nerve was too great; he dared to scheme against anyone!
"Rest assured, my lord would never dare to joke about such a matter if he didn't have a foolproof plan!"
Yuan Xingchi was very confident about this. After all, since he had known Han Mo, every action Han Mo took was well-considered and meticulously planned.
At first glance, every plan seemed extremely risky, but when the matter concluded, it would be revealed that every single action he took had a deeper purpose.
To say he thought three steps ahead was underestimating Han Mo.
"With such a large sum of money, even if Chancellor Cai is wealthier than the state, he would still be severely weakened..."
"Then you are greatly underestimating our Chancellor Cai. Severely weakened is an understatement; at most, it would be like trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice used for bait."
"Tell that kid, I agree to this!"
After taking a deep breath, Fan Zhengguo directly said.
"I thank you on behalf of my lord!"
Yuan Xingchi quickly said with a smile.
"I cannot accept this thanks. Strictly speaking, it is I who, along with the common people of the realm, should thank your lord."
Fan Zhengguo said this with a wry smile.
If it weren't for Han Mo coming up with such a brilliant idea, this money would have likely been spread across the common people of the realm again.
The taxes in the Great Song Dynasty were already quite heavy.
In many places, the people had already paid taxes three years in advance.
Forcing them to come up with such a large sum would undoubtedly lead to many being forced to separate from their families, selling their children.
"My lord is too kind!"
"Alright, let's dispense with these pleasantries. We are not outsiders, so just give me your instructions. I don't mind risking my official position for this."
"My lord, you jest. If our plan proceeds smoothly, perhaps by next spring, my lord will be appointed as chancellor!"
As Yuan Xingchi spoke, a smile reappeared on his face.
"Becoming chancellor at this time is not a good thing..."
Even Fan Zhengguo himself had not expected that in his younger years, he had desperately wanted to be an official but could only engage in petty and mean activities daily.
Now that he had completely lost hope in the officialdom, his luck in official matters had suddenly turned for the better.
"If everyone thought as you do, my lord, then who would the common people of the realm rely on? Surely the positions in the court cannot all fall into the hands of treacherous villains?"
Yuan Xingchi spoke while cautiously observing the expression on Fan Zhengguo's face.
This was the true purpose of his meeting with Fan Zhengguo today.
If he felt the situation was not right, he would have to quickly write back to Han Mo, otherwise, if Fan Zhengguo backed out at the crucial moment, Han Mo would be in a truly dire situation.
"Alright, go back and tell that kid that if this opportunity arises, I will hold this position securely for him!"
Seeing Yuan Xingchi's cautious demeanor, Fan Zhengguo couldn't help but smile.
He simply didn't want to focus his attention on the officialdom; it wasn't that his mind was truly lacking. Recalling previous events, he immediately understood Han Mo's intentions.
"Thank you, my lord, for your fulfillment!"
"This kid has only been in officialdom for a little over a year, and now he's already a regional commander. His promotion speed is truly unparalleled in this dynasty!"
Although Han Mo's official rank hadn't increased much, the power he wielded was terrifyingly immense.
Even Fan Zhengguo couldn't help but marvel at this.
"Are you praising my son-in-law?"
"You could take it that way. It's a pity, it's a pity that my Fan family has no daughters of suitable age. Otherwise, we wouldn't have let such a good talent fall into the hands of that old rascal Zhe Ke Cun."
Fan Zhengguo laughed again as he said this.
In all seriousness, it was truly a bit regrettable.
If he had known this, he should have worked harder back then and had more daughters.
With such a son-in-law, the prosperity of the Fan family would be within reach.
"Even without suitable daughters, once you, my lord, become chancellor, the Fan family can still rise again!"