"Yes, the fields are vast, yet farmers starve. Under a toppled nest, how can any egg remain intact!"
Han Mo's voice grew solemn.
"My lord, by doing this, do you know you are courting disaster? Are you perhaps planning to establish a kingdom overseas?"
After taking a deep breath, Long Haoting finally regained his composure.
"If Han Mo harbored such intentions, he would die amidst the chaos, pierced by a thousand arrows!"
Establishing a kingdom overseas was certainly not Han Mo's intention.
Why would he give up being a citizen of the Celestial Dynasty to become a monkey overseas? That would be sheer madness.
"Then what is your purpose, my lord?"
"To find a place of refuge for those poor and destitute commoners!"
Of course, Han Mo did not reveal the further reasons behind his plan.
"Are you not afraid I will report you?"
"Will you?"
Han Mo retorted with full confidence.
While his idea was indeed somewhat daring, what he had discussed with Long Haoting so far remained purely in the realm of thought, with no concrete actions taken.
Furthermore, only the two of them were present in this room.
Without any tangible proof, it was not just that Long Haoting would not report him, but even if he did, no one would believe him.
After all, from an outsider's perspective, Han Mo hailed from a distinguished family and was currently favored by the Emperor, possessing a bright future. He had no reason to undertake such a high-risk endeavor.
"I need some time to consider..."
After a moment of silence, Long Haoting finally spoke.
"It's alright. You have ample time to consider. This matter will require at least a year of preparation, and you can examine it further before then!"
"Then, regarding the..."
After a detour, Long Haoting returned to the topic of cotton spinning technology.
Han Mo could understand his curiosity, as people in technical fields are often more inquisitive than others.
Sometimes, if they cannot understand the intricacies of something, they may be unable to eat or sleep for days.
"It's fine to let you have a look at this, but not right now, as this matter concerns many people's livelihoods!"
Seeing his eagerness, Han Mo smiled and said.
"My lord, you aren't tricking me, are you?"
Looking at Han Mo's smile, Long Haoting's mouth twitched. This fellow was too much of a schemer.
"This is a small gift for you, Lord Long. I hope you will like it!"
As he spoke, Han Mo took out a ball of thread from his sleeve.
"Is this really cotton yarn?"
"Genuine article!"
Seeing his excitement, Han Mo smiled and got up to leave.
"My lord, are we leaving now?"
"Why would we stay here? Does he look like someone who provides meals?"
Upon hearing Han Mo's words, Jiang Yan rolled his eyes to the heavens. If they were truly without food, who would come to this desolate place?
"Let's go. Let's find a place to eat properly and savor the delicacies of Quanzhou!"
"Aren't we going to see the Quanzhou navy?"
"No rush. We are in Quanzhou city anyway, what's there to worry about? Waiting a day or two is fine!"
Hearing Han Mo's words, Jiang Yan stopped talking. He drove the carriage, accompanying Han Mo back to Quanzhou city.
For two full days, Han Mo behaved like a wealthy young master touring Quanzhou, eating, drinking, and sightseeing when he had nothing else to do.
It wasn't until the morning of the third day that Han Shizhong arrived before Han Mo with a smile.
"My lord, this is what those scoundrels coughed up. The inventory is all here!"
As he spoke, Han Shizhong took a thick stack of account books from his attendant.
"I won't look at this. Just tell me the total amount."
"Reporting to my lord, there are one million five hundred thousand strings of copper coins, two million taels of silver, two hundred thousand taels of gold, and various pearls, jade, houses, and shops, which are estimated to be worth another million strings. Additionally, there are fifteen large ships, each over a thousand tons!"
Hearing the long string of numbers reported by Han Shizhong, Han Mo was stunned.
Although he had anticipated that these fellows would give him a pleasant surprise, he never expected the final figures to be so astonishing.
Just the gold and silver, at current market prices, were worth nearly five million strings!
Coupled with the one million five hundred thousand strings of copper coins, Han Mo had essentially gathered all the funds he needed to submit to the imperial court for the year.
"My lord, it seems we've struck it rich today! Should we celebrate properly?"
As they were speaking, Shao Bowen walked in with a smile, holding a letter.
"If I'm not mistaken, this must be an official document from Prince Xin urging for provisions, right?"
Han Mo smiled and said casually.
"My lord's foresight is remarkable!"
Shao Bowen spoke as he placed the document before Han Mo.
"How much copper coin is in the Quanzhou city treasury?"
After some deliberation, Han Mo suddenly asked.
"Although Quanzhou was not plundered by the rebels, the official granary in Quanzhou was emptied by the Fujian Circuit Transport Commissioner some time ago!"
Shao Bowen said this with a hint of schadenfreude.
"In that case, we shall report the truth. The treasury is empty, and the people in the city are barely able to eat. We are helpless!"
Han Mo said, shrugging his shoulders.
"My lord, should we draft a report to Prince Xin, requesting him to allocate a batch of grain to aid the famine-stricken people of Quanzhou? Also, the salaries for the Quanzhou navy have been overdue for over four months. If this continues, it might even lead to a mutiny!"
Hearing Shao Bowen and Han Mo's conversation, Han Shizhong was taken aback. Didn't he have money in his hands?
How could these two be lamenting poverty when there was so much wealth?
"That's a good idea. Please go to the prefecture office, Mister Shao, and have Lord Long report the situation accurately!"
Zhao Zhen's previous actions had truly chilled Han Mo to the bone. Now that he was thinking of him, Han Mo naturally wanted him to ponder who truly needed whom.
"Captain Han!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
Hearing Han Mo call his name, Han Shizhong quickly responded.
"Leave fifty thousand strings of these ill-gotten gains here. Register and box the rest, then load them onto the ships. Select three thousand elite soldiers from the Quanzhou navy to escort the money to Bianliang via waterway. You will personally lead the troops this time and ensure that this wealth is delivered directly to Vice Minister Fan of the Ministry of Revenue!"
"Understood!"