Watching his hesitant demeanor, Han Mo coldly issued an ultimatum.
"The Mingzhou Armory's current stock is less than thirty percent..."
Seeing Han Mo preparing to depart again, Li Yueyang finally couldn't help but speak.
"What about the items inside?"
"Some were sold to those foreign merchants, and some... the higher-ups... you understand..."
In this world, everything is difficult at the beginning, but after things are opened up, they become less of a concern.
Having started, Li Yueyang immediately spilled the beans about their dealings.
"I say, Master Li, you fellows really have quite a lot of nerve!"
After Li Yueyang confessed everything, even Han Mo wished he could kill him with a single blow.
The entire armory of Mingzhou City had been hollowed out by them over the years, almost depleted.
What was even more outrageous was that these people were still trafficking military supplies just last month.
It was important to remember that Fang La's rebellion had already begun to erupt at that time.
Heaven knew if any of the weapons in the hands of the rebels were ones he had sold himself.
"You should have detailed account books, right? Before sunrise tomorrow, I want a list of all the remaining items in the armory!"
"I, I'll have someone prepare it immediately!"
"And one more thing, I want confessions from everyone involved in this matter!"
Upon hearing Han Mo's words, Li Yueyang fell silent.
"You'd best think carefully. If I wanted your lives, I could have you executed on the spot right now!"
"Yes!"
Gritting his teeth fiercely, Li Yueyang finally made up his mind.
After all, as Han Mo had said, if Han Mo wanted to kill them, he only needed to open the armory, and not a single official, high or low, in Mingzhou would escape.
And Han Mo keeping their confessions was simply a way to control them.
"Let's go. Take me to the armory first. As for the rest, Governor, you can proceed with the arrangements!"
***
"It's him? What grievance does my Pu family have with him? Why would he deal such a fatal blow? Just because of those few Japanese?"
While Han Mo and Li Yueyang were inspecting the armory, in the brightly lit Pu family's council hall, Pu Haida had finally found some clues.
Seeing all the evidence pointing to Han Mo, Pu Haida truly couldn't understand what Han Mo was trying to achieve!
After all, they were just maritime merchants, and there was no direct conflict of interest with Han Mo.
Of course, the matter of Ping Zhengsheng and the others was directly ignored by them, as they couldn't possibly imagine how much effort Han Mo had invested in calculating against those Japanese.
"Patriarch, what's the use of talking about this now? If we don't fight back now, we'll truly be at the mercy of others..."
"That's right, Patriarch. Regardless of his reasons, this network we've built over the years, can't it deal with a mere seventh-rank civil official?"
"Patriarch, make a decision. If we don't act soon, it might be too late!"
After reviewing all the information, several stewards of the Pu family, filled with killing intent, began to voice their opinions.
They were not dough to be kneaded at will. In this era, how could those who made a living from the sea be anything but tough?
"Where is Jin Shan?"
Although they were constantly urging Pu Haida to make a decision quickly, Pu Haida still hadn't given his assent, and instead asked.
"Judging by the time, it should be within these one or two days!"
The old butler serving nearby quickly replied.
"Patriarch, this matter cannot be delayed any longer!"
"Do you really think this is something that can be solved by killing people now?"
Seeing them still urging him, Pu Haida couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.
Before the events in Mingzhou were set in motion, they could indeed have killed Han Mo to quell the matter completely.
However, now that the fire had already been lit, and a crown had fallen, they were no longer in control of their own destiny.
Even if Han Mo were gone now, the remaining major families would not easily let go of this golden opportunity.
Compared to Han Mo, they were the Pu family's most formidable opponents.
Especially the Huang, Zhou, and Yu families, who were all in the shipping business!
They must be eagerly anticipating the complete downfall of the Pu family, and then they would gobble up the fleet that the Pu family had painstakingly built!
Of course, if they could obtain the map of the Spice Islands from their hands, that would be even better!
After all, in this era, spices were the most sought-after commodity!
Whether it was the Great Song, Liao, or Jin dynasties, the demand for spices had never ceased.
Although the Jin people were still poor, ever since Zhao Liangsi had added a hundred catties of spices to the gifts presented to the Jin Emperor Wanyan Aguda last time, the Jin envoys had included spices in all their subsequent negotiations with the Song dynasty!
While others might dismiss such things as mere gossip, the Huang and Zhou families, who were also maritime merchants, had already begun exploring northern routes.
Although this news was kept very secret, how could it possibly escape the eyes of the Pu family's informants?
"Patriarch, Eldest Son has arrived!"
Just as they were arguing, a servant's voice suddenly came from outside the door.
"Let him in!"
"Father, uncles!"
As soon as he entered, Pu Jinshan's appearance startled everyone in the room.
He was currently in rags, with disheveled hair and bloodstains on his body. Even a beggar on the street would look cleaner than him now.
"What happened to you? How did you end up like this?"
Seeing his son in such a state, Pu Jinshan himself was startled.
"I encountered rebels on my way back. In order to protect me and break through the encirclement, the people around me..."
As Pu Jinshan spoke, his eyes turned red.
Those people around him were all seasoned sailors who had followed him for many years.
These men, who had not died in the storms at sea, had instead perished at the hands of those rebels.
"There were rebels along the way?"
Upon hearing his words, the stewards of the Pu family all stood up.
"That's right. Not only were there rebels, but it is said that their numbers have already reached tens of thousands, and they are now preparing to attack Mingzhou City!"
When they heard this news, the Pu family's council hall fell silent.
This news was too shocking, and it thoroughly disrupted everyone's plans.
"Jinshan, you know the events surrounding those Japanese. Tell me in detail, without missing a single detail!"
After taking a deep breath, Pu Haida asked again.
"I..."