"Traveling by land is hardly as comfortable as taking a boat," Han Mo couldn't help but chuckle, seeing the look of lingering fear on Jiang Yan's face.
It was understandable, of course. For a man like Jiang Yan, a northerner, it was only natural to be unaccustomed to boats. While a trip on a river or a large lake occasionally was one thing, being out on the open sea could easily fill one with dread. After all, once you left the coastline behind, all you could see in every direction was an endless expanse of water. If anything were to happen, you wouldn't even be able to swim back to shore.
"Alright, alright. Big ships at sea are quite safe nowadays. No need to worry so much. Besides, these modern sea vessels stick to coastal routes. If anything were to happen, we'd still have time to sail back to shore!"
"Yes, sir!"
Upon arriving at the dock outside Mingzhou City, the large ship specially prepared by Li Yueyang was already waiting. Once they boarded, Jiang Yan was initially enthusiastic, his curiosity piqued by everything on the vessel. However, it wasn't long before the ship had only sailed a short distance from the dock. Jiang Yan, his face pale, retreated into the ship's cabin.
"No way, you're not actually seasick, are you?" Han Mo couldn't help but laugh as he looked at Jiang Yan's ashen face.
"My lord, I..."
"Alright, alright. You just stay in this cabin. Perhaps if you don't see the water, you'll feel much better!" Shaking his head with a wry smile, Han Mo then walked onto the deck alone.
Even though they were close to the coast, they could already see plumes of water being spouted by whales in the distance. Inhaling the slightly fishy sea breeze, despite the worries weighing on his mind, Han Mo felt a sense of expansion in his chest. This boundless ocean held infinite wealth. The great powers of later generations all owed their rise to the sea. And in this era, only the endless sea was a place beyond the reach of imperial authority. Han Mo wanted to rapidly expand his influence, and the sea was his best shield.
If they had traveled by land from Mingzhou to Quanzhou, even with non-stop travel and the fastest horses, it would have taken at least three days. But traveling by boat was much more convenient, especially in winter. The northwest wind blowing from Mingzhou to Quanzhou was constant. With full sails set, even this thousand-ton sea vessel moved faster than a galloping horse.
By dawn on the third day, Han Mo's ship had docked at Quanzhou.
"Finally, off the boat. I never want to set foot on one again..." As he disembarked, Jiang Yan felt as if his legs were still swaying.
"Your wish is probably impossible to fulfill. We have to take a boat back, and it's likely we'll be traveling by sea much more often in the future!" Han Mo said, unable to resist a bit of schadenfreude.
"My lord, can you please let me off the hook?" Hearing Han Mo's words, Jiang Yan nearly collapsed onto the ground. The feeling of seasickness was utterly unbearable. Even after lying down in the cabin for two days and three nights, he still felt weak and listless.
"My lord, the carriages are ready. Should we head to the post house first, or go directly to the Maritime Trade Office?" While they were speaking, Han Shizhong arrived at the dock with his men.
"How are things progressing on your end? How many of the Pu family's ships have been seized?"
"This is a letter from Mr. Shao for you, my lord. Mr. Shao said that after you read it, you'll understand the situation!" Han Shizhong replied quickly when Han Mo inquired.
"Oh?" Hearing this, Han Mo immediately opened the envelope and quickly read the contents of the letter. After carefully reading it through, Han Mo finally breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had arrived just in time. Due to the suddenness of the event and the fact that it was winter, it was precisely the time when the Pu family's merchant ships were returning to Quanzhou. Excluding those still en route from distant oceans, over 400 thousand-ton large ships had been seized. This accounted for nearly 70% of the Pu family's entire fleet. Furthermore, because they had completely sealed off information, the entire port was now open for entry but not exit. Pu family merchant ships continued to arrive day after day. According to Shao Bowen's estimate, if they could keep the port sealed for another month, they could seize at least fifty to sixty more large sea vessels.
"Well done!" With these ships, Han Mo's future plans would become much easier. While not all of these ships could be converted into warships, they meant that Han Mo truly possessed the capital to contend for dominance at sea.
"The Pu family people are quite stubborn. No matter how much we interrogated them, they refused to reveal the origin of the spices!" Han Shizhong said, a hint of shame on his face.
"That's quite normal. This is, after all, the foundation of the Pu family's business. If it were so easily obtained by others, the Pu family's business wouldn't have grown so large! What about the Maritime Trade Office? Any news recently?"
"Everything else is manageable, but because we've sealed the harbor, the Maritime Trade Office has raised significant objections. I hear that their leader, Yan Ying, is probably already drafting a memorial to impeach you..." Han Shizhong spoke while cautiously observing Han Mo's expression.
"Excellent. Let him write his memorial. Let's go, we'll visit the Maritime Trade Office first. Since we're here, if I don't go and greet them, they might not realize that the Maritime Trade Office has a new owner!" Although Han Mo had already conceived a plan for how to rebuild the Maritime Trade Office during these past few days, he understood that the first step in realizing his plan was to win over the hearts of the people. If he didn't bring those corrupt officials, from top to bottom, into line, they would only bring him endless trouble.
"Yes, sir!" Hearing Han Mo say this, Han Shizhong no longer hesitated. He immediately took his place in the driver's seat and personally drove Han Mo.
"My lord, we can't just let this go! Although that fellow surnamed Han has taken over the positions of the Coastal Defense Commissioner of Liangzhe and Fujian, and the Director of the Maritime Trade Offices of all southeastern routes, we still need to let him know who the real master of the Maritime Trade Office is!"
"Exactly! My lord, they came and directly sealed the entire port for a month, and they even raided the Pu family! Such a large piece of fatty meat, and they didn't even give you any cut. This is clearly looking down on you!"
At the Quanzhou Maritime Trade Office, Yan Ying was sitting in the main hall, listening to his two subordinates complain in hushed tones.
"Why are you so anxious? All of you, rest assured. Eunuch Li's reply has arrived. It won't be long now before that fellow surnamed Han is kicked out!" Yan Ying said, looking at his two confidantes with a cold smile.