"But what happens after he dies? After he dies, the situation will become even more chaotic. Do you think we'll still be able to control it then?"
Seeing the murderous intent flickering in Han Mo's eyes, Zong Ying's mouth twitched, and he quickly said again.
"Do you think the current emperor hasn't planned for this matter? Why do you think he summoned Yu Shen to Bianliang? If he just wanted to chat, a letter would have sufficed, wouldn't it? Why go through such great lengths, dragging him all the way from his home in Fujian to Bianliang?"
"What about Zhang Bangchang and Tong Guan?"
After swallowing with difficulty, Zong Ying asked again.
"Since we're going to eliminate traitors for the country, let's just wipe them all out. It's also time for Liu Fa's wrongful case to see the light of day!"
"You must be crazy..."
After hearing Han Mo's words, Zong Ying suddenly stood up, his head hitting the roof of the carriage with a bang. But at this moment, he couldn't even care about the pain.
Holding his head, he stepped out of the carriage and then turned back, pointing a trembling finger at Han Mo's nose and stammering.
"The country is falling apart, so what's the point of keeping our sanity? Has the imperial court nurtured scholars for a hundred years just for this day? Since all the sensible people in the world are standing by, why not let them see what I, Han Mo, can do? With wolves circling outside and traitors rampant within, isn't this the time for us to dedicate ourselves to the country? What they dare not do, I, Han Mo, will do without hesitation. I ask you one thing, are you in, or are you out?"
After speaking, Han Mo looked at Zong Ying silently. There was no trace of madness in his clear, watery eyes.
"You're definitely crazy! Crazy!"
Seeing Han Mo's determined gaze, Zong Ying's body trembled slightly.
"Hahahaha, just think I'm crazy. Come on, are you in or out!"
As Han Mo spoke, he burst into laughter again.
"Fine, then let's go crazy together!"
After a pause of three breaths, Zong Ying gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and said.
"Hahahaha, that's my good cousin Zong!"
Hearing Zong Ying agree, Han Mo laughed again, tears streaming down his face as he laughed.
"I must be crazy!"
Patting his head, Zong Ying returned to Han Mo's carriage.
"Life is but a hundred years. Let us do as we please. As long as we are true to our hearts and our country, why bother with the rest?"
Seeing Zong Ying's embarrassed look, Han Mo said with a light smile again.
"Hey Han, I'm telling you, if we both survive this, you'll be paying for all my entertainment for the rest of my life!"
"Here, take this!"
Hearing Zong Ying say this, Han Mo smiled and took out a document from his sleeve, then handed it to Zong Ying.
"What is this?"
Zong Ying took it and asked with some curiosity.
"A ten percent stake in the East India Company. Not only will I pay for your entertainment, but I'll cover all the expenses for your entire Zong family for three generations, including weddings, funerals, drinking, and whoring!"
Han Mo said, patting his chest with a show of wealth.
"A ten percent stake? Are you trying to fool me? Can such a small merchant house have this much influence?"
Zong Ying looked at Han Mo with a strange expression.
"Do you see the spice ships at the Mingzhou docks?"
Since Zong Ying had already boarded his ship, Han Mo naturally had to show off some of his strength.
"Of course I saw them. The Maritime Trade Bureau has quite a few ships, but they are still inferior to the Huang family's fleet!"
Zong Ying, having come from Mingzhou, was well aware of the goings-on at the docks.
"The Huang family invested over a hundred thousand-ton ships and all their crew into the East India Company, and they only received a ten percent stake. Do you still think it's a small amount?"
"What did you say?"
Hearing Han Mo's words, Zong Ying's body trembled. Over a hundred thousand-ton ships and all their crew, yet they only received a ten percent stake. How much profit would this merchant house have to generate to justify such an investment?
"Unbelievable, isn't it? I can tell you that not only them, but the Qian family, the Zhang family, and the Yu family are also involved. Their investment amounts are similar, and they all received only a ten percent stake! Your ten percent stake is my gift to you. You only have the right to profit, not to control the merchant house!"
Seeing his shocked expression, Han Mo said with a smile.
"How did you manage to bring all these people together? Such a huge investment, what kind of business could satisfy their appetites? Do you expect them to just pick up money?"
After hearing Han Mo's words, Zong Ying was completely stunned.
This oddly named merchant house had an incredibly formidable strength!
It had incorporated all seven of the Great Song Dynasty's wealthiest merchant families!
"Pick up money? In a way, yes. We discovered a small island overseas, covered in spices!"
"Cough—cough—cough—"
As soon as Han Mo finished speaking, Zong Ying began to cough violently.
He hurriedly grabbed the teapot from the small table and took a gulp, managing to save his own life.
"So, those spices weren't exchanged for goods at all. You just picked them yourselves?"
Zong Ying's voice became sharp, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Picking them ourselves would be too slow. They captured thousands of natives from nearby Java and are having them work day and night!"
"You, you..."
"Not just spices, they also have some small business in Wa Country now!"
"Wa Country? Are you hunting walruses there?"
Zong Ying asked Han Mo with some curiosity.
"No, no, no. Have you forgotten that Wa Country is rich in gold sand? They discovered a gold and silver mine there, and now tens of thousands of kind-hearted Wa people are working for them day and night, mining for free!"
After hearing Han Mo's words, Zong Ying's mouth twitched. Kind-hearted Wa people? Tens of thousands? Mining for free day and night?
Did he even hear what he was saying?
How could he not know there were such good people in Wa Country?
"Do you believe what you're saying?"
After giving Han Mo a white eye, Zong Ying asked with disdain.
"Why wouldn't I believe it? In about a month, the gold and silver they've mined will be shipped back to the country. What is there for me not to believe?"
"Hoo—"
"No, this is too valuable. I can't accept it..."
Even with his toes, he could imagine how much gold and silver a large gold mine with tens of thousands of workers could produce in a year. Although Zong Ying didn't believe a single word of the story about the miners working for free, he wouldn't doubt the authenticity of the gold mine Han Mo mentioned.
"Think carefully. All the major families in Mingzhou are establishing schools. Does your Zong family not intend to participate? With this money, if you manage it wisely, I believe your Zong family can become a prominent clan within thirty years, and perhaps even an aristocratic family in a hundred years!"
"But, I haven't earned this reward..."
"Who says you haven't earned it? The opportunity to risk your life and death is here, isn't it?"