Listening to Han Mo's casual reply, Li Gang couldn't help but take a sharp breath.
After a brief moment of shock, he immediately began counting on his fingers how much all these things could sell for.
However, the number was so enormous that even he, a seasoned scholar of Confucianism, felt his fingers were not enough.
"Uncle, you don't need to calculate anymore. Each ship, besides necessary supplies, can carry about five thousand shi. These few dozen ships add up to about two hundred and fifty thousand shi of spices, and all of these are expensive goods like cloves, nutmeg, and pepper!"
Seeing Li Gang's eagerness to use even his toes, Han Mo quickly said with a smile.
"Hiss—"
After hearing his words, Li Gang felt his lips tremble slightly.
According to current spice prices, if all 250,000 shi of spices were sold, the value would be tens of millions of guan!
"This deal of yours, kid, might be equivalent to half a year's tax revenue from the six southeastern circuits..."
After taking several deep breaths, Li Gang finally forced himself to calm down.
"It's not that easy to sell all these things. We'll definitely have to give some profit to the merchants, and we also need to reserve some for Bianliang. The final amount we can get will be around 15 million guan!"
Seeing the look of shock on Li Gang's face, Han Mo felt extremely proud. This was the effect he wanted. If he couldn't impress Li Gang, the subsequent plan would be a bit difficult to execute.
"Fifteen million guan..."
Li Zong, standing beside Li Gang, felt a shiver.
If this one deal could earn so much money, and if they could do ten or eight such deals in a year, wouldn't the annual revenue of the Great Song Dynasty increase severalfold?
"Don't think about it, that's impossible. Such deals can only be done once or twice a year at most! After all, these things grow on trees, they don't fall from the sky!"
Seeing the shocked expressions on the father and son's faces, Han Mo said meaningfully.
Of course, these things did grow on trees, but they didn't cost any capital to obtain...
For a gentleman like Li Gang, it was enough to know that the Maritime Trade Office was profitable. As for Han Mo's deals being "no-capital" businesses, there was no need to trouble the old man with such trivial matters!
After all, the shareholders of the East India Company also needed profits, and Han Mo himself had a share in it. Only by making enough money could they continue to build more warships. For now, the people of Java hadn't reacted yet, but once they did, it would be up to the East India Company's superior ships and cannons to make them shut up obediently.
"It seems that Brother Ziyi was right about you. You truly have the ability to turn lead into gold! The taxes that Boske contributed to the court annually were only a few hundred thousand guan. In such a short time since it fell into your hands, it can now provide more than half of the national treasury's revenue..."
Li Gang said with a look of finding a treasure.
"The country's needs are met without increasing the people's taxes" – this was indeed the best skill in the world!
War, in essence, was about money. The infighting in the court, on a larger scale, could also be attributed to money problems!
In his simple worldview, the court's annual expenses were fixed. If the revenue from the Maritime Trade Office could increase a bit more, the burden on the common people would naturally be eased!
"Uncle, if you keep praising me like this, I'll get lost!"
Seeing the admiration on Li Gang's face, Han Mo joked.
"No, no, I am truly impressed! No wonder the Emperor personally selected you as the Zhuangyuan! What emperor throughout history wouldn't desire such ability! This young man has been by my side for many years, but he is too upright. If you don't mind, would you take him to be by your side in the future?"
Li Gang had traveled from Xishu all the way to Mingzhou. He had passed through various prefectures and counties, and no one knew better than him how the common people were living. He had originally been unwilling to let his eldest son enter officialdom, but after hearing Han Mo's words, he suddenly realized that the court was not entirely shrouded in darkness. If there were more people like Han Mo in the court, perhaps the Great Song Dynasty's current predicament could still be resolved.
"I dare not speak of other matters, but you can expect great things when it comes to finances. Have you ever heard, Uncle, that Japan abounds in gold dust and silver?"
"I have heard of that, but what does that have to do with our Great Song? I have heard that those Japanese people are unruly and still refuse to acknowledge the Great Song's suzerain status..."
When Han Mo brought up this topic, Li Gang's heart sank. Could it be that this young man would bring him another surprise today?
"Uncle, since you are one of us, I will not hide it from you. A while ago, near Mingzhou, I met a merchant from Japan who claimed to be a descendant of the previous emperor, the emperor of the Wa Nu country!"
When he said the word "Emperor," Han Mo specifically explained it to Li Gang.
"It is only because they are isolated overseas. Otherwise, just these two words would be enough to destroy their state and exterminate their lineage!"
After hearing Han Mo's explanation, even Li Gang said disdainfully.
The Emperor of the Great Song could only call himself the Son of Heaven. How could the king of a small Wa Nu country dare to call himself Emperor? In the era of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Taizu, someone would have already asked for an imperial decree to send troops to punish them!
"Uncle is right, but that's not the point. The point is that this person signed a blood oath, saying that if our Great Song could help him restore his country and regain the throne, he would offer half of his country's land to His Majesty!"
"Is there such a thing?"
Although an overseas territory might not have much practical significance for the Great Song, in this era of frequent wars, if such a thing truly happened, the political significance would be immense! Many foreign rulers acknowledged vassalage and paid tribute to the Great Song, but offering land was truly a first!
"I also found it hard to believe, so I organized a merchant caravan to accompany him to Japan to see if what he said was true! This is the blood oath he signed. Please take a look, Uncle!"