"Rest assured, sir, I have this matter well in hand. Someone has meticulously recorded all the misdeeds they've committed over the years, from top to bottom!"
Shao Bowen spoke, gesturing towards his room downstairs.
The Pu family had harbored these corrupt officials for years, and they certainly wouldn't let them off scot-free. Every coin they sent out, every wrongdoing they committed and recorded through various channels, was meticulously documented.
Originally, these records were meant to be their fallback. But now, they were all falling into Han Mo's hands.
"Is that so? I'm quite curious, how much money did these fellows actually embezzle over the years?"
Upon hearing this, Han Mo immediately asked with interest.
"Why don't you guess, sir?"
Shao Bowen smiled and casually replied.
"Well, that depends on when we start counting."
"Naturally, from the past three years, the moment Lord Yan took office!"
Shao Bowen said, looking at Han Mo with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Just for Lord Yan himself, I estimate at least two to three million strings of cash. Considering all the officials, big and small, in the Maritime Trade Office, I'd guess it's somewhere between five to six million, wouldn't you say?"
After some deliberation, Han Mo finally spoke.
"Sir, you're far too modest. In just three years, Lord Yan alone amassed wealth up to six million strings of cash! And the vast majority of it is hidden in pawn shops all over Quanzhou City!"
"Six million strings of cash!"
Hearing this, Han Mo was truly taken aback.
After all, in the past few years, the total tax revenue submitted by the Quanzhou Maritime Trade Office barely exceeded 300,000 strings of cash annually!
And this one individual alone had pocketed six million strings, which, when prorated, amounted to two million strings per year!
Even members of the royal family, like the Han Jiayan couple, if you excluded the valuable gifts bestowed by the Emperor, their entire fortune wouldn't exceed one to two million strings of cash.
"This is all evidence that can be traced, piece by piece!"
"If that's the case, then we certainly can't let this fellow off lightly. Make him disgorge all the wealth he's embezzled over the years!"
Six million strings of cash!
Han Mo had never imagined that a mere Quanzhou Maritime Trade Office could engage in corruption on such a scale.
However, this was incredibly beneficial for Han Mo's subsequent plans.
Once these individuals were forced to return their ill-gotten gains, Han Mo wouldn't have to worry about the money he needed to submit to Emperor Huizong for at least the next two years.
"It might be difficult to recover everything. After all, this fellow spent quite a bit of money trying to curry favor with Li Yan. Moreover, sir, do you truly wish to fall out with Li Yan completely?"
If it were just a matter of dealing with someone like Yan Ying, Shao Bowen wouldn't have given it a second thought.
However, involving Li Yan changed everything.
Who didn't know that Li Yan's current standing with the Emperor was second only to Liang Shicheng...
"Don't worry, that fellow is widely detested in Bianliang City and has long since alienated everyone. All he needs is one final push. It's actually quite simple to bring him down!"
Seeing the worry on Shao Bowen's face, Han Mo smiled and said casually.
"Sir, while that may be true, he is, after all, always by the Emperor's side..."
"It matters not. To deal with him, I only need to breathe, and he'll fall! I'll write a letter shortly. Please help me get it back to Bianliang as quickly as possible. By the time you're done with your investigation, Li Yan should be executed by flogging..."
"Sir, you're that confident?"
Hearing Han Mo's words, Shao Bowen couldn't help but be stunned.
"How about we make a bet?"
At Shao Bowen's words, Han Mo suddenly became interested.
"No!"
The moment Han Mo finished speaking, Shao Bowen immediately shook his head.
He clearly remembered the previous incident. Playing games of calculation with Han Mo was just asking for trouble.
"Fine, if you don't want to play. I'll go write the letter now. You can help me pass it to my wife later!"
Han Mo stretched his arms as he spoke, then stood up and walked towards the writing desk nearby.
——————————————————————
"Father, how are you feeling? We'll be reaching Bianliang City soon!"
"I'm fine, I can still manage. It's just that my eyesight is quite blurry these days..."
To still be able to take on the position of Prime Minister at this point surprised Cai Jing himself.
However, thinking of his unpromising sons and grandsons, Cai Jing couldn't help but sigh.
Among his eight sons, only the eldest was somewhat capable. Yet, father and son had gone down different paths due to their conflicting political views.
Every time he thought of this, Cai Jing couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.
"It's alright. As long as Father can still extend greetings, these court officials will naturally know who to be loyal to!"
Having been cooped up in Luoyang for so long, Cai Tao was now practically bursting with anticipation.
If it weren't for Cai Jing's physical condition, which couldn't withstand excessive travel, they would have already been in Bianliang City by now.
"Don't say such things again. This is Bianliang, not Luoyang. If you still can't shake off your bad habits, I fear it won't be long before the Cai family faces confiscation and extermination!"
Hearing his son's foolish words, Cai Jing frowned.
"I understand. Let's hurry on our way!"
Cai Tao paid little attention to Cai Jing's words. His mind was consumed with thoughts of how to get revenge on his elder brother, leaving him no time for anything else...
As Cai Jing's carriage entered the South Gate, a group of officials were seen waiting in the distance. The leading figure was Wang Fu, who had just lost out on the position of Grand Minister.
"Father, the esteemed officials have come to welcome you!"
Seeing Wang Fu himself here, Cai Tao felt a surge of pride, his face flushing with excitement as he spoke.
"Thank you all for making this arduous journey. This old man is deeply grateful!"
Once again basking in the long-lost feeling of being the center of attention, Cai Jing's face lit up with a familiar smile.
"It's been some time, Old Yuan. Your spirit is still as strong as ever. It seems the Heavens truly bless our Great Song!"
Looking at the age spots on Cai Jing's hands, Wang Fu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It's alright, this fellow is already old. I still have a chance!