I really don't want to be a traitor

In Xiongzhou, the two armies faced each other.

A war has just ended.

Outside the city walls, tens of thousands of lives remain on the battlefield forever.

The equipment is thick and old, and the armor is full of traces of time and battle. They are the corpses of Jin soldiers under Shi Jingtang's command.

The rest, wearing bright pink armor and graceful figures, are the soldiers of the Daci Dynasty who died in battle.

In addition, Shi Jingtang's six trap dragons, Chiqi, Suanni, Chaofeng, Jiazui, Pulao and Biuan, killed countless enemies when the two armies went into battle, but also suffered varying degrees of battle losses.

Among them, Xiaofeng suffered the most serious injuries. One of its phoenix-like wings was broken, and its head was almost split in half.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, the traitors have retreated!"

A Jin army soldier knelt in front of Shi Jingtang and reported.

Shi Jingtang's face was gloomy.

"Congratulations?"

"You said congratulations?"

He raised his foot and kicked the general, sending him flying ten feet away and leaving a deep dent in the general's thick armor!

"Fool!"

"My goal is the entire world!"

"But look outside the city wall?"

"A dynasty founded by a woman, leading 200,000 women wearing armor and holding weapons, actually fought to a draw with my powerful Jin army!"

"Who can tell me what is worthy of congratulations!!!"

Shi Jingtang's angry roar echoed endlessly in Xiongzhou City.

As he said, the first battle between the two armies only resulted in a draw.

Although Daci's army retreated, it was because Ming Jin collected his troops and retreated calmly, rather than being defeated.

Victory does not belong to Shi Jingtang.

Victory also does not belong to Yaoguang.

"fraud!"

"Fan Li dares to deceive me!?"

In the Daci Military Camp, the smile on Empress Yaoguang's face disappeared, and her eyes revealed a cold and cold light like a poisonous snake.

She had just received news that the purchasing power of treasure notes and spirit stone coupons had dropped.

The goods that can be bought with one tael of silver can be purchased with one tael of silver banknotes of the same denomination.

One tael is equal to ten coins.

The fluctuation of 10% of purchasing power may not seem big, but Yaoguang has just received treasure banknotes and spirit stone coupons equivalent to five years of Chu State's tax revenue, and the loss is already an astronomical figure!

"Sister, is it really Fan Li who is causing trouble?" Holy Lord Miaoyin asked, "Should we still fight this battle? Should we withdraw our troops first, or go directly to Pengcheng to question Fan Li's army?"

"Yes, eldest sister!" Holy Lord Jin De also said: "Anyway, we have obtained the treasure banknotes and spirit stone coupons. Even if we withdraw our troops now, with Fan Li's strength as weak as an ant, can he still snatch the money back from us?"

After hearing that the two holy masters suggested withdrawing their troops, Yaoguang calmed down.

She glared at Kinder displeasedly.

"Thank you for being a Confucian cultivator!"

"Where have all the ethics, justice and integrity gone?"

"For just five years of taxation, do you want me to break my trust all over the world?"

Jin De's face turned red after being scolded, and he had no choice but to lower his head and say nothing.

In fact, in addition to keeping her word, Empress Yaoguang also had reasons for capturing Xiongzhou.

Who knows what they brought back from the fairy world?

The Tang Dynasty fell in the Ming Dynasty, and Emperor Jiajing was there, so the empress naturally couldn't miss him.

Only the Jin Kingdom, Yaoguang wanted to capture it first, lest Wei, Han, and Wu Chu realize it later and come to take a share of the pie.

"I will not withdraw my troops."

"But Fan Li must also give me an explanation!"

After Empress Yaoguang finished speaking, she was thinking about how to teach Fan Li a lesson so that he would not dare to make small moves in the rear.

"Report!"

Suddenly a female general walked into the military tent and reported to Yaoguang.

"There is an envoy from the Chu State, carrying a lot of supplies and supplies, coming to the front line to work for the army!"

The troops?

Empress Yaoguang was slightly stunned and looked at Jin De and Miaoyin in confusion.

The two Holy Masters also looked confused, shaking their heads to express that they knew nothing.

It seems that the Chu envoy was not sent by Xiang Chong, otherwise how could there be no news?

"Invite the Chu envoy to enter the tent." the empress ordered.

"Fan Zhengming, Marquis of Liyang of Chu State, has met His Majesty Yaoguang, the two Holy Masters."

The visitor turned out to be the uncle of the Fan family.

"Are you the envoy of Chu?" Empress Yaoguang frowned. "Xiang Chong...Why would His Majesty the Emperor of Chu send you here?"

Given Fan Li's status as a traitor, Xiang Chong would never use Fan Zhengming as his envoy?

Yaoguang immediately suspected the other party's identity and even concluded that there must be a conspiracy!

"Hehehe, Your Majesty misunderstood."

Fan Zhengming smiled slightly, his expression calm yet arrogant.

"I am an envoy from the State of Chu, not from the Emperor of Chu. I am here only on behalf of the people of the State of Chu to express my gratitude to His Majesty Yaoguang for his generosity in sending troops. All the gifts for the laborers are provided by Fan's Trading Company."

The signboard of Fan's Trading Company is loud enough.

Empress Yaoguang gave Jin De a wink, and the latter withdrew from the military tent to inspect the supplies.

After a while, Holy Master Jin De returned to the tent with a happy face.

"Sister!"

"Marquis Li Yang was very generous and gave away 1,000 bottles of military elixirs, 200 carts of military equipment, and countless cosmetics such as moisturizing, sunscreen, and whitening products."

Empress Yaoguang asked Jinde to check the supplies, of course to prevent the Fan family from doing evil secretly.

But judging from Jin De's appearance, there are no problems with supplies?

However, Daci sent a total of 200,000 troops this time.

What use can a mere thousand bottles of elixirs and two hundred carts of ordnance be worth?

I'm afraid it's not enough to be lost in a big battle.

But the number of cosmetics...

Holy Lord Jinde whispered in Yaoguang's ear and reported the specific amount, which immediately shocked the empress!

Enough cosmetics for 200,000 troops for half a year? !

"Marquis Li Yang expressed his kindness, and I thank you on behalf of Daci's two hundred thousand soldiers."

at last.

After a brief silence, Empress Yaoguang decided to accept this batch of materials with good quality.

In her subconscious, she gradually began to believe that it was her own strength that made Fan Li feel intimidated, so she used this method to please herself.

hehe?

Stupid man.

On the day when his usefulness is exhausted, he still cannot escape the end of death.

"Your Majesty, you're welcome."

Fan Zhengming has a gentle and courteous smile, always showing the grace and cultivation that a mature man should have.

However, he showed a trace of embarrassment again, and in a slightly guilty tone, he seemed to mention a 'little matter' inadvertently.

"Your Majesty Yaoguang, does he know that the market price in our country of Chu has fluctuated recently?"

market price?

fluctuation?

This kind of vocabulary is really unfamiliar to practitioners.

Seeing the confused look on the empress's face, Fan Zhengming immediately began to explain.

"Although I have a title, I am also a merchant."

"Business talks."

"The so-called market price fluctuations refer to changes in the purchasing power of currency, which are mainly affected by market supply and demand..."

Fan Zhengming talked a lot, but Yao Guang and the other three girls became more and more confused as they listened.

However, the three strong women in the Mahayana realm were unwilling to admit their ignorance in front of weak men, so they had no choice but to continue pretending to understand.

"simply put."

“If the market is rich in goods, prices will fall and the purchasing power of money will be strong.”

“If materials are scarce and there is a price but no market, the purchasing power of money will be weak and prices will rise.”

"Just like in a good year, when there is a good harvest, the price will be lower. If there is a famine, the price of food will rise."

Of course Yao Guang and the other three women understood such a simple metaphor.

The empress asked calmly: "Marquis Li Yang has said a lot, but what does the change in prices in Chu have to do with me?" "It has a big bearing!"

Fan Zhengming suppressed his smile and bowed deeply to Empress Yaoguang.

When he straightened up, his face was filled with guilt.

"The Great Merciful Army is going on an expedition this time, and in return we, the State of Chu, will give us five years of tax revenue."

"However, the fluctuation of commodity prices in Chu State has led to a decrease in the purchasing power of treasure banknotes and spirit stone coupons, which is detrimental to Daci's interests."

"I came here to express my condolences to the army, and to sincerely apologize. I hope to gain His Majesty's tolerance and understanding."

Empress Yaoguang was just thinking about the devaluation of the currency and she had to let Fan Li give her an explanation.

Unexpectedly, Fan Li acted faster and had already sent Fan Zhengming.

As the saying goes, don’t hit the smiling person.

Empress Yaoguang only felt that Fan Zhengming had given her enough face, and the labor gifts he sent were indeed generous. For a moment, she really couldn't open her mouth to hold him accountable.

Fortunately, she doesn't sing blackface, there are people who sing blackface.

The empress gave Jin De a look, and the latter immediately understood.

"Since you are sincerely apologizing, why doesn't Fan Li come in person?" Jin De asked.

"My second brother occupies an important position, and stabilizing prices in Chu must be done by him personally."

Fan Zhengming was neither humble nor arrogant, and dealt with it calmly.

"Fan inherited the title of Marquis of Li Yang and also headed Fan's trading company. He reluctantly acted as a messenger and took the opportunity to express his apology for his second brother. He had no intention of slighting your country."

After saying that, Fan Zhengming bowed deeply again,

What does it mean to be able to bend and stretch?

Empress Yaoguang looked at Fan Zhengming for a long time, but she still couldn't feel any resentment in him. She seemed to feel guilty and self-blame, sincerely admitting her mistakes?

She really couldn't find any reason to accuse him, but she didn't intend to let him go easily.

"The Duke of Jin cannot stabilize commodity prices, but I have to bear the losses?"

"I may be able to forgive you today, but what if something like this happens again?"

Yao Guang didn't notice it.

Her loose tone meant that she had fallen into Fan Zhengming's plan of paying homage first and then attacking.

"There is a way!"

Fan Zhengming took out two copies of the scroll from his sleeve and unfolded it in front of everyone.

"This is the contract."

"The terms of the contract were written by my second brother, specifically to protect Daci's interests and show the sincerity of Chu State."

"As long as His Majesty signs and seals the contract, the contract will be effective."

"The Chu State will resolutely safeguard the fundamental interests of His Majesty and Daci for all terms in the contract. If it cannot be fulfilled, appropriate compensation will be provided according to the terms and conditions."

After listening to Fan Zhengming talking a lot, Empress Yaoguang became a little impatient.

Merchant?

It was just a trail, and she never looked down upon it.

Only when personal interests were involved, Yaoguang patiently accepted the contract and read the terms one by one.

"1. In order to repay the favor of the Daci Dynasty for sending troops, the Da Chu Dynasty paid the Da Ci Dynasty with treasure banknotes and spiritual stone coupons, which were equivalent to the total tax revenue of the Chu State in the past five years."

"2. In order to protect the interests of the Daci Dynasty from being harmed, Chu has the responsibility to stabilize Dachu's domestic prices and ensure that the purchasing power of treasure banknotes and spiritual stone coupons is strong."

"3. If the purchasing power of treasure banknotes and spirit stone certificates decreases due to price fluctuations in Chu State, resulting in losses to the interests of the Daci Dynasty, Chu will pay a minimum of ten times and a maximum of a hundred times. The method of compensation will be given priority to DaChu official Currency, that is, treasure banknotes and spirit stone coupons, are the first payment methods.”

"Four. If Da Chu is unable to pay sufficient denominations of treasure banknotes and spirit stone coupons, compensation will be paid in kind of equivalent value."

"5. Disclaimer: If there are force majeure factors, including natural disasters, annihilation, breakdown of alliances, etc. that cause price fluctuations in Chu State, you do not have to bear the liability for loss compensation..."

It was the first time for Empress Yaoguang to read the contract, and she felt dizzy.

Out of caution, she read the contract three times.

"Marquis Li Yang."

"I am here."

"I heard from you that Chu State is really willing to compensate me for my losses at ten times or even a hundred times the price?"

Fan Zhengming smiled slightly.

"It's all written in black and white in the contract."

"Both Party A and Party B need to sign and use their seals. My second brother has already signed it and stamped it with the seal of the Duke of Chu and Jin, the seal of the Prime Minister, and the jade seal of the Emperor of Chu."

Empress Yaoguang looked at the end of the two copies of the contract and found that Fan Li had signed and sealed it.

"Your Majesty, don't worry."

"The contract has been signed, and Chu will also inform the envoys of Wei, Han and Wu in Pengcheng."

"If Chu breaks the treaty in the future, it will be a breach of trust in the world."

"Faith is the foundation of one's life. My second brother swore to Wujiang River in Pengcheng that he would never break his promise!"

Hearing what Fan Zhengming said, Yaoguang believed it a little more.

"hehe."

"I also know very well that Fan's Trading Company has business all over the world and is as rich as any country. It is definitely not difficult for Duke Jin and Marquis Li Yang to stabilize prices."

When Fan Zhengming heard this, he bowed again.

"Thank you for your compliment, Your Majesty."

"but……"

Empress Yaoguang moved her eyes away from the third clause of the contract. She concluded that Fan Li promised to compensate a hundred times, so she could be sure that no compensation would be required.

Therefore, if there is a trap in the contract, it should not be Article 3.

She stared at Article 4 of the contract for a long time, but couldn't figure out why.

Is there something wrong with Article 5?

"If force majeure occurs, Chu State will be exempted from liability and no compensation will be required?"

Empress Yaoguang gave a cold look and looked at Fan Zhengming with a hint of contempt in her eyes.

That look seemed to say: Man, I have seen through your little trick.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty." Fan Zhengming said: "As stated in the contract, unless there is a natural disaster that reduces production and population, or the Great Chu annihilates the country, or the alliance between your country and the Great Chu breaks down. Apart from these three things , Dachu will never evade liability for compensation."

Natural disasters?

Destroy the country?

Alliance breaks down?

The empress thought about it and thought it was impossible.

Even she couldn't predict a natural disaster. How could Fan Li predict a natural disaster and use this as an excuse to avoid liability?

Destroy the country?

Unless Daci uses troops against Chu, under the protection of the alliance, even Ming will not be able to destroy Dachu.

As for the breakdown of the alliance, the Empress is absolutely confident.

Even if the alliance breaks down one day, the four kingdoms of Wei, Han, Wu and Chu will no longer be of use. When she turns her back, the alliance will be shattered.

"it is good!"

Empress Yaoguang was finally relieved.

"Mr. Jin's contract is full of sincerity, I signed it!"

……

…………

A few days later, Fan Zhengming returned to Pengcheng with the successfully signed contract.

Fan Li invited three envoys, Liu Chan, Cao Huan, and Sun Hao, to inspect the contract on the spot.

After confirming that it was correct, Fan Li immediately gave the order.

"From now on, the salaries of imperial officials and employees of Fan's Commercial Bank will no longer be issued with treasure notes and spirit stone coupons. They will still be issued in kind as per the old practice."

"All projects operated by Fan's Commercial Bank only accept treasure banknotes and spirit stone coupons for payment."

"I want to take back all the money in the hands of the people before the war in Xiongzhou ends!"

"Order the banknote printing factory to print more banknotes, but not allow them to flow out, so as not to hurt the people."

"As soon as the empress wins the victory, she will put all the money into the market!"

“Methods of investment include [national dividends], [agricultural and commercial subsidies], [maternity subsidies], [corvee subsidies], etc.”

After hearing what Fan Li said, the expressions of Liu Chan and others changed drastically.

"Mr. Jin! Are you going to give money to the people in vain? If this is true, your country's banknotes may... Aren't you worried about the hundredfold compensation stipulated in the contract terms?"

Fan Li smiled confidently.

"I'm not afraid."