Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 337 A nation's currency is like a person's bloodline

When Bi Ziyan, Zhu Guangzuo, and others, carrying their magnificent strategies, stepped out of the Qianqing Palace with great excitement, they were filled with emotion.

At that moment, the palace lanterns swayed, casting long shadows of the two figures, each step heavy and hesitant.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, the eunuchs had already quietly packed away the maps and documents and served freshly brewed tea.

Zhu Youjian did not sit down, but stood alone on the platform outside the palace with his hands behind his back, looking up at the view.

At this moment, the moon hangs high in the sky, its clear light shining like water, quietly illuminating the power center of this vast empire, and also the solitary figure of this young emperor.

A night breeze swept by, causing the hem of the dragon robe to flutter slightly, carrying a hint of the chill of being at a high vantage point.

All around was silent, except for the faint sound of the water clock in the distance, monotonously and persistently recording the passage of time.

With his officials gone, Zhu Youjian finally enjoyed a rare period of leisure.

But how can an emperor truly have a moment of leisure?
That small space in the mind is a never-ending sandbox of the world.

Even just looking up at the moon at this moment, my thoughts are like the clouds in the sky, drifting and rolling, still lingering on the intricate and complex affairs of the Ming Dynasty.

The Yellow River strategy is only the beginning; the situation in the Northwest still requires swift and decisive measures; the revenue of the Southeast must be managed gradually; and the border troubles in Liaodong are a deep-seated problem.

One thing after another, one case after another, are like a tangled mess in my mind, like a game of chess where every move requires consideration of the changing situation a hundred steps ahead.

However, compared to more than a year ago, when he faced a turbulent and corrupt court, surrounded by unpredictable people, and every step he took was like walking on thin ice, Zhu Youjian's state of mind was now very different.

At that time, he was truly all alone.

Looking around the palace, I see only my own shadow; looking down at the court, I can hardly distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous!
Even with boundless ambition, one can only walk alone through thorns, bearing a tragic loneliness.

Tonight, under the moonlight, a faint smile unconsciously appeared on Zhu Youjian's lips.

He is selecting capable officials from among the masses and placing them in the most crucial positions within the vast machine of the empire.

They may not yet fully grasp the entirety of his grand vision, but they have already begun to believe, to follow, and to use their talents and hard work to build the foundation of this edifice.

This road is long and arduous, with no end in sight.

On this journey to "make China great again," Zhu Youjian is no longer alone!
This solace, though insufficient to alleviate the mountain-heavy responsibility on his shoulders, was enough to transform into a warm current, soothing his heart, which had long been tempered and hardened to the rock, in this chilly palace night.

……

Outside the palace walls, the moon hangs high in the sky, its light shimmering and shining brightly on the back hall of the Andu Prefecture government office.

Inside the Inspectorate, one of the government offices was still brightly lit.

The furnishings here are simple. Apart from the mountain of documents and files, there is only a large hardwood desk. Behind the desk, a man is frowning and deep in thought. He is Zuo Liangyu, the director of the Inspectorate.

Like the emperor in the palace, during breaks from official duties, he would unconsciously look up, his gaze passing through the window lattice, towards the same bright moon in the sky.

However, his heart was not filled with the sense of imperial power, but rather with a deeper sense of awe and emotion.

This story begins two months ago.

That day, after the meeting, the emperor kept him behind, dismissed everyone else, and gave him a secret edict that seemed completely unrelated.

"Minister Zuo," the emperor said calmly, but his eyes were as deep as the sea, "I order your Inspectorate to secretly investigate a matter. This matter does not involve court officials or the people's livelihood, but it concerns the foundation of the nation, so it must be handled with utmost care."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liangyu was startled and immediately bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I would gladly die for you. Please give your instructions."

Zhu Youjian slowly paced back and forth, uttering a statement that left Zuo Liangyu utterly bewildered: "In recent years, the paper money of our Great Ming Dynasty has become worthless, and transactions among the people are mainly conducted in silver and copper coins. I ask you, what is the purity of the copper coins in the market? Is their circulation smooth?"

Zuo Liangyu had been stationed in Liaodong for a long time. Although he was a fierce general, he was ultimately out of touch with matters of money and provisions.

He pondered for a moment before replying with fragmented observations he had heard in the capital: "Your Majesty, the copper coins circulating in the market are still the most trusted by the people, especially those from the Yongle and Xuande reigns, which are of good weight and purity. However, in recent years, there have been too many privately minted inferior coins, which are worth ten times their weight, thus muddying up the market price. As for circulation, there is a huge difference between the north and the south. The south is more prosperous, and silver and copper coins can be used interchangeably; in the north, especially in border towns like Liaodong, there is often a shortage of money, and currency shortages are common."

"Hmm." Zhu Youjian went straight to the point, "I'll ask you again, do you know where a large amount of the copper coins of my Great Ming Dynasty have gone?"

This question was completely beyond Zuo Liangyu's comprehension.

In his view, copper coins were the imperial treasure and the foundation of the Ming Dynasty, so how could they be allowed to flow out of the country at will?
He hesitated and said, "I am foolish. Could it be that some daring merchants along the coast have secretly taken copper coins out to sea to do business with foreigners?"

"Exactly!" Zhu Youjian's gaze suddenly sharpened like a knife. "This is exactly what I want you to investigate! Especially the flow of goods to Japan!"

"Japan?" Zuo Liangyu was completely dumbfounded.

What would a tiny, insignificant state in his mind need the copper coins of the Ming Dynasty for?
"Yes, Japan!" Zhu Youjian's words struck Zuo Liangyu's heart like hammer blows. "I order your Inspectorate to thoroughly investigate how, through whom, and on what scale, copper coins from our Great Ming Dynasty flowed into Japan. Who is behind this, and what are their benefits? I also want you to think deeply about what harm this will ultimately cause to our Great Ming Dynasty if this continues."

"This..." Zuo Liangyu's mind was in a daze, and he almost blurted out, "Your Majesty, copper coins flowed to Japan... Those Japanese pirates and ronin have always been cunning. Our dynasty previously strictly enforced the maritime ban. Even if someone smuggled, didn't they exchange silk and porcelain for their gold and silver Japanese swords? How could... how could they use our Great Ming's copper coins instead?"

In his simple, even crude, mindset, this was utterly absurd!
Copper coins, they're money!

Why would you use your own money to buy something from someone else?

Isn't this just giving away our family fortune?!
He even dared to voice the frank doubts that came from the Liaodong generals: "Your Majesty, forgive my bluntness! Let the copper coins flow out, so be it. What good things can Japan give our Ming Dynasty? If what they give is of higher value, our dynasty won't suffer a loss. At worst... at worst, we can just have the Baoyuan Bureau open the furnaces and mint more!" As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a meaningful, cold smile appear on the emperor's face. In that smile, there was disappointment, helplessness, and even more so, a sense of frustration at the emperor's lack of progress.

Zhu Youjian sighed softly, "Minister Zuo, Minister Zuo, your vision is still limited to swords and cities. The intricacies involved are far beyond what can be explained by the words 'recasting.' Remember this: a nation's currency is like a person's blood. If the blood is lost, even a giant will collapse!"

"I will say no more. Go and investigate! Investigate thoroughly! When you present me with those investigative reports, you will understand that the harm caused by this matter far surpasses that of a major defeat in Liaodong! Go!"

"Far better than a disastrous defeat in the Liaodong campaign!"
These words left Zuo Liangyu dizzy and disoriented. Filled with doubt, he accepted the decree.

He couldn't understand it, he just couldn't understand it at all!
They're just some copper coins, aren't they?
How did it become the "bloodline of the nation"?
How could it be more serious than a devastating defeat he had personally experienced?

Isn't the emperor exaggerating a bit too much?

He even felt that perhaps His Majesty was worrying too much and overthinking the details.

but……

As the Inspectorate's secret agents spread like an invisible net across the coastal areas of Fujian, Zhejiang, and Southern Zhili; as old files from the Maritime Trade Offices of Tianjin, Dengzhou, and Ningbo were secretly reviewed; as arrested smugglers confessed their crimes under torture...

Zuo Liangyu and all the elite inspectors under his command were shocked!

At this moment, what he held in his hand was a preliminary summary of the investigation over the past two months.

Those thin sheets of Xuan paper felt incredibly heavy to him!
Every word above seemed to tell a shocking truth, sending chills down his spine.

It turns out that what he thought was "impossible" was already common knowledge!
Since the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the previous dynasty, the notorious pirates and bandits along the coast of Fujian and Zhejiang, such as Wang Zhi and Xu Hai, were known as Japanese pirates, but in reality, most of them were Chinese.

They colluded with powerful clans and daimyo in Japan, forming a stable and massive smuggling chain.

In this chain, the copper coins of the Ming Dynasty, especially the Yongle Tongbao with the best quality, were actually the "currency"!
According to the records, although Japan produced its own copper mines, its coin-making techniques were crude and the coins it produced were of poor quality and were not accepted by the people.

In contrast, the copper coins of the Ming Dynasty were well-made and had an excellent reputation, so they were widely used in the country and were even called "imported money" by the Japanese and regarded as good currency!

The various daimyo of Japan would even send fleets loaded with gold, silver, sulfur, Japanese swords, and other goods to the coast of the Ming Dynasty, with the sole purpose of exchanging them for a huge amount of copper coins!

What alarmed Zuo Liangyu even more was that this exchange was not the equivalent exchange he had imagined at all!

A merchant's confession clearly states: at sea, one tael of silver could be exchanged for one string of copper coins from the Ming Dynasty, which is equivalent to one thousand copper coins. And this string of copper coins, when transported to Japan, could be exchanged for one tael of gold or even more! And that one tael of gold, after being smuggled into the Ming Dynasty, could be exchanged for ten taels of silver!
One round trip yields ten times the profit!

"Ten times..." Zuo Liangyu muttered to himself, feeling his mouth dry and his throat as if it were filled with sand.

He finally understood!

Why are those maritime merchants so crazy?

Driven by these outrageous profits, they are not doing business at all; they are using the most barbaric methods to drain the lifeblood of the Ming Dynasty!
They transported the finest copper coins of the Ming Dynasty overseas ship after ship, only to return with gold and silver goods of much lower value.

On the surface, the Ming Dynasty gained gold and silver, so it seemed like it hadn't lost out.

But in reality, the lifeblood that people rely on for survival and for transactions is being constantly drained away!
The massive outflow of copper coins directly led to a currency shortage in the market.

When there's less money, prices naturally become chaotic.

After a year of hard work, people earn a few bushels of rice and want to exchange it for a few coins to buy salt and cloth, only to find that money is becoming increasingly expensive.

The imperial court mostly levied taxes in silver, and the common people had no money or silver. They could only be exploited by officials and gentry at every level, eventually leading to bankruptcy and exile!
This...this is undermining the very foundation of the nation!
Thinking of this, Zuo Liangyu suddenly shuddered.

He finally understood the profound meaning of the emperor's words, "far better than a major defeat in Liaodong!"

The defeat in Liaodong resulted in the loss of cities and territory, but there is still a day when they can be recovered.

"But this war over currency, if lost, will mean losing the hearts of the people, the foundation of the nation, and the very foundation of the Ming Dynasty! Once the foundation is shaken, a thousand-mile dike will be breached by an ant hole. No matter how vast your territory or how powerful your army, it will collapse silently!"

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, how did you foresee this calamity so early on?"

Zuo Liangyu slammed the case file heavily on the table, got up and walked to the window. He looked at the bright moon hanging high in the sky, his heart surging with emotion that he could not calm down for a long time.

He recalled the fear and confusion he felt when he received the imperial decree several months earlier; he recalled His Majesty's seemingly calm yet thunderous words.

While I am still agonizing over the gains and losses of the border towns, His Majesty is already surveying the flow of currency throughout the land; while I am still finding the loss of mere copper coins absurd, His Majesty has already discerned the underlying danger to the very foundation of the nation—the enemy is at the border while the root of the problem lies within!
The ruler's heart is as deep as an abyss, while the minister's wisdom is as fleeting as a firefly.

The emperor's profound strategies surpass those of all ages; the military man's shallow understanding is but a hair's breadth!
How exactly could the emperor, within the ninefold palace, discern the undercurrents beneath the waves of the four seas?
How did they manage to orchestrate this silent battle concerning the rise and fall of the nation within the confines of the imperial court?

At this moment, all the shock and fear in Zuo Liangyu's heart transformed into a surging wave of reverence.

With such a powerful leader, why worry about the Jurchens not being destroyed, or about the world not being at peace!

He turned abruptly, strode back to his desk, picked up the heavy wolf-hair brush again, and dipped it in thick ink.

As night deepened, the lights of Andu Prefecture and the moonlight of the Forbidden City shone brightly in the distance.

(End of this chapter)