My lord, spare his life!

Fan You attempted to understand and analyze Zhang Yang's motivations.

After a long time, he only had a vague idea.

"In your lord's eyes, how many kinds of people are there? Not men or women, not old, middle-aged or young, and certainly not those from different regions, with different customs, or speaking different languages... How many kinds of people are there?"

Zhang Yang looked at Fan You, puzzled.

She didn't want to pay attention to it, but the thought of the name and color troubled her, and she couldn't resolve it in a short time.

Perhaps Fan You can offer some inspiration?

She said uncertainly, "Three kinds, I guess..."

Which three?

"Friendly, neutral, and unkind."

Fan You continued to delve deeper into the topic and roughly understood: "So, does the lord believe that a friendly person should always be friendly to you, since they can't harm you and you can't harm them?"

"People change; how can someone always be friendly?"

Fan You changed his tune: "So, if a friendly person wants to hurt you, and you want to hurt a friendly person, then the friendly person has to become neutral. If they don't, then should both sides just keep to themselves?"

Zhang Yang hesitated for a few moments, then nodded: "Mm."

Fan You said, "This is not human."

Zhang Yang pursed her lips into a straight line, her eyes filled with disbelief. In her eyes, Fan You, who was also an NPC, could hardly understand a person as well as she did.

She observed those subjects for sixteen years, learning their every move perfectly, and compiled her experiences into more than thirty books.

Fan You chuckled: "Most people in the world aren't black and white; they're somewhere in between, a mixture of love and hate. Being friendly to you doesn't mean they won't kill you for other reasons, and hating you to the bone doesn't mean they won't treat you kindly for other reasons."

Zhang Yang tried hard to understand what he was saying.

"Is this what they call a sea of ​​hatred and a sky of love?"

Fan You: "Your understanding is acceptable, my lord."

Zhang Yang: "But I still don't understand... why does kindness cause harm? Why does hatred lead to defense? Aren't the two contradictory?"

"Humans have seven emotions and six desires, which are inherently full of contradictions." Fan You looked at the confusion in Zhang Yang's eyes and couldn't help but soften. "If enemies could be simply divided into friendly, neutral, and unfriendly, this world would probably be much more peaceful. Where would all this love, hate, and grudges come from?"

Zhang Yang: "..."

These additional entries weren't added to the game settings.

Zhang Yang glanced discreetly at the name above Fan You's head, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Please ask whatever you wish, my lord."

"I don't have anything to ask."

Fan You pondered for a long time, closed his eyes to calm his mind, and then opened them again.

He asked Zhang Yang, "And now?"

Zhang Yang: "..."

She stared in disbelief as the name above Fan You's head changed color, from the usual yellow to a bright green. Judging from Fan You's words and actions, this change was something he had actively controlled! Zhang Yang's lips twitched; she was almost starting to suspect that Fan You was also an NPC who had awakened self-awareness. Seeing this, Fan You knew he had made the right choice…

This ruler can indeed crudely discern others' likes and dislikes through clandestine means. However, this method is too crude and lacks detail, making it insufficient in crucial moments. This method has its advantages and disadvantages; relying on it too much is not advisable.

Fan You advised, "In the end, one must rely on one's own heart to distinguish between good and evil, friend and foe; it is ultimately inappropriate to depend on external forces."

Zhang Yang: "...You, you also have self-awareness?"

"Does the lord believe that Yu is a puppet being manipulated?"

Zhang Yang: "..."

Fan You tucked his hands into his sleeves and looked up at the sky: "Human life between heaven and earth is like a traveler on a long journey, as insignificant as dust, as adrift as duckweed. Heaven has the order of the four seasons, and earth has the order of mountains and rivers. Yin and Yang rotate, and cold and heat alternate. Humans, heaven and earth, you and I, may all be puppets in the hands of the Way of Heaven. In the darkness, we are fooled by its creation."

To Zhang Yang, it sounded like a string of incomprehensible gibberish.

"You... put it simply."

"My lord, you really should read more books. Reading is good for the mind." Fan You sighed deeply. "What I mean is, looking at the universe as a whole, everyone is just a puppet being manipulated. Don't worry too much about these things; thinking too much is bad for your mind. My lord is already..."

He meant to say that Zhang Yang's brain wasn't working properly to begin with.

Thinking about whether these are puppets or not is even more difficult.

Fan You didn't know if he was a puppet, but the dazed and wooden appearance of his master before him truly resembled that of a bewildered newborn puppet, meticulously observing and learning from people. Whether he would ultimately become human or something else was hard to say.

Zhang Yang: "...Shuyan, summarize the conversation."

It's a shame that Fan You isn't a smart AI!

Fan You nearly rolled his eyes in anger at her, thinking, "She's truly hopeless: Use external forces wisely, and don't let them fool you."

Especially when dealing with complex people.

Her three-category classification is utterly useless.

Zhang Yang gave a thoughtful "Oh".

Looking at the numerous craters and holes scattered across the ground, Fan You, despite finding Zhang Yang's abilities too bizarre and unpredictable, wasn't against using them if they were highly profitable: "My lord, are the ores you dug out from the ground mainly copper ore? How many other types of ores are there?"

Zhang Yang: "...Let's see what I want to dig up."

The observed samples all said she was a saint of life players.

"Why does Uncle Yan ask this?"

After careful consideration, Fan You explained in detail, using language Zhang Yang could understand: "Naturally, it's for minting coins. If the new coins are made entirely of pure copper, even with blankets and gold as anchors, the low cost of counterfeiting will lead to two different consequences. If the price of copper is low, a large number of counterfeit coins will flood the market; if the price of copper is high, some people will melt down the new coins and resell them. If my lord is satisfied with just Tianyue, it won't be a big problem. But didn't my lord say his intention is for the whole world? This new coin must be handled with utmost care..."

If handled well, it will save a lot of trouble in the future.

Zhang Yang casually replied, "Then let's use an alloy?"

Casting in pure copper is indeed not cost-effective.

Fan You was quite pleasantly surprised: "Which kinds? What are the proportions?"

"That's your problem to solve, why are you asking me?"

Fan You: "..."

He took a deep breath, controlling himself to maintain his "goodwill," and said, "From what I understand, different countries have different local resource endowments, so the proportions of currencies in circulation vary, as do the types and quantities used. My lord, how many types can you dig up?"

Coins are mostly made of copper, lead, tin, and zinc.

The materials used for minting coins right now are indeed a "risk-free business".

However, if this method could be implemented on a large scale in the future, the source of materials could no longer rely solely on robbery or having Zhang Yang dig with a hoe. Fan You estimated the situation in his mind for a few breaths, and soon came up with several mixing ratio schemes.

only--

These are just his personal thoughts.

For specific advice, you should ask Puyang Kui, who once served as a prefect. As a former prefect, she should have some insights into these matters.

Zhang Yang and his companion dug in the wasteland for another hour or two before reluctantly leaving. As soon as they returned to the county government, Magistrate Xu Jin enthusiastically pulled out a handful of copper coins. These copper coins were all available on the market, and each coin varied in size, shape, and weight.

"What are these?"

Xu Jin said, "For reference only."

Fan You couldn't help but glance at him sideways.

This county magistrate was quite a character; he talked about how bad minting coins was, but his actions were surprisingly swift.

In such a short time, all the samples have been collected.

Zhang Yang curiously examined the copper coins, turning them over and over. Some were brand new and round, while others were damaged and rusted. The inscriptions on the coins were also quite different. There were more than a dozen different reign titles scattered throughout! Zhang Yang picked out two coins and looked at them: "Are these two fake?"

One of the copper coins was slightly thicker than the other.

The former is a little smaller than the latter.

She weighed them in her hands; the two coins were different weights. This could only be explained by one being a counterfeit coin or both being counterfeit coins.

Unexpectedly, Xu Jin waved his hand and said, "It's all true."

"This? Is it all real?"

They don't look like they were made from the same mold at all.

Xu Jin was more patient than Fan You, and his explanation was thorough: "Your Excellency may not know this, but these copper coins originated from vassal states that were rich in copper. The copper used in them is superior to that used in other copper coins. When they circulated elsewhere, unscrupulous merchants bought them in large quantities, then cut them in half, making a profit from the extra copper. Look at these few..."

Xu Jin picked out a few copper coins.

"My lord, please observe them. What is so strange about them?"

Zhang Yang stared at it for a long time: "Not so rounded? Did it get worn out during use? The materials don't seem very sturdy either."

"No, no, it's not that the materials were skimped on," Xu Jin sighed. "It's that someone deliberately cut off the edges and corners."

No one would notice if I cut a little off.

Little by little, you can accumulate a fortune.

In particular, those who had the opportunity to deal with large quantities of copper coins in the private sector would experience "wear and tear" on the coins that passed through their hands.

Zhang Yang nodded thoughtfully.

"...Minting coins is not a simple matter."

She thought that once she gave the order, the printing press... no, the minting process would begin, and finished copper coins would be produced in a rush.

Actually, using paper money would be better, as it's lightweight and easy to carry.

However, the papermaking process here is extremely crude, and there is a severe shortage of paper suitable for office use. As a result, even the county government's official documents rely on cumbersome bamboo slips, let alone paper suitable for issuing banknotes. Why should ordinary people trust a few sheets of paper?

Copper coins, at least, still have some value.

Zhang Yang looked at the few copper coins lying in his palm.

"...In other words, if we want to mint coins, we not only need to consider the metal composition, value, and cost of production, but also the counterfeiters' costs and the malicious wear and tear caused by ordinary people." Zhang Yang held up the copper coin for a closer look. She thought of the old coins that had long been abandoned at the survivor base. "Gears, we can put a ring of gears around the copper coin."

She borrowed pen and ink from the county magistrate.

Draw a not-quite-round circle on the bamboo slip.

Then draw a gear next to the circle.

"In that case, those unscrupulous merchants can no longer artificially accelerate wear and tear; if they want to trim the edges, they'll have to cut off the gears as well."

This can also be used as an anti-counterfeiting measure.

Fan You was astonished, and Magistrate Xu Jin clapped his hands, praising Zhang Yang generously: "Your Excellency is wise; this idea is truly excellent."

As for the issue of improving the manufacturing process?

This is a problem that the coin minters have to consider.

Perhaps encouragement-based education really works, because another idea popped into Zhang Yang's mind: "Copper coins are too soft, they wear out easily, and are even more easily worn down by people. So why not increase their hardness? Also, copper coins need to be resistant to corrosion."

Whatever the shortcomings of these copper coins, then address the problem by targeting those pain points. Zhang Yang and Xu Jin were on the same page, and the whole conversation was filled with various arguments about wanting something while also wanting something else, while Fan You listened quietly.

The coin minter would curse the two men on his behalf.

a long time--

Xu Jin's emotions stabilized, and recalling the additional minting conditions he had just discussed, he said with some disappointment, "But the cost..."

The cost of minting a single copper coin probably far exceeds the cost of the coin itself.

Zhang Yang: "Think about it slowly."

Xu Jin wiped the sweat from his forehead: "You are right, my lord."

After discussing the matter thoroughly, Fan You and Zhang Yang asked, "Does Your Majesty have any preferred characters? The copper coins should have characters and designs cast on both sides. Using the Dou Kingdom's reign title is inappropriate; perhaps something else could be used..."

He hinted to Zhang Yang that he could think about this issue.

Isn't she aiming for the world?

Zhang Yang pondered for a long time: "The obverse should be inscribed with 'Great is the Qian Yuan,' and the reverse with 'All things originate from this.' As for the design, a band of wheat ears around the coin would be quite nice. These copper coins were mostly handled by the common people at the bottom of society, and I hope they can live a life of plenty."

Eat your fill and fatten yourself up.

Zhang Yang recalled that the observers had said that, except for a few combat zones, in real human societies, the abundance of resources to the point that starvation would become a trending topic. Even if a newborn never had any ambition and just wanted to live a life of leisure, they could still eat and drink their fill and live a life of comfort.

And the refugees on the side map that Zhang Yang had seen...

They were all skin and bones, and didn't even have the strength to speak.

When winter comes, I don't even have a winter coat to keep warm.

The difference is just too great.

Even if these NPCs are just cybernetic creatures, they shouldn't have to suffer so much. Zhang Yang had always felt that one couldn't experience joy by simply observing the suffering of others without being moved. Since the game developers could get so many players engrossed in the homestead side quest map, it seemed the homestead gameplay was about gradually improving these cybernetic creatures? And allowing players to derive joy from it? Probably… right?

"Great indeed is the Qian Yuan, the origin of all things?"

Fan You and Magistrate Xu Jin exchanged a glance.

Both of them thought the "era name" was extremely clever.

Everything is ready; all that's missing are the coin-making materials and the coin-making craftsmen.

The county magistrate has already sent people to find artisans.

As for the materials...

The magistrate looked at Zhang Yang somewhat embarrassedly, wanting to speak but afraid that Zhang Yang would misunderstand him, and stammered, almost blushing. Fan You noticed his embarrassment, and asked Zhang Yang if they could first put the captured metal goods of the Eastern Barbarians into the county government for safekeeping.

Zhang Yang readily agreed.

The magistrate was naturally overjoyed.

Thanks to the generosity of the Dongfan bandits, the county treasury has never been so well-stocked. Magistrate Zhang even said the treasury was too small and asked him to prepare a larger one later, as she had quite a few items that she hadn't taken out yet.

Xu Jin repeatedly agreed, "Yes, yes, my lord, rest assured."

Zhang Yang: "My lord?"

Xu Jin asked nervously, "Was it offensive of me to address you like that?"

Zhang Yang shook his head: "It's nothing."

It's not a big deal if one more person calls you "lord".

That's what Fan You and the others shouted.

The magistrate, seizing the opportunity, further inquired about the appropriate allocation of farmland for Zhang Yang's military settlement if it were to be established within the county.

Zhang Yang looked completely bewildered.

Fan Youdao said, "How many refugees has this county taken in recently? How many do you estimate the county magistrate can take in before the natural disaster ends? Military settlements are important, but the restoration of people's livelihoods is even more important. In my opinion, the best and medium-quality farmland can be used for the common people, while the worst farmland can be used for the soldiers."

The magistrate was in a dilemma: "The inferior land has little fertility..."

Fan You remained silent and looked at Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang was forced into the situation. She didn't want to speak, but Fan You wouldn't let her off the hook: "So the quality isn't good, right? Then we can make up for it with quantity. If the existing land isn't enough, can't we continue to cultivate more?"

??(⊙x⊙;)

I've noticed that showing off too many cherries around this time of year always gives me an upset stomach...