Ming Dynasty, New Rome, and Infinite Divine Machine

He looked at the price list and was stunned.

The current price of ice cream cone is 10000000000. There are ten zeros after the 1.

Gao Qingyu, who was visiting for the first time, was also stunned for a moment: "Shangluo, do they use ghost money here?"

Shangluo touched his pocket.

After using it several times, he only had 30 drachmas left. He thought that if each person had 10 drachmas, this time he would have used it all up.

But now it's not even enough to buy an ice cream crumb.

"Ah this."

From the moment he entered, he sensed something was amiss—or rather, order had surprisingly returned. The first time he'd come, Alexander Nights had delicious ice cream and students. The second time, there were armies and divine machines hovering over the entire sky. The third time, this time, it was surprisingly the same as the first time.

There were a lot more people on the streets, some going to work, some opening shops, just like any other city. If it weren't for the lighthouse illuminating everything, it wouldn't be hard to see what was wrong.

I just didn't expect that the price would increase so much all of a sudden.

"Hey. You're here?" A familiar voice appeared beside him.

It was Lin. Today was a weekday, and she hadn't gone home. Instead, she was on a business trip. Now, her business trip was here.

"Huh???" Gao Qingyu was stunned for a moment, "Why are they exactly the same?"

"This is... this is Karin's sister. Yes, her sister. Ah, Sister Lin, these two are my friends. I brought them here to participate in the internal test."

"You guys want some ice cream? Um, are you shocked by the price?"

Shangluo nodded: "How did it become like this?"

"You can't blame Victoria. She demanded that no one use silver drachmas for transactions and instead print paper money called 'drachmas'."

"Is this possible?"

"Well, that's fine. Because the emperor represents Rome and is the orthodox government of the entire Greek world, they are fully qualified to decide what a drachma is. But I don't know what they are doing. They are actually issuing huge denominations of paper money like crazy. As a result, prices have skyrocketed and it has become what it is now."

"Ah, this. She's quite impressive. How do I buy it now?"

"That price is just for reference. We're using this one now." Lin opened her wallet and took out a coin.

Yongle Tongbao.

"Yongle Tongbao?"

"Yes, now everyone has spontaneously switched to using these Zhendan copper coins. Because the issuer is in Zhendan, they've been quite stable throughout history, so there's no need to worry about the emperor making changes. But it has to be the Yongle Tongbao coin, nothing else will work. Now, an ice cream costs one cent, and all three types are the same price. Aren't you from Zhendan? Do you have any on you?"

"Ah, but we are using copper coins now."

He pulled out his wallet. Inside was indeed a "copper coin" worth one penny, with a square hole in the middle, but the dimensions were completely different from the Yongle Tong Bao. Furthermore, it wasn't a copper coin, but a nickel.

Small nickels like these are the only coins accepted in the capital, and vending machines only accept coins of this size. If you actually took out a Yongle Tongbao, it wouldn't fit in at all.

However, the Yongle Tongbao coins are still being minted. The Yongle Tongbao in Lin's hand clearly has "Shaoping Year 1" printed on it, and it was minted just a few years ago.

"I see." Gao Qingyu probably guessed, "You switched to Yongle Tongbao because of inflation, right? That does make sense."

"By the way, why haven't I seen Yongle Tongbao coins circulating in the capital?" Shangluo asked. He remembered that he had seen them, but he couldn't see them anymore when he arrived in the capital.

"Because Yongle Tong Bao coins stopped circulating in the capital after the Yongle era, they were used as foreign trade currency in tribute trade. Although the entire currency system has been reformed, Yongle Tong Bao coins are still being minted and used as the basic circulation certificate for tribute trade. However, they are mostly just used for accounting. These Yongle Tong Bao coins are used as ballast and for ceremonial exchange of some foreign goods. Think about it this way."

She looked at the few coins that had just been minted. "There are indeed quite a few here in Rome. We've sent quite a few Yongle Tong Bao coins there directly and indirectly, and the annual minting rate is quite stable. Speaking of which, this Roman emperor is quite interesting. Her printing skills are a bit like those of the Ming Dynasty. She still needs to work harder. She should actually refuse to accept the treasure notes and prohibit them from being used to pay taxes. That would be a lesson learned."

Chapter 353 Appointment

"Okay, I got it." After using three Yongle Tongbao coins to buy ice cream for three people, Lin put on her backpack.

"Are you leaving now?"

"Well, I just came to see her during my break. I have a lot of things to do." She walked a few steps with her backpack on her back, and suddenly remembered something:

"I almost forgot. Let me remind Karin, and you too—don't go south. The south isn't operating normally right now."

"South? Where is south?"

Alexandria's location suggests the desert lies to the south. Alexandria, also known as Wuchisancheng in Chinese, is not part of the traditional "Upper and Lower Egypt." It was founded entirely by Greeks. Alexander the Great deliberately avoided the fertile Nile Delta in Lower Egypt when he established it, as the silt that enriched the delta was not conducive to harbor construction.

This wasn't a big deal for the Egyptians. However, the Greeks controlled Egypt by sea, and the large ships capable of quickly crossing the eastern Mediterranean at the time had a considerable draft. Therefore, the Greeks had no choice but to build their "Egyptian capital" in this remote location.

Following the decline of the Roman-Greek world, Alexandria's institutions quickly disintegrated, with the Library of Alexandria remaining the only remaining function of the city. It wasn't until the Roman Reconquest in the fourth year of the Jingtai reign that Alexandria resumed its use as Egypt's capital. The needs of the Roman-Greek world remained unchanged, and they continued to rely on Alexandria's deepwater port to control Egypt.

It's still a remote place, with no village or shop nearby. Outside the city lies the desert, and the Nile River is an hour's drive east along the highway. The only major city more remote than this is Khiva Oasis.

"I remember it was all sand on the south side. Did something happen?"

"I saw Caesar's army pass by and drive into the desert to the south. The Muses Palace seems to have made contact with Caesar. They accepted Caesar's fleet's docking and cleared the way for Caesar. Well, that's it. I'm leaving first. There are people waiting for me over there."

"So ice cream is rolled up like a towel." This was the first time Gao Shiyu had ever seen ice cream with his own eyes. A small towel-like roll, placed upright in a paper cup, topped with yogurt and chopped nuts, eaten with a small wooden spoon.

"No, only the ice cream here is rolled like this. The ice cream at home is not like this. This is the traditional Syrian ice cream, a specialty here."

"Hmm, it seems the taste is different too. By the way, can we get the internet connected while we wait here?"

"It's two different things. I'll have to contact Victoria about the network issue later."

"After it's opened this time, can I enter at any time?"

"Yeah." Shangluo nodded. "The original situation was this - it was a teapot, and the teapot itself was in my bag. As a teapot, although it had created a cave due to chance, and even a relatively complete small world. But if you want to go in, you can only go in through that window. To be honest, I also snatched that window from someone else. If I hadn't been so impatient back then, I wouldn't know how to get in to maintain it now."

"I see. That's exactly what's going on. You can't just carry the door around with you. How are we going to get in after this?"

"After that, it depends on the situation. We might have to use some special hardware, or we might have to use it when there's a signal. But we definitely won't have to go through that door anymore. Everyone can enter when conditions permit. I'll find a place to store that door later, and it'll be used as an employee entrance."

"Great~~" Gao Shiyu rubbed his hands. "Shangluo, I don't know how to thank you. I originally thought that with my cultivation level, I would have to reach the Celestial Realm at least to recover to normal, and it might take decades longer - but you made me see it! If I hadn't seen this world, I wouldn't even know what I missed! Ah, now that I can go online anytime, I guess I'll spend a lot of time there."

After saying this, he exchanged a glance with his sister and continued, "I'm so grateful for your kindness. I have to do something. I was wondering if there's anything you need my help with right now? I definitely won't refuse. From now on, no matter if it's big or small, I'll be there whenever you call, as long as I can stay online."

"I do need your help with something." Shangluo put the ice cream aside first, "and it's very important."

Hearing him say this, the two of them sat up straighter: "What's the matter?"

"You're going to be spending a lot of time online, right? How about this—this Hutianhou is in beta, and we need some real-time help. If you have some free time, why not spend all day and night online and help me sort things out?"

"Ah, well, I enjoy it. It's not really a favor. I'd be happy to do it even if you paid me."

"There's more."

Shangluo said seriously, "Did you see the sign at the door of the lounge I mentioned earlier?"

"I saw it." Gao Qingyu replied, "Does it say Thunder Department?"

"Yes, that's the Thunder Department. I've accepted Daozu's appointment and am currently organizing the Heavenly Court. Although we've already established the Thunder Department here, there's more to the Heavenly Court than just the Thunder Department. So I'm wondering if I can, through you, establish another department of the Heavenly Court in Fengjing: the Water Department."

"What does the Water Department do?" Gao Shiyu asked.

"Right now, I have a task that's not particularly important, but a bit cumbersome for me, as I'm short on time. The imperial court plans to dispatch 100,000 soldiers to the Loess Plateau to plant trees and regulate the Yellow River's course. In the medium to long term, they'll also divert the Yellow River's course away from the Huai River's estuary and towards your region. I'd like to entrust this task to you."

Gao Shiyu was stunned for a moment. "Oh, this. Can I mobilize the heavenly soldiers?"

"Although the Heavenly Soldiers are from the Ministry of Thunder, I can loan them to you. You just need to take the military token. I think you should be able to do this job more easily than me."

"If it's commanded through the spiritual network, then it's possible. So the Water Department actually works online?"

As the reigning emperor, Shangluo didn't intend to personally handle everything. The last person to do so was Sun Kewang, and the one before that was Emperor Taizu Gao—and the one before that, and even more powerfully, was Zhuge Liang. This wasn't Shangluo's style at all; he preferred to find the right people to do the right things.

But this time, things were different. This time, the business was packaged and almost entirely handed over to the "Water Department" for handling. During this time, he had more or less been observing Gao Shiyu, and Gao Shiyu's performance was fully worthy of this responsibility.

"I see. I know this is a big deal. I'll do my best. I'll be in the water all day long."

"Okay. That's the Water Division issue resolved. We still have the Fire Division, the Fighting Division, and the Yue Division to deal with. We need to find the right people to set up the framework for each."

Chapter 354 Water Department

"Sure enough, ascension is indeed very close to us," Gao Shiyu exclaimed.

Although this was a common view from top to bottom in the Ming Dynasty, the person who accepted the appointment from Daozu and was actually handling this matter was Shangluo.

"I know our water department has to soak in water, but what are the other departments for?"

"The Fire Department is responsible for launching rockets, the Fighting Department is responsible for Qigong matters, and the Yue Department is responsible for the people within the Pure Land. In this respect, you and the Yue Department have a lot of overlap. You are both responsible for Pure Land affairs, but they manage people, and you manage land. Do you have any suggestions for the selection of personnel for the Yue Department?"

"Then Wudang is very suitable. Wudang is the place that governs the world."

"Wudang, huh? Hmm." He nodded. "I'll check it out later. Keep it in mind for now."

"Oh, by the way, what are you doing in the Thunder Department?"

"The Thunder Department is currently responsible for 'the growth of all things,' injecting the driving force behind all matters within the Heavenly Court. Once something has taken off here and is showing promising signs, we can subcontract it to your department, just like we did with the Water Department. Of course, our primary function right now is approving leave applications."

"Can you approve the leave application???" The previous things were within his expectations, but he really did not expect that the leave application would be approved.

"Yes. I have the official seal given by the emperor, so I can approve the leave application."

"It feels like a female ghost crawling out along the wires! It suddenly became concrete."

"What a messed up metaphor you have!"

"Because I can't see in the pitch black, I'm quite afraid of ghost stories. There's no warning at all here - the girl next to you used to dress up as a ghost to scare me when she was little."

"I am a ghost~~"

"Look, that's it. Good boy, so you always have this expression! I can't see it, so why are you so serious?"

Gao Qingyu rubbed her face and put her expression back. "I have to act the whole way. Oh, by the way, since I can ask for leave, can you approve it for me now?"

"Oh." Shangluo waved his hand. "Your Water Department has its own official seal. You don't need to ask me to stamp it. You can stamp it yourself."

"It sounds like a club activity."

"Because it's really a club activity right now." Shangluo had no choice, because Qigong practitioners are very busy. For example, everyone in the Jinyiwei has their own errands, and he doesn't get paid for these idle tasks.

The key point is that he doesn't pay. His salary is enough for Phaethon and himself to eat, but it can only pay a fraction of the salary. He can only find a classmate who has more time and is too bored to do it.

In addition, just like club activities, the Thunder Department also has instructors. Now, all matters of the Thunder Department, big or small, that Shangluo can't handle, are usually handled by Lu Huaiyang.

"Oh, that's right." Shang Luo suddenly remembered, "Your Ministry of Water should also find someone to connect with the 'superior', mainly to deal with issues of venues, supplies, and funds."

"You just want an adult to watch over you, right? Who's that over there?"

"Have you seen Lu Liang?"

"The one who serves as the liaison for Wudang? Oh, I've seen him before."

"It's her father, the Imperial Guard assigned by the Emperor to take care of my affairs."

"Then we..." Gao Shiyu thought for a moment, "our teachers are all a bit busy, and I can't ask my master, he's too old-fashioned. How about asking my dad to come?"

"I refuse." Gao Qingyu flatly denied it. "He even controls what time we eat apples on Wednesday afternoons, how many apples we eat, and whether we eat the skins. We finally found a place to take the day off, so of course we have to go somewhere we don't know well."

"Oh right! That's right! There's someone who's also online like me!"

Shangluo thought for a moment and asked, "You mean the special 95?"

"Oh, yes, that's the one. I see he's pretty free and can't leave for the time being, so why not have him join the Water Department as well?"

"But I'm very busy. I have to go back to the research institute in the Gobi Desert soon."

"It doesn't matter where he goes online—he's doing research? That would be even more convenient. Wait, I'll call my dad and ask about his situation. Is there a signal here?"

"You can fight, go ahead." Although this is Rome, the spiritual network can cover this place with the help of the lighthouse.

Three minutes later.

"Wow, that's impressive." Gao Shiyu put down the phone. "He's the head of the lab at the Gobi Desert's Sha Qi Research Institute. His last name is Wu, and he's from Shuntian. Oh, wait. His daughter seems to be on our team. Is that right?"

"Yeah." Gao Qingyu nodded. "It's Wu Xu's father. She also said that her father wanted to come to watch the game. Ah, her father is indeed at the stadium, but he can't come."

"How about this," Shangluo said, "arrange a video call between them. Even though it's just a video meeting, this is their first one, so it's very memorable. Researcher Wu, he doesn't want his family to know about his situation. If both father and daughter agree, a video call would be the 'second best' outcome—the best would be meeting in the Pure Land, but that would take a while. How about you contact them, Xiao Gao? A video call can be arranged in the next two days."

"Who are you calling?" Gao Shiyu looked at his sister.

"Of course I'm calling you. Why don't you contact me? After all, you're always online."

"Okay, let's just treat it as our first job. I, Xiao Gao, have to do good things. Well, this ice cream is good."

As he ate ice cream and did good things, his sense of self-worth rose to an unprecedented level.

“Today is literally the second happiest day of my life!”