Nobita's Time Heist

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

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Nobita, Shizuka, and Asura stared at the pile of coins of different shapes, styles, and sizes on the table in front of them, completely dumbfounded. For a moment, no one spoke. Although they didn't have the corresponding organ, the two girls understood perfectly what "testicular pain" meant; it was simply a word that could only be uttered from the bottom of their hearts.

"What...what is this?" Even Huang Amao, a loyal fan of Wang Mang, was dumbfounded this time.

In isolated places like Tongxin Village, little is affected by the outside world, and the currency still uses Wuzhu coins. Suddenly being told that the coins he had used for over a decade were no longer valid and that he had to switch to these strange and unusual ones, Huang Amao felt a strong sense of resistance.

Since arriving in the capital with Da Xiong and the others, none of Wang Mang's reforms had affected him. To him, it seemed as if the person he had always admired was finally beginning to truly change this corrupt world according to his own wishes. This excited Huang Amao greatly, making him feel that he was witnessing the birth of a remarkable era.

But when the change actually happened to him, a chill ran down his spine.

The boy finally realized that things were not as simple as he had imagined.

"Ugh... Anyway, there are six new types of currency issued this time: money, gold, silver, tortoise shell, cowrie shell, and cloth. The term 'money' has been changed to 'goods.' I don't know what's wrong with his brain. How did he come up with this?!" This series of ridiculous moves left Asur speechless. She picked up these ridiculous currencies, fiddled with them in her hands, and hesitated, then sighed.

“Gold coins are made of gold, silver coins are made of silver, tortoise coins are made of tortoise shells, cowrie shell coins are made of cowrie shells, only cloth coins and money coins are made of copper…tsk…” Shizuka sighed, “It’s already more complicated than Japan’s monetary system in the 21st century.”

“What’s even worse is…” Asur said, utterly dejected, “this isn’t over yet.”

"There's another expert?!" Da Xiong exclaimed in astonishment.

"These six types of goods were further divided into 28 different grades, some with high denominations and some with low denominations. Each type of currency had a different face value, and the conversion rules between different currencies were also different... There was also bad news: because of the different materials, the conversion was not even based on quality."

Asur shook his head, casually tossed aside the thick instruction manual written on the bamboo slips, slumped onto his chair, and said, "I can tell you with certainty that the complexity of this monetary system exceeds the average intelligence level of your century. Even a modern person probably wouldn't be able to figure it out."

This system is incredibly unfriendly to academically challenged students. Nobita never imagined that after traveling back 2000 years, he would encounter such complex math problems. Math was his least favorite subject, and seeing this huge pile of densely packed conversion formulas immediately made him dizzy.

"Leaving aside whether ordinary people can understand it, is there anything wrong with these turtle and shell products?" Shizuka thought of another critical issue, "In the days before artificial breeding, turtle shells and shells shouldn't have been able to circulate in large quantities, right?"

"Oh, back in ancient times, some people used tortoise shells and seashells as primitive currency. This guy probably thought that if ancient people could use them, they could use them too. In short, just follow the ancient ways."

"Even if you want to increase the difficulty of counterfeiting, you shouldn't do it like this... Ultimately, currency, for the sake of actual circulation, should be simple, easy to calculate, and intuitive, but it's doing the exact opposite. There are many types of currency, the conversion methods are complicated, and the raw materials for production are just something that comes out of nowhere."

Da Xiong sighed, "The previous currency, although the weight was a bit messed up, at least showed that he wanted to do it properly. But this current monetary system feels like it was decided on a whim, and it's completely unfeasible."

That being said, the emperor's edict had to be made feasible, even if it was impossible. Thus, the entire bureaucratic system stirred again; the very materials needed to issue these currencies were a major problem. Gold, silver, copper, and iron were relatively easy to obtain—they could simply be melted down and recast. The problem was that tortoise shells and seashells couldn't be dug up from the mountains.

But the emperor issued a death order: within ten days, either the new currency would be issued or their heads would be chopped off. In order to save both their heads and their official hats, officials passed the pressure down the ranks, inevitably ending up at the very bottom, leading to another wave of resentment.

Comrade Wang's new currency hasn't even been officially issued yet, but it has already left a huge impression of being a nuisance to the people: Why is he changing it all the time? He abolished the Wuzhu coin before, and we were just getting used to the Daquan and Xiaoquan coins, and now he's changing it again. Is this ever going to end? The most frustrated group is undoubtedly those who believed Wang Mang during the last currency reform and didn't follow him in privately minting counterfeit coins. Their assets have shrunk to less than a tenth of what they had left. They finally managed to save up some money, but now they hear that the current currency is invalid and they have to exchange it for new ones. Even the best temper can't withstand this kind of torment.

However, when they saw this monetary policy, they realized they had been too quick to criticize.

What the hell is this?! (Image)

The bewildering conversions, the outlandish currencies, and the arbitrary use of source material... all drove the already resistant people to unleash their fury and curses. They also sensed Wang Mang's malice; all this complexity was clearly designed to discourage them from minting the Daquan Fifty coins!

I don't care if you have gold coins or silver coins, we'll all go to hell with your coins!

Ten days later, with the issuance of the edict, the market fell silent. The currency that had been painstakingly created did not circulate in the market. All transactions seemed to have gone underground at the same time.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"As expected..." Asur sighed, looking at the report collected by the spy robot again, "It's basically the same as we predicted, or rather, it's even worse."

"No one uses the new currency at all. The Daquan and Xiaoquan coins from the previous period have also been abandoned. People have started to use Wuzhu coins for transactions again. In some places, they have even started to use barter to conduct rather primitive exchanges. In any case, both the supply and demand are much less than before."

"This monetary reform is going to end in failure again."

Chapter 212: The Ideal State

"Traitors! Traitors! They're all traitors!"

"Clang—!!"

Wang Mang swept all the bamboo slips onto the ground, flying into a rage, his expression like that of a wild beast driven to the brink of despair. At this moment, he was no longer the divinely ordained, virtuous chosen one of people's memories; even in the imperial robes, his expression was ferocious enough. Veins bulged from his forehead, resembling twisted dragon horns.

Becoming emperor means being omnipotent, doesn't it mean that no one will object to what you say or do?

The previous emperor was utterly incompetent, a complete lecher, yet the people didn't unite to oppose him; he continued to live a carefree life in the palace. How come when it's my turn, I tried to do something good, but ended up like this?

"Your Majesty, it's not that we haven't done our best."

Ai Zhang, who once won the gold medal in the Auspicious Omens Design Competition with two bronze plaques, is now one of Wang Mang's close advisors. This young man essentially gambled his entire political life, and for this gamble, Wang Mang rewarded him handsomely. From a mere student at the Imperial Academy, he rose like a rocket to become a favored minister of the emperor.

Even so, what he was doing was no different from before; he was always trying to please the emperor.

As for now, the main thing is to keep the emperor from getting so angry.

"All the new currency was prepared and distributed to the people within ten days, according to your requirements. Every single piece is recorded. However, these coins are not seen circulating in the markets at all. Meanwhile, the Wuzhu coins minted in the previous dynasty are circulating privately, which is enough to show that there are still people who yearn for the Han dynasty hidden among the people. The new currency has been introduced, but the old currency is still being used, which clearly indicates a rebellious intention!"

Ai Zhang lowered his body like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, and whispered in Wang Mang's ear, "Your Majesty, if these people are not dealt with in time, I... am worried..."

Often, leaving things unsaid is an art. Because if you don't finish your sentence, people will naturally imagine how terrible the situation is. For example, right now, Wang Mang's face is even more ashen than before, and his attention has finally shifted from his ministers to the people of the land.

Yes.

Isn't it all because these troublemakers refused to cooperate that things have come to this?

"Issue my decree..."

The official in charge of drafting the recruitment immediately stood up, trembling, ready to record every word he said.

"I dare not say that the well-field system, with its five-zhu coins, is a means to mislead the masses, but rather to be scattered across the four borders to ward off evil spirits!"

"Those who privately mint coins shall die! If one family mints coins, all five families shall be implicated!"

"No one below the rank of marquis is allowed to possess gold; it must be delivered to the Imperial Treasury for payment!"

"Officials and commoners must carry a cloth coin as a substitute for their official pass when entering or leaving the city. Those who do not carry a cloth coin will not be allowed to leave the city, and will be detained at checkpoints and ferries!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After that, Wang Mang never went back to that wooden house, nor did he return to the Wang family mansion. His contact with Da Xiong and the others was completely severed. As his edicts were further implemented, the entire market fell into a deathly silence; all desires were suppressed. Even the smallest transactions ceased to exist.

……

"It's so quiet..." Shizuka sighed as she looked at the empty streets. "There's not a single person in sight."

Before Wang Mang ascended the throne, every street was packed with people, who came to campaign for him and petition him in an endless stream. The court even had to set aside manpower specifically to manage the crowds. But now, in broad daylight, the streets are like they're under curfew. Apart from Da Xiong and his group, there isn't a single other living creature to be seen.

This was still in front of the main gate of the Wang family mansion. A little further out, Da Xiong and his companions saw the most realistic microcosm of what had happened after Wang Mang's currency reforms. A century had passed since the opening of the Silk Road, and the prosperity brought by trade with the Western Regions had been completely shattered within a month.

The demand and supply of handicrafts were already quite limited, making transactions necessitated by low-denomination currencies. Previously, they had always used five-zhu coins for trade settlements; this sudden ban, coupled with the increasingly unreasonable demands, quickly alerted the merchants. Sensing the danger, they fled the capital in droves.

After Wang Mang changed the capital from Chang'an to Chang'an, the original spirit and vitality were completely lost. Despite the fact that the country's grain reserves were not scarce and the population was steadily increasing, the streets were in a state of utter ruin.

“In the past few days, soldiers were everywhere on the streets questioning and searching people. Anyone who was not found to have the newly issued currency was taken away for investigation. If they were found to have five-zhu coins, there was no interrogation at all; they were beheaded on the spot.”

Asur shook his head with an expression that said, "These guys are beyond saving," and made a diagnosis with absolute certainty: "A good business environment takes a lot of time to build, but it's very easy to destroy. And once it's destroyed, everyone runs away, and rebuilding it is as difficult as climbing to the sky."

When the legal value of currency far exceeds its market value, it essentially means the regime is exploiting the people—a disguised form of plundering their wealth. While most people were indeed uneducated, this didn't mean they were fools; they could certainly sense that their money could buy fewer and fewer things. Therefore, all the discontent and resentment were attributed to Wang Mang.

Where there is oppression, there will be resistance. At this stage, the people's resistance is simply to stay away from the streets—if they go out even once, they might be arrested as a rebel, so what's the point of buying anything? It's better for everyone to stay at home obediently.

The place was deserted, and the streets and alleys were unusually quiet, with a sense of oppressive tension, as if a storm was brewing.

"If the capital city is in this state, it's hard to imagine what other places must be like."

"This... can't be that serious, can it?" Huang Amao felt as if a stone had been stuck in his heart. Holding onto a sliver of hope, he forced himself to speak, "Small places like this shouldn't be affected, right? During the reign of the Han King, our village hardly saw any government soldiers for decades."

"Sigh..." Da Xiong sighed, his brows furrowed.

"When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact?"

Shizuka's tone was also somewhat heavy. An idiom she had learned in her Chinese class suddenly popped into her mind, and she said it naturally.

The sense of despair conveyed in the words—a foresight of the ending yet an inability to change it—led the boy into deep thought.

When the King of Han was alive, did he ever change the content of his decrees so frequently?

Did the capital ever experience such a desolate scene of swift destruction during the reign of the King of Han?

When the King of Han was alive...did the whole country exude such a subtle sense of unease as it does now?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

“Ah ...

A scream suddenly came from a nearby alley. When Da Xiong and the others arrived, they saw a middle-aged man clutching his abdomen, leaning against the wall in agony. Blood seeped from between his fingers and dripped to the ground, while a fine layer of sweat beaded on his forehead. The man's eyes were tightly closed, and he groaned in pain. If he didn't receive treatment soon, he would likely die from his wound within two minutes.

The culprit who stabbed him had already fled the place and disappeared without a trace, leaving only a series of close footsteps.

Chapter 213: Under the Overturned Nest

"The debt of saving...saving my life...is truly..."

"Alright, uncle, you're injured like this, so stop talking and just lie down and rest." As he spoke, he looked in the direction the killer had fled—there were several blood-stained footprints on the ground. "If we set off now to chase after him, we should still be able to catch up."

"No...no, forget it, let him go." The man's expression was complicated, with a thousand kinds of helplessness stuck in his throat, yet he couldn't express them. In the end, he could only let out a relieved, bitter smile. "When people are driven to the brink, they are no different from animals. They are capable of anything...You are all kind-hearted people, so please don't risk yourselves for me."

"Are you sure it's okay not to ask for it back?" Da Xiong asked, worried for him. "These days, no matter what kind of job you have, it's hard to earn money, isn't it?"

To everyone's surprise, upon hearing this, the man let out a few more miserable laughs. It seemed that the movement aggravated his wounds, causing him to grimace.

“My benefactor has misunderstood. In these times of year… money is the least valuable thing. You may steal money today, but who knows if you’ll need it tomorrow.” He sighed. In this world, what can ordinary people do but sigh? “What was stolen were a few sesame seed cakes that I just bought this morning in the east of the city.”

"food?"

Da Xiong's heart skipped a beat. Generally speaking, when everyone starts frantically hoarding food, it's basically a sign that social order is on the verge of collapse and a large-scale war is imminent. Just as rats sense that a ship is about to sink and desperately try to escape, the people living in this city, closest to the imperial power, can naturally sense the tremors emanating from the center of power.

The itinerant merchants, who had no fixed abode, had already sensed the impending change before Wang Mang's third currency reform and fled the city under cover of darkness. In contrast, the people of Chang'an were unfortunate; by the time they realized something was wrong, the city gates were already sealed off, and soldiers were patrolling everywhere.

At this moment, Wang Mang was like a mad captain. Even though the ship was heading towards a whirlpool, he was still unwilling to give up and wanted to drag the whole ship of people down with him.

"To be honest, I know that young man too..." After receiving a rescue that spanned centuries, the bleeding from the man's abdominal wound gradually stopped, and he no longer looked as weak as before.

"He was originally a servant, a slave, whose master was an official in the court in charge of horses and saddles. Because of an edict issued by the new emperor that servants would occupy a family member's place in the household, his master kicked him out. He had begged his former master to let him return home as a servant, but was refused. After that, he wandered the streets like a living dead..."

"Wait a minute, so he's already regained his freedom?" Huang Amao's eyes widened as if he had heard something unbelievable, and he quickly asked, "If that's the case, why did he go back? He finally regained his freedom!"

……

A complex mix of emotions surged in the man's eyes in an instant; an indescribable desolation, like ashes, easily sealed everyone's hearts.

"Just like these shells and tortoise shells, freedom is the least valuable thing to slaves."

"This boy's parents were both slaves, and he was born in his master's yard. From a young age, he never experienced a day outside of slavery. It can be said that apart from serving others and doing manual labor, he had no other way of making a living."

“To drive him out of the house is tantamount to cutting off all his means of survival.”

“But…this…this shouldn’t be, it shouldn’t be like this…” Huang Amao’s worldview was shaken at this moment. His expression was astonished and blank, like a child who was learning for the first time that one plus one equals two.

The abolition of the slave trade, granting all slaves and servants their freedom, was, in his mind, an unwavering and great thing. Even though Wang Mang made many mistakes in his monetary reforms, as long as this one principle remained, his idolized image in the young man's heart never wavered.

However, the darkness of reality, like an unseen tide, slowly spreads, engulfing the rocky coastline.

"Even if you don't know how, you can still learn, right?" Shizuka couldn't stand it anymore and chimed in, "You don't have to turn back into a criminal after you've gained your freedom."

"Let alone whether anyone would be willing to teach us in this chaotic time, even if they were, what use would it be?" The man sighed, his eyebrows drooping even lower, like a listless old ox after being beaten. "My benefactor, do you really think that there is still a place for us to stand under the imperial city, or even in the whole country?"

This question was like a bullet, striking the heart of everyone and forcing them to think in a completely new way.

"Making a living as a breadwinner isn't easy. After a year's harvest, you barely earn any money, and then you have to face layers of exploitation by cruel officials. If you get even a tenth or twentyth of the grain you're entitled to, you should be grateful for the magistrate's mercy—and that's in a good year. What happens in years of disaster or famine when the fields can't grow any food? Just look at the corpses lying in the fields. It's a tragedy beyond words!"

“Serving as a servant in a wealthy household may involve some hardship, but in times like these, it guarantees you food and clothing, and you won’t freeze to death in the cold wind. Everyone can clearly distinguish which is more important and which is better.”

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The existence of something implies its rationale. While this statement may be somewhat absolute, it is undeniable that it applies in many situations.

The prevalence of slavery was naturally due to its suitability to the production relations of the era. If most slaves could no longer tolerate the status quo, some would inevitably rise up in rebellion, just like Chen Sheng and Wu Guang. However, the reality was that before Wang Mang's drastic reforms, the social environment at the end of the Western Han Dynasty was quite stable—so stable that large numbers of people flocked to Chang'an to petition and support him.

However, after implementing major social reforms, Chang'an almost became a ghost town. Every policy he implemented seemed well-intentioned: curbing the power of the wealthy clans, distributing land to the people, abolishing slavery, and reforming the currency. Yet, in the end, it brought unimaginable and terrifying consequences.

A servant who could have lived a peaceful life in his master's house has now become an extremely dangerous vagrant after being forcibly evicted.

Perhaps he wasn't a bad person to begin with, but was forced into a corner by Wang Mang's good intentions.

This is happening right here at the foot of the imperial city, where the emperor's authority and power are strongest. One can only imagine how distorted these decrees would be in places where imperial power cannot reach and implementation relies entirely on officials, and how many times greater the exploitation would be. And to what extent have the displaced people and bandits there developed?

A chilling premonition slowly rose in Nobita's heart.

Only one year.

Less than a year... and it's already like this.

This dynasty might be much shorter-lived than he imagined.

"My benefactor, judging from your appearance, you shouldn't be from this city, right?" The man leaned against the wall, his legs a little weak, but he still managed to stand up. "Take my advice, run quickly, run as far as possible, preferably leave this country within ten days or so, and seek refuge in the Western Regions or anywhere else!"

"You know, when the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact?"