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墨書 Inktalez
After that, the study in the Marquis's Residence fell into silence once again. However, this time, the atmosphere became somewhat strange, subtly filled with an unspoken tension. It was no longer as relaxed and harmonious as before; instead, it was heavy with a sense of foreboding.
This was certainly due to the Great Zhou Dynasty's economic sanctions against the other Three Kingdoms, which changed everything. The Great Zhou Court aimed to bring the other three countries to their knees without bloodshed, hoping that when the Three Kingdoms ran out of money, they would be unable to wage war and would simply wait for their demise.
The Great Zhou Dynasty's approach seemed straightforward, yet it was truly a critical point. This was because both Great Qi and Korea, as well as the Daiwa Dynasty, had mostly continued using the old systems when establishing their new nations.
This included the currency system; even banknotes, coinage, and printing were based on the Great Zhou Dynasty's currency. The other three countries still did not have their own currency or related systems in place. Changing to a new currency was not an easy task.
It was precisely because this situation was complicated and troublesome that entering the market became difficult and could hardly be accepted by the Great Zhou Dynasty. This was crucial.
Thus, several countries abandoned their plans to print their own currency. It wasn't that they couldn't produce it; on the contrary, they could print and mint coins. The key issue was that the common people would not accept it. If they acted rashly, it would be considered illegal minting, which would have significant repercussions.
After Lian Shuang's explanation, Lu Chen finally understood most of it and became very concerned about this matter. He urged Lian Shuang to come up with a way to respond to the Great Zhou Dynasty's sanctions.
Under the oil lamp, Lu Chen sat at the desk with his back straight, lost in thought and motionless, appearing contemplative.
If Lu Chen guessed correctly, at this moment, the high-ranking officials of Great Qi and Korea were also deep in thought, trying to figure out how to deal with the Great Zhou Court's monetary sanctions. Their situation was similar to Lu Chen's; there had been no progress so far, and they could not come up with a better solution. Monetary sanctions were no trivial matter; they were learned from the Defender of the Realm in the Earth Book and had significant implications.
A night passed like this. The next day, around noon, Lu Chen had just come out of the palace and returned to his Marquis's Residence. As soon as he sat down, he received news from Lian Shuang and immediately asked for him to come in.
Before long, Lu Chen and Lian Shuang gathered in the study, accompanied by Old Mu who remained silent beside them. The conversation was between Lu Chen and Lian Shuang, who now wore a hint of joy on his face—likely because he had thought of a solution.
Seeing Lian Shuang like this made Lu Chen feel hopeful; he believed that solutions would naturally present themselves when needed.
"Greetings, Marquis. I have thought of a way. The monetary sanctions can be addressed; it just carries some risks," Lian Shuang said to Lu Chen with enthusiasm, his hands clasped together and his demeanor spirited.
"No need for formalities. We agreed last night that you would inform me immediately upon having news. Please share your idea," Lu Chen replied decisively as he sat down behind the desk, his expression now serious.
"Yes, Marquis." Lian Shuang bowed slightly and said to Lu Chen: "What I have in mind is not exactly a solution but worth trying. I'm not very confident about its success. I can proceed first; whether or not we implement it depends on your decision."
Lian Shuang expressed uncertainty about whether his idea would succeed since he didn't have much assurance.
"Alright, go ahead. I'll listen carefully and think it over," Lu Chen said as he remained seated behind the desk without moving.
"My solution is to mint new coins. We do not want the old currency of the Great Zhou Court; we will create our own set, redesigning both the coins and banknotes, and establish dedicated exchange locations to convert the old currency held by the common people into the new one. If we succeed, we will have won; if we do not..."
Lian Shuang did not dare to continue after that. He raised his head and glanced sideways at Lu Chen, observing his expression and reaction.
Lu Chen remained still and silent for a long time before saying, "This is indeed a method that is not really a method. Given that things have come to this point, we can only give it a try. Let's hope it succeeds; if it does not, then we may only have a desperate battle left. Regardless, we cannot let the Great Zhou Dynasty off the hook. You and Big Shuang both know my thoughts."
Lian Shuang nodded, remaining silent for a moment before saying, "So, Marquis agrees. I will arrange for personnel immediately to start minting the new currency. Marquis can just wait for good news." Lian Shuang said to Lu Chen.
"How long will it take?" Lu Chen suddenly asked. He hoped this plan could be implemented as soon as possible, and the sooner, the better. Delays would only worsen their situation; there would be no benefits from dragging it out.
Lu Chen understood the importance of monetary policy. A country without currency and economy is essentially non-existent. If a nation has no money, how can it fund wars? In fact, without even fighting, it could simply perish.
If the common people have no money and live in desolation, what kind of grand event is that? It would be worse than under the Great Zhou Dynasty.
"Reproducing currency, designing the notes, calculating reserves, and then issuing them will take at least over ten days," Lian Shuang replied. He meant that ten days was a conservative estimate.
Implementing a new currency system is not simple; it requires designing banknote layouts, arranging craftsmen, developing molds, and employing professional mathematicians to calculate reserves based on which the amount printed can be determined—it's quite complicated.
Reserves refer to real gold and silver. A country must have sufficient real gold and silver to print an equivalent amount of banknotes; this is a law.
"Alright, you go ahead. Remember to be quick; we cannot afford to wait. If this round against the Great Zhou Court succeeds, I might unite with other vassal states to launch a full-scale attack on the Great Zhou Dynasty," Lu Chen said in a calm tone.
Although Lu Chen's tone was calm, his words would shock anyone who heard them—indeed, they were shocking. Currently, the Daiwa Dynasty does not have the strength to confront the Great Zhou Court directly; however, if the Great Zhou Dynasty wants to deal with them, it won't be easy either. Once this currency war is won, Lu Chen plans to unite with other vassal states for a total offensive.
Hearing Lu Chen's words sent a chill down Lian Shuang's spine; Lu Chen's words were decisive—what he said would almost certainly be done.
It was precisely because of this trait in Lu Chen that Lian Shuang understood the importance of the matter and did not dare to delay. He clasped his hands together and said, "Yes, I understand."
Afterward, Lian Shuang left the Marquis's Residence alone and began to busy himself with his tasks. Over these past few years of accumulation, Lian Shuang had already gathered a large group of talented individuals around him—experts skilled in various crafts.
Thanks to having such a large pool of professionals at his disposal, Lian Shuang thrived in his endeavors. With just one word from Lu Chen, they could research anything; their current task was responsible for printing the new currency.
Sure enough, within half a month, the new currency finally emerged. This was Daiwa Dynasty's own currency—featuring an entirely new design for both notes and coins along with anti-counterfeiting technology and patterns. The Daiwa Dynasty's banknotes displayed an image of a Pixiu.
The Pixiu has ancient True Dragon bloodlines and symbolizes righteous power; using it to represent the banknote design was a carefully chosen decision.
As Lian Shuang and Lu Chen discussed, the implementation of their new currency encountered unprecedented obstacles. Because everyone thinks that they are casting coins privately. Except for the fact that real gold and silver can be cashed out, silver notes and gold notes cannot circulate at all. They are almost all boycotted by the common people. They do not accept this kind of currency. If it were not for Daiwa Dynasty official promotion, they will even claim that this currency is a fake currency, has no basis and practicality at all, and is purely fake. In this regard, Lu Chen and Lian Shuang are extremely anxious. If the new currency is not promoted, then all their efforts on the monetary sanctions policy of Great Zhou Court will be in vain, which is equivalent to nothing. Doing the same thing wastes a lot of manpower and material resources. Lu Chen and Lian Shuang have been together during this period, repeatedly discussing this topic and discussing countermeasures. This is indeed an unprecedented obstacle. At this time, looking at the people who do not accept new currencies, Lu Chen is really powerless. If he is allowed to kill people and fight against others, it will be relatively simple. But now, Lu Chen really has no solution at all. It would be easier to kill someone. This is almost the most difficult thing he has encountered since assisting SunZizhao. He can't come up with an idea himself, and the people around him can't help. It seems that he has reached a dead end. This incident really made him realize the tyranny of the state machine, the complexity of the structure, and how it was far from being as simple as he imagined. In short, Lu Chen at this time has mixed feelings in his heart, and he has truly learned the lesson and gained knowledge. Days passed one by one, and the new currency still could not be implemented. The number of exchanges was only a few, and sometimes there were none at all. The exchange points set up were simply not feasible, just like Baiyang City, None of them work, let alone other provinces.
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