World's First Traitor System (415)

Chapter 415 - Business, Do You Understand It?

Fan Li's attitude surprised everyone, including Xiang Chong. But when he heard Fan Li readily agree, Xiang Chong assumed that the Empress's strength had forced Fan Li to submit.

"Hehe!"

"So, there's always someone higher up. Fan Li, you too have your moments of being bullied?"

Xiang Chong was overjoyed. For once, he extravagantly praised Fan Li before announcing the end of the court session.

"Duke Jin!"

"Duke Jin, please wait!"

"Duke Jin, about today's matter..."

After the court session, as Fan Li prepared to return to his residence, he was surrounded by officials, including the Nine Ministers.

The ministers protested with one core message: using five years' worth of tax revenue as military expenses was far too costly!

"Everyone, please be patient."

Fan Li, however, appeared calm and unhurried.

Seeing his composure, the ministers' anxieties eased slightly.

"My esteemed colleagues, as I stated in court, I will personally oversee this matter. You need not worry."

"But..." Someone remained unconvinced, whispering, "Duke Jin, did you compromise because of the Empress's strength, fearing her imposing authority?"

What authority?

Fan Li thought, Some things shouldn't be said carelessly. I have absolutely no personal involvement with Yao Guang.

"Everyone, rest assured. In terms of cultivation, a hundred Fan Lis couldn't match Yao Guang. But in terms of business, a hundred Yao Guangs couldn't match Fan Li."

With that, Fan Li smiled and patted the shoulders of a few elder ministers.

"But..." Elder Minister Xiang Liang worried, "The amount of Great Chu's annual tax revenue is likely no secret to Empress Yao Guang. The sum of five years' worth of taxes needs to be delivered to Great Ci quickly. How can this be falsified?"

The ministers all assumed Fan Li intended to falsify the data.

He shook his head.

"Falsifying data certainly wouldn't deceive Empress Yao Guang. What I'm preparing for Great Ci is indeed wealth equivalent to Great Chu's five years' worth of taxes."

The ministers' faces paled!

"Duke Jin, how can this be allowed?!"

Seeing their reaction, Fan Li remained smiling and relaxed.

"Everyone, rest assured. In a month, Great Chu will issue two types of currency, the Baochao and the Lingshi Quan, which can be exchanged for gold, silver, or spirit stones of equal value."

"After these currencies have been in circulation in Great Chu for half a year, I will use Baochao and Lingshi Quan to make up the five years' worth of taxes to be delivered to the Great Ci Dynasty."

The ministers were utterly bewildered.

Issuing currency?

Exchangeable for gold, silver, and spirit stones of equal value?

It sounded convenient, but what was the difference?

Wouldn't Great Chu still have to pay the price of five years' worth of taxes?

"Duke Jin..."

Xiang Liang was about to dissuade him, but Fan Li stopped him.

"Rest assured. Everyone, rest assured. I simply want to give the young Great Ci a lesson, a lesson in finance called 'Inflation.'"

One month later.

The Great Chu government suddenly announced the issuance of Baochao and Lingshi Quan.

The people of Chu were curious, yet also apprehensive and hesitant to use them.

On the first day of the currency's issuance, not a single transaction using the new currency was successfully completed in the Chu market.

However, on the second day, the Fan Clan Trading Company issued an important notice.

All businesses under the trading company would accept the new currencies.

Anyone with Baochao or Lingshi Quan could conduct any transaction within the Fan Clan Trading Company.

The banks under the Fan Clan Trading Company simultaneously announced that they would accept Baochao and Lingshi Quan for savings, investments, and loans.

The Great Chu government and the Fan Clan Trading Company would, from that day forward, use Baochao and Lingshi Quan as the sole currency for paying salaries.

Thus, the two currencies officially began to circulate in Great Chu.

...

"Elder Sister, look, these are the Baochao and Lingshi Quan of Great Chu."

Sage Ruler Jin De placed two paper notes on the imperial desk.

"This is a silver Baochao, with a face value of one tael. It can be exchanged for one tael of silver at any bank in Great Chu, or it can be used to directly purchase goods worth one tael of silver."

"The Lingshi Quan is just as convenient."

"Storage treasures are expensive. Those poor people who can't afford storage boxes now use these easy-to-carry Baochao for transactions."

Yao Guang was slightly taken aback.

She picked up the two paper notes and examined them closely, while Sage Ruler Jin De continued.

"No wonder Great Chu is wealthy. That Fan Li, though detestable, is indeed clever to have come up with something like Baochao and Lingshi Quan."

The Empress placed the two paper notes back on the desk.

She remained silent for a long moment, then suddenly spoke, "Can Great Ci replicate Baochao and Lingshi Quan?"

Her words startled Sage Ruler Jin De and Sage Ruler Miaoyin!

Replicate?

The Empress's intention was definitely not to promote Great Ci's version of the new currency, but to simply counterfeit the Chu currency.

If they succeeded, wouldn't that mean they could have as much gold and as many spirit stones as they wanted?

The idea was simply... too insidious!

Gold and spirit stones were rare, naturally occurring resources; that's what gave them value.

But counterfeiting had no limits.

No matter how wealthy Great Chu was, Great Ci would eventually drain it dry!

Sage Ruler Jin De swallowed hard, finally saying, "Elder Sister, shall we try?"

"Mm."

A month later, Sage Ruler Jin De apologized to Empress Yao Guang.

"Elder Sister, I am incompetent. I cannot replicate Great Chu's Baochao and Lingshi Quan."

The Empress was surprised.

"Fan Li is merely at the Nascent Soul realm. If he can do it, why can't you?"

Jin De was mortified.

"Elder Sister, this has nothing to do with cultivation. It's all that scoundrel Fan Li's fault. He actually promoted anti-counterfeiting awareness in Great Chu."

"Apparently, Baochao and Lingshi Quan have anti-counterfeiting features, including patterns, colors, serial numbers, and so on. These multiple security measures make it impossible for us to replicate them."

"And because it concerns their own wealth, the people of Chu are actively learning. Now everyone knows how to identify counterfeit notes."

Empress Yao Guang was silent.

But after a brief pause, the Empress smiled coldly.

"Good."

"Fan Li can ensure the currency cannot be counterfeited, but that also makes things easier for me."

"I was worried he would try to cheat us with the five years' worth of taxes. Now, I will only accept Great Chu's Baochao and Lingshi Quan. Let's see how he handles that."

Jin De's eyes lit up.

"Elder Sister is wise!"

"Once we have the money, we can go to Great Chu and buy whatever resources Great Ci needs!"

Empress Yao Guang smiled and nodded.

That was precisely her plan!

...

Time flew by, and another half a year passed.

Inside the Rivers and Mountains Pavilion of the Fan Manor.

Fan Li had a mountain of reports piled before him, yet he immediately identified the most crucial ones.

"Baochao and Lingshi Quan equivalent to five years' worth of taxes have been fully accepted by the Great Ci Dynasty, confirmed without error."

"The Emperors of Wei, Han, and Wu, following Duke Jin's suggestion, have established adjustable currency exchange mechanisms."

"The printing house has trained a thousand printing workers, significantly increasing printing capacity."

"Empress Yao Guang has declared war on Shi Jingtang; her army is about to depart!"

"Domestic market price inquiry: one shi of rice costs two qian of silver..."

Looking at the last report, Fan Li smiled.

The market was cruel, was the Empress aware of that?