novelSusiti Chapter 86 The Battlefield Without Gunfire: Who Moved My Exchange Rate?
Chapter 86 The Battlefield Without Gunfire: Who Moved My Exchange Rate?
North of Xianyang City, an inconspicuous gray stone building stands on the banks of the Wei River.
There were no signs hanging here, nor were there any stone lions at the entrance. Only two rows of Royal Guards, dressed in heavy black armor and holding breech-loading muskets, stood guard like statues.
For the ordinary people of Xianyang, this place is a mystery. Some say it is the Heavenly Prison where serious criminals from the six kingdoms were imprisoned, because every day, carriages mysteriously transport heavy boxes in and out; others say it is the secret alchemy room where the Imperial Preceptor concocted the elixir of immortality, because occasionally one can hear the frantic clanging of abacus beads inside, like a torrential downpour.
In fact, this was the highest-secret institution of the Qin Empire, with a level of secrecy even higher than that of the arsenal and gunpowder bureau.
This is the Qin Dynasty Royal Central Bank and Financial Strategy Command Center.
After passing through the heavy iron gate and three corridors guarded by hidden sentries, you enter a huge hall.
The hall had a very high dome, with dozens of bright kerosene lamps hanging from it, illuminating the space as if it were daytime.
There were no alchemy furnaces or instruments of torture here. In the center of the hall stood an enormous blackboard, as tall as a three-story building, occupying an entire wall. In front of the blackboard, several layers of scaffolding had been erected, and a dozen nimble clerks were hopping up and down the scaffolding like monkeys, quickly updating the numbers on the blackboard according to instructions from below.
On the floor of the hall, five hundred tables were neatly arranged. Behind each table sat a carefully selected accountant. They were solemn, their fingers flying across the page, engaged in a high-intensity "finger exercise".
"Splash—splash—smack!"
The sound of five hundred abacuses turning simultaneously merged into a chilling wave of sound. This sound was monotonous and cold, yet it contained a strange rhythm, like the breathing of some huge beast.
Above the main hall is a suspended glass box (which is also the largest single glass building in Daqin).
Ying Zheng stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the "human computer" beneath his feet through the glass. Beside him stood the Grand Tutor Wang Jianguo and the bewildered General Han Xin.
"Han Xin, look down here," Ying Zheng said, pointing to the five hundred accountants frantically calculating with abacuses. "How does it feel?"
Han Xin frowned. As a commander, he was used to the clash of swords and the thunder of horses, and he was somewhat dismissive of this kind of scene.
"Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, they are just a group of accountants doing books. Although there are many of them, they... don't seem to have any murderous intent."
"No killing intent?" Ying Zheng sneered, turning to look at Wang Jianguo. "Jianguo, you tell the General how many people will die after this round of abacus work."
Wang Jianguo pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses (he had specially changed them to match his financier look today), held a pointer in his hand, and pointed to the huge blackboard opposite him.
"General, what's written on that blackboard is the current 'real-time exchange rate' of the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions. In other words, how many of our Great Qin's 'Qin Banliang' coins can be exchanged for their scrap metal?"
Wang Jianguo pointed to a line of red numbers: "Look at this line—'Shule Kingdom Copper Coins.' The current exchange rate is: one Qin half tael for one hundred and twenty Shule coins."
"So what?" Han Xin asked, puzzled. "It's just the price of buying and selling things."
"General, the essence of war is the plunder of resources." A cold glint flashed in Wang Jianguo's eyes. "Using swords to rob is a low-level tactic; it results in death, costs in compensation, and earns you the reputation of a tyrant. But we..."
Wang Jianguo gently tapped on the glass: "We only need to have these accountants move their fingers and slightly adjust this number. That will make the King of Shule unable to afford trousers, and make the people of Shule obediently deliver the grain they have worked so hard to grow for a year to our granary, and they will still be grateful to us."
Han Xin's eyes widened: "This...how is this possible?"
"Little G," Wang Jianguo called out to the air.
【exist. 】
The familiar blue light screen unfolded in front of the three of them, displaying a complex line graph with lines that undulated like a roller coaster.
The economic data model for Shule County has been established.
[Current Situation Analysis: The King of Shule, indulging in pleasure, has imported large quantities of glassware, silk, and Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) from Daqin (the Qin state) in the past six months. To pay for these goods, the kingdom has frantically minted inferior copper coins (the copper content has dropped to 20%), attempting to purchase Daqin goods through excessive currency issuance.]
[Risk Assessment: The country's currency credibility is on the verge of collapse, and the domestic inflation rate has reached 300%. The money in people's hands is becoming worthless, but they are unaware of this because they believe their Qin Dynasty glass beads are a safe haven.]
[Operation Order: Closing the net is complete. Operation codenamed "Shear the Sheep" is recommended.]
Ying Zheng looked at the red curve, a cruel smile curving his lips.
"Han Xin, didn't you say you had no murderous intent? Today I'll show you what it means to 'kill without shedding blood'."
Ying Zheng picked up the red telephone (internal line) on the table and gave a deep order:
"Issue the order: The Qin Royal Bank, effective immediately, to cease accepting copper coins from the Kingdom of Shule. Sell off all its Shule coin reserves. For all goods exported to the Kingdom of Shule, accept only gold, or... grain."
"Operation begins!"
Thousands of miles away, in the Western Regions, lies the Kingdom of Shule (present-day Kashgar area).
This was a bustling oasis city, a vital hub on the Silk Road. At this moment, the Shule Royal Palace was immersed in a lavish revelry.
King Apel of Shule lay on a soft couch covered with Qin silk, toying with a crystal-clear, multicolored glass ball in his hand. The ball refracted a mesmerizing light in the sunlight and he regarded it as the most precious treasure of the country.
"Beautiful...it's so beautiful," Appel exclaimed. "The Great Qin is truly a divine kingdom; even stones can be fired to such a crystalline state."
At his feet were piles of "luxury goods" from the Qin Dynasty: some were warped ceramic jars (which Liu Bang tricked into calling them "unique works of art"), some were brightly colored synthetic fabrics (which he tricked into calling them "Heavenly Brocade"), and there were also cases of high-proof liquor.
"Your Majesty," the Finance Minister entered with a worried expression, "the gold in the national treasury... is almost empty. Yesterday, a caravan from Great Qin brought in another batch of 'Royal Supreme Edition' glass balls, priced at five thousand gold pieces. We... cannot afford them."
"Can't afford it?" Appel's eyes widened. "Then make money! Don't we have copper mines? Add more lead, more tin, even some stone powder to the copper! As long as it can be cast into a round shape, that's money!"
"But Your Majesty..." the Chancellor of the Exchequer wiped his sweat, "there's so much money in the market it's like sand. People have to carry sacks of cash just to buy a naan. There's widespread resentment..."
"Foolish!" Appel cursed. "As long as we have the treasures of Qin, they're hard currency! In a couple of years, when these treasures appreciate in value, we'll be the richest people in the Western Regions! Besides, haven't the Qin people been taking our money all along? As long as they take it, that money is money!"
Just then, a guard stumbled in, his helmet askew.
"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"
"What's the panic! The Qin Dynasty has attacked?" Appel was so startled that she almost dropped the glass ball in her hand.
"No...it's not war..." the guard gasped for breath, "It's a Qin caravan...they...they suddenly posted a notice refusing to accept our money!"
"What?!" Appel jumped to his feet. "Why won't they accept it? That's money! It has my image on it!"
"They said...they said it was 'scrap metal'," the guard said, his face contorted with despair. "They said that from today onwards, if you want to buy Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) or glass marbles from the Great Qin Dynasty, you have to exchange them for gold, or grain, cattle, or sheep! And...and the exchange rate has changed!"
"How much will it change?"
"Yesterday it was 100 for 1...this morning it became 500 for 1...I just passed by the market and it's already 1000 for 1!"
Appel felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, and the world spun around her.
The market in Shule City has now become a mental asylum.
Panic, like a plague, spread throughout the city in an instant, following a notice from the Qin caravan.
"The Qin Dynasty no longer accepts tribute from Shule!"
This news was like a nuclear bomb exploding for the economy of Shule. For the past few years, Daqin goods had been the only hard currency here, and Daqin's credit backing was the only reason Shule currency could still circulate.
Now, that endorsement has been removed.
"My money! My money!"
A mutton vendor, looking at the large bag of copper coins he had just received from selling sheep, let out a desperate howl. Just fifteen minutes ago, this money could have bought two bottles of Da Qin soy sauce; now, it couldn't even buy a soy sauce bottle cap.
"Cheaters! They're all liars!"
The angry people rushed to the money shop, trying to exchange their Shule coins for gold or the "Qin Banliang" coins of the Qin Dynasty.
But the money exchange's doors were tightly shut. A sign hanging at the entrance read: "Branch of the Great Qin Royal Bank, exchange services suspended due to technical reasons."
Meanwhile, in another corner of the market, a long queue had formed at the official grain store of the Qin Dynasty.
"Sell grain! Sell grain!"
The grain store clerk stood on a high platform, banging a gong: "Don't miss out! Qin Dynasty special-supply flour, special price today! We only accept gold, cow and sheep hides, or your stored grain (barter)! Shule coins? That stuff is too hard even to wipe your butt with, we don't want it!"
This creates an extremely absurd situation:
On the one hand, prices were skyrocketing. The price of a naan bread rose from ten coins in the morning to five hundred coins at noon, and by evening, it was said to be three thousand coins. People pushed wheelbarrows loaded with heavy copper coins, but they couldn't even buy dinner for their families.
On the other hand, the goods of the Qin Dynasty were frantically "sucking blood." Gold jewelry and family heirlooms that were usually treasured were sold to Qin merchants at extremely low prices by the people, who cried and begged, just to exchange them for a bag of flour.
"This...this is robbery! This is blatant robbery!"
The finance minister of Shule Kingdom stood on the city wall, looking down at the chaotic streets below, trembling all over.
He saw a wealthy Qin merchant trading a bottle of cheap perfume, worth no more than ten qin coins, for a pure gold bracelet from a noblewoman. The woman was extremely grateful, as if she had gotten a great deal.
"This isn't doing business..." the Chancellor muttered to himself, "This is clearly sucking our lifeblood dry!"
Three days.
In just three days, the economy of Shule Kingdom completely collapsed.
The army changed because the soldiers found that their pay wasn't even enough to buy alcohol.
Farmers stopped farming because the grain they produced wasn't enough to pay taxes (taxes were still calculated in the old currency, but the purchasing power was gone).
The nobles went bankrupt. Their homes were filled with luxury goods from the Qin Dynasty, but now these things were priceless and could not be converted into food.
The Shule Royal Palace was in complete disarray.
The palace maids and eunuchs absconded with all the gold they could carry. Appel sat alone on the throne, clutching the glass ball tightly in his hand.
By this time, he hadn't had a decent meal in three days. The cooks in the imperial kitchen had long since gone on strike because they weren't receiving their full pay (they were demanding instant noodles from the Qin Dynasty).
"His Majesty……"
The Chancellor of the Exchequer walked in, his face gaunt. "The mob in the city... is storming the palace gates. They say... that His Majesty printed too much counterfeit money, swindling them out of their wealth. They want... they want to borrow His Majesty's head."
Appel shuddered, and the glass ball in her hand rolled to the ground and shattered with a "crack".
Just like his kingdom.
"Help me...who can save me..." Appel cried out in despair.
"Only the Great Qin." The Minister of Finance sighed. "Your Majesty, I have just received a letter from Liu Bang, the Great Qin's commercial representative in Shule."
"What does the letter say? Read it quickly!"
"Lord Liu said... that Qin is willing to lend a helping hand out of consideration for the diplomatic relations between the two countries," the Finance Minister read aloud. "Qin can provide an emergency loan of five million Qin taels to stabilize the situation in Shule and to transport 100,000 shi of relief grain."
"Good! Good! I'll sign! I'll sign anything!" Appel exclaimed as if he had grasped at a straw.
"But..." the Finance Minister paused, "Lord Liu has a few... minor conditions."
"What are the conditions?"
"First, the State of Shule must abolish its own currency and circulate the 'Qin Banliang' throughout its territory. All minting rights shall be transferred to the Royal Bank of Qin."
"Secondly, the customs duties and salt and iron taxes of Shule Kingdom were collected by the Qin Customs Office on its behalf and used to repay loan interest."
"Third, in order to protect the safety of the Qin caravan, Qin will station 3,000 troops in Shule City. The military expenses will be borne by Shule."
Upon hearing this, Appel slumped onto his throne.
This isn't a loan; it's a treaty that threatens national subjugation!
Giving up the right to mint coins is tantamount to giving up the lifeline of the nation; handing over taxes is tantamount to handing over the flesh and blood of the nation; handing over the right to station troops is tantamount to handing over the bones of the nation.
The agreement was signed, and the Kingdom of Shule existed in name only, becoming a complete colony of the Qin Dynasty.
If he doesn't sign, the mob outside will rush in and tear him to pieces.
Outside the palace gates, the sounds of battle cries grew ever closer.
Appel closed her eyes, and two lines of clear tears streamed down her face.
"Bring me a pen..."
With trembling hands, he stamped the royal seal on the treaty that could make him a sinner for all time.
Act Five: Han Xin's Enlightenment
Xianyang, Financial Command Center.
"bite--"
A crisp bell rang. On Little G's screen, the red warning light representing the economic situation of Shule Kingdom went out, and was replaced by a green light representing "Qin Assets".
[Battle Report: Operation "Shearing the Sheep" has ended.]
[Battle Results Statistics:]
[1. Zero casualties. The Qin army did not fire a single arrow.]
[2. Profits: 30,000 taels of gold, 5,000 fine horses, and countless cattle and sheep.]
[3. They acquired the right to mint coins, collect taxes, and station troops in the Shule Kingdom. This kingdom effectively became a county of the Qin Dynasty.]
4. Costs: A bunch of glass marbles, cheap silk, and some flour (the loan is essentially a numbers game).
In the hall, five hundred accountants stopped using their abacuses. They didn't cheer; they simply wiped the sweat from their brows and took a sip of tea.
The sounds were synchronized, like the sound of swords being sheathed on a battlefield.
Inside the glass-enclosed booth.
Han Xin stared intently at the battle statistics on the screen, remaining silent for a long time. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword at his waist, his knuckles turning white from the pressure.
"General, how is it?" Ying Zheng asked, swirling a glass of red wine gently. "How does this result compare to your desperate battle?"
Han Xin took a deep breath and slowly loosened his grip on the sword hilt. The pure blind faith in martial prowess in his eyes was crumbling, replaced by a deep awe, even fear.
"Your Majesty..." Han Xin's voice was somewhat hoarse, "This humble general used to think that the fastest way to kill was with a sword, and the strongest way to siege a city was with a cannon."
"Only today do I realize that the sharpest sword in the world is money; the strongest fortress is faith."
"This battle, without shedding a single drop of blood, drained a nation of its lifeblood. Without killing a single person, it broke the backbone of a nation."
Han Xin turned around and bowed deeply to Ying Zheng and to Wang Jianguo, who looked rather frail.
"This humble general... has learned a great deal. So this is the true meaning of 'a match for ten thousand men'."
Wang Jianguo helped Han Xin up and smiled, "General, you flatter me. Military affairs are an extension of politics, while economics is the foundation of politics. In the future, when you lead troops into battle, you will not only need to look at the mountains and rivers on the map, but also understand the red and black numbers on this ledger. Sometimes, cutting off the enemy's supply lines is not just about burning granaries, but also about... crashing their prices."
Ying Zheng walked to the window and looked out at the bustling city of Xianyang.
"Shule is just the first," Ying Zheng said calmly. "The thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions, Rome, Parthia... I will use this small 'Qin Banliang' coin to herd them all into my sheepfold."
"Nation-building".
"Your subject is here."
"Who's next?"
Wang Jianguo glanced at the data analysis provided by Xiao G and adjusted his glasses.
"Your Majesty, it seems that the King of Kucha has recently been hoarding large quantities of our 'limited edition' porcelain and is even planning to issue some kind of 'Kucha Treasure Note' to counter our currency infiltration."
Ying Zheng smiled. That smile held no warmth, only the domineering aura of an emperor.
"Then let Liu Bang go to Kucha. Tell him that this time he doesn't need to bring glass marbles, but rather some new ways to play 'futures'. Let the King of Kucha know what it means to be shorted."
Thousands of years later, when historians of the Western Regions looked back on this history, they were puzzled to find that the once powerful kingdoms of the Western Regions did not fall under the iron hooves of the Qin army, but rather to a series of inexplicable "diseases of affluence".
They wrote in the history books:
"The Qin people possessed a sorcery that could subdue the enemy without a fight. Their weapon was not a spear or halberd, but a magic spell called 'Exchange Rate.' In countries afflicted by this spell, gold and silver flowed freely, the people went mad, and the royal family begged for mercy. Wherever Qin currency went, it became Qin territory. This is—the sign of money."
In the financial museum in Xianyang, there is a broken glass ball on display.
The nameplate below reads:
[The Tears of Shule: Witnessing the ultimate weapon of the first currency war. Cost: 0.5 Qin Banliang; Price: One nation.]