The Army Searches
The King of Jiangdu's offering of counterfeit gold was a grave offense, enough to warrant the court's review of the matter from a moral standpoint.
If the new emperor is more resolute, it is possible that he could use this opportunity to abolish the vassal states and strip the king of his throne.
The investigation into the Jiangdu Yiwang case actually involved breaking the original order of the vassal states, thereby tearing a hole in the vassal system.
The new emperor regretted the death of King Yi of Jiangdu, but his greater intention was to use this opportunity to bring Jiangdu under his control.
It wasn't until he had a brief discussion with Zhang Xuezhou that his restless heart finally calmed down.
"How did this black copper turn into gold?" the new emperor asked, puzzled.
"If beans can be turned into tofu, how much more so can copper be turned into gold!"
Zhang Xuezhou replied, and the new emperor's heart skipped a beat, further confirming the source of this batch of magical gold.
"If I use this to weaken Jiangdu Kingdom, what are the chances of it causing chaos?" the new emperor asked.
"Absolutely," Zhang Xuezhou said, raising a finger. "Without overwhelming evidence to expose these fake gold pieces on the spot, if the other feudal lords believe this is a frame-up by the court, the situation will reverse, and the court will ultimately be left without a legitimate reason to act!"
"Damn it, are we just going to let this go like this?"
Your white deerskin isn't worth anything!
The new emperor clenched his fists, and when Zhang Xuezhou uttered a complaint, he was momentarily embarrassed.
He didn't lose money by exchanging deerskin for counterfeit money; however, he made a profit by exchanging it for other real money.
To be fair, Zhufu Yan was quite adept at swindling people, and many people had to buy a White Deer Coin even if they had to hold their noses.
Of course, buying Bailu coins is far from the end. Through this kind of trading, one can determine who has money, who doesn't, and whose money came from illicit sources. It also makes it much easier to investigate people later.
"Hey, are we just going to let this fake gold business continue like this?"
Seeing Zhang Xuezhou take the White Deer Coins and about to leave, the new emperor quickly called out to him.
"Whether this money is genuine or not, it circulates within the Great Han. Some people will suffer losses, and some will benefit, but overall the balance will remain," Zhang Xuezhou said. "When the time is right, Your Majesty can go and reap the rewards!"
"Pick the fruit, which one is the fruit?" the new emperor shouted.
"Whoever is the richest is Guoguo!"
When can I pick them?
Zhang Xuezhou ran incredibly fast; even the White Deer Coins didn't keep Zhang Xuezhou from stopping for long.
The new emperor felt that Zhang Xuezhou knew something, but saying it wouldn't change anything, and he even left without answering the emperor's follow-up questions.
"Could this be the work of the Prince of King of Huainan? If so, he truly has the makings of a powerful figure!"
The advent of tofu transformed the fodder meant for cattle and horses into a delicacy, and the appearance of gold meant immeasurable wealth.
As long as you exchange counterfeit money, you can get real food, weapons, armor, minerals, medicine, and so on in return.
"It's a pity that Uncle Wang can't serve the court. If he could use the gold to trade with the Xiong State, the Xiong State's economy would collapse!"
The new emperor paced back and forth for a long time, finally putting aside the matter that was about to cause a great upheaval, and instead took out another White Deer Coin from his Great Heaven and Earth Bag.
"Next, I need to go to Zhuang Qingdi's residence to sell the White Deer coins. I need to see how many he can still buy!"
The matter that could have stirred up countless storms in the Great Han was put aside. After pondering and making up his mind, the new emperor could only pretend that nothing had happened. He would even appease the Crown Prince of Jiangdu and then support him in inheriting the throne.
If this were a different minister, he would undoubtedly be in a frantic rush to deal with it.
But Zhang Xuezhou had taught economics, and the new emperor also understood economic principles.
As long as the money doesn't run away, no matter how much it swirls, it's all being adjusted within the Great Han Dynasty. Some people lose, some people gain, and everything is balanced.
"We need to sell these White Deer coins quickly. Judging from how eager Dongfang Shuo is to use them, things might get harder later!"
Stepping out of the mansion, the atmosphere of the New Year permeated every corner of Chang'an City.
Despite the freezing weather, many people were warming themselves by the fire, while children went from door to door trying to please others.
The new emperor had just stepped into the territory of Zhuang Qingdi's residence when he saw Guo Sheren running wildly towards him, his footsteps echoing across the snow.
Normally, the new emperor would have praised Guo Sheren's lightness skill, even though it was far inferior to Zhang Xuezhou and others who could soar through the air. However, Guo Sheren was quite good at delivering messages and handling affairs in Chang'an City.
"It's terrible! It's an urgent report from 800 li away! The Xiong State has reached Shanggu County! They've all stormed in! We're afraid we can't hold it!"
"What?"
Holding the White Deer Coin in his right hand, the new emperor did not take another step towards Zhuang Qingdi's residence.
Since the ambush at Mayi, the Xiong State's army and the Great Han army have clashed repeatedly on the border, with the Han army still mainly relying on defensive counterattacks.
The court had basically settled its stance on the Xiong State, but the tactics were the subject of endless back-and-forth arguments, with most generals favoring city battles.
The sporadic clashes lasted for nearly two years, and the inevitable consequence of prolonged defense eventually came.
Shanggu County is a major border city in the north. If it is breached, it means that a large gap has been torn open in the north.
If it weren't for the high mountains like Taihang and Wangwu blocking their way, the Xiong State's army could have marched almost straight towards Chang'an City.
"Damn it, always thinking about the advantage of the city walls, how can we hold them for long?" the new emperor gritted his teeth.
"The urgent report says that the Xiong State has deployed siege engines, ladders, battering rams, and catapults. They are no longer just a pure nomadic cavalry army; they seem to have the confidence to attack cities," Guo Sheren whispered.
"The Xiong State always go into battle in plain clothes, so why are they carrying such heavy weapons this time?"
After the anger came reason; the changes in the Xiong State's tactics left the new emperor somewhat perplexed.
In past encounters, the Xiong State have always adopted a predatory approach, always launching attacks in the simplest way possible and then plundering areas that are not heavily fortified.
This fierce battle for Shanggu County also resulted in a significant number of casualties.
Every price paid demands a reward. The new emperor received the urgent report and meticulously reviewed every word of each message.
"Could they be heading towards Pingyang County?!"
Located behind Shanggu County, Pingyang County was not particularly conspicuous, but only Pingyang County was worth such a large-scale operation.
Zhang Xuezhou feigned death to avoid future troubles, while the Marquis of Pingyang did not have such a method.
The more thoroughly Marquis Cao Shou of Pingyang hid, the higher the chance that the place would be thoroughly searched.
Having evaded the Daoist's possible search, Cao Shou was met with tens of thousands of cavalry.
After pacing back and forth several times, the new emperor realized that no one could save Cao Shou.
A rescue operation needs at least a target; not only can Dao Jun not find Cao Shou, but they also cannot find Cao Shou at the moment.
"The longer Marquis Pingyang hides, the higher the chance of our counterattack. Now that we've entered the Great Han Dynasty's territory and are playing on our home turf, let's see who still insists on holding out!"
If the new emperor had any hope, he could only hope that the Marquis of Pingyang could hold on for a while.
This marquis was not only skilled at maintaining his health, but also particularly adept at disguise. This was why the new emperor had always used Cao Shou's name in the past; the marquis was a man of a thousand faces, and could impersonate anyone without any problem.
However, the trouble caused by his impersonation this time was too great, and Emperor Rao Xin also felt the pressure from Cao Shou.
"Immediately summon Li Guang, Wei Qing, Gongsun Ao, and Gongsun He!"
The new emperor summoned four people in one go, effectively transferring almost all the members of the pro-war faction led by the court.
Regardless of whether it works or not, whether it's a mule or a horse, the new emperor felt that a head-on confrontation was necessary.
Only by making the other party pay the price can we avoid endless troubles in the future.
With the venomous breath of the Immortal Court eliminated, and the King of Huainan and others preoccupied with the deaths of Shu Jin and the King of Jiangdu, daring not to act rashly, the threat to the rear of the Great Han Dynasty was almost temporarily quelled. This was also a rare moment when the new emperor could confidently deploy a large army.
"If we drag Zhu Jiuyin into this again, and let the Immortal Court deal with this old dragon, how can we not worry about the destruction of the Xiong State!"
As he hurried back to the Weiyang Palace, the new emperor felt a jumble of chaotic information converging, but he lacked a thread to connect them.
He couldn't worry about anything else; this matter had to be done first, and everything else could wait and see.