Chapter 118: Da Xia's Never‑Night City, Plans Fulfilled, Dominating the Divine Continent, the Kong Family Arrives!

Two Heavens' Mandates.

That's quite a lot.

I currently have three paths; if I can obtain these two Heavens' Mandates, wouldn't that make five? Plus Mr. Su Wenjing promised to give me another.

That would be six paths.

When needed, I can ask Su Huaiyu for a path; after all, I have the most, and someone like Su Huaiyu will certainly minimize the risk.

That makes seven paths.

If I turn back and wrestle another three or five paths, the Da Xia Dynasty still has two; so it's normal that in ten years I'll have a dozen‑plus paths, accounting for a fifth or a quarter of the total.

And to the people of the world, I'd be ranked first.

"Don't overthink it."

"Of these two Heavens' Mandates, one is unattainable for you."

Su Wenjing spoke, very direct, without any politeness.

"Why?"

Gu Jin Nian felt a bit indignant: are there things in this world that I can't obtain?

"The second Heaven's Mandate is likely hidden within the path of chess."

"The Jixia Academy has laid a nine‑turn chess formation, guarded by Duan Kong, and even if you defeat Duan Kong, you must still challenge the thousand‑year unbeaten game of the Jixia Academy—the Eternal Chess Game."

"You don't understand chess; how could you obtain such a Heaven's Mandate?"

Su Wenjing calmly spoke, explaining the reason to Gu Jin Nian.

"Chess game?"

"How can a Heaven's Mandate be hidden inside a chess game?"

This time Gu Jin Nian became a bit unsettled.

If it were poetry or essays, he wouldn't be shy, but chess he truly cannot play.

"Heaven's Mandate is already mysterious; never mind the chess game—if it weren't hidden in the Buddhist sect, that would be enough. At least I can play a bit of chess."

"If it were Buddhist scriptures, I truly couldn't help you."

Su Wenjing spoke, thinking the problem wasn't serious.

"So the gentleman was doing it for me, huh?"

Gu Jin Nian caught the meaning: Su Wenjing was painstakingly training the chess path for him.

"Also for revenge."

Su Wenjing emphasized a sentence, not a lie.

Then he continued, saying.

"By the way, the Kong family will probably need only a few days before they come looking for you."

Su Wenjing spoke again, bringing up another matter.

"Looking for me?"

"What do they want from me?"

Gu Jin Nian frowned slightly; hearing the Kong family stirred some resentment and disgust in him.

The past grievances can be set aside for now.

The White Heron Mansion affair is definitely linked to the Kong family, but Gu Jin Nian isn't quite clear on the exact nature of the connection.

But even a slight connection, Gu Jin Nian would not let the Kong family off.

"Naturally, it's about the sacred artifact."

Su Wenjing spoke.

"The Exquisite Sacred Ruler, one of the Nine Sacred Instruments of Confucianism, can diminish a person's talent. Do you think the Kong family would just ignore it?"

Su Wenjing looked at Gu Jin Nian.

"Then what do they intend to do?"

Upon hearing that, Gu Jin Nian felt his blood boil.

I haven't even approached them for trouble, yet this group wants to trouble me?

The idea of targeting the sacred artifact?

"Since you possess such a sacred artifact, according to the Kong family's Holy Faction's tradition, they will surely appeal to you with sentiment and reason, urging you to hand it over."

"If you refuse to surrender it, they will surely pressure you with scholars nationwide, using your misconduct as a pretext, demanding you hand over the Sacred Ruler to the Kong family for proper safekeeping."

"It's nothing more than that method, I've seen it often."

Su Wenjing seemed to know the Kong family well, and he laid out their thoughts and plans outright.

"Safekeeping?"

"If the Kong family acts like this, it would truly be the height of shamelessness."

Gu Jin Nian knit his brows; the words sounded unbearably harsh.

Safekeeping?

What right does the Kong family have to safeguard the sacred artifact for me?

It's utterly laughable.

"Shameless?"

"Jin Nian, you're wrong."

"Those who achieve great deeds don't concern themselves with shamelessness or not."

"The Kong family has long degenerated; governing with dual factions inevitably condemns them to lose their foundation entirely."

"The Holy Faction focuses on developing its own clan, while the Confucian faction solidifies the roots."

It is originally a good thing, but as times change and people's hearts become restless, after the world's order stabilizes, every scholar wants an official position, every scholar longs for a hollow reputation; the Kong family can grant them such hollow titles and can also get them into the court as officials.

In return, they must give benefits to the Kong family; thus the Kong family will grow larger and its foundation will become stronger.

Then they will use the Way of the Sage to restrain scholars across the world, using benefits to win them over.

Most of those who support the Kong family do not do so because of entangled interests.

The saying that heroes arise in chaotic times is not without reason; in prosperous times, scholars seeking fame and wealth is also a test.

Jin Nian, you are fortunate; being born into wealth means you essentially bypass this hurdle.

Su Wenjing spoke lightly; he did not hold much resentment toward the Kong family's shamelessness.

Seeing through it, he can understand.

In fact, Gu Jin Nian also understands this principle.

The Kong family is no longer the pure scholarly sanctuary; it is now primarily driven by interests.

Even without a national discourse, it is clear that trying to control the world through scholars cannot be solved by a couple of rhetorical phrases.

After all, throughout history, with so many dynasties and great powers, have there never been incompetent emperors? Have there never been tyrants?

The Kong family's survival is certainly not due to a few spoken sage sayings; it is mainly about interests.

Dynasties dare not move against the Kong family because the stakes are too high.

It is like a restaurant: the kitchen staff think of crafting fine dishes slowly so the taste is good and patrons return; the accounting side thinks simply of making money—hiring maids, storytellers, and singing girls for performances.

As long as the food is decent, earning silver allows the inn to survive.

One principle.

Gu Jin Nian understands, period.

But he does not accept it. Anyway

"Sir, if the Kong family truly dares this, pressuring the students, the students could directly use the Exquisite Sacred Ruler to cut their talent."

"Is that acceptable?"

Gu Jin Nian asked.

He simply cannot tolerate the Kong family's disgusting behavior; having provoked him, he would directly cut their talent.

"As you wish."

"As long as you're not afraid of the Kong family using their endless talk to pressure you, that's fine."

"But it's also fine; born in worry, die in ease—some pressure is quite good."

"As for the Kong family, there are some truly Great Scholars; just don't condemn the whole lot with one stroke."

"Jin Nian, you must remember to discern right from wrong; you've harbored resentment toward the Kong family, but it's only some members, not everyone—do not commit misdeeds because of that."

"Otherwise, if others catch you with real leverage, you'll find it hard to explain yourself clearly."

Su Wenjing gave Gu Jin Nian a reminder.

He hopes Gu Jin Nian can have his own thoughts, discern right from wrong.

"Sir, your words are received; I have learned from them."

Gu Jin Nian nodded.

He understood this principle.

"Alright, that's all for other matters. During this time, contemplate the Dao well; regarding the White Heron Mansion, I hope it brings you some different insight."

Su Wenjing spoke.

He let Gu Jin Nian calm his mind and think properly.

"Okay."

"Then the student takes his leave."

Gu Jin Nian said nothing, bowed once to Su Wenjing, and then left.

After leaving the study, Gu Jin Nian did not go to the dining hall but returned to his own quarters, intending to rest for a day.

He truly suffered during this period.

Resting a full day and clearing the mind is best.

Otherwise the spirit stays tense and the pressure becomes too great.

After a quick wash, Gu Jin Nian locked his door from the inside to prevent anyone from disturbing him.

He stretched his waist, yawned, then lay directly on the bed, emptying his mind, intending to get a good sleep.

The ancient tree in his mind remains in metamorphosis, temporarily showing no movement.

Gu Jin Nian fell asleep immediately.

In less than a quarter hour.

He slept peacefully.

Thus, in the blink of an eye, three double‑hours passed.

Gu Jin Nian practices martial and immortal paths; theoretically he can go long without sleep, but this rest is to prepare properly for the upcoming contemplation of the Dao.

Su Wenjing was right; he needs to contemplate the Dao himself.

Having gone through so many events, one should digest one's knowledge, contemplate and reflect, seeking the true essence from experience.

Three double‑hours later.

Gu Jin Nian opened his eyes.

Through the window, the sky was still a hazy gray.

Gu Jin Nian got up, washed briefly, then went straight to his desk and spread out a sheet of xuan paper.

He was about to start making a plan.

He has been at the academy for over three months now; the fourth month is about to begin.

Honestly, after a while comes the imperial examination; when the exams end, I will also be about to finish my studies.

That is to say, slow is eight months, fast is four months; I will basically enter the court as an official.

Begin the path of governance.

These four to eight months are the preparation period before I enter politics.

There are many matters I must sort out and plan properly.

On the xuan paper, Gu Jin Nian slowly puts down his brush.

【Wise Saint Establishing Speech】

【Ministry of Works Development】

【Merchant Guild Trend】

【Strengthen Influence】

Gu Jin Nian places these four matters openly.

First, the first matter is Wise Saint Establishing Speech.

The timing is already ripe; what lacks is my calm contemplation. Gu Jin Nian has strong confidence—if I am willing, I can establish speech at any time, but I still need to settle my mind.

Just need to contemplate properly.

Aim to finish within one or two months; of course the specifics depend on the situation, and it cannot be forced.

Wise Saint Establishing Speech is the first matter.

The second matter is Ministry of Works Development.

Yes, as for Ministry of Works Development, Gu Jin Nian's meaning is clear—he is about to do something.

Although I am not a science student, I still understand some basics.

The purpose of Ministry of Works Development is to launch the Merchant Guild Trend.

The major dynasties of the Divine Continent have highly mature merchant guilds, and the dynasties also support some guilds in trade.

Salt merchants, timber merchants, even furniture and cloth dealers are everywhere; trying to create a large merchant guild that can quickly dominate the market is hard to achieve through operations and marketing alone.

The products must be top‑quality.

In other words, it must be ahead of its time, yet still fit commercial logic and the contemporary context.

It cannot lag behind for too long, nor can it fail to surpass.

For example, today, whether it is the Da Xia Dynasty or the Great Jin Dynasty, both are solidly agricultural societies.

Even if I invent an electric light bulb, it would be useless; first, there's the issue of wiring, and such infrastructure would likely take twenty to thirty years to complete.

The massive labor and cost would cripple a dynasty's economy and assets.

Second, its effect is limited; even in military use it offers little, since the Ministry of War's soldiers are warriors—no one has night vision, but using torches for illumination is not a big problem.

After all, this is a world of immortal martial arts, not a purely ancient one.

Moreover, the most important point is that it is not grounded.

What Gu Jin Nian must do is create grounded, civilian‑friendly products to reach the world.

What is the biggest trade between dynasties? Isn't it firewood, rice, oil, and salt, plus silk, porcelain, and tea as hard currency? Firewood, rice, oil, and salt sell best and have huge demand.

Gu Jin Nian's merchant guild trend is to create a 'Business Circle'.

Yes, a Business Circle.

A Business Circle that integrates large supermarkets, large commercial streets, large entertainment venues, and large high‑end consumer centers.

Large supermarkets are easy to understand: they simply gather the best goods from all corners for the people's daily shopping, allowing effective price regulation and offering affordable prices.

Large commercial streets gather the best food and entertainment of the entire Divine Continent, similar to a temple fair but more formalized, so visitors are not unfamiliar and exploited.

Large entertainment venues are even simpler: without rides, they are divided into several zones where scholars and beauties stroll parks, drink and compose poetry, common folk watch operas, play chess and cards, chat, and then a large immersive role‑playing murder mystery is staged.

Randomly draw identity cards; everyone enters, some are the daughter of a wealthy household, some are the son of a rich family, theater troupes are invited to act, there are also county magistrates solving cases, and hidden hands of certain princes.

Everyone follows the plot missions: first work, then receive an identity, and immediately adjudicate cases to vindicate the people.

To put it bluntly, Gu Jin Nian, who comes from a screenwriter background, can write many scripts himself.

As for whether there is an audience, Gu Jin Nian doesn't consider it at all.

There is no other reason.

First, ancient entertainment options were few; besides drinking and listening to music, what other amusements existed? Going out meant traversing mountains and rivers, and if one accidentally encountered wild beasts or poisonous snakes, it could end badly; with worse luck, encountering bandits could mean death.

Second, the curfew issue: the Da Xia Dynasty's curfew isn't especially strict, from the hour of Hai (midnight) until the fifth quarter of the hour of Chou (early morning) it is lifted.

Although the time is already late, for the citizens of Da Xia Capital it is still somewhat unpleasant.

Everyone drinks heartily, gets a bit excited at first, but then the curfew hits and they can only go home.

Who would be in a good mood? But Gu Jin Nian applying for a lift of the curfew isn't hard, since the restriction is within one area, the problem…

There won't be major issues, and of course illegal activities must be refused—purely green play.

As for large high‑end consumer centers, that is also a highlight.

Some silk estates, fine wines, porcelain and other items are all assembled, allowing famous merchant guilds from across the world to bid for entry, purely to raise the guild's value.

After all, for ordinary common folk, they cannot afford…

…to look at? Even if they dare not look, a sense of high‑end will be planted in their hearts.

Thus, this merchant guild can quickly open the market.

With foot traffic, shops can profit; as people come and go, some intelligence instantly surfaces, and the staff inside listen attentively, whatever they say—some words useful, some not, from all over the world, any information you deem somewhat useful.

All must be recorded and then sent by specialists to the palace, where scholars and eunuchs categorize them.

Simply put, just gauge whether this thing is useful; if useful, let the eunuchs investigate, if not, set it aside.

Three rounds of review and approval, then keep a file archive for future needs.

Thus, intelligence capability is perfectly solved, requiring not even a silver or two, and can yield huge profits.

Gu Jin Nian does a simple accounting: establishing a business circle like this roughly requires four to five hundred thousand taels of gold, after all it's not a trivial matter.

Including staff wages and basic wear and tear, five hundred thousand taels of gold might not even be enough.

His Majesty gave twenty thousand taels of gold; in quantity it's actually insufficient, so we have to bring in investors.

For a business this big, Gu Jin Nian doesn't intend to go it alone.

Although relying solely on his own power could certainly make a fortune, there are many problems.

It all comes down to issues of authority.

For a guild like this, opened in the capital, to put it bluntly, how much silver could it earn?

If we open it, we should make it a chain—adjust the storefronts and entertainment methods according to local conditions, no problem at all.

But to expand it across the entire Da Xia Dynasty, the required connections and influence must be massive.

Relying on the emperor's decree won't work.

Relying on his own status won't work either.

To put it bluntly, officials around the capital can be swayed in front of you without question, but officials a thousand miles away—what reason would they have to listen to you?

Especially when the main focus is department store shopping, this business lives on relationships and networks; otherwise there'll be petty thieves, plus local thugs—who will keep them in check?

The Ministry of Justice? Or the War Ministry? Both can issue official documents, but the actual supervisors and arresting officers are still the local officials. So we must gather a group of people, all profit together, and let Gu Jin Nian take the lead.

Doing business doesn't care about making more or less, but about stability.

Therefore, we must now do the accounting.

The core consists of four zones.

Department store shopping, consumer center, amusement park, temple fair commercial street.

A quick calculation shows that ordinary department store sales have a gross margin of about thirty percent; after labor costs, but considering canal transport issues, the gross margin should be around twenty percent.

Da Xia Capital has a population of thirty million, providing basic necessities like firewood, rice, oil, and salt; a month's revenue of a hundred to two hundred thousand taels of gold shouldn't be too hard, right?

The main factor is the lack of competitors.

Gu Jin Nian conservatively estimates fifteen thousand taels of gold.

One hundred thousand taels of gold equals a small goal from his previous life.

In other words, a net profit of two small goals per month, mainly due to the population dividend and the surge of fresh attractions that drive crazy consumption.

After a couple of months, it may stabilize at around one hundred thousand taels of gold. The consumer center won't earn much, since the income comes from rents of major shops; of course Gu Jin Nian will also develop some, or with unbeatable foot traffic, he can propose equity cooperation—if you refuse? Rely on your own superior products? Fine, acquire the second‑ranked one, push it wildly, launch all kinds of ads, and with this unbeatable foot traffic, you can even back off.

As for capital operations, Gu Jin Nian once wrote a business‑war script and happens to know a little about it.

So the consumer center's early stage relies on rent, bringing in fifty thousand taels of gold a month, which isn't a big problem.

The specifics still depend on the citizens' spending power and purchasing ability in the capital, so fluctuations will be considerable.

As for the amusement park, the estimate is similar to the consumer center, but the volatility won't be large; scenic spots are tiered—common folk, scholars, and the wealthy all visit.

Adding some fast‑track tickets and restricting private food supplies into the scenic area makes profit inevitable.

Making money isn't hard; moreover, environmental protection is paramount—otherwise a scenic area littered with trash looks truly disgusting.

The temple fair commercial street is even simpler: on ordinary days it's a night market; during holidays, big celebrations, or special events like Double Eleven, revenue streams continuously, easily reaching thirty thousand taels of gold a month.

But the profit logic mirrors the consumer center; however Gu Jin Nian doesn't plan to earn from shop rents—instead he'll invite renowned chefs from across the land to take equity, take seventy percent of the profit, charge no rent; you do the work and earn thirty percent, while you cover material costs.

With such massive foot traffic, Gu Jin Nian won't lack storefronts to occupy.

Don't be fooled by a beautiful dream; reality is brutal.

Gu Jin Nian's idea centers on "resource integration" and "novelty"—in plain terms, being the first in everything, offering everything: those who want to buy come in, those who want to dine and drink come in, those who want to experience different things—bathhouses, saunas, aromatherapy back‑massages, all catered for wealthy patrons.

Those wealthy young ladies or aristocratic women are all invited inside for beauty treatments, silk brocades, makeup, jewelry—everything is there, making you not want to leave for three days and three nights.

Young heroes, talented scholars, they can stroll the amusement area, picturesque landscapes, breathtaking scenery, then recruit imaginative scholars to write poems and articles praising it, sending them abroad for advertising.

With this combined strategy, there's no fear of poor business.

This is Gu Jin Nian's overall plan.

Da Xia Nightless City.

Overall, four zones; by conventional calculation, without counting the larger sites, Gu Jin Nian expects a net profit of two hundred thousand taels of gold per month.

Moreover, this is only the capital.

There are seven other prefectural cities in the Da Xia Dynasty comparable to the capital.

Adjusting and expanding according to local conditions and consumption levels may not match Da Xia Capital, but it won't be far off.

Plus the other commanderies.

The Da Xia Dynasty has seventy‑two commanderies; setting aside the half that are weak and the complex situation, there are thirty‑six commanderies firmly under Da Xia Dynasty control, meaning—barring accidents—this Da Xia Nightless City could be established in forty‑four locations, subtracting a few places where conditions are unsuitable.

Subtract fourteen locations, leaving the possibility of opening thirty chain business circles.

Using the capital's highest income of two hundred thousand taels of gold per month and other places at one hundred thousand taels per month as a basis.

The total monthly income would be… three million one hundred ten thousand taels of gold.

Converting to silver, that's a net profit of thirty‑one million one hundred thousand taels per month.

Annual income reaches thirty‑two million seven hundred thousand taels of silver.

In the Da Xia Dynasty, after deducting official salaries and War Ministry troop pay, the yearly surplus fluctuates around seventy million taels of silver.

After all, the biggest expenses are official salaries and troop pay; everything else is manageable.

Those seventy million taels of silver—? The Ministry of Personnel also needs to prepare some items to distribute during festivals each year.

The Revenue Ministry suffers the most, guarding the silver and getting scolded; sometimes tempers flare in the court and private brawls break out—among the six ministries, the one that can take the most beating isn't necessarily the Minister of War, but the Minister of Revenue certainly takes the worst hits.

Moreover, the nation often faces natural and man‑made disasters; the current silver reserves of the Da Xia Dynasty's treasury are thanks to the founding emperor's diligent governance, leaving a legacy for later generations.

Most of it was spent on construction, and the new emperor's coronation also granted many rewards, leaving a surplus.

Otherwise, given the current dynasty income, it would be infinitely close to a deficit.

Otherwise, in fact, according to the current dynasty's income, it is already infinitely close to a deficit.

In other words, if this business circle plan is carried out.

My annual profit income is five times the surplus of the Da Xia Dynasty's treasury.

Cough.

Gu Jin Nian was calculating and calculating, and he ended up choking on a mouthful of tea.

Although there are certainly many things not accounted for here, it's roughly correct.

"If we can promote free education in the future, and then launch school district housing plus commercial residential properties, the income might even be higher."

Gu Jin Nian wiped the tea from the corner of his mouth, feeling inexplicably embarrassed.

Earning so much silver is a good thing, but for some reason, Gu Jin Nian's mind conjured up his uncle's face full of contempt.

Moreover, that grand gesture of waving a hand and directly granting tax exemption is truly arrogant and unruly.

The Da Xia merchant tax is thirty percent; Emperor Yongsheng exempted it for ten years, meaning this exemption waived over thirty million taels of gold in tax revenue, equivalent to the Da Xia Dynasty's ten years of net profit surplus.

If we include the main expenditures of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel, the Da Xia Dynasty's total annual tax revenue is fifty million taels of silver.

After all, regional princes, scholars, and some powerful factions can be exempt from land tax, and part of local tax revenue is retained for local development—usually half kept, half remitted.

Hence the figure of fifty million taels of silver; if it were all centralized and we ignored the princes, nobles, and scholars, we could estimate having thirty to forty million taels of silver.

But this is obviously impossible; each locality has its own policies and circumstances. If everything were centralized to the court, distributed by the court, even if the Ministry of Revenue increased its staff tenfold, it couldn't finish the work.

At this moment, Gu Jin Nian felt a bit overwhelmed by the calculations.

Five times more—this is merely a preliminary idea, after all, if it succeeds, it can be endlessly replicated until it spreads throughout the Da Xia Dynasty.

Not only that, we also need to factor in overseas markets.

International business is unavoidable; the Kong family uses the sage as a bargaining chip, advancing step by step, and they have interests and influence in every country.

We are different; we use this method of capital invasion. In other words, merely solving the employment rate issue would make the Ministers of Revenue of all countries pleased and smiling.

Moreover, once we establish friendship between the two countries and open the Silk Road between them, the business will only grow larger.

Let's see, at that point, how much would the annual yield be?

Even in other dynasties, what difference would letting a bit more profit make? Even if we took thirty percent, it would be fine, after all, it's international business.

Moreover, this is based on the Da Xia Dynasty's current situation; if the Da Xia Dynasty becomes stronger, taking fifty percent would certainly be no problem.

By then, a month's income could surpass the Da Xia Dynasty's annual income.

After all, it's a capital invasion of the world.

Thus, Gu Jin Nian involuntarily gave rise to a doubt.

"Uncle shouldn't openly rob, right?"

Gu Jin Nian involuntarily began to ponder this question.

If it truly succeeds, with a monthly net profit of thirty million taels of silver, given his uncle's shameless thick-skinned demeanor, he would very likely openly seize it.

"No."

"It shouldn't happen; after all, my uncle is an emperor who also needs to maintain face. As his nephew, he surely wouldn't rob his junior's belongings, would he?"

"Although my uncle's skin is a bit thick, he still bears the demeanor of an emperor; perhaps I am overthinking."

Gu Jin Nian muttered to himself, slightly comforting himself—surely it's impossible to conclude that his uncle would openly seize it, right?

At worst, we could just give him some dry shares at that time, right?

This business plan leaves Gu Jin Nian quite satisfied.

However, this enormous plan has two major problems that need to be solved.

First, the problem of connections and influence.

But we have just solved it—by partnering to bring in people, the more beneficiaries, the more stable the matter.

Second, the problem of replication.

Merchants under heaven are not stupid; seeing this, they naturally want to get involved. With a cost of three to five million taels of gold, some big merchants pooling together would find it no difficulty.

This problem is very important; Gu Jin Nian has two plans. One plan is simple: brand effect—directly have the emperor appoint a chamber of commerce, creating the first and authentic influence; even if there are imitations, they won't be said to directly seize the market.

The second is uniqueness; Gu Jin Nian clearly thinks of it as producing a large quantity of unique items.

Things that others want to copy but cannot.

And these things must be done by the Ministry of Works.

This is Gu Jin Nian's current idea; as for the rest, we can only think about it slowly.

"If this plan succeeds."

"But it's not just as simple as silver taels."

"The treasure-note bank plan that no dynasty under heaven can push forward will now fall into my hands."

"Da Xia banknotes, exchanging notes for goods; once the bank opens, the world will be mine."

Gu Jin Nian leaned against the desk, his eyes full of calm.

All the plans actually revolve around promoting banknotes; this plan is the true main point, the main point of controlling the world's economic lifeline.

Under heaven there is no unified currency; neither silver nor gold has a completely uniform price. Different countries' peoples have different ideas: some places accept gold, some do not; some places circulate silver, some only accept copper coins.

Moreover, gold comes in several varieties, and so does silver.

Banknotes are something every dynasty wants to promote, but the two biggest problems are that domestic people do not accept them.

Foreign peoples accept them even less.

Because it lacks a 'unit of measure'; if it were ancient, we could simply use gold as the unit, but the problem is gold won't do—for the people, banknotes could at any moment become worthless paper, posing great danger and insecurity.

But what if an alternative substitute appeared? The Da Xia Chamber of Commerce—if you have a specific banknote, you can buy anything you want here.

In this way, the danger is reduced to a minimum; then add some benefits—exchange silver and gold for banknotes, deposit them as a fixed term, and later receive three percent interest annually—you're not making a killing? Not saying everyone will accept it right away, but as time passes, after three to five years you'll find the Da Xia Chamber of Commerce remains strong, those around you all use it; at that point can you still hold out? Moreover, once everyone becomes accustomed to the chamber of commerce, forming a monopoly, we can directly announce externally that henceforth we will not settle with gold, silver, or copper coins, and must use Da Xia banknotes for settlement.

What will you do? Just say that and I won't go.

Fine, then you go buy something, finish at the East Market, go to the West Market, make a round trip, and you might still not be able to buy it—wouldn't you be angry?

You can only compromise.

After all, the supermarket's philosophy is "convenience," "simplicity," and "everything in stock."

Once everyone agrees, we can subtly influence them for another three to five years.

Directly establish an international money house, standardize measurement and division, and, according to each country's situation, regulate currency prices, exchange ratios, and a whole series of related matters.

Although the workload is terrifyingly huge, this can be solved.

There will certainly be many problems, but talent emerges generation after generation; when problems arise, we solve them, and when troubles appear, we resolve them.

As long as we can stabilize it.

Da Xia Treasure Notes will become the most valuable thing in this world.

At that time, we can reveal our claws and teeth.

Colonize the whole world.

And still wage a futile war.

Take the Xiongnu Nation, what's its most impressive thing? It's the warhorse, right?

But is breeding warhorses difficult?

Is the process complicated? Is cultivation troublesome? Just find a fruit or some product in the Xiongnu Nation that the public can accept, buy it at a high price, and promote it worldwide through marketing and the like. Everyone buys it, Xiongnu commoners earn silver, feeling delighted and smiling.

With the silver they earn, they buy houses and horses, transforming from poor commoners into wealthy landowners.

What will other Xiongnu commoners do after seeing this? They'll definitely follow the trend: whatever you plant, I'll plant; the few acres of fields at home will be abandoned, all devoted to this thing, or to breeding.

In short, seeing others make money hurts more than losing money myself.

Over three to five years, prices keep rising, these people earn more and more, and at the crucial moment, force the Xiongnu Nation to return the Twelve Cities.

What? You won't return them? Then war it is.

Huh? Aren't you scared? Fine, get ready to start the war, but don't fight yet; let the Ministry of Rites go through the procedures, and while the procedures are underway, the Chamber of Commerce here will start working.

Delist.

Directly delist all your Xiongnu Nation products.

Not only delist, but also write an article.

Dear Xiongnu customers, hello, this is an apology letter. Because the two nations have gone to war, the Da Xia Chamber of Commerce has found itself in a dilemma.

The Chamber's transportation corridor has been directly blocked; out of helplessness, we can only apologize to you. Until the war ends, we cannot list your products, and the Da Xia Chamber of Commerce cannot supply goods, entering a long‑term shutdown phase.

But rest assured, after the two nations' conflict ends, operations will resume in order.

Once the article is published, we can quietly wait for internal turmoil in the Xiongnu Nation.

On the Da Xia side, there's no need to send troops; just defend the city, who would fight you?

All planting or breeding merchants explode collectively, the commoners cry out in misery, and the Da Xia Treasure Notes in hand instantly lose their appeal.

And you can't blame the Chamber either; the Chamber also wants to make money, but the problem is that when the two nations go to war, all major transport routes will inevitably be blocked. Which household can wage war while the two nations still communicate? Sending spies openly? Once internal chaos erupts, the court can't suppress it, because it's not just a single commoner involved, it's the entire nation's populace.

Therefore the Xiongnu Nation can only step forward to compromise, or risk its life and go straight to war.

Alright.

Continue defending the city.

You bring a million troops to besiege the city.

I bring a million troops to defend the city.

Let's see who attacks faster and who defends faster.

It would take you a month, and my country's economy would collapse outright, the people would be destitute, internal rebellions would flare up; at that point, a sum of silver could be used to support some internal princes.

The script is nothing more than: a certain Xiongnu prince leads thousands of troops, lets out a roar, "Brothers, follow me to cleanse the court."

Then replace the emperor, hand over the Twelve Cities, and restore trade.

If the newly enthroned emperor thinks that Da Xia Treasure Notes are unusable and wants to gradually replace them, I will promote something belonging to my own country.

That makes it even simpler.

Launch a price war.

Continue internal subversion.

A price war serves as war compensation, soothing the people's hearts.

Internal subversion is easy; when the Da Xia Chamber of Commerce enters the Xiongnu Nation, the profits will certainly go to some Xiongnu princes or imperial relatives.

To put it bluntly, even the lower‑level people can earn silver through this Chamber, and it's done in an open, legitimate business manner.

It's not the kind that preys on the common folk and loses all morality.

Suppress the Da Xia Chamber of Commerce?

Then you're opposing a whole group of people.

In summary, it's two words.

Profit.

As long as there are many beneficiaries, no single emperor or individual can resist.

Even killing them is useless.

From the commoners up to the civil and military officials, none agree; what can your emperor do? Even if you slaughter all officials, the next batch is essentially the same.

And the commoners have even less hope.

"Reading a lot has its benefits," they say.

In front of the desk.

Gu Jin Nian continued to lift his brush, and a smile naturally spread across his face.

Of course, the biggest problem with this plan is that a leader might turn hostile, for example, the Central Continent Dynasty noticing something amiss and, together with everyone, turning against us, seizing all the assets outright, keeping only the basics, and discarding anything unique.

Therefore this must rely on the Da Xia Dynasty; the stronger the Da Xia Dynasty becomes, the higher the cost of trying to overturn the table.

I'll beat whoever flips the table.

Besides this, there is no other way.

And this plan itself requires some time to push forward; that time is also enough for the Da Xia Dynasty to develop rapidly.

Of course, besides the plan being so wonderful, there is another point: the nation's economic development must be good.

If the people have no money in their pockets, anything said is empty.

So, to achieve long-term development, we still need to do many things.

But this plan absolutely has no problems.

Soon.

Gu Jin Nian began drawing diagrams.

There are a few things that must be produced first.

Glass mirrors, chicken essence, fine salt—these things must be produced.

Don't look down on them just because they're ordinary trinkets.

But these things are down-to-earth and suit the masses, especially glass mirrors—once they appear, they're likely to sweep the entire Divine Land.

As for chicken essence and private salt, needless to say, chicken essence is a seasoning that conquers the people's stomachs.

Then there's fine salt; salt is the ultimate killer, and the salt in ordinary households is coarse salt.

Fine salt is something of the imperial household.

Private trade is forbidden; first, to control tax revenue, second, because refined salt is hard to produce.

It can serve as a 'monetary standard,' so it cannot be lacking.

As for the matter of selling salt, Gu Jin Nian must pave the way with His Majesty, after all, salt is purely about snatching meat from the court's mouth.

But private salt is the biggest draw for customers and the most direct means, bar none.

We need to find a way to get His Majesty's agreement.

The only way is to give silver.

Obtain a salt sales permit; after all, to put it bluntly, how much silver can the court make from selling salt? Nothing more than earning silver by selling at high prices.

And the reason for the high price is that salt production methods are poor; otherwise, if we could produce large quantities of salt, the dynasty would also wish every household could have it—even thin profits, high volume would still be a windfall.

So as not to have those salt merchants secretly selling salt under the table and stealing business.

But no matter what, this matter requires a long-term groundwork; it cannot succeed directly.

Gu Jin Nian has it figured out.

Thus.

The next day arrived.

Gu Jin Nian went without sleep for a day and night, and before his desk lay piles of precise drawings.

Gu Jin Nian had figured out both the manufacturing method and process.

Everything for eating, drinking, and use, including agricultural tools, had been worked out.

After settling them, he handed them over to the Ministry of Works officials sent over, so they could study and craft them properly.

Even Gu Jin Nian had worked out the underground design plans for Da Xia Sleepless City; the waterworks project must come first—if that fails, everything else is superfluous.

As for some technical difficulties, Gu Jin Nian plans to rely on Immortal Dao means to resolve them.

Once those are settled, Gu Jin Nian still needs to go ask the Jade Pool Fairy and her companions.

Otherwise, many things would be hard to get started.

Things are settled.

Gu Jin Nian rose to his feet, intending to go find the Ministry of Works personnel.

But just as he rose.

A knocking sound came from outside.

It was Wang Fugui's.

"Brother Gu."

"Someone from the Kong Family has come, saying they wish to visit you; they're waiting in the academy hall."

With Wang Fugui's voice sounding.

Gu Jin Nian's smile on his face gradually faded.

(End of chapter)