Chapter 513

Watching Yuwen Ang slam the desk in approval, the smile in Gao Changjing's eyes did not reach the depths; instead, a flash of undisguised disdain swept through them.

He lowered his eyelids to hide the contempt in his gaze, his heart already churning with sharp, silent mockery: "This Yuwen Ang really is a young, brainless fool!"

"He has the imperial bloodline but lacks even a shred of depth or foresight. He's been blinded by hatred, and it only took a few words to lead him around by the nose."

"It's no wonder he was brought to such a miserable state by Chen Yan and ended up in such a pathetic situation. With such a muddled nature, it's no surprise he failed!"

Gao Changjing sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he maintained a respectful and eager expression. Once Yuwen Ang's excitement subsided slightly, he looked up at him, his tone carrying just the right amount of inquiry and expectation: "It seems Your Highness also agrees with my strategy?"

Yuwen Ang nodded almost immediately, his head bobbing like a pestle, his tone extremely certain: "Of course!"

Then, he leaned forward, deliberately putting on an appearance of deep conviction, his face full of undisguised approval, his voice rising a notch: "This plan is too brilliant; it can be said to be removing Chen Yan without drawing a sword!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes suddenly turned sinister, the previous excitement replaced by intense hatred and venom. He clenched his hands into fists and added through gritted teeth: "The key is that there is no risk, and it can completely ruin Chen Yan's reputation!"

"What kind of 'Blue Sky of the Age,' what kind of 'official who acts for the people'—once prices in Chang'an soar and the people cannot live, let's see who will still remember his good deeds!"

"By then, he will be a source of disaster reviled by everyone, and he won't be able to wash himself clean even if he jumps into the Wei River!"

The venomous tone seemed to be tempered in ice, every word carrying hatred spoken through gritted teeth.

It was as if he had been suppressed by Chen Yan for too long and had finally found an outlet for his resentment.

Hearing this, the smile on Gao Changjing's face became increasingly genuine, though a cold light of calculation flashed in his eyes.

He followed Yuwen Ang's lead, his tone suddenly becoming fierce, his voice low but highly penetrating: "Your Highness is absolutely right!"

"That fellow Chen Yan is a fame-seeker who steps on the corpses of others to gain his reputation; he should have met this end long ago!"

He paused, leaned in closer, his tone earnest and inciting: "Then we must cooperate sincerely. Your Highness can use the power of the Prince's Mansion to open up circulation channels, and I will be responsible for the subsequent supply of counterfeit money. By working from both sides..."

"We will surely be able to send that hypocrite Chen Yan to the eighteenth level of hell soon and make him pay the most painful price for everything he has done in the past!"

Yuwen Ang was stirred to boiling blood by these words. He slammed the desk hard and responded loudly again: "Good!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he leaned forward impatiently, his hands pressing on the desk, his body leaning slightly forward, his eyes full of anxiety and urgency, his speed of speech fast as he pressed: "How long will it take for our counterfeit copper coins to flow into the market to achieve our goal?"

"I can't wait any longer. Seeing Chen Yan's sanctimonious look for even one more day makes me feel sick!"

His fingertips dug hard into the wood grain of the desk.

He looked completely impatient.

He wished he could see Chen Yan's downfall the very next moment.

Upon hearing this, the eager smile on Gao Changjing's face faded slightly, and he replaced it with a rather troubled expression.

He furrowed his brows, feigning deep thought, and only after a long while did he speak slowly, his tone heavy and carrying a measure of helplessness: "Your Highness may not know this, but forging counterfeit money is not an easy task."

"Firstly, it is limited by capital; purchasing copper, charcoal, and recruiting artisans all cost a vast amount..."

"Secondly, the molds are not easy to make. A set of fine molds can only cast a few thousand coins before needing replacement, otherwise, it is very easy to reveal flaws."

He paused, as if carefully calculating, his tone becoming increasingly heavy: "Based on my current preparations, conservatively estimated, it will take at least half a year!"

"And if things don't go smoothly, this time could be extended indefinitely..."

"Being able to enter your eyes is the little one's good fortune, so naturally, I tried my best to polish them!"

It was just to see if he could take advantage of the situation and squeeze some silver out of this Zhou Kingdom imperial clansman!

But what he said was also basically the truth.

After all, economic sabotage is not child's play; to achieve that scale of destruction, it requires a large amount of financial support!

"Too slow!" Yuwen Ang did not wait for him to finish before slamming his hand down, shaking his head repeatedly, his face full of impatience and agitation: "Half a year is too long; a lot can happen in that time! Who knows what changes might occur during this period?"

As he spoke, he clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles cracking, a flash of fierce, murderous light in his eyes, his tone resolute and filled with unquestionable determination: "I have plenty of silver!"

"As long as Chen Yan can be killed, I will provide as much silver as is needed!"

He patted his chest, his tone carrying a measure of showing off, but more of the madness of being consumed by hatred: "If there aren't enough artisans, pay more to recruit them; if there isn't enough copper, buy it at a high price; if the molds break, make them again!"

"I only ask that things be done as quickly as possible; silver is absolutely not a problem!"

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, a flash of surprise first crossed Gao Changjing's eyes—he had not expected Yuwen Ang to be so cost-insensitive—and then that surprise transformed into intense joy, a gleam of light flashing through his eyes.

He turned his head nonchalantly to exchange a glance with Cui Yizong, who had been standing silently by his side. Both of them had tacit calculation and amusement in their eyes, which vanished in an instant, returning to normal.

Gao Changjing turned back, his tone carrying a measure of probing and pleasant surprise, his brows raised slightly, his gaze toward Yuwen Ang full of inquiry: "I wonder how much silver support Your Highness can provide?"

"If the funds Your Highness can provide are sufficiently abundant, I can immediately expand the scale, set up several more secret mints, and simultaneously rush to make multiple sets of molds, working day and night..."

This fool not only took the bait but also took the initiative to send a steady stream of silver; it was truly heaven helping him!

The fanaticism on Yuwen Ang's face subsided slightly. Recalling the recent situation in his mansion, he suddenly sighed heavily, his brows furrowing unconsciously, and his tone deepened: "Speaking of which, before I was schemed against by that beast Chen Yan, my mansion had over two hundred thousand taels of silver."

"But after his several designs, now that the treasury has been audited, there are only ninety thousand taels of silver left."

His words were full of unwillingness and resentment, and when he mentioned Chen Yan, his teeth were clenched tight.

But this frustration lasted only for a moment before a resolute light reignited in his eyes. After a brief thought, he slammed the desk and said loudly: "But it doesn't matter! To get rid of Chen Yan, this thorn in my side, wealth is merely an external object!"

"I can take out eighty thousand taels and invest it all in the production of counterfeit copper coins!"

These words were spoken with great force, carrying the ruthlessness of someone burning their bridges.

Cui Yizong, standing to the side, stiffened upon hearing this, the calmness on his face instantly replaced by astonishment. His pupils dilated slightly, and he subconsciously looked up at Yuwen Ang, as if he hadn't heard clearly.

A storm was already raging in his heart, and he couldn't help but exclaim: "Eighty thousand taels?!"

With these words from Grand Chancellor Father, it saved him from having to operate. It was just right to directly promote Gao Jiong, Liu Mu Zhi, Huan Jing, and others...

"He must truly hate that Chen Yan to the extreme!"

This was no small sum; it was ninety percent of the silver in the Prince of Qiao's mansion!

It was almost equivalent to going all-in!

When Gao Changjing heard the words "eighty thousand taels," a flash of cunning light flew across his eyes, as fast as a shooting star, instantly replaced by intense joy.

He immediately put away his previous troubled expression, his face filled with undisguised admiration, and he praised in an impassioned tone: "Your Highness is generous!"

"Truly the demeanor of someone who accomplishes great things; to be able to help so generously just to get rid of a traitor, I am truly impressed!"

After saying this, he bowed solemnly to Yuwen Ang, his posture extremely respectful: "Your Highness, rest assured, I will definitely not let you down!"

To take the Yuwen clan's silver to destroy the Yuwen clan's empire—what a satisfying thing!

Seeing him so certain, Yuwen Ang waved his hand, a rather smug expression appearing on his face, his tone light and casual: "This is just the beginning; eighty thousand taels is merely an appetizer."

He raised his chin slightly, a flash of arrogance in his eyes: "I still have several brothers and uncles among the imperial clan who also cannot stand Chen Yan's overbearing manner."

"As long as I speak up, raising another fifty or sixty thousand taels will be no problem!"

Gao Changjing was overjoyed, his smile becoming increasingly sincere, though he hid imperceptible calculation in his eyes.

This Yuwen Ang was simply a money tree that had delivered itself to his door; not only was he willing to empty his own coffers, but he was also thinking of borrowing silver to fill the pit. It would be a pity not to take advantage of such stupidity.

He bowed deeply to Yuwen Ang again, his tone earnest and filled with irrepressible excitement: "With Your Highness's such strong support and such comprehensive planning, our great cause can be accomplished!"

Yuwen Ang picked up his teacup, took a sip, then raised his eyes to look at Gao Changjing and asked: "Brother Dugu, now that the matter of silver is settled, tell me, how soon can we achieve our goal at the earliest?"

This Yuwen Ang is truly impatient... Gao Changjing thought to himself, his expression remaining calm, but he showed a probing look and asked in a slower tone: "I wonder how long Your Highness wants it to take?"

"Ideally within a month!" Yuwen Ang blurted out, a sinister curve instantly hooking the corner of his mouth, intense hatred surging in his eyes—hatred so tangible it almost chilled the surrounding air. "Chen Yan living for one more day in this world makes me feel like my heart is being clawed at!"

"Waiting even one more day is torture for me!"

Hearing this, Gao Changjing first blinked, as if surprised by his urgent request, then waved his hands repeatedly to advise: "Your Highness, we must not be too hasty!"

He paused, chose his words, and advised: "Forging counterfeit money is a secret matter; the most important thing is to avoid acting in a rush."

"If we are to meet this one-month deadline, we would inevitably have to recruit artisans on a large scale and rush the production of molds. Such a big commotion would easily attract the attention of others."

"As the Magistrate of Chang'an, Chen Yan has always been meticulous. Once he notices a large amount of new money suddenly appearing in the market, or finds any clues about the minting, he will surely follow the trail to investigate."

Upon hearing this, the fierceness on Yuwen Ang's face gradually faded, and he fell into thought with his brows locked.

His fingers tapped unconsciously on the desk, making a "thud-thud" sound, looking very much like he was weighing the pros and cons.

After a long while, he nodded slowly, his tone much softer, clearly having accepted Gao Changjing's reasoning: "What you say also makes sense."

"One really shouldn't take too large a step; haste makes waste. If we ruin the big plan because of this, it would be a loss that outweighs the gain."

As he spoke, he raised his eyes to look at Gao Changjing, his gaze lacking some of the urgency and carrying more inquiry: "Brother Dugu, in your opinion, how long would be appropriate?"

Seeing that he had been persuaded, Gao Changjing analyzed slowly: "Assuming there is no shortage of silver, hiring hands, purchasing raw materials, rushing the molds, and finally mass production..."

"Three months would be best for this process!"

"At the same time, we can let it flow into the market quietly, making it impossible for Chen Yan to defend against!"

Yuwen Ang pondered for a moment, as if struggling repeatedly in his heart with the anxiety of revenge, and finally nodded heavily: "Fine, three months it is!"

"I will endure this for a while longer and let that scoundrel Chen Yan live for a while longer..."

Seeing this, Gao Changjing immediately cupped his hands, his face filled with just the right amount of flattery, his tone sincere and carrying a measure of admiration: "Your Highness is truly able to follow good advice, assess the situation, and keep the big picture in mind. You are truly a pillar of the imperial clan!"

"With such breadth of mind and foresight, you will surely accomplish great things in the future!"

Yuwen Ang was soothed by these words, the slight frustration born from his compromise instantly vanishing, and he burst into hearty laughter: "Hahahaha!"

After laughing for a long while, he raised his hand to press down, stopping the laughter, his face carrying a measure of self-satisfaction and generosity as he waved his hand: "You flatter me!"

"Don't worry about the silver; as long as it is for the great plan, if it's spent, just come to my mansion to move more!"

A flash of imperceptible joy crossed Gao Changjing's eyes, and he bowed immediately: "I am deeply grateful for Your Highness's trust!"

The smile on Yuwen Ang's face did not fade, his tone carrying a measure of entrustment and expectation: "Then I will have to trouble Brother Dugu to take care of things!"

"It is my duty..."

Gao Changjing slowly raised his right hand, palm upward, and looked at Yuwen Ang with a sincere expression: "Then, shall we have a pleasant cooperation?"

Seeing this, Yuwen Ang immediately reached out and shook his hand heavily: "Pleasant cooperation!"

Walking out of the Chang'an Ghost Market, Yuwen Ang suddenly stopped, looked back at the place of filth and corruption behind him, a flash of complex light crossing his eyes, which then turned into a cold, light snort: "Dugu Changjing? Hah!"

【"Yuwen Ang, initially relying on his power to lend money at high interest and acting lawlessly, later insulted the Grand Preceptor, and was sentenced to demotion and confinement for his crimes. After being punished, Ang reflected on himself, received the earnest teachings and guidance of the Founding Emperor, and suddenly awakened, repenting his past mistakes and wishing to make amends with merit.

When the Founding Emperor planned to deal with Gao Changjing, Ang received an imperial decree to go to the Chang'an Ghost Market, feigning sincerity and setting a trap to lure him, pretending to form an alliance with Changjing. He followed the secret instructions of the Founding Emperor, bringing nearly one hundred thousand taels of silver to gift him, helping him forge counterfeit money for the subsequent plan to close the net."

—— "History of Zhou" · Biography of Yuwen Ang】