Chapter 399: The Son of the Black Dragon

Yintan City.

At this time, it was already the beginning of summer.

The busy farming season, which the people of Liangzhou valued most, had already passed—the harsher the climate and environment, the more farmers valued the busy farming season of that year.

If it were in the past, this time of year would be when farmers were most leisurely.

However, things are different now.

If there is no work to do in the fields, what should one do? Go to Yintan City!

Go earn points, go earn Yinzhou Coin!

Or these idle farmers could simply find a private workshop to earn Yinzhou Coin—in today's Liangzhou, there are simply too many of these small workshops that have developed by relying on Yintan City.

Ever since Yintan City was built, it seemed to have become a massive money-making machine, instantly attracting countless merchants and outsiders to come and pan for gold.

Many people have made their fortunes relying on Yintan City—the goods here are sold to all parts of the country, or rather, sold directly abroad. The bridge tolls and entry taxes alone have brought a massive amount of wealth to Liangzhou.

This has also led to the creation of many small workshops.

These small workshops were mostly started by merchants with keen insight and locals with capital.

This has also allowed the people of Liangzhou to truly receive tangible benefits.

At this time, is there any need to worry about food and clothing?

Absolutely not!

However...

Today, Qingyang Shuo's handsome eyebrows were tightly furrowed.

Ever since Liu Zheng captured the 300,000-strong Southern Barbarian army, his reputation has soared, and for a time, he has been unrivaled in glory within the Longyan Dynasty. Yinzhou Coin has been rising like crazy recently.

Crazy.

Everyone is crazy.

Qingyang Shuo vaguely felt that behind this madness, Yintan City was actually bearing immense pressure.

Zheng Yueru, watching Qingyang Shuo lost in thought before the account books, actually also knew of this potential crisis in Yintan City at this moment.

Why say that?

At this time, although the commercial system of Liangzhou looked very prosperous, there was no need to consider trade surpluses or deficits at all! In terms of trade surplus, Liangzhou occupied an absolutely crushing advantage over any region of the Longyan Dynasty! The entire Longyan Dynasty, in order to obtain the patented goods of Yintan City, kept shipping various teas, silks, and raw materials into the Longyan Dynasty.

This was a crushing surplus!

But. A higher trade surplus is not necessarily a good thing.

"Trade surplus..."

This term was taught to Zheng Yueru by Liu Zheng.

An excessively high trade surplus is an extremely dangerous thing. Because this means that Liangzhou's economic growth is more dependent on external demand than it has been for many years, and its external dependency is too high. The massive trade surplus has also brought about an expansion of foreign exchange reserves, putting greater appreciation pressure on the currency.

The sharp rise of Yinzhou Coin is the most concrete manifestation of this.

Although the overall market for Yinzhou Coin has stabilized, Yintan City is still facing enormous pressure—the increase in the purchasing power of Yinzhou Coin outside means that it will consume more internal costs within Yintan City.

Qingyang Shuo sighed and smiled bitterly: "Doing business is truly a brain-draining affair. Yue Ru, what Method does our Silver Supervision Department have to deal with this?"

Zheng Yueru shook her head with a bitter smile.

The Silver Supervision Department was a department she had just established in Liangzhou according to Liu Zheng's requirements, specifically for studying the currency system, financial system, and commercial development within Liangzhou.

The idea was good... but the Silver Supervision Department had only just been established, and they were completely unfamiliar with these financial concepts from later generations. They were still under the guidance of the half-baked teacher Zheng Yueru; facing such a situation, what Method could they possibly have?

"Where is the Young Master?"

Zheng Yueru said: "The Young Master only said, stimulate domestic demand, trade balance."

Qingyang Shuo smiled: "Stimulate domestic demand, stimulate domestic demand... The people of Liangzhou have always been conservative and have always had the habit of saving. Stimulating domestic demand, how is that easy?"

Zheng Yueru was also helpless.

This habit is truly not unique to the people of Liangzhou; where in the entire Longyan are the people not like this?

The two pondered for a moment, but still could not find an effective Method.

"First stabilize the situation and wait until the demobilization and resettlement work is finished. The knife can only be moved slowly. It would be best if the rise of Yinzhou Coin could be intervened in so it doesn't get too crazy."

"Then, we can only wait quietly for the Young Master to return..."

Qingyang Shuo chuckled: "I hear that Wangbei Academy is full of talent and possesses the spirit of the Mohists of past generations. I hope these people will not disappoint the Young Master."

Zheng Yueru could only nod and went off to get busy.

Four sheets of talisman paper.

A total of sixteen large characters.

Liu Zheng could not understand these crooked Yi characters.

But others were all too familiar with them.

"The Dragon's Son descends to the world!"

"Righting wrongs and restoring order!"

"Ghosts and gods give way!"

"Founding a sect and establishing a school!"

Everyone, upon seeing these sixteen characters, was completely stunned.

"This..."

Holy Water was sprinkled on the talisman paper, and the characters appeared; if this is not a miracle, what is it!

And... every single character was portending something!

Righting wrongs and restoring order!

Founding a sect and establishing a school!

Boom!

Everyone's mind was like a pot that had just exploded.

"The Dragon, the Son of the Black Dragon!"

Huobu Quli muttered these words, and clearly, his dark face revealed an expression of excitement and madness as he shouted, "Son of the Black Dragon!"

"Son of the Black Dragon!"

The entire crowd fell into a frenzy.

Liu Zheng and the others looked at each other and smiled.

Full marks...

Today's arrangement could be called full marks.

With this, the image of Aluba as a charlatan was truly established. Next would be the various propaganda efforts for his identity as the Son of the Black Dragon.

That's right.

Liu Zheng intended to truly establish a religion in the Liangshan region—he believed this was the most suitable way to stabilize the Liangshan region. Liangshan had a tradition and belief of fearing ghosts and gods. However, there had never been a true religion that appeared. The reason for this was, first, caused by complex historical reasons. Although the Yi were one ethnic group, they had many tribes. The Six Ancestral Branches of the Yi led to a lack of internal unity. Secondly, it was the reason of social structure—the long-term slave society meant there was no soil for religion to develop...

The slave owners of Liangshan only wanted the slaves to listen to them, not to a religious sect.

Before coming to Liangshan, Liu Zheng thought that the Warring States-like landscape of Liangshan might be suitable for the shogunate system of the Wa later on. Now he had changed his mind.

The shogunate system would not work.

Liangshan needed a system where politics and religion were unified.

The unification of politics and religion was the most suitable model for the development of a slave society.

Moreover, history had proven that many powerful countries were of this model. For example, Byzantium, the Arab Empire, Italy, and other countries had all been glorious because of it.

This night.

The Small Trouser Leg Tribe celebrated all night long.

The rice wine of Liangshan was indeed intoxicating. Huobu Quli dragged Liu Zheng to drink for a long time.

The fifty thousand Liangzhou Army had also long been arranged.

Finally.

It was late.

The people of the Small Trouser Leg Tribe gradually dispersed.

Liu Zheng returned to the guest room arranged for him by Huobu Quli. Just as he sat down, the door was pushed open. He saw Xiao Heitan, who had kept a stiff face all night and maintained an "inscrutable" expression for the whole day, pounce over.

"Uncle, Uncle, I was so scared..."

He threw himself into Liu Zheng's arms, trembling all over, tears streaming down his face.

Liu Zheng held him and slowly comforted him.

He was only eight years old; how could he not be afraid?

This day, he had felt the killing intent from that Great Bimo Chierhadu at least five or six times.

He sighed, grabbed Xiao Heitan's shoulders with both hands, and said with a serious face, "Aluba, you are already a man, understand? Remember, from this day on, you are the Son of the Black Dragon, and no one can change that!"

"You are the true Son of the Black Dragon, the real one!"

"Not just pretending!"

"Only when you believe it yourself will others believe it!"

He whispered sternly, "Only in this way can you take back the glory of your Alu Clan, do you remember?"

Xiao Heitan was very afraid, but he endured it, gritting his teeth tightly. Although his tears could not stop flowing, he still nodded heavily, following Liu Zheng.