“Where would such a vast amount of copper coins come from? Why don’t I know about it? Although Li Daozong is seizing copper mines in Nanzhao, the war is currently at a stalemate. Songzhou and Langzhou have both been destroyed. The copper mines haven’t had time to be excavated yet. Where would the copper coins come from?”

“There are four bastards who graduated from the academy helping His Majesty formulate robbery plans. Now it’s already reached the endgame stage. His Majesty gave me a gag order, so I can’t say. During this period, I didn’t go see you precisely because I didn’t want to see your anxious appearance and was worried I couldn’t help but tell you and then your father would drag me off to be beheaded. Now it’s good—the dust has settled. Those greedy wealthy people can’t turn back even if they want to. Finally I can tell you. This period of time has really stifled me.”

Li Tai chuckled and said: “Big Brother, you’re the confused one in the middle of things. What is Mengshelong? How could he drag down the pace of our Great Tang army? Some time ago, relying on elephants, he won a small victory. Now Li Daozong is prepared, so his elephants are useless. As for the war in Langzhou, I’ve never cared about it. If an army equipped with gunpowder still can’t defeat a group of savages, Li Daozong would have committed suicide long ago. You’re just too reliant on and trust written reports too much. Those things are written by people and always have deviations.”

Since Li Chengqian already knew what he wanted to know, his whole body relaxed. He pillowed his hands behind his head and looked at the clouds in the sky, saying leisurely: “You two have both been up to heaven. I also want to go up and have a look.”

There was no time to answer Li Chengqian’s words. Zhangsun’s large ship came over, and from the looks of it, there was no plan to stop. Menopausal old women were unreasonable. It was better to escape first.

Yun Shou’s stamina was very good. His two feet pedaled the treads rapidly, escaping first. Li Chengqian and Li Tai were also very clever. Relying on their boats being small and easy to turn, they circled around the big ship. As a result, they were almost drenched by the water splashed up by the oars. Damn it, this wasn’t Zhangsun’s style. There were children on the small boats. Zhangsun would absolutely never do this.

Sure enough, a small face poked out from the bow of the ship. It turned out to be Princess Si. How had this most obedient little girl also started making trouble? However, when Li Zhi’s head poked out, Li Chengqian, Li Tai, and Yun Ye knew who they should settle accounts with later.

This bastard was completely different from the timid and weak Li Zhi in history. Because he was protected by his parents, brothers, and sisters, he had thoroughly become a scoundrel. Add to that the help of several historically famous dog-headed military advisors, and now he was living splendidly, as free as an unbridled wild horse.

The big ship finally stopped. Li Chengqian, soaking wet, brought his son and daughter onto the ship and ordered palace attendants to change the children into dry clothes. He himself kicked Li Zhi, who was smiling obsequiously and coming over, causing him to fall on his bottom. Li Tai had just tucked his son into his arms, so the child’s clothes were dry. At this moment, his anger was raging. Li Zhi had just gotten up when he kicked him down again. Yun Ye quickly grabbed Li Tai, who was preparing to continue attacking. Today was not suitable for punishing Li Zhi.

Li Zhi screamed like a slaughtered pig and desperately tried to move Yun Ye’s foot. His left hand happened to be stepped on under Yun Ye’s foot. Yun Ye waited until Li Tai’s anger subsided before leaving Li Zhi’s hand and followed the others to pay respects to the Empress.

Zhangsun could truly be said to be attending in full dress today. Previously, gatherings like this would all be held in Zhongji Hall. Having it on a tower ship this year also seemed elegant. However, previous years’ gatherings invited command ladies. This year inviting a group of princesses and princes consort—who knew what the intention was?

Qujiang was far from the imperial palace, so Yun Ye couldn’t see the turbulent scene of hundreds of officials at Wanmin Palace. There, the Emperor was also holding a spring banquet. The dignified Left Vice Minister of War Yun Ye was the highest-ranking official among this group of sons-in-law. A high minister like him should have gone to Wanmin Palace rather than come to Qujiang. Since Li Er had thrown the Crown Prince, Prince of Wei, and himself all to the Empress to watch over, needless to say, those meritorious nobles attending the spring banquet must be having extremely miserable days now.

Li Er didn’t want Li Chengqian, Li Tai, and Yun Ye to see his shameless face, so he specially transferred the three of them away. If the copper coin reform matter wasn’t announced at today’s banquet, that would be hell.

Yun Ye ate with his head down. Yun Shou ate with his head down. Li Chengqian drained cup after cup. Li Tai personally used a small spoon to feed his son soup. Zhangsun Chong sat restlessly, his bottom as if it had hemorrhoids. He always wanted to get close to Yun Ye to talk. Every time before he could speak, Yun Ye would clink cups with him, and after clinking cups would leave, not giving him the slightest opportunity. Revealing that matter to Li Chengqian was fine, but if it were revealed to Zhangsun Chong, that would be a major disaster.

Yun Shou was very bold and asked Zhangsun when he could marry Yan Rong home, causing the hall full of guests to burst into laughter. Zhangsun also laughed until she swayed like a flower branch. Yang Fei grabbed Yun Shou’s hand and pinched his fat face, saying that at such a young age he was already thinking about a wife—how shameless. She herself laughed until tears came out.

“Your son really wants to marry my daughter?” Li Chengqian asked with a face full of pride.

“Stop being so smug. My son just can’t stand seeing Yan Rong suffering in your Eastern Palace. To get my agreement, this child even offered the price of twenty pages of large characters. For the child, that’s the highest condition he can offer.”

“Good heavens! Your Eastern Palace has now become a battlefield. So many women are desperately trying to become Crown Princess. How have you endured it? Yan Rong is my daughter-in-law. When she comes to my house, she’ll naturally be a treasure. In your broken Eastern Palace, she’s just a punching bag. Your father and mother endlessly stuff women into your Eastern Palace. Aren’t you annoyed?”

Li Chengqian didn’t care at all and chuckled: “You can’t stand watching anymore? Worried that the chaotic Eastern Palace will corrupt your daughter-in-law? My two wives are both locked in the Cold Palace. If you can help me get them out, even if you bring back just one, the Eastern Palace will be calm and peaceful.”

“Why should I rescue your wives? It’s not Xinyue who’s been locked up. Not doing it. You handle it yourself. His Majesty has been displeased with me lately and always wants to find opportunities to beat me. Some time ago, he even wanted me to practice martial arts with him. Isn’t it just because my family exchanged a bit more silver? That was preparation for making some auspicious silver ornaments for the children at home. Did he have to spray spittle in my face?”

“Heh heh heh, three hundred thousand silver coins really isn’t much. I didn’t know about my imperial father’s copper coin operation beforehand. I was so grateful for your action that tears came down. You actually unhesitatingly dragged four or five meritorious noble families to exchange all stored copper coins for silver. What deep affection this was for me! Only now do I know you were black-heartedly making money. Three hundred thousand silver coins are enough to bury you alive a hundred times. Are you planning to build houses for your family’s children with silver?”

While the two were talking, Zhangsun Chong came over again. He very much wanted to know what Yun Ye was saying to the Crown Prince. Recently, Chang’an City had been very wrong. No matter how many copper coins his family exchanged, the copper coins circulating on the market still didn’t decrease. He thought it was the Crown Prince borrowing from the money house, so he ruthlessly purchased many more copper coins, all at high prices, waiting for the court to change the exchange ratio between copper and silver before releasing them in large quantities to make a huge profit.

After inquiring in many places, he learned that the money house’s copper coins had also hit bottom. No one knew where those copper coins came from. Perhaps the Crown Prince had persuaded some wealthy households to release their reserves.

Seeing Yun Ye and the Crown Prince stop talking, Zhangsun Chong quickly said: “Don’t stop! Keep talking. Just pretend I’m not here. You talk, I’ll just listen. It would be best if you could reveal some secrets I don’t know.”

This was already shameless. Relying on being familiar and pulling connections. When it came to grasping currency, Li Chengqian was the chief shopkeeper. This had to be acknowledged. The Ministry of Revenue now had no control over the money house, so his father wasn’t clear either.

Li Chengqian laughed heartily and said: “Look how anxious you are. We weren’t saying anything special, just discussing with Ye Zi the problem of lowering the copper-to-silver exchange rate. Now one silver coin exchanges for six hundred large coins—this exchange rate is too high. Common people have no copper coins to use. I’m considering whether to adjust the ratio to the original ratio of one silver coin exchanging for one thousand large coins. Since you want to listen, share your view.”

Zhangsun Chong glanced at Yun Ye and saw he was dealing with a fish. He said doubtfully: “The method is naturally a good method, but our Great Tang has always lacked copper since ancient times. If you want to pull the ratio down, that requires large amounts of copper coins. Where would we find so much copper? Besides, there are only two minting factories in our Great Tang—one in Chang’an, one in Yuezhou. I haven’t heard they increased production. To mint coins requires consultation among the Three Departments and Six Ministries, plus the Left and Right Censorate, and His Majesty’s personal approval. This is a great instrument of the state. Any private individual wanting to touch this power would presumably die extremely miserably.”

“So, Your Highness, this path won’t work. Without copper, nothing we say is useful. If the copper coin exchange rate won’t come down, the only method is to raise the copper coin exchange rate. Only this way is it possible to make those people release the copper coins in their hands.”

Yun Ye put down his chopsticks impatiently and said: “Who says there’s no copper? There’s a large island in the South Sea. That island sits on top of a giant copper plate. Just send people to dig and we’re set. The copper coin exchange rate has already been speculated sky-high. If this continues, common people will have no way to live. I heard some places have already seen the primitive scene of bartering goods. If this problem isn’t resolved, common people will no longer trust currency.”

“What you say is all reasonable and correct. Even if your South Sea has a copper mountain, distant water can’t quench immediate thirst. How to resolve the current problem? You must know that those with the ability to store copper coins are not ordinary households. If His Majesty wants to move against them, he must think deeply and carefully. What methods could we few juniors have?”

Yun Ye couldn’t understand why Zhangsun Chong could righteously and sternly denounce the evil practice of hoarding copper coins while simultaneously purchasing large amounts of copper coins from among the people. Did he not feel any contradiction?

“Since you Bug also think this way, I think one silver coin exchanging for one thousand large coins should conform to everyone’s interests. I wonder if His Majesty has issued this decree now or not?”

Hearing these words, Zhangsun Chong was greatly alarmed and stared blankly at the calm and unruffled Yun Ye.