Over the following several hundred years, the details of wuzhu coins changed somewhat, but they remained the mainstream currency right up to the present.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, after the realm split into four parts, various regional warlords would privately mint copper coins. However, most still referenced the wuzhu coin design, with patterns and weight being roughly similar.

But after Wei unified the Three Kingdoms, currency also began to be standardized. From that time until now, everyone seemed to be using court-minted coins.

Zhao Hanzhang looked at the pattern on the copper coins, pondering. So would she be the first regional governor to mint coins?

Should she mint them exactly like the previous version of wuzhu coins, or add something to them?

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t know that thousands of li away in Xiliang, new wuzhu coins had already been produced.

Zhang Mao carried in a tray of copper coins and bowed, saying, “Father, these are the newly minted wuzhu coins.”

Zhang Gui quickly put down his brush and took them to examine carefully.

Zhang Mao said, “Each copper coin weighs between two and three zhu.”

Zhang Gui raised his eyelids to look at him. “So is it two zhu or three zhu exactly?”

Zhang Mao lowered his head and said quietly, “Most weigh two zhu and two si, ranging between two zhu two si and two zhu four si.”

He said, “We don’t have much copper in Xiliang, and our minting techniques can only achieve this level.”

Zhang Gui lightly flicked the copper coin. After a long while, he put it down and nodded. “It’s enough. Our purpose is also to give the people under our rule money to use, so they won’t have to barter for every transaction.”

He said, “Distribute the money.”

“Yes.”

Zhang Mao didn’t leave, however, but asked, “Father, can this money be traded to merchants from outside Xiliang?”

Zhang Gui’s eyes flashed as he looked up at him.

Zhang Mao said, “Since we went outside Yumen Pass, merchants from the Central Plains have started coming. They mentioned before that with the goods they bring, they can only barter with us, making calculations extremely inconvenient. Now that we have money, they might be willing to take some money with them when they leave.”

Zhang Gui pondered, “But the wuzhu coins we mint are lighter than the court’s. I’m afraid they won’t be willing.”

Zhang Mao said, “If we only trade in money, even if they’re unwilling, they’ll have to be willing.”

Zhang Gui frowned and didn’t speak. Instead, he asked, “Have you prepared the things I asked you to prepare for Luoyang and Chang’an?”

Zhang Mao replied sullenly, “They’re prepared.”

He couldn’t quite understand his father. “Father, sending furs and horses to Zhao Hanzhang is one thing—after all, she sent us grain. But why must we also send a share to Chang’an?”

“Didn’t you see Secretary Fu’s letter? Chang’an is suffering from famine. We can’t send grain, but we can send other things to help them get through this difficult time.”

“But…”

Zhang Gui raised his hand to stop what he was about to say. “Dalang, the realm is now in chaos, but Xiliang is Jin territory. We guard Jin’s domain. We are ministers of Jin, and must be loyal to Great Jin.”

“Whether it’s Chang’an, Luoyang, or the city of Yun where His Majesty currently resides, we in Xiliang are brother cities to all of them, and we should support each other. If I help Chang’an and Luoyang get through hard times today, in the future, Chang’an and Luoyang will also help me.”

“Even without such help, as long as what we give can be used for the people and save countless lives, it won’t be a loss.”

Zhang Mao bowed his head in shame. “Yes, your son was too narrow-minded.”

Zhang Gui nodded. “Go ahead. Also have someone load two more boxes of new coins—send one box each to Chang’an and Luoyang.”

He had a new idea. If he wanted foreign merchants to use their new coins, he needed to gain the recognition of Fu Zhi and Zhao Hanzhang.

As long as the two of them recognized his new coins, especially Zhao Hanzhang—since the merchants coming to Xiliang mainly came from Yuzhou and Luoyang, and he knew that one merchant group belonged to Zhao Hanzhang’s people.

So as long as Zhao Hanzhang recognized Xiliang’s new coins, his new currency could be used between Xiliang and the Central Plains.

Zhang Gui pulled out a sheet of white paper. After pondering for a moment, he wrote a letter to Zhao Hanzhang. The letter would be sent to Luoyang together with the gifts.

This shipment of goods from Xiliang was escorted by Xiliang troops, and departing with them were Xiliang merchants who depended on the military escort.

Since the rebellion was quelled, the Governor had gathered refugees, and Yumen Pass had opened, allowing a large influx of refugees from the Central Plains into Xiliang.

The Governor had opened up two new commanderies just to settle this batch of refugees—showing how many Central Plains refugees there were.

Along with the refugees came goods from the Central Plains. Moreover, the Governor had established military courier stations all along the route from the administrative seat to Yumen Pass, and had also pressured Yumen Pass to half-open the gates, permitting refugees and merchants to pass in and out. The number of Central Plains merchants coming had increased even more.

Xiliang merchants also wanted to go to the Central Plains. They’d heard that a female general had emerged in the Central Plains who was also quite formidable. She had already pacified the warfare in Luoyang, and things were stable there now. There was much business to be done.

Hadn’t they noticed that the refugees were starting to migrate back to the Central Plains?

Ah, one’s native soil is hard to leave. As long as they had money and could still move, who wouldn’t want to return to their homeland?

The Chang’an soldiers guarding Yumen Pass silently watched people coming and going through the pass.

Last month, Xiliang’s great army had suddenly massed outside Yumen Pass, startling them badly. They thought Zhang Gui was about to rebel. Who knew that not far outside Chang’an, a large army was also discovered in Yongzhou, led personally by Zhao Hanzhang’s younger brother Zhao Yong, also facing Chang’an.

Prince Nanyang was so frightened he couldn’t eat. He immediately sought out Fu Zhi to discuss countermeasures.

He knew Fu Zhi had come to compete with him for power, so he was very wary of Fu Zhi, making Fu Zhi’s work very difficult.

But this time, he had to ask Fu Zhi for help.

He had some relationship with Zhang Gui, who also respected him. Not to mention Zhao Hanzhang—she was his future granddaughter-in-law. So Prince Nanyang hoped Fu Zhi could come forward to mediate.

Fu Zhi did indeed step forward, meeting with both parties. Zhang Gui and Zhao Hanzhang’s purpose was very clear—they wanted Yumen Pass opened to permit refugees and merchants to pass in and out.

Honestly, opening Yumen Pass posed a great challenge to Chang’an’s soldiers. After all, this was a gateway to the Central Plains. Once the pass opened but they couldn’t hold it, if external enemies entered through here, all the Central Plains below could become devastated.

But as Zhang Gui said, Xiliang was Yumen Pass’s forward position. If Yumen Pass faced trouble, it would only be after Xiliang’s fall. Once warfare began, closing it again wouldn’t be too late.

But… Yumen Pass wasn’t just defending against Xianbei and other external enemies—it also defended against Zhang Gui and Xiliang!

Ahem, of course, this couldn’t be said to Zhang Gui.

Fu Zhi didn’t entirely trust Xiliang, but he trusted Zhang Gui.

So what he told Prince Nanyang was, “As long as Zhang Gui lives, Yumen Pass can be opened. Once Xiliang changes governors, Yumen Pass must be closed.”

Prince Nanyang was someone who disliked warfare and was gentle by nature. So after looking at the Xiliang army outside the pass, then at the Zhao Family Army outside Chang’an with clear intentions of charging in and taking over if he didn’t agree, he finally consented.

So the pass was opened.

After Yumen Pass opened, the soldiers’ workload increased dramatically, but they had no complaints. Because all merchants passing in and out had to pay taxes, more or less. Thus, the Chang’an army, which had been suffering from famine and where even soldiers had begun going hungry, now had income.