Seven days after the 'Western Regions Patrol Camp' had completely eradicated the trade routes, the first caravan to return safely brought with it not only the joy of having survived a calamity, but also reports of wealth that would shock all the powerful families in Chang'an. The floor of the Xuan Shi Hall was piled high with sheepskin contracts that had been sent back from the Western Regions in haste. 'Your Majesty, these are advance payment bills from the three kingdoms of Dayuan, Wusun and Kangju,' said Zhang Anshi, his hands trembling slightly. The elderly minister, who had managed finances all his life, now spoke in a hoarse voice, 'A common celadon bowl from the Han dynasty was exchanged for three taels of gold in Wulei city, and a piece of fine Shu brocade was auctioned off at the Kangju royal palace for the price of a hundred fine warhorses — this is robbery!' Liu Bingyi sat at the head of the table, his white hair hanging low as he toyed with a lustrous white porcelain cup — a 'defective product' that had been fired by the Divine Crafts Institute using the residual heat of a steel furnace. But the Western Regions nobles, who had never seen such craftsmanship before, regarded it as a sacred object bestowed by the gods. 'Robbing them?' Liu Bingyi chuckled, a purple light flashing in his double pupils. 'Lord Zhang, your vision is too narrow. I'm not robbing them; I'm exploiting the differences between our civilisations to gradually drain their national wealth.' He stood up and pointed to the spots of light where wealth converged on the holographic sand table of the Western Regions. Activating his 'Great Han Merchant Saint' mode, he continued.
'Issue an edict to the Ministry of Commerce: starting tomorrow, cease large-scale supplies to the Western Regions.' "Ah?" Zhang Anshi exclaimed in astonishment. 'Your Majesty, this is the time when wealth is flowing in like water. Why cut off supplies?'
Liu Bingyi walked to the window and stood with his hands behind his back, instantly exuding the air of a seasoned actor. 'If you give them a hundred pieces of porcelain at once, they'll think they're made of clay. But if you only give them three pieces a year and only nobles who have rendered meritorious service to the Han Dynasty are eligible to 'compete', then those three pieces of porcelain will become divine artefacts that can bless their families with prosperity."
[System 4.0 notification: the scarcity marketing strategy has been activated.]
Western Regions Nobles' Vanity Index: continuously soaring.
Expected returns: Due to the excessively high premium, the speed at which the Golden Dragon of the Han Dynasty's national fortune condenses has doubled.
Three days later, the first 'Royal Porcelain Appreciation Meeting', officially hosted by the Han Dynasty, was held in Wulei City, the seat of the Western Regions Protectorate. Following Liu Bingyi's secret decree, Zheng Ji placed a large, shimmering blue-and-white porcelain vase in the centre of the hall. 'This vase is a sacred object personally touched by His Majesty the Emperor of the Han Dynasty and is named "National Guardian Blue-and-White Porcelain". There is only one pair in the world; the other will remain in Weiyang Palace to suppress the aura.' Zheng Ji's expression was solemn; his acting skills were worthy of an Oscar — a true inheritance from Liu Bingyi.
Below the stage, the eyes of more than a dozen kings from small Western Region kingdoms were red. 'I, your king, offer five thousand oxen!'
'Five thousand oxen?' What's that? "I, your king, offer the mining rights to two gold mines for ten years!"
'I offer three hundred stunningly beautiful dancers from the Wusun Kingdom, as well as an order for ten thousand heavy crossbows made of fine steel!' As the usually shrewd kings argued heatedly over a clay pot, the secret agents of the Imperial Guard coldly recorded each nation's financial limits. This was exactly the outcome that Liu Bingyi had hoped for: not only money, but also a thorough understanding of their resources. If porcelain was 'face', then silk was an addiction that the Western Region nobles could not break.
Using a multilingual instant translation plugin, Liu Bingyi spread a rumour among the Western Region nobles: 'Those who wear Hanfu are civilised; those who wear fur are uncivilised dogs.' Faced with such extreme cultural discrimination and aesthetic hegemony, the Western Region nobles frantically sold off their cattle, sheep and land just to obtain a few metres of light, flowing silk.
'Your Majesty, the Kingdom of Kangju has advanced next year's military budget to purchase this silk,' reported Wang Changqing, with a hint of pity in his eyes. 'Without military funds, they can't fight. Without fighting, they'll have to beg my patrol battalion for protection.' Liu Bingyi sneered, his fingertip lightly tracing the sand table. 'This is a bloodless massacre.' As the wealth of the Western Regions poured into Chang'an, the national fortune value on the system interface reached terrifying levels.System 4.0: Current national fortune gold coin abundance — off the charts! Ultimate energy conversion: Wealth has been converted into 'Yin-Yang Reversal Cause and Effect Value'.' Liu Bingyi could feel the power within him swelling to its limit. Even his white hair began to generate a kind of purple current. 'Enough! The prosperity of this mortal world is enough to buy back Pingjun's life.' He pushed open the doors of the Xuan Shi Hall. The night sky outside, which had once been clear, was now completely obscured by dark golden thunderclouds above Duling, and the entire city of Chang'an trembled. This was because heaven and earth sensed a mortal's impending robbery of life from the Grim Reaper.
'Issue my decree: seal off Chang'an tonight. If I do not return, Zhang Anshi will oversee the court and the Embroidered Uniform Guard will protect the emperor.' Liu Bingyi, carrying his old sword, transformed into a blur and headed straight for Duling.
Following the adoption of the 'hunger marketing' strategy by the Western Regions aristocracy in the luxury goods market, a new problem arose on the desk of the Han Dynasty's Ministry of Commerce: the Western Regions were in chaos, not due to warfare, but due to the chaotic exchange of currency. The Wusun used horses as currency, the Dayuan used gold-inlaid knives, and the Kangju brought baskets of silver ore of varying purity. Every major trade involved officials from the Ministry of Commerce spending hours arguing with shrewd merchants about exchange rates, with disputes occasionally escalating into brawls over purity issues.
'Your Majesty, we are utterly incompetent,' said Zhang Anshi, pointing to the mountain of various coins piled up outside the Xuan Shi Hall. His face was full of sorrow. 'The Western Regions are a mixed bag of gold, silver, copper and tin. Some even use seashells as valuables. The fine steel and porcelain of the Han dynasty have been exchanged for this scrap metal. If this continues, the Han Dynasty's treasury will be filled with this 'garbage'."
Liu Bingyi sat upright on the dragon throne, tracing a well-worn five-zhu coin with his fingertips, his white hair gleaming coldly in the dim morning light of the hall. "Master Zhang," he asked, "what do you think is the sharpest knife in the world?"
Zhang Anshi paused, then replied subconsciously, 'Of course, it's the fine steel broadsword forged by the Divine Crafts Institute.'
'Wrong.' Liu Bingyi slowly stood up, a hint of purple light flickering in his double pupils and a playful smile playing on his lips. 'It's the "rules" within this small space. I want the people of the Western Regions to have to look at my face even to buy a bag of naan bread." He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the System 4.0 financial backbone network.
'System, activate "Coinage Technology Upgrade".'
[System 4.0 notification: deduct 500,000 national fortune points]
Exchange: "High-frequency anti-counterfeiting pressing technology, micro-gravity sensing patterns and the Great Han Dynasty's anti-counterfeiting mark."
Coinage template generated: Xuanjin Wuzhu Coin (basic version). This new type of Wuzhu coin uses a secret alloy ratio passed down by the Divine Crafts Institute. Its colour is like red gold and its texture is hard; it won't shatter even when struck with a heavy hammer.
Most ingeniously of all, Liu Bingyi has infused each coin with a trace of extremely weak system energy.
"Changqing, take this." He flicked out a coin, which Wang Changqing caught, feeling a warm sensation on his fingertips as the coin subtly heated up.
'For all subjects of the Great Han, holding this coin brings peace of mind; for all rebels, holding this coin feels like being pricked by needles and burned by fire.' Liu Bingyi coldly ordered, 'Issue an order to the Ministry of Commerce: From this day forward, all goods from the Great Han within the Western Regions will not be accepted for barter or other forms of currency.' Three days later, in Wulei City in the Protectorate of the Western Regions...
A massive 'Great Han Central Bank' stood in the city centre. Zheng Ji took personal charge and a huge notice board was erected at the entrance of the bank proclaiming the announcement of the designation of the only legal currency for trade in the Western Regions by the Great Han.
'What? My gold ingots can't be used?' A wealthy merchant from Kangju exclaimed in shock. "This is pure gold!"
"The Great Han decides whether it's pure or not." Zheng Ji, dressed in a crisp official robe, exuded an aloof arrogance befitting an Oscar-winning actor. 'The Han Five-Zhu coin is a gift from the Emperor himself. Without it, you can't buy a single tael of silk or a porcelain bowl. If you want more, bring your gold ingots.' The following month, an unprecedented 'great migration of wealth' unfolded in the Western Regions. To obtain permission to travel on the Han trade routes, nobles and wealthy merchants from various countries had to take chests of gold, silver and spices to money exchange shops, where they were forced to exchange currency at extremely unfavourable rates imposed unilaterally by the Han Dynasty. Liu Bingyi watched the holographic sand table coldly. Each time five zhu coins were exchanged, the wealth of the people of the Western Regions was locked into the Han Dynasty's financial network — this was 'monetary hegemony'. He watched the gold thread representing the Han Dynasty's wealth extend westward. 'What I issued wasn't just money, but IOUs too. I exchanged a pile of copper nuggets for the hard currency accumulated by their ancestors.' 'A goldsmith from Dayuan once attempted to mass-produce these Wuzhu coins. He hired the most skilled craftsmen and used the finest gold and silver to create identical replicas. However, when these counterfeit coins entered the market, something strange happened: the moment a merchant touched them, the coins emitted black smoke and disintegrated into a pool of foul-smelling molten iron. The surrounding Han patrol (desert cavalry) killed the merchant on the spot, having issued a 'counterfeit coin alarm' within three breaths.
"A miracle! These are coins that have been blessed with divine power by the Han Emperor!" The news spread like wildfire throughout the Western Regions. The various state monarchs, who had been observing from the sidelines, were utterly terrified by this move. They realised that the Han Dynasty's currency was not just money, but a symbol of faith.
[System 4.0 notification: [Currency Hegemony] Progress Reached 90%.
'The Han Dynasty Wuzhu Coin Officially Becomes the Settlement Centre Currency in the Western Regions'.
Inside the Xuan Shi Hall, Liu Bingyi opened his double pupils. His sea of consciousness was no longer a single battlefield scene, but a vast, flowing financial vortex. Every Wuzhu coin in circulation in the Western Regions was accumulating energy for him, known as 'Order'.
'Money is the face of all beings; wealth is the blood of the people.' Liu Bingyi looked at Du Ling. The raging thunderclouds had become docile due to the influx of 'currency energy'. The destructive laws of heaven had been partially 'bought off' by this immense, worldly will of money.
In late autumn of the ninth year of Emperor Xuan's reign, cold winds from the Western Regions brought a marriage proposal from the Wusun Kingdom to the imperial desk of the Han Dynasty. The Wusun Grand Kunmi (now the Marquis of Guiyi) had sent an envoy to the capital with not only ten thousand warhorses, but also a request that had troubled the Han dynasty for almost a century: a marriage alliance involving a Han princess.
'Your Majesty,' began Zhang Anshi, hesitating before stepping forward. 'Since the time of Emperor Gaozu, marriage alliances have been a wise strategy for securing the borders, though a last resort. Princess Jieyou is advanced in years, and the Wusun are now our most important allies in the Western Regions Protectorate. If we could bestow upon her another member of the imperial clan, it would appease the Grand Kunmi and ensure that our one hundred thousand iron cavalry would defend the western borders of the Han Dynasty wholeheartedly." Liu Bingyi sat upright on the dragon throne, his white hair like snow and his double pupils devoid of warmth. He toyed with the black gold five-zhu coin, a symbol of monetary hegemony, and let out a faint, cold laugh. 'Lord Zhang, do you think the Han dynasty lacks a woman's backbone?' The hall fell silent instantly. Liu Bingyi slowly stood up and walked to the enormous holographic sand table of the Western Regions. He touched the vast grasslands of Wusun with his fingertip, where a faint purple light representing abundant mineral deposits was shimmering. 'I killed hundreds of thousands of Xiongnu in the northern deserts, not so that my daughter or my sister would bear children for those mutton-smelling barbarians.' Liu Bingyi's voice echoed through the hall, exuding an undeniable air of dominance. 'In the past, we relied on marriage alliances because our swords weren't sharp enough and our grain wasn't plentiful enough.
"Now, I have steel swords, explosive crossbows and hegemonic currency. But if we still need to exchange women's skirts for false peace, my title of 'God of War' is better off being fed to the dogs. [System 4.0 notification: Awakening of Sovereignty Consciousness, Roar of the Golden Dragon of National Fortune'.
[Evaluation: Completely abolish the outdated custom of marriage alliances. National self-esteem +500%.' Liu Bingyi turned his head to look at the trembling Wusun envoy, a mocking smile playing on his lips. 'Go back and tell Great Kunmi there's no princess, but I can offer him something far more tempting.'
Liu Bingyi lightly traced a line on the sand table with his finger, and a groundbreaking 'military aid to Wusun' plan took shape.
Training instructors: dispatch one hundred retired elite Imperial Guards to Wusun to train the 'New Wusun Army'.
Technology Transfer: Provide a batch of production lines for 'Level Two Precision Steel Knives' and 'Semi-Automatic Crossbows', which have been phased out by the Divine Crafts Institute.
Security Barrier: The Han Dynasty's patrol battalion (desert cavalry) will conduct regular patrols along the Wusun border. Anyone who dares to harm Wusun will be seen as attacking the Han Dynasty.
The envoy's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. This wasn't just aid; it was arming Wusun to the teeth!
'However,' Liu Bingyi's tone suddenly turned cold. The icy pressure caused the envoy to kneel down with a thud. 'I don't accept gifts. I want "resources".'
Liu Bingyi precisely circled three of the most important mineral veins within Wusun's territory on the holographic map. These contained rare tungsten-iron and copper ore.
'These three areas, each with a radius of fifty li, are hereby placed under the administration of the Great Han's "Mining Bureau" for a ninety-nine-year lease. The Great Han will station troops here to protect the miners, who will be exempt from Wusun law and subject only to the control of the Great Han Protectorate.' This was the Great Han's version of a 'concession system'.
'You want me to protect you? Fine. You want me to teach you to kill? Fine. But I'll have to dig up your bones and blood.' When the envoy returned to Wusun that night with the 'military aid agreement', Zhang Anshi and the other veteran officials finally realised the truth. Zhang Anshi wiped the sweat from his brow. 'Your Majesty, this is far more ruthless than a marriage alliance. Our people are involved, our rules are involved, our troops are involved... what about Wusun after that...?" 'After that?' Liu Bingyi looked towards Duling, his eyes deep. 'After that, there will be no more Wusun in the Western Regions. Only the Great Han's "Wusun Autonomous Prefecture" will remain.'
Following the signing of the Military Assistance Agreement, a hundred elite soldiers, drawn from the Imperial Guards and the Embroidered Uniform Guard and clad in light black armour, entered Chigu City, the capital of Wusun. At the head of the group was Huo Shan, a commander who had been personally chosen by Liu Bingyi. Previously a disgraced member of the Huo family, he had been subdued and brainwashed by Liu Bingyi through his 'Eye of Insight', and now displayed 120% loyalty.
'Great Kunmi, these are the most powerful combat instructors of the Han dynasty.' Huo Shan bowed slightly to the Great Kunmi of Wusun; his every move exuded a suffocating pressure upon the Wusun nobles. The Great Kunmi looked at the group of one hundred men, his heart filled with joy. He had been worrying about suppressing the restless lesser Kunmis within his own country and the pro-Xiongnu tribal leaders. However, the arrival of the Han's steel swords and instructors made him feel that he was close to becoming the 'True Lord of the Western Regions'. However, he failed to notice that the black wooden boxes carried by these instructors contained not only crossbows, but also System 4.0: Consciousness Infiltration Micro-Array. "First lesson: Absolute obedience." On the training ground in Chigu City, Huo Shan surveyed the three thousand elite Wusun royal soldiers before him with cold eyes. Instead of teaching them how to wield their swords, he made them stand in perfect unison under the scorching sun for three hours, repeatedly reciting the laws of the Great Han's Western Regions Protectorate.
Meanwhile, ten instructors lurking in the camp (actually high-ranking agents of the Embroidered Uniform Guard) used the eavesdropping function of the [All-Language Real-Time Translation Plugin] to transmit every complaint and family feud of the Wusun generals to the [Western Regions Holographic Sand Table] in Chang'an.'Your Majesty, the eldest son of the Great Kunmi is at odds with his younger brother over control of the pastures. The eldest is pro-Han, while the younger is pro-Wusun traditional forces," reported Wang Changqing in a low voice from Chang'an.
Liu Bingyi sat on the dragon throne, a flash of purple lightning flickering in the shadows of his white hair. 'Since they're at odds, let them fight it out even more. Tell Huo Shan that we can begin Project Shadow.'
That night, a 'Han merchant' appeared in the tent of the second Wusun son, saying: 'Your Highness, I've heard that the Great Kunmi is preparing to establish your brother as the sole heir and abolish the Wusun tribal chieftain system with the help of Great Han instructors.'
The Han merchant (actually an undercover agent of the Netherworld Guard) produced a forged 'Plan to Reduce Feudal Powers' bearing the personal seal of the 'Great Kunmi'. The second son was enraged upon reading it. He had already resented the interference of the Great Han instructors, and now he was filled with murderous intent. 'He wants to learn the Han ways? Then I'll send him to meet the ancestors of the Han!'
That night, the second son of Wusun led three thousand personal guards in a mutiny and launched a surprise attack on the Great Kunmi's palace. Meanwhile, the Great Han instructors, who were supposed to protect the emperor, mysteriously fell victim to a bout of diarrhoea and retreated to the mining concession area outside Chigu City.
Battle cries echoed through Chigu City as the Great Kunmi suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of his second son, who was on the verge of killing him. At that critical moment, three dark purple thunderclaps suddenly resounded in the sky.'It's the Han army!' Huo Shan led a hundred instructors down like divine warriors. They wore full-body plate armour that had been secretly developed by the Divine Crafts Institute and rode warhorses that were equipped with mechanical horseshoes. With the aid of a god-like perspective remotely controlled by Liu Bingyi, they shattered the formation of three thousand rebels with great force. With each swing of their swords, a rebel was cut in half, horse and all. 'Great Kunmi, don't panic! The Han have come to save you!' Holding the head of the Wusun second son in one hand, Huo Shan tossed it at the feet of the Great Kunmi. Looking at the devastated battlefield and his own near-death experience, the Great Kunmi knelt on the ground and repeatedly kowtowed towards Chang'an.
Although the internal strife had been quelled, Wusun had undergone a complete transformation. In order to repay his debt of gratitude and prevent further internal strife, Da Kunmi proactively requested that the training corps of the Han Dynasty take full control of Wusun's defences and internal affairs. 'Your Majesty, all of Wusun's military power, tax revenue and tribal justice are now in Huo Shan's hands,' said Wang Changqing, his voice chilling. Liu Bingyi changed the Wusun icon on the holographic sand table from 'ally' to 'subordinate province'. 'A marriage alliance only yields a bed, while internal strife yields a country.' He stood up, sensing the immense fortune surging from Wusun. Meanwhile, the dark golden thunderclouds above Duling, which were channelling this fortune, began to shrink into a massive portal to the underworld.