Chapter 1260: The Great Tangs Chamberlain of Palace Revenues, a Master at Currying Favor (1/2)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

”Ah!”

Yang Zhao was immediately struck dumb, his face turning the color of a sheet of paper while the cold sweat poured out at an even faster rate. At this time, he finally felt a little regret over his excessive avarice when taking the position of Chamberlain of Palace Revenues.

Wang Chong said nothing, but his finger began to lightly tap against the table. No matter the generation, or what parallel universe or alternate spacetime one occupied, monetary inflation was always a very significant problem. A minor consequence would be to drag a prosperous country into a recession while in more serious cases, the country would collapse. In the end, the ones who were burdened the most were the common people.

All their wealth would have been plundered and they would only be left with a pile of worthless paper currency.

The tapping of Wang Chong's finger echoed through the study. After some time, Wang Chong finally spoke.

”Relax. The situation hasn't gotten that bad yet. Fortunately, you were able to realize these potential problems beforehand, giving us enough time. There's no need for you to recall the gold yuan certificates just yet. Dredging the river is superior to building dams, and that's what we should aim to do.”

”What do you mean by 'dredging'?” Yang Zhao immediately asked, his eyes brimming with hope.

”It's very simple. The great clans and common people don't accept gold yuan certificates because you printed too many. There are so many circulating in the marketplace that the Great Tang momentarily can't digest them all. So if this money is spent and digested, the problem can be solved,” Wang Chong confidently said, his eyes shining with profound light.

”Ah?”

Yang Zhao was befuddled. Wang Chong himself had said that there were too many gold yuan certificates for the system to digest. In this situation, how could the money be spent?

”Heh, of course, the Great Tang isn't digesting it, but you've forgotten that the Great Tang has many countries on its borders: Ü-Tsang, Arabia, Goguryeo, the Eastern and Western Turks, the Xi, the Khitans, Mengshe Zhao, and the many kingdoms of the Western Regions. Aren't these all potential markets?”

Wang Chong's eyes blazed as he answered the question on Yang Zhao's mind.

”In this past, we might not have been able to do anything, but haven't the surrounding countries all signed treaties with the Great Tang now? Since they've signed treaties, they shouldn't be able to refuse the gold yuan certificates. Countries probably wouldn't do something that would show such a lack of trust, right? Since that's the case, we'll just push the gold yuan certificates to the countries bordering the Great Tang!”

The many countries were sitting on the sidelines as the Great Tang's militarists and Confucians battled it out, and some were even fueling the fire. It was about time that they paid the 'price'.

Buzz!

Wang Chong spoke very nonchalantly, but his words were like a peal of thunder in Yang Zhao's ears.

The countries around the Great Tang…

For Yang Zhao, Wang Chong's words had opened a whole new door. Not even at his greediest and craziest would he have ever dared to think of such an idea. He had always heard that Wang Chong's art of war was abnormal and unconventional, causing all other generals to seem dim in comparison, but Yang Zhao had never been interested in war. Now, however, he had a firsthand experience of Wang Chong's unconventional style of thinking.

This truly was the case!

The normal trading activity of the Great Tang would not be able to digest one billion taels' worth of gold yuan certificates. Even the Arabian Empire's one billion taels of gold had been paid out from the treasury of Mutasim III and had not actually been circulating in the marketplace. But if these gold yuan certificates were circulated to Ü-Tsang, Arabia, the Eastern and Western Turks, Goguryeo, Mengshe Zhao, and all the other countries, digesting them would be no problem at all.

If those prosperous Hu merchants accepted the gold yuan certificates, then even one billion was just a drop in the bucket, vanishingly insignificant. Moreover, if this happened, not only would they not have to recall the gold yuan certificates, they could print even more—two billion, three billion, five billion, perhaps even more.

Yang Zhao had to admit that he was tempted.

Wang Chong had been watching Yang Zhao this entire time, taking in the shifts on his face. Finally, he smiled, and took a sip of his tea, knowing that Yang Zhao had completely understood. Probably only someone of Yang Zhao's talents could promote the gold yuan certificates and allow them to exhibit their full might, and he also needed proper motivation to do so.

”Notice! Under user's full support, a special historical incident has taken place, unlocking the special mission 'World Currency'! User is rewarded 2000 points of Destiny Energy. In addition, starting from now, for every ten million taels' worth of gold yuan certificates printed, user will be rewarded with 100 points of Destiny Energy. When the total value of gold yuan certificates reaches five billion and ten billion taels, user will obtain an additional reward!

”The wheels of history roll forward, and since ancient times, no one has ever circulated a currency that was accepted by all the countries of the world as a 'world currency'. Anyone who controls the 'world currency' will hold an endless stream of wealth and grasp the lifelines of all other empires. Upon mission completion, user will be granted an immense reward!”

At this moment, the Stone of Destiny's voice resounded in his mind. Wang Chong was taken aback by the voice, but his lips quickly curved into a smile. It had always been his goal to make the gold yuan certificates into a 'world currency'.