Chapter 158: What Kind of Money Is That (1)
So-mu, who had finished his errands at Yonggang Surochae, was staying in Hanzhong for a while. This place he visited after a long time surprised him again.
Scenes of magnificent new high-rise buildings and bustling streets. The sight of residents roaming freely was full of abundance. It was no exaggeration to call it the center of economy and culture.
So-mu was holding a glass of alcohol on one side of Hwayang Tavern, the oldest in Hanzhong, and was eavesdropping on the surrounding conversation with a serious expression. This was because Prime Minister Jin Hui, who had disappeared for a while, appeared, claiming succession to the throne through a distant relative of the emperor.
The people of Hanzhong, who heard the news first, were greatly shaken and enraged. That’s why I stayed here for several days and watched the public sentiment.
“The coronation ceremony is being held in Guangxi Province? Who on earth has what qualifications?”
“Do you understand? They say he is a distant relative of the deceased emperor.”
“What are you saying now that Ji has done for the country?”
“I mean, what did the imperial family do for us? To put it bluntly, it was our general who saved Hanzhong, who was on the verge of death.”
“But who are the emperor”s relatives? Aren”t the entire royal family killed?”
“I don”t know. Who knows whether Ji is of the emperor”s blood or not. That”s because the prime minister said so.”
“Are you saying that treacherous bastard is behind us again? They think we are fools.”
“I”m sure. Even if I die, I can”t recognize the guy he presented as emperor.”
The residents’ conversations were reaching dangerous levels. This was only possible in Shaanxi.
The government does not participate in any conversation. This was because there was a strict ordered from Jang Yang not to oppress the people even if they gossiped about him.
This commotion had been going on for several days. And at some point, another urgent message arrived.
The door to the guesthouse burst open and someone shouted.
“Everyone, it is said that Master Wengyu of Sichuan Province has been awarded the title!”
Emperor. It meant declaring oneself emperor.
One resident jumped up with startled eyes.
“What? Is that true?”
“I”m sure! There”s no trouble outside right now!”
“Then what happens to us?”
So-mu’s expression, who had been watching silently, became more and more serious. What I had been worried about for a long time finally happened.
And it started now.
Taang-!
Someone who was drunk hit the table and staggered to her feet. His face was red from intoxication and he was very angry.
“How long are we going to have to treat a bastard who doesn”t even know who he is as emperor? Even a thief from Sichuan Province wants to become king, so why can”t our general!”
“That”s right!”
“There is only one person we can trust!”
“We can”t sit still either!”
At that time, a group of people broke into the guesthouse.
“Everyone, what are you doing here now? Come out quickly!”
Even so, So-mu sensed an abnormal energy outside the guesthouse.
The tremendous heat approaching this place. And the shouted get louder and louder. They were all shouting in unison.
“Long live His Majesty Emperor Jang Yang!!!”
“Wow!!!”
The people rose up voluntarily and tried to establish Jang Yang as emperor. Where in history has there been a case like this?
The worry was not erased from So-mu”s face. It was something he wanted, but how could he just like it? The country was being torn apart before our eyes. Moreover, the residents’ madness became uncontrollable.
“Let”s go out too!”
“Cancer! Of course!”
“Owner, I”m in a hurry, so I”ll come and get the change later!”
The residents inside the guesthouse also began to run out one by one. So-mu followed suit and went out into the street.
Thousands of people marching through the streets. That number was still growing exponentially. It was an incredible sight to see with your own eyes.
And you can see government troops lined up at one corner of the street. They didn’t know what to do.
An officer approached the commander, Commander Wi Jin-cheol, and asked.
“Chief, what should I do?”
“I”m responsible for everything. Just leave it alone.”
“It”s not that” those soldiers.”
Wi Jin-cheol’s eyes turned in the direction he was pointing. Aren”t the soldiers shouting slogans along with the people?
“Since when did our corps become a ragtag group of people swayed by the atmosphere? Tell them to shut up before they run out of business!”
“Yes, Commander!”
“But I will allow you to cheer in your heart.”
So-mu, who had been watching silently from among the crowd, turned away.
“The emperor established by the people” ” .”
For the first time in a while, my heart was getting warmer. I had to go to Changan quickly.
***
As expected, commanders in Changan were also monitoring the situation through the intelligence network.
Although I had collected a lot of information, I was unaware of what was currently happening on the streets of Hanzhong.
Everyone gathered together and remained silent with serious expressions.
Jang Yang, who was sitting at the head table, first praised So-mu for his hard work.
“Captain So-mu succeeded in dispersing the enemy forces on the Han River and incorporating them into our naval forces. You have worked hard. You have made a great contribution.”
The commanders’ faces brightened and they applauded.
“Thank you for your hard work, Captain.”
“This is good news after a long time.”
“I knew you could do it!”
So-mu answered silently as if it was no big deal.
“Things turned out easier than I thought. But bigger problems have arisen.”
Jang Yang nodded and looked around the audience.
“I”m sure you all know the story. The treacherous Jinhoe is claiming the throne by using a scarecrow, and the thief Wongyu, who rebelled against him, has taken over the throne. Director Seol Pung, please summarize the situation.”
Seol Pung was a person who passed the martial arts examination at the top of his class. He was appointed as a Commander and was in charge of helping Officer Kwak Cheol with information collection.
“First of all, Jin Hui declared Jangsa in Honam as the capital with a man named Jo Gang. And Guan Unsan, the Governor of the County of Guangxi, who was in charge of the administration of Guangxi and Guangdong, decided to support him.”
Officer Kwak Cheol asked back with an expression of bewilderment.
“Is there anyone who supports him again after being treated like that?”
“Given that the declaration was made at the same time, it is assumed that there was a secret agreement in advance.”
Jang Yang said while looking at the map on the table.
“They will use Hubuk as their forward defense line and try to expand their power south of the Yangtze River. Please also explain Won-gyu”s situation.”
“Wongyu”s administrative district is based on Sichuan and extends to Yunnan and Guizhou. They named the country “Po”. In terms of power, it is at a similar level to Jinhoe. Excluding our administrative district.”
“The power is being divided, so the future is a problem. I expected it, but the timing was too fast… You are doing something when you have no chance of winning the war against the enemy.”
“Nothing will change right now, right? In any case, they will not be able to survive in the State of Hui alone and will self-destruct. I don”t think they would have done this without knowing.”
“I think the same thing. Both sides probably have an alliance in mind. Even if they don”t like each other, it is inevitable for survival.”
Deputy Yang Yeon-jeong asked with a serious expression.
“Shouldn”t we decide too?”
“What do you mean?”
“The new emperor proposed by Jin Hui. The people”s antipathy will be enormous. And Won-gyu, the priest who carried out the title”.”
Yang Yeon-jeong trailed off and looked at Commander Seol Pung. This was because he knew Won-gyu better than anyone else.
“I am a former military officer in Sichuan. Why would I give up my official position there and take the civil service exam again here? I dare say that the thief Won-gyu is nothing more than an opportunist. I cannot accept the new emperor of the Song Dynasty without any foundation. Please make a decision.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Kang and Commander Yang So came to the rescue.
“We must act too, General. Guanzhong is in our hands, and it includes Hanzhong, strategic points. We have all the conditions to open a country.”
“Please lead the people so that they no longer suffer from wrong governance.”
Jang Yang had a serious expression on his face.
After a moment of silence, he broke the silence and spoke.
“What I want is not to become a king or an emperor. Besides, in the current situation, how can I even think of dividing the country again?”
At that time, So-mu, who had been watching silently, spoke for the first time.
“There is no reason why the central plains should be unified into one country. As the territory under control grows, the imperial family will have to further oppress and oppress the people to strengthen its authority. The general will know what the lives of the people of the Qin Dynasty, the first unified empire, were like. History has proven this. So, please establish a system based on this and open a new world.”
Director Jin Lip joined in and began to persuade Yue Fei.
“For now, there will be no change on the front line. General Yue Fei, who absorbed the corps of the Shangjiang Army, is guarding the front line, and General Han Se-chung is also alive and well. Together, we can keep the enemies in check, strengthen our internal stability, and lay the foundation for foreign policy.”
Jang Yang closed her eyes and kept her mouth shut.
At that time, Chief Han Baek of the cavalry unit, who usually spoke little, spoke up. It was extremely unusual for him to voice his opinions at a meeting.
“Please fulfill the wishes of the people who support you, General.”
All the generals were unanimously requesting his decision.
There was silence in the solemn atmosphere.
And only after a few minutes had passed did Jang Yang’s mouth open softly.
“It is not a decision that can be made easily. We will think again about what ideals we pursue. Afterwards, we will look at the will of the people and decide what is right.”
That was enough. The commanders bowed their headed with satisfaction.
The meeting ended after several more agenda items were discussed.
After finishing the meeting, So-mu came out of the palace and headed to the market. The purpose was to examine the public sentiment in Changan.
Although it was not yet comparable to Hanzhong, the population and economy have recovered significantly. The biggest reason was the opening of the palace to the general public and tourism projects. It resulted in the migration of residents from other regions.
Everywhere I went, people were full of energy. But other than that, I couldn’t find anything unusual.
“It looked like the residents here haven”t heard the news yet.”
Unlike Hanzhong, everywhere seemed peaceful. Except for one place.
Taeungbang . Dozens of people flocked to this place, the best currency exchange place in the central region, and made a lot of noise. Some people were even seen fighting.
“Wherever you go, there were people with quick information.”
I could tell what was happening without even having to check.
When a country was divided, it was natural for the value of currency to become unstable.
Existing currency can be used but printed indiscriminately, and new currency can be created. This was bound to lead to a surge in the market price of safe assets that were used everywhere, such as silver.
If you exchange your currency in advance, you will be able to reap huge market profits.
“What do you mean, you can”t exchange money?”
“I will give you 3 more than the market price, so please exchange the money!”
“Isn”t it true that you hid the silver coins in Taewoong”s room and never exchanged it? If you keep acting like this, I will report it to the government office!”
The clerk at Taewoongbang couldn’t come to his senses. This was because never before in history have so many people gathered and caused such a commotion.
“No matter how much money you give me, it is of no use. Taewoongbang”s reserves of hermits were already depleted five days ago.”
A middle-aged man with her hands full of bills shouted as if he were furious.
“Who on earth swept away all the hermits in Taewungbang?”
“I”m sorry, but under no circumstances can I tell you the customer”s personal information.”
“Holy shit!”
So-mu, who had been watching indifferently, soon turned away. Because I lost interest.
However, I couldn’t help but wonder who the person who swept away the hermit in advance was.
“If you exchanged money five days ago, you probably didn”t know the information, right? “I don”t know who it was, but I must have been lucky enough to get a lot of money.”