Mythical Three Kingdoms

”This thing is really worth ten billion coins?” Xu Shu asked incredulously.

”Take it, go out and try it for yourself, and you’ll know. Just remember not to actually spend it, as I might destroy it later,” Chen Xi casually tossed the slip to Xu Shu.

To be honest, this was just Chen Xi’s way of dismissing Xu Shu. When Xu Shu brought up money and grain, Chen Xi hesitated. Liu Bei’s finances would definitely suffice if managed like Yuan Shao’s rule, but it wouldn’t be enough to sustain spending like Mount Tai’s.

The concept of money is merely a general equivalent, so paper slips can be assigned this value as well. This was precisely why Chen Xi claimed that as long as he was in charge, Liu Bei’s domain would never run out of money. However, grain was different—it inherently held value and couldn’t be circulated simply by relying on Chen Xi’s credibility.

This was the part that gave Chen Xi headaches. Such a transaction wasn’t backed by state credit but by his personal reputation. This realization made Chen Xi speechless. Wasn’t this practically turning himself into a walking printing press?

What was even more troublesome was that, in the past, when paying stipends monthly, Chen Xi would write slips for convenience and let the officials redeem them at the Money Exchange. As a result, the current officials in Mount Tai regarded the slips very highly. Using slips to buy daily necessities now came with discounts—a custom left over from Mount Tai’s early days!

Chen Xi really wanted to inform the merchants selling daily necessities that there was no need for these slight discounts; Mount Tai never had such traditions!

In the past, the small discount arose because Mount Tai had limited coins and needed to maintain circulation. They tried to discourage the common folk from cashing out salaries, allowing them to use slips to save a bit of money. That alone was enough to encourage frugal people to avoid withdrawing cash while enjoying minor advantages.

Back then, Chen Xi could only provide daily necessities; he didn’t have the capacity to offer anything else. Strangely, these slips later became associated with discounts on daily necessities, a trend that then persisted, spreading throughout Liu Bei’s domain.

With officials recognizing the slips, merchants inevitably acknowledged them too. This even forced Chen Xi to use special paper for larger sums, such as the kind Zhao Yun nurtured for unique purposes.

This was why Chen Xi found it difficult to broach the subject with Liu Bei. If he tried to explain, Liu Bei wouldn’t understand anyway—and he didn’t dare delegate this power to others.

Even giving it to someone as cautious as Zhuge Liang would be risky. Upon realizing the slips could be treated as real money, Zhuge Liang would undoubtedly try to build the entire country around this system. The outcome? Catastrophe for sure!

Though premature to say, the idea that politics is an extension of economics holds some truth even in this era. Chen Xi genuinely feared giving this dangerous tool to others—it was a real weapon capable of ruining a nation. Most importantly, almost no one in this era knew how to use it properly.

Xu Shu took the slip outside, ready to test it out. To be honest, he didn’t quite believe Chen Xi’s claim that the slip was worth ten billion coins. After all, this wasn’t just a sum of a few million—it equated to several counties’ annual tax revenue!

But facts don’t lie. Faced with evidence, Xu Shu had no choice but to believe. Although Li Youu was puzzled by Xu Shu’s slip, he still told him it could be exchanged for ten billion coins. Since Ye City Bank hadn’t been fully set up yet, they couldn’t pay the sum in one go, but the Zhen Family could provide the money.

This revelation shocked Xu Shu, especially when the Zhang Clan confirmed it could be redeemed. In that instant, Xu Shu fully grasped the implications of what Chen Xi had said. In mere seconds, just by filling out a slip, several counties’ annual tax revenues had materialized!

”I should probably hold onto this thing myself. I’ve warned Zichuan countless times to use special paper, yet he insists on using this type. Now we’ll have to involve Zilong again,” Li Youu remarked as he took the ten billion coin slip from Xu Shu, tucking it securely into a book.

”Do you need me to exchange it for cash? Ye City’s branch under the Zhen Family has ten billion coins on hand, so we won’t need to transport it to the Fenggao Money Exchange,” Zhang Clan casually inquired as they approached Liu Bei. Transporting such enormous sums was a hassle, especially for amounts this massive, which only the central Money Exchange could handle.

”No need. The central Money Exchange will have to relocate here anyway,” Li Youu replied offhandedly. In truth, he didn’t fully understand how Chen Xi operated. However, he was well aware that the slip he held allowed him to allocate money from any Money Exchange. ”Yuanzhi, did Zichuan say how this money should be handled?”

”No, he didn’t,” Xu Shu admitted, already discarding Chen Xi’s earlier comment about destroying the slip. He was still somewhat doubtful if the ten billion coins were truly usable.

”Oh, then it’s probably for consolation funds or infrastructure investments. It’s surprising how that guy casually issued a ten billion coin slip; he used to be much more calculating,” Li Youu remarked knowingly. Still, he couldn’t understand why Chen Xi wouldn’t simply write slips when it was so easy.

With ten billion coins at his disposal, Li Youu could accomplish far more. Even facilitating immigration plans using these funds would be a breeze. Ten billion coins could relocate a million people—a stark contrast to assets tied up in family inheritances or real estate. This was real, liquid cash.

When Xu Shu returned, he didn’t say much to Chen Xi. When Chen Xi asked about the slip, Xu Shu simply replied, ”Gone.” Trusting Xu Shu’s character, Chen Xi didn’t press further.

Later, at year-end, when Chen Xi reconciled the Money Exchange’s accounts and saw the missing ten billion coins, he felt like strangling Li Youu and Xu Shu. That was actual cash—not something to be carelessly moved. They relied on credit to avoid potential liquidation, as their money supply was limited!

Unaware of this at the moment, Chen Xi continued laughing and chatting with Xu Shu about old times. Xu Shu spoke of his early days, cutting through a street, while Chen Xi reminisced about traveling to Luoyang as a rookie with Liu Bei. Time had flown by.

”Hey look, isn’t that Zuozhi?” The two, lost in their casual conversation, happened to spot Xin Pi walking out from the main hall. Smiling, both greeted him cheerfully. Xin Pi once said something apt: ”When abroad, help your fellow townsfolk when you can.” If the unfortunate Zhu Ling saw Xin Pi’s treatment, he’d probably curse the injustice.

”Thank you, Marquis Chen, for informing me about family matters,” Xin Pi replied calmly. Despite hearing from his daughter that Yuan Shao had died, he appeared unmoved.

To Xin Pi, such rumors from children were merely Liu Bei’s attempt to persuade him. How could someone as heroic as Yuan Shao perish? This was merely a temporary setback! Once, Gongsun Zan had been in an even dicier conflict with Yuan Shao, but Yuan Shao had prevailed. Xin Pi had absolute faith in him!

”Oh, don’t worry about it. Your daughter earned that information herself,” Chen Xi said casually. ”You don’t have to be so courteous. Given we’re from the same hometown, I won’t treat you poorly. Whenever you change your mind, just let me know.”

”I won’t resist, but I also won’t surrender,” Xin Pi replied calmly. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)