"This must be the origin of ’theft of men and women,’" Liu Zhenkan chuckled, lamenting the injustice of this world: "If a man snatches a woman on the street, he’s undoubtedly a villain! But if a woman snatches a man, no one would think she’s a villain."
"Men are emotional creatures. If a beautiful woman snatches you, you consider it a romantic encounter; but if an unattractive woman snatches you, you don’t own up to it," Fifth Prince laughed heartily. "Aren’t relationships between countries just the same? Military invasion is like an unattractive woman; no one admits to it. But economic invasion? That’s a beauty. How many countries would resist? Or even could resist?"
This made Old Liu glance sideways in surprise.
"Being held by other countries by the economic throat is terrifying," the Fifth Prince’s words were indeed loaded: "Waging war requires money. Fallen soldiers need pensions, heroic ministers need rewards, weapons, armor, and provisions all need money. Where do the resources for people and horses come from? Money! Mobilizing laborers and soldiers delays spring planting and autumn harvesting, which the country still has to pay for! If a country’s economy isn’t in its own hands, what kind of turmoil would arise if other countries close their trading companies and withdraw trade groups before the country goes to war? How many wars can be waged relying solely on the national treasury’s reserves? Launch a nationwide war? What happens afterward? All production halts, and even if you win, the country will be left in ruins!"
"Your Highness, are you worried that I might dump trade goods on the Tang Zang Empire in the future?" Liu Zhenkan let out a thorough sigh.
Perhaps the speaker meant nothing, but the listener was sensitive. Liu Zhenkan couldn’t help but think about the current situation of the Bimon Kingdom.
Since the great battle of Heigar, the Bimon Kingdom, lacking steel, has had its foreign trade tightly controlled by human nations. The specialties of the Donau Wasteland can only be traded with humans, who choose whether to buy according to their whims, leaving Bimon very passive.
Under King Sal’s reign, the first "South Star Campaign" against the Barbarians was won through ten years of savings plus tricking the "Jungle Wanderers"; and the second Desert Campaign would have been a massive loss if not for the grand heist in Kalimantan, a massive metropolis of millions.
Humans still feared that Bimon would seek revenge and counter-attack, but even if they wanted to counter-attack now, how could they?
Stop all production? Enlist all the men?
Within three months, probably half the elderly, women, and children in the country would die of starvation.
The upcoming war with the Demon Clan and the Sea Clan might drag on indefinitely. Even if the military lines are stabilized, can the economy of the Bimon Kingdom hold up? This text is hosted at novelꞁire.net
As the divine envoy, it was fine before Liu Zhenkan didn’t think of this, but now that he did, it was truly frustrating.
"I’m not accusing you, Your Majesty, of conducting trade dumping. I admit that we, Tang Zang, are indeed wealthy, and the rich aren’t stingy with spending on imported goods! But currently, you possess a magic teleportation array, and we Tang Zang don’t, which gives you the upper hand in trade. In the short term, it’s not much, but if this drags on, allowing you to sell too many Aegean specialties to our country, I’m very worried that the outflow of currency will exceed the government’s control! I know that the weight of Aegean Currency is different from ours; ours in Tang Zang is larger! Thus, a trade would involve many issues." The Fifth Prince chuckled: "Your Majesty, it’s best if everyone profits, especially between brotherly nations. I know that when our silk is sold to Aegean, it’s at exorbitant prices! If you also profit heavily on the exchange rate, we in Tang Zang will suffer greatly."
"What is a politician? Damn! That’s you!" Liu Zhenkan’s head was spinning; everyone is a national leader, yet the Fifth Prince comprehends so much of these twists and turns.
"Bartering is a bit primitive, but it may be an option acceptable to both of us," the Fifth Prince chuckled slyly.
"Don’t discuss this with me; I really don’t understand! Wait for Fawkes the financial officer to come over, and we can take our time to negotiate," Liu Zhenkan genuinely didn’t know that Tang Zang’s silk coins were larger and heavier than Aegean Currency. If that were true, it indeed seemed to involve the issue of exchange rates.
Damn it! Your fourth brother must be a spy! It took him thirteen years to travel from the Silk Road to Aegean, but only a year to return. Liu Zhenkan thought to himself incredulously; the Tang Zang Fifth Prince’s understanding of the Aegean Continent was too thorough and frightening!
{P.S.: The historic purpose of Tang Monk’s journey to the west is still in question—whether it was for scriptures or espionage, as the "Records of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty" describes the livelihood of 128 countries so meticulously that it’s terrifying. Here it’s just a bit of alignment; it doesn’t hold any specific significance. You can see the Tang Zang Empire as a grand nation opening its eyes to the world and Old Liu as a despicable petty schemer.}
With such narrow-minded thoughts assuming the worst of others, Old Liu was still savoring the implications when a guild order brought him back to Florence.
The King, in a rage, charged in to demand an explanation.
Liu Zhenkan found His Majesty by the riverbank, where the waves on the Sanggan River were as high as mountains, the shimmering water glistening in silver starlight.
King Sal and Old Liu’s jaws nearly left two unfathomably deep pits in the ground.