"No need, Grandpa, they're incredibly skilled at their work."

"Yes, Grandpa, eat quickly."

The selection of imperial merchants was just around the corner, and Xu Qiushui, along with Li Wanwan, also rushed to the capital at the tail end of the selection process.

"Sister, why did you take so long?" Hou Xiangxiang asked, holding up a pair of chopsticks.

"I rescued someone on the way, which caused a delay."

"Oh, then you should get some rest. I'll give you a few acupuncture treatments tomorrow morning to make sure you're in good shape when you're chosen as the royal merchant the day after tomorrow."

Huo Xiaolong will not participate in this selection of the Imperial Merchant, as He Qingzhu and Wang Buyou have discussed.

"Everyone knows each other, so you can't help anyone. Just sit in the stands and enjoy the show."

The girl nodded. Aunt He was right. If it weren't for the fact that Sister Liuxu was too busy to leave the brothel, she would have liked to come and get involved this time as well.

The selection process for becoming a royal merchant begins with a qualification review, primarily focusing on family background, assets, and the main industries they operate in.

For imperial merchants, opening a shop and doing business—buying low and selling high—is just the most basic way to enter the business world.

For those whose assets are enough to qualify for the imperial merchant position, the most important thing is to influence the country's economy together with the Ministry of Revenue.

"The Imperial Merchant Competition: Listen to the questions and answer them."

"From the very first stroke of the pen, the debate concludes."

According to the rules of the Great Yan Dynasty, the emperor personally oversees each selection of imperial merchants. Sometimes one merchant wins first place, and sometimes several merchants are responsible for different industries.

Yuwen Xuanhong sat in a high position. Even though some people knew they wouldn't be selected as imperial merchants, they still came to participate. Merchants are not like officials; only a handful of people can enter this Golden Palace.

He Qingzhu, Xu Qiushui, and Madam Hou were among the few women in this group of more than ten people.

There are female heads of households in the business world, but this is the first time so many have come.

Lu Kai stood to the right of the emperor and read out the election process. The emperor, sitting on the dragon throne, thought again about what the head of the astrology hall had told him the day before.

"Your Majesty, ever since the time of the Prince of Zhenbei, the celestial phenomena have begun to shift dramatically."

"What kind of major operation?"

"The Phoenix Star has reached the main trunk."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Xuanhong frowned and asked...

"Is there another ominous person in the harem?"

The head of the astrology hall shook his head and replied.

"Your Majesty, these are the phoenix stars of the Great Yan women. If these women are used well, our Great Yan will prosper for ten thousand years. If they are not used well... backlash is inevitable."

Thinking of this, Yuwen Xuanhong couldn't help but glance at the three of them a few more times.

I heard that the head of the Hou family was the wife of the former governor of Beining County, while the He family is a rising star in recent years.

Needless to say, Xu Qiushui was even more so.

Lu Kai slowly read out the first question from the front.

"The monetary system is a major policy of the state. Discussions on reform have existed since ancient times. Some have maintained the status quo to seek stability, while others have innovated to seek change. When discussing this matter today, we must carefully consider the situation and weigh the pros and cons."

This means that, regarding money, should our monetary system be reformed? If things continue like this, will the Great Yan's money system collapse?

Just like when students write policy essays, most people write them first before they can eloquently express their policy essay viewpoints.

But those who can reach the throne are all truly talented and learned.

The head of the Ning family was the first to step forward, bowed to the emperor, and then spoke.

"The monetary system is the foundation of a nation and should not be changed lightly. Change will lead to chaos, while no change will bring prosperity to the country."

He Qingzhu came here today to compete for first place, and the woman was not going to remain still. Instead, she stood up and confronted the head of the Ning family face to face.

"While this is an ancient saying, it is perhaps too conservative. Times are changing, and monetary systems must also evolve with the times."

"Your Majesty, I believe that as times change, the monetary system should also change accordingly. If the system is outdated and hinders development, it should be reformed to adapt to the new environment of the Great Yan."

Yuwen Xuanhong nodded, then asked...

"If that's the case, then Patriarch He, tell me, how should it be changed?"

"The most difficult thing for the Great Yan to unify in terms of money right now is the purity of silver."

"Official silver goes without saying, but some silver mines are not under the jurisdiction of the government. The court only collects the silver without checking its quality. Some silver contains a lot of impurities, while some is quite pure. Most people cannot afford silver notes. I think it would be best to send special people to manage both the refining of silver from each mine and the circulation of loose silver."

"In other words, I believe that gold and silver mines should not be privately owned, but should be managed by the imperial court."

He Qingzhu bowed slightly and spoke her last words, but her eyes were looking up at the emperor.

These words struck a chord with the Emperor. The best things in the world should rightfully belong to me. If it weren't for the fact that the government couldn't spare enough people to manage the gold and silver mines, they would have been taken over long ago.

“What Patriarch He said is very good. I will pay more attention to it in the future.”

The man tapped his fingers on the armrests of the dragon throne, carefully considering what He Qingzhu had just said.

She was saying that gold and silver mines would be under the unified jurisdiction of the government, with standardized quality and size, and would then flow into the hands of imperial merchants, so that everyone's silver would be of the same quality, which would make currency unification much easier.

The emperor seemed to only hear one sentence in his mind: everything should be given to the court, and the court was his personal fiefdom.

Did the emperor lack money?

Not lacking.

But Yuwen Xuanhong was simply too insecure.

His elder brother was raised by his father from a young age, successfully ascended the throne, and then had a crown prince who was just as outstanding as him.

Why is it that all the good things in this world don't belong to him?

Why is his life so much better than others in the royal family?

When he was a prince, he walked at the forefront of his brothers, and all the ministers in the court respected him greatly.

When he was emperor, he was popular with the people and also had a son.

One shouldn't have too many smooth sailing days.

And so, things went too smoothly for him, which allowed him to take advantage of the situation.

“What Master He says is quite right, but the way of reform requires both courage to try and steady progress,” said Madam Hou.

"Your Majesty, I believe that while reform is a good thing, it should not be rushed. We must proceed cautiously and gradually to avoid causing unnecessary chaos."

"The people have used silver for so many years and have their own way of measuring its quality. If the court were to suddenly unify the quality and measurement, it would inevitably cause panic among the people. Da'an and the grasslands have only recently been stabilized, and this move would be too risky."

The people sitting in the back remained silent.

Wang Buyou: Now I finally understand why my father studied late into the night every day when he was running for the imperial merchant position. No wonder his parents didn't have any hope for him.

Xu Qiushui: Go back and read more books, and practice cooking more.

The three of them spoke one after another, each of their points making sense. The Emperor agreed with all of them, but he was more inclined to side with He Qingzhu. The young lady had already figured out the Emperor's character from the matter of military rations.

Even if he owns all the gold and silver mines, so what? With so many eyes watching, the money still can't be moved into his private coffers. The imperial merchants are the eyes of those people.