The Zhaoming Tongbao copper coin is made of 7 parts copper, 1 part tin, and 2 parts lead.
A standard copper coin should weigh 1.2 mace, with an error not exceeding half a grain of millet.
Canglan immediately noticed the problem: the weight was wrong!
It is normal for coins to wear out, get oily, or get dirty during daily use, resulting in slight weight discrepancies, but this is not the case with the copper coins selected by Partridge Feather.
Canglan carefully rubbed the three copper coins.
The outer edge is engraved with twelve short teeth, symbolizing the twelve two-hour periods of the day; the inner rim is cast with wave patterns, symbolizing the thoroughfare between rivers and seas.
The obverse features the four characters "Zhaoming Tongbao" in regular script, while the four corners of the square hole are engraved with the four characters "Yongchang Tianyou" in seal script.
The paper is clear to the touch, without any bumps or scratches, almost like a new coin, but the difference in weight cannot be ignored.
Except for one item whose weight meets the standard, the rest are all heavier than the last one!
One of them wasn't terribly bad, but the last one...
"I've calculated the heaviest one, and the lead content is about 45%."
Canglan gasped. Lead costs about one-seventh of copper; from 20% to 45%...
"What is the scale of the bad money?"
Even when Partridge Feather was transmitting his voice, he couldn't help but sigh, "Slightly heavier ones are everywhere, and extremely heavy ones are still around, but less than one in ten survives."
Canglan was at a loss for words.
She was originally sent to contact Partridge and ask if there was any news.
Who could have imagined that the first piece of news would be devastating?
Iron ore theft, assassination for corruption, and counterfeit currency – such treacherous undercurrents are hidden beneath the surface of this seemingly prosperous era!
No wonder Partridge Feather is so cautious.
While eating noodles, Partridge explained her investigation process.
The slightly heavier copper coins are generally not noticeable to the average person, and ordinary people wouldn't care about them in their daily use.
Perhaps because Bailu Prefecture handled flood control and disaster relief very well and in a timely manner, and people's lives were not greatly affected, merchants from surrounding prefectures flocked to the area.
Although waterways are restricted and land transport is significantly more expensive, it is still profitable despite the severe flooding in the other two states.
She was posing as a skilled umbrella maker named Sang Niangzi, and umbrellas were within the scope of her bulk purchases.
Fang was a kind-hearted person. After verifying her identity three times, he also checked her umbrella-making skills and introduced her to a business opportunity.
Because the out-of-state orders were urgent, the umbrella shops in the area couldn't keep up with the delivery schedule even with their full production capacity, so they outsourced the work.
With the guarantee of the magistrate, Partridge also received a small order.
Three days before the delivery, she met the merchant who placed the order and learned that it was a chamber of commerce organized by several counties in Qingyao Prefecture for centralized procurement and sales.
The overall transaction was overseen by the assistants of the clerks of the state government, with the heads of various neighborhoods assisting them, making the process busy yet orderly.
One of the merchants had a lot of goods; he had a ship full of various dried goods.
Many places in the surrounding area are struggling to find food, with all goods unsold. Only in Bailuzhou is there a chance to survive.
Bailu County organized major restaurants to jointly purchase this batch of goods, but an unexpected incident occurred.
Transactions of moderate size are usually conducted using either silver or copper coins, and this transaction used both.
The stranger was a penny-pincher; he counted the coins one by one and found that almost every string was a little short.
Partridge secretly followed, but the ward official took the merchant away, and the prefectural government took over instead.
Officials naturally had an absolute advantage over merchants, and in the end, they made some concessions on the price and added some copper coins, thus settling the matter.
But the meaning behind it sent chills down Partridge's spine.
After numerous investigations, she finally arrived at a startling conclusion:
Everyone in Bailu County, from the state and county governments to the common people and peddlers, knew about the counterfeit money!
No one reported or exposed it; everyone remained calm and even actively covered it up.
When Partridge Feather told Canglan this conclusion, Canglan was stunned into silence.
"This...this is impossible!"
Partridge wasn't surprised at all by her sisters' reaction; she herself still hadn't processed it.
"Anyway, this is all the intelligence I've gathered. Just report it truthfully."
"All right……"
Meanwhile, Qin Zhaoqiong and her entourage spent the entire afternoon inspecting flood control measures along the river.
No problems were found throughout the entire process of reinforcing the river embankment, diverting water into ditches, setting up flood discharge areas in advance, and relocating villages.
If all three prefectures were as comprehensive as Bailu County, the imperial court would not have needed to send an imperial envoy to provide disaster relief.
The entire county, including all the townships within its jurisdiction, seemed to be united as one.
Qin Zhaoqiong felt that they were all proud to live in Bailu County and to be people of Bailu County, and they would always inadvertently show the confidence of being masters of their own destiny.
At five quarters past 3 PM, the procession returned to the prefectural government office.
"Your Highness, where would you like to rest? The government office is a bit crowded, but there are also vacant residences in the city, or perhaps..."
Before Governor Yan Wenyuan could finish speaking, Qin Jingzhan rushed forward.
“Elder sister, I’ve been staying at Prince Rui’s Manor these days, why don’t we go together?”
Qin Zhaoqiong glared at him. "Nonsense. You should pay a visit, but you haven't sent a visiting card. Besides, there's no reason to come in the afternoon."
Yan Wenyuan smiled and waved his hand, "Your Highness is overthinking it. Our Prince Rui dislikes formalities the most."
Let alone Your Highness, even officials from prefectures and counties like us do not need a formal letter of invitation to see you.
Arriving at noon wouldn't be considered impolite; the prince might even invite us to stay for a meal.
"this……"
Qin Zhaoqiong hesitated.
I should indeed pay a visit, but I don't want to waste any more time.
She has sent scouts to various places, and it remains to be verified whether this is just a case of flowers blooming everywhere, or whether the entire territory of Bailu Prefecture is like this.
Looking to her side, Qin Zhaoqiong thought that since her fifth brother had been here for some time, he couldn't have made a mistake.
Just as she was about to agree, she suddenly paused for a few moments.
Seeing that her elder sister's gaze remained fixed on her face without uttering a word, she wondered why. Then, a moment later, she heard her sister speak:
"Etiquette cannot be disregarded. Sending a visiting card today and paying a visit tomorrow would be impolite. However, I have received an imperial mission and am acting hastily due to the urgency of the matter."
Qin Jingzhan was about to persuade her further, but Qin Zhaoqiong waved her hand to interrupt him, "Let's leave it at that, I'll pay my respects tomorrow morning."
Then he turned to Yan Wenyuan and said, "Please, Governor Yan, arrange a residence for me."
"Yes, Your Excellency obeys."
Without troubling the governor, the officials under the Ministry of Revenue led them to the pre-arranged residence.
It's also nearby, just one block east of the prefectural government office. Those who can live here are considered to be from prominent and wealthy families.
The five-courtyard house is more than enough to house them.
When Qin Zhaoqiong arrived, a steward-like man led a group of servants and attendants to wait in the front yard.
She explained that she didn't need anyone to serve her, and Wen Shi didn't seem to mind at all, readily agreeing.
The guards quickly deployed and thoroughly searched both inside and outside the area, a routine and well-established procedure.
Qin Zhaoyue had only been sitting down for a short while when a guard from her elder sister's side came to invite her over.
Entering the east wing three times, she saw Canglan return after leaving, his brows furrowed with deep sorrow.
Qin Zhaoyue's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that something bad has happened again?
Why should I stay in the city?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
