Chapter 472
The Untold Story of Zhao Yu and Duan Yu's Women
...
In the harem.
At this moment, Zhao Yu had his left arm around Jaya Indravarman, the queen of the Angkor Dynasty, and his right arm around Queen Zhao Deviana of the Queen's Kingdom. He looked at the royal daughters, clan daughters, and noble daughters of Dali kneeling before him, including the Queen Gao of Dali, the Queen Wang of Dali, and Princess Zhaoqing of Dali.
Before marrying Suryavarman II, Jaya Indravarman was the Queen of Sambhupura in Khmer. She became a key figure in Suryavarman II's unification of the Angkor Dynasty by leveraging her royal succession rights and military and political resources.
Sambhupula was an important city-state of the Angkor Dynasty. During the period of division of the Angkor Dynasty, the territory ruled by Jaya Indravarman was one of the core forces of the Khmer Dynasty, with a solid foundation of rule and an army.
Suryavarman II rapidly expanded his power and established the Angkor Dynasty by marrying Jaya Indravarman and obtaining military support, tax revenue, and manpower from Sambhupura. Later, she gave birth to a daughter of Suryavarman II, who succeeded her as the Queen of Sambhupura in Khmer.
Jaya Indravarman was very famous in the Indochina Peninsula. She was a well-known female politician, and her international status was certainly higher than that of Empress Gao of Dali and Empress Wang of Dali.
Then there's Queen Zhao Deviana of the Queen's Kingdom. Although she was young, as soon as she ascended the throne, she personally led the warriors of the Queen's Kingdom to the battlefield to attack the Song Dynasty's supply lines. She fought the strongest Song army in the world to a standstill, causing considerable trouble for the Song Dynasty.
To put it simply, the alliance of small countries in the Indochina Peninsula was defeated; otherwise, Zhao Deviana would have firmly secured her position as Queen of the Kingdom, and she might have become a very outstanding queen.
Anyway, Zhao Deviana is definitely more famous than Empress Gao of Dali and Empress Wang of Dali.
While a number of small kingdoms in the Indochina Peninsula were fighting against the Song Dynasty, Jaya Indravarman and Zhao Deviana visited the Dali Kingdom to discuss with them the possibility of jointly sending troops to fight against the Song Dynasty.
At that time, it was Empress Gao who received Jaya Indravarman and Zhao Deviana.
Although the meeting between the two sides was brief, Empress Gao was captivated by Jaya Indravarman and Zhao Deviana, two exceptionally outstanding women of their time, and developed a longing for them.
It could even be said that Dali's agreement to support a group of small countries in the Indochina Peninsula in harassing the Song army's supply lines, and its later choice to resist the Song Dynasty, were also related to that meeting.
In short, Jaya Indravarman and Zhao Deviana were outstanding women whom Empress Gao greatly admired.
However, just two or three years later, Jaya Indravarman and Zhao Deviana, two outstanding political women whom Empress Gao greatly admired, became Zhao Yu's kittens, at his mercy.
Such a visual shock and the collapse of their idols left Empress Gao staring blankly at Jaya Indravarman and Zhao Deviana—in the past, one was a powerful woman who ruled Sambhupura and helped her husband establish his capital in Angkor, her brows full of arrogant and domineering spirit; the other was a young queen who wore armor and dared to lead warriors to attack the Song Dynasty's grain supply lines, her eyes burning with a domineering edge.
But at this moment, they nestled in Zhao Yu's arms, their hair adorned with disheveled jewels, their heroic spirit replaced by a seductive charm, trying their best to please Zhao Yu.
Empress Gao recalled that day at Yangjumei City, the three of them leaned on the railing and gazed into the distance. Jaya Indravarman stroked the curved sword at his waist, talking and laughing with great confidence; Zhao Deviana even slapped the blue bricks on the city wall, vowing to drive the Song Dynasty back to the north.
The wind was fierce then, and the three of them were full of vigor, as if heaven and earth would bow down to such a woman.
Who could have predicted that in just two or three years, the world would turn upside down, and the women who once discussed military strategy side by side would become playthings in someone else's arms.
Empress Gao lowered her eyes abruptly, not daring to look any longer. A chill ran through her heart. Even figures like Jaya Indravarman and Zhao Deviana had met such an end. Where could she possibly escape to?
Just then, Zhao Yu looked at her and casually asked, "Don't you want to serve me?"
Upon hearing this, Empress Gao's knees buckled, and she nearly collapsed to the ground. Her former pride and arrogance shattered before Zhao Yu, the greatest emperor of all time, and the overwhelming reality. She hastily knelt and said:
"It is my honor to serve Your Majesty, how could I possibly be unwilling?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu said to Empress Gao, "Since that's the case, then come and serve me."
Although Empress Gao had never served anyone before, she seemed to have a natural talent for it. When Zhao Yu asked her to come and serve him, she did not stand up and walk over, but instead chose to crawl over.
Of course, this might also be because her legs are weak and she can't stand up at all.
Soon, Empress Gao crawled to Zhao Yu's side and began massaging his legs without any instruction.
Well, can we say that Empress Gao was self-taught, never served anyone, or was never served?
Empress Gao had a maid who was particularly skilled at massaging legs. Empress Gao enjoyed this skill so much that she became an expert herself and learned it.
Seeing that Empress Gao was behaving well and that her legs were being massaged quite effectively, Zhao Yu stopped arguing with a plaything. Instead, he naturally removed his hand from Wang Zhao Deviana's waist and placed it on Empress Gao's head, unconsciously stroking her.
Empress Gao was very uncomfortable with a man being so intimate with her, especially with this kind of intimacy that seemed to treat her like a pet.
Empress Gao dared not show it and could only silently endure it.
Gradually, as Empress Gao got used to Zhao Yu's intimate gestures, she began to enjoy Zhao Yu's "stroking" like a kitten.
Empress Gao raised her head and looked at Zhao Yu, who was high above her, as if trying to figure out why Zhao Yu was so outstanding that he was able to conquer the largest empire in history.
At the same time, Empress Gao secretly hoped that Zhao Yu would praise her. After all, this was the first time she had ever done something like this, and she hoped that the person she was trying so hard to please would give her some encouragement, even if it was just a look of approval.
But what Empress Gao saw was that Zhao Yu was looking at the other Dali women and not at her, as if he had not noticed her efforts at all.
This made Empress Gao bite her lower lip lightly.
Just then, Zhao Yu looked at the Queen of Dali and asked her, "Are you the Queen of Dali, née Wang?"
Upon hearing Zhao Yu's words, Empress Gao also looked at Empress Wang.
For some reason, Empress Gao regretted giving up her position as empress.
She couldn't help but wonder, 'Could it be that His Majesty the Emperor of the Song Dynasty believes she is the Empress of Dali?'
Seeing Empress Wang dressed in her magnificent imperial robes, with her graceful figure, her long, ink-black hair piled high and adorned with exquisite gold and jade hairpins, which made her skin appear even whiter than snow, as if shrouded in mist and clouds, and exuding a captivating charm with every gesture.
Her eyes and brows were so captivating; her bright, star-like eyes held a faint sorrow, as if concealing endless unspoken thoughts. Her willow-leaf eyebrows were slightly furrowed, a look that seemed both reproachful and resentful, instantly evoking pity in anyone who saw her.
As Empress, she exuded even more nobility and grace. A phoenix robe embroidered with gold thread adorned her, making her appear even more regal and opulent. Her exquisite features and elegant demeanor perfectly showcased the Empress's majesty and stature.
Looking at Empress Wang's beautiful, delicate face, which seemed so tender it looked like it could be pinched to release water, and then thinking that she was almost thirty years old, Empress Gao felt more and more regretful.
Empress Gao subconsciously shook Zhao Yu's thigh, trying to attract his attention. Unfortunately, Zhao Yu didn't notice Empress Gao's efforts at all, and continued to look at Empress Wang, who resembled Wang Yuyan.
Zhao Yu had already guessed who this Empress Wang was. She should be Duan Zhengyan's second empress in history, that is, originally Duan Zhengyan's Consort De, who was honored as Empress Tianjing Duanwen Xiaodeyi after Duan Zhengxing ascended the throne.
Empress Wang bowed gracefully to Zhao Yu and said, "This sinful woman, Wang, greets Your Majesty and begs for Your Majesty's mercy."
Next, a group of royal daughters, imperial daughters, and noblewomen from Dali stepped forward to introduce themselves, giving Zhao Yu a preliminary understanding of them.
Among these people, two women caught Zhao Yu's attention the most.
One of them is Consort Mu, the Noble Consort of Duan Zhengyan, who should be the prototype of Mu Wanqing in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils"; the other is Consort Zhong, the Virtuous Consort of Duan Zhengyan, who should be the prototype of Zhong Ling in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils".
In a sense, Zhao Yu really did steal all of Duan Yu's women.
That very night, Zhao Yu had Empress Gao, Empress Wang, Consort Mu, and Consort Zhong serve him in bed, thus truly cuckolding Duan Yu.
In the days that followed, Zhao Yu defiled all the daughters of the Dali royal family, the imperial clan, and the nobles.
If someone is killed by mistake, he will not be let go.
However, on the other hand, this was just a little hobby and game in Emperor Zhao Yu's life, which helped him rule the Song Dynasty, but its actual impact was not that great, at least in the short term.
What truly had a huge impact on the Song Dynasty was that after conquering Dali, or more precisely, after conquering the Indochina Peninsula, Emperor Zhao Yu, at the suggestion of Ye Shiyun and Cai Jing, issued an imperial edict: abolishing the bimetallic standard and replacing it with the gold standard. Within three years, anyone could bring silver to the Song Dynasty's banks to exchange it for gold at a fixed ratio of ten to one, or directly exchange silver for paper money issued by the Song Dynasty. From that day forward, the paper money issued by the Song Dynasty would only be linked to gold, and anyone could exchange the two at any time at banks that were already located in all the major cities of the Song Dynasty.
Zhao Yu and his associates insisted on abolishing the bimetallic standard and adopting the gold standard, and there were many reasons for this.
Having conquered Japan and then the Indochina Peninsula, the Song Dynasty possessed vast amounts of both gold and silver. Moreover, the bimetallic standard had been in place for over a decade, and the people were already accustomed to this monetary system. Logically, continuing the bimetallic standard would have been most advantageous for the Song Dynasty.
Some people therefore advised Zhao Yu that if he felt the gold and silver parity system was unstable, given the current strength of the Song Dynasty, he could simply force the gold and silver to be on a one-to-ten basis.
Zhao Yu even knew that the gold-to-silver ratio of 1:16 was an extremely stable structure. Throughout China's long history of five thousand years, the gold-to-silver ratio had remained relatively stable at 1:16.
Therefore, if the ratio of gold to silver were to be fixed at 1:16, given the current strength of the Song Dynasty, it would certainly be able to stabilize the Song Dynasty's paper currency for a period of time without it collapsing, and even until Zhao Yu abdicated.
Moreover, the Song Dynasty, which currently controls the Strait of Malacca, has, to some extent, controlled the trade routes between the East and the West.
If the Song Dynasty had continued with the gold and silver bimetallic standard, it could have easily manipulated the market, profiting immensely from the price difference between gold and silver across Eurasia, and even controlling the fate of neighboring countries.
However, Zhao Yu, who had Ye Shiyun, was not so short-sighted.
Ye Shiyun's promise to Zhao Yu was the future dollar hegemony, which could buy goods from all over the world simply by printing money, and could also control other countries to a large extent by printing money.
Compared to such monetary hegemony, making this small profit is utterly insignificant.
If the paper money of the Song Dynasty were to become the world's settlement currency, a stable monetary system was first and foremost required.
However, the bimetallic standard is inherently flawed and cannot be solved by forcibly stipulating exchange rates.
Putting aside other issues, once those undiscovered huge gold or silver mines outside the region are mined and a large amount of gold or silver flows into the Song Dynasty market, the gold-silver ratio in the Song Dynasty will definitely fluctuate drastically, and the credibility of the Song Dynasty's paper money will completely collapse.
Therefore, Zhao Yu was forced to choose between the gold standard and the silver standard.
The West had more silver than gold, while Asia was the opposite, with more silver than gold. Under these circumstances, it would certainly be easier for the Song Dynasty to trade with the West and use gold as currency.
Moreover, after seizing gold and silver from Japan and the Indochina Peninsula, the Song Dynasty also had a large amount of gold in its national treasury.
—In recent years, the Song Dynasty court has been consciously accumulating gold and silver and issuing silver.
Therefore, the Song Dynasty had sufficient gold reserves to support its adoption of the gold standard.
More importantly, Zhao Yu and his fellow time travelers were aware of the future trends in industrial development—silver would be consumed more and more due to the expanding industrial uses, and might even be completely exhausted; but gold had almost no industrial consumption, making it an excellent choice as a monetary anchor.
This is precisely why, if Zhao Yu had chosen the silver standard, the Song Dynasty's gold and the large amount of gold that would be exchanged in the future would have been useless. However, if Zhao Yu had chosen the gold standard, the Song Dynasty's silver and the large amount of silver that would be exchanged in the future could have been used to develop industry, achieving two goals at once.
In conclusion, Zhao Yu chose the gold standard.
The main advantage of the gold standard is that its face value is equivalent to a fixed amount of gold. Unless a large amount of precious metal is mined in a short period of time, the purchasing power of the currency can be considered to be approximately stable and is not prone to inflation.
Of course, every advantage has its disadvantages.
The downside is that since the total amount of gold is basically fixed, as productivity increases and the demand for currency increases, the world's gold supply will become insufficient.
However, such a situation is unlikely to occur in the short term, given that this was ancient times when productivity was still very low.
To put it another way, if that day really comes, the Song Dynasty could learn from the United States in later times and decouple its paper money from gold, and then tie it to the Song Dynasty's fiscal revenue.
Some might ask, what if this path eventually comes to an end?
Then we can only leave it to fate.
Or perhaps, that would be the time when the Song Dynasty fell into decline.
In conclusion, after acquiring gold from Japan and the Indochina Peninsula, Zhao Yu resolutely pushed forward the abolition of the bimetallic standard and the adoption of the gold standard...
...(End of chapter)