is called Yuan Yuan Coin.

When Fan You spoke with Zhang Yang, he didn't deliberately avoid others, and a group of clerks also pricked up their ears to eavesdrop. They had only been there a few days and had already been caught up in a bunch of things, thinking that was the limit, but little did they know that Fan You still had a big bombshell to drop!

coin!

Is this something that a mere Tianyue County could possibly accomplish?

Do they all think the Dou royal family is gone?

Oh, no, the Dou Kingdom's royal family is indeed defunct in name only.

The officials' expressions were distorted. Du Guan, who had just arrived upon hearing the commotion, paused in his tracks and momentarily forgot to greet Zhang Yang.

Fan You had indeed informed her, but only briefly mentioned it without going into details. Du Guan also needed time to understand the situation in the new prefecture, so she naturally assumed that the new currency would be available at the earliest in six months or a year. Unexpectedly, it was already on the agenda in just three days.

Has production volume increased? Has quality control been stabilized? Have costs been controlled? Have they figured out how to issue new currency while simultaneously recalling old currency? What is the exchange rate between the new and old currencies? What are the anti-counterfeiting features of the new currency? Are they confident that it won't be overwhelmed by counterfeit currency as soon as it hits the market, leading to further market chaos?

A series of questions popped into her mind.

They all thought this way, and that's why they asked the question.

Zhang Yang followed the sound and looked at the unfamiliar woman, immediately noticing the title above her head: "Former Prefect of Tianyue County".

"So you are that 'Lord Chancellor'?"

"This humble official is unworthy of such praise." Du Guan bowed respectfully. She hadn't expected Zhang Yang to recognize her at a glance. Despite her surprise, she didn't forget to correct him, "Your Excellency may call me by my name or my official title."

Firstly, her current position is not yet confirmed.

Secondly, even if she could retain the position of Prefectural Assistant, Zhang Yang, as her new direct superior, would only address her as "Yuan Yi," "Assistant," or the more formal "Capital Assistant."

He could not bear to hear the title "Lord Chancellor".

Zhang Yang: "What's your name?"

"Du Guan, courtesy name Yuan Yi."

"Some of the questions Yuan Yi wants to ask are also questions I want to ask. I've only been away for three days, and the craftsmen at Gongye's place have already made such great progress, with a stable output of new coins?" Zhang Yang said somewhat aggrievedly. So, his presence was actually affecting the performance of Gongye Hui and his wife?

"The craftsman Gongye said that he had a stroke of inspiration and changed his approach, resulting in a major breakthrough in technology." He gave a brief summary. "You has already ordered people to take away and treat the families of those soldiers who made contributions to the minting of coins well, so as not to disappoint the meritorious officials."

Gongye Hui and his wife combined the advantages of the sand casting method with the assistance of other soldiers who helped with the forging, using starlight to guide and smooth the casting process. The resulting coins finally met Zhang Yang's requirements, with fine patterns and even, clear outer teeth. If counterfeiters did not know the proper methods and the key steps, the manpower costs of producing coins of the same quality would be uncontrollable, thus raising the anti-counterfeiting threshold of the new coins to some extent. Therefore, the key to the new coins lay in only two aspects.

It is the master die for all coins.

The same applies to soldiers who know how to improve their precision.

On the very day Fan You received the newly minted coins, he had the families of these soldiers, under the guise of reward and honor, brought to live in civilian houses near the prefectural government. This served both to protect them and to keep them under surveillance, and the soldiers were happy to accept the arrangement.

This area was the safest place in Weiyin County. They had taken on the minting job, meaning they wouldn't have to go to the dangerous battlefield anymore. As long as they didn't make any mistakes at work, their family could live a peaceful life.

Zhang Yang: "Why should we take them away and treat them well?"

Why not just give them a bonus directly?

Fan You was already familiar with Zhang Yang's speaking style, but the others were not. Hearing this, they thought that Zhang Yang was dissatisfied with Fan You's indecisiveness and had directly killed off the families of these soldiers behind their backs so that they could serve without any worries.

For a moment, the hall was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Zhang Yang also sensed this unusual atmosphere.

"Isn't that right?"

Fan You: "If we don't take them away, I'm afraid bad guys will use the elderly and weak to coerce and bribe the soldiers into selling secrets. Once the secrets are leaked, the consequences will be endless. It's better to take them in and protect them."

Zhang Yang: "Oh, I see."

The officials: "..."

Given that these people were newcomers, Fan You didn't intend to let them know too many secrets, so he asked Zhang Yang to discuss the matter elsewhere, and also asked Du Guan to come along. Regarding the implementation of the new currency, some issues had already been resolved, such as the cost of anti-counterfeiting measures; the other issue was now being addressed. They planned to use precious blankets and gold as the anchor for the new currency, while also taking into account the purchasing power of the old currency.

Zhang Yang: "Can't we let the market adjust itself?"

She thought of the trading post in the game world.

The prices of items in the trading market are set by players; the game's official team only provides the trading platform and does not interfere. Prices fluctuate daily according to market demand, and there have been no errors over the years. Therefore, she hopes her child can develop financial literacy from a young age.

Du Guan: "The Lord's intentions are good, but he is easily betrayed."

Ordinary people are not as cunning as those treacherous individuals.

How many well-intentioned policies have become harmful and poisonous because of these unscrupulous people exploiting loopholes? If left unchecked, these unscrupulous people will take advantage of the new currency's listing to openly siphon money from the common people, further depleting their already meager savings and making their lives increasingly difficult. Du Guan trusted Fan You's judgment and the information brought back by the registrar.

This magistrate was not a mean and malicious person.

However, being too kind can easily lead to being deceived by treacherous officials.

Zhang Yang: "..."

It sounds a bit complicated.

What followed were even more complicated rules for recycling old currency, which made her dizzy and her mind wandered, relying entirely on the system logs to faithfully record the content of the conversation.

The old coins circulating in the market are strange and varied, with different types and varying copper content. In addition, the merchants and ordinary people who handle them will secretly cut off the edges, making the coins even heavier. This adds great trouble to the recycling and replacement work.

Every word Fan You uttered felt like a tight headband on Sun Wukong's head, making her head ache. Even Du Guan, who wasn't familiar with her, could tell that Zhang Yang was in poor condition, her face growing paler and paler.

They all gave Fan You meaningful glances.

Fan You simply chose to ignore it.

He reported on his work, but how much his lord actually listened to was none of his concern. Only after the long ordeal ended did Zhang Yang feel as if she had been reborn. Unexpectedly, Fan You, that scoundrel, pursued her relentlessly: "Has the lord decided how to settle the former county officials?"

Zhang Yang: "Huh?"

Under Du Guan's horrified gaze, Fan You continued, "I have requested the position of Chief Secretary. Yuan Yi has served as the Assistant Magistrate of Tianyue County for many years and is skilled in official duties. It would be inappropriate to move him to another position. He can retain his original post."

Zhang Yang: "Oh, okay."

Fan You then said, "Jun Du and the young master are suitable to be county magistrates."

It's a bit of a waste to appoint Puyang Kui as the Commandant, but that's all the resources we have for now, and military power still needs to be kept in the hands of our own people. Let Puyang Kui temporarily serve as Commandant, and we'll give him other benefits later when he's developed his skills. Guan Zong is just a side job.

There are too few of our own people; Guan Zong is barely usable.

The reason for keeping the original positions of the officials was to appease the former county officials.

Zhang Yang nodded: "I have no objection."

Fan You took out his official document and had Zhang Yang stamp it with the seal of a prefect.

Du Guan: "..."

Although she knew after entering officialdom that the bureaucracy could sometimes be like a child's game, she had never encountered anything as childish as this before. An uninformed person might think Zhang Yang was a puppet in Fan You's hands; wasn't Fan You afraid of being discarded one day after being used?

While everyone was worrying about others, Zhang Yang was already yawning.

"Don't get sleepy yet, take a look at this first." As everyone knows, yawning is contagious. Fan You had been drowsy by Zhang Yang more than once before, but he still had to force himself to stay awake and work for her. "If the master thinks there's no problem, then stamp it."

"What is this now?"

"The monthly salaries of all the officials and subordinates in the prefecture."

Zhang Yang took it and examined it intently.

His brows furrowed at times and relaxed at others, seemingly shifting unpredictably.

Du Guan thought Zhang Yang was dissatisfied with his high salary.

The thought of salary and wages made Du Guan anxious.

Because the shrewd royal family of Douwang, under the guise of increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, ordered that the salaries of local officials and subordinates would no longer be fixed, but would fluctuate according to the amount of tax revenue collected the previous year. They had a clever plan: higher salaries meant higher local tax revenue, and higher tax revenue meant greater profits for the royal family. Any official who dared to conceal information was putting themselves in opposition to these officials and subordinates.

The royal family of Douwang naively believed that this move would curb corruption and allow them to plunder more of the people's wealth for their own enjoyment.

Little did they know that this led to increasingly meager incomes for their subordinates and staff.

Fan You had already informed Du Guan that the new salary would be 30% higher than the old one. This was just the standard for the early stages of the business; as Tianyue developed further, there would be further salary increases.

Everyone had no hope for this pie.

Before the seasonal disruptions and natural disasters, the county government rarely paid salaries on time; it usually delayed by a month or two, or paid less each time, making up the difference when tax revenue came in. Now that the seasonal disruptions are affecting the entire year's harvest, how can they still give a raise?

Adding just one unit increases the price by 30%?

Du Guan felt that Zhang Yang would not approve it, but she couldn't speak up to persuade him, lest she become the bad guy and incur the resentment and hatred of her colleagues.

Just as she was struggling with this dilemma, Zhang Yang looked up.

"Uncle Yan, what level is this salary?"

Fan You gave her examples to help her easily make the transition.

Zhang Yang said, "This is too low. Low salaries may not necessarily produce honest officials; on the contrary, they may make people even more greedy. No matter how dedicated an official is to public service, he is still a human being and has to support his family. If the older children are starving and the younger ones are crying for food, wouldn't it break the hearts of children, spouses, and parents? They might then sacrifice public interests for the benefit of their own families."

Du Guan was stunned.

She silently extinguished the idea that Zhang Yang was being used as a puppet.

This magistrate is as clear-headed as a mirror.

Fan You said, "Too high a reward is also not good, as it will easily inflate people's appetites. Tianyue County is, after all, a small border town. No matter how well it develops, there is a limit. If the county officials and their subordinates are given too good treatment all at once, there will be no room for further increases in the future, and it will also be a burden on the people's livelihood."

He tried his best to persuade Zhang Yang in vernacular Chinese that he could understand.

Fan You knew she was rich and would casually throw gold bricks at people's heads, but too much money is worthless. As the prefect, she couldn't be so willful; she needed to learn to consider the bigger picture and think about the greater good.

Zhang Yang was someone who listened to advice.

He sheepishly abandoned the idea of ​​a raise: "Fine, I guess."

She transformed into a ruthless stamping robot, stamping all the things that had piled up over the past few days with the prefect's seal with a few clangs.

Fan You acted so quickly because he planned to have the salaries of his subordinates paid in the new currency. With official endorsement, the new currency would gain more public trust during its promotion and issuance.

Zhang Yang also saw the first batch of qualified new coins.

The coins were brightly colored, with even and clear serrations. Each coin was uniform in size, thickness, and weight, slightly larger than the copper coins on the market, and harder than the ones Zhang Yang had flattened. Zhang Yang put the coins into his purse and shook them; the metallic clanging sound was pleasant and clear.

Upon closer listening, a lingering resonance could be heard.

Zhang Yang said with satisfaction, "Not bad. Have you chosen a name?"

Currency must also have an official name.

Fan You asked, "Name?"

Do you even need to name it? Aren't they usually just named after the year on the coin? A coin with the year XX is called an XX coin.

Zhang Yang held the coins in front of him and pondered for a while.

A brilliant idea struck her: "Of all things under heaven, the common people come first. Let's call it Yuanyuan Coin."

Du Guan clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Wonderful!"

This magistrate's double entendre is brilliant.

The concept of "Yuanyuan" (元元) originally referred to the common people, and the Prefectural Governor also said, "Of all things under heaven, the common people come first," implying a benevolent ruler's belief that the people are the foundation of the state. The new coin is inscribed with "Great is the Qian Yuan" (大哉乾元), referring to the origin of all things. Doesn't this mean that the common people are the foundation of the nation?

If the common people knew this, they would surely be grateful to the Prefect.

Zhang Yang stared blankly at Du Guan, wondering why she had suddenly laughed, and why her laughter was so refreshing.

However, it's clear that Du Guan really likes this name.

"Does Yuan Yi also think 'Yuan Yuan Bi' sounds good?"

"Pleasant to the ear, the sound of a prosperous age."

Zhang Yang: "..."

Du Guan has a somewhat serious appearance, but she speaks very pleasantly. In just a short while, not only has the name above her head turned a stable green, but the system logs have also been flooding the screen like crazy. At first, there were more than ten messages saying "Du Guan's favorability towards you has increased by one," then it became "Du Guan's favorability towards you has increased by five," and the latest message is "Du Guan's favorability towards you has increased by ten."

Zhang Yang glanced at it, and wow—

Du Guan's favorability towards her was second only to Shi Xu's.

Zhang Yang saved Shi Xu's life, so it's normal for Shi Xu to have a very high level of favorability towards him. But for Du Guan, whom they just met, to have such a high level of favorability makes Fan You and Guan Zong seem rather ungrateful. Tsk tsk, Puyang Kui, Xu Jin, and Du Fang all have higher favorability ratings than these two!

Zhang Yang remained silent for a moment, lost in thought. A smile forced onto her expressionless face as she took Du Guan's hand and gently stroked the back of it. As Fan You hesitated, she said solemnly, "For me, having Yuan Yi is like a fish having water."

Du Guan was flattered and overwhelmed by the favor.

I don't know how I got such high-level treatment.

Just as she was about to utter a humble remark, Fan You pushed his wheelchair past them, saying, "Ha, you fish aren't afraid of drowning, are you?"

Just how many people have I said this to?!

Wholesale?

Du Guan had never seen such a scene before.

Fan You's displeasure was obvious to even a blind man, and the source was her and the Prefect. Just as she was about to step forward to explain to Fan You, Zhang Yang grabbed her hand, and when she turned her head, she saw the Prefect's stern face: "Never heard of a fish drowning."

So, it's okay if there's a lot of water.

Fan You understood the subtext, and his face darkened even more.

Zhang Yang sighed: "It's not easy to find subordinates with stable emotions."

She thought Fan You was a high-class beauty, but she didn't expect him to be so volatile and prone to giving her, his boss, the cold shoulder every now and then.

Du Guan: "..."

Fan You: "..."

His green name above his head instantly switched to yellow.

Zhang Yang: "..."

If you're so capable, try switching to a red name!

What's the point of switching to yellow name to protest?

"Has my lord forgotten something?"

Guan Zong's weak voice came from outside the door.

He had truly suffered terribly that day. His physical injuries had only healed superficially, and his internal wounds were far from fully recovered. Zhang Yang showed no consideration for his injuries, carrying him and Zhang Dami on his back as they ran. The bumpy ride aside, the constant shifting between him and Zhang Dami made Guan Zong feel like his internal organs were about to explode. When Zhang Yang finally dropped him off at the government office, he vomited violently the moment his feet touched the ground, feeling as if he were about to throw up his very soul.

This is all thanks to Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang didn't waste his brain thinking. He pulled out his notebook, glanced at it, then took out a whip and lashed it out. In a few quick movements, he wrapped it around the back of Fan You's wheelchair and pulled him back with a little force: "Uncle Yan, don't rush off yet. We still have things to discuss."

Fan You: "...Speak!"

Zhang Yang obediently began to recount the story: "...When I arrived, he was almost finely chopped into mincemeat by his own younger brother. His brother, Guan Si, is the same Guan Si from last time. If we capture him, we can legitimately use the hidden trade route in the Dongfan Mountains. By taking this route, we can avoid the exploitation of the other three trade routes and avoid paying any checkpoint fees."

Fan You was surprised and turned to Guan Zong for confirmation.

He guessed that the Eastern Bandits had other ways to make money, but he only guessed that the Eastern Bandits were in cahoots with the owners behind the three trade routes and were exchanging benefits with each other. He never expected that the Eastern Bandits were so successful that they opened their own trade routes and secretly enjoyed so many good things for so many years.

Fan You: "Has Yuan Yi heard about this?"

Du Guan shook his head: "I have been in Tianyue for many years and have never heard of such a thing."

However, regardless of whether they had heard of it or not, neither of them doubted the veracity of Guan Zong's words, because the clues he provided made the previous inconsistencies seem reasonable, greatly increasing the credibility of the information.

"It would be best if we could resolve this peacefully. Shuyan, you should prepare for negotiations first. If the soft approach doesn't work, then we'll have to take a tougher stance."

Fan Youli politely accepted: "Only... the main course?"

"It's red bean paste!"

"He's the one!"

Zhang Yang's discontent had been building for a long time. She had paid an exorbitant price for the land deed, but she hadn't gotten to play at all; the NPCs were enjoying all the benefits. A bunch of NPCs lived on her land, swaggering around and not paying her rent. If they behaved, she wouldn't mind having another tenant; if they disobeyed, she'd physically eliminate them!

She doesn't even tolerate players, so why would she tolerate NPCs?

Fan You cupped his hands in greeting: "Yes."

Guan Zong's expression was much more complex.

On one hand, he thought that Guan Si still had some value and was more useful alive than dead. On the other hand, he thought that if Zhang Yang fought Guan Si to a draw, he could completely get rid of Guan Si's threat.

Sigh, it's truly a difficult choice.

Zhang Yang raised the salaries of both permanent and temporary workers, and the prefect's seal was affixed, so the news no longer needed to be concealed. Du Guan shared this good news with his colleagues, and the faces of the officials and subordinates lit up with joy, only to be replaced by worry in an instant. The chief clerk stroked his beard and said, "The prefect's salary increase is indeed a good thing, but the prefectural government spends money everywhere; I'm afraid it will be difficult to implement."

Only after getting involved did we realize how many laborers Zhang Yang had conscripted and how much money he had invested. The laborers' pay wasn't low; a year of honest work could earn them the equivalent of three years of good harvest for an ordinary farmer, and that was before the formal and miscellaneous taxes.

The laborers received their wages without paying taxes; they received exactly what they were paid, so they were naturally very enthusiastic about their work.

One laborer isn't much, but there are so many laborers in the city.

With this expenditure, plus the disaster relief funds, how long could Zhang Yang, no matter how wealthy, continue his extravagant spending if he only spent and didn't earn anything? For the first few months, the officers' salaries were paid on time and in full, but what about after that? The registrar was also worried.

We still need to restore people's livelihoods as soon as possible.

Du Guan's expression was indescribable: "This, don't worry."

The registrar asked her, "Did the Chancellor see the storeroom?"

Du Guandao: "I've seen it."

My first impression was how wealthy the Eastern Barbarian bandits were, with wooden boxes of all sizes stuffed full of valuables. My second impression was how wealthy the Prefect was; I still remember the shock of Fan You opening the most inconspicuous wooden box, the glittering gold inside!

Her eyes were almost blinded by the light.

Gold bars, completely filled with gold plates.

Each gold plate is as thick as two finger joints and as long as an adult's arm; an ordinary adult cannot hold it in one hand!

These?

[A portion of the lord's savings.]

Officials' salaries generally followed the rank-based system, consisting of a portion of millet and cloth, a portion converted into currency, and the remainder of miscellaneous benefits such as pickles, firewood, and writing utensils. In areas with abundant arable land, officials received additional benefits; for example, assistant officials could be allocated a certain area of ​​arable land, which they could lease to tenants and collect rent.

In other words, even if Zhang Yang did not pay wages in millet or cloth, but only in gold, silver, or copper coins, he would never delay paying wages in the slightest.

"The Lady is very wealthy."

The registrar and others were finally relieved.

After everyone had read it, they all looked at their own salary adjustments.

The junior officers, needless to say, would not go hungry, but the various subordinates, whose families were of different circumstances, still relied heavily on this income. Before long, they noticed an inconspicuous supplement: 30% of their salaries would be distributed as millet and cloth, while the remaining 70% could be converted into new currency.

If the subordinate officials refuse, the full amount of millet and cloth may be distributed.

The proportion of new coins is not mandatory.

Upon seeing this, everyone's expressions changed, and they exchanged knowing glances—good heavens, the harvesting sickle was right here!

This new currency is only recognized by Tianyue County. People choose to use it to settle a portion of their salaries, and this money can only be used within Tianyue. If the new currency's implementation is unsuccessful and its price collapses, the new currency they receive will become worthless. Some people, however, think further ahead, immediately considering ordinary people: "...Isn't this just a disguised form of profiteering?"

He kept his voice very low.

His colleagues, with their sharp ears and keen eyes, heard it clearly.

"Silence!"

Didn't you see that the Chancellor is here too?

"If there are still any doubts, you can collect the millet and cloth." Du Guan did not explain for Zhang Yang, because facts speak louder than words, and no amount of talk could be as convincing as seeing it with one's own eyes.

The clerk spoke for everyone.

"Lord Chancellor, could this action offend the Prefect?"

Du Guan said solemnly, "The Prefect is not a narrow-minded person."

It's impossible to hold a grudge over such a small matter.

However, Zhang Yang's magnanimity did not mean that her junior, Fan You, was also magnanimous. He was the one who initiated the minting of coins, and he himself took it very seriously. If his subordinates did not cooperate, they might be held a grudge against him, so Du Guan subtly reminded them.

Without mentioning anything else, let me just say that the treasury has enough gold and silver.

These new currencies can be exchanged at any time.

The rest is up to these people to figure out for themselves.

Night fell as dark as ink, pressing heavily over the camp.

Suddenly, a hundred or so illusory wolf shadows, resembling condensed black smoke, surged forth from the depths of the night, their footsteps creating a gust of wind, yet leaving no sound on the ground, like ghosts sweeping across the land. Only their pairs of eerie green eyes shone eerily in the darkness, flickering like will-o'-the-wisps.

These black wolves were long and slender, their heads and tails over ten feet tall, and their shoulder height nearly half a foot, making them far more imposing than ordinary mountain wolves. They neither barked nor howled, but lowered their shoulders, baring their sharp claws and fangs. They worked in perfect harmony, simultaneously driving and surrounding their enemies, successfully cornering them. As they drew closer, to the enemy's eyes, it appeared as a black tide forming a net descending upon them, with chilling, eerie green eyes watching them from all directions.

Snapped--

Several lumps of dead flesh passed over the wolf pack and fell at their feet.

They didn't need to look down to know what dead flesh was.

These are the corpses of their comrades who covered their retreat!

Limbs twisted, faces contorted in agony, the brutality of their deaths unknown. Dozens of survivors huddled together, back to back, their nerves taut, their strength utterly depleted. Only the blood-stained weapons in their hands offered them a sliver of security.

At this time-

A series of orderly, heavy footsteps came from outside the wolf pack.

At the same time, there were regular clanging sounds of metal armor.

The menacing pack of black wolves parted like a tide, creating a path wide enough for several people to pass. Whichever wolf passed, it would bow its head respectfully, as if welcoming its king. Guan Si, still clutching a freshly severed head dripping with blood, contemptuously tossed it among them: "Unfortunately, you've missed your chance to escape again."

Guan Si's left and right deputies stood on either side.

The two men looked at the group of wounded soldiers with hatred in their eyes.

Not two days after Guan Si left, a group of accusers arrived at the camp, their words infuriating the intruders. That very night, the camp was attacked. Experienced in night raids, they were initially caught off guard but managed to hold their own against the attackers. Without General Guan Si, they were leaderless and, led by their two deputies, could only kill about a hundred men before retreating into the mountains. Unexpectedly, the situation then reversed.

There's a ruthless one among this group.

Because of this person's joining, several groups of Eastern bandits also took advantage of the situation and sent reinforcements, which resulted in many casualties among the brothers and sisters in the camp.

Left with no other choice, they had to send a message to the general via his pet star beast, the falcon. The general returned, and the tide of battle quickly turned; it was now their turn to hunt down the bandits. The general, in a bad mood, naturally wouldn't let these men die a quick death.

They chased and released, released and chased again.

It's a constant hassle.

Time and again, he gave the invading enemy hope of escape, only to nip that hope in the bud time and again. He made an example of them each time he caught one. At first, these "monkeys" would shout and curse in anger, but now only fear remained. Their fear of Guan Si even surpassed their fear of death; the mere sight of his face made their minds go blank.

They had tried surrendering before, even kneeling down. The man sneered, raising his hand to gently stroke the head of the giant wolf nestled beside him, like a loving father instructing his children: "Go, tear him to pieces."

These wolves were formed from eerie black mist, yet their claws and fangs were incredibly hard. A single swipe of their claws could rip open half a person's chest, tearing out the neatly arranged internal organs, and they could easily tear apart ordinary weapons, cutting through iron like mud. Guan Si was clearly tired of this tedious chase game; the lifeless prey, devoid of any will to resist, held no interest for him, just like dead objects.

The wolves received the order and swarmed forward.

The short, agonizing scream disappeared completely after only a few breaths.

All that remained was a pile of mangled limbs, blood pooling in the ground, dampening the dry earth, and tangled organs crushed into a bloody pulp.

After the killing ended, the wolf pack orderly ceased their movements.

Awaiting instructions from the alpha wolf.

"Let's call it a day."

At his command, the hundred or so wolf shadows all lowered their heads, their bodies transforming into a cold, black mist that converged on Guan Si.

Guan Si raised his eyes and looked in a certain direction. A strange long blade with a hilt almost the same length as the blade appeared in his palm. This blade was two heads taller than Guan Si and was enough to make anyone shudder at first glance.

"Let's go collect the interest."

The Left Deputy asked, "General, don't you want to rest for a day?"

"Resolve this as soon as possible; I still have important matters to attend to."

The human skin was entrusted to Zhang Yang, and he worried every day that it was left unattended.

Upon hearing this, the two men on the left and right dared not provoke any further trouble. When the general returned, his mood was visibly grim; at the time, they thought it was because the camp had been attacked, but now it seemed there was more to the story.

The left deputy clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes, sir!"

"Now, let's settle our scores and avenge our grievances!" Guan Si felt that he hadn't dealt with this useless bastard for too long, so much so that they had forgotten his existence and even dared to join forces with external forces to eliminate him!

hehe--

If they couldn't kill him back then, it's even less likely now.

The Eastern Fan Mountains are destined to be turbulent these next few days.

Zhang Yang was also somewhat saddened.

He frowned as he worked tirelessly on the homework Fan You had assigned him.

She didn't really want to learn, but Fan You would always casually make a sarcastic remark to her, saying things like "A brute can't hold the world in his hands" or "Your endurance is not even as good as a child like Jiu Ge."

Zhang Yang glanced at Shi Xu, whose face was full of eager curiosity, then at the little girl's already well-written characters, and sighed. Although she didn't know the specifics of how to play the game, she was certain it shouldn't be played like this. The game was supposed to be a casual game; judging by the way those students seemed to have forgotten everything they learned as soon as they graduated, they probably weren't good enough to learn even while playing a game.

"Jiuge, this is so boring."

Zhang Dami also yawned in response. Zhang Yang looked at its mouth thoughtfully, and the next second he suddenly reached out and grabbed its tongue. When Zhang Dami closed its mouth, it bit itself and cried out in pain, jumping around on the spot.

Zhang Dami's swishing tail slapped against the mat with a loud crackling sound.

The teacher narrated: "..."

Fan You snapped the writing brush in half with one hand.

If it weren't for the fact that Zhang Yang was the lord and he was the subject, he would have pointed towards the door and told her to go away and cool off somewhere else. In his short twenty-eight years of life, which of the people he had associated with weren't diligent and studious? Even the most mischievous and unruly students at Mingde Academy were extremely devout in their studies, unlike Zhang Yang.

Reluctantly, he suppressed the urge to grind his teeth and gave Zhang Yang a day off. Zhang Yang's studies were haphazard and inconsistent, but Shi Xu couldn't afford to be like that. Besides, he also discovered that while Zhang Yang disliked studying, her memory was quite good; even if she couldn't remember something on the spot, she could recite it perfectly the next day. Shi Xu didn't have her advantages; he couldn't let her lead his good student astray.

Zhang Yang was granted a general amnesty and rode off on Zhang Dami, disappearing without a trace.

You could hear her shouts of "Wuhu!" from a great distance.

Du Guan: "..."

In just a few days, she had enough of shattering her illusions about Zhang Yang's composure and wisdom. She had never seen a lord so competitive with his son over studies. Nevertheless, she dared not truly regard Zhang Yang as a mischievous child.

How could a truly mischievous child be expected to be served by Fan You with a temper?

Fan You was a man who valued his reputation more than his life. Zhang Yang was not to his liking. Even if Zhang Yang had a drop of his blood on him, he would choose to die rather than live as a broken jade than a whole tile, instead of cursing him in his heart while still obediently doing his work.

She said, "This way of balancing work and rest will achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Fan You's face remained expressionless, but his eyes spoke volumes—

"Try lying through your teeth again!"

Du Guan was about to suppress a laugh when, for some unknown reason, she suddenly stopped smiling and reverted to her usual indifferent demeanor. Fan You said, "You don't need to be so restrained; you can relax a little."

Du Guan: "Hmm?"

Fan You: "At least, that's true here."

He discovered that Zhang Yang's suppression of Lie Xing Jiang Li was not limited to her Yuan Cong. Ordinary people parasitized by ghosts could also benefit from getting close to her, but the effect was not as obvious, and the distance restrictions were greater.

Although Du Guan did not hand over her essence blood, she was nominally Zhang Yang's subordinate, so the ghost inside her would naturally behave itself.

In Weiyin County, from high-ranking officials to commoners, almost everyone knew Zhang Yang's pet beast. Those who trembled at the sight of large, dangerous creatures felt only warmth and familiarity upon seeing Zhang Dami. Zhang Dami was also frequently seen with Zhang Yang; wherever Zhang Dami was, their beloved magistrate would surely be riding on its back!

Today is no exception.

Zhang Yang inspected the construction site as usual.

Bored, I assigned Zhang Dami to help carry some timber and stone.

Surprisingly, there were hardly any people around at the construction site.

Where did they go?

The county official in charge of the construction project bowed and said, "Your Excellency, today is the half-monthly payday. The laborers have all gone to collect their wages and should be back in about half a day to continue working."

Zhang Yang opened her notebook and found her travel itinerary.

On this page of the hand-drawn calendar, Zhang Yang marked today with the words "Laborers' Wages Payed." Previously, to alleviate the laborers' hardship, they were allowed to be paid daily. Now that most families have recovered, wages have been changed to be paid every two weeks. On payday, they also get half a day off with pay, which is considered a benefit.

Today also marks the first time that the new currency has reached ordinary people.

There are multiple locations for receiving wages.

The laborers can pick up their work at the nearest available location.

Bamboo slips listing the working hours and wages had been distributed to each conscripted laborer a day in advance. When Zhang Yang arrived, the queue had already formed five lines. The county clerk checked the bamboo slips in the laborers' hands while recording the information on them in the account book, such as the laborer's name, gender, age, working hours, and settled wages. After confirming that everything was correct, he pressed his fingerprint on the slip.

Then came receiving my salary.

Because they were informed in advance that their wages could be paid in Singapore dollars, the laborers were aware of this and could decide how to receive their pay beforehand. Surprisingly, only a small number of people cautiously chose to pay in old currency millet; most chose to pay part in Singapore dollars and part in old currency millet, just in different proportions.

A very small minority of them used only the new currency.

These new currencies can be used in various shops throughout Weiyin County. Merchants can exchange them for silver, gold, or equivalent goods at low purchase prices. If local bullies were still in power, these merchants would naturally refuse; their profits were already meager after layers of exploitation, and if the new currency collapsed, they would be doomed!

However, Zhang Yang ordered the breaking of the commercial monopoly, exempting them from part of the rent and providing several months of tax-free subsidies. Countless merchants flocked to the area, and the local markets visibly regained their bustling activity. With a large number of laborers working in Weiyin County, these merchants made a fortune. Now, no one wanted to offend this goddess of wealth.

Even if we take a step back and say that the people will not fight against the officials.

When the prefectural government issues an order, how dare they disobey?

Not only did they agree, they wished they could agree even faster!

They had more information channels than the laborers. When the government issued decrees and summoned them for talks, they already knew the exchange rate between the new currency and gold and silver—there was money to be made! Moreover, the wholesale prices of the goods were even more enticing. Many merchants who went out to purchase goods not only incurred labor and time costs, but also bore the risk of being robbed by bandits and paying tolls at checkpoints.

Now that these costs can be eliminated, they can get goods at cost price, resulting in huge hidden profits from the back-and-forth!

If you don't make a profit before others realize it, are you going to share it with them? There are too many monks and not enough porridge! Every bowl you drink is one less bowl available!

Some vendors even use old currency to buy new currency at a premium.

Zhang Yang couldn't worry about these things for the time being.

She looked at the neat and orderly line with satisfaction, and was also pleased that these "children" had finally gained a little weight, and those who hadn't gained weight had a healthier complexion. She then hid in the shadows, watching the clerks and others for any hints of exploiting the laborers, ready to make her move at any moment!

"No, sigh—"

Zhang Yang was a little disappointed.

Based on her observations of game developers, there are usually tasks involving wage deductions and oppression of laborers. These tasks are arranged to involve players, allowing them to teach the government's lackeys a lesson and punish evil while promoting good, on behalf of the suffering laborers.

Zhang Yang had already come up with the titles for them.

For example, there are "corrupt clerks" and "corrupt clerks who accept bribes". Next to the procession, there are "tyrannical county yamen runners" and "evil henchmen" who occasionally whip the laborers in line. Inside the procession, there are also weak and pitiful women with children. The children are crying and the women are kneeling and begging for mercy.

Given the game developers' penchant for abstraction, this mother and child might actually be a crying, rolling-on-the-wall woman and a kneeling, begging child for mercy.

Anyway-

There will always be those who are stereotyped as weak.

Zhang Yang squatted on the roof of the neighboring house for more than half an hour.

This caused hardship for several clerks.

"...Why does my neck feel so cold?"

"Oh, you feel that way too?"

"Yes, a chilling wind seemed to have come from nowhere."

??|??w?`)

Based on this increase, during the double monthly ticket period, there should be three chapters with 10,000-word updates per monthly ticket...

My head hurts, and my butt feels like it's going to die from sitting all day.