Zhu Yuanzhang swung his arms and said, "Then let's play for a day."
Finally, Li Shimin had his servants hitch up a carriage and head out into the street. Liu Bang, seemingly out of nowhere, pulled out a mahjong set and slammed it onto the table, saying, "Come on, let's play a few rounds, my hands are itching to play."
Then the emperors started a mahjong tournament. That evening, Li Shimin returned, had a simple meal, and replaced Zhao Kuangyin. They played until dawn. Their accounts were recorded on bamboo slips, and in the end, Liu Bang lost the most, losing several thousand coins…
After Liu Laoliu informed me that the military road had been opened, several emperors left the mahjong table with red eyes. Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Then let's do it this way. We just need to make up the extra amount to send them away and then we'll leave it to them. Give each of them some money and let them go wherever they want."
Zhao Kuangyin said, "It would be best to keep track of the number of foreign guests at the military pass. As the emperor, we would have a clear idea of how many guests are coming, which would make it easier to coordinate and arrange things. If there are any mobilizations, we can contact each other through internal channels."
Li Shimin said, "Yes, I think we should implement a temporary visa system. There should be a limit to how many people can come. If the number exceeds this limit, we can only refuse visas or transfer them to other countries. While attracting foreign investment, we must also act within our means."
Because this military road system is so vast, it's impossible to set passwords. The only solution is to heavily guard the entrances. Now that the military road is open for the first time, the emperors can take care of this matter after they return.
I quickly said, "If I go, none of you can refuse me a visa, right? Otherwise, I'll really have to collect the naming fee!" I also wanted to take this opportunity to visit several countries.
Li Shimin laughed and said, "Of course. When you go to my place, whatever expenses you incur, just sign a form, and our government will reimburse you." As he spoke, he took out his imperial seal and asked me, "Where do you want it stamped?"
I led him into the car and had him place the seal on the windshield. Li Shimin breathed on it a few times and pressed the jade seal against my car window, saying, "With this seal, you can move freely in my Great Tang Dynasty."
I nodded, "Yes, that's like having a green card from the Tang Dynasty." I looked at the others and said, "What about the Emperors? Should I go find some radishes for you?"
Genghis Khan said, "No need. Who doesn't recognize your carriage?"
I nodded and said, "That's true."
Zhao Kuangyin said, "Let's go, let's go—Brother Ying, find me a horse."
Liu Bang said, "Don't move, why ride horses? I'll send carriages to take you." Liu Bang had his servants prepare several carriages and ordered them to be taken to their destination, the Qin Dynasty's military pass, which was east of Xianyang. Soon the carriages were ready, and Jin Wuzhu and the emperors boarded. Liu Bang called out, "Brothers, have a safe journey. Don't forget to tip this time." He rubbed his hands together and said, "Oh, Brother Ying, you should thank me; this is our first foreign exchange payment."
Qin Shi Huang said disdainfully, "A few pennies make you so happy."
Xiang Yu said, "That's right, didn't you say how much money you helped Brother Ying lose in one night? Aren't you someone who doesn't lose much when playing this game?"
Liu Bang waved his hand dismissively and said, "What do you know? Sometimes losing money at the card table is a form of diplomacy—do you think they can beat me? I'm just trying to use this opportunity to sweeten their mouths so they'll be more lenient with our economic policies towards the Han Dynasty in the future."
Hua Mulan chuckled and said, "We're all emperors, why are you trying to be clever with people like this?"
Liu Bang pointed at Hua Mulan and said, "By the way, you should hurry up and leave too. No matter what method you use, explain things to your emperor. Remember, make him give us Han Dynasty preferential treatment, and make sure that the Northern Wei currency doesn't depreciate when exchanging it for Han currency."
I asked in surprise, "Isn't devaluation a good thing?"
Liu Bang said, "Are you stupid? Before, my money was equal to yours, but now it's two. Would you still be willing to spend that extra penny at my place?"
I sighed, "Oh dear, that's so clear. No wonder everything depreciates during a financial crisis."
Liu Bang said smugly, "Economics is really just a trick. If you make all the economics students become carpenters, it won't have any impact on the country's economy. Try it if you don't believe me."
Where can I try?
Mulan mounted a horse and said, "I really have to go now. See you in a few days."
Liu Bang said, "Mulan is one of us, so I won't charge you for the horse." Mulan glared at him and rode away.
Liu Bang paced back and forth in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, and suddenly said to Qin Shi Huang, "Brother Ying, I have a great project to make money. I originally wanted to do it alone, but seeing how nervous you are, let's partner up. Will you work with me?" After the emperors left, he seemed to be in a state of high excitement.
Fatty Ying asked, "What project?"
Liu Bang picked up a stick and drew a long horizontal line on the ground, saying, "Look, this is the military road that runs through all our countries. For example, from the Ming Dynasty to your Qin Dynasty, it would take at least several days to walk there, right? Let's do this: we can partner up and start a taxi and horse-drawn carriage business. Our people won't go anywhere else; they'll just lurk along the military road and pick up passengers, just like airlines do. I want to make sure that the foreign exchange held by those countries is earned by us as soon as it leaves their borders. If this really works, your Great Wall and my famine will be no big deal. It's like using other people's money to solve our own crisis without incurring any favors."
The fat man questioned, "So, everyone else is wearing leather shoes? Can't they ride horses themselves?"
Liu Bang said, "This brings up a cost issue. When traveling long distances, horses are more expensive than people. For example, when we're at Xiaoqiang's place, would you rather take a taxi from Yucai to the pawnshop, or buy a car for this trip?"
Xiang Yu watched for a while and then laughed, "This is interesting. I think this business is worthwhile."
Liu Bang tossed aside the stick, unable to contain his excitement, and said, "Enough said, Brother Ying, if you want to do this, prepare the carriages and horses. I also need to go back to the country to prepare." As he spoke, he climbed into a carriage and said to the driver, "Hurry up, to Xianyang Airport."
The driver asked in confusion, "Airport?"
Liu Bang said, "Oh, east of Xianyang—but young man, remember this, it will soon be called Xianyang Airport."
Liu Bang sat in the carriage, waving to us repeatedly: "Go back now. Next time we meet, I will be the chairman of an international airline."
We looked at him with smiles and shouted in unison, "Don't forget to tip!"
Chapter 194 *The Great Tang Era Weekly*
The emperors discussed and formulated the Yucai Currency Forest System at Xiao Mansion, and immediately began implementation upon their return. Just two days later, the first group of 2,000 people from the Ming Dynasty set off on the military route. They were almost entirely soldiers who had participated in the previous allied forces. Although they had experience, this was a private matter. The Ming government gave each of them a small sum of money and sent them on their way. These people did not know where they were going, nor what the situation was like. With trepidation, they entered the military route, only to find it already packed with people. Upon seeing them, they surrounded them and asked, "Brother, where are you going? Give me a ride."
The following are the most common forms and contents of their conversations.
A Ming Dynasty person asked, "Where is my brother's carriage going?"
A Han Dynasty person said, "Wherever you want to go, I'll take you there."
A Ming Dynasty person said, "I haven't decided where I should go either."
Han Dynasty man: "Let me introduce you to the stations along the way. If you have a lot of money, go to the Mongolian grasslands for tourism. If you don't have much money, I suggest you go to the Qin Dynasty first. I guarantee you'll have a job as soon as you get off the train. The work is a bit tiring, but the pay is high."
A Ming Dynasty person asked: "What about the Han Dynasty?"
A Han Dynasty person said, "Don't go to the Han Dynasty now, there's a famine, and visas are hard to get."
A Ming Dynasty person asked, "Is your elder brother from the Han Dynasty?"
Han Dynasty man: "Yes (pointing to the coachmen behind him), almost all of us in this line of work are from the Han Dynasty."