Chapter 211:
At the royal court of Ming, the air was tense. Just imagining the possible consequences made everyone’s eyelids twitch and their scalps tingle. Several gasped.
If the news turned out to be true, wouldn’t the Ming beco a laughingstock? Worse yet, the price of silver would collapse. And when that happened, they would be the ones left crying.
All eyes turned to Zhu Yuanzhang. He took a deep breath. Now was not the ti to panic. If he showed weakness now, the consequences could be catastrophic. His brow furrowed as he spoke in a low, steady tone.
“They cannot possibly have a silver mine. A mine producing such a volu would never have been discovered by sheer luck. I don’t believe they’re that fortunate. And it’s only half a month away, isn’t it? We’ll wait and see…”
He narrowed his eyes.
“Even if he managed to get his hands on a large amount of silver to fool us, does he have a constant supply of mining ships? Who’s to say this ti he hasn’t just borrowed so ore from sowhere else to bluff?”
His calm and analytical words eased the anxious minds in the room. Under Zhu Yuanzhang’s reassurance, the court settled back into cautious quiet.
The only reason they had been so rattled was because of Yang Yi’s formidable reputation.
Without it, they wouldn’t have been so easily intimidated. Zhu Yuanzhang’s reasoning made sense—this could very well be one of Yang Yi’s elaborate tricks.
Perhaps this entire shipnt of silver mining vessels was a fabrication, just another smokescreen to fool the world.
…
anwhile, in the grand halls of Weiyang Palace in the Han Dynasty, Emperor Liu Che’s expression was dark as storm clouds gathered across his sharp gaze.
“What kind of confidence does Yang Yi have?” he murmured coldly. “Does he not understand that one lie demands a thousand more to keep it afloat?
“And he still dares to publicly declare the return of silver mining ships? Does he intend to trample Great Zhou’s face beneath his feet?”
Zhufu Yan, Sang Hongyang, and the others exchanged uncertain glances. None of them could confidently grasp Yang Yi’s true intentions. What exactly was this move?
Originally, this was just a matter of damaged credibility for the Great Zhou Daily. But now, with this sudden announcent, Yang Yi had thrown the entire Great Zhou into the spotlight. If the silver ships failed to appear, it wouldn’t be the paper’s reputation on the line—it would be the dignity of the entire dynasty.
…
In Taiji Palace of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Li Shimin sat silently for a long mont before rubbing his brow. A chill traced the angular lines of his face.
“I truly didn’t expect Yang Yi to dare use this tactic,” he muttered. “To publicly announce the return date of the silver mining ships and make it seem completely real.”
He scoffed lightly.
“You have to admit, this move might frighten quite a few people.”
Standing beside him, Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and the others all nodded in agreent. Changsun Wuji sneered.
“If he insists on walking into his own doom, then we’ll simply watch. Once his lie collapses, let’s see how the Great Zhou Daily maintains any credibility.
“This ti, not only will we bring down their precious silver notes—we’ll watch them capsize their propaganda machine as well. It couldn’t be more perfect.”
A murmur of anticipation rippled through the room. Li Shimin stroked his beard and said calmly, “Let my Tang Dynasty add a little more fuel to the fire. Let’s see what dicine Yang Yi’s gourd is really selling.”
…
In Zhangtai Palace of the Qin Dynasty, Ying Zheng sat rigid in his throne, fingers massaging his temple. A rare expression of surprise flickered across his otherwise cold, steely face.
“It’s getting more and more complicated,” he said. He hadn’t anticipated such a bold counterstroke from Yang Yi.
By doing this, Yang Yi had drawn all of Great Zhou into a treacherous whirlpool. If the silver mining ships turned out to be fake, Great Zhou’s reputation would crash to rock bottom.
Or perhaps… Yang Yi truly had a way to turn fiction into fact?
General ng Yi spoke up, unable to suppress his doubts.
“The Han, Tang, and Ming are all waiting for Yang Yi’s move. Now that he’s publicly announced the silver fleet’s return date, they’re bound to pounce the mont anything looks suspicious.
“No matter what tricks he has up his sleeve, if that silver is fake, the three dynasties will find a way to tear him down.”
The others nodded grimly. Pri Minister Li Si scowled and scoffed.
“It seems the man has gone mad—to spin such an outrageous lie. A single lie needs countless more to prop it up, especially now, when all eyes are watching him. I want to see how he intends to escape this net.”
Great Zhou’s aggressive retaliation had ignited the fla even higher. The people of every nation buzzed with speculation. Though most doubted the claim, there were still many who believed that Great Zhou wouldn’t risk its na on a falsehood. Regardless of the truth, one fact remained—they had successfully seized the attention of all under heaven.
…
Half a month later, in Luoyang, the capital of Great Zhou, the harbor was overrun. The military had mobilized in full force to maintain order. Crowds sward the port—ten, twenty tis the usual flow of people, now forming a human tide that packed every street and alleyway.
rchants passing through had stopped to join the commotion. Others had traveled across borders just to witness the mont firsthand. The Great Zhou’s silver mining ships had been hyped beyond belief—known across nations, debated in every tea house and inn.
If sothing went wrong today, it would be a spectacle unlike any other.
From the harbor wall, one could see an ocean of people stretching into the horizon, dense as a swarm of ants. The Zhou soldiers standing guard swallowed nervously, sweat beading beneath their helts.
They pushed back the swelling crowd to prevent any accidents.
“Wow, so many people ca just to see those silver ships.”
“Can you bla them? All of Great Zhou’s been ablaze with this news.”
“Well, we’ll find out today if it’s real or not.”
“Hmph. I bet they just hauled in silver from sowhere else to cover their lie.”
“Could be. That’s what the Ming Daily suggested.”
“Yeah. With this many people here, if it’s all fake, no one will trust the Great Zhou Daily again…”
“Hey, who touched my butt?”
As countless people waited eagerly, the atmosphere hung heavy with tension. Then, in the distance, massive ships began to appear, inching forward across the horizon.
“Look! The silver mining ships are coming!” soone shouted hoarsely.
The crowd, which had just begun to settle, erupted like water thrown into a boiling pot.
All eyes turned to the approaching vessels. Anticipation. Excitent. Exhilaration. Skepticism. Contempt.
Their expressions varied, but one thing was certain—at that mont, no one could look away from those silver mining ships.
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