The Second World in Ancient Times

Early in the morning, Jinshu hurried into the harem with a hint of worry on her face.

"Your Majesty, something bad has happened. The Minister of Revenue has requested a meeting, saying that he has an extremely urgent matter to report to Your Majesty and Your Majesty." Jinshu said.

My heart tightened, and I quickly said, "Please ask the master to come in."

The Minister of Revenue entered, bowed, and then spoke anxiously, "Your Majesty, the current domestic economic situation is worrying. The war has left vast tracts of farmland abandoned, many civilians displaced, and commerce stagnant. Tax revenues have plummeted, and the court urgently needs massive funding for post-war reconstruction efforts, such as repairing cities, rebuilding roads and bridges, and providing relief to disaster victims. The fiscal deficit is truly enormous."

I frowned and said, "My lord, do not panic. I anticipated the devastating impact of war on the economy. In my opinion, we should start by increasing revenue and reducing expenditure. Regarding this, the entire court must cut unnecessary expenses, and I will lead by example in the harem, reducing all expenses. This is like modern austerity measures, concentrating resources on critical areas."

His Majesty nodded. "My beloved concubine is quite right. My expenses for food, clothing, and other things can all be reduced. If there is any surplus for the palace servants, their salaries can also be appropriately reduced. They will be repaid after the national economy recovers."

I continued, "Increasing revenue is even more crucial. We can encourage business development, lower commercial taxes, and attract merchants from all over to do business. Just like modern investment promotion, we can offer preferential policies to boost economic vitality. For example, we can grant tax exemptions to merchants engaged in livelihood-related businesses, such as grain, cloth, and medicinal herbs, allowing them to resume operations as quickly as possible and stabilize market prices."

The Minister of Revenue thought for a moment and said, "Although your Majesty's plan is good, the current domestic business environment is in chaos. Many merchants suffered heavy losses in the war and are still hesitant to invest."

I said, "This requires the court to provide guarantees and establish some kind of commercial credit system. Just like the modern banking credit system, merchants should be given a certain credit line to ensure their capital turnover. At the same time, some official commercial activities should be organized, such as large-scale fairs and auctions, to stimulate consumption and promote capital circulation."

While the discussion was going on, the Foreign Minister also came to ask for a meeting.

After bowing, the Foreign Minister said solemnly, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, news has arrived from neighboring countries: some are wary of our dynasty's post-war recovery. Several neighboring nations are secretly colluding and appear to be plotting to harass our borders, restrict our foreign trade routes, and hinder our development."

His Majesty said angrily, "I have just put down the civil unrest, and these countries are trying to take advantage of the situation. This is really too much."

I quickly said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. While this matter is thorny, it's not without solutions. Diplomatically, we can send envoys to other friendly nations to expose their conspiracies and seek support from allies. This would be like a modern international diplomatic alliance, uniting other nations to jointly respond to threats."

The Foreign Minister said, "Your Majesty, although our dynasty's prestige among neighboring countries has increased due to our victory, those countries are still waiting and watching, and may not easily ally with our dynasty."

I said, "Then we will offer benefits. For example, we can offer greater trade concessions and jointly develop some border resources. At the same time, militarily, we must strengthen border defenses. We can draw on modern border defense construction concepts and establish a multi-layered defense system, such as watchtowers, beacon towers, and sturdy checkpoints, and deploy sufficient troops and advanced weaponry."

His Majesty said, "My beloved concubine, regarding this matter of military defense, we still need to discuss it with the Ministry of War and formulate a detailed plan."

I nodded in agreement, then said to Jinshu, "Jinshu, go and get the Minister of War."

After the Minister of War arrived, I said, "Your Excellency, the border situation is tense right now, and our dynasty needs to strengthen its military defenses. I've heard of a modern military defense strategy that disperses troops across multiple strongholds, creating a coordinated response, while also deploying highly mobile units ready to support any location at any time. Your Excellency could consider this concept and formulate a defense strategy based on our dynasty's border terrain."

The Minister of War said, "Your Majesty, this concept is quite novel. I will certainly study it carefully. However, it will require the deployment of a large amount of troops and supplies. I hope Your Majesty and Your Majesty will support it."

His Majesty said, "As long as it is for the security of the country, I will fully support it. The Ministry of Revenue must give priority to ensuring the necessary supplies."

The Minister of Revenue replied, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will do my best to raise funds."

After dealing with these state affairs, I returned to the harem, only to find that things were not peaceful. Several concubines came to ask for an audience.

One of the concubines said, "Your Majesty, the country is now facing a new crisis. We, your humble servants, have heard that Your Majesty and Your Majesty are worried, and we are deeply troubled. Although we cannot offer advice like Your Majesty, we also want to do our part for the country."

I looked at them and said, "It's wonderful that you sisters have this kind thought. Now, even within the harem, we need to economize. Your monthly allowances and rewards can be reduced. Everyone should understand the difficulties facing the country."

The concubines nodded one after another: "Your Majesty, we understand."

I added, "Furthermore, we could organize some handicrafts in the harem, such as embroidery and weaving, and sell the resulting items. The proceeds would also contribute to the national treasury. This would be like a modern cottage industry—although on a small scale, small amounts add up to a lot."

The concubines said, "Your Majesty, we will do our best."

However, within a few days, new troubles arose. Intelligence agencies reported that some unscrupulous merchants in China were attempting to hoard goods, drive up prices, and disrupt market order. Worse still, some were colluding with foreign forces to leak our country's commercial secrets and military deployment information.

When I learned about it, I immediately summoned relevant ministers to discuss it.

I said, "My Lords, the current domestic commercial and intelligence security issues are serious. Those who hoard goods and profiteer must be severely punished. We can enact price control regulations to set maximum prices for goods. Violators can have their goods confiscated and be heavily fined. This is like a modern market supervision system, maintaining fair competition in the market."

A minister said, "Your Majesty, the forces behind these merchants are complex and intricate, and some are even connected to officials in the court."

My eyes turned cold. "No matter who is involved, as long as they violate the law, there will be no leniency. Those who collude with foreign forces and leak secrets are guilty of treason and should be punished with death. At the same time, we must strengthen the construction of intelligence agencies and improve the quality and capabilities of intelligence personnel to prevent similar incidents from happening again. Intelligence personnel can be provided with professional training, such as training in modern knowledge such as cryptography and criminal investigation, so that they can better complete their tasks."

Throughout this series of responses, I drew on my modern thinking, knowledge, and experience, traveling back and forth between the imperial court and the imperial court, navigating various forces. Whether it was economic hardship, diplomatic crises, military defense, harem management, or domestic security, I diligently sought solutions. Despite the constant onslaught of new challenges, I remained steadfast in my resolve to safeguard this hard-earned peace and the hope of national rejuvenation, never allowing the country to once again fall into chaos and decline.

While cracking down on illegal traders and strengthening intelligence agencies, I also considered the restoration and development of agriculture. I told the Minister of Revenue, "Your Excellency, agriculture is the foundation of our nation. To quickly restore farmland production, we can send agricultural experts to various regions to provide guidance to farmers. These experts can impart modern agricultural knowledge, such as proper fertilization, scientific irrigation, and soil improvement. This would be like modern agricultural technology extension services, boosting agricultural yields."

The Minister of Revenue said, "Your Majesty, where did this agricultural expert come from? Although our traditional farmers have experience, they may not be familiar with this modern agricultural knowledge."

I said, "We can find some people among the people who have unique insights into farming and are good at innovation. Combined with the agricultural knowledge I have, we can train them and cultivate them into agricultural experts for our dynasty. At the same time, the court can establish an agricultural reward system to reward farmers with high grain yields, encouraging more farmers to actively cultivate."

In the harem, I continued to organize the concubines to engage in handicrafts. I told them, "Sisters, our handicrafts must not only be beautiful but also practical. We can create items such as handkerchiefs, sachets, and clothing based on market demand. Furthermore, we can create a brand for our harem handicrafts to increase their visibility and value. This is like a modern brand marketing strategy, making our products more competitive."

The concubines all expressed their curiosity and amusement at what I said: "Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this brand marketing?"

I explained, "We want to give our products a unique identity and reputation, so that as soon as people hear the name, they'll know they're high-quality items meticulously crafted by our harem. We can use promotional methods like displaying them at markets and inviting scholars to write poems and paint pictures to let more people know about them."

As the country faces new challenges, I've also focused on the importance of education in crisis management. I told the Minister of Education, "Your Excellency, the national situation today is dire, and we must not slack off on education. We must cultivate more talented and knowledgeable individuals to meet future challenges. We can add courses on national affairs, diplomatic strategies, and military knowledge to our schools. This will allow students to understand national affairs from a young age and cultivate their patriotism and sense of crisis. This, like modern quality-oriented education, will comprehensively enhance students' overall quality."

The Minister of Education said, "Your Majesty, this is a long-term plan. However, developing the curriculum and recruiting qualified teachers will take time and effort."

I said, "Your Excellency can call upon scholars and experienced officials from across the country to jointly compile textbooks. As for teaching staff, you can select some talented young people for training and have them take up their posts as soon as possible."

During these busy days, I have drawn on modern thinking, knowledge, and experience to continuously plan and deploy strategies in various fields, striving to resolve the new challenges facing our country. Whether in domestic and foreign affairs, or in the economy and culture, I have devoted my all, so that our country can stand firm amidst these crises and move towards a prosperous future. In this process, I have also continued to grow and transform, becoming a staunch defender of this country.

While focusing on education, I also considered the role of scientific and technological research and development in strengthening national strength. I spoke to a minister skilled in mechanical engineering and other arts, saying, "Your Excellency, in these times of crisis, scientific and technological research and development cannot be neglected. We can organize craftsmen and scholars to research new military technologies, such as more advanced siege engines and defensive weapons. We can also explore civilian technologies, such as improving textile machines to increase weaving efficiency and developing new water conservancy tools to improve farmland irrigation. This is like a modern science and technology-driven development strategy, using technology to enhance national competitiveness."

The minister said, "Your Majesty, this kind of scientific and technological research and development requires a huge investment of funds and manpower, and it will take a long time."

I said, "In terms of funding, the court could allocate special funds from the treasury, while also encouraging private businessmen to invest in scientific and technological research and development. Regarding manpower, we could select talented and innovative craftsmen and scholars from across the country, provide them with generous treatment, and allow them to focus on research and development. Furthermore, we could establish a system of rewards for scientific and technological achievements, offering generous rewards to those who make significant inventions, thus encouraging more people to devote themselves to science and technology."

In the harem, I also organized cultural studies and etiquette training for the concubines to improve their literacy and ability to handle palace affairs. I told them, "Sisters, as the country faces challenges, we in the harem must constantly improve ourselves. Learning cultural knowledge will enable us to better communicate with His Majesty and the ministers and contribute to national policy. Learning etiquette will help us maintain state dignity when receiving foreign guests and other occasions. It's like a modern-day personal development course, helping us become better versions of ourselves."

The concubines all expressed their willingness to learn: "Your Majesty, we are willing to listen to your teachings and work hard to improve ourselves."