Daqin: A buff of incredible comprehension

"Marquis Wucheng has fought countless battles throughout his life and deserves this distinguished treatment," Lord Li hinted with a smile, "not to mention that Ah Mei has already repaired many porcelain pieces."

Wang Zhiyin hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. "How much do you want in compensation?" she asked calmly.

Lord Li offered 500,000 copper coins, specifically accepting only copper and not gold. He also mentioned the new materials his family needed for minting coins. The two sides discussed the deal, and after some negotiation, the terms of the exchange for this substantial sum were finally agreed upon.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight shone across the earth, Lord Li once again saw Wang Zhiyin, dressed in exceptionally exquisite attire, emerging from the courtyard. Her outfit was particularly striking: a pale yellow embroidered glutinous rice jacket paired with a high-waisted long skirt, accented with an intricate belt and knotted knots, giving her a uniquely radiant look.

"You look very beautiful like this." Lord Li couldn't help but admire, "You are so dignified and generous, worthy of being a lady from a noble family."

Wang Zhiyin responded to the compliment with a slightly shy tone, "Okay, okay, stop staring." But her heart was actually filled with joy.

"My sister helped me pick out the clothes."

"If Father or Grandpa saw that I wasn't having a good time with you, they might just give you a lesson."

"This will damage the reputation of the Lin family."

Lin Wanqing felt shy and uncomfortable, and spoke insincerely.

"Then I really have to thank Master Lin for his generosity."

Gu Yun saw through her thoughts and answered jokingly.

Murong Shiman prepared gifts for the visit in advance.

In addition to the porcelain restored by Xiang Liling, there are also various exquisite mirrors, glass ornaments and soaps.

The Lin family's prestige in the army is unmatched, and many meritorious families follow their lead.

Most of these people have become wealthy due to their years of military exploits.

Murong Shiman decided to start from this point and test the market response first.

Time flew by unknowingly as we joked and teased each other with Lin Wanqing along the way.

Because of their noble status, Lin Jian and Lin Ben did not come to pick them up in person.

But the housekeeper was quite enthusiastic about his son-in-law Gu Yun and welcomed them into the house with great flattery.

"Grandfather, father-in-law, I pay my respects to you."

As soon as Gu Yun entered the yard, he saw Lin Jian and Lin Ben standing at the door, looking at him with satisfied smiles.

"My daughter is finally back."

After hearing the news from the doorman, the mother-in-law was also happy to welcome her, waiting by the side and calling Lin Wanqing over.

"I'm home."

"Please come in and have a seat." Lin Jian was very happy that his son-in-law had come to visit him. Although they didn't interact much to avoid suspicion, he had heard about his deeds.

Now Gu Yun has established a firm foothold in the court. As long as he continues to act prudently, he will surely achieve something in the future.

Hearing her father's hearty laughter, Lin Wanqing breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wanqing, your waist is so thin, and you haven't gotten pregnant yet?"

The lady took her daughter's hand and walked into the inner room, looking at her figure with a hint of regret. "Pregnant?"

"Mom, why do you say that...I won't get pregnant." Lin Wanqing was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

"Why not? She's been married for a few months. If you can add a child to the family as soon as possible..."

The remaining words were deliberately lowered to seem inappropriate.

"Why should I give birth to a child for Gu Yun?" Lin Wanqing said angrily, "He should figure it out on his own!"

Since their marriage, Gu Yun has never spent a single night with her. Do I really have to initiate this kind of thing?

Mrs. Lin sighed: "You young people, how can you be so willful even after getting married? Don't you understand the situation at home?"

"How long can we take care of you?"

"If you don't have any offspring, how will you survive in the Lin family? If you get bullied, who will stand up for you?"

Lin Wanqing responded firmly: "I'm not afraid, I can handle it myself."

"It's easy for you to say that, but how are you going to cope when you get older?"

"Other people's children are fulfilling their filial duties, what about you? Do you want to be alone all your life?" the mother said earnestly.

"It is your responsibility to have children. Don't you dare to take it?"

Lin Wanqing said impatiently: "He hasn't been very good to me. I don't want to have children right away."

Mrs. Lin said angrily: "This is for your own good!"

The lady raised her hand threateningly to scare her daughter, but her daughter didn't care at all.

Mentioning the prince's long-term exile and her mother's urging on her sister to have a child as soon as possible made her even more upset.

You must get pregnant before the end of the year, otherwise there will be serious consequences.

Visiting relatives should have been a joyful experience, but when Lin Wanqing returned to her parents' home, she was scolded and her unspeakable private affairs became an unspeakable injustice. Finally, she reluctantly left Mrs. Wang's side and went to visit her former elders to reminisce about the past.

In comparison, Gu Yun received an excellent reception.

When the novel little gift appeared, Lin and his son were very happy and appreciated it even more.

"Grandpa, please take a look." Gu Yun handed over a restored porcelain vase. It once had a flaw that made it look very rough, but after clever processing, it became a simple and ancient pattern.

After careful observation, Lin Jian inquired and learned that the source of the gift did not violate etiquette, and he felt relieved. "My dear son-in-law, are you here to ask for anything?"

Gu Yun explained that he heard that the Marquis' Mansion had a large amount of copper coins that needed to be sorted out and offered to take charge of the matter.

Lin Jian suddenly became serious: "We do have a lot of savings waiting for renovation, but...how much is the fire cost? When can it be returned?"

The Lin family didn't fully trust the other person. "No need to worry about the price. I guarantee I'll return every penny. I'll have Wanqing return it when the time comes," Gu Yun said calmly.

"Coinage is profitable," Gu Yun answered confidently.

Gu Yun hopes to set an example through this move.

In ancient times, as financial instruments were not yet developed, the fire consumption tax became the simplest and most profitable form of additional levy.

When farmers paid grain, the government would levy an additional fee based on "damage caused by rats and birds." If the coins were broken or deteriorated, the government would impose an additional fee. This practice, institutionalized during the Ming Dynasty, became even more widespread during the Qing Dynasty.

A certain monarch, who supposedly promised never to increase taxes, actually raised this surcharge to an extremely high level—as high as 80%. This meant that the original 100 units of tax, after adding the fire consumption, became 180 units, almost doubling it! This monarch proudly claimed that his rule was superior to that of the previous dynasty, and indeed, the fire consumption rate reached a staggering 80%. By comparison, the Ming Dynasty maintained a constant rate of around 10%-20%.

General Wang looked at the man before him and said, "Father-in-law, I have never exaggerated the facts." "As long as I have the right to mint coins, I don't need to embezzle a single cent and can still reap huge profits."