Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

At the end of the fifth year of the Zhenguan era, foreign envoys who came to the Tang Dynasty from various countries with a large number of tribute treasures could clearly feel that the major cities of the Tang Dynasty, such as Chang'an, Taiyuan, and Luoyang, were much more lively than at this time last year.

Not only in my memory, some of the low bungalows that were once just houses have now been transformed into brand new buildings.

With the arrival of the Spring Festival, red lanterns have been hung on the eaves of every household.

The sixth year of the Zhenguan era was the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac.

The year of Ren Chen belongs to the water element and is the year of the water dragon.

The Imperial Observatory informed the Crown Prince Li Chengqian, who then ordered the Ministry of Rites to take charge of the Spring Festival celebrations. People in various regions of the Tang Dynasty gradually received notices that they were permitted to hang dragon-shaped celebratory decorations.

The tinkling of the dragon-shaped wind chimes drifted through the streets and alleys on a breeze carrying the scent of cooking.

"The shops in Chang'an are selling significantly more things this year..."

The Tibetan Grand Minister Gar Tongtsen and the Tibetan Imperial Minister Thonmi Sambhota walked along the streets of Chang'an with their entourages. The dazzling array of shops on both sides made their entourage dazzled.

Hearing his friend's sigh, Gardonzan nodded.

The group stopped in front of a porcelain shop. Despite their distinctly foreign appearance, their air of nobility and gold and jade accessories immediately caught the shopkeeper's eye.

They warmly greeted him.

"Distinguished guests, would you like to take a look at our porcelain? All the porcelain at Baiyuxuan is made by retired master craftsmen from the official kilns. We offer celadon, white porcelain, secret-color porcelain, and yellow-glazed porcelain. Whatever you desire, we guarantee your satisfaction..."

Gardonzan nodded slightly and entered the hall.

However, as soon as you step inside, your gaze is immediately drawn to something hanging high in the shop's hall.

"What it is?"

The waiter seemed completely unsurprised by his reaction, and his face grew even more enthusiastic.

"This distinguished guest has an excellent eye! This item is no ordinary piece; it's a new creation developed this year by the professors of the Imperial University's School of Art. However, it's not porcelain, but rather pottery..."

Beside Gardonzan, Thonmi Sambhota stepped forward, looked up at the item that the shopkeeper had deliberately placed on the most conspicuous high shelf of the counter, his eyes filled with awe and admiration.

"This item is called Tang Sancai (Tang tri-color pottery), and it was personally designated by His Highness the current Crown Prince as a unique treasure of our Great Tang Dynasty!"

The waiter bowed with his hands clasped in the direction of the palace.

"This item is extremely precious. Even I, Bai Yuxuan, only possess one of these. If you two wish to acquire it..." The waiter stopped mid-sentence with a smile, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Upon hearing this, Thonmi Sambhota couldn't help but ask, "How much do you sell this for?"

The waiter held out a hand: "Five hundred strings of cash, no bargaining!"

Five hundred strings of cash!

Thonmi Sambhota pointed in astonishment at the Tang tri-colored horse figurine placed high up. The pale gold base, with some glaze, and decorated with several colors such as white, blue and green, the horse figurine, fired in a mixed manner, gave people a noble and holy feeling at first glance.

It can be said that every place touched Thonmi Sambhota's heart perfectly.

Of course, besides the price...

“Five hundred strings of cash? Young man, you’re saying this one piece of pottery alone is worth five hundred thousand copper coins?” Gardonzan asked, frowning in disbelief.

The waiter smiled faintly: "Esteemed guest, our Baiyuxuan is a reputable merchant under the West Market Commerce Bureau. You should have seen the signboard at the entrance. We treat everyone honestly and fairly!"

"This thing is expensive for a reason. Firstly, it's rare, which goes without saying. As for the second reason..."

"This design was personally approved by His Highness the current Crown Prince, and it was also among the first batch successfully fired. The base also bears official seals and inscriptions."

"In the entire Tang Dynasty, that batch only amounted to about five hundred pieces. It's only because our owner has some connections that... otherwise, these things wouldn't have been displayed here by Baiyuxuan."

Immediately, Galdonzan, who had previously expressed considerable objection to the price, fell silent.

Indeed, if it's just an ordinary new gadget, no matter how beautiful or novel it is, it's just a decorative item.

But if the design was drawn by the Crown Prince himself, and there was a limited quantity of the first batch of products... five hundred strings of cash would be worthy of the plaque outside.

Thonmi Sambhuza sighed regretfully.

He could afford the normal price himself, but five hundred strings of cash...

He still preferred to use the money to buy some books from the Tang Dynasty to help him improve the Tibetan script when he returned.

Walking through the market, the various shouts and cries of vendors dazzled Gardonzan and his companions.

The Tang Dynasty itself was home to multiple ethnic groups.

Besides the Han Chinese, who constituted the majority, there were also Turks, Xianbeis, Tanguts, Khitans, as well as Yi peoples to the south and Tibetans from the plateau, all of whom benefited from the Tang Dynasty's open and inclusive attitude towards talent and culture.

The multi-ethnic culture, coupled with the vigorous development of all sectors of society, including clothing, food, housing, and transportation, has brought about a brand-new spectacle of cultural integration.

On the streets, they could see people who looked like Turks, dressed in Tang Dynasty clothing, but wearing hats with a brim that resembled those of the Tangut people.

You can also see Han Chinese noblewomen from the Tang Dynasty, with their fair collarbones exposed, wearing palace dresses and fox fur shawls.

Some wandering swordsmen selecting their swords at sword shops would choose several bone ornaments in the Khitan style as tassels. Meanwhile, merchants selling goods from the Western Regions would ostentatiously dress their caravan's women in clothing from exotic lands like Kucha and Persia to attract customers...

Different cultures, at this moment, seem to have cast aside the prejudices that arose from past struggles for survival on this magical land of the Tang Dynasty, and are now simply based on their own preferences and aesthetic judgments.

Begin to accept and understand each other...

"I wonder if our descendants will forget our Tubo people and instead consider themselves as a Tubo people of the Tang Dynasty?"

Gardonzan grew increasingly worried.

Although Tibet still holds a dominant position in the high plateau region today.

But the Gobi Desert of Tuyuhun was forcibly sold to them by the Tang Dynasty, which had already put layers of shackles on the wolf that was Tubo.

If you want to break free... well, that's up to fate.

Like Galdontsen, there were many others who marveled at the power and wealth of the Tang Dynasty.

Ministers from countries like Eulji, the Silla minister who has been ordered to come to Chang'an to pay tribute to the Tang Dynasty, and ministers from the Sasanian Persian Kingdom, are now firmly bound to the Tang Dynasty.

He felt a deep sense of awe and longing for the Tang Dynasty.

The final grand court assembly of the fifth year of the Zhenguan era was held in the Taiji Hall.

The envoys from various countries who came to pay tribute began to appear one by one, following the established procedures set by the Ministry of Rites, presenting their tribute gifts to the Tang Dynasty and offering respectful blessings.

These people originally thought that the Tang Dynasty would give them some precious gifts again this year so that they could take them back and report back.

who ever thought.

"With envoys from various countries all present today, I happen to be here to announce something..."

Crown Prince Li Chengqian, who had been mostly silent, suddenly spoke, causing the foreign courtiers to tense up and reveal expressions of doubt.

Meanwhile, the officials of the Six Ministries, who had already communicated with each other, as well as Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and others, stood there calmly.

"You have traveled thousands of miles to pay tribute to our Great Tang Dynasty. Although it is a courtesy of a vassal state, it is only once a year, and you have brought so many precious goods. The risks along the way are self-evident. Our Great Tang Dynasty is the orthodox Chinese nation and a land of etiquette. We cannot allow you to follow the proper etiquette. In the end, it has led to one tragedy after another."

"Therefore, after much deliberation, I have decided... to change the rules for future tribute payments!"

Li Chengqian sat upright on the dragon throne, which, set against a backdrop of gold and jade carvings and agate, exuded an air of majesty and nobility, leaving no room for doubt.

Galdonzan and the others were all taken aback, wondering what kind of trouble this Tang Dynasty crown prince, who always acted unpredictably and often did some unreasonable and dirty things, was planning to cause this time.

"From now on, when countries pay tribute or engage in trade, they will no longer need to carry so much precious gold and silver. They can simply use this paper money as payment."

Several eunuchs carried trays and handed stacks of Tang Dynasty banknotes to the foreign envoys.

At first, some of the envoys were caught off guard, but after a brief moment of astonishment, they erupted in uproar.

"What... what does this mean? Paper money? Can paper be used as money?"

"We're going to trade paper for Tang Dynasty silk, porcelain, and tea? Is there really such a good deal?"

"What exactly is the Crown Prince of Tang trying to do...?"

Everyone was talking about it.

However, Gar Tongtsen picked up a stack of Tang Dynasty banknotes in front of him and began to examine them carefully.

The paper had a very special feel to it, unlike ordinary paper used for painting or writing. At least, he had never encountered this kind of paper in the market of the Tang Dynasty before.

The content on the paper was also very complicated, with not only intricate patterns and words, but also a string of Arabic numerals.

"Royal Bank of the Tang Dynasty - 100 Cash"

Galdonzan was not foolish enough to think that the Tang Dynasty was truly stupid enough to allow them to exchange paper for precious valuables. Therefore, the problem must lie in these different styles of so-called paper money.

"This is the paper money that our Great Tang Dynasty will soon issue. It is a currency of equal value to gold, silver and copper coins in the market. In other words, the amount of money written on the paper is the amount that our Great Tang Royal Bank can exchange for people."

"From now on, the countries surrounding the Great Tang will use this as currency when trading with the Great Tang."

Upon hearing Li Chengqian's explanation, the envoys exchanged bewildered glances.

"This... may I ask Your Highness... is it really necessary? Your Majesty, we have been in charge of the tribute missions from Jiaozhi to the Tang Dynasty for many years. The Tang Dynasty enjoys good governance and harmony, and we have never encountered any banditry..."

The envoy from Jiaozhi asked cautiously, but dared not express his reluctance too openly.

Li Chengqian waved his hand: "This matter is ultimately uncertain. What if one day you are unlucky enough to encounter some treacherous officials causing chaos, or fugitives robbing you? If you, as a vassal state, miss the tribute, will I forgive you or punish you?"

The envoy's expression immediately stiffened, as if he also sensed a threat.

He shrank back, looked around, and then retreated again.

Gardonzan frowned, pondered for a long time, and then stepped forward.

"Your Highness, I have a question that I would like to ask you to answer."

Seeing Li Chengqian nod, he hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands and asked.

"Your Highness, if we are to switch to using these paper currencies for all our trade with the Tang Dynasty in the future, then... how will we obtain these paper currencies?"

Li Chengqian had been waiting for this question, and he gave a wink to Wu Shiyue, one of the officials.

The latter respectfully stepped forward.

"Let me answer the question from the Tibetan Grand Minister. Paper money is valued at the same level as gold and silver, and our Great Tang guarantees that as long as you have paper money, you can exchange it for the full amount of gold and silver at any time."

"To exchange for paper money, you will naturally need to use gold and silver... In order to ensure the smooth operation of large-scale trade in the future, you can open a national account in advance at our Great Tang Royal Bank... We will transport large quantities of gold and silver from your countries, and then our Great Tang will exchange them for paper money for you..."

Samurai Go simply explained some of the procedures.

The astute Galdonzan, along with cunning old foxes like the Silla minister Eulje, immediately realized the problem.

Are you suggesting they exchange real gold and silver for paper money in the hands of the Tang Dynasty, the value of which is entirely determined by the Tang Dynasty itself?!

What if one day this paper money becomes worthless?

What will happen to them domestically?!