It Became a Symbol of the Bronze Age - Chapter 313



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Episode 313. Moon Country

The return route was no different from the return route. It departed from Naeminbu, passed through Sai Island, arrived at Yodong, and then headed straight for Haedongseong.

And in the few months that I was in Jungwon, the scenery of Haedongseong changed a lot.

“…It’s gotten lighter.”

This is the feeling I got the moment I saw the merchants of Haedongseong.

So, the bundle they carry has become considerably lighter.

This is because people who used to trade in things like grain and salt now carry gold, silver, and iron coins.

It may be due to the merits of Guan Yi and Australia, but… I think it was probably Shum’s contribution that was the biggest.

‘The West Asian region where Shumu came from is the pioneer of currency.’

The money business is more difficult than you think.

Especially if the currency is made of gold or silver.

‘It is difficult to control the amount of money.’

When the money supply becomes too large, the value of the currency falls. Then, when the value of the currency becomes lower than the gold and silver it is backed up with, a melting point occurs where the currency is melted down and turned back into gold.

‘I don’t know about iron, but if it’s gold and silver, it’s enough firepower to melt them even in civilian areas.’

Spain did something similar. Instead of releasing the inflow of gold into the market, they printed all of it in gold coins, which caused the price of gold to fall and the melting point to arrive.

And when the melting point comes, the currency is never melted until the value of the coin is ‘appropriate’.

When talking about real estate and stocks in the 21st century, the word that is never left out is ‘herd mentality’. There is never a case where it goes up or down until it is appropriate.

Once it goes up, it keeps going up, and once it goes down, it keeps going down. It’s the same in the 21st century, and in this era, the speed of information transmission is slow and clear statistics are ambiguous.

That is, once the melting point is reached, it is unstoppable.

It would be common sense to not let them come in the first place.

‘Conversely, if the quantity of money is too small, there is no point in turning the economy into money.’

Ultimately, this intentional quantitative control of currency is the alpha and omega of early finance.

“…I would like to print about 1,000 nyang more in currency.”

“A thousand nyang?”

“Yes. You should solve it little by little to meet the standard, not all at once.”

Shum, who was handling coins next to Sennacherib, was truly adept at this. He controlled the money supply by gradually releasing the money he had created in several installments, rather than releasing it all at once in a single operation, by selecting several regions.

“The value of currency is guaranteed by the state!”

“They say they’ll give you a 10% discount if you pay your taxes in currency instead of salt and grain!”

“Is that true?”

The adjustment of taxes created a reason to circulate money more quickly.

In fact, the meaning of ‘the state guarantees the credit of the currency’ is similar to ‘having taxes paid in currency.’ If the state only exchanges currency for gold or salt, it is at the level of ‘quantitative currency’, and by no means at the level of ‘fair currency.’

“By the way, I’ll give you a 10% discount.”

The numbers are a bit large though.

If this happens, the national treasury will be a bit empty, but… these days, selling items from the archipelago to the central plains is quite popular, so it seems like we can afford to cover the empty space to some extent.

“The Babylonian monarchs of the past also used this method when distributing currency.”

“Hoo.”

“And after the currency was spread, these small losses became ridiculously high.”

As expected, it is a country with a long history of currency.

If there had been no experienced Shumu in this field, it would have been difficult for Guan Yi or Australia, no matter how excellent, to establish a fair currency system so accurately.

“…By the way, are you okay?”

“What is it… Ah, is it the story of the King of Kings?”

A while ago.

The news of Sennacherib’s assassination was also delivered to Asadal by Deulgulzurak, who returned from trading with Skoloth.

I was worried that this might have a huge impact on Shumu’s mentality.

“…It was a little difficult at first, but it’s okay.”

“It’s okay.”

“The Barangs and Achor held a sacrifice for Sennacherib, the king of kings. Although it was not according to the Assyrian tradition….”

Assyrian tradition?

Are you talking about human sacrifice?

That won’t work… .

“…Instead, he allowed us to offer thirty head of livestock. He also allowed us to place his image in the pantheon of Asadal.”

Hmm, I don’t think this plan came from Gwan-O’s head. It must be Agol’s plan.

Perhaps in this way he was able to redirect the loyalty that had been lost to Sennacherib in his direction.

He can truly be called the godfather of Asadal psychology.

‘At this level… wouldn’t Gwan-o be good enough to be the next president?’

I just had that thought… but I don’t necessarily need to do anything.

If I feel this way, then Guan-iona and Barang must be feeling an even stronger temptation.

Of course, Agol has no interest in the president and wants to live a leisurely life.

It’s impossible.

Asadal uses useful people until they die.

To put it in one word.

… Hehehe, I can’t go!

***

While I was going down, I asked Baran for a favor.

-Hasn’t it been quite a while since Cha Woo was in Shinunbu?

-yes.

-It’s time to send down a new stable. Please tell Chow.

-… Then, where does Chow go?

-I plan to send it to Gombu’s Sanhaeguan.

As soon as I heard this, I felt somewhat disappointed.

-Does it really have to be that way? Give him a chance to retire… .

-Haha, that’s interesting.

Barang laughed.

-If Chawoo retires, he will go to Seorabeolbu. So, it seems like Elder Poongbaek is trying to use him well… It’s impossible. He has more work to do in Asadal than in Seorabeolbu.

… Look at this guy.

Their greed for talent is the same as mine or higher. And, in this talent war, I have no choice but to take a step back. After all, their justification is stronger.

So I boarded a boat at Haedongseong and went down the Yellow Sea to arrive at Sinunbu.

“You go to Sanhaeguan.”

“Shan Hai Guan???”

“Yes. It’s only natural that a great general should visit Shanhaiguan at least once. Even Brother Hanho went to Shanhaiguan first after becoming the President, right?”

“I won’t do that famous song.”

Chow shook his head.

“Shan Haegwan, Shan Haegwan? I don’t like it! I don’t like it! It’s a place with nothing but mountains and the sea!”

“…That’s not the arrangement.”

I said firmly.

If it’s the Shanhaiguan of the past, then Chau’s description is correct.

At this point, when Tangshan was occupied, Shanhaiguan was established as one of the major strongholds connecting the Central Plains and Manchuria.

“I still don’t like it! I’m going to resign!”

“Haha, this guy still doesn’t know Asadal.”

I laughed.

“If I could just throw it away with a single letter of resignation, why would I have suffered like this until now?”

“Why don’t you just submit your resignation and not go?”

“Hahaha, then you’ll be able to see the dog warriors coming down to catch you?”

“Why a dog groomer?”

“I told him to come up to the safety office, but he refused and stayed in the area… How would that look?”

“A person who has retired leisurely?”

“Well, I guess they look like rebels to me?”

“Rebellion? That’s ridiculous! In the first place, most of the soldiers guarding here aren’t even from the Shinunbu! And who am I? I’m Chau!”

“Well, maybe we won’t hear any rumors of a rebellion. But… Even if it’s just a rumor, it’s dangerous. Even if it’s just a rumor that you didn’t do something that Hanho and I did, it’s no joke.”

Reputation surprisingly depends a lot on precedent.

If you do something that no one in the past has done, you will be seen as being very showy.

Hey Inma, do you know what they say when an NBA player leaves his team and goes to a super team?

Are you saying that you really get cursed at for doing something that even Jordan didn’t do? Are you saying that you really have to have a tearful press conference at the end of your prime and say, “I really want to win the championship,” and that’s it, you’re barely going to be able to do it?

This is exactly what retirement feels like in Asadal.

“…Honestly, I also support your retirement. If you come, I can run it… No, we can live a leisurely life together in Seorabeolbu.”

“…Didn’t you say you were going to roll it?”

Oh, I guess I’m getting older, but I’m having trouble controlling my teeth.

“…Anyway, what can’t be done can’t be done. You have to think about your children too. Chow, your reputation is passed on to your children.”

“Haa…Shanhaegwan.”

Finally, after much thought, Chow nodded.

This is the nature of parents with children.

***

As I watched Chow prepare to go to Shanhaiguan, I was lost in thought for a moment.

‘Come to think of it, it must be really shitty from Jungwon’s perspective.’

Let’s think about the Central Plains attacking Asadal.

Coming in by land?

First, you have to get through the sea and eat Tangshan.

Then, enter the city and pass through the Sanhae Pass.

If you break through that, the wetlands will suddenly pop out.

Then, the second way is to advance by crossing the Yan’an Mountains or the Taihang Mountains, then the Gobi Mountains, and then the Greater Khingan Mountains.

For this to happen, the national power would have to be at least as great as that of a unified China, and the leader of the troops would have to be a famous general on the level of Guo Geo-byeong and Hannibal combined.

This can only be achieved if the grassland tribes of Asadal and Inner Mongolia are completely unaware of the enemy’s advance.

If Asadal had just watched with his eyes open until this happened… I guess it would be right to just lose. Is that a country?

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However, it is difficult to even imagine a naval battle.

To do that, you first have to go through the numerous mountains and wetlands of Shandong and eat the inner part, and then you have to face the numerous wind and white ships stationed on Sai Island.

at last.

It’s hard to imagine that the Central Plains will attack Asadal unless Yeonnamsaeng Mark 2 does something about the internal strife in Asadal.

Even if they succeed by some chance, that force is sure to be out of its mind. It will be hard to win, and even if they do win, the blow will be no joke.

‘… This is the epitome of Joseon-style meta.’

Asadal holds all the natural defenses, so from the perspective of the Central Plains, Asadal must be a real dog.

So, in the end, the fight between the two forces is a fight for national justice. The side that splits first through internal strife will lose.

‘No, not even two forces.’

Now, where are the two powers in the Central Plains? If you just pick out the big ones, there are at least fifteen powers.

Besides, the country closest to Asadal is certain to be a mess after 40 years.

If Asadal can somehow endure without conflict for exactly 40 years, it is highly likely that taking over North China will not be a dream.

‘That’s great.’

Of course, this is only Asadal’s future (Hope Chapter). If we talk about the Despair Chapter, well, we can think about the civil war and strife, which are traditional events of the Republic.

There is only one way to stop this traditional event.

‘Spreading money.’

In the late Roman Republic, the Roman army was highly private.

At that time, the general paid the salary, and things like looting were at the general’s discretion.

This changed during the time of Augustus. He changed the system so that the soldiers’ salaries were paid from the center. It was called the Fiscus system.

‘To secure finances, they also collected a bachelor’s tax from unmarried women and men. At the same time, they also increased the population.’

This idea of ​​a single-person tax is quite good, and we discussed applying it to Asadal when I was president.

-President Poongbaek said something like that?

-And where are the single people?

In this day and age, being single itself is not common, and since I was the one who said that and got married late, it just fell through.

Besides, Asadal can still distribute some of its soldiers’ salaries without such a system. Glass, seaweed, silver, gold, what else?

But that’s only for now.

If Asadal grows in size, it’s another story.

‘Even Rome did not pay salaries to its generals from the beginning.’

As the Roman army grew in size, it became difficult for the country to handle it, so it was outsourced to individual generals, and then Augustus decided that this wasn’t right and changed it to a central monthly salary system. Hmm, when I think about it, Joseon is really amazing.

Joseon had a great military group called the militia, which fought voluntarily without receiving any money. After all, the West can’t keep up with the East when it comes to dealing with people, right?

…anyway.

In the end, it’s all about finances.

The central government’s power can only be created when its finances are solid, and commerce is a better way to obtain goods such as gold and silver than agriculture.

‘Asadal’s army will continue to grow in the future.’

So the important thing is to find a way to continue to sustain your finances.

‘That’s how important the spice route is.’

So I came down to Seorabeolbu again.

***

“Hoo.”

I looked in front of my eyes.

The number of fast boats has now increased to seven. And three of them are playing on the sea.

Ding ki-deok-! Ding ki-deok-! Ding ki-deok-! Ding ki-deok-!

A drum sound was heard. Strangely, it wasn’t dong-dong, but dong-gi-deok, and there was a reason for that.

“Because there are two floors. If you row to the sound of only one drum, the oars on the top and bottom will often collide. That’s why I changed the method. The oars on the first floor start to row to the sound of ‘dung.’ When the space opens up like that, the oars on the second floor insert their oars to the sound of ‘kiduk.’ By adjusting the beat like that, the number of times they collide with each other decreases.”

… This is an unexpected detail. This is something that doesn’t even appear in history books.

“That’s amazing, Margo.”

“Haha, what!”

In the meantime, Margo’s already dark face became even darker, and the tips of her fingernails became filled with purple liquid.

“Is the farming going well?”

“Yes. The land called ‘Dalgubeol’ that the great Poongbaek Kise gave us is so good that it produces a lot of tea and makes a lot of alcohol. In addition, the snack called ‘Honey Fruit’ that Kise created is also quite popular.”

“Hoo.”

“The liquors produced in Dalgubeol are sold to the nearby Geoguru (Ulsan). Perhaps because of this, some people say that Geoguru is the most enjoyable place in Asadal.

“It is not as extravagant as Haedongseong or Seorabeol, but it is not as crowded and is close to Seorabeolbu.”

The most enjoyable city in Asadal… Geoguru?

The surprise didn’t end there.

“In addition, we recently built a tea (bread) making business in the Geoguru tribe.”

“A bread… no, a tea shop? What did you name it?”

“For us, Tiran is food, a blessing from God, and a part of our body. The place where such bread is made is the house of the sacred mind.”

So, the sacred, heart-shaped house that sells bread.

“T-T, why is it here in Daejeon… no, not Shinheun?”

“Are you a newbie? Isn’t that where they grow chrysanthemums? Why are you suddenly going to a place so far away from here…?”

Margo asked strangely.

***

Anyway, leaving aside my regrets about the new scar that no one would understand.

I turned my gaze back to the ships in the harbor.

“Can I use this sharp blade soon?”

“I’ve already tried it. I had a mock battle with the Wind Goddess, and the results weren’t bad.”

“Hoo, is that right?”

“Yes. It’s so good that you can take it tomorrow without any problems. Besides… I’m thinking of taking it on this expedition to Habayi Island.”

“…You?”

“The Phoenician merchant ships were handed down from my parents’ parents, but this swift ship is my first child. Shouldn’t I see how my child walks on the sea?”

… Well, I would be happy if the Phoenicians came in person. There is also the kind of feedback that can only be given in actual combat, and in any case, they would be better at handling this nimble creature.

Worst case scenario, they might just growl… but not everyone is going, and if there are only a few people, it might be okay.

Of course, before that.

“Have you written down everything you know?”

“…Of course. I wrote about Joseon and commerce, currency, how to grow tea, how to make alcohol, the administrative structure of Phoenicia, and even the history of each country.”

“It must have been hard for you since you’re not used to Asadal.”

“It wasn’t that hard. There were a lot of people around us who helped us. When we spoke, people would take notes.”

… At this point, it would be worth taking them along.

“How many do you think?”

“Three ships for now.”

“Do you think there will be a battle?”

“It’s highly likely.”

“Geoguru said he was already preparing and brought more animals than last time.”

Beast Rush… Well.

In fact, unlike the Umbrella Kingdom in the original history, the Beast Rush only affected about half of Ryukyu.

It’s not hard to guess why.

It’s probably the difference in population size. A group of a thousand or so might be scared by a tiger, but a group of three thousand might be able to do something about it.

Moreover, Taiwan is larger than Ryukyu.

Beast Rush is probably better than nothing, but it’s unlikely to do much more than scare you.

‘Rather than that, it’s definitely better to take a fast-moving one.’

And it’s not just Taiwan’s problem.

Next to Taiwan is the Yue, and the Yue is a barbarian that all the Central Plains people say in unison.

The people of Wu, who say that the state of Chu, which calls their country barbarians, are pirates, are the people of the Moon.

He is truly a pirate among pirates.

And the modus operandi of these pirates is incredibly simple.

It’s plunder.

“According to the information I have, some of the Moonmen are heading south. Their target is most likely Habayi Island. They will probably take over there and try to plunder our ships traveling to and from Heukgaek Island.”

Following the Beomjok, Gomjok, and Yeonnara, Asadal’s next opponent was… very likely to be Wolil.

***

I immediately prepared to set sail, procured provisions, and gathered the crew.

And in between.

I was faced with a very important task.

“Father-in-law, thank you for giving me your daughter!”

I am the one who says so.

No, he raised his sword towards the one who would soon become Pungbaek Nuri (Jin).

and.

Peeing-!

He pulled the trigger. Soon, a pointless arrow flew out and pinged the guy’s thigh.

“Ouch!”

The guy screamed.

And then everyone around them applauded and cheered.

“Ugh, that’s a roughly made Yeonno!”

“Your love for your son-in-law is truly immense!”

“I heard that you stay up all night with Nuri every day! Doesn’t that mean you care for him?”

Nuri suddenly looked at the person who had said the last words with a lively look. It was worth it. After Nuri became a graduate student, I tutored him every night until late at night.

But that’s just Nuri’s business, and to others, they’re just a good father-in-law and son-in-law.

‘By the way, Yeonno-rani.’

Without my knowledge, it seems that in Asadal, a custom has developed where fathers-in-law sharpen their sons-in-law with a steel arrow the day before their wedding. They sharpen the son-in-law they dislike with a steel arrow, and they just shoot the son-in-law they like with a random arrow.

I just shot it roughly. There are things I like about Nuri, and I can’t hurt my precious graduate students.

“…But who on earth created this kind of culture?”

“Cahem! Cahem!”

Next to me, Eulji coughed in vain.

Aha, it was you.

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