Song Han-zhang began the report on behalf of everyone: "According to our investigation over the past year, we estimate that the total amount of silver coins in the entire Xiangxi region is approximately 200 million. If there's more, it would be gold and other things. So, we think that issuing a one-time plan of 6 billion yuan is not proportional. However, after you conquered Guangxi, we believe that even if Guangxi is poor, it won't lack the circulation space for 6 billion yuan. Therefore, we plan to increase the issuance compared to the original plan. After all, insufficient currency supply will also affect commodity transactions. We can't let everyone barter, right? In addition, this time we plan to cast coins at the Guangxi Tongyuan Bureau in Wuzhou, Guangxi, which is the only minting department within our jurisdiction. Moreover, Mr. Franke has already brought back the coin-making equipment and engineers from the Huabei Bank headquarters for us. The quality of this batch of paper currency will not be a problem."

  The decision to issue paper currency was made with two considerations in mind. On the one hand, Wang Zhenyu needed money to maintain his government and his massive army, which far exceeded the normal ratio of soldiers to civilians at that time. On the other hand, according to Wang Zhenyu's governing philosophy, commercial development was the top priority for economic construction, but this could not be achieved with the existing silver coins. Without a currency standard like silver coins, many transactions would fail and bartering would become the dominant form of market exchange. Under such circumstances, talking about developing commerce would be nonsense. Therefore, using paper currency to replace silver coins and ensure sufficient market liquidity was necessary.

  Here is the translation:

  "Everyone, don't worry about inflation because our currency issuance is based on 35 million pounds and also around 400-500 million silver dollars. You must consider the actual value of goods, so even if it's 6 billion or 10 billion, our market won't fluctuate much. And I have some good news to share with you all: we will be partnering with Luxembourg to build a model city in Liuzhou and develop heavy industry, which has a very optimistic future. So, even if it's 60 billion or 200 billion, with a population of 10 million, the per capita is only around 2,000 yuan. What we really need to worry about is the difference in product profits leading to urban-rural disparities.

  Of course, I couldn't just give you all the money at once; that would destroy my reputation and make the money worthless like scrap paper. My suggestion is to divide it into several phases and inject it into the market through basic infrastructure construction, which will minimize the impact. At the same time, we need to strengthen financial control. In my jurisdiction, silver dollar transactions are prohibited, and cross-jurisdictional transactions require proof from the Xiangxi Development Company to apply for special free exchange at the bank.

  In short, I don't allow a single ocean (a unit of currency) to circulate in my jurisdiction; everyone must exchange it for paper money when leaving. Then, there's the issue of counterfeit bills... as long as we do our job solidly, I think there won't be any problems later on. You all know this, so don't mess it up! If you do, I'll kill you. Everyone can leave now; Mr. Frank, please stay behind."

  Frankie thought Wang Zhenyu had something big to discuss with him, but as soon as Song Hanzhang and the others left, Wang Zhenyu smiled obsequiously at Frankie and said: "Dear Mr. Franky, why don't you consider immigrating to my place too? After all, Belgium is no different from Luxembourg."

  Frankie rolled his eyes after listening, it seems that this King Da Shuai really did get a lot of benefits from the Luxembourg people, and he would actually suggest such a thing, it's really laughable.

  However, he politely declined Wang Zhenyu's kindness: "Dear Wang, thank you for your good idea, but we Belgians and Luxembourgers are different from those pocket-sized countries. We have a strong army and will fight to defend our sacred territory until the last moment."

  Seeing the other party's reply so bluntly, Wang Zhenyu had no choice but to withdraw his own suggestion with a sullen face.

  Another snowy day, Beijing's first snow this winter fell early and heavily from the sky, covering the ground with a thick layer of snow. This is something that will not be seen in later generations. The warriors who dare to call themselves "changing the world" have actually made it so that Beijing has not had snow for seven years.

  Every household had long been closed, warming themselves around the stove. From time to time, you could see a starving corpse on the street. If it weren't for the fact that Beijing people are of good quality, someone would have died at the door and no one would have made a sound, calmly not caring about the death outside. In fact, the person collecting corpses was struggling to push a cart to collect these bodies, which would be sent to Zuo Ren Zhuang crematorium for cremation later. Truly doing it cleanly and purely, leaving no trace behind.

  The number one servant in the Ju Ren Tang doesn't care about his own master starving to death, anyway there are too many masters and if they die then so be it, he's got better things to worry about.

  In the spacious Renyin Hall, four fireplaces were lit at once, but they couldn't dispel the chill in President Yuan's heart. On the contrary, his body would occasionally feel a wave of fatigue.

  Old Yuan is over 50 years old, and in the past few months, he was busy suppressing the Second Revolution and didn't take good care of his body. As a result, when winter arrived, his body started to malfunction - one day it's sore here, another day it's painful there. At this time, he still has to consider these annoying national affairs. How can our President Yuan not be worried and distracted?

  Looking at the Premier Xu Shichang, Yang Duan and others under Yuan Shikai's throne, they were also silent for many years as bureaucrats. They understood the rules that if their superiors didn't speak, it was best not to talk nonsense.

  "Alas..." As he listened to the howling wind outside, Yuan Shikai couldn't help but sigh again: "We're all our own people, I'll say something from the heart. Don't look at me, Yuan, as this great president, but actually, I'm also full of bitter water and difficulties. This so-called Second Revolution, we've suppressed it, we've won against the southern rebels, they've given us a good beating, and it seems like the whole country is unified... But guess whether my days are easier now?"

  "It's not good, you old guys. This difficult problem doesn't lie with those radical parties or those small-time warlords on the border. It lies within our own Beiyang clique. Look at how many years it has been since we've had people who don't listen to orders, who control their own troops and are only thinking about getting promoted and making a fortune. They're all busy taking concubines. How many of them are thinking about helping me, old Yuan, to get this country in order? Outside, there are the Japanese and Westerners pressing us, and inside, it's these good-for-nothing scoundrels playing tricks and shooting blanks. What's going on here?"

  Yang Du has still not been reused by Yuan Shikai during this period, but he has hooked up with another line, that is, the eldest son of Yuan Shikai, Yuan Keding.

  Yuan Shikai is also a character. In the early Qing dynasty, with the intention of self-pollution, several sons in his own family were sent to the government office to listen and serve. As soon as the Republic of China was established, he immediately cleared himself up. To avoid suspicion, none of his sons were given any official positions.

  But he didn't think that his sons wouldn't have their own ideas, this Qing dynasty is finished. In a few days, no matter what Yuan Shikai himself thought, in the eyes of outsiders and even his sons, he was just an emperor. After the Second Revolution, after losing the Kuomintang as an opponent who could fight with him on a national level, Yuan Shikai also began to slide down this reactionary road uncontrollably.

  Yuan Keding ran to Germany for treatment of leg injuries, but the injury was not healed. He brought back the idea of promoting imperial system and what he advocated happened to hit his father's weakness. The people below no longer listened to him.

  People born from the bureaucratic group are still afraid of imperial power after all, so Old Yuan attributed the disobedience of his subordinates to the fact that he was not an emperor. This idea is not unreasonable either. In the past, they obeyed themselves because they were their backing in the court.

  But human thought can't use yesterday's thinking to do tomorrow's things

  However, Yang Du in the Ju Ren Tang had to say what Yuan Shikai wanted to hear: "Mr. President, I think the problem lies in this system. The current system is democratic republicanism, but it doesn't work. Those under authoritarian rule naturally have their own ideas and opinions, which fully explains that so-called democratic republicanism does not conform to our national conditions. It's completely a fake product made by Sun Yat-sen and others who were deceived by foreigners. I think our country is still suitable for an imperial system, please consider it carefully, Mr. President."

  Old Yuan naturally felt a surge of joy upon hearing this, but his face didn't reveal even half of it. At the same time, he would occasionally glance at Xiong Xiling and Xu Shichang to see what these two big shots in the political arena meant.

  Unfortunately, these two are also old and cunning, and nothing can be seen on their faces. Yuan Shikai could only sigh silently and wave his hand to Yang Du: "This is getting off track, let's take a look at how our Beiyang should move forward next."

  Yang Du couldn't hear the meaning of these words, his thinking quickly shifted to the local issue: "The President's humble position also has ideas. Look at this map, except for Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces, as well as Xiangxi and Guangxi regions, all are under the control of the President's direct troops. With the promotion of positions and other reasons, some ideas are not surprising. The key is that if we can control them, it will be easy to handle. But I looked at the intelligence from below, Sichuan is chaotic, let alone Yunnan and Guizhou, Cai E and Wang Zhenyu of Xianggui are all local warlords, we must be on guard."

  Premier Xiong Xiling, who had been silent all along, immediately felt a sense of foreboding when he heard the four words "can't help but defend".