Minting coins privately is a capital crime of beheading.
On the cusp of this storm, a few officials suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They had a Jiangsu accent and claimed to be from Nanjing. How could this make people less nervous?
Moreover, Nanjing was the original capital of the country!
For a moment, the innkeeper almost thought that these people were imperial envoys sent by the imperial court.
The thought scared him half to death.
"No, Lao Hu prepares a carriage for me. We have to go find the county master tonight!"
If they are really sent by the imperial court or the Third Division, what should they do?
Not just him, but one-third of the officials and a small number of businessmen in Pingshou County are going to lose their heads!
"Yes, sir!"
The housekeeper named Lao Hu quickly walked out of the hall. The innkeeper also changed his clothes and brought a small wooden box with him under the service of the maid.
And the entire Pingshou County officials, large and small, were in danger because of Zhu Gaoyan's sudden visit.
…
"This is true!"
"Master Xian, this is a matter of life and fortune. Even if a villain has a hundred heads, he wouldn't dare to joke about it!"
When Zhang Qixin heard the news brought by the innkeeper, he paced back and forth anxiously in the house.
"What should I do?"
Although they have now made copper coins to the point where they are fake and real, people with a keen eye can still spot the difference.
For this reason, they did not dare to mint copper coins on a large scale, but the scale of these copper coins was limited to Pingshou County and several surrounding counties.
After seeing that these currencies were sinking into the sea without causing any disturbance, Zhang Qixin was preparing to find an opportunity to meet with the three divisions and drag them into the water so that the currency could circulate smoothly throughout Sichuan and Shu.
No, all the gifts that should be prepared have been prepared, and there is only one chance to meet Sansi. But at this time, a few uninvited guests came.
"No, if these people are really sent by the imperial court, then it's definitely not because they discovered that we were casting fake copper plates!"
"On the contrary, I believe they were sent by the Third Division!"
How could the imperial court have nothing to do and send a few imperial envoys to a place where birds like them don't shit?
"If it's the son of a high-ranking official who sneaks out to play, that would be more to my liking!"
"This might be an opportunity!"
…
Early the next morning, Zhu Gaoyan took Su Wu to the market.
"Hey, it looks pretty lively!"
Zhu Gaotian seemed to have transformed into a playboy at this time, walking around the streets and alleys.
"Beauty, I see that the hairpin matches the girl's bun very well. Is Wu Ruo going to give this hairpin to the girl?"
"Haha, girls don't have to be shy. Treasures are given to beauties, and beauties should expect this kind of treatment!"
"Oh, girl, don't run away. If you don't like this one, there are others!"
"The girl's appearance is like that of a sunken fish and a geese, and the moon is shy of the flowers. It makes the young man's heart stir when he sees it!"
"This thing is made of snow lotus, pipa, nectar..."
Zhu Gaoyan. This way, let alone the two who were following him, it was because even Su Wu, who had been staying by Zhu Gaoying's side, unconsciously distanced himself from Zhu Gaoying.
Don't look at me. I have nothing to do with this guy. I definitely don't know him. Such a person cannot be the current emperor!
Along the way, Zhu Gaoying also bought a lot of things, but none of them were given away. Instead, they all stayed in his hands, and then fell on the shoulders of the two guards.
The accompanying guards: After all, we are the ones who shouldered everything.
Just when Zhu Gaoyen bought a box of rouge and Su Wu took out the copper plate, he suddenly realized something was wrong.
However, he did not say anything, but quietly hid the coin in his pocket, and followed Zhu Gaoyan with an unchanged expression.
"The weight seems a little heavier, and the surrounding corners are not so rounded!"
Although there is only a slight deviation, it is still different from the coins minted by our Ming Dynasty, and it is also completely different from the currencies made by other forces in the previous dynasty.
"There's something wrong with this copper plate!"
After carefully distinguishing them for about a quarter of an hour, Su Wu was finally convinced that these copper coins were not made by the government, but were minted by private individuals!
Someone is minting counterfeit coins in Pingshou County?
No, it might not be Pingshou County. After all, there are too few counterfeit coins circulating in the market here.
Moreover, this kind of counterfeit currency is so fake that even I need to carefully distinguish it for a long time before I can be completely sure!
At this time, not only Zhu Gaotian was shopping, but Su Wu also entered a shopping spree!
As long as he saw something to eat, Su Wu would buy it without hesitation. This made the two sergeants following them suffer, and the burden on them became heavier and heavier.
After just visiting a market, the things they carried weighed them down so much that they couldn't walk. In the end, they had no choice but to call a carriage and pull these things to the inn.
Even Zhu Gaoying was very surprised. Is it possible that Su Wu, who is usually sanctimonious, turned out to be a super shopaholic in private?
"Su Wu, why did you buy so many things? And they are all for food. We can't eat so much!"
"There are also these clothes, hats, boots, etc. Even if you change one piece a day, it will be enough for you to wear for more than half a year!"
"Su Wu, tell me quickly, do you have a wife over there who controls you so strictly, so after you left, you let go and dared to spend money lavishly?"
Hearing Zhu Gaoyen's sarcasm, Su Wu on the carriage could only smile bitterly.
"Your Majesty, I have made a major discovery!"
"Your Majesty, please look!"
Su Wu immediately took out the coins he had secretly hidden from his pocket, and then took out dozens of normal coins.
"Isn't it just copper coins? What's wrong?"
"Your Majesty, this copper coin is not that copper coin. Your Majesty, check carefully and see if you find any difference between the two!"
These copper plates are all printed with the words Yongle Tongbao, and on the back are written Xiaoping, fold two, fold three, fold five, and fold ten, which represent different denominations from small to large.
What's the difference between the two? Aren’t they all Yongle Tongbao?
No, although both copper plates are yellow-white, one side has a bright color, while the other side has a dull color.
You must know that Yongle Tongbao is made of bronze and silver. Under normal circumstances, it should have a brighter luster.
"These, although very similar in color, don't seem to be bright enough."
If you don't look carefully, you can't tell the difference between the two.
"These Yongle Tongbao don't have silver in them, but other metal colors?"
By this time, Zhu Gaoyan also understood what Su Wu was referring to!
"Someone is secretly minting counterfeit coins?" (End of this chapter)
