In the Crown Kingdom in the Peace Province in the Jasmine City, Zixin Quon, the new emperor of the Chinese Empire, sets the rules of the Empire as he wishes. Zixin wants to gain people's love and allegiance and force them to forget about the bygone era of Emperor Wei Jian. One way to gain people's love and allegiance is to bestow money on them or help them save money. Therefore, Zixin issued a significant imperial edict that is effective across the five kingdoms in the Chinese Empire which states that all taxes across the five kingdoms in the Chinese Empire must be halved. Reducing the taxes by half helps people save more money for themselves while at the same time receive the same services from the government. This imperial edict makes people rejoice greatly and admire Zixin tremendously. It is a tangible proof that the reign of Zixin brings greater benefits to people's lives than the bygone era of Emperor Wei Jian.
However, this imperial edict will result in decreasing the money supply in the treasury. For example, if the treasury receives ten billion golden taels of taxes per year normally, it will receive five billion golden taels after this imperial edict is effective. So how will Zixin offset this great deficit in the treasury? The answer is: the magical stick is to rescue. Zixin wants to take full advantage of his magical stick that turns stones into gold. This magical stick makes Zixin have virtually unlimited money supply. So whatever deficit in the treasury that is incurred as a result of the imperial edict will be completely covered by the gold generated from Zixin's magical stick. Stones are cheap and ubiquitous and converting them into gold in the blink of an eye is a fairly easy process with the aid of the magical stick. One night, Zixin had a chat with his wife, Xiulan Yongnian, about the new imperial edict.
Zixin: Xiulan, what do you think about the new imperial edict I have issued?
Xiulan: I always have admired your wisdom and the way you think and make decisions. I hope this edict will be fruitful and let you win people's love and allegiance as planned.
Zixin: My magical stick opens for me numerous doors of opportunities and I must make the most out of it. That is the logical step.
Xiulan: Right. You are blessed to have such a magical stick. I think over time you can rule the entire world.
Zixin: Thank you for the compliment. For now, I am content with ruling the Chinese Empire and am not thinking about any expansion beyond the borders of the Chinese Empire. Remember, Xiulan, that the internal affairs of the country have not stabilized completely yet. There are political dissidents across the nation from the armies of Emperor Wei Jian who oppose me and wish to depose me. I must handle those internal affairs in the right way so that I do not exacerbate the situation by any wrong policies.
Xiulan: I know the pain of having political dissidents. It deprives you of sleep at night. I hope they will surrender to us soon so that we no longer need to worry about their threat to our throne.
Zixin: Hope is the first step to achieve a goal. The second step is taking serious actions. I must handle the matter of political dissidents wisely later in the future. It is one of the main items on my agenda.
Xiulan: May success be your companion all the way. I am confident about your ability to have dreams and realize them. Look at how far we have reached after being an ordinary family. Now we are at the top of the pyramid of the Chinese Empire.
Zixin: In order for the pyramid to stand strong and last, it must have strong bases. I need to consolidate my roots as the emperor of the Chinese Empire as much as I can.
Xiulan: Let your wisdom guide your way. You do not know the impossible, my sweetheart!
Once the imperial edict of tax reduction has been proclaimed, people became extremely happy. They admired the wisdom of Zixin and his intention to bring tangible benefits to their lives in practice. People across the Chinese Empire started to talk about the imperial edict and its effects on their lives. Here is a snapshot of a conversation between a husband and his wife in this regard:
Husband: Have you heard the latest news?!
Wife: Which news?
Husband: Emperor Zixin has issued an imperial edict for tax reduction. All taxes across the Chinese Empire will be halved from now on.
Wife: Really?! That is really a beneficial decision. Now we can save more money and spend more on our pleasures.
Husband: True. Many people are now complimenting Emperor Zixin and his wisdom. What do you think about that, my dear wife?
Wife: To be honest, I had deep love and allegiance for our former Emperor Wei Jian. I was heartbroken after he was killed with his wife and the rest of the Imperial Family. That incident made me hate Emperor Zixin and what he did. But now, it seems that Emperor Zixin will reform our politics and economy in a way that serves everyone's interests. At the end of the day, I do not care who rules the Chinese Empire. I truly care about what tangible impact the emperor brings to my everyday life. I wonder why our former Emperor Wei Jian did not make such an imperial edict of tax reduction. Was he accruing money in the treasury for his own personal gain?
Husband: I also have the same concerns. A question mark hangs over the past policies in the reign of Emperor Wei Jian. Tax reduction by half is not a light decision. It has enormous impact on the entire Chinese economy. What was Emperor Wei Jian doing with half of our taxes? Were they accrued for his personal interest or the interest of his government officials or were they spent with negligence on some barren projects?
Wife: We cannot blame Emperor Wei Jian for everything. Maybe the government officials working under his supervision had corruption or mismanagement of funds.
Husband: Do you think Emperor Zixin will make more fruitful decisions in the foreseeable future?
Wife: Let us wait and see. I hope Emperor Zixin will bring significant improvements to our lives that will contribute to a higher quality of life and better living standards.
Husband: You are right. Time will tell the unknown.
In the Rainbow City in the Silk Province in the Star Kingdom, when Junjie Song, the Imperial Minister of the Ministry of Intelligence of the deposed government, heard about the news of the imperial edict of tax reduction issued by Zixin, he was greatly shocked and surprised. He said to himself: “How is it possible? Reducing taxes by half will result in a great deficit in the treasury. This will make it very hard for the government to finance its projects and pay the salaries of its employees. How did Zixin make such a decision? Has he thought carefully about the consequences?” Then Junjie shared this shocking news with Yueliang and Taiyang. They thought and analyzed the motives and consequences of this decision in an interesting conversation.
Junjie: Zixin issued an imperial edict of tax reduction by half. Do you believe that?
Yueliang: That is impossible! How can he make such a decision? This will have grave negative consequences on the Chinese economy.
Taiyang: That is right. This will cause a great deficit in the Chinese treasury. Has Zixin started to make decisions that will cause his own downfall?
Junjie: I have the same questions and concerns. Zixin is smart and it is impossible that he makes such a naive decision without careful consideration of its serious consequences. I am afraid that he hides significant things from us. The Ministry of Intelligence reports show extraordinary generosity of Zixin toward his soldiers and employees. Zixin previously proclaimed that everyone working in his government will have his/her salary tripled. Added to this unusual generosity is his generosity now in reducing taxes by half. This exceptional generosity greatly arouses my curiosity and doubts. From where is he getting all the funding? Had he discovered covert goldmines from where he finances all his people and projects? Zixin first rose to fame and fortune when he found a treasure in his land and shared it with the government. He obtained half the treasure as a result of the Treasure Finding Policy. Could it be that Zixin had found more treasures and he did not report these new treasures to the government? If that is the case, then he kept those treasures for himself to carry out and finance his atrocious plans.
Taiyang: I do not think that covert goldmines or newly found treasures suffice to offset the deficit caused by Zixin's imperial edict of tax reduction. I guess Zixin is hiding something serious from our attention as you said, Junjie. We need to dig into this matter more seriously and diligently.
Yueliang: I agree with Taiyang. Covert goldmines and newly found treasures, even if they are plentiful, cannot cover the degree of generosity of Zixin toward his people and projects. Junjie, could not the Ministry of Intelligence plant a spy in the Imperial Palace until now to watch Zixin closely and monitor his steps precisely?
Junjie: Until now, the Ministry of Intelligence could not plant a spy in the Imperial Palace. Zixin is very vigilant, heedful and wary of our movements. He has strict detailed rules for admitting people into the Imperial Palace. He fears that his enemies might try to assassinate him as we attempted previously so he has tightened up the security measures and controls in the Imperial Palace.
Taiyang: We must plant a spy in the Imperial Palace if we want to gain a true competitive edge over Zixin. There are a lot of secrets that Zixin might have and that can only be disclosed by a spy. Please Junjie, do your best with the Ministry of Intelligence to plant a spy in the Imperial Palace.
Junjie: At your command. I will do my best to achieve this goal as soon as possible.
Planting the Spy in the Imperial Palace
Junjie issued his top priority command to the Ministry of Intelligence of the deposed government to do their best and plant a spy in the Imperial Palace. The Ministry of Intelligence took the command of Junjie very seriously and began to carry it out as the circumstances permit. There were many candidate spies that could be planted in the Imperial Palace and the Ministry of Intelligence had to choose the fittest and smartest spy for this paramount mission.
Yingjie Zhuang, the Deputy Imperial Minister of Intelligence of the deposed government, worked hard in order to plant an excellent spy in the Imperial Palace so that they keep a close eye on Zixin. The choice spy had been Lijuan Shanyuan, a female employee at the Ministry of Intelligence of the deposed government who has a professional experience in espionage for more than ten years.
Upon the appointment of Lijuan Shanyuan as the choice spy for the Imperial Palace, Yingjie reminded Lijuan of some rules that she needs to keep in mind to protect herself and the Ministry of Intelligence. Here are some of these rules:
1. Have unwavering allegiance to the Ministry of Intelligence.
2. Your safety and security is a top priority.
3. Act with certainty and not with doubt.
4. Make a reconnaissance to know about your enemy and the environment.
5. Gather as much information as possible.
6. Share information with the Ministry of Intelligence when it is safe to do so.
7. Build fruitful relationships.
8. Trust people minimally.
9. Leave no traces.
10. Misguide the enemy and lead them astray.
11. If you are caught by the enemy, try your best not to disclose the secrets of the Ministry of Intelligence.
12. Lie and remember your lies. A spy might need to lie to misguide the enemy and she must remember her lies so that she does not contradict herself and put herself in a dubious position.
Lijuan was trained well for her upcoming mission and she successfully joined the Imperial Palace as a maid for carrying out typical chores of housekeeping such as cleaning, washing clothes, moving objects and tidying the palace. In her first days, she had no direct contact with Zixin because her duties were assigned in areas far from Zixin. Occasionally, Lijuan would see Zixin while he moves through the palace. Until now, Lijuan is completely oblivious of the occult magic that Zixin employs to generate money by converting stones to gold with his magical stick. Lijuan knows that Zixin hides numerous secrets from the public and she must unravel the mysteries of his policies and report them to the Ministry of Intelligence as soon as possible.
The 100 Articles of Philosophy
The studies of Yueliang, Taiyang, Junjie, Liling Heng, Mei Shun and their colleagues at the Merlin School have progressed remarkably and they have just completed the philosophy course. The students have learned so much from the courses of their program so far. Chinese philosophy is quite interesting and it reveals deep meanings of life and glows with wisdom and motivational power. As part of the philosophy course at the Merlin School, the students learned 100 articles of philosophy that enrich their thinking and improve their analytical skills. Here is the list of these 100 articles of philosophy:
1. Life consists of riddles. The more riddles you solve, the wiser you are.
2. Life without struggle is like food without salt.
3. In life, not every plan will be carried out and not every dream will come true.
4. The value of your life increases as your achievements increase.
5. The joy of achievement offsets the pain of hard work.
6. Circumstances dictate your options.
7. When you cannot defy circumstances, adapt to them.
8. Great success begins with great ambitions.
9. Not every problem in life can be solved with money.
10. Simplify what is complicated and do not complicate what is simple.
11. Rely on yourself as much as possible but you cannot forsake relying on others.
12. Leaders are as good as the decisions they make.
13. A temporary failure might pave the road for continuous success.
14. Feedback helps you see yourself as you see your face in a mirror.
15. Risk taking paves the road to glory.
16. The ignorant man is he who knows nothing or thinks that he knows everything.
17. The more you explore the world, the more open-minded you shall be.
18. A glossy lie might overcome a dull truth.
19. A brilliant mind is superior to a deft hand.
20. Repeated failure indicates the lack of maturity.
21. It is not sufficient to see all the options; it is necessary to select the best option.
22. Experience irrigates wisdom.
23. Supplement your experience with the experiences of others.
24. To survive in life at times, you need to bend with the wind.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
25. Incomplete information leads to wrong decisions.
26. Insufficient information leads to bad judgment.
27. Information overload perplexes the decision maker.
28. The quality of a decision is judged by its consequences.
29. Reading and writing grants you access to uncountable worlds.
30. Reading quenches one's thirst for knowledge.
31. Writing is the most precious vehicle for knowledge sharing.
32. A word outlives its writer.
33. Do not challenge whom you do not know.
34. Exploration opens the doors of opportunities.
35. With hard work, the impossible can become possible.
36. With negligence, talents diminish.
37. With persistence, dreams come true.
38. Work with what you know and learn that which you do not know.
39. Consistent practice opens the door of mastery.
40. Carelessness leads to chaos.
41. Poor planning leads to poor quality.
42. Planning ahead is advantageous.
43. A shortsighted plan might bring disasters.
44. Jealousy fuels competition.
45. Competition motivates mastery and distinction.
46. A fierce competition can become ruthless where the winner takes all.
47. Knowledge and experience are the two dimensions of wisdom.
48. The bitter defeat of one is the sweet victory of another.
49. A thorny road might end with a beautiful oasis.
50. To smell flowers you might need to tread on thorns.
51. A less traveled road might be superior to a more traveled road.
52. The misuse of power opens the door of injustice.
53. Greed and selfishness are a twin.
54. An unarmed man is an easy prey to predators.
55. Setting goals and working to achieve them reduce the waste of time.
56. Wise planning allows one to achieve more goals in less time.
57. A inferior practical solution might be better than a superior theoretical solution.
58. A monotonous lifestyle might arouse boredom.
59. Perfection demands the greatest efforts.
60. A threat might lead to an opportunity.
61. A risk might lead to a profit.
62. Curiosity opens the door for invention.
63. A crafty plan might backfire.
64. A scheming man might dig his own grave.
65. Unrequited love is one form of torture.
66. Interest fuels exploration.
67. A true leader is farsighted and sees the big picture.
68. The five keys of fame and fortune are: a brilliant mind, an eloquent tongue, a beautiful voice, a dexterous hand and a nimble body.
69. The road to glory is paved with challenges.
70. A bitter medication might save life.
71. A lost opportunity might not come again.
72. Happy marriage is not that which has no problems but that which has a solution for every problem.
73. The accumulation of misdeeds breaks relationships.
74. Miscommunication breaks relationships.
75. A house with good communication is immune to rift.
76. Ideal cultivation is gradual and incremental in nature.
77. An ordinary man today might become an influential man tomorrow.
78. Great people are not those who do not fail but those who do not surrender to failure.
79. Learning from failures paves the road to perfection.
80. Repeated mistakes incite distrust.
81. He who does not learn from his own mistakes will not improve.
82. He who relies on others might be disappointed.
83. Incomplete success is susceptible to failure.
84. Underestimating your enemy paves the road to defeat.
85. Dreams without actions are bound to evaporate.
86. Dreams come true with faith, action and determination.
87. It is not sufficient to see the opportunity; you need to seize it.
88. Do not walk when you can make giant leaps.
89. Negative words might kill ambitions.
90. A borrowed article might not be returned.
91. Talents might be hard to duplicate.
92. Appreciation nurtures talents.
93. Unappreciation is the cemetery of talents.
94. Memory is the bridge that keeps lovers connected.
95. The reluctant will achieve little.
96. He who procrastinate will achieve little.
97. A fragile basis is bound to collapse.
98. A plotter might be killed by his own plot.
99. Truthfulness and honesty are the two pillars of trust.
100. Losing a loved one is the door of sadness.
The Love of Yueliang and Liling
Yueliang and Liling fell in love with each other at first sight. This love has grown remarkably as they met regularly in the Merlin School. They have been practicing together and shared so much information with one another about their lives. Until now, Yueliang has not expressed his love frankly to Liling. However, they both know that they love one another based on their speech and body language. Lovers speak to one another with high reverence and attention to details. They use supportive language with positive comments and feedback. Lovers also send certain signals or nonverbal cues to one another using their body language. For example, lovers smile to each other. A lover might wink an eye at his/her loved one as well. The female might soften her voice when she speaks with her loved one. Each male and female uses his/her own instinct in expressing and communicating love to his/her loved one. Today, Yueliang and Liling will meet alone and each one of them has brought a gift to the other. Liling has brought a pretty sachet that she has tailored for Yueliang. On the sachet there are beautiful flowers with the name of Yueliang (Huang Lok). Yueliang has brought a charming jade flute for Liling. This is the first time when Yueliang and Liling will express their love to one another frankly.
Yueliang: Liling, I have a modest gift for you and I hope you will like it.
Liling: Huang, of course I will like it. Whatever you bring me is the best.
Yueliang: Please accept this jade flute and keep it as a memory between us.
Liling: [After taking the jade flute] - Thank you so much. It is captivating. I will remember you whenever I play a tune on it. I also have brought you a modest gift and I hope you will find it helpful.
Yueliang: Certainly I will like it and find it useful. You have a great taste and I trust your choice.
Liling: Please accept my sachet and remember me whenever you use it.
Yueliang: [After taking the sachet] - Thank you so much. It is marvelous. It will always remind me of you. Liling, it is time to share something with you.
Liling: What? I am all ears.
Yueliang: Liling, I truly love you deeply. You are my sweetheart.
Liling: Huang, I also truly love you deeply. You are my sweetheart.
Yueliang: I am so happy that our love is mutual. I fell in love with you at first sight but could not share my feelings with you earlier.
Liling: I also fell in love with you at first sight and was waiting for the right moment to disclose my feelings.
Yueliang: I am greatly blessed to have you by my side. You are extremely beautiful, caring, loving and considerate.
Liling: My happiest moment is when I am with you. You are handsome, generous, chivalrous, brave and loving.
Yueliang: I will do my best to cherish our love and make you happy.
Liling: I cannot stop thinking about you. I hope our love story will be memorable and successful.
Yueliang: You are the most beautiful dream in my life. I cannot wait until we get married and share the same pillow.
Liling: No one is happier than me when I am with you. I will do my best to make you happy.
Yueliang: I will remain loyal and faithful to you as long as I breathe.
Liling: No one can separate us from now on. Together forever.
The Love of Junjie and Mei
Not only Yueliang and Liling fell in love with each other at first sight, Junjie and Mei also experienced the same emotion. Over time, they met regularly and expressed their admiration for one another. Today, Junjie and Mei meet and they brought special gifts. Junjie brought Mei a beautiful pendant while Mei brought Junjie leather shoes that she tailored for him. They exchanged the gifts and were very happy with one another. Here is a snapshot of their conversation:
Junjie: Mei, thank you so much for the wonderful gift. You always surprise me with delightful things.
Mei: Do not mention it. You deserve more. Thank you also for your beautiful gift. I truly appreciate it.
Junjie: I am glad that you liked it. Mei, I want to tell you a secret.
Mei: What? Please go ahead.
Junjie: Mei, I love you so much. I fell in love with you at first sight.
Mei: Dingbang, I also love you so much. I also fell in love with you at first sight.
Junjie: Your words have made me the happiest man on earth. I hope our love will grow and flourish.
Mei: I hope to stay by your side always and share the journey of life with you.
Junjie: We will be together in prosperity or adversity.
Mei: I shall be your loving woman at all events.
The Spy Discovers the Occult Magic
Lijuan Shanyuan, the spy, has been trying hard to watch Zixin and his movements in the Imperial Palace. After some time, she managed to follow Zixin while he was walking toward the Orchid Hall. The walls of the Orchid Hall are composed of hollow bricks. Lijuan started to peek through the cavities of the wall of the Orchid Hall and she saw what dazzled her immensely. She saw the Orchid Hall full of medium-size stones arranged in rows and columns. She counted the stones in one row and one column and multiplied them to get the total number of stones. Each row consists of 20 stones and each column consists of 20 stones as well. Therefore, she concluded that there are 400 stones in the hall. Then, Lijuan saw Zixin passing by each stone and touching the stone with his magical stick and instantly, the stone is converted to gold. Zixin completed the conversion of 400 stones to gold in a short time. After that, Zixin ordered his workers to move the stones out of the Orchid Hall and protect them with diligence until they are safely delivered to the mints. Lijuan is very smart and acute so she concluded that the stones are transferred to the mints for being cast as golden taels. Lijuan then withdrew for her safety and to avoid being discovered.
Lijuan is now the first person from the Ministry of Intelligence of the deposed government who could unravel the mystery of Zixin's abnormal wealth and the source of his gargantuan fortune. Just with his magical stick, he can transform any number of stones into gold in the blink of an eye. Virtually, this occult magic technique makes Zixin have access to unlimited money supply or unbounded wealth and fortune. This is a very bad news for the Ministry of Intelligence of the deposed government because it creates one of the greatest challenges for them. It means that their enemy has an extraordinary source of power and control. Zixin has a great competitive edge over his enemies due to this occult magic. They are not competing with an ordinary person, but with a very smart person with supernatural capabilities.
In the nearest chance, Lijuan reported her finding about Zixin's occult magic to her master and her master in turn reported her finding to Yingjie Zhuang. Yingjie then reported the paramount finding to Junjie to keep him posted about the latest and greatest update from the Ministry of Intelligence. When Junjie received the message and news from Yingjie, he was extremely surprised, astonished and perplexed. He now can demystify the abnormal growth of Zixin and how he turned from an ordinary magician into the richest person in the Chinese Empire overnight. The source of Zixin's wealth is no longer shrouded in mystery. Everything is now clear to Junjie. After this significant discovery, Junjie found it necessary to share the news with Yueliang and Taiyang and here is a snapshot of their private conversation:
Junjie: Yueliang, Taiyang, we are now full aware of the reasons behind Zixin's abnormal wealth and fortune. Guess what?
Yueliang and Taiyang: Has he found a myriad of goldmines from which he extracts gold?
Junjie: No. Since Zixin is a magician, he discovered an occult magic technique by which he can converts stones to gold. Zixin can convert any stone to gold once he touches it with his magical stick. This is unbelievable.
Yueliang: Really? I never imagined that such a magical technique exists.
Taiyang: Really? I thought that converting stones to gold by magic is impossible.
Junjie: I am happy and sad at the same time now. I am happy that we could unravel the mystery of Zixin's abnormal wealth but I am sad for knowing that Zixin has access to this occult magic because this will make our mission in defeating him extremely difficult and challenging. Do you recognize what this news entails?
Taiyang: I guess it entails that Zixin has now access to unlimited money supply. This means he can harness this money and power to gather soldiers and supporters around him.
Yueliang: True. It means that he can allure people into following him and supporting his cause by his matchless generosity with them.
Junjie: Do you know how Zixin ascended to power and became in the limelight overnight? He claimed to have found a treasure in his land while digging. The treasure consisted of 100 boxes full of raw gold. According to the Treasure Finding Policy of our government, Zixin must get half the treasure while our government gets the other half. As a consequence, our government gave Zixin the worth of half the treasure as golden taels. He became the richest person of the Chinese Empire overnight as a result. Now I can demystify the riddle with a crystal clear vision. It is evident now that Zixin has set up and made up the treasure story to deceive us and exploit us to be rich overnight.
Taiyang: Do you mean that he converted a myriad of stones to gold with his magical stick and laid them in the 100 boxes to feign finding a treasure in front of the government?
Junjie: Exactly. This is the only valid interpretation of Zixin's treasure finding story.
Yueliang: Zixin is very scheming indeed. Such a plot needs a very smart person.
Taiyang: In that case, Zixin exploited our government to rise to power and fortune and then he trod on us with his perfidy. How excruciating that we helped our enemy to defeat us and tread on us.
Yueliang: I will never forgive Zixin for exploiting us and then betraying us. This is the ultimate form of high treason.
Junjie: Our government treated Zixin in a bona fide manner. Now I learned that we should assume the evil intentions of people before assuming their good intentions. Unfortunately, it is very late now to learn this lesson.
Yueliang: Junjie, can we get a sample of golden taels that are produced from the stones that Zixin converts to gold? I think this sample is important for exploration and experimentation. We want to see if these golden taels are identical the true golden taels that are cast and produced from true raw gold.
Junjie: It is a very good idea. I think now all the Chinese market is flooded with golden taels that are produced from stones through Zixin's magic.
Taiyang: But we need to get a sample of golden taels as soon as they exit one of the major mints after being cast. This way we are sure that these golden taels are produced from the stones by Zixin's magic.
Yueliang: I wonder whether Zixin is producing all the golden taels now in the mints by his magic or whether he is mixing the golden taels produced by his magic with the golden taels obtained from true raw gold produced from different goldmines in the country.
Taiyang: That is an important issue to resolve. Because if Zixin is mixing the golden taels of his magic with the golden taels of true raw gold of the goldmines, the sample of golden taels we get might consists of only true raw gold from the goldmines or a mixture of the stones produced by the magic of Zixin and true raw gold of the goldmines. In that case, our investigation will be blurred and more difficult to reach conclusive decisions and reach decisive insights.
Junjie: I am impressed by your wisdom, Yueliang and Taiyang. I will order the Ministry of Intelligence to station an ambush for capturing a sample of golden taels as soon as they exit the mint. Consider it done.
Obtaining the Sample of Golden Taels
Junjie ordered Yingjie to station an ambush near one of the major mints in the Jasmine City to capture a sample of golden taels that are produced from the stones by Zixin's magic. He also ordered Yingjie to investigate what Zixin is doing with true raw gold obtained from goldmines and whether he is mixing it with the gold obtained from the stones by his magic.
Upon receiving Junjie's order, Yingjie planned a masterful ambush to capture the sample of golden taels. Yingjie also investigated thoroughly what Zixin is doing with true raw gold from goldmines. After diligent and precise investigations, Yingjie found that Zixin issued an imperial edict that all the true gold obtained from goldmines that is used in producing golden taels must be stored securely in a storage area in the Ministry of Finance and that after this imperial edict is effective, all the golden taels produced from the mints are based on the gold obtained from the stones by Zixin's magic.
The ambush succeeded with 100 soldiers from the Ministry of Intelligence who attacked and captured a carriage full of golden taels after it exited one of the major mints. Yingjie sent the sample securely to Junjie with a message about his investigation and its results. He told Junjie to rest assured that this sample is based on the stones produced by Zixin's magic and that Zixin is hoarding true raw gold from goldmines in a secure storage area in the Ministry of Finance. This sample of golden taels will open the door for serious and intelligent investigations regarding the magic of Zixin and its possibilities and limits.