The silver notes were denominated one, two, five, ten, twenty, fifty, and one hundred taels.
The patterns were dense and intricate, bordered by floral designs. Beneath the patterns were hidden inscriptions and marks from the Ministry of Revenue, along with official seals for easy comparison.
Various rare colors were used, and intricate micro-engraved seals were embedded in multiple locations of the patterns, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship. The artisans who mastered this technique were all employed by the government, strictly monitored, and highly compensated.
Beneath the gold notes, the most striking statement read: "According to the laws of Da Qian, counterfeiters will be exterminated along with their entire families."
The anti-corrosion and anti-counterfeiting measures for these gold notes represented the pinnacle of this era.
Xiao Qing suddenly obtained tens of millions of taels of gold. Naturally, this gold could not all be injected into the market, nor was it convenient for ordinary people to carry, as gold's density far surpassed that of silver.
The economy of the Da Qian nation was growing daily, and the common people had more disposable income. The existing silver notes were no longer sufficient to support their daily transactions.
Furthermore, some large families preferred to hoard silver notes of one hundred taels for unforeseen circumstances.
Following Da Qian's expansion of territory, the implementation of the "Tan Ding Ru Mu" policy, the easy settlement of gold and silver with the major aristocratic families, the recovery of the Nine Cauldrons and the Imperial Seal, and the depositing of gold into the treasury, the people's trust in Liang Xiao and Xiao Qing reached an unprecedented level, which in turn extended to the nation as a whole.
Even a portion of the domestic landlords and gentry abandoned all ulterior motives and obediently accepted all the court's decrees, even proactively hoarding silver notes.
From time to time, wealthy individuals from Da Liang and gentry who had previously migrated to Da Qian would send messages to the Da Qian government, expressing their desire to return and offering to pay a processing fee.
After Mu Cheng's death, the political landscape of Da Liang underwent drastic changes, causing many wealthy individuals to worry about the future of their families and to earnestly desire to escape Da Liang.
With the overseas crisis looming, migrating to Da Qian was a favorable choice. At worst, they could live as ordinary wealthy individuals, refraining from exploiting the populace, which was far better than facing sudden execution and losing all their wealth and lives in Da Liang.
Silver notes were in short supply, and the common people began to revert to using "iron money" for transactions, often having to carry tens of pounds of copper coins, which was extremely inconvenient.
The people's demand for silver notes was increasing daily, but Da Qian did not have a large enough silver reserve to back them.
Therefore, Xiao Qing issued a decree to increase the issuance of gold notes with a reserve of five million taels of gold. The higher the denomination of the gold note, the fewer in number.
With these gold notes, the public could withdraw gold at any time, but a two percent handling fee would be charged.
After discussions between Xiao Qing and his ministers, the reserve was tentatively set at fifty percent, meaning a total of ten million taels worth of gold notes would be issued. The government would initially hold half of these notes, observe market circulation, and then gradually release the other half once stability was ensured.
According to the Ministry of Revenue's estimations, this reserve ratio was more than sufficient, and the reserve ratio could even be further lowered. However, Xiao Qing opted for a cautious approach.
After the issuance of the gold notes, Liang Xiao and the wealthy individuals of the capital took the lead, exchanging gold notes for an equivalent value of silver and gold, totaling over a million taels of gold.
The remaining gold notes were distributed to the public as currency.
The majority of the common people had no need for large-denomination gold notes. A small portion of the populace, trusting in the value of gold, exchanged them for notes of one or two taels.
The gold notes were successfully implemented in the capital with virtually no resistance and were promoted nationwide, centered from the capital. Various newspapers received advance notice and successively disseminated the news, gaining public support.
As gold was more stable in value than silver, the promotion of the new gold notes was even smoother than that of silver notes.
Due to the immense domestic demand in Da Qian, particularly the astronomical investment in military equipment, most commodity prices did not rise despite the sudden influx of tens of millions of taels of gold.
Weaving mills across the country were successively acquired by the court to begin the promotion of simple assembly lines and spinning machines, aiming to increase production efficiency.
The acquisition of weaving mills was crucial, as Da Qian needed to ensure that technologies like spinning machines were not stolen by enemy nations, thus preventing complications.
Consequently, weaving mills required the hiring of a large number of guards. A portion of officials dispatched by the court were tasked with overseeing these mills, with officials supervising the guards, and officials mutually supervising each other. Those who leaked technology would be subjected to the severest punishment.
Thus, retired soldiers once again became eligible to enlist as guards, providing for their families and increasing employment opportunities.
With the support of spinning machines, early versions of steam engines, and simple assembly lines, the surge in profits for weaving mills was only a matter of time. Most cotton armor and clothing were issued to frontline soldiers, significantly reducing costs compared to before.
Everything was thriving...
The soldiers on the frontline, upon hearing that the lives of their families in the rear would undoubtedly improve, were further boosted in morale and strove to defend the borders.
The training of the Central State Army was nearing completion. These new elites would serve as archers for the Da Qian Bow, delivering a heavy blow to the enemy.
While waiting, Liang Xiao also spent rare moments with his family, personally educating his children.
One day, Liang Xiao's family, Zhuo Zifang's family, Zhang Yang's family, and Nie Yuan's wife and daughter went on an outing outside the city. Even Xiao Qing took advantage of a recess from court sessions to bring his two princes, and the entire family enjoyed a joyful gathering.
Yu Qingchuan and Yu Zao, a couple, along with their children Yu Hong and Yu Ning.
Chen Shaoling and Li Hongshu, a couple, also had two children, Chen Ping and Chen Anan.
And Liang Xiao's in-laws, Jian Nanfeng and Mu Xueqin.
All of them had traveled from Tianshan for this rare reunion and outing.
The countryside was filled with joy, with a large number of Shadow Guards responsible for security in the distance, fearing any disturbance to Liang Xiao's family.
The happiest were Elder Liang Qing and Luo Changfeng, who held Liang Tiancheng and Luo Pingxiao respectively, beaming with delight.
Liang Xiao was by the river. Seeing the clear water, he couldn't resist scooping up a spoonful to rinse his mouth. He frowned, "Why does the taste suddenly seem a bit strange..."
At that moment, Liang Cangsheng was urinating upstream from Liang Xiao, his stream reaching three feet far in the wind.
"Sister Ning'er, look how high my pee goes, my brother Cangsheng! Yikes~ Yeah~ Look, my daddy is drinking my first pee~"
Hearing Liang Cangsheng's call, four-year-old Yu Ning turned and covered her eyes, "Ew~ Brother Cangsheng, you're being a shy face!"
"Pfft!"
Liang Xiao immediately spat the water onto the ground, turned to fetch his water flask to rinse his mouth again, and walked towards Liang Cangsheng. As he approached, he saw his wives already shaking with laughter.
"One thing conquers another, you have your day too?" Luo Qingxue scoffed.
Liang Xiao's old face turned red, and he was rendered speechless. He could only hold Liang Cangsheng on his lap, gently educating him, and not forgetting to glance at Jian Canglang and Chou Hanhai, who were practicing swordsmanship with Jian Nanfeng in the distance.
"Look at your second and fifth brothers, how diligently they practice their swords. Learn from them."
"Child wants to be like Daddy, to be a match for ten thousand men!" Liang Cangsheng merely gave a vague assent, then hid behind his mother Yue Lian, pretending ignorance.
"He has his father's spirit... hmm, I mean when he was a child and peed upstream," Liang Qing and Luo Changfeng watched the father-son bonding in the distance, whispering to each other.
Liang Xiao, recalling the mischief he caused in his childhood, merely grinned, not overly reprimanding.
The eldest and the sixth child had personalities most like his own in his youth.
A moment later, Yu Ning walked over, crying and holding her backside.
"Daddy, Mommy, Uncle, Brother Cangsheng just hit my bottom..."
As soon as the words fell, Liang Xiao's wives froze. They cast complex glances at Liang Xiao and Liang Cangsheng, who was running to hug Liang Xiao's leg. Zuo Jing, in particular, blushed and hesitated to speak.
Liang Qing and Yue Hongxiu were dumbfounded.