Chapter 208: The Three Sovereigns Shocked! A Joint Interrogation of Great Zhou!

Three days later, in the bustling heart of Luoyang, the latest issue of the Great Zhou Gazette hit the streets.

Under the crisp morning sun, a newsboy in a vivid green uniform darted down the avenue, his voice rising above the clamor of the crowd.

“Extra, extra! Over thirty silver mines discovered overseas by Great Zhou!”

“The world’s largest silver mine has been found!”

Though the Great Zhou Gazette now reached countless households directly—especially the affluent, who received every issue at their doorstep—street vendors remained the primary sales force. The boy’s energetic cries soon echoed along the main thoroughfare, drawing curious glances from passersby.

Someone finally shouted, “Hey, boy! Give me a copy!”

The paperboy rushed over and handed him a fresh issue. As the man fished for coins, he raised a skeptical brow.

“You’re saying Great Zhou found more than thirty silver mines? Is that true?”

Grinning, the boy replied, “Sir, you must be a stranger to Great Zhou. Our Gazette has a reputation for absolute honesty. We even dare to criticize the court officials—how could we publish false news? The chief editor is none other than Her Majesty’s own sister. We’re known for truth, not theatrics.”

The man accepted the paper with a chuckle, unfolded it, and scanned the headlines. A sharp intake of breath followed.

“An individual mine estimated to yield over five hundred thousand jin?”

“There are five

more like that?!”

His voice rose hoarsely with disbelief.

Around him, the crowd gasped.

“What? A silver mine with over five hundred thousand jin of ore?”

“Dear heavens, Great Zhou’s going to be rich.”

“If that’s true, silver prices will collapse.”

“Thirty silver mines?! That’s madness!”

The mounting excitement swept through the street. Unable to resist their own shock and curiosity, many scrambled to buy a copy for themselves.

By midday, the news had spread like wildfire across Luoyang. Behind closed doors, panic began to brew among silver speculators. These merchants, who had hoarded silver for months, now reacted as if mourning the death of their own parents.

They scrambled to offload their stocks in fear of a market crash. Everyone in Great Zhou knew one thing: The Great Zhou Gazette never lied. If silver mines had truly been unearthed, the value of their hoarded wealth would plummet.

…

Far to the south, within the imperial palace of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Biao sprinted into Fengtian Hall, gripping a crumpled newspaper.

Thud.

He stumbled at the threshold—too high and nearly tripped flat—but steadied himself and rushed forward.

Zhu Yuanzhang furrowed his brows.

“What’s going on, son? Why the panic?”

Zhu Di, Li Wenzhong, and Li Shanchang exchanged glances. The Crown Prince was known for his composure. This frantic entrance was highly uncharacteristic.

Adjusting the golden crown on his head, Zhu Biao’s face had turned deathly pale. He came before his father, trembling, his eyes wide with alarm.

“Father, something’s happened. Great Zhou has reportedly discovered over thirty silver mines—some with yields exceeding five hundred thousand jin…”

Silence fell over the hall.

A gasp broke it.

Li Shanchang, Li Wenzhong, and Tang He all drew sharp breaths, stunned.

“Silver mines? Great Zhou?”

This was catastrophic.

Zhu Di stared, aghast. “Father, if this is true—if Great Zhou’s found silver mines—our whole silver acquisition strategy…”

He couldn’t finish.

Zhu Yuanzhang’s heart jolted. He stood at once, trembling visibly.

“What did you say?”

“Silver mines?”

“Biao’er, are you joking with me?”

Zhu Biao’s lips had turned white. He held out the newspaper with trembling fingers, his expression grim.

“I wish I were joking, Father. But it’s all here, printed in black and white in the Great Zhou Gazette. They claim—confidently—that several of the mines yield over five hundred thousand jin. At least five of them are that large. The rest are mid-sized deposits…”

Zhu Yuanzhang’s voice erupted across the chamber.

“Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”

His tiger eyes blazed with disbelief.

“How many silver mines do we even have in the Central Plains? And most of those have been mined for decades. How can Great Zhou suddenly discover over thirty, and all of them medium or large?”

His tone sharpened, eyes flashing with suspicion.

“This must be one of Yang Yi’s tricks!”

Suddenly calm, Zhu Yuanzhang’s voice lowered, but his fists clenched tight.

“He knows that if silver prices keep rising, their paper currency will become worthless. This has to be a ploy—a calculated move to manipulate public opinion, depress silver prices, and buy time for their banknotes to recover. Yes… that must be it!”

Li Shanchang, Li Wenzhong, Tang He, and the other ministers exchanged uneasy glances. As wild as the idea sounded, it actually made sense.

Zhu Di’s eyes widened in realization. “Father, what you said makes sense. The Great Zhou Bao claims to serve the Zhou royal family… but isn’t that just their excuse?”

He clenched his fists. “It must be that sinister minister! He knows that under the siege of our three great nations, the price of silver would eventually collapse.

“This must be a calculated ploy—to manipulate public opinion and deliberately crash silver prices. That way, he can both protect Great Zhou’s paper currency and mount a counterattack against us!”

He growled, “This guy even resorts to such underhanded tactics. Ruthless.”

Zhu Biao had finally calmed down. Drawing a deep breath, he realized his father’s analysis wasn’t without merit.

“Father, with such massive public opinion now stirred up in Great Zhou, what should we do?”

Zhu Yuanzhang’s gaze turned ice-cold.

“It’s simple. The Ming newspapers aren’t just for show,” he said flatly. “We’ll join forces with the Tang and Han dynasties. Since Yang Yi dares to use these tricks, we’ll expose their lies.”

He scoffed, “They think they can restore silver prices with just a newspaper? Utter fantasy! Send word immediately to Li Shimin and Liu Che: unless Yang Yi can produce real silver mines, Great Zhou’s credibility will collapse. Their banknotes will be worthless. They’re lifting a rock only to crush their own foot.”

…

Meanwhile, deep within the silent halls of Taiji Palace in the Tang Dynasty, tension thickened the air like fog.

The atmosphere was so heavy it felt suffocating. Li Shimin sat unmoving on the throne, his face as dark as storm clouds.

“What’s going on?” His voice was low, almost dangerous. “Why does Great Zhou have silver mines?”

Everyone in the hall exchanged glances, their scalps prickling in alarm. No one had anticipated such a move from Yang Yi.

Changsun Wuji shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had been the one who strongly recommended Li Shimin invest heavily in silver. Now the price was in freefall. If things continued like this, the Tang court was headed for a massive loss.

After a brief silence, Fang Xuanling spoke in a measured tone.

“Your Majesty, we mustn’t panic just yet. Everything we’ve seen so far comes only from the Great Zhou Bao. There is no tangible proof that they actually possess silver mines.”

He paused, then added thoughtfully, “It’s possible that Great Zhou is using its state-run paper to create a public narrative—artificially suppressing silver prices through psychological warfare. Perhaps… they don’t have silver mines at all.”