The night the Tian Xian's poison took effect, Lin Wan'er stood at the edge of Guangyun Pool, watching as lanterns reflected off the water like floating coins. The Tongbao Fen celebration had turned into a massacre, but she'd managed to contain the damage—for now.
"Your Highness, the physicians have identified the poison," Pei Ji reported, his voice tight. "It's meng jin—'Dream Gold.' Causes hallucinations of wealth… and fatal heart attacks."
Wan'er's blood chilled. "How many were affected?"
"Dozens. Including Prince Longji."
She followed Pei Ji to the imperial infirmary, where Longji thrashed on a cot, muttering about gold mountains. "He's been calling for you," Pei Ji said.
Wan'er took Longji's hand. "I'm here."
His eyes focused briefly. "The Xuanwu Code… use it…" Then he lapsed back into delirium.
Wan'er turned to Pei Ji. "I need access to the Mi Zhen Si's financial intelligence network."
He nodded. "I'll arrange it."
That evening, Wan'er met with the Mi Zhen Si's surviving agents in the imperial tombs. They spread maps and ledgers across the stone floor, their faces illuminated by torchlight.
"Princess Taiping is stockpiling gold in Luoyang," one agent reported. "She plans to flood the market, causing hyperinflation."
Wan'er activated her calculator. "If we can intercept that gold…"
Another agent handed her a scroll. "We've intercepted a Tian Xian message. They're using yinzi—secret codes—to communicate."
Wan'er studied the symbols, recognizing them as a primitive form of encryption. "We'll crack their code and send false orders," she declared. "Redirect the gold to Guangyun Pool."
The agents nodded, already deciphering the message. As they worked, Wan'er stared at the hu fu's star chart, now recognizing the constellation as the Mi Zhen Si's symbol for counterfeiting.
This is the key.
The next morning, Wan'er visited the imperial mint. "I need you to create jia jin—fake gold," she told the master 铸币.
He paled. "Counterfeiting is punishable by death, Your Highness."
Wan'er smiled. "Not if it's done under imperial authority." She showed him Longji's edict. "We'll alloy the gold with copper—just enough to fool the Tian Xian, but not enough to debase the currency."
The master 铸币 nodded, reluctantly. "As you command."
That evening, the Mi Zhen Si agents intercepted the Tian Xian gold caravan near Guangyun Pool. Wan'er stood hidden in the reeds, watching as her men unloaded the real gold and replaced it with the counterfeit.
"Now, we wait," she said.
Three days later, Princess Taiping's gold hit the market. Prices plummeted as merchants panicked, but Wan'er was ready.
"Activate the huangjin huan," she ordered.
Huangjin huan—"Gold Swap"—allowed investors to exchange their Tian Xian gold for Mi Zhen Si-certified gold at a premium. Within hours, the Tian Xian gold was devalued, while the Mi Zhen Si's reputation soared.
Princess Taiping stormed into the Yanzhi Bank, her face livid. "You've destroyed me!" she screamed.
Wan'er smiled. "No, Aunt. I've taught you a lesson in financial warfare."
As Taiping fled, Wan'er collapsed into Pei Ji's arms. "It's over."
He kissed her forehead. "Not yet. The Mi Zhen Si's final weapon is still out there."
That night, as Wan'er reviewed the day's transactions, a scroll rolled into her office. She opened it, her heart racing.
It was a map of the Mi Zhen Si's hidden vaults, with a note from the old woman: "The Xuanwu Code is inside. Use it wisely."
Wan'er activated her calculator, inputting the vault's coordinates. "Pei Ji, we need to go to the Tianshan Mountains."
He nodded. "I'll assemble a team."
As they prepared to depart, Prince Longji entered, his face pale but determined. "I'm coming with you."
Wan'er hesitated. "Your Highness, you're still recovering."
He smiled. "And you'll need someone to protect you."
The journey to the Tianshan Mountains was perilous. They faced bandits, blizzards, and Tian Xian assassins, but Wan'er's financial strategies kept them alive—issuing bing zheng zhai quan (Military Bonds) to hire mercenaries, using kuajing fuhui to secure supplies.
Finally, they reached the vault—a cavern carved into the mountainside, its entrance guarded by stone lions. Wan'er pressed her hu fu into the lions' eyes, and the doors slid open.
Inside, they found walls covered in star charts and ledgers—the Mi Zhen Si's financial war room. At its center lay a bronze chest, inscribed with the Xuanwu Code.
Wan'er opened it, revealing a scroll and a vial of liquid.
"The Xuanwu Code," Pei Ji murmured.
Wan'er unrolled the scroll, her eyes widening. It was a mathematical formula—a way to predict market crashes and manipulate prices.
But the vial was labeled "Xuanwu Shui"—"玄武水"—a poison that could dissolve gold.
"This is the final weapon," she said. "With this, we can destroy the Tian Xian's gold reserves."
Longji's eyes lit up. "Use it."
Wan'er hesitated. Destroying the gold would collapse the economy. "This isn't just about Taiping anymore. It's about the future of Tang."
She activated her calculator, inputting data on the gold supply and inflation. "If we use Xuanwu Shui, we'll cause hyperinflation. But if we don't, Taiping will rise again."
Longji placed a hand on her shoulder. "The decision is yours."
Wan'er closed her eyes, weighing the consequences. Then she nodded. "We'll use it."
That evening, as they prepared to deploy the Xuanwu Shui, a figure emerged from the shadows—Princess Taiping, her face gaunt, her eyes wild.
"You can't win," she hissed. "The Tian Xian are everywhere."
Wan'er activated her calculator. "Not anymore." She showed Taiping the Tongbao Fen updates. "Your spies' scores are zero. They're outcasts."
Taiping's eyes widened in horror. "You… you've destroyed us."
Wan'er nodded. "Now, it's time to build something new."
As Taiping fled, Wan'er poured the Xuanwu Shui into the Tian Xian's gold reserves. The liquid dissolved the gold instantly, leaving only a pool of shimmering water.
"It's done," she said.
Longji took her hand. "Now, come back to Chang'an with me. Rule by my side."
Wan'er hesitated. Allying with Longji would secure her position… but at what cost?
Before she could answer, Pei Ji stepped forward. "Wan'er, there's something you need to know. The Mi Zhen Si's final mission is to protect the Xuanwu Code—not to serve any ruler."
She met his gaze steadily. "I know. And I choose to use it to build a better Tang."
That night, as they watched the sunrise over the Tianshan Mountains, Wan'er activated the Xuanwu Code. Markets across Tang stabilized, inflation subsided, and a new era of financial prosperity dawned.
But as she stared at the hu fu's star chart, now fully illuminated, a new resolve filled her. The financial revolution had only just begun.