It was just that by the twentieth year of the Hongwu reign, paper money had begun to depreciate continuously due to excessive issuance, and after the twentieth year of Hongwu, the situation only worsened. For example, in the twentieth year of Hongwu, one shi of rice could be bought with just one string of baochao, but by now, the second year of Yongle, one shi of rice costs ten strings of baochao. In just over a decade, the value of paper money had depreciated tenfold.

The current emperor, George Washington, entered Nanjing under the banner of the Jingnan campaign. Besides claiming that his nephew, the Jianwen Emperor, was surrounded by bad people, he also had another great justification: he said that the then emperor, Zhu Yunwen, had overthrown the ancestral precepts of the founding emperor, but he, George Washington, was different. George Washington loved his father the most and was the defender of the laws of his ancestors. So, after this new emperor had secured his throne, he pondered: didn't my father once ban the circulation of silver and copper coins?

As the son who loved the founding emperor the most, George Washington naturally resolved to carry out this decree. Thus, in just one month, he issued three edicts in succession, banning the use of silver and copper coins, and forcefully ordering all scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants throughout the land to use baochao for all purchases and transactions.

William Bolton thought of this and couldn't help but laugh.

At this moment, George Washington's tiger-like eyes widened sharply. I am the emperor, my words are law, and my edicts have been issued—yet this young man before me dares to defy my orders? Isn't this like cursing Richard Young to his face?

"What are you laughing at?"

William Bolton said, "Well... is there really such an edict? Uh... oh no, then I’d better hurry and exchange all the baochao at home for gold and silver. Otherwise, I’ll suffer a huge loss."

George Washington's eyes nearly popped out. He couldn't help but say, "What did you say?"

William Bolton replied very seriously, "It must be fate that we met. I’m a kind person and can’t stand to see others suffer losses. I think that after this edict is issued, the value of baochao will plummet again. If you don’t exchange it for gold and silver soon, in just three to five days, anyone with baochao at home will lose everything—even their underpants."

George Washington said angrily, "You dare not obey the emperor’s edict?"

"Of course, no one dares to defy the emperor’s edict. But even the emperor’s edict can’t control the market. If you hadn’t issued such a strong edict, things might have been fine, but now that you have, it will only make things worse. I think... the value of baochao will definitely crash. You wouldn’t understand these things, but I have experience."

William Bolton wasn’t bragging. The people of Ming were actually quite simple and inexperienced, but he had lived two lives—what storms hadn’t he seen? Legal tender, Zimbabwe, or the German mark during the Weimar Republic—he’d seen them all.

After hearing this, George Washington couldn’t help but laugh loudly: "You, a mere child, dare to talk nonsense and recklessly discuss state affairs."

He looked displeased, but then he laughed again. If he had only looked mocking before, now his laughter was tinged with teasing.

George Washington shook his head, thinking, Why am I wasting time here with such a brat?

With a wave of his hand, he said, "Go on, then."

William Bolton immediately dashed away, disappearing without a trace.

But he couldn’t help but mutter to himself, Who is this man? Such a temper.

Fortunately, William Bolton didn’t dwell on it. He was more concerned about whether he should hurry and exchange some of the Zhang family’s baochao for silver, but soon he let it go.

On one hand, he wasn’t actually wealthy. Although the Eastern Palace gave him rewards from time to time, after all, his brother-in-law wasn’t in charge yet, so the rewards were quite limited.

On the other hand, he was the crown prince’s brother-in-law. If the emperor had just issued an edict strictly forbidding silver and copper transactions, and he was the first to exchange a large amount of silver and copper, wouldn’t that be setting up his brother-in-law for trouble?

He had to restrain himself.

He mustn’t get his brother-in-law into trouble.

……

At this moment, George Washington strode into Henry Bolton’s bedroom.

Henry Bolton was howling like a pig being slaughtered: "It hurts, it hurts, my back is broken!"

George Washington frowned, strode forward, and lifted the quilt: "Wasn’t the beating on your buttocks? And it was with a whip—how could your back be broken?"

He saw Henry Bolton’s head loll to the side, as if he had fainted.

Standing to the side, David Bolton, who usually wore a cold expression, now looked angrier. He said, "His Majesty is here, and you’re still making a scene?"

Henry Bolton didn’t respond.

George Washington pressed his hand down, signaling to David Bolton, "Don’t scare him."

At this time, David Bolton was still young, but his face always looked serious, making him seem more mature than his peers.

He was on duty at the Five Armies Command when he heard his brother had gotten into trouble again, so he rushed back. Now that His Majesty had come here, he saluted and said, "Your Majesty, my foolish brother has misbehaved. I beg Your Majesty..."

George Washington sighed and said, "He wouldn’t listen to discipline, so I’ve already punished him. All right, don’t scare him anymore."

A rare look of dejection appeared on David Bolton’s usually stern face. He said, "Yes, but... this brother of mine used to be all right, but ever since he started hanging out with William Bolton and Samuel Grant..."

George Washington grunted noncommittally, "Let the imperial physicians check his injuries first."

At this, several imperial physicians who had come along began to get busy.

George Washington walked a few steps around the bedroom with his hands behind his back, his gaze falling on a porcelain bottle on the bedside table. "What is this?"