Chapter Seven: Questioning Origins

Things did not go as hoped; Yan Yi, the Minister of Agriculture, was not at his office today.

However, as Huo Qubing was leaving, a thin, middle-aged man with a thin mustache was walking into the government office. Upon seeing Huo Qubing, the man bowed.

"Greetings, Marquis of Champion."
"Attendant Sang."

Huo Qubing recognized the man. His name was Sang Hongyang, currently serving as an Attendant. Although it was a casual post, it allowed him free access to the palace to serve as an imperial attendant; therefore, those who held this position were generally trusted by the Emperor.

This was exactly the case for Sang Hongyang, who had been brought into the salt and iron monopoly project—a plan vital to the Han Dynasty’s lifeline—through his position as an Attendant.

Huo Qubing pondered for a moment. Since he had not been able to see Yan Yi, showing this item to Sang Hongyang would likely yield some results.

"I have a question, and I wonder if Attendant Sang could answer it for me."

Sang Hongyang was startled. He did not understand what Huo Qubing, the Grand Marshal and General of the Cavalry, could possibly need to ask him. Financial advice? That was impossible. Sang Hongyang knew well that this Marquis of Champion did not even read military manuals, claiming that "war is about assessing the situation, not reading books."

"Ask away, Marquis. I shall tell you everything I know."
"Attendant Sang, I wonder if the imperial court has begun minting the Five-Zhu coins yet."

Five-Zhu coins? Sang Hongyang shook his head. "In reply to the Marquis, the design for the Five-Zhu coin has not yet been finalized by His Majesty, so they have not been officially minted."

Not yet finalized? Huo Qubing muttered, gripping the coin in his hand tightly. "Then, Attendant Sang, take a look at this. What is it?"

Huo Qubing handed the Five-Zhu coin to Sang Hongyang, who took it and held it in his palm. Seeing the two characters for "Five-Zhu" on the copper coin, Sang Hongyang’s eyes were filled with shock.

"Marquis, where did this come from?"

For Sang Hongyang, the situation was grave. If the imperial court had not yet finalized the coin, but such coins were already circulating, there was only one possibility: the commanderies and kingdoms were minting them privately. This was a complete violation of order.

The central government had not yet set the standards, yet the commanderies were already minting their own. It seemed he would have to petition His Majesty to revoke the minting rights of the commanderies.

Huo Qubing did not answer directly but asked, "Attendant Sang, have you seen this before?"

Sang Hongyang shook his head helplessly and returned the coin. "Marquis, I have never seen this item before. Where did it originate...?"

Origin... that was a question for the Crown Prince. Huo Qubing found himself believing Liu Ju’s words a little more. If even Sang Hongyang, who was responsible for a portion of the Han Dynasty's finances, had never seen this coin, perhaps it truly was as the Crown Prince had said: these coins came from three hundred years in the future.

With that thought, Huo Qubing decided that he would accompany the Crown Prince to this so-called "three hundred years later" tomorrow.

...

Lying on a lounge chair, Zhang Bo played with the jade disc Liu Ju had just given him, his mind swirling with their conversation. He could not calm his thoughts. He kept contemplating one question: Was this Liu Ju truly the son of Emperor Wu of Han, the man known as the Crown Prince Li?

Zhang Bo began to think about the differences between Liu Ju and modern children. First, he was illiterate; he had previously assumed it was some form of "happy education," but now he realized that even with the most relaxed schooling, one should still know how to read. Second, when he saw the Five-Zhu coin, he recognized it immediately. Zhang Bo dared to bet that 99.9% of modern people would not recognize it, yet Liu Ju did.

Could Liu Ju really be from the Western Han Dynasty?

"Ding-dong. 238 yuan received via WeChat Pay."

Zhang Bo’s thoughts were pulled back to reality. Now, that was what paying looked like.

"Boss, we’ve paid."

A man dressed as Liu Bei walked out of the restaurant, followed by "Guan Yu" and "Zhang Fei."

"Right on," Zhang Bo replied. Although these three were also cosplaying the Peach Garden trio, they were clearly much more well-behaved than the previous group.

As Zhang Bo stood up to clear the dishes, "Liu Bei" caught sight of the jade disc hanging around his neck. "Oh? Boss, could you let me see that jade disc?"

Hm? Zhang Bo’s guard went up immediately. Even though he had enjoyed talking with them, this disc was given to him by Liu Ju, and he had to keep it safe. What if this guy had bad intentions or broke it?

"What is it, Old Wang? Did you spot an antique?" Guan Yu asked, leaning in.
"How many times have I told you? Call me Big Brother when we’re out!"
"Tch." Guan Yu waved his hand, clearly not taking "Liu Bei’s" words to heart.

"Boss, let me introduce myself. I am a researcher at the Lingtai City Museum. I saw the jade disc around your neck, and it looks quite like an antique, so I wanted to take a look." After saying this, "Liu Bei" pulled out his phone and showed Zhang Bo his work ID.

Seeing that the man really did seem to be a museum researcher, Zhang Bo’s guard lowered slightly. If the man was a researcher, he might be able to determine the age of the disc. If he could confirm it was a product of the Western Han Dynasty, that would indirectly verify Liu Ju’s origins.

Zhang Bo handed over the disc.

"Liu Bei" took it carefully. After observing it for a moment, his face showed pure ecstasy, followed immediately by a look of distress. Zhang Bo was confused by this sudden change in expression.

"Brother, can you tell what era this is from?"

"Liu Bei" shook his head helplessly. "Although the texture and patterns match the characteristics of Western Han jade discs—you could say it's authentic at a glance—there is no patina, and there is no mineral staining on the surface. It looks as if it were brand new. That is what puzzles me most; it looks like it was made just last week."

Although Zhang Bo didn't understand the jargon like "authentic" or "patina," he caught the first part: it matched the characteristics of a Western Han jade disc.

"Boss, how about this? If it's convenient, could I take a few photos?"
"It is not convenient."

Zhang Bo refused without hesitation. He was joking—once Liu Ju returned, he would be able to determine the truth for himself; there was no need for the trouble of taking photos. Furthermore, he had a premonition that if he allowed photos to be taken, trouble would follow.

"Alright then, we won't bother you anymore."

Seeing Zhang Bo’s firm refusal, "Liu Bei" didn't push it. After reluctantly returning the disc, the three of them walked toward the exit of the farmhouse restaurant.

At that moment, the sound of conversation drifted in from outside.

"Strategist, this is the eatery."