I, Am a Living Yama; Empress Advises Me to Stay Calm

Wu Zhao’s heart trembled. She never anticipated that Yang Yi had already laid out his plans and was merely waiting for the major countries to fall into his trap.
The nearby officials gasped, understanding the gravity of the situation. The silver mines Yang Yi had mentioned weren’t just empty words.
At that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the hall. A guard appeared, panting heavily.
“Your Majesty, the ships and troops Minister Yang mobilized a few days ago have returned with news,” he said.
Wu Zhao was stunned, her eyes narrowing. “Quick, announce it!” she ordered.
Moments later, a dust-covered soldier entered the hall, bowing respectfully to both the Empress and Yang Yi.
“Your Majesty, Minister Yang…”
Yang Yi smiled warmly. “How is the situation with the silver mines?”
Although Yang Yi already knew the answer, having previously consulted the World Silver Mine Map from the system—which marked the specific locations and estimated yields—he refrained from sharing this with them. Instead, he’d deliberately selected high-yield mines for the Great Zhou to mine.
The room fell silent as everyone anxiously awaited the soldier’s response. Wu Zhao, equally tense, wondered if the silver mines would yield a sufficient quantity. If the production was low…
The soldier quickly reported, “Minister Yang, we’ve just completed the survey. Among the large silver mines, a conservative estimate places their yield at over 500,000 kilograms each. There are at least five of these large mines. The remaining twenty or so medium-sized mines yield about 200,000 kilograms each…”
The hall went quiet, everyone gasping in shock.
Their hearts shook, as if a storm had been unleashed.
The largest silver mine exceeded 500,000 kilograms? Even the largest mine in the Great Zhou didn’t come close! A mine yielding 200,000 kilograms was already considered rich in the Great Zhou.
Wu Zhao clenched her fists, her cold, noble face full of disbelief. The yield of these silver mines far surpassed her expectations. She looked at Yang Yi, stunned.
Yang Yi smiled faintly. “Once these silver mines are publicly announced in the
, the price of silver will plummet.”
“The more aggressively the Han, Tang, and Ming dynasties buy silver now, the more they will lose once the mines are exposed.”
Silence filled the room.
Everyone exchanged complex looks, now understanding Yang Yi’s strategy. No wonder he had spoken of luring the Han and Tang dynasties into the trap. He had been waiting for this moment.
The more these three major countries stockpiled silver, the bigger their losses would be when the mines were revealed, causing the silver price to crash.
At that moment, even the wealthy Han, Tang, and Ming dynasties would suffer substantial losses. Yang Yi had been calculating their downfall from the start. The cunning of this living Yama was unparalleled.
Wu Zhao inhaled deeply, her clear eyes shining with realization.
“So, you plan to exchange all the silver in our treasury for gold, to make a profit before the mines are revealed.”
Everyone suddenly understood. How could they have overlooked this crucial detail?
They all stared at Yang Yi, their faces a mixture of shock and admiration. This living Yama was not only plotting against the three major countries, but also aiming to make a huge profit. Zhu Yuanzhang and his allies would likely regret their decisions when they learned how they had been outmaneuvered.
Yang Yi smiled gently. “Your Majesty is absolutely right. Since the three major countries intend to inflate silver prices to attack our Great Zhou banknotes, they must be prepared for the consequences.
“It’s unfortunate, though. Even the Ming Dynasty is only planning to buy 1.5 million kilograms of silver, and the Tang and Han dynasties likely won’t exceed that amount.”
The officials shuddered, realizing Yang Yi had been eyeing the treasuries of these nations long before now. He had been plotting not only their economic downfall but also planning to reap immense wealth.
Wu Zhao snapped out of her earlier despondency and spoke with renewed resolve.
“In that case, Yao Chong, immediately take the silver we previously collected in the treasury and secretly sell it to the Ming Dynasty. They want to buy silver at high prices? Let them get all they want!”
Yao Chong nodded immediately. “Yes, Your Majesty!”
Yang Yi smiled again, his eyes gleaming with intent. “And don’t forget to inform the Tang and Han dynasties. Let them know we’ve ‘panicked’ and started selling our silver in an attempt to lower its price.
“I’m sure our two neighbors won’t let such an opportunity to hurt the Great Zhou slip by.”
The officials drew in a collective breath, their spines tingling as they watched Yang Yi’s calculating smile. His schemes left nothing to be desired. They couldn’t help but wonder how Zhu Yuanzhang, Li Shimin, Liu Che, and the others would react when they realized they had been outwitted by this living Yama.
One month later, under the deliberate inflation of the Ming, Tang, and Han dynasties, the price of silver steadily rose. Meanwhile, the Great Zhou had begun “secretly” dumping silver to try and suppress the increasing price.
…
At the Ming Dynasty’s Fengtian Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang was beaming with satisfaction. He stroked his beard, a triumphant look on his face.
“Hahaha…” he laughed. “The Great Zhou certainly did not expect our Ming Dynasty to pull such a move! They thought they could use their silver reserves to suppress the price?
“If it had been just us, the Ming Dynasty, they might have succeeded. But we’ve allied with Li Shimin and Liu Che. This time, we’ll seize the opportunity to turn the Great Zhou’s banknotes into worthless paper!
“The Zhou economy will be devastated!”
A resolute look passed across his face as he turned to Li Shanchang and the others.
“Immediately send word to Li Shimin and Liu Che. If we act now, we can cripple the Great Zhou. If we miss this chance and they grow stronger, we will all suffer.”
“Yes,” Li Shanchang and the others responded solemnly.
Zhu Yuanzhang hesitated for a moment before adding,
“And notify the Qin Emperor to the west. Ying Zheng has been silent lately. If we can bring him into our camp, even if Yang Yi has extraordinary means, he’ll be defeated by us.”