The Hubu Bank's marble floors trembled as Lin Wan'er activated her calculator, projecting a hologram of Tang's collapsing economy.
"An Lushan's rebellion has cut off 60% of our copper supply," she told Emperor Xuanzong, her voice steady despite the chaos outside. "Prices for Kaiyuan Tongbao have surged 300%—merchants are hoarding coins."
Xuanzong's face paled. "What can we do?"
Wan'er pulled up a map of the Silk Road. "We'll redirect trade through the Mi Zhen Si's hidden copper mines in Nanzhao." She hesitated. "But to do that, we need to stabilize the guan exchange rate."
That evening, Wan'er met with Mu Guiying, the Nanzhao chieftain, in the Hubu Bank's vaults. Guiying eyed the stacks of Kaiyuan Tongbao warily. "You want me to flood the market with copper," she said.
Wan'er nodded. "And in return, the Hubu Bank will guarantee your rice production with heqin zhai quan—Marriage Bonds." She activated her calculator. "For every dan of rice you harvest, you'll receive a guan in bonds, pegged to Tang's gold reserves."
Guiying smiled. "You drive a hard bargain, Princess Mingyue." She signed the treaty. "But I want a seat on your bank's council."
As Guiying left, Pei Ji entered, his face grim. "An Lushan's spies have infiltrated the Mi Zhen Si." He handed her a scroll. "They're planning to assassinate you during the Tianjin Bridge summit."
Wan'er's mind raced. The summit—a gathering of Tang's financial elites—was meant to launch the Kaiyuan Reforms. If she canceled, panic would spread. If she attended, she risked death.
She activated her calculator, inputting data on security protocols and market sentiment. "We'll proceed," she declared. "But I'll need a decoy."
The Tianjin Bridge summit was a spectacle of silk and gold. Wan'er stood on the bridge, her hu fu glowing, as bankers and merchants awaited her speech.
"Today, we launch the Kaiyuan Tongbao 2.0," she announced. "A new currency backed by Nanzhao copper and Mi Zhen Si gold."
The crowd erupted in cheers—until a crossbow bolt whistled past her ear.
Wan'er dove for cover as assassins emerged from the crowd. Pei Ji's men engaged them, but the bridge began to collapse under the weight of panicked bodies.
"Follow me!" Wan'er shouted, leading the survivors into the Mi Zhen Si's secret tunnels beneath the city.
In the tunnels, she activated a hidden vault. "The Xuanwu Code's final algorithm," she told Pei Ji. "It predicts market crashes… and creates them."
Pei Ji frowned. "Using it would destabilize the economy further."
Wan'er hesitated. Destroying the market to save it. "An Lushan's forces are marching on Chang'an," she said. "We need to bankrupt him before he arrives."
That night, Wan'er unleashed the Xuanwu Code's algorithm. The Kaiyuan Tongbao plummeted as investors panicked, but Wan'er was ready.
"Activate the huangjin huan," she ordered.
Huangjin huan—"Gold Swap"—allowed citizens to exchange their worthless coins for Mi Zhen Si-certified gold at a premium. Within hours, An Lushan's counterfeit coins were devalued, while the Hubu Bank's reputation soared.
But the algorithm had unintended consequences. The Silk Road trade collapsed as merchants hoarded gold, and famine spread across Tang.
Wan'er visited the imperial granaries, where empty sacks rustled in the wind. "We need to secure grain from the Uyghurs," she told Pei Ji.
He nodded. "I'll lead a delegation."
The journey to Uyghur territory was perilous. They faced bandits, sandstorms, and Tian Xian assassins, but Wan'er's financial strategies kept them alive—issuing bing zheng zhai quan to hire mercenaries, using kuajing fuhui to secure supplies.
Finally, they reached the Uyghur khanate, where Princess Taiping awaited them, her face gaunt but triumphant.
"You've destroyed Tang," she hissed. "Now, watch as the Uyghurs finish the job."
Wan'er activated her calculator, inputting data on Uyghur grain reserves. "I'll buy your entire harvest—for Hubu Bank bonds pegged to Tang's future tax revenue."
The khan frowned. "Why would I trust you?"
Wan'er smiled. "Because if you don't, An Lushan will conquer both our lands. With these bonds, you'll profit from Tang's recovery… or own its ruins."
The khan considered, then nodded. "Agreed. But I want a lien on the Mi Zhen Si's copper mines."
Wan'er hesitated. Ceding control of the mines would weaken Tang's future… but refusing could mean starvation.
She nodded. "Done."
That evening, as they sealed the deal, Pei Ji pulled her aside. "The Mi Zhen Si's old woman has sent a message. The Xuanwu Code's creator is alive—hidden in the Tianshan Mountains."
Wan'er's heart raced. The key to ending the crisis.
The journey to the Tianshan Mountains was brutal. They faced avalanches, wolves, and Tian Xian assassins, but Wan'er's financial acumen kept them alive—issuing huangjin huan bonds to pay guides, using kuajing fuhui to secure horses.
Finally, they reached the hidden vault—a cavern carved into the mountainside, its walls covered in star charts and ledgers. At its center sat an old woman, her hair white as snow.
"You've come for the Xuanwu Code's final secret," she said.
Wan'er nodded. "We need to stop the rebellion."
The old woman handed her a scroll. "The code isn't just a tool for control—it's a blueprint for a decentralized financial system. One that can't be manipulated by any single ruler."
Wan'er's eyes widened. A system beyond Tang's control.
Before she could respond, the cavern trembled. An Lushan's forces had tracked them down.
"Go!" the old woman shouted, activating a hidden door. "Use the code wisely."
Wan'er and Pei Ji fled into the mountains, pursued by An Lushan's soldiers. They reached a cliff overlooking the Tianjin Bridge, where Tang's forces prepared to make their final stand.
Wan'er activated the Xuanwu Code, inputting the coordinates of An Lushan's supply lines. "I'm triggering a market crash in Fanyang," she said. "It'll bankrupt his army."
Pei Ji hesitated. "Thousands will starve."
Wan'er closed her eyes. The cost of victory. "Do it."
The Xuanwu Code's algorithm spread like wildfire. An Lushan's financial networks collapsed, his soldiers deserting en masse. Tang forces surged forward, reclaiming Chang'an.
That night, as Wan'er stood in the Hubu Bank's ruins, Emperor Xuanzong approached, his face lined with grief.
"You've saved Tang," he said. "But at what cost?"
Wan'er handed him the Xuanwu Code scroll. "The future lies in decentralization," she said. "A financial system that serves the people, not the throne."
Xuanzong nodded. "Then let it be so."
As dawn broke, Wan'er activated the Xuanwu Code one last time. 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.