The night Lin Wan'er arrived in the war-torn city of Luoyang, the air reeked of charred grain and desperation. She stepped over broken Kaiyuan Tongbao scattered like autumn leaves, her hu fu glowing faintly beneath a threadbare cloak.
"Your Highness, the granaries are empty," a Mi Zhen Si agent reported, bowing deeply. "An Lushan's forces stripped them bare."
Wan'er activated her calculator, projecting holographic charts onto the ruins of a palace wall. "We'll issue zhai wu quan—Debt Obligations." She inputted data on Tang's remaining assets. "Collateralized by the Mi Zhen Si's copper mines and Nanzhao rice reserves."
The agent paled. "But those are our last resources!"
Wan'er smiled grimly. "Precisely. Investors will buy them because they're backed by tangible assets, not imperial promises."
As she spoke, a rider galloped into the square, his horse lathered in sweat. "Princess Taiping has been sighted in the Western Regions!" he shouted. "She's offering Tian Xian gold to anyone who assassinates you."
Wan'er's mind raced. Taiping's final gambit. "We'll use her own gold against her," she declared. "Create a shouyi zonghe—Synthetic Collateralized Debt Obligation. Investors bet on whether Taiping will be captured within six months."
The agent nodded, already drafting the prospectus. As they worked, a shadow detached itself from the ruins—Pei Ji, his scarred face etched with exhaustion.
"I found this in An Lushan's war chest," he said, handing her a scroll. "It's a map of the Mi Zhen Si's hidden vaults… and a letter from your mother."
Wan'er's hands trembled as she unrolled the letter. My dearest Mingyue, if you're reading this, I've already failed to stop the rebellion. The Xuanwu Code is your only hope… but use it wisely. The financial system is both our sword and shield.
Before she could react, the sound of drums echoed through the city. An Lushan's forces had returned.
"Go!" Pei Ji shouted, pushing her into a hidden passage. "I'll hold them off!"
Wan'er fled through the tunnels, her heart pounding. The Xuanwu Code must be activated.
She reached the Mi Zhen Si's final vault—a cavern where her mother's holographic image flickered to life. "You've come for the code," the image said. "But remember: with great power comes great—"
A crossbow bolt shattered the hologram. Wan'er spun to face Princess Taiping, her crimson cloak now tattered, her eyes wild.
"Foolish girl," Taiping hissed. "You think you can control the markets? They control you."
She lunged, dagger raised, but Wan'er was faster. She activated her calculator, projecting a hologram of the Xuanwu Code's algorithm. Taiping froze, her eyes wide with recognition.
"You… you're my daughter," she whispered.
Wan'er's blood chilled. Mingyue was Taiping's daughter. "No," she said, her voice trembling. "I'm Lin Wan'er of the 21st century."
Taiping's laughter echoed through the cavern. "Then you're even more of a fool. The Xuanwu Code isn't just a financial tool—it's a weapon to reshape reality itself."
Before Wan'er could react, Taiping activated a hidden device. The cavern trembled as walls of liquid gold closed in, dissolving everything in their path.
Wan'er fled, but the gold was faster. It wrapped around her leg, burning through her flesh. She screamed, reaching for the Xuanwu Code scroll.
As darkness claimed her, she heard Pei Ji's voice: "Hold on, Wan'er! I'm coming!"
When consciousness returned, she was in a tent, her leg bandaged. Pei Ji sat beside her, his face drawn. "The Xuanwu Code saved you," he said. "It redirected the gold's path."
Wan'er nodded, her mind racing. The code has a will of its own.
That evening, she activated the code, projecting its algorithm onto the desert sky. Markets across Tang stabilized as investors flocked to the zhai wu quan—now backed by the Xuanwu Code's mysterious power.
But the code's effects were not limited to finance. As Wan'er watched, the stars themselves seemed to realign, forming the Mi Zhen Si's star symbol.
"Your mother created the code to control destiny," Pei Ji said. "But it's controlling her."
Wan'er nodded. The financial revolution had transcended time and space.
The next morning, Emperor Xuanzong arrived, his face taut with determination. "I've come to claim the Xuanwu Code," he said. "For the good of Tang."
Wan'er hesitated. Giving the code to Xuanzong would solidify his power… but it would also risk repeating the past.
Before she could answer, a rider burst into the tent. "An Lushan is dead!" he shouted. "His forces have surrendered!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, but Wan'er's eyes were on the stars. The code's work wasn't done.
That night, as she walked the desert sands, a figure emerged from the shadows—Mu Guiying, the Nanzhao chieftain.
"I've come to collect my debt," she said, her voice low. "The Mi Zhen Si's copper mines are now mine."
Wan'er activated her calculator, inputting data on Guiying's rice production. "You'll get them… but you'll also receive a seat on the Hubu Bank's council."
Guiying smiled. "Agreed. But I want something else—your loyalty."
She leaned closer, her breath warm against Wan'er's ear. "The Xuanwu Code isn't the only power in the universe. There are forces older than Tang, older than finance."
Wan'er shivered. What does she know?
As Guiying left, Pei Ji approached, his face pale. "The Mi Zhen Si's old woman is dying. She wants to see you."
Wan'er followed him to the old woman's tent. The woman grasped her hand, her voice a whisper. "The code… it's alive. Protect it… and yourself."
She pressed a vial of liquid into Wan'er's hand. "Xuanwu Shui—the only thing that can destroy the code… or control it."
Before Wan'er could ask more, the woman died.
That night, as she stared at the vial, a realization dawned: the Xuanwu Code was both a blessing and a curse. To control it, she'd have to become something more than human.