Deposed? I couldn't be happier! I wouldn't even be a dog to the crown prince.

As Li Chengqian issued his order, a top-tier news report from the "Royal Academy of the Tang Dynasty" suddenly appeared on the large screen in Chang'an.

Thousands of holographic screens covering Zhuque Avenue and the core trading areas of the major West Markets flickered violently in an instant. The Tang Dynasty Central Bank's deposit-taking interest rate announcement, which had been scrolling, was abruptly torn apart by a pure white data stream representing top secret. The screen shifted, revealing a chief academician dressed in a white-gray nano-robes from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, sitting solemnly in front of a giant particle bombardment device emitting a strong magnetic confinement aura.

In the video, a foul-smelling, dark gray lead block is slowly pushed into the core reaction chamber by a robotic arm.

With repeated scanning by the dark red high-energy laser, the underlying code of the molecular structure began to collapse irreversibly under the intervention of the Tian Shu computing power.

One second later, when the protective shield reopened, the clump of waste lead had completely transformed into a piece of industrial gold with a purity of 99%, radiating a dazzling cold light, within the intensely hot white mist.

There are no complicated refining processes, no lengthy ore mining; there is only technology's dehumanizing and ruthless exploitation of the rules of nature.

"Datang Global Announcement: Chinese scientists have made a decisive breakthrough in the field of heavy element decay."

The academician's emotionless, electronically synthesized voice, amplified by a sound system, resounded over the heads of millions of Chang'an citizens.

"The technology for mass synthesis of pure gold using chemical methods has been officially implemented. The first batch of thousands of tons of industrial pure gold has been shipped from the North American production line to various savings vaults of Datang. In the next three months, the cost of gold production will be reduced to the level of pig iron."

Quiet.

At that moment, the entire city of Chang'an fell into an eerie, deathly silence so profound that you could hear a pin drop.

Whether it's a wealthy family head pushing a wheelbarrow on the street, preparing to exchange his money for high-interest loans at the central bank, or a vegetable vendor paying his credit points on the roadside.

At this moment, everyone remained frozen in place, their eyes fixed on the huge void above them.

The shock of being outpaced by technological advancements transformed into an invisible sense of suffocation, gripping everyone's throat.

"Iron...the price of pig iron?"

One of Cui's assassins, who was carrying a gold box, flicked his wrist, and the heavy mahogany box slammed onto his toe with a thud. He couldn't even scream; he just stared in horror at the quality inspection report scrolling on the screen.

If gold could be mass-produced, if it became as cheap as pig iron on the street.

Then what about the gold mines that the Cui and Lu families have painstakingly dug out from various provinces over the past few months?

Panic, like a sudden, unexpected level 10 tsunami, exploded across the global financial markets at an almost frenzied speed within ten seconds of the news breaking.

On the holographic price display screen in the lobby of the Datang Central Bank, the golden curve representing the exchange of physical gold for credit points suddenly stretched into a terrifying vertical straight line.

Without any buffer or fluctuation, it was the complete collapse of the core of wealth in the old era under the scythe of technology.

"It's fallen! Gold has dropped by 30% against credits!"

"Good heavens! It's still falling! The two million strings of cash that the Lu family just deposited have lost half their value!"

"Throw! Quickly throw all your gold into the water and exchange it for digital credits! It'll be too late if you wait any longer!"

The family business owners in the trading hall were in complete chaos, pushing and trampling each other in the crowd with disheveled hair.

The mahogany box that was originally used to hold gold was carelessly discarded on the ground, with gold bars scattered all over the place, but no one was willing to bend down and pick them up.

In that instant, these yellow metals, which once represented supreme power, became a deadly poison that everyone feared and avoided at all costs.

The hysteria caused by the instantaneous destruction of one's lifelong beliefs turned the entire West Market into the most ridiculous vegetable market.

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, at the Cui family mansion in Jiangnan.

The cicadas outside were chirping incessantly, bringing with them a sultry heat that made one feel restless and irritable.

Cui Yonglin sat in the wheelchair carved with intricate patterns, and in front of him, a giant holographic disc reflected a glaring and despairing eerie green light.

That was the code for the collapse of gold prices; every fluctuation meant that the Cui family's centuries-old foundation was being evaporated.

His two withered hands gripped the armrests of the wheelchair tightly, his fingernails turning pale from the excessive force, and two of them even split open, oozing traces of bright red blood.

"Master... the Central Bank of the Great Tang Dynasty has refused to accept our physical gold."

An elder stumbled and crawled into the hall, his crown nowhere to be found, and his official robes covered in dark red mud.

"Old Lu set up checkpoints in half the province. Non-Digital Treasure users can't even get through the city gates. Our gold... has all turned into scrap metal!"

"puff--"

Cui Yonglin stared intently at the gold index, which had completely dropped to zero, his chest heaving violently.

A sickly flush, caused by the reverse flow of blood and qi, instantly spread across his face.

His bloodshot eyes were fixed on the account book in front of him, his lips trembling violently, and he could no longer suppress the surging blood and qi within him.

A thick spurt of blood gushed from his mouth, tracing a tragic arc in the air and instantly staining the ledger that recorded the Cui family's immense wealth a mess.

His body slumped backward, the wheelchair screeching against the bluestone slabs.

"Master! Master, wake up!"

"Crown Prince of Tang...you are a monster who eats people without spitting out the bones!"

The hall was filled with weeping. The elders, who were usually high and mighty, were now all slumped on the ground like stray dogs.

Their once-proud ancient clans couldn't even withstand three rounds in this financial scam that turned lead into gold, and were completely turned into cannon fodder in the new era.

Without the swordplay of the Great Snow Dragon Riders, relying solely on a short video clip from the Academy of Sciences, Li Chengqian sat on the beach and crushed the last shred of confidence of all the powerful families in the world on the spot.

Daming Palace, Taiji Hall.

Li Shimin laughed so hard he almost fell over when he saw the codes of those aristocratic companies on the screen that had been automatically deregistered due to their assets going to zero.

His fingertips tapped the console, producing a rhythmic, crisp sound.

"This rebellious son's move, without losing a single soldier, was even more satisfying than my battle at Hulao Pass back then."

He turned his head and looked at Wang De, his eyes filled with utter greed.

"By imperial decree, all digital service points in the provinces shall operate 24/7. I want to see every inch of the Tang Dynasty bearing my digital seal before sunrise tomorrow!"

As this bloodthirsty directive was sent through the quantum satellite, the remaining wealth of the old era was completely liquidated overnight.

The gates of the aristocratic families were tightly shut in the cold wind, and the luxurious lives that were once sustained by gold and silver became a mirage in an instant.

The sickle of technology slashed swiftly and ruthlessly in the dead of night on the eve of the Lunar New Year.

The next morning, in the cold wind of Suzaku Avenue, a strange group of people appeared, dressed in fine silks and satins, but with ashen faces and unsteady steps.