With this, war with the Iroquois Confederacy became a fait accompli. Of course, we will declare war on the surrounding tribes and invade in the summer as planned.
When all the meetings were over, the delegates rose from their seats, gathered together, and left the conference room.
After coming down from the stage, I had a conversation about various things with my closest aides.
"Now that the new currency has been passed, those who work on large farms will be paid daily wages in iron ore and banknotes starting today."
"New trainee warriors will arrive at the training camps in each region and begin full-scale training tomorrow."
"As soon as the spring farming is over, we will mobilize our workforce again to work on road construction."
As I was leaving the convention hall, the Wampanoag chief and the delegates were waiting for me to say something.
'It's because of the war with the Iroquois Confederacy.'
I immediately noticed why they had come looking so anxious. I officially joined the 'Sun of the Sky' alliance today, but there's war?
This must have been very disconcerting for the Wampanoag tribe. The Wampanoag chief, who had been reluctantly in favor of the Iroquois Confederacy's war cause because of the delegates from surrounding tribes at the meeting, cautiously brought up the issue.
"Are our tribal warriors also participating in this war?"
I immediately put their anxious minds at ease.
"The trainees who entered this training camp will be excluded from this war. However, they will be in charge of the security and stability of the 'Sun of the Sky' together with the vigilantes in the rear."
The hardened faces of the Wampanoag chief and delegates brightened at my explanation.
"okay."
"We have seriously misunderstood, Your Majesty!"
"In fact, for our tribe, which was not prepared, this war with the Iroquois Confederacy was bound to be somewhat embarrassing and burdensome."
I nodded repeatedly as if I knew the situation of the Wampanoag tribe well.
"Yes, yes. I understand."
It was a burden for me to send the rookie warriors who had just graduated from training camp into war. And I didn't want to prolong the war.
Naturally, he plans to gather a group of warriors with a lot of battle experience and conquer the Iroquois Confederacy in a short period of time.
"I apologize for taking up Your Majesty the Emperor's time."
"No. Even if I'm not here, if you have any questions, you can always come and ask the head of the administration, 'Splendid Sunset.'"
"Understood, Your Majesty the Emperor!"
"Then, I will go first."
After exchanging greetings with them and walking towards the government office with my closest aides, I heard a sigh of relief behind me.
Phew!
I sat there for a moment, lost in thought, a smile on my face.
'I wonder how the Iroquois Confederacy will react after receiving a declaration of war.'
* * *
'Sun in the Sky', the Shawnee Tribe's vast farmland. Spring 1405. The Shawnee people, who welcomed the warm spring day, were out on the farm again today.
Ummmmmm!
In the places where the large buffalo had dragged the plow, the ground was invariably dug deep. The Shawnee people scattered throughout the farmland planted wild rice or corn seeds as appropriate for their area.
"It's so easy to dig up the ground when there are buffaloes."
"That's right. It's so gentle, perhaps because it's a tamed buffalo."
"I wish we had a few more buffalo. Three is not enough."
"Hey man! Do you know how easy it is to tame a buffalo?"
"but."
"Just wait a minute. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will soon provide five buffalo."
The Shawnee people planted crops here and there, talking until the sun went down. And sometimes, to relieve the fatigue of hard work, they would sing traditional Shawnee songs.
After a while, when the day's work was over, people from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry came out and called out the names of the Shawnee tribe members one by one and began distributing their daily wages.
"Thank you for your hard work. Today's wage is five iron coins."
"There are more than yesterday?"
"Haha! You had more work today than yesterday. And I gave you more so that you can continue to come out in the future."
"I see. Thank you anyway."
As the man who had happily received his daily wages stepped aside, the next person called, a Shawnee woman, stepped forward.
The person from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, who had been looking closely at the ledger, tilted his head and checked again.
"I haven't received any daily wages until now."
"Yes. I would rather receive banknotes than coins."
"I understand what you mean. All the money so far is one hundred and six iron coins. Here is a hundred-won note that can be exchanged for one hundred iron coins. And six iron coins as change. Please check if it is correct."
The Shawnee woman glanced briefly at the bills and coins in her hands, still unfamiliar with the math.
"Hmm! That seems right. Anyway, with this money, I can buy food and all sorts of things at the market, right?"
"Yes, you can trade with that money."
"All right."
After a while, the Shawnee tribesmen who had received their daily wages returned to the village with light steps, chatting among themselves.
"I still can't get used to the fact that I can buy things with this money, it's so new."
"Me too. I think you can just think of it as a seashell bead."
"I think the market is closed today. I'm going to stop by the market tomorrow to buy some food for the kids."
"Really? Then I should keep my money safe so that I don't lose it like I did. I bought a money bag at the market the other day, and it looks pretty good. You should try one too."
"Thanks for the good information."
* * *
The capital of the 'sun in the sky', a 'very big' city. The regular general meeting of delegates ended safely amidst the busy spring farming season.
And the whole city was busy preparing for the wedding of the chieftain of the Iri tribe, 'Red Fruit', and the warrior, 'Honest Bear'.
Perhaps because of the symbolic meaning of the formation of the Lenape and Iri tribes under the 'Sun in the Sky', the city was almost in a festive mood.
I stopped by the market to buy a gift for the couple and to learn about the newly introduced currency.
"Your Majesty the Emperor! The market entrance is bustling with people."
I nodded to the words of my chief aide, 'Splendid Sunset'.
"There are quite a lot of people."
At that moment, someone who saw me at the market entrance shouted.
"Your Majesty the Emperor!"
As expected, people immediately flocked to greet me, the emperor. The 'Heavy Snowstorm' and the Royal Guard warriors, as if they had anticipated this situation, began to surround me and provide close escort.
"Take a step back."
"I apologize. His Majesty the Emperor is on official duty and cannot greet you."
There was an assassination incident last time, so the guardsmen had to strongly stop them and clear the place, but the people didn't really complain and just followed the orders.
As His Majesty the Emperor, I simply waved to the people and entered the market. After a while, I went around the shops run by the country and asked about the new currency.
"People use currency, isn't it inconvenient?"
"Not at all. In fact, everyone says that it is more convenient to trade goods with money than with barter. We, as merchants, also find money much more convenient."
"What currency do people mainly use in the market?"
"Although there are some customers who use paper money very occasionally, most of our customers trade with currency."
The currency reform was successful as I planned. The market was becoming more active than before with the introduction of currency.
I continued to go around to other stores and receive reports from 'Splendid Sunset'.
"The new currency is now being used in the major cities of each region, including the 'very large' city. Moreover, the people of each tribe are also responding well to the currency."
"Since the introduction of currency, inquiries from people wanting to open private shops have been pouring in to the government office. For now, those who meet the conditions within the framework of the law have been permitted to do so, but the number of private shops in the market is expected to continue to increase in the future."
The effects of introducing currency did not end here. As food became more stable and currency became circulated, new occupations emerged one after another.
'There are definitely more individual shops in the market now than before.'
Shops that sell food, shops that sell accessories, shops that sell items needed for hunting, shops that sell leather, shops that sell meat, shops that sell herbs, etc.
It was a very good phenomenon. Perhaps if we implement land reform, new jobs will increase even more. I went to private shops, not government-run ones, with a cheerful expression on my face and bought a generous wedding present for the 'Honest Bear'.
"You bought me this much."
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Emperor!"
After a while, after finishing my business at the market, I gave instructions to 'Splendid Sunset' regarding the next policy.
"It would be a good idea to establish a bank to store and lend people's money."
"A bank?"
'Splendid Sunset' asked for a more detailed explanation with her eyes, not understanding the unfamiliar words and the new administrative organization for the bank.
I gave a brief explanation of the bank's functions and work.
"… In the future, banks will be the ones issuing currency. And as I said earlier, the main business of banks is to store people's money in accounts and lend it out. They also pay or receive interest accordingly. Also, since it is a bank run by the state, it can make large-scale investments in industries such as construction and agriculture."
Even without a detailed explanation, 'Splendid Sunset' immediately grasped the bank's functions and advantages and answered with sparkling eyes.
"I understand what you mean. I will soon consult with the administration and the Ministry of Finance and submit a report on the establishment of the bank."
"It's not that urgent, so don't rush."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor!"
* * *
Lake Ontario, Seneca tribe village. Tribes belonging to the Iroquois Confederacy were arriving one after another at the long house where the chief resided.
"The Oneida chief has arrived."
"The chief of the Onondaga tribe has arrived."
"The chief of the Cayuga tribe has arrived."
Finally, he attended an emergency meeting of the Mohawk chieftain Rising Flame and the Iroquois Confederacy. After a while, the meeting began with the presidency of 'Rough Breath', the chief of the Seneca tribe, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense as time passed.
"The Sun of Heaven has declared war. I will ask the Mohawk Chief once again. Didn't you assassinate the Emperor of the Sun of Heaven?"
Onondaga, who was glaring at him with eyes full of suspicion, answered the words of the chief of the tribe without even blinking an eye, as if he was very upset about the 'rising flames'.
"How many times do I have to tell you before you believe me? I did not attempt or instigate the assassination of the Emperor of the Heavenly Sun. And I am very suspicious of the Heavenly Sun's intentions in pointing the finger at me without any evidence. Rather, I believe that our alliance is being caught up in the Heavenly Sun's scheme."
"...."
The inside of the long house was once again enveloped in a heavy silence. As the 'Rising Flames' says, the 'Sun in the Sky' side has not presented any evidence.
At that time, 'Heavy Breathing', who was sitting at the top, began to organize the complicated meeting.
"… I think it would be a good idea to bring evidence to the Sun of Heaven. And I think it would be a good idea to prepare countermeasures in case they break the peace treaty and go to war with them."
For a while the Iroquois Confederacy tribes discussed and proposed various solutions. And 'Rising Flames', who had been sighing in relief throughout the meeting, actively offered their opinions.
"… To speak bluntly, with our current alliance power, we cannot win the war against the 'Sun of the Sky.' However, if we can drag other alliances into this war, we will at least not lose."
The eyes of the other Iroquois chiefs all sparkled, as if they wanted to hear more of his opinion.