Danny pulled Pate to an empty table in the corner and asked, "You don't want to be a scholar anymore?"
"Of course I want to. A scholar can ride a big horse given by the Lord and proudly walk in front of the people in the marketplace – this is the best thing I've ever experienced in my dreams. But I'm too stupid, and I haven't been able to make a chain link in five years. "Pate said sadly.
He was very realistic and knew his own limits.
The class rigidity in this world was too serious, and there was almost no way for the people at the bottom to rise. A scholar was equivalent to a "super low-level version of the imperial examination."
A scholar could indeed be a level higher than ordinary people, but they were only one of the Lord's aides, and their treatment was hundreds of streets worse than that of a 'Jinshi'.
But to become a scholar of a noble family was far more difficult than becoming a Jinshi.
Not to mention which was more profound in academics, the Jinshi round was held every three years, and a group of people could always be selected each time. There were only two or three hundred Westeros lords who were qualified to raise scholars (real counts and above), and scholars would work for a lifetime.
What was even harsher was that scholars didn't pay attention to "thirty years old Ming Jing, fifty years old Jinshi". Under normal circumstances, the Lord would choose a young and promising scholar to be a substitute before their old scholar died.
Like Pate, even if he worked hard and finally became a true scholar at the age of 40, there was a 90% chance that no one would want him, and he would have to waste the rest of his life in the City of Knowledge, just like the countless gray-robed scholars in the City of Knowledge who had no employers.
Not to mention the competition for scholars who were born as second sons of nobles, it was too fierce.
Danny asked again, "How much money do you have now?"
"Nine silver deer, forty copper star coins, two hundred copper coins."
It was a bit miserable.
One gold royal was equal to 210 silver deer, one silver deer was equal to 7 bronze stars, and one bronze star was equal to 16 copper coins.
Well, the currency of Westeros was very complicated. Just the copper coins were divided into copper star, copper wheat, half copper wheat, copper cent, and copper coins. There were five types in total, from high to low, and they were exchanged in binary.
For example, one copper star = two copper wheat.
Do you think this was for easy change?
No, very few people could change between currencies of different metals.
The exchange ratio between different currencies was too complicated. Not to mention those illiterate farmers and mercenaries, even many peddlers couldn't do it. Without an abacus or a calculator, they often found the wrong money.
Danny's personal experience was that she bought the same thing with a silver deer twice, but the amount of copper coins the shop owner brought back was not the same.
Previously, Danny did not understand why the people of this world made the currency so complicated. After becoming the Queen and receiving tens of millions of gold royals from Slave Bay, Danny gradually understood.
In short, the distribution of wealth in society was extremely uneven.
For example, the Westeros had a history of more than ten thousand years. Casterly Rock City had been mining gold for thousands of years. Based on Lannister's shrewdness, he would definitely get more in than out, thus accumulating an uncountable amount of gold.
Everything else aside, Tywin had lent Robert at least three million gold royals, which was solid cash.
The entire Western Region had a population of less than one million, so on average, a beggar in the Port of Lannister would have at least three gold royals.
But we all know how ridiculous the "average GDP" is, more than half of the people are actually "dragging the country down".
The gap between the rich and poor in Westeros was so big that it was almost …
Alas, it was difficult to compare, but look at the miserable young man Pater.
His status was actually higher than 90% of the people in the country, but under normal circumstances, it would be difficult for Pater to save enough gold royals for himself in his lifetime.
Even if he was lucky, his lower body would be smooth sailing, and there would be no disease or disaster. But according to his speed of saving money, by the time he had enough gold royals, Rosie would have already become his mother.
It could be said that the highest grade of currency, "gold royals", was almost meaningless to him.
Gold royals were meaningless to ordinary people, but for the country's economy to develop normally, there must be a balanced currency system.
Just like in the real world, there were currency denominations of one, five, ten, twenty, fifty, and one hundred.
Did you see it?
It was almost the same as the five types of copper currency in Westeros. It was almost in the form of binary. I'm afraid many people have never used two yuan, right?
If there were only copper coins, most of the people could still calculate clearly. The amount was small, and the highest grade of copper star could only be exchanged for 16 copper coins.
Adding and subtracting numbers within ten digits, there was nothing wrong with the peddler's brain.
But with silver coins, especially the terrifying "gold royals", the terrifying astronomical number could almost make people who counted with their fingers collapse.
One gold royal = 23520 copper coins!
If Danny used gold royals to buy two copper coins of sausages on the street, how would the peddler give the change?
Count the copper coins?
When you count the 23518 copper coins, not to mention whether you can count it or not, the time you wait for the change is enough for Danny to finish 100 sausages – if she can eat it.
You can only use mixed currency to give the change, and then it involves a complicated calculation process.
Now, how many silver deers do I have, how many copper stars, how many …
Damn it, if I can calculate the accurate answer quickly, I would have gone to the City of Learning to make a gold necklace (representing arithmetic), why would I sell sausages on the street?!
That peddler would definitely think so.
In fact, it was very simple to solve this complicated currency problem. Beat the rich and get rid of Lannister, Tie Jinku, Dragon Queen, and other rich people who crazily hoarded gold coins, so that gold coins could be used as a real currency.
When there were more gold coins on the market, the exchange rate with silver coins would naturally decrease.
According to the huge amount of gold reserves in this world, and the extremely small population, it was completely possible to create a simple and direct currency system like "one gold royal = 10 silver deers = 100 copper coins".
But it was still the same old saying, the gap between the rich and the poor in the world of ice and fire was too terrifying.
If the nobles did not buy luxury goods, the economy and food crops in the territory would be enough for them to live a carefree life. In other words, the "stingy" lord only had income in his life, and no expenses.
Even if he only saved ten gold royals a year …
In Westeros, if your family did not have a history of more than a thousand years, you would be laughed at as a "local rich man" – the premise was that you had a lot of money.
Like Little Finger, who was poor and had a shallow background, the nobles would never laugh at him because they did not treat him as a companion at all.
For example, if someone was splashed with a bottle of mineral water at a speech conference, Big Horse and Little Horse would definitely make fun of him in private. But if someone was pushed into the river, would Big Horse and Little Horse pay attention to him?
Obviously not. Even if they laughed at him, it would only happen in the circle of people of the same status.
Back to the main topic, a "small" family with a thousand years of history could save ten gold royals a year, and even if the entire noble circle was included, the newly mined gold would not be enough for them.
Therefore, the social classes below the nobles and big merchants had almost no gold royals to use.
Gold royals were rare, and their value naturally increased. Normally, this was the time for the country to intervene.
But the nobles were equal to the country, and the nobles owned all the gold royals. If the gold royals appreciated, the nobles would become rich, and if the nobles became rich, the country would become rich. Such a country would only work hard to promote the appreciation of the gold royals, and make the exchange rate of metal currencies more and more unbalanced.
In the end, the common people were oppressed to the baseline of barely being able to eat and wear (only in summer). Even if the nobles were drunk, they would still be rich. With money, they would have power, and with power, they would be able to maintain their rule for ten thousand years. How unfettered!
This was why Tywin could easily spend a million gold royals to buy a sword, and why Pate could not keep his girlfriend's chastity after working hard all his life.
Danny pondered and asked, "If you eloped with Rosie, would you have the ability to support your own small family in the future?"
Pate said, "I studied astronomy for the first two years of my life. I did not pass the doctor's examination, but I also know some basic stargazing and calculating the changes of the seasons. Maybe I can help the nobles manage the village."
Danny nodded. In this world where the four seasons were unknown, with Pate's ability to distinguish the time of sowing, he was more than qualified to be the village chief.
Pate continued, "After failing, I realized that I was a little stupid, and it was a little difficult to become a bachelor, so I chose a more applicable subject.
Well, I put more effort into Dr. Ambrose's lectures.
Three years later, I still did not get the silver chain (silver represents medicine), but I know how to set bones, and how to use leeches to reduce fever. It's also not bad to be a wandering country doctor. "
"Not bad, not bad." Danny nodded and praised.
Although leeching blood was a bit of a joke, in this technologically backward world, leech therapy was one of the most mainstream branches of medicine.
No matter what illness you had, you could let the leeches suck two mouthfuls, and maybe you would be fine?
Anyway, there were no major side effects.
Because of this, the "leech industry" in this world was very prosperous. Instead of working hard in the fields for a day, it was better to go to the river and catch a few fat leeches to make money.
Well, the scholars bought an unlimited amount of leeches.
Getting Danny's praise, the poor student Pate was also very excited. He continued, "After failing the medical examination, I also took a hairdresser's course. Soon, I will be able to help people cut hair and shave. I can also support Rosie as a hairdresser in the city."
"Very good, very good!" Danny appreciated this kid more and more.
Although his studies were a bit bad, he was not stupid. He had mastered several skills to support his family. He could be a hairdresser in the city, he could wander around as a barefoot doctor, and he could also go back to his hometown to be a small village chief.
It seemed that the City of Knowledge was not completely useless!
Danny thought for a moment, stared at his brown eyes, and said seriously, "A gold royal and a copper coin are no different to me, but I will never pay for a whoremonger.
If one morning, I hear that you eloped with Rosie, I will immediately help you pay for the 'colored gold' that will satisfy Emma. Then, you and your little girlfriend will be completely free. "
"How about it?"
"Thank you, Miss Leila. I will seriously consider it." Pate said seriously.
It was very easy to give him a gold royal now, and it was nothing to Danny. But if this guy was just hot for a moment, and after venting, he cooled down and decided to go back to being a promising scholar's apprentice, then …
Danny would be disgusted to death.
"I'm afraid that your efforts will be in vain." The old knight appeared beside Danny like a ghost and sat in Pate's original position. "Young people's passion comes and goes quickly. Before, it was just a fanatical ideal. Go back and think about it quietly for a night, and you may regret it. More importantly, he has many close friends in the City of Knowledge, and the bonds of friendship are not so easy to cut off. "
"Maybe. If there is a chance to do someone a 'small favor' that can change their life, why not?" Danny shrugged and asked, "What do you think of the current situation of the Seven Kingdoms?"
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