Just as Great Qing was capitalizing on its earlier breakthroughs and victories to push forward, with every sector of its society flourishing at the height of its prosperity, a dangerous undercurrent lurked beneath the tranquil surface, gathering force silently yet aggressively.
The Economic Sphere: Interference by a Hidden Financial Hand
Realizing that they could no longer openly halt Great Qing's rise, foreign powers turned to far more covert and insidious methods. In the economic realm, leveraging their deep-rooted influence within the international financial system, they secretly colluded with global financial titans to carefully plot the manipulation of commodity prices. Key raw materials such as oil and iron ore became pawns held firmly in their grasp, their prices surging overnight under their manipulation. As a result, the production costs of Great Qing's enterprises rocketed out of control; burdened by immense financial pressure, countless businesses found it a struggle to operate.
Chapter 188