In fact, there was a lot of gold in the Han Dynasty, gold.
When the Han Dynasty was first founded, gold and copper were the dual standards.
"Han Shu" records: "Qin took over the world, and the coins were of second grade. The gold was named after yi and was the first coin. The quality of copper coins was like Zhou coins, and the inscription was "half liang", which was as heavy as its inscription." The Han Dynasty inherited the Qin system.
Therefore, at the beginning, there was a lot of gold in the Han Dynasty, and it was also circulated on the market. It was used as currency in the same way as copper was used as upper and lower coins.
At the same time, the weight units and names of gold and copper in the Han Dynasty were also different. During the Warring States Period, gold was measured in units of "yi" or "yi", with twenty taels being one Yi. There are many records in "Historical Records" and "Hanshu", such as "
The King of Qin was so pleased that he sent ten chariots and a hundred yi of gold to welcome Lord Mengchang; "Yan Zhongzi presented a hundred yi of gold in honor of Nie Zheng's mother" and so on.
In the Han Dynasty, yi was changed to jin, for example: Emperor Gao "then worshiped his uncle Sun Tong and gave him 500 jin of gold"; "The Lord was still sitting down and was very happy, so he gave the Lord Pingyang a thousand jin".
The unit and name of copper coins are different from those of gold. "The money is round and square, and the weight is in baht."
It's just that, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, gold gradually disappeared...
There is no other reason than the custom of giving generous burials.
The ancient smelting technology itself was not very good. A lot of the gold obtained before the Han Dynasty was gold nugget, etc., which were then melted and recast. There was relatively little large-scale underground mining. After being squandered by the emperor of the Han Dynasty for hundreds of years, it naturally gradually
No more. What the emperors of the Han Dynasty, like Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, liked to do most was to hear that the minister’s old man had passed away. He immediately waved his hand and rewarded him with a hundred gold coins, so that he could be buried well...
As a result, a large amount of gold was buried underground, and the Han Dynasty had to use brass as a substitute for gold. The so-called bounty became mostly reward money.
However, there is more gold on the market now without realizing it.
The reason is also very simple. During the war, the rule of law was not that good in many places. Especially Cao Cao, who had always been financially strapped. The so-called "gold captain" was really to touch "gold" from the beginning.
Perhaps because of the influence of the custom of generous burials since the Han Dynasty, noble families began to hoard large amounts of precious metals to prepare for future needs of themselves or their elders. Therefore, under original circumstances, no matter how hard Cao Cao worked, there would be no money on the market.
The gold in circulation will soon disappear until the Zhengxi gold coin is produced.
Zhengxi gold coins are currencies of unequal weight. That is to say, Zhengxi gold coins are not actually pure gold. Of course, this refers to the relative purity. Although they are similar, there is some weight difference after all, and they are only about 90% of the indicated value.
About five, so the greatest value of Zhengxi gold coins is to spend them, and if they are melted into gold nuggets, they will be damaged immediately and invisibly. Although each one may be a little bit less, but the larger the number, the more it will add up.
That is quite a loss.
For ordinary people, it has almost no impact on daily use, but for nobles with a lot of wealth, they have to consider these differences.
At the same time, if you want to exchange the same amount of gold for Zhengxi gold coins, in addition to having to be charged for the casting fee by Feiqian Qingjinpu, you will also have to have a small piece of weight chewed off again.
The cost is equivalent to a loss of about 15%. Therefore, after the nobles got the Zhengxi gold coins, in most cases they were reluctant to melt them...
Since then, the existence of "coin listing" has gradually appeared in the market.
But this is not enough, far from enough.
The Han Dynasty, or China, needs a large amount of currency and precious metals to stimulate the already strong market and make it more prosperous and larger!
Just like the "well-intentioned" request of the United States after the war in later generations, allowing countries to store gold in its warehouses and refusing to return it...
Sima Hui stood at the door of his manor with a smile on his face, and respectfully sent General Fei Qian away.
Sima Fu accompanied him. The two of them waited until no trace of the hussar generals and horses could be seen at all. Then Sima Hui took Sima Fu and slowly returned to his hall. He sat down and sighed, looking a little a little bit.
Very few.
"Uncle, is it like this..." Sima Fu glanced at Sima Hui and said, "Is that... like this?"
Although what Sima Fu said was a bit awkward, Sima Hui understood what it meant. He nodded slightly and said calmly: "What else can you do? Do you really think that the hussar has the ability to do it now?"
Did I give him a name? How about I give him one too, and then you go and find a place to take a look?"
Sima Fu smiled awkwardly.
Of course, this truth is not wrong, but if it is applied to others, it can only be treated as a story. If it is applied to yourself... it is like walking on the road and seeing others stepping on a banana peel and making a sound, most of them will laugh, and then
If I stepped on a banana peel and fell down, I probably wouldn't be able to laugh anymore.
Many people thought that Mr. Shui Jing, Sima Hui, would be the first to speak out against Fei Qian's refutation of the title. But what they didn't expect was that Sima Hui said nothing or did nothing. Instead, Fei Qian arrived in person.
On his manor, Sima Hui was given three options.
coal.
Salt.
And gold.
The weather is getting colder and colder nowadays, and for most people, high-end gadgets like charcoal, even in the Tang Dynasty, were not a consumer product for ordinary people, so cheaper coal is naturally the best way to resist the cold.
Even if there is smoke, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, etc., are these problems still a problem for houses with thatched roofs that originally have air leakage from all directions?
Therefore, the original coal mines in the Luliang Mountains were somewhat insufficient.
What Fei Qian meant was that if Sima Hui was willing, he would hand over the mining rights to a coal mine discovered in Hexi, later Gansu, to the Sima family...
The single profit of coal mines is not high, but the volume is large, so if the Sima family really has such a coal mining right, it would be great.
"Shuda, tell me, why don't you choose a coal mine?" Sima Hui turned around and asked.
Although Sima Hui spoke casually, Sima Fu respectfully held up his hands and said, "Report to uncle, coal collectors should profit by quantity. Although there is a river, Sima's family does not have a boat... If he buys another boat, I'm afraid it will be a disaster."
Another huge sum of money was made by Qiusi..."
Sima Hui nodded, shook his head, and said: "Besides boats, there are people..." Miners and boatmen, which one does not require a large number of manpower?
"The same is true for salt, not to mention when Liaodong can be conquered..." Sima Hui said slowly, "cooking, drying and transporting also requires a lot of manpower, not to mention it borders Youzhou..." The salt industry is indeed hugely profitable, but
There are also a lot of risks. What's more, Cao Cao is nearby. Boiling salt in the East China Sea looks beautiful, but it is also difficult.
Sima Fu suddenly said: "In that case, the only option is gold..."
Sima Hui rolled his eyelids, glanced at Sima Fu, and said: "You and your brother are very different... Although you have a cautious temperament and can keep your family business, but you are not agile enough, you may not be able to expand new territories..."
Sima Fu remained silent.
Sima Hui raised his head and sighed again: "Since you know this, why don't Hussar not know about it? The gold of the Western Regions... Haha, the meaning of Hussar is not to promote his name, but to publicize his property..."
Sima Fu was stunned, frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes wide and said, "Uncle's intention..."
Sima Hui shook his head, then glanced sideways at Sima Fu and said: "I originally thought that the world... I never thought that the world of hussars is different from my world... I am old... I am so young... you are so scary...
, if you can’t fight, don’t provoke me easily... Do you understand? 』
Sima Fu bowed to the ground and said, "I sincerely follow my uncle's teachings."
……(￣..￣)┐……
Gold, these two words are the most mentioned words in Sanfu and Longyou areas before the New Year. They quickly overshadow the so-called reputation of the nobles. It is obvious that
After all, the matter of reputation is a matter for a few people, but interests involve the hearts of millions of people.
At Shenshi, although it was not too late, the sky was already dark, and a young man walked through a narrow alley in the west of Longyou Jincheng.
The snow has fallen again, not too much, and floating silently.
The young man's shoulders and cloth hat were stained with some white snow. He didn't walk fast, and it could even be said that he hesitated, but he still didn't slow down. When he passed by a house selling wine, he was
The heat in the room was so intense that I couldn't help but sniff hard, and then left, but not too long before I turned back and got under the blue cloth cover.
After a while, the young man came out again, walking in the narrow alley with one foot high and one foot low. He stopped again in front of a somewhat rundown courtyard in the middle of the alley.
This is an ordinary courtyard that is very common in the Han Dynasty. It is a low mud wall enclosure. The tiles on the enclosure seem to have fallen off, and pieces of wheat can still be seen in the cracked mud.
Straw stick, standing outside the yard, you can see that there is a main room and two side rooms in the small front yard. There is a wooden door with mottled paint, and the door god painting on the door has been torn to tatters by the wind, and it is obvious that it has not been willing to replace it.
new.
The young man patted the door gently.
There was no movement in the courtyard.
The quiet sound gave birth to the growth of a thing called bad temper. He knocked on the door twice more, and then it turned into a bang...
A young woman poked half of her face out of the door of the main room. She glanced at the young man, immediately screamed Brother Shitou in a low voice, and hurried over to open the door.
The young man, Shitou, asked impatiently: "Are you deaf?!"
"No..." The woman lowered her head, nervously holding her apron with her hands, and whispered, "I, I'm in the backyard..."
"Where's your father? He didn't hear you either?" Shitou asked as he walked towards the main room.
The name of the stone is Shitou, and it looks like a stone. His facial lines are strong, and his temper is more like a smelly stone.
"He, he..." The woman didn't dare to say that her father had heard it, but she didn't want to come and get away, so she had to follow with her head lowered, "My father is ill, his legs are swollen and shiny, down, down."
Unable to...』
"That's right!" Shitou snorted coldly, took two steps, then took out an oil paper bag from his arms and handed it to the woman, "Go pack it up... Let's eat some together later..."
Although the oil has solidified slightly, the scent of the meat still penetrated the oil paper and penetrated into the woman's nose, "Brother Shitou, this...this..."
"Go and do it if I tell you! Why are there so many nonsense!" Shitou opened the front door, "Old dog, I'm here!"
"You bastard, you bastard! Who are you?! You bastard, why are you trying to trick my daughter again today? I'm telling you, bastard, don't even think about it!" An old voice said.
There was a sound inside the house.
There were still some red coals burning in the brazier in the house, which provided some heat, making the stone who had just walked in from the cold feel somewhat comfortable and comfortable, but the tone in his mouth was not weak at all, "What's wrong with this damn weather?"
I’m not going to take you away, you old fool! Why, old dog, do you dislike me? Don’t eat the pork head meat I bought if you have the guts to do so!”
"I dislike you for being such a coward! I don't dislike pig head meat!" The old man moved on the bed, pointed to the side, "Sit..."
"..." After a moment of silence, Shitou said, "Even if I am a scapegoat to my parents...Yue Meizi, speaking of it, I am also a scorner to my husband. I don't care. What do you care about?"
"That's different..." the old man said.
Shitou couldn't help but said, "It's different, you old dog has dirt up to your neck, and you're still so afraid of death!"
"What's wrong with being afraid of death?! I finally survived the battlefield. What's wrong with wanting to live for two more days now? I also want to have a grandson! Ah? And then I'll be cowed to death by you? I don't."
I died on the battlefield, but at the hands of a coward like you. Is it unjust or not? Huh?" The old man was also unambiguous and scolded him back.
"That shit battlefield of yours! The soldiers who ride on the hussars are called soldiers, and those who go there are called battlefields! You still have the nerve to say..." Shitou said disdainfully, "You are just a coward!"
The old man was originally a Xiliang soldier who followed Han Sui. Later, Han Sui was defeated. Some surrendered and some were captured. The old man was too old at the time and was dismissed directly. Naturally, he did not receive the same treatment as ordinary retired soldiers.
Calling the old man superstitious, it is indeed true. After all, the old man believes that so many people died on the battlefield and he was the only one who survived with only minor injuries. That is God's blessing. But Shitou, this guy, can say anything. He just defeated his parents.
His parents died at a young age, and not long after that, all his grandfathers also died, so he didn't want his daughter to marry him, even though the two children could be considered childhood sweethearts.
The two of them were still arguing when the young woman opened the door curtain and came in. The old man and the young man glared at each other and closed their mouths.
There isn't much meat in the pork head, but the fat is very fragrant.
The wine is not mellow either, but it is spicy enough.
After eating and drinking, the woman removed the tableware again, and the old man and the young man started staring at each other again.
"Old man, I'm going on a long trip in two days..." Shitou whispered.
"...Oh? What are you doing?" the old man asked.
"Go to the Western Regions..." Shitou said, "General Hussars is recruiting people..."
"You bastard, are you crazy? If you go to that place, you will escape death! Don't listen to the nonsense about gold and silver in the market. There are so many good ones, but they are all deceptive!" The old man was anxious. Although it was noisy on weekdays.
, but the old man actually regards the stone as his own family in his heart, and there is just another reason for his apparent viciousness.
"What if it is true?" Shitou said, "When has a hussar general ever deceived someone?"
"This..." the old man was stunned for a moment, and then said, "You can't go there. I heard that there are tigers, leopards, insects, and snakes on the road, and there are also ghosts and evil spirits that specialize in eating people. If one of them is not good, your life will be lost."
!』
"Isn't that just right? You can worry less and don't have to worry about Yue Mei'er marrying me?" Shitou sneered.
The old man opened his mouth and clicked twice, unable to say anything.
Shitou reached into his arms, touched it, and then took out a small cloth bag and threw it beside the old man's bed. "This is the settling-in allowance given by General Hussar! You...Old man, just keep it first."
, I am alone in the army, and I don’t need this money... It’s the New Year, and I’ll also give Yue Meizi some new clothes..."
After saying that, Shi Shi stood up and left.
The old man quickly stood up, grabbed the money bag and wanted to chase him, but his typhoid legs could not support his balance and fell to the ground with a thud. He couldn't help but scream. The young woman washing in the backyard heard the sound,
She ran over quickly, but the old man stuffed the money bag into his hands, pushed her and asked her to chase the rocks.
"Brother Shitou! Shitou...ah..." The woman's voice floated in the wind and snow, and then she stepped crookedly on the snow and accidentally slipped to the ground with a chirp.
"Why are you still so stupid! You can even fall when you walk!" Shitou said without any polite words, but he gently lifted the woman up with his hands. He looked carefully up and down to see if there was anything wrong with the woman, and then flicked away the contaminated snowflakes.
Then he threw his hand away and said, "Go back! Go back! Just take good care of the old man..."
"No! I won't!" Yue Meizi, who was usually submissive, became stubborn once in a while and grabbed the corner of Shitou's clothes. "Brother Shitou, don't go! Here, return this money to General Hussar, don't go."
went……"
The lines on Shitou's face suddenly softened, "I've spent all this money...how can I get it back? Have you forgotten? The pork head you just ate..."
"Ah?" Yue Meizi became stunned again.
"Besides, if I don't go...how can I have the money to marry you?" Shitou looked to the west, "Hussar said, it can take as little as three years, as long as five years. There is gold, silver, and jade in the Western Regions...
If you don’t take risks, will money fall from the sky?”
Yue Meizi shook her head anxiously, "I...my dad...I...my dad..."
Shitou stretched out his hand and held down Yue Meizi's anxiously shaking head, "Stop shaking it, I understand... Your father, in fact, it's for you and for me... I sold half of my field to bury my father.
Later, in order to bury grandpa, he sold the other half... Your father was afraid that he would not be able to survive. If you married me now, if you were the old man... you would have to sell the yard again, otherwise the neighbors would point fingers and feel uncomfortable.
...You are not married to me now, so you have nothing to do with me, and I don't have to sell my yard, so I deliberately say bad things every day so that the neighbors know that your father and I have a bad relationship, and give me a reason...forget it,
It's useless to say this... I have entrusted the city's patrol, and I will give you the military salary for the past few years, so you can take good care of the old man... Don't worry, my life is hard! If you are willing to wait, just wait for me for three to five years.
, if I can’t wait, or I can’t come back, then...』
Shitou touched Yue Meizi's head for the last time, then pushed her back slightly, and said with a serious face: "Be obedient! Go back! I'm leaving! I'm going to the Western Regions to make a lot of money! Stop following me, and I'll beat you up again."
Got it!』
Shitou waved his fist, as if he used force to intimidate Yue Meizi, as he often did when he was a child, but after taking two steps, his fist loosened and turned into a wave...
The wind and snow are getting heavier and heavier.