If Zhao Kuo knew what Chang Yang was thinking and would only smile slightly, how much would a mere meal cost? If he could gain the loyalty of six hundred people, it would be a great deal.
"There are no untouchables in our Zhao country, only commoners." Lu Zhonglian said.
Chang Yang was stunned when he heard this and said nothing.
"What are you doing in front?" After a while, Chang Yang suddenly saw a group of people busy not far away. They only wore a single piece of clothing to cover their bodies. They were dirty, but their faces were filled with happiness.
Smile, even if the sun is scorching in the sky and sweat is pouring down, no one stops to rest.
The children were playing happily around. From time to time, they became curious and insisted on stepping forward to help. As a result, their clothes and faces were covered with mud, which made the adults laugh and scold them.
"Let me take a look, oh, they are building a house." Lu Zhonglian opened the curtains and took a look and said.
"Building a house? Then why are they so happy?" Chang Yang was a little puzzled. When building a house for a noble person, shouldn't he be downcast and full of sorrow?
"They built the house for themselves, so of course they are very happy." Lu Zhonglian said.
"Build a house for yourself?" Chang Yang didn't believe it. Except for the big nobles, who could build a house and recruit so many people?
But he did not choose to quarrel with Lu Zhonglian.
"What are you doing there?" Chang Yang said, pointing to another place.
"That's road construction." Lu Zhonglian said.
"Are they also building roads for themselves?" Chang Yang asked.
"Although the road is not built for them, they have money to take it," Lu Zhonglian said.
"You have the money? Haha." Chang Yang sneered in his heart, with a look of disbelief.
Although he was born in Jiangdong, he has admired the culture of the Central Plains since he was a child, and he can be considered a man who has read poetry and books. Since ancient times, civilians have been working for free, and even if they are close to home, they have to bring their own dry food. When will you have the money?
When Zilu was a local official, he called the local people to build ditches to prevent floods. Seeing that the people were too tired and toiling, he gave everyone a bowl of rice and a pot of water.
After Confucius learned about it, he immediately sent Zigong to stop Zilu, thinking that Zilu had gone too far and had done something he shouldn't have done.
Even if Zhao Guo wants to show his benevolence and righteousness, he should find a more reliable reason.
Seeing Chang Yang's expression, Lu Zhonglian immediately understood the other person's thoughts and explained: "This is not labor service, it is work. There is no money in labor service. However, in Zhao State, we only have one month of labor service every year. The rest of the time is considered work. The government
Wages will be paid on the same day and will never be in arrears."
"Is this true for the entire Zhao Kingdom?" Chang Yang asked in shock.
"Of course." Lu Zhonglian nodded.
For some reason, Lu Zhonglian was particularly happy when he saw the shock on Chang Yang's face. He even felt a sense of pride as a Zhao person, which he had never felt before in Qi.
"How much money will it cost? Even 100 million won't be enough." Chang Yang really couldn't believe it.
Is Zhao Guo already so wealthy?
He heard that the strength of Zhao State was not as good as that of Qin State. In the Battle of Shangdang, Qin State suppressed him and later relied on Han, Wei and Chu to defeat Qin State.
If the State of Zhao is like this, how rich will the State of Qin be?
Or is it that Yue is too backward?
"One hundred million? Haha, even one billion is not enough." Lu Zhonglian said with disdain.
Roads, houses, water conservancy projects, and cities are being built all over the country... There are as many as two to three million people participating in the work-for-relief program. Each person pays ten yuan a day, which is nearly one billion yuan a month.
This does not include the money spent on purchasing medicinal materials, feathers, arrow shafts... every month.
In addition, there is money to support farmers, doctors, and engineers in researching, inventing, and creating...
"Zhao Guo...Zhao Guo is so rich?" Chang Yang felt that his world view collapsed. Is this the strength of the countries in the Central Plains?
"Let me tell you secretly, our king can print money." Lu Zhonglian suddenly said nervously.
To be honest, Lu Zhong still hasn't figured out why Zhao Kuo printed the words ten coins on a piece of paper, so that the paper could be used as ten coins.
"Printing money?" Chang Yang was a little confused.
"That's it." Lu Zhonglian took out a half-palm-sized piece of paper from his sleeve, with the words "ten coins" printed on it in Zhao seal.
"What is this?" Chang Yang did not recognize the paper.
Although Zhao Kuo sent some papers to each country, he did not send them to the Yue State. After all, only a few remnants of the Yue State fled into the mountains, and it could not even be called a country.
"Oh, this is the money of my country, Zhao." Lu Zhonglian said.
In the beginning, Zhao State only provided food-for-work relief, but not money, because there was not so much cash, tens of millions a day. Not to mention Zhao State, even the seven countries combined could not sustain it.
But even so, as a large number of merchants entered Zhao State, Zhao State still had a money shortage, and had no choice but to barter.
Therefore, Zhao Kuo invented paper money more than a thousand years ahead of schedule.
The food-for-work program no longer provides food. Instead, the worker is given a ten-dollar note. The worker can take the note to eat at any government-run restaurant, spend eight dollars, and be satisfied. The restaurant will then look for
Give the worker two banknotes.
After you have saved a certain amount, you can go to any farm tools, coal, salt shop to buy farm tools and other items, or you can go to the shops run by the Zhao State Government or Zhao's Trading Company to buy any goods.
The merchant sold the goods to Zhao Kuo, and Zhao Kuo also used paper money as a voucher.
Businessmen take the vouchers to coal mines, salt fields, and workshops to extract coal, salt, farm tools and other supplies.
In this way, the use of copper coins is skipped.
After a long time, other shops gradually began to accept banknotes. Everyone discovered that banknotes could be used just like copper coins. After getting banknotes, they no longer thought about spending them immediately, but instead saved them like copper coins. Banknotes began to earn the same rewards as copper coins.
Its status has become popular among the people.
Due to the convenience of banknotes, merchants have also begun to use banknotes for transactions. They no longer need to haul a heavy cart of copper plates and worry about being robbed along the way.
If you hide a bunch of banknotes in your sleeves, no one will know you have money.
Moreover, there are private individuals who forge low-quality copper coins to earn the price difference. Paper money is completely impossible. Those people can’t even make paper, so they still want to forge paper money?
In fact, due to the limitations of the times, everyone did not regard banknotes as money, but only as a kind of voucher, so no one thought of counterfeiting them.
But after a long time, someone will definitely discover the secret.
Therefore, Zhao Kuo has already prepared various anti-counterfeiting signs. As long as Zhao Kuo's technology is at the forefront, it will not be copied.
Now that banknotes have gradually been circulated to other countries, the governments of other countries have no idea what this means.
"Sir, are you bullying me as a barbarian? How can this thin thing be worth ten dollars?" Chang Yang said with an unhappy look on his face as he held the ten dollar note.
In his opinion, Lu Zhonglian was treating him as a fool and deceiving him.
"Stop the car." Lu Zhonglian didn't defend himself, but just greeted the groom who was driving.
After the carriage stopped, Lu Zhonglian waved to the old man selling caramel on the roadside and said: "Old man, here's a piece of caramel."
"Hey, okay, ten dollars in total." The old man wrapped the cut candy in lotus leaves and handed it to Lu Zhonglian, then took the ten-dollar banknote from Lu Zhonglian's hand and stuffed it into his sleeve.
"Sir, go slowly." The old man waved happily.
"Here." Lu Zhonglian threw the candy to Chang Yang.
Chang Yang stared blankly at the candy in his hand. At this moment, he suddenly felt like a three-year-old child who didn't understand anything...