After the death of a man named Luantang, the grasslands of the West are destined to be unrest.
No matter how much the Wusun people clarified, or how loudly they swore, they never harmed the envoy of the Mulan clan, the Wuli prince of the Kuantan clan.
The war, however, started suddenly like a fuse that had been lit.
One hundred and forty thousand Huns cavalry rushed toward the Wusun people's territory, and a big battle broke out between the two sides on the banks of the Yilie River.
Of course, a war will not be won or lost in a few days.
Especially such a large-scale cavalry battle.
Both sides will carefully test each other and use various means to consume and attack each other's vitality.
Although the Huns had an absolute advantage, they did not dare or were arrogant enough to think that they could destroy Wusun in one battle.
This is a typical war between nomads.
Both sides are armies dominated by cavalry.
The vast grassland gave both warring parties sufficient strategic space.
Often, wars between two nomadic groups will spread thousands of miles and last for more than a year, or even longer.
Just like when Maodun and Laoshang Shanyu defeated and expelled Donghu and Yuezhi.
To all the people inside the Great Wall, the unprecedented cavalry battle that took place at the edge of the distant world seemed to not exist at all.
It's already August and autumn is here.
People from north to south are preparing for this year's harvest.
Follow the outline of the Great Wall southward and cross the mountains.
In the fertile land of Guanzhong, countless old farmers smiled from ear to ear as they looked at the plump crops in the fields.
Under the cloth in the pavilion, joint official documents from the Shaofu, Da Nong and Neishi Yamen have been posted.
This year’s food prices are higher than last year!
"One stone of corn is worth forty-three cents, one stone of wheat is worth thirty-one cents. One stone of sorghum is ninety-five cents, and one stone of beans is worth thirty-three cents!" You Jiao stood under the cloth in the pavilion and shouted loudly to the onlookers.
Yu’s official price for grain purchases this year.
This is the protective line drawn by the emperor for the people. Any grain below this price can be sent to the nearest official warehouse, and the government will purchase it in unlimited quantities at the price stipulated by the emperor.
After hearing this, the smiles on many people's faces became even thicker.
After two years of implementation, the food price protection policy has been deeply rooted in Guanzhong and has been unanimously welcomed by the people.
Even many landlords and powerful families no longer resisted this and turned to cooperation.
The reason is simple. Although this policy can protect the basic interests of the people from loss, it also combats and suppresses land annexation to a certain extent.
But, in the final analysis, the landlords and powerful landlords who control the right to speak and public opinion can always eat the most part of the cake.
Anyway, the grain price protection policy has been implemented for two years. Except for the interests of the borers and ground dragons that originally parasitized in farmers and rural pavilions, the interests of other people have not been affected. On the contrary, the benefits have been greater than before.
Businessmen found that they were selling more of their products than before.
Officials found that their political performance steadily improved.
The landowner discovered that there were more and more cute little things hidden in the cellar. Moreover, beans, wheat and ramie, which had been grown purely for fun on his wasteland, could now be sold at a good price.
People feel that their lives now are much better than before.
But the nobles and nobles realized overnight that the world seemed a little different.
A new player seems to have joined Game of Thrones.
A new interest group focusing on the examination of scholars is taking shape.
This brand-new bureaucratic group, which was spread at the grassroots level in every county in Guanzhong, started to find its place on the political stage clumsily and stumbled.
This makes them a little uncomfortable.
However, they adapted quickly.
After all, although many of the scholars who took the examination were born in poor families.
But this so-called poor family is only relative to the old powerful people.
Almost more than 90% of the scholars who took the examination were from the landlord class or the official and business class.
Everyone can always find common topics.
Just like at this moment, You Jiao under Lu Bu read out the proclamation on Lu Bu with a serious face, but turned a deaf ear to Lu Bu's behavior and turned a blind eye.
"My father-in-law, my father-in-law, and so-and-so are from Zhang's Grain House. This year, in response to the emperor's call, the proprietor of our grain house is willing to offer one stone of corn at 60 yuan, one stone of soybeans forty-five yuan, and one stone of wheat fifty yuan.
The high price is open to the vast number of Guanzhong folks. My father-in-law has harvested wheat, millet and beans by then. You can come here as much as possible. I will wait here day and night. It will be absolutely sufficient, and you will have both money and food. You are a good boy!"
The kind-faced middle-aged man in the crowd kept making promises to the onlookers, talking like a lotus flower, offering various high prices that far exceeded the protective price stipulated by the court, tempting one farmer after another.
The farmers were extremely confused after hearing this, but under the impact of those high prices, everyone also lost their minds.
"Really?" Some people didn't seem to believe it.
"Of course it's true!" The man said categorically: "Let's go and find out. Our proprietor, who was the servant of Lord Wuhou Bailing of Anguo, was the one who kept his promise and kept his promise for thousands of dollars!"
Xu was the name of An Guo Wuhou, which made the people feel convinced.
When Prince Wuhou of Anguo was the prime minister, he continued Xiao He and Cao Shen's governing policies, which benefited the people of Guanzhong.
Of course, the most important thing is that Wang Ling has Zhang Cang, Marquis of Beiping, who considers himself his godson.
When Zhang Cang was Prime Minister, the first thing he did after going to court was not to go home or to the government office, but to drive to Anguo Houfu to serve Wang Ling's wife like a son.
This kind of story has been widely circulated in Guanzhong and has become a favorite story that everyone knows.
When Wang Ling was alive, he was also famous for being selfless, upright and loving the people.
At first, in order to express his dissatisfaction with Empress Lu, Wang Ling did not hesitate to stay behind closed doors.
Compared with kneeling down and licking Empress Lu's Liuhou and Jianghou, the reputation is much better.
Therefore, upon hearing this man's words, the man above did not seem to stand up and accuse him. Instead, he smiled at him intentionally or unintentionally.
This convinced the people immediately.
So, everyone said one after another: "If this is true, then my corn and beans will be sold to you after the autumn harvest this year!"
Some of the simple people have even begun to make plans. After selling their grain at a high price, they should be able to buy a few more sets of new clothes for their children and their wives this year. They can even buy an animal next year and go home to help with the work.
Mules and donkeys are both good choices.
It's not expensive, easy to maintain, and durable.
Scenes like this happened in many places in Guanzhong.
There are even some places where local tour guides and even pavilion chiefs endorse people like this and pat their chests to guarantee it.
A terrifying financial whirlpool is taking shape.
The Xiu Yiwei and the censors of the Censor Yamen who smelled the uneasy atmosphere quickly fed back the information to Weiyang Palace.
"Have you checked it out?" Liu Che asked Wang Dao. Although Wang Dao had relieved himself of the Embroidery Guard's job, he was still responsible for reporting the Embroidery Guard's affairs to Liu Che.
"Your Majesty, we have found out..." Wang Dao lowered his head and said: "The people involved include all the princes and two thousand stones. Although it is only their retainers or second sons who are coming forward, the facts are irrefutable. They
Money laundering!"
Money laundering is a good word!
Liu Che gave Wang Dao a thumbs up in his heart.
But, speaking of it, this word is not invented by Wang Dao.
To be precise, the old Liu family is the pioneer of money laundering technology.
I think back then, Liu Bang, a financial novice, came up with the extremely weird three-baht coin, also known as cheek money.
The three-baht coin minted by Liu Bang was not only small and thin, but also cut corners and materials, passing it off as a good one.
During the circulation period, there was a strange incident where the new money was broken into countless pieces within less than half a month of circulation.
This triggered the first economic crisis in Chinese history.
After Empress Lu came to power, she first abolished the three-baht coin. At the same time, she promulgated money laws to prohibit private money, and then minted eight-baht coins.
Empress Lu's eight baht coins, compared to Liu Bang's three baht coins, the conscience is like the difference between gold and brass.
The new money crushed Liu Bang's three-baht coin in terms of weight, quality, fineness and copper content.
Do you think Queen Lu is really so conscientious?
Then you are totally wrong.
As new money circulates, in order to prevent people from using their old money or exchanging old money for new money.
Empress Lu stipulates: If the diameter is more than ten inches and eight inches, even if there is no pawn, the article is quite intelligent (knowledge), and it is not special discount or lead money, it is all money for walking. If the gold is not green and red, it is gold for walking. If you dare to choose, don't take it.
Those who use money or gold will be fined four taels.
What this means is that as long as the money meets the standard (eight inches per ten), even if there is a hole, but as long as the writing on the money can still be seen, and it is not full of lead or completely broken, it is a qualified coin, any money.
Anyone who dares to refuse to use it will be fined four taels.
This is equivalent to completely passing on the losses caused by Liu Bang's three baht money to the people.
The government and the imperial court took the opportunity to spend a large amount of inventory and unused money as currency to purchase goods for the people.
And when these low-quality cheek coins are in the hands of the people, they are rarely recovered by the government. Officials can say whatever they like.
To this day, many places do not recognize any copper coins at all.
Local people only trade silk cloth or completely barter.
The old Liu family played so beautifully that many people in the future imitated it.
During the reign of Emperor Taizong, new money was issued, called four-baht money, and a money ban was introduced.
Then, people all over the world began to learn from Liu's old wisdom.
Use the privately minted four-baht coins to exchange a large amount of eight-baht coins on the market, and then refinance them back to make private money.
Wu Wang Liu Bi and Deng Tong made a lot of money from this.
Among the people, this kind of behavior of the government and the court passing the left hand to the right hand is called money laundering.
This secretive financial method has become the best way for the powerful and businessmen to shear the wool of the common people for a certain period of time.
But people are not fools either.
I have been deceived many times, and I know that I have been deceived.
As a result, people no longer accept any kind of money stupidly.
Now in Guandong, one eight-baht coin minted by Empress Lu is equivalent to three four-baht coins or five private coins. As for the three-baht coin... no one wants it at all!
As for Guanzhong, in addition to the eight baht coins and Qin's half-liang coins, there is also a circulation market.
Other four-baht coins and three-baht coins, whether made by the government or privately, were all thrown into the trash can.
Good quality coins are nothing.
At worst, if you melt it and cast it into other vessels, at least you won't lose money.
But those low-quality money that was forced into the horse just to make money and shear sheep was embarrassing.
If you keep money in your hands but cannot spend it, you will lose money!
However, the Shaofu and Neishi Yamen announced that the exchange ratio between old money and five-baht coins was based on the copper content. After melting, one pound of copper would be given, and fifty five-baht coins would be given.
But the problem is that one pound of copper is worth two hundred and eighty-eight baht (Han system, one pound is twelve taels, one pound is twenty-four baht), which can at least cast sixty-five new five-baht coins. To be exaggerated, seventy
One piece is enough (after adding lead and iron).
How can those guys accept such an exchange ratio?
You have to know that in the past, they could easily mint one hundred or even one hundred, twenty or thirty coins from one pound of copper.
No one is willing to accept the feeling of losing more than half of their wealth in an instant.
Therefore, it is understandable that they would target the common people.
Isn’t this how the powerful have played in China since ancient times?
Whether it is the stock market, the property market, or even options and bonds, under the guise of benefiting the people, they are actually enriching their own pockets.
There is absolutely no need for Wall Street or Westerners to teach such things.
Everyone is born with it.
Anyway, what can the silent majority do except grumble and complain?
There is no doubt that even eunuchs like Wang Dao know what these guys are planning without anyone reminding them.
But it's a pity that the majority of people don't know it at all.
Limited by knowledge and experience, many of them do not even have basic mathematical knowledge, and cannot even understand the crosshairs on the scale beam. How can they figure out such a complicated thing?
Even if they have suffered similar losses before.
But it is a pity that people are forgetful.
As long as a similar game is not played once a year, it is guaranteed that as many people will be fooled as there are corns in autumn.
Of course, there are not no smart people among the people, but the question is how do you convince a neighbor who has been amwayed to believe in you?
"Your Majesty, what should we do?" Wang Dao asked.
The Minister of Lantai and the censors below also looked at the emperor with burning eyes.
The problem this time is undoubtedly very difficult in the eyes of many people.
Most of Guanzhong's grassroots officials, aristocrats, and powerful families have already entered the venue, while others are preparing to enter.
The players in the field include relatives like the Dou family and the Chen family, as well as veteran families like Cao, Wang, and Guan, and even generals with great military exploits.
Intentionally or unintentionally, these people chose the opportunity before the autumn harvest, took advantage of the people's desire for profit, and wanted to launder money by dumping the rapidly depreciating coins in their pockets to the people so that they could take over.
But in the end, it is undoubtedly the court and the people who will be damaged, and it may even lead to a civil uprising.
Of course, the imperial court and the government have already had experience in dealing with civil unrest like this.
The county government officials and militia could easily suppress the situation without even needing to send out troops.
Therefore, many people felt in their hearts that the emperor would probably bow his head this time.
Yes, a wise ruler would inevitably pretend not to see such a thing when facing the people, nobles, and ministers at this time.
At most, after the incident, we can punish a few guys who look too ugly and have marginalized status, and use them as scapegoats to vent their anger on the people. (~^~)
