Chapter 207 The magic in the eyes of the Liao envoy: Jiaozi
Dutingyi is located east of Kaifeng Fuyamen and north of Zhouqiao. Next to it is Jiaozisuo.
At this time, the Liao envoy Yeluju was playing with a Jiaozi issued by the Southern Dynasty.
This is something that most Liao envoys will try their best to buy or find after arriving in the Southern Dynasty.
Playing with the Jiaozi in his hand, he looked at the patterns engraved on it and the various seals stamped on it.
Yeluju praised repeatedly: "It's incredible. How did the people of the Southern Dynasties do it?"
A piece of paper can be turned into money by printing it!
The whole Liao Kingdom has been jealous for a long time!
However, I can’t learn it, and I can’t learn it!
Because the whole country, whether it is the Han people in the south or the grassland tribes in the north, do not believe that a piece of paper can have purchasing power.
Not to mention the purchasing power of the Southern Dynasties!
Just like the big slap in the hand that Yeluju is holding now.
Its value is ten strings!
Although it is iron money, it is basically only circulated in Sichuan and Shaanxi.
But this is money, money that can be used and recognized by merchants all over the world!
Wang Shiru, who was beside him, said: "Jiedu, I heard someone say that people in the Southern Dynasties were issued this kind of jiaozi for a period of three years!"
"When the expiration date is up, a new jiaozi will be issued, recycled, and the old jiaozi will be destroyed!"
"It is said that when exchanging an old one for a new one, you have to pay thirty cash for each one!"
After hearing this, Yeluju's eyes bulged!
Just use paper as money!
The Southern Dynasty could actually collect taxes on this piece of paper?!
Amazing skills!
Incredible!
Moreover, if you have to pay tax for recycling, do you need to pay for distribution? If you have to pay it, it will cost you 60 yuan each time!
Are all people in the Southern Dynasties fools?
Wang Shiru also sighed. He couldn't figure out how a piece of paper could be turned into money and still be accepted and circulated.
Just rely on the few lines written on this paper?
While the two were talking, a voice came from outside the door: "Jiedu, Xiao is observing and asking for a meeting!"
"Please!" Yeluju put down his hand and said.
After a while, a nobleman of medium height, wearing the traditional Chu yellow robe of the Khitan people, with the left hem slit, walked in.
He raised his hands and saluted: "Xiao Jie has met Jiedu and Wang Xiuzhuan!"
"You don't have to be polite, Xiao Zhan!" Yeluju and Wang Shiru both stood up and returned the courtesy.
Then, he invited Xiao Jie to the guest table and ordered someone to cook three top-notch tea soups from the Southern Dynasties.
Taking a sip of the milky white tea soup, the three of them each felt relaxed and happy, and the high-end tea cups in their hands also amazed the three of them.
Putting down the tea cup, Yeluju asked, "What did Xiao Guanzhi find out?"
Xiao Jie nodded and said: "Zeng Zixuan, the ambassador of the Southern Dynasty, told me just now that the young master of the Southern Dynasty can already read Shangshu by himself, and can also use Yunshu and Shuowen Jiezi to find out
Word definition!”
Yeluju laughed after hearing this.
"The ministers of the Southern Dynasties really tried their best to add glory to their little emperor's face!" Yeluju sneered disdainfully.
He knows these methods very well and is very clear about them.
Because the Emperor of Liao also packaged his grandson, King Liang, in this way.
Speaking of which, it’s also interesting!
The Liang King of Daliao and the current little emperor of the Southern Dynasty are almost ten years apart in age!
The ministers surrounding him are also trying their best to add glory to the young master!
In Xiaowuna, Shangjing City, Yelugu concocted the myth of Liang Wang's cleverness, benevolence and filial piety every day.
A bunch of scholar-bureaucrats gathered around, praising King Liang's virtuous name!
At first, it was possible to fool people, but now... Yeluju didn't believe it anyway!
Xiao Jie shook his head and said: "Jiedu, I have found out a lot about the young master of the Southern Dynasty..."
"Judging from the legend, this young master of the Southern Dynasty is probably really smart!"
"Many statements indicate that he can independently summon ministers and deal with some government affairs..."
Praising, exaggerating, and all can be faked.
After all, it's someone else's mouth that says it.
Just like those things that go to the capital, you can summon ministers alone, handle government affairs personally, and hand out edicts to comfort the elders who come to the capital...
These cannot be taught by others!
Even if you are taught by someone else, being able to do things according to what others teach you and still successfully complete it on your own is already very impressive!
Yeluju listened and laughed: "Even so, so what?"
"A child with a yellow mouth who was born in a deep palace and grew up in a woman's hands is still a cowardless person no matter how smart he is!"
Compared with this matter, Yeluju was more concerned about Jiaozi.
He picked up the jiaozi he had put down and continued to observe, marveling at it.
When Xiao Jie saw Jiaozi, he was also surprised: "Jiedu actually bought Jiaozi?"
Yeluju nodded: "Yes!"
This is the treasure that the Liao people want to get most in Bianjing!
Throughout the ages, only a few messengers have been able to obtain it!
Not because it is very precious, but because Liao envoys are usually imprisoned in the capital pavilion and are not allowed to go out.
Even if you allow it, no matter where you go, there will be guards from the Southern Dynasty following you.
No one from the Southern Dynasties dared to contact or talk to them, let alone trade with them.
When Xiao Jie saw Jiaozi in Yeluju's hand, he immediately asked, "Jiedu, can you let me have a look at it?"
Ever since the Liao people learned about the existence of Jiaozi, their curiosity and desire to study him have never ceased.
After all, the situation in Liao Kingdom, Sichuan, and Shaanxi was very similar. They both lacked copper and used a large amount of cast iron coins.
But the iron money is too heavy, which is not conducive to trading.
Especially among the grassland tribes, Daliao coins could not be circulated at all.
Most trade remains at the barter stage.
The nobles in the north naturally wanted to imitate the Southern Dynasty and could use paper to print money.
If it succeeds, wouldn't Daliao be able to exchange a few pieces of paper with the Zubu and other tribes on the grassland for cattle and sheep?
Yeluju handed the handout to Xiao Jie, and Xiao Jie took it in his hand, observed it carefully, and rubbed it...
In the end, Xiao Jie was convinced that this was just an ordinary piece of paper with some more delicate patterns printed on it and a few official seals and secret stamps stamped on it.
No matter how you look at it, it doesn’t look like it’s worth ten thousand iron coins!
10 cents is probably too much!
How could the merchants of the Southern Dynasties believe this? And why would anyone willingly exchange real money and silver for this kind of paper?
After letting out a slight breath, Xiao Jie looked at Wang Shiru and asked, "Do you, a man familiar with Confucianism and Confucianism, know the secret behind this?"
Wang Shiru shook his head and said: "I only heard that the so-called Jiaozi was created by the famous Southern Dynasty official Zhang Guaiya when he was governing Shu!"
"The rest is not clear!"
"But that heroic Zhang Yong?" Yeluju and Xiao Jie were surprised.
Wang Shiru nodded.
Yeluju and Xiao Jie both sighed: "Although the Southern Dynasty is weak, there are so many heroes!"
Yeluju added: "If Jiaozi is really the work of Zhang Guaiya, it would not be surprising if he can exchange paper for money!"
Zhang Yong was one of the few ministers of the Southern Dynasties who was well-known to everyone in the north and south of the Liao Kingdom.
Stories and allusions about him even spread to the Zubu and Heihan people.
In particular, the sentence he wrote when he executed a small official who embezzled a penny in the past was so legendary that it was said that even some people in the tribe of straight women who were illiterate and drank blood knew about it.
Thinking of this, Yeluju sighed again and asked Wang Shiru: "I wonder if there is any collection of essays on this beautiful cliff?"
"Is it possible to buy it in Bianjing?"
Wang Shiru knew what Yeluju wanted to see, so he replied: "Zhang Guaiya has "Guaiya Collection", which is published all over the world. It is not necessary to be in Bianjing, it is also sold in Shangjing..."
"Xiaguan bought one when he was young. They were just some poems and articles, and there was no way to communicate with him!"
"What a pity!" Yeluju lamented.
Seeing Yeluju's expression, Wang Shiru said, "If Jiedu wants to know, there is a way for me to lower my official rank?"
"Um?"
"Just ask the ambassador or deputy ambassador of the Southern Dynasties..."
"Maybe they can tell, but not necessarily... If that doesn't work, I'll ask someone to disguise themselves and go snoop among the tiles in the capital of the Southern Dynasties. Maybe they can learn something..."
Yeluju shook his head: "Someone has tried it a long time ago!"
The Southern Dynasty's defense against Daliao was extremely strict!
There were three layers of forbidden troops surrounding Dutingyi, just to prevent Daliao from knowing its true and false status.
People entering and leaving Dutingyi will only speak the prescribed words.
As for the ambassador and deputy ambassador?
They have all been strictly trained and instructed that they will never discuss their political affairs with the Liao envoys except for discussing articles, poems, and treaties between the two countries.
Daliao used to be very confident and didn't care about these things.
But eight years ago, the King of Wei framed and killed the queen and the prince, and attempted to harm the grandson. He even rebelled, fled to the Song Dynasty, and other things happened one after another.
Daliao also fell into serious lack of self-confidence.
When the envoys of the Southern Dynasties arrived in Shangjing, they were still under strict surveillance just like the envoys of the Liao Dynasty in Bianjing!
Note: During the Yuanfeng era of the Northern Song Dynasty, Jiaozi was mainly issued in two denominations: five-guan and ten-guan, with each issue amounting to approximately 1.26 million guan.
