After Zhang Yue finished his three strategies, the officials were applauded in their hearts. This was truly a statement of true knowledge and insight.
He is truly worthy of being the talent of the Zhuangyuan Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty, the talent of the prime minister left to me by Emperor Renzong. It is said that one word can rejuvenate the country, and three strategies can rejuvenate the country.
Officials don't know what to say. If what Zhang Yue just said was a policy statement, he would have become the number one scholar with a stroke of his pen.
But the Golden Palace Policy Discussion is, after all, just a Golden Palace Policy Discussion. What the prime ministers of the two governments discussed in the Golden Palace was national policy.
Policy papers are articles, and national policies must be implemented, not just what he thinks is feasible.
The officials looked around at all the ministers, and at this moment Han Jiang said: "Your Majesty, Zhang Yue's three strategies... I think it is feasible, but the details will need to be discussed by the two governments."
Although Zhang Yue proposed it for the first time in the palace, Han Jiang and Zhang Yue had a tacit understanding early on, and it was the two of them who handed over the prison sentence. However, no matter how much they supported it, they always showed worries on their faces. This is what a prime minister is.
of stability.
In contrast, Wu Chong had no scruples at all: "I thought that I was rebuilding the currency letter first, but this failed and the credibility of the court was ruined."
"Confucius once said that enough food, enough soldiers, and the trust of the people are the three things. If the people have no trust, there will be no establishment. This trust is the trust of the people, and it is also the system of the imperial court!"
"The trust of the people is the trust of the people!" The official nodded. He remembered what Wang Anshi had said to him on the first day he entered the palace, that the first step in reform was to choose the right method.
When the official thought of this, he suddenly asked: "Should the choice of skills come first in governing a country, or should the system come first?"
Lu Huiqing said: "Your Majesty, we should change according to the times and the situation. This dynasty has been conservative for hundreds of years, so we have reforms."
"For example, in the Qian Law, in order to solve the money shortage, in the second year of Xining, His Majesty first abolished the copper ban that had been in place since Qingli."
"Now the common people are allowed to make copper utensils and carry copper and iron coins abroad. The imperial court has also taken back old copper from the people and started to mint coins. This is all your Majesty's virtue."
The officials were very satisfied when they heard this.
"The Xining Yuanbao minted by His Majesty just after he ascended the throne were all flat coins. At that time, Sichuan minted a batch of flat coins. I remember that the original amount was more than 89,300 guan, and the final value was more than 112,500 guan.
Divide the two, the profit will be as much as 25%."
"Two years after the arrival of Xining, the imperial court cast heavy treasures from Xining, mixed with ordinary coins and two coins, and cast two large iron coins. The iron coins were less than twelve kilograms, and the profit was double and half.
many."
"The imperial court has made a lot of profits from cast iron coins, and it has also abolished the copper ban since Emperor Renzong. This has made things easier for the officials and the people. This shows the success of breaking two coins."
Everyone listened to Lu Huiqing's eloquent talk about the benefits of discounting two coins. It was obviously a move for the court to seek profit, but he turned it into a move to facilitate and benefit the people.
But the officials just fell into this trap. Lu Huiqing said: "Since the second year of Xining, the heavy treasures of Xining, whether they are flat coins or broken into two coins, are circulated among the people, and there is nothing wrong with them."
"Now I think that if Xining Tongbao is cast, Xining Tongbao will be mainly discounted for two coins, and furthermore, it will be discounted for thirty coins and five coins, and then profit from it and use the money to buy back the jiaoyin issued by the imperial court. This is also
It’s the best of both worlds.”
After hearing what Lu Huiqing said, all the ministers were in a commotion. Zhang Yue was also deeply impressed by Lu Huiqing's sudden operation.
Lu Huiqing was surprised that he suddenly proposed a repurchase and exchange quotation at the temple, but he hastily came up with an operation to get the best of both worlds.
But what is this operation? To demolish the east wall to repair the west wall?
While handing out new money indiscriminately, they pretend to buy back old money.
This is the so-called big fight in, small fight out of the cool operation.
A classic calculation problem for primary school students. A reservoir is filled with water and filled with water. How long will it take for the reservoir to be filled or drained?
Most elementary school students drop their pens. Isn’t this fooling me? Water is released and water is taken in. Is the reservoir releasing water or filling it with water?
Why?
Because he wanted to collect money while also being generous and righteous, Lu Huiqing figured out the emperor's thoughts and performed a set of fancy tricks to confuse the audience.
A discount of 20%, a discount of 30%, and a discount of 50% of money is a sign of damage to the court's currency. After a discount of 2%, the common people who get official coins will suffer a loss. After a discount of 30%, those who get a discount of 2% will suffer a loss. The same goes for a 50% discount.
Reason. The purpose of repurchase and cross-quotation is to rebuild currency trust for the imperial court.
The difference between himself and Lu Huiqing lies in rebuilding and destroying the currency letter, not the money.
There is no need to use this method to buy back the money.
Zhang Yue saw that the No. 1 and No. 3 officials in the civil service supported him, but because of Lu Huiqing's sudden move, the plan almost failed.
Now that the official had been persuaded by Lu Huiqing, he subconsciously looked at Zhang Yue.
Zhang Yue was about to speak, but then he saw Lu Huiqing giving him a look that said he was not going to propose a toast but would be punished with a drink.
Zhang Yue thought for a while and then said nothing. His silence was because he disapproved of it.
Seeing this, Lu Huiqing showed a dissatisfied look again.
He stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, I think this method is the most appropriate and there is no need for other considerations. Please use this edict to order the world."
Zhang Yue couldn't help but go out to argue: "Your Majesty, it is feasible to use Xining Tongbao by two, but not by three and fifty million."
Lu Huiqing glanced at Zhang Yue.
Zhang Yue took a look and went back, and then reported to the emperor: "I know what Mr. Lu means. The implementation of the Xining Chongbao discount for two coins has gone smoothly. Now the people have generally accepted the two coins discount. Under the newly minted Xining Tongbao
Next, try to discount it by 30% off, 50% off, or even 10% off to see if the people will accept it.”
"But if this continues, sooner or later there will be trouble."
Lu Huiqing said: "I think you are worrying too much. If you can't break it by 30% or 50%, then what's the use of casting Xining Tongbao?"
Zhang Yuezheng said: "For Mr. Lu, it seems that as long as the people don't make trouble and there are no big troubles, it will be fine. Even if there is trouble, a group of troublemakers will be killed, and the court will give in a little bit. Is this okay?
Is this the true meaning of the people not giving enough to the country?
"Nonsense!" Lu Huiqing was furious.
Seeing that the two got into a heated argument in front of the emperor, Han Jiang immediately interrupted the argument.
The official walked down the imperial steps and came between Zhang Yue and Lu Huiqing and said: "Zhang Qing, Lu Qing, you are all my subordinates and ministers of the country. Will I still rely on you to govern the country in the future?"
This was the official initiative to repair the relationship between Zhang Yue and Lu Huiqing.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yue and Lu Huiqing complained to the officials at the same time, saying that they had behaved improperly before the emperor.
The official said: "Since I came to the throne, I have been sleeping hard and sighing, and I am wary of those who are pregnant at night. I am also guilty of excessive exchanges."
The officials used the majesty of the emperor to mediate a dispute between ministers. After leaving the hall, everyone left alone.
When Zhang Yue left the palace, he saw Lu Huiqing, and Lu Huiqing also saw Zhang Yue. The two of them nodded slightly in unison.
It doesn't matter if you quarrel in front of the emperor, get really angry or slam the table, it's just a show for the emperor.
Zhang Yue and Lu Huiqing both know that they have great political differences with each other, but they can't do anything to each other now, so there is no need to quarrel.
It will be difficult to deal with things after breaking your face.
Lu Huiqing said: "To save it, let me take a step to speak?"
Zhang Yue knew that Lu Huiqing was discussing further and immediately said: "Just follow your husband's orders."
Lu Huiqing said to Zhang Yue: "There are two sides to the truth, but one needs to be biased towards one side. At the beginning, Prime Minister Wen once said that the emperor and the scholar-bureaucrats should rule the world together, rather than rule the world with the common people."
"The affairs of the imperial court were originally intended to facilitate and benefit the people, but because the local officials did not mention the wishes of the world, the people were troubled."
"So Duanming knows what I mean?"
Zhang Yue said: "Xiangong means that there is no way for the emperor and the scholar-bureaucrats to rule the world together, but for the emperor to rule the world alone!"
Lu Huiqing nodded and said: "That's exactly the case. Therefore, the only way is to reform and eliminate annexation."
"You said that the coins are discounted by 20% and 30%. The common people only have a few coins in their hands. Their families don't have enough food for the night. They only have a few bad coins in their hands. But the rich gentry's homes have piles of copper coins and iron coins. If there is a real discount today,
Ten coins, it will be these evil gentry who will cry tomorrow."
Zhang Yue said: "My lord, I understand what you said. Before Xining, the country was poor and the people were poor, and most of the money in the world was controlled by powerful people."
"Therefore, the law of money is based on equality as good, and I agree with it. "Qian Materia Medica" does not mention that money is a thing that is sweet, hot, and poisonous... It can benefit the country, corrupt the virtuous, and fear the incorruptible. Greedy people will take it.
, If it is even, it is good; if it is uneven, the hot and cold will clash and cause cholera."
Qian's Materia Medica was written by Zhang Shuo, Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty, in the tone of Shen Nong's Materia Medica. It is better to have equal money, and if it is not equal, the world will be in chaos.
Zhang Yue said again: "If the money is accumulated but not scattered, there will be disasters such as water, fire, thieves, etc.; if the money is scattered but not accumulated, there will be dangers of hunger, cold, and distress. One accumulation and one dispersion is called the way."
"This money needs to be accumulated and dispersed. But Xianggong said that if you discount ten yuan, the money in the wealthy family will be divided ten times. But do you know that the money is reduced to ten times, but the land is ten times more expensive, so the wealth in the wealthy family will be
More or more money? Are wealthy families getting poorer or getting richer?"
Lu Huiqing's expression changed when he heard this.
Zhang Yue added: "Lü Xianggong's money is just a drop in the bucket to the rich. You can reduce it by reducing it. The poor people don't have much money in their hands. Even if they have ten coins, it doesn't matter."
"But in addition to the rich and the poor, there is another class of people among them. Some of them have a few acres of thin farmland at home, some have some small vendors, some have read a few books, and they have some skills but not too much.
There are some poor people in my family, so sometimes I can eat an egg a day, a meal of meat every ten days, and a meal of wine a month."
"In the eyes of some people, they are wealthy, but in the eyes of the wealthy, they are not worth mentioning. A small bailiff can force them to almost have no choice. What if the money in their hands is reduced ten times?
"
Lu Huiqing folded her hands and remained silent.
"My lord, you and I were like this before we were admitted to the imperial examinations! So even if I live in eight seats now, I am still walking on thin quilts with trepidation."
After saying this, Zhang Yue bowed to Lu Huiqing and retreated.
Lu Huiqing looked at Zhang Yue's back and thought, but it was obvious that Zhang Yue had made a mistake.
Lu Huiqing is the son of an official. Before he failed to pass the imperial examination, his father served as the magistrate of the state.
Who is the same as you, a descendant of the Han family? This is obviously your mistake, Zhang Yue.
The two governments discussed it the next day, and finally decided that Xining Tongbao could only be minted for two coins, and the imperial court spent one million guan to buy back Jiaoyin from the Jiaoyin Exchange. The emperor approved the matter and immediately issued an imperial edict to the world.