In late December of the first year of the Regency, heavy snow fell in Luoyang. From Beimang Mountain to the banks of the river, it was all white. Even so, Luoyang merchants Shi Shi and others still braved the snow and waited anxiously at the West Gate.
place, looking forward to the west side of Chi Road.
Luoyang is the city of Emperor Zhou, as well as the city of industry and commerce. It is located in the middle of the world, east of Jiaqi, Lu, and south of Jialiang and Chu. It is very convenient for doing business. Although the so-called King of Zhou is just a puppet, he still has the title of emperor.
, and the Central Plains princes have reached a balance. Although they are all out of their minds, there is still a bottom line at least. They have reached a tacit agreement not to come to Luoyang to fight the autumn wind. This city has maintained peace for two hundred years in the chaotic Warring States period...
…
This has made Luoyang's industry and commerce very prosperous. Not counting Henan and Gong, Luoyang alone has 40,000 households and a population of nearly 200,000. Among them, at least 100,000 have non-agricultural registered permanent residence. They are engaged in industry and commerce.
, or run a shop on the street, rely on craftsmanship to make a living, or speculate on specialty goods and earn the price difference...
For example, Shi Shijia was originally a declining music official of Emperor Zhou. After the fall of Zhou, his family switched to a fiber industry that pulled carts and boats. Later, it developed into a transportation industry. The family owned hundreds of vehicles and was specialized in logistics and transportation business.
Later, although the Eastern and Western Zhou Dynasties were destroyed by Qin, don't forget that the final say in those ten years was Lu Buwei, a big merchant. Although Lu Buwei was from Puyang, he made his fortune in Luoyang and Handan, so he and
Su, Bai, and Shi Shi all had friendships.
As an upstart in the imperial court, the policies implemented by Lu Buwei after coming to power were seriously inconsistent with the Qin tradition. He also advocated emphasis on agriculture, but opposed suppression of business.
Wen Xinhou opened the door to economic convenience for Guandong merchants. Not only did he allow the lands conquered by the Qin army to remain as before, he even actively attracted Guandong merchants to Kansai, hoping to attract the Qin State, which had always pursued economic uniqueness.
Enter this huge market.
In order to sell his ideas, Lu Buwei even did not hesitate to recruit think-tanks from all over the world, spent great efforts to compile a masterpiece, and stuffed many personal items into "Lu's Spring and Autumn".
As the area closest to Guanzhong and as a fiefdom vassal of Lu Buwei, Luoyang merchants naturally made a lot of money in those ten years.
Unfortunately, the golden age was fleeting. The Lu family fell. After Qin Shi Huang took over the throne, the government changed direction and policies tightened.
The First Emperor of Qin inherited Shang Yang's economic intervention policy, which emphasized agriculture and suppressed business, making business difficult. What's even more frightening is that after Lu Buwei committed suicide, Luoyang merchants were also regarded as his accomplices and were suppressed. They moved to Shu.
Even those who didn't leave were still half disabled. They were driven out of Guanzhong, and the various small industrial and commercial workshops they were engaged in in Luoyang were also banned.
This almost embarrassed the Luoyang people to death. Their place was located between mountains and rivers, with only a few hundred miles in between. Compared with Guanzhong and Liangchu, it was very small. In addition, with the large population, the space for farming was becoming increasingly scarce. It was by no means
A good agricultural area. Nowadays, industry and commerce are suppressed, and the life of the non-agricultural population of 100,000 people suddenly begins to tighten. Luoyang's economy is more than twice as depressed as it was thirty years ago.
Seeing the dramatic changes taking place in the world, Luoyang merchants took advantage of the fall of the Qin officials and began to counterattack the lost territories. Through political speculation, they finally got on the right side.
When the soldiers who were renamed "Ding Yi Army" marched into Luoyang, they did not follow military discipline like the Chu army and took away wives and money everywhere. Instead, they followed military discipline. Luoyang merchants all felt that maybe the regent Heifu was not an idiot.
People who don’t get in.
The people of Luoyang are thoughtful: it seems that the general situation is dark, and the experience of Mr. Hei is quite interesting. Although he is not a businessman, he has set up a special zone in Jiaodong. He does not forcefully reverse Jiaodong, but adapts measures to local conditions and encourages the development of the land.
Thirteen big businessmen went overseas to pursue profits.
This made Luoyang merchants envious, and they hoped that Heifu could also implement this strategy in the Central Plains. So this time, the Su and Bai families became the lobbyists for all Luoyang merchants. They shouldered the mission and took Shen Yang's head resolutely to the west...
After waiting for a long time, seeing that the weather was getting dark again, the soldiers guarding the city gate also looked at these "five beetles" with vigilance. After a hundred years of discrimination and suppression, merchants in Guanzhong are synonymous with despicableness, even if there are a few stinkers.
Money, but still the bottom, this kind of thinking will not change for a while.
Just when everyone was about to say goodbye and go home, a few cars slowly drove up. It was Su Li who had come to Xianyang to lobby for nothing.
The merchants, big and small, immediately surrounded them with cheers. It was about the future of each family, and they didn't care about etiquette. After casual greetings, they hurriedly asked:
"Second Gentleman, how are you?"
Su Li and Bai looked at each other. On the way back from Xianyang, the two of them had been discussing for a long time and had basically figured out the government's attitude and the information revealed.
"The regent praised the nobles of Luoyang for killing Shen Yang, the leader of the bandits, and abandoning the dark side for the bright side. Their patriotism can be compared with Xian Gao!"
Wear a high hat first and praise Luoyang merchants as "patriotic businessmen", and then start the serious policy.
"However, salt, iron, gold and tin are the foundation of the country, and they still need to be managed exclusively by the government, and merchants are not allowed to interfere. However, the salt item is very low today, and the army will have less food. Therefore, we will make a special case. If the merchants have surplus grain, they can transport all the grain.
, the leveling officer, in exchange for salt stamps, and with the salt stamps, you can go to the salt pond to obtain the same amount of salt, and then you can transfer and sell it yourself. The price must not exceed twice the par price, and you can pay another salt tax at the place of sale..."
To put it bluntly, even if the government hands over all retail rights to merchants and only controls the production and wholesale aspects, Heifu is still worried about letting the Yi family directly contract the salt field. This family has already become the emperor of Yi family, so the salt field will be returned to him.
Is the family worth it?
In order to obtain salt legally, the Yi family would cultivate it themselves or purchase grain from other places in Hedong in exchange for salt coupons, thus achieving a de facto monopoly. However, the merchants in Luoyang could only get a piece of the pie even if they wanted to.
The biggest profit is still made by the government. The salt tax is not reduced, but it saves transportation and sales costs, and invisibly reduces the number of officials.
"Where's the grain?" Luoyang doesn't produce much grain locally, so transporting grain from outside through merchants has become a matter of life and death for the whole city.
"The same is true for grain. The government unifies the purchase and sale of grain according to the Ping Bian Law."
The so-called flat buying method means that the state controls the purchase, sale and price of grain: in good years, the government purchases farmers' surplus grain at a fair price to prevent merchants from lowering prices and hurting farmers; in disaster years, it sells reserved grain at a fair price to prevent merchants from raising prices and hurting the people, and to prevent "grain shortages".
Being cheap hurts the farmers, and being expensive is hurting the people."
In addition, usury loans are no longer allowed, land is not allowed to be annexed, and farmers are not allowed to be bought as slaves. Desperate farmers can only go to the government, or change their official status, become official concubines, or accept distribution as immigrants.
As a result, hoarding grain and lending money, the two specialties of Luoyang merchants, were banned. The laissez-faire that lasted for several months was over, and they had to return to the era of Qin Shi Huangdi's private trade with decline...
"but."
Su Li and Bai Gei discussed that they could keep the next news secret, but the government would soon send someone to announce it. Rather than being passive at that time, it would be better for them to take the initiative to tell the whole story and continue to be the leader of Luoyang merchants...
"Anyone who sells fat, sells pulp, peels, pickles, silk, pottery, woodware, etc. will be freed by the government, allowing Luoyang people to engage in trade!"
Heifu has decided that although the overall economy will still inherit the basic national policy since Shang Yang and implement the monopoly of the big government, in addition to making some cost-saving reforms, private forces must also be allowed to exist in areas that are difficult for the government to handle.
...Especially in a place like Luoyang, where half of the population is non-agricultural, if they are not allowed to engage in industry and commerce, do they still expect other people to farm in the city? Or will they have no livelihood and be reduced to a proletarian without perseverance?
A certain amount of private private economy is also competition for specialized workshops, a catfish put into the pond.
But Heifu also played a trick. He strictly prohibited merchants from annexing land and absorbing all the people into slaves. He also maliciously changed the laws and announced that from now on, merchants and their children would no longer be restricted and could wear clothes and clothes.
silk.
"Luxuries such as silk, sugar, and lacquerware are exquisite products of China. Someone must consume them. If the emperor doesn't spend the money of the young master to pay for it, let the merchants who have become rich again pay for it..."
Although Heifu himself wanted to advocate simplicity, he reached a consensus with Xiao He, who had lived in Jiaodong and came into contact with Guan Zhong's studies.
"Frugality means money is cheap, and money is cheap means things can't be accomplished, which will hurt things."
If everyone does not consume, it will reduce the circulation of commodities, thus hindering production and profit-making activities, so it is called "injury".
It is impossible to eliminate the inequality of wealth in this world, especially in big cities like Luoyang with a large non-agricultural population. A few rich people occupy the top of the pyramid, while a large number of small businessmen and proletarians are at the bottom. Guan Zhong believes that only
Wealthy people continue to consume, while poor people have jobs to do. They produce silk and lacquerware to promote employment and balance the economy.
I don’t know if this idea, which was ahead of its time, would work elsewhere, but it was indeed effective in Jiaodong, so I decided to try it out in Luoyang as well.
Heifu blocked the annexation of land. This was to force the wealthy Luoyang businessmen who had no land to annex and spend the money they earned on consuming luxury goods, increasing investment, and expanding reproduction. At least, this was how he hoped things would develop.
However, in the plan that Heifu asked Zhang Cang to draw up, the political status of merchants is still very low, but compared with the previous lowest level, they can get slightly better treatment, such as paying taxes to a certain level, being exempted from municipal status, and enjoying ordinary
They were treated as civilians, and their children could pay tuition to study law and take exams in each county, but they could not serve as officials in the county.
Heifu finally used a paragraph as the beginning of this new policy:
"The Book of Zhou said: If there is no farming, there will be no food; if there is no workman, there will be no work; if there is no business, the three treasures will be gone; if there are no war, there will be little money; scholars, farmers, industry and merchants are all the common people of the country!"
"Therefore, today we should lighten the taxes on the fields, ping the battles in the city, and work with craftsmen's skills to meet the number of merchants. In this way, the country will be rich and the people will also be rich."
"The regent is wise!"
After hearing what was relayed, the merchants all verbally praised it. Compared with Shang Yang's policy, this was extremely tolerant. However, some merchants who used to be engaged in grain and loan business were still unhappy and muttered secretly that transformation was not so good.
easy……
"If you are rich and have no business, your goods will have no permanent owner. Those who are capable will gather together, and those who are unworthy will fall apart!"
Su Li rolled his eyes at the complaining merchant and concluded that the person who said this would never achieve great things. He was really ignorant. The regent's army was marching eastward, and Luoyang would become a turnover center for personnel and materials. As long as he prepared in advance, he would only provide lean muscles and sell fat.
, selling pulp and other service industries are enough to make you rich.
Moreover, government policies have always been like this: those who can adapt will adapt, and those who cannot adapt...
Then go to hell.
"The wind is coming, a strong wind that Luoyang has never encountered since the fall of Lu Buwei." Su Li thought.
Standing in the limelight, pigs can fly!
After the strong wind passes, the merchants who survive will not shed a tear for their colleagues who disappeared because they did not adapt to the current situation.
Shi Shi, who was not a big businessman, stood on the outside. After hearing Heifu's business policy, he couldn't help but be overjoyed!
Your opportunity has come!
The Zhou Dynasty is located in the world, and there are many industries for pulling fiber for carts and ships. The Shi Shi family made a fortune by turning the hub (gu). His family has hundreds of carts, and Qi, Lu, Zhao, Wei, and Chu are everywhere!
He secretly pondered: "Ma Xin, the governor of Sanchuan, re-established a granary in Luoyang and hoarded the grain handed over by Su and Bai. Looking at the current situation, after the beginning of spring, the regent will go east to attack Chu."
"In this journey of thousands of miles, the people marched from Luoyang, and the grain was also taken from Luoyang warehouses. But I don't believe that the chariots and carts can be transported effortlessly by wooden cows and stray horses. Even if there are any, they still need to be repaired. The motorcade from Guanzhong to here should be broken.
It’s also broken down, and my family’s hundreds of rides are just a supplement!”
With this thought in mind, he quickened his pace. It seemed that Shi's workshop was going to start working day and night.
Making money that is difficult for the country is a poor choice. Really powerful businessmen make...it is patriotic wealth!
…
Here Luoyang introduced a new policy for merchants, and what gave the merchants the confidence that "Heifu will rule Luoyang for a long time" was that Dongmen Bao had sent troops to capture Chenggao, with Jing, Suo and Sishui as the boundaries, and Zhongli of Xingyang
Confrontation.
The people of Luoyang now only hope that the regent can send troops as soon as possible and push the front to the east. They must not fight in Luoyang for a long time and affect their business...
There have also been new changes within the Chu State. Xiang Ji, as the superior Zhuguo, used troops in Huainan to attack Hengshan in the west. However, the Huaibei region was completely handed over to another person, a man who was more suitable for running the country than Xiang Ji and whose appeal was not bad.
people……
"What?"
Spring has just begun, and Dongmen Bao, who is in Gong County and is drinking broth, has learned the latest trends of the Chu army:
"Xiang Liang summoned the eighteen county magistrates from the Chu region to resist the king's army?"
…
ps: I'm back in Kunming, I'm so sleepy... I slapped my face on the keyboard, there's still only one chapter today, I'll start filling in tomorrow.