"There was a poem in the past that said, 'The fragrance is the same as that of a foreign land, and the appearance is better than that of an immortal. Drinking tea temporarily regulates the qi, and Wuwan likes to eliminate evil spirits.'"
"Stop singing, isn't it just Harile leaves? Do you think I don't know?"
"Then will you buy it or not?"
"Bought it!"
The clearing bank's envoy was sweating profusely while transcribing the transactions between the two parties. As the last transaction was completed, the bell rang at the right time. The envoy breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That's it for today. The market will be closed for the next two days."
, will open again in two days.”
After that, he hurriedly left the desk with the account book in hand and went to work in the back.
It was almost evening, and the merchants had completed the day's transactions and could immediately go back to the centralized living quarters next door to drink, have fun, play games, etc. But they still had to stay up late at night to settle the transfers.
As the most important service organization for exposition transactions, the work of the clearing house affiliated with Hucao is definitely not easy.
When a grand trade fair comes to an end, the assembled account books often have thousands of pages.
Every transaction must be settled, and everyone's account must be counted. It is impossible to make statistics after all transactions are completed, and merchants cannot wait. Therefore, transactions are usually suspended for two days after a few days, and settlement is unified.
accounts, and then start a new transaction.
The work is arduous, but it is also extremely necessary. Merchants no longer load large and small carts with copper coins for transactions, nor do they need to make a fuss over the quality of the copper coins or the value of the silk, causing the business to go bankrupt.. Everyone
It saves a lot of trouble to use silver dollars, an accounting currency that weighs eighteen baht and has a fineness of nine coppers per silver, to settle the bill.
Merchants save themselves the trouble, and the clearing house has to increase its workload. But since you want to collect taxes, you naturally can't do nothing, and there is no such thing as sitting back and enjoying the benefits.
After Zhuge Zhongbao left Fangshi, he lived in a building separated by a wall from Fangshi.
The building is newly built. It used to be a wooden house, but now it is a brick house. Even the walls of the square have been changed from rammed earth to blue brick.
Lingxia's changes were visible to the naked eye, which made him very emotional.
Zhuge Zhongbao started doing business this year. He imported some tea from Xingyuan Prefecture and transported it to Lingzhou to sell.
Zhuge Zhongfang, the governor of Shannan West Road, originally did not want to talk to his cheap brother because he had old grudges. However, after learning that his niece Zhuge had given birth to a boy for Shao Shude, who was healthy and grew to six years old and was intelligent, he immediately
He changed his attitude and became more enthusiastic.
Human beings are so realistic. In the face of interests, anything can be given up and anything can be changed.
Zhuge Zhongbao ordered a pot of grape wine and drank it himself.
The two sons were sitting diagonally across from each other, still talking and laughing. Maybe all the tea was sold, and they felt happy in their hearts.
"Hearing that the saint gave rewards to the soldiers of Yushan City, Shi Zan received a silver dollar note. He was so angry that he tore it up. He shouted, 'The soldiers guard the palace gate day and night, why don't you just give me the paper?' Later I heard that this 'paper' can be given to me."
When I exchanged silver coins in Tongzhoufang Market, I became so angry that I almost started a riot."
"Xuzhou soldiers, I think there will be rebellion sooner or later. The saint cannot control these arrogant and powerful generals."
"The Yan soldiers are also very fierce. Li Kuangwei won't occupy Chang'an and proclaim himself emperor like Zhu Si did, right?"
"It's hard to say. It's hard to guess what the martial artist is thinking. He might just act on impulse."
Zhuge Zhongbao glanced at them and continued drinking.
The eldest son is doing business with him, and the second son is going to study. Today he is here to gain some knowledge.
Erlang did not study classics, but arithmetic. He had been interested in things like accounts since he was a child, but he couldn't stand the classics of the sages and often fell asleep while reading them.
Arithmetic is actually not bad! After you are successful in your studies, you can go to Chang'an to take the arithmetic exam, and you can get an official position if you pass.
And it’s not easy to learn arithmetic these days.
This kind of students either study in official schools in Chang'an or Luoyang, or are taught by their families. It is actually not easy to find a teacher who is proficient in arithmetic from outside.
Lingxia opened arithmetic schools at the state and county levels, which was an unprecedented move.
To this end, almost all the students who flocked to Chang'an to take the arithmetic examination were recruited, and now every year they are recruited with huge sums of money. Regardless of their level, they are all recruited to serve as arithmetic teachers at the prefecture and county levels.
Trade fairs require a lot of miscellaneous tasks that are proficient in mathematics, and this is undoubtedly in short supply. This can be seen from the fact that the silver dollar bills at various trade fairs are not yet freely circulated.
So far, the silver dollar bills issued at the fairs in Lingzhou, Xiazhou, Suizhou and Yanzhou can be used with each other, but not elsewhere. For example, if you take the silver dollar bills issued by the Lingzhou Clearing Bank, you can
If you go to the Tongzhou Fair to do business, you will definitely be rejected.
The reason is that there are not enough mathematical talents to do accounting, which is very fatal and is also one of the important reasons that hinders the further promotion of silver dollar tickets.
"Erlang, you have been in school for a year, and now you are asked to go to the market to do the accounting, can you handle it?" Zhuge Zhongbao asked after putting down the wine bowl.
"Grandpa, haven't you been learning arithmetic lately?"
"Huh?" Zhuge Zhongbao raised his head, surprised and a little angry: "If you don't learn, are you wasting your whole day?"
"No." Zhuge Erlang said: "I am learning Dashi writing from Master Mani, and I plan to translate some Dashi and Daqin manuscripts. Master Mani understands Chinese, Uighur, Persian, Dashi literature, and is a scholar of heaven and man.
My son is very interested and is willing to learn."
Master Mani has now become an official in Prince Xia's palace. It is said that he may be given an additional position of "mathematics", as opposed to "literature". From the sixth grade, he will specialize in teaching mathematics to the daughters of Prince Xia - what people at the time called arithmetic.
However, Shao Shude made it clear that besides arithmetic there was geometry, so it was renamed mathematics.
The arithmetic in various states and counties will soon be renamed as mathematics, but for now, the same things are taught, because a doctorate in arithmetic only knows arithmetic, not mathematics. Chang'an's Mingfu Science Examination also tests these things.
Master Mani doesn’t know much. He is actually just a porter (translator), not a professional researcher.
"Is it useful to learn these things?" Zhuge Zhongbao asked.
"It's useful." Zhuge Erlang said: "Being a translator is not very interesting for an artist. It is also very common for a city person and a businessman. It is interesting to be a translator who is knowledgeable both inside and outside and broadens his horizons."
Zhuge Zhongbao thought about it and felt that it seemed to make sense. However, he did not think from the perspective of interest, but from the perspective of utility. Perhaps being proficient in foreign languages and understanding astronomy and geography is another better way to advance.
?
Master Mani has a very complicated background. He knows a lot of texts and has rich knowledge. Even King Xia often asked him when he was in Lingzhou. He seems to be an extraordinary person. It might be good to learn his skills.
"That's all, I don't care about you." Zhuge Zhongbao sighed: "But arithmetic also needs to be learned. If I am kicked out of the school, I can't afford to lose face."
"I understand." Zhuge Erlang replied.
After the question and answer session between father and son, there was no conversation all night.
On the second day, Zhuge Zhongbao walked around the market and found that there was nothing he wanted to buy, so he went to the clearing house to get silver dollar bills and left.
The clearing bank is doing something very interesting now. For some big businessmen who have families and businesses in the local area, they can even advance silver dollar checks for you, which makes a lot of transactions easier.
It's a pity, as the saying goes, if the accounting cannot be done, the silver dollar notes cannot pass through the whole country, otherwise the effect will be too great, and it can be used as money directly.
But for now, silver dollar bills still play a big role. Otherwise, there would not be so many copper coins in ordinary people's homes, and businesses such as cattle, sheep, cheese, dried fruits, etc. would have to be bartered.
.
When rich households in the city hire people, they can only pay them rice.
Brickyards and forest farms were recruiting workers, and people would come for a few days and be paid ten cents a day. It was very difficult to live without copper coins.
Yesterday, he even saw a businessman from Youzhou in Fang City, pulling a cart of gold and silverware for business.
Don’t laugh! In the imperial dynasty, gold and silverware of different shapes often appeared in business, not as commodities, but as money. In Dunhuang, some people used silver bowls to buy rice. It was very troublesome to do the accounting. Some people even preferred
He does not engage in these transactions, and he does not want to argue with others about the value of his silver bowl.
In addition to gold and silverware, silk, corn and the like can also be used as money. However, silk has different origins, sizes, years, and patterns. Such things can be used as money.
, it is a kind of torture for both parties to the transaction.
In the evening, Zhuge Zhongbao got a message from the Shu merchants: Longjian Jiedushi Zhao Jian attacked the Maozhou Qiang people and was defeated.
In addition, Dongchuan Jiedu envoy Zhu Mei attacked Peng, Han, Mancun, Li Yuan and others for help. Ximen Wentong, who had just been named Li Maozhen by the court, came to the rescue. The three families worked together to defeat Zhu Mei at the gate of Pengzhou City.
After Zhu Mei returned to Zizhou, she actually did not suffer much losses. She was planning to regroup and attack Li Maozhen again. The brothers Wang Xingyu and Wang Xingyue rebelled and separated Mian and Lingzhou to establish themselves.
Zhu Mei was furious and wanted to conquer. The Wang brothers asked Li Maozhen for help. Li Maozhen promised that the second war between the two sides was about to begin. At present, it seems that Li Maozhen still has a considerable advantage. He is also a capable person.
"Zhu Mei is defeated!" Zhuge Zhongbao was very sure: "Dongchuan is small to begin with, and after betraying the two states, the situation becomes even more subtle. The situation in the battle in Shu will be as fast as one or two years, or as slow as three or four years. Li Maozhen will definitely be defeated.
Quan Zhan. Zhu Mei is not very good at winning over her subordinates, and the benefits she gives are not enough, so she will be destroyed by the Li family sooner or later."
Zhuge Zhongbao felt a little regretful. If he still controlled the three states of Bi, Tong and Kai in Banan at this time, he could go south to participate in the war in central Shu, and maybe he would take advantage of the situation to rise.
The separatist control of Shu, like the separatist control of Guanzhong, has extremely obvious geographical advantages, and it is more than enough to be a prince.
After leaving Fangshi, Zhuge Zhongbao returned home directly.
On the road, I saw a large number of ships setting sail and sailing down the river, loaded with grain, fodder, equipment and other military supplies.
The fiscal and taxation policy of living within one's means makes the annual tax amount of each state completely unfixed. But even in the context of the successive battles between Shao Shude and Zhu Quanzhong, Lingzhou did not levy any additional taxes, and even if it was collected, it would not be used much.
And if there is less money and food sent to other places, the part left in the state will be larger. This may be the original intention of King Xia - local construction also requires a lot of money and food. I want to see what you will do with it.
"We have to fight again." Zhuge Zhongbao sighed softly.