After Xiang Fei left, Liu Feng immediately found Yang Mi. He was at his wits' end and could only hope that Yang Mi could find any way to solve the price problem.
"I know that supplies are scarce now, and Henan Prefecture cannot support so many troops in one place. I know all this, but no matter what, you have to find a way for me to stabilize the morale of the troops. Once the troops riot, everyone will be dead.
"
Yang Mi hesitated for a while and said: "I'm afraid there is only one way!"
"What can we do?" Liu Feng asked urgently.
"Increase the military's salary from two guan per month to five guan per month. First, ensure the stability of the army, and others will not care about it."
Liu Feng is not a fool. He knows that doing this is equivalent to pushing more money to the market. The market will be more flooded with money and prices will rise even higher. But if this is not the case, what can be done?
An idea flashed in his mind, and he quickly said: "Why don't we give old money to the army as salary and let them exchange it themselves? One round of money is equivalent to ten rounds of money. Isn't this a disguised salary increase?"
Yang Mi was speechless. He sent the enemy's money as military salary. Only Liu Feng could think of such a stupid thing.
"Prime Minister, you give the soldiers a stipend of one guan as salary. If the King of Jin promises that if they surrender, you will give them two guan of money. Do you think the soldiers will still work with peace of mind?"
Liu Feng was stunned for a moment, and then said with a wry smile: "You're right, I thought about it simply. In fact, even if I want to make old money, it's unrealistic. I don't have that much money at all."
"No way! Didn't Xiangguo borrow a million coins from several major cabinet shops?"
"Don't you know? I have already exchanged 600,000 guan in old money, and I still have 400,000 guan left. Just now my brother-in-law came over and forced me to exchange 200,000 guan in old money for him, and he still used 1:5.
The price is low, and he will transport the money over at night. After all, I only have 200,000 yuan in old money on hand."
"But in the warehouse, I don't seem to see much new money."
"What do you think? We have almost spent it. The soldiers' salary has been supplemented for one year, 2.4 million guan, and the officials and miscellaneous officials' salary arrears for the past two years, 1 million guan, have been used to repair the walls of the emperor's palace.
Eight hundred thousand guan, as well as various credits from the palace and the court that were in arrears. As soon as I released my salary, those merchants came to me in a swarm to ask for money, and I paid back more than 1 million guan. How much do you think I can have left?"
Yang Mi said helplessly: "Xiangguo, now I know why prices in the market have soared. It's all caused by this money!"
"Of course I know, but I can't help it!"
After walking a few steps with his hands behind his back, Liu Feng finally made up his mind, "Just follow your instructions and increase the soldiers' salaries from two guan to five guan per month!"
........
The crazy rising prices in Luoyang have made it unbearable for more and more people, and they have fled the capital with their families. Over the past month, hundreds of thousands of people have left Luoyang.
The refugees initially fled because of panic about the epidemic, but the epidemic did not break out in Luoyang. More people were unable to bear the high taxes and high prices. The people at the bottom have been squeezed to the extreme and cannot afford to buy food or even livestock.
Unable to afford the black beans, they had no choice but to abandon their homes and flee.
The official road from Luoyang to the west is full of fleeing people. Compared with more than a month ago, it is easier to flee to the west. On the one hand, the Baotao Army in Xin'an County no longer blocks the way and allows the refugees to escape from the camp.
Go next to it.
In addition, there is an additional clause in the grain purchase agreement reached between the two courts. The Zhu Si court will allow the other party to provide relief and stop disease patients along the way. The treaty between the two parties is very clear. The relief personnel are not the army, but officials and doctors of Xin'an County.
.
Five large tents were built next to the official road, one almost ten miles apart. Officials were responsible for providing porridge, dispensing medicine, and providing carts to help the elderly and children who were unable to move.
A crowd gathered in front of the first big tent, each carrying a bowl of hot white porridge and a big steamed bun, blowing on the hot air, sucking on the porridge, and nibbling on the steamed bun.
"It flashed! It flashed!"
The driver shouted, and everyone moved out of the way. A large ox cart appeared, with more than 20 elderly people and young children crowded on it. The ox cart was very slow, but it was more comfortable and saved the need for trekking.
Their family members followed the carriage on both sides and headed west together. Some elderly people went ahead alone. They would be waiting for their relatives who would arrive later in the isolation camp. The journey was not too far and they would arrive just past Xin'an County.
The isolation camp covers an area of hundreds of acres and is composed of nearly a thousand large tents. In fact, there is no need for the isolation camp to exist. So far, no case of disease has been found. However, out of caution, the refugees still need to stay in the isolation camp.
Two days, then go to the refugees, and then head to Guanzhong in an orderly manner.
Placement, transportation, this set of procedures is becoming more and more proficient, and everything becomes orderly.
The imperial court launched tens of thousands of oxen and mule carts, shuttled between Luoyang and Tongguan, and continuously sent batches of refugees to Guanzhong and distributed them to the counties of Jingzhao Prefecture.
Tongguan is also the transfer station for refugees after entering Guanzhong. After passing Tongguan, the refugees will transfer to the boat and take the boat to the capital. The cart will turn around here and return to Xin'an County.
To the west of Tongguan, people were shouting and screaming, and the crowds were surging. Dozens of large boats were lined up on the bank of the Wei River. Groups of people were escorted by soldiers to get on the boats. Large boats kept leaving the shore, sailing into the Wei River, heading towards Chang'an.
On one of the smaller boats, there stood a man in his thirties, wearing a tall hat and a white t-shirt, looking curiously at the surging crowd on the shore.
This person was Pu Zeen, the special envoy of Silla, who was officially the Minister of Household Affairs of Silla. He came from Hebei, entered Guanzhong from Pujin Pass, and then took a boat to Chang'an, where he happened to meet a wave of refugees with tens of thousands of people.
"Special envoy, the ship is about to sail, so let's go back to the cabin!"
The speaker was Wang Rulin, the governor of Qing Dynasty. As an accompanying official, he accompanied the Silla envoy to Chang'an.
Pu Zeen also studied in Yangzhou for five years as an international student and can speak fluent Chinese.
He pointed to the dark crowd on the shore and asked: "Wang Shijun, what happened?"
"They are all people from Luoyang. It is said that there was an epidemic in Luoyang and they all fled to Chang'an."
"Will they not bring the epidemic to Chang'an?" Pu Zeen asked worriedly.
"They should not have the disease. If there is an epidemic, it will break out on the road. Our army usually builds an isolation camp first. They stay there for a few days to make sure there is no disease before letting them come to Chang'an. They have thought carefully about it and there will be no problem.
."
Pu Zeen sighed slightly: "It's great to have so many people! Silla hasn't seen so many people in a long time."
He said to Wang Rulin with a little worry: "Can you arrange to meet His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty? I always feel that His Majesty the King of Jin is still a little behind."
This was the third time Park Enze made this request. Wang Rulin ignored him the first two times. Seeing that he was about to arrive in Chang'an, he was still struggling with the matter. Wang Rulin suddenly realized that he had to make it clear, otherwise Park Enze would be seriously rude.
, oneself will also be implicated.
"Let me tell you! His Royal Highness Prince Jin is the real emperor. Our nominal emperor is still a very young child. No one takes him seriously."
After a pause, Wang Rulin said again: "If you don't take His Highness the King of Jin seriously, you will get nothing from this mission!"
"That's it! I understand."
Park Enze had never taken His Highness Jin to heart. Now he realized that he had almost made a big mistake. He quickly said: "Please tell me more about His Highness Jin!"
.........
Three days later, Silla envoy Park Eun-taek arrived in Chang'an by boat. The ship passed through the Qujiang Pond and slowly sailed toward the city. Park Eun-taek looked around and was constantly shocked by the magnificence of Chang'an. Although he had stayed in Yangzhou for five years.
, but in addition to its prosperous commerce, Yangzhou is still far from being able to compare with the grandeur of Chang'an in terms of architecture.
The ship slowly stopped at the Dongshi Pier. A corner of the pier was separated by the army. Zhang Qianyi, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, and a group of officials from Honglu Temple were already waiting here. The other party was the envoy of Silla and the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, so
It was most appropriate for Zhang Qianyi, the Prime Minister and Minister of Household Affairs, to greet him. He neither neglected the other party nor looked down upon him.
When the ship docked, Wang Rulin accompanied Pu Enze off the ship. Liu Zhen, the young minister of Honglu Temple, greeted him first, cupping his fists and saying, "I am Liu Zhen, the young minister of Honglu Temple. I welcome Special Envoy Park to Chang'an."
Park Eun-taek traveled from Mizhou to Chang'an for half a month and saw with his own eyes the vastness of the great country's territory. He did not dare to be rude and saluted quickly, "I am Park Eun-taek, the envoy of Silla. Thank you Liu Shaoqing for coming to welcome me at the dock."
Liu Zhen laughed and said, "Let me introduce to Ambassador Pu that this is our Prime Minister and Minister of Household Affairs, Zhang Xiangguo!"
Pu Enze heard Wang Rulin say on the way that there were seven prime ministers in the Tang Dynasty. Except for the left and right prime ministers, the others were deputy prime ministers, each responsible for one area. This Zhang Shangshu was in charge of the household department.
He hurriedly stepped forward and saluted, "Junior Park Eun-ze, please see Zhang Xiangguo!"
His posture was very low and humble, which made Zhang Qianyi feel a little fond of him immediately.