Three Kingdoms

In fact, there was a lot of gold in the Han Dynasty, gold.

When the Han Dynasty was first founded, gold and copper were the dual standards.

"Han Shu" records: "Qin took over the world, and the coins were of second grade. The gold was named after yi and was the first coin. The quality of copper coins was like Zhou coins, and the inscription was "half liang", which was as heavy as its inscription." The Han Dynasty inherited the Qin system.

Therefore, at the beginning, there was a lot of gold in the Han Dynasty, and it was also circulated on the market. It was used as currency just like copper as upper and lower coins.

At the same time, the weight units and names of gold and copper in the Han Dynasty were also different. During the Warring States Period, gold was measured in units of "yi" or "yi", and one yi was twenty taels. There are many records in "Historical Records" and "Hanshu", such as "The King of Qin was very happy, so he sent ten chariots and a hundred yi of gold to welcome King Mengchang"; "Yan Zhongzi presented a hundred yi of gold in front of Nie Zheng's mother" and so on .

In the Han Dynasty, Yi was changed to Jin, such as: Emperor Gao "then paid homage to his uncle Sun Tong and gave him five hundred Jin of gold"; "The Lord was still sitting down, very happy, and gave the Lord Pingyang one thousand Jin".

The unit and name of copper coins are different from those of gold. "The money is round and square, and the weight is in baht."

It's just that during the Eastern Han Dynasty, gold gradually disappeared...

There is no other reason than the custom of lavish burial.

The ancient smelting technology itself was not very good. A lot of the gold obtained before the Han Dynasty was gold nugget, etc., which were then melted and recast. Large-scale underground mining was relatively rare. After being squandered by the emperor of the Han Dynasty for hundreds of years, it naturally gradually Gone. What the emperors of the Han Dynasty, like Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, liked to do most was to hear that the old man in the minister's family had passed away. He immediately waved his hand and rewarded him with a hundred gold coins, so that he could be buried with a good burial...

As a result, a large amount of gold was buried underground, and the later Han Dynasty had to use brass in lieu of gold. The so-called bounty became mostly reward money.

However, there is more gold on the market now, unconsciously.

The reason is also very simple. In wars, the rule of law is not that good in many places. In particular, Cao Cao has always been financially strapped. The so-called "gold captain" is really to touch "gold" from the beginning.

Perhaps because of the influence of the custom of generous burials since the Han Dynasty, noble families began to hoard precious metals in large quantities to prepare for future needs of themselves or their elders. Therefore, under original circumstances, no matter how hard Cao Cao tried, the market would The gold in circulation will soon disappear until the Zhengxi gold coin is produced.

Zhengxi gold coins are currencies of unequal weight. That is to say, the Zhengxi gold coins are not actually pure gold. Of course, this refers to the relative purity. Although they are similar, there is some weight difference after all. They are only about 95% of the stated value. Therefore, the Zhengxi gold coins have the greatest value. , that is, spending it, and if it is melted into gold nuggets, it will be lost immediately and invisibly. Although each small amount may be just a little bit, when the number is large, it adds up, which is not a small loss.

For ordinary people, it has almost no impact in daily use, but for nobles with a lot of wealth, they have to consider these differences.

At the same time, if you want to exchange the same amount of gold for Zhengxi gold coins, in addition to having to be charged for the casting fee by Qingjinpu under Fei Qian, you will also have to have a small piece of weight chewed off again. The cost is equivalent to a loss of about 15%. Therefore, after the noble surnames obtained the Zhengxi gold coins, in most cases they were reluctant to melt them...

Ever since, the existence of "coin listing" gradually appeared in the market.

But this is not enough, far from it.

The Han Dynasty, or China, needs a large amount of currency and a large amount of precious metals to stimulate the already strong market and make it more prosperous and bigger!

Just like the "well-intentioned" request of the United States after the war in later generations, allowing countries to store gold in its warehouses and refusing to return it...

Sima Hui stood at the door of his manor with a smile on his face, and respectfully sent General Fei Qian away.

Sima Fu accompanied him. The two of them waited until there was no trace of the hussar generals and horses. Then Sima Hui took Sima Fu and slowly returned to his hall. He sat down and sighed, looking a little a little bit. Very few.

"Uncle, so..." Sima Fu glanced at Sima Hui and said, "That's it... so?" 』

Although what Sima Fu said was a bit awkward, Sima Hui understood the meaning, nodded slightly, and said calmly: "What else can be done?" Do you really think that because Qiusi has the ability of the moment, I really gave him the name? How about I get one for you, and then you go find a place and have a look? 』

Sima Fu smiled awkwardly.

Of course, this truth is not wrong, but if it is applied to others, it can only be treated as a story. If it is applied to oneself... it is like walking on the road and seeing others stepping on a banana peel and making a sound, most of them will laugh, and then If I stepped on a banana peel and fell down, I probably wouldn't be able to laugh anymore.

Many people thought that Mr. Shui Jing, Sima Hui, would be the first to speak out against Fei Qian's refutation of the title. But what they didn't expect was that Sima Hui said nothing or did nothing. Instead, Fei Qian arrived in person. On his manor, Sima Hui was given three options.

coal.

Salt.

And gold.

The weather is getting colder and colder nowadays, and for most people, high-end gadgets like charcoal, even in the Tang Dynasty, were not consumer goods for ordinary people, so cheaper coal is naturally the best way to resist the cold. Even if there is smoke, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, etc., are these problems still a problem for houses with thatched roofs that originally have drafts leaking from all sides?

Therefore, the original coal mines in the Luliang Mountains were somewhat insufficient.

What Fei Qian meant was that if Sima Hui was willing, he would hand over the mining rights to a coal mine discovered in Hexi, later Gansu, to the Sima family...

The single profit of coal mines is not high, but the volume is large, so if the Sima family really has such a coal mining right, it will be excellent.

"Shuda, tell me, why don't you choose coal mine?" ” Sima Hui turned around and asked.

Although Sima Hui spoke casually, Sima Fu respectfully held up his hands and said, "Report to uncle, coal producers should profit by quantity. Although there is a river, Sima's family does not have a boat... If he buys another boat, I'm afraid it will be a disaster." Another huge profit was made by Qiusi..."

Sima Hui nodded, shook his head, and said, "Besides boats, there are people..." Miners and boatmen, which ones don't require a large number of manpower?

"The same is true for salt, not to mention when Liaodong can be conquered..." Sima Hui said slowly, "cooking, drying and transporting also requires a lot of manpower, not to mention it borders Youzhou..." The salt industry is indeed hugely profitable, but There are also plenty of risks. What's more, Cao Cao is nearby. Boiling salt in the East China Sea looks beautiful, but it is also difficult.

Sima Fu suddenly said: "In that case, the only option is gold..."

Sima Hui rolled his eyelids, glanced at Sima Fu, and said, "You and your brother are very different... Although you have a cautious temperament and can keep your family business, but you are not agile enough, you may not be able to expand new territories..."

Sima Fu remained silent.

Sima Hui raised his head and sighed again: "Since you know this, why don't Qiaoqi not know it?" The gold of the Western Regions... Haha, the meaning of Hussar is not to promote his name, but to publicize his things..."

Sima Fu was stunned, frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes wide, "Uncle's intention..."

Sima Hui shook his head, then glanced sideways at Sima Fu, and said: "I originally thought that the world... I never thought that the world of hussars is different from my world... I am old... I am so young... you are so scary... , if you can't fight, don't provoke him easily... Do you understand? 』

Sima Fu bowed to the ground and said, "I sincerely follow my uncle's teachings." 』

……(￣..￣)┐……

Gold, these two words are the most mentioned words in the Sanfu and Longyou areas before the New Year. They quickly overshadow the so-called reputation of the nobles. It is obvious that After all, the matter of reputation is a matter for a few people, but interests involve the hearts of millions of people.

At Shenshi, although it was not too late, the sky was already dark, and a young man walked through a narrow alley in the west of Longyou Jincheng.

The snow fell again, not heavy, and floating silently.

The young man's shoulders and cloth hat were stained with some white snow. He was not walking fast, and it could even be said that he hesitated, but he still did not slow down. When he passed by a house selling wine, he was hit by the heat in the house. He couldn't help but sniffed hard, and then left, but not too long before he turned back and got under the blue cloth.

After a while, the young man came out again, walking in the narrow alley with one foot high and one foot low. He stopped again in front of a somewhat dilapidated courtyard in the middle of the alley.

This is a common courtyard in the Hancheng Pool. There is a low mud wall. The tiles on the wall seem to have fallen off. Sections of wheat straw can still be seen in the cracked mud. Standing outside the yard, you can see a small There is a main house and two side rooms in the front yard. A wooden door with mottled paint, the door god painting on the door had been torn to pieces by the wind, and it was obvious that he had not been willing to replace it with a new one.

The young man patted the door gently.

There was no movement in the courtyard.

The quiet sound gave birth to the growth of a thing called bad temper. He knocked on the door twice more, and then it turned into a bang...

A young woman poked half of her face out of the door of the main room. She glanced at the young man, and immediately screamed Brother Shitou in a low voice, and hurried over to open the door.

The young man, Shitou, asked impatiently: "Are you deaf?" ! 』

"No..." The woman lowered her head, nervously holding her apron with her hands, and whispered, "I, I'm in the backyard..."

"Where's your dad?" He didn't hear it either? Shitou asked as he walked towards the main house.

The name of the stone is Shitou, and it looks like a stone. His facial lines are strong, and his temper is more like a smelly stone.

"He, he..." The woman didn't dare to say that her father had heard it, but she just didn't want to come and get away, so she had to follow with her head lowered while following, "My father is seriously ill, and his legs are swollen and shiny. Unable to...』

"Should! Shitou snorted coldly, took two steps, and then took out an oil paper bag from his arms and handed it to the woman, "Go pack it up... Let's eat some together later..."

Although the oil has solidified slightly, the scent of the meat still penetrated the oil paper and penetrated into the woman's nose, "Brother Shitou, this...this..."

"I tell you to go and do it!" Why so much nonsense! Shitou opened the front door, "Old dog, I'm here!" 』

"You bastard, you bastard!" Who are you? ! You bastard, why are you trying to take advantage of my daughter again today? I'm telling you bastard, don't even think about it! ” An old voice sounded in the house.

There were still some red coals burning in the brazier in the house, which provided some heat, making the stone who had just walked in from the cold feel somewhat comfortable and comfortable, but the tone in his mouth was not weak at all, "What's wrong with this damn weather?" I won’t even take you away, you old fool! Old dog, why do you dislike me? If you have the guts to eat the pork head I bought later, don’t eat it! 』

"I despise you for being such a coward!" I don’t dislike pork head meat! "The old man moved on the bed and pointed to the side, "Sit..."

"..." After a moment of silence, Shitou said, "Even if I am a scapegoat to my parents...Yue Meizi, speaking of it, I am also a scorner to my husband. I don't care. What do you care about?" 』

"That's different..." the old man said.

Shitou couldn't help but said, "It's different, you old dog has dirt up to your neck, and you're still so afraid of death!" 』

"What's wrong with being afraid of death?" ! I finally survived the battlefield, what's wrong with wanting to live for two more days now? I also want to hold a grandson! ah? And then you were so intimidated to death? I didn't die on the battlefield, but I died at the hands of a coward like you. Is it unjust or not? ah? ” The old man didn’t hesitate and scolded him back.

"That fart battlefield of yours!" The soldiers who ride on the hussars are considered soldiers, and those who go there are called battlefields! You still have the nerve to say..." Shitou said disdainfully, "You are just a coward! 』

The old man was originally a Xiliang soldier who followed Han Sui. Later, Han Sui was defeated. Some surrendered and some were captured. The old man was too old at the time and was dismissed directly. Naturally, he was not treated like ordinary retired soldiers.

Calling the old man superstitious, it is true. After all, the old man believed that so many people died on the battlefield, and he was the only one who survived with only minor injuries. That was God's blessing. But Shitou, this guy, could say anything, just to kill his parents. His parents died at a young age, and not long after that, all his grandfathers also died, so he didn't want his daughter to marry him, even though the two children could be considered childhood sweethearts.

The two of them were still arguing when the young woman opened the door curtain and came in. The old man and the young man glared at each other and closed their mouths.

There isn't much meat in the pork head, but the fat is very fragrant.

The wine is not mellow either, but it is spicy enough.

After eating and drinking, the woman removed the tableware again, and the old man and the young man started staring at each other again.

"Old man, I'm going on a long trip in two days..." Shitou whispered.

"……oh? What to do? ’ asked the old man.

"Go to the Western Regions..." Shitou said, "General Hussars is recruiting people..."

"You bastard, are you crazy?" Go to that place and escape death! Don't listen to the nonsense about gold and silver in the market. Even though there are so many good things, they are all deceptive! ”The old man was anxious. Although he was noisy on weekdays, the old man actually regarded Shitou as his own family, and there was just another reason for his apparent viciousness.

"What if there really is? Shitou said, "When has the Hussar General ever deceived anyone?" 』

"This..." the old man was stunned for a moment, then said, "You can't go there. I heard that there are tigers, leopards, insects, and snakes on the road, and there are also ghosts and evil spirits that specialize in eating people. If one of them is not good, your life will be lost." ! 』

"Isn't that just right? You can worry less and don't have to worry about Yue Mei'er marrying me?" Shitou sneered.

The old man opened his mouth and clicked twice, unable to say anything.

Shitou reached into his arms, touched it, and then took out a small cloth bag and threw it beside the old man's bed. "This is the settling-in allowance given by General Hussar!" You... old man, just keep it first. I am alone in the army and I don’t need this money... It’s the New Year, so I’ll buy some new clothes for Sister Yue..."

After saying that, Shi Shi stood up and left.

The old man quickly stood up, grabbed the money bag and was about to chase him, but his typhoid legs could not support his balance and fell to the ground with a thud. He couldn't help but scream. The young woman washing in the backyard heard the sound, She ran over quickly, but the old man stuffed the money bag into his hands, pushed her and asked her to chase the rocks.

"Brother Stone!" Stone...ah..." The woman's voice floated in the wind and snow, and then she stepped crookedly on the snow, accidentally sliding to the ground with a squeak.

"Why are you still so stupid!" It will fall even when walking! Shitou was not polite, but he gently lifted the woman up with his hands. He looked carefully up and down to see if there was anything wrong with the woman. Then he flicked the contaminated snowflakes and shook his hand, "Go back!" go back! Just take good care of the old man..."

"No! I don't! ” Yue Meizi, who was usually submissive, became stubborn for a rare moment and grabbed the corner of Shitou’s clothes, “Brother Shitou, don’t go!” This, this money should be returned to General Hussar, don’t go there..."

The lines on Shitou's face suddenly softened, "I've spent all this money...how can I get it back?" you forgot? The pork head I just ate..."

"ah? 』Yue Meizi became sluggish again.

"Besides, if I don't go...how can I have the money to marry you?" Shitou looked in the direction to the west, "Hussar said, it can take as little as three years, as long as five years. There is gold, silver, and jade in the Western Regions... If we don't take risks, will money fall from the sky?" 』

Yue Meizi shook her head anxiously, "I...my dad...I...my dad..."

Shitou stretched out his hand and held down Yue Meizi's anxiously shaking head, "Stop shaking it, I understand... Your father, actually for you and for me... I sold half of my field to bury my father. Later, in order to bury grandpa, he sold the other half... Your father was afraid that he would not be able to survive. If you married me now, if you were the old man... you would have to sell the yard again, otherwise the neighbors would point fingers and feel uncomfortable. ...You are not married to me now, so you have nothing to do with me, and I don't have to sell my yard, so I deliberately say bad things every day so that the neighbors know that your father and I have a bad relationship, and give me a reason...forget it, It's useless to say this... I have entrusted the patrol in the city, and I will give you the military salary for the past few years, so you can take good care of the old man... Don't worry, I am still alive! If you are willing to wait, just wait for me for three to five years. If you can't wait, or I can't come back, then..."

Shitou touched Yue Meizi's head for the last time, then pushed her back slightly, and then said with a serious face: "Be obedient!" go back! I am leaving! I’m going to the Western Regions to make a lot of money! Stop following me. If you follow me again, I will beat you up! 』

Shi Shi waved his fist, as if he used force to intimidate Yue Meizi as he often did when he was a child, but after taking two steps, his fist loosened and turned into a wave...

The wind and snow are getting heavier and heavier.