Three Kingdoms

Chang'an.

Since China entered the agricultural road, food has basically been the most important thing. People's obsession with food often surpasses other things, so there is a saying that "food is the first thing for the people". Of course, there are Part of it is a deliberate propaganda by the ruling class, but on the other hand it also shows the people's thirst for food when productivity is low.

And this kind of desire is often exploited by the ruling class, for example, by focusing on agriculture and suppressing business.

So when Zheng Xuan began to try to express his opinions on business, many people couldn't help it...

Then there was a formal debate, which was when Fei Qian gathered everyone to discuss the development of the Western Region.

For China, the Western Regions have always been basically under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Dynasty. There is no doubt about this. Since the Han Dynasty took control of the Western Regions, this kind of jurisdiction was not just a simple restriction. In the Han Dynasty, the Western Regions Protector, the Western Regions Changshi, Wuji Xiaowei, etc. were established. Later in the Tang Dynasty, the Anxi Protectorate, Beiting Governor, etc. were also established. The guards, etc., all have officials and garrisons to guard the north and south roads. Even when the Central Plains was in chaos, the Western Regions were often still guarded by officials and soldiers sent by the Central Plains dynasty to prevent nomadic countries from the north or northwest from taking advantage of the situation.

The era when the Western Regions as a whole broke away from the control of the Central Plains of China was generally during the Song Dynasty. However, if the Khitan and Liao Kingdoms can be considered part of the great integration of Chinese nationalities, then it can be said that the Western Regions have basically never separated from China.

The Western Region is remote, vast and sparsely populated, and the limited land cannot support large-scale farming. Therefore, for ancient China, which valued food output, this area was often like a useless area and did not attach much importance.

At present, the Hussars General Fei lurked in the Western Regions and re-established the Western Regions Protectorate. However, if we only rely on the land output produced by the Western Regions, it will be difficult to maintain the expenses of soldiers and horses, especially the expenses of the elite cavalry commanded by Lu Bu. Therefore, Commercial trade is bound to be used.

In fact, most of the time in history, the main way to protect the Western Region was through trade.

"Since the opening of the Western Region in the early Han Dynasty, it has been known as the "Thirty-six Kingdoms". It has been increased and decreased since then. To the east of today's Congling, there are six major kingdoms in the north and south..."

As the chief military adviser under Fei Qian, Pang Tong pointed at the map of the Western Region and talked eloquently.

"The six countries on the southern route of the Western Region, from east to west, are Shanshan, Qiemo, Jingjue, Mumi, Khotan and Shache; the six countries on the northern route, from east to west, are Gaochang, Cheshi, Yanqi, Qiuci, Wusun and Shule; there are dozens of other small countries, so there is no need to count..."

"Now the South Road of the Western Region is basically peaceful. Among the North Road, only Wusun is standing still. Relying on its vast territory and numerous soldiers, it has gathered the enemy's rebellion and refused to surrender..."

In fact, Wusun has always been greatly influenced by the Han Dynasty. Perhaps because of many marriage relationships, its customs, culture, official system, etc. are all deeply influenced by China.

Pang Tong spoke with great energy, and everyone couldn't help but lean forward and prick up their ears for fear that they might have missed something. After all, this information is very new to the vast majority of nobles, especially when Pang Tong talked about the countries in the Western Regions. When looking at the geographical location, population, special products, and number of soldiers, etc., everyone couldn't help but secretly take a look at Fei Qian. Unknowingly, the Hussar General had already understood the Western Region so thoroughly. Could he be preparing to attack Wu? Sun, completely return to the Western Regions?

However, the geography of the Western Region is mostly desert, and it is common to see no human habitation for hundreds of miles. If a large army attacks, it will be difficult to transport materials. Back then, Li Guangli sent 6,000 national soldiers and tens of thousands of bad boys from the county for the Dayuan Horse. He was more than two years old back and forth, but not one of his ten soldiers survived...

Such a conquest is obviously not cost-effective, right?

Everyone exchanged looks.

Pang Tong finished introducing the situation, then turned to Fei Qian, saluted, and returned to his seat.

Fei Qian turned to look at Xun You.

Xun You handed over his hands, stood up, and then motioned to the guards outside the hall to bring up some lacquer plates. "These gold and silver coins are all used by countries in the Western Regions. They are mostly without holes, mostly decorated with flowers and birds, and mixed with their main figures. You may wish to take a look at them..."

In fact, the gold and silver coins of the Western Regions are not unfamiliar to all ethnic groups in Guanzhong, and some even have some in their homes. However, since Xun You said so, everyone started to take a look at them.

"In the land of China, there is more copper than silver. In the past, copper mining in Luliang and gold mining in Yinshan were beneficial, but they were particularly insufficient. Now, gold and silver can be exchanged with silk, which may be able to make up for the shortage in China. There is a lot of this gold and silver in the Western Regions, but the nobles from various countries regard it as jewelry and utensils, depleting their value and not using them..."

Since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period in China, copper has been used as money. Gold coins and silver coins are not unavailable, but most of them are like commemorative coins of later generations and cannot be directly circulated in the market. This is mainly because gold is expensive and ordinary people cannot afford it, while silver production is low, so its value is inflated and it is equally difficult to use.

After thousands of years of accumulation, it gradually formed a habit. Even in the Ming Dynasty, a large amount of silver goods from Japan and the New World flowed in, and even the court already used all silver taels to collect taxes, but there was no thought of minting silver coins. It is first cast into ingots and then cut into pieces for use, which is extremely inconvenient.

After Fei Qian switched to gold, silver, and copper as the third-level metal currency, as the territory expanded, the copper output was relatively good. After all, there were copper mines in the south and north, and the reserves were not low.

As for gold, there are gold mines in the north of Yinshan Mountain and Yongchang gold mine in Nanzhong. Although it is difficult to transport, there is still some shortage, but it is not a big shortage. Only silver has always been in short supply. As for the value of Zhengxi silver coins on the market, they are already much exaggerated.

What about the silver mine? Because the silver mine at Zhuti Mountain is an associated mine, and the smelting technology is limited by technology, so the output is very small. What is the specific location of the other silver mines? Fei Qian was just a company employee before, where? Would you care about that? How can I remember it? So at this stage, Feiqian can only send personnel to continuously explore, and it is far from being able to achieve large-scale mining.

Even if Fei Qian knew that there was gold and silver in the Lingnan area of ​​Yunnan, and found the mine site, he would have to cut through mountains and ridges to get in, and he would also have to organize large-scale manpower to continue digging and refining. The difficulty is actually not small, so he directly engaged in the Western Region. Doesn’t it smell good?

If you are not sensitive to the economy, you may not think this is a big issue, or even take it seriously, but of course Fei Qian cannot ignore this issue, so the development of gold and silver in the Western Regions must be put on the agenda. Otherwise, it is very likely that the supply of gold and silver coins will not be available, and China will eventually have to return to the copper-standard currency system.

Xun You continued: "Now we should encourage merchants to circulate things. Firstly, they can enrich the poor Western Regions and Liangzhou. Secondly, they can collect more gold and silver to fill the vacancies in China... Now there is a chamber of commerce to set rules and reach the merchants in the Western Regions." , bring more gold and silver back to China..."

When Xun You said this, one of the subordinates said loudly: "I think your words are inappropriate!" 』

What Xun You means is to reduce the import of various items from the Western Regions and expand the carrying capacity of gold and silver. After all, the carrying capacity of a caravan is not unlimited, so it is relatively happy for merchants to make more space to transport gold and silver. Yes, after all, it is more cost-effective to transport gold and silver, which are small in size and high in value, than transporting large and low-value commodities...

As long as corresponding policies are introduced, the rest will naturally be left to the merchants themselves. Once large-scale trade with the Western Regions is completed, the three-level gold, silver, and copper currency system from the Western Regions to Chang'an will gradually stabilize and normalize. Then it will naturally gradually radiate to other regions, and then the foundation of China's overall precious metal currency system will be basically completed.

Fei Qian turned around and looked, but it was Xi Lu.

Of course, this is what it should be. After all, Xi Lu is a disciple of Zheng Xuan. Zheng Xuan put forward his advice on business a few days ago, and now Xun You mentioned something about the Han Chamber of Commerce. As a disciple of Zheng Xuan, he naturally couldn't help but speak out. Objected.

Xun You frowned slightly, and was about to criticize Xi Xi when he saw Fei Qian reaching out to indicate, and then said with a smile: "Hongyu has something to say, you should say it directly, don't hide it."

Xi Lu stood up, bowed and replied: "Xun Lingjun just said that he wanted to make the Western merchants export more gold and silver to facilitate circulation." However, considering that farming is the foundation and business is the end, Qiaoqi aims to overcome difficulties and rejuvenate the country. He should pay attention to farming and weaving mulberry trees, pay attention to soil and water conservancy, and save grain and grass for emergencies. He should not pay attention to the decline of merchants. Previously, Dr. Zheng had given an exhortation to encourage industry and commerce, and to give more to famous people for whatever they gained. He believed that this would undermine the country's foundation and should not be the norm! I hope Qiao Qi will think twice! 』

Zheng Xuan officially became the admonishment doctor, and Xi Lu also had the identity of Yi Lang, so Xi Lu stood up to express his opposition, which was not considered an overstep in terms of etiquette.

Fei Qian smiled and sighed in his heart, after all these days, these old tunes are still being played back and forth, aren't there some fresh arguments? I thought I could have some unique insights into monetary policy...

But this is what it should be. Zheng Xuan can't just use his big moves as soon as he comes up. It's like playing chess. How about attacking the general once he gets the hang of it? Always send out a soldier to explore the way first.

Fei Qian did not speak directly, but looked around first, his eyes stopping at the little carrot head in the back, "What do you think of what Hongyu said?" 』

Zhuge Liang stood up and said loudly: "What Xi Yilang said is that the country should be based on agriculture, which is correct, but if you emphasize agriculture, do you need to despise business?" There is a saying in the book, "If there is no farming, there will be no food; if there is no work, there will be no work; if there is no business, there will be no three treasures; if there are no fish, there will be little wealth." Nowadays, there is chaos in various places and the decline of the country. We should also focus on agriculture and business to revitalize it. All kinds of industries can make the people accumulate wealth, so that the country can be rich and the army strong! 』

Xi Lu cupped his hands and said, "Liu also knows these four things, and none of them can be abolished." However, if a tree has roots, trunk, branches, and leaves, it cannot be shortened. If the roots are not strong, how can the branches and leaves survive? Therefore, agriculture is the foundation of the country. The foundation is strong and all industries are prosperous. If the cart is turned upside down, the roots of the tree will rot, and the branches and leaves will be ten feet high and wither away..."

Xi Liu wanted to continue to expand his argument, but was interrupted by Zhuge Liang: "Has Xi Yilang ever cultivated the fields and planted trees beside the road?" 』

"Um? ” Xi Lu was stunned for a moment.

"Liang Bucai, once farmed in Nanyang. Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "What Xi Yilang said is true. When the roots rot, the wood will wither. However, I would like to ask, if trees are planted in the forest and crops are planted in the fields, what is the use of them?" The fruits are sweet and the corn and wheat are fragrant. Why do they all use their roots? If there are no branches, leaves and fruits, what is the use of just seeking the prosperity of the roots? 』

Xi Liu was a little stuck and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Guoyuan on the side stood up and said: "Agriculture is the foundation of protection." If the roots are strong and not cut down, the branches and leaves will naturally flourish, and all businesses will prosper on their own. Things have priorities, and the government of the country should also have priorities. This is not to say that industry and commerce are useless, but it should not be given special attention and no glory. If everyone is a businessman, who is willing to fight in battle? That is to say, considering today, when the country is in decline, we should focus on the prosperity of agriculture and the affairs of merchants. How unreasonable..."

Then, without waiting for Zhuge Liang to refute, he continued hurriedly, "When the late emperor was in Luoyang, merchants could get official positions by offering sacrifices. Isn't this bad governance?" Merchants attach great importance to profit but despise justice. If they are appointed as officials, they will definitely exploit the people, make the court dirty, lead to extravagance, excessive punishment, and even slander. The root cause is this! Therefore, it is okay to focus on agriculture, but not on business. I hope Hussar will think twice! 』

"You are wrong! Zhuge Liang pointed at Guoyuan and said with a smile, "A merchant loses millet and becomes an official. He is not the first emperor. He is the beginning of filial piety and filial piety. Isn't this also evil?" Government is inherently good, but if you use it as evil, it will become even more evil! Too much politics? Overdoing it? 』

"However, the stupid people mostly hate them because they are filial to the military, salt and iron, lose millet and win the title, but they don't realize that when you are filial to the military, there are pressures from the Huns outside and disturbances from the princes inside. The country's supplies are insufficient and the weapons are not strong. If there is no With Kong Sang and others in power, how could they drive away the Xiongnu in the north, conquer Ouyue in the south, and achieve a prosperous age? Everything has advantages and disadvantages, this is true for farmers, and this is true for businessmen. If you talk about the disadvantages in a big way and talk about the advantages in silence, does it mean that you have a good way of teaching and a profound knowledge of scriptures? It's so strange! 』

Guoyuan's face turned red, and even Zheng Xuan couldn't help but cough.

"alright! Fei Qian said, "Kong Ming can't be rude!" You still haven’t apologized to Mr. Zheng! 』

Zhuge Liang quickly turned around and saluted Zheng Xuan, "Young man, I was just talking nonsense. I hope Duke Zheng will forgive me..."

Zheng Xuan slapped his face and said, "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter..."

Fei Qian motioned Zhuge Liang to sit down, and then said: "The ancient people were free and had no rules. Only when the well fields were designated by the Duke of Zhou could taxes be paid, which has been passed down to this day." Are the taxes and labor stipulated by Duke Zhou good? Evil? If it was good, why would the rituals and music of the Warring States period collapse and the Zhou Dynasty collapse and not be here today? If it was evil, how could the people spread and sing the Book of Songs to prolong the country for eight hundred years? 』

"There may be wise people who say that it must be like in ancient times, like in the Spring and Autumn Period, or in the early Han Dynasty when Xiao Wu and Guang Wu were prosperous. Some people were filled with righteous indignation, some were regretful and resentful. They quoted from other sources and analyzed the sentences according to the words. It seems to be very reasonable. However, if there are advantages to things in the world, there must be disadvantages. If you don't do anything because of the disadvantages, you will just sit back and wait for death. When the country governs, it must respond to the weather, the customs, and the sentiments of the people, and educate and guide them. Nowadays, the four directions are exhausted and all industries are not prospering. We should attach great importance to them all. Why bother to separate agriculture and commerce? For example, in times of drought, weirs and rivers should store water. However, some people say that too much water will cause flooding and damage countless fields, so water should not be stored. Is his words acceptable? 』

Fei Qian's words also implicitly indicate that the current pro-business policy is temporary. Since it's temporary, don't get too excited. At the same time, it also hints that if the development of commerce affects agricultural production, the policy will naturally be tightened. If such a crisis has not yet emerged, then we will just talk about this and that.

Fei Qian's words were reasonable, but extremely slick. Although some people still felt that there were some problems with this "temporary", it was difficult to find any objection at the time, so they had to focus on the previous small problem, "In this case, Why did Hussar ask Xijia to import gold and silver? Money is a thing that can only be circulated. It cannot be eaten when hungry and cannot be clothed when cold. It is not urgent for the people. 』

Fei Qian laughed loudly, then motioned to Huang Xu who was on the side, took a few empty tea bowls, placed them on the table one by one, then pointed at the empty tea bowls and said: "The way of gold and silver, originally This is the law of the country, which has always been kept secret. Today, seeing that there are so many talented people, it would be too much to talk about it... Please do not spread it outside..."

Everyone couldn't help but responded in unison, and then everyone stretched their necks.

Fei Qian pointed to the first empty tea bowl and said, "It would be too vague to generalize, so let me illustrate with an example... This bowl is the Chengxi Inn..."

Fei Qian took a gold coin and put it into the empty tea bowl, which made a jingling sound. "There is a guest today who wants to stay. He doesn't know whether the room is good or bad, so he pays a hundred coins and says that if the room is good, he will stay there. If the room is not good, he will leave it..."

After Fei Qian finished speaking, he looked around.

Everyone nodded, frowned, or stroked their beards.

Fei Qian took out the gold coins from the first tea bowl and put them into the second empty bowl. "Sometimes a farmer from a village outside the city came to the post station and said that the post station bought gold coins for vegetables on credit, so the post director took the hundred coins and farmer……"

Ding dong! The gold coin went into the third empty bowl, "The farmer got a hundred coins. When he entered Chang'an Market, he paid back the money he owed for salt, vinegar and wine..."

Fei Qian continued to slowly take out the gold coins from the third empty bowl, and then put them into the fourth empty bowl. "This guy who sells groceries owes a hundred dollars to the clothing store, so he got this." After receiving the money, he gave it to the clothing store..."

"For the clothing store, I use an ox cart to buy kudzu and linen cloth. I often stop at the inn. I owe a hundred coins for fodder. After I get the money..." Fei Qian picked up the gold coins again and put them back in the first empty bowl. in, "I paid the money for fodder for the inn..."

Everyone couldn't help but feel a little sluggish...

Fei Qian took the gold coin in his hand again, and then threw it to Huang Xu, "The guest at the inn said that the room was shabby and unbearable, so he returned a hundred coins and stayed elsewhere..."

Fei Qian looked around again with interest, lit the four empty bowls on the table, and said, "Let me ask, who was harmed?" Who benefits? Money and wealth cannot be clothed, and food cannot be eaten, so what should they be used for? 』

"This is just superficial economics..." Fei Qian said, looking at the people who were trapped in a "strange circle" and unable to extricate themselves, "Are there any people who say that gold and silver in the Western Regions are useless?" 』

Most of the people were at a loss and speechless for a moment...