Chapter 1957 Jizhou Xianliang, read the salt and iron again
In Lishiwu Fort near Yecheng, a small banquet was being held in the flower hall.
This time it was just a family banquet, there were no outsiders participating at all, and there was no bustling and bustling gathering of prominent figures, there were only two people in the seat.
One is Li Pan, and the other is Li Cheng.
The two are Jizhou personnel, and they can be regarded as members of the Qingliu scholars. Although they did not hold any prominent positions under Yuan Shao''s command, they have a good reputation and have a good relationship with other gentry children in Jizhou. For Tian Feng, who is obsessed with official career, he seems to be more noble, and he can be called the virtuous of Jizhou. Therefore, this time Yuan Shao''s downfall, Li''s family seems not only not to be affected much, but even slightly affected by it. There is an improvement.
After all, both the Tian family and the Shen family are important ministers under Yuan Shao. The so-called big ship is difficult to turn around.
Those who have said all kinds of bad things about Cao Cao before and have been hostile to Cao Cao are naturally hiding in their own homes and are in constant fear. However, people like the Li family are full of guests and keep in touch with each other. Many people think that this One time, the Li family was really far-sighted, and he realized that the Yuan family could not grow up early, and then survived until now, ushering in a new situation.
However, the Li brothers, strictly speaking, are not blood brothers, but family brothers, but they know in their hearts that it was not because Li was so noble that he didn''t kneel and lick Yuan Shao, but because Li didn''t have the skills of Tian and others at that time. Well, I didn''t get the lick in place, and then I didn''t grab the position...
Of course, the Li brothers will never admit these things.
The banquet arrangement is very simple, one person sits alone, apart from drinks and dried fruits, there are no seven bowls and eight dishes, and there is no full house full of singing and dancing. Anyway, the two brothers are not thinking about the banquet. Li Pan sat behind a few desks with a sullen face, without drinking, just frowning and thinking, while Li Cheng held a wine glass and sipped lightly.
"The wine is too cold to drink..." Li Cheng said slowly.
Li Pan glanced at Li Cheng, and didn''t really think that Li Cheng was complaining about the temperature of the wine, but knew that Li Cheng was referring to it, so he sighed slightly and said: "The wine can be warmed up when it''s cold, but After it’s hot, you have to drink it quickly, and it’s hard to keep warm and cold…”
Li Cheng snorted, and said it a little more bluntly, "Nowadays the only thing in the world to talk about is Fei Cao, but now that Cao''s family is in charge of Jizhou, if he doesn''t do his part, I''m afraid there will be nothing to do!" 』
『I’m afraid it’s just…』Li Pan mused, 「If in the future...the Cao family is like the Yuan family...」
『Nowadays, the court is chaotic and uncertain, and the country is full of ups and downs,’ Li Cheng cupped his hands towards the south, and said, ‘The Son of Heaven still doesn’t know the future, so what if we are worried? And it''s better to take care of the present first! Having said that, if it''s true... at worst, it''s like the Shen family, and I can have some leisure and wealth...』
They are all brothers in the clan, so they speak straightforwardly. From a grown-up point of view, as a big Han family, I want to do some things. Of course, party struggles are indispensable, and it is only natural to increase benefits for my own family. Otherwise, how can I call it "family world"?
Jizhou and Yuzhou can be said to be the biggest victims of the disaster of the party, but they are also beneficiaries. The two emperors Han Xiaoheng and Han Xiaoling once wanted to become powerful emperors of ZTE Han, but...
Up to now, although the children of the gentry have indeed completely defeated the eunuchs and foreign relatives, they have also defeated the Han Dynasty, especially after the Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu and Yuan brothers who originally represented the interests of the gentry and officials collapsed one after another. Hemiplegia, and even marched toward full-body paralysis.
The sons of the gentry originally thought that the other two crutches of the big man were in the way, and after trying every means to lame and disable them, they suddenly found that they were alone...
And now, many people are at a loss.
If it is said that Cao Cao can be like in history, the power is in Hebei, then the gentry in Jizhou naturally have nothing to say, and it is only natural to turn around and fall into Cao Cao''s warm embrace to seek love and pity, but at present, in the political situation of the Han Dynasty, there is not only Cao Cao , There is also a Fei Qian.
This is more troublesome...
This is the conflict between Li Pan and Li Cheng.
The emperor Liu Xie can''t count on it for the time being, even though he is indeed sitting on the throne of the emperor now, but everyone knows, especially the series of things that happened in, let many gentry see clearly, this emperor, in fact There is no big skill.
Of course, such an emperor is not without benefits. At least such an emperor means that all the power will fall on the gentry, and it is impossible to have the problem of party imprisonment in the past. The country can be restored!
In the last days of the Han Dynasty, the system that had been running smoothly for three or four hundred years seemed to be beginning to collapse. Among them, the power of the monarchy and the power of the prime minister also lost their balance. Everything needed to be re-established and re-enacted, but in the process of establishment and formulation Among them, interests are involved and entangled, making it more and more chaotic.
After a long while, Li Pan said: "Cao''s coming, can things be done?" 』
Li Cheng smiled lightly and said, "Isn''t there still you and me?" Now that the Cao clan is new, he should stabilize people''s hearts, and naturally he should seek for a thousand li horse... At that time, he will appease Jizhou and gain power. Is he afraid that he will not be able to stand under Huaitang in the future? 』
When Cao Cao first arrived in Yecheng, that was the best time for the Li clan, and the sudden crowd of guests before, wasn''t it because many people saw this and came here to lay an ambush? If Mrs. Li continues to stay behind closed doors, then this false prosperity cannot be realized, and these "guests" will naturally go to other places soon...
So Li Cheng spoke eagerly and straightforwardly. Cao Cao needs to appease the people in Jizhou, so he naturally needs to borrow the local power of Jizhou. Military affairs and civil affairs need special arrangements. If he can take part of the power in it, then it is almost equivalent to Li''s ascending to the Tian family under Yuan Shao in one fell swoop. status!
After gaining status, let’s put it more embarrassingly, even if Cao Cao loses to Fei Qian in the future, it is not unreasonable to fall to Fei Qian’s side at that time...
Li Pan was still hesitant, and said, "However, the matter of "examination"..."
Li Cheng smiled lightly, ""Testing the truth" is to stick to the middle, so what''s the difficulty? 』
Although Li Cheng said it lightly, both brothers knew that this matter was difficult.
Regarding the test, there are naturally some people who are happy and others are worried.
A system, it is hard to say that all of them are good, or all of them are not good, just like Wang Mang''s reform, the intention is also good...
Those who have real talents and real learning, and sometimes come from a famous family, are naturally dispensable for the test, and even think that the test can clear out those guys who pretend to be numbers, but for those who only have families, and then run around on weekdays. , Naturally, ten thousand people are unwilling.
For the poor family, it is also a mixed blessing. I am happy that I can finally pass the "test" based on my talent, but I am worried that the result will be "correct" again...
Jizhou''s preliminary decision must be focused on appeasement, otherwise Cao Cao would not come to Yecheng to sit in person, and Jizhou has always been prosperous in humanities, and there are many children of the gentry. If he is satisfied, he must divide the spoils well. Li Chengcheng wants to be the knife that divides the spoils, and even if he can''t secretly cut more for himself, can the surface of the knife be stained with oil and water...
For the way of politics, it should be a bowl of water. There are benefits to share with everyone, so as to save future resentment.
Li Pan nodded slightly, then shook his head again, and said: "However, most of the post of Zhengzheng is taken by Henan Zi..."
Li Cheng smiled and said, "What''s so difficult about this?" Just sit on the wall and watch, let''s see the water is muddy! 』
Li Pan thought for a long time, and finally fell silent, obviously agreeing.
…(*`ェ*)d(·｀ω·)…
Xu County, above the main hall of the imperial palace, Liu Xie sits in the middle, and Xun Yu sits at the bottom.
『Xun Aiqing, how much savings does the treasury of the third division have now? The newly added post of "Kaozheng" is the salary of the third department, or is it self-employed? 』
Because of Empress Cao''s relationship, the relationship between Liu Xie and the Cao family seems to be getting closer, so Liu Xie has also slightly changed the affairs of the court. As Liu Xie got older and his situation over the years made Liu Xie, compared with other emperors in the Han Dynasty, his emperor''s mental skills also made some progress. The emperor who can''t understand anything is much better, just like the sentence just now, it also hits the point.
Officials, of course, have to have a salary, and they don’t necessarily speak for the court if they get the salary from the court, let alone those who can’t even get the salary from the court...
The dual ruler-ministerial structure of the Han Dynasty led to the fact that many officials worshiped not Liu Xie, the emperor who represented the great Han, but local officials who paid him a salary. You can hold the control right, but if it is attributed to the local government, I am afraid that it will lose its original meaning.
Under the Dan rank, Xun Yu pondered for a while. As Cao Cao''s chief steward, he naturally had a clear understanding of all the current figures. Liu Xie asked for inquiries, sorted them out a little, and replied respectfully: "Although it is the time for winter to plan At that time, however, the various places were chaotic, and the calculation of the tribute has not yet arrived... Now only in the treasury of Sikong, there are 5.1 million gold, silver and copper coins left, and some silk utensils... But in winter, when the flood control is important, so We want to allocate 800,000 yuan to manage the water canals in Hebei and Henan, and we need to pay more than 2 million yuan for the salaries and allowances of officials and officials in Xudu. 』
If Cao Cao hadn’t cheated the Wuhuan people, Xun Yu would have gone bankrupt on the spot just by paying the mercenary expenses!
Even so, Cao Cao is still in a difficult situation under the rule, and it seems that he can still save several million yuan, but Xun Yu knows that this value is also empty, because there are still expenses for the New Year...
Paused for a moment, Xun Yu said in a dignified manner: "As for the post of Kaozheng, it belongs to Situ, and all the salaries received are from the middle..."
"But Situ..." Liu Xie frowned and said, "It''s been hanging around for a long time..."
『Your Majesty, Liu Zigao is highly respected, talented and knowledgeable, so he can take up this position...』 Xun Yu said.
『Liu Zigao? 』Liu Xie pondered.
Liu Hong, courtesy name Zigao, when Dong Zhuo came to Beijing, he served as Guang Luxun, and then also served as Sikong for a short time, but was dismissed by Dong Zhuo on the grounds that "virtue does not match".
Liu Xie seemed to recall that this Liu Hong seemed to be from Nanyang.
As a monarch, he has two important rights, one is personnel power and the other is financial power. Unfortunately, Liu Xie has neither of them, so he can only ask questions. There is not much right to suggest or veto, and after a pause, Liu Xie said: "Maybe..."
『Your Majesty is holy. ’ Xun Yu replied without much emotion.
Liu Xie was silent for a moment again, no matter what thoughts were in his mind, the world was still the Liu family''s world, although he knew that his words were useless, but if he didn''t even ask questions, how could he be called the Liu family? In the world, it would be easier for the big man of the Liu family to directly change to the Cao family, so Liu Xie still asked: "...For many years, there has been a shortage of goods. I don''t know if Aiqing has a good plan?" 』
Everything needs money.
Xun Yu sighed insignificantly, and replied with some grief: "I have failed His Majesty''s high expectations, and managed the country''s financial affairs, so exhausted, it is really a crime..."
This financial problem not only puzzled Liu Xie, but even Cao Cao and Xun Yu had some headaches.
Why Hussar General Fei Qian seems to be able to thrive and have a prosperous economy, but obviously Jizhou and Yuzhou account for almost half of the Han population, and the result is not as high as Pei Qian''s income...
Liu Xie shook his head and said, "Xun Aiqing doesn''t need to blame herself..."
Xun Yu was silent. In fact, he also has some vague understanding, but it''s hard to say it out. After all, where the **** sits, one must say something.
Normally speaking, it is true that the output of Jizhou and Yuzhou will be much higher than that under the rule of Huqi Feiqian. Even if Feiqian adopts better farming tools and more advanced irrigation technology, the overall Generally speaking, the population gap cannot be completely leveled by relying on technology, especially in the farming society that relied on manpower in the Han Dynasty.
So, the only problem is that Feiqian has lost a lot of "middlemen"...
Hussar General Fei Qian''s "middlemen" were not without trouble, but at that time, Fei Qian was so cruel that he directly recruited a large number of "counting talents" and directly bypassed the rural gentry, and even formed a direct transport convoy. Collect taxes, rents, etc. directly from the place of origin...
Even the nomadic barbarians who belonged to them did not escape, and the educated barbarian schoolchildren who needed to "respect teachers and pay attention to education" perfectly completed the homework assigned by the teacher, and reported the number of cattle and sheep in the house clearly. I don''t know how difficult it is to pass the test in a muddled way...
Therefore, here in Cao Cao’s case, on the one hand, the numbers reported by the gentry from all over the country are already somewhat watery, and there are not a few people who invaded and concealed them. If it really reaches Xun Yu''s hands, it is a fold-up fold.
So now Cao Cao''s actual income is not as good as Fei Qian''s, which is naturally a normal thing, and then what Fei Qian can do, can Cao Cao do it now?
can not do this.
Cao Cao was different from Fei Qian from the very beginning. Cao Cao relied on the support of the Cao family, the Xiahou family, and the gentry in the Chenliu area, especially the support of Yingchuan Xunyu and others, so he moved from north to south and survived and developed after moving from east to west, so of course it is impossible to abandon these people. .
But the embarrassing situation had to force Cao Cao and Xun Yu to change the idea. After all, the pressure from Fei Qian next to him was too great.
"I heard that there is a new theory on salt and iron in Xijing..." Liu Xie said slowly, "I also re-read "Theory on Salt and Iron"...I heard about the way of governing people, the source of preventing obscenity and loss, the end of broadening morality, and opening up by restraining the end. Benevolence and righteousness should not be shown for benefit, and then education can flourish and customs can be changed... When I first read it when I was young, I also felt that virtuousness is reasonable, and it specializes in creating disadvantages. Now I read it again...but I don’t know why, but I feel that the so-called virtuous is not virtuous. , I wonder what Xun Aiqing thinks? 』
"Salt and Iron Theory" is Huan Kuan''s political prose based on the meeting minutes of the famous "Salt and Iron Conference" in the middle of the Western Han Dynasty. However, Heng Kuan''s **** is naturally a bit crooked. Embarrassment, or being silent, or getting angry, or feeling ashamed...
The salt and iron monopoly of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty did make a major contribution to defeating the Huns, but none of the policies were perfect or unchangeable for a hundred years. After the implementation of the salt and iron policy for a while, it was inevitable that there would be Economically, it is an indisputable fact that state-owned patents lead to corruption and inefficiency, while the unchecked power of the government makes it impossible to achieve market-oriented equal competition and further promotes the deterioration of the Dahan economy.
I also saw that these so-called great men and virtuous men kept saying that the monopoly of salt and iron was "competing for the benefit of the people" and not beneficial to the country, but in fact, the "people" were not common people, but "rich people".
Salt and iron, from another perspective, are strategic materials. The control of strategic materials inhibits the development of local tyrannical forces. Therefore, those "big men and virtuous men" in those days kept saying that they were concerned about the country and the people, and then they raised the shouts of the abandoned salt and iron franchise. , the foundation of one part of the Warlords Separatist War.
Of course, more than two hundred years have passed since the theory of salt and iron, even if it is reversed now, it does not make much sense, so Liu Xie does not mean salt and iron, but something else...
A slight wind blows from outside the hall, shaking the curtains inside the hall, causing the light and shadow to shake along with it.
Xun Yu raised his head slowly, with the first smile on his mouth since he entered the hall for question and answer, like a reflection of Huaguang, "Your Majesty, read the salt and iron carefully, and you will know..."
(end of this chapter)