Chapter 1980 Changing money to pay levy, the death of Qinghe
『My lord, the food stock in the army is probably not enough...』
As a military adviser offering wine, it is almost equivalent to being the chief of staff next to Cao Cao. He is naturally very clear about the details of changes in the army. Of course, he must find Cao Cao as soon as possible after discovering a problem.
『Why come here? 』Cao Cao frowned deeply, and there was a knife-like furrow between his brows, which made Dong Zhao feel a little terrified.
Dong Zhao subconsciously glanced at the chart in his hand, but in fact he remembered these things very clearly, and there was no need to read it again, "The people in Yuzhou said that they were plagued by locusts and wanted to reduce their exemption. Jizhou... didn''t say anything." What, it’s just that it will take some time to prepare…』
Although the people in Jizhou did not refuse to pay the share of military rations again, Cao Cao still did not think this was good news, "It will take time? when? 』
Although the gentry in Yuzhou refused to pay food and grass again, Cao Cao was somewhat unhappy, but what made Cao Cao even more upset was that even the gentry in Jizhou were procrastinating. What does this mean?
Dong Zhao said: "This...has not yet been decided. However, if the lord replaces food with money, it may be accepted quickly..."
『Replace food with money? 』Cao Cao''s brows were still deeply wrinkled together.
Dong Zhao said: "Forage and grass can only be harvested once a year. In addition, Jizhou has been fighting for years, and there are many losses. This is also true. Therefore, if grain and grass are forced to be collected, firstly, there will be insufficient surplus, and secondly, there will be changes. If we don’t use money instead of food, we can go shopping again, maybe we can solve the urgent need...』
Cao Cao understood.
Cao Cao appointed Dong Zhao, and brought Dong Zhao all the way to Yecheng, Jizhou. The purpose was to let Dong Zhao, who was originally from Yuan Shao, be able to serve as a bridge for communication between the Jizhou gentry. Of course, he did not rule out showing the Jizhou gentry mean. But now, what Dong Zhao is doing is quite satisfactory.
"Replacing food with money", this plan is a compromise solution proposed by Dong Zhao.
Jizhou Yuzhou is a populous state with a large grain production area, but similarly, a large number of people also need to eat. It is impossible to say that all rations of these people are deprived, and they may follow the path of Yuan Shu and be overthrown in the end. land.
What Dong Zhao said about the emptiness of warehouses in Jizhou is true, but not entirely true. Cao Cao believes that it must be a lot more empty than before, but it is not completely empty, but each family has a line, and the current grain reserves are undoubtedly very close to this line, so this is the attitude. Resolute, united in opinion, unwilling to provide food and grass again.
Therefore, as a bridge of communication, Dong Zhao must put forward a proposal that can be accepted by everyone...
Because the grain and grass circulating in the market is very scarce, almost everyone knows that the price of grain and grass will definitely increase in the future, so it is undoubtedly relatively cheap to use coins to replace grain and grass. It is a proposal that is relatively easy to accept.
The gentry in Jizhou feel that they will lose less, and Cao Cao can also collect some smoothly. Similarly, they can go back and force the gentry in Yuzhou to pay as soon as possible...
Why the Yuzhou gentry are not cooperating now, Cao Cao understands in his heart, and Dong Zhao also knows, but this matter is hard to say, so Cao Cao doesn''t ask, and Dong Zhao doesn''t say anything.
Cao Cao thought for a while, then took Dong Zhao''s watch and looked at it carefully. After pondering for a long time, he asked: "If you have received money, where can you buy it?" 』
"You can go to Jingzhou..." Dong Zhao obviously already has some secrets, so he quickly said, "Although Jiangxia has been damaged in Jingzhou, the rest has not been harmed. Grain and grass cannot last long. If you buy its stored grain , deserve two benefits...」
Cao Cao finally nodded slowly, "Maybe you can try it..."
Give it a try, otherwise, so what?
After all, if there is only Cao Cao''s family in the whole of China, it is not impossible to delay or allow a period of time to get the food and grass earlier and later if there are no foreign enemies. But if others have food and grass reserves, But Cao Cao did not, which means that Cao Cao will be in a very passive situation, and may even lead to being unable to send troops!
Therefore, on the one hand, Cao Cao had to ensure that he had sufficient reserves in his hands, and on the other hand, he also wanted the gentry of Jizhou and Yuzhou to lead the manor Zhuang Ding to farm again to ensure future harvests. Therefore, it was inevitable to adopt a compromise method.
What Cao Cao didn''t know was that in history, Cao Cao had the confidence to go after Wuhuan and even promoted the Battle of Chibi because of the large-scale farmland in Heluoguan, Hedong. Lots of restrictions...
Of course, Cao Wei’s army was supported by a large amount of income in the early days of farming, but after entering the middle and late stages, inevitable corruption began to spread among them, coupled with the invasion of the Little Ice Age, resulting in these farms. More and better excuses were used to devour the output, so that in the later stage of Cao''s farming system, hundreds of thousands of people were wasted on farming, but it did not bring much benefit to the main body.
The original intention of farming is good, it is to restore order as soon as possible, not for corruption, but in the process of execution... just like the original intention of substituting money for food is also good...
After Cao Cao nodded, Dong Zhao acted, and soon, the news of "replacing food with money" began to spread, and at the same time, Huaxia''s ingenuity was once again displayed...
『Move faster! 』
『Go to those charcoal fires again! 』
『Be quicker with your hands and feet! 』
In a certain manor in Jizhou, thick black smoke rose into the sky, and three furnaces were burning, melting the original copper wares and copper coins into copper water.
The shirtless craftsmen were busy, smoked by the flames and black smoke, but no one dared to stop to catch their breath or take a break. The overseer with a long stick patrolled the field from time to time, and when he saw those who moved a little slower, he would yell and curse, and beat them with sticks, just like driving animals, so that these craftsmen should speed up and smelt a full amount of copper coins as soon as possible.
Of course, it is five baht.
These people are already very proficient at casting five baht coins, but it is more troublesome to make Zhengxi copper coins, so naturally, these people chose to use five baht coins. Anyway, Cao Cao did not prohibit five baht coins from being sold in the market. Up circulation...
『How much worse? How much more time? 』A boy of the gentry with a Bo Guan Lun scarf, with his hands behind his back, stood on the porch from a distance, looking at the smoky workshop, asked faintly.
The steward of the workshop bowed his head and said: "Send to the owner, there are still more than 300,000... seven days, no, within five days, it must be completed!" 』
Boguan Lunjin nodded and said, "If it is completed ahead of schedule, there will be a big reward... If it is delayed...hehe..."
The head of the workshop manager almost touched the ground, "The little one understands, the little one understands..."
At this moment, there was a half scream from the workshop, followed by a commotion.
"what happened? ! 』Boguan Lunjin frowned.
A Zhuang Ding ran over and reported: "Someone fell into the copper water..."
To melt the copper, it also needs to be stirred to make it evenly heated. Day after day of continuous operation, coupled with high temperature and thick smoke, and the Han Dynasty did not even think about any industrial protection. In the smoke and dust from the combustion, the heavy metals must have exceeded the standard, and it must be poisonous. The unlucky man fell dizzy for a while and fell into the copper furnace …
Its fate is naturally conceivable, after all, not everyone is a grandson.
"Oh? How can you be so careless? ’ Boguan Lunjin asked eagerly, ‘Where’s the copper stove? Is there any damage? 』
Zhuang Ding replied: "I didn''t see any damage to the copper furnace..."
Boguan Lunjin breathed a sigh of relief, stared at the workshop manager, "What are you still doing here?" return! Those who died...give an extra five...well, three pennies to support their families...』
『Owner is kind...』 The workshop steward nodded and bowed.
『Go! Be careful with the copper stove! Don''t miss the big deal! 』Bo Guan Lun Towel waved his hand.
This benevolent Jizhou gentry thought he was doing it without anyone noticing, but when he arrived in Yecheng with the five baht he should pay, he was stunned because he saw many people with Coins of worse quality than him...
『Why not accept, this, this... Isn’t it money? 』
『Are you money? Look, it''s as thin as paper, and it will break when you fold it. It''s worse than Dong Qian back then! 』
"Hey! Just look at it, don''t start it! 』
『My money is fine, take mine first! 』
『Your money is also bad. It doesn’t even have an outline. It looks like newly minted bad money! 』
『Where can you be better…』
If it was only his family, there would be no problem. Those who counted the taxes would just turn a blind eye and turn a blind eye. It can be regarded as a small amount of money, but if a large area is full of bad money, then it is not a matter of individual negligence, even the heads of the tax officials are not guaranteed!
So, if you give the tax official ten more guts, you won’t dare to accept it. "Stop making noise! There is an order from above that only Western currency will be collected! Those who pay in levy currency should come forward, and the rest will retreat! 』
『Why only Western currency is charged? Isn''t five baht money money? 』Everyone is upset again.
The tax official squinted and passed, "If the full amount is five baht, the outline is intact, and the inner hole is square, that''s fine too!" 』
『I’m all five baht! 』
『Really? Take it up and see! ’ the tax official sneered.
Immediately, someone lifted up the bamboo basket containing money and placed it in front of the tax official.
"It''s all ready...a hundred pieces of money..." The gentry boy said with a smile that his five baht coins are good money, and then he seemed to take a bunch from the top of the bamboo basket casually, shaking, "Look, They are all five baht coins, look at the texture...』
The tax officer glanced at the money in this person''s hand, nodded slightly, and said, "You have good money..."
『Is that so…』The nobleman smiled like a chrysanthemum, 「Then...weigh the scales...」
There is no problem in counting thousands of dollars and tens of thousands of dollars, but if each household has hundreds of thousands, and there are so many households, it is a bit unrealistic to count the number of coins one by one, so in many cases, it is directly weighed .
『Wait a minute...but the money in your basket may not be all good...』The tax official stood up, looked up and down at the nobles, then turned his head and said, 『Come on! Pour out this basket! 』
『Hey...what are you doing pouring it out...won''t you have to pretend later, how troublesome...』
『哗啦啦…』The soldiers ignored it, and when they came up, the two grabbed the bamboo basket and fell to the ground.
Strings of coins rolled down to the ground, and then they were clearly divided into two colors. A small amount was like the one held by the gentry boy, and more of them were green and gray bad money.
The crowd suddenly let out a burst of laughter.
That''s how it is, although everyone is rotten, but as long as someone is exposed as rotten, but you haven''t been exposed, then you have the right to laugh at that rotten person.
The tax official said in a deep voice, "That''s it, do you understand? Only levy western coins, gold, silver and copper coins are fine, don''t fool Yu with cheap money! 』
"Humph! Among the gentry in Jizhou, someone snorted and led them out. Some of the rest were quick-witted, and immediately reacted, and followed suit. Jizhou is so big, so it is impossible to set up tax officials in only one place, and there are naturally other places, and the tax officials in Yecheng, who have just taken office, are originally based in Yuzhou, so there is no need to give these Jizhou children face, but others The local tax collector...
So even though they were deflated in Yecheng, many gentry children immediately turned their heads and went to other places, either to lure them or threaten them. Anyway, since all the bad money has been minted, they must not be thrown into their own hands. !
So, naturally, after a few days, when the taxes collected from all over the country were collected in Yecheng, the "upright" Yecheng tax official found that the bad money that he rejected had returned to him. …
Cao Cao stood in the warehouse with a dark face, looking at the "five baht coin" in his hand that was split into three pieces when he squeezed it in his palm, his beard trembled, and he stopped for a while, throwing the pieces away. On the ground, "Come here, immediately arrest the tax officials of Julu, Qinghe, Zhao, Zhongshan, Hejian and other places, as well as the tax payment records, and bring them to Ye!" 』
However, with Cao Cao''s order issued, something more interesting happened.
Julu tax official drank too much, fell into the river at night and drowned...
The Qinghe tax official was hit by an enemy in a busy city, was stabbed three times, and died of bleeding...
The tax official of the Zhao family has fled, and he does not know where he is going...
The tax official in Zhongshan hanged himself at home...
The tax official in Hejian, because the soldiers left quickly, caught them, but on the way to Ye, he committed suicide by taking poison...
Cao Cao was furious, and immediately arrested county magistrates from all over the country.
A few days later, Cao Cao sat in the high hall in a crown uniform, and at the bottom of the hall was a row of county and township officials kneeling.
Things have come to this point, even Cao Cao can''t expect it.
But if it is said that Cao Cao should swallow this breath, firstly, Cao Cao cannot bear it, and secondly, this kind of precedent cannot be set. Therefore, Cao Cao must have an explanation and a result.
Before the public trial today, Cao Cao sent someone to secretly confess to these county and township officials. As long as they confess, they will not be held accountable...
Cao Cao didn’t intend to wipe out the gentry in Jizhou in one fell swoop, after all, now that the bad money is mixed together, who can say which family must have cast the bad money? Is there a surname written on the coin? So we can only rely on witnesses, and then catch one or two as a model, kill them directly, and then order the rest of the gentry to rectify.
After all, the fire in the granary... Uh, tax evasion is also wrong. Is there no need for a death penalty for casting bad money? Is it still possible to educate me...
However, when the script is in progress, it may not always be as the director wishes...
『Subordinate...Subordinate has a word...』Qinghe county magistrate kowtowed.
Cao Cao narrowed his eyes slightly, then glanced at the representatives of the major Jizhou gentry who were listening outside, and said in a deep voice: "Speak!" 』
Qinghe county magistrate, surnamed Fan.
County Magistrate Fan raised his head slowly, and said: "This subordinate is guilty...failed to detect the bad guys who shoddy the good and paid the treacherous taxes, resulting in a lot of bad money in the tax..."
Cao Cao exhaled slowly, nodded and said: "People are not sages, no one can make mistakes, and if there are mistakes, he will correct them. There is nothing good about it." Although you didn''t detect it, you are not the mastermind, if you report and expose the wrongdoing, you can also make atonement...」
The gentry of Jizhou who were outside couldn''t help feeling a little restless, the sound of chirping and blah blah came out, and the soldiers suddenly shouted: "Shut up! quiet! 』
The scene fell silent again.
Cao Cao looked at Qinghe County Magistrate Fan, smiled slightly, nodded encouragingly, and said, "If what I remember is correct, you were born in an imperial school, and you were appointed as an official in Hejian because of your filial piety. Your Majesty returned to the East in the past, and you sent The contribution of food and grass, the imperial edict to worship Yilang, and then the order of Qinghe...Now you know that the court is not easy, the community is the most important, and you need to be loyal and filial, and the honor will last forever...If you have anything to say, let''s just say it...」
County magistrate Qinghe Fan raised his head slowly, and said: "Gai Wen, a filial person should not betray his relatives, just to seek his own benefit, a benevolent person should not forget his ruler, and use it for personal gain, and a person with lofty ideals should not take advantage of disorder and steal fame... Sikong Shouzhiqing Ke, with the world in mind, based on morality and righteousness, advocates benevolence, respects the emperor, and protects the country... As the so-called father is not sympathetic, you can''t say filial piety, forget the place where your ancestors live, and you can''t say loyalty...』
At the beginning, Cao Cao listened and nodded slightly, but then he frowned slightly, his slender eyes were fixed on Qinghe County Magistrate, and his beard trembled slightly.
『...It is a pity to betray one''s confidant by cherishing evil and wealth, to be far away from prosperity and prosperity, to be close to peril, to abandon righteousness and accept great shame, and it is not a pity to be evil! ’The voice of the county magistrate of Qinghe became louder and louder. Conquer four hundred, three hundred and ten thousand dendrobium! When Cao Gong arrived in Yecheng, Yuan''s taxes were not taken into account, and the taxes were re-levied, and the military was transferred. First, land and ten thousand dendrobium were requisitioned, and if it was less than ten days, four hundred and fifty thousand dendrobium would be collected! After the cold winter, people are not considerate of the people, they are not sympathetic to the land, they expropriate and expropriate, and the cultivation has not been developed, and they have to adjust another three hundred and seventy thousand dendrobium! If there is no food to adjust, it is a discount! In a hurry, where is the money to pay! Therefore, the crime of bad money is a crime that has not been investigated below, but Mr. Cao is not guilty of the crime above? The heavens can learn from it, Qinghe, young and old, all looked disheveled, starved to death in the wild! Now the land has no seeds for farming, the fields have no power to work, and the people have no green and yellow food. This is the rule of Cao Gong, the world is bright, and the Han Dynasty is the hall! If a certain person is guilty, he will pay him with his own body, and he doesn''t know Cao Gong''s crime, so what should he do? ! 』
After finishing speaking, the county magistrate of Qinghe hit the stone with his head, and died immediately with a cracked head...
There was an uproar at the scene!
Cao Cao could only feel the blood vessels on his head thumping, and the pool of blood of the Qinghe County Magistrate not far away, like ink stains, became bigger and bigger in front of his eyes...
(end of this chapter)