At the Palace of the Chief Minister. After Zhang Yue finished his three strategies, the officials praised him sincerely. This was truly a statement of true knowledge and insight.
He is truly worthy of being the talent of the number one scholar and imperial minister, and the talent of the prime minister left to me by Emperor Renzong. It is said that one word can rejuvenate the country, and three strategies can rejuvenate the country.
Officials don't know what to say. If what Zhang Yue just said was a policy statement, he would have become the number one scholar with a stroke of his pen.
But the Golden Palace Policy Discussion is just the Golden Palace Policy Discussion after all. What the prime ministers of the two governments discussed in the Golden Palace was national policy. Policy papers are articles, and national policies must be implemented, not just what he thinks is feasible.
The officials looked around at all the ministers. At this moment, Han Jiang said: "Your Majesty, Zhang Yue's three strategies... I think it is feasible, but the details will need to be discussed by the two governments." Although Zhang Yue proposed it for the first time in the palace, However, Han Jiang and Zhang Yue had a tacit understanding early on, and it was the two of them who handed him over to prison. However, no matter how much they supported him, they always showed worries on their faces. This is the stability of the prime minister.
In contrast, Wu Chong had no scruples at all: "I thought that I was rebuilding the currency letter first, but this failed and the court's credibility was ruined."
"Confucius once said that enough food, enough soldiers, and the trust of the people are the three things. Without the trust of the people, there will be no establishment. This trust is the trust of the people, and it is also the system of the imperial court!"
"The trust of the people is the trust of the people!" The official nodded. He remembered what Wang Anshi had said to him on the first day he entered the palace, that the first step in reform was to choose the right method.
When the official thought of this, he suddenly asked: "Should the choice of skills come first in governing the country, or the system?" Lu Huiqing said: "Your Majesty, changes should be based on the times and the situation. This dynasty has been conservative for hundreds of years, so That’s when the reform came about.”
"For example, in the Qian Law, in order to solve the money shortage, in the second year of Xining, His Majesty first abolished the copper ban that had been in place since Qingli."
"Now the common people are allowed to make copper utensils and carry copper and iron coins abroad. The imperial court also recovered old copper from the people and started to mint coins. This is all the virtue of Your Majesty." The officials were very satisfied after hearing this.
"The Xining Yuanbao minted by His Majesty just after he ascended the throne were all flat coins. At that time, Sichuan minted a batch of flat coins. I remember that the original value was more than 89,300 guan, and the final value was more than 112,500 guan. Divide the two, the profit will be as much as 25%."
"Two years after arriving in Xining, the imperial court cast heavy treasures from Xining, mixed with flat coins and two coins, and cast two large iron coins. The iron coins were less than twelve kilograms, and the profit was double and half. many."
"The imperial court has made a lot of profits from the cast iron money, and it has also abolished the copper ban since Emperor Renzong. This has made things easier for the officials and the people. This shows that the merit of breaking two coins is great." After listening to Lu Huiqing's eloquent words, everyone was as big as the yellow earth. Talking about the benefits of discounting two coins was obviously a move for the court to seek profit, but he turned it into a move to facilitate and benefit the people.
But the officials just fell into this trap. Lu Huiqing said: "Since the second year of Xining, the heavy treasures of Xining, whether they are flat coins or broken into two coins, are circulated among the people, and there is nothing wrong with them."
"Now I think that if Xining Tongbao is cast, Xining Tongbao will be mainly discounted for two coins, and furthermore, it will be discounted for thirty coins and five coins, and then profit from it, and the money will be used to buy back the Jiaoyin issued by the imperial court. This is also To get the best of both worlds." After hearing what Lu Huiqing said, all the ministers were in a commotion, and Zhang Yue was deeply impressed by Lu Huiqing's sudden operation.
Lu Huiqing was surprised that he suddenly proposed a repurchase offer at the temple, but he hastily came up with an operation to get the best of both worlds.
But what is this operation? Destroy the east wall to repair the west wall? While handing out new money indiscriminately, they pretend to buy back old money.
This is the so-called big fight in, small fight out of the cool operation. A classic calculation problem for primary school students. A reservoir is filled with water and filled with water. How long will it take for the reservoir to be filled or drained?
Most elementary school students drop their pens. Isn’t this fooling me? Water is being released and water is being received. Is the reservoir releasing water or receiving water?
Why? Because he wanted to collect money while also being generous and righteous, Lu Huiqing figured out the emperor's thoughts and performed a set of fancy tricks to confuse the audience.
The two-fold discount, the three-fold discount, and the five-cent discount were used to undermine the court's currency. After the two-fold discount, the common people who got the official coins would suffer a loss. After the three-fold discount, those who got the two-fold discount would suffer a loss. The same goes for the five-fold discount. reason.
The purpose of repurchase and exchange is to rebuild currency trust for the court. The difference between himself and Lu Huiqing lies in rebuilding and destroying the currency letter, not the money.
There is no need to use this method to buy back the money. Zhang Yue saw that the No. 1 and No. 3 officials in the civil service supported him, but because of Lu Huiqing's sudden move, the plan almost failed.
Now that the official had been persuaded by Lu Huiqing, he subconsciously looked at Zhang Yue. Zhang Yue wanted to speak, but then he saw Lu Huiqing giving him a look that said he was not going to propose a toast but would be punished with a drink.
Zhang Yue thought for a while and then said nothing. His silence meant he disapproved of it. Seeing this, Lu Huiqing showed a dissatisfied look again.
He stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, I think this method is the most appropriate. There is no need for any other considerations. Please use this edict to order the world." Zhang Yue couldn't help but go out to fight and said: "Your Majesty, Xining Tongbao can be used to break two pieces." It's feasible, but discounting it by 30% or 50% is not feasible." Lu Huiqing glanced at Zhang Yue.
Zhang Yue glanced back and then reported to the emperor: "I know what Mr. Lu means. The promotion of discounting Xining Chongbao for two coins has gone smoothly. Now the people have generally accepted the two coins discount. With the newly minted Xining Tongbao Go ahead and try to discount it by 30% off, 50% off, or even 10% off to see if the people will accept it?”
"But sooner or later there will be trouble if this continues." Lu Huiqing said, "I think you are worrying too much. If you can't break it by 30% or 50%, then what's the use of casting Xining Tongbao?" Zhang Yue argued: "Yes. As far as Lu Gong is concerned, it seems that as long as the people don't make trouble and there are no big troubles, it will be fine. Even if there is trouble, a group of troublemakers are killed, and the court gives in a little bit. What does it really mean?
"Nonsense!" Lu Huiqing was furious. Seeing that the two got into a heated argument in front of the emperor, Han Jiang immediately interrupted the argument.
The official walked down the imperial steps and came between Zhang Yue and Lu Huiqing and said: "Zhang Qing, Lu Qing, you are all my subordinates and ministers of the country. Will I still rely on you to govern the country in the future?" It was the officials who took the initiative to repair the relationship between Zhang Yue and Lu Huiqing.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yue and Lu Huiqing complained to the officials at the same time, saying that they had violated the royal standards. The official said: "Since I came to the throne, I have been sleeping long and sighing, and I have been alert to those who are pregnant at night. I am also guilty of excessive exchanges." The official used the majesty of the emperor to mediate a dispute between ministers, and left After the main hall, everyone left alone.
When Zhang Yue left the palace, he saw Lu Huiqing, and Lu Huiqing also saw Zhang Yue, and they nodded slightly in unison.
It doesn't matter if you quarrel in front of the emperor, get really angry or slam the table, that's just a show for the emperor. Zhang Yue and Lu Huiqing both know that they have great political differences with each other, but they can't do anything to each other now, so there is no need to quarrel.
It will be difficult to deal with things after you break your face. Lu Huiqing asked, "How can I help you?" Zhang Yue knew that Lu Huiqing was discussing further, so he immediately said, "Just follow your orders." Lu Huiqing said to Zhang Yue, "Each truth has its two ends, but one needs to be biased. At the beginning, Mr. Wen Xianggong once said that the emperor and the scholar-bureaucrats rule the world together, rather than ruling the world with the common people."
"The affairs of the imperial court were originally for the convenience and benefit of the people, but because local officials did not mention the wishes of the world, this made the people worry."
"So does Duanming know what I mean?" Zhang Yue said: "What my husband means is that there is no emperor and scholar-bureaucrats who rule the world together, but the emperor rules the world alone!" Lu Huiqing nodded: "That's right. So only Reform is the only way to defeat annexation.”
"You said the coins are discounted by 20% to 30%. The common people only have a few coins in their hands. Their families don't have enough food for the night, so they only have a few bad coins in their hands. But in the homes of the wealthy gentry, there are mountains of copper coins and iron coins. If there is a real discount today, Ten coins, it will be these evil gentry who will cry tomorrow." Zhang Yue said: "My lord, I understand what you said. Before Xining, the country was poor and the people were poor, and most of the money in the world was controlled by powerful people."
"Therefore, the law of money is based on equality. I agree with it. "Qian Materia Medica" does not mention money as a thing. It is sweet, hot, and poisonous... It can benefit the country, corrupt the virtuous, and fear the incorruptible. Greedy people will take it. , if it is even, it is good; if it is not even, the hot and cold will interact with each other, causing cholera." Qian's Materia Medica was written by Zhang Shuo, the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, in the tone of Shen Nong's Materia Medica.
Equality of money is a good thing; if it is not equal, the world will be in chaos. Zhang Yue added: "If the money is accumulated but not scattered, there will be disasters such as water, fire, thieves, etc.; if the money is scattered but not accumulated, there will be disasters such as hunger, cold, and distress. One accumulation and one dispersion is called the way."
"This money needs to be accumulated and dispersed. But my husband said that if you discount ten yuan, the money in the wealthy family will be divided ten times. But do you know that when the money is reduced to ten times, the land is ten times more expensive, so the farmland in the wealthy family will be More or more money? Are rich families getting poorer or richer?" Lu Huiqing's expression changed after hearing this.
Zhang Yue added: "Lü Xianggong's money is just a drop in the bucket to the rich. You can reduce it by reducing it. The poor people don't have much money in their hands. Even if they have ten coins, it doesn't matter."
"But in addition to the rich and the poor, there is another class of people among them. Some of them have a few acres of thin farmland at home, some have some small vendors and some have read a few books. They have some skills but not too much. There are some poor families in the family, so sometimes I can eat an egg a day, a meal of meat every ten days, and a meal of wine a month."
"In the eyes of some people, they are wealthy, but in the eyes of the wealthy, they are not worth mentioning. A small escort can force them to almost have no choice. What if the money in their hands is reduced ten times? "Lu Huiqing put her hands behind her back and remained silent.
"Ms. sir, you and I were like this before we were admitted to Jinshi! Therefore, even if I live in eight seats now, I am still walking on thin quilts with fear." After saying this, Zhang Yue bowed to Lu Huiqing and retreated.
Lu Huiqing looked at Zhang Yue's back and thought, but it was obvious that Zhang Yue had made a mistake. Lu Huiqing was the son of an official. Before he failed to become a Jinshi, his father was an official in the state.
Who is the same as you, a descendant of the Han family? This is obviously your mistake, Zhang Yue. The two governments discussed it the next day and finally decided that Xining Tongbao could only be minted for two coins, and the imperial court spent one million guan to buy back Jiaoyin from the Jiaoyin Exchange. The emperor approved the matter and immediately issued an imperial edict to the world.
