Yang Jian has not been idle recently. He and his father-in-law Yu Wenshu are very concerned about urgent arrangements for the canal.
Yan Bi had already set off one step ahead. He had to survey the terrain. At Taifu Temple, Shaoqing Yun Dingxing was also taken away, leaving only Shaoqing Yuanshou.
Even the dogs knew that two million stones of grain was not enough to eat, so the problem that Yang Jian urgently needed to solve right now was where to get the remaining grain.
Several large granaries in Luoyang are half empty. Half of the remaining grain must be supplied to the capital, and half must be mobilized for the emperor's northern tour, so Yang Jian cannot move.
So what to do?
When the national treasury is short of money, get it from business; when the national treasury is depleted, get it from the people. This is the only law that works at any time.
"Try it in Henan first. Notify all grain merchants to sell grain to the Yuzhou government. Those who do not sell will be charged with hoarding." Yang Jian was discussing with a group of people in the Qi Prince's Mansion about preparing grain.
Wei Jin, the Minister of Civil Affairs, frowned and said, "Then, at what price should we purchase these grains?"
"In order to prevent them from overreacting, it is best to buy it at 80% of the original price," Shi Liujianzhi, the chief minister of the Prince of Qi, said: "Either borrow it or sell it. If you borrow it, the government will return it in three years."
Wei Jin smiled bitterly and shook his head: "How to pay it back? How to pay back the granaries in Luoyang? We can't touch these granaries."
"Borrow it first and then talk about it," Yang Jian waved his hand.
Pei Yun, the Shaoqing of Dali Temple who was also the Minister of Civil Affairs, was also there at this time. Hearing this, he was astonished and said:
"Isn't this bad? If the government breaks its trust with businessmen, how will they deal with it in the future? Henan grain merchants are the official industry of big families, so King Qi still needs to think carefully."
"Can the mint not mint it?" Yang Jian nodded and looked at Yuan Shou, the young minister of Taifu Temple.
Yuan Shou nodded.
The coinage of the Sui Dynasty was under the control of Taifu Temple.
During the Kaihuang period, a large number of five-baht coins were issued because the currency system at that time was very chaotic. The Changping five-baht coins of the Northern Qi Dynasty, the Five-element Dabu coins of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the Yongtong Wanguo coins, the Chen five-baht coins of the Southern Dynasty, the Taihuo six-baht coins, and the Liu Song coins The goose-eye money and Xiao Liang's edge-cut money are both used by the people.
So Yang Jian began to rectify the currency and recast the unified standard Sui five baht, which was the Kaihuang five baht. All other currencies were abolished, so a large amount of Sui five baht would definitely be needed.
So at the beginning of the Emperor's reign, prices were very low because money was so valuable. However, as more and more money was minted, prices also rose with the tide, but they basically remained at a reasonable level.
That is, last year, Yang Guang built the largest mint in the Sui Dynasty in Yangzhou. He opened a furnace in Yangzhou and cast five bahts of tin, which caused the copper to turn white, so the people called it white money. White money has now begun. Circulated in large quantities.
Because the trade between the north and the south is now booming, the money on the market is no longer enough, so a large amount of five baht must be minted and put into the private sector to solve the trade difficulties.
This year, Taifu Temple is expected to release four million yuan of money. Once the money comes out, how will it be invested?
Of course, it depends on the government's investment. For example, in Yang Jian's current situation, he can use the newly minted money from the government to buy grain from grain merchants.
But this also has a big drawback, which is that it will push up prices, which will be a disaster for civilians in a short period of time.
Because it will take some time for private income to adapt to price inflation, this period of pain will be difficult to endure. However, with the trade communication between the North and the South, the income of civilians will definitely gradually increase.
Yuan Shou said: "This year has just started, and the money has not been minted yet, so the food can only be borrowed, but at the end of the year, we can use new money to pay it back."
"Let's do it this way," Yang Xun said decisively: "According to 80% of the current grain price, purchase grain from Henan grain merchants and return it at the end of the year. If it is not enough, buy it from Hebei, Shanxi, and Shandong."
"It's definitely not enough," Pei Yun said: "When Tokyo was built, the Henan grain merchants were already bleeding, and they didn't have much leftover grain."
Yang Jian said blankly: "We were borrowing food at the beginning. Didn't we return all the food?"
"The one who built Tokyo has been repaid," Pei Yun said helplessly: "The grain borrowed by Yuhe was originally supposed to be repaid this year, but the King of Qin's Western Expedition and His Majesty's Northern Patrol have all allocated it, so it cannot be repaid."
Yang Jian thought for a while and said: "This time for building the canal, my father has a decree and the policy of exempting slaves from taxes will continue to be implemented. Will the money collected be enough to repay it?"
"The premise is that you have to collect it," Pei Yun said: "Shanxi, Hebei, and Shandong were all affected by military disasters. It's unclear how much they can collect. That means the grain merchants in the south can still make plans."
"Isn't this bad?" Yang Jian frowned and said, "Jiangnan has already allocated two million dan, and my father has exempted Yangzhou from taxes for three years, all of which are tax-free. I can't take advantage of Jiangnan anymore, right?"
"There is more than one Jiangnan in the south, there are other places," Pei Yun said.
Yang Zhen smiled bitterly and said: "I don't have the ability to pull grain out of the mouths of the southern barbarians. The key point of borrowing grain must be in the north."
"If we do this, there may be a food shortage in the north, and civil unrest will occur," Pei Yun reminded.
Yang Jian laughed: "Pei Gong is overly worried. The small-scale people are also instigated to cause chaos, so there is nothing to be afraid of."
What if it’s a large stock? You are such a stick, Pei Yun looked helplessly at his new boss Yu Wenshu, hoping that Yu Wenshu could help persuade him.
Yu Wenshu comforted Pei Yun in turn: "Pei Gong is worried too much, nothing will happen to him. Even if some refugees and bandits cause trouble to one party, it is just a minor illness and will not cause any serious problems."
Are you really not afraid of trouble? Yang Jian is not afraid, but he can still understand. He has never been on the battlefield, and you, Yu Wenshu, have been on the battlefield for a long time, but you still treat it like child's play?
Pei Yun was helpless. Although he was from the Pei family in Hedong and was very close to Pei Ju, his family had been an official in Nanchen in his early years.
His father, Pei Ji, followed Chen Ba to kill Hou Jing first, so Pei Yun heard about the tragedy in the south from his father when he was very young.
Hou Jing's Rebellion had an unprecedented devastating blow to the south. When Nanliang took control of the south, it was already trying to compete with the north. As a result, Hou Jing emerged, which directly led to the demise of Nanliang. Half of the southern gentry died, and the population Sharp decrease.
Historical records: Hou Jing sent troops to kill and plunder, and handed over corpses to block the roads. He stripped the rich and powerful families as much as he wanted, and his children, wives, and concubines were sent to the military camp...
After Chen Baxian established the Chen Dynasty, his control over the south was very limited, because Hou Jing completely disrupted the south, and even established a powerful alliance with the southern barbarians, which cannot be eliminated to this day.
This is why Yang Jian said that he did not have the ability to steal food from the mouths of the Nanman. He really did not have that ability. The Nanman could rebel at any time and at any time.
It can be said that without Hou Jing, Yang Jian may not have destroyed the Chen Dynasty. In this way, Hou Jing made a special contribution to the unification of China.
Pei Yun was very afraid of civil unrest, especially for someone with a big family like him, because this time, Yu Wenshu asked him to follow Yang Jian to Luoyang. He even had to go to Hebei, because he was in charge of recruiting civilian husbands.
Why the hell am I not going? Don’t think that just because you are a minister, you can take care of me?
Pei Yun figured it out. As long as he didn't cooperate, Yu Wenshu would definitely have to be replaced, so he said directly:
"I can't do this job. Unless King Qi solves the food problem, I'd better replace him."
Yang Jian sneered repeatedly, I know you are unreliable. You are a Pei family from the south. Do you really think you are Pei Ju?
How long has your father pampered you? Are your wings stiff? How dare you pick a fight with me?
Yang Jian angrily shouted: "Get out of here."
Go away, thank you, Pei Yun stood up and left, feeling so happy in his heart.
After Pei Yun left, Yang Jian spat on the ground: "Such a bitch deserves to be barred from giving birth to your daughter. It shows that he has committed a lot of sins."
Then, Yang Jian looked at Wei Jin, another minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and said:
"Then I'll trouble Mr. Wei and make a trip to Hebei."
I'm so old, why should I go to Hebei? Wei Jin said: "Recruitment is not a big deal. I am old and it is not suitable to run around. It is better to let young people do this kind of thing. Wei Yijie and Wei Fusi can do it."
Yang Jian cursed in his heart, but he couldn't show it on his face. He could only smile and nod: "I didn't think well, so let Yijie go."
】
After the Ministry of Civil Affairs was restructured, in addition to Shangshu, Zuoguan had two ministers, Wei Jin and Pei Yun, and there were four divisions under it: Duzhi, Hubu, Jinbu, and Cangbu. Among them, Duzhi and Hubu each had their ministers. The two of them were under the management of Wei Jin, and one minister each from the Jin Department and the Cang Department was under the management of Pei Yun.
Among them, the two ministers of the Ministry of Revenue are Wei Yijie and Wei Fusi. They were originally Yuanwailang. There were eight Yuanwailang in the past. After the restructuring, they were promoted.
Yang Jian had to take Wei Jin's face into consideration because he was the son of Wei Xiaokuan and the biological uncle of the Crown Princess Wei Ying.
And Wei Yijie is the Crown Princess's biological brother.
The matter was settled like this. Food had to be found from the north. Yu Wenshu also knew in his heart that if this continued, Hebei would not be able to bear it. As Pei Yun said, civil unrest was almost inevitable, but he felt that as long as he could do it as soon as possible, Just calm down.
As long as the canal opens smoothly and does not delay His Majesty's journey south along the river after his northern inspection tour, then other things will not matter.
After Pei Yun left Prince Qi's Mansion, it was already dark, so he took advantage of the night to go to Prince Qin's Mansion.
Pei Ju was away, so he didn't even have anyone to discuss with, so he had to go to Yang Ming, because he also knew that he had offended King Qi just now.
"Don't listen to advice. If you do this, who will be blamed if something goes wrong?" Pei Yun complained immediately after seeing Yang Ming.
Yang Ming asked Pei Shuying to pour him a cup of tea and said with a smile:
"It's great to congratulate Mr. Pei on how he has successfully relieved his burden."
Pei Yun took a sip of tea and said with a wry smile: "This is the first time in my life that when I was scolded and got out, I felt relieved."
"King Qi is too rude," Pei Shuying said from the side.
Pei Yun waved his hand: "I have a poor background and a poor family. It is normal for me to be looked down upon. Because of this, I don't want to be dragged down by King Qi."
This is called self-awareness. In history, Pei Yun was already at his peak when he arrived, and his descendants were all unknown.
He is different from Pei Ju. His family went to the south early, so after returning, they no longer have much influence in Hedong, and they must rely on Pei Ju.
Yang Ming smiled and said: "Pei Gong, please don't belittle yourself. It's a good thing not to go. By the way, how is the Crown Princess doing recently?"
