In the city of Kaifeng, commerce is prosperous and trade is developed. There are thousands of various restaurants and shops, densely scattered among the markets, which together create Kaifeng's commercial atmosphere. He didn't go out to find any high-rise buildings and expensive land. Firstly, it was unnecessary, and secondly, he couldn't afford it. The Han family was already in dire straits when they were in Jinling. What's more, it would not be easy to support such a big family in Kaifeng. This is what Han Xizai thought. One of the practical reasons to implement your destination as soon as possible.
In fact, if it is delayed for a while, Han Xizai will probably have to lose his old face. No matter what position he is in, he will do it first. As for ambition, reserve, etc., they are secondary when facing the pressure of survival.
On the slightly fluttering cover, the four characters "Taihe Teahouse" were written. The handwriting was neat, but it was difficult for Han Xizai to read it. It is said to be a teahouse, but more like a library. In recent years, the "storytelling" industry has boomed in Kaifeng, and many such restaurants have popped up in the bustling city, using stories as a medium to attract customers.
This was spread from the government to the people. It was originally the imperial court's Xuanwei Department. From the military to the people, in order to maintain the rule, guide the people's hearts, promote the idea of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, tell various heroic deeds, and praise the loyal and righteous heroes of the past... .
But if you listen to it too much, you will feel bored. Later, more content will be added, such as propaganda and explanation of the imperial government's affairs and reports of frontline wars. There is always no shortage of smart people among the people. This form of storytelling has been widely recognized. When the content gradually enriched and gradually transformed into interesting stories such as strange stories and strange stories, it became more attractive to the scholars and the people. The "storyteller" became a With the rise of popular professions and the rise of private libraries, listening to books became another entertainment activity for the people of Tokyo.
There are two strong-looking guards guarding the gate. This is to prevent those who sneak in and eavesdrop, and at the same time, the admission fee is collected. Yes, there is an entrance fee for going to this kind of restaurant. Han Xizai and the two paid ten Qianyu Tongbao, which was really not cheap.
You can feel the atmosphere inside from the outside, and when you go inside, you feel the atmosphere is even more lively. There must be fifty or sixty people, quite a few. Not counting the voice of the storyteller, it was not noisy, but the atmosphere was lively. It was filled with the aroma of tea, alcohol, and more naturally, human voices. The waiters in the hotel were very discerning and saw that although Han Xizai was old, he was neatly dressed and had an extraordinary bearing, and he greeted him diligently.
I followed all the way up to the second floor and chose a location with a wide view, facing the podium and the street outside the museum through the window. In addition, there is an extra fee to go upstairs... After ordering a plate of dried pears, jujube rings, and a pot of peach nectar, Han Xizai's attention was attracted by the situation downstairs.
In fact, Han Xizai was a little surprised by the entertainment form of "storytelling", and at the same time he was sensitive to the role it played in guiding public opinion. If someone with different ambitions uses this to confuse people... Of course, There really are people with ulterior motives like this, I'm afraid they will be in this situation.
The storyteller on the stage does not look very old, in his thirties, and he looks like a scholar at first glance. In fact, this profession is not something that ordinary scholars can do. He has no eloquence and cannot speak eloquently in front of many eyes. With such courage, I am afraid that I will be kicked off the stage.
Han Xizai felt that there would be no problem for the storyteller in front of him to become a minor official in the government. Of course, this was just Han Xizai's subconscious thought. He was more concerned about the topic he was talking about at this time.
He was not telling a story, but talking about the most talked about things in Kaifeng recently. Ever since Emperor Liu issued an edict to allow internal and external ministers to discuss strategies for governing the country, civil and military officials in Beijing naturally had heated discussions and actively offered suggestions. But the influence is obviously not limited to this. It is not only discussed by court officials, but also by civilians.
At this time, the storyteller was talking about the results of some court discussions that had been reported. Of course, I would like to state in advance that rumors and rumors are only for discussion and should not be taken seriously. But even though he said this, it still aroused everyone's curiosity. The people present were a mixed bag, coming from all walks of life, with all kinds of identities, and all kinds of classes.
"It is said that the imperial court intends to cancel the fixed grain prices and restore them to normal prices, so that grain merchants from all over the world will actively transport grains to Beijing to alleviate the annual shortage of grain and rice in Tokyo!" After taking a sip of tea, the storyteller broke out a shocking piece of information. .
As soon as these words were said, a discussion immediately arose. A person who was sensitive to this immediately pointed out: "If the court does not control it, won't the price of food in Tokyo be rising again?"
In recent years, as Kaifeng's population has increased, the pressure on food has also increased. By the 15th year of the Qianlong reign, according to the latest weights and measures, there were more than one million people inside and outside, and the annual direct food consumption was only 320. About 100,000 shi, and to meet food security, plus the salary and welfare issued by the court, at least 5 million shi need to be imported. If you want to meet the national official warehouse reserves, you will need more.
However, perhaps the price of 100 yuan for a dou of rice in Tokyo in the early years was too deep in people's memory. Both Emperor Liu and the imperial court always paid great attention to it. After all, food is the most important thing for the people. To satisfy a population of millions, food issues are definitely the primary issue. Therefore, for many years, food prices have been strictly controlled. Food prices are set every year based on food input and reserves. The specific food prices , then the official price can be adjusted up or down by 1-2 cents according to market conditions.
In the process of unification, food is also one of the strategic materials, which consumes a lot of money and intensifies the food pressure on Kaifeng. However, due to policy issues, the enthusiasm of grain merchants was severely dampened. In many cases, the government took the lead in purchasing grain from Beijing, raising grain, and transferring it to Beijing.
Until now, Wang Pu finally raised this issue to Emperor Liu. If this continues for a long time, the court's execution ability can still be maintained for a long time, but it is not the best way for the court, and will instead increase the burden.
Rather than that, it is better to give full play to the enthusiasm of the merchants and let them feel that it is profitable, so they will naturally take the initiative to transport grain to Beijing. At the same time, the court only needs to do a good job in cracking down on lawlessness, supervising and maintaining market order, and severely punishing those who hoard. Moreover, the price of grain Freedom, with the imperial court's official warehouse reserves, it can intervene in food prices at any time. Emperor Liu has already agreed to this.
Of course, if it is officially promulgated in this way, food prices in Tokyo will inevitably experience a shock, and an increase is inevitable. For the people of Tokyo, this is not something they are willing to accept, which is why some people raised doubts on the spot.
However, there are still some knowledgeable people who immediately said: "The grain is too low, and grain merchants are naturally unwilling to transport grain all the way to Beijing. It is unprofitable. If this order is issued and the price of grain in Tokyo rises, grain merchants from all over the country will definitely make a big move." Import, especially now that the imperial court has conquered Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which is a land of fish and rice, rich in rice. Once there is more food in Tokyo, the price of food will naturally drop. Furthermore, the court will not allow the price of food in the capital to be too high, otherwise millions of people will what to do?"
Obviously, the masters are among the people. When this person explained it like this, everyone felt inexplicably at ease. Of course, really smart people are already thinking about whether to get involved in the grain business. For example, there is a middle-aged man dressed as a merchant who has a quick mind. If this is the case, then at least within one to two years, he can transport it to the capital. Food has a lot to offer...
Things that can arouse interaction are the most attractive. It is obvious that the storyteller named Zhou is familiar with this. Seeing everyone's reaction, he put a smile on his lips and concluded: "If the imperial court gives this order, I'm afraid the people in the capital will rush to buy grain reserves, and the price of grain will rise. There are officials who are engaged in grain business, so they must seize the profits. Opportunity!"
After a pause, the person continued: "There are other rumors that the imperial court plans to recycle all kinds of old money and miscellaneous money except Qianyu Tongbao within one year, and set an exchange ratio. After one year, all old money will be recycled." , miscellaneous money will become useless money and can no longer be used in the market..."
In the past, the imperial court also gradually replaced the old money with new ones, which achieved great results in the Central Plains and the north. This time, it was mainly for the newly pacified south, and it was enforced.
This news also aroused reactions, and one person immediately said: "If this is the case, you must exchange the old money in your hands into new money as soon as possible!"
"I don't know what the specific exchange method is,"
"People from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Lingnan should be worried!" There are also smart people.
"That's right, from my point of view, it is the southerners who need to exchange the most. The miscellaneous money, iron money, and lead money they use are not easy to use in our Central Plains..."
"There is also a rumor that businessmen should pay attention. It is said that many officials have suggested to the emperor that they should continue to increase business taxes..."
After these words, there was another heated discussion. For a while, this Taihe Teahouse seemed to have become a political forum, where various hot topics of current affairs were discussed.
