Solving Bianliang's predicament is easier said than done. Allocating a large amount of supplies to Bianliang, the army providing errands, and allowing the people to work and earn money will make Bianliang prosperous in a short period of time.
But this method treats the symptoms but not the root cause. The decline of Bianliang is a problem of its own positioning. It is the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty and the place where the world's wealth is concentrated. A large amount of food and material resources are constantly transported from all over the world. Even if it reaches Puppet Qi, at least
It was also the place where the wealth of the Puppet Qi State was concentrated, which brought about the abnormal prosperity of the Puppet Qi Capital.
But Wanyan Wushu's curfew was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Bianliang's industries were wiped out, people's livelihood was difficult, and the decline reached the extreme.
In the afternoon, Chen Qing and Zhang Xiao dressed up as two ordinary people and went to the black market that Tongpan Li Ji mentioned. If you want to understand the real situation of people's livelihood in Bianliang, it is best to go to the black market and see with your own eyes.
The black market is located in the Daxiangguo Temple. The name is black market. In fact, it is not black at all. It is not illegal. It is a barter trading place organized by ordinary people voluntarily. Of course, there are also real black markets, that is, the black market for grain and meat.
On the black market, you can only buy it with copper coins or gold and silver.
Interestingly, the grain black market and the meat black market only recognize two types of copper coins, one is old copper coins, which were officially minted during the Northern Song Dynasty, and the other is copper coins issued by the Xuanfu Envoys of Sichuan and Shaanxi, referred to as Yongwang coins.
As for the Shaoxing Tongbao cast in Lin'an, it is rare to see it in Bianliang, mainly because Lin'an's copper coins cannot be used.
The Daxiangguo Temple was bustling with people, and it was very lively. People basically exchanged various items with each other, but Chen Qing also found that there were many small vendors, one next to another, spreading mats on the ground and placing them on the mats.
It is full of various items, mainly daily necessities.
Walking onto a long corridor, there were more than two dozen small stalls on the corridor. Ordinary people were standing in front of the stalls, each holding a package containing trading items.
At this time, there was a loud noise from the front, "You are so funny! If I don't sell, I won't sell. Do you still want to buy and sell by force?"
"Whoever buys or sells by force? If you put it here, of course I can buy it." This was the voice of an old man, and he sounded very angry.
"This is an official kiln tea cup. As I said just now, ten acres of vegetable land outside the city would cost you twenty taels of silver. I don't want those things of yours, and they won't be enough for my tea cup."
Chen Qing's eyes lit up, and there was actually a tea cup from an official kiln. He quickly stepped forward and took a look, and saw that the stall owner was a middle-aged scribe holding a tea cup in his hand. It was as delicate as fat, like jade. Chen Qing took a look.
Then he recognized it, and it turned out to be a very valuable Jun porcelain from the official kiln.
The old man was a thin old man. Viewed from the side, he had a sinister look on his face and a fierce look on his face. He was carrying a wicker box. There were several pieces of copperware in the box, such as copper lamps and copper kettles.
The old man stared greedily at the tea cup in the middle-aged scholar's hand, and suddenly said coldly: "Your tea cup must have been stolen! How can you, an ordinary person, have an official kiln tea cup?"
The middle-aged man was furious, "This is what my ancestors left behind, isn't it okay?"
"Either it's fake, you're selling fakes!" the old man said aggressively.
Chen Qing couldn't help but said: "That is a genuine Jun porcelain official kiln at first glance, how could it be a fake?"
"How could you tell at a glance?"
The old man turned around and was about to refute Chen Qing. When he saw Chen Qing's face clearly, he was shocked. He picked up the wicker box and ran away. A copper lamp clattered to the ground. He couldn't care less and ran away in a blink of an eye.
Chen Qing knew that the old man recognized him, but he was also a little surprised. He had never seen this old man before!
He picked up the bronze lamp and asked, "Who was that person just now? Why don't you want the bronze lamp?"
A stall owner nearby said: "I know that man. He is the father-in-law of Liu Yu, the emperor of the Puppet Qi Kingdom. His name is Qian Huang. People in Bianliang call him Qian Sanhuang. One flash will bring down the house, two flashes will bring down the city, and three flashes will bring down the emperor."
It means that his copper coins are piled higher than a mountain and will fall over in a flash. Who knows how he got into such a bad shape and actually came here to sell copperware."
Chen Qing nodded, smiled and said to the middle-aged scribe: "Can you show me this tea cup?"
"Hold it carefully!"
The middle-aged scribe slowly handed the tea cup to Chen Qing. Chen Qing took it and looked at it carefully. It was as white as jade and as thin as cicada wings. It was indeed the best Jun porcelain from the official kiln. He liked it very much and asked with a smile:
"It should be a set! Why is there only one?"
The middle-aged scribe whispered: "There is a set, but it is sold in sets, so no one can afford it."
"As long as you are willing to sell, I can afford it!"
The middle-aged scribe lowered his head and hesitated to speak. The stall owner next to him became anxious and said, "Old rich, your family's livelihood depends on that tea set. Don't be stupid again. Your great-grandfather will not blame you."
The middle-aged scribe sighed, stood up and said, "Brother Zhang, help me look after the stall. I'll be back as soon as I go."
"Go for it!"
The scribe said to Chen Qing again: "Go to my house to talk! It's very close to here, just a few hundred steps away."
"Okay! Sir, please lead the way."
Chen Qing threw the copper lamp to the stall owner next to him, "This is for you!"
"Oh, thank you! Thank you!"
The stall owner was very happy. The copper lamps in Qian Sanhuang's house were all of high quality and not cheap.
The middle-aged scribe's home is indeed very close. It is only three to four hundred steps away from Daxiangguo Temple. It is a small courtyard covering an area of half an acre.
He knocked on the door, and a woman in her thirties opened the door. She had fair skin and pretty eyebrows. She wore an apron around her waist and rolled up her sleeves, revealing her wrists like lotus roots. Her hair was neatly combed.
He looked very capable. When the woman saw that her husband was back, she asked anxiously: "Have the tea cups been sold?"
The man pointed behind him and said, "This customer wants to buy a complete set of porcelain."
"That's great! Please come in."
Chen Qing and Zhang Xiao walked into the small courtyard, followed by two soldiers. Chen Qing looked at it and found that it was very clean and elegant, and even planted a jujube tree.
"Master, please sit down in the room!"
"No, just stay in the yard! The yard is nice."
The woman quickly moved out a small wooden table, brought in some small stools, and greeted her warmly: "Please sit down! I'll make some tea for you."
After walking a few steps, she glanced at Chen Qing strangely again and entered the house with a puzzled look on her face.
Chen Qing nodded. This woman must have come from a wealthy family and was well educated. Most people would boil water to make tea, but she said to make tea.
At this time, the middle-aged scribe came out with a large red lacquer wooden box. Chen Qing knew at a glance that he also had a wooden box like this. This was a tea set given by Shenzong of the Song Dynasty.
"This is a complete set, one teapot and four teacups."
Chen Qing smiled slightly and said, "Your great-grandfather was a high-ranking official during the Shenzong period?"
The middle-aged scribe sighed, "I am Fu Hong, my great-grandfather Fu Bi."
Chen Qing suddenly realized, clasping his fists and saying: "It turns out that he is a descendant of Mr. Fu, I'm disrespectful!"
Fuhong smiled bitterly, "I'm useless as a scholar. I only know how to read, but I don't know anything else. In troubled times, life is particularly difficult. I have to sell the things that my ancestors cherished. I'm really ashamed."
Chen Qing waved his hand, "Since these are troubled times, it is important to keep your family alive. Don't take these external things too seriously."
"Thank you for your enlightenment, sir. May I ask your surname? Who is this gentleman?"
"My surname is Chen, from Jingzhao. This is my staff, Mr. Zhang."
"Clang!" A crisp cracking sound came from the kitchen. It should be that the tea cup fell to the ground and broke.
The woman said with a frightened face at the door of the kitchen: "Da Lang, come in, let me say something to you."
"You two sit down for a moment, I'll be back as soon as I can."
He turned around and left, walked a few steps, stopped again, walked back quickly and laughed twice, "I'm sorry!"
He reached out and picked up the wooden box, held it in his arms and went to the kitchen. Chen Qing burst into laughter. This man was really cautious.
Fuhong went to the kitchen and listened to the couple discussing, "Madam, you have mistaken the wrong person!"
"How could I be wrong? I went to see him specifically this morning."
"Ah! What should we do?"
"Husband, please go first! Let's talk about it. It won't be a bad thing for husband. Besides, I still have some intimacy with him!"
Chen Qing felt a little strange. Who was this woman? How could she be related to him?
The man walked out silently, with a face full of shame and said: "I don't know your highness's identity, and I was too rude just now."
