Emperor Zhenguan felt comfortable when fighting nearby, and he also checked how much money he made from his small treasury.
In the past few years, natural disasters were relatively serious, and the emperor's internal funds were completely withdrawn. Now that the natural disasters have been eliminated, the roads are smooth, the country is stable, and business has revived, the emperor's small treasury has begun to attract money again.
It can't be done without money, it really can't be done.
Only when you have money can you fight the war, and fight it hard.
The imperial court's commercial tax collection is now increasing, mainly because the transportation within the customs has developed, and the transportation industry has also developed. All kinds of goods are traded in Chang'an, and merchants from various countries come to Chang'an to pay taxes.
It’s hard not to make money.
Dai Wei, Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, sometimes dreams at night, dreaming that the emperor dredged the Grand Canal, paved the cement road to Lingnan, and there were an endless stream of businessmen on the road. They were like walking copper coins, the kind that shined.
Political Hall.
The emperor and the prime ministers were discussing a matter about coins.
At present, the currency used in the Tang Dynasty is mainly copper coins, and bulk goods transactions use silver cakes and gold bars.
As for silver ingots shaped like gold ingots, sorry, there are none.
Generally speaking, apart from the fixed scale of copper coins, silver and gold can be of any kind, as long as the quantity is sufficient.
However, this is very unsightly and irregular.
For example, when the imperial court receives gold coins or gold bars from merchants in the Western Regions, they are usually re-cast, which is troublesome.
"My idea is to melt and cast silver and gold coins. Just like the copper coins, they are round on the outside and square on the inside. This will facilitate transactions."
At present, the purchasing power of copper coins is moderate for twenty copper coins per bucket of rice. And one tael of silver can be exchanged for nearly eight hundred copper coins, which shows how precious silver is. As for gold, this thing is not affordable for ordinary people, and is usually used by the imperial court. The dignitaries only store silver, and few store large amounts of gold.
The current Tang Dynasty is actually a 'copper standard'. In other words, no matter whether large or small goods are traded, most of them are bought and sold with copper coins. Therefore, in the East and West markets, the normal transaction scene is wealthy merchants carrying several large boxes. , there were piles of copper coins stacked inside.
The official saying is Yidiao, and the folk saying is Yidiao. Because a thousand copper coins strung together look like hanging, so it is called Yidiao.
This has become a common practice, so use it.
Du Ruhui asked: "Your Majesty, the exchange price also needs to be changed?"
"Of course it can't be changed." Li Zhiyun rejected it directly.
One tael of silver can be exchanged for one thousand copper coins. One thousand copper coins can be exchanged for one thousand copper coins.
This is just a universal standard. In troubled times, one tael of silver can be exchanged for more copper coins!
Relatively speaking, the exchange of gold and silver is relatively stable, fluctuating between 'ten and twenty', not too much.
If coins are minted and the exchange rate is changed, then Li Zhiyun will shoot himself in the foot and collapse.
"My idea is that both silver coins and gold coins weigh one tael, so it is easy to convert."
One tael of gold is about the weight of an egg. One tael of silver is slightly lighter than one tael of gold.
As for the copper coins, there is no need to change them, just keep using them.
Yang Gongren couldn't help but said: "Your Majesty, I don't think there is any need to change the current appearance of gold and silver. In our court, the people use more copper coins and less silver coins, not to mention precious gold."
Li Zhiyun rolled his eyes, could he tell all the bank plans and banknote plans in his heart?
He is changing the currency system now just to test the waters. Changing the currency system is harmless, because Li Zhiyun only stipulated what shape the gold, silver and copper coins should be in the future, and nothing else was changed, and he did not force the melting of silver and gold ingots.
Therefore, there will be no adverse effects.
Doing this is to test the waters.
Second, it is to absorb gold.
Naturally, when foreigners come to do business, they cannot bring several carts of copper coins with them. Their capital must be silver or gold at least.
When the time comes, if you want to spend money to buy something, will you have to exchange it for gold and silver coins?
Hehe, as a result, the silver and gold from the Western Regions are still rolling in.
In fact, Li Zhiyun knew better that there was a country near Datang that was rich in silver mines and was quite rich.
That's right, it's the Japanese country.
Later, it was even called ‘Silver Island’!
Yes, this name fits that group of Japanese people, Silver Island.
More importantly, the Japanese gold and silver mines were relatively shallow and easy to mine.
The Japanese country, which had a good life there, was also one of the enemies he wanted to kill in the future.
It's the kind of thing that carries a bit of deep hatred.
When attacking Japan in the future, Li Zhiyun will release the news that Japan has silver mines!
Then, if we defeat it and then find silver mines for mining, are we afraid that the wealthy families who want to eat meat will not contribute?
"No, my system is for currency unification." Li Zhiyun said calmly.
Gold coins, silver coins, and copper coins will naturally be called money, silver coins, and copper coins when they are made in the future.
Look, how convenient it is.
Their appearance is the same as that of copper coins, round on the outside and square on the inside. They are easy to carry and convert, and can stimulate business development to some extent.
Although it is said that scholars, peasants, industry and merchants would not be treacherous without merchants, and merchants who are untrustworthy and unrighteous are just big moths. However, it is undeniable that external expansion and economic stimulation would not be possible without merchants.
However, Li Zhiyun never intended to improve the social status of businessmen.
What our ancestors said is quite reasonable. Putting businessmen at the bottom of the pile is really insightful. You can see at a glance that businessmen are all treacherous bastards.
Although the aristocratic family sometimes lacks moral integrity, at least they know their integrity.
As for businessmen, what do they know about their shame?
In the eyes of businessmen, if you have milk, you are your mother, and if you have money, you are your father. Whoever can give them benefits will be their life.
On the contrary, they can also rise up to resist anyone who wants to take away their interests. There are so many lessons in history that Li Zhiyun doesn't even bother to recall them.
Wen Yanbo said: "If your Majesty wants to reform the currency system, you must also prevent counterfeiting to prevent counterfeit money from disrupting the market and ruining your Majesty's plans."
Yang Gongren stared, "Well, you Wen Yanbo, you have become the emperor's lackey now, right? The emperor does whatever he says without thinking?"
He thought there was nothing wrong with the emperor's idea, but in his opinion it was not necessary at all. There were no regulations on silver and gold, as long as the quantity was sufficient, there was no need to talk about custom-made recasting. Isn't this a waste of time?
Moreover, what if it is made into a copper coin style? In the end, it does not have to be weighed and calculated. It has gone in a big circle, but it has not come back in the end.
It’s boring!
It's a pity that no one in the political hall agrees with him.
As for the emperor, it seems that he has made up his mind. Looking at the things that the emperor has decided to do since he ascended the throne, it seems that there is nothing that cannot be done.
Li Zhiyun said: "What Xiang Wen said is absolutely true. Anti-counterfeiting is a fundamental matter and cannot be ignored. You can speak freely."
Seeing that the emperor ignored him, Yang Gongren felt extremely uncomfortable, but he did not dare to complain because the emperor did not rely on him. On the contrary, without the emperor, he was nothing.
Seeing that the emperor had made up his mind, everyone quickly began to make plans. In their opinion, it was innocuous for the emperor to reform the currency system on a whim, because the emperor only changed the appearance of the coins and did not issue any new coins, so it didn't matter.
Everyone also thought about another level, that is, when money comes out in the future, it will be easier to carry when going out to drink tea and visit Pingkangfang.
After all, who would take silver ingots with them when they go out? Most people go out with broken silver.
And this thing of broken silver is so weird!
The dual effects of mind and body are due to unhygienic people chewing silver into pieces every day. The pieces of silver that have been turned several times fall on their hands, with a row of ugly tooth marks on them. It is ugly as hell. If money comes out,