Spring started relatively early this year, and the Wei River has already thawed, and it will be navigable in a few days.
As the end point of water transportation in the mid-late Tang Dynasty, the Weiqiao warehouse in the east of Chang'an was quite large. It could store not only grain, but also salt, cloth, tea, furs and even ordnance.
This is a large logistics distribution base.
In the past, its main function was to ensure the food consumption of officials, warriors, city residents, merchants, scholars, handicraftsmen, service providers and other classes of people who were not engaged in production in Chang'an. Now these types of people have been greatly reduced. The external environment of Kansai has been greatly improved, and the internal environment of Kansai has been greatly improved.
Production has also increased, and external food supplies are no longer needed - this is actually a return to Chang'an's positioning after the Song Dynasty, that is, as a regional central city.
The reduction in grain transportation naturally frees up a lot of space to store other goods.
When Shao Shude arrived here, he learned that a large number of warehouses had been rented by merchants dealing in woolen cloth. Dongweiqiao and Weiqiao warehouse became more and more like a commercial wholesale market rather than a grain transshipment hub.
"Last time, I told you that agriculture is the foundation of the world." Shao Shude pointed to the "illegal shops" that have sprung up around Weiqiaocang and said, "Today I want to talk about business."
Shao Chengjie followed closely behind him, accepting the instruction with an open mind.
"Many people have suppressed business in ancient times, but since the Northern Dynasties, no dynasty has suppressed business. Of course, there were many wealthy families in the Northern Dynasty, and the market was not active, so there was nothing to suppress." Shao Shude said: "But it was not the case in the former Tang Dynasty. Even
Before the An-Shi Rebellion, the land owned by aristocratic families was greatly reduced. After the hardships, it became even less. The land was gone, the dealers and customers were scattered, and they had little heritage left."
"At this time, wealth was gradually transferred to the hands of warriors. And the number of warriors was huge. During the reign of Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty, there were more than 990,000 warriors in the country. Don't underestimate this transfer, it is conducive to business. Rich families
Only a few people? Even if he indulges in indulgence, he can't consume much food, cloth, fur, and tea. But that's not the case with one million warriors. This is a very huge consumer group. They also love to spend money. After all, there is no tomorrow for today.
.”
"This allowed commerce to flourish, and the Tang Dynasty's tax revenue surged. From salt, tea, iron, lacquer, etc., the total income far exceeded the household tax. It can be said that the Tang Dynasty relied on taxation to survive.
Give rewards to the warriors and drive them to fight. Otherwise, I'm afraid the game will be over long ago."
"The Tang court was also very pragmatic. Businessmen could directly serve as officials, and there was no discrimination against businessmen both inside and outside the court. This was different from other dynasties. What I want to tell you here is that too much is not enough. We should pay attention to agriculture.
Yes, but we cannot discriminate against businessmen, at least they can get money and the court can collect money."
"Money is a matter of life and death for a country. Although I am building palaces, mausoleums, and post roads, they are blooming everywhere without spending much money. But in fifty years, in a hundred years you will
Try it? People who have come from troubled times are very tolerant. The court often sends troops to serve them, and they can endure the hardships. But if they are people who were born in peaceful times, they can't bear it because they have never seen it.
He couldn't imagine the horror of troubled times, so he knew he was suffering and unhappy now. By then, many things would cost money, and expenses would increase sharply."
"In addition, how many mills can you see on the Wei River? In fact, there are not many. In the former Tang Dynasty, these mills were owned by dignitaries. When the water was dry, people were even prohibited from taking water to irrigate farmland. At the beginning of the Great Xia, on the Wei River,
Most of those messy Nianya have disappeared, but what will happen in fifty or one hundred years? This is just a microcosm. What I want to tell you is that there will still be many resources occupied by dignitaries. If the court wants to use them, they must
Spend money instead of not spending a penny like now."
"When a dynasty develops to a certain level, money is an unavoidable topic. Whether it can get money directly determines the length of the country. And businessmen are just the group that can provide a lot of money. Remember one thing, as the emperor, you
His interests are not always consistent with those of his ministers."
"What the court officials want is to own a large area of land and have countless villagers work for them. It is best to be self-sufficient and go back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Because such wealth seems to be the most stable, as long as the political backing does not fall.
, there is no risk, and it is easier to pass it on to future generations. There are risks in doing business, and people are naturally averse to risks. For a family of their size, how to make steady profits in a steady stream is the most important thing."
"But if they do this, it will be a devastating blow to business. The court's tax revenue will be greatly reduced. When financial resources are exhausted, how to raise the army? How to strengthen the army? How to deal with foreign enemies? And in this way, household tax and local tax revenue will be reduced
It will also decrease, and the court will have even less money."
"Don't believe what the ministers say. They only think about themselves, but you have to think about the world. After all, the world is yours. Sometimes, you and the ministers are on opposite sides. Don't be complacent when the ministers praise you.
If you are complacent, think carefully about why. Don't pursue cheap praise from ministers. That is meaningless, because your pocket may be losing money, and some benefits will be permanently taken away by ministers. If the court has no money, the ministers will not be finished.
You'll be screwed."
"Money, money, money! Remember, the most important task of your generation is to stabilize the warriors. Money is the lifeblood. Without money, the warriors will be angry and die in the second generation. It is not an alarmist. And in various ways to make money
Among them, taxation is the softest one, so it must not inhibit business." Shao Shude said: "The art of tax collection is like plucking goose feathers. You have to pluck the most feathers, but you can't make the goose croak too loudly.
"Plundering money from Tianshefu may lead to a civil uprising. But collecting money from businessmen will have much less negative impact, because those who are willing to buy things from businessmen have some spare money, so remember."
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"My son will write these down and refer to them day and night," Shao Chengjie said.
"Yeah." Shao Shude nodded and said: "I'll talk so much today, and you won't be able to understand it if I talk too much. Next time, I will talk to you about how to make business continue to prosper, so that the court can continue to receive considerable income.
There are many ways to discuss taxes, and you have actually seen quite a few, but those are just 'techniques', not 'Tao'. The real 'Tao' is how to create more consumer groups and carefully protect the number of this group of people.
Don’t let it decrease. This is actually closely related to agriculture, so let’s talk about it next time.”
The father and son were strolling outside the Weiqiao warehouse.
The palace guards formed a circle at a distance, and the ministers also lagged behind knowingly. They knew that the saint was probably teaching the prince. The journey to the west was far away, and they didn't know how long it would take. The saint might not trust the prince to supervise the country.
"Weiqiao Cang, Weiqiao Cang..." Shao Shude looked at the tall Cangcheng and suddenly felt a little emotional: "Here back then, after a fierce battle, my grandfather made an emergency landing at Li Xiang and obtained some of the food and wealth that Huang Chao had hoarded here. Goods. Looking back, it’s like yesterday.”
"It's really not easy to walk step by step. It's even more lucky to be in the current situation." Shao Shude turned around, looked at his son, and said with a complicated expression: "Don't you..."
"Don't worry, sir, I won't do anything random." Shao Chengjie said.
"Sometimes, I always feel that life is a big dream. Now this dream is coming to an end..." Shao Shude said: "I want to make it more complete."
Shao Chengjie sighed softly, followed by wordless silence.
"There is a rebellion among thieves in Aizhou and Huanzhou. I heard from the Secret Service that the local tyrant Qu Chenghao of Wu'an Prefecture seems to have made some changes. What will Erlang do in this situation in Annan?" Shao Shude suddenly stopped and asked.
"The Qing navy is still in Jiaozhou, so it can send troops south to fight against it." Shao Chengjie said.
"What happens after we finish fighting the rebellion in the two states?" Shao Shude asked, "Should we fight against the Qu family in Wu'an Prefecture as well? I'll give you a hint. This person is very famous in the local area. He is in Jiaozhou, Fengzhou, Aizhou, etc. The land was also highly praised by many people. In the past, they had always listened to the court's words and restrained the natives. Some tribes in northern Annan were making trouble, but the court did not raise troops to fight against it. They relied on Qu Chengyu and Qu Chenghao's father and son to come forward and negotiate to calm it down. .”
Shao Chengjie's face looked a little solemn.
His father must have a deep meaning when he asked him this. He suppressed the instinct of sending troops to kill the Qu family, and after thinking about it carefully, he said: "Since he has served the court and has not seen any signs of rebellion, he cannot kill without permission, otherwise the Annan people If everyone is in danger, there will never be peace in the twelve states."
Shao Shude looked at him with encouraging eyes and said: "Continue."
"Maybe we can first quell the rebellion in Aizhou and other places, and then use the momentum of a great victory to call the Qu family into the court as an official?" Shao Chengjie said.
"If you think so, your father will feel relieved." Shao Shude smiled and said: "The situation in the frontier fortress is complicated. Even though it is Zhengzhou, in fact, it is not easy to use the decree ten miles outside the city. In the former Tang Dynasty and the Guo Dynasty, in the local area They all rely on wealthy families and barbarian leaders to rule. The relationship between the imperial court and them is actually a cooperative relationship. As long as the bottom line of rebellion is not touched, everything is easy to discuss. Killing the Qu family may provide stability for a while, but it will not take a few years. , there will be Huang family and Ruan family appearing again, endless and exhausted. By the way, is this the only trick Erlang has? Nothing else? "
Shao Chengjie was stunned.
"Have you ever heard of the saying that murder kills the heart?" Shao Shude asked.
"I've heard of it." Shao Cheng nodded.
"After the Fengzhou rebellion in order to pacify Aizhou, Qu was given an official position and took up a post in Luoyang. The reason was that Qu provided intelligence to help the court successfully suppress the rebellion." Shao Shude said: "Since the rebels were destroyed, Qu would definitely not dare to create a rebellion. This time, he had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill alive. No matter how he defended himself, there must be a reason why a rich man with a white body suddenly came to the capital to become an official. How many rich people in the twelve states believe in the Qu family? "
Shao Chengjie suddenly realized it, and then felt a little ashamed.
"Erlang, there is no need to be ashamed. Your ability lies in the military. The prime ministers are better at using such deranged tactics than you are." Shao Shude laughed and said, "Just know how to use people."
"Yes." Shao Chengjie accepted the instruction.
"Are there any other tricks?" Shao Shude blinked and asked again.
Shao Chengjie was ashamed, did he want to eat three fish?
Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind, and he immediately said: "Sir, since the thieves have rebelled, it was not convenient to take action before. I was worried that the natives would die and the foxes would be sad. Now it is just right to wipe them out. By then, many places may be freed up. More than ten counties.
The land may be able to resettle some people from Jiangnan."
Shao Shude patted Erlang on the shoulder and said: "In response to the Annan rebellion, I asked Zhongshu to send it to the East Palace, and you will have full authority to handle it. I don't have much time to play with them, and I will have to tour the west in a while.
.If you are in doubt, you can ask the prime ministers for advice, or ask your mother."