Three hundred and thirtieth chapters money shortage
The coinage workshop under Liu Xiang's rule was located in Zhuoxian County. Pure copper materials were directly supplied from Jundushan Copper Mine and Hongtoushan Copper Mine. The two copper mines could produce more than 200,000 kilograms of copper per month.
The mint can mint 120,000 Ping'an Tongbao pieces every day, and consumes less than 140,000 kilograms of copper per month, so he does not need to melt the existing copperware, nor does he need to return the five-baht coins to the furnace to extract the copper material.
He had to find a way to spend the five baht he had.
He had previously reserved a year and four months' worth of production, with 58 million new coins, which could be exchanged for nearly 180 million 5 baht coins. In addition to those stored in his treasury, the total amount exceeded 600 million, of which
400 million people have been sent out to buy grain, which can probably be exchanged for more than 400,000 shi of grain.
After the exchange is completed, I still have 200 million on hand, and I have to quickly ship it out to buy.
Starting next year, the five-baht currency will depreciate significantly.
Dong Zhuo minted bad coins and was so insane that it was unimaginable. In the next year or so, the price of grain in Sili, Yanzhou, and Yuzhou would rise to half a million yuan per stone, and the prices of other commodities would also rise thousands of times, along with the rest of the price.
Prices in various states have also increased hundreds or thousands of times.
Although there are factors involved in war destroying people's livelihood, the biggest reason is that there is too much bad money.
The scale of Luoyang Mint cannot be compared with the workshops under his command, and Dong Zhuo does not need to consider anti-counterfeiting, but Liu Xiang cannot. The material formula, hardening process and mold of Ping An Tongbao must be kept strictly confidential.
Especially the molds. The coins of the Han Dynasty used clay molds, stone molds, lead molds, and copper molds, while Liu Xiang's mint workshop used fine steel molds and cold forging technology, so Ping'an Tongbao has high hardness, wear resistance, and
Not easy to imitate.
This must be kept strictly confidential, so that the scale has never been mentioned.
Therefore, facing the large caravans traveling overseas, they are prohibited from exchanging new money. They have to spend five baht. For the time being, they can only use gold to trade with workshops. We will talk about it later when they have more money.
There are also wealthy families in Jizhou who have also been banned from exchanging new money on a large scale. Out of compensation, I reminded them and quickly spent their five baht money outside. In order to prevent these families from having anything.
Tiqi has sent extra manpower to keep an eye on this disgusting little move.
Fortunately, there are not many big families in the territory, so we can still see them.
Liu Xiang didn't have that much money to exchange for them.
The exchange mainly deals with people from small families and small households. This batch of new money is also to ensure the daily transactions of the people and maintain the domestic commercial circulation.
Under his rule, there was a dual currency system of copper coins and gold. Gold was used for large-scale transactions and foreign trade, and Ping'an Tongbao was used for small private transactions. Based on the speed of coinage, this situation would last for a long time.
Money is scarce, not enough!
But it is better than being harvested by Dong Zhuo and having the monetary system completely collapse.
In fact, Fatty Dong had already started minting bad coins, but the scale was not that large at first. The white coins he minted appeared in Luoyang in early November.
The Tiqi sent to Luoyang sent back samples a few days ago. The copper content is extremely low, mainly lead and tin, the impurity content is very high, and the weight is insufficient. The coins are off-white, very thin, and can be pinched with just one force.
It can be bent or broken, so it is called white money.
It is probably not only because of the color, but also because of the meaning of giving it for free and not wanting it.
Another type is iron money cast from iron materials with high impurities. This thing will rust after a few days and is worthless at all. But for Dong Zhuo, this kind of iron money can be regarded as relatively high-cost conscientious money.
No one wants these two kinds of money, but no one dares not to accept it under the sword of the soldiers.
What a fucking crime.
In mid-November, Cao Cao rushed to Ye County again. He said he was recruiting soldiers and wanted some weapons and armor.
He said with a smile that he was willing to buy it with money.
If you don’t give it, you won’t leave!
Liu Xiang was helpless.
"You use my money to buy my weapons, are you embarrassed?"
"You can't say that." Cao Cao explained seriously: "You promised to give me 30 million yuan, does that money count as mine? It's just in your hands temporarily, isn't that the truth?"
"Okay, I think you're right."
"That's right. I use the money to do business with you. Is it wrong?" Cao Cao smiled slyly: "I'll give you more money and make you a big profit!"
Liu Xiang laughed angrily: "Ha, I still have to thank you?"
Cao Cao laughed and laughed, stood up and clasped his fists: "Yicheng's kindness in helping me will never be forgotten by Cao!"
"The money has been prepared for you. I am also short of armor. I can give you weapons. How many do you want?"
The money has already been promised, and Liu Xiang doesn't care about giving more weapons. The newly recruited troops by Cao Cao are nothing in front of the Anping Army.
"Three thousand spears and halberds, three thousand ring-headed swords, a thousand shields, and a thousand crossbows."
"Yes, but it will take a few days. I need to make arrangements."
"readily!"
These weapons could equip an army of five thousand. It seemed that Cao Cao had great support in Chen Liu. Liu Xiang ordered that among the eliminated weapons, the best ones should be selected and shipped to Ye County.
He would not give out war tools made of steel.
Fortunately, Jizhou was forming a militia, and a large number of weapons were shipped over that should have been eliminated. The weapons workshop refurbished the weapons and prepared them for equipping the militia.
If Cao Cao comes next year, Liu Xiang will have to mobilize among the militia, which will be troublesome.
Three days later, the weapons were in place.
Liu Xiang specially took out a sword from his private treasury as a gift.
He introduced it in a wicked way: "This sword is called Qingzhi. It is a treasure of hundreds of refinements. It is extremely sharp and can cut iron like clay. I specially send it to Brother Meng De. I wish you good luck in martial arts!"
"The Point Guard Is Here"
Although the name is funny, Qingzhi is indeed a sword made by folding and forging using the steel clamping method. It is only stronger than the Bailian Sword of the Han Dynasty.
Everyone who leads an army does not like swords and famous horses. Cao Cao took the long sword with both hands and drew the sword out of its sheath. He saw the cold light flashing and the cloud patterns densely covered. It was not a mortal thing at first sight, and he was extremely happy in his heart.
"Thank you Yicheng!"
Cao Cao sheathed his sword, took off his jade pendant, and handed it to Liu Xiang.
"I don't have any treasures around me, so I can only give you the jade I carry with me as a token of friendship. Don't be too shabby."
Liu Xiang saluted and took it. He was actually not sure whether Cao Cao considered him a friend or a mutual interest.
It doesn't matter anymore.
Now, supporting Cao Cao is in your own interests, so support him.
From now on, when he becomes a stumbling block, kill him.
If you understand your own heart, you will not be confused.
"Meng De, I heard that Yuan Shao angrily scolded Dong thief a few days ago and fled Luoyang that day. What's going on now?" Liu Xiang wanted to find out the information.
"I'm back home in Runan. The Yuan family has a great influence in the court. Dong Thief has no recourse. Recently I heard that he will be made the governor of Langya. Someone in the court has already recommended it."
"What about Yuan Shu?"
"Also at your home in Runan."
Good guy, two of the three branches of the Yuan family left Luoyang, leaving only one branch of Yuan Kui in the center. It seems that they smelled the danger. Is this the originator of separate bets by aristocratic families in the late Han Dynasty?
No, they are in charge themselves.
It's a pity that they all failed in the end.
Thinking about it carefully, Liu Xiang found that the princes of the Three Kingdoms at the end of the Han Dynasty were all losers, including the Three Kingdoms Wei, Shu and Wu, and they did not win in the end.
The biggest winner is the family represented by the Sima family. The way these people do things, no matter who wins, there will always be someone on the side of the winner, and then they will seize the fruits of victory. Even in the worst case, they can still have a long-lasting incense, and the family has lasted for thousands of years.
Continuously.
The interpretation of the rules is really amazing.
The tragic song of a group of losers in the Three Kingdoms at the end of the Han Dynasty is so exciting.
It has to be amazing.
Sometimes history books are very large, capable of carrying five thousand years. But sometimes they are also very small, unable to contain the magnificence of the past few decades.