Neon Clothes and Iron Clothes

Chapter 731 Sha Zha Xiangru’s ambition

Of course, the interest on the debts borrowed by the Baekje warriors will definitely not be this high, but according to Wang Peng, borrowing money in spring and paying it back in autumn for half a year will cost more than [-]%, and the adult interest rate is almost [-]% to [-]%. In the eyes of modern people, it is already unbelievable usury.

But in the ancient world, this interest rate was actually very common, and could even be said to be relatively low. The reason is very simple - in the ancient world, most countries were based on agriculture, and agriculture accumulated surplus products much faster. Far lower than that of industry and commerce, the accumulated surplus products that can be borrowed are naturally very scarce. However, agricultural production is a highly cyclical production activity with highly uncertain output, which naturally requires borrowing. In this case, the borrowing interest rate is also far higher. Much higher than modern society where surplus products are extremely abundant. Even in the same ancient society, in a trading city-state with a developed commodity economy, the interest rate would be much lower because the surplus capital available for lending was far more abundant than in an isolated agricultural village.

For example, when the ancient Greek city-state of Athens was prosperous, the interest rate on mortgage loans was usually 12%, the interest rate on commercial loans was 16-18%, and the interest rate on maritime trade loans was 30%. However, in ancient China, it was very common for rural areas in China to borrow grain and repay one loan in advance. Condition. Wang Wenzuo immediately lowered the interest rate ceiling to [-]% per year, which indeed hurt many people.

"Looking at you like this, you should have released a lot of debts, right?" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile.

"I don't dare to deceive the general, I did lend some out!" Wang Peng said with a bitter smile: "If I follow what you said, a lot of the debts lent out will never be recovered!"

"Are you saying that the interest that has been recovered is enough to offset the principal?" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile.

"Well!" Wang Peng sighed: "General, the interest rate of [-]% is really low. Even if the same village borrows money from each other, it is not so low!"

"Then how much are you releasing now? What's the average profit?" Wang Wenzuo asked.

"The villain doesn't release much, only about [-] rocks of grain and [-] to [-] pieces of linen! On average, about [-]% per year!"

"Isn't that much?" Wang Wenzuo glared at Wang Peng: "So, just from the interest on the money lending, you can get more than two thousand rocks of grain and more than a thousand pieces of linen every year. How many people do you have in your family? How much food do you need? many?"

"You can't use it if you want to eat it. The villain just puts out the extra grains at home to make some money! Everyone does it, but why can't it be the villain's turn?" Wang Peng said with a bitter smile.

Wang Wenzuo snorted coldly. He knew that what Wang Peng said was actually true. Farmers in ancient and modern times, both at home and abroad, worked hard. If they had surplus food, there were only two ways out: the first was to lend money for interest, and the second was to annex land. The land that Wang Peng occupied with Wang Wenzuo had already exceeded the upper limit of his family's farming capacity. In addition, after the wars in Baekje over the years, there was more land than people. It was unlikely that he would annex the land again. He would probably lend it out for profit. There is no shortage of things to do.

"Besides you, how many other people in the army do this?" Wang Wenzuo asked.

"This -" Wang Peng hesitated for a moment: "I guess there are quite a few of them. As long as they have extra food, they will probably make some money through this. After all, no one takes this seriously!"

Wang Wenzuo didn't say anything, and he didn't expect that after all the hard work he had done to establish a military-landlord group in Baekje, the upper class of these military-landlords would start lending usury so quickly, even though they hadn't started to annex the land (the land had just been conquered). War, Baekje has too much free land, and Japan also has a large wilderness for development, so it is not worthwhile), but it will undoubtedly have a great impact on the combat effectiveness of the armed forces. It is impossible for Wang Wenzuo to completely abolish private lending. All he can do is limit interest rates and reduce its harm.

"General!" Wang Peng felt a little guilty when he saw that Wang Wenzuo hadn't spoken for a long time: "Those things just said by a villain are not necessarily correct. If there is something wrong, please forgive me!"

"Wang Peng!" Wang Wenzuo sighed: "You are also an old man who follows me. It is human nature for you to want to accumulate grain and make money, and I don't blame you. But have you ever thought about it, if you If you go into battle and fight, can you win if all the soldiers under your command owe you a lot of money? If you lose the battle and you can't save your life, isn't the food and cloth in the warehouse just for others?"

Wang Wenzuo's inspection time was much shorter than Gui Shiyun expected. After he returned to Zhouliu City, he issued a German decree, which immediately caused a stir in the entire Xiongjin Governor's Mansion. The middle and lower-level officers and soldiers, regardless of Whether they were in debt or not, they were all happy; but the attitude of the upper-level officers and merchants was much more complicated. Most of them were dissatisfied, but no one dared to show it publicly. Wang Wenzuo's prestige and reputation over the years were A large number of troops came with him and silenced everyone.

"Sanlang! I didn't expect you to actually promulgate this 'virtuous government order'!" Gui Shiyun said with a smile.

"What? Do you think I don't dare?" Wang Wenzuo laughed.

"It's not that I don't dare, it's that everyone in the world has their swords pointed outward, and most of those moneylenders are your people. I really didn't expect you to attack them!"

"I can't help it. There's going to be a war next!" Wang Wenzuo sighed: "If you want the soldiers to bleed and sacrifice their lives, you can't let them have worries. The war is coming, and even your own son can't be soft-hearted!"

"Can't your biological son be soft-hearted?" Gui Shiyun sighed: "You men are so cruel!"

"Compassion does not control soldiers, and justice does not control wealth!" Wang Wenzuo said: "At most, dozens or hundreds of people will die now. If the battle is lost, thousands will die!" At this point, he His voice was as cold as iron: "I hope no one will open their eyes and hit the knife edge!"

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"General, the Baijiangkou is ahead!"

"Very good, order all the ships to lower their sails and lower their oars!" Sha Zha Xiangru said.

Seeing the familiar white limestone cliffs at the mouth of Baijiang River again, Sha Zha Xiangru couldn't help but be filled with emotion. He could feel the deck under his feet rising and falling with the sea breeze, and the flag above his head was blowing loudly. He couldn't help but think of the past: sometimes he reached the peak and sometimes fell into the trough, but the god of fate was still on his side in the end. Many people who are nobler, braver, and smarter than me are dead, but I am still alive. Not only is I alive, I am also leading the army. If I win this time, I can go one step further. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but turn around. Large ships were going around the headland, entering the mouth of Baijiang River, and then going upstream along the evening tide. The fleet formed a jagged column that was more than three miles long. Looking at the masts, Sha Zha Xiangru couldn't help but feel high-spirited. He loved the army more than women.

Since the dock closest to Zhouliu City was already occupied by ships, the first team of reinforcement ships from the Japanese country could only berth on the river beach about a mile upstream of Zhouliu City. The Japanese longboats were lined up along the river beach, extending as far as the eye can see. At the limit, the masts stand like spears. There are more than a dozen trophies docked in the deep water: flat-bottomed cargo ships, broad-body sailing ships, large sailing ships... they were all snatched by Sha Zha Xiangru on the way here. They have deep drafts and are large in size, so they cannot get close to the shore. Flags of various colors fluttered from the bows, sterns and masts of each ship.

"With so many ships, it seems that the general is going to have a big fight this time!" Mononobe Renxiong said with a smile.

"Who says it's not the case!" Sha Zha Xiangru smiled: "The Silla Kingdom is going to be destroyed. These bastards used the power of the Tang Dynasty to harm us. Hundreds of years of hatred are finally over this time. It’s time for retribution!”

"I am afraid that it will not only destroy Silla!" The Ministry of Wing Lian Xiong showed my mysterious smile, and he lowered his voice: "Have you heard of it? The general returned from Chang'an this time, he would do a big career!" "You, I just like to hear these things!" Sha Zha Xiangru said with a smile: "If you have this intention, it is better to think about how to fight!"

"What's there to think about! With the current strength, fighting against Silla is not a matter of defeating the enemy? The problem is what happens after the victory!" Sha Zha Xiangru said.

"After we win? What else can we do? Go back to Chang'an!"

"How to go back? Bring troops back, or -"

Sha Zha Xiangru smiled and did not answer. At this time, his boat had already approached the shore, and he could see the continuous military camps on the shore. "This idiot, Mononobe Renxiong, doesn't think he is the only one who has thought of this, right?" Sha Zha Xiangru sneered in his belly: "But if you want to survive in this world and live well, you must know the time. You know, but you don’t know when you shouldn’t know, otherwise what will the superior do?”

"Put a boat out, I want to go ashore! The rest will be left to you, Monobuden!" Sha Zha Xiangru arranged his clothes while talking, and then he boarded the boat along the rope ladder, and the rowers Rowing the long oar, the boat sailed towards the shore.

Hei Te Changzhi stood on the trestle to greet him. His old friend opened his arms and the two hugged each other. Sha Zha Xiangru smiled and said: "I'm so happy to see you!"

"Me too!" Hei Te Changzhi patted his old friend on the shoulder: "You came at the right time. A lot of things have happened in Xiongjin these days, and the general needs Japanese reinforcements!"

"Something big happened? Do you need reinforcements?" Sha Zha Xiangru was a little surprised: "We lost the battle with the Silla people?"

"No, it's much worse than this!" Hei Te Changzhi sighed and told the story of Wang Wenzuo's promulgation of the virtue decree from beginning to end: "That's how it is. The lower-level officers and soldiers are very happy, but the rich and wealthy The grain moneylenders were very angry, but they did not dare to disobey the general, so they could only hide their dissatisfaction in their hearts!"

"Virtuous government order? You are indeed a great general!" Sha Zha Xiangru sighed: "This is the first time I have seen someone who dares to do this. Hehe, aren't Shen Faseng and his group so angry?"

"That's not a big deal, but I'm really unhappy!"

"What about you? You also suffered a lot, right?" Sha Zha Xiangru asked.

"I'm okay. You also know that my family has a large household registration. The food I produce is enough for myself and my family to eat, and I raise horses to make up for the rest. How can I have so much money to lend food?"

"Isn't this a blessing in disguise!" Sha Zha Xiangru said with a smile.

"If you say that, I can't help it!" Hei Te Changzhi smiled bitterly: "But you are right, a general is a general. This method and courage are really beyond the reach of ordinary people."

"That's natural. The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty can change people as soon as he wants. What does Baekje's nonsense mean to him?" That’s all, if you don’t know what’s going on, it’s an opportunity for our brothers!”

"what do you mean--?"

"What else could it be? Change your sword!" Sha Zha Xiangru sneered: "When it comes to the art of war and martial arts, can our brothers be no better than Shen Faseng and the others? It's just that they were lucky and sided with the general. Then based on their qualifications and sentiments We brothers are more talented than us, so if they are stupid enough to offend the general, wouldn’t it be an opportunity for us brothers to stand up?”

"So you still have this idea, but I didn't think about it that much!" Hei Te Changzhi sighed.

"Huh! That's because you haven't been in Japan in the past few years and haven't seen what kind of life He Bayong and Yuan Aolie are living!" Sha Zha Xiangru snorted coldly: "Let's put it this way! Back then, The life of the King of Baekje is not as good as a few of them. The manor covers the mountains and rivers, the treasury is piled up like a mountain, and the boy servants are an army. In just a few years, they have become so fat. This time the general is recruiting troops in a big way, we brothers can't be left behind again. Behind others!"

"I don't have such a big appetite as you!" Hei Te Changzhi smiled: "The general has already given me a lot, and I am very satisfied. Besides, he said this time that after destroying Silla, he would establish Jin Renwen As king, there will be no major changes in the territory of the two countries. How can there be so many benefits?"

"What the general says now does not mean he will do it in the future. Besides, it is not certain whether Jin Renwen will survive until then!" Sha Zha Xiangru said with a smile.

"Live until then? What do you mean? Someone wants to kill him?"

"I didn't say it!" Sha Zha Xiangru said with a smile: "Anyway, once a fight breaks out, anything can happen. Do you still remember when the fight started? Gushi Fuxin, Dao Chen, Fuyu Fengzhang, Zhongda Brother The prince and Abe Hirafu are all well-known big shots, but what happened to them in the end? Let us brothers just wait and see what happens!" At this point, he patted Kuroto Tsunayuki on the shoulder and walked forward with a smile. go.

The arrival of the reinforcements was like a drop of cold water, suppressing the boiling situation in Zhouliucheng. No matter what they thought in their hearts, everyone lowered their heads and acted tamely according to the orders, preparing for the upcoming war. The entire Xiongjin Governor's Mansion was like a fully charged crossbow, just waiting for the trigger to be pulled to deliver a thunderous blow.

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Zhouliucheng, conference hall.

"Before the meeting begins, I want to remind you that the purpose of the entire plan is to force the Silla people to leave their fortified mountain cities, engage in field battles with us, and decide the outcome of the entire war within one day!" Shen Fanseng stood with a small wooden stick. Next to Wang Wenzuo, he loudly announced the battle plan to the generals at the long table. This is usually the job of the deputy general. This was an obvious signal in the eyes of the officers - the previous German government order did not affect the general's trust in him.

(End of this chapter)