Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 286: He who knows the current affairs is a hero

As the right prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, Li Linfu actually had the most say in the running of the country.

Although the central financial accounts of the Tang Dynasty still look like that, they are actually just demolishing the east wall to pay for the west wall. The finance and taxation of most local states and counties in the Datang Dynasty are already overwhelmed.

Financial problems like these seemed to be caused by inherent flaws in the political structure of the Tang Dynasty. It’s not as if we can say that troubled times are coming and the country is about to fall apart or something.

It seems to be just a matter of the political superstructure.

For example, in the local political and economic operation of the Tang Dynasty, the core areas were mainly operated by the capital and "fu", which controlled the finance and taxation of one party. Secondly, it is mainly based on "states", each of which is in charge of its own business. The average state has a population of only tens of thousands and cannot do anything major.

The governance of the Tang Dynasty has always lacked administrative divisions at the "provincial" level to coordinate management.

The establishment of the "Ten Jiedushi" system at the end of Kaiyuan and the beginning of Tianbao was to a certain extent to make up for the lack of "provinces" and was objectively an effective adjustment of centralization.

Therefore, contrary to the speculation of many imperial examination scholars of the Tang Dynasty who like to "control the government", the government affairs of the prefectures and counties under the jurisdiction of the Jiedushi of Bianzhen are relatively good, at least better than those in the Guanzhong area.

Although the Tang Dynasty was bad, no matter how bad it was, it could not be as bad as Chang'an.

Except for places under the jurisdiction of the Jiedushi, government affairs beyond the scope of states and counties were all pressed into the central center of the Tang Dynasty, resulting in a sharp increase in central fiscal expenditures!

For example, if you want to manage a certain river, you will definitely need to build river embankments. In the Tang Dynasty, it was not unusual for a river to span several states or even more than ten states.

For similar government affairs, every state hopes that the court will stand up and provide money and effort to take charge of the overall situation; but it does not want the state government to provide money and effort to take care of these "nosy matters."

In order to make up for the central government's financial deficit, Li Linfu put all these "optional" things on the shelf.

The reason is simple: Datang's central fiscal revenue has been decreasing year by year.

So why is it that even though there has been no large-scale war, the population is still increasing, and the social fundamentals are not in trouble, the central finance of the Tang Dynasty is still getting smaller and smaller?

Brother Ji doesn't care much about this kind of issues, but Li Linfu knows it very well.

Due to the mediocre rent policies of the Tang Dynasty, the grain and silk collected were less and less year by year. Of course there are corrupt officials at work, but the main reason why they cannot be mentioned publicly is that there are more and more "hidden households" among the people in the Tang Dynasty, more and more people are escaping from renting, and the overall tax payment ratio is increasing. The smaller it gets!

Although Li Linfu adopted the method of grabbing his beard and eyebrows, increasing the collection of land taxes, and trying to spread the new taxes equally to all landowners, he still could not make up for the growing financial deficit.

The bureaucracy of the Tang Dynasty did not need to accept Jiaozi, the powerful families did not need to accept Jiaozi, and the wealthy private businessmen did not need to accept Jiaozi.

However, Li Linfu, like Brother Ji, had no way to refuse Jiaozi, otherwise he, the right-wing prime minister, would be kicked out of office after only a few years.

With such complicated feelings, when Li Linfu came to Huaxianhui Building, he saw Brother Ji and Fang Chongyong having a lively conversation in a certain study room, and hearty laughter could be heard from afar.

"Please forgive me, sage, I am late."

When they met, Li Linfu bowed his hands to Brother Ji and said, the respect that came from his bones has been solidified into his expression and demeanor.

Li Linfu no longer needs to pretend to be a man of the city, his every frown and every smile is a man of the city!

"Hey, why are you late? Brother Nu came at just the right time. Master, please give me a seat. Brother Nu, please sit next to me."

Brother Ji seemed to be in a good mood, pointing to the place next to him and saying.

Gao Lishi placed a soft cushion next to Brother Ji, and Li Linfu was not polite. After bowing, he knelt down and sat on it obediently.

Then he lowered his head and said nothing.

"Guozhong, the method of improving Hebian is what you just said, it is very interesting.

The right prime minister is here. You should also talk to the right prime minister.

I have a headache every year because of He Bian! "

Brother Ji pointed at Li Linfu and said to Fang Chongyong.

Fang Chongyong bowed to Li Linfu with folded hands, and then spoke eloquently: "May I ask your right minister, the current peace buying method in Guanzhong is that the government pays for it, and uses silk to directly purchase the existing grains in the hands of the people. One to two percent of the market price, right?”

"Indeed, the Hebian method was created by Niu Xianke, and it was first implemented in Hexi. Guozhong should know the truth better than the truth."

Li Linfu was a little confused about Fang Chongyong's intention and spoke very tactfully.

"Today's Hebian method is to exchange cash for stored grain.

Once there is a shortage of food in Guanzhong, local officials will go to the countryside with swords to force and buy food. The court's benevolent coup became a tool in the fish and meat village, which eventually aroused public dissatisfaction. The court could not receive enough grain because of the high price of grain.

If the imperial court can issue Jiaozi, then it can use Jiaozi to lend money to the people so that they can prepare for farming. When repaying the loan, the grain must be repaid in the second year. In this way, peace is implemented in a different way. The imperial court only needed to print Jiaozi. "

Fang Chongyong spread his hands and said to Li Linfu.

"I see, I've learned a lesson."

Li Linfu nodded slightly, somewhat understanding what this gameplay was about.

In the past, there were actually two ways to play the Hebian method in the Tang Dynasty.

The first one is the method that was first implemented in Shazhou, Hexi Province. It is said that it was created by Niu Xianke.

The local government loaned the silk silk sent from Chang'an to Hexi to local big businessmen, and then the big businessmen loaned it to local farmers. The government was not responsible for the specific implementation.

In the second year, the farmers handed over the grain to the big businessmen, who then returned the grain to the local government to cancel the IOU.

To put it simply, the government's spot silk was exchanged for next year's futures grain, and the big merchants borne the risk. Qiu Ba on the other side of Hexi is accustomed to speaking with a knife. If a big businessman fails to pay back the money he owes the government, there is no need to say what the consequences will be.

The advantage of playing this way is that the amount of grain received in the second year is guaranteed and will not be affected by market conditions. The amount of grain that can be raised is sufficient. Of course, there are also disadvantages, that is, the government needs to advance the "peace payment", which increases financial pressure.

The second type is an improved version of the Hebian method adapted to local conditions after it was implemented in Guanzhong: that is, the local government directly takes the silk and forcibly exchanges it for grain from local farmers, without changing hands through big businessmen.

To put it simply, you buy food from the people with silk and pay with one hand and deliver it with the other hand!

The advantage of playing this way is that the government does not need to advance "hebian money", and all it gets is "spot goods".

Of course, there are many disadvantages. The biggest one is that Hebian's grain prices are affected by market conditions. If there is a good year, I am not afraid, but I am afraid that there will be a severe drought in Guanzhong. The government will not be able to exchange the silk for food locally!

Now, Fang Chongyong has proposed the third method of "harmony". To put it bluntly, it is "using credit currency for futures", from the original bartering to the current virtual exchange of virtual currency!

The imperial court had great control over how much Jiaozi issued, and there was no "advance payment". Simply put, financing costs are very low.

The exchange for grain the following year also ensured that the grain collected by the court would not be affected by the market price, and skipped the loss caused by the passing of big merchants. At the same time, it also retained the advantages of Hexi and the buying method: more production for the farmers. An insurance policy.

Li Linfu is a smart man. After thinking about it for a while, he will understand the beauty of doing this.

A similar policy is equivalent to spreading the increased tax revenue to everyone evenly through more payments! Regardless of whether you are rich or not, you must accept the rise in prices caused by the government's issuance of Jiaozi.

Without changing the land policy, similar gameplay is already the ultimate way to improve the national finance!

The land equalization system adopted in the founding of the Tang Dynasty was not meant to equalize the land of powerful families!

These heroes, who accompanied Emperor Taizong to conquer the world and were the "cornerstones" of the Tang Dynasty, still had only a lot more land in their hands than they originally had.

The land given to ordinary people by the Tang Dynasty was the so-called "ownerless land".

The "ancestral laws" that could not be changed since the founding of the country can no longer be expected to change now. Not to mention Li Linfu, not even Brother Ji can change this situation.

The result of land reform is the immediate subjugation of the country and chaos in the world, which is tantamount to suicide.

If Li Linfu wants to change the land policy, Brother Ji will kill Li Linfu.

If Brother Ji wants to change the land policy, the powerful people will unite to kill Brother Ji. This is completely unsolvable.

"Back to the saint, I think this method is feasible, but the details still need to be worked out."

Li Linfu nodded slightly and said, finally settling on his basic attitude.

As expected, after hearing this, Brother Ji breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile:

"Gonu, look at the salary that officials receive now. Just talking about grain, some of it is rice, and some of it is simply millet. Some of it is wheat grain, and some of it is flour.

Not sure.

Sometimes the officials were asked to harvest millet from the public fields, sometimes they were given cloth, sometimes they were given copper coins, and sometimes they were given gold and silver utensils.

Sometimes, the government issues corvee services and invites a few slaves to work at an official's house for a few days.

These salaries are mixed and messy, not only inconvenient to use, but also quite tricky, which corrupt officials use to get their hands on them.

In the future, we will wait for the government to issue Jiaozi. Apart from anything else, the salary will be mainly based on Jiaozi. Officials can buy whatever they like, I don't care about that.

Officials in the Ministry of Revenue can easily receive their salaries, and officials who get Jiaozi can also use it easily. Wouldn't this get the best of both worlds? "

Brother Ji was smiling, obviously very satisfied with the convenience brought by Jiaozi.

In the hour or so before Li Linfu arrived, Fang Chongyong had almost introduced the strategy of issuing Jiaozi and the general impact of Jiaozi to Brother Ji.

In other words, when Brother Ji called Li Linfu over, he was not asking the Right Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty for permission to issue Jiaozi. He just gave a polite notice and asked Li Linfu to come over to discuss the details of the issuance of Jiaozi.

Of course, it would be good if Li Linfu was well-behaved and sensible, but if the other party opposed the issuance of Jiaozi, then Brother Ji, who is addicted to money, would not mind changing to a right prime minister.

Anyway, for Brother Ji, every minister is a dog, and it doesn’t matter how many ministers are replaced as long as necessary.

"Well, in that case, please tell me, brother, who should be responsible for planning the marriage? I want to hear what you, the right minister, have to say."

Ji Ge paused and said.

He looked at Li Linfu and then at Fang Chongyong, feeling hesitant for a moment.

Issuing Jiaozi and completely replacing silk in circulation in society is a large-scale national policy that obviously requires a "highly respected" person to balance the forces of all parties.

From this perspective, it is obvious that only Li Linfu can be qualified for this position!

The method of Jiaozi was thought up by Fang Chongyong. In other words, no one in the entire Tang Dynasty understands how Jiaozi works better than Fang Chongyong.

From this perspective, no one is more suitable to manage the issuance and operation of Jiaozi than Fang Chongyong.

The lesser of two evils.

In comparison, Brother Ji hopes that Li Linfu will step forward and take over this important task. In other words, besides Li Linfu, who else has the qualifications to convince the ministers?

Who else?

Even if Fang Chongyong knew how to deal with things, even if he could play tricks, he still wouldn't be able to control the court.

“Sage, when silk arrived in Byzantium in the past, its price was equivalent to gold; however, in the east of Xizhou (Gaochang Kingdom), each kilogram of raw silk was only equivalent to four coins of gold.

The difference is more than ten times!

Nowadays, the rise of black food has blocked the trade routes. The price of silk east of Xizhou is lower, while the silk of Byzantium is more expensive. In other words, although Datang exported silk and silk, it did not make a lot of money.

Wei Chen hoped to lead an army to conquer Xiaobolu westward, sweep through the twenty countries west of Congling, open up the trade route from Anxi to Shazhou, and bring Jiaozi there.

This is Wei Chen's lifelong wish.

The issuance of Jiaozi in Chang'an required a highly respected official from the court to preside over it. This person must be right.

If the right prime minister doesn't stand up, then Jiaozi will really not be able to play anymore.

Please think twice, saint! "

Before Li Linfu could say anything, Fang Chongyong suddenly made a bow to Brother Ji and knelt down to talk.

Li Linfu immediately suppressed all the words he had half-prepared!

Yes, Fang Chongyong knew the art of war and could lead troops. He also had many years of experience in Hexi. He knew the affairs of the Western Regions and figured out how to communicate with his son.

Although there were many capable generals in the Tang army, this was the only one who knew the politics, economy and military of the Western Regions very well! Placing Fang Chongyong in this position can play the greatest role.

The key is, no one can compete with him for this job!

On the contrary, if Fang Chongyong is asked to preside over the work of issuing Jiaozi in Chang'an, his qualifications and prestige are far from convincing everyone!

Of course Brother Ji knew that once Jiaozi was born, he would definitely become the fattest piece of meat! Once the various dignitaries in Chang'an City come to their senses, they will definitely fight each other to pieces over the control of Jiaozi Distribution!

Who is Fang Chongyong, who can compete with the powerful dignitaries of Chang'an in this regard? Even if he was pushed out into the ring by Brother Ji, he would probably be beaten to the point of running away after just a few punches.

"The words of national loyalty deeply touched my heart. What do you think, Genu?"

Brother Ji asked with a smile, looking at Li Linfu eagerly without blinking his eyes.

"Should we call the Prime Minister Zuo to discuss this matter together?"

Li Linfu asked with a humble face. He felt that Jiaozi's business was too risky, and it would be better to find a few more people to take the blame.

"No need, just wait until the details are almost ready, and then let the left prime minister come and take a look.

This must be done by Brother Nu! "

Brother Ji waved his hand and said, obviously not very interested in having Li Shizhi participate in the issuance of Jiaozi.

"Back to the saint, I will do my best."

Li Linfu bowed and said.

"Ok.

That national loyalist, you haven't been home for a long time. Come home and rest.

I still have some things to discuss with your right minister. "

Brother Ji gave Fang Zhongyong an eviction order.

"Wei Chen retire."

Fang Chongyong breathed a sigh of relief, finally throwing away the blame for issuing Jiaozi.

But as long as he doesn't take the initiative to stand up and stick out his head to catch the stone, it won't be his turn to take care of Jiaozi. Even if Brother Ji is confused now, he will change his position later.

No one understands the benefits here better than him. In his previous life, the most powerful country in the world dared to assassinate even the president in order to consolidate its currency power.

He is not even an emperor, but he still wants to get his hands on the right to mint money. Haha, I can only say that whoever is greedy in this thing will die.

There won't be any surprises.

After leaving Xingqing Palace, Fang Chongyong did not return to his home, but walked towards Pingkangfang.

It was inconvenient to say many things in front of Brother Ji, but in the end, I still had to make it clear to Li Linfu.

(End of this chapter)