Elegy of Tang Dynasty

Chapter 353 Brother Ji’s Iron Fist

Early that morning, the queue at Taipingfang in Chang'an City had already reached Chunmingmen Street, and it was likely to continue to grow longer.

These people all came to line up and exchange Chang'an Jiaozi for silk.

But there are rumors that if you are just an ordinary person, no matter how early you get up in line, you will never be queued!

Many people who do not believe in evil have tried it, and it is true.

However, there are also many "middlemen" and "scalpers" in private who will suddenly find people in line and tell them that they can receive Chang'an Jiaozi and half the denomination of cloth in exchange for Hexi Jiaozi of the same amount.

Hexi Jiaozi can freely exchange silk and silk, so he doesn't care what he does.

Of course, if the warehouse in Hexi Jinzouyuan is out of stock, you will have to wait, but you can still wait.

At first glance, it may seem like you're losing half your fortune by playing this way. But in fact, nowadays, shops selling cloth in Chang'an City basically no longer accept Chang'an Jiaozi. Even many shops in other industries will not accept them if they can!
Many businessmen have a lot of Chang'an Jiaozi in their hands, but they simply can't spend it!

Why is this so?
Because the imperial court's reputation is so bad, it was agreed before that it could be exchanged for silk at a one-to-one basis. As a result, when it was time to exchange, either the goods were out of stock, or the quality of the cloth was so poor that it couldn't be used at all.

"Ah, it's Liu Sicao."

"Grab all those with pieces of cloth in their hands, and let the others go!"

Zhang Guangsheng remembered that Fang Chongyong had told him about this phenomenon before, which seemed to be called a "run" and the situation was very bad.

"Jin Wuwei is doing business, and everyone else is waiting to get out of the way!"

God knows how many Chang'an Jiaozi the imperial court printed! This thing costs next to nothing! The second batch of Jiaozi was huge, much larger than the first batch. As a result, the reserves for the second batch were even less than the first batch!
However, in just a few months, problems have arisen in the circulation of Chang'an Jiaozi. The situation is far more serious than Fang Chongyong originally expected.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

Although Chang'an Jiaozi is managed by me, I don't receive heavy gifts like others on a daily basis, so it is impossible not to use Hexi Jiaozi. On the day when the salary is paid, I will take advantage of my position and replace Chang'an Jiaozi with Hexi Jiaozi.

Some people were still holding a roll of silk tightly in their arms and wouldn't let go, some were obviously children, and there were hideous bloodstains everywhere on the ground.

Suddenly, a smiling voice sounded in Zhang Guangsheng's ear. He turned around and saw a plump young official wearing a scarlet official robe.

Zhang Guangsheng "suddenly realized" and deliberately pretended not to know why the other party came.

"Come in, there are many of us, let's fight!"

But most of them took advantage of the chaos to escape, and it was extremely difficult to catch them.

Zhang Guangsheng shouted immediately!
Behind him, the Jinwu guards armed with sticks dispersed the crowd like chasing ducks. After the irrelevant people dispersed, there were more than a dozen bloody bodies lying on the ground. It was unclear whether they were dead or alive.

This has laid hidden dangers for Chang'an Jiaozi's current poor exchange.

Zhang Guangsheng looked at the people who were arrested not far away. There were probably dozens of them, all of whom had stolen the goods.

In other words, this "silk standard gold" is actually divided into grades, and it is possible to pass it off as inferior.

When the two met at this moment, Liu Yan didn't feel embarrassed, but Zhang Guangsheng felt extremely embarrassed.

Put Jiaozi down on the counter?

"What does Zhang Lang think of Chang'an Jiaozi?"

He regretted it as soon as he said it, because it was undoubtedly a crazy slap in Liu Yan's face.

There was a loud shout in the distance!
Zhang Guangsheng, the commander of Zuo Jinwu Guard, led more than a hundred Jinwu guards and trotted all the way from the south of the city to Taipingfang near the Zhuque Gate of the Imperial City. They were all breathing heavily when they arrived. Seeing the explosive looting scene in front of him, Zhang Guangsheng no longer knew how to end it.

This man cannot be blamed for today's chaos. The other party's visit here is actually necessary for official business.

In fact, this Si Cao named Liu Yan was the Si Cao of the newly established "Jiaozi Division" of the Ministry of Household Affairs, who was in charge of the issuance of Chang'an Jiaozi.

"Zhang Lang will not have to worry too much. I also use Hexi Jiaozi on a daily basis. After all, this kind of Jiaozi maintains its value and I don't need to worry too much.

"Grab it!"

Zhang Guangsheng didn't even think about it, patted his head and replied: "Who is using that bird thing!"

When he was inspecting the outer city of Chang'an, such a big thing happened, and a scolding was inevitable.

The robbery of Chang'an Jiaozi Shop will soon be known throughout Chang'an City, and will definitely trigger a new round of queuing up to get silk. A catastrophe seemed inevitable.

The unspeakable fact is that dignitaries are involved in this business. After the first batch of silk and silk as a reserve is used up, the second batch will start to be much smaller than the first batch, and it can no longer meet the daily exchange requirements.

Haha, since I can buy it for zero yuan, why should I spend money? Even if Chang'an Jiaozi is not easy to use, many places don't accept it, but it's still money!
Because there were too many people looting and Taipingfang was not very large, people coming in and out pushed each other, and soon there was chaos and shouting. As for those Jin Wu guards, seeing that something was wrong, they ran to shake people off!

Thugs appeared in the queue. A large number of people pushed away the Jinwu guards who were maintaining order at the scene. They broke through the obstacles and came to the shop where Jiaozi was exchanged. With the idea of ​​not punishing the public, they took the cloth and ran away!

The time for the imperial court to exchange silk and silk is getting shorter and shorter! It used to be two hours, but now it’s almost just over an hour!
"Everyone, I see there are a lot of silks in the shop. Let's go in and get them. Putting the handouts on the counter doesn't count as robbery!
If there are too many people, the government won’t hold you accountable! "

He walked along the queue, beating the gong and shouting. Everyone who heard his shout felt like they were mourning for their heirs.

"Repay me my hard-earned money!"

Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted.

A soap official held a gong and drum and shouted at the top of his voice.

Liu Yan suddenly asked calmly.

"The market is closed today! The market is closed today! It's time! No need to queue!"

Gold and silver are neither good nor bad, only purity. But silk is divided into different qualities, and sometimes the quality is difficult to distinguish. Even if the quantity of cloth is too low, the high-ranking officials will not want it. They only want the "Jiaozi" to preserve its value and do not want to exchange the silk.

Moreover, the disadvantages of silk as a currency equivalent are beginning to appear at this moment.

"Thank you for your hard work, General Zhang."

I can understand Zhang Langjiang’s thoughts. "

Liu Yan said with a smile, he was very talkative and did not shy away from the "open secret".

Chang'an Jiaozi has devalued by half within a few months of its release, and is still depreciating. No one can stand the current speed.

Therefore, on the day when the imperial salary was distributed, almost all officials would unanimously use Chang'an Jiaozi. Since they were officials, they naturally did not have to pay a sum of silk as a "handling fee" in exchange for Hexi Jiaozi like businessmen, and there would be a dedicated person to "recycle" the Chang'an Jiaozi in their hands.

It is certainly a heinous crime for officials to "lead by example" and take the lead in not using Chang'an Jiaozi. But holding Chang'an Jiaozi, you can't maintain a decent life, you have to be corrupt and accept bribes to maintain your life.

Liu Yan didn't want to accept bribes, so he chose to use his connections to replace Chang'an Jiaozi with Hexi Jiaozi. This is also a kind of flexibility "within the system".

"Will Liu Sicao just ignore the chaos in Jiaozi in Chang'an?"

Zhang Guangsheng asked with some confusion.

Even a fool can see that there is a big problem with Changan Jiaozi!

"Someone suggested that I should report to the saint to take back the publishing rights of Hexi Jiaozi, but I refused. Do you know why?"

Liu Yan did not answer this question directly, but talked about Hexi Jiaozi. He seemed to talk a lot today.

Zhang Guangsheng shook his head and said, "I don't know."

"There are two kinds of Jiaozi in the market now, and Hexi Jiaozi is the one with smooth circulation. But no matter what, the court has a substitute, and so do the people.

If the distribution rights of Hexi Jiaozi are withdrawn, Hexi Jiaozi will soon become today's Chang'an Jiaozi.

As a result, where there are Jiaozi, the market will be in chaos and all industries will be depressed. One day Jiaozi will turn into waste paper and return to bartering. Who can bear this responsibility? Liu Yan said with a sigh. Many times, policies are just the lesser of two evils. If you don't sit in that position, you won't know how difficult things are.

At present, there are still some PY transactions between the Jiaozi Division of the Ministry of Revenue and Hexi Jinzouyuan. The internal "currency swap" at least ensures the smooth circulation of Jiaozi as currency for certain people and industries in Chang'an City.

For example, officials' salaries can be directly "internally exchanged". This is already an "open secret."

But if Hubu takes Hexi Jiaozi into his hands, there will be no alternative, and a storm will inevitably arise!
Liu Yan was very cautious. If Chang'an Jiaozi could not be saved, he would simply not save him. He put the overall situation first. If business operations can be maintained and finances can be maintained, then that's fine.

"What's the use of talking so much to this big boss like me, Liu Sicao? I don't understand these complicated truths either!"
A certain person can only use money but cannot print money! "

Zhang Guangsheng asked with a confused look on his face.

Liu Yan came over and lowered his voice and said:

"I heard that Zhang Lang will have a close personal relationship with Fang Jieshuai. I have a letter here. Can you give it to Fang Jieshuai in private and ask him to help me learn more about Jiaozi's improvement methods.

The value of Chang'an Jiaozi has depreciated too fast, and I can't bear it anymore. Please give Fang Jieshuai a favor. "

After speaking, he took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Zhang Guangsheng.

It turns out you know how to be afraid!

Zhang Guangsheng looked at Liu Yan with a strange look on his face. If this man shouted "I am responsible for Chang'an Jiaozi" now, he would be beaten to death on the spot.

In the future, if Chang'an Jiaozi collapses and Liu Yan is demoted, it will be a trivial matter, and it is very likely that Brother Ji will directly kill him.

"That's okay, but Fang Jieshuai is in the Western Region now and it's hard to find him. A certain society will send people to deliver the letter as much as possible. If it can't be delivered, don't blame me."

Zhang Guangsheng took the letter and said without comment.

Liu Yan didn't take it seriously, crossed his hands and bowed before leaving. To be honest, he felt very unhappy when he stayed here and watched the Chang'an Jiaozi he had planned turn into someone who was hated by everyone.

He already tried to send as few words as possible.

However, the saint wants to print money today for military expenses and tomorrow he wants to print money for rewards. If he only prints money but does not provide reserves, what else can he do?
Liu Yan can’t make money either!
If he hadn't insisted on opening Jiaozi's shop and completely refused to exchange silk, Chang'an Jiaozi's credit would have collapsed long ago!

On the other hand, in order to pay salaries to officials, the Ministry of Household Affairs allocates a portion of silk to Hexi Jinzouyuan every month in exchange for Hexi Jiaozi. This is actually a disguised reduction in the circulation scope of Chang'an Jiaozi.

Less “reserve” available!

Liu Yan no longer dares to think about what will happen in the long run!

I hope nothing happens during my tenure.

It's the saint's birthday banquet soon, and it costs money. In the past, the Ministry of Accounts had to find ways to make money, but now it can no longer do so and just print money. It seems that the steps are simplified, but in fact it is drinking poison to quench thirst.

what can we do about it?

He didn't know either.

Liu Yan left with a lonely look on his face. Bao Baobao felt bitter in his heart but couldn't express it.

The next day, the matter of Jiao Zixing being robbed was sent to Ji Ge's desk in the form of a memorial. Chen Xilie, the Secretary of the Ministry of Rites, reported that the gangsters in Chang'an robbed Jiao Zixing, which had extremely bad effects and destructive effects. It is particularly bad. It is recommended that they be severely punished and dealt with quickly.

Brother Ji gave instructions: The execution will be executed immediately, and the body will not be allowed to be restrained within ten days in the south of the city, as a warning to others.

Another order was issued to let Zhang Guangsheng, the general of Zuo Jinwu's guard, strengthen his inspection of the east and west markets of Chang'an. Anyone who refuses to accept a child from Chang'an is guilty of the same crime as robbery and sent to Jinwuwei Prison.

This order is also known as "Jiaozi Order".

As soon as this news came out, everyone from the civil and military officials in Chang'an to the common people were in an uproar. Although issuing Jiaozi was compulsory in the past, its practicality ranked first because it could be exchanged for silk.

Now that the imperial court has explicitly banned the rejection of Chang'an Jiaozi and severely punished violators, this clearly means robbery in the open!
After receiving the exact information, Zhang Guangsheng had not yet started to implement the plan. Most of the shops in the east and west cities of Chang'an had already begun to close their doors, determined to avoid the spotlight for the time being.

If the crime of not paying the debt is going to jail, then it’s okay if I don’t open the door to do business, right?
Whose goods are not brought by waves!

After that, wine shops, brothels, and shops in Chang'an also began to close down one after another, quietly resisting the ugly looting by the imperial court.

Since most of the East Market and West Market, wine shops and brothels have been shut down, all kinds of small merchants and hawkers in Chang'an City can't survive alone. In the end, there is no one selling Hu cakes in the shop.

Everyone knew that Jinwuwei was investigating Jiaozi's affairs, so everyone chose to close their shop.

Almost overnight, all industries in Chang'an City collapsed. People tightly covered their wallets for fear of being caught by the Jinwu Guards, who would force them to exchange the Hexi Jiaozi or silk in their hands for Chang'an Jiaozi.

The "First Chang'an Business Crisis", which was like thunder on the ground, spread at an unimaginable speed under the influence of the "Jiaozi Order" with strong government inspections. The originally vibrant city of Chang'an suddenly turned into a "dead city" with stagnant industries.

When he learned that the "Jiaozi Order" was boycotted by all walks of life, Brother Ji became furious and ordered Zhang Guangsheng to patrol the area closely and not miss any corner.

Of course, if the cow doesn't drink water, if you insist on holding down the cow's head, it will only achieve half the result with twice the result. Zhang Guangsheng persisted for more than ten days in a row without catching a single hair. On the contrary, the Xingqing Palace where Brother Ji was located could not even buy the supplies needed for daily expenses.

As a seemingly omnipotent emperor, he had no choice but to complain to Li Linfu, asking Li Linfu to rectify problems in the circulation of Chang'an Jiaozi from time to time.

Although the edict of "Jiaozi Order" has not been withdrawn, the Jinwu Guards no longer investigate the rejection of Changan Jiaozi. It is equivalent to Ji Ge holding his nose and acquiescing to being slapped in the face by Changan merchants. .

Soon, Chang'an City regained its former vitality and was still the capital of the Tang Dynasty loyal to Brother Ji.

……

The outer city is three miles long and two miles wide; the middle city is two miles long and one mile wide; the inner city is half a mile long and half a mile wide! This is the specification of Jinmancheng, the capital city of Tingzhou under the rule of the Beiting Protectorate. It is a classic three-story nested structure of Ma Cheng within the outer city and the outer city within the inner city.

Although the city is not unusual, behind Jinmancheng is the Dongba River, and in front are dense wheat fields that cannot be seen at a glance! It was the autumn harvest at this time, and at a glance, they were all low-hanging wheat ears, golden in color.

"I think this ambassador knows why this place is called Jinmancheng."

Fang Chongyong rode on his horse, pointed at the wheat in the field with his whip and said to Bian Lingcheng. Tingzhou is so fertile that it deserves to be the provincial capital of Xinjiang in later generations!
It's hundreds of miles from Qiuci to Yanqi, and eight hundred miles from Yanqi to Tingzhou. They walked a thousand miles all the way. It would be unimaginable if they didn't ride horses!
"Send the order, and anyone who tramples the wheat fields will be killed without mercy."

Fang Chongyong ordered He Changqi beside him.

"You idiot! You idiot!"

A strange and hoarse cry came from the carriage hauling baggage beside Fang Chongyong.

"Ambassador Fang, you five-color parrot is quite spiritual. You can't say anything except swearing."

Bian Lingcheng couldn't help but tease. He secretly thought that it would be better not to offer this "precious thing" to a saint, lest the parrot say something he shouldn't have said!

"After three days of starvation, it will become more obedient. It's just a shame."

Fang Chongyong said indifferently, not thinking that the trouble Bian Lingcheng mentioned was a trouble at all.

He has sent Duan Xiushi to Jinmancheng to contact Fumeng Lingcha. Next, find a place to camp outside the city and wait for your husband to come out. Or you can go directly to the headquarters of the Anxi Expeditionary Army Camp.

Fang Chongyong has traveled a thousand miles and slept in the open, and now he is eager to find a stable house to rest.

At this moment, he saw a group of cavalry coming out of the gate of Jinman City from a distance, heading towards him.

As soon as they met, Fumeng Lingcha got off his horse, then came to Fang Chongyong's side, and said in a low voice: "Ambassador Fang, the Anxi Expeditionary Force is in trouble!"

"trouble?"

Fang Chongyong was stunned, wondering what kind of trouble the Qiu Ba gang could cause in Tingzhou.

"Let's talk about it after we get into the city."

Fumeng Lingcha said with a helpless look, he was looking forward to the stars and the moon, and now he finally has this man!

(End of this chapter)