At the end of Qin, I became a son of the plane

Chapter 415: New World and Contradiction

September 1, the twelfth year of the Han calendar, Hulin County, Guanzhong.

"Brother, after we pass Hangu Pass we will return to Guanzhong." Zhuzi said with mixed feelings.

In the past, after entering Hangu Pass, he couldn't wait to return to Zhaoli. At that time, he returned home rich and powerful. But this time it was different. Their business had collapsed, and this time they were down and out and had to flee back to their hometown to lick their wounds.

Hu Hai also said leisurely: "After passing Hangu Pass, we should return home."

Hu Hai was quite carefree. This was not the first time he had gone bankrupt. With so many experiences, he had a stronger endurance.

Zhu Pei said: "Boss, you are a hidden dragon in the abyss. If there is a storm in the future, Boss will surely be able to take advantage of it."

Hu Hai smiled bitterly and said, "Now don't call me Dongjia, just call me Hu Hai."

However, Hu Hai did not have as much confidence as Zhu Pei. After this financial crisis, the people of the Han Dynasty had become extremely distrustful of small money houses. They now kept their money in the four major money houses of the Han Dynasty, and together with most of the small money houses that the court had annexed, they had established business outlets throughout the Han Dynasty.

The money bank system of the Han Dynasty had become increasingly mature, and it was almost impossible to make money by borrowing the money of the people of the world like a few years ago. Hu Hai did not have the confidence that he could make a comeback.

Several people rented a rail carriage in Hu County.

"You all seem to be very impressive. I wonder where you made your fortune?" Coachmen all over the world are talkative, so they started chatting with Hu Hai and his friends on the way.

Zhuzi said unhappily, "Nowadays, it is still possible to get rich by being the boss."

The driver said, "Yes, the newspapers said that there is an economic crisis in the world and business is not going well. For example, our business volume of horse-drawn carriages has dropped by half. The world is obviously fine, so how can there be a crisis?"

Zhuzi vented, "It's all because of the chaos in the imperial court. The world was originally peaceful, but they insisted on causing trouble. As a result, in less than a year, the world collapsed."

The driver was dissatisfied and said, "How can you say that it is the imperial court that is causing trouble? The emperor had already discovered the crisis and informed the people of the world in advance, but the people of the world were too greedy and did not listen to the emperor at all, which led to today's disaster. Look at those workshops that listened to the emperor, aren't they all living well? In the end, those workshop owners were too greedy."

"Furthermore, after the crisis, the government helped us recover our deposits and launched so many infrastructure projects, giving unemployed people like us something to do. If it weren't for the government's actions, I don't know how many people would have gone without food."

The driver was obviously standing very straight, knowing that the court was on his side.

Hu Hai said: "Brother Coachman is right. If it weren't for the court's help, the world would be in chaos."

Hu Hai traveled across most of the Han Dynasty from Kuaiji County. He saw too many infrastructure projects along the way. Unemployed people were building highways and tracks, and construction workshops were everywhere. The entire Han Dynasty seemed to have turned into a huge construction site.

The Han Dynasty court also organized people to go to the south to settle and cultivate land. It is said that the number of people who went south alone exceeded 10, and hundreds of settlements were established in the south.

Just from this point, Hu Hai saw the gap between his father and the Han Emperor. If this kind of scene happened during the Qin Dynasty, people all over the world would definitely say that the Qin Dynasty was tyrannical and oppressive.

Both were immigrants guarding the border and building large-scale fortifications, but the Han people did a good deed to save the country and the people, and all the craftsmen who did the work were grateful to him.

The difference is that the Qin Dynasty did not pay, but the Han Dynasty did. However, the salaries given to them by the court were actually extorted from them.

Hu Hai thought about it and thought that it should be said that it was extorted from the merchants. Suppressing the powerful and wealthy and providing relief to the people have always been important means of governance for the Han emperor.

Although the people paid in labor, they did gain money. Considering his father's methods, the people of Qin had to bring their own dry food to do projects for the court. No wonder the reputations of the two sides were so different.

But Hu Hai doubted whether the Han emperor could continue to use such means. The Han emperor had used this method for more than ten years. The Qin officials and the nobles of the six kingdoms were all plundered by the Han emperor. Some time ago, even the nobles of the Chu Kingdom who supported the Han emperor were purged by the Han emperor. During this economic crisis, the Han emperor even annexed the workshops managed by the counties and the banks managed by the Han nobles.

It is easy to cleanse others, but it is very difficult to turn the blade inward. He doubted whether the prestige of the Han emperor could allow him to do such a thing many times.

Hu Hai's agreement obviously made the driver happy. He smiled and said, "Our Hu County is a famous poultry county in Guanzhong. The poultry king recognized by the emperor is in our county. He is a capable man. The emperor was able to break through Hangu Pass because of his leadership.

Originally, because of his great contribution, the emperor wanted to make him a general, but he didn't want to fight anymore and just wanted to go back home to take care of his mother. So the emperor gave him some money and let him go back home. Then he led all the villagers in our county to become rich.

Once these crises came, poultry could not be sold. If it weren’t for the emperor’s help in purchasing poultry worth 10 million, we would not know how to survive this crisis. This relationship is connected to the sky.”

The driver enthusiastically introduced the talented people in their county.

But when Hu Hai heard the driver say that the poultry king was the hero who allowed the Han Emperor to enter Hangu Pass, he lost the desire to continue the conversation. This was a great achievement for the Han Dynasty, but it was the final blow of destruction for his Qin Dynasty.

The driver found that Hu Hai had no desire to continue communicating so he could only shut up. For a moment, the carriage became quiet.

Hu Hai looked at the Wei River beside the track. The Wei River was the main artery of Guanzhong. Most of the goods in Guanzhong were transported out of Guanzhong through the Wei River. It was precisely because of this main artery that the Qin Dynasty was able to unify the world at a very low cost.

There are a large number of transport ships in the Wei River, which are loaded with goods and sail downstream to Sanchuan County.

But at this time Hu Hai suddenly discovered a chimney going upstream.

"What is that?" Hu Hai asked in surprise.

The driver took a look and introduced it with great interest: "This is the new steamship built by the court. It is strange that it can move as long as it consumes coal, and does not need oars or sails at all. But the freight is too high. When going downstream, no one is willing to use this steamship. But when going upstream, compared with boat trackers pulling boats and sailors rowing, steamships are much cheaper. Now the caravans from Sanchuan County to Guanzhong often use steamships to transport goods."

Of course Hu Hai knew what this was. Two years ago, he invested five million yuan and was also the owner of this steamship.

At that time, he did not think that far ahead. He just felt that steamships had development prospects and were more in line with his Feihai Shipyard. He thought that if the steam engine could be developed and installed in his shipyard, he could make a fortune, so he invested 500 million yuan, but he soon forgot about it.

But I didn't expect Mohist to be so humble. He said at the beginning that it was extremely difficult to make a practical steam ship and it would be impossible to do it without several years. But I didn't expect that he could now push a transport ship carrying thousands of tons upstream.

When Hu Hai saw the steamship, he burst into laughter, and his laughter grew louder and louder.

Zhuzi hesitated and said, "Brother Hu Hai, what's wrong with you? Are you afraid to go back to Zhaoli? Otherwise, why don't we stay in Chang'an City for a while."

Zhuzi thought Hu Hai didn't dare to return to Zhaoli, so he went crazy. After all, hundreds of millions of assets were gone in an instant, and his brother Hu Hai was a hero for being able to endure until now.

Hu Hai laughed and said, "I am the owner of that steamship. Two years ago, I invested 500 million yuan, but I didn't expect that the steamship would be built. Now we have the capital to make a comeback."

It was a real pleasant surprise for Hu Hai. He didn't expect that an accidental action two years ago would leave him with such a huge capital.

"Boom, boom, woo, woo, woo!" Suddenly, a long dragon-like thing quickly passed through another track.

Hu Hai was surprised and asked, "Steam train?"

This was the steam train he had seen at the Steam Expo. At that time, it could only carry eight children, but the steam train he saw now was pulling three carriages. Obviously, the steam train he saw now was completely different from the steam train he saw two years ago.

The driver said with envy, "This is a new carriage from the imperial court. It can carry hundreds of tons of goods and it runs quite fast. More importantly, it doesn't need horses. It can run on coal. The people who drive this train are all top-notch experts. I really don't know when I can drive this train myself."

Zhu Pei looked at the train with the chimney leaving quickly and said in astonishment: "Is this still the big man I know? How come I can't understand these things at all?"

Either it was a boat without oars or a sail, or a coal-burning car, each of which looked like something out of a myth. Hu Hai sighed, "Yes, the Han Dynasty is changing with each passing day. If you are not careful, you will be left behind. With the emergence of trains and steamships, the world will change."

On September 3rd, the twelfth year of the Han calendar, in Chang'an City, Zhaoli.

It was almost time for the autumn harvest. The wind blew the wheat waves in the farmland of Zhaoli, making a rustling sound. It was the first time that Hu Hai, who had returned to Zhaoli, felt this golden beauty.

"Hu Hai, you're back!" A villager from Zhaoli said in surprise when he saw Hu Hai and his two companions.

"Hu Hai is back!" the villagers around shouted.

The enthusiasm of the folks in Zhaoli made Hu Hai feel a little ashamed to face the elders of Jiangdong.

Zhuzi, on the other hand, was very happy with this kind of atmosphere. Having lived here for more than ten years, Zhaoli was his home.

Then he asked curiously, "Why don't you go to the textile factory to work, but sit by the fields instead?"

When the villagers heard this, they sighed and said, "With all the textile factories closed, there is nothing left to do."

"We have also heard about Hu Hai's affairs. God always plays tricks on us. He doesn't let Hu Hai off, either."

The young and strong men from Qixiang who had eaten with Hu Hai had already returned home ahead of time. They also brought the news that Hu Hai's money house went bankrupt. This made the villagers in Zhaoli sigh. Their village had finally produced a capable person who could bring prosperity to their descendants, but they didn't expect that he would fall in this wave of economic crisis.

"Hu Hai, it's good that you're back. It doesn't matter if you don't have a money house. I will keep the hundred acres of land you have in Zhaoli for you, and we can farm in peace." At this time Fusu came over and said.

Hu Hai said with a smile: "Brother, I haven't lost all my wealth, so I'll give the farm to you."

Jiang Tao, who had rushed over, heard this and said happily: "As the saying goes, even if the boat is rotten, there are still three nails. I knew that you, Hu Hai, would not be defeated so easily."

The head of the pavilion, Wang Wen, said expectantly, "Hu Hai, you are an old hand in the business. Now that the textile workshop has also stopped, what should we do next?"

Although the people of Zhaoli could survive by farming, they had become accustomed to the profits brought by handicrafts. It would be difficult for them to accept such a drop in income if they only earned 3000 yuan a year. Now Hu Hai had become their only hope for a comeback.

But Hu Hai sighed and said, "The competition in the textile industry is getting more and more intense. The price of a spinning wheel or a textile machine is as high as tens of thousands of coins. It is no longer affordable for ordinary people like us. If we force ourselves to open a textile factory, we will have to bear huge risks."

Through this economic crisis, Hu Hai finally understood what overcapacity meant, and finally understood the labor time per unit of commodity that the Han Emperor taught him two years ago. Small workshops like Zhaoli could not compete with the large workshops in Chang'an City. Almost all the workshops in the village went bankrupt due to this wave of economic crisis.

Jiang Tao said unwillingly: "Then we will just have to endure poverty?"

With hundreds of acres of land, people will definitely not starve to death, but an income of three thousand coins is not considered high in Chang'an City. The expenses of the villagers in Zhaoli are not low either. Not to mention other things, a middle school costs 5000 coins a year. If you only farm, it will be difficult to get the tuition. If there is an accident, such as a headache or fever, the family will have to fall into poverty again.

Wang Wen was unwilling to give up and said, "We have finally had the life we ​​have now. Are we going to go back again?"

Hu Hai thought for a moment and said, "No matter what the village wants to do, it has to wait until this period of time has passed. I will think of a solution after the economic crisis is over."

Village chief Jiang Tao said happily: "It's settled now."

Then the villagers brought Hu Hai back to Zhaoli in a lively manner.

October 2, the twelfth year of the Han calendar.

It was time for the annual meeting of the wise men and the conference of the princes. The governors, wise men and princes of the Han Dynasty all rushed to Chang'an City.

Chen Xiaodao of Sanchuan County stood outside the city of Chang'an with deep emotion. This year was particularly tough for the Han Dynasty. Under the impact of this wave of economic crisis, the tax revenue of his Sanchuan County had directly regressed to three years ago. This was the first time since the founding of the Han Dynasty that the result was so bad. For a moment, he didn't know how to enter the city of Chang'an.

"Chen Rui, what are you looking at here?" A voice suddenly came from behind him.

Only then did Chen Rui realize that the person was the customs officer Cao Xing.

He couldn't help but smile bitterly and said, "I am too embarrassed to see the emperor this year. I don't even know whether I should go into Chang'an City."

Cao Xing understood what he meant and said with a carefree smile: "It's not as serious as you think. Relax, the sky won't fall. Once we get through this, things will get better and better."

Chen Rui shook his head and said, "You don't know that the tax revenue difference in Sanchuan County this year is unprecedented. If the court hadn't given me a project to renovate Luoyang City, I wouldn't dare to imagine how I would have gotten through this year."

The achievements of Sanchuan County this year were all supported by the imperial court's projects. The immigration policy that had been difficult to implement in the past two years was easier to implement this year. There were 10 people in the entire Sanchuan County who settled in the south. Looking at the immigration policy alone, many Han officials can be considered excellent, but other achievements were a mess. The population of Luoyang City decreased by nearly . The population and resettlement problems that had been a headache before were all solved at once, but not in the way Chen Rui wanted to see.

Cao Xing laughed and said, "Nothing lasts forever. Today's retreat is for tomorrow's advancement. When you build the new city of Luoyang, the tax revenue will rise again. And this is a transfer from one hand to the other, so how can it be considered a loss?"

Chen Rui was speechless. The workshops controlled by local counties and prefectures suffered heavy losses in this economic crisis, but the imperial court's Shaofu was well prepared, so not only did they not suffer any losses, they also went on to acquire high-quality workshops during the crisis. That's why Cao Xing said that this was transferring money from the left hand to the right hand.

But they suffered heavy losses and their petty cash reserves were gone. If they wanted to make political achievements in the future, they could only seek approval from the imperial court at the Council of Sages.

During this crisis, the power and prestige of the Han court were comprehensively enhanced, and its control over the local areas became more solid.

This is not something that prefects like Chen Rui are willing to accept. The court is strict and everything must be done step by step. How can they achieve results?

But what can we do? It’s their own fault for not wanting to obey the emperor’s orders. No matter how bitter the consequences are, they can bear them themselves.

On October 10, the twelfth year of the Han calendar, in Chang'an City, Jianzhang Palace.

County governors from all over the Han Dynasty gathered here.

"Big Hammer, you've gone too far this time. We're all on the same side, and you've pushed the price war down to below the cost line. Do you want to make everyone starve?"

Chen Chui, the Shaofu Ling, one of the Nine Ministers, had just come in when he was criticized by all the prefects. It was no wonder that they were so angry and even ignored their brothers' face. It was because they felt that Chen Chui had gone too far.

After the crisis broke out, everyone's life was already difficult, and they tried every means to save the textile workshops under their control.

As a result, the Shaofu ruthlessly provoked a price war and directly lowered the price of cloth to below their cost line. This was no longer a business, but a disaster.

The textile market was already sluggish, and the Shaofu's mess caused it to collapse. By the time they reacted and wanted to grab a share of the market, the crisis had already reached its deepest moment, and they couldn't escape. Now many people believe that this economic crisis was caused by the Shaofu's mess.

Even though the Han Dynasty had now emerged from its most critical moment, the textile industry was still in a state of decline. The price of linen had still fallen by one-third and was still below the cost line. They lost dozens of coins for every piece of cloth they produced, forcing them to hand over their textile workshops to the court for disposal.

Chen Chui also shouted: "How dare you say this? The emperor and our Shaofu have asked you to control production capacity. We told you that there is overcapacity. If you continue to expand the textile industry, everyone will have no food to eat. But the court has been calling you for a year, and who of you listened? If you had listened to the court and not blindly expanded production capacity, there would not be this crisis."

"You are still blaming me, and I am still blaming you. Who gave you the right to set up checkpoints? The court sent you to serve as governors, and you really think you are princes. You dare to set up checkpoints privately. You want to establish yourselves as kings."

(End of this chapter)