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

Chapter 681 War Bonds and Jiangnan Wealthy Merchants

May 54, 5th year of the Han calendar, Damascus, Allied Headquarters.

Captain Han Anguo looked at the sand table on the battlefield and said with a smile: "General, the Huns have lost 5 troops in this month, and they are bleeding under the city of Antioch. Should we have a decisive battle with the Huns?"

The commanders of other countries and the Han captains at the scene also looked at Zhou Yafu with enthusiasm. The Allied forces were not completely without fighting during this period. Zhou Yafu arranged for the Allied forces to go to the Antioch battlefield in rotation after a certain amount of training. After a year, every battalion of the Allied forces had experience fighting the Huns.

But Zhou Yafu shook his head and said: "Although the Xiongnu army suffered heavy losses, most of the losses were young and strong men of the Seleucids. The Xiongnu soldiers suffered few casualties. They have not yet run out of ammunition and food."

The Huns entered the Seleucid Empire in three batches, with a total of 2 soldiers. These were the elite of the Huns. After more than a year of fighting, more than people were killed or wounded, but the military officials mobilized soldiers from the Huns to make up for the losses, so the main force of the Huns was still there. Even with more than puppet troops, the combat effectiveness of the Huns should not be underestimated at this time.

Qi Lun said with an unpleasant expression: "But General Zhou, after this year's war, the Allied Forces' military expenditure has exceeded 100 billion yuan, and we can't delay any longer."

Although Xu Aimin wanted to use this war to demonstrate the strength of the Han Dynasty, brothers should be clear about accounts. The military expenses of the allied forces were all charged to the Seleucid rebels, and they followed the formal loan process.

The Seleucid Empire issued bonds in Chang'an, with the Han Dynasty as the guarantor, and the Global Development Bank brought back the 50 billion bonds, but this military expenditure was exhausted half a year ago. The rebels had to borrow another billion, and now this money has almost been exhausted.

How much wealth is 100 billion?
So to speak, when the Romans won a great victory in the Second Punic War, they signed an agreement to cede territory and pay compensation to the Carthaginians. The compensation was about 10 billion coins. You should know that Carthage can be said to be the richest country in the Mediterranean region, and now they owe 10 times the compensation for the Punic War.

Zhou Yafu said calmly: "The financial industry of our Han Dynasty is well developed, and we can help the Seleucid Empire find a way to borrow another 100 billion yuan."

Zhou Yafu was only concerned with gaining the greatest chance of victory for the Allied forces and reducing casualties among soldiers. He did not care much about the consumption of money and food.

"Borrow another 100 billion!" Qilin said fearfully.

Li Ji advised, "What we are competing with the Huns is who has more money and food, and who has more weapons. General, you feel sorry for the 100 billion coins, but you have never thought that without the 100 billion coins, the Seleucid Empire would have lost a million young and strong people. Moreover, General, you have to think long-term. Even if you defeat the Huns, the entire Seleucid Empire will suffer from war, and millions of people will be displaced and homeless. All of these need money and food to support them."

Qi Lun slumped in his chair and said helplessly: "I will order the ambassador to Han to raise another 100 billion war bonds in Chang'an City."

Li Ji smiled and said, "Dmitri and his men sent their men to contact me, and they have some intention of rebelling. Originally, they wanted to be the dogs of the Huns, but now the Huns want to kill dogs and eat their meat. Dmitri and his men have also discovered this and want to return to our Han Dynasty."

Fan Kang said angrily, "They are both studying in our Han Dynasty. Look at how prosperous the Roman Empire was. And then look at these prodigals. They have ruined the foundation of a great country."

Li Ji smiled and said, "I think this is a turning point in this battle. Now Dmitri and his men are in Seleucia. With these people as our internal support, the Allies may be able to organize all the guerrillas and capture Seleucia. Once this city is captured, the Huns' logistics supply will be seized by the Allies. Our army will be in a situation where we are beating the dog behind the gate. Junchen will not be able to escape even if he wants to."

Zhou Yafu looked at the location of Seleucia and said, "You and General Chiron go to Seleucia and organize the local guerrillas. At the same time, contact Dmitri. If there is a chance, we can have a decisive battle."

Li Ji and Qi Lun said, "Yes!"

October 54, 5st year of the Han calendar, Chang'an City, Zhangtai Palace.

Xu Aiming was still busy reviewing memorials when he heard his attendant say that Song Chang, the director of the money house, wanted to see him.

"Xuan!"

When Song Chang saw the emperor, he said with a sense of grievance: "Your Majesty, you should control the allied commander Zhou Yafu. In just one year, 100 billion military expenditures have been spent, but the Huns have not been defeated. Now they are asking global banks to subscribe to another 100 billion Seleucid bonds, which adds up to 4 billion. Even if the cheapest interest rate is 200%, the interest on 9 billion bonds is million per year. The Seleucid Empire is a poor small country. The country is still in war and has been plundered by the Huns. How can they pay back such a huge debt? If this continues, this debt should all fall on the heads of the Han people."

Xu Aimin frowned when he heard this. He had been paying attention to this war. A few days ago, Antioch once again blocked the Huns' fierce attack, causing more than 5 casualties to each Hun, and even triggered a rebellion. In a short period of time, the Huns no longer had the power to attack. The Huns were already showing signs of defeat. Since Zhou Yafu's strategy was successful, he naturally didn't want to change his generals. After all, the Han people with only 200 billion could still withstand it.

Xu Aimin could only comfort him, "Changing generals before a battle is a taboo. For the imperial court, anything that can be solved with money is not a big deal."

Song Chang said helplessly: "Your Majesty, in this year, various countries have borrowed more than 500 billion yuan from the Global Development Bank. If the Seleucid Kingdom's loan becomes a bad debt today, the bank's laws have not been established from the beginning. If the princes of my Han Dynasty follow suit, the Global Development Bank will go bankrupt. The kings have borrowed billion from the bank to develop their own vassal states. If the Seleucids can ignore the interest, then these kings can also be exempted. But in this case, the kings will have to empty the deposits of the Global Bank."

Since Xu Shao and others were enfeoffed overseas, a competition for the throne of the Han Dynasty has begun. Xu Aimin's ten sons, each with their own supporters and a large amount of materials, invested in the construction of Nanzhou and Yanzhou.

These Han kings have great power, abundant resources and a strong sense of competition. In two years, Nanzhou and Yanzhou have received tens of billions of investments from the Han people, and the two continents have added millions of Han immigrants. The city construction, land reclamation and specialty development of these ten vassal states have all shown rapid development.

Although the development results of the two continents are remarkable, after two years of consumption, the resources of these princes are almost exhausted, so much so that they have to borrow money from the Global Development Bank. If they knew that there were interest-free loans, these princes would really dare to empty the Global Development Bank.

Xu Aimin was stunned when he heard this, he really had not thought of this, but it was really possible that it would happen. Based on his understanding of the princes of the Han Dynasty, when these princes found out that the Seleucid debt had not been repaid, they would definitely think that their relationship with the Han Dynasty was closer and would not pay the money back. Not to mention their own sons, who would have to compete for the throne of the Han Dynasty and would need almost endless resources. It would be disastrous if they discovered this loophole.

But he did not establish the Global Development Bank to cheat for his son. The purpose of the Han Dynasty setting up the Global Development Bank was to let other countries buy the Han Dynasty's industrial products to boost the economy. The Han Dynasty's industrial products can also improve the production efficiency of countries around the world, increase the development of their own agricultural products and cash crops, and make these countries become the Han Dynasty's commodity markets and raw material production bases. This is a win-win deal.

Looking at this year, the effect has been fruitful. The 500 billion loaned out by global banks has all become orders for Dahan's factories. This year, Dahan's economy has clearly accelerated. All of Dahan's industrial bases are producing machinery at full capacity, which is then transported to countries around the world. Industrial upgrading has also gone smoothly. The number of motors in thermal power stations has increased rapidly. Chang'an, Kuaiji County, Chen County and other large cities already have relatively complete small power grids, and motors have begun to replace steam engines as the main power source for production.

The obsolete steam engines and other equipment were sold at low prices to other princes and countries of the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty's scrap copper and iron were sold for 500 billion yuan, and the development of global customer banks played an indispensable role.

It has become an important tool for the Han Dynasty to build globalization, not a place for countries around the world to fleece the Han Dynasty. This rule must be established.

Xu Aimin thought for a moment and said, "The imperial court must continue this war, so the Seleucid war bonds must be sold, but it is not necessary to develop banks around the world to buy them. You can summon the owners of private banks across the Han Dynasty as the bank commander. Although the interest rate of 45% is a little lower, it can still be a good deal if you give a discount."

Transferring the risk, Song Chang understood and said he knew what to do. It was time to kill the pigs again.

May 54, the 5th year of the Han calendar, Chang'an City, Zhuque Street.

One after another, extended public buses were driving quickly on the wide Zhuque Street, and the larger number were large and small horse-drawn carriages. For the people of Chang'an at that time, horse-drawn carriages were no longer a tool to show off their status, but a tool for their daily lives.

Among these long lines of carriages, a tractor and various strangely shaped steam engines appear from time to time. At the same time, in the past two years, light and fast electric cars have also begun to appear on the streets. Every electric car that appears will attract the attention of the crowd on the street. Due to their high prices and short range, these electric cars are a luxury for wealthy people. Ordinary people cannot afford them.

Among the huge traffic, there is a 95 Supreme Enhanced Edition sedan. This sedan has a large interior space and is fully equipped with various functional equipment, which can be used for rest and work. The model has beautiful streamlines, and the material has been replaced with Han steel, which can withstand the shooting of Han rifles. The main feature is safety and solidity. Once launched, it has been loved by the Han rich class.

A middle-aged man with a somewhat plump figure in the carriage looked at the bustling streets and sighed: "No wonder people say Chang'an is a city on wheels. This kind of scene can't be seen in Jiangnan."

Liu You, the owner of the carriage, said with a smile: "Brother Kuai is too modest. Jiangnan is developing very fast. Kuaiji County is as prosperous as Chang'an. This kind of scene will also appear in Jiangnan in a few years." "But the soul of Chang'an City is not these endless streams of carriages. This is the national laboratory established by the emperor. A lot of good things have been produced in the laboratory over the years. The craftsmen who hold shares and the wealthy businessmen who buy a set of patents have made a lot of money. In the past two years, there have been 50 companies listed, and countless craftsmen have become millionaires and multi-millionaires."

The man called Brother Kuai by Liu You was none other than Kuai Xu, the owner of the Jiangnan Money House. He was the son of Kuai Che. Back then, the Kuai family took advantage of the Han Dynasty's policy of cultivating the south of the Yangtze River and settled in the south of the Yangtze River. Over the decades, they have accumulated huge wealth and are now known as the richest businessman in Jiangnan.

At the same time, the Kuai family was quite famous in the academic world, and the Fumin School founded by Kuai Che also had considerable influence in Jiangnan. At its peak, there were more than 100,000 students and tens of thousands of disciples in the Fumin School. The message of enriching the people and emphasizing agriculture was spread everywhere in Jiangnan.

However, because of their huge power, they attracted the attention of the Han Dynasty. When Jia Yi was the governor of Jingnan, the state-run economy hit the Kuai family's industry. The Xiangshan Academy founded by Kuai Che was nationalized by the Han Dynasty and became a professional business school. As a result of this blow, the Kuai family kept a low profile for several years.

Soon, the carriage stopped at the gate of Chang'an Stock Exchange, and Liu You brought Kuai Xu in.

Kuai Xu looked at the numbers flashing in the stock exchange and said in surprise, "I haven't been to Chang'an for only three years, and Chang'an has changed so much?"

Liu You smiled and said, "This is just an electric light. The craftsmen in Chang'an made a very small electric light. Then they arranged it neatly and controlled the brightness of the light to display the words."

There are also electric lights in the south of the Yangtze River. It is said that the newly appointed Shu County Governor Guan He reported a project to build a water conservancy dam on the Minjiang River to the Sage Han Dynasty two years ago. It is said that this project can prevent floods, resist droughts, and reduce the impact of natural disasters on Shuzhong, but its most important function is to use the dam to generate electricity to solve Chengdu’s electricity demand. It is said that once the dam is completed, it will meet the electricity needs of the entire Chengdu.

After the World Expo, all the states and counties of the Han Dynasty started to build thermal power plants and small power grids. Now, kerosene lamps have been replaced by electric lamps in many places of the Han Dynasty, and street lamps have also started to use electric lamps. The industrial areas of the Han Dynasty have begun to use electricity as one of the infrastructure construction. So Kuai Xudao also knew about electric lamps, but he didn't have modern electric lamps that were so small and could display numbers.

Kuai Xu sighed, "Sure enough, only in Chang'an City can we see the latest technology of the Han Dynasty. No wonder the people of Chang'an say that we are Jiangnan bumpkins."

Liu You said with a smile: "Brother Kuai is too modest. People in Chang'an are not looking down on people in the south of the Yangtze River. Instead, they are envious of the prosperity of the south of the Yangtze River."

This is not an exaggeration. After half a century of development by the Han Dynasty, the level of development of Jiangnan at this time is catching up with that of Jiangnan in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Various economic crop gardens are built one after another, and the level of railways, bridges, and roads is not inferior to that of the Central Plains. The economic development even far exceeds that of the Central Plains.

The most profitable cash crops of the Han Dynasty, such as sugar cane, tea, rubber, tobacco, and silk, are all grown in the Jiangnan region. These cash crops siphoned off the world's wealth, which was equivalent to the golden 50 years in the entire Jiangnan region, and there was no blood sucking by the great powers. Although the heavy industry was a little backward, the Jiangnan region could directly purchase the industrial products of the Han Dynasty. In addition, the Han Dynasty has been subsidizing the development of Jiangnan for decades. Although it cannot be said that there is no industrial-agricultural scissors gap, this is definitely the smallest one.

Without having to bear military pressure or heavy industrial expenses, the Age of Discovery opened up global trade routes. Although the urbanization and industrial levels of Jiangnan at this time were not as high as those of the Central Plains, its agricultural economic talent had already been revealed. The land of fish and rice had replaced the land of abundance as the synonym for wealth.

Of course, the representative city of Jiangnan, Kuaiji County, has always been catching up with Chang'an City, which has caused dissatisfaction among some Chang'an people. In addition, the Age of Exploration brought a lot of dividends to Jiangnan. These wealthy businessmen often booked theaters and stadiums in Chang'an City, bought star players, and other nouveau riche actions, which caused dissatisfaction among the people in Guanzhong. They didn't even have a baron, so why were they so arrogant in Chang'an City? Do you know what it means to be under the feet of the emperor? Even if you hit a person with a brick, you can still hit the son of a wealthy family. What are you, the wealthy businessmen who only have money? The people of Chang'an called the local tyrants from Jiangnan Jiangnan bumpkins.

Kuai Xu shook his head and said, "I know myself well."

He understood that although Kuaiji County was prosperous, it was not the capital of the Han Dynasty after all. In the Han Dynasty, power determined everything. Although he was richer than a king, he was not a king after all.

Then he saw the shares of Peiguo Shipyard, and said, "1054 coins? Brother Liu, the market of Peiguo Shipyard is not very good."

The minimum price per share in the Han stock exchange is over a thousand coins. 1054 coins is not only not good, it is about to be delisted.

Liu You smiled bitterly and said, "The Pei State Shipyard still has some technical level, but it has not kept up with the era of steam turbines recently. However, the Marquis of Pei has already paid attention to the problem of the shipyard and started to purchase new shipbuilding equipment and train craftsmen in the Han Dynasty. It's just that they lack funds, so they invited Brother Kuai to invest."

Then he said seriously: "Let Brother Kuai invest at 1000 per share, and Pei Hou is willing to give 2% of the shares."

If he had a choice, he did not want to give up his shares in the Pei State Shipyard. This shipyard was founded by his father and has been the pillar of Pei State for decades. It has special commemorative significance to the Liu You brothers, but most of his money was sunk in the Xiongnu stock market. It would be impossible to get it back unless the war was over. And to revive a large shipyard, it would take more than just a little money.

Upon hearing this, Kuai Xu fell into deep thought. If he had the opportunity to invest in Peiguo Shipyard a few years ago, he would have been willing to do so.

At that time, Peiguo Shipyard had an annual revenue of more than 50 billion coins and a profit of more than billion coins, making it one of the most profitable listed companies in the entire Han Dynasty.

It's a pity that Peiguo Shipyard failed to keep up with the new round of industrial upgrading in the Han Dynasty. All the shipyards in the Han Dynasty began to produce steel ships, but Peiguo Shipyard was reluctant to give up their original raw material advantages. While other places in the Han Dynasty were using steel to build ships, they still continued to use wood, but they also began to install steam engines.

But clinging to the old times will eventually lead to being abandoned by the times. In less than ten years, the gap between wooden ships and steel ships became apparent. Steel ships completely defeated wooden ships, and Peiguo Shipyard could not keep up with the times. Naturally, its performance plummeted. Now its annual revenue barely exceeds 10 billion, and its losses have reached million. In this situation, without external capital injection, bankruptcy is a high probability.

Therefore, Kuai Xu did not want to board the sinking ship of Pei State Shipyard at this time, but the Liu family was a well-deserved wealthy family in the Han Dynasty. There were vassal states outside the Han Dynasty, and there were high-ranking military and political officials within the Han Dynasty, especially the Shaofu Ling Liu Heng, who was a popular candidate for the next prime minister of the Han Dynasty. The status of the three officials of the Han Dynasty was one level higher than that of the vassal states. They were truly able to rule the world. He, a small businessman, dared not offend them.

Kuai Xu thought for a moment and said, "Forget about the investment. I can lend 30 billion yuan to Pei Hou at % interest."

Liu You thought about it and nodded: "Yes."

"Ding ding ding!" At this time the stock exchange's listing bell rang.

At this time, a staff member said: "The third phase of the Seleucid War Bonds is being issued, with an annual interest rate of 100%, and a total of billion coins are issued. Those who are interested can buy it."

Originally, when everyone heard the listing bell, they thought there was a new listed company, but they didn't expect it was the issuance of war bonds by the Seleucid Empire. Everyone curled their lips in disdain, thinking that the imperial court was here to cheat everyone's money.

At the beginning, the first phase of Seleucid war bonds was very popular. No one thought that the Huns were the opponent of the Han Dynasty. However, not many people bought the second phase of war bonds six months later, because everyone found that the Huns were always on the offensive. Zhou Yafu was not Han Xin, the Duke of Mobei, who could easily eliminate the Huns. Most of the second phase of war bonds were purchased by global development banks.

Now the amount of the third phase is as high as 100 billion coins, but there is still no news of the Allied victory on the front line. No one holds out much hope. The most important thing is that all the shareholders here know the situation of the Seleucid Empire. It is a big country in Daqin Continent with a population of tens of millions, but after experiencing this war, who knows how long it will take to recover? The debt of 200 billion, the interest alone is 9 million coins every year. For a country that has experienced war, I am afraid it can't even pay the interest.

Seeing such a deserted scene, the staff member said anxiously: "The third issue of Seleucid War Bonds is 98% off. This is a rare opportunity! A rare opportunity!"

But not many people were willing to buy. The staff could only continue: "The third issue of Seleucid war bonds offers a 95% discount, which is already three times more than the interest earned at the bank."

Kuai Xu smiled and said, "I didn't expect that the court valued the Seleucid Empire so much that they actually allowed them to raise money in Chang'an. You know, even the sons of princes were punished a few years ago."

Liu Chang said: "The Seleucid Empire is located in a strategic location and is very important to our Han Dynasty. However, with a 95% discount, the interest rate is more than 10%. This is also a good deal in the Han Dynasty. Brother Kuai is not tempted."

Kuai Xu said: "High profits mean high risks. This little profit cannot offset the risks. In my opinion, this is a junk-grade bond."

(End of this chapter)