I, the prince, only want to be deposed.

Chapter 178 It has to be His Highness!
"Your Highness...what did you say?"

After hearing Liu Ju's words, Kong Jin, Dongguo Xianyang and Sang Hongyang all looked at each other with doubt.

Obviously, they had never even heard of what Liu was talking about.

“It is a more convenient calculation tool and a more reasonable way to check accounts.”

Seeing those officials carefully placing the counting sticks one by one, which was far less efficient than the clacking abacus, Liu Ju did not hide his incompetence and continued,

"However, Mr. Kong and Mr. Dongguo should not be needed for the time being. They should still be of some use to Mr. Sang, and should be able to improve the efficiency of checking accounts."

"Well, I won't waste your time here. I'll discuss this matter with Minister Sang Nong later."

"If Minister Sang Nong finds it useful, it won't be too late to promote it to the Minister of Agriculture."

He no longer has the intention to hide his shortcomings.

After all, ever since he discovered the loophole in the "blessings of time travel", he no longer held any hope for any full-level human being. He only believed that as long as he made good use of the loophole, he would be invincible, and this Han Dynasty would also be his Han Dynasty in the future.

Therefore, when solving these problems that may shake the country's destiny.

Liu Ju must have spared no effort, as this was also laying a solid foundation for his future succession to the throne.

However, he regarded disobeying Liu Che and activating the loophole as a trump card when he could not solve the problem or faced a crisis...

However, it has come to this.

How could Kong Jin and Dongguo Xianyang suppress their curiosity? They were even more unwilling to let Sang Hongyang take all the credit.

Then Kong Jin bowed to Liu Ju and said:

"Your Highness, you may not know that although Minister Sang is good at calculating, I am from the same family as Minister Dongguo, so I am no novice in this matter of presiding over meetings. Your Highness only needs to learn a little bit."

"If what Your Highness just said is really useful, the three of us can learn it together and promote it in the Ministry of Agriculture, which will surely achieve twice the result with half the effort."

"I beg Your Highness to give me some advice!"

Dongguo Xianyang also chimed in:
"Yes, yes. Your Highness, please give us your advice. We will listen attentively."

"..."

Sang Hongyang also looked at Liu Ju with curiosity.

Although they had their own thoughts and did not hold the same stance, they all actually looked down on and criticized Liu Ju just now. Therefore, while they were curious at this moment, they also wanted to verify Liu Ju's character.

“Actually, what I said is very simple.”

Liu Ju didn't care and smiled calmly.
"Do you have any five-zhu coins here? Take some and I'll show you briefly, and you'll know what it is."

"Yes, yes, yes, I have it on me!"

Kong Jin hurriedly took out a small deerskin bag from his waist and handed it over respectfully.

Liu Ju took it and weighed it. The small bag made a rustling sound and felt heavy. It must have at least several hundred five-zhu coins in it. He couldn't help but laugh and said,

"I never thought that Kong Nongling, a high-ranking official, would carry small change with him."

"Your Highness, please forgive me for making fun of you. This is a habit I have developed over the years."

Kong only bowed slightly and smiled.

Liu Ju did not say anything more. He took three scrolls of bamboo slips from the table and laid them out horizontally as a beam. He also took a few abacus sticks and strung them through the square hole in the middle of the five-zhu coin like a string of candied haws.

Only seven five-zhu coins were strung on each counting stick, with two on top and five on the bottom, and they were placed vertically on three horizontal beams formed by three rolls of bamboo slips like grilled lamb skewers.

After arranging them in this way, Liu Ju looked at Kong Jin, Dongguo Xianyang and Sang Hongyang who had come over, and continued to introduce:
"The two copper coins above each represent the number five."

"Each of the five copper coins below represents a number."

"When you do the accounting, you just need to move the coins according to the numbers. This thing actually has the same principle as counting sticks, but it's faster and more convenient to move. I'll give you a simple demonstration, and you should be able to see it."

"One up, one down, five minus four, one minus nine, one up."

"Do you understand?"

"..."

Kong Jin, Dongguo Xianyang and Sang Hongyang watched carefully and understood Liu Ju's operation almost instantly.

After all, counting sticks and abacus are based on the same principle. The difference is that counting sticks are usually placed horizontally or vertically to represent different numbers. If placed horizontally, it represents one, then placed vertically, it represents five, and vice versa.

However, counting sticks need to be placed and collected one by one, while the abacus can easily change and reset the numbers with just a few moves of the fingers, which is indeed much easier to operate...

"I won't show you more. I believe you are more proficient in the specific calculations than I am."

Liu Ju smiled and said,

"I am just using the five-zhu coin to make a simple demonstration. It is a little awkward. I will draw a simple working diagram for you later. You can use more convenient wooden beads to replace the five-zhu coin and make a real object to try. If you find it useful, promote it among the Minister of Agriculture."

In fact, he doesn't know how to calculate at all.

Apart from the most basic formula he just demonstrated, if we ask him to demonstrate more algorithms, such as multiplication and division, he will get confused.

After all, computers and calculators have long been used in later generations.

Accountants with a little business ability can play the calculator like playing the piano. The spreadsheets on the computer only need to set the formulas, and can also generate spreadsheets in batches with one click. There are also various accounting software to assist, so the abacus has long been useless.

However, for people of this era, the abacus must be a more advanced calculation tool.

While talking.

"Your Highness is a man of talent. If this thing is promoted in the Ministry of Agriculture, the efficiency of checking accounts will definitely be greatly improved. Please accept my humble respect!"

Sang Hongyang, who was known for his mental arithmetic, had fully understood the subtleties of the abacus and immediately bowed to Liu Ju in excitement.
"Before, the King of Qi presented the Tianlu Box, which greatly improved the efficiency of iron smelting. Now, Your Highness has given us the abacus, which has made the Minister of Agriculture check accounts faster. This is truly a blessing for our Han Dynasty and a blessing for Your Majesty!"

"I just don't know what the 'Four Pillars List' you just mentioned is. Please enlighten me, Your Highness!"

An abacus had already opened his eyes. Naturally, Sang Hongyang's curiosity about the so-called "Four Pillars List" reached its peak in an instant, and he immediately asked eagerly.

"Your Highness, please teach me!"

Kong Jin and Dongguo Xianyang also hurriedly saluted.

"This four-pillar inventory is even simpler. It can be simply stated in one sentence."

Liu Ju smiled and said in the simplest way:

"Although I don't understand national finance, I do know that there are four categories of fiscal revenue and expenditure: old management, new revenue, expulsion and actual."

"Then the accounting should follow the old management plus the new collection, which is always equal to the sum of dismissal and reality. Only when the two can match can it be said that there is no problem with the account."

"This is called the Four Pillars Inventory. Isn't it simple?"

After hearing Liu Ju's words, Sang Hongyang immediately said:

"Your Highness is right. In fact, I am following this principle when reviewing the accounts. It's just that I haven't summarized it as concisely as Your Highness has for the time being."

"After hearing what Your Highness said, I suddenly understood. I just need to pass on Your Highness's theory, and the Minister of Agriculture and the various government offices will surely understand its meaning. In the future, I will be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort!"

Liu Ju was not surprised by this.

After all, people had started keeping and verifying accounts long before business had grown to a certain scale, so the methods of keeping and verifying accounts are similar.

What's more, he was facing the genius Sang Hongyang...

The so-called "Four Pillars List" is actually a concept summarized based on the shoulders of our predecessors.

Just like the theorems and theories that appeared in later generations, those principles may have been known to our predecessors, but those who summarized them and published books and reports took all the rewards and obtained the right to name them.

However, this does not mean that those who summarize and publish books have no contribution.

In fact, their contribution to mankind is also very great.

The reason why human civilization and technology can continue is because of the summarized education, which enables future generations to stand on the shoulders of giants more quickly. Otherwise, many cultural treasures will be lost if not carefully passed down.

……

The subsequent inspection work was much more boring.

Not only did the Salt and Iron Ministry have only abacus and account books, but other ministries were similar. The rest were just warehouses for storing supplies, which was not as novel as Liu Ju had imagined.

However, Kong Jin, Dongguo Xianyang and Sang Hongyang had a significant change in their impression of him.

Although Liu Ju repeatedly claimed that he "did not understand state finances", they did not dare and were unwilling to believe him easily, and were extremely cautious in every word they said.

So just half an hour later.

Liu Ju ended this inspection which yielded almost no results and got on the carriage to return to Bowang Garden.

But he was not disappointed.

The problems with the state-run salt and iron industries had lasted for such a long time. If he could have discovered and solved them with just one inspection, then Liu Che and Sang Hongyang would have solved them long ago. Why wait until now?

What's more, the problem of state-run salt and iron industries ultimately comes down to officials' corruption and favoritism.

This problem is not unique to the Han Dynasty. Looking at the history and development of mankind, both ancient and modern, both in China and abroad, this is a problem that coexists with human civilization and can never be eliminated.

Therefore, this kind of problem can only be regulated and restricted as much as possible...

Just as I was thinking about it.

"Your Highness, please stay!"

Suddenly, someone called out from outside the carriage.

The carriage stopped. Liu Ju lifted the door curtain and looked out. He saw Sang Hongyang chasing after him.
"Mr. Sang Nong, what's the matter?"

"Your Highness, forgive me."

Sang Hongyang bowed and panted,
"I used to have doubts about your highness's ability to solve the problems of the state-run salt and iron industry, but now I have no doubts. If anyone can solve this problem and complete the reform, it must be your highness."

"Prime Minister Sang Nong thinks highly of me. I can only do my best."

Liu Ju smiled and said,

"But Prime Minister Sang Nong specially came after me, it shouldn't be just to say such compliments, is he planning to provide me with some clues?"

(End of this chapter)