Chu and Han contend for the throne

Chapter 340
Ziling, the upper study of the Chu Palace.

Xiang Zhuang is holding an imperial meeting, and the topic is how to solve the problem of food shortage. In addition to Ling Yin Xiangta, the senior doctor Wu She, General Wei Bi Shu, Bai Lixian and others participated in the meeting.

Food shortage has indeed become the number one problem plaguing Chu State.

Look at Liu Bang, who just conscripted an army of 60 million to fight a big battle with the Huns. He was not out of breath, and immediately conscripted hundreds of thousands of troops to attack Jingxiang. Look at Chu State again. After ten years of savings, it was hard to save I praised 100 million shi of grain, but after the two battles of Bashu and Huainan, it almost bottomed out.

Although Bashu is a granary, the stored grain was transported to Xianyang, and the Chu army did not get any oil or water.

There was food in Jiangling, but that old man Du Hong actually set fire to the warehouse before the city was destroyed. There was no loss of military supplies in Jiangling City, but the 60 million shi of grain accumulated in the warehouse were all turned into ashes. In the battle of Jingxiang, how could Chu State enlist an army of more than a dozen or 20 troops.

Xiang Zhuang pondered for a moment, and said: "The battle of Jingxiang will eventually call for a large army."

In the battle of Jingxiang, although the Chu army is waiting for work with ease, there are strong cities to defend, and Gaochu sits in the town, but if the Han Dynasty launches an army of hundreds of thousands to attack, and there are Peng Yue's army of Liang, can the Chu army hold it well? It's really hard to say, once Jiangling is in an emergency, of course Xiang Zhuang can't just sit idly by and mobilize an army to rescue it is inevitable.

Moreover, saving troops is like putting out a fire, and Chu State has to prepare to send troops now.

Bi Shu bowed to Xiang Zhuang and said, "Your Majesty, it is not a problem to recruit government soldiers. The government soldiers in the five counties in the east of the Yangtze River have already made up for it. With just one imperial edict, 20 troops can be summoned within half a month!"

"Wait, wait, wait." Xiang He waved his hands anxiously, "20 troops?! Your Majesty, there are only tens of thousands of shi of grain left in Taicang. Come on, I have to save this little food for emergency. What will the soldiers eat when they recruit 20 troops? I can’t change the food.”

Xiang Zhuang smiled wryly: "The widow didn't say that he would send food from Taicang? Besides, how can the tens of thousands of shi of food be enough?"

Xiang He said: "If you don't get food from Taicang, where will the food come from? Since the implementation of the reform, the relationship between the major families in Jiangdong, the gentry in various counties and the imperial court has been very tense. It may be impossible to borrow food from them. Forcibly expropriating grain, or buying large quantities from the market, will definitely cause turmoil in the hearts of the people and the soaring price of grain in Chu.”

Xiang Zhuang nodded silently, forcibly requisitioning grain is absolutely impossible. Now that the reform of Chu State has just achieved some results, and the common people have gradually recognized the new law, at this time, you can’t do stupid things like killing chickens and taking eggs, even if it’s to collect grain from aristocratic families and noble families. Well, the aristocratic family and the gentry are also the common people of Chu State, and they are also the elite among the common people, how can they offend them casually?
However, the other half of Xiang Ta's sentence reminded Xiang Zhuang, why not buy grain from the people?
Just buying grain from the Ziling Grain Market is definitely not enough. The Ziling Grain Market is not big, and the daily trading volume is only a few thousand shi. But there will be no food to eat. This will definitely lead to distortions in the grain market and skyrocketing grain prices. This is definitely not acceptable.

However, it is completely possible to buy grain from the entire Jiangdong and even the entire Chu State.

The tax rate in Chu State is one tenth tax. In other words, the grain that the people turn over to the state treasury is only one-tenth of the harvest. Therefore, although the state treasury is tight, the people have surplus grain in their families, although each household does not have much surplus grain. , three or five stones, but if they are gathered together, the total amount will be quite considerable!

Not only Jiangdong, but the people in the four counties of Jingxiang and Bashu probably also have a lot of surplus food.

Of course, it is one thing for the people to have surplus grain in their hands, but it is another matter whether they are willing to sell it.

In ancient China, the main economic model was the small-scale peasant economy. The so-called small-scale peasant economy means that every household can produce almost all the necessities of life. Buying goods online to improve their lives, in this case, they will not sell surplus rations.

For example, the current Han, Qi, Zhao, Liang, Yan, etc. are all small-scale peasant economies. In these countries, if the government wants to buy food from the people, it is basically wishful thinking!

Xiang Zhuang had never thought of this before, and it was also based on such inertial thinking.

But in fact, Chu State is an exception. Chu State has vigorously rewarded industry and commerce since the beginning of the reform. After ten years of development, Chu State’s industry and commerce has been quite developed. With the emergence of large-scale handicraft workshops, commodity prices have also dropped significantly.

In the state of Chu, it is far worse for the people to grow hemp and weave their own cloth than to buy it directly from the market, and it is far less expensive than to buy white wine directly from the distillery, which is cheaper and pure in taste. Others such as agricultural tools, paper, books, tableware, etc. , and can only be purchased from the market, but these all require currency, and barter trade has died out.

Therefore, the willingness of the people of Chu to sell their excess rations is much stronger. Only by selling their excess rations into currency can they buy goods from the market to improve their lives.

In other words, it is not that there is no food in Chu State, but it is scattered among the people, and the people are willing to sell food.

However, buying surplus grain from the people is a huge and complicated task. Letting government agencies such as counties, townships, and kiosks do this is inefficient, and officials at all levels will definitely take the opportunity to enrich themselves. No way, a word popped out of Xiang Zhuang's mind - red-capped businessman!
Compared with officials of government agencies, businessmen can endure hardships and work more efficiently!

Moreover, the finances of doing business with merchants are clear, avoiding the risk of being corrupted and deducted. How much food the merchants provide and how much gold coins the court pays, you get what you pay for, it is clear.

In the history of China, the status of merchants was extremely low. It was not until the end of the Qing Dynasty that there were red-capped merchants.

The so-called red-top merchants are special merchants with official backgrounds, such as Da Shengkui. When Kangxi conquered Junggar in the early Qing Dynasty, the three founders of Da Shengkui were licensed to trade with the army, and finally developed and monopolized the trade with Mongolia. Hu Xueyan, thanks to Zuo Zongtang's full support, finally became the richest man in China at that time!
The reason why these red-top businessmen can make a fortune is inseparable from the official support, but in turn, these red-top businessmen have also given the government great help.

For example, when Kangxi conquered Junggar, if it weren’t for the fact that many merchants traded with the army, even the supply of military food would be a problem, and Junggar might not be able to win. And Zuo Zongtang, if it weren’t for Hu Xueyan’s borrowing and full support, it would be impossible for him to form an army. It is impossible for the foreign gun team to have the feat of regaining Xinjiang later.

Today's Chu State, business is gradually prospering, especially after the distribution of rewards and pensions for meritorious soldiers and soldiers who died in battle, the business of the four counties in Jiangdong has experienced unprecedented prosperity. The prosperity of business is followed by taxation. The sharp increase in lijin, so the treasury of Chu State is not short of money, at least the funds for purchasing grain are definitely not a problem.

According to the current grain price, one stone of rice is one hundred yuan, and one gold coin can buy twenty stones!

If all the money in the treasury is used to buy grain, at least [-] million stones can be purchased!

Of course, this is only an ideal state, and all the gold coins in the treasury must not be put on the market.

Just like the economic stimulus plan of the later Huaxia Kingdom, you can theoretically print unlimited banknotes, but how much banknotes can actually be put on the market is another matter. Four trillion yuan does not mean that you can put it in.

Xiang Zhuang distributed nearly ten million gold coins to the meritorious soldiers and the fallen soldiers. This is equivalent to a stimulus plan of [-] trillion yuan, which will inevitably lead to inflation in the market. If another four trillion yuan is put in, the entire market and the entire monetary system will definitely collapse.

However, it should be possible to spend a dozen or 20 gold and buy 200 million shi of grain.

So, who will be the red item merchant?A slim figure immediately appeared in Xiang Zhuang's mind.

At that moment, Xiang Zhuang said to the ministers: "Okay, let's stop here for today, and you all go back first."

Xiang Ta, Wu She and the others looked at each other in blank dismay, and they just started discussing it and then stopped discussing it?However, no one questioned anything, and all the ministers stood up and left one after another, and Xiang Zhuang ordered Jin Xiang: "Zi Cheng, you go to the Bashu post house and invite Mrs. Qin to come over, and said that I have something urgent to talk to you." She negotiates."

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The so-called Bashu posthouse is actually a posthouse specially used to entertain Bashu officials and powerful officials, and it is an official service organization integrating accommodation and dining.

In the backyard wing room, Mrs. Qin was embroidering brocade robes.

The maid, Yu'er, clapped her hands and praised: "Ma'am, your hands are really clever."

Mrs. Qin smiled slightly, but said nothing, Yu'er touched the smooth brocade, and said: "This material is really smooth, it must be the best Shu brocade, right? Well, it's also a style, it seems to be a brocade robe worn by men Ma'am, don't you have a lover, and then embroider this brocade robe to show him your heart?"

"Damn girl, what nonsense are you talking about?" Mrs. Qin said angrily, "This is embroidered for the king."

"Your Majesty?" Yu'er was stunned for a moment, then smiled again, "No wonder Madam often enters the palace recently, hehe."

"Damn girl, what are you thinking?" Mrs. Qin rolled her eyes at Yu'er, and said more and more coquettishly, "I embroidered this brocade robe and gave it to the king, isn't it for the Qin family? If the king can allow the Qin family to operate a brewing workshop in Bashu , then the Qin family will have another property, and it will be just around the corner to regain its former glory."

Yu'er looked Madam Qin up and down, and said with a smile: "Madam, sending yourself to the palace well-washed is much better than sending a brocade robe, hehe."

"You damn girl, see if I don't tear your mouth apart." Madam Qin was so ashamed that she reached out her hand to grab Yu'er.

When the master and servant were fighting, the old servant Qin Fu's voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Madam, Your Majesty invites you to enter the palace. General Huben Zhonglang is already waiting outside the post house in his car."

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PS: Sorry for the late post.

(End of this chapter)