I will be the master of Xuande

Chapter 599 Xiao Wu Baht destroyed the dynasty and aimed at Guanzhong
Previously, when Liu Bian and Dong Zhuo wanted to conquer the west, control Liangzhou and open up trade channels for the countries in the Western Regions, the Guanzhong area did not have much food and money.

The conquest of Liangzhou will undoubtedly cost a lot of money and food.

War is about the economy. If the economy is not good, all wars are bound to be lost.

But Dong Zhuo was over 60 years old, and he was very anxious to establish a legacy that would last forever. Liu Bian had just taken over the throne, and he also hoped to establish his prestige as emperor through a big war.

Let them slowly reclaim Guanzhong, accumulate wealth, and then go on an expedition to the west. Neither of them can wait.

So Liu Bian and Dong Zhuo engaged in a show of manipulation.

The two of them issued a new currency - small five baht coins.

Compared with the five baht originally circulated in the Han Dynasty, the weight of this small five-baht coin was far less, or even less than one-third of the previous one.

By using small five-baht coins to make more coins, a large amount of materials can be purchased within the jurisdiction of the Han Dynasty to maintain their military supplies for the Western Expedition.

From the perspective of Dong Zhuo and Liu Bian, the Guandong region is now not under their control. The left and right are the territories claimed by the princes and pastors.

The money and taxes of the people there cannot be uniformly allocated and used by the court, so it would be better to use small five-baht currency to absorb their wealth.

Subsequently, a large number of super-issued small five-baht coins were produced by the court and distributed to the people.Harvest the material wealth of states and counties through official channels.

However, how could Liu Jian, a later generation, be defeated by Dong Zhuo and Liu Bian using such economic means?

Although the imperial court had an official decree to use small five-baht coins as official currency in various states, Liu Jian used a series of operations to prevent this matter from being quickly implemented within his jurisdiction, or in other words, it was impossible to implement it.

It is naturally not advisable to openly defy the imperial court.

However, Liu Jian was confident that he could secretly make officials slack off and do nothing.

The circulation speed of small five-baht coins in Hebei is not slow, it can be said to be surprisingly slow.

Moreover, although Hebei is still dominated by small farmers, the main economic commodities of Hebei states are now unified and coordinated by the Hebei Chamber of Commerce and Trade.

Behind the Hebei Chamber of Commerce and Trade is the State and Animal Husbandry Office of Hebei, which is also the General's Mansion.

This has formed a market system in which the government agencies through the Hebei Chamber of Commerce and Industry conduct unified pricing and sales of important strategic materials.

For example, important materials such as food and iron, including paper, salt, and brocade, are all priced uniformly by the government and circulated in the market. Local powerful people are not allowed to use the materials they control to make national wealth, and no one is allowed to hoard them. , used to plunder the wealth of ordinary people and cause social unrest.

To put it bluntly, even if Liu Jian asked people in his own territory to barter, he would never let the small currency issued by the imperial court enter his territory.To absorb the wealth accumulated by running Hebei for many years.

This is the wealth that he and the people in his prefecture and county have accumulated through hard work over the years. It is the wealth that he and his people have created with their own wisdom and efforts. How can the emperor and Dong Zhuo use it? Unwarranted extravagance serves their illusory ambitions.

Hebei, under the control of Liu Jian, was the fastest to respond to the small five-baht coins issued by the court.

The prefectures and counties under Liu Jian's command, except for some border areas with Guanzhong or the junction with the Sanhe area, suffered almost no monetary losses.

The counties in Hebei and outside the Great Wall have maintained good economic exchanges, achieving an effective internal cycle and supporting the people of Hebei to live a better life than those in other states and counties.

Except for Liu Jian, the other princes in the world are not stupid either.

Especially Yuan Shao and Cao Cao.

Their reaction to the new currency system implemented by the imperial court was not as quick as Liu Jian's, but they had one thing that Liu Jian couldn't match, that is, their territories were all in the south. In a sense, their Regions can implement policies more slowly and are less vulnerable to monetary exploitation.

Therefore, when Yuan Shao and Cao Cao reacted, they immediately followed Liu Jian's actions and implemented a secret policy of banning the circulation of small currencies in the states and counties under their control.

Cao Cao simply traded bulk commodities directly within the country according to the principle of barter, destroying the small farmer economic and trade method in the Jiangnan area in one fell swoop.

As for Yuan Shao, he already felt that he had fallen out with the court. Why did he care about the court's face?
If Yuan Shao does not implement the new policy, but if he implements the new monetary policy, will the court look good on him?
Moreover, the new currency plundered not only the wealth of ordinary people, but also the wealth of aristocratic families, who were the foundation of Yuan Shao's power.

As the leader of a prominent family in the south, Yuan Shao, while strongly resisting the new currency system, will also receive unanimous approval and support from the powerful families in the south. This is also a good thing for Yuan Shao.

Of course, due to Yuan Shao and Cao Cao's slow response, some of their wealth had been plundered by the court, but fortunately they were able to stop their losses in time.

In this way, after Liu Bian issued the new currency system, the largest area he plundered was not Yuan Shao, whom he hated, nor Cao Cao, whom he hated, nor the wealthy land of Hebei that he coveted.

Most of the wealth he plundered came from the Guanzhong, Sizhou and Sanhe areas under his control, as well as the ruined Central Plains and the Xishu area with very inconvenient transportation. Even the barren Liangzhou was not spared.

What are the consequences of what Liu Bian did?

The new money he issued was the most cheap and cheap money in the history of money.

The word "五铢" is incomplete and difficult to identify, so the world ridiculed it as "no writing".

The large-scale issuance of small money caused huge inflation in half of the states and counties in the Han Dynasty.

Cheap but expensive, a grain of dendrobium cost hundreds of thousands, which was a true reflection of the price of grain at that time.

For the Han people in Guanzhong and the Central Plains, even northern Yizhou, and some Liangzhou, such high food prices are like Mount Tai overwhelming them... Who can afford it?

Who can survive?

There is no doubt that the reasons behind this are complicated. The main driving reason is that there are many local right-wing families who are struggling to make money. They are adding fuel to the fire and using this incident to further squeeze the serfs. While making money, they You can also gain more disciples to expand your power.

In the current Han Dynasty, the northwest, southwest and Central Plains regions once again formed a violent chaos.

The concept of equal replenishment has become more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people at the bottom because of the small money circulating everywhere!

The imperial court doesn’t want people to live!
The aristocratic families, as well as the powerful people who hoard food, are not letting people live.

What if it doesn’t happen?
In this way, rebellions began to increase in various places.

And the scale of these rebellions is growing.

Obviously, after the baptism of this small money incident, the people at the bottom have reached a new level of survival and rebellion.

A huge wave of rebellion began to brew on Chinese soil.

This terrifying trend is not only brewing in the northwest, southwest and interior of the Central Plains of China,

Even the territories of Yuan Shao, Cao Cao and Liu Jian would not be completely peaceful.

Liu Jian had a feeling that perhaps a peasant uprising no less powerful than the Yellow Turban Uprising would arise again. Of course, the scale should be far smaller than the Yellow Turban Uprising, but the momentum and people's anger might not be lower than in the Yellow Turban Uprising.

For Liu Jian's territory at this time, not only the small five-baht coins issued by the court will no longer be able to circulate, but also the circulation and trade of the original five-baht coins will be greatly weakened.

The small peasant economy of the entire Han Dynasty will face an unprecedented test.

Many hard currencies may show their unique market value and economic test capabilities at this time.

The first hard currency to be affected is food!

Another hard currency, according to Liu Jian's judgment, is Qingzhou brocade!
There are also sea salt, ironware and some books that are highly circulated among the nobles.

Including green and white ceramics and other items.

Who knows, even his land in Hebei and real estate in important cities will rise dramatically.

As for the huge potential threat hidden among the people, not everyone in the court was aware of it.

But now everyone in the court is not paying attention to this.

In other words, for many noble family heads with imperial families in the north, this chaos is also what they hope for.

After all, due to the warlord war, the Han Dynasty can no longer restrict local noble families from developing their own power and expanding their armed forces. Many ambitious right-wingers want to take this opportunity to become the dominant force.

They don't want to do a big business, but at least they can dominate one area within a radius of hundreds of miles. They can even ignore the orders of the court and regard the law as nothing.

This is a very tempting thing for many right-wing people.

The court couldn't feel it, but Liu Jian could feel it very clearly.

And he also knew how big a change this incident would bring to the overall political structure of the Han Dynasty.

Once a local peasant uprising breaks out, the Xiliang Army with Dong Zhuo on the court will not be afraid of the peasant uprising. If the 10,000+ Xiliang Army just wants to rely on military suppression, it can completely put out the war.

Of course, it’s hard to say whether the attack will be complete or not.

And by that time, the most casualties will still be the ordinary civilians...

Liu Jian probably explained what he was thinking to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, and the expressions of his two brothers became extremely serious.

"Brother, if that's the case, then we should quickly return to Yecheng to gather soldiers, mobilize food and grass, and be ready to suppress local rebellions at any time. There may also be a crisis in the court, right? We can enter westward in the name of rescue this time Chang'an, my brother can enter the court and preside over the government."

"That emperor is really stupid, and he brought the Han Dynasty into this state!"

"If brother doesn't join the court, the great situation we have established in Hebei and Mobei over the years will also be ruined because of him!"

These words were said by Zhang Fei.

This unique insight really made Liu Jian and Guan Yu look at him with admiration.

Now Zhang Fei is not only a military strategist but also a strategist, and his political vision has also improved several levels compared to before.However, compared to Guan Yu, who is now Hanzhou Mu, Zhang Fei's overall strategic vision is still slightly worse and still needs to be improved.

Then he saw Guan Yu stroking his long beard and slowly explaining to Zhang Fei:
"Brother, what the court is doing now is all in a hurry for success, and the shortcomings accumulated among the people can no longer be solved in an instant. Even though most of these things happened in the Central Plains and Guanzhong, they may not have any impact on me, Hebei. affected,"

"We in Hebei Province have been committed to pacifying foreign tribes and opening up territory over the past few years. Although we have achieved great results, we still have a long way to go to assimilate the foreign tribes into their entire power."

"Now, on the surface, although the tribes outside the Great Wall are submissive, it is only because I, Hebei, hold the products that can check and balance their lifeblood!"

"Once the Central Plains is in chaos and the imperial court is in danger, there is no guarantee that some foreigners will not be ready to take action. Moreover, my brother has been committed to implementing the New Deal over the years and has infringed on the interests of many prominent families..."

"Although these people from prominent families may appear to be surrendering on the surface, they must be unwilling to do so in their hearts. There is no guarantee that once there is a huge turmoil, they will secretly take the opportunity to fish in the troubled waters of Hebei people and lead the war to Hebei."

"So once chaos breaks out in Guanzhong and the Central Plains, Hebei must take the lead in committing to internal stability!"

When Zhang Fei heard this, he nodded thoughtfully and agreed with Guan Yu's statement.

"My brother is right, but I didn't think it through."

"Although I, Hebei, are committed to preventing being implicated in the stupid policies of the imperial court, after all, the states and counties of the Han Dynasty are of the same origin. Once Guanzhong and the Central Plains are involved, I, Hebei, are so close to these areas, plus the local area People’s hearts are unpredictable, how can they not be implicated?”

Guan Yu nodded and said: "So in order to stabilize the situation, we must stabilize the good situation in Hebei and Northern Xinjiang. As long as Hebei is stable and the trade in Northern Xinjiang is stable, my brother's great cause cannot be shaken even by wind and thunder! Therefore, Northern Xinjiang can't shake it!" Both Xinjiang and Hebei must be guarded by heavy troops and famous generals."

When he heard this, Zhang Fei's face suddenly dropped and he looked very depressed.

"From what my brother says, it seems that you and I have to stay in Hebei?"

Liu Jian on the side couldn't help laughing when he heard this.

"Since Yide has got the point of the matter right, why are you so lonely? You and Yunchang really can't leave Hebei easily anymore. You know it yourself."

"Needless to say, Yun Chang must go to Hanzhou and take charge of the local area to take charge of the situation and supervise the foreigners!"

"And Yide, you are going to Youzhou to work with Qu Yi to prevent the threats to Youzhou from the tribes outside the Great Wall in the north. After all, the iron ore in Youzhou is the lifeblood of Hebei, so there must be no mistakes. As for Zilong He Hansheng will be stationed in Bingzhou."

"So, if I turn around and march west to Guanzhong, none of you will be able to accompany me."

Hearing this, Guan Yu stood up and bowed his hands respectfully to Liu Jian: "Brother, don't worry, Guan must be optimistic about Hanzhou and be committed to waterway trade between Hanzhou and Hebei. He will use the fastest speed to Chineseize Hanzhou and make Hanzhou It will become a strategic base for me, the great man, to supervise the grassland tribes."

Liu Jian nodded with satisfaction and said, "Yun Chang understands my heart well."

Zhang Fei also stood up with a look of helplessness and bowed his hand towards Liu Jian.

Liu Jian said seriously: "Yide, you understand in your heart how important you, Yun Chang and Brother Xuande are to me."

"Only three of you, one in Hanzhou, one in Youzhou, one in Xuzhou, plus Zilong and Hansheng in Bingzhou, can I handle the court affairs with peace of mind!"

"After all, if I have to face Dong Zhuo and the Emperor, as well as more than [-] Xiliang troops, such a powerful enemy, my rear must be absolutely stable."

"Brother, I know what you mean, but I just feel a little worried! How can I not worry if my brother is asked to go to the west to confront Dong Zhuo and the Emperor alone?"

Liu Jian smiled and said: "Yide, what is there to worry about? You don't know the strength of our Hebei. In addition to you and Yun Chang, and brother Xuande, we have countless elite soldiers and generals. Even though I don’t have any of you brothers going west with me, I think that with my current strength, if I want to take advantage of this opportunity to take over the imperial court, I have at least a [-]% chance of winning.”

Zhang Fei sighed: "It doesn't matter if the opponent is someone else, but if the opponent is the Xiliang Army, I don't think my brother has more than a [-]% chance of winning."

Liu Jian knew in his heart that the Xiliang Army's combat power was unparalleled in the world. Although the Hebei soldiers were experienced in hundreds of battles and may have better equipment than the Xiliang Army, the Xiliang Army's fierceness and combat experience could not Definitely above the Hebei Army.

Once this powerful army confronts the Hebei Army, Liu Jian's [-]% chance of winning is indeed a bit much.

Liangzhou's generals have been at the ceiling level of the Han Dynasty since ancient times.

However, Liu Jian slowly stood up and said to the two brothers beside him.

"So what if the Xiliang army is the strongest army in the world? Didn't we encounter many more difficulties in the past than we do today? We have defeated enemies that are several times stronger than us, not to mention our power now. The big man is already invincible."

"Could it be that his Xiliang army is the strongest in the world, and we are not the strongest in the world?"

These words were so powerful and powerful that both Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were heartbroken.

Guan Yu smiled and said to Zhang Fei: "Yide, ever since we met, my brother has been worrying about us. When will it be our turn to worry about him again?"

Zhang Fei smiled cheerfully and said, "That's true."

After saying that, Zhang Fei looked at Liu Jian and asked, "Brother, when will we return to Hebei?"

Liu Jian said slowly: "It's almost there, but there is still one thing that needs to be dealt with. After that, let's go."

Guan Yu stroked his beard, narrowed his eyes and said, "Brother, are you going to help Brother Xuande clear away the elbow and armpit troubles in Xuzhou?"

Liu Jian nodded slowly and said, "Not bad!"

"The forces like Sun Guan, Yin Li, and Wu Dun cannot stay. They must either be conquered or destroyed."

"Zuo Rong and Que Xuan in the south must also be dealt with. These two are unstable and self-interested people. If they are not settled properly, they will be used by Cao Cao in the future, which will cause endless troubles."

Zhang Fei cupped his hands and said: "Sun Guan, Wu Dun and others, I would like to get rid of them!"

Liu Jian smiled and said: "Don't worry, let Xiao Jian send someone to communicate with them."

"Last time, I sent people to communicate with them and asked them to cooperate with me in taking Tancheng. They neither agreed nor objected. This shows that they were confused and didn't know what to do."

"Now that Zang Ba is dead, there is no one who can be their backbone, and now they are also confused about their future."

"I feel that instead of wiping them all out, it's better to just take them for your own use."

"Of course, if they are unwilling, it will not be too late to start another conquest."

Zhang Fei and Guan Yu nodded immediately.

"Then, what should we do with Zuo Rong and Que Xuan?"

Liu Jian said seriously: "The two of them were the heroes who welcomed us into Tancheng. Logically speaking, I shouldn't attack them. But recently I heard that Zuo Rong was promoting Buddhism in the south and building pagodas. Logically speaking, It’s not a bad thing to say that he advocates one religion and can bring salvation to all people, but he just collects money everywhere and destroys people’s livelihood and stability.”

"I heard that when Tao Qian was here, Zuo Rong was a money-grubbing man. He monopolized the economic corridor between Tancheng and the south, and forcibly collected the tax revenue from the three counties, which caused great trouble to Tao Qian."

"I don't trust such a person. I need to confirm carefully."

"Let's see if he is qualified to govern in Xuzhou."

"If I can't keep such people, then I will get rid of them directly and then return to Yecheng."

"No need to leave them here to cause trouble to my brother."

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei suddenly realized what they were saying.

……

A few days later, Xiao Jian's envoy went to see Sun Guan, Yin Li and others.

In fact, Xiao Jian's subordinates did not have anyone who was eloquent, nor anyone who could speak powerfully.

Therefore, Liu Jian recommended a person to Xiao Jian and asked him to send this person as an envoy to see Sun Guan and others.

This person is Zhuge Jin.

Liu Jian also wanted to use this incident to test Zhuge Jin's diplomatic ability.

Because when he talked to him last time, he found that Zhuge Jin was very capable in this area, but he was still limited to talking on paper.

So this time Liu Jian planned to test him with actual events.

Facts have proved that Zhuge Jin lived up to Liu Jian's high expectations.

At first, after meeting Zhuge Jin, Sun Guan, Yin Li and others expressed their willingness to submit to Liu Jian.

However, they demanded their own independent rights to act and govern the military.

That is to say, like Zang Ba, he stationed troops in Kaiyang. Although he was nominally subordinate to Tao Qian, he actually led his own side.

Zhuge Jin didn't even have to go back to report this matter to Liu Jian, he directly rejected it here.

What follows is a long brainwashing process.

Zhuge Jin brainwashed Sun Guan and others.

They analyzed it from various military angles, analyzed the situation, and analyzed the world situation... In short, after listening to Zhuge Jin's analysis, Sun Guan and the others felt that they were going to die.

In the end, under Zhuge Jin's constant deception and intimidation, Sun Guan, Wu Dun, and Yin Li expressed their willingness to lead Taishan to surrender.

This time, the three Taishan thieves were put down without bloodshed, which also caused the Zhuge family's status in Xuzhou to rise suddenly. Zhuge Jin has become a typical figure with outstanding abilities among the younger generation in Xuzhou.

Liu Bei also used this incident to reuse Zhuge Jin, and Xuzhou's personnel appointment pattern also opened a new chapter.

　Two in one chapter
　　
　
(End of this chapter)