I seek economic hegemony in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 460: The War between the Old and New Nobles
“They’ve been hoarding a lot privately.”

Li Heng smiled.

When one party controls the rigid demand, the currency of this party will have the dominant position.

This is true whether it is the Shu brocade of the past or the refined salt before.

However, due to its limited quantity, Shu brocade was unable to expand its monetary dominance.

After the refined salt technology was cracked, the currency hegemony was quickly lost.

But it is impossible for Cao Wei to easily get something like tea.

The first is that the climate in the north is not suitable for widespread tea cultivation.

The second is that even if they were transplanted there, the conditions in ancient times would not have been able to support large-scale feeding, both from a biological and sociological perspective.

Therefore, once tea appeared on the tables of the noble families in the Central Plains, it would quickly become a luxury necessity.

"Those big families are now selling a lot of goods here, including food, sheep, horses, iron, etc."

Huan Fan listed some more in detail.

Finally, Li Heng suddenly asked: "Duke Huan, I have a question for you."

"I dare not ask for your advice, but you can speak freely, General."

"What would happen if I were to implement equal distribution of land in the Central Plains?"

Huan Fan was stunned for a moment, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Duke Huan, please feel free to speak."

"If the general insists on implementing the equal distribution of land in the Central Plains, it will threaten the interests of countless clans, and all clans in the Central Plains will regard the general as an enemy!"

Huan Fan's tone became a little serious.

Li Heng laughed and asked, "What about Duke Huan?"

"I have lost my farmland and manor a long time ago. I am now living here with the general. Some of my family members have died, and some have escaped and come to Jiangling. Under the protection of the general, why would I need a manor? The general wants to implement equal distribution of land in the Central Plains, and of course I support it."

Huan Fan spoke very objectively and without any pretense.

"Okay, Duke Huan knows what he means."

"Does the General really want to do that?"

"Sima Shi and Sima Zhao are now saying in Luoyang every day that I am a scourge and want to promote equal distribution of land throughout the country. If I don't do that, wouldn't I be letting them down for their hard work in promoting it for me?"

Huan Fan: “…”

"Why else do you think they were able to mobilize so many troops in such a short period of time?"

Li Heng said something meaningful.

Huan Fan fell silent.

It seems that this time, the Sima brothers did not force everyone out, but actually got the support of the majority of people.

In April, Li Heng left Jiangling and sailed down the river to Jianye.

During this period, he wrote to Zhuge Liang many times, explaining the special circumstances of this year.

He mentioned the concept that war is an extension of politics and succinctly stated the political situation of Cao Wei's purpose.

After the Sima family suffered many defeats, they temporarily suppressed the situation by force, and at the same time established a clear enemy internally: Li Heng.

This enemy was recognized by the vast majority of the local aristocratic families in Cao Wei, and almost everyone believed that Li Heng would take away their family business accumulated over generations.

The reason is that in terms of policy, Li Heng implemented equal land distribution in Yizhou, Jingzhou and Yangzhou respectively.

He also persuaded Zhuge Liang to implement equal distribution of land in Guanzhong and Longyou. Whether it was economic or political benefits, it was to uproot the traditional family.

Therefore, the deeper reason behind the expansion of the confrontation between military forces in this war is actually the contradiction between the equal-field system of the new era and the manor system of the old era.

The new school is a brand-new force represented by Ji Han.

This wave of forces were previously the old manor faction, but under Li Heng's reform, they gained the dividends of the times and transferred the profits from the fields to business.

The profits of this kind of business came from the improvement of some productivity and the emergence of industrialization, thus forming commercial plunder of Sun Wu and Cao Wei.

Although many of these people who converted from the old school have begun to covet the interests of the manors in the Central Plains, at least for now, before the destruction of Wei, they firmly support Li Heng.

These people are very smart. They are not emotional or blindly obedient. They all clearly understand where their own interests lie.

By the end of April, Li Heng had already sent 100,000 civilians to Hefei and deployed 60,000 troops in the Hefei area.

The Hefei front was commanded by Wang Ling.

It was also at the end of April that a large amount of intelligence was sent to Jianye and handed over to Li Heng.

"The number of troops that Sima Shi has gathered in Yangzhou is at least 200,000." Lu Kang read through a large amount of intelligence and analyzed it. "News has come from Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Jizhou, Xuzhou, and Qingzhou. Now all the famous families in the prefectures of Cao Wei have dispatched their troops to support Sima Shi."

"This is not an exaggeration." Lu Kang continued, "But there is one thing I really don't understand."

"What point don't you understand?" Li Heng asked while making tea for himself.

"Why did the people also start to support Sima Shi?"

"Which people support Sima Shi?"

"There are quite a few people. Our scouts have gone deep into the village to make inquiries. Although there are some who are dissatisfied, there are also some who strongly support it."

"Those who support it, don't they have any family members who have enlisted in the military?"

Lu Kang was stunned for a moment and said, "It seems so."

"That's right. Supporting the use of troops against us is the official propaganda of Cao Wei. The people's opposition to us is equivalent to standing with the official. They are absolutely safe and can even use this as an excuse to gain some benefits." Li Heng stood up, walked to the map, and pointed to some places on the map. "Some people are very smart and can see ways to make a profit at any time."

"But some people are stupid, and in any era, they are exploited by those who are both smart and cunning, and they vent their emotions like animals."

"As long as they hear what they want to hear, they don't care even if the other party exploits them. This is one of the important reasons why they are poor."

Lu Kang didn't quite understand, but he seemed to think he understood.

“People’s heads may look the same shape, but that’s just the shape.”

Lu Kang was speechless.

He suddenly realized that the general was actually very aloof sometimes.

Even a little arrogant.

He has both compassion and indignation.

A contradiction.

"Then how are we going to face these people later?"

"Why should we face them?" Li Heng asked Lu Kang.

"The generals are here to assist your majesty in governing the world. They are part of the world."

"Tao follows nature. What we can do is to end the war and redistribute the benefits. As for what they become, it is their own business."

"If the court wants to control everything, it will end up being unable to do anything." Li Heng suddenly sighed, "If they don't learn to think more, they will be eliminated over the long years. When more and more people learn to think more, some ambitious people will no longer be able to fool the people."

"So, we don't need to do anything. Everything evolves according to its own laws."

(End of this chapter)