The big man has a living father

Chapter 36 Economic Theory
Seeing Zhang Tang running away in a panic, Liu Che looked at Huo Hai and said, "You three brothers, accompany me for a walk."

At this time, outside the courtyard, Zhang Tang fled in panic. The nobles shouted that it was great to see Zhang Tang in such a miserable state.

"Hahaha, what's wrong with Zhang Tang? Why is he so embarrassed?"

"I heard that the second young master Huo lives in this courtyard. The second young master Huo must have punished him."

"I am dying of laughter, this bastard Old Biden! There is actually someone who can mess with him."

A few people were chatting enthusiastically when they saw Liu Che and the three brothers of the Huo family walking out.

Several people suddenly shut up.

Because they met on the road and the emperor was traveling, several people knelt directly on the ground.

When Liu Che heard them scolding Zhang Tang, he didn't say anything and just left.

The Huo Mansion is not the kind of Huo Mansion in TV dramas.

The Huo Mansion has a tall gate and a main courtyard that is like a castle. There are also many small courtyards surrounding the main courtyard. There are also many fields to the north and east of the small courtyards, all of which belong to the Huo family.

Liu Che and a few others walked to the ridge of the field.

"You brothers are just troublesome."

Liu Che: "As the eldest brother, how can I say that such a dish is too delicious in front of so many guests?"

Huo Qubing smiled and said: "Your Majesty, what you eat is called Tailao. The most we eat is called beef."

Liu Che turned his head and looked at Huo Qubing: "Then what I eat is not called beef? What else can we call something that grows on a cow if it's not called beef?"

Huo Qubing said: "Then what I eat can be called lunch meat. After all, the ox head has been sent to Your Majesty, and Your Majesty needs it for sacrifice."

Huo Hai interrupted: "Lunch meat is good. If we eat it at noon, we can call it lunch meat."

Liu Che blew his beard and said: "What bull head are you sending? You send bull heads to the palace every day. I eat bull heads every day and I am tired of eating them."

Huo Hai: "Your Majesty, I know a dish made from beef head meat, beef head skin and beef offal. It's really delicious!"

Liu Che: "Oh? How did you do it?"

Huo Hai: "The method is simple, just cook it, slice it, add spices and mix it. It's a pity that the spices nowadays are not spicy enough, otherwise it would be amazing."

Liu Che: "Spicy? Isn't the garlic that came from the Western Regions last year quite spicy?"

Huo Hai's eyes lit up. Garlic? Garlic has been introduced? However, "Your Majesty, there is an island overseas. There is something called chili on the island. It is very spicy and tasty."

Liu Che laughed angrily: "There is a fairy island overseas. When I find that island, I will first ask for the fairy medicine. I can put any chili peppers and peppercorns in it."

Huo Hai was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect that Liu Che regarded the overseas island he mentioned as an immortal island for seeking immortality.

Never mind, I’ll explain this later.

Liu Che: "You are also a troublemaker. Zhang Tang is my right-hand man, and you beat my right-hand man in public."

Huo Hai was amused: "Zhang Tang is a villain. The only thing he can do is to help Your Majesty make money. It just so happens that I can do that too."

Liu Che: "He can help me earn an extra 1 billion this year. Can you help me earn an extra 1 billion this year? You can only earn a million at most. A million beats 1 billion."

"That's not called making money, that's called robbing money." Huo Hai said arrogantly: "Next year, we'll see the truth next year. If I can't surpass him, my last name is not Huo."

Of course, Liu Che knew that Huo Hai’s idea was far more than just making millions or tens of millions of dollars.

Just by mining coal and supplying it to the army, the Huns, and the disaster-stricken people, we can save more than ten billion yuan. Isn't that a big profit?

Liu Che: "How many people do you need for your coal mine?"

Huo Hai whispered: "Your Majesty, how many people do you have?"

Liu Che was suspicious: "Are you going to take all my people away? Your brother only brought back 40,000 people in total."

Huo Hai: "But my brother will still be able to go to the grassland next year or the year after next."

Liu Che was shocked: "You really want 40,000 people? Do you know how many laborers 40,000 people are?"

When Qin Shi Huang built the straight road, it only took about 100,000 kilometers.

How many points are there forty thousand talents?
Huo Hai: "Your Majesty, there are only about 10,000 able-bodied men among the 40,000 people. They can dig coal there for three to five hundred years and still not be able to dig it all up."

When Liu Che heard this, he had an urge to nationalize the coal mine.

Huo Hai: "Your Majesty, the key is how much can be sold, not how much can be mined."

Liu Che thought for a moment and said, "But you left more than 10,000 strong men out of 40,000 people to dig coal. It is indeed appropriate to supply coal to the million people in the capital in winter. But what about summer? What will they do in summer?"

Huo Guang and Huo Qubing were also very curious about this question.

There are more than 10,000 Hun men. How big a threat would they be if they had nothing to do?

Let alone the Xiongnu, even if there were more than a thousand middle-aged men with nothing to do near Chang'an City, they would be targeted. Let alone more than a thousand, even if there were more than a hundred, they would all be targeted!

Huo Hai: "Rest? Keep digging coal in the summer."

Liu Che: "If you dig coal in winter and burn it in winter, why dig coal in summer?"

Huo Hai: “Steelmaking.” There are so many places where coal is used, Huo Hai couldn’t list them all, or he would have to explain more.

Liu Che: "Steelmaking? Why do we need to make so much steel?"

Huo Hai: "Iron will completely replace bronze, and steel will completely replace iron."

After hearing the answer, Liu Che began to feel that Huo Hai was a little unreliable.

This feels as unreliable as hearing someone say they want to pave the road with gold.

Huo Hai knew what Liu Che was thinking and whispered, "Your Majesty, the cost of selling coal to others is the salary of the coal miners plus the transportation cost plus the profit we want to make. Even if all of them are calculated at a higher price, the price is only a few cents per pound. Even if large-scale mining goes smoothly, one cent can sell for several pounds."

"Using coal to make steel is much cheaper than using iron to make steel now. Now an iron arrowhead costs about three guan, but if you use coal to make steel, it would only cost about one hundred coins at most."

Liu Che was immediately excited when he heard this: "What?! So cheap?! Wait a minute, it should be more expensive! And the people who are mining the coal are Xiongnu, why are they paying them so high? Give them lower salaries."

Liu Che, who was proficient in mental arithmetic, had already calculated how much he could earn after replacing all his iron with steel.

This is simply an astronomical figure!
But Huo Hai refused: "Your Majesty, do you know economic theory?"

Seeing Liu Che's puzzled expression, Huo Hai said: "More than 10,000 Xiongnu men have to support more than 20,000 children, women and the elderly. They will spend the money they earn."

"When there are 40,000 more high-spending people in Chang'an, there will be people who will make the money, and they will drive production and produce more goods for supply."

“When more stuff is produced, the producers become richer, and they consume, so the velocity of money increases.”

"If there are 100 million coins circulating here, because the circulation speed is accelerated, for example, if it circulates nine times a year, it will actually reach the effect of 900 million coins. If Your Majesty collects taxes, even at a tax rate of 1%, you can collect 9 million in taxes."

"But if you only give the Xiongnu men a salary of 30 million coins, they will be frugal and not spend. If they don't spend, no one can earn their money, and no new wealthy people will be born, and no one will spend. This money circulates once a year, which is 30 million coins. Even if Your Majesty collects 5% tax, it is still 1.5 million coins."

Liu Che found this novel theory very magical. After thinking about it carefully, it seemed to be the case.

Huo Hai continued: "If Your Majesty not only gives less money, but also increases the commercial tax, for example, to 10%, then..."

Liu Che: "This way I can collect three million coins, which is not bad."

Huo Hai: "Wrong! In this way, no one will spend a penny of the 30 million. They will hide the money at home and use it to tide over the difficulties instead of spending it casually. So no one will spend it, and Your Majesty will not be able to collect a penny of tax."

Liu Che stopped immediately.

Huo Guang stopped at the same time very cautiously.

Huo Qubing was so absorbed in listening as he walked that he bumped into Liu Che.

The two people rolled into the earth like rolling gourds.

Falling to the ground, Liu Che suddenly realized: "You mean, the more I raise the tax rate, the less tax I collect?"

"No, there is a loophole in your plan. The transaction will definitely happen. There is no way that no commercial transaction will happen. I can still collect the tax."

Huo Hai: "Collect? Impossible, the tax is too high. Others can trade privately. Your Majesty collects the tax on carriages and horses, but they can smuggle instead of taking the official route."

Liu Che got up and said, "How could this happen? How could this happen?"

This is so counterintuitive, and completely opposite to the taxation plan that Liu Che had been thinking about!

Liu Che stood up and said, "You guys go shopping first!" Liu Che turned around and shouted, "Xuan Sang Hong Yang!"

Huo Qubing got up and pulled Huo Hai: "Tell His Majesty about this, and about the fight against Zhang Tang today..."

Huo Hai: "Zhang Tang and His Majesty have proposed to impose heavy taxes, extort merchants, and lower wages, which has blocked our Huo family's way of making money."

Huo Qubing: "Your Majesty gave me 100,000 gold and 1 billion coins yesterday! I promised to give you 20% before we set out. Isn't that enough? It's not worth it to take the risk of offending a villain like Zhang Tang."

Huo Hai: "One billion?"

We can't build 30 kilometers of railway, is that too much?

……

"Have you heard? Huo Hai just pushed his brother and His Majesty into the field. Some farmers saw us and asked me who the man in black was. I looked up and was scared to death!"

The ministers and princes who were drinking became quiet.

Everyone looked at Xun Zhi who was speaking: "?"

At this time, Liu Che came out in a hurry, and everyone saw that his black clothes were covered with mud!

"Sigh~"

(End of this chapter)