The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 254 A permanent solution to the nomadic problem cannot rely solely on force.
Looking back over a thousand years of history, the northern nomadic regimes seem to have always been a problem that plagued the border security of the Central Plains dynasties.

From the zenith of the Xiongnu during the reign of Emperor Wu, to the Treaty of Chanyuan in the Song Dynasty, and then to the Tumu Crisis in the Ming Dynasty.

The reason for this was that the Central Plains dynasties lacked the military capability for prolonged warfare.

They could achieve victory against the northern nomadic tribes in a short period of time.

However, without a protracted pursuit and annihilation campaign, it was impossible to completely eliminate the fighting force in the north.

So people often ask, why can't we just wipe out the nomads? Wouldn't that eliminate border troubles?
Let's set aside the high military costs involved.

Even if there were a feudal dynasty, it would have killed everyone on the grasslands.

So, you have to relocate people to this land you've conquered, right?
The grassland environment is harsh, requiring people to endure wind and rain, sleeping outdoors.

Wild mosquitoes in summer can bite people to death.

Any Han Chinese who lives on the grasslands for an extended period will become assimilated into the Hu culture.

This led to the formation of a new nomadic lifestyle.

It is the environment that changes people, not the other way around.

Therefore, nomadic peoples are not inherently barbaric.

They were forced to live like savages simply because of their environment.

So, what if we changed our approach and directly ruled the grassland regions?

That's actually unrealistic.

Agricultural empires and steppe empires had different forms of civilization and different ruling logics.

Agricultural civilizations focused on taxation and valued stability.

Nomadic civilizations migrated throughout the year, a lifestyle for these people who had no fixed abode.

Your central government is unable to conduct population surveys or collect taxes from them on time.

Even the taxes you collect may not be enough to cover the cost of finding people on the grasslands.

Therefore, we must ensure a permanent solution and lasting peace.

Uniting those who are not of our kind is a matter that requires a great deal of political wisdom.

It must operate a dual-track, interdependent political system.

Therefore, Li Yi consistently opposed using violence alone to alleviate the problems posed by nomadic tribes.

This is inefficient, impoverished, and wasteful.

The best approach is to deepen trade between the two countries and make their economies highly intertwined.

Thus,
Once the two countries go to war, the rulers will hesitate and hinder the process at every turn.

In order to avoid disputes between the two countries as much as possible.

This actually involves a question from modern economics and management.

Fortunately, Li Yi has the relevant expertise in this area.

He immediately proposed to the Xianbei envoys that they deepen trade between the two countries and expand the scale of goods.

This suggestion immediately drew opposition from the envoys of various tribes.

Among them, Su Wu, the envoy of the Kebineng tribe, was the most unable to understand and immediately questioned Li Yi's proposition.

"...The Prime Minister's views are all based on idle talk, not the words of a sage."

"Although we are from a remote border region, we have heard the Han people say:"

"The wealth bestowed by Heaven is all predetermined and cannot be given away in its entirety."

"The way of merchants is nothing more than moving goods and changing their location; how can they create something from nothing?"

“In the past, grain and meat were insufficient to satisfy the appetites of both the Han and the Hu people, but now, after careful planning, we can have enough to eat.”

"What is the logic behind this?"

Su Wu's views actually represented the views of people throughout the feudal period.

In his view, whether they were Hu people or Han people, their goods were limited.

It's impossible to trade it indefinitely.

This is what Sima Guang meant when he said, "The wealth of the world is limited to this amount; if it is not in the hands of the people, then it is in the hands of the officials."

They believed that the wealth of the world was limited and either in the hands of the common people or in the hands of the government.

Many rulers in later generations failed to escape this stereotype.

This is actually still influenced by traditional Confucian scholar-officials.

They believed that productive forces could not be liberated or developed.

There's only so much wealth in the world. No matter how things change, it's just a matter of how the cake is divided.

It will not make the cake bigger.

Many reformers in later generations only considered how to divide the pie, rather than how to make the pie bigger.

In this respect, Wang Anshi's theory is actually the most in line with modern economics.

Wang Anshi proposed:

—"Use the power of the world to generate the wealth of the world, and take the wealth of the world to provide for the expenses of the world."

From a production perspective, increasing wealth requires expanding the depth and breadth of production.

From a financial perspective, investments and the transfer of assets can generate new wealth.

It goes without saying what Li Yi did in the past.

He wanted to demonstrate the importance of management and coordination, as well as liberating and developing productive forces.

So for the past five hundred years, no one could fight him.

Guan Zhong, Sang Hongyang, Zhuge Liang, Wang Meng, and others were no exception.

Li Yi would never explain to Su Wu and others what it means to liberate productive forces from a modern perspective.

They only care about their own vested interests.

Based on this, Li Yi then used a "leading" conversation to make a request to Su Wu:
"You all believe that the grasslands cannot provide enough cattle and sheep."

"However, I personally believe that if we expand the scale of animal husbandry, the strength of the various tribes will be sufficient to meet my needs."

Upon hearing this, the envoys, led by Suwu, all sneered.

It's like I've heard a very naive topic.

Logically, nomadic peoples' cattle and sheep are usually in herds, so they should multiply and their numbers should increase.

However, herders live by following the water and grass, and the number of cattle and sheep they control cannot exceed the grass-feeding limit of the grazing area.

Otherwise, the grass and water on the grasslands wouldn't be enough to feed so many cattle and sheep, and they would just starve to death.

Li Yi then added the following:

“If you slaughter and sell the cattle and sheep in front of the elders.”

"Wouldn't that allow us to control the supply of fodder and prevent overgrazing?"

To put it bluntly, fodder is not a scarce resource.

The herders lacked a basic understanding of how to manage forage resources.

After reaching adulthood, cattle and sheep will no longer gain weight, and may even lose weight.

Keeping them is a pure waste of resources.

Moreover, cattle and sheep are at their most valuable for trade when they reach adulthood.

But everyone understands the reasoning.
But the herders still couldn't bring themselves to slaughter them at will.

The reason is quite simple.
Once killed, the meat cannot be preserved and easily rots and spoils.

Therefore, they prefer to raise old cattle and sheep to ensure that they always have hard currency in their hands.

Therefore, when Li Yi made this suggestion, Su Wu immediately spoke up to refute it:

"...While your argument is sound, even though our tribe knows that old cattle and sheep are not good for meat, we cannot bear to kill them indiscriminately."

"If the animals live, the meat will survive; but if there is too much slaughter, who will eat the rotten meat?"

As he spoke, he glanced at the envoys from the other tribes behind him.

All the envoys, including the Wuhuan people, stood up and said in unison, "Yes, yes."

If we kill it, what will we eat?
"If you exchange all your cattle and sheep for money, you will be caught in a sudden snow disaster."

"Money should not be worn as clothing, nor should copper be eaten."

"Aren't we acting on orders from others?"

“Looking at the old market of Han and Hu people, we only exchanged salt and iron, which are essential items, and stopped selling when we had enough.”

"We would rather let cattle and sheep graze freely in the wild than hoard mountains of copper in warehouses."

"This is the reasoning behind all of these arguments."

Su Wu then pointed out another flaw in Li Yi's economic theory.

That is, for nomadic peoples, cattle and sheep are their hard currency.

They exchanged their coins for Han Chinese Wuzhu coins, but then encountered a severe snowstorm and natural disaster.

This money is just a pile of copper nuggets; it's nowhere near as useful as real cattle and sheep.

Therefore, looking at the trade between the Han and Hu peoples throughout history...

Every dynasty had this practice, but why couldn't border trade threaten the foundation of the nation once war broke out between the two regions?
That's because the scale of trade isn't large enough!
To put it bluntly, the Hu people used cattle and sheep to exchange for salt, iron, and some daily necessities from the Han people, but they always kept it to a minimum.

Once they've traded enough, they won't bring out the remaining cattle and sheep to trade.

Because this is their hard currency, their "foundation," and they would never trade their entire fortune with Han Chinese.

You can't shake their hard currency, and once war breaks out, you naturally can't shake their national foundation.

Some might say, "You can exchange money for our Han people's grain."

Based on this viewpoint, a Wuhuan envoy immediately expressed his opinion:
"The border officials of the Han dynasty were constantly changing. If a cruel official closed the pass, the copper would turn to pebbles."

"They are of no use to us."

"Moreover, war could break out between the two countries."

"If the market is deserted and livestock are exhausted, how will my tribe survive?"

The nomads aren't stupid. If you exchange our hard currency for copper nuggets, what if they stop trading with us?

All those copper coins of ours are now stuck in our hands.

In the end, won't we still have to live at the mercy of you Han people?
Li Yi simply smiled in response.

"You all suffer from the fact that fresh meat is hard to store and money is cheap and hard to rely on."

"In my opinion, this is an easy matter."

“Live animals can be exchanged for the cured meat of Yuyang.”

"If you find the saltiness too strong, there are still grains and cloth available for storage."

This is Li Yi's economic theory.

The development of salt production in Youzhou indirectly boosted the development of the cured meat and salted fish industries.

The cattle and sheep brought to the interior by nomadic herds indirectly provided fresh meat resources for the production of cured meat.

This will form an industrial chain.

To put it bluntly,
In business, one should not only focus on small profits and be afraid of suffering losses.

We need to have a long-term vision and make sure that others can also make money.

Aren't you reluctant to trade the "hard currency" you hold?

Simple, I'll just exchange our hard currency for yours.

Do you dare say that grain, millet, and silk were not the hard currency of the people in the Central Plains?

"...If we all pledge allegiance to the court, we can easily replace cured meat. Is this not just a jest from the Prime Minister?"

The crowd clearly had doubts about the verbal promise made by Li Yi.

"If we follow the Prime Minister's advice, we should raise livestock on a large scale."

"By summer and autumn, the number of those who are plump and strong will exceed one million."

"I ask you, where do Han dynasty merchants get so much salt to pickle it?"

"Even if it can be pickled, the price of salt on the grasslands will surely be low—"

"And what will the price be for such a huge quantity of cured meat?"

People then raised questions about whether the Han people could produce so much cured meat.

The main question is, where did the Han people get so much salt to cure meat?

This problem is actually easy to solve, since Li Yi produced sea salt on a large scale using the sun-drying method.

Therefore, Li Yi immediately stated that there was no need for anyone to worry about the salt issue.

If you need, he can take you to see the salt warehouse right now.

This proves that the Youzhou government was able to provide enough salt to marinate the fish.

I wouldn't even mind teaching you the salt-making method directly.

Because even if I teach you, you won't know how to use it.

This thing is extremely dependent on its location.

The Hu people did not have a coastline as long as the Bohai Bay.

Moreover, the salt-drying method is actually quite inefficient and very labor-intensive.

Its biggest advantage is its low cost.

What Youzhou has no shortage of is cheap labor, such as refugees.

Large-scale sea salt production not only provided employment for displaced people but also stabilized the social environment.

At the same time, it also produced sea salt resources.

They were then sold abroad, generating foreign exchange for the country.

It can be described as one fish prepared in three ways.

As for another issue that everyone is worried about
It's surprising that the Han people were able to produce so much salt to cure meat.

Will the overproduction of salt lead to a decrease in the price of salt on the grasslands?

Li Yi's proposed solution to this problem is...

All salt traded in the State of Qi will have its salt tax reduced by half.

Once outside the State of Qi, whether it was on the grasslands or in Cao Cao's territory...

As long as they are not within the territory of Qi, they are not protected by Qi's laws.

Then all cases will be investigated and dealt with according to the original salt tax rate.

The purpose of doing this is also to stabilize salt prices.

This tariff issue was probably quite complicated for people at the time.

But for modern people, it's easy to understand.

After all, it was the import tariff that customs authorities later adjusted for imported goods.

Li Yi designated this special "customs bonded zone" in Yuyang County, where he is currently located.

It's probably also influenced by the geographical and political environment.

Outside of Yuyang, all salt trade was conducted in accordance with the original laws.

Within Yuyang, one enters a special bonded zone.

The cattle and sheep of the Hu people were gathered in Yuyang for slaughter.

Then, they made salt, cured meat, produced leather, and imitated sweaters.

Exporting to foreign countries.

This will form a centralized, efficient, and complete industrial chain.

Through such overall planning.

This would allow the cattle and sheep on the grasslands that had lost their plumpness to be slaughtered in time.

There is no need to waste fodder.

This ultimately resulted in the output of livestock resources and products on the grasslands increasing several times over.

This is what Li Yi repeatedly emphasized: resource integration.

So why was Li Yi able to dominate this trade?

Because the most crucial resource used in this trade was in Li Yi's hands, namely sea salt.

Not to mention the Hu people, even in many other parts of Han territory, they could not produce sea salt on such a large scale as Yuyang County.

Even though coastal areas can be sun-dried, unlike Youzhou which is adjacent to nomadic regimes, they cannot reliably dispose of the sea salt they produce.

Therefore, it can be said that the sea salt production in Yuyang truly embodies Li Yi's principle of "adapting to local conditions" and analyzing specific problems in specific ways.

It can be said that Li Yi has explained his economic theories to everyone in the most accessible and understandable way.

The envoys were also elites from various departments, and under Li Yi's patient guidance...

I only roughly understood what Li Yi was trying to express.

Only one question remains, and they need Li Yi to explain it to them.

That is, how to ensure that trade between the Han and non-Han peoples can be carried out in a long-term and stable manner?
This is actually a rather sensitive issue.

After all, nomadic regimes and agrarian regimes seem to be inherently hostile and irreconcilable.

Li Yi also provided a corresponding solution to this.

“Since we have formed an alliance based on trust and righteousness, we may establish a contract for the future.”

"May I ask the Prime Minister, what is this agreement regarding the breeding?" As envoys, they had had relatively more contact with the Han people.

But I've never heard of any such contract for raising livestock.

Not to mention the Hu people, even many Han officials present did not know the meaning of the contract drawn up by Li Yi.

Li Yi then explained it to everyone in a simple and easy-to-understand way:
"The so-called 'agreement on the term of livestock' was established to address the problem of the lack of salt for the generals, and to establish a system of livestock contracts."

Livestock vouchers?

What is this?
The crowd looked at each other, bewildered.

A foreign envoy cast a glance at the Han officials, as if to say that their prime minister was too unconventional.

The Han official shrugged helplessly, indicating that they had no idea the prime minister had so many novel ideas.

Otherwise, how could he become the country's second-in-command?

The brain doesn't work on a single circuit.

Li Yi, however, had already taken out paper and pen and began to explain to everyone in a very professional manner.

“We can agree to a discounted contract.”

"When live animals are brought into the market, our government will assess their value."

"Take 80% of the market price as the standard, and use 20% for stable feed costs."

"Payment will be made immediately, and a separate contract will be issued."

"Detailed records of the number of animals, weight, and date."

Everyone listened intently.

Li Yi drafted a contract form and handed it to everyone.

Using it as an example, it was further explained:
"You may redeem this voucher in the future, and the government will verify that it matches your claim."

"For animals that are one year old, the compensation shall be nine-tenths of the value of the animal."

"Those who are three years old will receive 20% of the original price."

"Those who are five years old will receive a 70% discount."

"If the child is not redeemed by the age of five, the debt will be considered void, and the money and goods will be settled."

"In the event of a famine, those of you who wish to obtain cured meat will be provided with salt at half price by the government."

"The imperial court is willing to bear half of the cost of the salt consumed, as a sign of its trustworthiness to all!"

That's right, what Li Yi did was set up an insurance company.

This ensures that herders can stably store cattle and sheep in Han areas.

However, this insurance company was actually operated by the Yuyang government itself.

Behind the Yuyang government lies the entire Youzhou and the entire Qi state.

It is impossible to afford the risks that nomadic cattle and sheep may encounter natural disasters or man-made calamities.

This was also Li Yi's way of generating foreign exchange for Youzhou.

After all, the government charges interest for storing cattle and sheep for the herders.

For the herders, they only need to pay a small storage fee to store their surplus cattle and sheep.

In return, they received perfectly healthy adult cattle and sheep.

This looks like a great deal.

It can be said that this series of operations...

The Han people's economy developed, and the lives of the non-Han people improved.

Furthermore, the number of wealthy people among the Hu people will increase.

But this is a good thing for the Han people.

Because the people of the grasslands have to pay a price to become wealthy.

That is, economically, the grasslands will be firmly embedded in the Han Dynasty's trade system.

If war breaks out between the two countries, then there is no doubt.

These herders' futures contracts will be voided, and they will be unable to exchange them for physical goods from Han areas.

Just imagine,

If you are a relatively wealthy herder, you may have contracts for thousands of cattle and sheep through trade between the two regions.

They must be incredibly wealthy, right?
As a result, these cattle and sheep resources, because they were embedded in Han territory, were subject to conflict because your government wanted to fight against the Han people.

This has resulted in your account being frozen.

So would you still support your government and help it fight the war?

One herdsman is nothing, but imagine if every herdsman on the grassland opposed it.

Even high-ranking officials in the grasslands were involved.

So how does this grassland lord lead his people to fight against others?

To ensure the security of trade between the two countries and to stabilize the market.

Li Yi then ordered a large-scale recruitment of Han merchants from outside Yuyang, using preferential policies.

This would allow merchants from all over the country to come to the Yuyang Special Economic Zone and trade with the Hu people.

This creates competition, prevents a single company from dominating the market, and thus avoids hoarding goods to squeeze out market share.

Seeing how considerate and thoughtful Li Yi was, the last remaining doubts in everyone's hearts finally dissipated.

The chieftain of the Kebineng tribe was the first to bow his head:
"I am willing to submit your wise and insightful advice!"

"This autumn, all the remaining livestock in the department will be sold in the official market."

"I don't want fine food or clothing, I only ask for money, silk, and livestock contracts!"

Li Yi was overjoyed and personally poured two cups of wine to toast the chieftain.

The courteous treatment was so lavish that even Lord Suli, upon seeing it, immediately struck his sword and swore an oath:

"All the cattle and sheep sold by our clan are exchanged for salt, iron, tea, and fermented meat; not a single penny is left behind!"

"All the money and goods I acquire must be spent at the border market of Yuyang to demonstrate my loyalty!"

Li Yi was even more satisfied and came to toast him as well.

Subsequently, the other tribal chiefs and officials all expressed their support for Prime Minister Li's policies.

They are willing to go back and negotiate properly with the tribal chiefs to officially open up the market in both Han and Hu areas.

Under Li Yi's leadership, many grassland tribes immediately sent their cattle and sheep to the Yuyang government.

In exchange for livestock contracts.

Although the governor of Yuyang at this time was Xianyu Fu.

With the current prime minister present, Xianyu Fu naturally and obediently handed over all matters concerning Yuyang to Li Yi.

Li Yi then appointed Tian Yu as the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Youzhou and ordered him to come to Yuyang to assist in the storage of cattle and sheep.

Historically, Tian Yu spent his entire life dealing with nomadic peoples.

After listening to Li Yi's series of proposals and policies, Tian Yu was almost amazed.

I can't help but sigh about this:
"My strategy for defending against the barbarians has always been based on sowing discord and coercion."

"So that they may slaughter each other, thus securing temporary peace on the border."

"However, the Prime Minister's benevolent policies have enabled both the Han and non-Han peoples to benefit each other and prosper the border markets—"

"My skills can only guarantee ten years of peace."

"The Prime Minister's strategy can usher in an era of lasting peace!"

Li Yi, however, did not show much relief on his face.
"The plan is good, but it also requires a strong workforce to implement it."

"I cannot stay in Youzhou for too long. I will leave the affairs of Yuyang entirely to Guo Rang."

Tian Yu understood that as long as Li Yi's policies could be implemented and succeeded.

That's not as simple as just enabling Youzhou to become self-sufficient.

It could develop the economy of the entire Hebei region and even solve the nomadic problem that had plagued the Central Plains dynasties for a long time.

Tian Yu deeply felt the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders, and asked:

"...When will the Prime Minister leave?"

"Yu is still young and there are many things he needs to consult with the Prime Minister."

Li Yi couldn't help but chuckle and patted Tian Yu on the shoulder.

"Rest assured, Guo Rang, since I have chosen you..."

"That means I believe you have the ability to accomplish this."

"Besides, I won't be leaving Youzhou right away; there are still many things to take care of here."

"During this period, Guorang can familiarize himself with the work at hand."

"Li believed that this matter would surely be successful."

Tian Yu immediately asked:
"I wonder what else the Prime Minister needs to do?"

"I am willing to share your burdens."

Li Yi said:

"Prioritizing agriculture and suppressing commerce has been a common practice since ancient times."

"I wish to make Youzhou a place where commerce and agriculture are equally important. Does Guorang think this is feasible?"

This……

Tian Yu was taken aback; he knew this topic was too sensitive.

Because in ancient times, the ruling class generally believed that prioritizing agriculture meant suppressing commerce.

If everyone goes off to do business, who will cultivate my land?

Moreover, there was occupational discrimination in ancient times.

They believed that merchants were profit-driven and too cunning.

If ordinary people are all calculating and scheming, how can I control them and collect taxes from them?

Therefore, most of the time, ancient governments were resistant to and sought to suppress handicrafts and industry.

Moreover, in many cases, it is already quite an achievement for a ruler to manage agricultural issues well.

But Li Yi was clearly not satisfied with agriculture.

As a business elite of later generations, he was very clear that business was far more beneficial than harmful.

"Does Guorang think it's not feasible?"

Li Yi's lips curled up slightly as he said, half-jokingly.

Tian Yu knew that this matter was of great importance and involved the very foundation of the nation.

He was not of a position of authority and should not have said much; he simply cupped his hands and said:
"...This is beyond my ability to explain."

……Hahaha.

Li Yi laughed loudly and stopped joking with Tian Yu.

He immediately made him cooperate and issued a series of decrees.

First, border markets were established and government-run.

The market specializes in furs.

Li Yi established "trade markets between Han and non-Han peoples" in the border counties of Youzhou.

Then, following the old system of "customs and markets" from the Han Dynasty, trade was led by the government.

The regulation stipulated that "all foreign merchants entering the market must carry a tally and exchange horses, sheep, and furs for salt, tea, and ironware."

The government collects eleven percent of the tax, with the profits going into the government treasury.

Litanning Bureau, a controlled workshop.

In places such as Jicheng, Yuyang, Shanggu, and Daijun, "tanning workshops" were set up.

We recruited artisans to specialize in leather tanning and woolen garment making.

And the "Workers' Law" was promulgated, stipulating:

"All tanned leather and woven fur must be inspected by officials, and those that are of inferior quality will be punished."

To ensure quality and benefit exports.

Then comes the standardized weaving process.

Establish manufacturing standards for woolen products:
—“The blanket is six feet wide and three-tenths of an inch thick.”

—"The fur coat is knee-length, and the fur is so thick that it is not breathable."

Inferior products are not allowed to enter the market in order to protect the reputation of "Youzhou woolen goods" and create a brand effect.

Then came the transformation of herders into artisans, who were then used for work relief.

As early as during the conquest of Liaodong, Li Yi had already made a preliminary attempt at using work as a form of relief there.

Having gained experience, Li Yi promoted this method throughout the entire territory of Youzhou.

They recruited border residents to work in government offices and assist the government.

The government lends cattle and sheep, and the people pay with furs.

The government collected half of the wool produced, ensuring that the people were not impoverished and the country had sufficient funds.

To show his support for the woolen goods of Youzhou, Li Yi wore a leather overcoat and a woolen sweater throughout his time in Youzhou.

Whether working at the government office or going out to inspect and interact with the people.

Li Yi always wore this outfit.

To be honest, Li Yi can be considered a prominent figure of our time.

When Li Yi put on this outfit, the "fan circle" culture, which has existed since ancient times, played a positive role.

Everyone began to imitate Li Yi by wearing leather coats and wool sweaters.

Especially after border trade opened up the market, a large amount of leather and wool raw materials flooded into the inland areas.

This makes the price of the clothes not expensive.

Li Yi not only wore it himself, but he also stipulated that all officials at the county level or above in Youzhou should wear it.

Whether at work or out and about, one must wear a leather overcoat or wool sweater made in Youzhou.

For no other reason than to build brand awareness.

Brands also had a significant impact in ancient times.

For example, the famous Shu brocade.

Prime Minister Zhuge Liang took the lead in planting mulberry trees at home and encouraged the people to raise silkworms and develop the Shu brocade industry.

Then they sold Shu brocade to the State of Wei and used the foreign exchange they generated to fight against Wei.

With the encouragement and advocacy of Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, and under the guidance of the government.

The already renowned Shu brocade embarked on an international branding process, becoming a major source of foreign exchange earnings for the Shu Han state.

In response, Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi, issued a special imperial edict.

He harshly criticized the officials of Wei, saying, "Can't you bunch of spendthrifts stop wearing Shu brocade?"

Do you know that the money spent on buying Shu brocade was ultimately used to buy guns and cannons, which were then used to fire at the people of Wei?

Unfortunately, Cao Pi's appeals were ineffective.

Because Cao Pi himself wore Shu brocade.

Are you suggesting that the states of Wei and Wu didn't manufacture their own "Shu brocade" at that time?

Of course they exist, but they are far less popular than Shu brocade.

This is called brand effect.

A Balenciaga shirt can sell for an astonishing 18,000 yuan.

Of this price of nearly 20,000 yuan, how much is cost and how much is brand effect?
It's like you're at home and can drink Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor).

But if you want to entertain distinguished guests, you must serve Moutai and Wuliangye.

The same principle applies to Shu brocade, and the same applies to leather overcoats and wool sweaters from Youzhou.

Once the brand effect is established, "Youzhou woolen goods" will have no trouble selling.

After more than a month of Li Yi's efforts, the sales of Youzhou woolen goods have shown some improvement.

After the basic framework was in place, Li Yi could finally leave with peace of mind.

The remaining officials only needed to follow the established rules and regulations within the framework set up by Li Yi.

Because Li Yi established Yuyang as a special economic zone and promulgated independent legal provisions.

Therefore, it was jokingly said by later generations that "Prime Minister Li drew a circle in Youzhou".

……

The monumental modern historical work, *The General History of Northern Frontier*, commented on this as follows:
"Since Li Yi established the border markets, the profits from wool and fur products in Youzhou have reached millions annually, enriching both the Han and non-Han peoples."

"Even today, the name 'Li Gong Carpet' still exists in Hebei Province, Liaoning Province, and Tianjin Municipality."

"This demonstrates his profound wisdom and makes him a groundbreaking economist."

"Li Yi used fur as a base to supplement military supplies and support the border people, making it the 'economic hub of the northern frontier'."

It is widely believed that Li Yi's economic theories were the prototype of modern economics.

"Many economists in later generations believe that Li Yi's vision was ahead of its time and groundbreaking."

……

(End of this chapter)