My father is Emperor Wu of Han, how can I be different from him?

Chapter 61 If you don’t eat the toast, you will be punished by drinking wine

Martial arts title.

The first level is Zaoshi, the second level is Xianyuwei, and the next level is Junwei.

In fact, as early as the sixth year of Yuanshuo, two years before the Battle of Hexi, the emperor created this system of titles and began to sell them.

During that period of time...

"Han sent a general with six generals and an army of more than 100,000 to attack the Right Wise King and captured 15,000 captives. The next year, the general and six generals attacked the Hu again and captured 19,000 captives."

"The man who captures and kills the captive will be rewarded with more than 200,000 kilograms of gold!"

"… the money for the transport of grain and armor was not included. So the money in the treasury of the Minister of Agriculture was exhausted, and even after the taxes were exhausted, it was still not enough to support the soldiers."

In those two battles.

Huo Qubing was the bravest among the three armies and was awarded the title of Marquis Guanjun, and Zhang Qian was awarded the title of Marquis Bowang. Many people rose to prominence and were rewarded for their military achievements.

Because there were so many of them, the imperial court was a little overwhelmed.

But anything can be delayed, except the military merits of the soldiers returning from a victorious battle, which cannot be delayed!

The emperor then established military merit titles, with each level worth 170,000 coins, and then there were: "170,000 coins per level, totaling more than 300,000 gold coins." This plugged the financial hole.

On the palace road leading to the Xuanshi Hall.

As they walked, Wei Qing said, "If common people buy titles up to the fifth level, they can become candidate officials and be hired first. If they reach the seventh level, their crimes can be reduced by two levels."

"When the title of military merit was first established, wealthy merchants were very enthusiastic about it."

aside.

Liu Ju nodded slightly. It could be used to become an official and to be used to pardon one's crime, so the rich would naturally be eager to buy it. "But this seems to be worse than selling twenty ranks of nobility?"

When facing his uncle, Liu Ju always spoke his mind.

Wei Qing held the tablet in both hands, tilted his head to look at him, and asked with a smile: "Are you worried that officials with mixed backgrounds will lead to corruption in administration?"

Liu Ju cupped his hands and said, "Uncle, please teach me."

Wei Qing did not answer immediately, but looked up at the cloudy sky above his head and said softly: "When Zhang Tang was the Minister of Justice, he often traveled around the country."

"Many corrupt officials were executed or imprisoned by him. After Zhang Tang was promoted to the position of Imperial Censor, his prestige grew even greater, and his censors were spread all over the prefectures and states."

"If your majesty can sell, you can collect!"

It’s just that the way they collected it was very ruthless, they just beheaded and confiscated their property…

The emperor was well aware of the drawbacks of selling titles. It was because mediocre people were in power and officials were corrupt. So he decided to fight poison with poison.

Use cruel officials to punish corrupt officials!
After Liu Ju heard this, the expression on his face was so interesting. He thought to himself, my cheap dad is really good at it. After cutting the leeks, he even pulls them out by the roots?

Zhang Tang was also a ruthless person.

Although he has not appeared in the martial arts world for a long time, his legend is everywhere in the martial arts world...

When Liu Ju was sighing, Wei Qing had not finished speaking. Although the prince and the general were talking, no one was so blind as to approach them and there was no one around.

But Wei Qing still unconsciously lowered his voice when he spoke the next sentence, "Your Highness, if you encounter a group of people wearing embroidered clothes in the future, you should be more vigilant."

"This is the emperor's pawn."

"Some of the intelligence and movements between the counties and states were not found out by Zhang Tang, but were reported by the Embroidered Clothes Scholars at the instruction of Your Majesty!"

Embroidered clothes scholar?
Liu Ju frowned, why does it sound familiar? Embroidered clothes, embroidered clothes scholar... embroidered clothes messenger!
When these four words appeared, Liu Ju's heart skipped a beat.

Everyone knows about the dreaded Jinyiwei, but few people know that as early as the Han Dynasty, the first organized spy force in history already existed!

Someone might ask.

What about Luowang and Black Ice Guard from the Qin Dynasty? Aren’t these the earliest?
Ouch.

These two are early in the timeline, but they are not authentic. Now we are discussing the spies who actually existed in history, the Embroidered Uniform Messenger.

Also known as Embroidered Clothes Direct Fingering!

It was still founded by a small master who only took orders from the emperor. Its powers were far beyond imagination. It could mobilize troops, kill officials, and monitor the world.

If we use an intuitive metaphor, it would be: the Embroidered Uniform Guards are in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Envoys, and the Embroidered Uniform Envoys are in charge of the things that the Embroidered Uniform Guards cannot control! Indeed.

It is not yet time for the Embroidered Robe Envoy to fully reveal his abilities, but the tip of the iceberg has already emerged...

Wei Qing didn't stay on this topic for long.

Seeing that the prince was introverted and on guard, he went back to the past, "The two wars before and after the sixth year of Yuanshuo have emptied the treasury."

"Your Majesty has made up for it a little through the military merit title, but this strategy is not effective anymore. As for the reason..."

talking.

The general glanced at the prince, and the meaning was obvious - you know.

Liu Ju knew for sure that his father was cutting the leeks too hard. The rich people in the world are not fools. How could they pay with both money and life?

"So after the Hexi War, the national treasury was in a tight spot, and Father set his sights on the princes?"

"Yes and no."

What Wei Qing meant by these words was that Your Majesty was not only targeting the princes, but this time the target was all the rich people in the world!

The princes have "white paper money" and the rich have their own tricks.

I won’t sell the title anymore. This trick has become a stinker.

The emperor used courtesy before using force.

First, let's talk about reason with the rich people in the world. "The royal family has land, and the dukes, ministers and officials below compete in luxury, with houses, carriages and clothes that are beyond the reach of the upper class."

You all have money. The imperial court wants to fight the Huns and is facing financial difficulties. Please donate some.

However, the response was:
what?
Your Majesty, what did you say? I didn't hear it.
"Rich merchants...smelt and boil salt, and their wealth may be worth millions of taels, but they do not help the country in times of emergency, and the people are in great distress."

From the reign of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing to the present day, salt and iron can be mined and smelted privately, and countless wealthy merchants have emerged.

Moreover, if there is a copper mountain, you can even mint coins!
Yes, it's what you think.

The imperial court made money, and local governments could also make money, especially princes, powerful people, and wealthy businessmen, who made a fortune in the early Han Dynasty.

It is undeniable.

Emperors Wen and Jing lifted the ban on mountains and rivers and even various restrictions, certainly in order to benefit the people of Han, and their benevolent policies were indeed effective.

But the biggest beneficiaries are not the civilians.

In an era where wealth can snowball at will, how can ordinary people be the opponents of the powerful merchants? Can ordinary people touch the salt industry of a county? Can ordinary people defend the iron mountain and the copper mountain?
Can't touch, can't keep!
"At this time, the people were rich and ignorant, and their wealth was overflowing. Some even went so far as to annex other states. The powerful and their cliques were arbitrary in ruling over the villages."

The imperial court decentralized all the salt, iron and coinage businesses, allowing everyone to have money so that you can all engage in large-scale mergers and acquisitions in the local areas!
Now the imperial court is fighting the Huns and is in financial distress. Even when asked to donate some money, they refuse to do so.

it is good.

That being the case.

The "courtesy" of first using courtesy and then using force has been completed. The emperor has tried to reason with you in a nice and reasonable manner, but you don't listen and don't give him face. Then the emperor will start to use "force"!

White Deer Coin appears.

Now it has been changed to "white paper money", don't say anything, just extort it rudely! The emperor was not polite to the princes.

But to the people of the world.

We cannot act recklessly; we must abide by rules when governing the country.

Even for the martial arts titles, the emperor would only implement them after consulting with the ministers. Now that he wants to make a big move, he has to think carefully...

"Just listen to today's meeting and don't interrupt." Outside the Xuanshi Hall, Wei Qing straightened his clothes and gave Liu Ju a final reminder.

Destroying someone's wealth is like killing one's parents.

This hatred is irreconcilable!

Wei Qing didn't want his nephew to risk his life by getting involved in muddy water.

Liu Ju looked at his uncle's back as he entered the palace, thinking, "What we are going to discuss today is the salt and iron government?"

(End of this chapter)