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

Chapter 66 Everyone is uncomfortable

Liu Ju, who was being thought of by others, was indeed fiddling with paper these days.

Although Sima Xiangru did not get any information about salt and iron from the Prince's Palace, he was still a trustworthy person. Once he promised to help, he would help to the end.

With the promotion of the two great poets, and the news that the emperor also praised it spread from the Weiyang Palace, paper suddenly became a popular luxury item in Chang'an.

To this day, "Fu of Three Capitals" has not been published, and the idiom "paper is in great demand in Luoyang" does not exist either.

However, the saying "Paper is expensive in Chang'an" had already come into being!
It is really expensive!

Considering that paper would be distributed over a large area in the future, the fact that it was cheap would inevitably be exposed. Liu Ju did not set the price too high for fear of being criticized.

It’s not one gold coin per piece as the emperor said, it’s just... a mere five thousand coins per piece. It’s not expensive, you won’t suffer a loss or be cheated.

Much more kind than my own father!

cough cough.

Chang'an was crowded with nobles and wealthy people, and they really didn't care about the mere five thousand coins. Paper was much more convenient than bamboo slips, and every family with a book collection was interested in getting a few sheets.

Liu Ju was not arrogant either.

We always adhere to the principle of limited shipment every day, while stocks last. The question is: "The raw materials are scarce and the process is complicated. Do you have more?"

Some old scholars could not stop sighing, while others who wanted to curry favor with the Crown Prince's Palace kept saying what a pity it was.

It comes down to it.

There were still more people who consumed it normally. As the paper spread, the people of Chang'an had a new understanding of the prince's ability to create objects...

After the positive feedback, the next thing is the negative impact.

The paper flowed out of the Prince's Palace, and along with it, the thing that was made by the Prince also flowed out. When the princes got the news, they looked at the yellow paper and thought of the white paper money.

He immediately started cursing!

This time, he not only called the emperor shameless, but also called the emperor and his son together, calling them a family of black-hearted bastards!

What's yellow and what's white? They're clearly the same thing. My son made this weird thing, and I'm going to use it to cheat us, the Liu clan members?

What the hell!

Of course, the princes would only curse secretly in their own fiefdoms and palaces, and would not dare to do it openly.

Some are happy while others are sad. Those who pay are unhappy, while those who make money are happy at this moment...

……

Weiyang Palace, Chengming Palace.

The emperor walked in front with his hands behind his back, and the Minister of the Imperial Household followed behind him, reporting: "This time, the emperors came to see the emperor, and the white paper money totaled more than 8 million coins, which have been sent to the national treasury."

"Ah."

Liu Che rubbed his hands and ordered: "It's not enough. When offering sacrifices to ancestors in the spring, the dukes are required to pay tribute according to the law. Let them also use 'white paper money' to cushion the loss."

The princes have money, and the dukes also have money.

"The rent and taxes from mountains, rivers, gardens, ponds, and markets, from the emperor to the feudal lords, are all used for their own private support."

The older the nobles, the richer their family backgrounds. It was obvious that the emperor had his sights set on them as well.

But, it's not over yet.

"Doesn't the Shaofu have a lot of silver and tin? Take it out and mint platinum coins with unique shapes, such as dragons, horses, and turtles, so that they can be exchanged for copper coins at a higher price."

"For example, a dragon coin is worth three thousand coins."

"At the next court meeting, bring it up and let the ministers discuss it."

The Shaofuqing, who was in charge of the royal purse, was naturally a close confidant of Emperor Liu Che, so he spoke very directly.

It was obviously my idea, but I let others bring it up...

Can't comment.

The platinum coin that Liu Che was talking about at this time was also known as the "third grade of platinum" in history.

The Minister of the Imperial Household was in charge of the treasury and knew a little about the nature of money circulation. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and advised, "Your Majesty, this move may lead to chaos..."

What he actually wanted to say was:
The currency situation is already confusing enough, Your Majesty, please don't make it more complicated!
Since everyone could mint coins, the copper coins of the Han Dynasty were in full bloom, with all kinds of quality, and inferior coins were rampant. Copper that could only be minted into one copper coin was cast into two, and copper coins were mixed with other metals.

There is more money, but the copper coins have also become whiter, whiter and whiter.

Your Majesty, now you just go all white! ?

"I know."

Liu Che did not even turn his head and said calmly: "That is why I asked you to set the exchange rate higher so that only the rich can afford it."

"Besides, it will only be issued for a few years, and then it will be abolished. Aren't wealthy families unwilling to donate money to help the country? I'll just find a reason to let them donate."

The emperor said it easily.

How could they make it sound so easy to collect money? The more the Shaofuqing listened, the more frightened he became. He broke out in a cold sweat and said, "Your Majesty, why are you so anxious? The court can just slowly accumulate taxes."

"Too much is as bad as too little."

The words have not yet fallen.

Liu Che, who was walking slowly ahead, suddenly stopped. When he turned around, his face was covered with frost. "Slow down? Do you have time to slow down for me?"

"While you are recuperating, the Huns in Mobei are also recovering their strength. Before the national treasury can accumulate, the Huns have already made a comeback!"

Liu Che's eyes were filled with murderous intent, and he said in a deep voice: "If we can't kill or cripple the Xiongnu in one fell swoop, all the previous conquests will be in vain!"

"Which is more important, the gain or loss here?"

Everyone feels uncomfortable. The ministers’ discomfort comes from the emperor, and the emperor’s discomfort comes from the Huns!

Didn't Liu Che know that governing a large country is like cooking a small fish? Didn't he know that too much is as bad as too little?

But the situation didn't give him any chance to slow down!

Since the day they broke off relations with the Xiongnu and attacked each other, neither side could stop. Whoever stopped would be beaten passively...

"Humph!"

"My method is indeed not good, do you have a better method?"

The Shaofu Qing couldn't help but wipe his sweat with his sleeves, but he couldn't open his mouth. Seeing this, Liu Che shouted coldly: "If you don't have it, shut up!"

When it comes to the Huns, the Shaofu Qing really has to shut up.

But before he left, he still made a suggestion, "Your Majesty, why not spread the white paper money to the people, and save the trouble of minting platinum."

"no!"

Liu Che refused without even thinking about it.

He knew that the tactics he was using were dirty. The 'white paper money' was enough to disgust the princes and nobles. Paper still had great uses, and it couldn't become a stinker among the common people.

After the Shaofuqing left.

The hall became empty except for the emperor, who stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sky outside the hall.

"His Majesty."

At some point, a man in embroidered clothes appeared behind him, with an expressionless face.

The emperor asked: "Who are the people in Chang'an who have been mobilized by the news recently?"

"Linqiong Zhuo family asked Sima Xiangru to find the crown prince, while Linqiong Cheng family, Wancheng Kong family, and Luren Cao Bing family found the prime minister through Longxi Li family."

The Zhuo family, the Cheng family, the Kong family, and the Cao Bing family are all among the top iron smelting tycoons in the Han Dynasty!
Obviously.

Liu Che not only wanted to play dirty, but also wanted to play it fair. Salt and iron were always the fastest way for an empire to increase taxes.

There was no way he was giving up.

Li Cai guessed wrong about this matter. The salt and iron monopoly was not a fantasy or a castle in the air. It was a national policy that must be implemented!

No one can stop it!
"What was their reaction?"

Facing the emperor's indifferent tone, the man in embroidered clothes said seriously: "The prince perfunctorily appeased Zhuo, and the prime minister accepted the money and property..."

(End of this chapter)