ushernet Chapter 143 Monopoly business is the most profitable
Chapter 143 Monopoly business is the most profitable
Chapter 143 Monopoly business is the most profitable
"Save two or three hundred..."
Liu Bian narrowed his eyes slightly, suddenly picked up a pen and started to check the calculations on paper.
While writing, he whispered to himself, "If we calculate based on 1,200 noble families with a population of 320,000, and each person using 200 sheets of paper per year, then if we exclude the cost, it would be at least 300 million per year. The population of noble families is too conservative, and the price is slightly lower, so the cost can be reduced..."
Cai Zheng watched Liu Bian lower his head and write quickly, his expression somewhat panicked.
He said he could save one or two hundred, not two or three hundred. In fact, it is impossible to save at all!
He was worried that excessive waste would cause dissatisfaction among the Emperor, so he deliberately reduced costs.
Cai Yong was standing not far away, vaguely seeing the strange characters written by Liu Bian, and was a little stunned.
"Nine hundred million!"
Suddenly, Liu Bian slapped his pen, sat up straight, and spoke loudly with excitement.
Cai Yong and Cai Zheng were both shocked, not knowing what Liu Bian meant by "nine hundred million".
Liu Bian was so excited that he couldn't help but stand up and pace back and forth on the table.
The Han Dynasty's tax revenue was only 500 to 600 million per year, but the value of paper alone was as high as 900 million!
"Is there any other monopoly business to do?" Liu Bian's eyes were burning, and his mind was full of wild thoughts.
dong dong dong
When Liu Bian was getting excited, he heard hurried footsteps outside.
Liu Bian turned around and saw Huangfu Song leading the way, followed by Yang Biao, Wang Yun, Xun You and others. They all looked solemn and raised their hands, saying, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
Liu Bian looked at them, slowly sat back down, and said with a smile: "You are so rude, it seems that something big has happened."
Huangfu Song was about to speak when he glanced at the unfamiliar Cai Zheng.
It was the first time that Cai Zheng met so many important figures. He raised his hand in panic and said, "I'll take my leave."
"Wait outside." Liu Bian said.
Cai Zheng's hands trembled and he said, "Yes."
He took one foot out of the door, quickly pulled it back, raised his hand and bowed.
Tang Ji and Cai Wen Ji came in one after the other. Seeing the ministers in the room full of solemn expressions, they were startled and said hurriedly, "I'll take my leave."
Liu Bian saw the plate in her hand with silk and paper on it and said, "It's nothing serious, come in."
Tang Ji has always been well-behaved and sensible. Upon hearing this, she came in quietly and placed the plate next to Liu Bian.
Cai Wenji was relatively calm. She bowed quietly and stood behind her father.
Huangfu Song didn't care anymore and handed over a memorial with a cold expression, saying, "Your Majesty, the Black Mountain Army colluded with the traitors in Jizhou and broke into Yecheng."
Liu Bian's expression changed slightly. He opened the memorial and read ten lines at a glance.
Immediately, he looked at the court officials in front of him with an expressionless face.
A group of people bowed together, not daring to say a word.
Yanzhou was not yet settled, and the capital of Jizhou was occupied by the rebels. This was undoubtedly a huge piece of bad news for the imperial court.
Xun You lowered his head, his brows twisted into a shape of a "川" (cross).
If Jizhou loses control, it will not only aggravate the chaos in Yanzhou, but most importantly, it will also directly affect the court's salt policy!
There are two most important salt-producing areas, Jizhou and Yizhou. The imperial court was far away from Yizhou, so it focused on Jizhou.
Now, the city of Ye in Jizhou has been broken, which means that the salt policy of the imperial court has been directly aborted!
Liu Bian's eyes swept across the group of people calmly. He leaned back, closed his eyes, and pinched his eyebrows hard with his right hand.
After a long while, Wang Yun's face was gloomy, and he raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty, I ask the Grand Marshal to go out and pacify Ji and Yanzhou!"
Zhong Yao said solemnly, "Your Majesty, I think the reason for Jizhou's defeat is that Envoy Ying has not established a firm foothold and does not know enough about the local evildoers, not because of his incompetence. I request that you send troops to support us. In Yanzhou, Cao Cao reported three days ago that he has surrounded Puyang and will break it within five days. As long as Puyang is broken, Cao Cao can lead his army north to join forces with Envoy Ying to recapture Yecheng and wipe out the rebels!"
Wang Yun said with a sullen face, "Your Majesty, it is winter now and there could be heavy snow at any time. Cao Cao's presence in Yanzhou is just a surprise attack, not because the rebels are not strong enough. Please ask the Grand Marshal to go out and pacify the two states as soon as possible. We must not delay the spring ploughing!"
As soon as Wang Yun finished speaking, Yang Biao, Huangfu Song, Xun You, Zhong Yao and others immediately changed color and looked at him, with their expressions becoming more solemn.
Spring ploughing represents summer taxes. If spring ploughing is delayed, the court’s financial resources will be cut off, which cannot be tolerated!
Especially at a time like this!
Tang Ji and Cai Wenji had no knowledge of state affairs and only understood what they heard vaguely. They all looked at Liu Bian who had his eyes closed.
Liu Bian was still rubbing his eyebrows, but his expression was calm.
Huangfu Song's Grand Marshal's Mansion has a whole set of plans for military reform and is very busy. If he leaves now, the reform will undoubtedly be postponed indefinitely.
Huangfu Song thought about it again and again, raised his hand and said: "Your Majesty, I request your permission to go..."
"alright,"
Liu Bian opened his eyes and said, "The noise is giving me a headache."
Upon hearing this, Yang Biao and the others all raised their hands and said, "We acknowledge our guilt."
Liu Bian waved his hand and said, "That's enough. It's just a small matter. Is there any need to make such a fuss?"
Yang Biao, Huangfu Song, Wang Yun and others were stunned and stared at Liu Bian, suspecting that they had heard it wrong.
The Black Mountain Army captured the capital of Jizhou County. Is this a small matter?
Liu Bian looked at them and said with a smile: "It seems that you gentlemen really don't understand. Then I will explain it to you."
The ministers were puzzled and bowed as if listening to the Hadith.
Liu Bian hesitated for a moment and said, "The Black Mountain Army is fundamentally different from the Yellow Turban Rebellion and Qiao Mao. The Yellow Turban Rebellion and Qiao Mao threaten the safety of the country and shake the foundation of the Han Dynasty. But the so-called Black Mountain Army is just a group of bandits, and they don't have too strong demands. This invasion of Jizhou seems to be an alliance with Qiao Mao and others, but their purpose is not to clear the court, but to take advantage of the fire to rob money and food. Therefore, unless the world changes drastically and the court completely loses control in Jizhou, otherwise, at most ten days or half a month, the Black Mountain Army will withdraw to the mountains and forests and will not stay in Jizhou for long."
Yang Biao, Wang Yun, Huangfu Song and others were stunned when they heard it, and then they understood.
Wang Yun immediately raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty, even so, you should send troops to support us and drive the Black Mountain Army out of Jizhou as soon as possible!"
Liu Bian nodded and said, "Qiao Mao and others rebelled because they were desperate and unpopular. They are powerful for a while. Once the nobles of Yanzhou and Jizhou react, they will surely rise up and attack us. We cannot hold out for long. Cao Cao said that he would capture Puyang within five days. I believe him. As long as Puyang is captured, the Black Mountain Army will retreat. Therefore, you gentlemen do not need to worry too much."
Yang Biao's tense face relaxed slightly, and he raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty is wise!"
Huangfu Song, Wang Yun, Xun You and others followed closely and said, "Your Majesty is wise!"
Cai Wenji looked at Liu Bian quietly, blinked gently, and showed curiosity.
Your Majesty solved such a serious matter with just a few words?
Xun You's expression remained stern and his brows were furrowed.
The Black Mountain Army may not be a big threat, but with the fall of Ye City, Ying Shao will have to spend more time repairing Jizhou and will not be able to devote his full attention to the salt administration.
The salt administration will be postponed indefinitely!
The dilemma of an empty treasury will not only not improve, but will become even more serious!
Zhong Yao also thought of it, with a serious face, thinking hard.
Liu Bian took the teacup from Pan Yin and said, "The edict to change the era name has been issued. Has the Shangshutai still not come to a conclusion on the tax reduction?"
Yang Biao's fat face trembled, and he kept blinking, saying: "Your Majesty, the Shangshutai of the four states of Bing, Qing, Yan, and Yu believes that the tax cuts are too much. Please think twice."
Liu Bian drank a sip of tea, without even looking at them, and casually flipped through the memorial and said, "Tell me the reason."
Yang Biao lowered his head, raised his eyelids, observed Liu Bian's mood, and said cautiously: "Your Majesty, these four states account for more than 30% of the court's taxes. If they are reduced further, I am afraid that the national treasury will be even more depleted."
Liu Bian flipped through the memorial casually without saying anything.
The current situation is that the north concentrates more than 70% of the population of the Han Dynasty, and the taxes are the highest in Guanzhong and Guandong. The taxes of the four states of Qing, Ji, Yan, and Yu account for more than 30% of the Han Dynasty, and as the various regions are alienated from the court, the taxes of these three places actually account for half of the national treasury!
Wang Yun, Xun You and others saw this and remained silent.
On this matter, the Secretariat had a rare consensus of opinion, and was implicitly in opposition to Liu Bian.
Liu Bian picked up his pen and began to review the memorial, saying, "If it is not reduced, can you collect it?"
Yang Biao's fat face was slightly tense, and with a hint of smile, he said, "It will eventually be able to come up a little bit."
Liu Bian looked up at him and said, "These are not as good as the harvests from Yang Qing's manors, right?"
Yang Biao's face suddenly changed, and he said quickly: "Your Majesty, I don't have any manor under my name. Please understand."
Liu Bian snorted calmly and said, "The order will be issued tomorrow. Cai Qing's family will stay, and everyone else can go."
Yang Biao felt a chill on his neck and raised his hand, saying, "I'll take my leave."
Wang Yun was silent for a moment, then raised his hand as if it was okay.
Xun You and Zhong Yao seemed to want to say something but hesitated, and finally left the study one after another.
Cai Yong was a little confused and didn't know why he stayed. He bent his body and couldn't help feeling a little nervous.
As soon as Yang Biao and the others left, Liu Bian's expression suddenly changed. He stood up with a smile on his face, walked to the door and said, "Cai Qing's family, that Cai Zheng, I heard he is a member of your clan?"
Cai Yong was a little afraid of Liu Bian, so he smiled and said, "From the family tree, that's the case."
Liu Bian nodded and left the study. Seeing Cai Zheng still waiting not far away, he waved and said, "Come here!"
Cai Zheng trotted over, his face full of fear. He bent over and looked up at Liu Bian.
Liu Bian put his hands behind his back and said, "I want to ask you, how much of this kind of paper can you make in a month?"
Cai Zheng looked at Liu Bian with fear in his heart, and subconsciously looked at Cai Yong.
Cai Yong's face turned serious and he said, "How dare you! His Majesty asks you a question, answer it honestly!"
"Your Majesty, eight hundred." Cai Zheng was startled and blurted out.
Liu Bian frowned and asked, "Can I have a little more?"
Cai Zheng looked at Liu Bian eagerly and asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, how much more is a little?"
Liu Bian touched his chin, calculated, and said, "Let's start with one million."
Cai Zheng was so frightened that his legs went weak and he stammered, "Your Majesty, I can't do this..."
Liu Bian glanced at him and said, "Change the materials, the craftsmanship can be a little worse, it's not for me to use."
Cai Zheng's mouth twitched, he was extremely scared but still didn't dare to speak.
He had heard that the current emperor loved paper very much, so he tried his best to please Liu Bian like Cai Lun tried to please Empress Dowager Deng, in the hope of achieving success.
But I didn't expect that His Majesty in front of me would want one million tickets a month!
I can't even skin him alive and take his bones out!
Seeing that he didn't say anything, Liu Bian turned to look at Cai Yong and said, "Mr. Cai, I see that the Imperial College, Hongdumen College and officials at all levels cannot afford silk, which hinders their studies and official business. I think that the cheapness of paper can not only encourage people to study, but also save a lot of burden. What do you think?"
"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"
Cai Yong responded without hesitation, "Your Majesty is kind-hearted, and all the subjects of the Han Dynasty feel the same way."
Liu Bian hummed and said, "Then, in your capacity as Minister of Rites, you should issue an order to the students of the Imperial Academy to abandon silk and use... By the way, what is this paper called?"
Cai Zheng met Liu Bian's gaze, opened and closed his mouth, but no sound came out.
Cai Yong looked thoughtful and said, "Your Majesty, this paper reflects your care for scholars and your love for the people of the world. I would like to name it 'Shi Hou Paper'."
Cai Zheng was stunned. What Marquis Shi? Isn’t that Marquis Cai?
Liu Bian's eyebrows jumped, and he looked at Cai Yong meaningfully, saying: "Your family is knowledgeable and talented, and is a role model for scholars. What is precious is that you have no cliques or factions, and are loyal to state affairs. From today on, your family will be promoted to Shizhong, and you will be included in the Shangshutai to discuss politics."
Cai Yong was greatly shocked, surprised and delighted, and raised his hand hastily, saying, "I accept your order, thank you!"
Pan Yin, who was standing by, witnessed it all and was really impressed by this Mr. Cai!
The so-called "Shi Hou" means that after Liu Bian was born, the late emperor was worried that he would not be able to raise him, so he deliberately sent Liu Bian to the home of a Taoist priest named Shi outside the palace for foster care. Because it was a foster care and Liu Bian's identity was too special, it was a bit difficult to name him, so smart people gave him the title "Shi Hou".
In other words, 'Shi Hou' refers to Liu Bian.
Cai Yong is such a good flatterer!
Liu Bian glanced at Pan Yin and continued to talk to Cai Yong: "Students of Hongdu School are exempted from using pens, ink, paper and inkstones. Students of the Imperial College are to abandon silk and use Shihou paper. In addition, the correspondence and memorials of the court should also be written on paper."
Cai Yong understood what he meant and said, "I understand."
Liu Bian put his hands behind his back and said, "This paper mill is set up in the Ministry of Rites. The Grand Chamberlain provides funding and materials, the Ministry of Rites supervises and Cai Zheng manages it. This year's production is tentatively set at one million sheets. Do you think that's enough?"
Cai Yong just calculated in his mind and said, "I think it is not enough, at least more than 10 million."
Cai Zheng's face looked like he was laughing and crying, his legs were shaking and he was about to pee.
The paper he made was only used as tribute and could not be mass-produced!
Ten million?
Liu Bian secretly shook his head. With the promotion of monopoly policies, the demand for "Shi Hou Paper" will increase exponentially. He even felt that an annual income of four or five hundred million was too little!
But it still takes time.
"it is good,"
Liu Bian smiled and patted Cai Yong on the shoulder, saying, "Let your family handle this matter, and do it quickly."
Cai Yong raised his hand with a serious expression and said, "I accept your order."
Liu Bian nodded. He felt relieved after the matter was settled. He turned back to his study and said, "Cao Cao and Ding Yuan have a letter. Report it immediately."
"Yes." Pan Yin responded and followed closely.
As soon as Liu Bian entered the room, he found Cai Wenji standing not far away, looking at him quietly.
Cai Wenji saw Liu Bian coming in, bowed gently, and said in a clear and soft voice: "I heard from Madam Tang that your majesty has a book about ghosts and gods, which is very interesting. I would like to borrow it to read."
Tang Ji stood aside, looking at Liu Bian hopefully.
Liu Bian's gaze subconsciously looked at the veil above Cai Wenji's lips, on which there was a faint lip mark.
He raised his eyebrows, walked to the desk calmly, took out the "Journey of Ghosts and Gods" that he had written in his spare time, handed it to Cai Wenji, and said with a smile: "It's a story about a madman fighting monsters."
Cai Wenji noticed Liu Bian's gaze just now, her cheeks slightly reddened, and she took over and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Liu Bian waved his hand and sat back in his chair.
The two girls bowed and slowly left the study.
At this time, outside the Jingfu Palace, Cai Zheng said with a bitter face: "Uncle, where can I get this one million..."
Before he could finish, Cai Yong glared at him and said, "Stop talking nonsense! How dare you disobey His Majesty's order!"
Cai Zheng wanted to cry but couldn't. He regretted it so much that he should not have come earlier.
Cai Yong ignored him and kept calculating his connections and how many sheets of paper he could sell.
Asking for a monthly ticket~~