The revival of the Han Dynasty must start with Dong Zhuo

Chapter 393: Sprouting
The banquet at the foot of the Great Wall lasted for three days and three nights.

successively.

The arrival of Liu Bei, the new governor of Beiting Protectorate, as well as Yan Rou and Xianyu Fu brought the banquet to a climax!

The three Shan Yu took turns to toast Liu Bei with wine, and Liu Bei forced them all to fall down drunk!

Coupled with Liu Bei's own heroic character, it didn't take long for Liu Bei to become acquainted with the top leaders of the three clans!
Except for a few people, the rest was Tian Yu.

The emperor summoned him alone, and Tian Yu was extremely frightened and didn't know what was going on.

"You and the Emperor's uncle are old friends. The Emperor's uncle has some problems, and you should know them better than I do."

Liu Xie listened to the noise outside the tent and pointed to his head.

"The emperor's uncle sometimes does things too casually."

"Just like when my uncle was in Jingzhou, I asked Kong Ming to stay by his side and help me persuade him. Now that my uncle is in Beiting Protectorate, he also needs someone to watch over him."

Liu Xie looked at Tian Yu.

"The Beiting Protectorate is just being established, and the initial rules and regulations are extremely important. I have asked you to help me look after my uncle and let him lay a good foundation to prevent any trouble!"

Tian Yu didn't expect the emperor to be so frank and directly expressed his concerns... He was moved and quickly agreed.

"But Your Majesty, I have something to ask you first. Without Your Majesty's approval, neither your uncle nor I dare to make a decision on our own."

"whats the matter?"

"What on earth are we going to exchange?"

Tian Yu's face was serious.

"Some things may not be easily traded!"

"Like iron!"

Even an iron pot cannot be sent to the grassland!

That thing, when placed on the ground, is a pot, but when worn on the head, it is a helmet! When held in the hand, it is a shield!
If there is another dispute with the grassland tribes in the future, wouldn't it be like shooting oneself in the foot if we trade the cavalry now?

When Liu Xie heard that Tian Yu did not want to sell the ironware to the grassland, he patiently invited Tian Yu to sit down.

"Guorang doesn't want to sell ironware to the grassland, so what does he want to sell to the grassland?"

Tian Yu did not hesitate: "Of course, we will do it the same way as before, selling food and other things to the grassland in exchange for livestock!"

"what."

When Liu Xie heard this, he couldn't help laughing.

Tian Yu was puzzled and clasped his hands together: "Did I say something wrong? Please enlighten me, Your Majesty!"

"It's not wrong, it's not wrong, it's just a different way of thinking about the problem."

After Liu Xie finished laughing, he began to shake his head.

"In Guo Rang's mind, even if we sell the grain to the grassland, it won't increase the national strength of the grassland much, right? After all, there is no way to farm on the grassland."

"And the food can't be stored for long... Because the tribes on the grassland don't have a fixed place to live, nor do they have a fixed place to build cities or warehouses. They have to eat it as soon as they get it, and it won't have much impact on the war, right?"

Tian Yu bowed and said, "The emperor is wise!"

But Tian Yu was even more puzzled: "Since the emperor knew it clearly, why did he still laugh at me?"

Selling grain is almost the most advantageous trading method for the Han Dynasty!
"It is not wrong for a country to consider itself for the sake of the country."

“But if we only consider the country, what about the people?”

Liu Xie suddenly asked Tian Yu: "Is grain more expensive or meat more expensive?"

"Of course meat is expensive!"

"If that's the case, does it mean that we need to use a large amount of food to exchange for a small amount of meat?"

"exactly."

Liu Xie nodded: "Then how much grain can an average citizen produce in a year?"

Tian Yu calculated carefully before speaking out -

"According to the court's equal distribution of land, a man can get 40 mu of land."

"So what is the current yield per mu?"

"With the help of the curved plow and fertilizer, the yield per mu has increased significantly, reaching four to five shi per mu."

Liu Xie nodded again: "I will help you with the rest of the account."

"An adult man owns 40 mu of land, and the yield per mu is calculated based on the maximum yield of 5 dan. He can only produce 200 dan of grain per year."

Liu Xie then asked: "Guorang, do you know how many livestock a herdsman on the grassland can herd?"

Tian Yu was now familiar with the grassland, and soon he had a result -

"It's not fixed, but if a tribe has a hundred strong men, they will have at least two thousand sheep for them to graze."

"it is good!"

Liu Xie's subsequent calm words made Tian Yu's heart explode like a thunderbolt!
"Even a herder can raise 20 sheep a year."

"A Han Chinese can only produce 200 dan of grain in a year."

“A herder feeds livestock for a year, but only twenty sheep!”

"Don't even mention twenty! Even one! Can you buy it with two hundred dan of grain?"

"Perhaps Guo Rang is thinking that a sheep needs at least two years to grow...Okay! Can two hundred dan of grain buy half a sheep?"

Liu Xie sighed: "So, Guo Rang, do you understand?"

"Using Han people's grain to exchange for herders' livestock... On the surface, it seems to be exchanging "worthless" grain for "valuable" livestock, but in fact, the Han people have always been at a disadvantage in this business!"

“The cost of feeding the Han people is actually much higher than the cost of feeding the herders’ livestock!”

"The reason why people think that the Han people are making a lot of money is because they have more people and more food! That's why they are not noticeable!"

"If we continue to carry out this kind of trade, wouldn't it be a tyranny of 'taking every penny and using it like dirt'?"

Tian Yu opened his mouth wide and wanted to refute the emperor's seemingly "absurd" remarks.

But when he thought about it carefully, he found that he had no way to refute it!

Abandon politics and abandon the military.

Just calculate from the most basic economics.

Exchanging food for livestock is simply the stupidest thing to do!

The average output of one herdsman is equivalent to the annual output of four or five Han people!

If business is done like this, the Han Dynasty will suffer huge losses sooner or later!
And food itself is a necessity.

The current grain production is far from the point where the imperial court can waste it wantonly.

Using food to exchange for livestock is the stupidest thing to do! Barely any!

Tian Yu was at a loss: "What would the emperor need? Could it be that he really sells iron pots and other commodities to the grassland?"

"Guo Rang is wrong again."

Liu Xie laughed and said, "How much is the iron pot worth?"

“Technology is valuable!”

"Does Guo Rang think there are no iron mines on the grassland?"

“Why do you have to keep targeting the livestock in the hands of the herders?”

"Can't we just let them bring the iron ore, process it through us, and then sell it to them at a high price?"

"Compared to technology, raw materials are nothing!"

"As for the livestock..."

Liu Xie paused again.

"I have already asked Kong Ming to rush to Hebei first. When he meets Kong Ming in Hebei, he will know everything!"

Tian Yu seemed to have suddenly been enlightened at this moment!

Before this, he had never thought that trade accounts could be calculated in this way!

The value of a commodity does not lie in its quantity.

Rather, it lies in the cost that people invest in this product!

If it is really as the emperor said.

Sell ​​the iron pot to the grassland and exchange it for the grassland's iron ore...

hiss! ! !
Tian Yu took a breath of cold air!
Business, can it still be done this way?

The only headache now may be how to increase production on a large scale...perhaps in the future, there will be problems such as transportation.

But when Tian Yu thought of the emperor's confidence, he immediately put his doubts behind him!

Anyway, the emperor is here, so just follow him obediently, why worry about it???

……

All good things come to an end.

Liu Bao, Budugen and Louban will eventually have to return to their respective grasslands.

Before leaving, the three of them cried bitterly.

If it is said that before they were forced to submit because of the strength of the Han army.

Now, I am moved by the emperor's benevolence and righteousness and am sincerely convinced.

God!
From ancient times to the present, where have they ever seen such an emperor?

Not only did he not ask for tribute.

They were even willing to establish order for them, consolidate their rule on the grassland, and ensure their status within the tribe!

More than that!
During the banquet, the three of them also realized the importance of iron pots to the grassland tribes!
With cautious testing, they also asked the emperor if he could sell the iron pot to them.

They themselves actually didn't hold out much hope.

Everyone knows.

The Han people have always had extremely strict control over items such as ironware!

The best result would be to exchange it for a few hundred iron pots for the "bannermen" in his own tribe to use, thus demonstrating his value.

Unexpectedly, after hearing this, the emperor actually agreed immediately!
"Of course the iron pot can be sold! But now the Han people are short of iron, so it's better to buy it with iron ore."

"it is good!"

There is nothing missing on the grassland!
But the only thing that is not lacking is the open-air iron mines!
When the three Shan Yus thought that they could exchange some broken stones from the ground for exquisite artifacts, their mouths were almost crooked with smiles!

In order to express their gratitude to the emperor, they directly presented a total of 50,000 livestock to the emperor!
……

"Why is this so embarrassing?"

Even Liu Xie was blushing at this moment.

I really can't do something like selling out others and then asking them to count the money for me!

"All these livestock will be taken to the vicinity of Longcheng and looked after by the Beiting Protectorate."

"It is inevitable that the grassland will encounter some disasters in the future. When the time comes, you can send people to the Beiting Protectorate to borrow livestock for maintenance, and send them back next year after the cubs are born and raised. Just think of it as my sympathy for the people of the grassland!"

Hearing this, not only the three Shan Yus, but also the other herdsmen could not help crying.

"Since the creation of the world, this is the first time I have encountered such a kind master!"

Some herdsmen who were originally dissatisfied with the emperor being given the title of "Tian Chanyu" were moved at this moment... Some herdsmen even secretly memorized the emperor's appearance, and then went back to carve the emperor's image out of wood and placed it in their tents for worship!
Liu Xie silently recited his sins a few times.

Because this kind of thing is actually no different from the Han people's "agricultural loans"...

However, compared with the unreasonable oppression of previous grassland leaders, the existence of Beiting Protectorate is already much more tolerant!

"His Majesty!"

There is one last thing.

Before leaving, the three Shan Yus each brought the most beautiful woman in their tribe to the emperor.

Behind Budugen, there is one.

Lou Ban was more sensible, with a woman and four maids following him.

Behind Liu Bao... one hundred people!

no……

Liu Xie looked at the one hundred Xiongnu women behind Liu Bao with a headache.

Budugen and Louban also looked at Liu Bao with hatred and regret on their faces!

The anger was that Liu Bao was so unethical that he directly brought a hundred women to offer to the emperor!
I was angry at myself, hating myself for not thinking of this trick!

"Liu Bao... That's not what I meant."

"It's alright, these can all be sent to Your Majesty!"

"I can't..."

"I have arranged everything according to Minister Yang's idea! Is Your Majesty satisfied?"

Yang Xiu?!
Liu Xie turned around and looked at Yang Xiu with murderous eyes.

Yang Xiu also looked at Liu Bao with melancholy, obviously he did not expect that the other party would sell him out!
"Yang Xiu."

"I am here."

"After you go back, go and explain to Cai Dajia and her father, Cai Zhongcheng!"

"Here..."

Yang Xiu was so desperate that he could not even cry, and it was obviously impossible for Liu Xie to return all these women. He could only choose a Xiongnu woman as his concubine and let the other women enter the palace to serve in the future.

When Liu Bao saw that the emperor accepted everything he said, his mouth widened to the sides!

The Huns are stable!
Budugen and Louban were not to be outdone, and immediately bowed their heads again: "Your Majesty, please wait a moment, and we will go and select a woman..."

"No! You really don't have to!"

Liu Xie immediately put an end to their thoughts!

"Don't mention this matter again! You two must remember to treat your bannermen well and conduct trade at the port as soon as possible!"

The emperor's attitude once again made the two of them feel sad. They felt that the emperor really treated them as a family!

We are both descendants of the Xia Dynasty... we are truly as close as brothers!
Before leaving, Liu Xie once again reminded:

"The people of the grasslands have a hard life, often having to move around wherever there is water and grass, and there is no fixed fate."

“And the grassland environment is very changeable, and the location of pastures and water sources will change.”

"Even if the grasslands I allocate to each of you have some high-quality pastures, there is no guarantee that conflicts will not arise again."

"If that day really comes, I hope you can find the Beiting Protectorate as soon as possible and let them solve the problem."

Liu Xie's voice became tougher as he finished speaking.

"I also want to see order and law on the grassland."

"If anyone dares to challenge this order, I won't be able to blame me then."

The three Shan Yu leaned forward and said, "Yes!"

"But you can rest assured."

"People on the grasslands are often aggressive and belligerent, not because of their nature, but because the grasslands are short of resources, so they can only wrestle with others."

"When I return, I will urge the people inside the pass to transport the goods as soon as possible."

"In this way, there will naturally be fewer disputes on the grassland!"

The three Shan Yu burst into tears at this moment: "Your Majesty is so kind and righteous! We are speechless!"

Lou Ban suddenly stood up and saluted the emperor.

"It is a rule among the ministers that when we say farewell to distinguished guests, we must dance to liven up the atmosphere!"

"Today, I will dance for your majesty!"

Budugen, the Chanyu of the Xianbei who shared the same roots as the Wuhuan, also nodded and said, "I will also sing a song for Your Majesty!"

Liu Bao looked embarrassed: "I have been in the Central Plains for a long time and I am not good at dancing. I can only accompany you with the huqin. I hope Your Majesty will allow me to play!"

The emperor praised: "Since it is your courtesy, how can I refuse it?"

"Just rest assured and play! Unfortunately, I can neither dance nor play any musical instrument, so I can only listen to you play!"

Liu Bao picked up the huqin and plucked it with his fingers.

Beautiful music flowed from the strings, and the strong bodies of Louban and Budugen began to sway gradually!

The dance on the grassland is completely different from that in the Central Plains. The power and rhythm are unique!
The emperor was in the middle, with Liu Bei and Lu Bu standing beside him, all looking at the three Shan Yu in front of them with admiration.

"The grassland tribes are truly good at singing and dancing!"

Yang Xiu’s wound had healed and he forgot the pain. He was soon immersed in this rare Chanyu dance.

Tian Yu beside him was still a little worried: "It would be better if they could stay like this forever."

"Don't worry! The emperor will definitely find a way to do this!"

At this moment, the three people were playing music and dancing, and the tribesmen behind them also danced along, showing their enthusiasm.

Such a scene made the Han people around speechless, and they could only applaud quietly and help to beat the rhythm.

For the first time in thousands of years, at the foot of the Great Wall, the sound of ritual music was heard instead of the roar of swords!

A scholar accompanying the army could not help but sigh:

"The reason why Confucius advocated rituals and music in troubled times must have been because he saw a scene similar to today!"

Chaos only brings killing.

Only order can bring long-term peace!

After the dance, even Liu Xie couldn't help but blush.

"Bring me a pen and paper! I must write a poem to praise this scene!"

Take the pen and dip it in ink!
Yang Xiu was waiting beside him eagerly, wanting to see what kind of masterpiece the emperor would create today!

"The scenery of the north is like a thousand miles of ice and snow!"

The emperor picked up the pen as if with divine help, and completed the first sentence in one go!
When Yang Xiu read the first sentence aloud, even people who did not understand the beauty of poetry could still appreciate the heroic spirit and ambition contained in it!
The three Shan Yu opened their eyes wide, obviously shocked by the spirit of the poem!

"The scenery of the north is covered with ice for thousands of miles and snow for thousands of miles. Looking inside and outside the Great Wall, there is only wilderness; the great rivers are no longer roaring. The mountains dance like silver snakes and the plains run like wax elephants, trying to compete with the sky. It must be a sunny day to see the red dress and white snow, which is particularly enchanting!"

"wonderful!"

Yang Xiu thought that this was the end, and he was the first to liven up the atmosphere!

The sentence "I want to compete with the gods" was so well written that it made Yang Xiu's heart surge with excitement!
The three Shan Yu also looked at the emperor excitedly at this moment!

"Your Majesty! Please grant me your calligraphy!"

It’s Liu Bao again!
Budugen and Louban looked at Liu Bao who was asking for the emperor's calligraphy and they wanted to eat him alive!
However, they reacted quickly and immediately fell to their knees before the emperor: "Please give me a calligraphy treasure!"

The Chanyu danced and played music, and the emperor gave him poems as a gift!
At this moment, the meaning of this poem has far surpassed the meaning of the poem itself!
What is written on that piece of white paper at this moment is not the emperor, but the heavy history!

"Gentlemen, please be patient."

After thinking for a while, Liu Xie finally started writing on paper again.

There is even one!

Yang Xiu didn't bother to blame himself for his mistake, and quickly moved forward to observe the emperor's movements!
"The country is so beautiful that it attracts countless heroes! Unfortunately, Qin Kai and Li Mu are slightly inferior in literary talent; Wei Qing and Li Guang are slightly inferior in style. The great hero of the generation, the champion of the cavalry, only knows how to bend the bow and shoot the eagle. All the past is gone, and the heroes of today are still to be seen!"

……

When Yang Xiu read to the end, his initial excitement gradually subsided... It was not because the latter part of the poem was not passionate enough.

Rather, it was the broadness of the mind and the lofty intention of the poem that made Yang Xiu feel ashamed of himself and he didn't know how he was worthy of reciting this poem!

Qin Kai Li Mu.

Wei Qing and Li Guang.

And there was also the genius Huo Qubing!

Who can deny the achievements of these people? Who dares to deny them?
But with the sentence "All the past is gone, and the heroes of today are still to be seen!", the answer was finally given -

Look at today!

Today's heroes are better than yesterday's heroes!
Moreover, compared with Qin Kai, Li Mu and others, isn’t it more wise for the current emperor to establish a system on the grassland and set up the Beiting Protectorate?
I often admire the heroes in ancient books, but when I look back, I find that I have now become a hero far superior to my predecessors!
What kind of philosophy is needed to write such a poem!

"Dezu! Take the seal!"

Yang Xiu didn't react at first.

It was not until the emperor called out again that he hurried back to the emperor's tent and took out a jade seal.

It is four inches in diameter and has five dragons on its top.

Although the corner of the golden complement seems to be flawed, anyone who knows its origin knows what kind of destiny it is!
The national jade seal!

Liu Xie stretched out his hands and grabbed the five dragons, as if he had taken over the world, making the sun and the moon revolve in his hands!
As the seal fell, eight insect-bird characters were printed on the white paper.

"God has granted my will to you, and I will live forever!"

Liu Xie took back the imperial seal and unfolded the white paper with both hands.

"This poem will make me look biased no matter who I give it to."

"Why not hide it in Dragon City, and then find a craftsman to copy it and engrave it on a stone tablet, so that it will last forever like the peace on the grassland?"

"it is good!"

"no problem!"

"That's how it should be!"

The three Shan Yus all agreed with the emperor's approach and acknowledged the matter!

On the occasion of parting.

The three men had tears in their eyes and could not bear to say goodbye to the emperor.

Seeing the emperor's supporters entering the Great Wall, Liu Bao couldn't help crying again: "It's all because of this Great Wall, it blocked my view of the emperor!"

When the emperor heard this, he immediately ordered people to destroy this section of the Great Wall so as not to hinder the friendship between the Han and the Hu people.

Some people advised the emperor not to do such a dangerous thing.

But the emperor replied: "The Great Wall is still there, you just need to look carefully to see it clearly!"

The emperor's support returned to the interior.

Even though he was eager to return home, he did not go directly south from Yanmen, but returned to Chang'an via Taiyuan and Hedong.

Instead, it turned north and returned to Hebei again.

Handan,

The former capital of the State of Zhao.

Zhuge Liang, Liu Ye and others had already arrived here, ready to welcome the emperor's procession.

When the emperor met Zhuge Liang, the first thing he asked was: "Are you ready?"

"Reply to the Emperor! Everything is ready!"

Zhuge Liang was already quite familiar with the emperor, but Liu Ye seemed a little embarrassed and would raise his eyes from time to time to secretly look at the emperor.

"Zi Yang, don't be nervous."

Liu Xie discovered something abnormal about Liu Ye.

"I don't care that you once worked under Cao Cao."

"Besides, now that you have passed the imperial examination, you should work hard for the court and not be dragged down by other things."

"Or do you think that the reward I gave you for Zhang Miao's rebellion and the Thunderbolt Chariot was too little?"

Liu Ye hurriedly shook his head: "I dare not! I dare not!"

Liu Xie was exhausted from the long journey, and even with his physical condition, he was actually a little exhausted at the moment.

So after encouraging Liu Ye a few words, Liu Xie signaled Zhuge Liang to take him to see what he had prepared.

Zhuge Liang led the emperor out of the city.

When we arrived at the place, a familiar smell hit us.

Yang Xiu was the first to twitch his nose——

"Is this smell... coal?"

"Dezu is indeed well-informed!"

Zhuge Liang praised Yang Xiu out of habit.

"It's the coal mine!"

Going further ahead, there are workshops of various sizes.

Handan is rich in iron ore, so it is not surprising that there are iron smelting workshops of all sizes here.

What really concerned Yang Xiu was the smell of "coal" that he had smelled before.

"We can make iron if we want to make iron, but what can we do with coal?"

"Could it be possible that this coal could be used to smelt iron?"

It was just a joke, but Liu Ye nodded and said, "That's right! Coal is used to smelt iron!"

Yang Xiu: ...

He scratched his head and said, "I am indeed not as good as Kong Ming in this aspect, but that doesn't mean I am a fool."

"Of course it is possible to use coal to smelt iron... but how can the iron made in that way be used?"

In fact, the use of coal as fuel for iron smelting was first attempted as early as the reign of Emperor Wu.

At that time, on the one hand, the salt and iron industry had to be run by the government, and the iron smelting officials were trying to achieve better performance. On the other hand, they had to prepare for the war between the Han and Xiongnu, which led to a large shortage of weapons.

Charcoal, as the main fuel for iron smelting, was already in short supply at that time, so some people proposed using coal to smelt iron.

After all, charcoal can burn and coal can also burn. There is no reason why only charcoal can be used and not coal!
But as practice progressed, people discovered that using coal to smelt iron really didn’t work!
Not to mention that coal mining is more difficult than obtaining charcoal.

Firstly, the coal has small porosity and poor air permeability, so it is easy to break after being heated in the furnace, and it also causes the material layer in the furnace to condense and clog, thus affecting normal smelting.

The worst thing is that the quality of iron blocks produced by smelting iron with coal is quite worrying, and some of them cannot even take shape!
In this way, gradually some people came to realize that coal could not be used to smelt iron, and this realization was accepted by the world.

But now Liu Ye actually told him that he had to use coal to smelt iron. This was really ridiculous!
However, Yang Xiu reacted quickly, and then his expression became extremely interesting!

"Your Majesty, you promised to sell the grassland people iron pots before. Are you planning to use the iron smelted like this to deal with it?"

"Hiss... In that case, it's actually not impossible!"

Seeing that Yang Xiu was gradually developing into a corrupt businessman, Liu Xie immediately knocked on Yang Xiu's head.

"What is Dezu thinking? How could I do such a shameless thing?"

"Watch carefully and listen carefully to what Zi Yang and the others say!"

Liu Ye led the emperor and others to a tightly sealed furnace.

"Using coal to smelt iron, the iron produced is indeed unusable."

"But as long as you put this coal into the furnace and refine it, you can get coke."

"The quality of iron smelted with coke is even better than that smelted with charcoal!"

"As long as this method is promoted, the amount of iron smelting in the imperial court will be more than ten times more than it is now!"

Liu Xie shook his head slightly beside him.

This was a misjudgment on Liu Ye's part.

If the coke iron-making method is really promoted, the iron production could be increased by hundreds of times!
Since coke ironmaking is feasible, the vertical furnace ironmaking that goes with it must also be feasible!
When you add the two together, the result is definitely not one plus one is greater than two, but one plus one is greater than ten!
not to mention……

Abandoning charcoal and using coal and coke to make iron can actually protect a large number of trees.

The role of trees may not be very important now.

But the big river, which is closely related to the trees, is the most important thing in the world!
The big river today is not the "Yellow River" of later generations.

Today's "great river" is a veritable "golden waterway!"

Except for the dangerous Sanmenxia, ​​almost all the waterways in the lower reaches of the river can be used smoothly!

The preciousness of the great rivers and waterways is absolutely beyond doubt!

Even if it was not for the purpose of increasing iron production, it was urgent for coal to replace charcoal.

But Liu Xie did not explain these in detail, but just continued to listen to Liu Ye's explanation.

"What? You mean, the output of iron smelting will increase tenfold?"

Yang Xiu had been with the emperor for a long time and was extremely sensitive to numbers.

At this moment he looked towards the emperor, as if seeking confirmation.

Liu Xie nodded and confirmed the matter.

But then Liu Xie said to Zhuge Liang and Liu Ye: "I am not here to listen to these things today."

"Here."

Technology is indeed important.

But more importantly, what technology can bring!
Liu Ye looked at Yang Xiu and asked, "Does Minister Yang know about the agricultural loan?"

"Nature knows!"

All farmers are those who have more than enough in a year when they have less than a month...

This is caused by the laws of nature. No matter how hard the court tries, it cannot prevent the people from falling into the trap of agricultural loans.

"But what if money is distributed to the people every month?"

"Are you crazy?"

Yang Xiu's eyes widened.

"How much money and grain does the imperial court have, and how much can the people of the world share every month?"

"Of course there is!"

Now it was Zhuge Liang's turn to come forward and explain to Yang Xiu.

"This plan was proposed by the Emperor."

"As trade with the grasslands expands in the future, things like ironware and cloth will inevitably become in short supply."

"At this time, it is natural to expand production, which also means adding workshops and recruiting craftsmen."

"But there are only so many craftsmen, and they are all passed down from master to apprentice, so it is difficult to recruit them."

"In this case, we should gather the people who are idle during the farming season and teach them the art of iron smelting."

"After gathering them together, we can use the iron they smelt to exchange for livestock from the herdsmen on the grasslands. These livestock will flow into the interior and be exchanged for five-zhu coins, which will then be distributed to the people. In this way, wouldn't it be possible to give money to the people every month and prevent them from being burdened with agricultural loans, which would eventually lead to the land being taken away by the landlords?"

"..."

hiss……

Can you do this?

How could it still be like this?

No, it's not just that!
Yang Xiu thought of a lot in an instant! A lot!

Iron pots can create so much wealth and solve the problem of "agricultural loans"... What about textiles that are even more valuable? What about daily necessities?
Relying on the technological advantages of the Han people, they are destined to make a lot of money from this!
In this way, by continuously using technology to acquire the wealth of grassland herders, the imperial court can use the money to solve this eternal problem - agricultural loans!
Of course, Yang Xiu knew that what he thought was actually a bit idealistic.

But even if it is not to "solve" agricultural loans but to "alleviate" agricultural loans, it is still a groundbreaking event!
There are a lot more!

There are a lot more!

In an instant, Yang Xiu's mind seemed to explode suddenly, and he thought of many things!

such as……

Who says it can only be sold to grassland herdsmen?
Now many Han people are also short of food and clothing!
These Han people can also use the money they earn in the workshop to buy the products produced, and even one day in the future...

"What are you thinking about?"

When Liu Xie saw that Yang Xiu seemed to be standing still, he knew that Yang Xiu was too smart and thought about many things in an instant, so much so that he almost lost his will.

"His Majesty……"

"Listen to me first!"

Yang Xiu wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Liu Xie.

"Even if we can trade with the grassland tribe, it won't last long because the size gap between the two sides is so huge... If we want it to last long, we have to improve our technology or find more people who are poorer than the grassland tribes and sell our products to them."

"Moreover... the reason why I decided to let Kong Ming make such an arrangement here is because the power of the aristocratic families in Hebei is too strong!"

"Even if I kill them once, and the imperial examination system is there to back them up, I'm still worried that they will come back to life in ten or twenty years."

"So, I thought of opening iron smelting workshops and textile workshops in Hebei under the pretext of trade with the grassland, recruiting common people and distributing monthly wages to them, so that they can have the ability to resist natural disasters and prevent them from falling into the agricultural loan trap again!"

To put it simply...

What is happening in Hebei right now is not widespread.

Because apart from the North, Dahan currently cannot find a group with sufficient size and advanced technology to sell its products.

And now there is no absolute gap in the various technologies of the Han Dynasty.

For example, clothes.

Everyone can make it themselves at home, there is no need to buy clothes produced in workshops.

It is far from easy to cross this gap.

The emergence of the workshop now is just like the opening of a bud so young that even its shape cannot be seen, providing a possible path for future generations to follow!

After hearing the emperor's words, Yang Xiu felt somewhat relieved and somewhat disappointed.

However, Yang Xiu's thoughts were very clear. After sorting out the things in his mind, Yang Xiu suddenly had a biggest doubt -

"Your Majesty, according to the method of establishing a workshop and distributing monthly wages to the people... there is a problem. How do you solve it?"

"what is the problem?"

"How can it be so easy to train a craftsman?"

Speaking of this, Yang Xiu couldn't help but shake his head.

"It takes at least two to three years to train a qualified blacksmith."

"We summoned these people here, but they can hardly do anything in the first two or three years! Are we going to give them monthly wages for nothing in the next two or three years?"

Liu Xie chuckled and turned to look at Liu Ye: "Zi Yang, explain it to De Zu!"

"Here!"

Liu Ye got permission and smiled happily.

"It is indeed not easy for Minister Yang to think of this, but Your Majesty has thought of this a long time ago."

"It is true that it takes two or three years to train a qualified blacksmith, but it may only take ten days to train an "unqualified" blacksmith!"

Yang Xiu didn't understand what Liu Ye meant.

"What do you mean by an 'unqualified' blacksmith? Do you mean just give him some training and let him start working?"

"Of course not!"

Seeing that Yang Xiu had misunderstood, Liu Ye began to explain again.

"For example, how many steps are needed to cook in winter?"

Yang Xiu didn't understand why it was so powerful.

"First, someone has to go out and cut wood from the mountain."

“After that, someone has to carry the firewood from the mountain to the house.”

"Next, we need to split the wood."

"Finally, we put the firewood into the stove and make a fire to cook."

"If one person were to do these things, it would probably only take one day to finish them."

"And the food we get is only enough for the whole family."

"But what if we separate these steps?"

"There are people who cut wood in the mountains, people who transport the wood down, and people who chop the wood and cook."

"Wouldn't it be possible to save a lot of time and cook more meals this way?"

"The same principle applies to iron smelting."

"By separating each step and assigning specific people to be responsible for it, and only teaching them part of the process, we can save time in teaching them!"

"And this way, we can also prevent these craftsmen from leaking the secrets and the production methods to the greatest extent, right?"

……

Yang Xiu had already suffered too many shocks today, so this one more thing was actually nothing.

He even subconsciously asked, "Was this also proposed by the Emperor?"

"Exactly!"

"..."

At this moment, Yang Xiu had completely lost his former liveliness. He just squatted in a corner, slowly digesting the various things that had filled his body.

"it is good."

At this moment, Liu Xie looked at Tian Yu on the other side.

"Now you know why I agreed to trade with the grasslands?"

Tian Yu was actually feeling dizzy at this moment.

But this did not prevent Tian Yu from telling the emperor the essence of the matter before he caught him.

That is the iron pot, which requires far less manpower than that consumed on food!

Moreover, grain is not valuable, but iron pots are very valuable on the grassland!

I'd like to exchange my pot for your sheep, right?

And according to the production speed of these workshops today, the value of a pot is probably far greater than that of a sheep, right?
In this way, the Han people will not suffer any loss in this trade!
Tian Yu thought about it again and realized that he had actually wanted to trade grain with the grassland herdsmen. For a moment, he felt a little ashamed!

"I understand your majesty's intention!"

"good!"

Seeing that Tian Yu also understood his intention, the emperor finally stretched lazily.

"In this way, all major events in the north have basically been settled."

"Once the officials sent by the Secretariat arrive one by one, I will be able to return to Chang'an with peace of mind!"

"This time, it took way too long!"

------

Volume 5 ends! Volume 6 is titled “The Return of the King”!
(End of this chapter)