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

Chapter 347 Sima Yi governs Shu, working tirelessly day and night.
In the late autumn of the second year of Zhangwu.

Yizhou, Chengdu.

The night was deep, but the candlelight in the west wing of the Prince of Wei's mansion was still burning.

Sima Yi was writing furiously at his desk, the bamboo slips piled up like a mountain.

The silk, still damp with ink, was densely covered with records of land reclamation, brocade weaving, and taxes.

The clapper outside the window had already struck past midnight, but he was completely unaware, only his eagle eyes gleaming coldly under the lamplight.

Suddenly, the door creaked softly.

Sima Lang entered, wearing a robe and carrying a bowl of steaming millet porridge.

"Zhongda, it's already midnight."

Sima Lang placed the porridge on the corner of the table and sighed:
"Since you entered Sichuan, you have been getting up at dawn and going to bed at midnight every day."

"How can your body handle such strenuous work?"

Sima Yi didn't even raise his head, his pen rustling as it touched the bamboo slips.

"Brother, there is no need to worry."

Sima Lang frowned, reached out and pressed down on the bamboo slip, and said in a deep voice:
“Back in Hanoi, you often said, ‘Great things should be planned slowly.’”

"But now he seems like a completely different person, even his meals are rushed and perfunctory—"

"Hanoi?"

Sima Yi suddenly threw down his pen, and ink splattered on his sleeve like bloodstains.

When he looked up, his eyes were bloodshot, and he roared hoarsely:

"Our Sima family has been a distinguished clan for four hundred years. Since the time of the Gaoyang clan, when have we ever suffered such a humiliation?"

When that treacherous Li Yi slaughtered my entire Sima family, did he ever consider the word "slowly"?

His voice was hoarse, his fingers digging deeply into the wood. "His knife is incredibly sharp!"

"Uncle, third brother, fourth brother, youngest brother... even the nephew in swaddling clothes..."

Before he could finish speaking, Sima Yi was already sobbing uncontrollably.

A once-prominent family with four hundred years of history was wiped off the face of history overnight.

Unfortunately, it was ended by Sima Yi's generation.

This was not just a great humiliation for Sima Yi; it was a shame that he would have no face to meet his ancestors in the afterlife!

Therefore, Sima Yi had already died long ago.

His heart died completely when the Sima clan was destroyed by him.

Right now, he was utterly despondent, with only one thought remaining—

Revenge! Revenge! Revenge is the only thing left!

Although Yizhou was as rich as the land of plenty, it was still a small country compared to the Han Dynasty.

Sima Yi worked tirelessly day and night to make his country stronger.

Only when the State of Wei becomes powerful will he have the opportunity to seek revenge against Li Yi someday.

Of course, there is another reason.

That is, compared to his elder brother Sima Lang, who was greatly favored and used by Cao Cao, Sima Yi himself was not well-liked by Cao Cao.

Therefore, Sima Yi could only work even harder, hoping to prove himself to Cao Cao.

If he doesn't side with Cao Cao, there's no one in the world who can help him take revenge.

Otherwise, would it be Sun Quan of Jiangdong, or Han Sui of Xiliang?
They were clearly not capable of anything; only by relying on Cao Cao did they have a sliver of hope.

Seeing that his younger brother's knuckles were white, Sima Lang quickly pressed down on his shoulder and gently comforted him:

"Zhongda, calm down!"

"Now that the State of Qi is powerful, revenge cannot be achieved in a day."

He paused slightly, then added, "Of course, this grudge will be avenged!"

"But before that, Zhongda also needs to take good care of his health."

"If one's health is damaged by the sun, how can one become a Wu Zixu?"

Sima Yi laughed:
“Brother, you have taken Wu Zixu as an example. He was able to turn white overnight when he passed through Shaoguan.”

"Now I, Sima Yi, work tirelessly day and night; how could I be inferior to the ancients?"

After saying this, Sima Yi took another deep breath, hesitated for a moment, and then put down his brush.

"However, what you say is absolutely right, brother."

"Revenge cannot be rushed."

He got up and walked to the window, gazing at an old plum tree in the courtyard, its branches gnarled and twisted like a dragon:
"If it weren't for the decisive and ruthless actions of the King of Wei in the Battle of Hanzhong, which led the people of Shu to defend Yangping Pass to the death."

"Furthermore, during the Central Plains War, Henan was burned down, forcing Liu Bei to spend money and grain to provide relief to the victims..."

A cold smile crept across his lips. "How could Shu and Wei have such a foundation today?"

With Hanzhong in place, and considering the treacherous roads of Shu, the Qi people would not attack Shu in the short term.

Moreover, Cao Cao decisively burned down fertile fields in Henan and relocated the people.

This resulted in Liu Bei suffering a huge, bleeding wound after winning the war in the Central Plains.

It will take him a long time to reform Henan.

It will take several years just to restore productivity in Henan.

To fully restore to pre-war levels would require ancient production efficiency and population growth rates.

It's impossible to do this in less than ten years.

Therefore, Liu Bei would not easily launch military campaigns against Shu for several years.

Sima Lang frowned slightly:
“Zhongda, you didn’t used to admire the King of Wei so much.”

"Times change."

Sima Yi turned around, the candlelight flickering in his eyes.

"Those who achieve great things should be as decisive and ruthless as the King of Wei."

"In the past, our Sima family was too cautious, which led to..."

He paused, his fist clenched so tightly in his sleeve that it turned white.

Sima Lang sighed:
"Although the King of Wei is a man of great talent and ambition, he has never granted you military power."

"Of all my brothers, only you, Zhongda, are the most skilled in military strategy."

Of course, we don't have many brothers left now.

"It doesn't matter."

Sima Yi said calmly:

"Because I am on good terms with the Crown Prince, it is inevitable that the King of Wei will be suspicious."

"But now that the King of Wei has appointed Prince Pi as his heir..."

He suddenly lowered his voice and turned to look at his elder brother, "There's plenty of time in the future."

A gust of wind blew past the window, and a section of the plum branch snapped off with a "crack".

Sima Yi casually picked up the broken branch and played with it.

"Although the Shu region has enjoyed several years of peace, we must not be complacent or slack."

"After all, Liu Bei had Li Zicheng as his assistant. Although Li Zicheng was hateful, he was indeed a genius."

"Now that he has become the Prime Minister and has control over the country's military and political affairs, he has no more worries."

"It can truly be said that birds soar into the blue sky and fish enter the sea, free from all constraints."

“I am worried that with Li’s extraordinary talent, Liu Yong will be able to reorganize Henan in three to five years with his assistance.”

"At that time, the people of Qi will have the strength to look westward!"

"Is Zhongda overestimating Li Yi?"

Sima Lang couldn't help but ask a question.

"Although this person is a genius, he is not a god after all."

"The development of a region takes many years and a lot of time."

"No matter how talented Li Yi is, he can't go against the will of Heaven, can he?"

Sima Yi gave a bitter smile and sighed:

"Brother, have you forgotten?"

“Li Yi, that scoundrel, is the kind of person who can make a harsh and cold place like Youzhou self-sufficient.”

"This is something that has never been accomplished in the four hundred years since the Han Dynasty."

"Furthermore, the curved plow and wooden ox and flowing horse that they made were all powerful tools for improving people's livelihoods."

"Nothing is impossible for this person."

"We are facing an extremely formidable and powerful adversary."

Sima Lang fell silent.

He gazed at his brother's gaunt face, and finally spoke:
"Now that Zhongda knows the situation is temporarily stable, what are your plans for the future?"

Sima Yi tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his gaze as cold and unfathomable as an abyss:

"We should seize this opportune moment, work diligently to govern, and strengthen our great Wei."

He took out a piece of Shu brocade and handed it to Sima Lang to look at.

“Brother, look, the brocade produced in Shu is of far superior quality to that of other counties.”

"When Liu Zhang was alive, he could not be used."

"In my opinion, this item is more valuable than gold."

"If we can establish more officials in Jinzhou, the annual revenue can increase by one million coins."

"Tomorrow, I will submit a memorial to the King of Wei, requesting the expansion of the weaving workshop."

Sima Lang sighed deeply:
"Our Sima clan of Hanoi is now reduced to just the two of us..."

He reached out and pressed down on his younger brother's hand, where the veins were bulging.

"But as long as the bloodline remains, revival is possible."

"Zhongda, don't overwork yourself."

"Don't worry, brother."

Sima Yi lowered his eyes to hide the cold glint in them, but his tone was gentle as water, "I know what I'm doing."

The next day, at the Wei King's Palace.

The bronze sparrow lanterns flickered, and Cao Cao leaned back on his throne, his fingertips twirling a newly minted "Jingyuan coin".

It has a bronze-like, bluish-green color and distinct outlines.

He flicked the coins onto the table, and a crisp "clink" echoed through the hall.

"Liu Bei newly minted this Jingyuan coin, one coin is worth ten coins."

"It has been distributed throughout the country, and recently some people from Sichuan have been trading it in the country, which is how I learned about it."

"Perfect timing, as Sichuan is currently lacking copper mines."

"Do you all think that this Jingyuan coinage method can be used in Shu?"

Liu Ba stepped forward, bowing respectfully.

"Your Majesty, I have observed that Liu Bei is exchanging old currency for new currency, and the people are suffering from the harshness of the exchange process."

"Now our Shu and Wei should also mint new coins, which can be doubled."

"One coin was used to equal a hundred coins in order to alleviate the copper shortage."

The Chief Clerk Peng Yang hurriedly advised:

"Hey! No way!"

“In the past, Dong Zhuo minted small coins, which turned a bushel of grain into millions of coins.”

"If this policy is implemented, public resentment will likely boil over!"

Cao Cao remained silent. He was also worried about this matter, but he also really wanted to accomplish it.

Liu Bei issued the Jingyuan coin in order to revitalize the national economy.

Previously, the Han Dynasty had been in a period of chaos and had suffered further turmoil due to the devastation caused by Dong Zhuo's small-denomination currency, resulting in a highly disordered monetary system.

To be fair, Cao Cao did want to reshape the economy of Shu.

But there are indeed concerns that this could provoke a series of public grievances.

After all, the people of Sichuan are not like the people of Henan, whom we can easily abandon.

He was referring to the local people's means of survival.

Cao Cao's gaze swept over Sima Yi, who stood silently at the bottom of the table:

"Zhongda, you have always been known for your wisdom, what do you think?"

Sima Yi straightened his robes, stepped forward, and bowed in response:
"In my opinion, minting large coins is nothing more than cutting off flesh to mend a wound."

"The true treasure of Sichuan..."

He took out a piece of shimmering fabric, "Here it is!"

All eyes in the hall immediately turned to it; it turned out to be a piece of Shu brocade.

"In the past, Liu Zhang was weak and incompetent. He possessed Chengdu, but his annual tribute was no more than a thousand bolts of silk."

Sima Yi's voice rose, "If we expand the weaving workshops to three thousand, and select skilled craftsmen from Chongqing, we can produce one hundred thousand bolts of silk annually."

"This would greatly benefit the nation's revenue; I earnestly request that the King of Wei adopt it."

Regarding the status of Shu brocade, Zhuge Liang commented on it in his "Memorial on Dispatching the Army," saying—

"Liu Zhang was incompetent and weak; the people were prosperous and the country was wealthy, yet he did not know how to care for them."

In Zhuge Liang's view, Shu brocade was a gold mine for Shu Han, inexhaustible and ever-flowing.

He believed that Liu Zhang was incompetent in governing the Shu region and had little to show for his efforts in promoting Shu brocade.

Liu Zhang failed to do many tasks properly.

Any politician with even a modicum of foresight could recognize the immense economic value of Shu brocade.

It will be an important way for Sichuan to generate foreign exchange income.

Sima Yi was naturally aware of this, so when he found a suitable opportunity, he expressed his idea of ​​developing the Shu brocade industry.

"If we can enable the mass production of Shu brocade."

"This would allow officials to receive half brocade and half cash in their salaries, thus stabilizing the price of brocade."

“Military pay can be paid in brocade, and commercial taxes can be paid in brocade, which will attract merchants from all directions.”

Sima Yi's idea was to create a "brocade-based" monetary system.

By directly linking Zhibai coins with Shu brocade, Zhibai coins gained credit value.

At the same time, by allowing Shu brocade to be directly distributed as official salaries and military pay, its "brocade-centric" status in the Shu region could be consolidated.

"absurd!"

Peng Yang stepped forward, his sleeves fluttering, and said sternly:

"Sichuan is a small land; if we abandon agriculture and sericulture to pursue fine silks and brocades, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?"

Qin Mi also stepped forward to echo:
"When Guan Zhong governed Qi, he placed great importance on the five grains."

"Li Kui taught Marquis Wen of Wei to make the most of the land."

"Today, the territory of Shu and Wei is no more than three counties, and the population is no more than one million."

"If we continue to force people to weave brocade, the fields will become barren."

"If Liu Bei raises an army to attack us one day, how will we defend ourselves?"

Upon hearing this, many of the civil and military officials in the palace whispered among themselves.

Cao Cao sat on the throne, his gaze deep and unwavering, offering neither affirmation nor denial.

Sima Yi remained calm and patient, waiting until the two had finished speaking before slowly stepping forward, cupping his hands in greeting, and saying:
“The concerns of Lord Peng and Lord Qin are indeed wise and insightful words for governing the country.”

"Yes——"

Sima Yi took out a silk scroll from his sleeve and slowly unfurled it:

"This is what our spies discovered: Li Yi's strategy for governing Youzhou."

“Yuyang County established a livestock market and made futures contracts.”

"The herdsmen did not stop grazing their livestock, and the merchants did not stop transporting goods, yet the government treasury's annual revenue tripled."

To defeat your enemy, you must first understand your enemy.

Over the years, Sima Yi had been learning about Li Yi in every aspect.

He meticulously analyzed and interpreted every logical step Li Yi took.

Try to understand why he did this.

Then, by analogy, if you were in his position, what would you do?
The economic miracle of Youzhou was undoubtedly a significant chapter in Li Yi's political career.

This is also a point that has baffled scholars throughout the land.

How exactly did Li Yi manage to do that?
His behavior was so counterintuitive, yet it somehow enabled Youzhou to achieve self-sufficiency.

Sima Yi was also curious, but unlike others, he did not choose to despise or question it.

Hate your enemy, but also respect your enemy.

Sima Yi spent a great deal of time studying Li Yi's thought process in governing Youzhou.

In the end, a surprising conclusion was reached.

That is, commerce, handicrafts, and agriculture are not in conflict!
For a long time, rulers generally believed that if people went into business, fewer people would be farming.

Merchants are mostly shrewd and calculating, far less honest and obedient than farmers.

Therefore, most rulers chose to prioritize agriculture and suppress commerce, and did not want merchants to dominate the country.

During the Three Kingdoms period, only Zhuge Liang understood this point.

He believed that commerce and agriculture were not in conflict.

Agriculture can promote commercial development, and commerce can also support agriculture.

It was precisely because Zhuge Liang realized this that he was able to make Shu brocade a world-renowned brand.

So much so that even officials of the Wei Kingdom, including Cao Pi, wore Shu brocade.

This also generated a large amount of foreign exchange revenue for the Shu Han state.

This gave Zhuge Liang ample resources to launch a northern expedition and conquer Cao Wei.

In the past, Sima Yi certainly wouldn't have been able to understand the intricacies of the matter.

But by studying their rivals, they studied the economic miracle of Youzhou.

This led Sima Yi to change his outdated viewpoint, and he came to believe that Shu brocade was an inexhaustible gold mine for the Wei Kingdom!

"Humph!"

Peng Yang snorted coldly:
"Li Yi is a treacherous villain; how can we emulate him?"

Sima Yi was not offended and continued:
"Although Li Yi is a traitor to the country, his economic policies are indeed commendable." "Youzhou was originally a harsh and cold place, but now its granaries are full and its warhorses are numerous."

Why?

He surveyed the crowd, his voice growing deeper:

"This shows that 'if agriculture and sericulture are not neglected, commerce can flourish'!"

Qin Mi frowned and said:
"The regions of Shu and Youzhou are different and cannot be compared."

"Although they are different, each has its merits."

Sima Yi raised his voice and looked around at everyone in the hall.

"Sichuan is mountainous with little arable land. Even if we make the most of the land, the annual harvest will only be a million bushels."

“A single bolt of Shu brocade can be exchanged for thirty bushels of rice in Jiangdong! If one hundred thousand bolts are produced annually.”

"That's three million bushels of grain!"

"Moreover, brocade weaving is mostly done by women and children, so how does it hinder farming?"

Peng Yang sneered:
"Even though Shu brocade can be exchanged for thirty bushels of grain, I'm afraid Jiangdong may not be able to provide three million bushels of grain and fodder to trade with us for Shu brocade every year."

"Besides, what if Wei and Wu become enemies and sever all ties?"

"Wouldn't the Shu brocade just rot in our hands?"

Upon hearing this, even Sima Lang couldn't bear to listen anymore.

Peng Yang's words were purely nitpicking.

Sima Yi's statement about exchanging three million bushels of grain was merely an example.

How could it be possible that all 100,000 bolts of Shu brocade produced were actually used to exchange for grain?

Even if the people of Wu agreed, the objective conditions wouldn't allow it.

Sima Yi was not annoyed and patiently explained:

"It is not all about exchanging provisions, just as I just said."

“Brocade can be used as a substitute for military pay. If soldiers receive brocade, they can resell it for profit, which will surely boost their morale.”

"Brocade can be exchanged for horses; the Qiang people value brocade and can exchange it for fine horses."

"Our Shu region is adjacent to Liangzhou, and the trade between the two places can make up for the lack of horses in Shu."

Peng Yang was immediately enraged and scolded:

"This is a deceptive tactic! How can it be considered a legitimate government?"

"Lord Peng!" Sima Yi suddenly shouted.

"Now Liu Bei holds sway over the Central Plains, commanding a million troops."

"If Shu and Wei do not devise other strategies to enrich the country, are we to sit idly by and wait for our demise?"

He turned to Cao Cao, his words earnest:
"Your Majesty is wise! If Li Yi can strengthen Youzhou through trade, why can't we enrich Shu through our brocade industry?"

"If we stick to the old ways, the two armies will face off in the future."

"Our army is running out of supplies and our weapons are worn out. Even with formidable passes and strong cities, we cannot withstand Liu Bei's thunderous advance!"

"May Your Majesty investigate this matter thoroughly!"

After saying this, he immediately bowed down and kowtowed repeatedly to the ground.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Cao Cao finally spoke slowly:
"I believe that Zhongda's words are very good."

"I hereby order you to handle this matter."

Peng Yang and Qin Mi looked ashen-faced.

Sima Yi repeatedly bowed his head in gratitude, deeply thankful.

Once the imperial edict was issued, Sima Yi immediately set about reorganizing the Shu brocade industry.

He knew that if he wanted Shu brocade to become a pillar of the Wei state's economy, radical reforms were necessary.

He first petitioned Cao Cao to establish a "Jin Guan Shu" (Brocade Official Office) under the Shao Fu (Minister of the Treasury).

Cao Cao agreed and appointed him as the magistrate of Jinguan.

Oversee all aspects of Shu brocade production and trade nationwide.

They also established weaving workshops in Chengdu, Guangdu, and Jiangzhou.

Each workshop was staffed with one hundred supervisors, craftsmen, and dyers, with a clear division of labor.

At the same time, Sima Yi also realized that the Shu region was very suitable for silkworm breeding.

However, the mulberry fields in Sichuan are mostly scattered, and the yield is unstable.

Therefore, Sima Yi gave the following order:
Those who cultivate mulberry trees will be exempt from taxes, and those who cultivate more than ten mu of mulberry trees will be exempt from household taxes.

In addition, silkworm officials were appointed to supervise production, and "silkworm officials" were set up in various prefectures and counties.

Specializing in expanding mulberry cultivation and improving silkworm breeds.

At the same time, they exchanged brocade for silk.

Those who present raw silk to barbarian tribes in border areas may exchange it for Shu brocade at the market price.

To encourage the people of Shu to raise silkworms and plant mulberry trees, Sima Yi took the lead and set an example.

He voluntarily planted 800 mulberry trees at home.

Upon hearing this, Cao Pi, the prince of Wei, also planted eighty mulberry trees in his residence to express his support for the Shu brocade industry.

Then, Sima Yi compiled the weaving households in Shu into a "brocade register" and divided them into three grades according to their skills.

Those who were employed by the Imperial Household Department were responsible for weaving tribute brocade, and the patterns had to be approved by the Brocade Official Office.

Those of medium means who weave brocade for sale in the market must have it stamped with an official seal before it can be sold.

Those who worked in the lower-class households wove coarse silk for the use of the common people.

They also established the "Jinyangku" to collect patterns from various regions.

Any newly created patterns must be submitted for inspection and approval before they can be woven.

The purpose of this is to regulate weaving households and strictly control quality.

In other words, it's about creating a "brand effect".

The huge profits from Shu brocade, theoretically speaking, are not something that only people from Shu (Sichuan) can enjoy.

Because this thing isn't a nuclear bomb, there's no technological barrier for a country to develop it.

Any country can produce Shu brocade if it wants to.

The reality is that only the Shu Han dynasty in history benefited from the Shu brocade.

This is due to the brand effect.

Everyone believes that only Shu brocade produced in Sichuan is a high-end product.

Wearing clothes made in the states of Wei and Wu means wearing counterfeit or substandard products.

Even the people of Wu and Wei themselves held this view.

To be honest, were the Shu brocades produced by the Wei and Wu people really completely inferior to those produced by the Wei people?

That's definitely not the case.

Ultimately, it's the brand effect that's at play.

Sima Yi observed that when Li Yi was developing the economy of Youzhou, he would specifically take the lead in wearing fur coats from Youzhou.

Gradually, "Youzhou woolen goods" began to sell well throughout the country.

This is inseparable from the "brand effect" brought about by the "celebrity effect".

Therefore, building a brand for Shu brocade is also very important.

Furthermore, Sima Yi believed that once Shu brocade developed, its sales and profits would definitely exceed those of Youzhou fur products.

Because the fur products of Youzhou were essentially fur coats.

In a society like the Han Dynasty that valued scholars, this was never something to be proud of.

Moreover, in terms of cost, woolen goods are far inferior to Shu brocade.

Shu brocade is purely handmade, so it is not cheap and is quite valuable.

High-ranking officials and nobles also mostly like to wear it.

Besides, fur coats are only popular in the north; people in the south don't like to wear them.

But brocade is different; it's a true luxury item that can be worn all year round.

Youzhou woolen goods are counterfeit luxury goods.

Under Sima Yi's sweeping reforms.

Mulberry trees sprang up from the ground, and textile machines fell to the ground with a thud.

According to the person involved, after the imperial edict was issued, the mulberry fields in Sichuan increased by seven out of ten.

On market days, women and children would carry silk and stroll along the streets.

By the third year of Zhangwu, the annual revenue from Shu brocade reached three million coins, accounting for 40% of the annual tax revenue of the Wei Kingdom.

However, Sima Yi's control over the entire country was not as strong as Zhuge Liang's.

Although Zhuge Liang developed Shu brocade, he did not neglect agricultural development.

He advocated for the equal importance and joint development of agriculture and commerce.

Sima Yi certainly didn't want agriculture to lag behind, but his level of sophistication was far inferior to that of Zhuge Liang.

This led to a shift in power between farmers and merchants in Sichuan, with weavers suddenly becoming more expensive.

On this day,

In the western suburbs of Chengdu, an old farmer named Li Shen squatted on the edge of a field, staring blankly at his three mu of mulberry grove.

Last year, he pulled up half an acre of millet seedlings and planted mulberry trees instead. This spring, he earned more money from selling silk than his family had in previous years.

Meanwhile, Old Man Wang next door beat his chest and stamped his feet, sighing:

"If only I had listened to the advice of the Jin Guan Bureau last year and converted all the land into mulberry fields!"

This is just the tip of the iceberg among the people of Chengdu; they place too much emphasis on the benefits of Shu brocade.

This led to weavers gradually becoming more valuable than farmers.

Of course, this was by no means the situation that the Cao Wei government wanted to see.

However, things do sometimes go against our wishes.

But at least the Wei government truly reaped the tangible profits brought by Shu brocade.

And this is just the beginning; we'll only get more in the future.

But this has led to some new problems.

That is, extravagance became rampant, and social order collapsed.

The rise of Shu brocade brought immense wealth to the people of Shu.

When a penniless young man suddenly possesses a huge amount of savings.

People usually think about enjoying life, not saving.

Chengdu scholar Xu Jing lamented this situation, saying:

“Nowadays, children in Sichuan wear brocade pouches, prostitutes and actors wear tribute brocade, and women in the marketplace even embroider shoes with gold thread.”

“I once saw a farmer put down his hoe to look at the brocade market. When I asked him why, he said, ‘Weaving brocade for one day is better than tilling the land for ten days.’”

The Cao Wei government failed to ensure that the common people properly stored away the enormous wealth brought by Shu brocade in a timely manner.

This has led to a great deal of waste.

Another issue is the conflict of interests between the Han people and the barbarians.

Sima Yi encouraged the planting of mulberry trees and the reclamation of mulberry fields throughout the country.

This led to numerous conflicts between Han and non-Han peoples in prefectures and counties, primarily Yuexi County, which were inhabited by non-Han ethnic groups.

The cause was that Han Chinese forcibly occupied the Yi people's forest land and converted it into mulberry fields.

The Yi people were very dissatisfied with this, so they organized their people.

They burned the mulberry grove at night and hung the head of the brocade craftsman at the village gate.

Sima Yi's solution to this was—

"The Commandant shall lead the Jin City Guards to suppress them, and those captured shall be punished by being made government slaves to weave brocade."

Sima Yi's attitude towards ethnic minorities was not as mild as Zhuge Liang's.

In his view, these were all troublemakers who were hindering his development of Shu brocade and the strengthening of the country.

Anyone who dares to stop him, he will kill.

Because Sima Yi did not choose to reconcile the conflict between the Han and the barbarians, but instead took sides and supported the Han people in encroaching on the barbarian forest land.

This has led to increasingly deep conflicts between the two ethnic groups.

Of course, this is only the first year.

None of the aforementioned problems are enough to shake the foundation of the entire country.

Broadly speaking, the Shu brocade industry greatly promoted the economic development of the Wei Kingdom.

This at least provided the Wei state with a large amount of resources to destroy the Han.

In the early summer of the third year of Zhangwu.

In the Wei Palace of Chengdu, golden silk curtains hang down above the main hall.

Under the candlelight, all the officials and ministers were dressed in Shu brocade court robes.

Cao Cao sat upright on his throne, wearing a brocade robe with cloud and phoenix patterns, the collar of which was wrapped with gold thread, shining brightly in the morning light.

"Zhongda".

Cao Cao chuckled lightly, "The craftsmanship of this Shu brocade is truly ingenious."

"To have achieved such a level of weaving in just one year is truly a testament to your skill."

Sima Yi stepped forward, bowed, and said:
"King Lai is blessed with good fortune. This year, the annual income from Shu brocade is expected to exceed ten million coins."

Upon hearing this, the officials below the steps clapped their hands in congratulation.

Even those who had previously opposed Peng Yang and Qin Mi no longer made sarcastic remarks.

Because they also benefited from the development of Shu brocade.

Imperial Censor Dong He stroked his beard and smiled:

“When Liu Jiyu occupied Shu in the past, the treasury was empty all year round.”

"Our Great Wei is now enriched by brocade, which is truly the mandate of Heaven!"

Cao Cao laughed heartily, about to offer his praise, when he suddenly saw Huang Quan step forward with a frown:

"Your Majesty, I have some worries."

"Oh?" Cao Cao raised an eyebrow. "Gongheng, please speak freely."

Huang Quan solemnly said:
"Although Shu brocade is profitable, many common people in Chengdu today wear brocade, which is a transgression of etiquette."

"Even worse, the Jiangyang County government reported that farmers had abandoned their fields to weave brocade, causing grain prices to soar this spring..."

"Master Huang is overthinking it!"

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Ba interrupted him.

"When the people are wealthy, the nation is wealthy. This is not extravagance, but a sign of a prosperous age!"

In the eyes of intellectuals like Liu Ba, if even ordinary people can afford to wear fine clothes, then...

Doesn't this perfectly demonstrate the prosperity and wealth of their Great Wei?
This is absolutely destiny!

Huang Quan disagreed and spoke up in rebuttal.

"Does Lord Liu know that the price of Shu brocade is entirely due to the government's forceful price increase?"

He turned to Cao Cao and said, “Your Majesty, the reason why merchants are willing to pay high prices for brocade is because our Great Wei protects their trade routes with military might and raises their value with government decrees.”

"If we fail to achieve this one day, we will be in grave danger!"

Shu brocade is ultimately just a luxury item.

The nation's revival can rely on it, but if it relies solely on it, problems will definitely arise.

No sooner had Huang Quan finished speaking than Sima Yi slowly stepped out of the ranks.

He first bowed to Cao Cao, then turned to Huang Quan, his voice neither hurried nor slow:
"I deeply admire Huang Gong's concern for the country."

"However, the things you are worried about are perhaps too much."

"Last year, 50,000 bolts of Shu brocade were shipped to Jiangdong, in exchange for hundreds of thousands of bushels of rice."

"They sold 30,000 horses to the Western Qiang and obtained several thousand warhorses."

"The treasury is now full and the armor and weapons are brand new; this is an indisputable fact."

He took out a scroll of silk from his sleeve. “This was verified by the Minister of Revenue; Your Majesty, please review it.”

After saying this, he handed the silk scroll to Cao Cao.

Then Sima Yi explained the issue of rising grain prices:

"Although some small farmers abandoned their fields to cultivate the land last year, leading to an increase in grain prices."

"However, this is not uncontrollable."

"Our Jinshi Division exchanged Shu brocade for Wu grain, which resulted in a 30% increase in the official granary's storage capacity compared to previous years."

"Does Lord Huang perhaps believe that without the benefits of Shu brocade, our Great Wei can conjure up grain out of thin air?"

"As Yi said before, seven or eight out of ten brocade weavers are women and children, so how can it hinder farming?"

Sima Yi's development of Shu brocade was rather extreme, or rather, a bit excessive.

Therefore, they immediately made a lot of profits.

This far surpasses the achievements of Zhuge Liang during the same period in history when he governed Shu.

However, this also created a series of hidden dangers.

However, these hidden dangers and contradictions were not yet significant, and Sima Yi believed that they were all controllable.

The government can exercise macro-control.

After all, the grain reserves in the granaries were higher than in previous years, and warhorses were flowing into the Shu region in a steady stream.

And the significant increase in national treasury revenue are facts.

This further convinced Sima Yi that everything he had done was correct.

The policy and direction are perfectly fine!
"...Alas, I hope you are right."

Faced with the data column, Huang Quan had no way to refute it and could only agree.

He looked north and thought to himself that the Shu region was indeed developing very quickly.

But the Qi-Han regime, which dominated the nine provinces, was certainly not standing still.

What are they doing now?

……

(End of this chapter)