Du Zhongxiao called Dong Lin in front of the ya, and repeatedly instructed: "It is not trivial for you to go to the state this time." Most of the incense, alum, cinnabar, and the like in our arsenal, all goods that are not used and which are not easy to realize in the Volcano Army, will be sent to the state and exchanged for cash. Now that the army is using money everywhere, you must not delay, you must go early and return early. Be cautious along the way, and with the Feng Yuanwai caravan, there must be no mistakes. ”

Dong Lin forked his hand and sang a promise: "Zhijun, the road to Bingzhou is far away, and most of them are mountain roads, I don't know if I can send a few soldiers to accompany me?" ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "Don't worry, I have an official letter here, and you can let the local government send people along the way, and you can live in a post shop." ”

Dong Lin saw that Du Zhongxiao had made proper arrangements, so it was difficult to say anything. From the Volcano Army to Bingzhou, you must first go to the Baode Army, take the Lan Army, and go to Xinzhou, not only the road is long, but most of them are through the valley. Although there are many garrisons in this area, the investigation is strict, and there are occasional mountain thieves who can't do anything.

Seeing that Dong Lin was not at ease, Du Zhongxiao said: "Don't worry, Feng Yuanwai is used to this road, you just have to go with them." ”

Dong Lin had no choice but to promise and bow and leave.

Du Zhongxiao couldn't help but be a little worried when he saw Dong Lin go out. The goods were worth a lot of money this time, and Du Zhongxiao was afraid that there would be a mistake, so they asked them to go to Bingzhou with Feng Yuan's caravan. In the arsenal of the Volcano Army, there is a lot of money stored in the books, but in fact, there is very little cash in it, and most of it is goods that are difficult to exchange. For example, silk silks and the like, due to the scarcity of the northland, there is no backlog in the library. Alum, cinnabar, mercury, and the like are not allowed to trade, and the demand is small, accumulating year after year, accounting for a large share of the military stockpile. Seeing that there is so much money on the books, in fact, there is not much that can be used, Du Zhongxiao wants to cultivate the land, and he is stretched thin everywhere. A few days ago, he wrote to Zheng Jian, explaining his difficulties and asking to exchange all these useless stocks for cash.

Since Du Zhongxiao arrived in the Volcano Army, Zheng Jian did not embarrass him. A few days ago, when it came to cultivating fields, Zheng Jian readily agreed, but he specially ordered to pay attention to the defense of the Khitan, and to appease the small Tibetan troops on the other side of the river. Zheng Jian also agreed to exchange cash this time, and all of it was exchanged into new iron money.

After Du Zhongxiao left the state, under the auspices of Zheng Jian, the northern part of Hedong Road has been completely changed to new iron money. Not only did it increase the ratio of iron coins to copper coins, but also made new large iron coins that were exchanged for copper coins on a one-to-one basis, so that copper coins were completely withdrawn from circulation. No matter how beautifully made, the price of iron is still much cheaper than copper, and now iron money is suspected of looting people's wealth. The people are not stupid, they either store the copper coins or transport them to other places, and only new iron coins are circulated in the market. This kind of iron money has no storage value, and the circulation is smooth, and the market is prosperous for a while.

The technology of hot tinning of iron will one day flow to the people, and if the value of iron money is set too high, there will definitely be piracy, which cannot be avoided in any way. They cannot be stamped with large machines, they can be carefully forged with small molds, and as long as the value is high, they will not lose money. Du Zhongxiao's original intention of making new iron coins is that they are not rusty and can be circulated for a long time, and the other is large-scale manufacturing, so as to reduce costs and make small-scale manufacturing unprofitable, so as to avoid fake money. Zheng Jian is still too eager for quick success, the currency value is too high, and the fake money is afraid that it will appear soon.

In fact, now Du Zhongxiao has a way to arbitrage his own money, because the big iron money equivalent to the copper money is not much different from the small iron money, and the small iron money can be carefully forged together, and after superimposing, it is still profitable to forge it into a big iron money. In the end, the big money of all dynasties and dynasties failed in the end, that is, it was impossible to prevent the people from making fake money in this way. The value of the currency is different, either the weight is related to the value of the currency, or the material is different. A reasonable way should be to issue a large number of new iron coins, increase the value of copper coins, and make the money of the two materials parallel, so that the copper and iron price will naturally adjust the value of the currency. The purpose of the imperial court to make money is to prosper commerce and develop the economy, and even if there is a profit, it should not be too high in order to last for a long time.

On the other hand, he said to Cheng Wenli: "The army knows that the goods in the military treasury are exchanged for cash, but I am afraid that it will be difficult to save." Although mercury, alum and other materials are useless, they exist in the library and are difficult to consume. Once you change the cash, I am afraid that it will cost you like water. ”

Du Zhongxiao said with a smile: "Now that we are cultivating fields in the north, we are spending money like flowing water. Money is not springing, and it is spread all over the world, and it is good to circulate it. Exists in the Curry, how is it different from scrap copper and rotten iron? We distribute money to soldiers and ordinary people, build ditches, canals, roads, and cultivate farmland, not only can the newly opened farmland produce grain and rice, but they will always spend the money that is sent to the people. If it is spent, there will be various transactions, and the government will collect taxes, and the money will return to the government in the process of circulation. Doing so is what money is meant to be, so what's the point of being in the library? Mercury, cinnabar, alum, and other goods are not easy to trade in the Volcano Army, and they can be used a lot when exchanged for cash. ”

Cheng Wenli said: "If this is the case, how can Zheng Xianggong receive our goods and go to the state?" ”

"The state is a big place, and when these goods get there, it's easy to sell. There are all kinds of industries there, whether it is setting up a market for sales, or distributing to the city's commercial banks, they are much more relaxed. Moreover, most of the new iron money supervised by Chase was shipped to Bingzhou, where there was no shortage of money. ”

Cheng Wenli shook his head, although Du Zhongxiao was reasonable, he always felt unsteady. When there is stock in the military treasury, these officials will have a bottom in their hearts, and they will have hole cards at critical times. As for the difficulty of trading, there is no need to worry, what do the merchants in the city do? When it matters, just sell it to them forcibly. Isn't it for this purpose that the imperial court encourages business and hides wealth from the people? This is the practice of the Great Song Dynasty, whenever the government is short of money, it is the time when the merchants are loyal to the country, and they have to donate money in various names.

The two had different understandings on this issue, so they didn't talk about it anymore.

Cheng Wenli said: "Look at it, it's autumn, and we will arrange for the soldiers and people to dig firewood." This is a major advance for this army, and it is also a tribute, so it cannot be delayed. Now that the manpower is cultivating fields in the north, I am afraid that this matter will be delayed, and the army should plan earlier. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "No need, the people have a quota, which is indispensable." In addition, we can arrange to set up a field to buy, otherwise what is the use of us changing so much cash to come back? Bupleurum is not only abundant here, but also a lot of nearby state armies and even Tibetan land, and the price is bound to not be too high. If we buy it with money, the people will dig it up with all their might, and only the merchants will trade it, so that they will not lose their capital. ”

Listening to Du Zhongxiao's words, Cheng Wenli trembled a little. His new boss is too bold in doing things, exchanging goods from the military treasury for money, and spending money on every move of the yamen, which is too extravagant. Bupleurum is a local product, which of the previous chief officials was willing to spend money to buy it? That thing is all over the mountains, as long as you arrange the van army, recruit the people, and dig everywhere. The merchants who came to the Volcano Army mainly sold the native products of the northern Tibetan region, and who would go to this poor and remote place to buy Chai Hu, a lot of medicinal materials produced on Hedong Road? In previous years, the Volcano Army took the opportunity to pay tribute, and the yamen followed and trafficked some, and most of them were official private goods, and there was no income.

Looking at Cheng Wenli's expression, Du Zhongxiao knew that he couldn't think of going with him, and said to him: "Push the official, the so-called no business is not rich, if the yamen wants to be rich, it will inevitably prosper in business under its rule." We are close to the north and have a field, which is a good place to attract merchants. Especially now that the Khitan and the party are on tight guard against the imperial court, many goods are not sold to us, and the Volcano Army is in their cracks, and there are many things to do. When we have reclaimed the farmland and the place has prospered, will we still be afraid that there will be no merchants to come? ”

This is the biggest advantage of the Volcano Army, after the battle with Dangxiang, the Khitan and Dangxiang blocked strategic materials against the Great Song Dynasty. In the entire north, except for the Qinzhou area bordering Tubo, only the narrow area of the Volcano Army remains, because of the existence of some small Tibetan tribes, it can also do some sensitive business. If you don't take advantage of this strength, how can the place develop?