Sometimes spending money to be strong is a kind of happiness, more often it is not just by spending money to be strong, and it is sad to have money but not be able to spend it.

"We reformed the currency and issued five baht coins, and the total amount was only 4 billion guan, and the average amount was 80 guan per person's head." Lu Zhe pinched his fingers and counted: "However, it is impossible for everyone to have eighty guan in their hands, in fact, some people do not even have a consistent amount, although the wealth is not excessively concentrated in the hands of some people, but having ten thousand guan family wealth is not too rare in the empire." ”

The issuance of 4 billion guan is really not high, that is, it is equal to 4 trillion 5 baht coins, you must know that in the Han Dynasty, it is not uncommon for the average wealthy family to hide billions of money, and who in the larger wealthy family has not hidden more than 10 billion money.

In the 12 years since the founding of the empire, Lu Zhe has paid attention to local construction from the very beginning, and throwing money is like flowing water, which is an ordinary person who flows to the people, covering a wide range. The empire also attaches great importance to commerce, and in the past ten years, there have been countless merchants who have stabilized their industries, and new merchants have risen, and they have gathered a lot of money by means of trading, but compared to the huge wealth in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, it is far inferior.

"People nowadays like to hide their money," Lu Zhe said with an expression on his face that he didn't know whether it was funny or depressed: "In fact, the five baht coins circulating in the market are far less than imagined." Four billion guan is really circulating on the market, probably less than half? ”

Xiao He couldn't refute it, he also understood what Lu Zhe meant, and asked with a little hesitation: "Your Majesty wants to take out new money from the treasury and put it into the people?" ”

It is to take out new money from the private procurement, if the printing of paper money is no different from robbery, after all, paper money is a piece of paper in addition to "money", if there is no "money" function in addition to burning, paper money as toilet paper is still disgusted too hard.

Metal money itself has a function other than "money", it can be used as money. In addition, don't forget that the Bronze Age has not completely passed, and there are still many people who use wooden farm tools, and even if it is not good, you can melt the copper coins to make farm tools. In addition, in fact, some decorations in the current stage, utensils, utensils, etc., are mainly made of bronze.

"Your Majesty means ...... Someone in the people melted the copper coin? Xiao He didn't look much surprised.

Lu Zhecai didn't believe that Xiao He didn't know that the people would melt the copper coins to make utensils. It's just that Xiao He didn't want to investigate, and he didn't want to ask.

The five baht coins issued by the empire were seventy percent copper, twenty percent lead, and one percent tin, which was actually quite generous copper content, and the copper content of many dynastic communication currencies was even only 30% or 40%.

The pencil will contain tin and lead is not simply for "profit" or "money", it is mainly related to hardness, after all, copper is a soft metal, and it is easy to bend without adding the corresponding tin and lead, but tin and lead add more color difference and are easy to break.

The state issues currency. No matter what kind of currency it is, in fact, as long as the issued currency is in circulation in the market, it is equivalent to taking profits. Metal currency is not only thick or unkind to paper money, but metal money has another use, even if it is depreciated, it will not depreciate to the point that it is worse than toilet paper.

Copper coins can be melted to create other things, such as farm tools, lampstands, beds, etc.; Silver coins can be melted to make jewelry, tableware, and more; The use of gold coins melted will not be less; Banknotes melt ...... That's burning!

"I'm interested in increasing the market currency supply in the next three years." Lu Zhe was actually a little embarrassed, pursed his lips, and said, "Purchase from some big businessmen. ”

What is Xiao He's expression? If only I could roll my eyes. He's really going to double it. However, he agreed solemnly: "As Your Majesty said." The currency in the private market is not widely circulated for some reasons, and it must be because the amount of money is low, and the amount of money should be increased. ”

As for why it is only for big businessmen? The official production of a large amount of money must be targeted, not a cruel plunder, aimed at the big merchants because they deal in a lot of things, which indicates that there are also many things to purchase. The currency invested in the big business stocks will be radiated to more people in their purchases from all sides.

"How much does Your Majesty think is appropriate?" Xiao He asked a little cautiously.

"I think 6 billion guan is a good number, but what does the ruling government think?" Lu Zhe said, seeing that Xiao He was a little dumbfounded, he couldn't help laughing: "The military has discovered a super-large copper mine in Sha Ying (both Jiaozhi or Vietnam). I know that the islands found in the South Seas also contain unimaginable copper deposits buried deep underneath. So ......"

Xiao He had to be dumbfounded! In the past ten years, the official currency put into the people is four billion guan, but the ruler of the empire wants to invest another six billion guan in the next three years, which is really scary!

"Your Majesty...... Will it be too urgent? Xiao He worked hard to conceive the words, considered them again and again, and said: "Use six billion guan in three years to purchase from merchants...... Will it dry up and fish? ”

Again, the value of money itself lies in purchasing power, which is also the most valuable part of money itself. Money has purchasing power and can buy almost everything it can buy, which is equivalent to having a "medium" or "bridge" on the basis of barter.

At present, the purchasing power of the five baht of the empire is very strong, at least far stronger than that of any dynasty, after repeated reforms of the degree, the unit of weight has been the use of modern counting methods, and a pound of rice on the market is only eight five baht coins, so the traditional money of one thousand five baht coins can buy one hundred and twenty-five pounds of rice.

Nowadays, people are relatively big-bellied, and adult men eat about a pound of rice a day, and a family is usually more than four people, and it is not an exaggeration to have more than 30 people in a family.

According to the calculation of four men and women and different ages, a family eats an average of about three catties of rice a day, and if it is not cultivated by itself, it needs to spend at least thirty-two five baht. And that's not even counting food other than rice, and if you add vegetables, meat, or whatever, the cost will definitely increase.

“…… The daily cost of a family of four in Nanling is about forty and five baht. Xiao He has obviously done a survey: "Nanling is an individual case, and the standard of living in each region is not consistent, the more remote the place, the less it costs per day." The more developed the place, the more consumption. ”

Lu Zhe will not be surprised by this phenomenon at all, the prices in developed areas must be higher, but the economic income of people in developed areas must be relatively large, after all, the more developed places are, the more job opportunities, right?

"The purchase quota of 6 billion guan needs to be allocated by the government, and the relevant production capacity should be considered." Lu Zhe is hinting. In fact, there is no need to fully purchase from the private sector, and the government does not have various workshops and factories. He seemed to be worried that Xiao He didn't understand the meaning of his words, and added more obviously: "Although most of the official resources are collected from state-owned assets, many of them still need to be purchased and supplemented by the private sector. ”

The state-owned assets of the empire are very large, but at present it is a confusing situation, that is to say, the assets of the state are equal to the property of Lu Zhe, in some respects Lu Zhe can be arbitrarily resettled or extracted, fortunately, the government-run workshops or factories still have to pay taxes, otherwise the annual tax revenue of the empire will never be so much.

"Ruling huh?" Lu Zhe seems to be thinking about the wording? There was a short pause. As if casually, he asked: "Civil and military officials, nobles, etc., they are also in business, or buying industries, right?" ”

Xiao He thought about what he thought in his heart, only he knew it, and in response was to nod his head and say "yes", and then there were no other words.

"That's good, it's very good. I also hope that they will contribute to the economy of the Empire. Lu Zhe didn't need to say something, as long as he paid taxes, he didn't break the law. Officials and nobles have their own business industries, and no one can stop them, so they can't let a person become an official and then can't do anything, right? He smiled and said, "So I was still prescient. The establishment of the Ministry of Supervision is aimed at this. What about the ruling powers? ”

Xiao He was greatly relieved when he heard that Lu Zhe did not mean to prevent officials from doing business or creating economic resources.

"As long as you don't break the law, I encourage you to have your own industry, and the bigger the industry, the better." Lu Zhe is talking about honorable nobles, which means that officials should run industries in moderation.

Of course, Xiao He understood the meaning of Lu Zhe's words. He also understood why there was such a distinction.

As long as officials participate in economic operations, even if the officials themselves do not do it subjectively, there will definitely be many conveniences due to the identity or connections of the officials. But don't let officials run certain industries? If it is explicitly forbidden, will officials really not operate in secret? So Lu Zhe's meaning is obvious. It is not forbidden but also not encouraged, anyway, don't find out anything about using power for personal gain, otherwise you will wait to be dealt with.

In fact, as an official, although it is said that the empire's salary for officials is very generous, the monthly salary is fixed. As an official, you always need to socialize in one way or another, and under the current conditions of clan society, the number of officials in their personal families and families is relatively large, and after becoming officials, they are forbidden to do business, so should they let all officials become landlords? Or do you want officials to feed a large group of people on that fixed salary? This must be a joke!

"I'm honest with the government, I know very well that some things can't be banned by prohibition, but there must be a relevant supervision system." Lu Zhe was talking about the Imperial Ministry of Supervision, he looked at Xiao He very seriously, and said: "I think that the bigger the honorable industry, the better, and I believe that the ruling can also understand the intentions." ”

Even if Xiao He didn't understand, he could only say "understand" in front of Lu Zhe, and then privately interpret the meaning of Lu Zhe's words word by word.

"The nobles and the empire are one, and the empire will return as much as they give for the empire. Not only the nobles, but in fact, everyone in the empire is like this, I can't exercise power on behalf of the heavens, and I really do the point where 'heaven rewards hard work', but I will guarantee justice. Lu Zhe didn't mention any fairness, there is no absolute fairness in the world at all, in fact, absolute fairness is the biggest unfairness. When he said the latter, he seemed to be talking to himself: "The nobles and the empire are one, and the more local industries there are, as long as they are not for the sake of accumulation, the bigger the industry, the more shackles they will have, and the greater the amount of property, the greater the determination to support the empire." ”

Xiao He was not stupid enough to respond, and he would not be stupid enough to ask, "What if the noble power is stronger than the royal family?" "Those words. He was even glad to be able to meet a Ming Jun who hoped "hello, I am good, everyone is good", there is no shortage of careerists in the world, but not everyone is a careerist, Mingjun is to unite more people while not eating alone, so that some careerists dare not act rashly even if they have great ambitions.

"I have another idea, I want to ask the government." The expression on Lu Zhe's face looked very solemn.

Xiao He had to bow and said, "Your Majesty, please speak." ”

"The royal family is the ruling family of the empire, does the country belong to the royal family?" Lu Zhe didn't expect Xiao He to answer, looking at Xiao He's stiff expression, he also knew that even if Xiao He had an answer in his heart, he didn't dare to say it. He said slowly: "I think that the royal family rules the country, but it cannot attribute everything in the world to the royal family. ”

Xiao He was a little stunned, if he could, he really wanted to run away.

"I believe that the royal family's responsibility is to rule the country and ensure the unity and strength of the country, but it is not to be able to take what everyone wants." Lu Zhe's face was deep in thought, and his tone became more and more slow: "I have been emphasizing two points, responsibility and obligation. What kind of responsibility to take and fulfill the due responsibility. What kind of obligations are shouldered and what kind of obligations are fulfilled. ”

Xiao He was already a little confused.

"For me, my responsibility is to make the empire extremely powerful, and our national space will expand again and again, until the planet under our feet becomes our habitat, so that every person in the empire can not worry about living space." Lu Zhe didn't say anything too shocking about the world, if he said what he thought in his heart, he would definitely scare Xiao He into paralysis.

In fact, Lu Zhe really did not have the luxury of hoping that the empire he created would last forever, and no country would last forever, what he hoped was that one day his ethnic group could be spread all over every corner, and the residents of every region were of Chinese Miao descent, and even the Chinese Miao descent should be the main body. As for what immortal empire? Lu Zhe didn't dare to think or hope that he would have decades to live, and he could do as much as he could before he died, and it could be regarded as laying the best possible foundation for future generations.

A sound of footsteps from far to near was approaching, and a palace maid announced that several princes were coming.

Lu Zhe seemed to sigh first, and then said to Xiao He: "Let's stop here today, govern and get busy first." ”

Xiao He subconsciously responded to the "promise", his mind was muddy, and he patted his head only when he was about to arrive at his office, and thought a little blankly: "What does Your Majesty mean by it?" (To be continued......)