、、、、、、、、、、

On November 25 of the first year of Yongchang, Yu Ming led the army back to Luoyang City, although it was snowing like goose feathers in the sky, but his mood was very happy. This Northern Expedition not only relieved the crisis in Hebei, but also recaptured the land east of the river, greatly strengthening the depth of defense north of the eastern capital Luoyang.

Although the land of the Hetao was not recovered, and Xiangyang was also recaptured by the Tang army. But counting the land south of the Yangtze River that was captured before, the Zhou army still gained a lot.

At present, the world has become a two-point pattern, Li Tang occupied Hetao, Longyou, Xiliang, Guanzhong, Hanzhong, western Jingxiang, Bashu and other places, which is roughly equivalent to the Northern Zhou Dynasty during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and only occupies the western part of Jingxiang.

The Great Zhou occupied Hebei, Hedong, Henan, Shandong, Jianghuai, Jiangnan, Liaodong, Goryeo and other places. The territory is roughly equivalent to the territory of the former Northern Qi and Chen dynasties combined. Although there is less land in the western part of Jingxiang, there are more places such as Liaodong, Goryeo, and the Korean Peninsula. Counting the territory, it is more than the sum of Northern Qi and Southern Chen.

Therefore, now not only the officials and soldiers of the Zhou Dynasty, but also the civilian Shilin surname, are full of confidence in the Zhou Dynasty to win the world.

After Yuming returned to the palace, before he had time to make love with several imperial concubines, he received a report from the guards, saying that Du Ruhui, Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng and the eldest grandson Wujian had come to find him together.

"Huh? Let them wait for me in the Imperial Study! After hearing this, Yu Ming was also a little surprised in his heart, secretly thinking that Du Ruhui and others were all important ministers of the court in charge of internal affairs, and the eldest grandson Wujian was his own imperial concubine and minister of finance, and they could come together to find it, and it was estimated that most of them had something wrong with internal affairs.

After Yu Ming entered the imperial study, he saw that the four of them were already waiting here. The eldest grandson Wujian was also overjoyed to see him come back unharmed, and immediately threw himself into his arms and muttered, "Brother Ming, you are finally back!" Wujian misses you to death, these days, the concubines and several sisters can't sleep well, for fear that you will have any accidents......"

"Huh! Don't worry, don't you think I'm good? Yu Ming stroked the eldest grandson Wuji's hair, and then Fang held her fragrant shoulder, kissed her on the forehead and said, "Wuji, what are you looking for me?" ”

"It's not about the new currency yet!" The eldest grandson Wujian sighed lightly and said: "In the more than one month since you left, the Ministry of Finance has printed all these banknotes, and has also made key precautions in the anti-counterfeiting marks to prevent someone from printing counterfeit banknotes. According to the current situation, ordinary people will never be able to print the new currency issued by our Ministry of Finance! ”

"The big problem now is that people don't want to accept this paper currency. They prefer to accept the original copper coins, or gold and silver coins, or even broken gold and silver. And for this paper currency, they always feel unreliable. According to the results of the current survey, the majority of businessmen and the general public are reluctant to use the new currency. "The eldest grandson said quietly.

"Your Majesty, why don't you postpone the implementation of paper money first, and talk about it after the world is decided!" Du Ruhui proposed at this time.

"That's not going to work! It must be forced! The big deal is that we announce that the banknotes can be exchanged for gold, silver and copper coins at any time at the Ministry of Finance! Yu Ming immediately shook his head and vetoed. He knew very well in his heart that paper money was the most popular of physical currencies in later generations, and even coins could not be compared.

"Ahh Your Majesty, the concubine's treasury doesn't have so much gold, silver and copper coins! After hearing this, the eldest grandson Wujian was stunned.

"Innocent, in fact, it's not a big problem for the Ministry of Finance to not have so much gold, silver and copper coins, but as long as you let others believe that your Ministry of Finance has such money and can exchange it at any time! I have an idea, we can operate like this......" After that, Yu Ming told the plan he came up with to the eldest grandson Wujian and Du Ruhui, Wei Zheng, Fang Xuanling and others.

After everyone heard this, they were all dumbfounded, they didn't expect Yuming to come up with such a plan to hide from the world. Although it is true that this is suspected of deceiving the public, it has to admit that only by doing so can we ensure the normal implementation of paper money and allow officials and surnames to receive paper money.

"Alright! Your Majesty, the ministers sacrificed their lives to accompany the king, and together with Your Majesty and the eldest grandson, the princess, they performed such a good show! Du Ruhui, Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng and others bowed together.

……

The next day, Xie Changfeng, the owner of the cloth village in Luoyang City, held a large stack of papers, and angrily yelled at his tent: "Old Yu, what's going on? I told you to go to the military headquarters to collect money, why did you bring me some pieces of paper back? ”

Xie Changfeng asked his tent man with anger. He was born in the Xie family of the Jiangnan Shi clan and has always been in the silk cloth business. A month ago, a large number of military flags and cloth were provided for the Zhou army, and now it was time to settle the bill, but the tent went to the Ministry of Defense to settle the bill, but did not get real money, but only brought back a large stack of colorful pieces of paper.

At this time, the bookkeeper said hesitantly: "Xie Dongjia, the officials of the Ministry of National Defense said that this is a newly issued banknote, which can be exchanged with gold and silver coins, gold and silver nuggets, and copper coins, etc., and this banknote is easy to carry and settle, and it is more convenient to use......

"Humph! As early as a month ago, I heard from an official of the Ministry of Finance about paper money. But the outside of this member is clearly opposed! Xie Changfeng snorted coldly and said, "Since the people from the Ministry of Defense said that you can exchange it at the Ministry of Finance, then you can go with me!" Let's hurry to the Ministry of Finance and exchange these banknotes for real money. I think it's still real money, silver and copper coins, these things are safer at home! ”

With that, he dragged the tent, put the banknotes in a box, jumped into the carriage, and headed for the Ministry of Finance.

The bookkeeper wanted to speak and stopped, but cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he thought that the owner probably only knew that the exchange was not so easy until he hit the wall. It's really said that you can change it, so you haven't changed it back sooner?

Xie Changfeng soon arrived at the gate of the Ministry of Finance, and he was surprised to find that the gate of the Ministry of Finance was inside and outside, surrounded by a canal. There was a queue in front of the gold, silver and copper money exchange point, but it went all the way to the end of another street.

And the people in line are also varied, not only domestic businessmen, foreign businessmen, ordinary people, and even court officials wearing red official robes, everyone is holding paper money, this scene is a sea of people, it can be said that the voice of the people is full of voice, the momentum is huge.

Among them, a large food merchant wrapped in a white turban and wearing an Arabic robe stood out. Xie Changfeng looked fixedly, secretly wondering if this was the Mubashaf who had the identity of the Great Food Messenger? I heard that he had a good relationship with His Majesty, and he provided the Arab war horses and black steel knife manufacturing technology in the army. Did this person exchange paper money for gold and silver?

Xie Changfeng also knew this Mubashaf, and the silk he produced was sold to Mubashaf to help sell it to the Western Regions. Mubashaf turned his head and saw Xie Changfeng at once.

"Ahh Thank you, what a coincidence, I met you again! Do you want to redeem these papers too? When Mubashaf saw Xie Changfeng, he greeted him warmly.

He also deliberately said that the banknotes were paper, and he didn't believe the banknotes given to him by the Great Zhou court. Even if Yuming had a good relationship with him, he would not accept paper money.

Friendship is friendship, business is business, this is the truth that the Arabs believe in.

Xie Changfeng faced this Mubashaf, but he didn't want to confess his heart right away. He just said lightly: "This banknote has just been issued by the imperial court, I don't know what the situation is, Xie just wants to come and see the situation." ”

"Hehe, although the reputation of the Great Zhou Emperor is much better than that of the previous Great Sui Emperor, it has not yet reached the point where paper can be used instead of gold trading. For the sake of your hard-earned wealth, I advise you to exchange your banknotes for gold and silver as soon as possible! Otherwise, it will be miserable if it becomes waste paper one day! As he spoke, Mubashaf rubbed the banknotes in his hand, and his words were a little dismissive of the financial situation of the Zhou Dynasty.

"What do you say? His Majesty the Emperor has always been the most credible, and the banknotes he issued are said to be linked to gold and silver, and will never become waste paper! Although Xie Changfeng was a little skeptical, he was still very loyal to Yuming after all. And no matter how good the relationship between this Mubashaf and His Majesty is, he is also a foreigner. In front of foreigners, Xie Changfeng had to defend the emperor of his country.

When Mubashaf heard this, he shook his head and said: "Except for the thanks, you have to be rational in doing business, and you can't be confused by emotions!" The contemptible loyalty to Your Majesty is not overwhelming by you! But loyalty is faithfulness, and making money is making money. The principle of doing business should not be abandoned because of personal loyalty to the emperor...... Therefore, the contemptible people believe that the only way to protect my property from loss is to exchange these so-called paper money for gold and silver in time. ”

"Lord Mubashaf, but isn't it written on this banknote: can this banknote be exchanged for the same amount of gold, silver and copper coins at any time and anywhere in the Ministry of Finance and branch exchange agencies of the Zhou Dynasty?" A Shandong businessman surnamed Lei who was lined up behind Mubashaf asked with a puzzled expression.

When Mubashaf heard this, he laughed and said: "Except for Lei Yuan, you also have a brain problem." I Mubashaf had dealings with several caliph kings at the Great Eclipse. Experience has taught me that the credibility of a ruler changes with his mood and the state of finances, and now His Majesty the Emperor is in a good mood, and the treasury has money, and perhaps it can be exchanged persistently. But when he is in a bad mood one day, or the treasury runs out of money, then won't we be miserable? I can only pinch a pile of waste paper and have nowhere to redress my grievances! ”

"Therefore, only real money is wealth that can be seen and touched. And look at it: didn't you and Xie Yuanwai also bring such a lot of banknotes? Do you want to say that you have not come to exchange gold and silver? ”

...