The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, it is the Lantern Festival, as long as there are Han people, there will be people to celebrate, a few years ago Lanzhou City suffered from banditry, soldiers, the people have no food and clothing, naturally there is no heart for the festival.

After the Mandate of Heaven Army took over Longyou, Li Zicheng not only distributed land to all the people, but also paid attention to the lives of the people, even if it was coarse grain, to let the people eat enough, and after a few years of cultivation and recuperation, the situation in Longyou stabilized, and the people began to live a rich life.

The clouds of war are hanging over the heads of the Mandate of Heaven at any time, but the people don't care about these, as long as the wind and rain are good, they have the right to celebrate their own festivals, after the Lantern Festival, the New Year's celebration is completed, and they have to start the new year's work, so the people pay special attention to this last festival.

According to traditional customs, the celebration is mainly at night, go out to admire the moon, light the lantern and set off the flames, guess the lantern riddles, etc., the Lantern Festival celebration in Lanzhou City, as well as the dragon lantern, lion and other traditional folk performances.

Like all the traditional festivals of the Han nation, the Lantern Festival is also indispensable to eat - Lantern Festival, the Lantern Festival is filled with sugar, roses, sesame, bean paste, yellow cinnamon, walnut kernels, nuts, jujube paste, etc., wrapped into a circle with glutinous rice flour, which is called "tangyuan" by southerners.

There was once a person who lived along the Yangtze River and couldn't tell whether he was a southerner or a northerner, so an old man told him: It's very simple, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, those who eat Lantern Festival are northerners; Those who eat rice balls are southerners.

In the early morning, the market is more lively than usual, and many people are rushing to buy the goods for the festival, go home to dispose of it, and wait for the festival in the evening.

On this day, Li Zicheng summoned Liang Wencheng, Shen Dao and Cui Wenxuan.

Liang Wencheng and Shen Dao are both old acquaintances, and after paying homage to Li Zicheng, they sat down to drink tea by themselves, knowing that Li Zicheng must have something important to summon them, but he thought that there were no major mistakes in his work, but he was also content.

Cui Wenxuan looked a little restrained, although he was in a high position, he was young after all.

His original deputy Guo Shijun, vice president of Lanzhou Huaxia Bank, after Guo Shijun went to Sichuan with Li Zicheng, he took over the post of president of Huaxia Bank, and concurrently served as the deputy gold and silver envoy of the gold and silver department.

Li Zicheng saw it in his eyes, and he didn't say anything, Cui Wenxuan was too young and needed to add some experience, if it wasn't for the lack of professional talents, he really didn't worry about handing over such a major matter as Huaxia Bank to him.

"Three, you are the highest-ranking officials of the Heavenly Mandate Governor's Mansion, and I have summoned you here today to discuss important matters, and I hope you can speak freely!"

Liang Wencheng and Shen Dao both nodded, since following Li Zicheng, they have experienced many important things, and they don't care about this time, Cui Wenxuan's expression is more serious, and even the nodding action is a little stiff, he is really flattered to be able to participate in a meeting of this level.

"This southern expedition to Bashu not only got the land of Bashu and the people on the land, but also got a lot of gold and silver from the palace," Li Zicheng paused for fear of frightening the three of them, and said: "I brought back gold and silver worth 1.8 million yuan from Sichuan this time, you tell me, what should I do with this gold and silver?" ”

"One million eight million?" Liang Wencheng gasped, although he was in charge of money and food, he had never handled so much silver, which was worth a year's tax in several provinces of the imperial court! Shen Dao and Cui Wenxuan were even more stunned, and for a moment, the air seemed to freeze.

Li Zicheng took a sip of tea lightly and said with a faint smile: "As the territory of the Heavenly Mandate Army gets bigger and bigger, and the property under control will also increase, you don't need to be surprised, let's talk about it, what should this silver be spent on?" ”

If a beggar suddenly enters and breaks into a treasure house, his first reaction should not be possession, but shock!

When the three of them heard about such a large amount of gold and silver, after the initial shock, they then thought about possession, and it was better to divide it, and there would be no more wars in the future, and it was better to go to a certain place to live in seclusion and be a rich man at ease......

Shen Dao's gaze was fixed there, the muscles on his face froze, he couldn't see the figure, he couldn't hear Li Zicheng speak, Liang Wencheng and Cui Wenxuan were also stunned.

Li Zicheng saw everything in his eyes, and a sneer appeared on his face, human nature is really greedy, even if it is a brother, he can't let him have a chance to be greedy!

This is a precaution against people, but also a protection for people!

Liang Wencheng saw the expression on Li Zicheng's face, took the lead in coming, secretly pushed Shen Dao and Cui Wenxuan, and whispered: "Zicheng, you brought this silver back from Sichuan, how to deal with it, you have an idea, I have absolutely no objection!" ”

"What about you?" Li Zicheng looked at Shen Dao and Cui Wenxuan, "You guys also have this idea?" ”

"Yes, yes, let the Metropolitan Governor dispose of it!" After coming to their senses, Shen Dao and Cui Wenxuan rushed to say.

Li Zicheng's heart is still a little heavy, no wonder Zhu Yuanzhang can't stop officials from greedy for ink by using the method of "peeling the skin and lasting......

If human nature is like this, why be angry?

"I know your thoughts, but this silver can't be divided," Li Zicheng sighed and said, "This silver does not belong to you, nor to me, but to the Mandate of Heaven Governor's Mansion, which the soldiers exchanged for their blood and lives." ”

“……”

"It's not like I haven't encountered such a thing before," Li Zicheng said: "Every time I go on an expedition, there will be some catches, armor, weapons, grain and grass, and silver, but the amount before was not large, so everyone will not care." ”

"Self-contained, I ......"

Li Zicheng waved his hand to prevent Liang Wencheng from continuing, "This time it is also a victory, but the number is very large......

"The Grand Governor, my subordinates are wrong...... Ask the capital to punish you! Shen Dao thought of the gaffe just now, and hurriedly bowed to the ground, Liang Wencheng and Cui Wenxuan also knelt down and begged for mercy.

"Get up," Li Zicheng's tone was extremely flat, "If you just think about it, and don't violate the laws of the Heavenly Mandate Governor's Mansion, what are you guilty of?" ”

Liang Wencheng suddenly raised his head and said: "Zicheng, I understand, there is no such silver, Zicheng is just a test for us......"

"No, the money exists!" Li Zicheng said lightly: "You are the highest official of the Heavenly Mandate Governor's Mansion, and you are also the person I trust the most!" ”

"The Metropolitan Governor ......" The three of them lay on the ground and refused to get up.

"Get up!" Li Zicheng's voice was too high three times, and said: "I don't mean to punish you, you have to be vigilant about the little episode that happened in the middle!" ”

"Grand Duke, we shouldn't be greedy......"

"It is impossible not to give birth to greed, the key is how to treat your own greed, if you don't have self-control, you lose your moral bottom line, and forget your responsibility......" Li Zicheng said: "The development of the Mandate of Heaven Governor's Mansion is the beginning......"

"Grand Governor, my subordinates understand ......"

"It's good to understand!" Li Zicheng still kept a straight face, "No matter what time it is, we can't forget our responsibilities, even if we can defeat the army of the imperial court in the future, we can't be carried away by victory!" ”

"Zicheng is right, I will keep it in mind!" Liang Wencheng nodded vigorously while wiping the sweat stains on his forehead with his sleeve.

Shen Dao and Cui Wenxuan also said: "The subordinates will remember the teachings of the Metropolitan Governor today!" ”

Li Zicheng nodded and said, "Even if this matter is over, now let's talk about the disposal of this silver!" He originally planned to distribute gold and silver according to the ratio of one million taels in Gansu Province and eight hundred thousand taels in Qinghai Province, but now he has changed his mind.

"We all listen to the Metropolitan Governor!" The three of them didn't dare to have half a dissent, and just stared at Li Zicheng's face.

Li Zicheng said: "Wencheng, you check for me, what are the commercial taxes and agricultural taxes in Lanzhou and Xining?" ”

"You don't need to check, your subordinates remember the approximate data," Liang Wencheng said: "Lanzhou's commercial tax is 11,000 yuan, and the agricultural tax is 180,000 stones; Xining's commercial tax is 18,000 yuan, and the agricultural tax is 120,000 stones! ”

Li Zicheng was not only shocked, but according to the approximate price of one yuan and two stones of grain, Lanzhou's tax revenue reached 101,000 yuan, and Xining's tax revenue reached 78,000 yuan.

Even if there is no tax evasion, the total output value of Lanzhou will reach more than 1.5 million yuan, and the total output value of Xining will also be 1.17 million yuan.

There is so much output, there should be so much currency to participate in circulation, but Lanzhou issued only 170,000 yuan of banknotes, Xining banknotes only 100,000 yuan, although there are still silver coins in the market to participate in circulation, but it will definitely not exceed the number of banknotes.

Is the fact that the money in circulation is so far away from the real output a mistake on the part of later generations of economists, or is it a mistake in their own calculations?

Li Zicheng's mind was full of these data, and he suddenly found that if the agricultural tax was not taken into account, the amount of money issued would basically coincide with the total value of industrial and commercial products.

Is it true that agricultural products are not counted in the calculation of output? Is it because a large number of agricultural products are used by the people themselves and do not participate in market circulation?

Economics is a bit complicated!

Li has thought of Guo Shijun since he established the horse, can he know the crux of the problem?

Regardless of whether he will or not, Li Zicheng still decided to fly the pigeon to pass the book to Guo Shijun and let him help take the pulse.

He quickly thought of another problem: perhaps the lack of money in circulation, which caused the distortion of the value of commodities...... But he didn't know exactly what was going on.

It is impossible to issue more than 1.5 million banknotes in Lanzhou, and before finding out the crux of the problem, Li Zicheng still decided to walk slowly and cross the river by feeling the stones.

Currency must be increased, for example, if paper money is not issued, the Mandate of Heaven army looted 1.8 million gold and silver from Sichuan, will it not circulate to the market?

But the amplitude should not be too large, so as not to cause large fluctuations in prices!

In the end, Li Zicheng decided to issue 100,000 and 80,000 banknotes in Lanzhou and Xining, respectively, and at the same time deposit the same amount of gold and silver into Huaxia Bank in Lanzhou and Xining.

The newly issued banknotes are not directly put into the market, but gradually enter the market in the form of infrastructure construction and increased industrial and commercial investment, and Huaxia Bank will monitor the price changes in the market nearby, and if the price rises too fast, the banknotes will be withdrawn immediately.

The surplus silver taels, excluding the necessary expenses, were temporarily stored in the treasury of Lanzhou.