Mi Zhu nodded, "Qingzhou has indeed suffered from drought again. However, since the beginning of this year, the sect leader has built many ditches in Qingzhou, which has greatly reduced the disaster. The damage was not severe. As for why the sect leader buys so much grain...... I didn't understand it before. He raised the corners of his mouth, "Now it seems that this is a brilliant move." The news that the sect leader was buying grain at a high price was to lure the merchants in Xuzhou into buying grain by taking advantage of the merchants' desire for profit, thereby driving up prices. As a result, Xuzhou will inevitably have public grievances. As the saying goes, those who win the hearts of the people win the world, Liu Beimin's heart has plummeted, how will he defend Xuzhou in the future? Therefore, Xuzhou will fall into the hands of the sect leader sooner or later. ”

Mi Fang was overjoyed, closed her eyes and drew a cross on her chest, "Holy Mother bless!" ”

Mi Zhu said again: "In order to stabilize prices, Liu Bei had to open an official warehouse to release grain. As a result, the grain and grass in the official warehouse have been greatly reduced. As the so-called soldiers and horses go first before the grain and grass are moved, and there is no official food, what will Liu Bei use to lead the troops to fight in the future? If you want to get official food, you either have to buy it with money or collect it. If Liu Bei adopts the former, then the price of goods in Xuzhou will face a new crazy growth, and the people's dissatisfaction will rise again; If the latter method is used, then Liu Bei will inevitably offend the squires from all walks of life, and the people will continue to complain. You have to make a commotion both horizontally and vertically! ”

"How so...... Isn't this method unsolvable? Mi Fang was shocked.

"The sect leader is unfathomable, at least my brother doesn't know how to solve this dilemma! Unless ......"

"Unless what?" Mi Fang asked.

"Big-eared thieves unless they go to other states to borrow food!" Mi Zhu thought for a while, "Yuzhou Yuan Shu will definitely not lend grain and grass to the big-eared thief." Xuchang Cao Cao's side...... There is not much food and herbs, and they are also facing the deterrence of the Holy Sect, so they will not borrow ...... In my opinion, only Liu Biao in Jingzhou is likely to give grain to the big-eared thief. ”

"Brother said Jingzhou Liu Biao?"

Mi Zhu saw Mi Fang's face surprised, so he asked, "Ah! What's wrong? ”

"There's something I forgot to tell my brother. Yesterday, the patriarch sent someone to the village to borrow 100 brothers, saying that he had to go to Xia Cai to stay for a while. I didn't think much of it at the time, so I asked 100 brothers who were strong in their faith to take him away. Do you think he gathered men and horses to loot grain and grass? ”

"Is there such a thing?" Mi Zhu hurriedly took out the map. I saw that although Yuzhou, which Yuan Shu occupied on the map, was separated between Xuzhou and Jingzhou, there was a way to bypass most of Yuan Shu's sphere of influence and go directly to Xuzhou. And Xia Cai County is precisely the only place on this road. "The sect leader has already made arrangements!"

In fact, they didn't know that the previous price hike was indeed coordinated by Luan Yi himself. As for the plan to block Liu Bei's back road, it was Guo Jia's handiwork.

I have to admit that ghosts are ghosts, and the reality is not what Guo Jia expected. In the face of the rising prices in Xuzhou, Chen Jue had no choice but to suggest that Liu Bei go elsewhere to ask for food.

Liu Bei Xu Zhi sent Chen Deng to visit the princes in person.

However, Chen Deng ran around, and Liu Xuan, the assassin of Yangzhou, Yuan Shu and Cao Cao of Yuzhou, were unwilling to lend him grain, and only Liu Biaonian of Jingzhou was a relative of the Han family in Liu Bei, and was willing to lend him 500,000 stone grain and grass to temporarily relieve his urgent need.

Chen Deng pressed the grain and grass from Jingzhou Xinye to board the boat, down the Huai River, to Yingshui to change to the back, and to the Xia Cai place also to Xuzhou jurisdiction.

The journey was safe and sound, Chen Deng breathed a sigh of relief, and after landing on the shore, he arranged for the people to rest for the night, and then unload the ship after dawn tomorrow.

He didn't expect that his act of sympathy for the people would cause big trouble.

In the middle of the night, Hercules led hundreds of believers who were able to pass through the water, and quietly approached more than a dozen large ships transporting grain and grass underwater. Unconsciously, hammers, chisels and other objects were used to dig dozens of large holes in the bottom of each big ship.

It wasn't until he felt satisfied with the results that he quietly retreated through the night. There is no trace of it.

The river swarmed into the grain boat, and when Chen Deng learned the news, the remaining mast of the grain boat was still exposed on the water, and the grain had long been washed away by the river.

"God will kill me!" Chen Deng beat his chest and paused his feet to repay Liu Bei. Liu Bei was struck by lightning, and he was so shocked that he didn't know what to do. "What can I do, what can I do!"

When Liu Bei was dizzy from being beaten by Luan Yi's combination punch, Cao Cao got the news that the diocese was issuing holy coupons.

In the Xuchang meeting hall, Cao Cao took the holy coupon sent by Xun Yu and looked at it repeatedly, which looked a little strange.

The texture of the paper is a bit strange, the pages are so big, it is not like thickened Shencai paper, it is softer and more flexible, a bit like animal skin, but it is not as hard as animal skin, it is difficult to describe.

The colors of the front and back of the paper are also very strange, and they are rare, so where have you seen them? That's right. Tangerine – The orange of the south is this color. It's very strange, there has never been a dye of this color before, this must have been newly created by Luan Ziqi.

The front and center of the paper are printed with a full-body portrait of Nuwa, and on the left and right, the upper and lower sides are flower frames painted in various colors of lotus flowers and leaves. The whole picture looks neat and beautiful with a flower frame.

Directly below the portrait is printed a line of large characters - 1000 words. Obviously, this is the value that this holy ticket represents.

In addition, there are three large seals around the portrait of Nuwa on the front, namely the Great Seal of the Church of Our Lady, the Great Seal of the Diocese of Yanzhou, and the Great Seal of the Archstadle of Yanzhou East County.

Cao Cao looked at the reverse side again, and there was only a beautiful landscape map, which did not have any practical function, and seemed to be purely for aesthetic decoration. However, the quality of the landscape map is excellent, and the brushwork is vigorous and powerful, which can be called everyone's work. Looking at the technique, it should be the authentic handiwork of Mao Jue.

After watching for a while, Cao Cao asked Xun Yu, "Wen Ruo, what do you think of this holy coupon?" "Xun Yu listened to Luan Yi talk about the content of "Yuan Fu" when he was a teenager, and he had a certain understanding of the monetary knowledge mentioned in "Yuan Fu". This time, he came easily, combined with the thinking of the past few days, and told Cao Cao in detail about the advantages of portable and safe banknotes, especially emphasizing the political role of the holy certificate.

Cao Cao was shocked before he couldn't add more, "How can a mere piece of paper have such a function?" ”

Xun Yu, Xun You, Cheng Yu, and Chen Gong nodded at the same time.

Cao Cao asked again: "You just said that the people of Yanzhou, Jinan and Qingzhou are now trading with this thing?" Doesn't that mean that the savings of the people in these places are all in Luan Ziqi's hands, so they have to be loyal to Luan Ziqi? ”

"Yanzhou, Jinan and Qingzhou belong to the diocese, and the people there have been bewitched by the Church of Our Lady for a long time. Even if you don't have a holy certificate, you will be loyal to him! Xun Yu replied respectfully, "Yu is not worried about those places now. Instead, I got the news that even the squires and wealthy merchants in Xuzhou have begun to trade with holy coupons! If this development continues, Liu Xuande will be in danger! Xuzhou fell into the hands of Ziqi sooner or later. ”

Cao Cao asked in surprise, "Huh? How did Luan Yi's hand reach out to Xuzhou? ”

"That's a long story!" In the past three months, Luan Yi has not moved a single soldier, and in just a few words, Xuzhou has been turned upside down, and Liu Bei told Cao Cao from beginning to end.

"How can you still use such a trick?" Cao Cao's eyes widened.

Ziqi has a deep understanding of the essence of Guanzi, and understands better than anyone the desire of businessmen and people to seek profit and survival. Driving it with profit and inducing it with constant production is enough to turn a country and a place upside down! Today's Xuzhou is the best witness! Cheng Yu was also shocked.

Cao Cao was like a great enemy, and reminded: "We should take this as a warning, and we must not let Luan Ziqi also stir up Xuchang!" ”

"Don't worry! Knowing this, we are already prepared. Xun Yu explained: "The inspection of each city is very strict, and you are never allowed to go out of the city without the road of the lord. In addition, we have also put enough grain and grass in the warehouse, which is enough to stabilize prices if prices soar. ”

Cao Cao's hanging heart was put down, "That's good!" ”

"Just ......"

Cao Cao saw that Xun Yu still had questions, so he asked, "Just what?" ”

"Lord!" Xun Yu bowed out and said: "It's just that we can block the entry and exit of grain, grass and large goods, but we can't stop the holy coupons from entering the customs!" ”

"You mean?"

"That's right!" Xun You continued: "If the merchants of Xuchang, Chenliu, Yingchuan, Nanyang, and Nanxiang also fancy the convenience of the holy coupons, and try their best to exchange them for the holy coupons. Our army is in danger! ”

"This ......" Cao Cao couldn't help but look at the holy coupon in his hand again, and in a trance, he felt that this was not a holy coupon at all, but a life-urging map. He straightened his panicked mood and asked, "Do you have a way to deal with it?" ”

"There is only one way!" Xun Yu said, "I can only imitate the policy of the Holy Mother Sect and suppress the coupon with coupons." ”

Cao Cao didn't fully understand, "What does Wen Ruo mean?" ”

Xun Yu suggested: "Please follow Ziqi's example and rely on the church to issue paper money under his rule!" ”

"Oh?" Thinking of the many advantages of the holy voucher and the benefits it can win for the issuer, Cao Cao's eyes lit up. "Just according to what Wen Ruo said! This matter is led by Wen Ruo, and it will be handled quickly! ”

Xun Yu bowed in agreement, and then took out a page-sized piece of paper from his sleeve and presented it to Cao Cao. "Actually, before I came, Yu had already asked a craftsman to try to make a paper currency. My lord, please take a look! ”

Cao Cao took it and observed that the size of the paper was the same as that of the Holy Coupon, but unfortunately the texture was not as soft as the Holy Coupon, it was just an ordinary thickened Shencai paper. The front of the paper is printed with the same pattern as the holy certificate - a full-length portrait of Nuwa and a lotus leaf frame. Directly below the Nuwa elephant, the words "1000 Wen" are written, which also represents the price of the bill.

However, the ink used to print the atlas is not the color of orange, but the common black ink.

In addition, the back of the paper was empty, and there was no original handwriting similar to the one on the reverse side of the certificate.

Cao Cao, who was still beaming with joy just now, immediately lowered his face, "How is it different from the Holy Coupon?" ”

"Enlightened Lord! There is a difference. Ziqi's holy voucher is made of orange fuel, this dye is very special, no one can mix it under our rule, only Ziqi is unique, and there is nowhere to buy it. For this reason, we can only print the coupons in the usual black. In addition, there is a picture on the back of the coupon, but there is no picture on our coupon. That's a big difference. But these distinctions don't matter. Ziqi is a person who loves beauty, and the reason why he made the color of the holy coupon so bright, and also accompanied the picture, it is estimated that it is for the sake of beauty. The main function of the holy certificate is still paper currency, as long as it can reflect the value of the substitution, as for whether there is a picture or not, it doesn't matter what color it is! ”

"If this is reasonable!" Cao Cao has also read "Yuan Fu" several times, and he also has some knowledge of currency. Understand that the certificate is just a monetary medium, and it only needs to reflect its meaning. In this way, according to the practice of the holy coupon in front of him, not only can it reflect its function, but it will also be cheaper to make than Luan Yi's holy coupon because it has one less picture. He thought for a while and said: "In order to reflect the difference between us and Luan Ziqi, the printed banknotes can no longer be called holy coupons. ”

"I hope the Lord will give me a name!"

Cao Cao groaned slightly. Holy vouchers? Hold the cards in one hand...... The name Luan Ziqi has a good origin. What should I call it? "Let's call it a proud son!" The chosen one