At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty

After thinking about it again and again, Guo Peng felt that this was unlikely.

chapter 1528 one thousand four hundred and forty

The Wei Empire is different from the Ming Empire.

In the late Ming Dynasty, especially after the death of Zhang Juzheng, the ruling power of the central government was weak, and the tax payment in some areas was almost paralyzed. The central government could not collect taxes at all, and the imperial finances were on the verge of collapse.

The treasury has no money, and it also lacks effective macro-control capabilities. It basically has no ability to control the export-oriented economy in the southeast, so it is difficult to interfere and let it grow wildly.

Those landowners and gentry who have eaten their fill during this wave of silver inflow naturally will not take out their silver for reproduction or investment, but only know how to store or buy land.

Apart from storing and buying land, they can't do anything else. If there is no land to buy, they will use their brains to store silver.

Hiding silver in various unexpected places, or simply casting it into heavy chunks, even if people see it, they cannot be moved or taken away.

All the silver was hidden, it was not circulated to the society at all, and it could not create economic benefits. This wave of economic prosperity on the southeast coast did not bring any real benefits to the Ming Empire.

So the Spaniards stopped coming, no one sent silver, and people were stupid.

Seeing that the Spaniards stopped coming, things couldn't be sold, and there was no money, they didn't dare to use the money anymore, and they all hid it for themselves.

The local government has no money and no way to regulate it, so it can only sit and stare blankly, which immediately triggers deflation.

But the good thing is that the Ming Dynasty was still dominated by the agricultural economy, not a commodity economy society at all, and there was no key point to catch, and the whole country would not be left without food once an economic crisis occurred.

The southeast region and areas related to maritime trade have been terrified by deflation, and other places are still self-sufficient in their own small-scale peasant economy.

You play yours, I play mine, a mess from top to bottom, each family clears the snow before their own door, who cares about others.

Wei Guo is different.

The model of the Maritime Silk Road and the Land Silk Road was interrupted at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and opened up again during the Yande period. It has only been in operation for a few years, and it has not yet caused a substantial impact on the economy of the Wei State.

Furthermore, at present, the central government of the Wei Empire has a strong regulatory power and controls the lifeline of the national economy.

Moreover, the main body of Wei's economy is also a self-sufficient small-scale peasant economy based on Tuntian farms. The scale of the commodity economy is not large, and the foreign trade economy has just started, accounting for a very small proportion. The proportion of commerce is far from being able to surpass agriculture. .

Therefore, Wei's economic growth mainly depends on the internal circulation within the empire, relying on the huge agricultural tax revenue brought by the farms in the fields and the developed transportation network.

Even in the three prefectures of the Western Regions with the highest proportion of commercial taxation, agricultural taxation accounts for more than half.

Therefore, the two Silk Roads are just icing on the cake for the economy of the Wei Empire. The Wei Empire is still a typical agricultural empire by that standard, and the economic crisis will not have an actual impact.

Even if all overseas trade collapsed, Rome, Guishuang, and Anxi exploded on the spot in an instant, and the two silk roads on land and sea were all interrupted, the economy of the Wei Empire would not collapse.

Although the self-sufficient agricultural economy is closed and difficult to progress, it also has the benefits of self-sufficiency. As long as the land is not annexed, life can go on, and the society is generally stable. At most, a group of people do not have the good life of the past.

In the past, I could eat some rice to be full. Once something went wrong, I could only eat bran and swallowed vegetables, and it was hard to be full. If I was hungry, I would be full.

But this is enough to make the few people who have not experienced such ups and downs feel lingering fears and develop a huge psychological shadow.

Like mapo.

"I have never thought about the emperor's point like this before, and I just realized the danger of this matter!"

Ma Bo felt a deep fear.

"If you are not prepared for that day, when that day comes, you will naturally be at a loss and suffer heavy losses."

Guo Peng sighed: "Of course, this kind of thing is often not what we can predict. When it happens, we don't know it. When we know it, the thing is over. We can only accept it passively, and it is difficult to make a decision." response."

Ma Bo was silent for a long time, and asked: "Supreme Emperor, if there is such a day, what should we do?"

"It's not easy."

Guo Peng shook his head: "So when I was in Wuwei County, I met your envoy Lu and talked to him about this matter. You probably don't know that there was another war between Loumo Kingdom and Anxi Kingdom. A few months ago, The kingdom of Romo has broken through the capital of the kingdom of Anxi."

Marble's heart tightened.

"Could it be that...Anxi is going to perish?"

"It's hard to say, but obviously, even if it doesn't happen now, for a long time in the future, the merchants from Anxi and the merchants who are about to go to Anxi will be greatly reduced until there is no more. The two states of Yongliang and the Western Regions, Get ready for a hard time.”

"This...how can this be good?"

Ma Bo was restless, and said, "If business travel decreases, the Western Regions, Yongliang and Liangzhou will all be affected, tax revenue will drop, and people's hearts will also fluctuate. Your Majesty, this matter needs to be prevented as soon as possible."

"It's natural to take precautions. I asked Mao Jie and Lu Qian to report to the emperor to discuss this matter with the emperor and make some preparations."

Guo Peng said slowly: "Some mineral deposits were discovered in the Western Regions earlier, and the quantity is quite large, but because of the long distance, I didn't go there. Now that the Western Regions and Liangzhou are in danger, let the mining team give priority to mining the Western Regions. Mine, more people in the past.

Anxi Kingdom is finished, Guishuang is still there, let the emperor send someone to discuss with Guishuang Kingdom, Guishuang Kingdom has always wanted to send people to Wei Guo to learn Wei Guo's culture, I have not agreed before, this time I will agree to them , Let them send people to study, increase the contact between the two sides, and more people can come. "

Saying this, Guo Peng looked at Ma Bo again.

"I also heard from Lu Shijun that since he took office as governor of Liangzhou, he has ordered many times that you county guards no longer allow the establishment of restaurants and hotels without restriction, but reduce the scale and restrict the establishment of them. , How much resistance, is this true?"

Ma Bo was taken aback for a moment, and then his expression became a little embarrassed.

"This……"

"It appears to be true."

Guo Peng shook his head: "I only look at the immediate benefits, but I can't see the risks behind it. If people are allowed to set up shops without restrictions, once the merchants stop coming, whose business do you do? How do you recover the capital you paid?

Once hotels and restaurants close down on a large scale among the people, it will definitely trigger a great crisis. The income of merchants and farmers will drop greatly. There will be countless bankrupts. At that time, what should you do? "

Guo Peng's question made Ma Bo's face turn pale, and beads of sweat oozed from his forehead.

He reached out and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"The Supreme Emperor, I... I am confused. I didn't think about these things. I only cared about my own political achievements and didn't think about the consequences in the future. I'm guilty!"

"Of course you are guilty. You county guards and county magistrates who are obedient and vigilant are all guilty, and you must reflect on yourself!"

Guo Peng frowned and said: "Soon, the imperial court will issue an order to authorize Mr. Lu to take full responsibility for the management of this matter. At that time, if he has any orders, you must obey them all. Don't take chances, otherwise it will lead to a civil uprising. , you will go to Luoyang to apologize."

Ma Bo knelt down on the ground and kowtowed heavily.

"I would like to obey the holy order!"

"Get up."

Guo Peng waved his hand: "The reason why you are not charged with this matter now is mainly because this is also the first time, and everyone has no experience and does not know how to deal with it, so let's not punish you for the time being, it is not too late.

Next, before Lu Shijun gives the order, you can act. Don't encourage the opening of more restaurants and hotels. Before, you encouraged the opening of the hotel. Now you have to tighten it. All applications will be rejected and not allowed to open.

Then you can use the excuse of a comprehensive inspection to close down a batch of low-quality restaurants and hotels. I have seen many such low-quality restaurants and hotels along the way. Then, when there are fewer visitors, they are the first to fall.

Now close a batch, and give more opportunities to those restaurants and hotels with higher quality, better conditions in all aspects, and more people's food problems. Anyway, it can last for a while, and things may turn around by then. "

Ma Bo nodded with a heavy heart, and immediately came to his senses.

"Transfer?"

"Well, when the chaos finally comes to an end, Anxi is a big country, and it won't perish if it says it will perish. Moreover, Anxi is different from Wei State. Many local tyrants are very powerful, just like the princes in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States. Capturing its capital does not mean it will be destroyed. rest in peace.

Taking a ten thousand step back, even if Anxi really falls, those local princes may not be willing to cooperate with the Loumo Kingdom. In this troubled world fighting for hegemony, there may be some troubled forces inheriting Anxi's position. In short, when they calm down , what should come will still come. "

Guo Peng squinted his eyes and cast his sights into the distance: "We must not only see the crisis in the future, but also see the opportunities in the future. In a crisis, there is an opportunity. Only in a crisis can there be an opportunity. Only by overcoming the crisis can we usher in the opportunity." , we still have to take a long-term view.”

The lifespan of the Parthian Empire is indeed not long, but there are still a group of people living in that land, and there is still a strong local government maintaining it.

Anxi collapsed, just like Qin lost its deer, and the world chased after it. Sasanian Persia stood up and established regional hegemony.

It's still the same group of people, but the government has changed, and Chinese products still remain attractive to them. They will come back, but it will take time.

Ma Bo didn't feel this kind of opportunity, he thought maybe he wasn't standing high enough, so he couldn't see so many things.

It seems that it is.

There is always a limit to where you stand. Only when you go to the center and stand in the court of Luoyang, can you see more and more valuable things.

At this moment, Ma Bo made up his mind that no matter what, he would go to Luoyang to take over the power of the world.

Staying in place, always like a frog at the bottom of a well, can't even see the crisis that is close at hand, how can it not be dangerous?

Chapter 1529 The collapsed Parthian Empire

After talking with Guo Peng for a while, Ma Bo felt that his vision of seeing problems was different from before.

Originally, his vision was focused on one county, at most he looked up at Liangzhou, and then he had no other thoughts.

But now, he felt that if he wanted to stand firm and walk fast, he had to look up to more distant places, such as Luoyang, or even abroad.

The world is connected, not separated from each other.

In his opinion, it won't be long before an economic depression that will affect the three prefectures of the Western Regions and the two prefectures of Yongliang and Liangzhou will hit.

The impact on Yongzhou should be good. Yongzhou itself can still connect to the Kanto market and the central Sichuan market. Its own agricultural foundation is also very strong. Anyway, if a few upstarts die, the basic market will not be troubled.

Moreover, if Guo Peng could tell Lu Qian about this, he would naturally tell Mao Jie as well.

Mao Jie will make some corresponding preparations, and nothing will happen to Yongzhou.

The three prefectures of the Western Regions and Liangzhou will have big problems.

There is a limit to agricultural production. Life is tight on agriculture alone. It has only been a few years of good life on commerce. As a result, half of the passenger flow and half of the commercial orders will be lost, which means that half of the business will be lost. source of wealth.

Half!

It seems that there is still half of the source of wealth that can be kept, but how many of those merchants who specialize in connecting with the Parthian Empire can survive this wave of economic depression until the second recovery?

In other words, will there really be a second recovery?

It took almost 20 years from the great chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty to the establishment of the Guowei Empire, and 20 years of chaos in Anxi?

20 years, who can sustain it?

Ma Bo didn't know, but he knew that this wave was not only a test for the commercial economy, but also a test for the official circles of the three prefectures in the Western Regions and the two prefectures of Yongliang and Liangzhou.

Whoever's subordinate can control the business scale best before the crisis comes, the smaller the loss, the lower the fluctuation of people's hearts, the more calmly they can deal with the depression and survive this hard time.

Nor will it face additional political crises.

Therefore, the next period of time is an opportunity for business, but it may not be an opportunity for officials.

Do your best to prepare before the crisis comes. When the crisis officially comes, it depends on everyone's own ability. Each of you will see the truth with your bayonet. Who is the real gold and who is the parallel importer, you will see for yourself!

Ma Bo took a deep breath and began to prepare.

Guo Peng chatted with many officials and talked about state affairs all the way. He took Guo Chengzhi with him and asked him to listen with him.

He didn't need to talk, he just listened. After listening, Guo Peng would ask him how he felt when he left.

Guo Chengzhi's biggest feeling is to look at problems from different angles.

"A lot of things really need to be looked at in the longer term. The farther you look, the more correct the conclusions you will draw. If you only look at the immediate interests and only care about what you can do right now, I'm afraid you can't even do it right now. Something went wrong."

"This is the so-called people without long-term worries, there must be near-term worries."

Guo Peng nodded, took Guo Chengzhi's hand and walked slowly forward: "You have to stand high enough to see far enough, and to see far enough to formulate the most practical policies for the country, and, Wei The present of the country is different from the past.

Chengzhi, we have gradually connected with the whole world and the whole world. The war between the Lomo Kingdom and the Anxi Kingdom, which is thousands of miles away from us, can actually affect the livelihood of the people in Liangzhou under our feet. You say, this is Isn't it a wonderful thing? "

Guo Chengzhi nodded.

He has seen the world map, he was taught the correct world concept by Guo Peng himself, and he has a broad vision from the beginning.

Therefore, he is not ignorant of Rome and the Parthian Empire, which are thousands of miles away. On the contrary, he understands it very well, and he is a brother who understands international politics.

He knows Rome, Anxi, and Guishuang.

It is known that Rome and Anxi have been fighting for years, and they have a deep hatred for each other.

Knowing that the father of this generation of Roman emperors once broke through the capital of Parthia, Parthia has always been ashamed.

I also know that the country of Anxi is getting old and dying, and this war is more like a talisman, urging Anxi to collapse faster.

So Guo Chengzhi spoke slowly.

"It's really amazing, thousands of miles away, but it can affect our livelihood because of the businessman's relationship. If they are stable, we can make money and let more people live a good life. If they are not stable, we can't earn that. For money, someone has to live a hard life.”

"Yes, this is the wonder of the Silk Road. There are advantages and disadvantages. Just like life, there are not only good things, but also countless bad things. You can benefit from it, but you must also lose it. There is no absolute gain. profit."

Guo Peng said slowly: "So, Chengzhi, remember, never think about having the best of both worlds, and always remember that the most important thing for a politician is to be able to achieve the lesser of two evils."