At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty

After Guo Peng arrived in Chang'an, he sent his entourage to the barracks outside Chang'an City, leaving only a few personal guards, and took Guo Chengzhi, Cao Lan and others into Chang'an City in vehicles.

The streets of Chang'an City are spacious, all stone-paved roads, very tidy and clean, and you can't smell the foul smell when you enter it, the air is very fresh and sweet.

There are a lot of people, but they are orderly. From time to time, you can see patrols armed with weapons defending the peace and stability of Chang'an City.

Hundreds of watchtowers are densely distributed, presenting a strange pattern of distribution, monitoring the interior of the city at all times, guarding against any possible unstable factors.

As an accompanying capital, the construction standards of Chang'an City are completely on par with Luoyang.

There are many people in the city, and not only Wei people, but also many Guishuang people, Anxi people, and even Romans who are dressed differently from Wei people in Chang'an city.

Everyone dresses and looks very different, but they can live in relative harmony here, just like Luoyang.

The buildings on both sides of the street are well-organized and tasteful, whether it is shops, public facilities, or official buildings, they are neatly arranged, not crowded, dirty or old, and can give people a refreshing feeling.

Walking on the streets of Chang'an City, facing the sunshine from the sky, listening to the cries of vendors along the street, one can feel inexplicably comfortable.

So Cao Lan looked at everything in Chang'an City and expressed her feelings.

"It's just that I often hear that the market in Chang'an City is prosperous, and things that can't be bought in Luoyang City can definitely be bought in Chang'an City. I also heard that Chang'an City has changed the restrictions on squares and cities, allowing shops to open outside the market. At that time, I was still thinking about Chang'an City. It must have been a chaotic place, but now it looks so neat and orderly."

"Prosperity can only be brought about by cleanliness and order, and the prosperity of the market has never been the main cause of prosperity."

Guo Peng also looked out the window: "However, the two governors of Yongzhou really contributed to the restoration of Chang'an City to this point."

The first governor of Yongzhou was Chen Gong, who had been in office for many years. In the ninth year of Yande, he was promoted to the central government as Minister of the Ministry of War. This position of governor of Yongzhou was replaced by Mao Jie.

Mao Jie did not change the general direction of Yongzhou planned by Chen Gong, and generally continued the construction plan of Chen Gong, giving people a sense of Xiao Guicao.

It is hard to say what Mao Jie changed, that is, Mao Jie changed the restrictions on the square market, allowing shops to be set up in non-market areas, so that the business broke away from the restrictions on the square market and began to develop on a large scale, which caused a lot of trouble debate.

But in any case, during their term of office, they all advocated the development of Yongzhou's economy, and vigorously developed commerce in line with the advantages of the place that the Silk Road must pass through.

Judging from the proportion of commercial tax revenue of each state in Yande's 13-year national statistics, the commercial tax revenue of the three prefectures in the Western Regions is the highest, followed by Liangzhou, and then Yongzhou.

However, Yongzhou's agricultural tax is much higher than that of Liangzhou and the three prefectures of the Western Regions. The foundation is here. With such a high agricultural tax, it can still account for 30.00% of the commercial tax. One can imagine how the commercial level of Yongzhou has developed. the point.

Yongzhou's business is connected to Liangzhou and the Western Regions to the west, to the prosperous places of Kanto to the east, and to the prosperous and developing Hanzhong and Yizhou to the south. good.

Merchants in Yongzhou sold goods from Kanto and Yizhou to merchants from Guishuang and Anxi who came from afar, and bought some goods from Guishuang and Anxi from them, and resold them to Kanto and Yizhou.

That's why Yongzhou's commercial taxation can reach such a level.

At that time, when Mao Jie succeeded the governor of Yongzhou and announced that he would break the boundaries of Fangshi and allow commercial facilities to open in places other than the market, it caused a lot of controversy in the court.

In fact, when Mao Jie did this in Liangzhou earlier, it caused widespread controversy, and was investigated by the court, who suspected that he had abnormal interests with local businessmen.

Later, nothing was found out, Wang Can, Minister of the Ministry of Finance, spoke in support of Mao Jie, and the commercial reform in Liangzhou was carried out.

In the end, I didn't expect that Mao Jie would do this again when he arrived in Yongzhou.

Many people raised objections and demanded that Guo Peng severely punish Mao Jie, believing that Mao Jie violated the tradition of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing business, and was turning back the wheel of history.

It's okay to do this in Liangzhou, but Yongzhou's agricultural foundation is so good that he is even higher, it's just messing around.

And they also cited a large number of rich merchants in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods who used the benefits of salt and iron to accumulate wealth and intervene in central politics. They believed that Mao Jie must have accepted bribes this time to give some evildoers for convenience.

In fact, Mao Jie had submitted a form to Guo Peng before that, explaining his approach and intentions. Guo Peng did not object and acquiesced to his attempt.

However, after the incident, many officials criticized Mao Jie. Guo Peng, at the request of the ministers, once again sent officials from the third department to form an investigation team to investigate Mao Jie, so that Mao Jie could accept the investigation safely and not be afraid of the shadow.

The last time they returned without success, this time, the three divisions repeated their old tricks and formed a joint investigation team to investigate Mao Jie. They checked Mao Jie's family property to the bottom, and also investigated Mao Jie's family property. However, the illegal activities of Mao Jie himself and Mao Jie's family were not found out.

By the way, it was discovered that the three merchants were connected with an official of the central government.

Just at that time, the joint investigation team felt that it was shameful not to find anything, so they saved their own face and pulled down the doctor of a certain department of the Ministry of Finance.

It can be regarded as saving a little face.

But Mao Jie is really not a problem at all, and even his family has no problems with economic crimes.

The whole family is honestly farming the land, farming and studying heirlooms, and working hard in the officialdom with all their heart. It is obvious that the thoughts of the whole family are unified in the officialdom.

Mao Jie had no problem, the person who hated Mao Jie and wanted to kill Mao Jie fell on him for the second time.

It is indeed his purely political act to relax the boundary between the market and the market, without consideration of personal economic interests,

Although this behavior was criticized by many conservatives, Mao Jie never changed his mind. After accepting the investigation, he continued to implement this policy, and once again received the support of the Minister of Finance Wang Can.

He still relaxed the restrictions on the boundaries of Chang'an City, and with Chang'an as the center, several transportation hub cities in Yongzhou have relaxed the boundaries of Fang and City, just like Liangzhou's commercial reform.

As a result, Yongzhou's business tax increased greatly, and the economic situation changed from the standard in the Chen Gong era and began to take off.

Chapter 1512 One thousand four hundred and fifty Ermao Jie's answer is very politically correct

Regarding the commercial reforms in Yongliang and Liangzhou, Guo Peng has never clearly stated his support or opposition, and has always been in an ambiguous state.

He neither opposed nor supported it.

Supported by Wang Can.

Wang Can was the minister of the Ministry of Finance, in charge of money, and Guo Peng's loyal confidant, so the courtiers generally believed that Wang Can's support was Guo Peng's support, and that Guo Peng was behind Mao Jie's reform.

So Mao Jie's actions were not hindered in the end, and they were carried out smoothly in Liangzhou, and great results were reaped.

However, Guo Peng's failure to publicly express his support was seen by many courtiers as a different kind of suspicion and contradiction, and Guo Peng himself did not dare to say that he would definitely support this kind of behavior.

Therefore, the courtiers who thought they had grasped Guo Peng's pulse never lessened their criticisms of Mao Jie.

Since the eighth year of Yande, people have been impeaching Mao Jie, saying that Mao Jie's behavior will not cause problems for a while, but will eventually cause problems.

Once commerce and agriculture compete for labor, and people all over the world change their minds and think about making money instead of producing, something will happen.

But Guo Peng never started Mao Jie's reform.

Later, when Guo Peng abdicated, no matter what happened, Guo Jin didn't care much about it when he took the throne, so no one paid attention to this matter for a time.

Until Guo Peng patrolled the world now.

Guo Peng notified Mao Jie in advance and asked Mao Jie to settle down the thousand forbidden troops who followed him on patrol, and then he brought a few guards and family members into the city to find Mao Jie.

The fact that he arrived in Chang'an was not known to the public, only a few senior officials knew——

Anyway, even if most people see Guo Peng standing in front of him, they don't know who Guo Peng is. It doesn't matter if Guo Peng shows up in public.

Guo Peng didn't want to make a big fuss and let everyone in Chang'an know that the Supreme Emperor was coming.

No, just treat it as an ordinary old man coming to Chang'an for vacation, and Mao Jie only needs to bring a few main officials to be responsible for the reception.

Mao Jie did the same. Although he was so excited that he almost wanted to order the whole Chang'an city to be decorated with lanterns and festoons to welcome the arrival of the Supreme Emperor, but thinking of Guo Peng's temper, he gave up.

Guo Peng was strictly prohibited from notifying local government officials of his tour, and he did not have any fixed routes after he left Luoyang.

Although the team itself is huge, it doesn't have any iconic flags, and there are no signs that can reveal its identity.

So people only think that this is a normal mobilization of the army. Anyway, the Wei army often rotates the garrison for various reasons.

So Mao Jie didn't know about this at first, until Guo Peng took the initiative to inform him that the Supreme Emperor came to Chang'an without making a sound.

He also told him that this matter should not be known by too many people, only a few people should know it, that the mouth should be strict, and the news should not be leaked, and it is best to meet him at his home and talk, it is nothing.

Why did the Supreme Emperor come so silently?

Why are you here?

Really just meet and talk?

Surprised, he could only make some emergency preparations in a panic, asking his family to prepare a table of dishes quickly, and then stop seeing guests, postpone all the reservations, etc., and didn't know what to do else.

Then Guo Peng came.

Logically speaking, the government office is the residence of the chief executive of a place.

Basically, when officials from other places take office, regardless of whether they have ample money or not, they all live in the official office.

Especially in some big cities and the capitals of some economically developed regions, where the housing prices are expensive, only wealthy businessmen and high-ranking bureaucrats with good treatment can afford to buy real estate, and ordinary middle- and low-level officials can't even think about getting a set of their own. real estate.

Like Luoyang City, Chang'an City, Ye City in Hebei, Linzi City in Qingzhou, Xiangyang City in Jingzhou, Jianye City in Yangzhou, Chengdu City in Yizhou, known as the seven famous cities of the Wei Empire, they are all housing prices of the Wei Empire Players of the first echelon.

Even though the Wei Empire was established less than 14 years ago, the entire Central Plains has been under the rule of Guo Peng for more than 20 years. The social economy has recovered very well, and the commodity economy has developed by leaps and bounds.

Some political and economic central cities gradually began to develop, and a large number of commercial populations gathered in the central cities. Led by Luoyang, the city's land and housing prices began to soar.

Luoyang and Chang'an are definitely the cities with the most expensive land and housing prices in the entire Wei Empire. Officials and businessmen who came to Luoyang and Chang'an from other places to settle down and work generally rented houses.

For the large number of officials in the Wei Empire who were not very well-born, it would save a little bit to live in an official office.

Mao Jie does not belong to this level. He is a high-ranking official, so it is impossible for him not to be able to afford a house. Even if he is not a high-ranking official, he is also from a noble family, and his family savings are enough for him to live comfortably in Luoyang.

He bought another yard in Chang'an City as his home, and his family lived there. He usually lives in the government office, and occasionally goes home. The reason is that he doesn't like public and private mixing, and he doesn't want to put his home in the government office. inside.

That's good, it saved a lot of things, Guo Peng went straight to Mao Jie's house, Mao Jie opened the door of the mansion, and stood at the door with his wife to welcome Guo Peng.

"That's right, just two people, I thought you would call the whole family."

Guo Peng got out of the carriage, smiling all over his face: "But I'm no longer the emperor, I'm just the Supreme Emperor. If the whole family calls, I can't promote them."

Guo Peng told a cold joke very easily when he came down.

I believe you a ghost!

Mao Jie complained secretly.

Although Guo Peng has abdicated and is no longer the emperor, in the hearts of the people of the Wei Empire, he is the unique supreme ruler, and His Majesty can only be ranked second today.

As long as he is still alive, he is the well-deserved Lord of the Wei Empire. No one can shake his position, not even His Majesty today.

And to be honest, if he said a word or two to His Majesty and wanted to promote some people, could His Majesty refuse?

It's just whether he wants to do it or not.

Didn't you see that Cheng Yu is still the fierce Captain Sili?

Didn't you see that the corrupt officials in the 23 prisons in the capital are waiting to be executed?

Has His Majesty ever said that he wants to release someone from prison?

In Mao Jie's view, Guo Peng did hand over a lot of power to His Majesty today, but at least two powers are still in his hands.

One is the Ministry of Education, the power to manage the world's educational resources, which facilitates his educational reform actions.

The other is the Sili Xiaowei Department, which has the power to launch a large-scale purge of officials.

Especially the second one.

That is the power to set off a big storm, the power to set off a big storm that His Majesty is powerless to do anything about today.

One day, if there is a major political storm again, it will definitely not be led by His Majesty today, that is for sure.

Today His Majesty dare not say a word.

So Guo Peng can say some things as a joke, but how dare Mao Jie take it as a joke?

So Mao Jie quickly replied.

"The minister is getting old, and the three sons have already started their own families. They have moved out and are not even in Chang'an. Only the daughter is still with me. The minister, his wife and the daughter are dependent on each other, that's all."

"I see, hahahaha."

Guo Peng laughed for a while, and then introduced Guo Chengzhi to Mao Jie.

"This is my eldest grandson, Cheng Zhi, Cheng Zhi, meeting Mr. Mao."

"Mao makes you well."

Guo Chengzhi bowed.

Just now Mao Jie was still thinking about who this young man was following Guo Peng, but when he heard that he was the eldest grandson, he was startled and hurriedly returned the gift.

"Minister Mao Jie, I pay my respects to the young master, the young master is in peace."

"Xiaoxian, there is no need to be polite."

Guo Peng stepped forward to help Mao Jie: "Chengzhi has never seen the world, so I will take him with me on this tour, let him see the world, open his eyes, and understand the world. He is only 15 years old, follow me Your age is longer than his age, so it is right for him to salute you."

"I dare not presume."

Mao Jie insisted not to accept.

Guo Peng didn't force himself, patted Mao Jie on the shoulder, led Guo Chengzhi, and followed Mao Jie into his mansion.

The five people including Cao Lan went directly to the backyard under the leadership of Mrs. Mao, saying that there were nice flowers and plants and cakes prepared by Mrs. Mao herself, and invited the Empress Dowager and others to taste them.