Great Song

Anyway, he is also a person who receives a salary. The salary of the school secretary is so meager that it is not even enough to fill the teeth. Mi Fu finally knows that it is not easy to make money.After listening to Zhen Qiong's explanation, I really feel that national debt seems to be buyable.After all, the money is kept at home, and it is really cost-effective to use it for official households and get some interest.

The two chatted enthusiastically for a long time, guessing how much interest they would give.They all made up their minds to invest money in buying some government bonds as soon as they were issued.However, there are really not many people who "open up" like these two people.

At the court meeting on the second day, what Zhao Xu faced was a group of courtiers who were filled with righteous indignation.

"The country is in peace, and a big mine has been found. It will only take a few years, and the treasury will inevitably be rich. Why borrow money? I hope the officials will think twice." The first to come out was naturally the prime minister, Fu Bi.

The same veterans of the three dynasties, rich and noble, how could they see the emperor being so absurd and making mistakes?

Facing the veteran, Zhao Xu was quite polite: "This time the national debt is only for repairing the cities of Wei and Jing. After all, it is a border county, and the Qiang people are making trouble and harassing the border people. How can we ignore it?"

How many years have you been harassed, and only now do you think about building the city?Who doesn't know that you want to use this place as a bridgehead to attack Hehuang?

It's just that the emperor didn't point out the war, and the important ministers couldn't speak out.Lu Gong, a Hanlin scholar, came out with a calm face and said: "If the officials act hastily, there must be some sycophants who deceived the saints. The debt is unusual. If it repeats the old things of King Zhou Nan, wouldn't it cause chaos in the world?"

Who in the court doesn't know the story of the high debts?Ji Yan, the last monarch of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, borrowed money from the people of the country just to conquer Qin Dynasty.As a result, he was defeated in the First World War, and had to avoid the high platform in order to avoid debts.This is a major event that can lead to the subjugation of the country!How can you be so reckless? !

This crime is really too big, and it is not difficult to guess who it is pointed at.Wang Anshi frowned, and said: "Mr. Lu's words are wrong. King Nan of Zhou didn't know the victory or defeat, so he borrowed money to send troops. Between Yuan and Qinzhou, there are tens of thousands of hectares of barren land. As long as the land is pledged, why worry about not being able to repay the loan?"

Borrowing money requires a certain amount of collateral, and what the court gave was the ten thousand hectares of barren land.As long as Tian is here, are you afraid that you will not be paid?

Hearing this, Duke Lu became even angrier: "Why rush to build the city? Wait for two years, the treasury will be a little richer, and it will be fine if it can't be built. Besides, how much is the land in the border county worth? Want to use it?" Don’t you think that the common people can be bullied by exchanging such cheap land for money?”

"How can you neglect the important land in the border county? Because the land is cheap, one hectare is priced at 20 guan. When the national debt expires, you can receive an interest of [-]% per year, and you can also exchange the bond for wasteland. Tens of thousands of hectares of wasteland can be used. Issuing [-] treasury bonds. At that time, the city will be stable, and the wasteland will be reclaimed, wouldn't it be the best of both worlds?" Wang Anshi was not annoyed, and said in an orderly manner.

20 is not a very large number, but it is not small either.There have been frequent floods and earthquakes this year.The amount of money and food donated is not only this figure.But for the treasury that has been empty for a long time, this is indeed a large amount.More importantly, it also involved the issue of reclamation in border counties.

It is said that it is borrowing money to build the city, but in fact, it can be regarded as selling wasteland to reclaim wasteland.Fifteen per hectare is a figure that cannot be lowered.In ordinary prefectures and counties, there are two farms per acre.There are five or six acres of familiar land in the east of the river.The fields in Weiyuan only cost fifteen guanns per hectare, and only a hundred renminbi per mu, which can be described as extremely cheap.

People who are willing to exchange bonds for land will probably not let them go to waste.If it can be cultivated, the tax alone is not a small sum.Besides, reclaiming wasteland in the border counties is also of great benefit to the garrison.Food transportation has always accounted for the bulk of military resources.The more fertile land in the border county, the less pressure on the garrison.As for those who don't want land, they can also get interest money.Five per cent a year, 20 guan, is only [-] guan interest.With the Qianshan Copper Mine, are you afraid that you won’t be able to get it out after two years?

This logic is really difficult to break through, Lu Gong frowned: "Qinzhou and Weizhou are dangerous places after all. If they open up wasteland, how can they keep the land and resist the invasion of the Qiang people?"

"There are cannons and a fortified city, so why worry about Rong Di's invasion?" Wang Anshi asked rhetorically.

Ah, yes!There are artillery!Lu Gong's face turned black instantly.Now it is different from the past, with the mighty cannon and the repair of the city wall, it is really difficult for the Qiang people to invade.In this way, borrowing money to build the city, and repaying the money with the land, can also attract people's attention, and the chain is intertwined, which is really hard to argue.

He gritted his teeth: "There must be another way..."

Wang Anshi sneered coldly: "The national treasury is running short. Doesn't Mr. Lu want to fill it up with the salaries of hundreds of officials? Or increase taxes and arouse public resentment?"

Lu Gong fell silent immediately.Give him more courage, and he would not dare to say anything about deducting the salary of his colleagues.And the behavior of the disabled people is something that he, a "virtuous minister", would never touch.

These words caused many people in the court to fall into silence.Not to mention whether the national debt should be done or not, just the [-] hectares of fields along the edge are tempting.If it is indeed fertile land, there is no way to say the benefits.Those ministers who sit on thousands of hectares of land may not care about these frontiers.However, there is some surplus money in hand, but there is no way to exchange it for land, and people who are not good at business will inevitably have to think about it.

Seeing that the ministers couldn't find any rebuttals for a while, Zhao Xu also showed a smile: "The left and right are only 20 guan. If it can be done, it can solve the urgent need of the court. If it doesn't work, two years will be enough for the treasury to turn around. Since the ministers have no objection , let’s order someone to investigate carefully how many hectares the field is.”

This melody caused dark waves to surge in the court.I don't know how many people are running around.

A few days later, Jinglue envoy Li Shizhong to play, Wang Shao's words are not true, how can there be ten thousand hectares of fertile land left unused?It's just a little Susukida cultivated by local archers.If you don't believe me, ask the emperor to send someone to investigate.

This memorial gave Zhao Xu a blow in the head.Wang Shao and Li Shizhong are both in charge of the same land, but there is such a huge difference in the amount of land they are talking about.How could he sit still, he immediately sent someone to Qinfeng Road to investigate the matter.

After waiting for more than ten days in such a state of shock and anger, Zhao Xu looked at the pages in front of him and was speechless for a long time when the second memorial was delivered.The Zhongguan wrote that there is indeed good land, but there is only one hectare of unclaimed land, which is a land disputed by several people, and the lawsuit is still ongoing.

Tens of thousands of hectares of land became one hectare of land, and it was the result of the investigation by the servants he personally sent.This is simply the greatest joke in the world!

One hectare of land, how to issue national debt?How to open up wasteland and solid borders?Is it Wang Shao who deceives the emperor, or is someone acting as a hindrance to deceive him, the emperor who lives in the deep palace? !

■

"What? There is no way to issue national debt?" Zhen Qiong was dumbfounded upon hearing the news.What's going on?Didn't you speak well two days ago?The annual interest rate is [-]%, and there is also a land pledge, which is sure to increase in value!

It's only been half a month, why didn't you post it?

Mi Fu also had a bitter face: "Oh, who knows what they did. Wang Jiyi said that there are ten thousand hectares of fertile land, but Li Jinglue said that there is only one hectare. How can we issue national debt? Now we are all arguing."

Zhen Qiong was stunned.No matter how bad his geography is, he still knows the difference between ten thousand hectares and one hectare.Is this something that can be misunderstood? !

As soon as he slapped the table, he said angrily: "Someone must be playing tricks!"

"That's right!" Mi Fu was also filled with righteous indignation.It was okay not to worry about the national debt at first, but now he has all the money ready and is waiting to buy it.Isn't it a joke to come here suddenly? !

"No, I have to ask someone to clarify!" Zhen Qiong didn't care about any court disputes.It is absolutely impossible to delay his making money!

He has no idea where Weiyuan and Qinzhou are, but someone does!The two immediately got into the car and ran to find Shen Kuo.

Shen Kuo has been nesting in the Si Tianjian these days, and the supervision of the Sky Watch has reached a critical juncture, he can't take care of others, and wishes he could grow up in the prison.As for the national debt that caused the court's turmoil, he really didn't pay much attention to it.Now that Zhen Qiong and Mi Fu came to look for him, he was somewhat at a loss.What happened to the national debt?What does it have to do with him or the two people in front of him?

"Brother Shen, don't you know? Didn't the government say that they will issue national debts, and want to use the barren land between Weiyuan and Qinzhou as pledges. But the originally agreed [-] hectares of land suddenly turned into one hectare! The national debt It's almost ruined, so I came to ask, where is this place, and will there be ten thousand hectares of land?" Zhen Qiong clattered and clarified.

Shen Kuo frowned: "Qinfeng Road was originally a land in Longyou, how could there be only one hectare of barren land?!"

He is proficient in geography, and naturally has an understanding of the map of the world.It is no less than two hundred miles from Weiyuan to the border of Qinzhou.There is only one hectare of unowned land in the middle, and it is a joke to say it!

"It's really a lie?" Zhen Qiong became happy when she heard it, and immediately said, "I still have to report it to the official, let him know that someone is doing something wrong!"

Zhen Qiong's thought was simple, but Shen Kuo had to think more: "However, Li Shizhong dared to say that there is no land, and the servants sent to investigate only said a little bit. I am afraid that someone is obstructing it. If there is no safe way, the officials are afraid. You won't believe me either."

Among them, the court struggle is indispensable.The emperor has never even been out of Tokyo City, and even the cronies he sent can't find wasteland, so how can he believe his own words?

Mi Fu suddenly had an idea: "Why don't you find some maps for Brother Shen, and I'll draw them for you?"

Hearing is believing, but seeing should be believing, right?He is also a good painter, and he can draw in charcoal, so he should be able to come to life.

Zhen Qiong immediately clapped her hands when she heard the words: "That's the reason! But drawing is not enough, it is better to make a sand table! If the landscape is made out of wax, or carved into a wooden pattern, and placed on the plate, it will be clear. "

Isn't the most intuitive one the sand table model?According to the upward swing, where there is land, where there is no land, and how big the area is, isn't it clear at a glance?

Regarding Zhen Qiong's proposal, Shen Kuo also made it clear: "This method is wonderful! Not only do we need to make a sand table from Qinzhou to Weiyuan, but we also need to make a sand table for the city of Tokyo. The officials are most familiar with the city of Tokyo." .If the size comparison is visible to the naked eye, you will naturally have a number in your heart!"

No matter what is to be built in the palace, it must first draw a picture book, make a wooden sample, and present it to the emperor for viewing before the construction can start.Making such a sand table now should have the same effect!

With a goal, just do it.Shen Kuo was already familiar with geography, and he read the classics and asked the craftsmen to rush to work. It took only three days to prepare all the things and send them to the emperor.

■

Zhao Xu has been so angry that he hasn't slept well for the past two days.The national debt, which had been planned for so long, was smashed to pieces with a stick, which really made him feel uncomfortable all over.Li Shizhong must be dismissed, but it is difficult for him to decide whether there is or is not the ten thousand hectares of land.After all, one is a border official who is eager to make meritorious service, and the other is a confidant sent by himself. Who to trust is really a problem.If he really didn't have [-] hectares of land, but he issued national debts, what would he use to cash it?

If he can't fulfill it, what's the difference between him and King Zhou Nan?The emperor did not believe what he said, but he wanted to shake the foundation of the country!

Maybe Wang Shao was eager to make meritorious service and exaggerated the matter?Wang Shao also mentioned before that the imperial court should recruit merchants from the border counties and sell goods in a unified way, so as to supplement military expenditures.Is this wasteland also an excuse to attack Hehuang?

Just thinking about it, the servant suddenly came to report, saying that Shen Kuo asked to see him.

Could it be that the sky-watching mirror in the Sitianjian is finally ready?Zhao Xu was shocked and sat up straight: "Show him into the palace."

There was some anticipation in his heart, but what Shen Kuo brought was not the news of the sky-gazing mirror, but two boards covered with cloth.

"I heard that Xihe measured the acres of fields, and I was very confused. I ordered the craftsmen to make two sand tables, and I asked the officials to look at them." Said, Shen Kuo lifted the first board with his own hands, "on this sand table, It is the difference between the imperial city and the outer city. The circumference of the palace city is more than 48 miles, and the circumference of the outer city is more than [-] miles, as shown in this figure. The entire Tokyo city covers an area of ​​about [-] hectares, which can be seen at a glance."

This is indeed obvious at a glance.Zhao Xu has seen the map of Tokyo City too many times.Whether it's the real thing or a wooden sample, it's not good to be familiar with it.Such a large piece of land, only [-] hectares?How big should the ten thousand hectares be?

With a sinking heart, Zhao Xu couldn't help frowning.However, before he could say anything, Shen Kuo lifted the curtain on the second board.A wooden sample hundreds of times larger than Tokyo City appeared in front of him.

There are mountains and rivers on it, as well as several forts and cities, which are not familiar to him, but he still recognizes the word "Qinzhou" written on the side.

"Is this what Qinzhou looks like?" Zhao Xu's eyes turned back and forth on the two sand tables.This comparison is too great. Compared with the land of one state, the city of Tokyo is so small that it is not worth mentioning.

"The land in a state is at least 20 hectares. Although I don't know where there is wasteland from Weiyuan City to Qinzhou, the number of one hectare is probably not true. From Weiyuan to the border of Qinzhou, there are It’s two hundred miles away. In addition, Qinzhou itself is sparsely populated, so there are not a few people who want to leave it unused. The government can also let the surveyors carefully measure it and present the sand table. Isn’t it clear at a glance?” Shen Kuo has never been to Weiyuan in person. Naturally, a detailed sand table cannot be made.But the principles are common.The scale is placed there, are you afraid that the measurement will not be accurate?

"The energy must be right!" Zhao Xu gritted his teeth resentfully, "If someone says that all the land is owned and there is only one hectare of idle land this time, I would like to ask him, how many mouths are there on Qinfeng Road? With so much land, isn’t the tax paid by others?!”

There is also Wang Shao, who also needs to make the same sand table and explain clearly where the barren fields are.Having said that, this sand table is also quite useful.Drawing mountains and rivers is much more intuitive than simply arranging troops and raising flags.In future wars, we must make this kind of sand table!

The author has something to say: this ten thousand hectare and one hectare really happened in history.It can only be said how bold people are and how productive the land is.

Also, Shen Kuo is a real master of geography, and he made the "flying bird map", which is equivalent to today's aerial topographic map.He also started to make the sand table when he was inspecting Dingzhou. Shenzong was very interested and appointed him to make a map of the world.He worked as an official in various places, persisted for 12 years, and finally produced "The Map of the Governors of the World in the Song Dynasty".Later, when the Liao and Song Dynasties fought for land, he used this picture and wooden model to reject the unreasonable demands of the Liao Kingdom and defend the dignity of the Song Dynasty.