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Chapter 314 Battle of Mayi

"In the early Han Dynasty, people practiced rest and recuperation, did not compete with the people for profits, and overcame the prohibitions on mountains and seas. They opened minerals and other resources to private operations, and the state only collected taxes from the government."

"This policy played an important role in restoring the local economy, and many businessmen became rich by operating resources such as salt and iron."

"But businessmen also often use their wealth to intervene in local administration, make friends with princes, and influence centralization of power."

"After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty encountered a financial crisis, he tried every means to monopolize resources such as salt and iron in the hands of the state, and used the income from these industries as national fiscal revenue."

"In the fourth year of Yuanshou, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ordered the great agricultural ministers Dongguo Xianyang and Kong Yi, and the minister Sang Hongyang to jointly plan and manage the salt and iron affairs."

"The next year, they introduced a concrete measure."

"First, salt boiling, iron smelting and other industries will be brought under state management, and their income will be used as fiscal revenue."

“Second, the government recruits salt households and provides them with tools and fees to serve the government.”

"Third, it is forbidden for private individuals to make ironware, boil salt, etc."

"Fourth, officials to manage iron mines and iron tools should be established in counties and counties to specifically manage the sale and purchase of iron tools."

"These officials will recruit specialized blacksmiths or prisoners or corvee laborers to smelt iron and exercise it."

"After the plan was introduced, Dong Zhongshu, Sima Qian and others believed that it was seeking benefits for the people and firmly opposed it, but Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty firmly supported it."

"In the sixth year of Yuan Shou, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty officially ordered the implementation of the salt and iron official camp. Subsequently, 36 salt officials and 48 iron officials were set up across the country, making the country's salt and iron production basically under the control of the state."

"While promoting the salt and iron official camp, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty also accepted Sang Hongyang's suggestion and implemented the policy of equalizing losses."

"This policy was introduced mainly to address issues such as the price of the court's purchases in the market being pushed up and transportation costs high."

"There are two main things that both lose."

"The first is to set up officials in the Ministry of Agriculture to manage the transportation of salt and iron in counties and counties respectively, and to traffic and sell the items that farmers used to transport to the capital."

"Second, the government purchases items from local governments."

"In Pinghuai, the court regulates market prices."

"The state sets up leveling officials in major cities, and according to market prices, they sell when the price is high and buy when the price is low."

"This policy can not only lower the purchase price, but also crack down on the hoarding and monopolization of the market by wealthy businessmen."

"The comprehensive implementation of the official management of salt and iron and the equalization of losses greatly improved the financial situation of the Han Dynasty."

"The Han Dynasty not only used its abundant financial resources to fight back against the Xiongnu and build a strong military force, but also used them for local disaster relief and stabilizing social order."

"As Sang Hongyang said: "In the past, there was insufficient money, and the soldiers might not be able to get paid. However, Shandong was hit by disaster, and Qi and Zhao were starved. We all lost our savings, and the accumulation in the warehouses was used by the soldiers and the hungry people. ”    “However, state monopoly has also caused many problems, such as destroying competition in industry and commerce and affecting the normal development of commerce. At the same time, the quality of salt and iron operated by the government is often low.”

"It is difficult to achieve the effect of even losses, and there are even related institutions that have profited from corruption, which is not conducive to price adjustment."

"But overall, these policies were introduced to adapt to the general environment at that time."

"There are merits and mistakes internally, big mistakes will be discussed later, but externally those are great merits!"

"Because the rule of Wen and Jing made the Western Han Dynasty's national power rise, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty prepared for military development at the same time when he succeeded, and used military means to replace the peace policy."

"At that time, the northern territory of the Han Dynasty extended from the Great Wall to Mobei. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty included the northern part of the Korean Peninsula into the territory of the Western Han Dynasty. The southern territory expanded to southern Vietnam, and the southwestern Yi area was also completely included under the rule of the Han Dynasty."

"As we all know, the war between the Western Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu lasted for hundreds of years. Emperors Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty, and Emperor Wenjing of the Han Dynasty were all controlled by others. It was not until the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty that the offensive and defensive posture of the Western Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu changed fundamentally. .”

"The Xiongnu have been a hidden danger in the north since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. After Qin Shihuang unified the world, he ordered Meng Tian to lead an army of 30 to the north to resist the Xiongnu. During this period, the Xiongnu were expelled by Meng Tian to the north of the Great Wall, and the Central Plains Dynasty ushered in a brief period of stability."

"The chaos at the end of the Qin Dynasty, the struggle between Chu and Han for supremacy, the Central Plains suffered decades of devastation, so that when the Western Han Dynasty was established, the national power was weakened. After decades of development, the Xiongnu had more than 30 people who controlled the strings. Liu Bang almost defeated Captured by the Huns at Baishan Mountain.”

"After Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, established the Western Han Dynasty, the game between the Xiongnu and the Han Dynasty entered the stage of history. Due to various reasons, Liu Bang had to adopt a national policy of strategic defense and exchange for a short-term peace through the peace policy."

"Such a national policy continued from Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty to the early days of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. It was only after Liu Che came to power that the peace and pro-progress policy was canceled. The strategic defense of the border fortress was also transformed into a strategic offensive. The war between Han and Hungary began."

"Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's counterattack against the Xiongnu began in the sixth year of Emperor Yuanguang's reign and lasted for forty-four years. During this period, the Han army launched three major counterattacks against the Xiongnu and achieved decisive victories. It solved the problem of the Xiongnu’s southward harassment.”

"The three strategic counterattacks are the Battle of Henan, the Battle of Monan, the Battle of Hexi and the Battle of Mobei."

"Of course, attacking the Huns is inseparable from two generals, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, who can be called the "strongest dowry"!"

"As mentioned earlier, I will talk about a small battle."

"Emperor Liu Che of the Han Dynasty was a talented and strategic emperor. In order to solve the threat of the Xiongnu to the Han Dynasty, a war with the Xiongnu was inevitable. The Battle of Mayi was a small test of his skills."

"At that time, the Huns' cavalry once again invaded the border counties of the Han Dynasty. Wang Hui suggested that Liu Che lure the main force of the Huns to Mayi, and then use 30 elite cavalry to encircle and annihilate them."

"Unfortunately, the Xiongnu Chanyu captured a Han general during the march and learned of this plan."

"Subsequently, the Xiongnu Chanyu immediately withdrew his troops from Mayi and was stillborn. This war that did not happen also became a node for the Han and Huns to fully develop. The Xiongnu army was ready to invade Chang'an, and Liu Che was also preparing for a decisive battle with the Xiongnu. "

"In the winter of the sixth year of Emperor Yuanguang of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty used all the cavalry troops of the Western Han Dynasty to attack the Xiongnu in four directions. The armies of Gongsun Ao, Gongsun He, and Li Guang either failed or returned without success. Only Wei Qing attacked the Xiongnu all the way. Dragon City achieved a major victory."

"All three armies of the Han Dynasty failed, but Wei Qing's surprise attack on Longcheng broke the myth that the Xiongnu could not fight, and gave Liu Che, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the confidence to launch a bigger war. This set the stage for the Battle of Heshuo, the Battle of Monan, and the Battle of Hexi. It laid the foundation for the Battle of Mobei."

(End of this chapter)