I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 247 Su Liang goes to Yangzhou! Only rumors can defeat rumors

October 12th, afternoon.

After thinking again and again, Su Liang decided to disembark early.

If he arrived in Yangzhou City by official ship, even though Su Shunyuan, the magistrate of Yangzhou, would not have arranged a grand welcome ceremony.

Those who have old ties to the Tang family or have had life intersections with Su Liang will inevitably come to greet him.

After all, Su Liangshi is currently the most favored minister of the Song Dynasty and has a bright future.

Everyone wants to take advantage of it.

Su Liang understood this feeling, but once surrounded by these people, he would be in the sun all day long and would not be able to deal with business at all.

In addition, he is bound to be targeted by some people.

At that time, it may be difficult to think of a way to cure Yangzhou's money shortage.

Immediately, Su Liang informed Tang Ze and Tang Wanmei that he, Cao Hu and others would take other ships to Yangzhou.

The current two ships must move slowly and enter Yangzhou City on October 28th.

According to the current speed, the two ships will arrive in Yangzhou City on October 18th.

But Su Liang ordered the ship to arrive ten days later.

Ten days was enough for Su Liang to understand the current situation in Yangzhou City.

After explaining everything, Su Liang, Cao Hu and others boarded a merchant ship.

……

These days.

Su Liang had been reading the books borrowed from Zhang Fangping intensively, and he suddenly felt that he had benefited a lot.

The fundamental reason for the money shortage in Yangzhou City is the insufficient flow of copper coins in the market, rather than the lack of total copper coins.

The copper coins sent by the court could only suppress the further outbreak of money shortage in a short period of time, but they could not cure it.

If copper coins are allowed to flow in the market.

The wealthy merchants in Yangzhou City must be allowed to move all the copper coins they have accumulated in their treasury.

……

October 18th, near dusk.

Su Liang, Cao Hu and more than ten people finally arrived at Yangzhou City where the rivers meet.

It is close to the sea, close to the Yangtze River, and connected to the canal. It is the most powerful place in the Three Chus and the crown of Jiuzhou.

During the Tang Dynasty, Yangzhou was known as the first state in Huainan and the well-deserved first city on the canal.

The prosperity of commerce at that time was second only to Chang'an and Luoyang.

The saying "With a hundred thousand guan in the waist, riding a crane to Yangzhou" is not just talk.

If you have money, come to Yangzhou to spend money.

The romantic places in Yangzhou are unparalleled in the world. Even Du Mu of the Tang Dynasty left a saying: Once in ten years, I dream of Yangzhou and win the reputation of a brothel.

After the Rebellion in the late Tang Dynasty, Yangzhou declined somewhat due to the war.

Although there has been recovery now, there is still a gap between it and the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, but Yangzhou people are still very proud in their bones.

Because the Grand Canal passes through the city, Yangzhou has a lot of water, boats, and bridges.

Su Liang has not returned here for nearly six years.

Although his eyes were full of strangers, and the shop signs on the street changed one after another, he was still very familiar with the main streets in the city and would not get lost even with his eyes closed.

He took Cao Hu and others from the Guan River at Nanshui Gate in Yangzhou by boat directly to the Yangzhou Flower Market.

The most distinctive area of ​​Yangzhou City is the Guan River that runs from north to south.

On both sides of this Guanhe River are the most prosperous commercial markets in Yangzhou City.

There are flower markets, fish and crab markets, taverns, tea shops, brothels, etc.

Perhaps due to the lack of money, there are not many pedestrians on the riverside at the moment.

Su Liang did not go directly to the Zhouzhi Yamen in the northwest corner of Yangzhou City. Instead, he ordered Cao Hu to rent a small courtyard near Kaiming Bridge near the flower market.

……

October 20th, late.

Su Liang sat in the room, flipping through the pieces of information sent by Protector Cao, and couldn't help but feel a little dizzy.

He watched for nearly an hour before he had a certain understanding of the current money shortage situation in Yangzhou City.

The main source of the money shortage in Yangzhou City is indeed money for young crops and money for exemption from military service.

The people's demand for coins increased, causing prices to rise, and money became more important than material.

Su Shunyuan, the magistrate of Yangzhou, asked the imperial court for help on the one hand, and on the other hand, he reduced the number of copper coins exported in overseas trade and strengthened the management of money bans.

But the results are minimal.

The main reason is that the big businessmen are not very cooperative.

Big businessmen are opposed to every measure of the new law.

Especially after Kaifeng Prefecture tried out the Market Change Law, it restricted the control of the market by wealthy businessmen.

If the big businessmen in Yangzhou City can cooperate with the state government and transfer the copper coins from their private treasury, the money shortage problem will definitely be solved.

But it is impossible for the latter to do such things that are harmful and unprofitable to them.

Moreover, Yangzhou is particularly dependent on trade.

Big businessmen determine Yangzhou's commercial taxes and the livelihood of countless people.

Su Shunyuan, the magistrate of Yangzhou, did not dare to push too hard, otherwise the big businessmen might leave Yangzhou city with their property.

Because Yangzhou has developed maritime transportation.

There are also many wealthy people who take all their property to live overseas.

When dealing with big businessmen, we can only lure them but not suppress them. Otherwise, no one would want to come to Yangzhou to do business.

not to mention.

Yangzhou currently competes with Suzhou, Hangzhou, Mingzhou, Taizhou, and Quanzhou south of the Yangtze River.

The copper coins shipped by the imperial court have been put into the Yangzhou market.

This move has temporarily alleviated the problem of "money is hard to come by and grain and silk are cheap", but it is like trying to put out a fire with salary and pour water to stop a boil, and it cannot completely cure the problem of money shortage.

At last.

Su Liang selected four big businessmen in Yangzhou City from the intelligence.

First, Cao Siye, the ship merchant who controls Yangzhou's shipping and the general leader of the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce.

Second, Ao Lie, the eldest son of the Ao family, controls the flower market and fish and crab market in Yangzhou.

Third, Qiao Sanniang, who owns twelve romantic places.

Fourth, Monk Huiben, the supervisor of Kongshan Temple, opened eight pawnshops (pawn lending).

If these four people are willing to cooperate, Yangzhou's money shortage crisis can be solved quickly.

However, all four of them believed that the Song Dynasty Reform was an attempt by the imperial court to bully the rich and save the poor, and their relationship with Su Shunyuan, the magistrate of Yangzhou, was not good.

At the beginning of this year, Su Shunyuan was appointed as the magistrate. As a migrant, he is incorruptible and cherishes his reputation, and most of his relationships with local businessmen are not harmonious.

These four big businessmen have deep-rooted influence and may have backers behind them. Their reputations are mixed among the people.

such as--

Qiao Sanniang, the great shopkeeper of Fengyuechang, caused many good girls to fall into prostitution, but she also provided livelihood for many helpless old women;

Monk Hui Ben, the superintendent of Kongshan Temple, lent money at high interest rates, causing some families to lose their lives. However, whenever Yangzhou City encountered a natural disaster, Kongshan Temple would always be the first to jump out and give rice and clothes.

……

Businessmen are driven by profit.

These four people all have their own principles of doing things, and none of them have violated the laws of the Song Dynasty.

The government cannot force them to do something.

……

The next day.

Su Liang took a stroll in Yangzhou City.

He didn't return for many years and dressed up like a businessman again.

No one would recognize him at all.

Su Liang had just walked for less than half an hour when he heard a rumor about him.

"Su Liang, who serves as the Censor and also knows the miscellaneous affairs, will arrive in Yangzhou in the near future. He is bringing two ships of Jiaozi and wants to exchange the Jiaozi for copper coins in Yangzhou. Those who oppose it will be punished severely by violating the law."

This news can be said to set off a thousand waves with one stone.

Yangzhou City suddenly became chaotic.

Jiaozi, that is, paper money.

The current circulation scope is basically in Sichuan, Shaanxi, Hedong and other places, and most people don't like it.

People don't like to use Jiaozi because Jiaozi will depreciate in value.

For example, a Jiaozi with a constant amount of money may only be worth 800 yuan or even 600 yuan after a period of time.

But copper coins can continue to maintain their value.

No matter how long it is kept, even if it is used as copper material to be refined into copperware, there will be no loss.

As soon as this news came out.

The biggest impact is on the loan and repayment market in Yangzhou City.

Some lenders lent out only copper coins. They were worried that borrowers would use the money to repay their debts, so they began to demand debts in advance.

For a while.

Yangzhou City was full of people who wanted to borrow money, and some even got into violent fights, which had a very bad impact.

Su Shunyuan, the magistrate of Yangzhou, responded very quickly.

At dusk, a notice was posted outside the government office, saying that the matter was just a rumor and that the government office had not received such news for the time being.

But as soon as he refuted the rumor, the people didn't believe it even more, thinking that this was a delaying strategy.

Su Liang was scolded everywhere in the streets, teahouses and restaurants.

Some people scolded him for forgetting his ancestors, while others scolded him for being a villain who harmed his hometown people just for the sake of his official career...

Some people even said that if Su Liang exchanged Jiaozi for copper coins, he would immediately file a lawsuit against the emperor, and some even said that he would move his family to other state capitals.

In one day, the whole city of Yangzhou was boiling.

……

At nightfall, Cao Hu quickly came to Su Liang.

"It's been found out. This news came from the leader of the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce and the ship merchant Cao Si."

Although Cao Hu was affiliated to Sanya.

But he had already mastered the work of the Imperial City's spies. It was not difficult to find the source of the rumors when funds were sufficient and the news was just beginning to spread.

Su Liang nodded.

This news obviously added fuel to the fire, making all Yangzhou people hate Su Liang, preventing him from solving Yangzhou's money shortage, and sabotaging the reform by the way.

"Since this Fourth Master Cao wants to fight a rumor war with me, then I will accompany him. The only thing that can defeat rumors is rumors!" Su Liang murmured, and then walked into the study.

About half an hour later.

Su Liang walked out of the study and handed Cao Hu a letter with the words "personally addressed by Su Shunyuan, the magistrate of Yangzhou".

"Find a brother to make a copy of this letter, and then deliberately leave it in a conspicuous place. Make sure everyone in Yangzhou City knows the content of this letter within three days. As for the original, copy it and destroy it directly."

"Yes." Cao Hu cupped his hands and said.

……

The next afternoon.

The content of an incredible letter spread in Yangzhou City.

This letter is a handwritten letter written by Su Liang, who was serving as the imperial censor and also a miscellaneous official, to Su Shunyuan, the magistrate of Yangzhou.

It was accidentally picked up by a businessman near the North City Gate.

The letter stated that Su Liang would arrive in Yangzhou City on the afternoon of the 28th of this month.

In order to solve the money shortage in Yangzhou, he planned to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys. He learned that the person with the largest hoard of copper coins in Yangzhou City was Cao Si, the head of the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce and a ship merchant. He ordered Su Shunyuan to quickly fabricate a crime of treason for Cao Si of colluding with overseas businessmen, and then put Cao Si into the trap. They ransacked their homes.

After raiding Cao Si's home, you will be able to get a large amount of copper coins, and other businessmen will become honest, and the money shortage problem will be easily solved.

Su Liang also said that the Imperial City Secretariat had investigated and found out where Cao Si had hidden his money.

A transcribed version of this letter quickly circulated in Yangzhou City.

Passed on.

Many people believed it to be true.

Su Liangnai was the main force in the reform movement throughout the Song Dynasty, and he was already known as "robbing the rich and giving to the poor so that the country could benefit from poverty".

Coming up with this strategy is not surprising.

Ordinary scholar-bureaucrats couldn't do such a thing, but it was really different for Su Liang.

This is the beheading censor.

Moreover, this policy would have far less destructive effect on Yangzhou's trade than Jiaozi's policy, and it could also solve the money shortage.

For a while, the people started talking about the content of this letter.

It is difficult to distinguish between true and false, and opinions vary.

When Su Shunyuan, the magistrate of Yangzhou, saw the content of this letter, he couldn't help but look confused.

He didn't even know if this letter was sent to him by Su Liang and lost accidentally.

He thought for a while and did not refute the rumors again.

No one believed him when he refuted the rumors. When Su Liang arrives in Yangzhou, all problems will be solved.

(End of this chapter)