Chapter 234 Tribute Trade
"This minister just said..."
Wei Shuyu pointed at Doulu Kuan and said, "Emperor Yang of Sui did absurd things such as entertaining foreign merchants and ordering all the people in the city to wear silk."
"Listen carefully, everyone. Emperor Yang of Sui was entertaining merchants from the Central Asian countries!"
"They're entertaining businessmen!"
"What exactly is the purpose of a monarch doing this?"
"Aside from the fact that these foreign merchants could bring Emperor Yang of Sui a huge amount of wealth, I really can't figure out what his purpose was."
The courtiers felt a chill run down their spines.
Upon closer reflection, it's true.
Everyone says that Emperor Yang Guang was incompetent and muddleheaded...
He only cares about the results, never about the details.
"What does that have to do with tribute?"
Fang Xuanling finally steered the conversation back to the main topic.
"It has little to do with the Sui Dynasty, but it has a great deal to do with our Tang Dynasty."
Wei Shuyu couldn't help but glance at Li Shimin.
Li Shimin blushed.
That's right.
That brat is definitely going to criticize me again...
"Silk is something that the poor can't afford, and the rich can't use that much of..."
"About one-third of the annual salary of our Tang Dynasty was distributed to the soldiers."
"Two-thirds left..."
"It was given back to the various countries in the form of tribute."
After saying that.
Wei Shuyu turned to Fang Xuanling and asked, "Does Uncle Fang think it is or isn't?"
"yes!"
Fang Xuanling nodded.
Today, many small states have submitted to the Tang Dynasty, in exchange for a considerable amount of resources.
This is also one of the reasons why the Tang Dynasty had a strong and well-equipped army.
"So here's the question..."
Wei Shuyu said helplessly, "The tribute is returned to the various countries at twice the price."
"Does that mean our Great Tang Dynasty is giving them a lot of money?"
"Does that mean..."
"Originally, the Tang Dynasty could have made ten countries submit!"
"But because of these tribute rewards, it means we can only subdue three or four countries?"
The courtiers were dumbfounded.
This...this sounds like an insult directed at Li Shimin for being extravagant and wasteful.
Everyone couldn't help but steal a glance at Li Shimin.
Li Shimin had a stern face, full of majesty.
He was so angry he was cursing under his breath.
You brat, I asked you to discuss politics, not to make veiled criticisms of me.
"Wei Shuyu, don't spread alarmist rumors!"
Doulu Kuan stepped forward again, not only to save face for Li Shimin.
Furthermore, because he was the Minister of Rites, he was in charge of matters related to tribute missions.
"The matter of paying tribute has always been this way!"
"During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, there was also the practice of paying tribute."
"If it's really as you say, then we'll exchange it for something of equal value."
"Why should our Great Tang Dynasty command the submission of other nations?"
"If we don't bestow generous gifts, what will happen if the small countries unite to rebel against our Great Tang?"
yes.
The courtiers were suddenly awakened.
Why would other countries submit to our Great Tang if we traded at fair prices?
Are you asking me?
Wei Shuyu pointed to his nose.
"nonsense."
Doulu Kuan rebuked, "I've already called you by your name. Is there another Wei Shuyu here?"
"That makes a lot of sense."
Wei Shuyu nodded, then suddenly shouted, "But what does that have to do with me?"
"I am an imperial censor."
"You are the Minister of Rites!"
"His Majesty pays you a salary, not so you can come out and shirk responsibility."
"It's not that I'm here to trouble the Tang Dynasty!"
Um?
Doulu Kuan pointed at Wei Shuyu, his beard trembling with anger: "What did you say? Say it again!"
"Trying to act all high and mighty now, huh?"
Wei Shuyu, with his neck stiff, cursed, "I'm cursing you for being incompetent!"
I don't care if you're an uncle or elder, I'll just curse you first...
"You bastard!"
Doulu Kuan's face was flushed.
"You big idiot!"
Wei Shuyu launched into a barrage of attacks: "If it weren't for you, old man, holding a position without doing anything, would the Tang Dynasty be in this state?"
"That sounds nice..."
"This has always been the case during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han."
"Hundreds of years have passed, and you're still adhering to the ideas from Emperor Wu of Han's time..."
"Have you ever heard of a word before...?"
"If you don't advance, you fall behind!"
"Who said that? What was that guy's name?"
Wei Zheng rolled his eyes and chimed in, "It comes from the 'No Offspring Chapter' of the 'Deng Xi Zi' from the Spring and Autumn Period."
"Yes, Deng Xizi said it!"
Wei Shuyu nodded: "Why don't you listen to Deng Xizi's teachings?"
Doulu Kuan felt his blood rushing to his head, and a feeling of pent-up energy in his chest that he couldn't release.
He pointed at Wei Shuyu, wanting to argue a few points.
Wei Shuyu ignored him, glanced at the assembled officials, and then spoke to himself...
Emperor Wu of Han opened up the Silk Road.
"Emperor Yang of Sui reopened the Silk Road."
"Then what about my Great Tang Dynasty..."
"Our Great Tang Dynasty has a strong and powerful army, and has defeated all the surrounding countries, forcing them to submit!"
"Logically speaking... with the military strength of our Great Tang Dynasty, we could have already marched into the Silk Road and ushered in a golden age for the Tang Dynasty!"
"But why haven't we advanced yet?"
"No food for the soldiers? No reason?"
"That's all bullshit!"
"To put it bluntly, it was the tribute from these small neighboring countries that hindered the progress of the Tang Dynasty."
Li Shimin's eye twitched.
You bastard, are you trying to insult me?
Without soldiers and provisions, isn't there a reason why it wasn't my reply to your memorial?
Alright, Old Wei just hit a pillar, let's give him some face first.
If what they say later is correct, then so be it; if it's wrong, I will definitely settle scores later.
The courtiers whispered among themselves...
That is indeed the case.
When small countries paid tribute, the Tang Dynasty was temporarily unable to reciprocate with gifts.
When the Anxi Army was stationed in the Western Regions in later generations, it intimidated more than 400 countries.
If they all came to pay tribute...
The Tang Dynasty's return gifts went bankrupt...
"Shuyu, now that you've proposed the idea of the Silk Road, do you already have a plan?"
Fang Xuanling asked.
"I guess so."
Wei Shuyu nodded, then bowed to Li Shimin: "Your Majesty is so kind as to entrust me with the task of resuming business."
"In my opinion, the tribute from various countries can be divided into two parts..."
"A portion of it was paid as tribute to the imperial court, which then bestowed it upon various countries in return, demonstrating the power and prestige of the Tang Dynasty."
"Another portion ended up in the hands of ordinary people, who were then sold and consumed by merchants."
The courtiers remained silent.
They were merchants again.
How come a lowly merchant could accomplish so much in Wei Shuyu's eyes?
"What do you all think, my esteemed ministers?"
Li Shimin hesitated for a moment, finding it difficult to make this decision.
"Your Majesty, I believe this is inappropriate."
Changsun Wuji frowned and retorted, "The return gifts are always at twice the price..."
"If merchants were to purchase at an equal price, it might cause dissatisfaction among the other countries."
"If merchants buy at a premium and then sell to the public, isn't that tantamount to exploiting the people?"
The ministers nodded in agreement.
This is another problem that cannot be balanced...
"Changsun Wuji, are you stupid?"
Wei Shuyu cursed loudly.
He never indulged Changsun Wuji.
Do you know why you hate merchants so much?
"Because the goods that merchants brought back from foreign lands were sold for far more than twice the price..."
The courtiers were dumbfounded.
That seems to make sense.
Everyone says he's a shrewd businessman...
The goods that merchants brought back from foreign lands were more than double the original amount...
Several times or even dozens of times more are commonplace.
"The same principle applies..."
"We merchants bring back goods from foreign lands and can sell them for several times, even dozens of times, the price!"
"If other countries dragged back the supplies from my Great Tang Dynasty, they could profit many times over!"
"Faced with such a great temptation, how could they not be tempted?"
"If that's the case..."
"We can completely refuse to give them any supplies!"
"Just give them copper coins and let them buy it themselves."
"In the end, after transferring the money from one hand to the other, the copper coins come right back, don't they?"
The courtiers were dumbfounded.
Is this even allowed?
Upon closer reflection...
Huh? It really is?
What use do foreign tribes have for copper coins?
“They’re not stupid. The copper coins you give them must be equal to the corresponding price of silk!” Changsun Wuji retorted unhappily.
In the early Tang Dynasty, the country had not yet recovered from the chaos of the late Sui Dynasty, and silk was equivalent to money.
"Yeah, they're not stupid, but you are."
Wei Shuyu said disdainfully, "Our Great Tang Dynasty doesn't only have silk; we also have porcelain, tea, wine, fruits, and vegetables..."
"Silk has a clearly marked price; can't you raise the price in other areas?"
Even silk is divided into several grades...
"If you ask His Majesty to give that silk a prestigious title, wouldn't the price of that silk go up?"
"And that wine, have Uncle Cheng endorse it."
"Take Uncle Cheng for example, he drinks three big bowls of it every day, and that's how the price goes up, isn't it?"
"Ordinary wine costs one copper coin, but is it too much to sell this kind of wine that Uncle Cheng drinks every day for five or ten copper coins?"
Cheng Yaojin was deep in thought...
So my fame is that useful?
How about we try selling alcohol?
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