"Brother Hu, what you said is correct." Someone responded. "This time, the local governor and the minister were swapped. Everyone thought that Minister Liu (Liu Hongdao) was on the same side as the Grand Secretary. However, in the middle of this month, Minister Liu personally dispatched the imperial camp to cross the river and attack a military camp on the other side. It is clear that he is not on the same side as the Grand Secretary... It can be seen that the Grand Secretary seems to be invincible, but it is just a false pretense and is not popular in the court."
"In fact, these are just minor matters. Even if the Grand Secretary of Justice continues to be so powerful, what will happen? He will never be able to defeat the emperor who is in control of the overall situation. The key to our work is to be concerned about the emperor's urgent needs and focus on major policies and strategies. This is the right way." Hu Quan suddenly changed the subject. "Since the emperor met with Ma Jiedu in Heyin, the future major policies and strategies have already been revealed. It is to concentrate on accumulating money, food, soldiers and horses to cross the river to the north! In the next few years, everything will have to give way to these things."
"Brother Hu is right," another person responded. "After the court newspaper reported that Ma Zongguan came to see the emperor, our Ministry of Revenue began to check the accounts and inventory... but after all the calculations, it was still difficult for a good cook to cook without rice."
"That's true." Yu Yunwen also frowned and sighed. No one in the room knew the emperor's thoughts better than him. "I remember that Minister Lin said something in the Imperial College yesterday. This year's annual revenue, plus the three million national debt plate, and the initial income from the Qingmiao loan and Jiaozi business in the second half of this year, is only 38 million strings (one string is equivalent to one string of money or one tael of silver, and the actual value is about 770 coins at this time)... If 38 million strings are used to support the army, to support 300,000 imperial camp troops, then nothing can be done."
Besides, the people around him naturally knew that Yu Yunwen was traveling with the emperor this time, so when the number of 300,000 imperial soldiers was mentioned, they already believed it in their hearts. They knew that this was a kind of bottom line set by the emperor and Ma Kuo after discussion. But even so, they could not help but be shocked when they heard this number.
"The government is too generous to the Imperial Guard!" Chao Gongwu couldn't help but be shocked. "According to what Cai Gong, the Three Officials Envoy, wrote to Emperor Renzong, the annual cost of one imperial guard was no more than 50 strings of cash. Now, the cost of supporting one regular soldier in the Imperial Guard is about 80 to 90 strings of cash, or even nearly 100 strings of cash... If we use this example to support 300,000 soldiers, then we won't have to do anything, right?!"
"The imperial army of Emperor Renzong cannot destroy Xixia." Hu Quan had already made up his mind, so he simply responded coldly. "If we want to conquer the two rivers in the north, we need 300,000 regular soldiers with a salary of 100 liang per year!"
"But if that's the case, we'll have to wait a few more years before we can march north!" Chao Gongwu was finally no longer cautious after being confronted, or perhaps because he had drunk a little bit of wine. "Brother Hu, the annual income is here. We have to support 300,000 imperial troops, and we have to prepare money and food for military supplies and rewards. Without 50 million annual income, it will not work!"
"In a few years, we'll have an annual income of 50 million?" someone interrupted, frowning.
"Of course there are." Chao Gongwu blurted out. "During the heyday of this dynasty, the annual income was nearly 100 million (guan, shi, bundles, liang, and pieces, not the total guanwen). Excluding the grain worth one shi and half a guan, and the fodder that almost no one buys for official needs, there was still 60 million in direct financial income. Among the 60 million in financial income, in addition to the guanwen of copper coins and the liang of silver, there were nearly 10 million pieces of silk... Although the value of silk has always fluctuated, it has always been priced at two guanqian per piece! Considering that the main production areas of silk are in the south and have not been through war, as long as this dynasty recuperates, it is entirely possible to achieve an annual income of more than 30 million guan, plus 8 or 9 million pieces of silk! That is a total annual income of 50 million guan!"
Chao Gongwu was knowledgeable and had a good memory. He was now compiling history and had access to a huge amount of information. No one questioned what he said, so everyone seemed to be thinking about it for a while.
However, I must say one more thing here... The Song Dynasty was a strange country with an extremely centralized finance. Its annual income was not converted into silver, or copper coins of about 770 wen per string or one string, and the total value of a certain string was not calculated. Instead, it was calculated by measuring the grain (shi), hay (bundles), copper coins (guan), Jiaozi (strings), silk (pi), and silver (liang) received, and finally the total annual income of more than 100 million shi, bundles, guan, string, pipe, and liang was obtained.
As we all know, grain was the most basic thing in the feudal era. It was used to directly supply the army, officials, the capital, and also for disaster relief. It was impossible to really discount it. Hay was only for military needs. Therefore, we must first put aside these physical objects to get the real annual income of the Song Dynasty, which was mainly composed of money and silk.
After all, these were the only recognized hard currencies. One piece of silk was worth two strings of coins, which was almost common knowledge. From officials to soldiers, to ordinary people, everyone recognized that these silks were effective general equivalents, just like copper coins and silver.
And this is exactly what Chao Gongwu meant - at present, almost all silk producing areas are actually under the control of the Song Dynasty. The direct losses caused by the two rivers are actually very low. The theoretical financial ceiling of the Song Dynasty is still very high. Therefore, as long as the Song Dynasty is given time to gradually close the bloody effects caused by the war, it can actually recover to a very outstanding financial position.
but……
"How long will it take to restore the annual revenue to 50 million guan?" Hu Quan frowned.
"I've calculated it. Based on the current recovery rate, it will only take seven or eight years." Chao Gongwu blurted out.
Everyone's expression changed immediately.
Hu Quan even sneered on the spot: "If the people of Lianghe could wait another seven or eight years, why would the government drive those people out of Baima?"
Chao Gongwu wanted to say something but finally kept silent, and the others had no intention of discussing it any further... This was a question like whether to make a bigger cake first or divide the cake first. Because of the interests involved, there were bound to be different opinions.
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