When Yu Wendao looked at the details, he felt very uncomfortable.
Fu Xiaoguan created the free trade city, and while he gained an advantage, he actually damaged the interests of the Yu Dynasty!
This guy is so cunning, why didn’t he realize this at the beginning?
"At the beginning of next year, people from the Yu Dynasty will not be allowed to buy goods from the Wu Dynasty in the Free Trade City!"
Chang Huan bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise!"
What a wise bullshit!
I have been frugal and careful with my spending, but in the end there are only a mere two million taels of silver left in the account book. What should I do?
Seeing Yu Wendao's worried look, Chang Huan came up with an idea: "Your Majesty, if you don't have silver, you can have silver notes."
Yu Wendao was stunned, "Where did the banknote come from?"
"Print! In the two years since Fu Xiaoguan ascended the throne, he has printed 150 million taels of silver notes. We can print as well. I've calculated that the three major gold mines of the Yu Dynasty can produce over a million taels of gold each year. Although printing 50 million taels of silver notes is a bit excessive, I think it's not a big deal."
This was obviously a bad idea. Yu Wendao glared at Chang Huan and thought for a moment. Chunlei planned that Chen, Zhou and Lu each put out 10 million taels of silver.
All this money has now been turned into weapons and equipment, and it has been spent in the blink of an eye.
If we ask these three great families for money again...it seems that they really can't squeeze out any money.
But now the arrow is on the string, and silver is urgently needed to collect food and fodder for the 300,000-man army. The treasury silver is already exhausted, but this war must be fought - Yu Wendao sighed inwardly, but said:
"This is a brilliant plan. After the new year begins, tell Sitong Bank to print 50 million taels of silver. I have an urgent need for it."
"My lord, I obey the order!"
Having solved a huge dilemma, even if it meant drinking poison to quench his thirst, Yu Wendao's mood improved. He happily brewed a pot of tea, but just as he picked it up and hadn't taken a sip, Hongzhuang walked into the imperial study and handed him a note.
This is the information Xiyu Tower sent back from the Wu Dynasty.
Yu Wendao took a closer look and was immediately shocked. "What? The Wu Dynasty's tax revenue this year is over 60 million taels? And this Fu Xiaoguan even gave all the officials an extra month's salary as a bonus?"
"Your Majesty, that's right."
Yu Wendao said that the tea had no taste. He was well aware of Wu Chaozhi's changes, but he did not expect it to be so great.
Those damn businessmen!
Fu Xiaoguan didn't give them tax exemption, so why did they all run over there?
How have I let them down?
"Your Majesty, here is another piece of information for you to take a look at."
Hong Zhuang took out another piece of paper and handed it to Yu Wendao. Yu Wendao took another look and frowned instantly -
"Before leaving the Wu Dynasty, the patriarchs of the Chen, Zhou, and Lu clans all met with Fu Xiaoguan at Guanyuntai. Their discussions are unknown. Fu Xiaoguan has grown suspicious of Zhou Tongtong, and criticism of her is growing within the Wu Dynasty court. Your Majesty, please be wary of any potential sowing of dissent by the patriarchs of the three clans."
The Spring Thunder Plan was imminent, a plan secretly proposed by the three clan leaders. Zhou Tongtong was a member of the Zhou clan, and his family was currently in Jinling...
If it is said that the patriarchs of these three tribes were deliberately arranged by Fu Xiaoguan to come to the Yu Dynasty, what was his purpose?
White salt is actually being produced, the smelting of iron ore is actually being carried out, the expansion of the Yao County shipyard and wharf has been completed, and even a large ship has been built.
They were indeed doing their own business, and they were indeed forced to come to the Yu Dynasty by Fu Xiaoguan.
Attacking the Wu Dynasty would bring huge benefits to the three tribes. They left their homes with hundreds of thousands of their people just to plot against my Yu Dynasty?
With Fu Xiaoguan's military strength, wouldn't it be easier and simpler for him to just attack directly?
What kind of medicine is in this gourd?
Yu Wendao couldn't understand this, "Is this just a guess?"
"Yes, it's just speculation."
Speculations can be neither disbelieved nor completely trusted, but it is a fact that the Wu Dynasty is growing stronger, and it is also a fact that Fu Xiaoguan got the gold mountain that originally belonged to the Yu Dynasty.
If we lose the opportunity of this Spring Thunder Plan... when Fu Xiaoguan returns from the sea, when his army and navy have grown, a team of troops will go out of Qishan, and a fleet will go up the Yangtze River. What can the Yu Dynasty use to resist?
"I want to see Zhou Tongtong."
"I'll arrange it right away."
…
…
Jinling, Sifang Tower.
Qin Mowen is back, Ning Yuchun and Huo Huaijin held a banquet here to welcome Qin Mowen.
After three glasses of wine, Qin Mowen sighed, "Our table used to be full, but now... there are only three of us left."
"That kid is living a comfortable life in Wu Dynasty. I heard about him from the merchants, and I am really jealous."
Ning Yuchun and Huo Huaijin were both marginal figures now, and had no idea what had happened to Fu Xiaoguan in the past two years. They couldn't help but ask curiously, "What has he done now?"
"This year, he left the palace in disguise for a private visit. In Siyang City... a small, run-down county almost as bad as Pingling County, he single-handedly dismissed all the county officials and then became the county magistrate himself. As a result, rumors spread that he had discovered kerosene, and merchants from the Wu Dynasty flocked to the area. A full 100,000 men from the Divine Sword Third Army headed there, and the Scientific Research Institute was even relocated there."
Qin Mowen shrugged his shoulders. "Anything that can make that guy spend so much money must be good. But the place where the kerosene was found has been surrounded by the army and a long wall has been built. No one knows what is going on inside, but it does not prevent merchants from operating in that county."
"Siyang County has become prosperous. I heard a new glass workshop has been built, as well as a canning workshop and so on. Anyway, wherever this guy points his finger, there will be prosperity. Sigh... I've been struggling so hard in Guanxi Road, all thanks to the money I earn from selling minerals to him. Otherwise... I'd probably be broke and unable to even make ends meet."
Ning Yuchun felt this most deeply. He recalled that after Emperor Xuan appointed Fu Xiaoguan as the governor of Wofeng Road, people and merchants from all over the Yu Dynasty flocked to Wofeng Road.
But as soon as he left, everyone scattered like monkeys after the tree fell.
Even though he tried his best to turn the tide, he ended up like this.
"Oh, and that pork thing, you guys don't eat it, right? But now it's all the rage in the entire Wu Dynasty!"
Huo Huaijin was stunned, "Doesn't that thing have a strong smell?"
"Hey, that guy Fu Xiaoguan gave the piglet a knife, and just like that, he solved the smell problem. I heard from those merchants that the fragrant pig tastes delicious... Look at him, is he still human?"
"He sent a young eunuch out to sea for ten months, and when he returned he brought back gold, silver, and jewelry worth tens of millions of taels of silver. Just one young eunuch's income in those ten months was equivalent to half a year's worth of taxes for the Yu Dynasty. Look, this guy makes money that easily, but what about us?"
Qin Mowen picked up his wine glass and clinked it with Ning Yuchun and the other man, then drank it all in one gulp. "It's difficult. Too many merchants have left. When they leave, the output of goods drops sharply, but the goods of the Wu Dynasty increase."
"That fellow then sold his goods to the Yu Dynasty through the Free Trade City. What a brilliant move! He earned tax revenue and also occupied most of the Yu Dynasty's market. Unless Your Majesty prohibits trade and closes the door, this situation... cannot be broken!"
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