Ancient coins were different from modern coins. The value of ancient coins was not the face value of coins, but the weight. Therefore, ancient emperors often used coins to deprive the people of their interests. People who cast copper coins privately also took this interest and continued to ban them.

Before Li Yuan cast Kaiyuan Tongbao, the Tang Dynasty used the Wuzhu coins of the Sui Dynasty. However, the Wuzhu coins of the Sui Dynasty were also very chaotic. This was related to the chaos in the world before the Sui Dynasty unified the world. Before the Sui Dynasty unified the country, the Southern and Northern Dynasties coexisted. The Northern Dynasties went through the Five Dynasties, the Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Qi, Northern Zhou, Southern Dynasties also went through the Five Dynasties, Song, Qi, Liang and Chen, and there were ten countries in the Song, Qi, Liang and Chen. After you finished singing, you appeared. There were few good emperors, but many bad emperors.

Every emperor will face the problem that Li Shimin has now, and is short of money! What should I do if I lack money? After all, emperors like Li Shimin who are so poor that they don’t reach out to the people are a minority. Most emperors cannot control themselves to exploit the people.

The usual method is to cast coins. The standard Wuzhu coins weigh four grams and contain about 3.5 grams of copper. They recycled the coins, melted, recasted them, and added other "bad" metals to fill the numbers, such as lead. It turned out that four grams was still four grams after recasting, but the copper in them changed from 3.5 grams to two grams. The value of the coins naturally decreased. This method is called "cast big coins".

This is pretty good, and what's worse is another method, called "casting small coins". Crushing big coins is quite shameless, after all, it is mixed with other metals. When casting small coins, it is completely shameless. The same is to recycle, melt, and recast. Crushing large coins is to add base metals, and cast small coins simply add nothing. The original Wuzhu coins weigh four grams, divided into two, and each weighs two grams. The tough regulations are exchanged one-to-one with the original coins, and plunder the interests from the people.

Such an approach will naturally arouse public anger. This is why the Northern and Southern Dynasties have been through ten countries in less than two hundred years. Those who cast big coins will last longer. Those who cast small coins will be more than ten or twenty years.

After the Sui Dynasty unified the world, Emperor Wen of Sui also discovered this problem and tried to carry out monetary reforms. However, the aristocratic forces at that time, such as the Tang Dynasty, were much larger. Especially the families that had been emperors in the north and south, although they were no longer royal families, their respective forces were still quite large. Emperor Wen of Sui's currency reforms were just beginning, and they were violated by local people. Although they were all called the Sui Wuzhu, the currency value was still mixed, and the weight of money in different places was different.

Therefore, after Li Yuan established the country, he began to carry out monetary reform. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, the power of the clan was further weakened. This was also one of the prerequisites for the minting of Kaiyuan Tongbao, but it was inevitable that the conspiracy of the Yin and Yang would be violated. Later, the Xuanwu Gate Incident broke out and Li Shimin ascended the throne. After Li Shimin ascended the throne, natural disasters and man-made disasters followed one after another. The economic situation of the court was not as good as during the Wude period, so he was unable to continue to mint money, so the currency reform stopped halfway.

Nowadays, the most popular currency for private transactions is of course Kaiyuan Tongbao. But Sui Wuzhu can also be used, but the value depends on the actual situation. No one is a fool, and he knows it in his heart. These people used Sui Wuzhu to Li Mu because they wanted to get away with it. How could Li Mu let them succeed?

Kaiyuan Tongbao weighs one qian per ci, one liang per ten ci, and six jin per ci, four liang per ci (i.e. one thousand ci) weighs six jin and four liang per ci. Each ci is weighed two zhu and four zircon, which is about four grams of mass. He has arranged a large scale for weighing. The money he put into the warehouse not only needs to be counted, but also weighed to avoid privately cast fake money being mixed into it. This is a bit slower, but it can ensure the full amount.

As for a few people who paid the subscription money with insufficient silver, Li Mu also had a way. He directly put a furnace on the furnace, melted the silver directly, removed impurities, and poured it into a big ingot worth ten taels per one. You can take back the impurities. The ingots in history began in the Yuan Dynasty, so they were called ingots. Although Li Mu didn't like this origin very much, he thought that it was the Tang Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty was still hundreds of years later, and he felt much less disgusted. Moreover, Kaiyuan Tongbao is also called Kaitong Yuanbao among the people. It is natural to name it.

Sterling silver has a very soft texture and is easy to wear, so when ingots are melted, Li Mu also added "base metal" to the ingots to increase the strength. He calculated the specific gravity and added "base metal" and one tael of silver ingots is exactly worth a stale money. Originally, when exchanged among the people, one tael of silver with higher purity can be exchanged for "central Kaiyuan Tongbao". He did this to form a standard exchange rate and facilitate the implementation of his plan.

As for the rarer gold, it was cast into "gold bars". To Li Mu's surprise, there were also many people who used the gold to pay the subscription fee. Perhaps because it was too urgent, some shareholders had to use a lot of fine and soft to charge the amount.

In a blink of an eye, three days have passed. In addition to the shares subscribed with grain, copper coins and gold and silver worth 1.77 million guan have been put into the warehouse. In order to protect this money, Li Mu, like Li Shimin, hired a battalion of imperial troops to station here, changing shifts and guards day and night, all equipped with strong bows. Within a hundred steps of the ice cellar, those who enter will die.

Li Mu also took advantage of the three days of watching the warehouse entry and urgently trained a group of people. After the warehouse entry, Datang Bank was established next to the Ministry of Industry's Office. Everyone was curious about what Datang Bank created by Li Mu did. Literally, the bank was like a place to store money. But people couldn't figure out who would keep his money in his own home, but would be in Li Mu's hands. Isn't this a fool?

Some people also asked Li Mu, but he didn't explain it. It was as rumored that this Datang Bank was a warehouse for storing silver.

As the evening approached, after Li Mu finished telling the staff of Datang Bank what he had important financial knowledge today, it was time for him to get off work. However, Li Mu did not rush to leave, but took Li Chongyi and Dugu Jiu to the Bingjiao.

Within a hundred steps near the entrance of the ice cellar, every ten steps, there is a bluestone-paved "cordon" on the ground to remind the level of danger. If you do not take the initiative to undergo a cross-check, the arrow will fly over when you walk fifty steps away from the entrance.

Even Li Mu needs to verify it. First show the fish talisman, then check the code. The code will be changed every morning, striving to be the safest.

So far, there are only one pair of fish talismans, respectively, in the hands of Li Mu and General Zhenwei who guarded the place. The authority has not been opened to the second person, and even if General Zhenwei wants to be jailed, it is impossible for him to steal it. Because he cannot enter the ice cellar, only Li Mu knows the mechanism.

Li Mu entered the ice cellar alone. There was no ice in the ice cellar. Not only was it not cold, but it was somewhat warm due to the local air. Li Mu lit the oil lamp and the ice cellar became brighter. More than one million guan of money occupied less than one-fifth of the ice cellar. When Li Mu designed this ice cellar, he arranged for the storage capacity of tens of millions of guan.

Li Mu has come here every day these days. He is doing one thing, one thing only he can do.

He is giving the money to ‘calibrate’.

Because of the existence of the system, as long as the money that is "recharged" into the system is free to exchange. If he wants, he doesn't even need to be as troublesome as melting. He just put his hands on the money, "recharged" into the system, and then "changed" it out. Of course, this is just thinking about it. It will definitely not work if he really does this, it is too shocking.

However, it is OK to calibrate it.

For example, the silver content of a certain ingot is slightly higher. He can put his hands on it and suck away the silver in the ingot. If he has a system, it is absolutely accurate and unrestrained. Similarly, if he has a small amount of silver content, he can also make up for it. If he has a system, he will not be able to do anything wrong.

Most of the recast coins, whether they are copper coins or silver, are slightly higher. Li Mu has sucked out more than two thousand sprigs just by "sucking" these days.

Li Mu looked at the money that was neatly placed on the wooden rack, like the goods placed on the shelves in the supermarket, and a thought surging in his mind. He pounced on it and "recharged" all the money into the system. Anyway, no one would believe that the money had disappeared out of thin air, causing a supernatural incident, and nearly 2 million yuan of money was obtained. With this money, are you still worried about upgrading the system? At least you can upgrade a few advanced skills!

But he held back, it was not moral that restrained him. Instead, reason that restrained him. Now that he has a family and a career, it is impossible for him to give up everything he already has for the sake of this money. Without a beautiful wife and concubine, without brothers and friends, what can he do with just a system and a few advanced skills?

Moreover, the upgrade of the system is not just about having money, but also requires various materials. So rationally, it is not advisable to encourage growth of seedlings, and steady development is the right way.

Li Mu secretly converted part of the silver into copper coins and then came out of the ice cellar. He would convert a little bit every day because at present, copper coins are the main currency circulating in the market, and gold and silver mostly appear in the form of vessels or jewelry. The liquidity of these money is not enough and does not meet his needs.

But it is not possible to do it. Some bulk transactions still require precious metals. But this ratio is not known yet. But Li Mu is not worried. There is a system in it, and as long as he has money, he can convert at any time.

Leaving the ice cellar, Li Mu and the other two got on the horse and went home. As soon as they arrived at the gate, they saw a carriage waiting there. Li Chongyi and Dugu Jiu looked at each other and pulled the reins together. Li Mu had no choice but to stop, his face turned red, and he turned around and said, "What do you two mean? Let's go!"

"Brother, get in the car quickly. I will help you lead the horse. I will teach you when you get home." After Li Chongyi said that, he reached out and grabbed Li Mu's horse reins.

Dugu Jiu nodded. When he was outside, he still didn't like to talk.
Chapter completed!