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On one hand, he was engaged in a war of words with the imperial court, and on the other hand, he was procuring provisions and supplies from all sides. Li Ji wrote to Lingzhou, kindly reassuring Yang Yan and hoping that he could help him overcome this difficulty again. He promised to recommend Yang Yan to the court and grant him a prominent position. Taking advantage of the few months that Li Ji was concurrently in charge of Shuofang, Yang Yan used one tool to cover another, transporting tens of thousands of bushels of grain westward.
He then ordered Ma Meng to go north to the Uyghurs to seek a loan, and brought back more than a thousand sheep.
Then, in mid-March, Yu Ling personally led over a hundred carts of grain to Guzang City. This was because Li Ji had specially sent his advisor Luo Yiping to invite him, saying that he had a big deal to discuss with Lord Yu, and asked if Lord Yu was interested.
When Li Ji was in Weibo and later when he first took command of Shuofang, he entrusted all the surplus silk to Yu Ling and Bao Zitian to sell, essentially tying up a sum of goods in their hands. Now, all of it has been converted into grain and sent to Guzang. Upon receiving the news, Li Ji personally went outside the city to greet him, which startled "Millionaire Yu" so much that he hurriedly jumped off his carriage and bowed deeply in greeting.
When the two first met, Li Ji was merely a sixth-rank military officer. Yu Ling had initially relied on the connections of Li Fuguo and Cui Guangyuan, but later, seeing the young man's quick wit and his successful rescue of Consort Shen—which would surely win the favor of Crown Prince Li Yu and the eldest grandson Li Shi—he anticipated Li Ji's promising future and thus deliberately cultivated a relationship with him. However, he had originally intended to leave this favor to his children and grandchildren, but unexpectedly, in less than ten years, Li Ji's official rank and titles had risen rapidly, at a dizzying pace, until he was now Grand Commandant, a position of the highest rank among officials!
There's no need to send anyone to persuade him. Just a word, saying that Commander Li wants to see you, and no matter how far away, how could Yu Ling dare not come? Now it's not a question of whether to continue clinging to a powerful figure, but rather that I absolutely cannot afford to offend this person! If Li Ji is determined to deal with Yu Ling, no matter how much wealth he has and how many people he knows in the capital, he's ultimately just a mere merchant. Crushing him is as easy as crushing a bug.
In particular, Yu Ling was personally escorting a batch of grain from Luoyang to Liangzhou. When they passed through Chang'an, they suddenly heard that the emperor had already conferred the title of Prince of the County and appointed him as Grand Commandant. They were so shocked that they were speechless. They quickly contacted familiar merchants and wealthy families near the capital and raised nearly 10,000 bushels of millet and wheat before daring to continue their journey.
Li Shuofang could give you ten parts of goods and you'd return twelve parts of the profit; now that he's Li Taiwei, if it's less than fifteen parts, will the other party be satisfied? You try to talk to him about soaring prices, high grain prices, a depressed market, and the difficulty of doing business? No wonder he won't even listen to you!
Even so, Yu Ling couldn't help but feel uneasy, wondering what Li Ji intended to say when he summoned him to Guzang in person… Generally, when officials met with merchants, it was either to collect taxes or to ask for alms; nothing good ever came of it. Especially since Li Ji had come to greet him personally just outside Guzang city, Yu Ling's heart skipped a beat—a courtesy must come with an ulterior motive, but could the demands of a high-ranking official like Li Ji be small? And did he have the right to bargain?
Li Ji pulled Yu Ling up from the ground and said with a smile, "I have known Yu Jun for a long time. I am grateful that Yu Jun has not abandoned me and regarded me as a friend despite our age difference. Now I have only been promoted a few ranks, so why be so formal?" He then took Yu Ling's hand and walked together into Guzang City.
Yu Ling couldn't help but look around, and Li Ji asked him, "What do you think of this city?"
Yu Ling replied, "Indeed, it is a famous city and a great metropolis. Although I have lived in the Eastern Capital for a long time and am used to seeing magnificent cities, I was immediately filled with admiration upon seeing this capital of Liangzhou..."
Li Ji smiled and said, "Lord Yu, don't flatter me so casually. After the barbarian bandits captured this city, they didn't know how to manage it. Moreover, when they retreated, they set fire to it, burning most of the houses to the ground. We've only just started some repairs, but unfortunately, resources are scarce, and in just a few months, we can't fully restore it to its original state." Based on his knowledge from later generations, he understood that the government's grain should not be given away for free. So, he used the few months of winter when farmers were not working to recruit people from the surrounding areas to repair the streets and houses in the city. But unfortunately, food and resources were very limited, and he dared not go all out. As a result, to this day, a large part of Guzang City is still a ruin.
Yu Ling thought to herself, "What? You're short of supplies? So you came to me to ask for alms... no, to demand tribute..."
Fortunately, Li Ji did not continue on this topic. He simply raised his hand and pointed, saying, "Fortunately, in recovering Liangzhou and driving away the barbarian bandits, they did not launch a fierce attack on the city walls. All four walls are intact. This shows the strength of this mighty city, which is indeed worthy of standing proudly in this era."
Why was Li Ji so eager to recapture Liangzhou and capture Guzang City? Because that place was rich!
During the Tianbao era, Liangzhou's registered population was 110,000, second only to Qinzhou in Longyou. Of course, it couldn't compare to Guanzhong or Henan, and even the population of Weizhou in Hebei was roughly ten times larger. Its arable land was limited, and grain production was also relatively small. However, this city was a crucial node on the Silk Road, a vital passage for merchants from east and west, and its trade activities were extremely developed. Liangzhou's past wealth was largely due to commerce, and the formidable city of Guzang, built on this route, was second only to Chang'an and Luoyang in prosperity, ranking third in the country!
At its peak, Chang'an had a permanent population of nearly 500,000, with an equal number of transient residents; at its peak, Guzang had a permanent population of less than 50,000, but nearly ten times that number of transient residents… Apart from the two capitals, no other city in the world could compare to it.
Unfortunately, after the Tibetans captured the city and the Silk Road was cut off, the number of migrants plummeted to only a few thousand. Even the permanent residents were mostly scattered due to the war, shops closed one after another, and weeds grew in the market... Only the once majestic city walls still stand tall on the Hexi Corridor.
Li Ji felt that this place, which had once been prosperous, should have the potential to be revived. For him, it was at least more suitable than Lingzhou as a place to establish himself.
Chapter Twenty-Nine, Liangzhou as Hostage
Li Ji ordered his men to count the delivered grain and store it in the treasury. He then naturally hosted a banquet at the military governor's office to warmly entertain the "Millionaire Yu" of the Eastern Capital. Among those seated were his advisors Yan Zhuang, Gao Ying, Liu Ji, and Luo Yiping, most of whom had met Yu Ling several times before.
Actually, there are some things that Yang Yan should negotiate with Yu Ling about. The problem is that Yang Gongnan is still in Lingzhou, and Li Ji has just submitted a memorial praising his strategic planning and requesting that he be pardoned for his previous crimes and reinstated to serve in the central government—the court has not yet responded.
Before taking their seats, Yu Ling presented two brocade boxes, saying, "Congratulations on the birth of your daughter, Grand Commandant." Li Ji took them and casually opened them. Inside, he saw a large red satin lining each box, containing a pair of jade bracelets. One was a pale yellow with a lustrous sheen, seemingly from Lantian, while the other pair was pure white and spotless, seemingly from Khotan. He smiled and said, "You're quite well-informed."
Shortly after the beginning of spring last year, both of his wives and concubines—Cui Cuo and Zou Qingluan—were diagnosed with pregnancy. It was because of this that Cui Cuo encouraged Li Ji to take Hongxian as a concubine as well. In November, Li Ji was busy attacking Liangzhou and had no time to look back, but the two women gave birth to two baby girls in the same month.
Cui Cuo, still somewhat weak, gave birth half a month early on the fifteenth day of the lunar month, and Li Ji named this girl Li Xiu; on the twenty-first day, Qing Luan was born at full term, and the little girl weighed a full six pounds and two ounces—in later times, she would definitely weigh over eight pounds—and Li Ji named this third girl Li Yuan.
When the news reached the front lines, Li Ji had just led his troops into Guzang City. He then specially informed all his generals, saying, "This is an auspicious omen; I will surely be able to recover Liangzhou." Some generals were worried that the general might not be happy about having three daughters, but he seemed no less delighted than if he had a son, so they all congratulated him. Only Yan Zhuang privately said to others, "Du Zimei has a poem that says, 'It is true that giving birth to a son is bad, but giving birth to a daughter is good. A daughter can still marry a neighbor, while a son is buried and forgotten among the weeds.' I'm afraid the general is happy because the world is not yet at peace, and he is not happy about having a son. It's good to take care of the two ladies' bellies; when we pacify the Western Regions in the future, there may be hope for a son."
Because winter had arrived and snow had fallen in many places, and because the straight-line distance between Mingsha City and Guzang County was more than 500 li, Li Ji's wife and daughter had to stay in Lingzhou to recuperate for the time being. To this day, Li Ji has not been able to see his baby. However, after the spring, Cui Cuo sent Hongxian to Liangzhou to serve her husband.
Yu Ling, on his way through Chang'an, made a special trip to visit Han Hui, the official in charge of reporting to the emperor from Shuofang. The two towns had just been separated, and Han Hui had not yet decided where to go. Upon receiving this information, he hurriedly went to the West Market and searched every shop. He finally managed to buy the two congratulatory gifts, which cost him a total of seven thousand two hundred coins.
Li Ji accepted the congratulatory gift, expressed his gratitude to Yu Ling, and said, "It's fine if the Lantian jade is returned, but since the Silk Road was cut off, the price of Khotan white jade has become very high, three liters a month. It's really too much trouble for you, Yu Jun, to spend so much."
After the banquet began and several rounds of drinks had been consumed, Yu Ling, a shrewd and experienced man, thought to himself, "Perhaps I should take the initiative and show a respectful attitude. Then you might be too embarrassed to ask for more." So he toasted Li Ji, offering a few words of flattery before saying:
"As I just saw, the market is indeed desolate. This once mighty city has been ravaged by barbarian bandits and is no longer the prosperous place it once was. It is difficult enough for the Grand Commandant to recover lost territory, but it will be even more difficult to restore Liangzhou to its former glory. The Grand Commandant has always looked after me and has sent goods to my family many times. When I was in Weibo, all the trade matters were handled by my family. It is a pity that I have not developed trade routes in the west and cannot provide for the Grand Commandant. I feel extremely ashamed. So I can only do my best to supply the Grand Commandant with several thousand bushels of rice and wheat and several thousand bolts of silk every year. If there is anything else needed, I will do my best to raise funds for the Grand Commandant."
I've laid out the price: several thousand bushels of grain and several thousand bolts of silk each year. If we calculate each one at a thousand, the market price would be only a little over two thousand strings of cash. Of course, we have to factor in the shipping costs, which would probably double the price. Even if you haggle down to nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, it would still only be a little over twenty thousand strings of cash. With the shipping cost of sixty thousand strings, I can still afford it.
However, I reckon even if we offered ten thousand bushels of grain and ten thousand bolts of silk as tribute each year, Li Ji might not be satisfied. Let's talk again then. Yu Ling's tolerance level can be raised to one hundred thousand strings of cash per year; any more than that... that would bankrupt me!
As expected, Li Ji shook his head slightly and replied, "I told Yu Jun that Liangzhou currently has more than 20,000 soldiers, and the military expenses alone are more than 400,000 strings of cash. Adding the administrative expenses, it will be nearly one million. Moreover, if we want to guard against the return of the barbarian bandits and take the opportunity to seize Gansu, Liangzhou, Guazhou, and Shazhou, then we need more than 50,000 soldiers. The annual cost will be at least two million strings of cash. A few thousand bushels of grain and a few thousand bolts of silk are really not enough."
Upon hearing this, Yu Ling was startled and hurriedly said, "Grand Commandant, you jest. I am but a mere merchant, offering tribute to you to make up for any deficiencies. How could I possibly manage the finances of Liangzhou? The local area has its own production, and the court should also reward us with money and grain every year... Commander Li said the expenditure is two million, so how about I bear one percent, that is, twenty thousand a year?"
Li Ji curled his lip: "Everything is in ruins and Liangzhou doesn't produce much. As for the imperial court... hehe, the imperial court's previous reward was less than 10,000 strings of cash! Even if they give it again in the fall, and it's 100,000 to 200,000, I'll be grateful and pray to the gods."
What he said wasn't entirely true—currently there were only 20,000 soldiers, with annual expenses at most a million, and if the imperial court dared to award less than 300,000, Li Ji would abandon Liang on the spot, and the emperor would have nothing to say. The problem was that even so, there was still a shortfall of more than half that couldn't be filled.
Hearing Yu Ling plead, "This old man truly has no more to offer. I beg Commander Li to understand my situation and grant me some leniency."
Li Ji smiled slightly, moved his seat slightly closer to Yu Ling, and said in a low voice, "Lord Yu, don't panic. If I were to ask for tribute, it would have been quite difficult for me when I first entered Weibo. How could I have asked you for it? Lord Yu has helped me a great deal, and I am deeply grateful. How could I possibly have any intention of exploiting you? The reason I told you about the financial difficulties in Liangzhou was to negotiate a loan, not to demand tribute."
Yu Ling breathed a slight sigh of relief and hurriedly said, "If the Grand Commandant has any needs, I will certainly help him. However, although I have some property, I need money everywhere, and it is impossible for me to spare two million strings of cash to lend to Liangzhou. Please tell me the amount, Grand Commandant. I can do it immediately if it is within one hundred thousand."
Li Ji laughed and said, "Ten thousand is just a drop in the ocean." Then he said to Yu Ling, "Although you are known as 'Millionaire,' as far as I know, your family wealth is more than tens of millions of strings of cash..." He waved his hand to stop Yu Ling from complaining about being poor and continued, "You can't possibly exchange all your assets for a hundred million, and you only dare to promise me a hundred million, but not a trillion? Are you worried that I won't pay it back?"
Yu Ling shook his head and said, "How could I dare? While I do engage in some lending business for profit, how could I possibly speak of profit when lending to the Grand Commandant?"
Li Ji's face hardened: "You are a merchant, how can a merchant not talk about profit?" He didn't beat around the bush and directly stated his thoughts: "I wish to borrow two or three million strings of cash from Mr. Yu, and pay interest. I wonder how much interest your family earns per year on loans?"
Yu Ling hesitated for a moment before replying, "If lending to merchants or petty people, the annual interest rate is 20%..." In fact, this was a reluctant answer. With his wealth of tens of millions, he would not hesitate to lend money at an annual interest rate of less than 40%. But in the end, usury is a business that is easy to do but hard to talk about. It is easy to talk about but hard to hear, and he was afraid of damaging his image in front of Grand Commandant Li.
Seeing that the Liangzhou advisors gasped in shock upon hearing this, exchanged bewildered glances, and quickly added, "We must also have a hostage."
Yu Ling genuinely didn't intend to lend money to Li Ji, because this wasn't a private matter but a public one. Therefore, if Li Ji asked for a small amount—as mentioned earlier, he wanted two or three million strings of cash—Yu Ling was merely a merchant, while Li Ji was the Grand Commandant and Military Governor of Liangzhou. Lending the money would be easy, but getting it back would be difficult. To put it extremely, if Li Ji didn't want to bear the stigma of being untrustworthy, he could simply nod and have the local officials find an excuse to confiscate his property and burn all the bonds, thus avoiding repayment… That's why he regretted quoting such a low interest rate and quickly added, "and collateral is required"—Grand Commandant Li, do you have two or three million worth of property you can mortgage to me?
Even if you were to mortgage all your properties in the capital, including your house and teahouse, the maximum value would only be two or three hundred thousand.
Li Ji thought for a moment and replied, "I'll give you a number, and you can decide if it's acceptable—I'll lend you three million strings of cash, with an annual interest rate of 20%, which is six hundred thousand. The principal will be repaid in full after five years."
Liu Ji couldn't hold back any longer and hurriedly interjected, "No, Grand Commandant! If we borrow three million, we'll only get two and a half million. And by the time we're five years old, it will all be gone! Liangzhou is in dire need of rebuilding. It's not something that can be restored to its former state in just a few years. And even if it were restored, the money and grain have already been used. How can we suddenly collect taxes to repay the loan?"
Li Ji had previously mentioned borrowing money from merchants like Yu Ling, but at the time he thought they would at most demand 10% interest, and that the Grand Commandant could use his influence to try and lower it to 5%—borrowing three million and repaying 150,000 in a year would be reasonably acceptable. Now, the price has increased fourfold compared to their expectations; how could they possibly repay it?!
Are you planning to renege on your debt? Even if it's your own reputation, you can't just ruin it like this.
Li Ji waved his hand, smiled at Liu Ji, and said, "It's not decided yet; I'm just discussing it with Yu Jun." He then turned to Yu Ling and said, "I know that the two capitals are in a slump, and the towns in the Central Plains are riddled with checkpoints, making business very difficult. Yu Jun's other businesses may not be able to generate 20% profit a year, and they are unlikely to remain unchanged for five years. Yu Jun is only worried that I won't return the money. If there is collateral, then there's no need to worry, right?"
Yu Ling frowned: "What does the Grand Commandant intend to use as collateral?"
Li Ji pointed outside the hall and asked, "Do you think this Liangzhou city is worth three million strings of cash?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Ling was taken aback and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Grand Commandant, please don't play tricks on this old man... Liangzhou ultimately belongs to the state, not to the Grand Commandant's private property..."
Li Ji laughed and said, "Liangzhou is indeed a national territory, but if I can recover Hexi, connect with the Western Regions, and restart the Silk Road, look at the market land and shops in this city, their value must be over three million! With me in charge of Liangzhou, it's just a matter of a word to decide who enters the market and who opens a business."
Yu Ling pondered for a moment, then looked at Li Ji's expression and thought to herself, "Since you've already said this much, I won't hold back anymore and will just tell you frankly—"Grand Commandant, please forgive me, but if you can indeed establish contact with the Western Regions and reopen the Silk Road, the profits from Liangzhou Market will be immeasurable. However, if you cannot succeed... if you cannot succeed within five years, even the current Guzang City will probably not be enough to generate enough profit.
Li Ji said solemnly, "What business is without risk? It depends on whether Lord Yu trusts me." He then raised his head and said, "In the past, when I, Li Ji, went to Hebei with my imperial credentials, the emperor instructed me to train 50,000 elite troops by the age of five to intimidate the various vassal states. But I was only three years old when I pacified Jizhou and annexed Wushun, so that the court no longer had to worry about the east!"
“When I returned to Shuofang, the sage said that within five years, we would have enough food and soldiers to plan the recovery of Longyou and Hexi. But I only spent a little over two years driving out the barbarian bandits and gaining Liangzhou. It is not far from taking back Hexi! Why should we need five more years to reopen the Silk Road?!”
Overcome with emotion, he stood up and gestured with his hands: "Now the barbarian bandits have fled to the west of Yanzhi Mountain, and are like frightened birds. If we obtain three million strings of cash, we will have enough food to prepare our troops, and Ganzhou will be within our grasp. With Ganzhou, we will cut off the Hexi Corridor. The barbarian bandits will cross the mountains, but the road is treacherous and long, a hundred times more difficult than ours, and they will dare not attempt to fight us again. Then we can go straight west, through Yumen Pass and Yangguan Pass, and connect with the two garrisons of Anxi and Beiting. With the help of these two garrisons, half of the Western Regions will be pacified, and the Silk Road will be open."
"The Abbasid Caliphate has now conquered Transoxiana and Persia, its territory extending to the Western Sea. Its power is immense. The reason it still sends envoys to Chang'an to pay tribute is because it covets the profits of the Silk Road. We can then establish a western alliance with the Abbasid Caliphate to control Tibet. Soon, within a thousand miles, camels and horses will be traveling in droves, shoulder to shoulder, towards the Central Plains. And Western merchants wishing to reach the two capitals must pass through Liangzhou, from there..."
He stomped his foot heavily on the ground—"...From here to Guzang City, silk and porcelain from the Central Plains can be sold there, making it the cheapest place to trade exotic goods. Just as Yu Jun said, the profits in Liangzhou Market will be immeasurable!"
He lowered his head and looked at Yu Ling: "It depends on whether Lord Yu believes me. In the past, Lü Buwei spent all his wealth to help the hostage of Qin. What did the hostage have at that time? Only Buwei was able to see the business opportunity and was not afraid of risks. He was able to support the emperor and become the prime minister, famous throughout the world and richer than a country. It depends on whether Lord Yu believes me."
Yu Ling hurriedly clasped his hands and said, "How could this old man dare not trust the Grand Commandant..."
Li Ji knelt down before his desk and said, word by word, "My idea is that you, Yu Jun, will later travel throughout the city, survey the markets, and compare the prices at which the Silk Road is in operation with today's prices. Then, list them out one by one, and I will have people make land deeds to exchange for grain and silk."
"Grand Commandant, this is a sale of land, not a loan..."
Li Ji shook his head and smiled: "If it's a sale, the land can be used immediately, but it's not the same if it's a loan. We'll exchange money for a contract, and this contract will naturally revert to the town after five years, to be reclaimed at twice the price of the transaction; if they refuse to revert, then we'll have to pay double the price to get it. In this way, I won't pay annual interest, which is equivalent to using the Liangzhou market as collateral. What do you think, Mr. Yu?"
Yu Ling secretly calculated for a long time before finally smiling bitterly and saying, "What if Liangzhou refuses to take back the contract after five years?"
Li Ji said in a deep voice, "That's why I've been asking you repeatedly, does Mr. Yu trust me?" This "trust" refers not only to my ability to repay the loan, but also to my level of trustworthiness.
Yu Ling was still hesitant when Li Ji suggested, "Perhaps after counting, the Liangzhou market is less than three million. It's possible that you, Yu, will have difficulty raising such a large sum in a short time. I can help you persuade others to lend it to you. Although you have never traveled the western route, I believe there are quite a few merchants in the two capitals who hope to profit from the Silk Road. We can share the risk. Or perhaps you are still hesitant and don't quite trust me. We can use the pretext of helping the army to recommend your son to the court so that you can receive a salary. What do you think?"
As soon as she uttered the last sentence, Yu Ling's eyes suddenly lit up.
Chapter Thirty: Which is Noble and Which is Cheap?
During the Tang Dynasty, merchants had a very low social status and were regarded as "lowly" or "miscellaneous." Even if they were extremely wealthy, they generally faced political discrimination. For example, merchants were not allowed to wear silk or live in mansions, and were even forbidden from riding horses. Furthermore, the sons of merchants were not allowed to hold official positions.
Although the situation improved slightly after the An Lushan Rebellion—firstly, local governments were financially strapped and forced to borrow from merchants, thus becoming somewhat more courteous to wealthy merchants; secondly, the chaotic household registration system after the rebellion allowed many merchant sons to bribe minor officials to change their family background in the records, thereby gaining eligibility for the imperial examinations—the latter situation, though occurring, was extremely rare. Moreover, since merchant families faced discrimination from scholars, they also struggled to obtain excellent teachers, making their chances of passing the examinations extremely slim.
Li Ji has now said that he can recommend your Yu family members to be included in the military merits report. Although it will be difficult to be officially appointed, it should be possible to obtain a few mid-to-low-rank official positions with official salaries. Do you want to do this?
Upon hearing this, Yu Ling was intrigued. She carefully considered Li Ji's words and weighed his suggestions, finally saying, "Grand Commandant's words have enlightened me greatly. However, let me first assess the market in Guzang City and its value before making a decision..."
Li Ji was overjoyed and immediately sent Liu Ji and Luo Yiping to accompany Yu Ling on a site survey throughout the city—after all, the old man couldn't just dictate the value of the land; he could set the price however he pleased. After the banquet, as he was about to return to his inner quarters, Gao Ying caught up with him from behind, clasped his hands, and said:
"I couldn't say much during the banquet just now, especially since I was in front of you. But I have a few things to say that I must say, and I hope you will listen to me, Grand Commandant."
Li Ji smiled and said, "Gongchu is my right-hand man. Just speak your mind. There's no need to hold back."
Gao Ying asked, “I also know that the country’s finances have been in dire straits in recent years, and local officials often borrow money from merchants, but most of them borrow no more than two or three hundred thousand. I initially thought that the Grand Commandant would also borrow this amount from Yu Ling, but I did not expect him to say that he would borrow three million… There is no precedent for officials to lend money to the people, so it is a last resort. It seems that it is not appropriate to do this in such a big way, so as not to damage the reputation of the Grand Commandant.”
Li Ji replied with a smile: "Gongchu is well-versed in poetry and literature, so naturally he knows what 'being heavily indebted' means."
King Nan of Zhou, the last emperor of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, was in dire financial straits due to the encroachment of the feudal lords. He was forced to borrow money from the common people, but was unable to repay it on time. He had no choice but to flee to a high platform and hide behind closed doors. That high platform was the Nangongyi Terrace in Luoyang, which the Zhou people called the "Debt Escape Platform".
The idiom "debt piled high" originated from this.
Therefore, Li Ji smiled and said to Gao Ying, "Emperors of previous dynasties borrowed money from the people. So it is in accordance with ancient times for us local officials to borrow from merchants. It is not setting any precedent, so there is no need to worry too much."
Gao Ying frowned and asked, "Grand Commandant, you are not a virtuous minister or famous general of the past, so how can you compare yourself to a ruler who has lost his country?"
Li Ji said solemnly, "It's just that there's a precedent for this. If King Nan of Zhou had managed his loans well, he wouldn't have had to flee to the Yi Terrace, and his reputation wouldn't have been damaged. Moreover, if he had used the loans to support the people, expand production, accumulate grain to support the army, and negotiate with the feudal lords, Zhou might not have perished so quickly. In that case, King Nan's borrowing would have become a good story. So, Gong Chu, do you think that if I borrow money from merchants now, will I be able to repay it in the future, or will I be forced to flee?"
Gao Ying wasn't persuaded by Li Ji, but his main purpose in catching up with Li Ji and offering advice wasn't actually that—it was unavoidable, after all; they simply didn't have the money, and the court couldn't possibly allocate the full amount. Borrowing from merchants was better than exploiting the common people, right? So he changed the subject: "Since the Grand Commandant has already made his decision, returning it is fine, but selling official positions and titles is extremely harmful to the country and must never be done! Back in the time of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling of the Later Han Dynasty..."
Li Ji interrupted him: "I know that Huan Ling sold official positions, so Gong Chu need not say more. However, there are precedents in this dynasty for granting official positions and salaries to merchants who have contributed money and grain to the country—Kang Qian, a foreign merchant in Chang'an, contributed money to repair roads and post stations, and Emperor Suzong appointed him as the acting Minister of Ceremonies..."
Gao Ying thought to himself, "I knew you'd mention Kang Qian. There's Kang Lian still imprisoned in the Chang'an Imperial Academy, forced to study hard for years, and he's already taken the imperial examinations three times in a row, but still hasn't passed. I've served under you for many years; how could I not know about this?" Since Li Ji had rudely interrupted him earlier, and Gao Ying was a man of temper, he retorted sharply—
"Although Emperor Suzong's actions were out of necessity, and there was much discontent in the court at the time, they were certainly not a model for his subjects. Moreover, Kang was ultimately imprisoned and punished for associating with rebels, which shows..."
Li Ji's face hardened: "Gongchu, there are indeed inside stories about Kang Qian's imprisonment... You can go and ask Yan Zhuang, but let's leave that matter aside for now. In my opinion, selling titles is acceptable, but selling official positions is not. There is naturally a distinction between the two."
Gao Ying was taken aback by this and asked, "What's the difference between selling official positions and selling titles?"
"Selling official positions involves actual appointments, without considering the person's character or talent. Simply paying money makes them capable of governing, but their virtue and ability are mismatched, inevitably leading to the exploitation of the people and harm to the state. This is unacceptable. As for selling titles, it merely uses names to honor people, without granting them any real authority or allowing them to govern. Therefore, the harm to the state is less severe. In fact, the sale of official positions existed in the Former Han Dynasty, but those appointments were limited to titles like Marquis of Guannei, Tiger Guard, Feathered Forest Guard, Imperial Guard, and Five Grand Masters, and were not considered major harms. However, during the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling of the Later Han Dynasty, even the Three Dukes were openly priced and sold for money, leading to the corruption of the state—this cannot be generalized."
Gao Ying nodded first, then shook his head: "Although the Han Dynasty sold official positions and titles, those granted were all scholar-officials. Merchants were considered lowly and traders were considered miscellaneous. How could they be given titles and positions, allowing them to ride fine horses, hold high positions, and stroll gracefully through the streets of the capital? This would be extremely harmful to the order of the world and to the hearts of the people. I hope the Grand Commandant will consider this carefully."
Li Ji frowned and asked him, "Why is commerce considered a lowly profession, and merchants a miscellaneous class, absolutely forbidden from holding office? I know this is the prevailing opinion, but I ask you, Gongchu, what your true thoughts are. Do you believe it aligns with natural justice and human nature? Why is this the case?"
"Because farming and weaving are the foundation of a nation, while commerce is secondary; if the foundation is not solid, the nation will inevitably perish..."
"I have never heard of a tree that has only roots and no branches and leaves and yet still survives."
"Therefore, the state has not strictly prohibited merchants; it has only distinguished between the essential and the trivial."
"If farming and weaving are the foundation, and we should value the fundamental over the secondary, with farming and weaving above and commerce below, then where are the scholars? Why can only the scholars ride fine horses, carry high-ranking officials, and stroll gracefully through the streets of the capital? Why not bestow brocade and silk, mansions and grand buildings, and even titles and positions upon the farmers?"
Gao Ying, who considered himself eloquent, was momentarily stunned by Li Ji's words before replying, "Scholars originally came from farming families; only those from farming and scholarly families could study and advance in their studies..."
"Gongchu, ask yourself honestly, is it only through farming and studying that one can become an official, while merchants are considered too shallow and thus have no chance of holding a prestigious position in the state? Or is it because the court prohibits the sons of merchants from holding official positions? Moreover, after merchants make profits, like Yu Ling, they often acquire extensive landholdings. Are they farmers or merchants? Must their sons and grandsons farm for generations before they can hope to be granted an official position? Before you, Gongchu, did you ever personally work in the fields?"
“My family, the Gao family of Bohai, is also a family of farmers and scholars. Although I have never been involved in farming, I passed the imperial examination and was recruited by the Grand Commandant. This was the result of ten years of hard study and toil. Meanwhile, the sons of merchants can get official positions for nothing just by offering money... Even if it is only a title and a salary, is it not unfair?”
Li Ji laughed—"Gong Chu's ancestors accumulated wealth over generations, enabling you to study without having to be involved in farming. Why is it that the wealth accumulated by merchants over generations cannot allow their children to obtain official positions through tribute? If you speak of the hardship of ten years of studying, how can it compare to the daily toil of farmers who 'sweat drips onto the soil' and still cannot escape hunger and cold? Why is it that although scholars and officials say that agriculture is of utmost importance, they often refuse to pity the farmers, yet still boast that they are different from petty people and deserve to be dressed in fine clothes and eat delicacies, holding a tablet and sitting in a high position?"
"Among the scholar-officials, there are naturally some scoundrels..."
"Therefore, among merchants, there may well be some virtuous individuals overlooked!"
"If you recommend worthy men, I will have no objection; now, I only need to provide a little money and goods, and I can receive a salary..."
Li Ji sighed softly, his face showing an expression that said, "Why don't you understand?" He continued, "Among the princes and nobles who hold official positions through their connections, there are not many truly virtuous people among them. Moreover, they often receive a salary or even a real appointment without having studied for ten years. To be honest, the contributions their ancestors made to the country may not be comparable to those of their ancestors... generations of merchants who have paid taxes year after year have accumulated their wealth."
Gao Ying was a bit bewildered. He prided himself on his sharp tongue, saying that if he were in the Spring and Autumn or Warring States period, he could persuade the feudal lords and even emulate Su Qin and Zhang Yi to become a high-ranking official through his words. But who would have thought that since following Li Ji, he would find that this military commander was usually not very talkative, but once he got serious, he would speak eloquently and often leave Gao Ying speechless.
Upon reflection, he realized he wasn't entirely unreasonable. Of course, Li Ji wasn't being unreasonable either; it was simply that Li Ji's arguments were like those of a military strategist, full of unexpected tactics. He had suddenly launched an attack from a direction he had never considered before, completely disrupting his train of thought with just a few words. For example, today, the idea that merchants are despicable and selling official positions is an evil policy is an age-old, universally applicable principle—the basis of Gao Gongchu's advice. Who would have thought that Li Ji would so blatantly undermine this very foundation, staring at him with wide eyes and asking: "Why is that?"
Li Ji admits that this is the prevailing opinion, and even an ancient truth, but Gong Chu, you are not a mediocre person who just parrots others without having your own thoughts, so have you carefully considered the reasons behind it?
With the foundation severely damaged, the pillars naturally cannot support it. Unfortunately, Gao Ying had not studied this foundation carefully before. Therefore, even if Li Ji's reasoning was completely flawed, he would surely defeat Gao Ying completely. Gao Ying had debated with Li Ji more than once, and he had learned his lesson. He stopped arguing and simply bowed with his hands clasped: "I humbly request the Grand Commandant's guidance on the reasons for this."
Li Ji smiled slightly, reached out and put his arm around Gao Ying's shoulder, leaning closer to ask, "When Xiao Ziliang spoke of cause and effect to Fan Zhen, Fan Zhen said: 'Life is like flowers blooming on a tree, falling with the wind. Some fall onto the mat while others fall into the latrine. Your Highness is the one who falls onto the mat; I am the one who falls into the latrine. Although noble and lowly people are on different paths, where does cause and effect lie?' So, the nobility and lowliness of people are not predetermined by heaven, but rather caused by the chance of being born into different families—does Gongchu agree?"
Gao Ying lowered his head but did not answer. In truth, Confucianism reveres Heaven and ancestors, but regarding whether fate is predetermined, it has always been ambiguous, offering no definitive answer. However, in recent years, Buddhism and Taoism have flourished, and even though Gao Ying was not a Buddhist, he was inevitably influenced by them. Therefore, when Li Ji asked him "Is that so?", he thought to himself, "Fan Zhen's words have their merits, but whether they are the truth, I'm not so sure..." and simply remained silent.
Seeing this, Li Ji stopped trying to explain further and simply continued along the lines of the conversation: "Therefore, those born into official families may have the hope of receiving official patronage; those born into scholar families may be able to take the imperial examinations; those born into farming families will inevitably have to work the land themselves; and those born into merchant families, even if they are exceptionally talented and have lofty ambitions, will never have the chance to obtain official rank or position—this is the greatest injustice in the world!"
"Of course, there are many injustices in the world, such is the law, such is public opinion, so there is no need to beat one's chest and stomp one's feet, complaining about heaven and others. But talented people cannot treat others based solely on their birth. To treat the sons of high-ranking officials with respect and bowing, while despising and cheating the families of merchants, to fawn on superiors and be arrogant to inferiors, is this the behavior of a gentleman?"
Gao Ying agreed with these words and immediately nodded: "What the Grand Commandant said is very true. However, it is unfortunate that he was born into the Shang family, and his life was filled with misfortune. I will not be arrogant or deceitful towards him, and I may even pity him. It is not appropriate to grant him a title and position without considering his virtue and ability."
Li Ji laughed and said, “A person’s virtue cannot be seen unless it is kept in a bag. As for talent, a merchant’s son is not necessarily without talent. Now the country is short of funds. Not only the central government, but also my staff lacks financial and economic advisors. Yang Gongnan’s ambitions are not in this area. He is about to leave me. A merchant’s son, who has received family education, may be useful.”