Three Kingdoms: Fusion of Entries, Change of Destiny

Chapter 90: Hard work makes the country prosperous, Cao Yan seeks development
"Doing business?" Everyone was surprised when they heard this.

Among the four classes of people, scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, merchants are at the bottom.

At the same time, the laws of the Han Dynasty also emphasized that officials should be honest and dedicated to their work. The concept of "those who receive salaries should not compete with the people for profit" is not far away from today.

Although in this era of declining social order, it was not uncommon for officials to secretly engage in business through their families, retainers or subordinates, everyone acted with caution and never dared to openly engage in commercial activities.

How dare you, Cao Yan, bring this up so blatantly?

At this time, Cao Yan spoke up and said, "Do you all think that 'the wealth created by heaven and earth is limited to this amount, and if officials have more, the people will have less'?"

"Isn't that the truth?" Mao Jie asked loudly with his eyes wide open.
Mao Jie was a man of integrity. When he heard that Cao Yan was actually instigating Cao Cao to do business personally, he was immediately furious.

If Cao Yan couldn't explain the reason today, Mao Jie would probably scold him on the spot!

But as a time traveler, Cao Yan knows the huge role that wealth and capital play in promoting social progress.

He continued, "The idea that 'there is only so much wealth that can be created by heaven and earth' is actually wrong!"

Seeing someone about to refute, Cao Yan raised his hand to stop them, saying, "Just listen to what I have to say first."

After the man sat down again, Cao Yan continued, "The formation of this concept is closely related to the closed nature of the small peasant economy, technological stagnation, and the predatory nature of the tax system. But you must know that those who can best create wealth for the country are precisely merchants and craftsmen!"

Merchants, through the exchange of goods, facilitate the circulation of goods across regions, leading to a more rational allocation of resources. Artisans, with their exquisite skills, create a wide variety of ingenious and practical objects, improving the quality of life and productivity. The value they create goes beyond the simple exchange of goods; it drives the continuous development of society as a whole.

During the Han Dynasty, craftsmen's skills were regarded as "strange and tricky" and their status was only higher than that of merchants.

Cao Yan's remarks undoubtedly challenge everyone's inherent cognition.

However, due to the "tyrannical power" of the Cao brothers, everyone dared not speak for the time being and could only continue to listen to Cao Yan's explanation.

"The theory may not be easy to understand, so let me give you an example, which may be more intuitive."

"I'm sure you're all already familiar with the 'work-for-relief' policy implemented in Dongjun. So, let me ask you a question: why has Dongjun always been able to afford to distribute work points to the people, which can then be exchanged for supplies?"

"This..." Everyone looked at each other, obviously unable to understand where Lao Cao got the money.

"Could it be that they dug up the tomb of some prince?"

"Hey! You're a fucking genius!"

"Could it be that Dongjun already has a lot of money? That doesn't make sense..."

"..."

After everyone expressed their opinions, Cao Yancai explained: “The initial funds came from the supplies our army seized from the Black Mountain Army and bandits and robbers from various places.

But with this little amount of money, if it's only spent and not earned, it can only last for one or two months at most.

Why is it that until now, Dongjun has not only been able to carry out large-scale infrastructure construction, but can even support more affairs? "

"Yes! Why is this?" Mao Jie's eyes were full of confusion.

At this time, Xun Yu pointed out the key point: "It's not just going out and not coming in. You collected commercial taxes from those who run restaurants, shops, and even the goods sold by small vendors!" "As expected of Wen Ruo, you got to the point right away." Cao Yan smiled and said, "Not only commercial taxes, but I also designated fixed business areas and rented them out at different prices based on different locations to earn a portion of the income.

At the same time, the "work points" that people receive through official channels are also a fixed share given after deducting "personal income tax".

These are one of the sources of government revenue.”

After a pause, Cao Yan continued, "After the government receives this money, it will invest it in new construction. In this way, can it support a group of people? And build some new shops, roads, etc.?
And did that money flow from the hands of the government to the hands of the people, but then flow back to the hands of the government as the people spent it?
But do the houses, roads, ditches, etc. they built actually exist and have begun to play a role?
With these new infrastructure measures, whether people are farming or doing business, their efficiency and productivity will be greatly improved, right? "

"Let me do some simple math: the government invests 100 taels to hire disaster victims to build roads. Workers use this 100 taels to buy food and clothing. Merchants profit from 18 taels, which they use to expand their shops. The shops hire more employees, and the government collects 2 taels of merchant tax. Repeat this cycle, and you'll see at least 20 taels of economic growth."

“Not only that, after receiving taxes, the government can also invest in public services such as education and healthcare, improve human capital and enhance the quality of personnel.

If we develop new textile and smelting techniques, we can also promote the upgrading of handicrafts, increase the export of various new products, and create new wealth! "

"If we repeat this cycle over and over again, won't wealth gradually accumulate?!"

Everyone was dumbfounded.

How can money be calculated in this way?
But after listening carefully, it seems to make sense.

If seeing is believing, then isn't Dongjun a prime example?

"Wealth isn't acquired solely through plunder; it can also be obtained through trade and exchange. I won't elaborate here; interested students can discuss this privately." Cao Yan looked around and continued, "Don't be bound by old ideas. Commerce is by no means a secondary endeavor; it's the source of vitality that can bring to our army and the world! Properly utilized, it will surely enable us to stand out in these troubled times and achieve great success!"

Some of the people present seemed to be lost in thought or confusion, but there were also people like Dian Wei and Xu Chu who were completely confused from the moment they entered.

But there was one person whose eyes were shining and his lips were trembling, as if he had completely understood the essence of Cao Yan's words about business. This person was Cao Hong!
After listening to Cao Yan's words, Cao Hong was shocked to realize that the confidant he had been looking for was right in front of him!
[Cao Hong's favorability towards you has changed. Current favorability: 78%]

"?" After hearing the system's prompt, Cao Yan quickly turned his head and saw Cao Hong staring at him with shining eyes.

Cao Hong was already extremely sensitive to money matters. When he heard Cao Yan's novel and reasonable remarks, he felt as if a tightly closed door in his heart suddenly opened. His mind was full of how to apply this business concept to gain greater benefits for his family.

Cao Yan ignored Cao Hong and turned to Cao Cao and asked, "Brother, what do you think?"

Cao Cao and Cao Yan had naturally discussed this beforehand.

The reason why Cao Yan still asked Cao Cao's opinion was just a double act.

As expected, Cao Cao responded, leading to the following content: "Then how should we control and regulate the Chamber of Commerce? After all, merchants value profit over loyalty, and the harm they cause cannot be underestimated."

"Businessmen pursue profit, so they must be strictly regulated." Cao Yan nodded and said, "My idea is to set up a chamber of commerce directly controlled by the government, and the largest shareholder behind it would be you, big brother.

Because the Chamber of Commerce involves huge interests, if it is controlled by anyone else, corruption and exploitation of the people may occur.

So instead of letting others embezzle it, it’s better for you, big brother, to take control of it yourself.”

After hearing this, everyone slowly nodded in agreement.

(End of this chapter)