Analysis of Zhuge Liang's financial thoughts (1) During the Shu-Han period, the three kingdoms of Wei, Wu, and Shu were always at war. Therefore, the main purpose of Zhuge Liang's financial thoughts was to concentrate financial and material resources to meet the needs of the war.

This can also be considered the largest political event in Shu at that time.

In response to this requirement, as the prime minister who dominated the political and economic power of Shu, Zhuge Liang formulated and implemented a series of policies and measures to concentrate financial resources to ensure stable growth of fiscal revenue.

The first is to increase the monetary aggregate, stabilize market prices, and resolve fiscal crises.

According to historical records, after Liu Bei entered Yizhou and established his capital in Chengdu, the newly born Shu Han regime once experienced a financial crisis.

There are two main reasons for the empty treasury: First, the battle between Liu Bei and Liu Zhang for Quanzhou lasted for nearly a year, which severely damaged the economy. In addition, huge military expenditures consumed a lot of treasury silver.

Second, after Liu Bei captured Yizhou, he allowed his soldiers to plunder all the property in the treasury, which resulted in the new Shu Han regime falling into financial difficulties.

In order to promptly reverse the passive situation of the treasury being empty and unable to make ends meet, Zhuge Liang adopted Liu Ba's suggestion: "cast a hundred coins, pacify all the merchants, and make the officials official."

The currency minted by the Shu Han Dynasty at that time, according to the records of Hong Zun's "Quan Zhi" quoted in Volume 24 of "Three Kingdoms Chronicles" by Liang Zhangju of the Qing Dynasty, there were mainly three types of currencies with large denominations: one was straight hundred coins; the second was straight hundred five baht coins;

The third type is the five-baht transfer.

These three currencies have two characteristics that are different from the original currencies: First, they have high face values. Compared with the traditional five-baht coin, one is equivalent to a hundred.

In this way, for the same amount of copper, the currency value increased a hundred times.

Second, the quality of the currency is very standardized. "Jiu Pu" says: "Sichuan hundred coins were cast by Liu Bei in the 19th year of Jian'an. They are seven cents in diameter and weigh four baht. There are also hundred and five baht coins, one centimeter in diameter and eight baht in weight."

." And the size is the same.

This shows that the technical level of Shuhan's smelting and casting franchise at that time had reached a very high level of scale and its management was strict.

According to the perspective of modern economics, Zhuge Liang minted and issued large-denomination currency at that time, which was a super-economic issue and implemented an inflationary policy, which could easily lead to skyrocketing prices.

However, from historical records, we have not found records of rising prices in the Shuhan region due to the large amount of additional currency issuance. This shows that the Shuhan regime used coercive administrative means to stabilize prices while issuing additional currency.

Due to the implementation of correct macro-control policies, the rapid recovery and development of Shuhan's agriculture, animal husbandry and handicraft industries has been greatly promoted, and the passive situation of national financial shortage has been reversed in the short term.

The second is to raise funds and borrow money and implement proactive fiscal policies to alleviate financial constraints.

Because the Shu Han regime ruled the smallest territory among the three kingdoms and had the smallest population in the area under its jurisdiction, coupled with years of war, the country's financial resources often failed to make ends meet.

In order to meet the financial needs for military supplies and the normal operation of state machinery, in addition to vigorously developing production and increasing financial resources, Zhuge Liang also implemented expansionary fiscal policies to raise funds and grain from all aspects of society and through multiple channels for national use.

For example, after Zhuge Liang pacified Nanzhong, he raised a large amount of gold, silver, red lacquer, cattle, and war horses for the military and state.

After Zhuge Liang stationed in Hanzhong, he also carried out food raising. "Ten thousand households in Qishan rented 500 stones for the army."

While raising funds, Zhuge Liang also issued national bonds to those wealthy businessmen.

He Yudu of the Ming Dynasty recorded in "Yibu Tan Zi": Liu Bei "blocked the Chao family from the south with tens of millions of dollars in goods for military needs. Zhuge Kongming acted as guarantee, and the bonds still existed in the Song Dynasty."

While still in Jingzhou, Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei also borrowed money from wealthy people many times to raise funds.

When Zhang Xianzhong broke through Jingzhou, he discovered that Liu Bei had "borrowed money from rich people to use as military pay coupons" and the bonds had "Marquis Wu's signature, and the paper and ink are as good as new."

Of course, as a great man of his generation, Zhuge Liang should be very aware of the potential dangers posed by such excessive consumption of the country's financial resources. It can be considered that this was a measure he had to take under difficult conditions where the country's financial resources were unsustainable.

We can also see from historical data that after the Shu Han established its capital in Yizhou and agriculture, handicrafts and commerce resumed development, there was no record of bond issuance.

The third is to strengthen supervision and implement salt and iron monopoly to ensure stable growth of fiscal revenue.

Sichuan mainly produces salt and iron, and the salt boiling and iron casting industries were relatively developed among the three countries at that time.

Before the founding of the Shu Han Dynasty, although the government prohibited private cooking of cast salt and iron, during the war years, the ban existed in name only.

After the founding of the Shu Han Dynasty, Zhuge Liang first restored the official policy of salt and iron in order to increase government revenue. In the 19th year of Jian'an (AD 214), the "first lord settled Yizhou" and appointed Wang Lian as the "Salt Commander".

Zhang Yi was regarded as "the chief minister of Jin Zhonglang, a model of a weapon for agricultural warfare".

Captain Si Yan is the highest officer in charge of Yan Mansion.

According to historical records, after the king was re-elected as the captain of the Salt Academy, "compared with salt and iron, it benefits many people and is of benefit to the country."

Therefore, when Wang Lian moved to Shu County as the prefect and became the general of Xingye, he still "led Yan Mansion as before".

After Wang Lian, Zhuge Liang appointed Cen Shu to this position.

As the prime minister of a country, Zhuge Liang had many things to do. During the war, he was very concerned about the salt and iron production of Shu. He personally went to Linqiong, Changning and other places to inspect the salt industry production.

Zhanghua's "Natural History" of the Jin Dynasty records the story of Zhuge Liang's inspection of Linqiong Huojing and improving the technology to improve the quality of salt: "The Linqiong Huojing is five feet wide and two to three feet deep. It is located hundreds of miles south of the county.

In the old days, people threw bamboo and wood into the fire. Prime Minister Zhuge looked at it, and when the fire became hot, he covered the well with a basin and boiled salt to get salt."

The so-called fire well is a natural gas well.