Liu Jing was in a very good mood these days. First, Li Yan did not disappoint his expectations and successfully occupied Zigui County. Secondly, Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun wiped out Cheng Pu's 30,000 troops in Lujiang County.

The significance of these two victories was very important. The former allowed him to successfully block Liu Bei's army's advance against Bashu, while the latter's victory would lay a solid foundation for him to stabilize the East. It can be said that these were two strategic victories.

Early in the morning, Liu Jing changed into an ordinary person's outfit, a study tour crown, a blue linen robe, and black leather boots. In fact, his outfit was still the outfit of the middle and upper class. In the Han Dynasty, a person's social status could be seen from the length of his clothes. The elongated crowns and robes were the symbol of the upper class, while the lower class people were wearing short brown clothes, which was short clothes and thick spoiled scarves.

Liu Jing led a few subordinates to Wuchang East City. The Han Dynasty inherited the characteristics of pre-Qin urban commerce and demarcated a special area as a commercial area, called a city, which is often the most convenient place for urban transportation.

The market in Wuchang is located near the Shuimeng Caohe River, covering an area of ​​more than 2,000 acres. The dense shops are distributed on both sides of the Caohe River. Goods from all over the country gather here, whether it is copper oil lamps, incense burners, drop bottles of furniture, iron plows, picks, shovels, hoes, sickles and other agricultural tools, or grains such as grains, millet, rice, wheat, beans, chickens, ducks, geese, cows, pigs, horses and other poultry, livestock, silk, rhino horns, turtle shells, pearls, ivory and other luxury goods, and various commodities.

Jingzhou's commerce mainly relies on water transportation. Even after the goods from the north arrived in Fancheng or Anlu, they were also changed to water transportation, transported from the Yangtze River to Wuchang. Since this year, Wuchang's commerce has been particularly prosperous, with various commodities and materials filling the warehouses.

On the one hand, although it was because of the Battle of Chibi that greatly improved Jiangxia's reputation and greatly improved Jingzhou's status in the country, merchants across the country flocked to it, but more importantly, the Wuzhu coins made by Jiangxia were released in large quantities last year. The money had a high copper content. It was undoubtedly a highlight in the late Han Dynasty, and it was called "Chu Qian".

This led to merchants from all over the country transporting supplies to Jiangxia in exchange for this high-quality Chu money. This is undoubtedly a kind of currency exploitation, using hard currency to exchange supplies from all over the country.

Of course, Wuchang's market mainly focuses on wholesale. The customers who come here to buy goods are not ordinary people, but mainly small vendors from various counties in Jingzhou. They hire a small boat to come from hundreds of miles or even thousands of miles away, and return with full load of goods.

In this way, doing business in the East City requires large capital, that is, it is mainly business behavior. There are more than 30 business banks, each business dealing with its own specialty goods, but there are four major business banks operating a variety of goods. The largest one is the Dow Business Store that moved from Chaisang, followed by the Wu Business Store in Jiangling, the Tian Business Store in Xiangyang, and the Su Business Store in Wuchang.

The Dow Business Company is the largest merchant in the entire south. It monopolized the grain, salt and iron in Jingzhou. It has been operating for decades and has made huge profits. It is rich enough to rival the country. It has also become the most powerful supporter of Liu Jing's power development and growth.

Liu Jing made a little dress, and only then did he grow his beard after adding it, and his eyebrows were thicker. Except for those who were very familiar, most people could no longer recognize him as the governor of Jingzhou. He walked steadily and came to a jewelry store.

This store covers an area of ​​three acres, with a large area in front and back. It is also the largest jewelry store in Jingzhou, called "Baibaofang", but it is just a civilian jewelry store. The real dignitaries buy jewelry in a top jewelry store in "Cuizhai".

Liu Jing then walked in. From the outside, there seemed to be no one, but when he entered the store, he found that there were crowds of people. More than 20 tables were filled with customers. A guy next to each table was sweating and bargaining with customers.

Liu Jing happened to quit, but a young man came up enthusiastically, "This distinguished customer has all kinds of jewelry in the store, which is good and cheap. The villain Zhang Shun is willing to introduce it to the distinguished customer."

Liu Jing smiled, "There are too many people, I'll come back another day!"

Although this guy was young, he had been in the industry for many years and had a pair of poisonous eyes. He saw that although Liu Jing was dressed simply, an ancient jade pendant on his waist was worth a thousand gold. He also had a few followers, his aura and magnificent figure, all of whom were extremely skilled in martial arts. This was not something that ordinary people could afford.

The guy immediately judged that Liu Jing was a noble man, how could such a noble customer let him leave easily?

The guy immediately pointed to the inner room and said, "Please sit in the inner room, there is no one inside."

Liu Jing was originally aware of the people's sentiment, so he did not retreat. He followed the friend into the inner room. The inner room was elegantly decorated, with five or six tables, but only one table was sitting with guests, and the rest were empty.

Liu Jing couldn't help but ask curiously: "Why don't you let them sit in the middle?"

The guy scratched his head and said, "This is a expensive guest room. They are all ordinary people and are not qualified to come in."

"There are so many people who are buying jewelry?" Liu Jing asked in confusion.

At this time, the person at the table next to him smiled and said, "There are so many wealthy people in Jiangxia. This jewelry store is so prosperous every day."

Liu Jing walked up and smiled and said, "I'm from Runan. I'm here to go to Jiangxia to go on a business trip. May I ask you your surname?"

The guy replied for the guest: "This is Wang Dongzhu of Wang Shengji Tavern."

Wang Shengji Tavern is located in Dongcheng City, covering an area of ​​eight acres. It is an extremely famous tavern in Wuchang. Liu Jing bowed and smiled and said, "It turns out to be Wang Dongzhu. I have been in Runan for a long time."

The Dongzhu Wang is quite fat and very talkative. He smiled and waved his hand and said, "I don't dare to be it, Manager Yang, please sit down!"

Liu Jing sat down opposite him and said casually: "Does Wang Dongzhu think Jiangxia people are very rich?"

"There are poor and rich people everywhere, but Jingzhou is a rich country of fish and rice. It has been stable for a hundred years. As long as you work harder, you can get poor. For example, last year, the maximum amount of rice to be worth 200 yuan, who did you think? There are also a large number of people from Xiangyang and Nanjun who fled to Jiangxia, and only half of the disaster camps are! Who would be willing to queue up to get the porridge?"

Liu Jing nodded. He also knew what this person said. For example, the Cai family bought a farm in Jiangxia directly. Many wealthy families rented houses and would not live in the private camps. This is why the pressure the Jiangxia government was under much less than expected.

At this time, Wang Dongzhu took out a handful of money from his arms and slapped it on the table, "This money is the Chu money that has appeared in large quantities this year. It is made very well, at least 90% of the copper, but as soon as it came out, people in Jingzhou were stomping their feet and cursing. Do you know why?"

Liu Jinggong bowed and smiled, "I don't know, please ask the boss."

"Because as soon as it comes out, the old money in Jingzhou people's hands is worthless. It used to be five cents to sell a big fish, but now it is also five cents. However, if you want to use new Chu money, it will cost ten cents. The price of rice is the same. The new money is still forty per bull, but the old money will cost every hundred cents. The price of rice has doubled out of thin air. Do you think everyone will scold you?"

Liu Jing picked up a new coin and looked carefully. The new coin was made very round, with a full flesh, with a yellow copper color. The front words "Chu Zao" were written on it, and the backs were "Five Trees" in seal script, which was indeed a good coin.

The reason why new money was circulated in large quantities was mainly because of the heavy rewards of the three armies in this Battle of Red Cliff, which was flowing out of the army. Liu Jing did not expect that new money would be so popular. ‘This should be a kind of currency plunder!’ Liu Jing couldn't help but think inwardly.

"What a fucking money! All the money in my cellar is over. I have been working for at least ten years. What do you think so many people come to buy jewelry for?"

The more Wang Dongzhu said, he became more and more annoyed, and said angrily: "Such good money should not be left in Jiangxia, Jingzhou. It is unfair to us. We should go to Jiangdong, Bashu, and buy all their things. Damn, I really don't know what the people above think, do they all have pig brains?"

………

At night, Liu Jing changed into a loose robe and sat in the study to read leisurely. However, his eyes glanced at his son climbing up and down on the wide couch, so naughty that he couldn't rest for a moment. When the child climbed to the edge of the couch, he would reach out to help him, for fear that he would fall off the couch.

In a blink of an eye, my son could crawl and was full of energy. He crawled around all day except sleeping, as naughty as a monkey, and was babbling in his mouth.

Liu Jing said he was reading a book, but in fact he didn't read a word. He was afraid that his son would roll off the couch if he accidentally did. He fell yesterday and cried for half an hour.

Although children are troublesome, watching children change day by day, the feeling of being a father is also extremely wonderful.

At this time, Tao Zhan walked in with a cup of hot water. Seeing her husband reaching out to help her son from time to time, a sweet feeling surged in her heart. After all, children are the lifeblood of mothers. No mother would be unhappy when she sees her father's love for children.

Tao Zhan put down the tea bowl, pursed his lips and asked, "My daughter, Yueying, will be back tomorrow. Don't you say hello?"

Liu Jing put down the book and smiled and said, "With you, I won't go. I have arranged the ship and guards to escort them back. You can just go find Li Qing tomorrow morning."

As soon as he said this, Liu Jing caught a glimpse of his son crawling over. He was about to fall off the wide couch, so scared that he quickly held him, touched his son's little head and smiled: "Little guy, don't fall anymore."

Liu Zhi was yelling and reached out to his mother. Tao Zhan held his son in his arms lovingly, pinched his son's little face, and said with a smile: "Zhier and mother go to see Sister Aguo, don't disturb my father's reading."

Liu Jing laughed, "Go! Xu Changshi will come to me later. He may have a letter to ask Mrs. Huang to bring it to Kong Ming."

Speaking of this, Liu Jing was a little hesitant. Tao Zhan saw that her husband had something to say, so he smiled and said, "If you have anything, just say it."

Liu Jing pondered for a moment and said, "I want to say that our mansion needs to be frugal, and all unnecessary expenses will be cut off. In addition, we must save as much as possible in terms of food, clothing and daily life, and we must not be extravagant and wasteful."

Tao Zhan was a little surprised, "Husband, has something happened?"

Liu Jing laughed, "Don't worry, nothing happened. I just wanted to set an example and call on Jingzhou officials and civilians to save frugal reinforcements."

Tao Zhan nodded silently, "I understand, I will arrange frugal things."

At this moment, a maid reported outside the door: "Master Qi Bian, Changshi Xu is here."

"Take him to the study room outside and I'll come soon."

"Husband, let's go! Let's go first." Tao Zhan smiled and hugged his son and walked quickly.
Chapter completed!