Chapter Seven: The Child Relying on the Father's Wealth

What is the size of a piece of silk

In the fourth year of the Wude era, the court minted and issued the Tang Dynasty copper coins, known as Kaiyuan Tongbao, each weighing one qian, with ten wen equaling one liang, and one guan consisting of one thousand wen weighing exactly six jin and four liang. With the issuance of the new coins, the Sui Dynasty's five-zhu coins were abolished, replacing the old five-zhu coins in circulation.

Additionally, there is a reward of fifteen thousand copper coins and a silver ingot weighing five taels

The old man obtained a total of twelve stones of millet, which could be exchanged for thirty-six guan of money, amounting to a total of thirty-six thousand copper coins, weighing over two hundred jin

Upon reflection, Zhang Chao suddenly felt that this reward was rather meager

In the morning, Zhang Chao was still worried about that dilapidated cave and the empty grain bags, but by noon, he had already become a member of the exploiting class

In this day and age, the most valuable thing is not gold and silver, nor copper coins and silk, but food

This year, the Tang army besieged Luoyang. Initially, the price of rice in Luoyang reached 3,000 cash per dou, and later it soared to an exorbitant 9,000 cash per dou. Of course, this can only be considered an extraordinary situation, but the grain prices in Guanzhong were also exceptionally high. The Guanzhong region is inherently characterized by a scarcity of land and a high population, and even in normal years, it cannot be self-sufficient, relying on grain imports from the eastern regions to supplement its supply.

Upon calculation, my father has been on the expedition for nearly one year, during which he achieved a remarkable vanguard military merit, receiving a total of rewards including money, silk, and grain, amounting to a total of 60,800 cash in the form of Kaiyuan Tongbao.

One piece of silk is four zhang long, one foot and eight inches wide, and weighs twelve taels

"One tael of silver is worth one thousand six hundred cash." Ke Wu informed Zhang Chao that the silver to copper ratio is not that one tael of silver is worth one thousand cash, but rather one thousand six hundred cash. Gold and silver are not currencies, but the court uses them to reward officials and soldiers, and they can be exchanged. Gold and silver are scarce, thus they hold a higher value

Can a few pieces of clothing be altered

In today's world, silk has even become the most widely used currency in informal transactions, surpassing the quantity of copper coins.

Even various levels of government offices have their own official lands, and the income generated from these lands is used to cover office expenses

The old buddy has also acquired more than 100 acres of land

The price of silk is five hundred wen, which also means that the current price of rice in Guanzhong is five hundred wen per dou. One shi of rice is equivalent to five guan of copper coins. One dou of rice is ten sheng, and during the Tang Dynasty, one dou of rice was approximately less than ten shi jin in later times. This equates to fifty wen per jin, and this price is certainly not cheap

"Uncle Ke, how much are these gifts worth?" Zhang Chao looked at the cheerful Cavalry General as he received a tray from the Military Officer and solemnly handed it to his father

Several soldiers from Zhangjiagou, while marveling at Zhang Chao's calculating ability, also expressed their admiration for the rewards bestowed by their elder.

Although the employment land is not permanent, it must be reclaimed once the employment ends and cannot be sold, at least during the period of employment, the income from these eighty acres of land is guaranteed

The military rewards consist of millet, which is also known as small millet and is one of the main crops in the Guanzhong region, also referred to as foxtail millet. Other common grains in Guanzhong include yellow millet, wheat, and sorghum.

However, the rewards for the vanguard's contributions were quite substantial. One of the fellows was promoted to the position of deputy in the ninth rank and was also granted the title of a cavalry officer in the seventh rank. The monetary rewards were considerable as well, including five taels of silver, ten thousand Kaiyuan coins, two bolts of silk and cloth, and ten stones of millet

Yellow corn is suitable for making porridge, while millet, which is similar to corn but larger, is more suitable for making pancakes. Both millet and corn are much cheaper than rice and wheat, and they are also the main staple foods for the people in Guanzhong.

The price difference between cloth and silk is not significant. A bolt of cloth is five zhang long and one chi eight inches wide. The price ratio is five parts silk to four parts cloth, with one bolt of cloth equivalent to eighty percent of the price of one bolt of silk. Two bolts of cloth amount to eight hundred coins

Kaiyuan Tongbao is of high quality and is considered good currency. However, the current copper coins cannot purchase much, as the world is in chaos and the Tang Dynasty has not yet stabilized the realm. Years of warfare have led to a decrease in agricultural yields and a shortage of goods, resulting in extremely high prices

I did not expect that you could also do calculations; I see that you are even more skilled than the accountants in the typical government offices and wealthy households.

A dou of rice is worth one piece of silk

Zhang Chao is still relatively accustomed to using money for unit statistics. After knowing various exchange rates, he quickly calculated the results in his mind

It is said that during the battle of Hulao Pass, the old man followed behind the armored cavalry of King Qin, Li Shimin, wielding an iron spear that moved like a dragon, leading the charge into the ranks of Dou Jiande's summer army, where he cut down several enemies.

Yellow millet, also known as millet, is classified into hard and soft varieties. The hard variety is suitable for making cakes, while the soft variety is more appropriate for making pastries. Wheat is ground into flour for making noodles, and sorghum is suitable for brewing wine

Sixty strings of copper coins, if fully exchanged for millet, can be converted into two thousand catties

Five taels of silver are worth eight thousand copper coins, thus the reward in money is equivalent to twenty-three thousand coins

These eighty mu of official land constitute his salary land. In the Tang Dynasty, officials outside the capital were not given salaries; instead, they were allocated land directly. Officials at all levels were assigned official land according to their rank, and the income from the land rent served as their salary. Both the ninth rank and the regular ninth rank deputy officials were allocated eighty mu of official land

Silk refers to products made from silkworm silk, but it is not as refined as high-end silk fabrics such as brocade and satin. This is because silk is relatively plain and lacks intricate patterns, making it a more common and affordable silk product, which also makes its value easier to assess. Additionally, due to its large production volume and high demand, silk began to be used as currency starting from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to compensate for the insufficient supply of copper coins.

"Very valuable." The burly man, Ke Wuyi, looked at the tray with envy. When Zhang Chao asked, he carefully introduced the value of these rewards.

In this era, millet is cheaper than rice, but in later generations, millet becomes more expensive than rice, at least 5 yuan per jin. For 2,000 jins of millet, that amounts to 10,000 RMB

Indeed, it is quite easy to calculate. Zhang Chao said naturally, this is just a simple calculation

The corn grant amounts to 36,000 cash, the silver and copper grant amounts to 23,000 cash, and the silk and cloth grant amounts to 1,800 cash

Two stones of millet are equivalent to one stone and two dou of rice

Indeed, elder brother has truly been blessed in his later years, having just acquired a son, and now he has been promoted and has gained wealth. Sanlang, you are indeed a lucky star.

By this calculation, a dou of rice is now worth five hundred wen, while a dou of millet is only worth three hundred wen, which is significantly cheaper

The old man has received a considerable reward, having just obtained five hundred Kaiyuan Tongbao new copper coins, two stones of millet, and an additional subsidy of two bolts of silk. He has now been granted a promotion, being appointed as a first-class military officer of the seventh rank, and has also just been elevated to the substantive position of deputy in the Chariots and Cavalry Office at the ninth rank.

Old man Zhang originally had thirty acres of land in Zhangjiagou, and now he suddenly has an additional one hundred and forty acres, which totals one hundred and seventy acres. Excluding the eighty acres of official land, the combined area of the merit land and the perpetual land is nearly one hundred acres. Old man Zhang has suddenly risen to the status of a landlord.

Because my father performed well in the campaign in the Central Plains, he was awarded a Vanguard Merit. The Vanguard Merit is one of the most prestigious individual military honors in the Tang army, second only to the Gallant Merit, and is quite rare. Although it is not as difficult to attain as the Gallant Merit, which is limited to a maximum of ten awards in a single major battle, the Vanguard Merit is still very hard to come by

Therefore, by saving a little, twenty stones of grain can definitely last for three years; if we save a bit more, it is possible that the whole family could eat for two years.

According to the regulations of the Tang Dynasty army, a guard in the Imperial Army is allocated twelve stones of millet for a year's worth of military rations, while a warhorse receives thirty-six stones of millet. This standard applies to the guards of the Imperial Army and is somewhat generous. However, it is impossible for an ordinary household in Guanzhong to have rice for every meal, nor would they have three meals a day.

Old Zhang was granted the title of Cavalry Officer and received sixty mu of merit land. Now that he has been promoted to the Deputy of the Charioteer Office at the ninth rank, he will also receive eighty mu of official land

If my father were just an ordinary guard, he would certainly be able to achieve a commendation for his acrobatic skills if he were a member of the Xuanjia cavalry

After such a long expedition and achieving such great merit, the reward is only 10,000 yuan?

Seeing his father step forward to receive the award, Zhang Chao smiled broadly

However, Ke Wu was clearly very shocked. He did not see Zhang Chao using any counting chips, yet he managed to calculate everything in his mind in just a moment. That is truly impressive

Two thousand catties of millet are truly not worth much in Zhang Chao's eyes, but in the eyes of those men from Guanzhong, it represents a tremendous fortune. Especially in this era of constant warfare and famine, twenty stones of grain would be sufficient for three years of sustenance

Wouldn't that immediately make oneself the offspring of a landlord and a second-generation official

Currently, a piece of silk, when folded into the shape of a Kaiyuan Tongbao, is roughly valued at around five hundred.

There are silver and copper in the tray, and on one side of the ground, there are silk cloth and millet

The currency of the Tang Dynasty was a combination of cash and silk, while gold and silver were not considered circulating currency

In the current wartime, a large number of young and middle-aged individuals from Guanzhong are being sent to the front lines, resulting in a decreased grain output, and consequently, grain prices remain high.

These rewards can be exchanged for a total of 60,800 wen, or can be converted into 20 shi of millet? Really? Ke Wudai was astonished

Silk cloth was also awarded two pieces, with one piece of silk valued at five hundred, making the total for two pieces one thousand coins