| | 铸钱: |
法使天下公得顾租铸钱，敢杂以铅铁为他巧者，其罪黥，然铸钱之情，非淆铅铁及石杂铜也，不可得赢，而淆之甚微，其利甚厚，名曰顾租公铸法也，而实皆黥罪也。有法若此，上将何赖焉？ |
| | The law allows the public to cast coins under a lease system, but if anyone dares to mix lead and iron or use other devious methods, they shall be punished by facial branding. However, in reality, the practice of coin casting does not involve mixing lead and iron or adding stones to copper; it is impossible to make a profit that way. Yet even a slight addition can yield great profits. This method is called the "Gu Zu Gong Zhu" (lease-based public coin-casting) system in name, but in fact, all such actions constitute crimes punishable by branding. With a law like this, how can the ruler place any trust?
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| | 铸钱: |
夫事有召祸，而法有起奸。今令细民操造币之势，各隐屏其家而铸作，因欲禁其厚利微奸，虽黥罪日报，其势不止，为民设阱，孰积于是？曩禁铸钱，死罪积下；今公铸钱，黥罪积下，虽少异乎，末具也。民方陷溺，上且弗救乎？ |
| | Some matters invite disaster, and some laws give rise to corruption. Now the law allows common people to control the power of coin production, each hiding in their homes to cast coins. Thus, even if one wishes to prohibit them from gaining great profits through minor deceptions, and although cases punishable by branding are reported daily, such practices cannot be stopped. Setting traps for the people—what greater accumulation of injustice could there be? In the past, when coin casting was prohibited, capital crimes piled up; Now that public coin casting is permitted, cases punishable by branding pile up. Though this differs slightly, it is still an incomplete and flawed policy. The people are sinking into misfortune; will the ruler not come to their rescue?
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| | 铸钱: |
且世民用钱，县异而郡不同。或用轻钱，百加若干。或用重钱，平称不受。法钱不立，吏急而一之乎？则大烦苛而民弗任，且力不能而势不可施。纵而弗苛乎？则郡县异而市肆不同，小大异用，钱文大乱。夫苟非其术，则何向而可哉？ |
| | Moreover, in the world today, common people use coins that vary from county to county and differ from prefecture to prefecture. Some use light coins, adding several dozen or so to make up a hundred. Some use heavy coins, and they are not accepted at face value when weighed equally. With no standard coin established by law, can officials hastily impose uniformity? This would only create excessive burdens and strict regulations that the people cannot bear; moreover, it is beyond their capability and impossible to enforce effectively. If left unchecked without strict regulation? Then each prefecture and county would differ, and markets would vary; coins of different sizes would be used interchangeably, causing great disorder in coinage. If the method is not appropriate, then where can one turn for a solution?
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| | 铸钱: |
夫农事不为，而采铜日蕃，释其耒耨，冶熔炉炭，奸钱日繁，正钱日亡，善人怵而为奸邪，愿民陷而之刑僇，黥罪繁积，吏民且日斗矣。将甚不祥，柰何而忽？国知患此，吏议必曰：“禁之。”禁之不得其术，其伤必大，何以圉之？令禁铸钱，钱必还重，四钱之粟，必还二钱耳。重则盗铸钱如云而起，则弃市之罪，又不足以禁矣。奸不胜而法禁数溃，铜使之然也。 |
| | If farming is neglected and copper gathering becomes increasingly prevalent, people abandon their plows and hoes to instead work the furnaces with charcoal; counterfeit coins multiply daily while genuine ones disappear. The upright grow fearful and turn to corruption, law-abiding citizens fall into criminal punishment, cases of branding accumulate in number, and officials and commoners will soon be at odds with one another. This is an extremely ominous situation—how can it be ignored? The state recognizes this as a problem, and officials will surely argue: "We must prohibit it." If prohibition is enforced without the proper method, the damage will certainly be great—how then can this be prevented? If an order is issued to prohibit coin casting, coins will inevitably become heavier; the grain that once cost four coins will now cost only two. If coins become heavy, then illicit coin casting will arise like clouds in the sky; even capital punishment by public execution will no longer be sufficient to stop it. Corruption cannot be controlled, and legal prohibitions repeatedly collapse—this is caused by copper.
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