In the early Western Han Dynasty, Liu Bang implemented a series of measures to revive the economy, leading to rapid advancements in agricultural production. Emperors Wen and Jing continued to adhere to this established national policy.

As a result, coins in the national treasury piled up like mountains, and the strings used to thread them together decayed. Countless grains accumulated in granaries, overflowing the storage facilities, and had to be piled in the open air, with much of the millet rotting and becoming unfit for consumption.