Xinshun 1730

Chapter 956 The last successful reform of the dynasty ([-])
Most of the reforms cannot be rushed, and have to be implemented bit by bit.

However, the many changes caused by the waste of water and sea change cannot be delayed.

The imperial court allocates several million taels of silver to protect the Yellow River and water transport every year.This is just a financial appropriation from the household government. In fact, everyone knows that the big part of the money allocated by the Dashun household government is not the bulk of the money, but the local labor and corvée.

Without these millions of taels of appropriation and the land allowed by the imperial court, the canal would not last long.

If grain is not transported, and the court does not maintain it, even if it can still be used, it will bruise to death within three years at most.

The purpose of the existence of Hongze Lake is to raise the water level to wash away the sediment. Now it is conceivable to lower the water level to prevent floods in the upper reaches of Anhui and the threat of hanging lakes in northern Jiangsu.

Even as before, in fact, the rice boat can no longer move in many places, and it needs to use various small tools—such as large excrement brushes, egg beaters, etc., to drag and stir the mud in front, The Caomi boat, a cargo ship with a deep draft behind, hurriedly followed.

The emperor knew very well that if the waste water was changed to the sea and the canal was abandoned, if the transportation of salt was affected, the common people could still eat salt, but it would definitely not be official salt.

This year's tax of several million yuan is like a broken arm for a court like Dashun with such a small amount of fiscal revenue.

If you want to reform, you have to spend money.

The household government is definitely not interested in such things as revitalizing the navy.

But to control the Huaihe River, the household government must pay for it, and there is no dispute about this.

The emperor also had domestic funds, profits from Nanyang, Ceylon's monopoly and franchise, and export of official kiln porcelain.

But I still have to borrow from the Netherlands, because I really want to move, and the money is simply not enough.

Since one million waterworkers can be thought of, naturally one hundred thousand salt workers cannot be ignored.

The historical reform of salt quotations to salt tickets directly aroused tens of thousands of salt workers in the Huai'an area to protest, and an uprising almost broke out.

They don't cook salt, but under the salt regulation, they pack, bundle, and distribute salt, and they all rely on the salt administration for their food.

How do you evaluate such an almost uprising?Of course, praise and compliments are necessary, and people’s way of life is cut off, but they don’t give compensation or a new way out. Naturally, they have to resist——the solution depends on the court’s thinking, does it depend on self-awareness?

For the emperor, he knew one thing very clearly: miners, dock workers, porters, water tank workers, salt workers... These people are much more terrifying than farmers if they want to make a big noise.Firstly, they have their own organization, and secondly, they are located in a major commercial city. Once something happens, the world will be shaken immediately.

Settling them also requires money.

Now the emperor really belongs to the kind of emperor who is stumped by a penny.

I just feel that the world is so big and the emperor is so precious, but I am short of money everywhere.

The boatman wants money.

Salt workers want money.

Disbanding the old canal patrol costs money.

Arranging new anti-smuggling routes requires money.

The construction of the Huaihe River requires money, and the tens of thousands of households who plan to be resettled in the Xinhuai River Reclamation Area as the basic "fubing" ask for money, and now the uprising of Lingnan porters who transport tea workers is preparing to suppress money.

The disaster in the Huaihe River requires money.

Not long ago, Maozhou earthquake relief in Chengdu still required money.

Under tremendous pressure, the naval construction cannot be stopped. This is a profitable business. If we really want to win India in the future, we can earn back the money invested.

Maritime trade internal funds, monopoly fees, and the company's naval construction accumulation funds cannot be moved, and must be used where they should be used.

After investing so much money in Huaihe all of a sudden, it was immediately stretched, and it was impossible to make major moves within a few years.

Money is nothing more than increasing revenue and reducing expenditure.

But some streams cannot be curbed.

Instead, a group of people suggested abandoning the Western Regions, saying that if millions of taels were spent on immigration every year, the food in the Western Regions would not be able to be shipped out.It is better to abandon the Western Regions.

The emperor forbids.

There are suggestions that the garrison in the snow mountain will be withdrawn, and go there if there is something to do, and there is no need to station those thousands of soldiers if there is nothing to do.You can save a lot of money all at once.

The emperor still does not allow.

and the rest...

Two to three million field troops are indeed not fighting now, but can this thing be saved?
Can the salaries of officials be saved?
Can the disasters in Lianghuai, Gansu and other places be saved?
We can't save money, the military expenditure is a big one, but it is impossible to abolish the [-] field regiments that have been compiled and trained with great difficulty.

On the other hand, some people suggested that since Duke Xingguo has created a land system for military rank veterans and a registration system for sailors, it is better to give the money to the festival, right?
Let those retired soldiers fend for themselves, why bother to spend money from the court?Even if it is a flower, it should be less, at least there is no need to arrange for them to go to the Whale Sea or something, and then divide the fields and farm tools and cattle.

Aren't cotton spinning workshops popping up in some places now?Or mines need people too.And these new troops who have taken guns are all capable and obedient, so it's better to put them all in the mine to dig or move stones.In this way, the court can save a lot of money.It can even be shipped to Nanyang plantations.

The emperor thought about it, and felt that his family wanted to sit on the throne for a few more years, so it was best not to die.

It is best to arrange to go to reclamation in Mengmeng, Western Regions, Jinghai, and Yezou to become farmers, and it is the kind of farmers who have land and low taxes.

Who is Dashun's foundation, and who can stand up when the country is in crisis?

The emperor felt that he still had to rely on those soldiers and self-cultivated farmers who paid the blood tax, and he could not rely on others. That was the most loyal sword of the court.

Anyway, the gentry is unreliable, but I still remember the smooth things in the late Ming Dynasty.

Businessmen... it's even more nonsense.

As for those miners, it has been proved in the late Ming Dynasty that they were the most solid comrades in arms of "Dashun at that time", but the problem is that it is "Dashun now".

I don't know who will become the "Da Shun of the past" in the future, but it is certain that the "Da Shun of the present" will be the "Da Ming of the past" by then.You have to sit on your own butt, otherwise it will be Jiugong Mountain.

Now that the cycle has been completed, there is a balance between recruiting and retiring every year. Anyway, there are only 3 to [-] people per year, and even if you save a million taels, you still have to pay for the money of these people to let them cultivate.

Therefore, he gave special instructions to the prince.

But the prince didn't seem to take it very seriously, thinking that this is a replica of the government of redundant soldiers, which is the old evil of Song Dynasty.

The life of the emperor and the household government is really tight now.

This can't be saved, that can't be saved, it's almost time to live with your fingers.

Under such circumstances, the news that Mr. Xing Guogong brought some boxes back to Beijing with his escort was really like sending charcoal in a timely manner.

Although, in fact, this "heavy snow", including the construction of the Huaihe River, the abolition of water transport, the reform of the salt administration, and the aftermath of the military reform, was mostly caused by Liu Yuyang, and [-]% of the relationship was inseparable.

Today’s Dashun, the “Old Maxima” of the entire Iron Age, pulls a set of “Soho Manufactory standard 3-horsepower water pump” in the steam age.

Machines are getting more and more decent, but the core power is still the same. How can we not be short of money?

But after all, Liu Yu, whom the attendant said was "a row of large carriages pulling boxes", was really like a charcoal delivery man in that cold day.

"Quick call!"

The emperor used the word "speed", and the attendants only felt that the Duke of Xingguo was Enjilong, but they didn't know that the word "speed" was purely for money's sake.

Waiting for Liu Yu to come in, the emperor didn't even say any polite words such as "Ai Qing was tired all the way", but asked directly: "But the calculation is clear?"

Although the emperor, as a moral example, shouldn't be so anxious about money.But the emperor really couldn't take care of it anymore. How much money he made, he was already anxious.

"Back to Your Majesty, the calculations are clear. It's just that the number is complicated, and the general ledger has to be reviewed by Your Majesty. This time, I did not bring silver taels, but paper bills. If your Majesty uses gold and silver, you can exchange them directly."

The emperor has seen the mold and style of banknotes.Moreover, many technologies are simply impossible for the people to have, and the court has to come forward to provide technical support.

In addition to the special bark paper, all kinds of dyes, anti-counterfeiting ink pads from the royal family, and the old craftsmen of the royal official craftsmen, the emperor had seen samples before printing banknotes in Songjiang Mansion.

This thing, because China lacks gold, silver and copper, has a large economic aggregate but insufficient currency, it was used in the Song Dynasty, and it was a legal currency for a long time from the Mongolian Yuan to the Ming Dynasty, so there is nothing unusual about it.

The emperor also knew that if the court was allowed to print money, it might cause panic, at least for a short time.After all, the memory of Mongolian Yuan and Ming's banknotes is not very good, and in the later period, they basically turned into gold coins.

That is to say, Liu Yu's reputation with the businessman is not bad, and for the time being, it will be printed at the Songjiang Mansion for the time being, and when it is approved, other things will be mentioned.

Someone originally suggested that the two yuan should be abolished and the seigniorage should be collected.Europe and Japan mint their own silver coins and gold coins, while Dashun only mints copper coins. The seigniorage is simply not worth mentioning, and there are not many things mixed with it.

Now it is done in one step directly, saving even the waste of two yuan and changing the yuan, and directly comes to the banknote exchange coupon.

The emperor then laughed and said, "Even with gold and silver, many things can be bought in Songjiang Mansion. As long as it can be spent, it doesn't matter if it is a treasure or a handover? I am assured of Ai Qing's work, and this kind of thing must be done by you." Going to supervise is impossible."

"Although there are many places where money is used nowadays, the places that spend the most money are Jiangzuo and Huaihe Rivers. Both banknotes can be used, which is just right. I remember that the largest denomination of this banknote is one hundred taels. But I heard that you brought A row of horse-drawn carriages came, I am afraid that one carriage can hold a hundred thousand taels, right?"

Liu Yu wondered if he was dreaming?If those dozens of carts were all loaded with banknotes, do you think I dug up the Potosi Silver Mine in Nanyang?
Hearing that the emperor was impatient, Liu Yu hurriedly handed over the account of the emperor's dividend.

The emperor kept his posture as much as possible, opened the account slowly and methodically, glanced at it a few times, and was overjoyed.

On the other side of the official kiln porcelain, there are high-end porcelain customized with the patterns of foreigners, and...the emperor banned religion, but allowed some special official kilns to burn special monopoly export products with "cross patterns". The total gross profit is 140 million taels .Anyway, Liu Yu didn't care how the emperor divided it and what the cost was.

Ceylon's cinnamon, betel nuts, and gems earned 110 million taels.

Ceylon's per-mu tax, after excluding the local interception, still has 3 taels.

The gemstones of Ceylon, there are also four large gemstones and a batch of small gemstones of varying numbers.

This year, the Western Trading Company succeeded in business for the first time, and had to pay a monopoly fee, which totaled 120 million taels.The imperial court promised to suppress smuggling, strictly investigate, and would not allow private smuggling to India or other places.

According to the standard 17% dividend, it will not be mentioned.

In addition, there is a "special" entry:

In order to "thank" His Majesty for increasing the high tariffs on the Danish Asia Company, according to the purchase order found in the Danish Company's shop, the original plan to purchase 328 pieces of porcelain this year must be in vain now.

Of course, these porcelains are all low-end porcelains. The shareholders meeting of the sea merchants divided them according to the types of porcelains, and gave the emperor a total of 16 taels of benefits.The key is that the quantity sounds scary, but many of them are small items such as teacups and tea bowls. There are not many really expensive large items that can earn more than ten taels per piece.

In addition to porcelain, tea, brass, rhubarb, raw silk, etc., the original market share of these Danish companies was divided into one-third to Sweden and Russia, and the remaining two-thirds were eaten by Dashun Maritime Merchants.

Adding these things together gave the emperor another 20 taels of benefits.

The emperor was actually a little embarrassed, thinking that there was no difference between being an official and collecting money to do things?
But the point is that 36 taels of silver is really delicious, no matter how embarrassed you are, you can't be embarrassed with money.

Looking carefully at the above statement again, I thought that this is not bad, it is not good to call the historian "straight pen", just say that these people "donate for service".

In fact, for the sake of money, the emperor paid special attention to the production of porcelain once, and made a "head-slapping decision", and never cared about it since then.

A few years ago, the prince of France got married for the second time, and of course China also gave gifts, and the prince of France also specially ordered a batch of porcelain.

In particular, some particularly expensive custom-made products such as "glazed lanterns", "jade porcelain sheng" and "snow gongs" were specially ordered.

Money is not a problem, and the patterns provided there are also designed to show luxury and specialness.

The emperor paid attention to it at the time, and felt that it was impossible to sell this thing in Dashun's aesthetic point of view.But in Europe, it is so expensive?I also asked some people who have been to Europe, what is the emphasis on trespassing and overriding in France?
Those who have been there said that they have never heard of any particularity in porcelain. The emperor thought that these things are so expensive that they cannot be sold in China. Why not burn more and sell them in Europe?
He guided it just once, and the result is quite embarrassing as you can imagine-customized goods, what you want is scarce to pretend to be used, and you made a batch of goods, how do you pretend?
It was quite embarrassing, and it also sent a batch of exquisite multicolored bottles and new "pink glaze rose family" porcelain to the French Dauphin, which can be regarded as a small diplomatic disturbance.

Since then, the emperor has stopped patting his head, at least in business.

After all, the money for the customization was paid in advance from internal funds, because the requirements for the exotic designs of the Prince of France are high, and the yield rate is quite low. After shipping, it was too expensive, and few pieces were sold.

Bring it back, no one wants it in China, and the aesthetics are not suitable, who can hang a porcelain lantern?
Giving gifts directly in Europe is like slapping the face of the French crown prince, and in the end it can only be smashed.

In addition to this, it should be said that apart from some special coastal areas, the only place in the inland area of ​​Dashun where the cross can be seen publicly is Jingdezhen.

Because special export porcelain needs to be fired, what kind of cross, the Virgin Mary, John, etc. should be painted.

To ban religion is to ban religion, and to make money is to make money.

Of course, the emperor monopolized the money related to this part of the "cross pattern".The imperial court banned religion, but had no control over the emperor's property.

In the past few years, Dashun's porcelain has been selling better and better, because Imari Ware, which had just started in Japan, was completely useless in less than ten years after it was switched by Dashun.

The export was locked again. It could have gone to Europe, but now Europe cannot go, and it is facing the blow of Jiangxi porcelain. Dashun's porcelain trade is really booming.

Therefore, in addition to the high-end porcelain monopolized by the emperor, the middle and low-end porcelain sold well without the competition of Japanese porcelain, and made a lot of money.

After reading these accounts, the emperor was already a little drunk in his heart.

Xin said that he knew that trade made money, otherwise those Westerners would not have taken such a big risk to come here.

Before, Ai Qing only said that you can’t make a lot of money sitting on the ground and collecting money, but I doubt how much I can make.

On the same day, he said that the Swedish company earned 1.2 Swedish treasury income in the first year. I still don't believe it.Now it seems that this statement is true.No wonder the Swedish company had to burn its books before...

The emperor believed in the words of the Swedes burning the account books, because the emperor knew too well what it meant to burn the account books, what it meant to borrow food from Yin soldiers, and what it meant to destroy accounts in floods.

But he still didn't expect that in history, the Swedes sank the Gothenburg by themselves in order to destroy the books and the captain's self-interest. It is said that there is still a 14% profit on the goods that are fished out.

Now Dashun is not just doing business and doing business, but also earns the money from the most profitable "vegetable vendor" here. Of course, the amount of this sum is dizzying.

Liu Yu guessed that the emperor would drift away after reading the ledger, so he quickly poured cold water on it.

"Your Majesty, this trade is very special. Firstly, the war in Europe has just ended, secondly, Europe has not had enough spices for two or three years, and thirdly, because of the opium case, the business houses of Britain, Portugal and others were closed down. It is not normal, After a few years of stabilization, there may be a short-term decline in profits.”

(End of this chapter)