After five years of teaching support, Daming became an empire on which the sun never sets.

Chapter 147 Shen Wansan is in the limelight

"Next, let's tell you about our third strategy for governing the country." Zhu Yuanzhang said, "The domestic copper and iron are seriously insufficient, and the copper mines are not enough to mint coins. As a result, our Hongwu Tongbao can no longer be used, and we have to use Hongwubao. money."

Zhu Yuanzhang took out a Hongwu Bao note from his bosom, which was 33 centimeters long and 22 centimeters wide, just like a piece of A4 paper.

The value is consistent, that is, a tael of silver.

With a move in his heart, he prepared to give Shen Wansan a chance to express himself, and said, "All ministers, who can tell whether the country should use the copper standard, the silver standard, or the treasured banknote standard? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of them? , to give specific reasons.”

After a pause, "We just want to hear some valuable opinions. If it's just superficial remarks or repeating old tunes, don't come out and make a fool of yourself."

Li Shanchang was about to go forward to report, but when he heard the words behind the emperor, he retreated.

The Baochao Lifting Division is affiliated to the Zhongshu Province, and he is in charge of the Second Bureau of Banknote Printing and the Second Bank of Baochao Bank.If Li Shanchang had profound insights into the standard currency, the court would not have changed the original Hongwu Tongbao to Hongwubao banknotes.

And after using the Hongwubao banknotes, the grains that can be purchased with consistent money are still changing every year.

"Your Majesty." Shen Wansan stood up and said at this time, "Both the copper standard and the banknote standard have their own advantages and disadvantages. The common people have the largest population in the world, and the annual income of ordinary people is about three or four taels of silver, which is three or four pennies. The annual income of middle-level peasant households is 20 taels of silver, which is about [-] guanqian, so the use of the copper standard is convenient for transactions among common people."

Shen Wansan knew the purchasing power of each class very well, and said: "But I have very few copper mines in Daming. In order to cast more Hongwu Tongbao, the emperor also collected copper ware from various households, which caused the people... There are some complaints. Therefore, Hongwu treasure banknotes are used instead. In addition, copper can be used to cast Hongwu cannons, which are important military supplies, so it is not suitable for large-scale use of copper to mint coins."

"Therefore, the minister suggested that the emperor should use the treasure banknotes as the standard, and the whole country should use the treasure banknotes. However, in order to facilitate the circulation among the common people, the treasure banknotes of smaller denomination should be used. There are six types, such as [-]-wen, Yiyi, etc. The denomination is too large for the common people. If you can print one, two, five, ten, twenty, and fifty Hongwu treasure banknotes, then the people do not need to use Hongwu. Tongbao."

"In addition, in order to facilitate the use of merchants and the court, we can print more large-value banknotes of ten taels, 20 taels, 100 taels, and 1 taels to completely eliminate the use of copper coins and silver. It is worth three catties of copper coins, and the family has a lot of wealth. There must be more than 3 catties of copper. Even if it is silver, it is very heavy, and it is inconvenient to carry and trade."

At that time, the gap between the rich and the poor was so great that the common people could not see silver for a year or a half when they used copper convenience, while the rich basically did not use copper coins when they used silver convenience.In this way, it is impossible to achieve national unity, and a fault is formed between various classes.

"If the whole country uses treasure banknotes, the common people and the wealthy will form one body, which will facilitate both circulation and trading. As for those copper, gold and silver, they should all be put into the national treasury and should not be used easily."

"In addition, the emperor wants to encourage Daming to trade with overseas. Overseas merchants only recognize gold and silver, not treasure notes. If you want to develop overseas trade, it is impossible to not have enough gold and silver."

"Bullshit!" said the Minister of Rites, "How much money must be printed in the whole country to print a penny? I'm afraid the cost of printing is not enough."

"Isn't it necessary to cast copper coins? It is more cost-effective to print a penny worth of treasure notes than to cast a copper coin." Shen Wansan said, "Money itself has no value, transaction and circulation are its only uses. Copper, gold, and silver are just used for trade and circulation, isn't it too wasteful? I feel that these precious materials should be used as a stable treasure."

"Only when the imperial court has enough stocks of copper, gold and silver, can the status of the treasured banknotes be consolidated and the people can use them with confidence. Those overseas businessmen will also trust Hongwu treasured banknotes more, and maybe they will be able to directly use the treasured banknotes to conduct business with them in the future. trade."

"That's right." Zhu Yuanzhang nodded after listening, "Just do as you said." Shen Wansan is rich enough to rival the country, and Ken Dong's views on coins are much better than those of the Minister of Rites.

"Li Shanchang."

"Chen is here!"

"Immediately print one paper, two papers and other denominations, and circulate the whole country. All gold, silver and copper will be returned to the national treasury."

"According to the order!"

……

"As for the purchasing power of the treasured banknotes decreasing year by year, this minister feels that the imperial court has printed too much." Shen Wansan added, "For a country, it is wrong to print too much or too little of the treasured banknotes."

"Oh, how do you say this?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

When the ministers heard the words, they all listened carefully.The devaluation of the treasured banknotes often occurs, and they have never understood the reason.

"The reason is very simple. We compare a country to a closed village, which cannot trade with the outside world. The annual grain production of the village is a fixed amount, assuming it is only one hundred shi." Shen Wansan said, "If the treasure printed in the village is only 100 taels Silver, then one tael of silver can buy a stone of grain. If 1 taels are printed, then it takes 100 taels to buy a stone of grain.”

"So it is!" Zhu Yuanzhang and the ministers immediately understood.

This truth is very simple to say, but no one understood it before, the window paper was not pierced, and everyone was kept in the dark.Once it is pierced, the crowd will feel that even children can understand.

In history, Zhu Houzhao, because he did not understand the reason for the devaluation of money, collected bronze wares all over the country, and then melted large-scale coinage, making the people miserable, and he still made a lot of money for himself and the court.

"It is very important that the treasured banknotes cannot be printed more or less, because this is related to the trust of the people in the treasured banknotes. If the people do not trust the treasured banknotes, then the treasured banknotes will only exist in name only." Shen Wansan said,
"And frequent currency changes will also have a huge impact on the court and the people."

"In addition, conducting overseas trade is equivalent to opening the village to the outside world, and you can buy food from other villages. At this time, the village just now can make a lot of money by changing the number of printed treasures."

Is there such an operation?The crowd was dumbfounded.

It's a profiteer indeed!The ministers thought in their hearts, this person's cunning is beyond my imagination!If it wasn't for him to say it, it is estimated that no one of the civil and military officials present would know.

Earning a deficit by changing the exchange rate, although Shen Wansan does not know the term, he has already practiced it.Before that, there was an overseas businessman who accepted the transaction of Hongwubao banknotes under his deceit.

(End of this chapter)