I started with the Shinsengumi in Bakumatsu

Chapter 148 Saga’s Plot
After a large number of people left the cabinet, many people were a little flustered. However, after seeing Yagyu appear in the cabinet, they found the backbone and reported the matters at hand to Yagyu.

Fortunately, there are still several departments with a few veterans sitting in charge, so it's not that chaotic.

The most important issue is the bank. After the central bank was established, it planned to issue 1000 million gold coins, 3000 million silver coins, and 4000 million yen banknotes.

Although Yagyu has already been preparing for the bank, distributing so much money at once cannot be done immediately.

When Shibusawa Eiichi, Sakuma Shoyama and Ito Koshitaro were in charge, the Central Bank had issued two batches of currency, totaling 600 million gold coins, 2000 million silver coins and 500 million yen.

Japan is not without experience in the production of banknotes. Paper money has been around since the Warring States Period. By the Edo period, the development of banknotes had a history of at least 400 years.

In the anti-counterfeiting technology of banknotes, each domain and shogunate has technical talents.

After the books were returned, these talents came into the hands of the imperial court. The cabinet immediately organized these people and placed them in the banknote printing factory as technicians to study Japanese yen banknotes.

Therefore, even if Yagyu did not send anyone to learn from the West, he still developed the first generation of Japanese yen banknotes.

However, among the members of the mission this time there were banknote-making technicians. Their task was to learn Western banknote-making technology, innovate and develop the second generation of Japanese yen banknotes.

Now the Central Bank has prepared the third batch of gold and silver coins and banknotes. It is only waiting for the cabinet to be confirmed before it can be distributed to banks in various places to recover the old shogunate coins in the hands of the people.

The current new gold coin contains 0.376 grams of gold. Compared with the last new currency issued by the shogunate, the purchasing power of the new gold coin is only one-fifth of it.

However, ordinary people can exchange the old currency for gold, silver and copper coins of equal value. For example, one Wanyan small gold coin can be exchanged for five one-yen gold coins.

Although the purchasing power of the gold coins of the Yagyu cabinet has declined, the Yagyu cabinet has unified all of Japan and can conduct macro-control of the economy. When the new currency is launched, there will be enough supplies to stabilize the price of the new currency.

After establishing trust in a new currency, it will be much less difficult to promote the new currency.

Moreover, 1000 million gold coins require less than four tons of gold, and 3000 million silver coins require more than 110 tons of silver.

These gold and silver reserves were no problem for the Yagyu cabinet. Within just three months of the bank's opening, Sado Kanayama, Konobu Kanayama and Hisikarigo Kanayama once again provided [-] tons of gold and [-] tons of gold. Silver, enough for the Yagyu cabinet to find millions more gold and silver coins.

Among them, gold coins were used for trade with Britain and the United States and other countries, silver coins were used for trade with the Qing Dynasty and other countries, and paper money was temporarily used for domestic transactions.

According to surveys in various places, people in the countryside still use the old currency to trade with others, but citizens in cities such as Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and Nagasaki have switched to the new currency.

Trade between Japan and the Qing Dynasty was also replaced by new silver coins.

Now the third batch of currency is sent to newly established branch banks in various places. Local branches are responsible to the central bank. Local governments only have supervision rights but no management rights. The operations of local banks are completely in accordance with the instructions of the central bank.

As for domestic commercial banks, there are only a few, such as Hongchi Bank, Sumitomo Bank, etc.

These banks were formerly banks and were restructured into commercial banks after approval by the cabinet departments.

Yagyu's banking policy caused dissatisfaction among many people, because in the old days, banks were the main money-makers, and colleagues could help the powerful to annex land.

The current model of commercial banks makes it difficult for them to adapt and increases risks. Therefore, many powerful people have withdrawn their funds and dare not participate in this matter.

In addition, the cabinet announced that only the central bank has the right to mint currency. No other person or locality is allowed to mint currency privately. Even vouchers need to be reviewed by the government and can only be implemented after a specified amount.

There are also regulations on interest rates for loans. The government clearly stipulates interest rates and cracks down on usury. These actions have also hit banks everywhere.

However, these measures taken by the Yagyu cabinet were very effective in promoting the banking system.Now that Eiichi Shibusawa has left for Europe, Yagyu has to personally verify the third batch of currency distribution, and then let the central bank distribute this batch of yen to Nagasaki, Edo, Aizu and even Hakodate.

……

In a prostitute house on Flower Street, several officials in Western tuxedos were sitting together, drinking and mingling. Soon, the lean man in the lead waved all the women to leave, and the man leaning against the door immediately got up and went out to look out.

The leader is Eto Shinpei, who was originally a vassal of the Saga Domain and is now an official of the Cabinet Ministry of Justice.

There were also several Saga Domain feudal lords, including Soejima Taneomi, Okuma Shigenobu and others, and Tosa Domain lord Shojiro Goto.

Okuma Shigenobu said in a serious tone: "Everyone, most of the confidants around Prime Minister Yagyu have gone to Europe. The remaining Ogata Shuntaro, Yamanan Keisuke, Kondo Isamu and others do not need to be afraid. As long as Prime Minister Yagyu dies, the cabinet will inevitably be leaderless. That is Our chance!”

Eto Shinpei nodded slightly and said: "You are right. Once Prime Minister Yagyu dies, the cabinet will inevitably be leaderless. But the problem is that Prime Minister Yagyu is in good health, and only the power of ghosts and gods can make him die suddenly."

Shima Giyu said coldly: "That's not easy, find someone to assassinate him!"

Goto Shojiro looked at Shima Giyu and couldn't help but ask: "Has Shima-sama forgotten Prime Minister Yagyu's past affairs?"

Eto Shinpei then said: "Master Goto, Master Shima is right, assassination is our only way. Of course, I know that Prime Minister Yagyu can kill nearly 200 people in Battousai in one night, so it should not be underestimated.

But as Lord Okuma said, human power can no longer deal with Prime Minister Yagyu, so we will use inhuman power! "

"What inhuman force?" Goto Shojiro was confused for a moment.

"Gun! Use a Miner rifle or a revolver to assassinate Prime Minister Yagyu." Eto Shinpei put down his wine glass and spoke firmly.

Shima Giyu said excitedly: "Okay! Although we returned the army to the court, we still have a batch of weapons, which are enough for assassination."

"I'm going to prepare for the assassination!"

Shima Giyu couldn't wait, but Eto Shinpei immediately stopped Shima Giyu.

"We can't do it ourselves. If we fail, Isamu Kondo's secret police will find us."

When they think of the secret police of the Police Station, Okuma Shigenobu and others no longer have any thoughts of assassination. These secret police are hidden in the crowd and are difficult to detect.

Shima Yoshiyong asked anxiously: "What should we do?"

Eto Shinpei snorted and said: "Don't worry, Prime Minister Yagyu has too many enemies. I think someone will definitely be happy to assassinate him."

"Who?"

Goto Shojiro asked immediately.

Eto Shinpei smiled and said: "Of course they are the descendants of Saigo Takamori and his followers. Saigo Takamori was ordered to be beheaded by Prime Minister Yagyu. These people have long hated Prime Minister Yagyu."

Okuma Shigenobu clapped his hands and said: "Yes, they must want to kill Prime Minister Yagyu to avenge Saigo Takamori! Recently, there was an opportunity. There was a group of people missing from the cabinet. Prime Minister Yagyu was leaving Kyoto for inspection, and without the protection of the Guards Division, only It only takes a few people to find an opportunity to assassinate him.”

(End of this chapter)