My Ming Dynasty, I have the final say

Chapter 195 Little, too little

Looking at Zhao Han's appearance, although Zhu Youxiao was a little embarrassed, he still encouraged him.

"You can do it, I believe you can do it."

With that said, Zhu Youxiao asked aloud.

"Currently, the output of Baoquan Bureau cannot increase. What is the problem?"

“The main limitation on production is not enough roller presses.”

After hearing the emperor's words, Zhao Han felt bitter, but he could only put away his bitter face and report to the emperor.

"At present, the problem of the steel stamp of the stamping machine has been solved, and it is estimated that it can be used to stamp 30 million silver coins."

“But the number of roller presses limits the number of silver blanks produced every day.”

"Roller Press."

Hearing this, Zhu Youxiao nodded.

"If I remember correctly, the roller press currently used by the Baoquan Bureau was used by the Bingzhan Bureau to press armor, right?"

"Your Majesty, it's true."

After hearing the emperor's words, Wang Mo, who was specially called to the meeting, replied.

"When the Bingzhan Bureau moved to Shijing Factory years ago, because the roller presses were inconvenient to move, they lent some of the roller presses to the Baoquan Bureau. These days, the Baoquan Bureau has paid to move those roller presses. Bought it.”

"Ah."

Nodding, Zhu Youxiao said curiously.

“Why not just make more roller presses?”

"Back to your lord, I'm afraid this may be a bit difficult."

Hearing this, a look of embarrassment appeared on Wang Mo's face.

"These roller presses are left behind by previous craftsmen. Over the years, craftsmen have not been valued, and no one can do many things anymore."

"If the craftsmen in the palace don't know how to do it, go out and find skilled craftsmen."

Hearing this, Zhu Youxiao frowned and said.

"Didn't I already say that? Go hire craftsmen and pay them according to their work. I don't believe it. There are things that my Ming Dynasty cannot build."

"The servant understands."

After hearing the emperor's willful words, Wang Mo had no choice but to bow and speak.

Spend money to hire someone.

If you can't pay for it.

He sacrificed his dignity, went to find Wei Dajuan, and asked Dongchang to invite him.

"Just do your best."

Seeing Wang Mo's difficult agreement, Zhu Youxiao could only sigh helplessly.

"It's difficult for you, it's difficult for me, it's not easy."

There are too many debts owed. This should have been something Zhang Juzheng should have done when he decided to collect taxes on silver.

Until now, forty-eight years too late.

This debt cannot be repaid in just ten or twenty years.

You know, after the Spanish fell, the next one to come was the Dutch, the sea coachman.

Although these businessmen are not very reliable in what they do, they can do something like a Dutch businessman buying British stocks.

But their transportation capacity is much stronger than Spain.

If this group of grandsons transport silver on a large scale again in the future.

It was really impossible to live that day.

To what extent can't you live?

During the Qi Dynasty of the Ming Dynasty, one stone of grain and one tael of silver in the capital.

During the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, the price of grain in Zhejiang was three taels of silver and one stone.

"Your Majesty, this silver can be used to make coins, why not use gold to make coins?"

Just when Zhao Han breathed a sigh of relief, Bi Ziyan suddenly raised his hand and said.

"The price of gold is even higher than the price of silver. If you use gold to mint coins, you will probably need to mint much fewer silver coins."

"gold?"

Hearing this, Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but raise one eyelid and look at Bi Ziyan.

I want to see if this guy is crazy.

"Bi Aiqing can't think of it?"

Looking at Bi Ziyan, Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but move his fingers twice and asked.

"What's the price of one tael of gold now?"

"The price of gold on the market is about one tael of gold for fourteen taels of silver."

Hearing this, although he didn't know what the emperor meant, Bi Ziyan still answered honestly.

"If the coins were made of gold, one coin would be worth fifteen silver coins."

"Bi Aiqing thinks it is possible for the private sector to mint silver coins?"

"this..."

After hearing the emperor's words, Bi Ziyan hesitated and said.

"can."

"Then why didn't they cast it?"

"Because private coinage is tantamount to rebellion."

Having said this, Bi Ziyan's face showed a hint of surprise.

Silver coins are divided into physical value and monetary value.

The physical value is the material price, which is eight cents and nine cents of silver.

The monetary value is the value assigned to the coins by the emperor using his imperial power.

In order to protect the value of this currency, the emperor modified the Ming Dynasty Law and classified privately minted coins into the ranks of rebellion.

He also killed three uncles for this reason.

"Some people, if they want to mint coins, they can definitely do it. They may even be more exquisite than the silver coins minted by Baoquan Bureau."

Looking at Bi Ziyan's expression, Zhu Youxiao knew that he understood why gold coins could not be minted.

"The silver coins are made of one or two important silver coins, and 90% of them are gold and silver. If this amount of money cannot be cast on a large scale, it will be difficult to recover the cost."

"Why is no one minting silver coins nowadays? Because it's not cost-effective. Minting coins privately will make you lose your head. Even if they want to do it, those silversmiths will not follow them. Instead, they will report them."

"After all, compared with the 10% of the fire consumption that needs to be divided with the main family, the main family's 50% of the property is more attractive."

"But if gold coins are minted, the benefits are not as simple as 10% of the fire cost."

"The profit is so great that not even Ling Chi can stop him, let alone beheading him."

"I am stupid."

After listening to the emperor's words, Bi Ziyan simply admitted his mistake.

He also figured it out.

If gold coins were minted, I am afraid that the market in the Ming Dynasty would immediately be flooded with all kinds of fake gold.

The legend of turning stone into gold has been around since ancient times.

If gold coins are minted to be circulated, I am afraid that those wealthy gentry will go home and start the furnace immediately.

"Your Majesty, this servant also thinks that gold coins cannot be minted."

Just when Bi Ziyan admitted his mistake, Wang Mo, who was standing beside the emperor, also spoke up.

"In the beginning, ordinary people would bring their scattered silver to the Longji Silver Bank to exchange for silver coins."

"But since February, some of the chief attendants and stewards of wealthy families have been bringing molten gold and silver to exchange for silver."

"These people now take the minted silver coins to the countryside below. After exchanging them for miscellaneous silver from the hands of ordinary people, they take them home and melt them into gold and silver, and then go to Longji Silver Hall to exchange them for silver coins."

"Because converting miscellaneous silver into gold and silver requires fire."

"good."

After hearing Wang Mo's words, Zhu Youxiao nodded.

"If gold coins were minted, those people might not even consider the waste of scattered silver among the people, so they would just mint fake gold coins."

"Don't mention the gold coins again."

With that said, Zhu Youxiao waved his hand, looked at Wang Mo and asked.

"Have you received any reply from Nan Zhili? How is the opening of a silver exchange shop in Nan Zhili going?"

"Back to the Emperor, this is Wang Tiqian's memorial."

After hearing the emperor's question, Wang Mo took out a memorial from his sleeve and handed it to the emperor.

"The official document sent back from Nanzhili five days ago is said to have been exchanged for 500,000 silver coins, all in large quantities."

"Five million?"

Hearing this, Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but touch his chin.

Five hundred thousand silver coins, the cost is four hundred thousand taels of silver plus some miscellaneous materials. If the extra 30% of the fire consumption is included, it would be a profit of 150,000 taels of silver.

This business is really profitable.

"In Nanzhili, do you have any objections to the imperial court's extra fire consumption?"

"Objection...there are some objections."

After hearing the emperor's words, Wang Mo's expression began to change strangely.

"They object?"

Hearing this, Zhu Youxiao showed an unexpected expression.

"No."

Hearing this, Wang Mo shook his head with a strange expression, and then took out a memorial and handed it to the emperor.

"It is true that some people feel that the fire cost is too high, but more people feel that such a high fire cost is inconsistent with the amount of silver coins given to Nanzhili."

"???"

After Wang Mo's words fell, a bunch of question marks appeared on the heads of everyone in the palace listening to Wang Mo and the emperor.

Opening the memorial in his hand that Wang Tiqian described the silver exchange in Nanzhili, Zhu Youxiao's expression probably represented the old man, the subway, and his mobile phone.

After reading Wang Tiqian's memorial, Zhu Youxiao read another letter, which was a joint petition.

"Since the Longqing switch, the price of silver in South Zhili has dropped three times in one day, and people are in dire straits."

With a strange expression on his face, he flipped through the memorial. After reading it for a while, Zhu Youxiao ordered it to be circulated.

Then everyone's expressions were wonderful.

The central idea of ​​this memorial is that there are not enough silver coins.

In layman's terms, Nanzhili has been suffering from silver for a long time, and the imperial court finally issued its own silver coins.

We in Southern Zhili accept the 40% fire cost of silver coins.

However, this amount is too small. We need more silver coins.

Looking at this memorial signed by three former ministers, seven former ministers, and prefects from various places in southern Zhili, Zhu Youxiao's expression began to look strange.

I thought that the amount of silver in South Zhili must be against minting.

Unexpectedly, this southern Zhili was actually thirsty for silver coins for a long time.

Just when the emperor was having a meeting about silver coins in Xiyuan, he was in the elegant pavilion of Nanlongji Yinhao in Yingtian Mansion, Nanzhili.

Wei Guogong Xu Hongji came to visit in person.

"Have any new silver coins arrived?"

"Returning to the Lord, it's not that fast. The Jin Yiwei who transported the silver left less than five days ago. They want to cross the Huaihe River now."

After personally pouring a cup of tea for the other party, Wang Tiqian looked at the anxious Xu Hongji helplessly and said.

"The silver coins exchanged for you are all made from the emperor's internal funds. If this batch of gold flowers and silver cannot enter the internal funds, there will be no new silver coins coming to Nanzhili."

"Cough cough."

After hearing Wang Tiqian's words, Xu Hongji coughed and said.

"It's not that I'm anxious, it's that the money in Nanzhili is becoming less valuable day by day."

"My lord, please be at ease."

Hearing this, Wang Tiqian stretched out his hand to calm Xu Hongji's breath.

This man has been ill since years ago and has been in a state of recuperation.

"In the next batch of silver coins, the Za family ordered that 50,000 silver coins be specially reserved for the father-in-law's family."

"Fifty thousand?"

Hearing this, Xu Hongji's eyes widened.

"No, it's too few. It needs at least 100,000 pieces."

"Master, not so much."

Wang Tiqian could only say helplessly as he looked at the long-lasting meritorious service of this man who had stayed behind to accompany the capital in Nanjing, served as the commander-in-chief of the rear army in Nanjing and led the rear army, and the admiral Cao Jiang.

"This silver coin is now in hot demand in Nanzhili. There are countless people outside waiting to exchange it for silver coins."

With that said, Wang Tiqian took out a ledger from nowhere and handed it to Xu Hongji.

"Those high-ranking officials have been urging me for silver coins all day long. I left these 100,000 silver coins for the father-in-law because of the contribution my ancestors made to our Ming Dynasty."

"Ugh."

Taking the account book from Wang Tiqian's hand, Xu Hongji simply flipped through a few pages, then sighed and pushed the account book back to the other party.

This is the amount of the reservation, and a deposit of 10% of silver has been paid in advance.

Each one of them was richer than his, the Duke of Wei, and wanted more than he did.

"Wang Dajuan has been in the capital for a long time. I don't know that Nanzhili has been a bitter man for a long time."

"Since the Longqing switch, this money has become less valuable day by day."

Was the South the beneficiary of Ming Dynasty’s chaotic economic policies?

In the short term, yes.

A large amount of silver poured into the hands of some people, allowing these people to easily complete primitive accumulation, acquire acres of land and shops, and use more social labor force.

But what about the long term? That's what hurts.

The Great White Silver is one stone, and the southern Zhili will have six dou, the northern Zhili will have one dou, and the rest will be divided into three dou.

Most of the silver that landed at Yuegang in Quanzhou, Fujian, flowed into South Zhili, Zhejiang and Jiangxi.

The first two are the largest silk raw tea bases in Ming Dynasty.

The latter is the favorite ceramic production base of the Xiyi people, and Jingdezhen is located there.

Jiangxi is easier to say. In addition to being a major ceramics producer, it is also a major grain-producing province.

As for southern Zhili and Zhejiang, food needs support from Huguang and Jiangxi.

Money is just a reflection of society’s productive capacity.

Simply use a normal country in later generations as an example.

The factor that affects the number of banknotes it prints every year, in addition to national economic policies, is gross national product.

If more money is printed than the gross national product, it will lead to inflation. The most direct phenomenon is rising prices and currency depreciation.

If less money is printed than the gross national product, it will lead to deflation.

What? Prices falling?

What are you thinking about?

The most intuitive manifestations of deflation are rising unemployment and economic recession.

The provinces south of the Yangtze River, headed by Nanzhili, entered a period of violent inflation starting from the Longqing switch.

When the increased amount of silver is greater than the social production capacity, we get tired.

Land prices and food prices have been rising year after year.

The monthly expenses of the Duke of Wei's house are now more than twice what they were twenty years ago.

If this continues for another twenty years and prices double again, Xu Hongji will not be able to maintain the daily expenses of the Duke of Wei.

"Now that the news comes that the imperial court is issuing silver coins in Nanzhili and that gold and silver will be banned again, the nobles of Nanzhili are cheering everywhere."

Xu Hongji sighed as he looked at Wang Tigan, whose face had gained weight in less than a month after arriving in Yingtian.

"Wang Dajue doesn't know. Because there is too much silver, the people in South Zhili no longer like to use silver and have begun to use copper coins in large quantities."

"I do feel that way."

Hearing this, Wang Tiqian nodded in agreement.

The copper coins of Yingtian Mansion are indeed more valuable than the copper coins of Shuntian Mansion.

The copper coins of Shuntian Mansion are always one thousand coins.

The copper coins of Yingtian Mansion are always seven hundred coins.

"Things are rare but valuable. Now on the market, this silver coin can be used as two taels of silver. With this silver coin, the monthly expenses of the Duke of Wei's mansion have been reduced by 30%."

Saying that, Xu Hongji looked at Wang Tiqiandao hopefully.

"I wonder if there will be any reply from Beijing to the memorial I sent to your Majesty to increase the monthly amount of silver coins to be given to Nanzhili?"

Looking at Wang Tiqian with a sigh of relief, Xu Hongji asked.

"Increase."

Hearing this, Wang Tiqian shook his head.

"From the perspective of the Zajia family, I'm afraid it will be difficult."

"We have extra firepower, can't we cast it directly in Yingtian Mansion?"

"What does Wei Guogong want?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Tiqian instantly looked like a dog with a changed face, looking at Xu Hongji with contempt.

"The Emperor attaches great importance to the minting of silver coins and inspects them every month. Can they be minted in a place where the Emperor is not around?"

(End of this chapter)