My Ming Dynasty, I have the final say

Difficult, too difficult.

Some things are very difficult for even the chief minister of the cabinet to do.

The Ming Dynasty’s treasury management system cannot be said to be non-existent, but only not much.

The main problem is that the Ming Dynasty did not have a unified central treasury.

In the second year of Hongwu, shortly after Zhu Yuanzhang established his capital in Jinling, he established the Neikufu, which had twelve treasuries under its jurisdiction.

They are the internal transportation warehouse, the A-shaped warehouse, the C-shaped warehouse, the D-shaped warehouse, the stolen goods and punishment warehouse, and the Guanghui warehouse managed by the Ministry of Household Affairs.

There are three warehouses, Guangjiku, Wuziku and Guangyingku, managed by the Ministry of Industry.

B database managed by the Ministry of War.

Although these libraries seem to be numerous, there is a fatal problem, that is, they are not distinguishable from inside to outside.

Zhu Yuanzhang is a cruel man.

There are two passages like this in Taizu's Records.

The ruler regards the four seas as his home, and consolidates the wealth of the world for the use of the world. Why should there be a distinction between public and private? Taizong, the Mingjun of the Song Dynasty, was also like this!

(Song Dynasty) Emperor Taizong was the first to make private money. Later, he was trapped in the military revolution. The money and silk of the three bureaus were exhausted, but they were stagnant and could not be used. He occasionally issued hundreds of thousands of coins to support the military, but he thought it was difficult to do what he wanted. , it’s all because Taizong couldn’t start well.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt that everything in the world belonged to the emperor, and he learned the lesson of the Song Dynasty's private treasury, so he merged the national treasury and internal treasury.

Therefore, when the prince of the Ming Dynasty got married, it was quite legitimate for the vassal king to ask the Ministry of Household Affairs to pay for the vassal affairs.

Zhu Yuanzhang's definition of the treasury is to accumulate it for the use of the world and for the public use of the world. The main purpose is to make money, not to collect wealth.

But his ideals are full, but the reality is very skinny.

During the Hongwu and Yongle years, when the emperor's rationality was still there, foreign ministers served as ambassadors or deputy envoys to the internal transportation treasury.

For example, Xia Yuanji, the Minister of Household Affairs.

When Zhu Di asked for money to attack Mongolia, Xia Yuanji, the minister of household affairs, held the door of the inner transport warehouse, saying, "No, life or death."

During the Zhengtong years, things began to change.

In the first year of Zhengtong, Zhou Quan, the deputy censor of the capital, sent more than 1,012,700 taels of tax and grain from some southern areas to the transportation warehouse in Beijing for payment, and received more than 250,000 taels each quarter.

This is the so-called "gold flower and silver".

At this time, the internal transportation treasury, except for the salaries of civil and military officials in Beijing, all became the private property of the emperor.

So at this time, who fills the role of national funds?

Hey, it’s Taicang.

After Zhu Di moved the capital, he built warehouses for storing grain and grass in Beijing, Tongzhou and other places, collectively called "Taicang".

This Taicang refers to the Taicang grain warehouse, which stores grain.

At the beginning, Taicang's role was to store grain and grass for the Beijing camp (not responsible for Jiubian).

Due to the orderly management of Taicang, Taicang gradually became synonymous with the amount of national wealth.

But this leads to a problem.

The main job of Taicang is to store military rations. Since the Ming Dynasty's annual income was not enough for the court's expenditure, it often happened that Yin ate Mao rations and transferred military rations, resulting in a shortage of military rations.

In addition, there is the Taicang Silver Treasury, which was established in the 7th year of Zhengtong. It is also called the Silver Treasury: among the ten treasury, silk, silk cloth, horse grass, salt, and customs duties, and everything that is converted into silver, goes to the Taicang Treasury. Those who have no family property, sell off their land, collect store money, and pay the bills with examples are all included.

The main income of Taicang silver is summer tax and autumn grain discount, salt tax discount, household salt banknotes and merchant horse grass discount (incorporated into Tian Fu after the ninth year of Wanli), stolen goods fine silver, and atonement silver (offenders pay the money without penalty) ), official inheritance of bank silver, cases of donations, monks and Taoists receiving ultimatum silver, etc.

The unclear definition of national funds can be said to be the root cause of Ming Dynasty’s poor economic policies.

Now, with the emperor's permission, Bi Ziyan established the concept of national funds.

At the same time, he also began to transfer the management rights of warehouses under the jurisdiction of various ministries to the Du Branch Department.

Bi Ziyan's first goal is the internal transportation warehouse.

Of course, we are not trying to take money out of the emperor's pocket again. Instead, from the legal system, the internal transportation warehouse is separated from the external North Korea.

The salary of Beijing officials is reported by the Ministry of Personnel. After the approval of the national funds managed by the branch office, or the Taicang Bank, the money is allocated to the Ministry of Personnel for disbursement.

No matter now or in the future, the internal transportation warehouse is for the emperor to play with on his own, not in the treasury.

Next, Bi Ziyan set his sights on the warehouses of other ministries.

Mainly the Changying Treasury of Taipu Temple, the Jieshen Treasury of the Ministry of Industry, the Bank of Guanglu Temple, the Bank of Nanjing Hubu, etc.

Each department's inventory is getting richer than the last. Where did they get so many small treasury? They are all confiscated.

That’s what I thought, but it’s too difficult to do.

Although the emperor gave Bi Ziyan an imperial edict, it was impossible for the ministries to hand over their inventory to Duzhisi honestly, and they were always fighting with Bi Ziyan.

Silver represents power.

"how should I do it?"

Sitting in the cabinet room, looking through the account books handed over by various ministries, Bi Ziyan frowned tightly.

This matter cannot be done forcefully. It is a blatant violation of official rules. Even if the emperor protects him, he will never stand in the Ming Dynasty.

"First Assistant, this is the memorial on the water transport management regulations sent by Xu Shangshu."

While Bi Ziyan was deep in thought, a cabinet clerk ran in holding this memorial.

"Oh? Finally here?"

Hearing this, Bi Ziyan raised his head, took the memorial from the other party's hand, and opened it to read.

"The democratic movement is managed by officials, managed by sections, and repaired by provinces."

Looking at Xu Guangqi's description of the water transport reform, Bi Ziyan thought carefully.

Half an hour later, Bi Ziyan sent someone to find Xu Guangqi, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, and they went to Xiyuan to meet the saint.

"Xu Shangshu is an extraordinary person."

Holding Xu Guangqi's memorial in his hand, Zhu Youxiao paced in the imperial study.

"The canal has a total of seven Chao Passes from south to north. Taking Chao Pass as the boundary, there are six administrative offices."

Looking at Xu Guangqi's description, Zhu Youxiao's brain was running rapidly.

Seven of the eight major banknotes of the Ming Dynasty were on the Grand Canal.

From north to south, they are Chongwenmen (Beijing), Hexiwu (Tianjin), Linqing, Huai'an, Yangzhou, Hushu (Suzhou), and Beixin (Hangzhou).

These seven cities, together with Cangzhou and Dezhou, account for nine of the fifteen cities with the largest flow of people in the Ming Dynasty.

If the banknotes are used properly, how much revenue will be generated to the treasury?

If it were a two-dimensional world, Zhu Youxiao's eyes would definitely be gleaming right now.

After returning to Long Shu's desk, Zhu Youxiao took up his pen and wrote down the word "quasi" on the memorial.

"Let's try it first on the section from Beijing to Tongzhou."

Handing the memorial to the young eunuch, Zhu You gave instructions to Xu Guangqi.

"Summary your thoughts and the court's new policies, and send a copy to Yuan Keli, the prefect of Tianjin."

"Your Majesty is holy."

After hearing the change, Bi Ziyan and Xu Guangqi quickly bowed.

"Your Majesty, private merchants are now allowed to participate in water transportation. What about the Cao Army?"

After congratulating him, Bi Ziyan spoke at the right time.

"Cajun." (End of chapter)