My Ming Dynasty, I have the final say

Chapter 48 This man is really impatient with life

"The next thing is the second thing."

After the matter of Duzhisi was settled, Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and motioned for the things to be brought up.

After everyone was given two silver coins, one large and one small, Zhu Youxiao said to everyone.

"The color of silver is the most important one among Zhang Juzheng's reforms in the past."

It was not Zhang Juzheng's initiative to convert government tax items into silver.

There have been twists and turns in all dynasties, but the Song Dynasty was the most fun to play with.

According to their own needs, the Lao Zhao family will let the people convert the tax items into items needed by the government, which is called conversion.

Originally, according to regulations, the price during conversion must be calculated according to the market price, but how can the government do that for you? When collecting taxes, it will inevitably lower the price of the tax items paid by the people and raise the price of the target item for conversion.

One high and one low, a lot of money was squeezed out.

For example, in the second year of Emperor Huizong's reign in the Song Dynasty, Jingxi Road converted the miscellaneous money and salt money that households should pay into wheat and paid it. The market price of wheat was 120 wen per dou, and the government converted it at 53 wen per dou.

Of course, there are more fun ways to play. For example, during the transformation process, the management will not follow the regulations, but artificially prolong the process and increase the number of transformations.

For example, copper coins were originally supposed to be paid directly, but the government required that they be folded into silk first, then the silk into silk floss, and then the silk floss into cash.

In this way, the money received has been doubled three times and is already more than 8 times the original amount.

It’s no wonder that some people lamented that the Song Dynasty’s harsh methods exceeded those of previous dynasties.

"I looked through the archives and found that in the tenth year of Wanli, Taicang had 900 million shi of grain and 400 million taels of silver. The price of grain in the capital is that one stone is worth two or three taels of silver."

"To this day, the price of grain in the capital is worth one tael of silver."

"Gentlemen, what do you think is the reason?"

"This?"

After hearing the emperor's words, a group of people looked at each other and were speechless.

It can’t be said that it was because of Emperor Shenzong’s neglect of government that the people of the world were in dire straits, right?

"Zhang Juzheng's reforms abolished the ban on gold and silver in the Ming Dynasty. The court used silver to collect taxes, and the people also used silver as currency."

"However, it has been 53 years since the Longqing switch, and the amount of silver flowing into the Ming Dynasty is incredible."

"What is the difference between the current situation of our Ming Dynasty and what I said that day about sending a million taels of silver to Liaodong?"

"How could you not know that this moment is just like that moment?"

"Your Majesty's wisdom."

Bi Ziyan had seen the silver coins minted by the emperor as early as in Nanhaizi, and Bi Ziyan said immediately.

"I have long wanted to mint silver into coins so that people can weigh and use them tomorrow. Today I will let everyone take a look."

With that said, Zhu Youxiao picked up the large silver coin in his hand and gestured to everyone.

"The big one is eight cents and nine cents of silver, five cents of platinum and six cents of copper. It's worth one tael of silver. I call it a silver dollar."

"This small one is worth four cents, four cents and five cents, two cents and five cents of platinum, six cents of copper, and five cents of silver. I call it a silver cent."

To put it bluntly, it’s just one yuan and fifty cents.

"The most important thing is that these two silver coins can be blown."

With that said, Zhu Youxiao took the silver coin and blew it, and there was a soft whistle.

Seeing this, the ministers also imitated the emperor's behavior, with faces full of surprise.

After starting large-scale production, the craftsmen of Baoquan Bureau quickly found the skills to cast silver coins. Now the pattern of the silver coins in Zhu Youxiao's hands has been upgraded by the craftsmen.

It's even more beautiful than what Zhu Youxiao painted.

The silver content is nearly [-]%. Even if you have the ability to steal it, you still have to consider whether the risks and rewards are worthwhile.

"This silver coin has another advantage, that is, it facilitates transactions for people all over the world. They no longer need to carry a pair of scissors with them when traveling."

After all, the weight and fineness of silver coins have unified requirements, and it is more convenient to use them according to the number.

You should know that the silver circulating on the market includes "Yuansi", "Green Silk", "White Silk", "Water Silk", "Xiqi", "Stone", "Liuqi", "Camellia", "fennel" ", "single leaning", "double leaning" and other names and colors.

"Your Majesty is wise."

After hearing what the emperor said, all the ministers flattered the emperor and carefully looked at the silver coins in their hands.

"Your Majesty, I would like to ask your Majesty to extend Heaven's grace and order all provinces in the world to mint silver, so as to save the people of Ming Dynasty from the suffering of money shortage."

Suddenly, as a cabinet minister, Han Xu felt that he wanted to bring some benefits to the people of the world, so he stood up and said.

"This is impossible."

Hearing this, Zhu Youxiao instantly became alert.

Although he did not remember the failure of Jiajing coin minting.But he remembered the failure of Apocalypse's coinage.

During the Tianqi period, because the imperial court was short of money, an order was issued for all provinces to mint money to collect interest.

But in the end it ended up in a mess.

Moreover, it is a rare case where even money lost can be lost.

When first minted, the Qianwen weighed eight catties and eight taels (each coin weighed one cent, three thirds and six centimeters), but gradually became lighter. By the autumn of the second year of Tianqi, it was so small and thin that it shattered when thrown on the ground, weighing only four catties and eight taels. Two (each piece weighs seven and two centimeters), which is four kilograms less than the original cast.

Later, these people even fiddled with the ratio of raw materials for making money, changing it from the original copper, seven and three lead to half copper and lead.

In some local money bureaus, even two or three copper coins and seven or eight lead coins shattered when thrown to the ground.

This directly led to people's refusal to use this kind of currency.

The reason for the failure was the same as the failure of Jiajing's currency reform policy. It was due to widespread corruption and fraud among relevant personnel of the money-minting institutions. They either withheld copper materials or used privately-minted money to offset official minted money. Therefore, the government did not gain profits. Most money bureaus even lose money.

"The matter of casting money is related to the livelihood of the people in the world. Money is an important weapon of the country. I have specially set up the Baoquan Bureau to handle this matter. The Department of Internal Finance, Du Branch and the Ministry of Industry will provide supervision."

"Your Majesty, I would like to request that Baoquan Bureau be established in Nanjing to mint silver coins."

Hearing that the emperor had separated the power of minting silver coins from the Ministry of Works, Yuan Yingtai, who was the Minister of Works, felt a little dissatisfied and stood up and made a suggestion.

"Transporting silver to the capital and minting it into currency can be used by merchants all over the world. Such transportation may be a waste of people's energy."

"Is this what the Ministry of Industry means?"

Hearing Yuan Yingtai's words, Zhu Youxiao didn't show anything on his face, but stared at Wang Yongguang next to him and asked.

"Go back to Your Majesty."

Sensing something was wrong from the emperor's words, Wang Yongguang moved aside with some disgust and said.

"As the saying goes, wine reddens people's faces, gold moves Taoist minds, and minting coins is a national event. To prevent anyone from embezzling silver materials, it would be better to just set up Baoquan Bureau in Shuntian Prefecture."

"Ah."

Zhu Youxiao felt very satisfied with Wang Yongguang's answer.

This ability to read eyes is much better than Yuan Yingtai.

"But"

"His Majesty."

Yuan Yingtai wanted to say something else, but was interrupted by Bi Ziyan, the newly appointed Duzhi Secretary Zhengqing.

I can’t stand it anymore. How did this person named Yuan become a Jinshi? Didn’t you see that the emperor’s eyes were already wide open?

Where is it?
Guan Gong opened his eyes.

"This is so hot."

"Huo Hao."

Zhu Youxiao heard this and spoke out.

"Four points go to the Baoquan Bureau for raw materials and wages, and the remaining seven points go to the branch office, two points, and five points to internal funds. How about that?"

"This."

Hearing this, Bi Ziyan hesitated for a moment, should he ask for another point with the emperor?
After all, the emperor had already allocated two cents of the cost of coinage to the outer court.

"Lord Bi, this internal fund has just given 500 million taels of silver to the outer court. Please do it well, but you can't even take the small amount of income that the emperor has found for the internal fund, otherwise you will ask the emperor for it next time. Even the emperor can’t take out the money.”

Hearing Bi Ziyan's dissatisfaction, Yang Chengxiu, the eunuch in charge of the money, smiled.

"But these are all gold and silver from the national fund."

After hearing the hint of kindness in Yang Chengxiu's words, Bi Ziyan still hesitated.

Gold flower silver, high purity silver.

"That's it."

In the end, Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and said.

"Now that the country is in a difficult situation, I will give another point to the outer court."

As Zhu Youxiao's words fell, the issue of minting silver coins was settled.

Three points for the outer court and four points for the inner court.

　Late. Late. Late.

　　Ask for a recommendation ticket, ask for a monthly pass, and ask for a follow-up reading.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)