Daming Military Empire

Chapter 54 Connecting the World

Being a businessman in the Ming Dynasty was both lucky and unfortunate. It is said that they were lucky because the court did not care much about these common people who were lower than peasants. After Wanli, it was because of the convenience of the Donglin Party that they did not even have to pay taxes.It is said that they were unfortunate because the status of merchants in the Ming Dynasty was low, and no matter how rich you were, you could not buy respect. Moreover, once the court disliked you, it would confiscate your house every minute, and there was no room for reasoning.

Shen Wansan is awesome, right? He was one of the top ten wealthy businessmen in history. He was as rich as a country. When Nanjing was the capital, one-third of the city wall was built with his donation.As a result, Zhu Yuanzhang was angered because he wanted to reward the three armies with money, and he was sent directly to Yunnan, where he died as a guest.

It can be said that Shen Wansan did not make any mistakes, but flattering did not suit Zhu Yuanzhang's taste, so he was sent to the army. Fan Yongdou and the others were enemies, collaborating with the enemy and traitorous, even if they killed their nine clans, it would be a matter of course.

Therefore, Chang Wei, Fan Yongdou and others in the side hall all had pale faces and fearful eyes. You look at me and I look at you. There is only one confidence conveyed, and that is: despair.

After about a cup of tea, there was finally a loud singing outside: "The emperor is here."

Everyone quickly knelt down on the ground and shouted in unison: "Long live my emperor, long live, long live, long live."

After shouting, they didn't dare to look up, just lying on the ground like that, quietly waiting for the verdict.

Zhu Cijiong looked at the gang of profiteers kneeling on the ground, and really wanted to drag them all out and cut them down. Without the help of these people, how could Houjin get so much food to support an army of 10,000+, and how could it be possible to have such sophisticated weapons and equipment. Jurchen, a tribe that just broke away from primitive society, was able to fight so well that Daming didn't even dare to leave the city. These people are simply talented!
Thinking of talents, Zhu Cijiong had to suppress the anger in his heart. These people have no bottom line in business, but they are all successful businessmen. I don't even have to wear my pants.Being a businessman is indeed a bit treacherous sometimes, but this treacherous traitor is not a traitor of a traitor, they have gone too far, and I must help them get their bottom line back before I can use it.

How to help them get back the bottom line?It's very simple, using both kindness and strength, er, to put it more simply: threats and intimidation.

After Zhu Cijiong sat on the dragon chair, he straightened his face and asked coldly: "I know what you have done, right?"

They naturally knew what they had done, and they didn't dare to quibble in front of the emperor, otherwise they would be guilty of deceiving the emperor, so they all said in unison: "The grassroots plead guilty."

Zhu Cijiong gave an indistinct "hmm", then picked up the books on the long table and read them.

This is called Xia Mawei, and such a clichéd thing as a killing stick in the palace is naturally unusable, so they can only be punished by kneeling, and let them kneel for half an hour before talking.

The group of Shanxi merchants down there were so scared out of their wits by Zhu Cijiong's question, they really brought him here because of collaborating with the enemy and traitorous country, and now everyone only begs the emperor to show mercy, just drag them out and chop them up. Don't harm your family, implicate the nine clans!

However, a quarter of an hour has passed, and the emperor has not yet ordered someone to drag them out and chop them up. There is even a quiet sound of flipping through the book without even saying a word. Could it be that he is reading their crimes?
This group of people became even more frightened. They had done a lot of collaborating with the enemy and traitorous country, and any one of them would be enough to kill the nine clans. Cold sweat broke out on everyone's foreheads, and even some of them began to tremble.

Waiting is always tormenting, and after about a quarter of an hour, the group of Shanxi merchants felt as if they had died once, lying there like corpses, lifeless.

At this time, Emperor Chongzheng Zhu Cijiong finally spoke, and he said slowly: "God has the virtue of good life, I will give you a chance now, here is a list, you can take a look first."

After finishing speaking, he gestured to the eunuch who was serving beside him, and the eunuch quickly picked up a stack of ledger-like things on the long table, and distributed a copy to each of them.

Everyone heard that there was still a chance of survival, and regained a little vitality. They took the list respectfully, and lay down on the ground to look carefully.

Why did only a little life come back?Because there is a state called living is worse than death, they are not sure whether the emperor really wants to let them go or want them to live more uncomfortable than death, so they only recovered a little vitality.

They originally thought it was a list for them to return their stolen goods, and they were ready to lose their fortunes, but when they saw the contents of the list, they broke out in cold sweat. It turned out to be all antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and jewelry!The cheapest ones cost thousands of taels, tens of thousands of taels, and tens of thousands of taels abound. This is not ten or eight pieces, nor one or two hundred pieces, but a thick list, sell them all I can't afford so many antiques, calligraphy and paintings and jewelry!The emperor really wanted them to be more uncomfortable alive than dead!
Zhu Cijiong casually flipped through it just now, and was also shocked by the records on it. These were copied from the houses of the emperors of the Ming Dynasty. There were surprisingly many corrupt officials in the Ming Dynasty, and the emperors of the past dynasties were not good. There are so many family properties of corrupt officials, some of them love to collect antiques, some love to collect jewelry, and even some love to collect calligraphy and paintings.

Not to mention other things, there are 3201 volumes of calligraphy and painting collected by Yan Song, the chief assistant of the Jiajing Dynasty, such as Gu Kaizhi, Wang Xizhi, Yu Shinan, Ouyang Xun, Yan Zhenqing, Huai Su, Yan Liben, Wang Wei, Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu, Ouyang Xiu, Zhao Mengzhao , Tang Bohu, Wu Daozi, Zhang Zeduan, Wen Zhengming, Zhao Mengjian, Qiu Ying and other famous artists have everything. Zhang Zeduan's "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" is one of Yan Song's 3201 collections. How much do you think it is worth?

Everyone lay down on the ground for more than an hour and finally finished the search. Zhu Cijiong asked patiently: "How much do you think these things are worth?"

When everyone heard the words, they felt a bitterness in their hearts, and it really came. They really wanted to say to the emperor: "You should just drag us out and chop us up, all the assets of all Shanxi merchants can't afford these things! It's not so random Is it apportioned?"

Of course, no one dared to reply like that. Chang Wei, who was kneeling on the left, said tremblingly: "If you go back to the emperor, the value of these antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and jewelry is really incalculable. If you insist on a price, Cao Min thinks it is worth at least ten million yuan. Two silver."

Ten million taels, that's a hundred million. Zhu Cijiong didn't expect these things to be sold for so much money in ancient times. He nodded in satisfaction, and looked at Fan Yongdou on the right.

Fan Yongdou saw that the emperor had come to see him, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and reply: "If you return to the emperor, these things are estimated to be sold for more than ten million taels in Taiping years, but now the world is in chaos, antiques cannot be sold at all, and jewels are also sold." It can only be sold to the accompanying capital of Nanzhili, but this calligraphy and painting can be sold in the capital."

Zhu Cijiong nodded in satisfaction again, an expert is an expert, and he would have thought of this thing wherever he sold it.

He continued to say slowly: "Well, let's estimate the price at 9000 million taels."

When Chang Wei, Fan Yongdou and the others heard the words, their complexions immediately turned ashen, they could make do with 900 million taels, and 9000 million taels, even if they were killed!
Zhu Cijiong took a breath, and continued: "I want to set up a firm with a total asset of 9000 million taels. These antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and jewelry will be invested at a rate of [-] million taels, accounting for [-]%. , Jinyiwei and Dongchang are responsible for assisting and supervising, accounting for half of it, what do you think?"

Now Chang Wei and Fan Yongdou were dumbfounded. They bought the shares and got 500% of the shares, only [-] million taels. It doesn't seem like they want their lives!
Chang Wei asked a little uncertainly: "Your Majesty, you mean that we want us to do business with these antiques, calligraphy, paintings and jewelry?"

Zhu Cijiong nodded and said: "Yes, I want you to use these things to do business. Do you know what the bank notes are?"

They naturally know what a bank note is. These days, as long as the assets are 10 taels, the bank note has become an indispensable thing. You can't always carry tons of money to do business, right?

As soon as they talked about things related to business, these people came to life completely. Fan Yongdou asked immediately: "Your Majesty, do you mean to set up a firm that can issue bank notes?"

Zhu Cijiong nodded again when he heard the words: "Yes, I want to establish such a company, but it's not a small business like yours. It can only be exchanged in the capital and Shanxi. I want to establish semicolons in the two capitals and the thirteen provinces. , my bank notes must be valid throughout the country!"

It is common across the country, that is, connecting the world. This has always been a dream of Shanxi merchants. This dream was not realized until the establishment of the Qing Dynasty in history and they became imperial merchants.But it's different now. Emperor Chongzheng Zhu Cijiong helped them realize this dream ahead of schedule, but it was the emperor instead of Shanxi merchants who led them.

No one doubts whether Zhu Cijiong can build semicolons all over the country. In this era of supremacy of imperial power, things that others can't do in a lifetime, for the emperor, only need a word of mouth.

What a great feat it is to connect the world!No one has ever achieved it in history, and now it will be realized in their hands. Everyone is very excited. Fan Yongdou asked with a flushed face: "Your Majesty, do you want to connect the world?"

Seeing their excited appearance, Zhu Cijiong couldn't help but frown. These profiteers, traitors, if I didn't value your talents, could I easily let you go?

The reason why Zhu Cijiong decided to use them was also a helpless move. As an emperor, he could do whatever he wanted in name, but there was a limit to everything. He couldn't just recruit all the wealthy businessmen in the country for no reason and force them to buy shares and serve him. That is forcing them to rebel!

These people are different. They have committed the great crime of punishing the Nine Clans. As long as their entire clan is not destroyed, they will not dare to resist what they are asked to do. If the biggest pain is in his hands, they will not be afraid of their disobedience.

Of course, it’s not enough to just grab the sore feet, you also need to grab some hostages to be safe. Zhu Cijiong coughed and said hypocritically: “Well, you don’t want to do things like collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country in the future, and do things for me properly. I won't treat you badly. Huang Taiji will probably go crazy with your rebellion. Your descendants will be in danger. Send them all to the capital. I will send Jin Yiwei to protect them day and night to ensure that nothing will happen to them. "

It is said to be protection, but it is actually surveillance. These people know in their hearts that what they have committed is a serious crime against the nine clans. The emperor is thankful for letting them go. Now they are reused to establish a business name and connect the world. This will send all their children and grandchildren to the capital. It should be taken as hostages, only in this way can the emperor let them do things with confidence.

(End of this chapter)