Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 62

The Chen Tingjing brothers returned to Beijing according to the order, and set off on the road lightly.It was dusk when we arrived in Taiyuan one day.Not wanting to disturb the governor and other local officials, he found an inn to stay in along the way.Woke up early the next day, had a quick meal and was about to set off, and didn't want Dashun to quarrel with the store owner over the bill.It turned out that the copper coins were used up on the road, and only silver was left.The shopkeeper couldn't find it, and said: "Guest officer, your silver ingot is 12 taels, which is worth the entire store's property. Where can I find it?"

Dashun looked kindly, and said, "Shopkeeper, we have run out of copper coins, please find a way to get them."

The shopkeeper turned his face and said: "I can't think about it, anyway, you have to pay the bill, or you won't be able to leave."

Dashun was very angry when he heard this, and said, "Why are you so unreasonable?"

But the shopkeeper said, "Why am I being unreasonable? It's only natural to stay and pay at the shop!"

Dashun also got angry and said, "It's not that I don't pay, it's that you can't find it!"

The storekeeper became more and more cunning, saying: "Don't embarrass me, even though the store is small and the profit is small, I have seen money!"

Chen Tingjing heard the commotion outside, so he came out to have a look.The shopkeeper has a bad temper, the more kind he is to persuade him, the more he will be tuned out.At this time, a man in official uniform came in, followed by a few yamen servants.When the man saw Chen Tingjing, he cupped his hands and bowed: "Yang Xianzhi, the magistrate of Taiyuan, has seen Mr. Chen!"

Chen Tingjing hurriedly returned the salute: "I don't want to disturb Master Yang!"

Yang Xianzhi said: "The Beifu just heard that Mr. Chen passed by my place last night, but he didn't dare to disturb him late at night!" Seeing such a scene, the shopkeeper shrank his neck and stood aside.

Yang Xianzhi turned around and scolded: "This is Lord Chen from the capital, why don't you have eyes?"

The shopkeeper hurriedly knelt down, kowtowed and said: "Please forgive me for the crime of ignorance."

Chen Tingjing hurriedly asked Dashun to help the shopkeeper get up, and said, "It's okay, you're not wrong."

The store owner got up from the ground and hurriedly greeted the buddy to watch the tea.Chen Tingjing and Yang Xianzhi gave way, and sat down in the inn hall to drink tea and chat.Chen Tingjing called Chen Tingtong to meet Yang Xianzhi again.Yang Xianzhi begged Chen Tingjing to stay for one more day, so as to fulfill the friendship of the landlord, and he had to report to the governor and Futai.Chen Tingjing only wanted to return to Beijing according to the order, and did not dare to delay, so he asked Yang Xianzhi to pay his respects to the governor and Futai.

Dashun interjected: "Master Yang, the store can't find any money, and we don't have any copper coins around us, please help Master Yang to think of a way."

Yang Xianzhi said: "This is easy to handle, you just need to get on the road."

Chen Tingjing hurriedly waved his hands and said, "That's impossible!"

Yang Xianzhi smiled and said: "Master Chen has a clean sleeve, and Beifu has always admired it. You may as well go on the road first, and Beifu will pay for the expenses of this inn. Master Chen will just pay me back in the future."

Chen Tingjing wanted to put some money first, but Yang Xianzhi refused to accept it, and only wanted to settle accounts in the future.Chen Tingjing had no choice but to do so after thinking about it, so he thanked Yang Xianzhi.It is inevitable that when the copper coins are in short supply, the shopkeeper will be full of bitterness, saying that if this continues, the business of the small shop will be impossible.Yang Xianzhi said that he also felt strange, how could the copper coins not be seen, the court had to think of a way as soon as possible.Chen Tingjing then asked if there were profiteers destroying money and selling copper in Taiyuan, but Yang Xianzhi only said that he hadn't heard about it yet.

Chen Tingjing returned to the capital day and night, only then did he know that the emperor had gone to Shengjing to worship his ancestors, and it would take more than [-] days before he could return to Luan.Chen Tingjing wrote "He Yunan Dang Ping Biao" at home without having to face the saint immediately. He read lessons every day, or sang poetry and wine with his father-in-law. The days were very leisurely.

On the way back to the palace, the emperor heard that there was a shortage of folk money, which was very inconvenient.The emperor summoned his ministers to ask, "How much money did the imperial court make last year?"

Samuha said: "Back to the emperor, last year, 910 coins were minted, which is the same as the previous year!"

The emperor asked again: "The imperial court has not reduced the amount of coins minted, so why is there a shortage of copper coins in the market?"

Mingzhu said: "Qizuo the emperor, the minister has sent someone to investigate, and found that the crux of the problem is that the price of money is too expensive. The imperial court made a custom that one tael of silver is worth a thousand copper coins, but one tael of silver can only be exchanged for eight or nine hundred copper coins in the market. If it is too expensive, the people will not recognize it, and the money making will die, and it will not be able to move, and it will not be seen in the market.”

The emperor got to the bottom of it: "What makes the money expensive?"

Mingzhu also said: "Old money and new money go hand in hand, which has been the case in all dynasties since ancient times. But because the people don't like to use the old money of Shunzhi, especially the old money cast in the tenth year of Shunzhi is too light, and the people don't recognize it. The old money stagnates, There is too little new money, and the circulation of copper coins in the market is inconvenient. There are fewer copper coins, and the price of money will be expensive."

The emperor said: "With less copper money, it is inevitable that private casting will eventually harm the court and the people. What good way do you have?"

Mingzhu said: "The minister thinks that new coins should be cast, change the custom that one penny is worth one coin, and increase the weight of copper coins."

The emperor thought about it for a while, and said: "Since ancient times, the importance of making money depends on the situation. The imperial court is preparing for war in Taiwan, so it is very important to straighten out the money law. If the money is blocked, people's livelihood will be inconvenient, and the world's goods will have nothing to come out. , will eventually endanger Kuyin and military pay!"

Mingzhu said: "The ministers and others have discussed that it is advisable for the newly minted coins to weigh one penny, two cents and five cents."

The emperor said: "Okay, since you have already discussed it in detail, I will play it. Samuha, your Ministry of Households hastened to urge the Baoquan Bureau to step up the drum casting and send it to the people!"

In a few days, Samuha presented the new mother's money to the imperial court, and the emperor read it carefully, and it was approved.Pegasus passed the decree to Baoquan Bureau, and the newly minted copper coins were listed soon.But the new money appeared on the market, and then disappeared.It turned out that they were all scoured away by traitors.

There is a bank outside the Xisi archway in the capital, called Quanyi Liji, and the owner is called Su Ruzhai, and what he does is destroy money and make a living.In the dark of the day, three carriages stopped in front of Quanyi Liji Bank, and the side door to the left of the door opened slightly.The carriage entered quietly, and the side door was immediately closed.Su Ruzhai walked over from the corridor and asked softly, "Did anyone see it?"

The man replied: "We are careful, no one will see."

Su Ruzhai grunted, the man opened the box on the carriage, and it was full of newly minted copper coins.Su Ruzhai asked, "How much?"

The guy said: "Three thousand six hundred catties."

Su Ruzhai nodded and said, "Okay, put it in the furnace!"

The clerk followed Su Ruzhai into the counting room, and whispered: "Master, what I brought back today is the new money minted by the imperial court, and each penny weighs [-] cent, [-] cents and [-] cents!" After the clerk finished speaking, he took out a copper coin from his pocket.

Su Ruzhai took the copper coins, his eyes lit up, and he said with a smile, "Okay, the imperial court really thinks about our people! I used to destroy a thousand coins and get eight catties and 12 taels of copper. Now I destroy a new coin and get copper coins." Ten catties! I have earned three denarii more than before! The copper coin collected from one tael of silver can earn a full six denarii!"

The clerk flattered: "Silver turns into copper coins, and copper coins turn into silver. You can make a lot of money by changing back and forth like this. Master, your accounts are very good!"

Su Ruzhai was very proud, and said: "Those officials in the imperial court are also settling accounts, and the emperor Lao Tzu is also settling accounts. They don't know that I, Su Ruzhai, am also settling accounts!"

Su Ruzhai was in the account room telling his assistants this, when someone outside said that Boss Chen from the Mantanghongji Bank had come.Su Ruzhai went to the living room, greeted him with a haha, and said, "Boss Chen, what advice do you have at this late hour?"

Boss Chen hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Boss Su, Gong Xi Fa Cai!"

Su Ruzhai laughed and said, "Everyone post, everyone post. Watch tea!"

The man pours tea.Boss Chen sipped his tea and said, "Boss Su, the court's money-making has increased, and you are making more and more money!"

Su Ruzhai laughed loudly and said, "This is all thanks to the court!"

Boss Chen said: "You are earning more and more money. Do you think the price you give me should be increased?"

It turned out that many money houses in the capital sold the collected copper coins to Su Ruzhai, and the Baoquan Bureau Money Factory only recognized the copper coins from Quanyi Liji.Su Ruzhai said, "Boss Chen, you can't just change the rules you agreed upon."

Boss Chen said with a mournful face: "Boss Su, the matter of destroying money privately will be killed if it breaks out! You let me do it with my head up, and I have to make more money. It's worth dying!"

Su Ruzhai snorted and said, "Don't say such depressing words! Boss Chen, if you envy me for making more money, you can go to the money factory's Master Xiang and sell the copper directly to him without me doing it!"

What Su Ruzhai said about Lord Xiang was originally Xiang Zhong, the stove head.There are 13 furnaces in the money factory of Baoquan Bureau, and each furnace has 400 craftsmen, plus various handymen, a total of more than [-] people, all of whom are managed by Xiang Zhong.The stove has no grades and no grades, and you only rely on your hands to eat.This Xiang Zhong was a cruel and merciless man, all the workers in the money factory begged for food in his hands, and even the people in the yamen of the Baoquan Bureau gave him a little bit.

Boss Chen had also heard about Xiang Zhong's name, and said, "Look at what your Boss Su said, Master Xiang only recognizes you!"

(End of this chapter)