Prodigal Son of the Ming Dynasty

  Chapter 963 The minister dared not obey the imperial edict

  Wang Jinyuan gritted his teeth.

  Now the entire Xishan is short of a large amount of pig iron to make steel. Who knows, these merchants have started to drive up prices.

  Damn profiteers!

   Seeing Fang Jifan's calm face, he didn't seem to show any abnormality.

Then he said again: "What's even worse is, **** it, young master, these people are not things. Does the young master know how they trade? In order to trade as soon as possible, as long as there is pig iron on the market, you don't even need to look at the pig iron, just sign the contract directly." The contract, the pig iron contract has been handed over, and the price of pig iron has risen, so I will resell the contract again..."

   "Ah, it's okay." Fang Jifan was surprised.

  Your uncle's, aren't you just futures?

  Are these merchants very creative?

  But thinking about it carefully, the emergence of futures is inevitable.

After all, the transfer of goods is essentially a very complicated process. You want a thousand tons of pig iron, you pay the silver, and if you want to get these spot goods into your own hands, you need to prepare a warehouse, and then hire people. Ship the goods from Warehouse A to Warehouse B.

But... To a certain extent, reselling this thing, especially after the trading market appeared, because the transaction speed has greatly increased, maybe you bought a thousand tons of pig iron in the morning, and saw the price of pig iron rising in the afternoon, and you think it is profitable , Maybe, I just want to resell a thousand tons of pig iron to others in order to gain interest.

During this process, it only takes a few hours. Could it be that you first ask the seller to send someone to transport 1,000 tons of pig iron to your warehouse, and then in the afternoon, send someone to pick up the goods from your warehouse, and then send these Goods, shipped to the buyer's warehouse?

Ever since, a paper contract with a thousand tons of pig iron written on it has become the easiest way for merchants to trade. Anyway, with this paper contract, they can pick up the goods. It doesn't matter whether the final buyer is A, B, B, D, or Zhao Qian, Sun Li.

  Anyway, the trading market can guarantee that you can withdraw the spot at any time.

  It's just... It's the same contract, but with the fluctuation of the price, it's the same contract, but the price is different.

  Shengsheng was played by them as futures and stock market.

  Fang Jifan was also convinced.

  Fang Jifan said with a smile: "Why panic, let's go up."

   "But young master, we... In the future, we will make steel and lay tracks, isn't it..."

  Fang Jifan whistled: "Raw materials have risen, why don't house prices rise, anyway, we are not the ones who pay the bill in the end, fortunately you are still a businessman, shame on you, get out!"

   "..." Wang Jinyuan tilted his head, pondering, yes, now that timber and pig iron prices are skyrocketing, why can't houses go up?

  So, Wang Jinyuan was satisfied: "Young master is wise."

   "If I tell you to get out, if you don't get out, I'll kick you to death like a dog."

   "I'm going, I'm going!" Wang Jinyuan smiled, seeing that Fang Jifan was about to rush forward, he quickly backed away and ran away.

  The young master is the young master, I, Wang Jinyuan, know that the young master will not really kick, this is a certain way of expressing the young master to his confidants, and ordinary people will not do this.

  Wang Jinyuan was delighted.

  It is also a happy thing for him to be a dog under the young master's family.

  ...

  Fang Jifan's buttocks were not hot, but another **** rushed over: "Fang Duwei, Your Majesty, please enter the palace as soon as possible to have an audience."

  Fang Jifan didn't hesitate, and hurried to Daming Palace. In the past few days, His Majesty was thinking about himself, seeing him every now and then.

   When I arrived at Fengtian Hall, I saw many people with angry faces, but my disciple Liu Wenshan was worshiping in the hall at this moment.

  Emperor Hongzhi looked worried. When he saw Fang Jifan coming in, he said, "It's just right for the Qing family to come."

  Fang Jifan only took one look at Liu Wenshan. When Liu Wenshan saw his mentor, he immediately felt relieved.

  Fang Jifan said calmly: "I have seen Your Majesty, long live my emperor."

  Emperor Hongzhi hasn't spoken yet.

  There was Qian Ye, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, who stood up: "Fang Duwei, do you know that the price of pig iron is soaring now?"

  Fang Jifan said: "I know."

  Qian Yeben wanted to raise a teacher to inquire about the crime, but Fang Jifan replied directly to someone who talked about it.

  However, Fang Jifan still looked calm.

  Qianye is obviously a little uncomfortable. He took a deep breath, and he was speaking the truth. A gentleman uses his mouth but not his hands. Zaozao Bureau has run out of iron. The price of pig iron has doubled in just one day. Many officials in Zaozao Bureau actually stole pig iron and sold it in the market. Fang Duwei, The manufacturing bureau is in charge of making ordnance. This ordnance is a joke. It is to supply the soldiers. Once there is no pig iron available, how to make the sword, the firecracker...where did it come from...the trading market is really dangerous. People's things, these merchants are hoarding their goods, it's really abominable. It's so expensive for mere pig iron, they think... this pig iron is a house in Xincheng?"

  As soon as the house in Xincheng was mentioned, all the officials in the palace gritted their teeth and looked at Fang Jifan.

  Fang Jifan once wondered if Qian Ye was criticizing Sang Huai.

  You can see Qian Yeqi's unscrupulous expression, maybe... this guy didn't think deeply.

  Fang Jifan said: "Isn't pig iron always government-run? Without pig iron, mining is enough."

   "What's the use." Qian Ye said coldly: "Many mines have already heard the news and moved. By then, I don't know how much pig iron will flow to the market.

  In an agricultural society, what people are most afraid of is the violent price fluctuations, because... once the sharp fluctuations are harmful to agricultural production.

  This is also the reason why, for thousands of years, the imperial court has suppressed merchants one by one. They believe that merchants are the main source of violent fluctuations in commodities. For these merchants who only know about profit, they must be suppressed.

   But now, the terrible danger has really come.

  Zaozao Bureau here is already unsustainable, many workshops have to stop working, pig iron is gone, what is Zaozao?

  Liu Jian also said solemnly: "Fang Duwei... If there is no trading market, why is there so much trouble..."

  The officials saw that Liu had opened his mouth, and they all spoke up: "Yes, yes, if this continues, how can the border town protect it?"

  Fang Jifan couldn't help but said: "Wait a minute, this is an issue of official governance, what has it to do with the trading market? It's corrupt officials who stole and sold pig iron...Why don't you clarify the official governance first?"

  Everyone was a little annoyed.

  Many people held their breath and were about to speak.

  Emperor Hongzhi said solemnly: "Enough!"

  Fengtian Hall became a little quieter.

  Emperor Hongzhi frowned: "This is the market fluctuation in The Wealth of Nations?"

  He looked at Fang Jifan.

  Fang Jifan said seriously: "Your Majesty, it is precisely because of the extreme shortage of pig iron in the market that the supply exceeds demand and the price rises."

  Emperor Hongzhi frowned deeply: "If you let it go like this, the country will be in danger soon! What do you think?"

  Liu Jian stood up and thought for a while: "The veteran thinks that the trading market should be banned, the merchants should be expelled, and all the pig iron hoarded by the merchants should be confiscated with stolen goods."

   "No!"

Fang Jifan hadn't opened his mouth yet, but at this moment, Liu Wenshan, whose face was already pale with fright, at this moment, did not know where the courage came from, and said seriously: "Your Majesty, absolutely not, as long as there is still a pair of pig iron on the market. Huge demand, even if the trading market is closed, the price of pig iron will still remain high. The so-called blockage is worse than dredging, water control is the same, and it is the same to deal with such market fluctuations. I think...the sharp rise of pig iron may not be a bad thing."

  Emperor Hongzhi frowned.

What Daming pursued was the government-run policy of salt and iron, because pig iron was the most important material for people's livelihood, but now, the price of pig iron skyrocketed, which is not bad. Only barbarians...are so poor that they don't even have an iron pot.

   Moreover, this unreasonable surge made Emperor Hongzhi worried.

  He thought that the officials headed by Liu Jian were right.

   After all, according to past experience, if the imperial court does not take effective measures, once something goes wrong, it will shake the foundation of the country.

  Emperor Hongzhi's face was gloomy: "This matter is related to the foundation of the country. It is not a child's play. The person who came... made an order..."

   Liu Wenshan's face suddenly turned pale.

  Of course he understands that he is a soft-spoken person, but on issues related to the foundation of the country, how could His Majesty listen to the words of a mere Hanlin?

  He couldn't help but glanced at his mentor.

  It seems to be saying, my mentor...how can I do so.

  Fang Jifan was calm and relaxed, and he gave Liu Wenshan an encouraging look.

   Just kidding, my teacher is a respectable person, Liu Wenshan, go ahead.

  Liu Wenshan's body trembled. He seemed to realize the meaning of his teacher all of a sudden. At this time...the arrow was on the string.

  However, Emperor Hongzhi said indifferently: "Decree, the trading market will not be moved for the time being, but pig iron can be hoarded..."

   "Your Majesty!" Liu Wenshan raised his head, bared his teeth and cracked his eyes, but slowly stood up. He raised his head and stared at Emperor Hongzhi: "Your Majesty, please listen to me!"

   "I won't listen, you stand down!" Emperor Hongzhi frowned, this Hanlin, did he take the wrong medicine?

   "It's about the national economy and the people's livelihood, just as His Majesty said, this matter is about the foundation of the country! So..." Liu Wenshan said sharply, "I dare not obey the imperial edict!"

Fang Jifan's jaw is about to drop, my lord, my lord, being a teacher is just for you to argue with reason, you are too honest, you dare to say it even if you don't dare to obey the imperial edict, but you are the opposite thing.

  Fang Jifan subconsciously took a step back and moved a little further away from Liu Wenshan. This person... crazy.

  In the hall... there was an uproar!

   You dare not obey the imperial edict during the period, and you dare to say such a thing when the emperor asks you to go out.

  ...

and also!

  (end of this chapter)