Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

Xu Wen Shu's expression turned somewhat strange.

He originally thought this fellow had come to ask for money, but now he was actually saying he would help him solve his problems.

Solve problems? What problems could he solve?

Although Fang Zheng Yi had diverse means of earning money, it could be described as wildly imaginative.

However, the Ministry of Revenue was in charge of national affairs, not a merchant doing business.

Once there was even the slightest action, it would be earth-shattering, affecting the entire landscape.

Seeing Xu Wen Shu remain silent, Fang Zheng Yi asked again: "If Minister Xu doesn't want to listen, then I'll take my leave?"

Having said that, he made as if to leave.

Xu Wen Shu hurriedly stopped him, saying: "Lord Marquis, please wait."

What did it matter what he was doing? As long as he wasn't asking for money, anything was fine. There was no harm in listening. What if he could create a miracle?

Fang Zheng Yi's mind worked differently from normal people. It wasn't the first or second time he had come up with strange ideas!

"Since Lord Marquis is so enthusiastic, it would be against the way of hospitality if I didn't listen."

Fang Zheng Yi smiled and leisurely walked back to his original position.

"Good, since Minister Xu is willing to listen to my ramblings, then I'll give a brief explanation."

Xu Wen Shu quickly sat down next to him, blinking his eyes.

Fang Zheng Yi said: "The current difficulty of the Ministry of Revenue is simply that the number of large expenditure projects has increased much more than in the past, while income is still mainly based on agricultural taxes. Although there is more East and West Sea trade, and commercial taxes are also increasing, it is still far from enough compared to the increase in expenditure, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

Fang Zheng Yi gently sipped his tea: "Minister Xu, what does this indicate? The changes brought about by trains and firearms are unprecedented, so the methods we use naturally cannot follow the old methods of our predecessors to solve the new problems we face now."

"The imperial court cannot easily increase taxes, and it is not feasible to reduce spending. If both increasing revenue and reducing expenditure are impossible, then there is only one way...." Fang Zheng Yi finished speaking and took another sip of tea.

Xu Wen Shu became anxious: "Lord Marquis, are you that thirsty? Can you stop being so coy!"

Fang Zheng Yi chuckled and put down his teacup: "Simply put, it is using other people's money to do our own things."

"What... what do you mean? You're saying that the things the imperial court needs to solve don't use the imperial court's money, but rather use other people's money?" Xu Wen Shu was greatly puzzled.

"That's right, it's about getting money from other people's hands. Think about how many wealthy merchants and ordinary people there are in our Great Jing. If we can utilize the silver in their hands, will your Ministry of Revenue still have to worry about not having money in the future?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Wen Shu's expression suddenly became indifferent: "Lord Marquis, you didn't come late at night to make fun of this old man, did you? I would like to, but how is that possible? Everyone knows that the country is wealthy. Can I petition the imperial court and shamelessly ask for donations?"

Xu Wen Shu scorned inwardly.

He thought it would be some ingenious idea, but in the end, he just said a bunch of words about squeezing silver from wealthy households and ordinary people. It would be easier to squeeze silver from the emperor's private treasury.

Unexpectedly, Fang Zheng Yi lightly waved his right hand: "Donations? What problems can donations solve? What we need to find is a long-term solution!"

"People are always indifferent unless it concerns them personally. If you ask them to spend money for the imperial court and for the sake of other people, even those eloquent scholars will have a thousand and one reasons why they are unwilling."

"Therefore, the problem we need to solve is to transform public benefit into private benefit! We must let them know that there are benefits to helping the imperial court!"

"What do you mean by that?" Xu Wen Shu's expression became serious again.

"Have you heard of the recently emerging exchange in the capital?" Fang Zheng Yi asked.

Xu Wen Shu frowned and said: "I seem to have heard of it somewhere. What does it do?"

"To put it bluntly, it is an organization formed by private merchants. They sell shares of their businesses in the form of stocks on the exchange. People buy stocks, hoping that the business they buy will generate profits, earn dividends, or expect the stock price to rise and sell the stocks to earn the difference."

"And those merchants take the silver from selling stocks to continue expanding their businesses. This is mutually beneficial!" Fang Zheng Yi finished speaking and forcefully tapped the table with his index finger.

A 'thud' sound.

It was as if a flash of lightning streaked through Xu Wen Shu's mind!

Transforming public benefit into private benefit, so that's how it's done!

Xu Wen Shu's face changed greatly: "You mean, the imperial court should also use this exchange method to turn railways and trains into stocks, and then sell them on the market to raise silver?"

"Smart, Minister Xu understood it with just a hint!" Fang Zheng Yi clapped his hands in praise.

"No, no... Trains and railways are important national assets, how can they be placed in the hands of the people? Moreover, have you thought about what kind of impact it would have if the stock price fluctuated and the people lost money? Where would the imperial court's dignity be?" Xu Wen Shu asked warily.

It must be said that Fang Zheng Yi's proposal made his heart flutter, but in the next moment, countless problems flooded into his mind.

Working in the imperial court, whether things succeed or not is still up in the air, but making mistakes is absolutely impossible!

Fang Zheng Yi had anticipated this situation.

He said calmly: "Minister Xu, if you want to do great things, you must show some courage. Furthermore, which of our Great Jing's expenditures is not for the country and the people? What does it mean to not be placed in the hands of the people? The imperial court's money is the taxes they pay. To put it bluntly, the people are supporting the imperial court, and now taking from the people and using it for the people is simply the most appropriate thing to do."

Xu Wen Shu frowned tightly and slowly shook his head: "No, this is too crazy. No one has ever done such a thing before."

Fang Zheng Yi's mouth curled up: "Before me, there were no trains either. If I said that the car could run on its own, the world would think I was crazy, but now everything has been proven."

"In any case, this is a new path worth trying. It is always a good thing for the imperial court to have a new way of thinking and mobilize greater resources to solve problems."

"Minister Xu, imagine. In the future, the major expenditures of most of the Ministry of Revenue's large-scale projects can be solved through private wealth, and the Ministry of Revenue only needs to mobilize small resources to solve big problems. What a sight that would be?"

Fang Zheng Yi got up and patted Xu Wen Shu on the shoulder: "When people from the Ministry of Works come to you for silver again, if they want one million taels, you can directly throw two million taels in their face and tell them to get lost, and not bother you again for this little money. At that time, you, the Minister of Revenue, will be unprecedented, if not unparalleled."

Xu Wen Shu listened in his heart, and a perverted smile gradually appeared on his face, and then his whole body shook!

"This matter is not that simple! I don't understand the essence of the exchange and how it operates. It's too early to say!"

"I don't agree yet, and the imperial court will definitely not agree! Lord Fang, you are so enthusiastic about the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue... Don't tell me you have something to ask for?"

Fang Zheng Yi spread out his hands: "Minister Xu, you are really wronging me. I, Fang Zheng Yi, am wholeheartedly for the country and the people, and I just want to share the worries of the imperial court."

"The trains and railways are all in my hands, and I have openly and transparently informed everyone of the subsequent plans. I have not interfered in the land along the route, and I have given huge profits to others. Doesn't that prove anything?"

Fang Zheng Yi shook his head: "The world thinks I love money, but who knows that I just enjoy peeling... seeing others grow through labor."

"Furthermore, His Majesty today has great ambitions. Railways are to be spread throughout Great Jing, and fleets want to sail the four seas. If it is only through the expenditure of taxes, then this process will undoubtedly be greatly slowed down."

"So, I think this new method is good! As for whether the imperial court will pass it or not, it is not the most important thing. We can always think of ways to solve it. If you think it's okay, I'll help you think of a way to do it together!"

Xu Wen Shu's old face wrinkled, feeling something was wrong.

Why does it sound like I'm actively begging you to do things?

Xu Wen Shu was still pondering, but Fang Zheng Yi patted his hem and said: "Minister Xu, today is just a small suggestion for you. It's getting late, I'll take my leave first!"

Without waiting for Xu Wen Shu to react, Fang Zheng Yi quickly walked out of the study.

......