The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Outside Fengtian Hall, snow-white thin ice covers the tiles.

Looking around, the majestic palaces and buildings were all covered by the sudden first snowfall, and it was getting cold.

Three or two little eunuchs, holding whisks, led Song Jing to meet the saint.

"Song Jing, the doctor in the Ministry of Industry, has met Your Majesty!"

Emperor Hongzhi was thinking about underwater firearms and got straight to the point: "How is the progress of the firearms prepared by Song Qing's family?"

"I am stupid and have not prepared it yet."

When gunpowder is thrown into a firearm, a lead must be drawn out.

It is extremely difficult to waterproof the lead wire, which is precisely the difficulty of preparation. Song Jing has not yet figured out a way to ignite it underwater.

Li Dongyang and others showed varying degrees of regret.

Firearms are most afraid of getting wet. If the weather is slightly humid, they will misfire, causing the gunpowder to fail to ignite.

Several people deeply understood this truth, and felt that what Yan Chengjin said was just a fantasy of going to the graveyard in the middle of the night to tell ghost stories.

When Song Jing saw the princes' doubts, he bowed and said firmly: "If you give me some more time, I will be able to prepare it."

Emperor Hongzhi walked a few steps back and forth in front of the imperial court, thinking hard.

Yan Chengjin can understand His Majesty's mood. If you want to put a grade on the level of prosperity of the Ming Dynasty today, it would probably be in the 1960s and 1970s.

Still worried about food and clothing, the court tried every means to increase productivity.

If you want to govern a prosperous world, it is not enough to have a diligent heart, you must know the methods.

He knew it, but he didn't dare to give advice in front of His Majesty.

Yan Chengjin said: "Your Majesty, you might as well wait a few more days."

…

Outside the Meridian Gate, broken snow fell.

Xiong Gan's eyes were distracted, and he stood beside the dismounting monument like a stone sculpture.

Xie Duo, the Minister of Rites, asked in confusion: "What is Brother Ruming thinking about?"

It was not convenient to talk about the matter, and there were imperial guards nearby. Xiong Gan made a gesture of invitation, and only became worried after walking far away: "Yan Chengjin said that the island country has silver mines, and things are rare and valuable. I am worried."

"Brother Mingji is confused. If you have a lot of money, can it still be valuable?!"

This is the same as the sea ban.

The money falling into the hands of the imperial court has nothing to do with them. If there is too much money, it will depreciate the value of the money.

Xie Duo suddenly realized: "Brother Ruming, don't you want the imperial court to mine silver?"

Xiong Gan was slightly stunned and nodded.

If there is too much money, the land and property will no longer be worth the money, which is equivalent to swallowing up their family wealth in disguise.

Soon, the news spread in the court.

No one among the civil and military officials in the dynasty wanted the court to open a silver mine.

The next day, officials began to submit memoranda, objecting to the imperial court digging for money.

Emperor Hongzhi was caught off guard and received more than a dozen notes: "I am going to the mining island to mine silver. Why did the minister suddenly object?"

Xiao Jing said: "Your Majesty, someone has spread the word that too much money will make it worthless."

After a moment, he continued: "Things are rare and valuable, as Xiong Gan, the Minister of Punishment, said."

Emperor Hongzhi raised his eyebrows in displeasure. What was the intention of the dignified minister in sending such news?

The news spread in the palace, and even the East Palace knew about it.

Zhu Houzhao said to Yan Chengjin: "Old Gao, the imperial court dug out the silver, so the twenty-five thousand taels of silver hidden by me are no longer valuable?"

"Although His Highness lost twenty-five thousand taels, he gained a richer country."

"The money of the country belongs to the common people. Even if I ascend the throne, I cannot spend it."

Yan Chengjin's smile froze, you are so accurate.

Even if you want to spend money, the officials will act like your dead parents, and the people will still call you a foolish king.

"I can preserve the value of your highness's money."

Zhu Houzhao came over and said happily: "What?"

"If you put it into the Liangxiang Chamber of Commerce, ten years later, it will still be 25,000 taels."

…

Emperor Hongzhi came to Fengtian Hall, where hundreds of officials were waiting to go to court.

"I heard that someone said yesterday that the imperial court dug a silver mine, would the silver be worthless?"

Xiong Gan lowered his head, glanced at Xie Duo, and remained silent.

The hall was silent for a moment.

"I'm lying!"

If the imperial court doesn't dig silver mines, won't he have no money?

Zhang Heling jumped out angrily: "What are you talking nonsense! I see how you look like a human being, but you don't understand any truth. How did you become a minister?"

Metropolitan Procuratorate, investigate him quickly! I think he, an official, has a shady secret! "

Li Dongyang and others twitched their lips.

Xiong Gan was so angry that his chest heaved violently and he breathed out white air.

Emperor Hongzhi glanced at Xiao Jing, and Xiao Jing hurriedly ran down and dragged Zhang Heling out.

The hall suddenly returned to calm.

Yan Chengjin bowed slightly: "Master Xiong has made a good judgment. The inflow of a large amount of foreign money will depreciate the value of silver."

The imperial court's GDP remains unchanged.

A large amount of silver flows in, but there are no commodities corresponding to the value of this batch of silver.

This is like the imperial court printing a large amount of money, but the value of the goods produced has not changed.

Xiong Gan looked at Yan Chengjin warily: "Why are you speaking for me?"

This sounds a bit like a dog biting Lu Dongbin. He said nice things to you, but you bit him back. It's very strange.

But Baiguan felt that it was reasonable.

He is Yan Chengjin! How could he take the initiative to bear His Majesty's wrath when he usually avoids it? I knew it was wrong as soon as I heard it.

Seeing that the momentum was not right, Yan Chengjin stopped talking.

Liu Jian nodded: "After the imperial court dug back several ships of silver from Mankara, the price of silver did fluctuate."

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Xiong Gan and wondered: "Why is this happening?"

"I don't know either," Xiong Gan said.

Yan Chengjin's eyes moved slightly. There were very few books on economics in ancient times.

Although all officials knew that too much silver would depreciate.

But they didn't know why it would depreciate and what destructive impact it would bring.

The earliest economic book was The Wealth of Nations, written a hundred years later.

It was written by Westerners. In the Ming Dynasty, the basic understanding of the economic system had not yet been formed.

As a time traveler, as long as he wanted, he could make a fortune when everyone was confused.

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Li Dongyang and the other two: "Silver mine, are you not going to dig it?"

Li Dongyang pondered for a moment: "It's still necessary to dig, but a large amount of silver will inevitably cause panic among the people. Now, the gentry in the streets have already known about it."

...

In the capital, the gentry in the streets were in a panic.

The official report spread in teahouses, restaurants and private houses. The island country had an inexhaustible silver mine. If it was dug, silver and copper coins would be the same in the future.

Wang Butui's official report spread to places outside the capital.

Within a month, the whole world will get the news: silver depreciates!

The more silver you have, the greater the loss.

Therefore, the people who lose the most are the gentry.

In this crisis, many gentry don't know what to do.

Yan Chengjin sat in the sedan chair and listened to the people on both sides of the street talking.

In the future, he encountered such a thing. If he can't keep his silver this time, he will travel in vain.

Back to the mansion, he ordered someone to find Wang Bushui.

"Master Yan, you are looking for me?"

According to the rumors, Wang Bushui's face was not good.

"Change all the silver in the mansion into mansions, fields and shops in the capital, and register them under my father's name."

If His Majesty blames him, he will also chop my father.

My father has made great achievements in the three frontiers. As long as Dayan Khan is alive, His Majesty dare not dismiss my father's official position, even though my father is a rookie...

But after following Wang Yue to recover Hetao, all the civil and military officials in the court thought that my father was a rare general in a century.

Only he knew that his father was just a blind cat that caught a dead mouse.

In which war did he not send good generals to help behind the scenes?

However, only he knew this secret.

Three days later, Wang Bushui came to the Yan Mansion with a stack of land deeds to report.

…

Fengtian Hall,

The court's overseas silver mining would cause panic among the people.

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Yan Chengjin: "Does the Economic Department of the Censorate have a way to stabilize the price of silver?"

Yan Chengjin did have a plan, but he was afraid that His Majesty would beat him to death.

"I have something to say, I don't know if I should say it or not?"