I am the king of the dead

Chapter 186 Going Against Ancestor's Decision

When Yue Qian, Ji Duo, Yuan Bin and others met Ye Fu, Zhu Qiyu was holding the second Great Ming Salt and Iron Conference in the Juxian Pavilion of the Martial Arts Hall.

Those who participated were still the great scholars of Wenyuan Pavilion, the six ministers, the principals of the six departments, and the abacus eunuchs of the internal transport depot, etc.

The book in Zhu Qiyu's hand had already been distributed before that. The Theory of the Wealth of Nations was very long. Zhu Qiyu only discussed five chapters on the division of labor, the role of currency, and the price of commodities, according to the contents of his memory and the actual situation of Ming Dynasty. write it down.

"See Your Majesty, is Your Majesty bowing to you?" When the ministers saluted, Zhu Qiyu motioned for Zhu Gong to stand up, and he himself sat in the center.

Zhu Qiyu waved his hand and said, "I am safe."

Daming's court Wenwu got his wish and could see His Majesty every day.

In Fengtian Hall, Wenhua Hall, Lecture Hall, Beijing Camp, Wanggong Factory, and Tai'an Palace.

Yu Shiyue said excitedly: "Your Majesty, the last time the three ministries joined forces to crack down on private salt and salt imports, it was quite effective. More than 34 private salt and salt imports in Zhejiang, Guangdong and Guangxi were investigated and dealt with, and nearly forty more were confiscated." The family square engraved private salt and salt quotations, and more than 180 salt farm owners participated in it.”

Zhu Qiyu nodded and said: "I have seen Yu Shangshu's memorandum, private salt and salt, it takes a long time and multiple investigations, not once or twice, you can see the effect in a day or two."

When Daming failed to understand the essence of the currency as currency, Daming’s private salt and salt were never investigated and dealt with. Local private and official salt and salt circulated at the same time, causing confusion.

This is equivalent to private coinage.

During the Han Dynasty, Chao wrongly cut down the vassals, which led to the Seven Kings Rebellion. The biggest force among them was Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, and Liu Bi, the king of Wu.

The feudal state of Liu Bi, king of Wu, was located in the southwestern part of Jiangsu, southern Anhui, and northern Zhejiang, where copper was produced and the coast was near the sea.

Liu Bi minted money and boiled salt wantonly in his feudal country, and he was extremely rich. All the people of Wu State did not pay taxes, and all those who practiced and practiced were given commissions. When he raised his troops, Liu Bi alone had 20 army.

Private coining is tantamount to treason, which has been the rule in all dynasties.

So is Daming.

However, the Ming court did not realize that Yanyin was already equivalent to currency. In the past few decades, Guangdong, Guangxi, Zhejiang, Nanzhili, and Huguang wantonly issued Yanyin privately.

Moreover, many homeowners who privately issue salt quotations do not realize what they are doing. They just open and redeem salt at will for the convenience of frying salt for themselves and for the convenience of water merchants to accept salt.

If you don't teach, you will be punished, which is called abuse.

It is a long-term national policy for the three ministries to jointly investigate the matter with the chief secretary and the local government department.

As long as it is carried out slowly, as long as there is another large-scale private issue, it will be the head of the family.

Now it is just a family member, and the illegal income will be confiscated.

The eunuch Lin Xiu bowed his head and said: "Your Majesty, the eunuchs of the inner transport depot have concluded that more than 130 million extra salt can be issued every year at most."

This number is calculated by Haizhuo, which is relatively accurate.

But Zhu Qiyu shook his head and said: "Yanyin matters are related to the people's livelihood and the community, especially when it involves border town grain transportation and salt farms. It should not be too much. Let the inspection of Yanyin prevail. The example of Daming treasure banknotes is still in front of us." .”

He continued: "Every salt coin issued by the imperial court is actually a loan from the court to the people. The imperial court is the creditor. Every time we issue a salt coin, the extra salt coin needs to be borne by private salt farms. value."

"In this way, we must lend the power of borrowing to private salt farms, so that the owners of private salt farms will become one of the creditors."

"It's not good for the country, it's not good for the people."

Daming has only one master, and that is the Emperor of Ming.

It is absolutely impossible for the owner of the private salt farm to share this power openly.

Zhu Qiyu must make it clear that wealth is power.

Large-scale over-issuance will inevitably lead to power sharing, which involves the fundamental issue of who is the master of Ming Dynasty.

A large number of excessive issuances is not only usurping the power of the king, but also the power of the court, which is absolutely not allowed by the court.

"Your Majesty is wise." Jin Lian, Minister of the Household Department, breathed a sigh of relief.

He was afraid that Daming Yanyin would become another treasure of Ming Dynasty. After studying the Great Ming version of The Wealth of Nations written by His Majesty in depth, Jin Lian played, please stop overspending, but he had to stop overspending.

Because the salt was not issued in excess, it was used as currency, and Daming had no salt to use.

Cracking down on private salts and salts, but issuing several times more official salts and salts, is destroying the foundation of the two words of salt administration.

If there is no excessive distribution at all, there is no acceptance of salt. The salt is stored in the salt field, but the common people see the price of salt soaring, but there is nothing they can do.

How much is too much?

As much as private salts and salts are investigated and dealt with, it is sufficient to issue as many government-run salts.

Shi Pu sat up straight and said: "Li Xian has arrived in South Zhili, and he has written many memorials, most of which are hard work of salt and pepper. When he arrived at Huai'an Mansion, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion. I hang up every day. I don’t know cattle and horses at twenty, and I miss my own house at thirty.”

"The local people often refer to the salt farm as the salt prison, which is miserable."

The 15-year-old son of the kitchen household is about to go to the saltworks. The smoke from the stove burns, and tears flow down his face every day. Before the age of 20, he can’t see the cows and horses clearly. When he is 30, he can’t even touch the door of his own house. Arrived.

This is the status quo of salt.

Shi Pu continued: "However, in Li Xian's memorials, he also repeatedly mentioned that some salt fields are not like this. The secret lies in the different methods of decocting salt."

"Your minister thought that he could ask the salt censor to collect more methods of frying salt in the salt field, improve the salt stove, and buy more eye protection, so that the salt will not be blinded when the salt is fried."

"Eye protection, eye protection, smoky, and easy to weaken, it is better to match it with a mask."

"Do you have this kind of eye protection?" Zhu Qiyu nodded and asked.

Shi Pu took out something from his sleeve, handed it to Xing'an, bowed his head and said, "It's exactly this thing."

Zhu Qiyu picked it up and looked at it for a long time. He didn't know what animal skin it was. He sewed two mirrors and tied them to the back of his head with a rope. Although he couldn't see clearly, it was still a good thing to prevent sparks from flying around.

"Where did it come from, and how much is it worth?" Zhu Qiyu asked as he put down the leather goggles.

"The Iron and Steel Department of Shijingchang prepared it for the craftsmen." Shi Pu said hastily.

Zhu Qiyu was quite pleased.

It is not a big invention to sew two pieces of glass into one fur.

He is gratified that the officials of Ming Dynasty finally realized that the working environment of the laborers should be protected, and the officials of Ming Dynasty gradually realized that the laborers are the wealth of Ming Dynasty, this fundamental fact.

Under the leadership of Zhu Qiyu's tireless and sustainable policy of exhausting resources and catching fish, Daming finally started to take this step.

Provide labor protection supplies for the craftsmen.

good thing.

Although the courtiers did not seem to realize that the protection of labor remuneration is also a necessary means to protect the stability of financial affairs, but it is already a great progress.

"Sure." Zhu Qiyu returned the goggles to Shi Pu, signaling the meeting to continue.

The meeting continued. In addition to Yanyin, the Ministry of Industry also discussed a production schedule for the fourth division of Shijing Factory.

Jin Lian, Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, pointed to the Iron and Steel Department and said: "In the 15th year of Hongwu, Wang Yundao said that the official mill in Linshui Town, Cizhou, Cizhou, was restored in the Yuan Dynasty. Emperor Gao of the Taizu said that the benefits do not lie with the officials, but with the people, and the people get their benefits. It will benefit the source and benefit officials."

"In the 28th year of Hongwu, the Taizu dismissed the local government and metallurgical institutes, and paid two-thirtieth of the tax according to the output, which was for the iron class."

Having said that, everyone was a little silent.

Zhu Qiyu knew what Jin Lian was talking about. The Guanye Institute in Linshui Town, Cizhou, produced one million catties of iron a year in Yuan Dynasty. Wang Yundao wrote a letter requesting Zhu Yuanzhang to restore the Guanye Institute.

As a result, Wang Yundao was exiled overseas by the imperial staff, and was probably sent to Java.

In the 28th year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang deposed the [-]th official mill in the Ming Dynasty and changed it to an iron class of [-] draws.

Zhu Qiyu's current Shijing factory is actually against the decision of his ancestors.

Isn't Shijing Factory the official metallurgy institute?
"Continue." Zhu Qiyu wanted to set up the Shijing Factory, and there were not many objections from the court and China, because the iron class could no longer be closed.

Jin Lian, Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, looked around, took a deep breath and said: "In the 13th year of Zhengtong, the iron class in Yangcheng, Shanxi was 62 catties. According to the iron class of 930 draws, the iron production quota in one county of Yangcheng It is [-] forty-five thousand catties."

"In the 28th year of Hongwu, Emperor Taizu Gao set a quota of 110 catties for the province of Shanxi."

"That is to say, the quota for a county near Yangcheng is more than seven times the quota for a province in Shanxi in Hongwu 28."

"Times have changed, but the law of the court remains unchanged."

Quota is the output assigned by the imperial court, and iron class is how much iron the imperial court collects.

The output of Yangcheng County is already seven times that of Shanxi Province during Zhu Yuanzhang's period.

Shi Pu, Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry, took over the conversation and said: "The Ming Dynasty has two capitals and thirteen provinces. Last year, the iron class should have been 800 million catties, and the iron quota was 920 million catties."

"But the annual income of Tie Ke is only about 200 million catties."

How much is 200 million catties?

One thousand tons.

The fixed output of Daming Iron was 16 million catties, about [-] tons, but because the imperial court did not have a government smelting institute, the Iron Collecting Division collected [-] tons.

Shi Pu continued to say with a look of dismay: "Iron is smelted everywhere. I have lived there for a long time. Today, the national treasury has limited iron storage, so we need to build it. The military dispatch and the various government offices in Beijing cost a lot of money. I fear that it will not be enough for the year."

Zhu Qiyu sat up straight and said, "So, the Guanye Institute is imperative."

As soon as the Ming Dynasty came to use iron, it had to rush to buy it from the people, and exchange it with grain or silver. This began in the Yongle period.

The imperial court has no official smelters, so it is controlled by the localities, and it is controlled by the iron factories controlled by powerful families, and it has to act according to their faces.

If the emperor wanted to do something, he had to set up a clever name to win over the powerful gentry, and if they were willing to do it, the common people would follow suit.

After getting money and things, the gentry's money will be returned in full, and the common people's money will be divided into [-]-[-]%!

Now, with the gradual completion of the Shijing Factory, various voices of disrespecting the ancestors' precepts and competing for the interests of the people are constantly emerging in the ruling and opposition parties.

I want to stand up and make this emperor.

Zhu Qiyu had to make this decision against his ancestors.

Instead of tossing about the iron class that has completely collapsed, it is better to find another way, and the government has to do it.

In the huge Ming Dynasty, the imperial court only had a thousand tons of iron available, and when it came time to use iron, they had to rush to buy it, absolutely not.

Hu Wei thought carefully for a long time and said: "Your Majesty, Emperor Taizong Wen, in fact, reopened the official refinery many times at the beginning, and then went to the West many times. I think this is not a violation of Emperor Taizu's Emperor Mingzu. Training."

"Your Majesty, Emperor Taizu is determined to forge ahead. The founding of the country is very different from what it is today. Emperor Taizu Gao said that it is a good policy for all generations to change the old and reform the new."

Hu Mei specially patched Zhu Qiyu, violating the ancestral system?

does not exist at all.

Emperor Taizu Gao practiced the old traditions and reformed the new all his life, advancing and retreating without losing his righteousness, it was not considered a violation of the ancestral system!
The ancestral precepts and eunuchs are not allowed to participate in politics, but with the development of the times, hasn't that also become an established fact?
All the ministers heaved a long sigh of relief, Hu Wei's explanation is very reasonable!
Everyone has not violated the decision of the ancestors!

Kuai Xiang, the head of the Department of Construction and Maintenance, bowed his head and said: "Your Majesty, even if the Shijing Factory is open day and night, it may only be enough for the imperial court. I think that we should also urge the blacksmiths to come to the Shijing Factory to have a look and learn a little bit." Learn, the ingenuity of cloisonné."

"Self-harvesting and self-refining is like a blind man touching an elephant. He still can't get the point. The iron material is extremely poor, and the steel material is very little. I think that the merits of education should be practiced, so as to rule the world without leaving behind virtuous men, and not for the benefit of the world."

Kuai Xiang’s meaning is quite a bit like the Ming version insisting on the dominant position of public ownership, giving full play to the leading role of the state-owned economy, vigorously developing and actively guiding the non-public economy...

It’s just that in the context of the Ming Dynasty, it is the merit of enlightenment. The official refinery of the Ming Dynasty does not compete with the people for profit, but represents the merit of the enlightenment of the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

But Zhu Qiyu shook his head and said, "We'll discuss this matter later. Shijingchang is just showing its edge, and it's not yet established, so it's not appropriate to act rashly."

He rejected Kuai Xiang's suggestion, not because what Kuai Xiang said was wrong, but because the timing was wrong.

At this time, Shijing Factory has not yet started to exert its strength. If it is shown off early, it will be seen by others. If it fails or cannot continue, wouldn't it be ridiculous?
The Salt and Iron Conference, naturally there is salt and iron, sort out the many practices and management methods of the Ming Dynasty on salt and iron in the past, and then introduce new ones to change the embarrassment of the current Daming salt and iron classes.

Every time a salt and iron meeting was held, Zhu Qiyu had to sigh with emotion that Daming was really powerful. Under such extensive management, there were still three Wanli signs in Daming until the Wanli period, the last afterglow before sunset.

According to provincial calculations, the annual output of Shijing Factory is about [-] tons, which is much higher than the cost of [-] tons.

16 tons a year, in front of Daming's [-] tons, seems inconspicuous, but this is a steel material that the imperial court can directly control.

Just like the magistrate collecting land taxes, if the collection is not complete, you have to ask your grandpa to sue your grandma everywhere, and there is no way to stand up and become an official.

Yu Qian took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, Yanyin is an important weapon in the country of Yantie. Yanyin must not be used as a coin. Yanyin involves food and grass in the frontier, and it also involves the salt administration of the country. If it affects the whole body, I think it should be Make a decision early, the world is short of money, the court should find a way."

Currency is extremely important, and it is also very clear in the book written by His Majesty.

Jin Lian agreed: "Silver, silver is the most suitable thing."

　Four more today.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)