1635 Han style rises again

May 1660, 5, Hanzhou, Jianye (now Darwin, Australia).

"How?" Seeing Bai Yuangui walking into the hall, the deacons and shopkeepers of several Indian trading companies embraced him, looking at him eagerly.

"It's done!" Bai Yuangui looked happy, and slapped a document in his hand on the table, but sat on a soft chair with a big back, "Qi Yuanshan, the second assistant to the cabinet, has already nodded and given a A draft to increase the mandate of my Indian trading company."

A big shopkeeper grabbed the document from the table, and then eagerly opened it. Several shopkeepers immediately gathered around and poked their heads to look at it.

"...In order to improve the independence of Indian trading companies and the response speed of territorial affairs, the cabinet ordered the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economics to grant the following privileges to the trading company:..."

"First, the local judicial power and disposal power are granted to the Indian trading company. The legal system formulated according to the local actual situation should be based on the laws of our country and can be modified, but there must be no conflicting or different terms.  … The article must be submitted to Dali Temple for review after the event.”

"Second, allow Indian trading companies to build necessary fortresses and use military standard weapons to set up trading posts or stronghold defense facilities, recruit local natives to build armed forces, send armed merchant ships, transport ammunition, and appoint corresponding fortress officials and Commander."

"Third, Indian trading companies are allowed to establish mints to mint local state currency and common currency in India for trading companies to use in India. However, the casting process, casting quantity, and casting specifications must be conducted by officials sent by Hanzhou Big Bank. supervision and review, and it is strictly forbidden to return to the mainland of Hanzhou and other overseas territories.”

"Fourth, Indian trading companies are allowed to have the right to declare war or negotiate peace when managing affairs in the Indian region, but they must not damage the rights and interests of Hanzhou and other overseas territories."

"Fifth, allow Indian trading companies to have the right to dispose of territories, strongholds, or business stations acquired through war or economic means, including but not limited to handover, possession, and other disposal."

"Sixth, allow Indian business associations to establish local self-governments in India, but they must accept the guidance and planning of the local cabinet government and the military."

"..."

"This... these authorizations... are far beyond our expectations!" a deacon and shopkeeper exclaimed in surprise.

"This cabinet government is not afraid..., and I am not afraid that I will wait in India..." Another deacon and big shopkeeper might feel that the words are a bit rebellious, so he shut his mouth immediately.

When the other deacons and shopkeepers heard the words, they were startled and couldn't help but look at each other.

"Hey, you are all so scared!" Holding a cup of tea, Bai Yuangui sneered and said, "Old Kong, you are also an old man from Dengzhou in the past, where did you have the courage to fight people at sea? So much so that the government gave our Indian trading companies some privileges enough to rebel and stand on their own, and that’s how frightened they are!”

"Old Bai, be careful!" Kong Yucheng glared at Bai Yuangui, then looked around subconsciously, "You old man, don't think that you can speak freely and recklessly because of your qualifications as an old man in Dengzhou! Don't think that Your Majesty thinks about the old relationship, and feels that those black-clothed guards and spies from the polling office dare not touch you? They have no friendship with us!"

...

The Qitian regime has been king for 18 years, and its authority is growing day by day. The veterans of Dengzhou in the past have long since given up their contempt and negligence.Moreover, as the younger generation of Qi gradually grew up and entered key positions in the government and military, they, the veterans who first landed in Hanzhou, basically quit the military and civilian politics, and then enjoyed endless prosperity and wealth in the country.

But if you dare to give birth or do something rebellious, needless to say, just a decree from King Qi is enough to put you in a situation where there is no end to redemption, even a few black-clothed guards or spies from the polling office can easily put you If you take it, you will either be dispatched to a remote overseas island, or you will die silently at home.

"Old Kong, I know the importance!" Bai Yuangui said: "Furthermore, when it comes to safeguarding our Qi State and supporting the King of Qi, no one cares more than us old people in Dengzhou. This authorization draft, you wait I thought that King Qi didn't nod, who would dare to do it? Maybe, some of these additional posthumous privileges were determined by King Qi himself. In the future, when we manage India, we will use our Indian trading company as the pioneer to be the government For things that cannot be done, first find a way out, and seek a huge colonial area and endless market space for Qi in the future."
-

Just when a group of shopkeepers of Indian business houses were rejoicing that they were about to obtain a series of more independent trade policies and more favorable privileges, in a hall in Hanming Pavilion (the seat of the cabinet government), Zhang Wenqi, the chief assistant of the cabinet, Qi Yuanshan (also minister of the Ministry of Foreign Trade), Bi Zhengxing (also minister of the Ministry of Culture and Education, Sun Weijian of the Ministry of Culture and Education, Luan Jinxing of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and Cao Ju of the Ministry of Civil Affairs) and other important ministers of Qi State are worried about the increasingly severe financial problems.

"The Big Bank of Hanzhou has made it clear that they can no longer mint more currency in the name of borrowing from the government." Sun Weijian, Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, said with a wry smile: "They think that there are already a lot of currency in Hanzhou. Adding more coins will inevitably lead to an overall increase in prices in the domestic market, and the final damage will be ordinary people in the country. In addition, the overall increase in prices will also affect the industrial production links of our country, raising the export prices of commodities, especially It is cotton textiles, which will be more affected."

"However, this fiscal year has not yet passed halfway, and the government's budget investment has already exceeded [-]%. If there is no additional financial source, the government may not last until the end of the year." Chief Assistant Zhang Wenqi frowned and said: "It will not be possible. This government plan is put on hold? You know, in July, the crown prince will get married. Although the royal family is the big head, our cabinet government will not spend money at all. In addition, the planned Jian (Jianye) Xin (New Huai’an) railway will be launched one after another, which is a huge investment.”

"Otherwise, the tens of thousands of immigrants stranded in Jianye Mansion, Xuanhua (now Timor Island), and Weiyuan (now New Guinea Island) will be resettled on the spot, and there will be no second transfer, which may save 30 million Come out." Cao Ju, Minister of Civil Affairs, suggested.

"If we do this, I'm afraid that those prefectural and county officials in the southeast and southwestern regions who have already prepared for immigration reception will be furious and will jump up and curse!" Zhang Wenqi said with a smile and shook her head.

...

"Well, who would have thought that the number of immigrants this year would be more than 2 more than the original plan, so that the immigration budget would exceed more than 40." Cao Ju couldn't help but sigh, "Moreover, the benefits that Indian business companies should have Lan's dividends have also temporarily stopped, which has lost hundreds of thousands of income. Handong Trading Co., Ltd. has to support the construction of the American branch, and Nanyang Trading Co., Ltd. has to support the construction of the South African Trading Co. So much so that the entire financial revenue has been greatly reduced.”

By the end of last year, the population of Qi State Hanzhou and its nearby overseas territories (excluding the overseas territories of Ryukyu, Luzon and Annan, and excluding the newly added population in the immigration season that ended this year) had grown to more than 120 million, of which the birth population reached 5000 people, accounting for nearly [-]% of the new population.

Although, at present, most of the immigration work in Qi State is carried out by several major transport companies under the government, and naval ships assist in the transportation. Theoretically, the scale of immigration can reach about 12 to 13 per year.However, considering that in addition to the mission of immigration transportation, the many ships under the Qi State also perform other commodity transfers, armed escorts, or participate in the missions of sabotage and blockade in the territory of Ming Dynasty, not all of these transportation capacities will be devoted to it.

Therefore, when the immigration department submitted the immigration budget last year, after shaving off various factors, it used the budget of [-] yuan to arrange various immigration transportation and resettlement work this year.

But never expected that the number of voluntary immigrants this year has suddenly increased. Countless Chinese in Daming, Annan, Siam, the Malay Peninsula, and Nanyang took various boats and traveled across the ocean to the mainland of Hanzhou without fear of hardships. , in order to seek food and clothing or a wealth.

With more than 20 years of development, the Qi State has rapidly risen in the Hanzhou Continent, and has absolute influence in the Nanyang region. It has twice defeated the powerful Dutch East India Company. Only thousands of people in the coastal areas of the mainland can leverage and Affecting the situation in the mainland, he also defeated the Qing captives on the battlefield several times, and established the undefeated martial arts of the Qi State.As for the surrounding Annan, Cambodia, Luzon, Ryukyu, Japan, and even many kingdoms in the Nanyang region, they have all experienced Qi's military might, making no one dare to underestimate Qi's strength.

For more than ten years, as the power of the Qi State has slowly penetrated and influenced the entire Nanyang region, countless people not only know the military power of the Qi State, but also heard that the country is rich, everyone can eat enough, wear warm clothes, and have houses live, and will receive a piece of land that can be passed on to posterity.In addition, there are even more rumors that there are several gold mountains in Hanzhou, and gold and silver are everywhere. Otherwise, how could Qi rise so quickly?
With a longing for wealth, a dream of changing life, and a vision of a stable and prosperous life, countless refugees in the Ming Dynasty and Chinese scattered in the Nanyang area tried their best to board merchant ships or simple fishing boats and headed south without hesitation. coming.

In the face of tens of thousands of Han Chinese who immigrated spontaneously, the supply points along the Qi State and local immigration reception officials naturally had no reason to refuse their arrival, and continued to accommodate and take care of them very carefully in accordance with normal immigration transportation and reception standards. .

...

As a result, these spontaneous immigrants took up a lot of the immigration budget, so that the government had to spend an additional 30 Hanzhou silver dollars to deal with these unplanned new immigrants.

With a population of one million in Qi State, numerous factories and mines, and prosperous overseas trade, the government's annual fiscal revenue has reached more than 600 million Hanzhou silver dollars (equivalent to about 750 million taels of silver). The total fiscal revenue was less than 400 million taels of silver (of course, the Ming Dynasty still had an in-kind tax revenue worth nearly 2000 million taels of silver), which can be described as extremely affluent.

However, the bulk of Qi's fiscal expenditures——immigration expenses, the annual budget expenditure is about 260 million, accounting for 25% of the fiscal revenue.Although the main body of immigration transportation is carried out by transportation companies under the control of the government, each immigrant needs to spend as much as [-]% from the boarding and transportation, to the second immigration transfer, local resettlement and subsequent subsidies for various living materials. Ten to [-] Hanzhou silver dollars became the largest financial expenditure of the Qi cabinet government.

The finances of the Qi cabinet, except for a few years with a slight surplus, are basically a fiscal deficit every year, making the government so far in debt of more than 300 million Hanzhou silver dollars, and there is a faint tendency to continue to expand.

After more than 20 years of government operation, most officials have studied the relationship between currency and the economy to some extent, and know that the domestic market cannot blindly inject too much currency to make up for the government's increasing deficit.Although, several gold and silver mines with rich reserves were discovered in Hanzhou, especially after the destruction of the so-called Daming Kingdom in the inland area of ​​Northeast China a few years ago, according to Shanyangbao (now Mount Isa, Australia) A super silver mine (the famous Cannington Silver Mine) can theoretically provide the government with inexhaustible gold and silver.

However, what is the use of possessing so much gold and silver with a mere one million people in Qi State?As the king said, gold and silver are just a currency with a certain value and a medium for material exchange. What everyone enjoys in the end is still a variety of real production and living materials.Furthermore, in the surrounding areas of the Hanzhou continent, the only country that can provide abundant means of production and living is Qi itself, and it is completely impossible to achieve that kind of arrogant buying model.

"So, the proposal given by the Hanzhou Big Bank, the issuance of government bonds, is the only way to solve the current financial crisis?" Zhang Wenqi asked in a deep voice.

"I heard that in Europe, issuing bonds and raising funds has always been an effective means for the country to solve financial problems." Sun Weijian, Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, carefully said: "Hanzhou Big Bank and Hanzhou Export-Import Commercial Bank own Many Yi people who are proficient in this method suggest that the government can follow the examples of commercial companies and factories and issue bonds to the market to obtain urgently needed funds.”

"The country borrows money from the people?" Bi Zhengxing, the second cabinet assistant, frowned, and asked with some concern: "Is this move a bit Menglang, and it is somewhat against the state's order... Will the king reprimand him for this?" My cabinet government is absurd?"

"...Probably not." Qi Yuanshan, the second cabinet assistant, shook his head and said, "Your Majesty has always supported the cabinet government to try boldly and be careful in governance. Anything that is beneficial to the development of our Qi country and can improve and enhance the domestic people's livelihood is feasible. I suggest that the Ministry of Household Affairs and several domestic banks should make a total effort to come up with a feasible plan and submit it to the cabinet. As long as Qi can develop rapidly and the fiscal revenue will continue to rise, it should be possible to borrow some debts from the private sector. ability to repay.”

Zhang Wenqi, the chief assistant of the cabinet, nodded slightly when she heard the words, expressing her agreement.

The earliest national debt was born in Venice in 1262.At that time, national debt was issued to finance the war with Genoa.But the difference is that in the past, the king borrowed from the financial industry or merchants for national debts, and there were often cases of non-repayment, which made the credit of the king's loan very low, and the merchants found various reasons to refuse the loan request. .

The national debt in the modern sense originated in the United Kingdom.After the Glorious Revolution, national sovereignty was transferred from the king to the parliament, and the object of debt repayment was changed from the king to the parliament. The tax paid by the sovereign "citizen" of the country became the guarantee for debt repayment, and the national debt has since become a The certificates of borrowing did recover and began to be used as money.

More than a month later, the Ministry of Finance and Accounts of the Qi State Cabinet entrusted the Jianye Financial Stock Exchange to issue a two-year registered bond of 50 Hanzhou silver dollars, with an interest rate of [-]%, with the national fiscal tax as the repayment guarantee. Endorsed and fully sold to all commercial companies, factories and ordinary people in China.

1635 Han style rises again