prosperous age

"Protect Zhang Juzheng, but not the Zhang family?"

As Chen Kai finished speaking, Wei Guangde began to read aloud in a low voice.

"Yes, that's exactly it."

Chen Zi nodded slightly, "If the Zhang family doesn't suffer a bit, they'll have a hard time getting through this."

However, with Hai Rui around, it shouldn't be too difficult.

However, as long as Zhang Jiangling's reputation is preserved, it will not hinder the loan program.

And afterwards, they could no longer turn the tide.

"It's a bit risky."

Wei Guangde said in a low voice.

"But it's worth the risk, if he's truly innocent."

Chen Zi said, but he didn't finish his sentence.

Nevertheless, everyone in the room knew the unspoken meaning behind his words.

As long as Hai Rui felt that Zhang Juzheng had not made any major mistakes, how could anyone else stir up trouble on this issue?

Even if a real conflict were to break out, someone would need to believe it.

It can only be said that Hai Rui's actions over the decades cultivated an image of integrity and incorruptibility, which was accepted not only by the people but also by his colleagues in the officialdom.

Let them put on an act, fine.

As long as the time frame isn't too long, a month or a year is already the limit.

But people like Hai Rui, who did the same thing for decades, are truly impossible for them.

Because he couldn't do it himself, he knew how difficult it was, and admired Hai Rui even more.

If many people initially thought Hai Rui was feigning righteousness to gain a good reputation, now everyone accepts that he was indeed that kind of person.

Although many people do not agree with his actions.

"What do you think?"

Wei Guangde looked at the others, most of whom were now deep in thought.

Seeing this, Wei Guangde said to himself, "I will talk to Eunuch Chen about it and see if he wants to fight for this position."

The palace's attitude towards Zhang Jiangling is probably well-known.

I think Zhang Cheng might not let go of this opportunity to curry favor with the emperor, and might even try to seize it.

It was no secret in the palace that the emperor was dissatisfied with Zhang Juzheng.

Although most people don't know where this dissatisfaction comes from.

Zhang Hong is now the Grand Chancellor, so naturally he won't be in charge of this matter. He still needs to oversee the Directorate of Ceremonial and cooperate with the Grand Secretariat to govern the Ming Dynasty well.

The only ones qualified to get involved are Zhang Cheng and Chen Ju.

Only when they are unwilling to get involved will it fall on the shoulders of those below.

If Chen Ju is to be appointed as an imperial envoy to investigate the Liao Prince's Mansion case, it could lead to a power struggle with Zhang Cheng.

Wei Guangde was also uncertain, and in the end, he became enemies with Zhang Cheng, so he might not be able to succeed.

On the other hand, no matter how many people the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court send, as long as the Censorate puts Hai Rui in charge of the investigation, it can basically take the lead in this matter.

"I think it's feasible."

Lao Kan finally spoke first.

As he spoke, Jiang Zhi nodded and said, "If Hai Rui and Eunuch Chen are in charge, it would be most advantageous for us."

"Perhaps, this is the only way."

Zhang Xueyan also immediately expressed her opinion.

The others either expressed their agreement or nodded, thus finalizing the matter.

"Gongfu, what is your relationship with the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Huguang?"

Wei Guangde suddenly looked at Wei Shiliang and asked.

Asking questions at this point would naturally involve a great deal of implications, so Wei Shiliang thought for a moment before saying, "It's acceptable; you can assign me non-urgent matters."

"Just have him keep an eye on things and let us know in advance if there's any news."

Wei Guangde said, "If this case is ultimately decided, the Ministry of Justice will definitely be involved."

"That's easy to say. I'll write to them after they submit their report."

Wei Shiliang understood. Wei Guangde didn't dare to completely trust the reports from the imperial envoy and wanted to plant another pair of eyes in the local area to observe their investigation from another perspective.

Does this count as leaking information about the investigation?
Of course it counts.

However, if the central government wants to know the process, it's not a big deal.

Therefore, no matter what the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner thinks, he will definitely comply.

Soon, the banquet was set out, and they began to eat and drink in the greenhouse.

It was only at this point that Wei Guangde revealed for the first time his plan to reclaim all the power of the various government offices in the capital to levy taxes on the local areas and bring it under the control of the Ministry of Revenue.

However, after he finished speaking, the previously lively atmosphere at the banquet instantly turned cold.

Yes, these people are now assigned to various important government offices in the capital. It seems that they have people in every government office except the Ministry of Rites.

Taking control of their financial and tax powers is no small matter, even though Wei Guangde explained that it would not affect the administration of the various government departments.

However, the degree of freedom is always different when you keep your money in your own hands versus when you hand it over to someone else.

As for the unification of finances, the imperial court has a better understanding of the fiscal situation, especially the amount of silver that the court can mobilize, but they are unwilling to hand over financial power to the Ministry of Revenue.

"Don't mention this matter again, Shan Dai."

Lao Kan said directly.

Jiang Zhi and Zhang Ke couldn't say these things, and Zhang Xueyan, being a beneficiary, was even less able to speak at this moment.

It's more convenient to mention people like Lao Kan and Wei Shiliang.

After all, they were deputy heads in the government office, although they had a lot of influence.

"Although what you said makes a lot of sense, it is, after all, an ancestral system, and it has been so since the founding of the Ming Dynasty."

Lao Kan continued.

By deliberately mentioning ancestral rules, he was also letting Wei Guangde know that his idea might provoke opposition from the entire court.

Since it's an ancestral system, everyone will naturally stick to it, especially since it's a policy that's very unfriendly to them.

"However, the imperial court's revenue comes from various departments. If a large amount of money needs to be mobilized, the Ministry of Revenue alone may not have enough, while other government departments still have tax revenue lying in their treasuries."

Wei Guangde's plan was somewhat influenced by later generations.

The new China achieved great things by mobilizing the entire nation's resources, realizing the feats of developing nuclear weapons and satellites when it was very poor.

The current situation is that we have tied our own hands and feet.

The imperial court originally had money, but the money was scattered among various government departments, each acting independently.

The imperial court thought it was out of money, but it couldn't handle important matters because of the lack of funds, which would inevitably delay important tasks.

Putting aside other matters, the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue ran out of money when it came to water conservancy projects, especially the Yellow River dam. As a result, they were always frugal in their efforts to control the floods and could only choose the cheapest methods.

These methods are all temporary solutions; they can solve the immediate problem, but in the long run, they will bring more hidden dangers.

If all the funds in the court could have been gathered at that time, a better solution might have been found.

Ultimately, the imperial court simply covered up the matter with a "no money" statement.

Indeed, the imperial court didn't have much money, but it wasn't really in dire straits.

"If you really want to get this done, you have to first empty the treasury of that government office and make them ask the Ministry of Revenue for money."

They need to know that the silver handed over from below each year isn't enough to cover the government's expenses, and they have to ask the Ministry of Revenue for help.

Lao Kan spoke again at this moment, but this time he was giving Wei Guangde advice on how to solve the problem he wanted to solve.

“Only when they realize that they need to go to the Ministry of Revenue will they be willing to transfer all their silver to the Ministry of Revenue and then get the silver back from the Ministry of Revenue for their use.”

Finally, since the various government offices did not need to keep account books, there were no deficits in any of them. All the deficits were recorded in the Ministry of Revenue's main ledger.

Lao Kan continued, "However, it is somewhat difficult to do this."

After all, the tax revenue levied by various government offices on their subordinates is useful and is unlikely to be exhausted or even insufficient.

Ultimately, each government office knew exactly how much silver it collected and how much it spent each year.

If they are really in debt, they will decisively stop some expenditures and wait until the following year to resume them.

They'd rather have the money wait for the task than do the work and then wait for the money.

"This is one of the drawbacks of the existing fiscal and taxation system, which inadvertently gives the impression that various government departments are neglecting their duties."

Wei Guangde nodded and said.

He and Zhang Juzheng had actually realized these things long ago.

However, due to lack of funds, various government departments withheld the tasks that should have been done.

Logically speaking, it doesn't seem wrong.

But many things could suffer significant losses due to delays.

However, these are all invisible, hidden losses, so naturally no one cares.

Although no one brings it up, most people in officialdom know about it to some extent.

"I think we should postpone this matter."

If there are any shortcomings, everyone should think carefully about the problems existing in their respective departments, write them down, and then we can discuss them together.

They always manage to find a way to achieve the best of both worlds in centralizing fiscal and taxation power.

Zhang Ke also spoke up.

"As for the Ministry of Revenue, what I can say is that if any government office has a legitimate need, the Ministry of Revenue will not delay it even for a moment if it has silver in its treasury."

At this moment, Zhang Xueyan also spoke up.

Wei Guangde had told him earlier that in order to get this done, the Ministry of Revenue had to make a show of it from the beginning, that is, the Ministry of Revenue would not accept bribes or demand favors.

Legitimate expenditures must be guaranteed to the fullest extent possible.

Therefore, Zhang Xueyan followed up with a statement from the Ministry of Revenue.

However, since nothing has been decided yet, these statements are just for show.

"Well, there's another matter, which is also related to the imperial court's finances."

Everyone knows that when the Ministry of Revenue, and even other government departments, disburse silver, there is a phenomenon called "disappearance."

Wei Guangde began to talk about the unspoken rules of the imperial court's financial expenditures, in which the Ministry of Revenue was the biggest beneficiary, followed by the Ministry of War.

Who told them to be such big spenders for the imperial court?

The Ministry of Revenue itself doesn't spend much money, but all major expenditures come from the Ministry of Revenue.

After all, they were in charge of the nation's taxes, which was a huge sum of money.

Other departments that spend a lot of money are naturally the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works, followed by other government offices.

As a result, these three government departments were the ones that consumed the most public funds.

It has to be said that Wei Guangde was quite cunning, managing to seize control of these three crucial government offices without making a sound.

If you want to make money, your annual income will be enormous.

However, Wei Guangde's efforts to maintain control over these three government offices were certainly not for embezzlement; his money did not come from them.

Ultimately, if he doesn't get involved in these three government departments, others will, and that's when things might really get messy.

Even though he controlled three government offices, he was powerless against the established practices and could only try his best to control them and prevent them from expanding further.

Take this "floating money" for example. At first, it was only 10%, but gradually its appetite grew, and it became 20% or 30% of the money it received.

Wei Guangde had his trusted confidants control these key positions, which at least kept their appetites from growing further.

Now, Wei Guangde introduced the concept of "Da Ming Silver Bank" to them for the first time, and demanded that all government departments and local government offices open accounts in the bank.

From then on, all payments from the Ministry of Revenue would be made by the Ministry of Revenue issuing money slips to the banks, and the banks would then directly transfer the money to the receiving accounts.

In the meantime, the various government offices of the imperial court eliminated the process of escorting and delivering the goods to the treasury, thus eliminating the basis for the practice of "drifting away".

Of course, Wei Guangde also knew that in order to get the funding, he would definitely have to give gifts, but it was still better than "losing it all".

"If you do this, your Great Ming Bank will have to open branches in almost every prefecture and county."

Zhang Xueyan immediately said.

After all, this government office was going to rob the Ministry of Revenue's treasury, so he reacted the most strongly and thought about it the most.

"The Ministry of Revenue's treasury will still have silver deposits, but these are mainly the annual fiscal surplus."

Taxes from various regions were deposited in physical goods and tax silver into treasuries, all of which were then deposited into the Daming Silver Bank.

From the county level to the prefecture, from the prefecture to the province, and finally to the Ministry of Revenue, all transactions were processed through the Daming Bank.

Wei Guangde said.

"With so much silver flowing in and out, is it safe?"

Zhang Xueyan frowned and hesitated before speaking.

"Safety will naturally be ensured; let me first explain the capital and business of the Daming Bank."

When Wei Guangde explained his plan—that the imperial court would invest, the inner court would hold shares, and that nobles, members of the imperial family, and even wealthy people could all invest—everyone frowned.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xueyan realized that the bank was not a government office, but rather resembled a chamber of commerce.

With everyone holding shares, the imperial court will certainly find it difficult to make a decision on its own.

"As for business, it mainly involves inter-city money exchange and mortgage lending."

As everyone knows, the Ming Dynasty Code explicitly stipulates that anyone who privately lends money or pawns property and takes interest each month shall not exceed three percent.

However, the actual number of people lending money in the private sector is often as high as 50% or even higher.

As far as I know, there are far more cases involving more than one person making a profit each year in the Ministry of Justice.

My real intention in establishing this Great Ming Bank was to regulate private lending and prevent ordinary people and merchants from being exploited by unscrupulous individuals.

The old system of "nine out, thirteen back" and "sitting and taking a cut" should have disappeared long ago.

Wei Guangde continued.

In ancient China, the Yuan Dynasty was the dynasty that ran the largest usury business.

Because Mongol nobles were explicitly prohibited from engaging in direct commerce, the "Ottoman merchant group," which possessed franchise rights, emerged.

They provided wealth to the Mongol nobility and thus gained their protection. The usurious loans issued by the Orkhon merchants, known as "Orkhon money," were also tacitly approved by the authorities.

The modern forms of usury, such as "nine out and thirteen back" and "one-tenth interest taken from the spot," took shape during the Yuan Dynasty.

Such usurious loans have annual interest rates exceeding 100%, and once ordinary people incur debt, many end up "family ruin and death" because they cannot repay them.

These forms of lending continued to be prevalent throughout the Ming Dynasty.

When Wei Guangde first ventured into the private lending business, he insisted on lending money in accordance with the imperial court's regulations, with a monthly interest rate of three percent. That's why he dared to make no attempt to conceal his past.

Anyone who investigates him will find that all the loans that Lord Wei lends out are loans approved by the imperial court, and there is not a single penny of extra interest charged.

Even now, despite the Wei family's large private lending business, he still insists on this principle.

Well, it was also because the Wei family followed the rules in lending that he received far fewer criticisms in the court.

After all, there are very few businessmen these days who lend money in accordance with the laws and regulations of the imperial court.

Especially in the past two years, the economic boom has created a huge demand for funds.

As for whether a 30% annual interest rate is too high, it's actually not.

After all, in a society where gold and silver are the foundation, the total amount of money is limited, and money is more "valuable".

Doing business requires working capital, so a 3% profit margin is really not high.

"Shandai, you're not going to invest in it, are you? And put all those loans you've made into it?"

Lao Kan suddenly asked. (End of Chapter)