I, the queen and the father, start with a deer as a horse

Chapter 210 Royal Bank, Li Yaoyue's Worries
The next day.

early morning.

Inside Fengtian Temple.

Civil and military officials line up on both sides.

Wearing a dragon robe, Wu Mingkong sat on the dragon chair with a cold expression.

As usual, at the beginning, Qian Haonan, Minister of the Ministry of War, reported the situation of the Northern Expedition.

In fact, there is nothing to talk about. Lord Zhou made up his mind to stick to the Jianbei Daoist Office with its towering city walls.

Even if Bai Qi uses soldiers like a god, there is nothing he can do in a short time. He can only take new actions when a new batch of soldiers are added to Jiannan Road.

In addition, it is to use countermeasures to alienate the relationship between Emperor Zhou and the general...

This matter was handed over to Shangguan Haitang, which is top secret and no progress has been made yet.

After Qian Haonan stepped back.

Qin Xingyan, Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, stood up next.

He saluted first, and then solemnly reported to the empress about the problems with the account books of the household department.

In short, it is four words - the treasury is empty.

After that, he analyzed the reasons for the emptiness of the national treasury in detail, and finally concluded that there was a problem with the tax system formulated by the imperial court.

This conclusion shocked all the civil and military officials present, and they guessed in their hearts that Qin Xingyan jumped out at this time to say that there was a problem with the tax system. Could it be because His Majesty and Fang Xiang wanted to follow the example of Emperor Zhou and implement the New Deal?

Thinking of the New Deal, the eight words "Equal tax on Fangtian" and "Integrating land and land into one" involuntarily appeared in the minds of all officials, making them extremely uneasy.

Just when they were panicking.

Qin Xingyan finally revealed his real purpose - to increase business tax.

"When the Daqian was first established, the Taizu lightly paid the tax in order to make a living with the people. Now that 200 years have passed, the land tax has been increased many times, but the business tax has not changed. It is still [-] tax one. Don't say that the business is developed. The country of Wu, even Zhou and Yan, did not have such a low business tax!
Therefore, in the view of the minister, the commercial tax imposed by the court should be collected in different levels, and those who make a living in peace and poverty should be infinitely reduced!Wealthy businessmen, unlimited heights! "

After the words fell, the officials were startled for a moment, then they showed surprise and began to discuss in a low voice.

"Qin Xingyan's words are crazy, the [-]-[-] tax has to be collected in different levels. In this way, a considerable part of the profit of the shop will be handed over to the imperial court."

"Qin Xingyan is just a loyal dog leg in the end, how could he have the guts to change the business tax and offend the gentry and wealthy businessmen in the world?"

"You mean that His Majesty and Prime Minister Fang want to levy commercial taxes in different levels? However, after the implementation of the new commercial tax, isn't Zhenbaozhai the first one?"

"It's true that Zhenbaozhai is the property of His Majesty and Prime Minister Fang, but with the relationship between Your Majesty and Prime Minister Fang, what difference does it make whether the money goes into the internal treasury or the national treasury?"

"This statement makes sense, so what should we do now? Oppose or support?"

"Since this matter is the idea of ​​His Majesty and Prime Minister Fang, we must have considered all aspects before implementing it. We'd better wait and see what happens, so as not to cause disaster."

Baiguan whispered for a while, then gradually calmed down, looked at Qin Xingyan, and remained silent.

Qin Xingyan originally thought that someone would stand up to oppose him, so he was ready to fight the Confucians with words.

Unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time, no one spoke, so he continued:

"The business tax is collected in different levels, how to distinguish different merchants; how much business tax should be paid by different merchants; what should be done if someone refuses to pay...these are all problems.

It stands to reason that the Ministry of Accounting should be responsible for these things, but as the chief official of the Ministry of Accounting, I know in my heart that the yamen of the Ministry of Accounting cannot spare so much energy to calculate this matter.

Therefore, I implore Your Majesty to set up an additional yamen in the imperial court, called the Tax Court, to be responsible for this matter! "

As soon as these words came out, all the officials looked at each other in blank dismay, and they all saw a look of surprise in each other's eyes.

Qin Xingyan's proposal is tantamount to dividing part of the power of the household department, which is by no means a good thing for him, the minister of the household department, but he did so, which can only show that this is not his idea.

The only one who can make Qin Xingyan give up power willingly is Fang Xiang!

From this point of view, it is indeed Fang Xiang's idea to set up a tax court to collect business taxes in different levels!

"If it's just Qin Xingyan's idea, it's fine to refute it, but if it's Fang Xiang."

All the officials subconsciously looked at the tall and straight figure standing in front, and at the cold and noble Majesty sitting on the dragon chair, with a look of hesitation on his face.

If it were in the past, His Majesty and Fang Xiang would be like fire and water.

When they encounter such a thing, they take advantage of the opposing relationship between the two.Can still fight.

But now Fang Xiang often stays in the palace at night, there is no barrier between the king and the prime minister, no matter how courageous they are, they dare not oppose it openly.

"Increasing business tax is nothing more than earning less money. As long as the land is not used, it can be accepted."

With this in mind, all the officials remained silent.

on the dragon chair.

Wu Mingkong looked around and saw that no one objected, and there was a touch of complexity in his eyes.

Before the court meeting started, she still thought that even if Fang Xiu's power was so powerful that he would implement such a system that would harm the interests of all officials, someone would stand up to stop him.

Unexpectedly, after Qin Xing talked eloquently for a long time, no one dared to refute.

It seems that Fang Xiu's status in the hearts of all officials is higher than she imagined!
When she thought of this, she felt a little lost, and felt that she would never be able to overwhelm Fang Xiu in her entire life. She was silent for a while before she regained her composure.

Even if it is to listen to Fang Xiu's begging for mercy several times, she must work hard, not to belittle herself, let alone give up on herself!
Think of this.

She looked up at Qin Xingyan, and said calmly:
"allow."

This short word showed that she knew about this matter in advance, which further dispelled the idea of ​​rebellion among all the officials.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Qin Xingyan saluted politely and retreated to his seat.

Just when the officials thought that today's court meeting would come to an end.

Fang Xiu, who was standing at the front, suddenly stood up, bowed solemnly, and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, I have a book to play!"

The voice fell.

All the officials were shocked, and subconsciously looked at Fang Xiu, wondering what could make Fang Xiang personally play.

the other side.

Wu Mingkong already knew what Fang Xiu was going to say, his expression didn't change at all, and he said lightly, "Sure."

Immediately afterwards, Fang Xiu's magnetic voice was heard spreading throughout Fengtian Hall.

"I implore Your Majesty to set up an additional office in Zhongshu Province, named the Royal Bank, responsible for printing banknotes, saving and lending!"

Royal Bank?

banknotes?

savings?

Borrowing?

All officials were at a loss when they heard these terms, and didn't understand what Fang Xiang wanted to do.

The only thing that is certain is that this Royal Bank is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education and is directly controlled by Fang Xiang. It has a high status, not inferior to the six departments!
on the dragon chair.

Wu Mingkong saw the blank faces of all the officials. After thinking about it, he still asked:

"What is paper money? How do you save? How do you borrow money?"

Fang Xiu took out a stack of paper money from his pocket, handed it to Qin Xingyan, and gave a few instructions.

Qin Xingyan reached out to take it and started distributing the banknotes.

"The so-called banknotes, as the name suggests, are money printed on paper. The numbers on them are equivalent to copper coins. One thousand represents one thousand Wen coins, and one hundred represents one hundred Wen coins.
After paper money is issued, it can be exchanged for gold and silver or copper coins, and similarly, gold, silver and copper coins can also be exchanged for paper money. "

When all the officials heard this, their faces were stunned, and they thought that it was a bank note printed by the imperial court.

Reaching out to take the banknotes, he looked at them carefully for a while, and his eyes were full of light.

"A small banknote has such a delicate pattern on it. It may not be so easy to imitate it."

"If the imperial court can ensure that the exchange of banknotes and gold and silver is not hindered, this banknote is easy to use, light and does not take up space."

"It's just that, no matter how exquisite the pattern is, after a long time, there will still be artificial fakes. There is a shop in Wu State that lost all its money because its bank notes were copied."

All the officials discussed while observing the banknotes.

When Fang Xiu heard this, he gave Qin Xingyan a wink.

Qin Xingyan immediately understood, picked up a banknote, and raised his voice:
"The most worrying issue for you is nothing more than that banknotes are easy to be copied after they are issued."

The voice fell.

Everyone looked at Qin Xingyan, showing their approval.

Qin Xingyan looked around, raised the banknotes in his hand, and said loudly:
"I can tell you that the banknotes are designed by Fang Xiang himself, and several anti-counterfeiting methods are used. The security is absolutely reliable!"

"What kinds of anti-counterfeiting methods are there?"

"First of all, each banknote has a series of special numbers. These numbers are sorted in a special way. When you take it to the bank and hand it over to the principal, you can tell whether it is real or fake at a glance."

"Secondly, the patterns on the banknotes were drawn by several court painters who spent a lot of time and painstaking efforts. No one can reproduce them in a short period of time."

"In addition, everyone can also pick up the banknotes, point them at the sun, and observe carefully, and you will find a small dry letter in the middle. This effect can only be made by the workshop of the Royal Bank of the world! "

"Finally, the material of the banknotes was confirmed after continuous trials. It will not fade within a hundred years, and it has more toughness. If you feel it carefully, you will find that it is very different from ordinary paper!

The formula of this material is also only mastered by Royal Bank!If other workshops want to imitate it, it will take at least several years, or even decades of effort! "

After the words fell, everyone showed surprise on their faces. They looked at the banknotes in their hands again, and found that what Qin Xingyan said just now was really true.

In addition to one thousand and one hundred, which represent the face value, there is also a row of numbers below, which seem to be irregular at first glance, but seem to be vaguely regular.

The material is indeed different from ordinary paper.

Aim at the sun, and you can indeed see a small dry letter.

"I didn't expect that a small banknote would have so many tricks."

"With so many methods, unless the Royal Bank of China steals them, it is impossible for someone to imitate them within a few decades."

Everyone held the paper and wondered.

at this time.

Qin Xingyan continued: "Of course, no matter how sophisticated the anti-counterfeiting method is, it cannot withstand the erosion of time, and it will be forged one day!
Therefore, the Royal Bank will redesign patterns, arrange numbers, try materials, and print new banknotes every ten or 20 years, depending on the situation, to ensure smooth circulation! "

After the words fell, the officials finally realized that the banknotes printed by the Royal Bank might really be able to replace copper coins, gold and silver, and become the currency in circulation.

The amount of gold, silver and copper mined by the imperial court is very small, which is far less than that of other countries. Replacing the original gold, silver and copper coins with banknotes can not only solve this problem, but also make it easier to carry and facilitate circulation.

Thinking of this.

All the officials spoke one after another, complimenting Fang Xiu and his "invented" banknotes.

at the same time.

There are also some people who are more curious about the other two responsibilities of the Royal Bank-saving and lending.

After the Fengtian Hall quieted down, he stood up and asked after saluting:
"Just now Prime Minister Fang mentioned that in addition to printing banknotes, the Royal Bank can also save and borrow money, but I don't know how to save and how to borrow money?"

Qin Xingyan looked at the man and explained: "It's very simple, anyone who wants to save gold, silver, copper coins or banknotes just needs to send them to the bank.

The bank will have a special person to verify the authenticity, keep it on its behalf, issue the voucher, and inform the password.

Anyone can go to the bank to withdraw money as long as they have the certificate and match the password.

Some people may think that doing this is unnecessary. Wouldn't it be more at ease to keep your money in the house?

I can tell you that this is not the case!
First of all, it is not safe to hide money in the house, especially for some merchants, who may lose their money every once in a while.

If there is a bank, there will be no such problem. If the money in the bank is lost, the bank will pay for it. If the certificate in hand is lost, the registered person can re-apply.

Adding a password to the voucher also ensures the safety of the bank deposits. Even if the bandit obtains the voucher, he cannot withdraw the silver without the password.

Secondly, one day in the future, banks will spread across every city in Dagan. As long as your voucher and password are true and valid, you can take out your silver in any city, avoiding all kinds of troubles in the transportation process.

Finally, the silver is deposited in the bank, and the bank will issue interest every other year, which means that you can earn income without doing anything. "

As soon as this word comes out.

A burst of heated discussions erupted in Fengtian Hall.

"If you are not afraid of thieves stealing, you are afraid of thieves thinking about it. If you lose the package and pay for it, it is still safe to put it in the bank."

"The idle money in the house is still on the shelf, and you can earn interest by depositing it in the bank. Why not do it!"

"Speaking of which... the construction of banks in various places is not a small project, and it will consume a lot of manpower and money. After completion, it will only keep money for the people and issue interest. What's the point?"

"Yes, according to what Qin Butang said, one day, every city in Dagan will have a bank. If this is the case, even if you invest all your income for several years, you will still be unable to make ends meet!"

The focus of discussion among the officials is whether the bank's investment is directly proportional to its income.

If a large amount of money is invested in the construction of a bank, in the end, there is no profit at all, but continuous losses, so what is the point of building it?
Just the second after Baiguan raised doubts.

Qin Xingyan began to explain "borrowing".

"As for the loan, as the name suggests, it means that the bank lends money to the people.

After the people get the money, they can plant land, do business, open workshops, lay roads... In short, as long as the law allows, everything is feasible.

The greatest significance of doing so is to promote the development of commerce and trade, and give the common people a chance to earn more money with money.

Of course, not everyone can borrow this amount of money. Those who have a family background can use their mansion or shop as collateral to borrow money from the bank.

In addition, as long as your reasons for borrowing are sufficient, and you have sufficient credibility and strength, you can apply to the head of the bank for verification by the head office in Beijing, and you can still borrow money after approval.

Regardless of the reason for borrowing, you have to pay a certain amount of interest to the bank. Farmers borrow money to make a living, and the interest rate is lower, and merchants borrow money to open workshops, and the interest rate is higher. "

The voice fell.

Once again, heated discussions erupted in Fengtian Hall.

"Isn't this equivalent to handing over the idle money I've been waiting for to the common people?"

"It sounds feasible, but it always feels unreliable."

"If the silver saved in the bank is not enough, can I still take out my own silver?"

Who can enter the Fengtian Temple to discuss affairs is not well-read and weather-beaten.

Hearing Qin Xingyan's explanation, he immediately realized that the essence of a bank is to lend the saved spare money to the common people to achieve the purpose of circulation.

There is no doubt that doing so can indeed stimulate business in a short period of time and make Dagan prosperous.

However, after a long time, if there is a change in any link in the middle, they may face the risk of not being able to withdraw the money.

Even if the interest on savings is high, it is nonsense if you cannot withdraw it!
therefore.

For a moment, everyone was in a tangle.

After the bank is established, whether to deposit money in it is a question!
Just when they waver.

Fang Xiu stood up, looked around, with a solemn expression:

"After the establishment of the Royal Bank, His Majesty and the truth will store all the silver in it as a guarantee!
Even if one day, the bank's funds break down, it will be covered with the money of His Majesty and the truth! "

Speaking of this, he paused and continued:
"Of course, as long as the bank is properly managed, it is almost impossible for the funds to be broken. I can assure you of this!
There is no evidence for the words. After the establishment of the Royal Bank, it will announce the savings and loan money every year, and you will know it at a glance! "

Hearing this, Baiguan subconsciously looked at Fang Xiu, seeing that handsome and resolute face, his heart became inexplicably more stable.

Among other things, over the years, none of the things that Fang Xiang promised have not been fulfilled.

Since Fang Xiang said so, the safety of the Royal Bank should be reliable.

As soon as the Royal Bank is established, the idle silver in the house will be deposited in, and the interest will be paid early.

Thinking of this, all the officials had smiles on their faces.

Only Wu Mingkong on the dragon chair pouted, looked at Fang Xiu with dissatisfaction, and said in his heart: This traitor, he decided to deposit all the money in the bank without discussing it with me. Is there any money in his eyes? I am!

Looking at Fang Xiu, who was in high spirits and enjoying the attention of all the officials, the more she thought about it, the more angry she became, and she said to herself: Tonight, I must punish him well!

at the same time.

In the courtyard of Xiangguo Mansion.

Li Yaoyue put on a dark black dress again, and stood under the tree. The light breeze blew in, causing the dress and long hair to flutter slightly.

There is a touch of weakness in the cold temperament.

She looked in the direction of the courtyard gate, with a worried look on her delicate oval face, and muttered to herself:

"He hasn't returned home for two days, could something happen to him?"

As the eldest princess of a country, although she has just reached Jiji's age, she also knows that the court is far more dangerous than ordinary people imagine.

As the saying goes, a companion is like a tiger. Standing on the court, every step is like facing an abyss. If you are not careful, you may fall to the bottom of the valley.

As the head of a hundred officials, the prime minister stands on the opposite side with the monarch, and tit-for-tat is a common thing.

Fang Xiu didn't return home for two days. Could it be that he offended the emperor of Qian Kingdom and was sent to the prison?
Thinking of this.

Li Yaoyue was even more worried, Liu Mei frowned slightly, and her pretty phoenix eyes showed a look of anxiety.

Although she has no relationship with Fang Xiu, Fang Xiu is his only relative in this foreign country.

To put it bluntly, if Fang Xiu offends the emperor, as Fang Xiu's wife, she will definitely be implicated!
aside.

Seeing this scene, Tao'er, who knew the truth, was a little embarrassed and sad. After hesitating for a while, she finally made up her mind and said softly:

"Ma'am, don't worry, the master will be fine."

Li Yaoyue turned her head to look at Tao'er, with a worried expression on her face, and sighed: "The court is dangerous, even if your master is the prime minister, if you offend the emperor, you will be severely punished."

Tao'er was silent for a while, and said in a low voice: "I don't understand the court affairs, but I know that the master will never be punished by His Majesty."

Li Yaoyue was slightly taken aback by what she said, she looked Taoer up and down, and asked curiously, "Why are you so sure?"

Hearing this question, Tao'er didn't know what to think of, a blush appeared on her pretty face, she lowered her head slightly, a little embarrassed to speak.

never say
She once saw the master and His Majesty in the yard, rubbing each other's ears.
(End of this chapter)