I'm really not doing business

Chapter 735: Be prepared for a rainy day, be prepared for danger in times of peace and plan for the long term

If the copper-silver bimetallic standard mentioned by Shen Shixing is not remedied, the Ming Dynasty will fall into another kind of money shortage. There is money, but the money is not circulating, which is the absurdity of liquidity crisis. This crisis has already had signs in Songjiang Prefecture, but not in the capital of the Ming Dynasty, which is something that the court officials cannot see.

In the Ming Dynasty, only the capital had imperial silver coins, and there was no liquidity crisis in the circulation of silver coins in the capital.

Moreover, this crisis is difficult to resolve. The more you invest, the more dangerous it is, because money always flows to places where there is no shortage of money.

The flexible ratio between copper coins and silver coins effectively avoided the occurrence of such absurdities. This policy was very effective, and for the imperial court, it provided an additional tool to resolve conflicts.

Zhu Yijun, based on Shen Shixing's idea that economic power determines political power, completed the third volume of class theory, "Struggle".

Before Zhu Yijun had the time to explain the contents of this volume, Zhang Juzheng, the imperial tutor of the Ming Dynasty, had blocked the gate of Tonghe Palace and hurried into the imperial study. The Ming Emperor had just finished his self-reflection and asked Zhang Juzheng to wait for a while and have some tea. He changed into his regular clothes before returning to the imperial study.

But the atmosphere was a bit depressing. The emperor didn't speak, and the prime minister didn't speak either. The two of them just sat there quietly for half an hour. Eunuchs like Feng Bao and Zhang Hong didn't dare to make a sound. Even the movements of looking at the tea were very cautious and they didn't dare to make any noise.

Feng Bao swore that he had never seen such a horrible scene in his life. Even though there was no quarrel, the atmosphere was so depressing that it made it difficult to breathe.

The silence at this time was deafening.

"Sir, Wang Ci Fu's son Wang Qian once told me that there is a power called the power of silence. Language is sometimes pale. During a conversation, appropriate silence will allow the audience to think about the mystery themselves." Zhu Yijun sighed. Zhang Juzheng ran to Tonghe Palace but said nothing. It was a silent resistance, a silent accusation.

Zhang Juzheng took a deep breath and said, "Mencius said: To criticize the king is called respect, to promote the good and to suppress the evil is called respect. My king cannot be called a thief."

To criticize the king's faults is the greatest obedience, and to explain good laws and beautiful politics to the king in order to block his evil thoughts is the greatest respect. The previous kings did it, but today's kings cannot do it. The ministers who say this are thieves.

"Your Majesty, my greatest crime is that I was obsessed with fame and fortune and thought that this class theory was somewhat novel. In order to gain some false reputation, I spread such false words to mislead the people. The great mistake has not yet been made. I request your permission to recall the first two volumes of the class theory and burn them." Zhang Juzheng took a deep breath. He sincerely believed that he was wrong.

The first volume of class theory was born on the basis of the theory of contradiction and the theory of public and private. It was mainly to explain some phenomena that could not be explained by past political and economic theories. There was nothing special in the first volume. By the second volume, Zhang Juzheng realized what kind of door he had opened. Now, not many scholars and officials in the Ming Dynasty would adopt the narrative of class theory and avoid talking about class. The big mistake has not been made yet and there is still a chance to save everything.

“It’s not wrong.”

“This is wrong. It’s very wrong.”

Both Zhu Yijun and Zhang Juzheng spoke very fast. The emperor said it was not a mistake, but Zhang Juzheng thought it was a big mistake.

"Sir, you know very well that this is not wrong, it is inevitable." Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "Sir, if the first two or three volumes of the theory of class are really wrong, then there is no need to worry about it, because no one will take it seriously. In the process of dissemination, it will naturally be lost. Sir, you want me to burn the book now because you know that it is right and will spread more and more widely. It will still be a classic passed down a hundred years, or even hundreds of years later."

"It is wrong now." Zhang Juzheng said immediately: "Whether it will be right in the future, I don't know, but it is wrong now, which is very important."

Given the current productivity situation in the Ming Dynasty, the most important thing is to make good use of the land, grow more crops, transform the Ming Dynasty from a small peasant economy to a commodity economy, develop productivity rapidly, and let the people have more children. A population of 1.3 million is still too small.

Using development to cover up contradictions, many contradictions that are almost unsolvable now will be naturally resolved in the process of development.

Zhang Juzheng's meaning was very clear. The third volume, "Struggle", appeared at the wrong time. If the emperor tried to implement it by force, Zhang Juzheng's cabinet would stop it. Zhang Juzheng almost said, "This is an indiscriminate order and I will not obey it."

"What we need now is that Zhejiang is returning farmland, and we need struggle as a guide," Zhu Yijun said solemnly.

Zhang Juzheng immediately replied: "The Wanli Reform's law-abiding officials can solve some of the problems. Even if there are problems that cannot be solved, they can be corrected by royal decree. Rather than trusting in the strength of ten thousand men, I trust in your Majesty's impartiality. I have never seen ten thousand men working together, and I do not believe in it. But I have seen your Majesty's impartiality, and I see it every day."

"Your Majesty, the unity of ten thousand men is like the world of great harmony that Confucian scholars talk about, like the kingdom of heaven that missionaries talk about, and like the Rome that Western scholars created. They are all illusory. This kind of narrative, as an official for nearly forty years, what I have seen, experienced, and dealt with tells me that it does not exist."

This is how the imperial system works. If the emperor is a tyrant, he will hinder the pace of reform. If the emperor is a wise ruler, he will also hinder the pace of reform.

In Zhang Juzheng's view, there is no problem that His Majesty cannot solve. If there is, then send the Beijing troops. A legitimate government plus the legitimate use of violence is the most realistic answer.

Of course we should mention the unity of ten thousand men, but it cannot be the general principle for governing the world.

In Zhang Juzheng's eyes, a visible and wise monarch is more realistic than the empty talk of thousands of men working together. As the prime minister of the empire, Zhang Juzheng chose to believe in the emperor.

Zhu Yijun shook his head and said, "Sir, you wrote the theory of contradiction, but it seems that you do not agree with it. How can you solve the contradiction just from top to bottom?"

Zhang Juzheng immediately said, "Solving problems from the bottom up often creates more problems. The price is chaos, where lives are like ants and people are like grass. The Ming Dynasty is now reborn and is moving forward. Development can solve most problems without the need for struggle."

"The large influx of silver from overseas is solving the money shortage and injecting new vitality into the Ming Dynasty. Since the Zhenwu Movement, the Ming emperor, his ministers, generals and soldiers have been united in keeping the enemy out of the country. The performance evaluation system and anti-corruption efforts have made the administration of officials clean and honest. Although there are still some problems of tolerance, the general rule is that the capable are promoted and the mediocre are demoted."

"I believe in Your Majesty because it is not just Your Majesty who wants to revive the Ming Dynasty. There are also many comrades who are on the same path. I believe in Your Majesty, which is actually believing in the people with lofty ideals in the Ming Dynasty. This is a bottom-up approach in itself."

Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng, leaning back in his chair, without saying anything. The imperial study in Tonghe Palace became quiet again, and the atmosphere became even more depressing.

Feng Bao felt his breathing quicken, his heart was beating in his throat, he could clearly hear his own heartbeat, he knew that His Majesty was thinking, weighing, and making a decision. This might be the biggest rift between the emperor and his ministers, the biggest disagreement since the Wanli Restoration.

"Your Majesty, the Ming Dynasty is not yet strong enough to bear all this. If you brag too much, it will only give the lowly scholars an opportunity to take advantage of you." Zhang Juzheng took a deep breath and bowed his head and said, "I think it will be the right time when everyone in the Ming Dynasty can go to school and afford to go to school."

Zhang Juzheng felt that His Majesty was very conservative in some matters, but extremely radical in some matters, and so anxious as if he had lost something.

"Sir, civilizations will die." Zhu Yijun sat up straight and said, "The ancient Inca civilization has disappeared in the New World in just seventy years. The Holy Roman Empire is not Rome, the Green Ivy League is not Rome, and Tsarist Russia is not Rome. The Roman civilization has also declined and even disappeared."

"Plan ahead for a rainy day, be prepared for danger in times of peace, and plan for the long term. This is what Master taught me, and it allows me to look further ahead."

Zhu Yijun threw a boomerang, and the bullet shot by the imperial tutor in the first year of Wanli hit Zhang Juzheng right in the middle of his eyebrows.

Zhang Juzheng had been hit by so many boomerangs that he was immune to this kind of damage. He understood your majesty's sense of urgency, because if China really fell into the hands of the barbarians once, would the sun and the moon dim and then brighten again? Would God favor the Central Plains again and produce a heroic ruler like Zhu Yuanzhang who could restore the old mountains and rivers? That would require great luck.

Your Majesty, who likes to give the enemy the benefit of the doubt, is naturally afraid that China will follow in the footsteps of Rome and the Incas and be destroyed by the barbarians.

"It's not appropriate now." Zhang Juzheng expressed his opposition again in a very stiff manner. This time it was his turn to remain silent. This kind of serious political theory actually needs not ten or twenty years to take root, sprout, blossom and bear fruit. Instead, it will take a hundred years. It doesn't seem too early to do it now. It even seems a little late.

"It seems that I can't convince you, sir, and you can't convince me either. This is going to be difficult." Zhu Yijun said with a smile on his face, "It's just a book. I don't think it's anything special. Besides, most people probably won't even look at it. If they buy it, it will just be put on the bookshelf and gather dust. How about publishing it to the world?"

"I don't think it's a big deal. Sir, you take it too seriously. Although there are natural inferences, I don't believe that a book can destroy the Ming Dynasty."

The third volume of Class Theory, "Struggle", actually provides the theoretical basis for the inevitable demise of the Ming Dynasty. However, theory is theory. It is really too difficult for theory to guide practice. Yang Bo, the former Minister of Personnel, was a master of the School of Mind and had a deep understanding of conscience about the unity of knowledge and action, but Yang Bo did not achieve the unity of knowledge and action.

Passing the imperial examination is already a sign of one's status as a rare talent. To embark on a career in officialdom and climb to a high position like the Minister of Personnel, one must have both top-notch strength and luck to survive in the officialdom. Even so, knowing and doing are two different things.

When discussing issues, Ming bureaucrats would try their best to avoid the content of class theory and instead quote the theory of contradiction, because the content of class theory was too anti-traitorous. In fact, class theory had very few audiences. It could even be said that in the current era, only the officials of the Ming Dynasty needed this theoretical support when making decisions on directions and routes.

This is Zhu Yijun’s idea. Theory is just theory, but it can be used when it is useful in the future.

"I obey your order." Zhang Juzheng finally chose to compromise. In fact, the emperor also compromised. There was no need to cause a rift between the emperor and his subjects over a book.

Your Majesty's compromise was not to promote it deliberately, just put it on the bookshelf without making any major publicity, let alone include it in the imperial examinations, while Zhang Juzheng's compromise was to accept the emperor's random order.

Zhang Juzheng had no choice but to compromise. His Majesty was not a ten-year-old child anymore, and Zhang Juzheng could not stop him now. The emperor had plenty of ways, such as promoting him, changing the Earl of Yicheng to the Marquis of Yicheng, and letting him live out his life in peace.

Zhang Juzheng talked with His Majesty about state affairs, government-run factories such as the Nanjing Mint, Songjiang Iron Horse Factory, and Lanzhou Woolen Factory, the construction progress of the Longbian Highway, the scale of this year's maritime trade, etc., and then he chose to take his leave.

"Ah! I forgot. It wasn't me who wrote it, so how can my name be used!" Zhang Juzheng then remembered the second purpose of his entry into the palace. For the third volume of the theory of class, Your Majesty can use anyone's name but not his, Zhang Juzheng's!
If his name was written as Zhang Juzheng, wouldn't he be the number one traitor of the Ming Dynasty in the Spring and Autumn Annals?

Zhang Juzheng immediately rushed back and asked for an audience with the emperor again. He had a heated argument with the emperor and slammed the table. He would never bear the name of a traitor! If the emperor wanted him to bear it, he would resign and return home, even giving up the title of Earl of Yicheng. If the emperor forced him again, he would follow Zhu Wan's example and commit suicide to show his determination. As the first meritorious official of the Ming Dynasty, he would never allow his name to be associated with a traitor after his death!
This matter is important, at least to him.

Zhu Yijun had no choice but to agree and compromise to publish the book under the pen name Zhu Zhongxing. The pen name Zhu Zhongxing is generally believed by the people to be Zhang Juzheng's pen name, but the officials in the court all knew that it was the emperor's pen name.

The situation of drought in Suiyuan and Shaanxi was much better than Zhu Yijun had expected. With the construction of water conservancy projects, the planting of more famine-relief grain, and the use of water and fertilizer, the drought problem was not so bad that the local governments could not handle it.

The reduction in precipitation was not a false report, and Pan Jixun and Shen Yikuan's request for a 70% reduction in land tax was not an exaggeration to overcome the difficulties. The combined population of Shaanxi, Gansu, and Suiyuan was less than eight million, and most of them were concentrated in Guanzhong where the drought was not particularly severe. The actual impact of the drought was not as serious as imagined.

The land is vast and sparsely populated, and the output of the land can meet the demand. Even if there is a drought, there will be no famine as long as there is no large-scale man-made disaster. The only thing to worry about is that someone will hoard grain and annex it.

Of the 6.5 million shi of grain support, Pan Jixun only asked for 200,000 shi, and asked for more if there was a shortage. In his memorial, Pan Jixun solemnly thanked the emperor for his grace. In the past, the court would only deal with it symbolically when famine spread and refugees caused civil unrest, and most of the time it was mainly suppression.

The imperial court responded just because of the decrease in rainfall, which was something the border areas could not even think of.

It’s not that the imperial court is unaware of the harm caused by reduced rainfall, nor do they know how to deal with it. It’s just that in the past, the imperial court did not have the financial resources to do so.

Economic power is equivalent to political power. Without an economic foundation, the implementation of many government policies will be like flowers in the mirror or the moon in the water.

Just as the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty predicted, the volume on the theory of class struggle was quietly put on the shelves of the imperial farm without causing much commotion. It was sold along with the first two volumes and did not seem to attract anyone's attention or create any sensation.

"Ah." Zhang Juzheng looked at the memorial in his hand. It was a criticism of the rent reduction law implemented in Shaanxi, Gansu and Suiyuan by a censor. The reason Zhang Juzheng sighed was not the content of the memorial, but the content of the struggle volume quoted in it.

Although no sentence was mentioned, the main point was so clear that Zhang Juzheng could see it at a glance. This censor had read the struggle paper and was familiar with it.

The content of this memorial criticized the loopholes in the rent reduction law. In the eyes of this censor, the court's decrees should not be based mainly on advocacy.

This official believed that the grain trade in Shaanxi, Gansu, Suiyuan and other places should be stopped immediately, and grain should not be allowed to leave the country to prevent local gentry from fleeing. Similarly, the grain stored in the homes of local gentry should be checked to ensure that there is a clear number of grains. When it is necessary to open a porridge stall, it is not necessary to rush at the last minute and find that the treasury is empty and there is no grain. If necessary, grain should be collected for disaster relief.
The most important thing is that those local gentry who refused to reduce rent and engaged in fraud would be severely punished, starting with a fine and up to the confiscation of their property, etc. A total of seven specific regulations were added.

The entire memorial has only one core logic: those who have ever rebelled were all farmers, and I have never heard of businessmen causing chaos.

"There is nothing wrong with this memorial on collecting grain for disaster relief." Wang Chonggu asked in confusion after reading it, "Why is the prime minister sighing?"

"What he meant was to find out who the enemy is, rely on the majority of poor laborers, launch an attack to win over the wealthy, restrict the privileges of the local gentry, and eliminate the traitors who do not respect the king's orders and discipline." Zhang Juzheng looked at Wang Chonggu and asked, "Don't you know what I'm worried about?"

Wang Chonggu was immediately amused when he heard this, and said with a smile: "Isn't it just the struggle volume? My son Wang Qian bought it first, but I snatched it away from him, so he had to buy another one."

"I've read it. Your Majesty, this volume is well written. The contradictions you wrote about public and private, class and distribution, all of them are about discovering phenomena, analyzing problems, and finding causes, but they don't provide solutions. To solve problems, no matter what, you can't avoid the word struggle."

"I say, Yuanfu, you are only sixty-three, how come you are even more timid than an old man like me? Your Majesty is young and strong, so there is no need to worry about those trivial things."

What a natural inference. In Wang Chonggu's view, whether the Ming Dynasty will perish or not is not up to them. If the Ming Dynasty produces another Ming Yingzong, it will perish tomorrow to show you. There is no need to worry about things that have not happened. The current needs of the Ming Dynasty are enough.

Zhang Juzheng thought about it and felt that he might have too many concerns. He smiled and said, "What Wang Cifu said is true. Instead of worrying about those trivial things, solving the drought in Shaanxi is the most urgent matter."

"That's right. We are not gods. It's a great blessing to be able to handle the current affairs well. I think it's the right idea to copy this memorial and send it to Shen Shixing about returning the land to Zhejiang." Wang Chonggu is now on duty in the cabinet. He also has to post notes on some memorials and give his opinions to His Majesty.

Shen Shixing wanted to complete the task of returning farmland to Zhejiang, and this grain collection memorial was one of the solutions.

Zhang Juzheng gradually put aside his worries about the struggle volume. He didn't need to worry too much about this boring text that required experience in the ups and downs of officialdom to understand.

Inside Wenyuan Pavilion, there were occasional sounds of conversation, and everything was so orderly.

"Wang Ci Fu, take a look at this memorial. It comes from the Governor-General's Office of Luzon. Guo Xing Zhengmao and Zhang Yuanxun jointly submitted a memorial, saying that tobacco is becoming the largest currency in the East." Zhang Juzheng handed a memorial to Wang Chonggu and said solemnly.

The currency of Nanyang is physical currency. Animal skins, shells, beads, fish, grains, etc. are all a kind of currency. With the continuous investment of Ming Dynasty in Nanyang, the trade in the whole Nanyang has become more active. However, due to the ban on the export of gold, silver and copper coins of Ming Dynasty, the currency of Nanyang has been in short supply. Even if the overseas circulating banknotes are issued in large quantities, it still cannot meet the demand for currency of Nanyang people.

During this process, tobacco gradually became hard currency and a general equivalent. Normally, one ounce of tobacco was equivalent to one cent of silver. You should know that in the Ming Dynasty, three cents of silver was a day's wage for a conscripted worker. A conscripted worker in the Ming Dynasty could only buy three ounces of tobacco after working hard all day.

Because of the widespread demand, the tobacco stored in various warehouses has become the collateral for transactions.

"Interesting." After reading it, Wang Guoguang smiled and said, "We should issue overseas treasure notes on a larger scale. Governor Shen was worried before that the 120 mints in Nanjing would have too many copper coins, making them worthless. Now it seems that there is no such concern. We can use copper coins as the standard and issue a large number of circulating treasure notes overseas."

Wang Guoguang was a very conservative finance minister. He had his own concerns about the large-scale minting of copper coins before, but after seeing the current situation in Southeast Asia, Wang Guoguang knew very well that no matter how many copper coins were minted, it would be acceptable to the Ming Dynasty because they could be stored as acceptance currency for overseas circulation of treasure notes.

Before the currency system was not as good as toilet paper, there were two problems to be solved. One was redemption, and the other was issuance of additional shares. Both of these problems had the same reason, which was that there was no anchor. Now the anchor has appeared.

The Ming Dynasty has accumulated a lot of experience in issuing banknotes in Japan, and now it is time to verify it.

Wang Chonggu looked at the memorial and said with a smile: "Guo Xing Zhengmao said in the memorial that the tobacco monopoly has begun to make a profit. Wow, this thing has made a profit of nearly 100,000 silver coins this year. By the end of the year, it is expected to make 200,000 silver coins, which is more profitable than the woolen cloth factory back then."

The official woolen factory made a profit for the first time in the fifth year of Wanli, and the profit exceeded 100,000 silver coins for the first time in the sixth year of Wanli. It was not until the ninth year of Wanli that the profit exceeded one million silver coins. Now it is maintained at around 1.2 million silver coins, increasing with the increase in the amount of grassland wool. However, the tobacco monopoly saw 200,000 silver coins at the beginning of the first year.

The potential is endless.

Wang Guoguang made a simple estimate, looked around and whispered: "Guo Xing Zhengmao said that if the tobacco monopoly was established, it would be able to support the Ming army. It seems that it is indeed possible. We should also say something for the literati. In the past, we promoted culture and military affairs because military affairs were really expensive and could not be supported. When there are no tough battles to fight, we have to promote culture and military affairs."

It is inevitable to promote culture and military and reduce expenditure. In the past, dismissing foreign soldiers was a top priority for the Ming Dynasty. For the imperial court, military affairs were very expensive.

But now it seems that we can earn enough money to cover the military expenses as long as we manage the monopoly well. This is the best news for the imperial court.

"Xu Wei of the Nagasaki Governor-General's Office has issued an order to stop issuing new treasure notes. In Xu Wei's opinion, the first batch of Japanese treasure notes issued in June of the ninth year of Wanli has depreciated by 20%, and it is time to exchange the notes. This year, no treasure notes will be issued, only notes will be exchanged, which will make these daimyo anxious." Zhang Juzheng picked up another memorial from the Nagasaki Governor-General's Office.

Xu Wei had promised to exchange the currency within five years, and his promise was fulfilled.

It was impossible to redeem the money, and the daimyo and the Governor-General of Nagasaki knew it very well, but Xu Wei intended to fulfill his promise to exchange the banknotes. He would exchange the 4 million strings of treasure notes that had been issued for three years and would not issue additional Japanese treasure notes this year.

This was originally the fulfillment of a promise made by the Nagasaki Governor's Office, and the Ming Emperor did not issue an order to excessively interfere with the Governor's Office's decision. However, the Japanese daimyos were not happy with this fulfillment of the promise. They agreed to exchange the banknotes, but were very dissatisfied with the suspension of the issuance of treasure notes, and demanded that the issuance of treasure notes continue at the level of 1.5 million kan last year.

"If these beasts treated the Japanese civilians as human beings, they would support the currency exchange instead of issuing more treasure notes. Will they die if they earn less? What a bunch of beasts!" Wang Guoguang cursed viciously.

The treasure notes were badly worn out and some were even damaged. The Nagasaki Governor's Office was willing to exchange the notes, which showed its commitment and cost.

In fact, until two hundred years later, England had never exchanged currency for the civilians in its colonies. At that time, England, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and France all issued a large number of paper money, but never exchanged it, allowing the paper money to depreciate and issuing new currency. In comparison, the Ming Dynasty was very conscientious.

If these Japanese daimyos treated people as human beings, they would not issue more notes at this time. In fact, these daimyos can make money by exchanging banknotes. After all, the currency has depreciated, and the exchange of banknotes is done at the face value. In the end, they can still make 10% to 20%, although not as much as the 30% they made from issuing more notes.

"The Japanese have been bullied like this, why don't they rebel?" Wan Shihe said with a strange look on his face: "If these daimyo and landlords who are worse than insects die, there will be fewer Japanese pirates in Japan."

Zhang Juzheng shook his head and said, "Yes, there were hundreds of uprisings by the people every year. Due to the lack of weapons, they were all simply suppressed. I think we should follow the order of the Governor-General of Nagasaki and only exchange the banknotes without issuing more. If you have no objection, I will post floating notes."

The ministers did not particularly care about the tragedy in Japan. They just made a group decision and believed that changing the currency would help the credibility of Ming Dynasty in issuing treasure notes overseas.

The financial industry of the Ming Dynasty was being established bit by bit. The bill offices for accepting foreign exchange, the Baochao Bureau for issuing currency, the Baochao Bureau for issuing banknotes, the Insurance Supervision Bureau for insurance business, etc. were all being improved bit by bit.

(End of this chapter)