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Chapter 1482 usury

"Oh, I'd like to hear what your so-called payment methods are?"

As the saying goes, "a turtle and a green bean are a perfect match." Gulandam, who made the ministers frown frequently, was not so annoying in Hong Tao's eyes. It was as if he saw Ao Ya Ni chasing after him with questions by the Taiye Pond thirty years ago.

"With taxes as collateral, the Sun and Moon Bank will issue loans to them, and the Sun and Moon Bank will be allowed to open branches in various countries without restrictions on the types of business!" Seeing that the emperor's expression was quite amiable, Gulandam became even more confident and his voice became louder.

"Absolutely not! Absolutely not! You borrowed our money and now you want to pay it back? Does Your Majesty and the other officials have so much money in their pockets that they don't know what to do with it?!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhen Xianshi, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, slammed his fist on the table and rose to his feet, posing a soul-searching question to Gulandam. He wasn't the only one who disliked female officials, but he was certainly one of the most disapproving.

Aoyani has made numerous contributions, has deep roots in the government, and possesses a sharp tongue that even dares to criticize Wang Chengen; he truly cannot afford to offend her. But this woman before him has not achieved anything, so how dare she speak so confidently at the imperial meeting? He must teach her a lesson.

"...My lord, please don't be impatient. Let Premier Gu explain in detail!" At this moment, Huang Daozhou, the salt industry executive sitting next to him, quietly reached out and tugged at his robe, signaling him to stop talking.

Although he wasn't particularly skilled in mathematics and divination, his constant interaction with merchants and his close relationship with the Sun and Moon Bank gave him some understanding of the intricacies of the business. He sensed that Gulandam's words were loaded with meaning and that he hadn't finished speaking.

"Everyone has their own expertise, no problem, no problem... Sir, if you borrowed money from the Sun and Moon Bank by mortgaging your ancestral home and land, you probably wouldn't dare to default on it, would you? Similarly, European kings also needed collateral when they borrowed money from the Sun and Moon Bank. The right to collect taxes is much more valuable to them than their ancestral home."

Despite her sharp tongue, Gulandam is no political novice. Don't forget that she was personally mentored by Oyani and married a key advisor to the General Staff. Through daily exposure, she is quite familiar with the intricacies of court politics.

He didn't take the accusations from the Minister of Justice to heart at all, and even put on an air of magnanimity and indifference, patiently explaining himself. While ostensibly clarifying Zhen Xianshi's doubts, he was actually addressing most of the court officials present to prevent further attacks.

"...Would you dare to take out a loan if there were no laws governing the Ming Dynasty?" Zhen Xianshi didn't quite understand how banks operated, but he wasn't completely ignorant about economics. After thinking for a moment, he found the loophole in the other person's words.

"In the Ming Empire, of course, there was the Ming Law governing things. In European countries, there would be corresponding etiquette and laws to govern things. The ransom of prisoners is the simplest example. As long as the price is agreed upon first, even without a written guarantee, their family or the king will send the ransom."

If someone tries to renege on this issue, the king or any individual will lose credibility, and no one will dare to associate with them again. This is their great law.

To give an even more readily observable example, you've probably all patronized the shops on Qipan Street. Have you ever noticed them shortchanging you? Why not? Because if someone were to shortchange you, they would have no place to stand on Qipan Street, or even in the entire capital or the whole country. That's called personal credit bankruptcy.

A person without integrity is worthless. A large cart without a linchpin, or a small cart without a linchpin, how can they move? The same applies to a king. The only bond between him and the nobles is trust. Violating this principle will lead to rejection by everyone, resulting in either dethronement or death.

"Your Majesty should not be worried about whether they will fulfill their obligations, but rather about how much reparations should be paid. Too much will overwhelm their national finances, leading to an uncontrollable situation, at which point no one will be able to represent the nation in keeping its promises." Gulandam also had unique insights into how to prevent the other party from breaking their promises. To make it easier to understand, she gave two examples from her own life, which did indeed make some sense.

"..." Then all the ministers turned their gaze to the emperor. Clearly, they did not entirely believe Gulandam's words and wanted a more authoritative judgment.

"Uh... relying solely on credit isn't enough. In fact, Gulandam forgot to mention one thing. My navy and army are also part of the Ming Dynasty's laws. If anyone dares to default on their debts, they will help me get them back, plus interest for the destroyed cities and the devastation!"

Hong Tao partially agreed with Gulandam's analysis, but given his cunning nature, he certainly wouldn't rely entirely on so-called personal credit; he would need to have a backup plan. Actually, there wasn't anything particularly new about it—a strategy of diplomacy followed by force. This wasn't his invention; it was a method summarized by his ancestors over thousands of years.

"The students thought it was time to send the naval warships further north. According to accurate intelligence, many European countries had established ports and fortresses here to capture black slaves, and this unethical business was also a very important source of income."

If they don't want to pay war reparations, or intend to renege on their debts, it's necessary to give them a warning. Given the navy's current capabilities, it is fully capable of launching a short-lived raid from Enniu Port to destroy local shore facilities and port ships.

Upon hearing the emperor's firm stance, Tan Buming began to devise wicked schemes. The General Staff had long known that Europeans were engaged in the slave trade on the Gold Coast of West Africa and coveted its enormous profits, even planning to establish a base in the waters near Europe.

"The strategy of defending the west and attacking the east cannot be changed. The most convenient way to threaten Europe is not to go around the Atlantic Ocean from South Africa, but simply to return to Damascus and occupy Sidon."

Hong Tao, as always, poured cold water on the General Staff's eagerness to act. No wonder dynasties throughout history have suppressed military men to some extent; once their emotions run high, they are indeed difficult to handle, and they always prefer to solve problems through war.

The problem is that many problems, when they come into contact with war, not only cannot be solved, but also generate more secondary problems, ultimately making a complete mess, leaving everyone helpless.

"...The Corsia region does not produce giant trees, and transporting them over a long distance is not cost-effective. Moreover, the Mediterranean Sea is shallow and the wind is gentle, so the Qin-class and Han-class warships have no advantage."

Tan Buming felt that the emperor was not entirely right. As early as when the emperor led the western expedition, the naval staff had made a plan to attack the heart of Europe from the Mediterranean and collected a lot of relevant information. The results showed that the Ming navy, which was invincible on the ocean, was not necessarily more effective than oar-powered sailing ships in the Mediterranean.

If we insist on taking the Mediterranean route, then we'll have to redesign and build warships suitable for shallow waters and light winds. Leaving aside the question of whether it's feasible in time, just the hassle of setting up shipyards, arranging protection, transporting timber, and establishing supporting factories will likely cost more than taking the Atlantic route.

The main problem is that once these ships are built, they can only swagger around in the Mediterranean Sea; once they leave the Strait of Gibraltar, they'll be stuck in the mud, making them extremely unsuitable for use.

(End of this chapter)