Before hanging himself, Chongzhen lifted the table
Chapter 163 Solving the money problem
Chapter 163 Solving the money problem
Emperor Chongzhen did not have time to stay here in Yongping Mansion, so he arranged for Li Yutian to be the governor of Jiliao, and Zhou Yuji to be the general soldier of Ji Town, guarding Santun Camp and responsible for the defense line from Shanhaiguan to Juyongguan. After Yang Tinglin was responsible for the immigration to Yongping Mansion, Then the class teacher returned to Beijing.
Before this expedition, an army of 10,000+ Jianlu and 10,000+ Li thieves, a total of nearly 30 people, gathered in Gyeonggi. It can be said that the situation was very serious.
Not to mention the number of troops, it is the reputation of Jianlu. Even if the emperor has defeated Jianlu twice, so many Jianlu troops still make everyone tremble with fear, fearing that one day they will wake up and the thieves will The army came to the city.
If so many thieves continue to besiege and cut off the capital's food and grass supplies, it is conceivable what the capital's future fate will be!
As a result, what they never expected was that after the emperor led his troops on the expedition, good news continued to spread. First, the prisoners fled after hearing the news, and then [-] bandits were captured.The emperor recruited another [-] bandits and pursued the fleeing Jianlu until all the Jianlu escaped.The remaining thieves also fled after hearing the news.
At this point, there were no rebels or rebels in the capital.
Everyone is excited and excited.
For so many years, although the land of Gyeonggi was under the emperor's feet, it was not peaceful at all.When Jianlu invaded, the capital was the first to suffer.All the people in the capital, officials and gentry, all live a life without knowing what will happen in the future.No one can guarantee that if you sleep tonight and open your eyes tomorrow morning, you will encounter another military disaster!
In the Gyeonggi region, almost every household has lost a loved one due to military disasters.
But now, the current emperor has led the Beijing camp to sweep through the bandits in the capital. They have enough reasons to believe that as long as the current emperor is here, it is unlikely that any bandits will dare to come to the capital to cause trouble!
In other words, the people of Gyeonggi Province finally saw the dawn of peace!
For the people in troubled times, peace or not is really too precious!It was the emperor who personally led the troops in the war that brought them hope of peace. Therefore, when they heard that the emperor led the troops in triumph, almost everyone ran out of their homes to welcome the emperor's triumph.
Ten miles outside the capital city, along both sides of the official road, there were all common people, officials and gentry, etc. At this moment, without any scruples about their status, they all took out their good things, put them in baskets, raised them above their heads, and knelt down. That, to the victorious army.
At the moment when the emperor appeared in their sight, all the people shouted long live, the momentum was so loud that it was almost deafening!
Emperor Chongzhen was originally happy, after all, he came back victorious from the battle.However, when he saw such a grand scene and saw the things they held above their heads and wanted to sacrifice, he was shocked again.
Logically speaking, it is the most basic obligation of the ruler to provide the common people with a peaceful environment.If it cannot be done, the ruler will be scolded.Anyway, if it were his own words, he would definitely be full of complaints. If he had the ability to rebel, he would definitely rebel.
Now, as the emperor, he leads the army to quell the rebellion and ensure peace. This is the most basic duty of an emperor. However, he did not expect that the people would welcome him like this!
Their requirements are really too low!
Look, even those with patches on their bodies, who could tell at a glance that they were poor people, all took out what they could.
What's this?This is their sincerity!
At this moment, Emperor Chongzhen once again realized that his responsibility was not only to win the war, but also to give these people, and the people of the world, an environment to live and work in peace and contentment!
At this moment, Emperor Chongzhen also decided that now that he had the capital, he would make drastic reforms, and no one could stop him!
The first thing he did when he returned to the capital was that Emperor Chongzhen led all the civil and military officials to send the loyal martyrs who died in the battle to the Hall of Loyalty and Martyrs.Subsequently, a court meeting was held to abolish the humble registration and household registration and unify them into civilian registration.
I heard Emperor Chongzhen say solemnly: "Although Emperor Taizu made reference to previous dynasties when he made the customs, and also determined each nationality for official management, the Ming Dynasty has lasted nearly 300 years, and the population is far from what it was at the beginning of the founding of the Ming Dynasty. The people of the Ming Dynasty are Life is far from what it was at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China. When I, Emperor Taizu, asked for his permission in his dream, we could rebuild the ancestral system according to local conditions!"
When the civil and military officials in the court heard this, they were immediately speechless.
Generally speaking, an effective means for civil servants to restrain the emperor is to use ancestral systems to suppress the emperor.In particular, Zhu Yuanzhang also had a clear will, requiring future generations to abide by it and not change his customs.
If this offends the interests of the emperor and civil servants, then both parties will have a tacit understanding. If it is changed, no one will think of any ancestral system.
For example, the idea that corrupt officials would be skinned and stuffed with grass disappeared after the founding of the Ming Dynasty.As for the officials in the late Ming Dynasty, if they still insisted on the ancestral system, they would probably all be skinless officials!
But if you say that restructuring will offend the interests of civil servants, then your emperor's words will be of no use.When civil servants rise up to attack, they will think of the ancestral system and use it to suppress the emperor.
But at this time, Emperor Chongzhen said directly in his opening remarks that he had obtained Emperor Taizu's consent to change the system, so it would be unreasonable to use the ancestral system to suppress him.
As for not believing it?How did the emperor suddenly change into a different person? Not only did he have divine power, but he could also lead troops to fight and turn the tide. If Emperor Taizu didn't show up, how could we explain it?
Of course, if someone does not believe in evil, the emperor will go crazy. He chopped down a bunch of people in front of the Meridian Gate Tower. That is not a lie.No one can be sure if you have the guts to try again and whether the emperor will go crazy again!
"... Nowadays, our Ming Dynasty has a large population, and it can be concluded that sons must inherit their father's inheritance. Therefore, I have decided to abolish all types of household registration and unify them into civil registrations, which are equivalent to rural households. As long as you are a common citizen of the Ming Dynasty, you can do whatever you are good at. The guard system will be reformed, and the craftsmanship system will also be reformed..."
At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, it was a Wei system, which Zhu Yuanzhang was proud of being able to feed an army of millions without spending money on food.This was a good thing in the early days of the country when supplies were scarce.But as times change, it gradually becomes no longer applicable.
Most of the guardsmen, who were originally soldiers and farmers, became serfs of the guards officers and could only make money by doing farm work for them.The result of not training is that once you fight, you won't fight.Therefore, starting from the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court implemented a recruitment system, which meant that the imperial court had to pay military salaries.
Until the end of the Ming Dynasty, there was a system that combined the garrison soldiers and the recruitment system.Then, the imperial court could not pay the military salaries under the recruitment system, leaving the soldiers very poor, but they were restricted by military law, and then they could escape, and the fallen grass became bandits, and the fallen grass became bandits, and they became chaos again.
At this time, when the emperor said that he wanted to innovate the guard system, of course the civil and military officials could guess how.
In this matter, the most direct interests were harmed by the military attaché system, that is, the mid- to high-level hereditary military attachés in the guards, and then there were the local powerful, those who usurped military lands.
However, at this time, the Beijing camp under the control of Emperor Chongzhen was all based on a recruitment system and was paid for the military, which had little to do with the decaying guard post.Therefore, his basic interests were not damaged. Based on this, he made strong innovations and no one in the hall dared to object.
However, Ni Yuanlu, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, still stood up and reported to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, I think this matter should be dealt with slowly. The source of military pay is still unclear. I estimate that the money in the hands of the Queen is not much. ”
The previous money was all confiscated from homes by Emperor Chongzhen holding a butcher knife. This was not a stable source of the treasury. Therefore, as the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, he had the responsibility to remind him of this situation.
His worries were indeed correct.
After Emperor Chongzhen returned to Beijing, Queen Zhou reported the financial situation to him as soon as possible. There was indeed not much money left.
No, before Emperor Chongzhen could speak, he added: "Your Majesty also arranges for disabled soldiers to work in various yamen and receive salary. This will be another expense. The other three salaries have also been abolished. I don’t accept the following land tax, I am incompetent, I really don’t know how to make money..."
At this point, he wanted to resign.
In fact, he has resigned multiple times.But no one wants to do it, so no one wants to do it, so even if they don’t want to do it, they have to do it.
Others were a little worried about the money when they heard what he said.
After getting a large sum of money from the house raids at the beginning of the year, the Beijing camp was reorganized. Not only were the military salaries paid out on time, but even the arrears were paid off. In addition, the salaries of civil and military officials were also paid in full, and the situation also developed for the better.
However, this money is not always available. Once there is no money later, not only the salary will be owed, but also the emperor will have to spend more money. What should I do?
At this moment, they were very worried that the emperor would start ransacking their homes again!
Therefore, Fan Jingwen, the first assistant, also went out and said: "Your Majesty, the world is still in chaos, taxes cannot be collected in various places, and the national treasury has no money, and it is really inappropriate to spend more money. It is better to spend some money. Can it be postponed?”
Jiang Dejing, the assistant minister of the cabinet, and others followed suit and echoed the words of the chief minister.
Later, all civil and military officials in the entire dynasty followed suit.Because everyone is afraid that the emperor is addicted to confiscation of homes!
Emperor Chongzhen saw it, but he was not unreasonable. He knew that their worries were justified.However, he also has his own ideas.
In the early stage, the capital's house was ransacked once, and then the Xuanfu Datong side was also ransacked once, which supported his various expenses in the early stage and finally alleviated the critical situation of the country's subjugation.
But in the future, where the money to support the army and the country will come from is indeed a problem. We can't keep confiscating homes!
However, Emperor Chongzhen certainly had concerns about this situation.
So, I heard him say to his ministers: "I am also aware of your concerns. However, you only see the money side of my innovation, so please listen."
Fan Jingwen and others: "..."
What the emperor meant was to say that they were ignorant and ignorant.
To be honest, they were really unconvinced. After all, they were all officials who had passed the imperial examination. Which one of them was not knowledgeable?The emperor actually said that they had no knowledge!
So, they all looked at Emperor Chongzhen and listened with their ears pricked up. If the emperor was wrong, they must have wanted to let the emperor know that you are good at fighting, but to govern the country, we still need to rely on civil servants like us.
I just heard Emperor Chongzhen ask the ministers in the palace: "Why did I defeat the army of Li thieves and the army of Jianlu who invaded in less than half a year? Logically speaking, with this little time, just training time is not enough. Why?"
Hearing this, the civil and military officials couldn't help but look at each other. Did the emperor mean to praise him?
So Fan Jingwen immediately said: "This is the reason why your Majesty is so wise and powerful and so brave!"
Emperor Chongzhen just smiled after hearing this, and then said: "This is one thing. On the other hand, it is because I let the soldiers go to the battlefield without any worries, and the rewards and punishments are clear. Only then can the soldiers sacrifice their lives and be brave on the battlefield." Kill the enemy, and in this way, we defeated the superior army of Li thieves, and also defeated the Jianlu army, which was said to be invincible in the field!"
Without waiting for his ministers to speak, he further explained: "Why don't you have any worries? If you are alive, you will be rewarded; if you are injured, you will have a place to go; if you die, you can enter the Hall of Loyalty and Martyrs and live with the country forever! There is only one In this way, in the face of the captives who are feared by everyone, the soldiers under my command can be one to ten, and with a few enemies, we can create great victories again and again. You said to yourself, if I pay some salary, I can make all your soldiers worry-free. , the people can enjoy peace, is it worth it?"
Fan Jingwen and others were speechless after hearing this.
The truth seems to be this: if you want to say whether it is worth it, it must be worth it.But the key point is, maybe you can have this effect without paying so much money, right?
While they were thinking, they heard Emperor Chongzhen continue to say before he finished speaking: "What is the source of the great chaos in the world? Natural disasters and man-made disasters! Not to mention natural disasters, they happen every year, but many natural disasters can be dealt with. It would not lead to such a catastrophe as it is today. Why? It is all because of man-made disasters! What is man-made disaster? To put it simply, the number of corrupt officials has reached an outrageous level..."
When he said this, Emperor Chongzhen's expression became serious and his tone became colder, so that the temperature in the hall seemed to be a few degrees colder: "Don't be afraid of natural disasters, but be afraid that under natural disasters, there will still be corrupt officials. Taking advantage of natural disasters to seek personal gain! I have long heard that in today's officialdom, no official is corrupt, and no official is corrupt! I will kill ten of them at random. There may be some mistakes in killing, but there is absolutely no wrong killing. They are just more greedy and less greedy. the difference……"
Hearing this, all the civil and military officials in the court were sweating.
They actually knew that the emperor's words were not an exaggeration.However, if such a fact was told by the emperor, especially if this emperor had experienced madness, if he suddenly became angry after talking and started going crazy again, would he be spared?
At this moment, no one dared to look up or look into the emperor's eyes.Because most people do something illegal and taboo.
Emperor Chongzhen glanced at the ministers below, and suddenly softened his tone and continued: "I have already rectified the officials once. Let's look at the atmosphere of the officialdom. If corruption is still common and non-corruption is regarded as an exception, I don't mind rectifying the officialdom again. . In addition, regarding the corrupt officials, I know that if I just kill a few, it will be difficult for all the corrupt officials in the world to correct their evil ways. There are social customs and institutional reasons. Officials have no salary but have power. How can they hold back? Don’t be greedy and don’t oppress the people?”
"In this case, I will come to the bottom of the cauldron and change all the current officials. They will no longer be hereditary, inherit the father's business from son to son, and no longer use labor. In the future, officials must be evaluated based on their character and talents. Then, I will also pay the salary! I am not afraid that no one will use it. I can trust the officers and soldiers who protect the home and the country. When there is peace in the future, when the army officers and soldiers reach their age, they can also be arranged to work in the yamen. They have the heart to serve the country and are bound by military discipline. Yes, it should be better than many people!"
After saying this, Emperor Chongzhen glanced at the ministers below, and then asked in a cold voice: "Do you think that officials are more useful and more reliable? I can get so many benefits by paying a little salary, but Is it worth it?”
In fact, he knew in his heart that even so, corruption could not be avoided.Corruption is impossible to eradicate as long as there is selfish desire!
However, everything is relative, as long as it is better than the original, that's fine.Maybe this system will not be suitable in a certain future era, but at least it is suitable now, right?
The civil and military officials in the hall heard the emperor's vague threats and said so many benefits, forcing them to express their stance. To be honest, they were actually not happy in their hearts.
They always feel that the emperor is too kind to warriors!
After a moment of silence, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel began to play: "Your Majesty, the work of an official is not something ordinary people can do. You must be literate and have a flexible mind to do things well! If you are all in the military If you are a rude person, I am afraid things in the yamen will be messed up. Your Majesty, please think twice about this matter!"
Upon hearing this, all civil servants agreed.Several military attachés were accustomed to being suppressed by civilian officials, and even they themselves felt that this statement was reasonable.
But who knows, Emperor Chongzhen listened and said without thinking: "For those jobs in the yamen that require literacy, just use literate officers. If they are illiterate, teach them how to read. From now on, the officers and soldiers in the army will do their best in their free time. Everyone must be literate at all times. As for what the yamen does, how difficult is it to write regulations to teach them?"
When he said this, he saw the surprised expressions of these civil servants, and he knew what he was thinking, so he continued: "I thought that you all understand the value of peace! And where does peace come from? It is the commander-in-chief of the army. Protect it with your life! Regardless of high or low, regardless of gender, everyone has a stake. Therefore, in the future, as long as they are Ming people, they will join the army at the appropriate age. This is the innovative strategy to replace the Wei system! "
If this was said during the Taiping era, many people would probably object.But these people here have all experienced great chaos in the world, and naturally they know the value of peace the most.Even if they are all high-ranking officials in the imperial court, they will inevitably be affected by troubled times. Peace or not is also very important to them!
Therefore, at this time, Emperor Chongzhen first started with the benefits that can be enjoyed by being a soldier, and then said that everyone must be a soldier, which is equivalent to saying that the treatment that civil servants thought before was actually the treatment of all Ming people. That is not a simple matter. The civil and military forces were in conflict.
In fact, the whole people were soldiers in Chinese history. For example, after the founding of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, required men, regardless of whether they were born noble or poor, to register with the government after they were crowned.Starting from the age of 23, each registered person must perform military service twice in his life, one time for one year, and there are also requirements on the location of military service. The two military services are once in the local county where the person is located, and the other is in the local county where the person is located. Once, it is stipulated that it must be in the border areas of the country or the national capital.
It evolved many times after that. It was only after the Ming Dynasty that the garrison system was established to allow specific groups of people to serve in the military.
What Emperor Chongzhen wanted to innovate was actually to refer to the all-military service system of the early Han Dynasty, which was combined with the military service of later generations.
Of course, the learned people in the hall know about history.However, after they heard what the emperor said, they felt different. Fan Jingwen among them asked: "Is the innovation mentioned by your Majesty based on the military service of the Han Dynasty, or is it modified so that military pay can be received?"
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen said without thinking: "Of course, in the future, officers and soldiers will be divided into military service system and professional system. That is, after the court stipulates the period of military service, the outstanding ones can voluntarily continue to stay in the army. The increase in military pay is for the military." backbone!"
After hearing this, Fan Jingwen and others felt that they were indeed different from the previous military service. However, before they thought about it, Emperor Chongzhen emphasized: "Don't say that the world is still in chaos. Even after the rebellions everywhere are suppressed, the whole world will not refer to me. The Ming Dynasty was also a troubled time of disputes among various countries. The preferential treatment for officers and soldiers must be tilted. If anyone is dissatisfied, he can join the army and become a court officer. I have made up my mind on this matter. The general charter will be sent to the cabinet later, and Fan Qing will take the lead in detailing it. Implement it!”
Originally, Fan Jingwen wanted to say something else, such as how to talk about the troubled times between countries, but when he heard the emperor say "I have made up my mind," he didn't say anything anymore, and just replied: "The humble minister accepts the decree! "
Others also dare not say it. You know, the emperor's prestige is at its peak now. Who dares to compete with it?Maybe Zodiac Week can, but not here.
Emperor Chongzhen glanced at the ministers below, and then nodded to Wang Chengen, the eunuch in charge of the ceremony.
So, Wang Chengen immediately waved to a chamberlain, and then saw the chamberlain carrying a tray in front of Wang Chengen.The other officials were curious, wondering what it was?
Wang Chengen did not delay, and directly opened the red cloth covering it, and then said to the others: "This is the new coin that was cast and printed according to the order. The material is divided into four grades, namely copper, copper and silver mixed, and gold. Silver and copper are mixed. There are numbers on each new coin, which are one copper coin, two silver coins, five silver coins; one silver coin, two silver coins, five silver coins; one silver coin, two silver coins, five silver coins; One tael; two taels, five taels and one tael, two taels and five taels.”
Having said this, he pointed to the new coins on the tray and said: "The new coins have different proportions of gold, silver and copper depending on their value, but they are all the same style and size. You adults can take a look."
After finishing speaking, Wang Chengen stepped aside.
The officials in the hall were shocked when they heard about the new money.They were afraid that the emperor would feel that he had no money and came to print Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes again. When they saw that they were still metal coins, they were a little relieved.But no matter what, they are always a little resistant to new money.
When he heard the eunuch in charge of the ceremony said that they could look at it, Ni Yuanlu, the minister of household affairs, was the first to walk over and start looking at it.
On the tray, new coins of the same size were arranged as needed. They were similar to the previous coins, with round and square holes, but they were more exquisitely made.
The edge of the circle is a closely arranged concave and convex pattern, with four characters engraved on it: Da Ming Tong Bao. In the middle of each character, there are small symbols.Every new money has pros and cons, and you can see it without picking it up.
Therefore, Ni Yuanlu saw that on the north side of the new money was the word "一文", and then there were also symbols that he did not recognize.
I quickly scanned the tray and saw that the other new coins were similar to this one. However, in addition to the unfamiliar symbols, the more expensive new coins also had patterns, which were plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum.
After Ni Yuanlu read it, he wanted to reach out and pick it up, so he turned to look at Wang Chengen. When he saw Wang Chengen nodded, he picked it up, weighed it separately, and found that there was a certain degree of difference in weight.
While he was watching, others gathered around and looked at the new money according to their official positions.
Emperor Chongzhen was sitting on the throne, watching them watching, but he was a little bit resentful about classmate Zhu Yuanzhang.
At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, when everything was in ruins and money was urgently needed, the court had no money.In order to solve this problem, Zhu Yuanzhang invented banknotes such as Ming Dynasty Baobao, and then issued them as money.
Zhu Yuanzhang used this small price to solve the money problem, which played a huge role in the economic recovery at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty.
But the problem is that Zhu Yuanzhang, a classmate, didn’t understand the real laws of money at all. He thought printing banknotes was very useful and convenient, so he started printing them in large quantities. Then, he didn’t want them himself, which led to the lack of free convertibility of currency. And spam issuance, the result is very natural, while classmate Zhu Yuanzhang was still alive, Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes began to depreciate rapidly.
The later Emperor Ming also didn't know the rules of coins. Anyway, he kept printing Ming Bao banknotes. This kind of money came in the fastest, faster than ransacking homes. He kept printing and printing, and in the end even dogs disliked Ming Bao banknotes.So in the end, it was really a waste of paper, and the credibility of the court was bankrupted.
If classmate Zhu Yuanzhang hadn't been so messy, Emperor Chongzhen could actually solve the money shortage very conveniently.
Nowadays, when his prestige is really high, if he has no money, he can print banknotes for use. As long as he adheres to the inherent laws of coins, the value will not depreciate greatly and can be maintained forever.
But because classmate Zhu Yuanzhang had already done this, he couldn't do it anymore.
For this reason, in order to break the Ming Dynasty people's inherent impression of Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes, he had to start anew and print metal currency first.
In theory, this kind of metal currency is also a credit currency, which is no different from paper printing.
However, compared with paper, the cost of this kind of metal currency is higher, and this is also the case, so that the people of Ming Dynasty can have a sense of security with this kind of metal currency.
Just for this sense of security and to rebuild trust, Emperor Chongzhen had to do a lot more and spend a lot of money to make a turn.
At this time, Ni Yuanlu was the first to read it, and then asked Emperor Chongzhen with doubts: "Your Majesty, I don't know how to use this new money?"
To be honest, he was actually very worried.Because there are too many things involved in issuing a new kind of money. What if there is another money grab?
After hearing his words, most of the other officials stopped and listened carefully to see how the emperor would answer.
Emperor Chongzhen knew how to use money was the most important thing, so he solemnly said to Ni Yuanlu: "This new money will completely replace the current silver taels and copper coins after three years of trial implementation. People are allowed to exchange silver taels and copper coins for new coins, and they can also use new coins." Money can be used to exchange silver taels and copper coins back. One thing to note about this is how much new money has been exchanged for silver taels and copper coins before, and how much new money can be used to exchange it back later. This is done because new money must be completely replaced after three years. This It’s one of the rules!”
Hearing this, all the officials couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief. According to the emperor's statement, it was acceptable.Anyway, you have three years to look around. Once the new money depreciates significantly, you can exchange the silver coins and copper coins back.I remember that when Emperor Taizu set the rules for Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes, there was no such rule.
While they were thinking about it, Emperor Chongzhen continued to say seriously: "Secondly, starting from the promulgation of the new money, the court's expenditures and incomes will all give priority to the new money. The distribution of salaries, military pay, etc., the court's collection of land taxes, etc., are all Prioritize new money.”
Hearing this, the officials in the hall breathed a sigh of relief.Although their salary is based on new money, their salary is only small. If they think there is something wrong with the new money, then just spend it!People will not resist because they can use new money to pay taxes.
Emperor Chongzhen glanced at the courtiers below, observed their expressions, and said at the same time: "In addition, there will be a basis for the distribution of new money. For example, how much new money is expected to be generated by a certain item of revenue for the court, then how much new money can be printed. This Matters were not decided by the Ming Emperor alone, but led by the cabinet and consulted by six ministers, and the Ming Emperor made the final decision."
This rule is actually a bit like taking off your pants and farting.
In this era of imperial power, the emperor's will is not yet dominant.
However, no matter what, there is such a layer of regulations, which makes people feel that the emperor cannot do whatever he wants, and they will feel more at ease. It is no longer the emperor who wants to print as much money as he wants, and the confidence in the new money will be limited. One more serving.
When Ni Yuanlu, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, heard this, he quickly said: "Your Majesty, will the new money still be printed by the treasure banknote raising department of the Ministry of Revenue?"
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen nodded and said: "The Baochao Promotion Department was renamed the Coin Promotion Department and was placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Household Affairs. However, the new money printed must be deposited in the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank."
When Ni Yuanlu heard this, a bunch of questions immediately popped up, what is the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank?Where did this yamen come from?
Others were equally confused after hearing this.
Emperor Chongzhen knew that they could not know because the name had not been announced. At this time, he heard him say: "The bank run by Taikang Bo Zhang Guoji is the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank. From now on, he will be in charge of new money and supervise the quality of new money." , and distribute salaries and military pay."
When Ni Yuanlu heard this, she was dumbfounded and quickly said: "Your Majesty, can this Ming Royal Bank be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Household Affairs?"
You could tell from the name that it was probably directly under the jurisdiction of the palace, but this was obviously a matter of the Ministry of Revenue, so he was definitely not willing to accept it, so he quickly asked.
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen said categorically: "The Ministry of Household Affairs is in charge of the country's territory, fields, household registration, taxes, salaries and all financial matters. These remain unchanged. However, the distribution of money will not be returned to the Ministry of Household Affairs in the future."
It's a bit like a cashier and an accountant, with separate responsibilities.
Seeing that Ni Yuanlu still wanted to speak, Emperor Chongzhen added: "I have made up my mind on this matter!"
Ni Yuanlu: "..."
This is the benefit of personally leading troops to fight and winning consecutive battles to establish prestige.
If the previous Emperor Chongzhen had said that I had already made up my mind, it would be a waste and he would still oppose it if he should!
However, at this time, Emperor Chongzhen single-handedly reversed the situation in the capital, winning the hearts and minds of the military and the people, and his prestige was unprecedentedly high. He also had the experience of going crazy. Without sufficient reasons and immediate interests, who would dare to risk the loss of his family and his family? To object?
Emperor Chongzhen ignored Ni Yuanlu and turned to Fan Jingwen and said: "The cabinet drafted another decree to announce to the world that anyone who needs money can borrow money from the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank. Ordinary people must have collateral and military merit. If the serving soldiers' families are small, they can be exempted from a certain amount of collateral. The purpose of the loan must be stated. The loan can only be granted after approval by the bank, and the monthly interest is one and a half cents!"
"Da Ming Law" stipulates that "any private lending of money, debts and property pawned, the monthly profit shall not exceed three cents. Although it is more per month, it is only one profit per dollar."
However, generally speaking, the interest rate for loans in the Ming Dynasty was generally two to three cents to five cents per month, which was much higher than the upper limit stipulated in the "Ming Dynasty Law".
And in actual operation, for example, a pawn shop earns more than just interest. When the pawn expires and cannot be redeemed, it becomes a "dead pawn" and must be handled by the pawn shop. This additional benefit is often times the loan interest.The so-called stipulation that no more than one profit per profit has become a dead letter.
By this time in the late Ming Dynasty, banks had already existed and there was also lending activity, but they were mainly lending to individuals, and the amounts were generally relatively small.
Emperor Chongzhen told the plan, and all the officials in the palace understood it.However, they were all surprised by the low interest rate, which was only one and a half cents per month.
However, there is also something new about this matter, that is, this is a loan provided by the government, and it is a permanent government office.
It is not that there were no yamen lending money in the past. For example, when Wang Anshi's reform, yamen in various places were asked to lend money. However, Emperor Chongzhen was obviously different from Wang Anshi's reform.The first is that it is not forced, the second is that the interest is extremely low, and the third is that a certain amount of collateral can be waived for the families of soldiers with military exploits.
So, someone immediately said: "Your Majesty, apart from the family members of serving officers and soldiers with military merit who are exempted from the collateral, I wonder who else can be exempted from the collateral?"
This meaning is actually very obvious: Your Majesty, look, look here, can we officials also be exempted from collateral?
How could Emperor Chongzhen not understand the meaning? He immediately said: "The direct adult relatives of loyal martyrs enshrined in the Hall of Loyalty and Martyrs can borrow a certain amount of money without interest!"
Official in the palace: "..."
Emperor Chongzhen would not tolerate them and continued: "In addition, after the implementation of this law, all money deposited in the Royal Bank of the Ming Dynasty will not only be free of money storage fees, but also earn [-]% monthly interest for one year. Settlement once.”
Think of this as after banks start doing business, they need to attract private deposits.If an interest rate of [-]% is given, there is still an interest difference of one point. It is still a category where money makes money.
When it comes to how to make money, this is the best way to make money!
However, this method of saving money and paying interest back is unheard of in this day and age.When they heard the emperor say this, the people in the hall were very surprised.
So Fan Jingwen quickly asked: "Your Majesty, if no one borrows money and everyone saves money, won't this bank be losing money?"
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen immediately laughed and said: "Isn't the bank's interest rate low enough? Are you afraid that no one will lend money? If you really want no one to lend money, then I will borrow the money and I will pay the interest!"
Fan Jingwen: "..."
For today's discussion, especially when it comes to this bank, it seems that knowledge is not enough.The emperor does one thing after another, is it really possible?
Ni Yuanlu still had questions to ask. Seeing Fan Jingwen stunned, he opened his mouth and said, "Your Majesty, which yamen belongs to the profits or losses of the Royal Bank of the Ming Dynasty?"
The emperor said that he wanted to borrow money, so he gave him the basis for this question.
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen originally wanted to answer immediately, but then his heart moved and he immediately changed the answer he almost blurted out: "Profits and losses belong to the national treasury and the internal treasury according to the eighty-two division method."
After hearing this, Ni Yuanlu quickly confirmed: "Your Majesty means that this bank is under the control of the palace, but if your Majesty borrows money from the bank, you will also pay back the interest, and then eight points of the interest will go to the national treasury and two points to the internal treasury?"
Emperor Chongzhen listened, nodded and said: "That's it!"
After Ni Yuanlu heard this, there was no problem.If it was said that everything should be returned to the palace, he would definitely raise objections.
In fact, the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank’s approach will steal many people’s loan sharking business.
Just imagine, this is a bank opened by the emperor, and the interest rate is so low, then who would borrow money from a loan shark?Unless the bank cannot borrow money, it is possible to still borrow money from loan sharks.
However, these high-ranking officials of the Ming Dynasty who discussed this kind of loan sharking with the emperor may have family members, but generally they did not worry about this kind of thing. Although the emperor did not add the words "I have made up my mind", They would not fight against the emperor just because of this.
In the final analysis, it is because the emperor speaks with prestige now!
Prestige is something that cannot be seen or touched, but it is really important for doing things!
After the court meeting, the cabinet and various ministries and offices became busy with these matters.Of course, Emperor Chongzhen did not ignore it, but acted as the general control to prevent things from going beyond his plan.
Reforms related to household registration, such as the abolition of low-income status, made most of the beneficiaries very grateful to the emperor, and his policy preferences for the imperial officers further strengthened military morale.Therefore, when the military pay was distributed with new money in October of the 17th year of Chongzhen, all the soldiers in the capital did not raise any objection!
(End of this chapter)
Emperor Chongzhen did not have time to stay here in Yongping Mansion, so he arranged for Li Yutian to be the governor of Jiliao, and Zhou Yuji to be the general soldier of Ji Town, guarding Santun Camp and responsible for the defense line from Shanhaiguan to Juyongguan. After Yang Tinglin was responsible for the immigration to Yongping Mansion, Then the class teacher returned to Beijing.
Before this expedition, an army of 10,000+ Jianlu and 10,000+ Li thieves, a total of nearly 30 people, gathered in Gyeonggi. It can be said that the situation was very serious.
Not to mention the number of troops, it is the reputation of Jianlu. Even if the emperor has defeated Jianlu twice, so many Jianlu troops still make everyone tremble with fear, fearing that one day they will wake up and the thieves will The army came to the city.
If so many thieves continue to besiege and cut off the capital's food and grass supplies, it is conceivable what the capital's future fate will be!
As a result, what they never expected was that after the emperor led his troops on the expedition, good news continued to spread. First, the prisoners fled after hearing the news, and then [-] bandits were captured.The emperor recruited another [-] bandits and pursued the fleeing Jianlu until all the Jianlu escaped.The remaining thieves also fled after hearing the news.
At this point, there were no rebels or rebels in the capital.
Everyone is excited and excited.
For so many years, although the land of Gyeonggi was under the emperor's feet, it was not peaceful at all.When Jianlu invaded, the capital was the first to suffer.All the people in the capital, officials and gentry, all live a life without knowing what will happen in the future.No one can guarantee that if you sleep tonight and open your eyes tomorrow morning, you will encounter another military disaster!
In the Gyeonggi region, almost every household has lost a loved one due to military disasters.
But now, the current emperor has led the Beijing camp to sweep through the bandits in the capital. They have enough reasons to believe that as long as the current emperor is here, it is unlikely that any bandits will dare to come to the capital to cause trouble!
In other words, the people of Gyeonggi Province finally saw the dawn of peace!
For the people in troubled times, peace or not is really too precious!It was the emperor who personally led the troops in the war that brought them hope of peace. Therefore, when they heard that the emperor led the troops in triumph, almost everyone ran out of their homes to welcome the emperor's triumph.
Ten miles outside the capital city, along both sides of the official road, there were all common people, officials and gentry, etc. At this moment, without any scruples about their status, they all took out their good things, put them in baskets, raised them above their heads, and knelt down. That, to the victorious army.
At the moment when the emperor appeared in their sight, all the people shouted long live, the momentum was so loud that it was almost deafening!
Emperor Chongzhen was originally happy, after all, he came back victorious from the battle.However, when he saw such a grand scene and saw the things they held above their heads and wanted to sacrifice, he was shocked again.
Logically speaking, it is the most basic obligation of the ruler to provide the common people with a peaceful environment.If it cannot be done, the ruler will be scolded.Anyway, if it were his own words, he would definitely be full of complaints. If he had the ability to rebel, he would definitely rebel.
Now, as the emperor, he leads the army to quell the rebellion and ensure peace. This is the most basic duty of an emperor. However, he did not expect that the people would welcome him like this!
Their requirements are really too low!
Look, even those with patches on their bodies, who could tell at a glance that they were poor people, all took out what they could.
What's this?This is their sincerity!
At this moment, Emperor Chongzhen once again realized that his responsibility was not only to win the war, but also to give these people, and the people of the world, an environment to live and work in peace and contentment!
At this moment, Emperor Chongzhen also decided that now that he had the capital, he would make drastic reforms, and no one could stop him!
The first thing he did when he returned to the capital was that Emperor Chongzhen led all the civil and military officials to send the loyal martyrs who died in the battle to the Hall of Loyalty and Martyrs.Subsequently, a court meeting was held to abolish the humble registration and household registration and unify them into civilian registration.
I heard Emperor Chongzhen say solemnly: "Although Emperor Taizu made reference to previous dynasties when he made the customs, and also determined each nationality for official management, the Ming Dynasty has lasted nearly 300 years, and the population is far from what it was at the beginning of the founding of the Ming Dynasty. The people of the Ming Dynasty are Life is far from what it was at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China. When I, Emperor Taizu, asked for his permission in his dream, we could rebuild the ancestral system according to local conditions!"
When the civil and military officials in the court heard this, they were immediately speechless.
Generally speaking, an effective means for civil servants to restrain the emperor is to use ancestral systems to suppress the emperor.In particular, Zhu Yuanzhang also had a clear will, requiring future generations to abide by it and not change his customs.
If this offends the interests of the emperor and civil servants, then both parties will have a tacit understanding. If it is changed, no one will think of any ancestral system.
For example, the idea that corrupt officials would be skinned and stuffed with grass disappeared after the founding of the Ming Dynasty.As for the officials in the late Ming Dynasty, if they still insisted on the ancestral system, they would probably all be skinless officials!
But if you say that restructuring will offend the interests of civil servants, then your emperor's words will be of no use.When civil servants rise up to attack, they will think of the ancestral system and use it to suppress the emperor.
But at this time, Emperor Chongzhen said directly in his opening remarks that he had obtained Emperor Taizu's consent to change the system, so it would be unreasonable to use the ancestral system to suppress him.
As for not believing it?How did the emperor suddenly change into a different person? Not only did he have divine power, but he could also lead troops to fight and turn the tide. If Emperor Taizu didn't show up, how could we explain it?
Of course, if someone does not believe in evil, the emperor will go crazy. He chopped down a bunch of people in front of the Meridian Gate Tower. That is not a lie.No one can be sure if you have the guts to try again and whether the emperor will go crazy again!
"... Nowadays, our Ming Dynasty has a large population, and it can be concluded that sons must inherit their father's inheritance. Therefore, I have decided to abolish all types of household registration and unify them into civil registrations, which are equivalent to rural households. As long as you are a common citizen of the Ming Dynasty, you can do whatever you are good at. The guard system will be reformed, and the craftsmanship system will also be reformed..."
At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, it was a Wei system, which Zhu Yuanzhang was proud of being able to feed an army of millions without spending money on food.This was a good thing in the early days of the country when supplies were scarce.But as times change, it gradually becomes no longer applicable.
Most of the guardsmen, who were originally soldiers and farmers, became serfs of the guards officers and could only make money by doing farm work for them.The result of not training is that once you fight, you won't fight.Therefore, starting from the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court implemented a recruitment system, which meant that the imperial court had to pay military salaries.
Until the end of the Ming Dynasty, there was a system that combined the garrison soldiers and the recruitment system.Then, the imperial court could not pay the military salaries under the recruitment system, leaving the soldiers very poor, but they were restricted by military law, and then they could escape, and the fallen grass became bandits, and the fallen grass became bandits, and they became chaos again.
At this time, when the emperor said that he wanted to innovate the guard system, of course the civil and military officials could guess how.
In this matter, the most direct interests were harmed by the military attaché system, that is, the mid- to high-level hereditary military attachés in the guards, and then there were the local powerful, those who usurped military lands.
However, at this time, the Beijing camp under the control of Emperor Chongzhen was all based on a recruitment system and was paid for the military, which had little to do with the decaying guard post.Therefore, his basic interests were not damaged. Based on this, he made strong innovations and no one in the hall dared to object.
However, Ni Yuanlu, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, still stood up and reported to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, I think this matter should be dealt with slowly. The source of military pay is still unclear. I estimate that the money in the hands of the Queen is not much. ”
The previous money was all confiscated from homes by Emperor Chongzhen holding a butcher knife. This was not a stable source of the treasury. Therefore, as the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, he had the responsibility to remind him of this situation.
His worries were indeed correct.
After Emperor Chongzhen returned to Beijing, Queen Zhou reported the financial situation to him as soon as possible. There was indeed not much money left.
No, before Emperor Chongzhen could speak, he added: "Your Majesty also arranges for disabled soldiers to work in various yamen and receive salary. This will be another expense. The other three salaries have also been abolished. I don’t accept the following land tax, I am incompetent, I really don’t know how to make money..."
At this point, he wanted to resign.
In fact, he has resigned multiple times.But no one wants to do it, so no one wants to do it, so even if they don’t want to do it, they have to do it.
Others were a little worried about the money when they heard what he said.
After getting a large sum of money from the house raids at the beginning of the year, the Beijing camp was reorganized. Not only were the military salaries paid out on time, but even the arrears were paid off. In addition, the salaries of civil and military officials were also paid in full, and the situation also developed for the better.
However, this money is not always available. Once there is no money later, not only the salary will be owed, but also the emperor will have to spend more money. What should I do?
At this moment, they were very worried that the emperor would start ransacking their homes again!
Therefore, Fan Jingwen, the first assistant, also went out and said: "Your Majesty, the world is still in chaos, taxes cannot be collected in various places, and the national treasury has no money, and it is really inappropriate to spend more money. It is better to spend some money. Can it be postponed?”
Jiang Dejing, the assistant minister of the cabinet, and others followed suit and echoed the words of the chief minister.
Later, all civil and military officials in the entire dynasty followed suit.Because everyone is afraid that the emperor is addicted to confiscation of homes!
Emperor Chongzhen saw it, but he was not unreasonable. He knew that their worries were justified.However, he also has his own ideas.
In the early stage, the capital's house was ransacked once, and then the Xuanfu Datong side was also ransacked once, which supported his various expenses in the early stage and finally alleviated the critical situation of the country's subjugation.
But in the future, where the money to support the army and the country will come from is indeed a problem. We can't keep confiscating homes!
However, Emperor Chongzhen certainly had concerns about this situation.
So, I heard him say to his ministers: "I am also aware of your concerns. However, you only see the money side of my innovation, so please listen."
Fan Jingwen and others: "..."
What the emperor meant was to say that they were ignorant and ignorant.
To be honest, they were really unconvinced. After all, they were all officials who had passed the imperial examination. Which one of them was not knowledgeable?The emperor actually said that they had no knowledge!
So, they all looked at Emperor Chongzhen and listened with their ears pricked up. If the emperor was wrong, they must have wanted to let the emperor know that you are good at fighting, but to govern the country, we still need to rely on civil servants like us.
I just heard Emperor Chongzhen ask the ministers in the palace: "Why did I defeat the army of Li thieves and the army of Jianlu who invaded in less than half a year? Logically speaking, with this little time, just training time is not enough. Why?"
Hearing this, the civil and military officials couldn't help but look at each other. Did the emperor mean to praise him?
So Fan Jingwen immediately said: "This is the reason why your Majesty is so wise and powerful and so brave!"
Emperor Chongzhen just smiled after hearing this, and then said: "This is one thing. On the other hand, it is because I let the soldiers go to the battlefield without any worries, and the rewards and punishments are clear. Only then can the soldiers sacrifice their lives and be brave on the battlefield." Kill the enemy, and in this way, we defeated the superior army of Li thieves, and also defeated the Jianlu army, which was said to be invincible in the field!"
Without waiting for his ministers to speak, he further explained: "Why don't you have any worries? If you are alive, you will be rewarded; if you are injured, you will have a place to go; if you die, you can enter the Hall of Loyalty and Martyrs and live with the country forever! There is only one In this way, in the face of the captives who are feared by everyone, the soldiers under my command can be one to ten, and with a few enemies, we can create great victories again and again. You said to yourself, if I pay some salary, I can make all your soldiers worry-free. , the people can enjoy peace, is it worth it?"
Fan Jingwen and others were speechless after hearing this.
The truth seems to be this: if you want to say whether it is worth it, it must be worth it.But the key point is, maybe you can have this effect without paying so much money, right?
While they were thinking, they heard Emperor Chongzhen continue to say before he finished speaking: "What is the source of the great chaos in the world? Natural disasters and man-made disasters! Not to mention natural disasters, they happen every year, but many natural disasters can be dealt with. It would not lead to such a catastrophe as it is today. Why? It is all because of man-made disasters! What is man-made disaster? To put it simply, the number of corrupt officials has reached an outrageous level..."
When he said this, Emperor Chongzhen's expression became serious and his tone became colder, so that the temperature in the hall seemed to be a few degrees colder: "Don't be afraid of natural disasters, but be afraid that under natural disasters, there will still be corrupt officials. Taking advantage of natural disasters to seek personal gain! I have long heard that in today's officialdom, no official is corrupt, and no official is corrupt! I will kill ten of them at random. There may be some mistakes in killing, but there is absolutely no wrong killing. They are just more greedy and less greedy. the difference……"
Hearing this, all the civil and military officials in the court were sweating.
They actually knew that the emperor's words were not an exaggeration.However, if such a fact was told by the emperor, especially if this emperor had experienced madness, if he suddenly became angry after talking and started going crazy again, would he be spared?
At this moment, no one dared to look up or look into the emperor's eyes.Because most people do something illegal and taboo.
Emperor Chongzhen glanced at the ministers below, and suddenly softened his tone and continued: "I have already rectified the officials once. Let's look at the atmosphere of the officialdom. If corruption is still common and non-corruption is regarded as an exception, I don't mind rectifying the officialdom again. . In addition, regarding the corrupt officials, I know that if I just kill a few, it will be difficult for all the corrupt officials in the world to correct their evil ways. There are social customs and institutional reasons. Officials have no salary but have power. How can they hold back? Don’t be greedy and don’t oppress the people?”
"In this case, I will come to the bottom of the cauldron and change all the current officials. They will no longer be hereditary, inherit the father's business from son to son, and no longer use labor. In the future, officials must be evaluated based on their character and talents. Then, I will also pay the salary! I am not afraid that no one will use it. I can trust the officers and soldiers who protect the home and the country. When there is peace in the future, when the army officers and soldiers reach their age, they can also be arranged to work in the yamen. They have the heart to serve the country and are bound by military discipline. Yes, it should be better than many people!"
After saying this, Emperor Chongzhen glanced at the ministers below, and then asked in a cold voice: "Do you think that officials are more useful and more reliable? I can get so many benefits by paying a little salary, but Is it worth it?”
In fact, he knew in his heart that even so, corruption could not be avoided.Corruption is impossible to eradicate as long as there is selfish desire!
However, everything is relative, as long as it is better than the original, that's fine.Maybe this system will not be suitable in a certain future era, but at least it is suitable now, right?
The civil and military officials in the hall heard the emperor's vague threats and said so many benefits, forcing them to express their stance. To be honest, they were actually not happy in their hearts.
They always feel that the emperor is too kind to warriors!
After a moment of silence, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel began to play: "Your Majesty, the work of an official is not something ordinary people can do. You must be literate and have a flexible mind to do things well! If you are all in the military If you are a rude person, I am afraid things in the yamen will be messed up. Your Majesty, please think twice about this matter!"
Upon hearing this, all civil servants agreed.Several military attachés were accustomed to being suppressed by civilian officials, and even they themselves felt that this statement was reasonable.
But who knows, Emperor Chongzhen listened and said without thinking: "For those jobs in the yamen that require literacy, just use literate officers. If they are illiterate, teach them how to read. From now on, the officers and soldiers in the army will do their best in their free time. Everyone must be literate at all times. As for what the yamen does, how difficult is it to write regulations to teach them?"
When he said this, he saw the surprised expressions of these civil servants, and he knew what he was thinking, so he continued: "I thought that you all understand the value of peace! And where does peace come from? It is the commander-in-chief of the army. Protect it with your life! Regardless of high or low, regardless of gender, everyone has a stake. Therefore, in the future, as long as they are Ming people, they will join the army at the appropriate age. This is the innovative strategy to replace the Wei system! "
If this was said during the Taiping era, many people would probably object.But these people here have all experienced great chaos in the world, and naturally they know the value of peace the most.Even if they are all high-ranking officials in the imperial court, they will inevitably be affected by troubled times. Peace or not is also very important to them!
Therefore, at this time, Emperor Chongzhen first started with the benefits that can be enjoyed by being a soldier, and then said that everyone must be a soldier, which is equivalent to saying that the treatment that civil servants thought before was actually the treatment of all Ming people. That is not a simple matter. The civil and military forces were in conflict.
In fact, the whole people were soldiers in Chinese history. For example, after the founding of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, required men, regardless of whether they were born noble or poor, to register with the government after they were crowned.Starting from the age of 23, each registered person must perform military service twice in his life, one time for one year, and there are also requirements on the location of military service. The two military services are once in the local county where the person is located, and the other is in the local county where the person is located. Once, it is stipulated that it must be in the border areas of the country or the national capital.
It evolved many times after that. It was only after the Ming Dynasty that the garrison system was established to allow specific groups of people to serve in the military.
What Emperor Chongzhen wanted to innovate was actually to refer to the all-military service system of the early Han Dynasty, which was combined with the military service of later generations.
Of course, the learned people in the hall know about history.However, after they heard what the emperor said, they felt different. Fan Jingwen among them asked: "Is the innovation mentioned by your Majesty based on the military service of the Han Dynasty, or is it modified so that military pay can be received?"
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen said without thinking: "Of course, in the future, officers and soldiers will be divided into military service system and professional system. That is, after the court stipulates the period of military service, the outstanding ones can voluntarily continue to stay in the army. The increase in military pay is for the military." backbone!"
After hearing this, Fan Jingwen and others felt that they were indeed different from the previous military service. However, before they thought about it, Emperor Chongzhen emphasized: "Don't say that the world is still in chaos. Even after the rebellions everywhere are suppressed, the whole world will not refer to me. The Ming Dynasty was also a troubled time of disputes among various countries. The preferential treatment for officers and soldiers must be tilted. If anyone is dissatisfied, he can join the army and become a court officer. I have made up my mind on this matter. The general charter will be sent to the cabinet later, and Fan Qing will take the lead in detailing it. Implement it!”
Originally, Fan Jingwen wanted to say something else, such as how to talk about the troubled times between countries, but when he heard the emperor say "I have made up my mind," he didn't say anything anymore, and just replied: "The humble minister accepts the decree! "
Others also dare not say it. You know, the emperor's prestige is at its peak now. Who dares to compete with it?Maybe Zodiac Week can, but not here.
Emperor Chongzhen glanced at the ministers below, and then nodded to Wang Chengen, the eunuch in charge of the ceremony.
So, Wang Chengen immediately waved to a chamberlain, and then saw the chamberlain carrying a tray in front of Wang Chengen.The other officials were curious, wondering what it was?
Wang Chengen did not delay, and directly opened the red cloth covering it, and then said to the others: "This is the new coin that was cast and printed according to the order. The material is divided into four grades, namely copper, copper and silver mixed, and gold. Silver and copper are mixed. There are numbers on each new coin, which are one copper coin, two silver coins, five silver coins; one silver coin, two silver coins, five silver coins; one silver coin, two silver coins, five silver coins; One tael; two taels, five taels and one tael, two taels and five taels.”
Having said this, he pointed to the new coins on the tray and said: "The new coins have different proportions of gold, silver and copper depending on their value, but they are all the same style and size. You adults can take a look."
After finishing speaking, Wang Chengen stepped aside.
The officials in the hall were shocked when they heard about the new money.They were afraid that the emperor would feel that he had no money and came to print Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes again. When they saw that they were still metal coins, they were a little relieved.But no matter what, they are always a little resistant to new money.
When he heard the eunuch in charge of the ceremony said that they could look at it, Ni Yuanlu, the minister of household affairs, was the first to walk over and start looking at it.
On the tray, new coins of the same size were arranged as needed. They were similar to the previous coins, with round and square holes, but they were more exquisitely made.
The edge of the circle is a closely arranged concave and convex pattern, with four characters engraved on it: Da Ming Tong Bao. In the middle of each character, there are small symbols.Every new money has pros and cons, and you can see it without picking it up.
Therefore, Ni Yuanlu saw that on the north side of the new money was the word "一文", and then there were also symbols that he did not recognize.
I quickly scanned the tray and saw that the other new coins were similar to this one. However, in addition to the unfamiliar symbols, the more expensive new coins also had patterns, which were plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum.
After Ni Yuanlu read it, he wanted to reach out and pick it up, so he turned to look at Wang Chengen. When he saw Wang Chengen nodded, he picked it up, weighed it separately, and found that there was a certain degree of difference in weight.
While he was watching, others gathered around and looked at the new money according to their official positions.
Emperor Chongzhen was sitting on the throne, watching them watching, but he was a little bit resentful about classmate Zhu Yuanzhang.
At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, when everything was in ruins and money was urgently needed, the court had no money.In order to solve this problem, Zhu Yuanzhang invented banknotes such as Ming Dynasty Baobao, and then issued them as money.
Zhu Yuanzhang used this small price to solve the money problem, which played a huge role in the economic recovery at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty.
But the problem is that Zhu Yuanzhang, a classmate, didn’t understand the real laws of money at all. He thought printing banknotes was very useful and convenient, so he started printing them in large quantities. Then, he didn’t want them himself, which led to the lack of free convertibility of currency. And spam issuance, the result is very natural, while classmate Zhu Yuanzhang was still alive, Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes began to depreciate rapidly.
The later Emperor Ming also didn't know the rules of coins. Anyway, he kept printing Ming Bao banknotes. This kind of money came in the fastest, faster than ransacking homes. He kept printing and printing, and in the end even dogs disliked Ming Bao banknotes.So in the end, it was really a waste of paper, and the credibility of the court was bankrupted.
If classmate Zhu Yuanzhang hadn't been so messy, Emperor Chongzhen could actually solve the money shortage very conveniently.
Nowadays, when his prestige is really high, if he has no money, he can print banknotes for use. As long as he adheres to the inherent laws of coins, the value will not depreciate greatly and can be maintained forever.
But because classmate Zhu Yuanzhang had already done this, he couldn't do it anymore.
For this reason, in order to break the Ming Dynasty people's inherent impression of Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes, he had to start anew and print metal currency first.
In theory, this kind of metal currency is also a credit currency, which is no different from paper printing.
However, compared with paper, the cost of this kind of metal currency is higher, and this is also the case, so that the people of Ming Dynasty can have a sense of security with this kind of metal currency.
Just for this sense of security and to rebuild trust, Emperor Chongzhen had to do a lot more and spend a lot of money to make a turn.
At this time, Ni Yuanlu was the first to read it, and then asked Emperor Chongzhen with doubts: "Your Majesty, I don't know how to use this new money?"
To be honest, he was actually very worried.Because there are too many things involved in issuing a new kind of money. What if there is another money grab?
After hearing his words, most of the other officials stopped and listened carefully to see how the emperor would answer.
Emperor Chongzhen knew how to use money was the most important thing, so he solemnly said to Ni Yuanlu: "This new money will completely replace the current silver taels and copper coins after three years of trial implementation. People are allowed to exchange silver taels and copper coins for new coins, and they can also use new coins." Money can be used to exchange silver taels and copper coins back. One thing to note about this is how much new money has been exchanged for silver taels and copper coins before, and how much new money can be used to exchange it back later. This is done because new money must be completely replaced after three years. This It’s one of the rules!”
Hearing this, all the officials couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief. According to the emperor's statement, it was acceptable.Anyway, you have three years to look around. Once the new money depreciates significantly, you can exchange the silver coins and copper coins back.I remember that when Emperor Taizu set the rules for Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes, there was no such rule.
While they were thinking about it, Emperor Chongzhen continued to say seriously: "Secondly, starting from the promulgation of the new money, the court's expenditures and incomes will all give priority to the new money. The distribution of salaries, military pay, etc., the court's collection of land taxes, etc., are all Prioritize new money.”
Hearing this, the officials in the hall breathed a sigh of relief.Although their salary is based on new money, their salary is only small. If they think there is something wrong with the new money, then just spend it!People will not resist because they can use new money to pay taxes.
Emperor Chongzhen glanced at the courtiers below, observed their expressions, and said at the same time: "In addition, there will be a basis for the distribution of new money. For example, how much new money is expected to be generated by a certain item of revenue for the court, then how much new money can be printed. This Matters were not decided by the Ming Emperor alone, but led by the cabinet and consulted by six ministers, and the Ming Emperor made the final decision."
This rule is actually a bit like taking off your pants and farting.
In this era of imperial power, the emperor's will is not yet dominant.
However, no matter what, there is such a layer of regulations, which makes people feel that the emperor cannot do whatever he wants, and they will feel more at ease. It is no longer the emperor who wants to print as much money as he wants, and the confidence in the new money will be limited. One more serving.
When Ni Yuanlu, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, heard this, he quickly said: "Your Majesty, will the new money still be printed by the treasure banknote raising department of the Ministry of Revenue?"
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen nodded and said: "The Baochao Promotion Department was renamed the Coin Promotion Department and was placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Household Affairs. However, the new money printed must be deposited in the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank."
When Ni Yuanlu heard this, a bunch of questions immediately popped up, what is the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank?Where did this yamen come from?
Others were equally confused after hearing this.
Emperor Chongzhen knew that they could not know because the name had not been announced. At this time, he heard him say: "The bank run by Taikang Bo Zhang Guoji is the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank. From now on, he will be in charge of new money and supervise the quality of new money." , and distribute salaries and military pay."
When Ni Yuanlu heard this, she was dumbfounded and quickly said: "Your Majesty, can this Ming Royal Bank be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Household Affairs?"
You could tell from the name that it was probably directly under the jurisdiction of the palace, but this was obviously a matter of the Ministry of Revenue, so he was definitely not willing to accept it, so he quickly asked.
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen said categorically: "The Ministry of Household Affairs is in charge of the country's territory, fields, household registration, taxes, salaries and all financial matters. These remain unchanged. However, the distribution of money will not be returned to the Ministry of Household Affairs in the future."
It's a bit like a cashier and an accountant, with separate responsibilities.
Seeing that Ni Yuanlu still wanted to speak, Emperor Chongzhen added: "I have made up my mind on this matter!"
Ni Yuanlu: "..."
This is the benefit of personally leading troops to fight and winning consecutive battles to establish prestige.
If the previous Emperor Chongzhen had said that I had already made up my mind, it would be a waste and he would still oppose it if he should!
However, at this time, Emperor Chongzhen single-handedly reversed the situation in the capital, winning the hearts and minds of the military and the people, and his prestige was unprecedentedly high. He also had the experience of going crazy. Without sufficient reasons and immediate interests, who would dare to risk the loss of his family and his family? To object?
Emperor Chongzhen ignored Ni Yuanlu and turned to Fan Jingwen and said: "The cabinet drafted another decree to announce to the world that anyone who needs money can borrow money from the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank. Ordinary people must have collateral and military merit. If the serving soldiers' families are small, they can be exempted from a certain amount of collateral. The purpose of the loan must be stated. The loan can only be granted after approval by the bank, and the monthly interest is one and a half cents!"
"Da Ming Law" stipulates that "any private lending of money, debts and property pawned, the monthly profit shall not exceed three cents. Although it is more per month, it is only one profit per dollar."
However, generally speaking, the interest rate for loans in the Ming Dynasty was generally two to three cents to five cents per month, which was much higher than the upper limit stipulated in the "Ming Dynasty Law".
And in actual operation, for example, a pawn shop earns more than just interest. When the pawn expires and cannot be redeemed, it becomes a "dead pawn" and must be handled by the pawn shop. This additional benefit is often times the loan interest.The so-called stipulation that no more than one profit per profit has become a dead letter.
By this time in the late Ming Dynasty, banks had already existed and there was also lending activity, but they were mainly lending to individuals, and the amounts were generally relatively small.
Emperor Chongzhen told the plan, and all the officials in the palace understood it.However, they were all surprised by the low interest rate, which was only one and a half cents per month.
However, there is also something new about this matter, that is, this is a loan provided by the government, and it is a permanent government office.
It is not that there were no yamen lending money in the past. For example, when Wang Anshi's reform, yamen in various places were asked to lend money. However, Emperor Chongzhen was obviously different from Wang Anshi's reform.The first is that it is not forced, the second is that the interest is extremely low, and the third is that a certain amount of collateral can be waived for the families of soldiers with military exploits.
So, someone immediately said: "Your Majesty, apart from the family members of serving officers and soldiers with military merit who are exempted from the collateral, I wonder who else can be exempted from the collateral?"
This meaning is actually very obvious: Your Majesty, look, look here, can we officials also be exempted from collateral?
How could Emperor Chongzhen not understand the meaning? He immediately said: "The direct adult relatives of loyal martyrs enshrined in the Hall of Loyalty and Martyrs can borrow a certain amount of money without interest!"
Official in the palace: "..."
Emperor Chongzhen would not tolerate them and continued: "In addition, after the implementation of this law, all money deposited in the Royal Bank of the Ming Dynasty will not only be free of money storage fees, but also earn [-]% monthly interest for one year. Settlement once.”
Think of this as after banks start doing business, they need to attract private deposits.If an interest rate of [-]% is given, there is still an interest difference of one point. It is still a category where money makes money.
When it comes to how to make money, this is the best way to make money!
However, this method of saving money and paying interest back is unheard of in this day and age.When they heard the emperor say this, the people in the hall were very surprised.
So Fan Jingwen quickly asked: "Your Majesty, if no one borrows money and everyone saves money, won't this bank be losing money?"
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen immediately laughed and said: "Isn't the bank's interest rate low enough? Are you afraid that no one will lend money? If you really want no one to lend money, then I will borrow the money and I will pay the interest!"
Fan Jingwen: "..."
For today's discussion, especially when it comes to this bank, it seems that knowledge is not enough.The emperor does one thing after another, is it really possible?
Ni Yuanlu still had questions to ask. Seeing Fan Jingwen stunned, he opened his mouth and said, "Your Majesty, which yamen belongs to the profits or losses of the Royal Bank of the Ming Dynasty?"
The emperor said that he wanted to borrow money, so he gave him the basis for this question.
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen originally wanted to answer immediately, but then his heart moved and he immediately changed the answer he almost blurted out: "Profits and losses belong to the national treasury and the internal treasury according to the eighty-two division method."
After hearing this, Ni Yuanlu quickly confirmed: "Your Majesty means that this bank is under the control of the palace, but if your Majesty borrows money from the bank, you will also pay back the interest, and then eight points of the interest will go to the national treasury and two points to the internal treasury?"
Emperor Chongzhen listened, nodded and said: "That's it!"
After Ni Yuanlu heard this, there was no problem.If it was said that everything should be returned to the palace, he would definitely raise objections.
In fact, the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank’s approach will steal many people’s loan sharking business.
Just imagine, this is a bank opened by the emperor, and the interest rate is so low, then who would borrow money from a loan shark?Unless the bank cannot borrow money, it is possible to still borrow money from loan sharks.
However, these high-ranking officials of the Ming Dynasty who discussed this kind of loan sharking with the emperor may have family members, but generally they did not worry about this kind of thing. Although the emperor did not add the words "I have made up my mind", They would not fight against the emperor just because of this.
In the final analysis, it is because the emperor speaks with prestige now!
Prestige is something that cannot be seen or touched, but it is really important for doing things!
After the court meeting, the cabinet and various ministries and offices became busy with these matters.Of course, Emperor Chongzhen did not ignore it, but acted as the general control to prevent things from going beyond his plan.
Reforms related to household registration, such as the abolition of low-income status, made most of the beneficiaries very grateful to the emperor, and his policy preferences for the imperial officers further strengthened military morale.Therefore, when the military pay was distributed with new money in October of the 17th year of Chongzhen, all the soldiers in the capital did not raise any objection!
(End of this chapter)
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