I, the Ming Dynasty, can still save me

Chapter 273 Mine Ban and Edge Technology (Please subscribe)
"Wang Shangshu's words are wrong."

Liu Yishen and even the entire cabinet had completely different views from Wang Yingjiao.

How could everyone in the cabinet not understand what Wang Yingjiao said, but compared with these disadvantages, casting silver coins had an incomparable advantage that they could not refuse.

"Your Majesty, although there are many disadvantages to casting silver coins, there is one benefit that benefits the world. Because of this benefit, even if there are many disadvantages, the cabinet still wants to cast them and use them."

Zhu Youxiao was very curious as soon as these words came out, so he asked:

"Oh, what's the benefit?"

"Nowadays, all the people pay taxes with silver taels, but the silver taels paid by the people are all broken silver. When the imperial court hands over the collected silver taels to the state treasury, it will melt and recast the broken silver into silver ingots and hand them over, so there will be losses. Or fire consumption.

In order to be able to pay taxes in full, state and county officials asked the people to pay fire consumption in addition to taxes. Doesn't this increase the burden on the people invisibly?

And this also gives those officials the opportunity to take bribes and bend the law. When some officials tax taxes, the "fire consumption" levied is greater than the actual "fire consumption", and the remaining difference belongs to the officials. Therefore, the fire consumption has become an important issue for officials and staff. income.

In general, fire consumption in prefectures and counties amounts to [-] yuan, or even [-] yuan per tael.Taxes in remote prefectures and counties are low, and fire consumption is several times that of regular taxes. "

Everyone in the cabinet has always been aware of this matter and knew that some local governments relied on this fire-consuming business to make a fortune, causing a heavy burden on the people.

The cabinet repeatedly issued orders strictly prohibiting the levy of fire consumption, but local officials turned a deaf ear to it, so the cabinet was very troubled by the matter. The issuance of silver coins this time gave them an opportunity to solve this problem.

"Your Majesty, fire consumption has become a burden on the people, but if silver coins are printed and the court pays taxes according to silver coins, the court does not need to re-cast them, and there will naturally be no losses. Doesn't this mean that local officials have less opportunities to use their hands, and reduce the burden on the people? The burden of the people.”

Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but sigh after hearing this. Sure enough, the perspectives are different and the angles at which we look at problems are also different.

In fact, what the Cabinet and the Ministry of Household Affairs said made sense, but they analyzed the problem from different angles, which is why this disagreement arose.

Hearing what Liu Yishuo said, Wang Yingjiao shook his head, feeling that the ideas of Liu Yishuo and others were simply unrealistic.

"Of course what Lord Chief Assistant said is reasonable, but it is just talk on paper, not to mention whether the court will re-melt the collected silver coins. Just ask if some people cut off a circle of silver coins and then pay taxes, will the court accept it or not? Collect, whether people collect or not collect in their daily transactions.

I still say what I said, silver coins are very profitable, so there are many counterfeiters, but copper coins are less profitable, and the court can still control them. I am not disapproving of minting coins, but I suggest that it is better to mint copper coins. Silver coins are definitely not feasible, so please ask Your Majesty, please think twice. "

After saying this, Wang Yingjiao didn't want to explain anymore. He bowed his head and waited for the emperor's instructions.

"My dear friends, please stop arguing. I think what you are saying is reasonable, but the problems you mentioned are not unsolvable."

Zhu Youxiao looked at the two people arguing and waved his hands with a smile. He already knew the reason.And when Wang Yingjiao said that, he thought of a solution.

As a time traveler, he naturally understood that silver coins were very popular in later generations, and the problems Wang Yingjiao mentioned would also be encountered in later generations during the Republic of China.But in order to prevent the silver dollar from being cut or counterfeited, a technology called edge teeth is used to prevent counterfeiting or to prevent it from being cut.

The so-called edge teeth technology is to carve regular notches on the edge of the coin. If someone tries to cut off part of the silver coin, the edge teeth of the coin will be damaged.

In this way, the people or the government can judge whether the coin has been tampered with simply by looking at whether the edges and teeth of the coin are intact.

"Wang Aiqing said in the past that he was afraid that someone would forge or cut silver coins. In that case, wouldn't it be great if I could prevent this problem from happening? I just thought of a way.

Even when the imperial court minted silver coins, they would carve regular notches on their edges. In this way, whether the silver coins had been cut or tampered with would depreciate the value at a glance, and the people would also know at a glance. As long as the edges and teeth are wrong, it would be fine if they were not collected. "

The emperor's words made Liu Yishen's eyes light up, and he thought that this was indeed a good idea.

If this technology is really feasible, the problems of silver coins being cut and counterfeited will be solved, and Wang Yingjiao won't say anything.

When Wang Yingjiao heard this, he lowered his head in thought. After thinking for a while, he raised his head and replied:

"Your Majesty, this method is also feasible, but this technical minister has never heard of it before, and he just doesn't know how to practice it. In addition, even if the silver coins cast in this way are not easy to be copied, the silver coins have a large denomination and are still inconvenient to use."

Zhu Youxiao listened to Wang Yingjiao's doubts and quite understood his thoughts. As for the side-tooth technology, he was not worried.

Because he remembered that this technology was invented by Newton, seemingly five or sixty years later, he did not believe that Newton would be able to invent this technology five or sixty years later. He, the Ming Dynasty, could not create it now.

"You don't have to worry about this. Silver coins with large denominations are really inconvenient to use. Then we can print some silver coins with smaller denominations in the future. In the future, the court will not only use silver coins. Copper coins will still have to be printed. Print in large quantities to meet the needs of the people. In my opinion, the problem of lack of money among the people is very prominent now, so the court should mint more coins, otherwise the people will be deeply disturbed. As for the technical issues you mentioned, then you have to ask Xu Guangqi is here."

After Zhu Youxiao finished speaking, he cast a questioning look at Xu Guangqi. Just now Xu Guangqi had been watching the argument between Liu Yishen and Wang Yingjiao without saying anything.

But they did listen to what they said. Now seeing the emperor questioning him again, he thought for a while and stood up and said:
"Your Majesty, the edge-tooth technique you mentioned is indeed feasible after careful consideration. It is just that it may not have been done before and needs some testing. Please give me some time and I will give you the results."

"Okay, that's good. Just go ahead and do it. As long as the problem can be solved, I will make a great contribution to you."

Zhu Youxiao clapped his hands when he heard this. He believed that as long as the Ministry of Industry was given enough time, this technology could be overcome.So he asked Wang Yingjiao again.

"Wang Yingjiao, since Xu Guangqi said it's feasible, let's give it a try."

Seeing this, Wang Yingjiao no longer persisted. Since there is technology to prevent counterfeiting, casting is not impossible. Besides, casting silver coins is also profitable, as long as the disadvantages can be solved.

"Wei Chen obeys the order. Since there is a way to solve the problem, Wei Chen is also willing to give it a try."

"Very good, then this matter is settled. Now that this matter is resolved, let's discuss the next disagreement. But I am aware of this disagreement. It must be about the mining ban."

When Liu Yisui heard the words, he stood up and bowed his head. He was very pleased to see that the emperor agreed with the cabinet's idea just now.So for the next disagreement, he also wanted the emperor's support for the cabinet.

"Your Majesty is wise. His Majesty previously issued an edict that copper mining should be opened in Yunnan and Guizhou. Naturally, he agreed to this. However, Wang Shangshu and Xu Shangshu insisted that since mining was started, the mining ban should be lifted and the people should be encouraged to mine. The court would only collect mining taxes. .

Wei Chen believes that this is a huge maladministration. It is an ancestral system to ban people from mining. The disadvantages of Shenzong's mining tax are not far away. The mining ban was reiterated last year, and the mining ban was renewed this year. Where does this put the imperial laws?Besides, if the tax collectors of the imperial court ask for bribes excessively, causing public resentment to boil over, I am afraid that the Shenzong Dynasty's tax resistance will happen again. "

Although Liu Yisui supports reform, he is strongly opposed to the mining tax.After all, Shenzong's mining tax envoys' search for money everywhere is vivid in my mind, which is particularly worth learning from.

"Your Majesty, Chief Assistant, is wrong. Mining and collecting taxes today are completely different from those in the Shenzong Dynasty. In the past, eunuchs served as tax envoys and plundered excessively. Most of the income went into the eunuchs' private pockets, and the rest went into the inner treasury of the Shenzong, which did not benefit the court in any way.

But now the mining tax collected by the imperial court is led by the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Industry. The mining tax collected is to subsidize the state, to make up for the shortage of gold, silver, copper, etc. in the court; and to allow the people to make a living and survive. Why is it such a bad government? "

After hearing what Liu Yisui said, Xu Guangqi first stood up to object. Although his Western-French Party had a close relationship with Donglin, they still had differences in governance policies.

Since the last discussion with the emperor about mining and casting copper, he has increasingly felt that the ban on mining is a good thing. Not only can the people benefit, but the court can also benefit.Wang Yingjiao thought the same way. In his opinion, mining and collecting taxes was a good thing, but Shenzong went too far and sent a large number of eunuchs as mining tax envoys, which caused public resentment.

Therefore, when Xu Guangqi put forward this suggestion, he immediately supported it, and even Ye Xianggao in the cabinet also supported it. It was Liu Yishen, Zhu Guozhen and others who were afraid of a repeat of the Shenzong Dynasty, which triggered the debate.

"Your Majesty, what Xu Shangshu said is true. It is precisely because of the excessive collection of mineral taxes in the past that the mining ban will not repeat the same mistakes. The people of the world have a lot of expenses, and they are already suffering from the mining ban and cannot extract minerals. Land, as long as the mining tax is reasonably formulated, we can continue to enjoy the benefits of fishing, and the people of the court will eagerly welcome it, which is in line with the current meaning of reforming the old and reforming the old."

Liu Yishen was even more angry when he heard this and immediately refuted it.

"This is nonsense. The current fiscal and taxation of the Ministry of Revenue is enough, so why bother to plunder the people again? Isn't this just raking in the water?"

Zhu Youxiao watched their quarrel. Everyone had their own reasons, which gave him a headache.

"Okay, okay, don't argue. It's all the important officials of the imperial court who are arguing about it."

Seeing the anger on the emperor's face, the three of them calmed down and bowed to Zhu Youxiao.

"I have behaved inappropriately in front of the palace. Please forgive me for this, Your Majesty."

Zhu Youxiao had a headache and waved his hand to let them get up.

"What you say is reasonable, but in my opinion there is nothing to argue about. The mining ban is indeed a good thing, and I support it.

Let’s not talk about collecting mining taxes. Let’s just say that now the imperial court wants to collect copper to make money, but there is very little copper. How can we make money? Although we have to buy copper from Japan, how can we compare with producing it ourselves. "

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(End of this chapter)