I, the Ming Dynasty, can still save me

Chapter 481

"Your Majesty, this is only the output of Tongzhou Firearms Workshop. Your Majesty still remembers that last year, you ordered your ministers and decreed an allocation of 30 taels, and then sent people to Foshan, Guangdong to ask the iron workshop there to assist in the casting of artillery and muskets. ?

After the matter was sent to Guangdong, the Chief Secretary of Guangdong attached great importance to it and ordered the local Ordnance Bureau and Foshan to build it day and night.Now they are also providing twenty Krupp cannons, one thousand blunderbuss, and fifty rifles every month. They have been supplied for more than three months and will be of great benefit to the court in the future. "

When Zhu Youxiao heard this, he was overjoyed.He knew that the proportion of fire muskets and equipment in the south of the Ming Dynasty was much higher than that in the north, so the quality of the bird muskets and Krupp cannons produced by the Ordnance Bureau of the Chief Secretary of the South was also very high.

And with such a help, if things go on like this, not only Jingying, but also other border towns and Liaodong will probably be able to change their weapons.

But Zhu Youxiao is currently only thinking about equipping Jingying and Liaodong. As for the nine-border military and political affairs, he is only thinking about it at the moment.Before reforming the Nine Borders, this matter cannot be rushed.

But he cares more about the cost of manufacturing these than the output.Thinking of this, he started to ask.

"This output is quite good, and I want to give Xu Aiqing credit for this, but whether it is Tongzhou Firearms Workshop or other places, if it produces so much every month, I'm afraid it will be a big expense."

"Your Majesty, the more we produce now, the lower the price. Among them, the cost of Krupp cannon is the highest. The average cost of producing Krupp cannon is about 1000 taels. The current cost of bird gun is about one tael, and the cost of raising the gun is one tael. , a flintlock gun requires two and a half. The cost in Guangdong is lower than that in the capital, estimated to be about one-third less."

When Xu Guangqi heard the words, he answered clearly. This kind of cost is all on the surface, and it is easy for a discerning person to calculate it.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youxiao also silently calculated in his mind. According to the current output of the Tongzhou Firearms Workshop, the Tongzhou Firearms Workshop's monthly expenses are as high as 10 taels, which is 120 million a year. No wonder there is no military expenditure of 150 million taels.

However, this 150 million was too much. This was only money for making firearms. Other ordnance and equipment also required money. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a pain in his body.

Seeing Zhu Youxiao's silence, Xu Guangqi thought that the emperor would be unhappy when he heard the price, so he quickly said:
"Your Majesty, please rest assured that this cost is only temporary. As long as the raw materials are sufficient, the cost will be further reduced by improving the technology in the future. And last month, the Chief Secretary of Guangdong reported that Jiang County, Guangdong, had heard that a Western ship sank along the coast, so he sent people to salvage it. , a total of 45 cannons were salvaged, and they are all on their way to the capital."

Zhu Youxiao didn't care much about this. Whether it was salvaged or cast with money, as long as it could equip the troops well.

"It's enough. With this supply, I think it's not just the Jing camp, but also the Kru cannons and muskets supplied to Liaodong. With the advantages of these weapons, it will be easier to deal with Jian Lu." .”

At this time, Wang Zaijin, Minister of War, was finally able to intervene.

"What your Majesty said is true. The main users of firearms in Liaodong were the Zhejiang camp led by Qi Jin and Zhang Mingshi. Because the Krug artillery shined in the battles of Hunhe and Puhe. So Xiong Tingbi also expanded the Zhejiang camp to 1 People are also equipped with Kru cannons and blunderbuss issued by the Ministry of War, and I am afraid it will be easier to deal with Jian Lu in the future."

Zhu Youxiao nodded repeatedly when he heard this. The current firearms camp is not as equipped with firearms as later generations thought. The shortcomings of bird guns simply do not allow this.Generally, only one half is needed, and the rest are spearmen and sword and shield men, who are responsible for close combat and protecting the gunners.

"I'm relieved now, Wang Aiqing and Xu Aiqing, I really leave it to you to pay for the troops, horses, and firearms. These are the foundation of the country and must not be taken lightly." Military salaries and firearms expenses have always been the bulk of the imperial court's expenses. Wait a minute. After this account is calculated clearly, the subsequent expenses will be easy to calculate.

The original disposable income of the Ministry of Household Affairs was 9809 million taels. After deducting the 830 million taels of Liao and Jiubian pay in the following year, as well as the 300 million taels of military pay and firearms manufacturing costs of the Beijing camp, there was still 8509 million taels of silver.

There are still people keeping an eye on this money. Among them, Sun Shenxing proposed that the royal family's salary expenditure would be 150 million taels, the eunuch expenditure of the inner court would be 100 million taels, and the official salary would be 180 million taels.

Calculated in this way, the Ministry of Household Affairs has not received the money for next year. Now, after deducting various expenses, there is only 4209 million taels of disposable income left.

After Zhu Youxiao finished the calculation, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart, thinking that this was too much money.But the attitude of the officials was different from his. After the calculation, they all showed joy on their faces when they found a surplus.

The fiscal surplus in the first year of Tianqi was 200 million taels, and next year's fiscal budget surplus will be 400 million taels. If things continue like this, the imperial court's fiscal surplus will be even greater in the future.You must know that Zhang Taiyue was in charge for ten years, and the results of his determined reforms were nothing more than this.

"I congratulate Your Majesty. Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have been eating and drinking at night, increasing income and reducing expenditures, resulting in a full national treasury. You are truly the Holy King of the Ming Dynasty!"

What kind of holy king? Listening to the congratulations of Liu Yishui and others, Zhu Youxiao laughed in his heart and dismissed these words.

I didn't get all this money with all my efforts. For this reason, I didn't know how many people I killed and how much pressure I was under.

However, not everyone only talks empty words. For example, Xu Guangqi, Minister of Industry, stood up and said:
"Your Majesty, now that the imperial court has a surplus, the minister suggested that the three main halls be rebuilt. As the saying goes, there is no majesty without magnificence. The three main palaces in the outer dynasty are originally magnificent places that can fully show the majesty of the royal family. If they are not repaired, it will not only damage the imperial court. Watching and watching is even more harmful to the image among the people of the court and foreign envoys.

Previously, for the sake of the imperial court, His Majesty wanted to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, so the construction of the three main halls was stopped.Now that the imperial court has a surplus, why not rebuild the three main halls and hope that they will be completed soon and restore the royal dignity. "

When Zhu Youxiao heard this, he secretly thought that Xu Guangqi was a kind man and could still think about this for himself.

Xu Guangqi's sudden idea caught everyone off guard.Fortunately, everyone reacted quickly. Liu Yisui, Wang Yingjiao and others also felt that the imperial court was rich and it was natural for them to repair the three main halls.

Although Zhu Youxiao wanted to practice cultivation in his heart, he still shook his head and said:
"Forget it, the imperial court still has plenty of money to spend. If there is any natural or man-made disaster, the imperial court can provide relief if it has money. As for the construction of the three main halls, let's wait until Jianlu is eliminated."

As Zhu Youxiao talked, he thought about the fact that the three main halls of the Forbidden City are still in ruins, and sighed for his own savings.It is true that the purpose of building captives is to destroy them, so why do we care about the family?

As long as Jianlu can be eliminated, it will be worth all the suffering!

(End of this chapter)