Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

Chapter 691 Inflation is coming (Please subscribe!!)

"you!"

Li Shanchang's chest heaved violently and his face looked extremely ugly, obviously he was very angry.

Ouyang Lun was too lazy to pay attention to Li Shanchang at this moment. He cupped his hands and said to Zhu Biao, "Regarding the phenomenon that Your Majesty just mentioned, I have given it a name. Inflation!"

inflation?!
Zhu Biao and the civil and military officials were unfamiliar with the four words proposed by Ouyang Lun, but they began to ponder them carefully.

"Brother-in-law Ouyang, please explain it to everyone in detail."

When Zhu Biao saw that Ouyang Lun had given this matter a name, it was obvious that Ouyang Lun had noticed this problem a long time ago, and perhaps Ouyang Lun had already found a solution to this problem!
"Yes, Your Majesty."

Ouyang Lun nodded, and then slowly said, "My Lords, the so-called inflation refers to the depreciation of money. Just now, Lord Li Shanchang said that because there is too much money, the money has become worthless. This statement is right and wrong!"

"More importantly, as the lives of the people of Ming Dynasty have improved, their requirements for the quality of life have increased. In order to meet the needs of the people, businesses have invested more costs, which has led to rising prices! In essence, it is demand that exceeds demand that leads to price increases!"

"As for what Lord Li Shanchang said, this is a lie I, Ouyang Lun, made up for my personal political achievements. Haha, Lord Li Shanchang really thinks highly of me!"

"I don't know about other things, but whether my Ming Dynasty has really improved, whether the treasury is full, and whether the people live a prosperous life, it is not up to me, Ouyang Lun, to decide alone. Of course, if you dare to lie with your eyes open, then I also admire your thick skin, Lord Li Shanchang!"

"I can understand that. It's normal to be a little thick-skinned as you get older."

After Ouyang Lun's explanation, everyone suddenly understood. Of course, Li Shanchang was so angry that his head was swelling and he couldn't listen at all.

"Brother-in-law Ouyang, is there any solution to this inflation?" Zhu Biao asked hurriedly.

"Your Majesty, the solution to this problem is very simple. We just need to continue to develop and let the people make more money. As long as everyone has more money, inflation can be effectively suppressed. The people will not feel the price increase so clearly and will gradually accept it!"

"In addition, the Ming Dynasty needs to actively support the development of large enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, and even micro-enterprises. Only when enterprises develop can they provide more tax revenue and jobs, and the number of goods and commodities will increase, which will also help to suppress inflation. At the same time, the court must advise, guide, and assist enterprises to reduce the cost of goods and actually bring down prices!"

"With this two-pronged approach, the inflation problem can be controlled. The reason why I say control rather than solve is because since we have embarked on the road of development, the problem of inflation will always accompany the development cycle of the dynasty. It is the characteristic of this development. There is no need to be afraid, just look at it rationally."

"Prices in past dynasties were indeed very stable, but their development was also stagnant. They are totally incomparable to the Ming Dynasty."

"You can also understand that this is the price of development!"

After these speeches, Zhu Biao and all the civil and military officials nodded. They naturally agreed with what Ouyang Lun said.

"After listening to Brother-in-law Ouyang's explanation, I finally understand. I don't have to worry about this matter every day." Zhu Biao nodded slowly, thought for a while and continued: "I have another problem, that is, the people have more and more money in their hands, and it is inconvenient to carry silver!"

"Nowadays, Ming Dynasty treasure notes, silver notes, bank checks, and credit stamps are all in use on the market. It's very complicated!"

"My dear ministers, can you come up with a solution? I mean, should we simplify these complicated payments and abolish some of the unpopular ones, such as the Baochao?"

As soon as Zhu Biao finished speaking, Song Lian stood up and said, "Your Majesty! This Ming Dynasty treasure note was issued by the emperor himself. It has solved many problems for the Ming Dynasty. Although the people of the Ming Dynasty are quite resistant to this treasure note, it was issued by the Ming Dynasty court and cannot be abolished!"

Lu Chang also spoke up, "Your Majesty, I think the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes have been issued for many years, so there is no big problem. Even if the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes have depreciated on the black market, they are still the official currency. When it comes to distributing salaries and purchasing large transactions, Treasure Notes are still more convenient than gold and silver. They cannot be abolished!"

Other cabinet ministers also spoke up.

"If the imperial court suddenly cancels the treasure notes, it will definitely cause negative impacts, and the people will not agree."

"Although the payment situation in the Ming Dynasty is quite complicated at present, it has not yet caused a major impact. Your Majesty should not worry too much."

"The circulation of Ming Dynasty treasure notes in my Ming Dynasty is not small. I'm afraid the court doesn't have so much gold, silver and copper coins to collect all these treasure notes now, right?"

When the cabinet ministers heard that Zhu Biao wanted to abolish the Baochao, they all spoke out in opposition.

After hearing the opposition from a number of cabinet ministers, Zhu Biao became hesitant. He did want to cancel the Baochao, but if canceling the Baochao caused unrest, that was not Zhu Biao's original intention. He just wanted to make payment more convenient and simple for the people.

"Korean Gong, what do you think about this matter?"

Zhu Biao did not ask Ouyang Lun first, but chose to ask Li Shanchang.

Firstly, Li Shanchang had not spoken a word, and secondly, in the previous question, Li Shanchang had an argument with Ouyang Lun and was severely criticized by Ouyang Lun. As the emperor, Zhu Biao also needed to strike a balance, and he asked Li Shanchang first to take care of Li Shanchang's emotions.

Hearing Zhu Biao's question, Li Shanchang's expression eased a lot. He had just thought about this question, so he said, "Your Majesty, my opinion is the same as that of other cabinet ministers. I don't suggest canceling the treasure notes directly, but the treasure notes are printed according to the needs of the Ming Dynasty court. The people have no confidence in the treasure notes, so they are quite repulsive to the Ming Dynasty treasure notes!"

"I suggest that you issue a decree to prohibit people from refusing to accept banknotes during transactions. If you refuse to accept banknotes, you will be fined ten times the amount! And you must pay with gold or silver. If you disobey, you will be charged with a serious crime, have your property confiscated and be exiled!"

When Li Shanchang made this suggestion, laughter broke out in the Fengtian Hall.

Ha ha--

Ok? !

Everyone looked for the source of the laughter and found that the person laughing was none other than Ouyang Lun.

"Ouyang Lun, what are you crazy about again? Why are you laughing in front of His Majesty!?" Li Shanchang said unhappily.

"Brother-in-law, is there something wrong with what Duke Hanguo said just now?" Zhu Biao asked.

"Your Majesty, what Lord Li Shanchang said is not only problematic, but also very problematic!" Ouyang Lun said with a serious face: "Lord Li Shanchang just said that he would issue a decree that people are not allowed to refuse Baochao. This is simply forcing people into a dead end!" "The circulation of Baochao among the people is not good at all, and it depreciates very quickly. All shops and merchants do not accept Baochao. Even many government offices do not accept Baochao. How can people use Baochao? Will it rot in their hands?"

"This is the first time!"

"Mr. Li Shanchang only asked the common people not to refuse the banknotes, but did not specify that shops, merchants, and even dignitaries are not allowed to refuse to accept them. This is obviously asking the common people to be the ones to take the blame! This is the second worst thing!"

"The decree states that citizens who violate the law will be punished tenfold, and they are not allowed to use banknotes. I really can't understand what kind of brain can come up with such a decree. I even suspect that they are spies sent by the enemy country! They are evil to the core!"

As soon as Ouyang Lun said this, the atmosphere at the scene became subtle.

Zhu Biao's expression also became much more solemn. Originally, cabinet ministers such as Lu Chang and Song Lian were relatively close to Li Shanchang, but now they all quietly moved away, and the look in their eyes when they looked at Li Shanchang became complicated.

"Ouyang Lun, please don't interpret it randomly! I am just giving some suggestions to Your Majesty, and this decree has not been really implemented!" Li Shanchang naturally felt the change in the atmosphere in the hall, and he also felt that the suggestion he had just made was somewhat inappropriate, but he couldn't give in at this time, otherwise he would be admitting defeat.

"Duke Hanguo, if you don't have any good suggestions, you don't have to mention them. I won't blame you." Zhu Biao couldn't help but spoke slowly.

Zhu Biao's words made Li Shanchang look even more embarrassed. "Your Majesty, I am really not like what Ouyang Lun said. Moreover, this suggestion was not thought up by me, but by my staff. This staff is really bad and almost caused me trouble. I will definitely deal with him when I get home!"

"Yeah." Zhu Biao nodded and didn't pursue the matter any further, but his impression of Li Shanchang was ruined a lot.

"It is indeed unrealistic to abolish the treasure notes directly, but we cannot put all the pressure on the people. If that happens, I am afraid it will cause greater unrest. This is not what I want to see. My dear ministers, please think of other ways!"

As Zhu Biao spoke, he looked at the cabinet ministers.

However, because Li Shanchang's suggestion just failed and he was ridiculed by Ouyang Lun instead, the other cabinet ministers were also worried about ending up like Li Shanchang, so they chose not to speak. After all, Ouyang Lun's mouth was really poisonous. After being scolded by Ouyang Lun, they could not eat or sleep well for several days. These cabinet ministers were all old, and not eating or sleeping well for a few days could cost them half their lives.

Can't afford to offend!

For a moment, the hall fell into silence and the atmosphere became a little awkward.

"You are still cabinet ministers?"

"Can't you even solve this little problem?"

"I'm not saying that everyone who is sitting or standing is garbage!"

Ouyang Lun spoke directly, and the faces of several cabinet ministers present turned pale and blue immediately.

Zhu Biao was also stunned for a moment, then looked at Ouyang Lun, "Brother-in-law Ouyang, what is your solution?"

Oh shit!

How can this guy be so troublesome! ?

Li Shanchang, Song Lian and Lu Chang all looked extremely embarrassed and felt extremely uncomfortable in their hearts. But even so, they had no other options. After all, they really had no good way to deal with the problems raised by Zhu Biao!
Damn!

Why is it that every time when everyone is at a loss when encountering troubles and difficulties, Ouyang Lun always stands up and proposes a solution! ?
If Ouyang Lun had been more low-key, they would not have said anything, but Ouyang Lun was so high-profile that he completely trampled on them and attacked them crazily. If it were someone else, he would have been crippled by old ministers like Li Shanchang.

However, Ouyang Lun's status and position were too special, and he was deeply trusted by the retired emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and the emperor Zhu Biao. He also had a large number of followers and admirers behind him. They no longer had the ability to directly drive Ouyang Lun out of the court.

The most unhappy person was of course Li Shanchang. As Ouyang Lun's number one political enemy, at least Li Shanchang himself thought so. He now wanted to open Ouyang Lun's head to see what the difference was between Ouyang Lun's head and other people's heads, and how could there be so many things in it!
Serving in the same court as Ouyang Lun was too stressful.

Regarding the matter of pressure, not only Li Shanchang, but also cabinet ministers such as Lu Chang and Song Lian had the same feeling.

If Ouyang Lun had made so many political achievements because he worked very hard, the cabinet ministers would not feel too bad, and they would even admire Ouyang Lun. However, Ouyang Lun was completely inconsistent and he probably did not even devote one-third of his energy to government affairs, and he was just being lazy the rest of the time!

This made Li Shanchang and others very uncomfortable.

Of course they wanted to accuse Ouyang Lun, saying that Ouyang Lun was not dedicated to the affairs of the Ming Dynasty court and was cunning and deceitful, but no one dared to say it. In fact, the longer time went by, the less people brought it up.

The reason is very simple. Even if they work very hard, the political achievements they make are not even a drop in the bucket compared to Ouyang Lun.

If you mention that you cannot surpass Ouyang Lun's political achievements, people will retort you with just one sentence, "You should achieve more political achievements than me first." Just this one sentence is enough to shut up all the civil and military officials.

In addition to Ouyang Lun's poisonous mouth, anyone who dares to offend him at this time will end up in a worse situation than Li Shanchang.

It is precisely because of this that, even though Ouyang Lun almost made them vomit blood, no one dared to accuse Ouyang Lun of being dishonest or not doing his job properly.

But then again, even though cabinet ministers such as Li Shanchang, Song Lian, and Lu Chang had many opinions about Ouyang Lun, they also wanted to know at this moment what method Ouyang Lun would use to resolve Zhu Biao's doubts this time.

At the same time, they also had an expectation in their hearts that if Ouyang Lun messed up the matter, he would be shooting himself in the foot, and then they would be able to justify adding insult to injury.

"Your Majesty, I am still thinking about the solution. Give me some time. I believe I can give you a satisfactory solution soon!"

Ouyang Lun spoke slowly.

Hearing this, Li Shanchang said impatiently: "I'm afraid the Prince Consort has no solution at all, right?"

(End of this chapter)