Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Zhu Youjian had anticipated the booming Suzhou-Songjiang Stock Exchange.

However, the fact that the transaction volume exceeded ten million on the first day still made him feel that he had underestimated Jiangnan's financial strength.
"Even the imperial court's annual revenue, converted into silver, is only this much. The wealthy households in Suzhou and Songjiang are truly richer than a country!"

"It seems that the rumor of 200 million taels of silver flowing in after the opening of the sea during the Longqing era is not unfounded."

"The silver reserves held by the people in Jiangnan are very likely to exceed 100 million."

This is Zhu Youjian's speculation. Over the years, he has been having the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Intelligence Division investigate the situation in various places, especially the gold and silver reserves.

The current rough estimate is that the Ming Dynasty had more than 2.5 million taels of silver in stock, but only 1 to 2 million taels of silver actually entered circulation, with about half of it being stored away.

This is disproportionate to the total economic output of the Ming Dynasty, because according to Zhu Youjian's estimate, the total output value of the three major industries of agriculture, industry and commerce in the Ming Dynasty, in silver terms, was about 2.6 million taels.

Not all of the silver was put into the market, let alone the fact that about half was stored away.

Zhu Youjian established banks and securities markets, one of his purposes being to force wealthy people to put their money into circulation.

The opening of the Suzhou-Songjiang Stock Exchange has brought more than ten million taels of silver into the market, which makes Zhu Youjian very pleased.

At the same time, it was decided to remain calm in the land auctions in the Liaohetao region and try to obtain as much money as possible.

Furthermore, they plan to formulate special policies to encourage more wealthy individuals to invest in industry and commerce, thereby promoting production development.

"The supply and marketing system, modeled after the wartime system, is a good place to implement a planned economy."

"A planned economy only requires production according to plan, which reduces the risk of investing in industry and commerce."

“Those in Jiangnan who can’t buy land now and are unwilling to go overseas can only invest in industry and commerce.”

This is the reason why Zhu Youjian rectified Suzhou and imposed mandatory land restrictions two years ago.

With the maximum number of arable lands limited, wealthy people in Jiangnan had less land to invest their funds in. Their accumulated capital could only be invested in industry and commerce.

The rapid development of the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area last year was due to the influx of surplus funds. This is why Zhu Youjian, after realizing this, normalized wartime procurement practices.

He needs to provide a way out for the wealthy people in Jiangnan and reduce their resistance to land restrictions.

At the same time, it promoted the development of industry and commerce, preparing for the entry into the industrial age.

A planned economy is the normalization of a wartime economy; it is a special type of command economy.

Although Zhu Youjian did not know how to implement it, he decided to adopt this economic system in some areas.

Moreover, he has discovered that industrialists and business owners who have transitioned from agricultural landowners are best suited to this type of economy. They only need to be responsible for production, just like farming.

A stable annual profit of around 10% is comparable to the returns from investing in land.

Moreover, the handicraft technology of the Ming Dynasty has reached its limit, making it particularly suitable for unlimited replication and development through a planned economy.

After last year's rapid development, Zhu Youjian had a premonition that the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area would deliver excellent results. It might even become the economic center of Jiangnan within ten years.

Therefore, ensuring the stable development of the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area is naturally something he values.

Qi Biaojia, the son-in-law of the Minister of Works, was sent to the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area.

This person previously served as an imperial censor, but because Shang Zhouzuo became one of the Nine Ministers, his relatives were prohibited from holding positions in the Censorate. Therefore, he was assigned to a local post in the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area.

Relying on his relationship with Shang Zhouzuo, the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area received a lot of support from the Ministry of Industry, making Qi Biaojia a worthy candidate for the next district head.

Unexpectedly, Qi Biaojia contracted malaria after arriving in Jiangnan. Although his condition is currently mild and doesn't significantly affect his work, it remains a major concern.
"Malaria is so rampant in Jiangnan."

"If his condition worsens in the future, will he be able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area?"

This is what Zhu Youjian is worried about, forcing him to consider a successor other than Qi Biaojia.

Ultimately, on Zhang Pu's recommendation, he also arranged for Lu Zhenfei, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the fifth year of the Tianqi reign, to go to the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area to be groomed as his successor.

He did not give up on Qi Biaojia either, and instructed the Academy of Medical Sciences to establish a medical research institute in the Susong New Area to specifically study malaria and other epidemic diseases prevalent in the south.

Furthermore, it was pointed out that, according to ancient prescriptions, they explored the use of Artemisia annua, Artemisia argyi, and other herbs to treat diseases and extract substances effective in treating malaria.

They also hoped that the fleets sent to the Americas would return, bringing back cinchona bark.
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The North American fleet that Zhu Youjian was talking about was currently sailing on the ocean and would be unable to return for some time.

However, the mission sent to the West, after sailing north from the Malacca Free Trade Zone, had arrived in Jiangnan after two months of travel.

At this time, they followed the ships coming from the south and north and docked at the Wusongkou Wharf, taking a temporary rest in the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area.

When businessmen from the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area learned of this, they warmly welcomed them and inquired about how to get to Taixi.

Upon hearing the news, Liu Lishun personally came to greet him:
“Lord Sun went far away and had a hard time. Your journey has established the achievements of Marquis Bowang.”

Sun Yuanhua set off in the latter half of the first year of the Chongzhen reign, just as Liu Lishun had become the top scholar in the imperial examination.

He still had some impression of this top scholar. However, he was extremely surprised and suspicious of his performance in Suzhou and Songjiang.
"Master Liu, what are you doing in Suzhou?"

"You didn't stay in the Hanlin Academy?"

Liu Lishun chuckled and said:
"Lord Sun has been on diplomatic missions for several years and is therefore somewhat unaware of the affairs of the imperial court."

"Nowadays, most of the members of the Hanlin Academy are sent out to serve as part-time local officials."

He explained to him the current situation of the Hanlin Academy, and how his teacher, Xu Guangqi, had made continuous contributions to the Grand Council after becoming a Grand Secretary, and was now confirmed to be granted the title of Earl after retirement, making him one of the most powerful Grand Secretaries.

Of course, the most important thing was Nestorian Christianity. Liu Lishun, who was in Jiangnan, was extremely concerned about the affairs of the court because he was an official of the Hanlin Academy.

The most important event in Beijing at the end of last year and the beginning of this year was the crackdown on religious activities. It's also said that the return of Sun Yuanhua from his diplomatic mission brought with him unfavorable news.

Sun Yuanhua never expected that the information he revealed during his stay in Malacca would trigger a dramatic change in the religious circles of the Ming Dynasty.

Upon hearing that Nestorianism had been designated a religion of original sin and that all its followers would have an additional criminal record, he was somewhat numb. He never expected the imperial court to respond to the papacy in such a retaliatory manner:
"This is how to do?"

How will Nestorian Christianity be passed down in the future?

Liu Lishun also had his own opinion on this matter, and at this moment he said to him:
"In any case, the spread of Nestorianism abroad was not restricted."

"The foreign trade industrial park in the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area has also set up a church, modeled after the free trade zone."

"Are there any people on your ship who adhere to extreme religious doctrines?"

"If there are any, it's best to leave them behind and not bring them to the capital to escalate the conflict."

These words reminded Sun Yuanhua that this was indeed a big problem.

Against the backdrop of the imperial court's crackdown on religious circles, their mission, with its strong religious atmosphere, could easily get embroiled in religious disputes if they went to the capital without preparation.

Therefore, Sun Yuanhua decided to stay in the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area for a while, awaiting news from his teacher. (End of Chapter)