Daming: Dad, you are really not good at governing the country

Zhu Biao sighed softly, as if he wanted to let out all the worries in his heart.

He slowly raised his hand and rubbed his eyebrows, as if to disperse the complicated thoughts accumulated in his mind.

At this moment, Zhu Biao's eyes were full of worry, as if they were shrouded by a thick layer of haze, which made people feel depressed when they saw it.

"If we want to equip ironclad ships with large quantities of the 'Flange guns' and 'Crouching Tiger guns' that Third Brother mentioned earlier, using steam power is the only solution at present."

Zhu Biao narrowed his eyes slightly, as if imagining the appearance of an ironclad ship equipped with cannons in his mind.

"But how easy is it to make a steam engine?
That requires precision lathes and boring machines for machining various metal parts.

But now these precision manufacturing tools of our Ming Dynasty are far from perfect, and cannot meet the almost demanding high-precision processing requirements in the steam engine manufacturing process.

This is really a case of a skilled cook having no rice to cook with!"

As he spoke, Zhu Biao shook his head helplessly, his eyes revealing a deep sense of powerlessness, as if he was a traveler groping in the dark but couldn't find a way out.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gang leaned forward slightly, and his eyebrows were instantly twisted into the shape of the Chinese character "川".

The muscles on his face also tensed up, like a statue about to explode.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the effort.

The whitened knuckles were like Zhu Gang's inner anxiety and unwillingness at the moment, revealed without reservation.

"Brother, the research and development of this precision tool is really difficult!"

As Zhu Gang spoke, he paced back and forth on the spot, his steps quick and heavy, as if every step was stepping on this difficult situation.

“Not only is the technical difficulty beyond imagination, but the cost is also astronomical.

Take the Ministry of Industry’s previous attempts to manufacture precision lathes as an example. Just purchasing the materials for the experiments, that huge amount of money was spent like water.

But what is the result? It is not satisfactory!
The national treasury is now as tight as a purse being tightened, and projects like this are unlikely to show results in the short term but have to be pushed forward.

It’s really difficult, it’s difficult!”

After a brief pause, he stopped, his face full of helplessness, as if all his strength had been exhausted in this moment of thinking.

Zhu Gang then sighed heavily and continued, "Since the printing of new large-denomination banknotes was stopped, the financial situation of the national treasury has become increasingly difficult, just like a leaky bucket that can never be filled.

Every year, the imperial court has to spend a large amount of silver on national defense construction projects such as agricultural tool manufacturing, weapons manufacturing, and city wall construction. That is real money flowing out!
However, the Ming Dynasty’s current taxation system is simply unable to meet such huge expenses.

There is no other choice but to borrow money from wealthy private households.

Borrow and repay, repay and borrow again.

As the interest compounded over time, the court's debt burden became increasingly heavy.

It's like a huge mountain, pressing down on people so much that they can't breathe.

Every year, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Works had to use at least two-thirds of their tax revenue to repay principal and interest.

This fiscal deficit is like a snowball, getting bigger and bigger.

If this continues, what will happen? "

As he spoke, he slowly squatted down, as if he was really suffocating under the heavy pressure.

Zhu Biao nodded solemnly, reached out and gently patted Zhu Gang's shoulder, trying to give him some comfort.

That palm seemed to carry the strength of an older brother, conveying silent support.

"Third brother, facing such a huge financial pressure, last year the emperor agreed to your proposal of a method similar to 'collecting wealth to help the country'.

In the name of the imperial court, we will issue a special kind of "national aid coupons" to those wealthy nobles, military generals and local gentry.

Promise to give a return in a certain proportion after a certain period of time.

This is like everyone contributing together to help the court overcome difficulties. At the same time, for those who are willing to support the court for a long time, they are allowed to convert the "National Aid Coupons" into certain rights and interests and participate in some important affairs led by the court.

It's just like the meaning of 'debt-for-equity', but we operate in a way that is more in line with our Ming Dynasty system.

In this way, it not only solved the urgent needs of the court, but also allowed the interests of these investors to be more closely tied to the court.

However, as more and more people participate, how to regulate and manage these rights and interests and establish an organization similar to a "council" to constrain them has become a top priority. "

Zhu Gang frowned slightly and raised his head, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.

That worry is like lightning hidden behind dark clouds, occasionally revealing a dangerous light.

He stood up, put his hands behind his back, shook his head slightly and said: "Brother, those nobles and generals hold the rights to convert the "National Aid Certificates".

Their interests are different, just like a group of horses pulling a cart in different directions. It is difficult for them to work together.

If this 'council' is not well organized, there will probably be a big mess.

In addition, some wealthy businessmen have also heard about this and have expressed their desire to participate.

There were different opinions in the court on whether to allow these merchants to join the 'council', and the argument was fierce!"

Zhu Biao continued, “Yes, the ministers who supported it believed that merchants had a lot of wealth in their hands. If they could participate, they could bring more funds to the court and ease the financial pressure.

After all, the national treasury is really short of silver nowadays.

Opponents believe that merchants are profit-oriented and have always been outside the court system.

Just like a wild horse that has broken free from its reins, the court was afraid that they would disrupt the order of the court and damage its interests.

This matter is really a headache!"

When he said this, Zhu Biao frowned slightly, and a hint of fatigue appeared in his eyes.

The tiredness was like the sleepiness after a long journey, and was deeply imprinted in his eyes.

Zhu Gang gently pinched the bridge of his nose, as if trying to dispel the endless troubles.

Seeing this, Chang Qingyun's eyes were filled with heartache, and she hurriedly walked to Zhu Biao's side.

She first gently took Zhu Biao's arm and leaned her head tenderly on his shoulder. Her posture seemed to be a shelter for Zhu Biao from the wind and rain.

After a while, Chang Qingyun stretched out her slender fingers and gently rubbed Zhu Biao's temple.

The movements were gentle and soothing, as if to dispel Zhu Biao's fatigue.

Her voice was gentle with a hint of blame, "My husband, you are always busy with these state affairs and don't know how to take care of yourself.

There are always more solutions than problems. If we think about it together, we can always find a solution.

If you collapse from exhaustion, what will happen to the Ming Dynasty and us mothers?"

When Chang Qingyun said this, she lowered her head slightly, her eyes full of concern and worry, as if she wished she could take on all these troubles for Zhu Biao.

Zhu Gang clenched his fists and his eyes instantly became firm.

Like a burning flame, that flame seems to be able to burn all difficulties into ashes.

He straightened up, looked up into the distance, and said loudly: "No matter what, we have to find a way to increase the treasury revenue.

After much thought, I think the resumption of maritime trade may be an opportunity.

Now that the national treasury is empty, if maritime trade can be restarted, the huge profits it brings may greatly alleviate the fiscal pressure.

In addition, the development of maritime trade is beneficial to improving national strength and strengthening coastal defense.”

(End of this chapter)