Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 113 Your Majesty is not good at economics! (Second update)

As soon as the word "military pay" was mentioned, Wenhua Pavilion fell completely quiet.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang was silent.

Xia Zhibai said: "Guo Huan guessed this, so he finally gave up and told me, 'If the king wants me to die, I have to die.'"

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered and said, "I did ask the Ministry of Revenue officials to raise military funds, but did I ever say I wanted him dead? If he was really clean and not greedy, why would I kill him?"

"You are just talking nonsense, but you think I am cruel and inhumane."

Zhu Yuanzhang did not deny it.

He didn't bother to deny these things.

He looked at Xia Zhibai with his eyes and said indifferently: "That's why you said in front of the people in the city yesterday that a ruler must be kind and a minister must be loyal."

"You also think what we did is wrong?"

Xia Zhibai chuckled, shook his head, and said, "Your Majesty, you think too much. Just as Your Majesty said, if officials like Guo Huan were really not greedy and did not take anything, why would Your Majesty really kill them? Why would Guo Huan be so concerned about the accounting method I provided?"

"They really have dirty hands."

"He deserves to be killed too!"

"There is no such thing as innocence."

"The reason why Guo Huan is angry is that Your Majesty can just kill people directly, without having to go through so much trouble."

"It kept him on edge for quite a while."

"And the reason why Your Majesty has done so much is mainly because you are still thinking about pursuing greater things. The existence of the Northern Yuan Dynasty has always been a thorn in Your Majesty's side. Your Majesty is always worried that one day the Northern Yuan Dynasty will make a comeback and take back the world that Your Majesty has conquered."

"Your Majesty, you are in a hurry!"

"I am anxious to plan everything for the world as soon as possible."

"We are also anxious to eliminate all hidden dangers that may affect the safety of Ming Dynasty."

"In the eyes of His Majesty, all of this is worth it. Guo Huan and others, or those who were implicated, all died worthy deaths."

"Because they died for the eternal glory of the Ming Dynasty."

"Their deaths brought peace to the northern border of the Ming Dynasty for decades, or even hundreds of years."

"This is a good deal in your Majesty's mind."

"Guo Huan also understood this later, so he gave up struggling and waited for His Majesty to capture him, waiting to become the cornerstone of the Ming Dynasty in His Majesty's hands. Even though he was unwilling and dissatisfied, he could only accept death without hesitation."

"They deserve to die."

"But this moment is also to help Your Majesty achieve great achievements."

"I have no sympathy or regret."

"I don't care at all."

"I am just a business official. Your Majesty's grand ambitions and the greed of Guo Huan and others have nothing to do with me. This political turmoil and storm does not mean much to me."

"I'd love to see that, too."

"Your Majesty and I are on the same page when it comes to dealing with corrupt officials."

"I also don't like the current scholar-official culture."

"It's time to stop."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes moved slightly, and he was a little surprised by Xia Zhibai's words.

He thought Xia Zhibai would blame him, or at least make some sarcastic remarks about himself, mocking him for being hypocritical. But Xia Zhibai did none of those things. He was very calm from beginning to end, and told the whole story with a detached calmness.

"Do you really think so?" Zhu Yuanzhang was a little suspicious.

He was a little unsure.

Xia Zhibai smiled and said, "Your Majesty, there is no need to question it. I am indeed dissatisfied with many of your Majesty's practices, but Guo Huan and I are indeed not on the same path. Flies don't bite seamless eggs. If Guo Huan and his men are really clean, Your Majesty will not kill them easily no matter how dissatisfied he is, because Your Majesty has always hoped that the officials of the Ming Dynasty can abide by the law and be clean and honest."

"Besides."

"I said it during the palace examination that day."

"I don't like the 'scholar' class."

"Your Majesty's massacre throughout the country is nothing but loosening the foundation of the scholar-officials. Why shouldn't I be happy to see this? Perhaps in time, with the weakening of the 'scholar' class and the rise of the 'industrial, agricultural and commercial' class, my idea of ​​'overthrowing' the 'scholar-official class' will be realized."

A pure smile appeared on Xia Zhibai's lips.

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes darkened slightly, as if he was thinking about something.

This is indeed in line with Xia Zhibai's style and style.

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "So yesterday, you were shouting in the city that you wanted to open a trade route for the world."

Xia Zhibai nodded.

He looked at the account book on the table and said slowly, "Your Majesty can actually take a good look at this account book. I came here this time to present this account book."

Zhu Yuanzhang lowered his eyes.

He looked at the account book at hand and glanced through it.

Not very interested.

But when he saw that the final profit was only four thousand taels, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but show a hint of mockery in his eyes. He raised his head, looked at Xia Zhibai, and said coldly: "You have made such a big scene in the past three months, how much did we think you made? Only four thousand taels?!"

"With this profit, how can you pay us back?"

"If I remember correctly, when you lent me the money, you said that after one year, ten out of ten would be paid out and twelve would be returned." Zhu Yuanzhang threw the account book on the table.

Zhu Biao also frowned.

Five hundred thousand kilograms of salt, and you only made a little over four thousand taels?

This is a bit too little.

Zhu Biao stood up, bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang, took the account book on the table and looked through it carefully.

Xia Zhibai sighed and said, "Your Majesty, do you only see four thousand taels?"

"I did see only 4,000 taels." Zhu Yuanzhang grabbed Yu Ruyi and scratched his back, then said, "Of course, I also saw that you spent a total of 40,000 taels of silver in the past three months, but this is the money I lent, I accept it, I won't find fault with it, I just want to see how much you can pay me back in the end."

"There are still nine months left. Can you return the sixty thousand taels of silver to us?"

Xia Zhibai shook his head: "Not yet."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes turned cold.

Xia Zhibai had a calm expression and said calmly: "But I have no intention of paying it back."

"I am presenting this account book not to show your Majesty how much money I have earned in the past three months starting from scratch."

"If we really talk about making money, Kyoto Salt Industry can only make 1,500 to 1,600 taels a month, which is about 20,000 taels a year. However, we invested 40,000 taels in the start-up. If we only look at the figures of expenditure and income, I really think that the company I founded is not worth it."

“But the accounts don’t look like that.”

"That doesn't count."

"But I overlooked one thing, which is that Your Majesty does not understand economics."

"Your Majesty, the only thing you can understand about these accounts is the last few numbers. But if you easily make a judgment based on a few results and determine something based on them, it would be too absurd, even ridiculous."

Zhu Yuanzhang's face darkened.

The look he gave Xia Zhibai was full of hostility.

Xia Zhibai ignored him and said, "Your Majesty started from humble beginnings. You should know how difficult it is to start a business, especially at the beginning. If you are not careful, you may fall. But as long as you survive the most difficult period, everything will gradually get better."

“Just like the salt business.”

"The initial investment is indeed huge, but Your Majesty can look through the account books. In this month, the investment of the salt company has been greatly reduced. In the future, as long as there are no major problems, the basic investment will gradually decrease or even stabilize. Now the Jingdu Salt Shop can make a stable profit of more than 1,000 taels every month."

"In less than three years, I can earn $60,000 and completely pay off the loan."

"After three years, all the profits made by the salt shop will be profits. In just three years, it can be completely profitable. This rate of return is already astonishingly high."

“This is just the beginning.”

"How can normal business not expand?"

"Once Yingtian Prefecture's business is stable, the Jingdu Salt Shop will expand to the surrounding areas. Shouzhou, Chuzhou and other places that need to resume production are the best places for expansion. By then, the profits of the three prefectures will double. If the Jingdu Salt Shop is expanded to the entire Ming Dynasty, has your majesty ever calculated what the annual profit will be?"

"I have calculated it."

"It's about six million."

"Of course, the price of salt fluctuates in different regions, which will affect profits, but even so, the annual profit is at least four to five million."

"This is still a profit under the condition of benefiting the people."

"The more you put in, the more you will gain."

"Indeed, as Your Majesty has seen, a lot of money will indeed be spent in the early stages, but once it is officially started, it will turn losses into profits in a few years. As I said before, this is a state-owned enterprise, which means it is an official enterprise of the Ming Dynasty court, so these four or five million taels of silver will go directly into the national treasury."

"These four or five million taels of silver are extra."

"As far as I know, the annual fiscal revenue of the Ming Dynasty is only about 30 million."

"These four or five million taels of silver are already equivalent to one sixth or seventh of the Ming Dynasty's fiscal revenue."

"And how many taxes and levies will Your Majesty have to collect to collect this money?"

“How much more corruption will there be?”

"Of course, in your Majesty's mind, this is not worth it, because let's not talk about the impact of setting a precedent for 'merchant officials' on the world and whether it will aggravate official corruption. Even if we run a salt enterprise in Yingtian Prefecture, it will increase the cost of officials for the court. This is another point I want to make."

"It's just that Your Majesty can't read the account books."

"Your Majesty only saw the final profit of four thousand taels, but did not see that this profit had already deducted the salary expenses of thousands of people in the two companies, Salt and Coal."

"The account books I presented to your majesty are very detailed and specific."

"It's just that His Majesty didn't see it."

"Perhaps Your Majesty still believes that the enterprise I founded and the salt workers and miners under my control, like other stove owners and miners, do not require additional expenses. Just a certain amount of food and a small amount of money for survival is enough."

“But it’s not.”

“Because these workers are considered hired workers.”

"I will pay you monthly."

"I came here this time to tell Your Majesty clearly through my own actions that the system I want to establish is feasible. Moreover, after three months of practice, it has indeed been proven that this is a feasible path."

"Your Majesty, please look at this account book again."

Xia Zhibai bowed slightly, actively and clearly expressing his attitude.

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes were uncertain and after hesitating for a moment, he looked at the account book again.

(End of this chapter)