I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 689 Tell me, what business?
Pan Yinglong looked in the direction where his finger pointed. Originally, the place was filled with reeds and water, but now it had been completely filled up. They were digging the foundation, laying steel bars, and pouring cement concrete.

Thousands of construction workers wearing rattan hats pushed carts and came and went in long lines. A dozen iron and wood towers ten meters high stood in the middle, with long arms hanging heavy objects and spinning in the air.

"Mr. Zhu, that is the construction site of the new Beijing Imperial College. The foundations are being dug for four teaching buildings and a library, and beyond that are six student apartment buildings.

The teachers’ living area is near the lake, bypassing the water bubble. Yes, the water bubble was turned into a school park, and a small lake was dug. Beyond that is the playground.”

"Beijing Imperial College?" Zhu Yijun paused, "It should be called Peking University now."

Pan Yinglong blinked twice, "Yes, I heard that the Beijing Imperial College was renamed Peking University, and the Nanjing Imperial College was renamed Nanjing University."

"Mr. Pan, please continue your introduction."

"Okay, Master Zhu. This West Lake will be turned into the back garden of the capital, like the Nanyuan. A Taoist temple will be built on Weng Mountain in the north, called Wanshou Temple. A nursing home affiliated to the military government will be built on the waist of Yuquan Mountain in the west, dedicated to the care of the disabled with outstanding military merits. All other places will be open to the public.

Several universities were built in the east and south, around the West Lake. In the east was Peking University, and in the south was a new university formed by the merger of Jintai, Baita, Wensi, Taiji College, and Xinglin Medical College.

“It is now called Wanli University.”

"Wanli University, what a good name." Pan Yinglong complimented, "Wanli University is a little further south and you will find Imperial Normal University."

"It is now renamed Longqing Normal University." Zhu Yijun said quietly, "I heard that Xiyuan issued an order that Jianghan University in Wuchang be renamed Jiajing University."

Pan Yinglong was stunned for a moment. The name change was interesting, as all three generations of the family were included.

Emperor Shizong was born in Chengtian Prefecture, Hubei Province, and came to Beijing at the age of fourteen. Building a Jiajing University in Wuchang, Hubei Province can be regarded as a form of commemoration and filial piety.

It is Longqing Normal University, the name is a bit awkward.

"Mr. Pan, after these three universities are built, this place will become a university district. The lecture halls and colleges in the capital and some Luanzhou will be renovated one after another.

The training institute will be changed into a technical school, and the advanced training institute and college will be changed into a professional college. The various research institutes of the Imperial Observatory will also be built in this area. "

Zhu Yijun pointed his right hand in the distance and drew a circle, then said to Pan Yinglong: "Mr. Pan, the responsibilities of Shuntian Prefecture are to provide three connections and one leveling."

"Mr. Zhu, what is the three connections and one leveling?"

"The ground is flat, which is convenient for construction. It has access to roads, water and drainage pipes."

"Don't worry, Mr. Zhu, there will be absolutely no problem."

"Whose jurisdiction is this place under?"

"In reply to Master Zhu, the south belongs to Wanping County and the north belongs to Changping County. However, after Shuntian Prefecture made some arrangements, it plans to include this area in the new West City."

"A new west city? Do we need to build a new city wall around this area? This is a huge undertaking!"

"Mr. Zhu, according to Shuntian Prefecture's plan, Xinxi City will not build a city wall. Instead of spending a huge amount of money to build a defensive city wall, it is better to save the money to build a few more public schools."

"Yes, that is the way to govern. The city walls once protected us from war, but blindly defending ourselves will only shackle us.

Now we open our minds and look at the world. The city walls prevented the enemy from coming in, but also hindered us from going out. We will not demolish the existing city walls, but we will not build city walls in the newly built urban areas.

You have a very good idea."

Zhu Yijun walked around the university construction site by the West Lake. There was dust everywhere, and holes were being dug everywhere, but he couldn't make out what was going on.

Pan Yinglong took the plan and spread it out in front of Zhu Yijun.

He looked at the picture for a while and finally had an idea in his mind.

At around four o'clock in the afternoon, Zhu Yijun and Pan Yinglong got on a carriage and returned to the city.

"Feng Wu, I'll treat you to dinner today. Don't go to any of the big restaurants, just find a clean, medium-sized hotel."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Tell the coachman where you're going."

"Let's go to Qifenglou. It has an interesting name, but it's just an ordinary restaurant near Fengcheng Hutong."

When the coachman received the letter, he pulled the reins and headed straight for Fuchengmen.

"Feng Wu, there is a case of counterfeiting silver coins in Shuntian Prefecture. This is a serious matter. You must take it to heart."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will keep an eye on the Ministry of Justice and the Police Department."

Zhu Yijun looked at Pan Yinglong and asked, "Do you know why I and the cabinet are so concerned about the fake silver dollar case?"

Pan Yinglong thought for a moment and replied, "I heard the emperor mention this in class. This involves monetary sovereignty and seigniorage."

"Yes, monetary sovereignty is a major issue for a country. I have explained the meaning of the word currency many times, and you all understand it."

Pan Yinglong nodded.

"The Ming Dynasty followed the Song Dynasty's custom of using copper coins. The Hongwu and Yongle copper coins became the currency of East Japan, Korea and Annan. Later, silver was used as currency. However, there is a big drawback to using silver as currency, which is that trade is not controlled.

The Eastern Japanese have a lot of silver, and the Spaniards also have a lot of silver. They can buy things in the Ming Dynasty at will and buy as much goods as they have silver.

Ming tea growers, silkworm growers, weavers, and workers in spinning and cotton factories worked hard in exchange for a lot of silver. In a sense, this uncontrolled trade had both advantages and disadvantages for Ming.

The advantage is that a large amount of hard currency can be obtained, but the disadvantage is that the uncontrolled influx of silver from the Eastern Japanese and the Spanish will cause inflation, that is, with more silver, there are fewer and fewer things that can be bought.

And they buy whatever they want and buy whatever they want, which is absolutely not allowed.

Thanks to the continuous efforts of the Shaofujian, the Cabinet, and the four banks, the silver dollar currency and copper coin subsidiary currency issued by the Baoquan Bureau of the Ministry of Revenue have been recognized in the domestic and foreign trade of the Ming Dynasty in recent years, and the people are also accustomed to using it in their daily lives.

This is a great thing.”

The sound of horse hooves could be heard, and the carriage was moving slowly along the road.

Pan Yinglong pursed his lips slightly and listened attentively.

"The cabinet keeps records of how much gold and silver the Baoquan Bureau receives each year and how many silver dollars and copper coins it issues. If there are signs of inflation, they will collect some of the silver dollars and copper coins that flow into the market.

On the contrary, more silver and copper coins were put out. Although the method was a bit crude, it was much better than the previous blindness. Moreover, Wang Guoguang, the Minister of Finance, was also constantly learning and becoming more and more proficient in fiscal and financial control.

There is also seigniorage, which needs no details. The Ministry of Revenue and the National Treasury rely on this money to supplement household expenses every year.

Monetary sovereignty is related to the financial and taxation security of the Ming Dynasty and cannot be taken lightly. "

Zhu Yijun looked at Pan Yinglong opposite him and said in a serious tone: "This case is the business of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Justice, and your Shuntian Prefecture is just cooperating.

Fengwu, my expectations for you are not just Shuntian Prefecture. I hope that you can cooperate with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Justice to crack the counterfeit silver dollar case this time, and get more involved in finance, taxation and financial work. "

Pan Yinglong suppressed the joy in his heart and tried his best to calm himself, but he didn't even notice that his voice trembled slightly when he answered.

"Your Majesty, I will remember what you said."

The car stopped at the entrance of Fengcheng Hutong. Zhu Yijun and Pan Yinglong got out of the car and became Master Zhu and Mr. Pan again.

Qifeng Tower only has two halls, front and back, and no private rooms. Pan Yinglong is familiar with the shopkeeper, so he asked for a table in the back hall, close to the corner, which is very quiet.

After the two men sat down, the rest of the guards also sat down at four nearby tables.

"Mr. Zhu, please order."

"Mr. Pan, go ahead and order. You know my taste. I don't have any dietary restrictions. Order some of their specialties."

"Ok."

Pan Yinglong ordered a fish, a plate of stir-fried lamb, a dish of seasonal vegetables, and a lotus root soup.

"I come here often and am familiar with the owner. He only knows that I am a clerk in the Shuntian government office."

Pan Yinglong explained briefly. "What are you busy with recently, Mr. Pan?" Zhu Yijun asked casually.

"Mr. Zhu, in a few days it will be the Dragon Boat Festival, which is also the birthday festival."

"Oh, the Nanyuan Recreation Party is about to start again?"

"Yes, it was quite good last year and was very popular. At the beginning of this spring, people from all walks of life came to Shuntian Prefecture to inquire whether we should hold the Dragon Boat Festival Nanyuan Amusement Fair this year.
Of course I will do it.”

"People from all walks of life are coming to us? With such enthusiasm, shouldn't Shuntian Prefecture be able to raise the advertising fee even more?"

"That's natural. This year, the advertising space for the Nanyuan Amusement Fair is divided into four types: A, B, C, and D."

"Oh, there are also grades? You've made rapid progress."

"Mr. Zhu, please forgive me for making a fool of myself. When Shuntian Prefecture sees money, it's natural that they learn quickly."

"Tell me, how are these ads graded?"

“It’s calculated based on the exposure level that Master Zhu mentioned.

For example, the three ad spaces at the main entrance are in the upper A level and are the most expensive. The rest are in the middle A, A, upper B, middle B, B and C levels, which total seven levels and 379 ad spaces.

In order to put an end to favoritism and fraud, Shuntian Prefecture simply held an open bidding meeting and put all 379 advertising spaces up for auction.

We marked out the location of the ad in Nanyuan, its size, and the effect last year, and then asked the merchants to raise their placards and bid for it.”

"I heard that all the advertisements for the Nanyuan Amusement Park will be auctioned off in early March?"

"Yes, Mr. Zhu, this year Shuntian Prefecture received 454,800 yuan in advertising fees, more than twice as much as last year."

"Four hundred and fifty-four thousand eight hundred yuan is indeed a lot. Shuntian Prefecture has made a fortune this time. No wonder Mr. Pan has been so rich recently."

"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Master Zhu."

"Who is the winner?"

"The winner?"

"The one who offers the highest bid."

"Oh, it's the one in the middle of the three armor plates. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China won the bid for it at a price of 21,000 yen, which is 4,000 yen more expensive than the ones on the left and right."

"People who own banks still have more money."

Pan Yinglong couldn't help but glance at Zhu Yijun.

Aren’t the big bosses behind these banks the Shaofujian? Is it you, Your Majesty?
It seems like you are complaining about yourself.

The dishes were served quickly, and Zhu Yijun picked up some fish with chopsticks and tasted it.

"Yeah, not bad, the chef here is very skilled."

"The chef's surname is Bu. It is really an honor for him to be praised by Master Zhu."

"Haha, actually I like eating food outside. The chefs at home are too conservative. They only dare to show 30% or 40% of their cooking skills and dare not use the full range."

"Mr. Zhu, why is this?"

"They used all their skills to make me happy. Next time, if they make a bad meal by mistake and spoil the taste, they will be afraid that I will scold them.

I know all about their activities, and I am too lazy to talk about them. I don’t have any requirements for food, I just want it to go well with rice.”

"Mr. Zhu is kind-hearted"

The two of them ate and chatted in a very relaxed atmosphere.

A man came in from the front hall. He was about forty years old, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, but his gaze was lively. He was wearing a plain Taoist robe that was washed to a pale color, and his hair was wrapped in a cloth towel, which made him look a bit out of place.

With his thick eyebrows and big eyes, he took in all the customers at the tables in the back hall, then moved forward to each table, talking softly, as if he was trying to solicit some business.

Some just say a few words.

Most of them waved their hands impatiently, shooing him away like a fly.

He didn't get angry, but continued to smile and speak to every potential customer in a friendly tone.

Zhu Yijun became interested and secretly signaled Liu Yi not to stop him.

After a while, the man with thick eyebrows and big eyes sat down on the stool next to the table with a familiar look.

"You two are dressed in good clothes, so you must be from a wealthy family. I would like to ask you, do you want to make more money?"

Zhu Yijun smiled and replied: "Brother, you have good vision. Even if he is rich, he will never complain about having too much money."

Thick eyebrows and big eyes smiled, "This young master is a dragon and phoenix, and he has extraordinary conversation. That's right, who would complain that they have too much money."

Zhu Yijun followed up on his words and asked, "Does brother have any good ideas?"

"This young master is an open-minded person, and I will not play tricks on him."

"Please say."

"In a few days it will be the Dragon Boat Festival and the Longevity Festival."

"Ah."

"The Nanyuan Recreation Party will be held as usual. Does the young master know about this?"

"I know. I'm going to go shopping again."

"My way to make a fortune is at this amusement park."

Zhu Yijun glanced at Pan Yinglong and said to the man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, "I would like to hear the details."

"I have to say that Lord Pan, the governor of Shuntian Prefecture, is really an expert. With his efforts, the amusement fair has become a treasure trove and a money-making tree. Do you know about the auction for the amusement fair advertisements this year?"

"heard about it."

"Do you know how much it cost?"

“It seems like there are hundreds of thousands.”

"Millions!" said the man with thick eyebrows and big eyes in a very exaggerated manner.

"Ah, so many!" Zhu Yijun cooperated with a look of surprise, "Then Shuntian Prefecture must have made a fortune this year, right?"

"That's a must!" The man with thick eyebrows and big eyes leaned closer, with a look of admiration and respect, "The Shuntian government office is guarded by soldiers, otherwise everyone would treat it as a temple of the God of Wealth and worship Lord Pan as the God of Wealth."

Zhu Yijun looked at Pan Yinglong, who was a little fidgety, and continued, "From what you said, the amusement club is a cash cow and has great potential!"

"This young master is wise! This carnival is a money tree, a treasure pot. Just dig a spoonful and you will get silver dollars."

"Oh, from what you said, brother, can you help me get an advertising spot? I don't want the top three spots, just help me get a middle spot and get my business into this year's amusement fair. Money is not a problem."

He had thick eyebrows, big eyes and a slightly open mouth, with an expression of embarrassment and regret.

"Young Master is really a big businessman. I just regret that my ability is limited and I can't climb up to your high branch. I can only do some small business."

Zhu Yijun picked up the teacup, with a commanding temperament: "Then tell me how small this business is. If I am interested in it, I will do an order for you."

The man with thick eyebrows and big eyes bent over and said in a fearful tone: "Master, don't underestimate this business, it is actually quite profitable."

(End of this chapter)