golden scales

In the golden autumn of October in the 18th year of Chongzhen, many prefectures and counties in Shandong, Henan and other places reported good harvests.This is really good news in an agricultural country, and it makes the empress who lives in Jinan quite happy.In those places that did not report a good harvest, the harvest was basically flat, and there was little news of a poor harvest.

Recalling that nearly half a year last year was like winter, and it was dark all day long.Now the earth is really rejuvenating, and the sun and the moon are coming again.

If we take a longer view, since the 23rd year of Wanli, there has been little news of a good harvest in the world.No one knows why this is, it can only be attributed to the decline of the national fortune.Now that Shenjing has not yet recovered, Shandong and Henan have seen improvement, so that no matter how stubborn they are, they can't be unshakable: Maybe it is really Donggong Yingtian, God finally gave Daming a second chance.

——Now we can only reduce the **, and the real natural disaster may not be so easy to pass.

Zhu Cihong did not let down his vigilance because of this.Many people know about the Little Ice Age, but in fact the Little Ice Age began in the Southern Song Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty also reached its peak in this natural cycle.

The real fatal blow to Ming was when the sunspot stopped moving.

Starting from the 23rd year of Wanli, the cycle is as long as 70 years.

Zhu Cihong once felt desperate because of this. Even if it is considered more relaxed, counting from the 20th year of Wanli, there are still 20 years to survive.However, judging from this year's situation, last year should be the peak of the entire disaster period. This year, the loss will start to stop, and another 20 years will be another prosperous age.

According to the original historical script, another 20 years will happen to be the reign of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty... I have to say that their cheap picks are really enviable and hateful.

"Your Highness, if you count the harvest of potatoes, millet and other miscellaneous grains in various places, there shouldn't be people starving to death in the A-level area this year. In the B-level area, there shouldn't be famine and a sharp increase in food prices." Yao Yao Tao saw the crown prince again.I was very happy in my heart, especially the various reports in my hand can be called good news.

Zhu Cihong first inspected in Tianjin and encouraged the officers and soldiers of the Second Division.Then he went to sea at Tianjin Port, landed at Dengzhou Port, inspected various prefectures all the way, and did not return to Jinan until early November.After leaving for four months.When Zhu Cihong returned to Jinan again, the first thing he did was call the household department to report the economic situation and listen to Yao Tao's report.

After listening to everything, Zhu Cihong asked again: "How is Zheng Zhilong doing? Did he vomit about the Shibosi?"

"The governor of Fujian, Zhang Kentang, went to the shuffle a few days ago, and asked to open the shipping department. The shu said: Collect 400 million taels from all of Fujian for military use, and Xu will pay with tariffs." Yao Tao said.

"Zheng Zhilong is still stingy after all, and 100 million taels is also used to bargain." Zhu Cihong couldn't help snorting, and then thought that this 100 million taels was already ten times his own wealth.He couldn't help but smile wryly.

He said, "What did the cabinet say?"

"Mr. Li thinks this is quite a lot of money." Yao Tao said, "Mr. Wu and Sun have not been back for a long time, and there is no news. Mr. Jiang is afraid that he will not come back for the time being, but he has been transferred from the Ministry of Industry. Look, Mr. Jiang wants as long as it is silver."

"Cough cough." Zhu Cihong coughed lightly, reminding Yao Tao of respect for his cabinet ministers.

Yao Tao quickly restrained her smile and lowered her head.

"400 million taels of silver is indeed a lot, but it is nothing to Zheng Zhilong." Zhu Cihong said: "Reply to Fujian: 400 million taels of cash must be counted and put into the warehouse immediately, waiting to be called. The other 100 million taels can be used in kind Balanced. Yao Tao, please make a list of supplies that are in short supply. Let Zheng Zhilong buy them."

"The price..."

"Of course, the court has the final say on the pricing power. What if Zheng Zhilong dares to sell me a rabbit for five taels of silver?" Zhu Cihong couldn't help being a little unhappy when he said this.

In order to ensure protein supplementation, Zhu Cihong instructed Shandong to carry out a campaign to raise rabbits.Rabbits have a mixed diet, eating alfalfa, wild vegetables, and rotten leaves.The fecundity is particularly strong. At first, there were no rabbits in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.A county magistrate surnamed Jin brought a pair of rabbits from Fujian. By the time his term expired, Hangzhou was already full of rabbits.

As the hometown of rabbits, Zheng Zhilong of course contributed a batch of fat and long-haired rabbits, but in the introductory book he said that each of these rabbits was worth five taels of silver.Zhu Cihong thought it was a rare and excellent variety.Who knew that Wu Qingchen exposed Zheng Zhilong's old background in the open book: These rabbits were all collected by Zheng's soldiers and civilians, and they didn't give any money at all.

Isn't this just a replica of a certain servant who offered 30 taels of silver to fool Chongzhen with a price of [-] taels of snacks on the street?

With such a lesson learned from others, Zhu Cihong of course has to guard against Zheng Zhilong buying a bunch of sky-high prices to offset his debts.

"In addition, since Fujian is going to open a shipping department, Zhejiang, Shandong, Tianjin, and Guangdong should all open together." Zhu Cihong said.

Yao Tao couldn't help laughing again.

The Ming Dynasty was not without a Shibo Division.The official name is Shibo Tijusi, which is under the jurisdiction of the chief ministers of each province, with the five-rank promotion as the main official.

Shipbuilding departments in various provinces and cities were set up and abolished, abolished and re-established, and capricious. Only the Fujian City Shipbuilding Department was established in Wanli, and it has never been abolished.

It's a pity that Zheng Zhilong didn't study and didn't know the allusions of the country, so he was tricked by Fujian governor Zhang Kentang.If Zhu Cihong had been in Zheng Zhilong's position, he would not have asked for instructions to open the Shibo Department, and the Fujian Chief Envoy would have asked the Ministry of Officials to make up the Shibo Department.

Zhang Kentang is a native of Huating County, Songjiang Prefecture, a Jinshi in the fifth year of Tianqi, a fellow of Xu Guangqi, a teacher of the great Confucian Zhu Shunshui... Sure enough, he is old in political affairs and deceives people invisible.

Zhu Cihong's perception of him instantly improved.

Now Fujian has taken the lead, while Shandong, Tianjin, and Guangdong have been favored by making wedding clothes for others.

"However, the jurisdiction of the Municipal Ship Lifting Department cannot be placed in the provinces." Zhu Cihong said: "Submit to the cabinet for a proposal: the imperial court will set up a Municipal Ship Lifting General Administration, directly under the jurisdiction of the provincial and municipal Ship Lifting Departments. All tariffs will go to the national treasury first, and then repay the debt."

"Your Highness, it's also about collecting taxes. Isn't the Department of Municipal Shipbuilding under the Department of Taxation?" Yao Tao asked again, "Nor is it under the Ministry of Household Affairs?"

"The Shibo Secretary not only has the duty of taxation, but also guards the country's gates. It is better to release it alone. But in the future, the Shibo Promotion Administration will be jointly acted by the three ministers selected from the Rites, Households, and Military Departments."

Yao Tao just admired the crown prince's ability to be confident and control everything.Such a major national event, how can ordinary people understand it without a headache and insomnia?However, this young man talked eloquently, and he took into account the rights and responsibilities of all parties when he raised his hand, and the bowl of water was flat.

"That's why we have to let those wealthy investors report their names, and the Municipal Bureau of Shipbuilding will deliver the money to each of them on time every month." Zhu Cihong said: "Make it clear to their provinces that there must be no less than two hundred."

"Ah? Your Highness, since the money has been collected, why do you have to recruit so many people?" Yao Tao was a little puzzled.

"Girl," Zhu Cihong was left speechless by Yao Tao's question, "if the family contributes money, wouldn't the Shibosi belong to his family? There are many people, many people, and many people. Make this plate bigger, Zheng Zhilong and other local snakes Can't you cover the sky with one hand?"

"Your Highness is extremely worried!" Yao Tao admired.

"You still don't understand." Zhu Cihong looked at Yao Tao's gaze, shook his head and said, "After all, the Shibo Department is an official government office of the imperial court, how can we let the rich control the profits? We are poor people and short-sighted, pointing at their money, I have to bow my head. After all, these rights and interests will be taken back in the future. Tell me, whether to buy convenience from one family or from two hundred families."

Yao Tao was really stunned: Of course he bought it from a family!As long as you put a charge on it, wouldn't you just change hands and come back?These two hundred families...then a big prison will be raised.

Although Zhu Cihong couldn't hear Yao Tao's inner voice, she could see deeper confusion in her eyes, so he could only explain: "After the country is in peace, we still have to practice lenient government. There is so much money in the world, and the imperial court can't make it all. The Zhu family can't make enough money, instead of letting the rich family and the imperial court separate, it's better to set rules and make money together, wouldn't that be better?"

Yao Tao suddenly said: "It is indeed as His Highness said. These days, I often think about the taxation of officials and gentry that His Highness once said, and I don't know how to solve it. I just heard what His Highness said. The word 'to make money together' is really true It's the essence of it." After taking charge of the finance these days, Yao Tao also has a general idea of ​​the country's economic operation.And because it is in a war period, both the strong soldiers and the full people must be grasped and hardened, and I have a deeper understanding of the cost of economic development.

To put it in simple terms, it is: if a rich family wants to make money, the world must first have peace; if the world wants peace, it must have strong soldiers to defend it.Who should pay for the soldiers?How can it be reasonable to let the imperial court pay to raise soldiers, but the rich do not share the profits with the imperial court?

Only when the rich and the imperial court earn money can the world be peaceful and everyone can live a happy life.Before the Ming Dynasty, it was too much to hide wealth from the people, so that the imperial court was weak and the military equipment was wasted.

"But Your Highness, I've been thinking recently: There may be a definite amount of money in this world..." Yao Tao hesitated.

"In a certain period of time, under certain technological conditions, there are certain natural resources." Zhu Cihong said: "But social wealth will increase with people's creation and innovation."

Yao Tao seems to understand but not understand.Not only does she believe that social wealth is a fixed value, but many other household officials also share this idea.It is precisely based on this biased understanding that Daming is extremely sensitive to the issue of "competing for profit with the people".Starting from Zhu Yuanzhang, private ownership has been vigorously implemented, and many state assets have been distributed to private individuals, that is, "people".

For more than two hundred years, the lifeline of the country's economy has basically been in the hands of private businessmen, while the imperial court can only collect land tax subsidies.As the world's largest silver inflow country, Daming's business tax actually existed in name only; as a year's iron output could reach the output of the entire Europe in the next century, but Daming's government-run iron factories have been eroded by private capital.

"Still don't understand?" Zhu Cihong took a sip of tea and said, "Go back and pick some people who are familiar with current affairs, finish writing "Economic Theory" with me, and then study it in detail. Now enter the palace with me first, and put it in your hand." Tell the queen mother about the happy news, maybe you can get a reward."

"Yes." Only then did Yao Tao remember that the crown prince should enter the palace to pay his respects as soon as he comes back, so he hurriedly cleaned up and drove to the palace with the East Palace car. (To be continued..)

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