Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 586 I want it all

Upon hearing this, Yan Song knew there was more to the story.

Pei Yuan's answer was too superficial and did not live up to the grand occasion of the emperor's audience with the emperor.

Moreover, the imperial court has been short of funds and provisions for quite some time.

The main reason is complicated.

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, more and more land has been reclaimed, the people have worked diligently, and grain has obediently grown from the soil every year.

The country has added several new tax offices, and the number of tax categories has also increased significantly.

But without realizing it, the amount of money and grain collected each year was getting smaller and smaller.

Why not levy more taxes? Is the reason for this situation that the emperor dislikes money and grain?

Of course not.

If we break down each step, we can basically summarize it into two main categories.

Either there's a problem with the officials in the tax collection process, and taxes aren't being collected.

Either the officials governing the people have problems, the people are living in misery, and there is no money or grain to collect.

In a short period of time, Yan Song had generated multiple analyses in his mind, and for each of these analyses, he had also provided three major and eight minor solutions.

But Pei Yuan said, "The emperor is now eager to make a breakthrough in military affairs. Meanwhile, the ministers have turned the court and the local areas into places they are comfortable with."

"If you, my brother, act rashly, I fear the final outcome will be that the emperor will reprimand you with urgency, while the ministers will remain calm. You will be beset by internal and external troubles and accomplish nothing."

"If you don't believe me, you're welcome to try."

Yan Song's expression changed slightly upon hearing this; his previously confident demeanor turned suspicious.

He asked Pei Yuan somewhat uncertainly, "To solve the problem of money and food, it's nothing more than strengthening the foundation and increasing revenue while reducing expenditure."

"Does Commander Pei perhaps have some profound insights?"

This time, Pei Yuan didn't mince words and said directly, "Yes."

"Ultimately, the emperor's concern about money and provisions is nothing more than anxieties about supplies. If there were a way for the emperor to make a quick buck in a short period of time, wouldn't that resolve the dilemma?"

"In this way, the emperor's urgent matters can be resolved immediately. If the ministers want to obstruct it, by the time things are settled, they will probably be too late to intervene."

Yan Song found this absurd. "Commander Pei makes it sound simple, but where would one find such a windfall?"

Pei Yuan chuckled and said, "See, you've come at just the right time."

“Our Embroidered Uniform Guard has just obtained some information about this matter.”

Upon hearing such a coincidence, Yan Song immediately became wary.

He said cautiously, "Is there really such a good thing? Commander, can you tell me about it first?"

Pei Yuan said, "These days I have heard that some people want to submit a memorial to the court suggesting that the collection of paper money be resumed at several major customs posts."

"At the same time, a large amount of money is also waiting for the opportunity to significantly increase the value of the banknotes."

"What is a precious paper? It's paper printed by the emperor. If this appreciation of the precious paper goes smoothly, and even completely changes the public's impression of it, wouldn't the emperor have an inexhaustible source of wealth?"

When Yan Song heard that Pei Yuan was after the Ming Dynasty's precious paper money, he almost thought Pei Yuan was a fraud.

The Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes were so rotten they couldn't be worse. Every official who received a salary from the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes wished for them to die out as soon as possible.

Moreover, the reason why the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes lost their credibility and their value plummeted was precisely because Emperors Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di started printing money without restraint.

This makes the problem very unsolvable.

The emperor's efforts to recall and inflate the value of paper money were aimed at printing more money. However, once the emperor started printing money, the valuation of paper money would plummet.

Yan Song said directly, "The commander's method is probably too simplistic. Successive emperors have tried their best to save the Ming Dynasty's paper money, but the value of the paper money has not responded at all and has been declining continuously."

"If Commander Qianhu wants to save the Ming Dynasty's precious currency, not only do we lack confidence, but even the current emperor probably lacks confidence."

Pei Yuan sighed inwardly, "So it really isn't easy for me."

He could only explain, "This time is different."

"The last batch of Ming Dynasty banknotes printed by the imperial court had also undergone decades of circulation and damage, so there were not many banknotes left."

"Moreover, if someone is willing to act as the vanguard for the king, the emperor can easily raise the price of the precious paper money simply by going with the flow."

Yan Song shook his head and said, "I'm afraid this matter will be difficult to handle."

Pei Yuan said calmly, "There is also a simple way. As the saying goes, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

"Brother Weizhong can persuade the Emperor to keep an eye on the memorials submitted by the Treasury. Once the Treasury submits a memorial, that will be the time for the group of paper money supporters to take advantage of the situation and drive up the price of the Ming Dynasty paper money."

"No matter how the cabinet judges it, the emperor can order the Directorate of Ceremonial to keep it in the dark."

"Then the emperor can immediately send people to various money shops and brokerage firms to use the imperial treasury's funds to buy up large quantities of Ming Dynasty banknotes at low prices."

"Once His Majesty quickly accepts the proposal, he can promptly approve the memorials from the Treasury, thus cooperating with the speculation of those opportunists."

"In that case, even if the emperor only makes a short-term profit, he can still make several times the amount."

Seeing Pei Yuan's clear arrangements, Yan Song immediately realized the problem.

Pei Yuan wasn't introducing him to the emperor at all; he clearly wanted to use Yan Song's words to persuade the emperor.

Yan Song's mind gradually cleared, and he said with a wry smile, "This matter is not something I can get involved in. Commander, you should find someone more capable."

Pei Yuan smiled upon hearing this, showing no displeasure whatsoever.

He said to Yan Song, "Since Brother Weizhong is not interested, then so be it. But I would like to ask Brother Weizhong for his opinion: if the emperor were to leave a memorial from the Imperial Treasury and then take the opportunity to buy Ming Dynasty banknotes at a low price in advance, would it be possible to make a quick fortune?"

Yan Song pondered for a moment and replied, "That is indeed the case, but such methods are quite perverse and unethical. It is not the behavior befitting an emperor."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuan slowly replied, "The emperor has a free-spirited nature, enjoys adventure, and finds pleasure in it."

“I dare say that if anyone mentions this matter to the Emperor, the Emperor will definitely give it a try.”

"Many things in this world are accomplished because of people. But many people are accomplished through their actions."

"This is a good thing that helps people achieve success."

"I might as well tell Brother Weizhong frankly that someone else has already finished other things, and the rise of the Ming Dynasty Treasure Note is poised to take off, just like a ripe fruit waiting to be picked."

"The person who went to pick the fruit was the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty."

"Brother Weizhong, are you planning to slowly choose between Yang Yiqing and Yang Tinghe, or will you become the one who leads His Majesty to reap the rewards?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Song remained silent.

After a long while, Yan Song said to Pei Yuan, "If you were in my position, what would you choose?" Pei Yuan was taken aback for a moment, then gave Yan Song a smile and answered honestly, "I would not hesitate to go to see the Emperor and tell him about this good news without hesitation."

Yan Song's lips moved slightly, as if he was about to speak.

But Pei Yuan continued, "Then, when the emperor is counting his silver like a madman, return to your hometown without hesitation and amaze the emperor for many years."

Upon hearing this, Yan Song felt that the words were poisonous, but he couldn't help but be moved for a moment.

But Pei Yuan said, “You originally planned to return to Jiangxi and wait for the two Yangs to settle their score before coming out of seclusion. Rather than wasting your precious time like a useless person, why not turn it into something more meaningful and return to your hometown to cultivate your reputation?”

"The Ming Dynasty's financial situation is terrible right now, it will be terrible tomorrow, and it will only get worse the day after tomorrow."

"Therefore, the emperor will be grateful to you today, miss you tomorrow, and be eager to see you the day after tomorrow."

"You came from the Hanlin Academy, but were forced to leave your post due to Liu Jin's persecution. The persecution by these treacherous officials is your merit. As long as you can be reinstated, serving as a reader or lecturer will be no problem."

"Although there are quite a few readers and lecturers in the Hanlin Academy, as long as the emperor is willing to support you, you can be promoted to reader or lecturer in three to five years, or even one to two years."

"At that time, not only the emperor, but everyone involved in this operation will remember your kindness. I can tell you with certainty that there are quite a few high-ranking officials among them."

"You yourself are a Hanlin scholar, do you know what this means?"

Yan Song was truly moved after hearing this.

Even though he hadn't yet realized the deep pit that was the Nanjing Hanlin Academy, even in the Hanlin Academy in Beijing, it wasn't easy to make it to the top.

Although there was already a set of effective unspoken rules for being selected for the Hanlin Academy, the official standard was only eight characters: "Upright conduct and pure scholarship".

In other words, the Hanlin Academy was essentially an academic institution.

This academic institution served the emperor directly.

Whether a Hanlin scholar was competent or not, and whether he performed his duties well or not, was almost entirely decided by the emperor's word.

As is well known, once a Hanlin official is transferred to a local post, it is easy for him to obtain a high-ranking official position.

Does that mean that the emperor could use this method to create a large number of high-ranking officials in the court?

Does not.

Because the appointment of high-ranking officials in the imperial court relied on imperial recommendation, it required seeking political consensus.

Without sufficient external support, even if one works their entire life in the Hanlin Academy, it will be difficult to realize their potential.

Pei Yuanming's blatant presentation of these conditions was almost a clear attempt to lure him with benefits.

It seemed as if Yan Song faced two forks in the road.

One path is to return to one's hometown in a plain and uneventful way, then stay at home and study diligently until the two Yangs have settled their differences and the old friendships have faded. Then one can return to officialdom, trying every means to find a label that can be attached to one's connections, and slowly climb up the ranks little by little.

Another option was to show off to the emperor and then leave gracefully. After only a few years at home, the emperor would come knocking, begging him to return to public life. The powerful figures who had previously benefited from his favors would then lend a hand, helping him easily win the court recommendation and secure important positions in the three halls.

He then finally put his life's learning to use and realized his political ambitions. Not long after, he successfully entered the cabinet, becoming the Grand Secretary and winning fame both during his lifetime and after his death.

It's so hard to choose.

Yan Song said reservedly, "I need to think about this matter further. Could you please wait a moment before giving the commander a reply?"

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "No problem, just don't miss the opportunity."

Seeing that Yan Song was deep in thought, Pei Yuan then said to Ouyang Bijin, "The palace examination is in two days. After the examination, should you stay in the capital as an official or go to a local post? Do you have any connections?"

Ouyang Bijin thought to himself, "Could they have arranged everything for me as well?"

Ouyang Bijin glanced at his brother-in-law subconsciously, realizing that he couldn't count on this former Hanlin Academy member.

Pei Yuan seems to be even more powerful than I had previously guessed.

Then he thought again that even if he, as the younger brother, occasionally makes a mistake, as long as he corrects it in time, he is still a good younger brother.

Pei Yuan was his sworn brother, so it wouldn't be shameful for him to curry favor with him.

Ouyang Bijin immediately flattered, "I'm still unemployed. I'm currently at my wit's end, and I'm afraid that when the rankings come out, I'll be sent to some remote and impoverished place."

Pei Yuan nodded slightly upon hearing this, and then said to Yan Song, "See? This is what happens when you're all alone."

Ouyang Bijin was speechless, staring blankly at Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan ignored him and continued to say to Yan Song, "You are now trying your best to avoid being seen as a Jiangxi native, and you don't want to be forced to take sides and be seen as Yang Yiqing's henchman."

"But what about the future? You might only be able to rely on this background to beg for favors from your fellow villagers."

"Go back and think about it carefully."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xinjian immediately got up to see the guest out.

Yan Song forced a smile and took his leave of Pei Yuan.

Ouyang Bijin stared longingly at Pei Yuan, while Chen Xinjian chuckled and patted him hard on the shoulder. "Let's go."

Ouyang Bijin sensed something was amiss and immediately said nothing more.

After seeing the two off, Chen Xinjian asked with some confusion, "Is the commander planning to bring the emperor in?"

Pei Yuan asked, "What do you think?"

Chen Xinjian thought for a moment and said, "The emperor controls the power to issue paper money, and he can directly benefit from the appreciation of paper money, which is an advantage."

"However, the emperor's actions have always been feared by the court officials. If we bring the emperor into this, we will passively become the opponent of the entire court. Even some ministers who did not pay attention to this matter before will be drawn to it. This is another disadvantage."

Pei Yuan praised, "Well said."

"If Zhu Houzhao gets involved, his decrees on this matter will inevitably attract attacks from court officials. It is extremely difficult to expect him to do anything."

"However, the market and the officialdom are different. In the officialdom, even if there is any news, many people will first hold back and pay attention to the subsequent game."

"But the market moves first. They tend to speculate on expectations rather than the actual results."

"At such times, the emperor's sudden inspiration is the expectation, and whether the court approves it is the result."

"Once there is an expectation, the market will react in advance; once there is a result, the market will also give timely feedback."

"Therefore, the court officials could use the cabinet, the Censorate, and the Six Ministries to block Zhu Houzhao's decrees. However, before this slow process could be completed, the market had already reacted."

"From this perspective, Zhu Houzhao's role in the hype surrounding this paper currency was unparalleled."

"At the same time, once Zhu Houzhao profits from the appreciation of the paper money and has the idea of ​​reprinting it, the court officials who have been attracted to him can use their slowness to completely delay and block this outcome."

"So we need both the benefits and the drawbacks, so that we can win twice."

(End of this chapter)