My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 198: Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes? This thing is not even used by dogs in Liaodong!
The night was like a huge piece of black silk, pressing heavily on the sky above Jinzhou City. The whole city seemed to be covered by an invisible giant hand and fell into deathly silence.

Even the stars that twinkle on a normal day seem to be swallowed up by the thick night, with no trace left.

Inside the general's mansion, however, the scene was quite different. The lights were brilliant, illuminating the entire mansion like daylight.

It seems like it should be a peaceful scene.

However, in reality, the atmosphere here has already become extremely tense.

Zhu Cilang's words just now made all the generals present fall into the abyss of fear in an instant.

The fear on the faces of the generals was clearly visible.

Their breathing was rapid and heavy, and their chests were heaving violently, as if they could hear each other's rapid heartbeats.

Just when the generals present thought that disaster was imminent and they were about to be hacked to death by the swordsmen lying in ambush around them, Zhu Cilang's voice suddenly rang out again.

But this time his tone suddenly softened, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Everyone, I don't mean to blame you today. Instead, I want to tell you that everyone here is a loyal minister and general of the Ming Dynasty, and a close friend who fought alongside me on the battlefield."

"I believe in your loyalty, and I also believe that you will never do anything to betray the Ming Dynasty."

"Therefore, these so-called crimes are nothing but fabricated slander."

After saying that, Zhu Cilang waved gently.

Seeing this, the Jinyiwei on the side immediately understood what he meant, picked up the oil lamp that had been prepared long ago, and handed it to Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang didn't hesitate at all and threw the oil lamp in his hand into the box beside him.

In an instant, tongues of fire rose up, and the memorials in the box were instantly devoured by the raging flames.

The flames rose up instantly like an angry beast. The bright flames illuminated every corner of the hall and made Zhu Cilang's face clearer.

The firelight danced and flickered in his eyes, which seemed to contain a strange power, appearing exceptionally bright and deep.

All the generals present were stunned, their eyes full of disbelief, as if they had never expected Zhu Cilang to do this.

Then, Zhu Cilang looked at the people in front of him with a determined gaze and said slowly:

"Everyone, I will not pursue any of your past matters anymore."

"From today on, you are only loyal generals of the Ming Dynasty, and the most trusted and trusted ministers of this palace."

"If anyone ever sues you again for your past deeds, I promise you that I will punish them severely!"

"I will never allow anyone to slander your loyalty."

"We still have a long way to go. As long as you don't let me down, I will definitely not let you down either."

"I can grant you all the glory and wealth, but I only hope that you will be wholeheartedly devoted to the Ming Dynasty and to me."

"I am not Taizu, nor am I Zhao Kuangyin, so I will not kill meritorious officials, nor will I release military power with a cup of wine."

"The person I want to emulate is Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin. I want to share the glory and prosperity with you and build the prosperous Ming Dynasty together!"

"Everyone, are you willing?"

As Zhu Cilang's last words fell, all the generals present no longer felt panic or fear in their hearts, and were only filled with emotion!
The king was so open-hearted, what else could they say?
Immediately at this moment, Zu Dashou suddenly stood up, walked quickly to Zhu Cilang, and then knelt heavily on his knees.

"Your Highness, I, your Majesty, swear on the lives of my entire family that I will serve you wholeheartedly, even if the path ahead is a sea of fire and sword. If I break this oath, I will be punished by heaven and earth!"

His words were like a hammer, resounding in the hall for a long time.

At this moment, Wu Sangui suddenly stood up, walked quickly to Zhu Cilang, and knelt on the ground with a plop.

His voice trembled slightly with excitement.

"Your Highness, I was young and ignorant, and I made many foolish mistakes. I never thought Your Highness would be so kind and generous."

"From now on, my life belongs to you, Your Highness. Whether it means charging into battle or running through fire and water, as long as you give the order, I will not complain!"

At this moment, Wu Sangui's face was full of sincerity, and tears of excitement were sparkling in his eyes.

When seeing this scene, how could the other generals sit still?
Almost instantly, all the generals present moved, then stepped out in unison and knelt in front of Zhu Cilang.

They lowered their heads, some had tears of emotion in their eyes, while others had solemn faces, as if they were taking a silent oath.

Although the scene was silent, this silence seemed to contain thousands of words, silently telling of their loyalty.

Hong Chengchou stood aside and took in the whole scene, feeling a surge of emotion in his heart.

After all, he underestimated the prince's methods!
A single fire completely won over the hearts of these arrogant and powerful soldiers!

After the banquet was over, everyone dispersed.

The dark clouds that had previously shrouded Jinzhou City have dissipated, and the moonlight gently shines down, illuminating everyone.

Everyone left under the moonlight, still feeling bewildered by what had just happened, as if they were in a dream.

The prince's actions just now had a huge impact on them, like a violent storm that completely swept through their hearts.

They felt deeply impressed and no longer dared to have any other thoughts in their minds.

Zhu Cilang just stood at the door and watched everyone leave.

After this great victory, all the generals were rewarded. It goes without saying that these people probably felt that they were so powerful that their achievements were unparalleled and their tails were almost sticking up to the sky.

These generals were indeed brave and fearless on the battlefield and made great military achievements for the Ming Dynasty, but Zhu Cilang knew their true character very well.

The reason why they are still behaving well and not doing anything outrageous is simply because Chongzhen and he are still in Liaodong.

But once they leave Liaodong, given the previous behavior style and mentality of these generals, they will probably immediately become like wild horses that have broken free from their reins, completely indulge themselves and reveal their unknown greed and cruelty.

By then, the people of Liaodong will suffer an irreparable disaster.

After all, arrogant soldiers and generals have always been a big trouble for a country, and they often grow rapidly like a cancer after a victory in a war.

Therefore, it is imperative to curb the occurrence of this situation in a timely manner.

Zhu Cilang's actions just now undoubtedly made his attitude clear to these generals.

To put it simply, it is to let these generals understand that he knows everything about the bad things they have done, no matter how big or small.

But he still chose not to care about it. Even if they had done some shameful things in the past, he was willing to let bygones be bygones.

As long as they are willing to continue to be loyal ministers and good generals, I will never let them down.

Wealth and glory are all available.

However, he also clearly warned everyone that they must never continue to act like this in the future and must not hide anything from him.

Otherwise, he could kill them at any time and anywhere!

Combining kindness and severity is the way of a king!
Although most of these generals were uneducated and rough men, they were by no means stupid and they understood Zhu Cilang's intentions in an instant.

For a moment, everyone was like a tamed wild horse. No one dared to act recklessly anymore and put away their little thoughts.

Logically speaking, by this point, the situation in Liaodong had gradually stabilized and important military and political affairs had been properly handled.

Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang no longer need to worry about the many matters that follow, and can leave them all to Hong Chengchou and Zu Dashou.

And they should return to the capital.

However, Zhu Cilang still had no intention of returning to the capital.

The reason is actually very simple, because he still has a crucial thing to complete.

That is to build a temple for the soldiers who died heroically in this war to commemorate their achievements and pay tribute to their heroic spirits.

Building a temple has never been an easy task, not to mention that this war concerns the survival of the country and is of great significance, so it is impossible to be perfunctory.

Therefore, the craftsmen who built the temple were carefully selected from the Liaodong region, and every brick and tile was meticulously carved.

Moreover, the scale of this project is quite large. According to the estimate of the Jinyiwei, it will take about half a month to complete the renovation of the temple.

This means that Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang will have to stay in Liaodong for another half a month.

But to be honest, this half month was not that unbearable.

Because in the Liaodong region, the summer is relatively cool except for the unbearable heat at noon. This may be the unique climate of the so-called Little Ice Age.

According to local people, it starts snowing in Liaodong around October every year, and the heavy snow will continue until around March of the following year before gradually stopping.

Zhu Cilang had never been to Liaodong in his previous life, so he didn't know whether this climate was normal.

But in general, the Ming Dynasty was indeed under the influence of the Little Ice Age.

Even in the capital, it starts snowing around November and continues until February or March of the following year, which is obviously not in line with normal climate patterns.

The same is probably true for other areas in the north.

Ugh!
When he thought of this, Zhu Cilang sighed inwardly. It seemed that truly realizing the revival of the Ming Dynasty would be much more difficult than he had imagined.

It was a sunny day, with not a single cloud in the blue sky. The breeze gently blew across the earth, bringing a touch of comfort.

Zhu Cilang had nothing to do, so he took Fang Zhenghua, Li Ruolian, Li Hu and a group of guards and strolled leisurely on the streets of Jinzhou City.

The buildings on both sides of the street are arranged in an orderly manner, and look particularly quaint under the sunlight.

It has to be said that after this great victory, the popularity of Jinzhou City is obviously much higher than before.

Not only did a large number of people flock back in, but vendors also sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

The streets are bustling with people.

An old man was sitting on a stone bench on the street, basking in the sun leisurely, with a satisfied smile on his face.

Children were laughing and playing in the crowd, chasing and fighting with each other. Their clear laughter echoed in the air, adding a bit of vitality to the city.

Zhu Cilang looked at the scene in front of him and naturally felt extremely happy.

As he walked, Zhu Cilang gradually felt a little tired, so he found an antique teahouse on the street, ordered some tea and snacks, and then sat down by the window to rest.

The teahouse is filled with a faint tea fragrance, which is the unique fragrance released by the tea leaves expanding in boiling water.

Zhu Cilang sat by the window, gently picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, felt the warm tea fragrance spreading in his mouth, and felt that everything was so beautiful.

But at this moment, there was a sudden burst of intense noise from downstairs.

He leaned over curiously and saw a middle-aged man arguing with a man dressed like a waiter in front of a shop not far away.

Seeing that Zhu Cilang seemed to be somewhat concerned about this matter, Li Ruolian immediately understood what he meant, and then hurriedly whispered to a Jinyiwei beside him to go out and find out the situation.

At the same time, Zhu Cilang was still staring at the two people arguing outside.

It was just because the distance was far and the noisy voices covered up their words, making it difficult to hear what they were saying.

But soon, the middle-aged man impatiently took out a piece of paper from his pocket, threw it to the ground, then turned around and strode away. His steps were quick and powerful, and it was obvious that he was still angry.

As for the waiter, he glanced at the paper on the ground with disgust, without any intention of picking it up.

Then he returned to the shop angrily, still muttering to himself, as if complaining about something.

Zhu Cilang was somewhat confused and had no idea what had happened. He just suddenly felt that the piece of paper seemed familiar.

But he didn't take it too seriously, thinking it was just an ordinary street dispute, and continued drinking his tea.

Not long after, the Jinyiwei who had gone to inquire about the news hurried back, then walked quickly to Li Ruolian and whispered two words in his ear.

Then he stuffed something into Li Ruolian's hand.

After hearing what was said, Li Ruolian looked at the thing in his hand, and his expression suddenly became a little strange.

At this moment, Zhu Cilang suddenly asked:
"How is it? What happened just now?"

It was obvious that Zhu Cilang had already known that Li Ruolian had sent people to investigate this matter.

After all, if he doesn't even have this little bit of tact, then Li Ruolian is a complete failure as the commander of the Jinyiwei.

Upon hearing this, Li Ruolian hurried forward and said respectfully in a low voice:
"Your Highness, the matter has been thoroughly investigated. The quarrel between the two men just now was due to the payment of the bill, and that man was probably a soldier from the Beijing camp."

Zhu Cilang was slightly startled, his originally relaxed brows instantly furrowed, a puzzled expression appeared on his face, and then he asked:

"What? That person ate the food but didn't pay?"

To be honest, Zhu Cilang was somewhat angry at this moment.

Not paying for the soldiers he brought with him after they ate was simply a slap in his face!
But before he could get angry, Li Ruolian quickly explained:
"Don't misunderstand, my Lord. That's not the case. He did give the money, but the waiter refused to accept it."

what?
Zhu Cilang was confused after hearing this, and his face was full of confusion.

What does it mean to give money but not accept it?
Li Ruolian didn't say anything else, but just stretched out her hands, gently placed a crumpled piece of paper on the table in front of her, and finally slowly unfolded it.

After the paper was fully opened, Zhu Cilang was stunned for a moment.

Because this is not an ordinary piece of paper at all, but a Ming Dynasty treasure note!

Li Ruolian continued to explain patiently:

"The soldier who was eating happened to have some Ming Dynasty banknotes on him, so when he entered the restaurant, he tried to pay with Ming Dynasty banknotes. However, the owner refused to accept his payment, saying that they didn't accept them in Liaodong and that they were no different from waste paper."

"The soldier was not convinced. He said that although the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes had depreciated, they were still money. How could he not accept them?"

"The argument continued from the store to the street. During the argument, the soldier threw the money on the ground and left."

"And the waiter didn't even pick up the Ming Dynasty banknotes on the ground. He just thought he had suffered a loss."

Then, Li Ruolian added:
"But don't worry, Your Highness. I have already asked someone to pay for the meal."

Zhu Cilang didn't say anything, but just stared blankly at the wrinkled Ming Dynasty banknote on the table, his eyes revealing contemplation and worry.

After a moment, he suddenly asked:
"What did he eat just now?"

Li Ruolian quickly replied:

"It's nothing, just a bowl of noodles and a pot of wine. It costs less than thirty cents."

Thirty cents.
When Zhu Cilang heard this, he smiled bitterly, with deep helplessness and emotion in his smile.

You should know that even in the capital, one string of Ming Dynasty treasure notes can be exchanged for fifty coins, but in Liaodong, it can't even be exchanged for thirty coins.

It is obvious that in Liaodong, local people do not regard the Ming Dynasty treasure notes as money at all. Even if they fall on the ground, no one is willing to bend down to pick them up. This thing is so uncomfortable that it is even too rough to wipe your butt with.

Zhu Cilang sighed softly, but the sigh was quietly drowned out by the noisy city sounds outside the teahouse.

He knew in his heart that it was indeed time to reform the currency.

In fact, he had already had ideas about the reform of the Ming Dynasty's treasure notes, but he faced the Battle of Songjin as soon as he came here, so he didn't have the time to deal with this matter for a while.

But now is the time to take action.

The Ming Baochao was a type of paper currency vigorously promoted by Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang. It had been in circulation in the Ming Dynasty for nearly three hundred years.

At the beginning, one string of Ming treasure notes was equivalent to one tael of silver or one thousand copper coins.

However, within a few years, the purchasing power of the Ming Dynasty's treasure notes began to plummet.

By the 20th year of the Hongwu reign, its purchasing power was less than half of its original level.

Until now, less than one twentieth of it remains.

Ultimately, the reason why Ming Baochao is in such a predicament today is that there are various defects in its issuance mechanism.

First of all, the Ming Baochao relied entirely on the credit of the imperial court for support, but did not establish a redeemable reserve system with precious metals such as gold and silver.

Under this monetary system, the exchange pattern is completely unbalanced.

That is, the people could bring gold and silver to the government to exchange for Ming Dynasty treasure notes, but they could not use Ming Dynasty treasure notes to exchange for gold and silver from the government.

If this continues, the people of the Ming Dynasty will have no trust in the Ming Baochao.

Furthermore, there are huge obstacles in the circulation and consumption of Ming Dynasty treasure notes in the market.

Although the Song Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty also issued paper money, their paper money was able to circulate smoothly in the market, and people could use paper money freely for various consumption activities.

For example, you can use paper money to pay for salt, grain, meals, or other expenses.

However, the situation in the Ming Dynasty was completely different.

After the people of the Ming Dynasty received the Ming Baochao, they could hardly find any other reasonable way to use it except to pay taxes.

If a currency cannot be used for consumption normally, then it has actually lost its basic function as a currency.

Then there is the problem of over-printing of Ming treasure notes. For nearly three hundred years, the Ming Dynasty has never been able to implement reasonable control over the issuance of Ming treasure notes.

Whenever a country faces financial difficulties, its first reaction is to print money.

Among them, the scale of banknote printing was particularly large during the reigns of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and Emperor Taizong Zhu Di.

This was because the country was at war frequently at that time, and large-scale military operations required huge financial support, but the national treasury lacked sufficient silver reserves. In desperation, it could only rely on printing a large amount of treasure banknotes to maintain its development.

From then on, whenever emperors encountered financial difficulties, they followed this practice.

Emperor Chongzhen is a typical example.

Before this, Chongzhen had issued many orders to print large quantities of Ming treasure notes, and even attempted to forcibly use Ming treasure notes to completely replace the salaries of officials and soldiers' wages.

However, this move was strongly resisted by officials and soldiers and ultimately ended in failure.

After all, both officials and soldiers knew that the Ming Baochao could not be used as money at all.

If all their salaries and military pay were converted into Ming Dynasty banknotes, they would probably all starve to death.

Because the capital city was under the rule of the emperor, all kinds of taxes were paid in Ming Dynasty treasure notes, so merchants were more or less willing to accept payment in Ming Dynasty treasure notes.

However, in more remote areas, such as Liaodong, the Ming Dynasty treasure notes were almost equivalent to waste paper.

Because the taxes in the Liaodong area are all real gold and silver, the government does not accept Ming Dynasty treasure notes at all!
Correct!
You heard that right!
Even the local government in Liaodong does not accept Ming Dynasty treasure notes from the people or merchants to pay taxes. They only want real gold and silver!

In this case, isn’t the Ming Dynasty treasure note just a piece of waste paper in Liaodong?

A piece of waste paper that is too hard to even be used for wiping your butt!
In fact, it is not difficult to solve the many difficulties faced by the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes.

At least for Zhu Cilang at the moment, it is not difficult.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang looked at Li Ruolian beside him and said:

"Li Ruolian, go find some local papermakers, painters, and silversmiths. If they can't find any locally, go to Ningyuan City or Shanhaiguan."

"Once you find it, please inform me immediately."

When Li Ruolian heard this, a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes, as if she didn't quite understand what Zhu Cilang was going to do.

But then he nodded.

"I obey!"

Then he turned around and left to get busy.

After this incident, Zhu Cilang no longer had the interest to continue shopping. After drinking tea, he went straight back to his residence.

(End of this chapter)