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

Chapter 219: Chongzhen: What's going on? Are all the messes of our ancestors going to be blamed on me?

Facing Chongzhen's doubts, Zhu Cilang smiled confidently and replied calmly:

"Don't worry, Father. I have a way, but I'll have to trouble you to put on a good show with me later."

acting?

When Chongzhen heard this, his face was full of confusion. He really couldn't understand what Zhu Cilang was going to do.

However, after Zhu Cilang's subsequent explanation, Chongzhen suddenly understood.

Simply put, Chongzhen wanted to take advantage of the serious depreciation of the Ming Dynasty's treasure notes to get angry in front of his ministers, and then order them to come up with practical solutions.

Faced with this problem that had remained unsolved for hundreds of years, the ministers were inevitably helpless and could not come up with any solution.

At this point, it is time for Zhu Cilang to appear.

Although this method does not seem to be very clever and may even be seen through at a glance, it does not matter as long as it can achieve the goal of promoting monetary reform.

Besides, the ministers in the cabinet and the six ministries are not fools. Even if they really saw at a glance that all this was a play performed by Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang, would they dare to point it out directly?
Of course not!

After all, embarrassing the emperor and the prince in public is something that makes people feel creepy just thinking about it.

Chongzhen quickly figured out the trick, a faint smile appeared on his face, and then he said:
"That's certainly a good idea!"

"Forget it! For the future of the Ming Dynasty, I will play one more show with you!"

In this way, Chongzhen finally approved Zhu Cilang's plan and decided to cooperate with him fully to perform this drama well.

So, that afternoon, Chongzhen directly issued an order to urgently summon important ministers from the cabinet, six ministries and various departments to gather in the Qianqing Palace to discuss state affairs.

Even the idle nobleman, the Duke of England, was among those summoned!
The moment these ministers received the imperial edict, they were all confused and full of doubts.

Because such a large-scale summons of important officials was extremely rare, it was obvious that Chongzhen had something of vital importance to announce.

So the ministers did not dare to delay for even a moment and rushed to the Qianqing Palace without stopping.

When they arrived at the Qianqing Palace, they immediately saw Chongzhen sitting on the dragon throne and Zhu Cilang standing beside Chongzhen.

Everyone subconsciously adjusted their court robes and bowed respectfully, saying:
"I pay my respects to Your Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Chongzhen waved his hand casually and said calmly:

"Everyone, stand up and sit down to talk."

Then the eunuchs brought chairs to both sides and waited for everyone to take their seats. Chongzhen then straightened his body slightly, slowly glanced at everyone, and said solemnly:

"I summoned you all here today to discuss a matter of great importance to the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty."

When the ministers heard this, they exchanged glances with each other, their eyes full of curiosity and speculation.

Because they really couldn't figure out what major events were happening right now that were related to the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty?

Liaodong had just won a great victory, and the tax arrears issue was in full swing. The national treasury and the internal treasury were so full of silver and grain that they were almost full. It was really hard to guess what Chongzhen was talking about.

Could it be about Li Zicheng's peasant uprising?
It seems that this is it!
If you think about it carefully, this is the only thing that can affect the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty!

Thinking of this, Minister of War Li Banghua couldn't help but become serious and prepared to face Chongzhen's questioning.

After all, the Ministry of War is in charge of all military affairs in the world, and the Ministry of War cannot be separated from Li Zicheng's affairs!

The others probably also figured this out, and for a moment they looked at Li Banghua with a bit of sympathy in their eyes.

In their opinion, Li Banghua will definitely be scolded this time!

However, what no one expected was that Chongzhen's gaze suddenly fixed on the Minister of Revenue Ni Yuanlu.

Then he asked directly:
"Lord Ni, as the Minister of Finance, you must be well-versed in financial and monetary matters."

"Let me ask you, how many copper coins can this Ming Dynasty treasure note be exchanged for on the market?"

When Ni Yuanlu heard this, he was stunned.

In fact, not only Ni Yuanlu was stunned, but several other ministers present were also stunned.

They originally thought that Chongzhen summoned them to discuss Li Zicheng's peasant uprising, but they never expected that it was about the Ming Dynasty's treasure notes!
And how is this thing called Ming Baochao related to the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty?
It has to be said that this was completely beyond their expectations!

Ni Yuanlu obviously did not expect Chongzhen to ask such a question. His mind went blank for a moment and he didn't know how to answer Chongzhen.

In fact, Ni Yuanlu, the Minister of Revenue, had never been aware of Zhu Cilang's determination to reform the Ming Dynasty's currency.

So far, only a handful of people know about this matter.

The old officials at the Firearms Research Institute did know about it, but they knew the seriousness of the matter, so they kept it a secret and dared not reveal it to anyone.

Furthermore, although the Baochao Tizhusi, which was responsible for printing the Ming Dynasty's treasure notes, was under the Ministry of Revenue, it had its own separate government office.

This yamen is usually deserted and almost deserted. It is just a small department forgotten in a corner.

The only time they get busy is when printing banknotes.

So Ni Yuanlu didn't care at all. In addition, Zhu Cilang deliberately concealed the news, so Ni Yuanlu naturally knew nothing about what Zhu Cilang had done in recent days.

But Ni Yuanlu was a veteran in the officialdom after all, so he reacted quickly after a brief moment of daze.

Immediately afterwards, his brain started working rapidly, and all the information he had recently learned kept emerging in his mind.

After a moment, he finally replied:

"Your Majesty, according to my understanding, one guan of Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes can be exchanged for about sixty coins in the market right now."

Well, I have to say that compared with the previous exchange rate of Ming Treasure Notes for copper coins, the value of Ming Treasure Notes has indeed increased slightly.

It increased from fifty cents to sixty cents.

In the final analysis, it was mainly because the Ming Dynasty achieved an unprecedented victory in Liaodong, which greatly boosted people's morale, and the value of Ming Dynasty treasure notes also rose accordingly.

But of course, it only increased by ten cents, which is of no use!
At the same time, after hearing Ni Yuanlu's answer, Chongzhen's face instantly darkened and his brows were tightly furrowed, obviously he was very dissatisfied with his answer.

The next second, Chongzhen asked sternly:
"What? One guan of Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes can only be exchanged for sixty copper coins?"

"With the Ming Dynasty's treasure notes depreciating to this point, what are you doing as the Minister of Revenue?"

When Ni Yuanlu heard this, he felt like he was struck by lightning and almost stood up in shock.

He felt extremely aggrieved. What did it have to do with him that the Ming Dynasty's treasure notes depreciated like this?
You should know that the Ming Baochao has been depreciating since the Hongwu period, and it has been depreciating for nearly three hundred years.

How could Chongzhen blame all the problems accumulated over hundreds of years on himself alone?
He is even more wronged than Dou E!

But how could he dare to say this?
Although the blame was not his, as he was in the position of Minister of Revenue, he was always to blame whenever there was a problem with the country's economy!

So Ni Yuanlu could only kneel down on the ground with a thud and said in a trembling voice:

"I deserve death, Your Majesty, please punish me!"

At this time, the other ministers in the hall looked at each other in confusion.

They saw Chongzhen suddenly getting angry and felt confused.

Because in their opinion, Chongzhen could not be unaware of the reason for the devaluation of the Ming Baochao. After all, this was a problem that had accumulated since the Hongwu period.

But if that is the case, why did Chongzhen choose to hold Ni Yuanlu accountable for this crime at this time?
Did he want to remove Ni Yuanlu from his position as Minister of Revenue?

This is impossible!

You must know that Ni Yuanlu had made remarkable achievements in his position as the Minister of Revenue and managed the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue in an orderly manner. If you replace him rashly, it will be difficult to find a more suitable candidate in a short time.

For a moment, everyone felt even more confused.

But suddenly at this moment, Chongzhen's eyes suddenly turned to the cabinet chief Xue Guoguan, and then asked coldly:
"Lord Xue, regarding the devaluation of Ming Dynasty treasure notes, what is the cabinet's opinion?"

When Xue Guoguan heard this, his head buzzed and he felt dizzy as if he was hit by a heavy hammer.

He was complaining in his heart. He originally thought that the emperor was only targeting Ni Yuanlu, the Minister of Revenue, but he didn't expect that the spearhead would be directed at him, the chief minister of the cabinet.

Although several other cabinet ministers were not named, their expressions also changed drastically.

They couldn't help but curse in their hearts:
Is the emperor crazy? What does this Ming Dynasty treasure note issue have to do with their cabinet?
But at this moment, they dared not show any emotion. They immediately stood up one by one, then knelt on the ground and bowed:

"Your Majesty, we currently have no good plan. I hope Your Majesty will forgive us."

The cabinet ministers knew clearly that the problem of the devaluation of Ming Dynasty treasure notes had plagued the Ming Dynasty for nearly three hundred years. If there was really a way to solve this problem, why would it have dragged on until now?
So at this moment they have no choice but to confess their crime.

Seeing that the Minister of Revenue and several cabinet ministers had knelt on the ground to apologize, the other ministers in the hall, including the Duke of England, were at a loss for a moment.

They were neither sitting nor standing, looking at each other, their eyes full of confusion, not knowing whether they should kneel down as well?

After all, Chongzhen's mood at the moment was really unpredictable, and no one knew what he was going to do.

It's not like they really want to take action against the Minister of Revenue and the Cabinet, right?
Now that the Ming Dynasty has finally started to improve, wouldn't it be self-destructive to attack them at this critical juncture?

For a moment, the atmosphere in the Qianqing Palace became extremely depressing.

Although Ni Yuanlu didn't know what Chongzhen was going to do, as the Minister of Revenue, he still tried to calm himself down and spoke again:

"Your Majesty, the devaluation of Ming Dynasty banknotes is a chronic problem that has accumulated over hundreds of years and cannot be solved overnight."

"But if Your Majesty is willing to give us some time, we will do our utmost to find a solution."

After hearing this, Chongzhen's face became even more angry and he shouted loudly:
"I'm giving you time again! Isn't the time I've given you enough? But what's the result? Now one guan of Ming Dynasty treasure notes can only be exchanged for sixty coins!"

"If this continues, in a year or two, won't it depreciate to 20 wen, 10 wen, or even be worthless?"

"As important officials of the imperial court, you just watched this happen and were unable to do anything?"

"What's the point of me raising you?"

Chongzhen's words were spoken in a stern voice, echoing in the hall like a huge bell, making everyone's eardrums hurt.

The Duke of England and other ministers who were still standing were frightened by this momentum and could no longer hold on. They all knelt on the ground with their heads lowered, feeling helpless and terrified.

Just when everyone was filled with panic and at a loss, Zhu Cilang, who had been silent, felt that the time had come. He then coughed a few times to clear his throat, and then stood up slowly.

In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on him, their expressions full of longing, as if they were praying that Zhu Cilang could persuade Chongzhen.

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly to several ministers, then looked at Chongzhen and said slowly:
"Father, regarding the devaluation of Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes, I do have a solution."

When these words were spoken, everyone was stunned, their eyes full of surprise. They all looked up at Zhu Cilang again, their hearts full of curiosity.

Because they really couldn't guess what solution the Crown Prince had come up with to solve this problem that had lasted for three hundred years.

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Cilang raised his hand and waved gently. Wang Chengen, who was standing beside him, immediately understood what he meant and walked forward in small steps, holding an exquisite tray steadily in his hand.

There were some objects placed on the tray, including the new version of Ming Dynasty treasure notes, Ming Dynasty gold coins and Ming Dynasty silver coins.

These brand new currencies emitted a charming luster under the sunlight, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

The tray was first brought to Chongzhen. Chongzhen pretended to casually pick up a few new Ming Dynasty banknotes and took a look at them. Then he said in surprise:

"What are these things? And why are there my portraits on them?"

Zhu Cilang hurriedly stepped forward and said respectfully:

"Father, I have reformed the existing Ming Dynasty treasure notes and gold and silver coins. These are the currencies after the reform."

"As for why these coins have my father's portrait on them, this was actually done intentionally by your son!"

"Because I thought that if I could print my father's portrait on the Ming Dynasty's treasure notes, as the Ming Dynasty's treasure notes circulated throughout the country, people all over the world would be able to know my father's face."

"At the same time, it can also let the people know that the court recognizes the new version of the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes, making it easier for the people to accept the new version of the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes!"

"This son has done his best, and I hope Your Majesty will grant my approval."

Chongzhen pretended to think for a while, then nodded with satisfaction.

"What the prince said makes sense. I agree to this matter."

"Cheng'en, go show them these new versions of the currency!"

Chongzhen said this, pointing to the ministers kneeling not far away, and then said:

"Stop kneeling, get up!"

However, at this moment, all the ministers present seemed to be under a spell, standing still and unable to move!
My heart is like a raging storm!
Because they all realized that everything that had just happened was just a show performed by Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang!

Otherwise, why did the prince take out these things at the right time as soon as the emperor got angry, and why did Chongzhen agree immediately when he saw them?

Besides, currency reform is a matter of great importance. How could the prince make the decision on his own without consulting the emperor?
It was because Chongzhen’s acting was so realistic that they didn’t notice it!

At this moment, all the ministers present couldn't help but curse in their hearts!
Can't we just talk it out? Why do we have to put on this drama?
It was not until Wang Chengen came in front of everyone with a plate in his hand that everyone stood up tremblingly.

Although they were speechless about what had just happened, they had to admit that they were also full of curiosity about the new version of Ming Treasure Notes and other currencies after Zhu Cilang's reform.

So after he stood up, all the ministers gathered around him. For a moment, everyone's eyes in the hall were focused on these brand new currencies.

And at just one glance, all the ministers were attracted by the new version of the currency, and their expressions were full of surprise and astonishment.

Because these new versions of currency completely exceeded their imagination!
At the same time, Zhu Cilang also began to explain patiently.

"This new version of the Ming Dynasty Treasure Note is made of a special material that is extremely wrinkle-resistant. In other words, it is more durable and won't break easily."

As he spoke, Zhu Cilang casually picked up a Ming Dynasty treasure banknote, rubbed it vigorously a few times in front of everyone, and then gently unfolded it. The new version of the Ming Dynasty treasure banknote was still as smooth as new, without a single wrinkle.

The ministers were stunned, as they had never expected that there would be such paper in the world!
In fact, washed kraft paper itself is not wrinkle-resistant and is even prone to creases.

Zhu Cilang discovered this problem at the beginning and asked the papermaking craftsmen if there was any way to solve it.

Unexpectedly, the papermaking craftsmen actually had a solution. They added something that even Zhu Cilang didn't recognize to the raw materials, which perfectly solved the problem of easy creases on washed kraft paper.

It also gives this washed kraft paper a plastic-like texture!

And it's also waterproof!
Immediately afterwards, Zhu Cilang waved to Wang Chengen, and Wang Chengen immediately brought a basin of clean water.

Zhu Cilang continued:

"In addition, the new version of Ming Dynasty treasure notes made with this paper is also waterproof."

After saying this, he gently threw the treasure note in his hand into the water.

All the ministers widened their eyes upon seeing this, their expressions becoming even more incredulous!

A moment later, in everyone's surprised eyes, Zhu Cilang reached out and picked up the new version of the Ming Dynasty treasure banknote from the water. Although the new version of the Ming Dynasty treasure banknote was wet, it was still intact.

Even the writing on it is as clear as ever, without any fading.

I thought that was the end of it, but Zhu Cilang continued:

"In addition, because the new version of the Daming Treasure Banknote uses special ink, it will show a special luster in the sun, which is also an extremely effective anti-counterfeiting mark."

Upon hearing this, the ministers no longer cared about their own image. They all picked up a Ming Dynasty treasure note and quickly walked to a place where the sun was shining to examine it carefully.

As expected, the new version of the Ming Dynasty treasure notes exudes a colorful luster under the sunlight, which is simply dazzling and amazing.

"This thing is amazing!"

"Compared to this, the old version of Ming Dynasty treasure notes is simply unbearable!"

"I just didn't expect there was such a magical paper in the world!"

For a moment, all the ministers could not help but express their admiration and were deeply impressed by the magic of this new version of the treasure banknote.

But they soon reacted and finally turned back and put the new version of the Ming Dynasty treasure notes back into the tray. Then they picked up the Ming Dynasty silver coins and Ming Dynasty gold coins and examined them, and the sound of praise continued.

These things are completely beyond their understanding of currency!

After a while, the ministers reluctantly put down the various currencies in their hands and returned to their seats.

After all, they have not forgotten that they are still meeting the emperor!
But of course, Chongzhen didn't care about this at the moment, because he actually quite liked seeing the ministers' expressions just now.

This gave him a special sense of pride.

Then, Xue Guoguan was filled with emotion and exclaimed sincerely:

"These new versions of currency are so well made. If they can be successfully implemented, they will surely revitalize the Ming Dynasty's economy."

Several other ministers also nodded in agreement.

Compared with the new version of the Ming Dynasty Treasure Note, the old version of the Ming Dynasty Treasure Note is indeed like waste paper.

Especially the Ming Dynasty silver coins and Ming Dynasty gold coins, their shapes are extremely exquisite. They are many times more beautiful than those ordinary gold and silver coins. They can be called works of art!

After the ministers finished sighing, Zhu Cilang spoke again:

"It seems that everyone agrees with my idea of reforming the Ming Dynasty's existing currency. In that case, let me tell you about my next plan!"

"The first and foremost issue is the reform of the Ming Treasure Notes. In the past, the production of Ming Treasure Notes was crude and rudimentary, resulting in low acceptance among the people and causing them to depreciate to the point where they are now."

"One guan of Ming Baochao can only be exchanged for fifty or sixty coins. This must never happen again. Therefore, the first priority is to reform the Ming Baochao."

"What you have seen before is the appearance of the Ming Dynasty's treasure notes after the reform."

"Of course, I understand that simply changing the appearance is not a reform."

"If we want the new version of Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes to circulate smoothly within the Ming Dynasty, the key is to completely bind it to precious metals such as gold and silver."

"Later, the imperial court will formulate clear exchange rules for the new version of Ming Dynasty treasure notes. That is, one tael of new Ming Dynasty treasure notes can be exchanged for one tael of silver and one qian of gold, and there is no limit on the amount of exchange."

"No matter how many new-edition treasure notes you hold, you can exchange them for unlimited Ming gold and silver coins."

"The Ming silver and gold coins you just saw are used to exchange for Ming treasure notes!"

When the ministers heard this, some of them frowned slightly and secretly pondered the pros and cons.

Some of them were whispering to each other, discussing the feasibility of this method.

In fact, they all knew in their hearts that the reason why the people of the Ming Dynasty were unwilling to accept the Ming Treasure Notes in the past was due to the court's past regulations on the Ming Treasure Notes.

That is, although the people can use gold and silver to exchange for Ming Dynasty treasure notes, they cannot use Ming Dynasty treasure notes to exchange for gold and silver.

Under such unequal rules, the Ming Dynasty treasure notes were naturally despised.

But if we really follow the method Zhu Cilang just mentioned, this long-standing problem can be easily solved.

Then, Ni Yuanlu, the Minister of Revenue, suddenly had an idea in his mind, as if he had thought of something important and quickly asked:
"May I ask, Your Highness, what should be done with the old Ming Treasure Notes after the new ones are introduced?"

When Chongzhen heard this, he suddenly became interested. He had forgotten to ask Zhu Cilang how to deal with the old version of Ming Dynasty treasure notes.

Zhu Cilang responded calmly:
"Although the imperial court has decided to revise the Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes, the old version is still recognized by the imperial court."

"It's just that the people must exchange their old banknotes for new ones. As for the exchange rate, we will discuss it in detail later."

Upon hearing this, several ministers breathed a sigh of relief, and the tense expressions on their faces eased a lot.

What they feared most was that once the new version of the Ming Dynasty treasure notes was released, the old version would be directly invalidated. After all, as court ministers, which one of them did not have the Ming Dynasty treasure notes awarded by Chongzhen?

If the old version of Ming Dynasty treasure notes were invalidated, they would suffer heavy losses.

Furthermore, although the Ming Dynasty treasure notes had depreciated severely, they could still be circulated in the capital. If they were invalidated, ordinary people would lose a large sum of money.

These are no longer problems!

But then, Cabinet Minister Zhang Zhifa thought of another key issue and asked:
"Your Highness, I have one question I'm not sure about. Can Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes from before the Chongzhen era be exchanged for newer Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes?"

"As far as I know, there are still Ming Dynasty treasure notes from the Wanli period, or even earlier, circulating in the market today. How can these Ming Dynasty treasure notes be exchanged?"

Zhu Cilang had obviously considered this issue a long time ago, and responded in a calm tone:
"That's fine. Any treasure notes previously issued by the Ming Dynasty are acceptable."

"and many more!"

However, before Zhu Cilang could finish his words, a voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Zhu Cilang directly.

The person who spoke was none other than Chongzhen!

Then, in the surprised eyes of everyone, Chongzhen suddenly lost his imperial demeanor and walked down from the dragon throne.

Then he quickly came to Zhu Cilang's side, pulled him aside, and lowered his voice, asking with a worried tone:
"You have to think this through carefully. If we allow the old Ming Dynasty treasure notes to be exchanged for the new version, we will lose a lot of money!"

Obviously, Chongzhen was unwilling to recognize the treasure notes of the previous dynasty.

But this actually cannot be blamed on Chongzhen.

Because the emperors of the Ming Dynasty in all dynasties were keen on printing large quantities of Ming treasure notes.

Take Zhu Yuanzhang, who invented the Ming Dynasty Treasure Note, for example. According to some historical records, in the 22nd year of Hongwu alone, Zhu Yuanzhang printed the Ming Dynasty Treasure Note 96 times.

If all the numbers are added up, it would be as much as 95 million strings of cash!

It is almost equivalent to the land tax revenue of the Ming Dynasty for two and a half years at that time.

A rough estimate shows that Zhu Yuanzhang printed at least 2 billion Ming Dynasty treasure notes in his lifetime!!!

With such large-scale and unlimited printing, and without being tied to gold or silver, do you think the Ming Baochao will not depreciate?

During the Chongzhen period, the national finances were tight, but Chongzhen still printed Ming treasure notes at the cost of his life.

From the first year of Chongzhen to the present, Chongzhen has printed no less than 30 million strings of Ming treasure notes every year for various expenses!
According to the fourteen years that Chongzhen ascended the throne, he must have printed at least five hundred million strings of Ming treasure notes during these years!

This number is really scary!

Moreover, although it was only old banknotes that were exchanged for new ones, it seemed that the court did not suffer any loss. However, the new version of treasure notes was now linked to gold and silver. Just to recognize the treasure notes from the Chongzhen period, it would require exchanging them for almost 20 million taels of silver.

If we take into account the Ming Dynasty treasure notes printed by the Ming Emperor before, the amount of silver that needs to be exchanged is simply incalculable!
Even if not all of the Ming Dynasty treasure notes have been preserved to this day, Chongzhen still finds it unacceptable just thinking about it!

However, Zhu Cilang didn't care about it at all.

Because he had already taken all these issues into consideration when he decided to reform the Ming Dynasty's currency.

Moreover, the matter was not as serious as Chongzhen imagined, because when the new version of Ming Baochao was released, he would add some regulations, such as increasing the proportion of Ming Baochao in commercial taxes.

For example, it is stipulated that some things can only be purchased with Ming Treasure Notes. In this way, there will be no large-scale use of Ming Treasure Notes to exchange for Ming gold coins and Ming silver coins.

It can also increase the circulation of Ming Dynasty treasure notes!
Besides, the total amount of money in the imperial treasury and the Ministry of Revenue is almost 300 million taels of silver and 12 million taels of gold. This money should be enough, right?
So in Zhu Cilang's view, the problem that Chongzhen was worried about was not a problem at all!
Then, Zhu Cilang smiled and said:

"Don't worry, Father. I dare to make this promise because I naturally have a solution."

"I can guarantee that the scene you imagine, Father, will never happen!"

"And compared to the reputation of the Ming Dynasty, what does this little money mean?"

"As long as we recognize the previous Ming Dynasty treasure notes and exchange them, the credibility of the new Ming Dynasty treasure notes will be greatly improved."

"Furthermore, those Ming Dynasty treasure notes have been around for too long. Perhaps only one in ten remains. How much can be exchanged for them?"

After hearing this, Chongzhen was speechless and didn't know how to refute.

After a moment, Chongzhen sighed helplessly again.

Because he suddenly realized that the mess left by his ancestors could only be cleaned up by him, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty!

If he doesn't take care of it, what credibility will the new version of Ming Dynasty treasure notes have?

After figuring this out, Chongzhen no longer worried about it.

At the same time, Xue Guoguan and others looked helpless and embarrassed.

Although Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang spoke in very low voices just now, they still captured some key content.

It was originally wrong to eavesdrop on the conversation between the emperor and the prince, but the palace was so small and Chongzhen did not let them leave, so they had no choice but to stay here.

how to say?

Although I didn't hear anything inappropriate, it still felt awkward.

Fortunately, all those present were veterans in the officialdom. After adjusting their minds a little, they quickly pretended not to have heard anything.
Soon, Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang walked in front of the crowd again.

Chongzhen's expression had already returned to normal. He then looked at everyone and said:
"I have decided to recognize all the treasure notes issued by the previous emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Even if someone comes to exchange for treasure notes from the Taizu era, I will agree."

"In short, I will never let the people suffer any loss."

When Xue Guoguan and others heard this, they immediately started to flatter him again.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

"Your Majesty is truly the eternal sage king!"

Chongzhen waved his hand slightly to signal everyone to be quiet, then looked at Zhu Cilang and asked:
"Prince, is there anything else you want to say?"

Zhu Cilang took a step forward and then said slowly:

"Reclaiming the old Ming Dynasty treasure notes is only the first step. In the second step, I intend to conduct a comprehensive reform of the existing gold and silver currencies in the world."

"The results of the reform are the Ming silver and gold coins you have seen before."

"After some time, the imperial court will issue an imperial decree to completely abolish all previous gold and silver currencies and replace them with the unified specifications of the Ming Dynasty gold or Ming Dynasty silver coins."

"In other words, all gold and silver on the market must be exchanged for unified Ming gold and silver coins before they can continue to be used."

"If you don't exchange it, the court will confiscate it."

what?
When the ministers heard this, they were instantly furious.

Although they guessed that the next thing to be discussed was the reform of gold and silver currency, they never expected Zhu Cilang to say such words.

If you don't exchange the Ming silver coins and Ming gold coins designated by the court, all the gold and silver will be confiscated. Isn't this robbery?
Although on the surface the court allowed the exchange of silver and gold for Ming silver coins and Ming gold coins, in fact, these ministers were not very willing to do so in their hearts.

No one knows how much property they have in the first place. If this happens, won’t all their wealth be exposed?
If it were you, would you be willing?
Although none of the ministers present spoke, Zhu Cilang still saw through their little thoughts and smiled and comforted them:
"You are all loyal ministers and generals of the Ming Dynasty, so you can rest assured that my father and I have no desire to covet your property."

"No matter how much the family property is, it's all yours. Even if some of it comes from unknown sources, my father and I won't mind it."

"However, if you are truly worried, you can also hand over your property to your slaves and have them disguise themselves as civilians to exchange it."

When the ministers saw that their thoughts were revealed by Zhu Cilang, their faces turned red and they dared not look Zhu Cilang in the eye.

However, there are still a few truly honest ministers who don't care about these things at all.

After all, not all officials are corrupt!
Then, Zhu Cilang continued:

"In short, the currency reform of the Ming Dynasty is imperative, and no one can stop it!"

"So I hope everyone can fully cooperate!"

Looking at Zhu Cilang's serious expression, what could these ministers say?

Then, the ministers bowed again and said:
"We, the ministers, will fully cooperate with this matter!"

Seeing that things were going smoothly, Chongzhen was naturally very proud.

But at this moment, Chongzhen seemed to have thought of something, and then reminded Zhu Cilang beside him:

"By the way, Prince, don't you have something else to say?"

It is obvious that Chongzhen was referring to the establishment of the Ming Royal Bank.

Then Zhu Cilang went straight to the point and said:

"In addition, in order to better promote this matter, I want to establish the Ming Royal Bank."

"You may not understand what this means, but it doesn't matter. This is an introduction to the Ming Royal Bank. Take a look first."

As Zhu Cilang spoke, he handed the memorial he had prepared in advance to Xue Guoguan.

Xue Guoguan took the memorial with both hands and read it carefully.

After a moment, his expression became strange, and there was a hint of worry in his eyes.

Because he realized that although this so-called Ming Royal Bank looked like a money shop, it was actually very different.

The affairs involved in the Ming Royal Bank are extremely complicated, even covering the printing and issuance of new versions of Ming Treasure Notes and the exchange between Ming Treasure Notes, Ming Silver Coins and Ming Gold Coins.

In this case, wouldn’t this so-called Ming Royal Bank be trying to seize the power of the Ministry of Revenue?

What’s even more terrible is that the Ming Royal Bank is under the control of the emperor. How can this not be shocking?
However, Xue Guoguan couldn't say this directly, so he could only silently hand the memorial to Ni Yuanlu behind him.

Ultimately, this is actually a matter for the Ministry of Revenue, and the decision lies with Ni Yuanlu, the Minister of Revenue.

Ni Yuanlu was already impatient about this matter, so he took the memorial handed to him by Xue Guoguan and hurriedly checked it.

But soon, his expression became extremely ugly.

After reading the entire memorial, his face turned red and his hands were trembling slightly.

The next second, Ni Yuanlu slammed the memorial shut, then fell straight to his knees and shouted to Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang:

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, I believe that the Ming Royal Bank can be established, but it should not be under the control of Your Majesty, but rather the Ministry of Revenue."

"Please give me your Majesty's permission!"

Ni Yuanlu was a smart man. After just two glances, he understood that the reason Zhu Cilang wanted to establish the Ming Royal Bank was actually to seize the power of the Ministry of Revenue!

To be honest, if it was something else, he might have just endured it and it would have passed.

But this matter was of great importance and he really couldn't bear it.

After all, the Ming Royal Bank holds the power to issue new versions of Ming treasure notes and exchange them for gold and silver coins.

With just one imperial decree from the emperor, Ming treasure notes could be printed without restraint, and he even had the right to decide whether to exchange them for Ming gold coins and Ming silver coins.

In Ni Yuanlu's opinion, this is too dangerous.

What if there is a tyrant ruler in the Ming Dynasty in the future who continues to print Ming treasure notes without restraint and does not allow the people to exchange Ming treasure notes for Ming gold coins and Ming silver coins?

Then wouldn’t everything we did today be in vain?

It is obvious that Ni Yuanlu did not oppose the Ming Royal Bank being under the emperor's jurisdiction out of selfishness or any power struggle.

He was just worried about the future of the Ming Dynasty!

After all, no one can guarantee that all future emperors of the Ming Dynasty will be wise and benevolent rulers, right?

If there is just one prodigal son, it is possible to ruin everything!
He couldn't let this happen!

In fact, everyone present understood the hidden meaning behind Ni Yuanlu's words, so they all looked at Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang, wanting to see what Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang would decide in the end.

And Chongzhen naturally looked at Zhu Cilang.

Obviously, he was also waiting for Zhu Cilang's decision!

(End of this chapter)