The fierce grandson of the Ming Dynasty

When it comes to money, even Zhu Biao, the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty, was somewhat helpless.

Since money and provisions are needed, they cannot simply be conjured up out of thin air!

Zhu Xiong Ying, however, understood the unspoken meaning in Biao'er's father's words!

Over the past few months, it seems that the money that Lao Zhu squeezed out of Guo Huan's case is almost gone!

Undoubtedly, most of the funds were allocated to disaster relief and the war in the North.

He had the answer in his heart, but he didn't say it out loud.

Instead, his eyes flickered slightly, he shifted his legs, and leaned closer to ask, "Father, I remember that after Guo Huan's case in March, Grandfather Emperor pursued the stolen goods and confiscated property, covering all thirteen provincial administrations!"

"There are also debts to atone for sins... The money, grain, land, gold and silver obtained are countless, with grain alone amounting to tens of millions of bushels. How come the court is in such dire straits after such a short time?"

Zhu Biao put down his teacup, leaned back, and sighed, "Ying'er, you only know one side of the story, not the other!"

"Since March, your imperial grandfather issued an edict to recover the stolen goods. The compensation obtained was mostly in the form of land and houses, with a small portion in grain. As for silver, the amount of cash recovered was not much. Only by atonement for the sins, using silver to replace the crimes, was some compensation made up..."

"Even grain and rice, once they enter the national treasury, are subject to fixed allocations; not a single penny can be touched!"

"Firstly, the expenses for border defense in the north filled the gaps in the military. Secondly, disasters occurred in many parts of the country, and the food needed for disaster relief and river repairs were essential and could not be spared. Thirdly, the replacement of weapons and the repair of border walls in various garrisons required money everywhere."

"As for the confiscated land, your imperial grandfather decreed that most of it be distributed to the displaced people..."

The fire is almost ready.

Actually, there were some things he wanted to discuss with Biao'er's father on the day he fainted.

Today is the perfect time!

Zhu Xiong Ying no longer hesitated and blurted out, "Father, you see, since we can't move cash and grain, why not print more paper money?"

"According to the rules set by my imperial grandfather, the imperial banknotes are manufactured under the supervision of the court; they can't be printed as many as we want."

This statement came out.

Zhu Biao's expression instantly turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "Ying'er should understand that this method, though seemingly a shortcut, is actually a case of drinking poison to quench thirst!"

"Over the years, the more they print, the harsher they criticize..."

He had only spoken halfway through his sentence.

Zhu Biao realized what was happening.

I remember my father mentioning it to me a few months ago.

When discussing Xiong Ying, he mentioned the drawbacks of the paper money and suggested increasing silver savings.

At the time, he found the information very helpful, but because he was preoccupied with the grain theft case, he didn't think about it in detail...

Now that Aiko has brought this up, isn't it just a test of his father's attitude?

After realizing what he meant, Zhu Biao smiled helplessly and said, "Ying'er, you've gone through all this trouble, perhaps you want to hear your father's opinion on the matter of the precious paper money?"

The father saw through the sign's intentions.

Zhu Xiong Ying quickly poured himself a cup of tea and honestly replied, "To be honest, Father, half a year ago, I discussed the paper money with my grandfather, including the reasons for its devaluation and ways to change its course!"

"At that time, my son talked about the drawbacks of the paper money, which all boiled down to the four words 'empty and meaningless'!"

"Your Excellency, a mere piece of mulberry paper has no gold, silver, or grain backing it; it relies entirely on the imperial court's credit. Once the people no longer recognize it, its value will eventually depreciate!"

"My son suggested at the time that we needed to establish a silver standard, that is, to use the imperial silver reserves as the basis for paper money, and to ensure that the amount of paper money printed corresponded to the amount of silver reserves; we couldn't just issue paper money arbitrarily!"

"Reopen the official silver mines in Guangdong and Fujian, and develop the silver mines in the southwest!"

"But when my grandfather heard this, he only said, 'Abandoning the fundamentals for the trivial, valuing the profits of commerce while forgetting the foundation of agriculture and sericulture,' and felt that mining would be a waste of manpower and resources, and would easily lead to chaos among the people..."

"My son is stuck in a dead end, and I'd like to take this opportunity to hear your opinion?"

Upon seeing the eldest son, she was filled with regret and disappointment.

Zhu Biao did not blame him. His phoenix eyes flashed, and he pondered, "Your imperial grandfather mentioned this matter briefly!"

"I told her then, 'Ying'er, you have a good eye, but you're too impulsive and don't understand the foundation of his nation!'"

The thoughts and feelings of the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty.

Looking at all the civil and military officials, apart from Empress Ma, no one was more insightful than Crown Prince Zhu Biao.

He picked up his teacup again and explained the reason, saying, "The reason your imperial grandfather didn't approve of this is because, in his eyes, the foundation of the Ming Dynasty is the grain in the fields and the cloth woven by farmers, not gold and silver that cannot be eaten or worn!"

"Under the silver standard, the lifeline of the imperial court was handed over to merchants who hoarded silver, which encouraged speculation and undermined the principle of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce..."

From these words, it can be seen that Biao'er's father and his grandmother analyzed the situation exactly the same!

But today, he has come to seek out the Grand Vice Emperor of the Ming Dynasty to resolve the issue.

This isn't a one-on-one chat!

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded and said, "I've thought about it for many days, and with my grandmother's guidance, I understand the reasoning!"

"The hidden dangers of paper money are becoming increasingly serious, and I'm sure you, Father, are aware of this!"

"If this continues, I fear it will damage the very foundation of our Great Ming's finances..."

"After much deliberation, my son has devised a method that he believes will allow him to secure the funds without crossing the line with his grandfather!"

Zhu Biao looked up and said, "Oh? Ying'er, tell me!"

Zhu Xiong Ying said, "Yes! Since Grandfather doesn't want to open more mines and feels that the silver standard is inappropriate, why not use grain, cloth, and salt certificates as currency?"

"We can establish a Treasury for the exchange of paper money. Once the national treasury is full, a fixed amount of grain, cloth, and salt certificates can be allocated annually from the treasury and deposited there specifically for the exchange of paper money. In this way, the imperial court can hold back essential goods like grain, crack down on unscrupulous merchants who drive down prices, and protect the livelihoods of ordinary people!"

"Once the currency system is completely stable, small-denomination transactions in the private sector will be too large for small-denomination banknotes to cover, so it will be sufficient to allow the government to mint copper coins as an effective supplement, and then silver can be introduced at the appropriate time..."

"Furthermore, it is still necessary to streamline the return of the currency and properly implement the exchange of counterfeit currency..."

"Finally, regarding foreign trade such as tribute, we must also encourage overseas vassal states to contribute to consolidating the status of the paper currency... I have already discussed the pros and cons of this matter with my grandfather!"

These methods, on the surface, are not radical and do not change the ancestral system established by Zhu De!

However, in terms of its effects, it will inevitably slow down the collapse of the paper money, stabilize the economy of the Ming Dynasty, and provide corresponding guarantees for military affairs and people's livelihood.

Most importantly, given his status and power as the father of the child, he was able to make some adjustments to these reform measures.

Once internal and external affairs are stabilized and the Ming Dynasty's productivity is improved, discussing the gold and silver standard and overseas expansion will naturally follow!

Hearing the words of the eldest son.

As Zhu Biao pondered, he habitually stroked his beard.

How could he not recognize the dangers of the devaluation of the currency after managing state affairs for so many years?

His repeated petitions to reduce taxes and rectify oppressive policies may not have stemmed from this issue.

However, this matter was decided by his father, the emperor, and he could not change it for the time being.

Even Ying'er can see this clearly now, which shows how urgent the situation is.

After a long pause, he finally spoke, "I am very pleased that Ying'er was able to calm down and think about all this!"

"These suggestions are mostly valid. I will discuss them with the others and then consult with your grandfather!"

Zhu Xiong Ying made up his mind.

My cheap dad never makes promises lightly.

This single sentence carries significant weight.

We are just waiting for good news to come so that the Ming Dynasty Treasure Note can get on the right track and become a world currency.

As for the funding shortfall after the Dabentang enrolled students, it was nothing compared to the problem of the paper money!

Moreover, he already had a way to make money that could solve his immediate problem!