Chongzhen Wiretapping System

Chapter 183 Shanxi Merchants Are in Trouble

Emperor Chongzhen turned to Lan Tianbao and Chen Baoting and nodded slightly, then turned back to the many ministers below and said: "The honorary salary is distributed. The palace salary distribution includes the military pay of the imperial guards in the palace, etc. I have always felt that it is inconvenient to distribute it. . Therefore, we also opened a bank and prepared to distribute the money in the form of banknotes."

Hearing this, all the courtiers couldn't help being taken aback. What do you mean, the emperor set up a bank by himself?This... is this true?

Some of the quick-witted ones, who usually pay more attention, immediately remembered the Daming Royal Bank that was established before.Could it be, this is the bank that the emperor made, right?

They were surprised when they saw several servants walking towards them, holding stacks of things in their hands, and distributed them to everyone.

Emperor Chongzhen looked at them from the throne and knew they were surprised, so he explained to them again: "This is the silver note I prepared. It does not need to be handwritten or encrypted. It will be exchanged for silver immediately as printed on the note. I am confident that the outside world will It should be impossible to imitate!"

When he said this, the officials at the bottom had high ranks, and the officials at the front had already received the bank notes from the Daming Royal Bank. Just by looking at them, they understood that the emperor was so confident that he really had something to rely on.The cost of the bank note alone may cost a lot.

There were even a few well-informed officials who exclaimed immediately after receiving the bank notes: "This is Mr. Shizhu's handwriting!"

In terms of publishing, Hu Zhengyan was a master in the late Ming Dynasty and became very famous.Of course, when his fame was at its peak, we had to wait a few more years before his Gonghua printing works came out.But now, with the support of Emperor Chongzhen, this Gonghua printing came out ahead of schedule.

Seeing the courtiers holding the bank notes and whispering, Emperor Chongzhen was not in a hurry. After everyone in the palace got them and looked at them, he said: "I have given the bank notes to the three major officials under the jurisdiction of the Yuma Supervisor." The battalion issued it, and promised in front of the whole army that as long as these banknotes want to be exchanged for silver, they can be exchanged for silver at any time. In this way, I can also guarantee to my people that anyone who holds this banknote issued by the Daming Royal Bank Tickets can be exchanged for silver at Daming Royal Bank.”

Some civil servants who have opened banks by their own families actually want to say that the emperor opened banks, isn't that a competition for profit with the people.But at this time, when I heard that the emperor opened this bank, it was only used for the imperial army, nobles, and the palace, so it could not be said to compete with the people for profit, so I had to hold back.

But those officials who suffered the loss of banknotes this time did not understand.After thinking about it in a daze, he felt that he understood the meaning of the emperor, so he asked Emperor Chongzhen, "What does your Majesty mean, that the Ming Dynasty will only use this kind of bank notes in the future?"

Emperor Chongzhen nodded and said: "Of course! I, the Daming Royal Bank, will never have a problem. And I can issue an order to the Ministry of Accounts. If there is a problem with the money of the Daming Royal Bank and there is not enough exchange, There is no need to ask for an order, and the salt tax can be directly used to complete the exchange of bank notes."

It was the first time to hear such a thing, and the civil and military officials in the hall couldn't help whispering again.

They understood what the emperor meant, that is, if someone worried about his reputation as an emperor, they could use the salt tax as a guarantee.He took the initiative to say so, but made these officials feel that the emperor had confidence.Otherwise, if something happened that the money was not enough to exchange, the emperor would lose face.

Thinking about it this way, many officials felt that the bank notes of the Daming Royal Bank were acceptable. After all, no yamen dared to seize the emperor's bank, which was something that no other private bank could do.In addition, the silver bills are exquisite, free of secret deposits, easy to exchange, guaranteed by the emperor, and guaranteed by the salt tax land, all of which are more credible than other banks.

So, some officials came out and immediately agreed that this method was good, at least it solved the inconvenience of using money directly.

However, those officials were in a hurry before, such as Yang Sichang, who had close ties with Shanxi merchants, so most of the property in his hands was bank notes from Fanji Bank. If the emperor's proposal was approved, then Fanji Bank would really die.

So he immediately went out and said: "Your Majesty has become rich all over the world. Now there are royal banks that open banks. They may be criticized by the people because they are competing for profits with the people. Once the royal family comes out, no other bank can compete with the royal bank business." ?”

I am rich in the world?Emperor Chongzhen couldn't help but hehe in his heart, if he really wanted to be rich all over the world, would he still be forced to hang himself?
Thinking of this in his heart, he asked in a cold voice: "If I am really rich, why can't I even pay the military salary? Do you have no idea whether I have money or not?"

This is impolite. Yang Sichang's face changed when he was said, and he didn't know what to say, but Emperor Chongzhen spoke first, turned to look at other people and said, "I didn't stop other banks from doing business, but there are One is that if a private bank wants to issue 100 taels of bank notes, it must deposit 100 taels of silver in the Daming Royal Bank, so that it will be given 100 taels of Daming Royal Bank notes. This will prevent private banks from carrying Absconding money and printing more banknotes without permission. The problems that Qing and others are worried about can be solved together!"

Yang Sichang was reprimanded for a while, and other people dared not say what they wanted to say about competing with the people.After hearing the emperor's words, he was dumbfounded.Because the emperor's move can indeed put an end to the large-scale shortage of bank notes that is happening now.

Once it is done as the emperor said, the bank notes can be exchanged at the Daming Royal Bank.And they had figured it out before that the Daming Royal Bank was not afraid of a run.Because not only the face of the emperor is there, but also the guarantee of the salt tax, etc., if you are worried about this, you should obediently take the money and forget it.

These people in the main hall were thinking about the emperor's words, but Xue Guoguan, the chief assistant, said: "Your Majesty, since this is the case, why do you still allow the people to open money houses? It's better to ban them directly!"

This question was not vented beforehand, but because Xue Guoguan really couldn't figure it out, so he asked this question.

After hearing this, the other officials also felt that the question was a good one, so they all looked at Emperor Chongzhen, hoping to hear the emperor's answer.

After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen smiled and said, "My plan is only to open the Daming Royal Bank in the capital and Yingtianfu, and at most in the future to open one in the capitals of each province. There are so many that I don't have the energy. I don't plan to face all the people. Open, at least there is a lower limit on the scale, less than a certain amount will not be handled, so private banks can completely fill the places that the Royal Bank of Ming Dynasty can't take care of."

His real intention was to prepare the Daming Royal Bank as the central bank.It’s just that at the beginning, there was no way. It had to be both a referee and an athlete. After other banks gradually became popular and formalized, the Daming Royal Bank could withdraw from the ranks of athletes and just become the referee of all banks.

At this time, not many people have the kind of mind, and they don't do profitable things, but just do a certain piece of content.If it is possible, I would like to occupy all the profitable businesses in the world.

However, the emperor obviously did not belong to this case, which surprised the courtiers below.It can only be attributed to the fact that the emperor really didn't have the heart to compete with the people for profit.

As a result, those courtiers who felt that the issue of bank notes would be solved well in the future, and they only cared about this point, praised the emperor for his benevolence, generosity, wisdom, and so on.

Yang Sichang lowered his head and did not speak. He had been scolded just now, and he didn't want to speak anymore. He turned his head slightly to look at the Yushi team, and hinted at Liu Meicai with his eyes, meaning to let Liu Meicai think of a way.

As expected of being a Jinshi, and being familiar with Shanxi merchants, Liu Meicai held a bank note in his hand, and suddenly his eyes lit up, and he really thought of something.Therefore, after the hall was quiet for a while, he went out and played loudly: "Your Majesty, I don't understand something."

"Oh, what's the matter?" After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen knew that he was here to find fault, so he immediately sneered in his heart and asked lightly.

After hearing this, the others were a little curious about what Liu Meicai didn't understand, so they all calmed down and paid attention to his question.

Liu Meicai raised the banknote in her hand, and then asked respectfully: "Your Majesty, I feel that the printing of this banknote should cost a lot of money. If the Daming Royal Bank does not print more banknotes, how to make up for it?" This shortfall? Even if there is a lending business, this shortfall is a bottomless pit. The more private banks there are, the more bank notes they need. In such a situation, how will the Royal Bank of Ming Dynasty deal with it? In other words, only a small number of private banks are allowed Can I exchange this bank note?"

Hearing his words, all the officials came to their senses, looked at the bank notes in their hands, and couldn't help but nodded secretly.Although they don't know much about business matters, they still have a certain ability to appreciate the quality of things.They can also see the bank note in their hands, and the cost may not be small.

Therefore, they were also curious, how would the emperor answer Liu Meicai's question?

Emperor Chongzhen didn't even need to think about this question, so he answered directly: "Since I have solved the problem of banknotes for everyone, I can't bear the cost alone. Every bank that comes to Daming Royal Bank to exchange banknotes must You have to pay the production cost of the bank notes. On this point, I can ensure that the Daming Royal Bank will not have additional profits. When it comes to charging the production cost, it is only the cost of the production cost. As for the cost of the bank notes printed by the Daming Royal Bank itself , Naturally, like private banks, it can be solved by lending."

It seems to be a matter of course to charge some labor costs, and many courtiers nodded when they heard this.However, Liu Mei was not reconciled, and did not ask Emperor Chongzhen.So, rolling his eyes, he asked Emperor Chongzhen again: "Your Majesty, I heard just now that the Royal Bank of Ming Dynasty will use this bank note to distribute military salaries and salaries to the three major battalions, the palace, and honorable nobles. With such a large scale, the cost cannot be covered by lending, right? If the interest rate on lending is too high, there will be no one to lend to. I am worried that the Royal Bank of Ming Dynasty will still be in shortfall!"

What should I do after I lose money?This is a problem!
After hearing his question, many people turned their attention to Emperor Chongzhen again to see how he would answer this question.
Just listen to Emperor Chongzhen saying to Liu Meicai: "Of course I have arrangements. This deficit is impossible. But I think you definitely want to have a deficit, so I can tell you. To say the least, even if If there is a shortfall, I will accept it, because it is related to whether the people of our Ming Dynasty can live and work in peace and contentment, whether our people's lives will be better and better, and it is related to the country of our country!"

Liu Meicai was a little stunned when he heard it, and felt that the emperor's words were too exaggerated. Isn't it just printing a bank note, and it has something to do with Da Ming's society!
Emperor Chongzhen sneered when he saw his appearance, "You probably don't understand the reason behind this, do you think I'm exaggerating?"

In fact, the other courtiers also had this idea, but seeing him speak so confidently, the other courtiers couldn't help but shut their mouths tightly, so Liu Meicai got ahead.

At this moment, Liu Meicai's forehead was slightly sweaty. He felt despised, but he had no way to refute it, not to mention that the other party was still Emperor Ming.

Seeing his appearance, Emperor Chongzhen refused to let him answer, and said directly: "What is money? Its essence is a measurement unit for measuring items, and it is the embodiment of the value of goods. Since ancient times, shells have been used as money. Iron is used as money, and now copper is used as money, and gold and silver are used as money. People can have nothing else, but they can’t live without this money. More money and less money determine how much material a person can get, and whether his life is good or not. good."

"However, why did gold, silver and copper become money instead of other things? Have you ever thought about it?" Only the voice of Emperor Chongzhen was left in the hall, "Nowadays, silver bills are also a manifestation of money, just like money. An item, such as food, is ready..."

Emperor Chongzhen started from the origin of currency, talked about the current form of currency, and then talked about the amount of currency, the embodiment of the value of currency itself, and the regional imbalance of currency and its impact on the people. Anyway, he talked endlessly After talking for nearly half an hour, he was the only voice in the whole hall. He didn't want to continue talking until his voice became a little hoarse. Finally, he stared at Liu Mei and asked, "Now, do you know why I am losing money? , you have to subsidize it from other places to run the Daming Royal Bank, right?"

To be honest, his continuous explanation, if placed in the classroom of later generations, it is estimated that a lot of people will fall asleep, it is really a bit boring.Not to mention that in this era, there are many words and many new things in it. After hearing so much, basically few courtiers can fully understand it.

Most people have only one feeling, the emperor seems to be very powerful and knows a lot.Just by looking at the way the emperor talked eloquently, you can know the knowledge in it, and the emperor really knows it.

Therefore, for most people, they were worried about the future problem of banknotes. The emperor had already solved it, so they no longer bothered much and just gave the emperor a bunch of flattery.As for what the emperor really meant, it would be better to ask others after the next court meeting.

In this way, it is basically decided that all private banks will use the bank notes printed by the Daming Royal Bank in the future.

Of course, this only solves a long-term problem; in retrospect, many banknotes have now become waste paper, and the emperor has not yet said how to deal with this matter.Some courtiers asked insincerely.

Regarding this, Emperor Chongzhen naturally would not tolerate it, so Qiankun said arbitrarily: "Each family still has banknotes that have not been exchanged, so ask the owner directly to ask for it. If you can't get the money, you can seize the house to pay off the debt. As for the banknotes of Fanji Bank, I have not yet identified those that are privately kept by Qing and others, and they will all be sealed up. If Qing and others are in a hurry to exchange money, they should go to the owner of Fanji Bank. As for that Fan Yongzheng, even if he is only doing business with the palace, he has the guts to do this secretly. I will not condone the matter. If it is found out that it is actually with ulterior motives, it will be a crime of copying the family and exterminating the family."

When he said this, he sent a signal.Stop yelling here, if you are worried about your money, go to the Fan family first and ask for money.Otherwise, once the factory guard finds out that there is a conspiracy in the palace, the whole family will copy it, and you will not get a penny.

After announcing the matter, Emperor Chongzhen's own purpose had been achieved, and he went directly to court.

After considering it in their hearts, many officials couldn't guarantee that Fan Yongzheng's collusion with the people in the palace would really be due to ordinary business dealings.Therefore, focusing on the bank notes in his hands, he immediately started looking for other members of the Fan Yongzheng family.Some even knew the shareholders behind Fanji Bank, so they immediately went to the door.

Regarding the Fanji Bank banknote, it did not follow the script of those Shanxi merchants from the beginning.

It is conceivable that Shanxi merchants, at least the Fan family, are in trouble!
　Originally, I planned to write 1 words at night, and I can save [-] words for tomorrow, so the pressure will be less.But after writing more than [-] words, my mind became muddled and I couldn't write any more.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)