Chapter 735: Prepare for a rainy day in advance, be prepared for danger in times of peace and plan for the long term
If the copper and silver bimetallic system mentioned by Shen Shixing is not remedied, the Ming Dynasty will fall into another kind of money shortage. It is obvious that there is money, but the money is not circulating, which is a liquidity crisis. This crisis is in Songjiang There were already signs in the government, but there were no signs in the capital of the Ming Dynasty. This was something that the Duke of the imperial court could not see.
During the Ming Dynasty, only Jingtang had imperial silver coins, and there was no liquidity crisis in the circulation of silver coins in Jingtang.
Moreover, this kind of crisis is not easy to resolve. The more you invest, the more dangerous it becomes, because money always flows to places where there is no shortage of money.
The flexible ratio of copper coins to silver coins effectively avoided the occurrence of such absurdities. This policy was very effective, and for the court, it had one more tool to adjust conflicts.
Zhu Yijun put forward the idea that economic power determines political power in Shen Shixing, completing the third volume of Class Theory on Struggle.
Before Zhu Yijun had time to explain the content of this volume, Zhang Juzheng, the emperor's master of the Ming Dynasty, had already blocked the door of Tonghe Palace and hurriedly walked into the imperial study. The emperor of the Ming Dynasty had just finished repairing the province and asked Zhang Juzheng to wait for a moment to drink tea before going on his own. After changing into regular clothes, he returned to the imperial study.
It's just that the atmosphere was a bit depressing. The emperor didn't say anything, and Yuan Fu didn't say anything either. The two of them just sat quietly for half an hour. The eunuchs like Feng Bao and Zhang Hong didn't dare to show their anger. One, even looking at the tea, was careful and cautious, not daring to make any sound.
Feng Bao swore that he had never seen such a horrific scene until today. Even though there was no quarrel, the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was difficult to breathe.
The silence at this time was deafening.
"Sir, Wang Cifu's son, Wang Qian, once told me that there is a kind of power called the power of silence. Sometimes the language is a bit pale. During gatherings, appropriate silence allows the audience to think about the mystery. "Zhu Yijun sighed, Zhang Juzheng ran to Tonghe Palace, but said nothing, just a silent resistance, a silent accusation.
Zhang Juzheng took a deep breath and said: "Mencius said: If you blame me, you call it respect, if Chen Shan shuts up evil, you call it respect, but I cannot call you a thief."
Accusing the king of his faults is the greatest form of respect. Telling the king good laws and good governance to block the king's evil thoughts and delusions is the greatest respect. The previous kings did it, but today's kings cannot do it. Officials who say such things are thieves. .
"Your Majesty, my greatest crime is that I am obsessed with fame and fortune. I feel that this class theory is somewhat novel. In order to gain some false fame, I make such monstrous words to confuse the public. The big mistake has not yet been made. I request an order to withdraw the first two volumes of the class theory. , burn it." Zhang Juzheng took a deep breath, he truly believed that he was wrong.
The first volume of Class Theory was born on the basis of the theory of contradiction and the theory of public and private. It was mainly to explain some phenomena that could not be explained by past political and economic theories. The first volume had nothing. By the time of the second volume, Zhang Juzheng Only then did I realize what kind of door I had opened. Not many scholar-officials in the Ming Dynasty would adopt the narrative of class theory and avoid talking about class. The big mistake has not yet been made, and there is still a chance to save everything.
"It's not a mistake."
"This is wrong, and it's very wrong."
Zhu Yijun and Zhang Juzheng both spoke very quickly. The emperor said it was not a mistake, but Zhang Juzheng thought it was a big mistake.
"Sir, I know very well that this is not wrong, it is inevitable." Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "Sir, if the two or three volumes of Class Theory are really wrong, then there is no need to worry about it at all, because no one will care about it. It was taken seriously, and in the process of spreading, it was naturally lost. Sir, you want me to burn the book now because you know that it is right and will spread more and more widely. It will still be passed down a hundred years or even hundreds of years later. ”
"It is wrong now." Zhang Juzheng said immediately: "I don't know whether it will be right in the future, but it is wrong now, which is very important."
Based on the current productivity situation of the Ming Dynasty, the most important thing is to utilize the land and increase the variety of food, so that the Ming Dynasty can transform from a small peasant economy to a commodity economy, let the productivity develop rapidly, and let the people have more children, with a population of 130 million. , still too little.
Use development to cover up contradictions. Many contradictions that are almost unsolvable now will naturally be resolved in the process of development.
Zhang Juzheng's meaning was very clear. If the third volume of the struggle appeared at the wrong time, if the emperor forced it to be implemented, Zhang Juzheng's cabinet would block the implementation. Zhang Juzheng almost said that this was a disorderly order and the ministers did not obey the imperial edict.
"We need it now. The Zhejiang side is returning their farmland, and they need struggle as a guide." Zhu Yijun said with a solemn expression.
Zhang Juzheng immediately replied: "The officials of the Wanli Reform can solve some of the problems. Even the problems that cannot be solved can be corrected by the king's orders. Instead of believing in the power of ten thousand men, I believe that your majesty is one man and one man." I have never seen it, and I don’t believe it. Your Majesty, I have seen it, and I can see it every day.”
"Your Majesty, the force of ten thousand men is like the world of great harmony spoken by Confucian scholars, like the Kingdom of Heaven described by missionaries, and like the Rome created by Western scholars. They are all illusory. This kind of narrative has been used by officials for nearly four decades. For ten years, what I saw, what I experienced, and what I dealt with, I tell you, does not exist.”
This is what the imperial system is like. If the emperor is a coward, he will block the pace of innovation. If the emperor is a wise emperor, he will also block the pace of innovation.
In Zhang Juzheng's view, there is no problem that His Majesty cannot solve. If there is, then send the Beijing camp there. Legal political power coupled with the legal use of violence is the most realistic answer.
Of course, the efforts of ten thousand people must be promoted, but it does not become the general guideline for governing the world.
In Zhang Juzheng's eyes, a visible wise king is more realistic than a vain and vain man. As the chief minister of the empire, Zhang Juzheng chose to believe in the emperor.
Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "Sir, the theory of contradiction was written by him, but it seems that he does not really agree with the theory of contradiction. How can the contradiction be solved just from the top down?"
Zhang Juzheng immediately said: "But solving problems from the bottom up will often create more problems. The price is troubled times, that is, lives are like ants and people are like grass. Ming Dynasty is now reborn from nirvana and is moving forward high-spirited. Development can solve most problems." There is no need to use the means of struggle to solve the problem.”
"The large inflow of silver from overseas is solving the money shortage and injecting new vitality into the Ming Dynasty. Since the Zhenwu Dynasty, the emperors and ministers of the Ming Dynasty have united their troops to resist the enemy from outside the country. They have passed the legal examination and fought against corruption, making the administration of officials clear and clear. Although there are still disadvantages of appeasement, the general rule is that the capable are promoted and the mediocre are demoted.”
"I believe in Your Majesty because it is not only Your Majesty who wants to revive China, but also many comrades who are traveling with us. I believe in Your Majesty. In fact, I believe in the people with lofty ideals of the Ming Dynasty. This in itself is a bottom-up approach. ”
Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng, leaned back in his chair, and said nothing. The imperial study room of Tonghe Palace became quiet again, and the atmosphere became more depressed.
Feng Bao felt a little short of breath, and his heart had jumped into his throat. He could clearly hear his heartbeat. He knew that His Majesty was thinking, weighing, and making decisions. This might be the biggest decision since the Wanli Reform. The biggest disagreement was the rift between the king and his ministers.
"Your Majesty, when the Ming Dynasty is not strong enough to bear all this, if you ask too hastily, it will give opportunities to the humble Confucians." Zhang Juzheng took a deep breath and bowed his head and said: "I thought that in the Ming Dynasty, everyone would be able to go to school. It’s time to go to school.”
Zhang Juzheng felt that His Majesty was very conservative on some things, but on some things, he was extremely radical and urgent, as if he had lost something.
"Sir, civilization will die." Zhu Yijun sat up straight and said: "The civilization of the ancient Inca country has disappeared into the new world in just seventy years. It’s not Rome, Tsarist Russia is not Rome, the civilization of Rome has also declined, or even disappeared.”
"Be prepared for a rainy day in advance, be prepared for danger in times of peace, and plan for the long term. This is what Mr. taught me, so that I can look further ahead."
Zhu Yijun fired a boomerang, and the bullet fired by the emperor's master in the first year of Wanli hit Zhang Juzheng between the eyebrows.
Zhang Juzheng ate so many boomerangs that he was immune to this kind of damage. He understood His Majesty's sense of urgency, because China really perished at the hands of the barbarians once, and the sun and the moon regained their brightness, and God could still bless him again. In the Central Plains, will there be a hero like Zhu Yuanzhang who cleans up the old mountains and rivers? That requires a lot of luck.
Your Majesty, who likes to be lenient to the enemy, is rightly afraid that China will follow in the footsteps of Rome and the Incas and be wiped out by the barbarians.
"It's not appropriate now." Zhang Juzheng expressed his objection again very bluntly. This time it was his turn to be silent. In fact, for this kind of serious political theory to take root, sprout and bear fruit, it will take more than ten years. Ten years, but a hundred years as a span, it seems that it is not too early to do it now, it even seems a bit late.
"It seems that I can't convince you, sir, and you can't convince me, so this will be difficult." Zhu Yijun said with a smile on his face: "It's just a book, I don't think it's anything, and most people probably can't even read it. I don’t even take a look at it. I bought it and just left it gathering dust on the bookshelf. Why don’t I publish it all over the world?”
"I don't think it's a big deal. Sir, he takes it too seriously. Although there are natural inferences, I don't believe that one book can destroy the Ming Dynasty?"
The third volume of Class Theory, The Struggle, actually provides a theoretical basis for the inevitable demise of the Ming Dynasty. However, theory is theory, and theory should guide practice. It is really difficult. Yang Bo, the former Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, is still a great master of psychology. Regarding The understanding of the unity of knowledge and action is very deep, but Yang Bo did not achieve the unity of knowledge and action.
Those who have passed the Jinshi exam are already among the best. They have embarked on an official career and climbed to a high position such as the Minister of Civil Affairs. They have risen and fallen in the officialdom. Their strength and luck are top-notch. Even so, knowing and doing it is another matter. .
When the Ming Dynasty bureaucrats discussed issues, they would try their best to avoid the content of class theory. Instead, they would often quote the theory of contradiction, because the content of class theory was too anti-thief. In fact, the audience for class theory was very small, and some even said, In the current era, the Ming Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty need this kind of theoretical support when making decisions about directions and routes.
This is Zhu Yijun's idea. The theory is just a theory, but it can be used when it is needed in the future.
"I obey the decree." Zhang Juzheng finally chose to compromise. In fact, the emperor also compromised. There was no need to make the emperor and his ministers alienated over a book.
His Majesty's compromise was not to deliberately promote it, put it on the bookshelf, not do vigorous publicity, let alone include it in the imperial examination, while Zhang Juzheng's compromise was to accept the emperor's arbitrary orders.
Zhang Juzheng had no choice but to compromise. Your Majesty is no longer ten years old, and Zhang Juzheng can't stop him now. The emperor has many ways, such as promoting him to an official position, turning Yicheng Bo into Yicheng Marquis, and letting him take care of him. Tian Nian.
Zhang Juzheng chatted with His Majesty about state affairs, official factories such as Nanjing Coin Minting Bureau, Songjiang Iron Horse Factory, and Lanzhou Woolen Factory, the construction progress of Long-Bianchi Road, the scale of this year's sea trade, etc., and then chose to leave.
"Ah! I forgot, it wasn't written by me, how can I sign it with my name!" Zhang Juzheng then remembered the second purpose of entering the palace this time. Whose name does Your Majesty like to write in the third volume of Class Theory? Whose, except Zhang Juzheng’s!
If Zhang Juzheng's name were written here, wouldn't Zhang Juzheng become the number one rebel in the Ming Dynasty?
Zhang Juzheng immediately rushed back and invited him to see him again. He had a verbal exchange with the emperor and slapped the table. He would never bear the name of a rebel! If the emperor asked him to carry it, he would resign and go back to his hometown. He would not even be the uncle of Yicheng. If the emperor pressed him again, he would imitate Zhu Wan and commit suicide to express his will. He is once again the greatest hero of the Ming Dynasty, and he is determined not to allow his posthumous reputation to have anything to do with the rebels!
This matter was important, at least to him.
Zhu Yijun couldn't resist, and finally agreed, compromised, and published it under the pen name of Zhu Zhongxing. The people generally believed that the pen name of Zhu Zhongxing was Zhang Juzheng's pen name, but officials in the court knew very well that this was the pen name of the emperor.
The drought situation in Suiyuan and Shaanxi is much better than Zhu Yijun thought. With the construction of water conservancy projects, the planting of more famine relief grains, and water and fertilizer, the drought problem is not so bad that the localities cannot deal with it. .
The decrease in precipitation is not a lie, and Pan Jixun and Shen Guanyin can overcome the difficulties by requesting a 70% reduction in land tax. It is also not a boast. The combined population of Shaanxi, Gansu, and Suiyuan is less than 8 million, and it is also mainly Concentrated in Guanzhong, where the drought is not particularly severe, the actual impact of the drought is not as serious as imagined.
The land is vast and sparsely populated, and the output of the land can meet the demand. Even if there is another drought, as long as there is no large-scale man-made disaster, famine will not occur, and there is a fear of someone collecting grain and annexing it.
With the support of 6.5 million stones of grain and grass, Pan Jixun only asked for 200,000 stones. If there was a shortage, Pan Jixun solemnly thanked the emperor for his grace in his memorial. In the past, it would have been until the famine spread and the refugees made trouble. When civil uprisings occur, the imperial court will deal with them symbolically, and most of them will focus on suppression.
This was just a decrease in rainfall, and the court responded. This was something that the border officials could not even imagine.
It’s not that the imperial court didn’t know the dangers of reduced rainfall, and it wasn’t that he didn’t know how to deal with it. It was because the imperial court didn’t have the financial resources before.
Economic power is equivalent to political power and has no economic basis. The implementation of many government decrees is just a mirror image.
Just as the Ming Emperor predicted, the volume on Class Struggle was quietly put on the shelves of Huangzhuang without causing much commotion. It was sold in conjunction with the first two volumes. It didn't seem to attract anyone's attention, nor did it What kind of wind is blowing up?
"Hey." Zhang Juzheng looked at the memorial in his hand. It was a criticism of the rent reduction law implemented by a science and education official in Shaanxi, Gansu and Suizhou. The reason why Zhang Juzheng sighed was not the content of the memorial, but the quote from the struggle volume. content.
Although he did not mention it in any sentence, the main idea was too clear, but Zhang Juzheng could tell at a glance that this Kedao official had read the struggle volume and was familiar with it.
The content of this memorial was to criticize the loopholes in the rent reduction law. In the eyes of this official, the imperial government's decrees should not be based on advocacy.
This official of the Ministry of Science and Technology believed that the external trading of grain in Shaanxi, Gansu and Suizhou should be stopped immediately, and grain should not be allowed to leave the customs to prevent the rural gentry and gentry from running away; similarly, it is necessary to inquire about the grain stored in the homes of the virtuous and gentry gentry in the countryside, so as to be aware of it. ; When it is necessary to open a porridge shed, it is not necessary to improvise. The treasury is empty and there is no food. When necessary, food must be collected for disaster relief;
The most important thing is to impose severe penalties on rural gentry who refuse to reduce rents and engage in fraud, starting with fines, up to confiscation of their homes, etc. A total of seven specific regulations have been supplemented.
The whole memorial has a core logic: those who rebel have always been farmers, and I have never heard that businessmen can cause trouble.
"There is nothing wrong with this "Grain Collection and Disaster Relief"." Wang Chonggu asked doubtfully after reading the memorial: "Why is Yuan Fu sighing?"
"What he means is to figure out who the enemy is, rely on the majority of poor coolies, mobilize to win over the property owners, limit the privileges of the rural gentry class, and eliminate the rebellious officials and traitors who do not respect the king's orders and discipline." Zhang Juzheng looked at Wang Chonggu and asked : "Don't you know what I'm worried about?"
Wang Chonggu immediately became happy when he heard it, and said with a smile: "Isn't it just the struggle volume? My son Wang Qian bought it immediately, but I snatched it away, so he could only buy another one."< br>
"I have read it. Your Majesty has written this volume well. The contradictions you wrote about public and private issues, the class volume, and the distribution volume are all about discovering phenomena, analyzing problems, and finding causes, but do not provide solutions. This solution to the problem, regardless of Nothing can escape the word struggle.”
"I said Yuan Fu, you are only sixty-three, how can you be less courageous than a bad old man like me? Your Majesty is young and strong, don't worry about those who have some and those who don't."
What is a natural inference? In Wang Chonggu's view, it doesn't matter what they say, if Ming Dynasty will die or not. If Ming Dynasty has another Ming Yingzong, it will die for you tomorrow. There is no need to worry about things that have not happened. Ming Dynasty needs it now. Enough.
Zhang Juzheng thought for a while and felt that he might have more worries, and said with a smile: "Wang Cifu said the same thing. Instead of worrying about what is there and what is not, solving the drought in Shaanxi is the most urgent thing."
"That's right. We are not gods. It is a great blessing to be able to handle the matters at hand well. I think that after copying this memorial, I will send it to Shen Shixing to return the land in Zhejiang. , This idea is correct." Wang Chonggu is now working in the cabinet, and he also has to post some memorials to give His Majesty's opinions.
Shen Shixing wanted to properly handle the matter of returning farmland in Zhejiang, and this book on grain harvesting was one of the ways to solve the problem.
Zhang Juzheng gradually let go of his worries about the struggle volume. There is no need to worry too much about this boring scripture that requires ups and downs of officialdom to understand.
In Wenyuan Pavilion, there were occasional conversations, and everything was so orderly.
"Wang Cifu, take a look at this memorial. It comes from the Luzon Governor's Mansion. It is jointly signed by Zhengmao and Zhang Yuanxun. Tobacco is becoming the largest currency in the East." Zhang Juzheng handed a memorial to Wang Chonggu and said with a solemn expression.
The currency of Nanyang is physical currency. Animal skins, shells, beads, fish, grain, etc. are all a kind of currency. With the Ming Dynasty's continuous investment in Nanyang, the commerce and trade of the entire Nanyang has become more active, but Due to the ban on the export of gold, silver and copper coins of the Ming Dynasty, Nanyang's currency has been in short supply. Even though overseas currency notes are being issued in large quantities, it still cannot satisfy the Nanyang people's demand for currency.
Tobacco, in this process, gradually became a hard currency and a general equivalent. Under normal circumstances, the price of one penny of cut tobacco was equivalent to one cent of silver. You must know that in the Ming Dynasty, three cents of silver was a day's wages. In the Ming Dynasty, after a tiring day of recruiting people, they could only buy three qian of tobacco.
Because of the widespread demand, the cut tobacco stored in various warehouses has actually become the guaranteed goods for transactions.
"Interesting." Wang Guoguang said with a smile after reading: "We should issue overseas treasure banknotes on a larger scale. Governor Shen was worried before that there were too many copper coins in Nanjing when 120 coin furnaces were built. , causing copper coins to be worthless. Now it seems that there is no such concern. We can use copper coins as a basis to issue large quantities of currency notes overseas. ”
Wang Guoguang is a very conservative financial minister. He had his own concerns about casting large quantities of copper coins before. However, seeing the current situation in Nanyang, Wang Guoguang knew very well that no matter how much copper coins were minted, it would be acceptable to the Ming Dynasty because they could be used as The acceptance currency of overseas currency notes is stored.
Before the banknote method was not as good as wiping paper, there were two problems to be solved before, one was cashing out, and the other was additional issuance. Both of these problems had one reason, that is, there was no anchor, and now the anchor has appeared.
The Ming Dynasty accumulated a lot of experience in issuing banknotes in the Japanese country, and now it is time to verify it.
Wang Chonggu looked at the memorial and said with a smile: "Guo Zhengmao said in the memorial that the tobacco franchise has begun to make a profit. Tsk tsk, the profit of this thing this year has already been nearly 100,000 silver. By the end of the year, it is expected to be 200,000 silver." Wan Yin, more profitable than the original woolen factory.”
The first time the official woolen factory made a profit was in the fifth year of Wanli. The first time the profit exceeded 100,000 silver was in the sixth year of Wanli. It was not until the ninth year of Wanli that the profit exceeded one million. Now it remains at around 1.2 million silver. It increased as the amount of wool on the grassland increased, but the tobacco franchise, at the beginning of its first year, had already seen two hundred thousand silver.
The potential is endless.
Wang Guoguang made a simple calculation, looked around and said in a low voice: "At the beginning, Zhengmao said that after the tobacco franchise was completed, it would be able to support the Ming army. From this point of view, it is indeed possible, and we have to do it. What the scholar-officials say is that in the past, the military was really expensive and could not be supported. When there was no tough battle, we had to develop the civil and military forces. "
It is inevitable to reduce expenditures in promoting civil and military affairs. Before the Ming Dynasty, demobilizing guest soldiers was a top priority. For the imperial court, military affairs were very expensive.
But now it seems that as long as the franchise is done well, military expenses can be earned. This is great news for the court.
"Xu Wei, the governor-general of Nagasaki, issued an order to stop the issuance of new treasure banknotes. In Xu Wei's view, the first batch of Japanese currency issued in June of the ninth year of Wanli has depreciated by 20%, and it is also the year of banknote replacement. This year there will be no treasure banknotes, only banknotes will be exchanged for those in need." Zhang Juzheng picked up another memorial, from the Nagasaki Governor's Palace.
Xu Wei had promised that the banknotes would be exchanged within five years and could be fulfilled.
It is impossible to fulfill the promise, as the daimyo and the governor of Nagasaki knew very well, but Xu Wei intends to fulfill his promise to change the banknotes and replace the four million kanbo banknotes that have been issued for three years. This year will not Then issue more treasure banknotes that are popular in Japan.
This was originally a promise made by the Governor-General of Nagasaki, and the Emperor of Ming Dynasty did not issue an order to overly interfere with the decision of the Governor-General. However, the daimyo of Japan were not happy with this promise. They agreed to change the banknotes, but were very dissatisfied with the suspension of the issuance of additional banknotes. It is required to continue to issue additional banknotes based on last year's 1.5 million yuan.
"If these beasts regard the common people of Japan as human beings, they will support changing banknotes instead of issuing more treasure banknotes. Can they die if they earn less? What a bunch of beasts!" Wang Guoguang cursed fiercely.
The banknotes are seriously worn, and some of them are broken. The Nagasaki Governor's Office is willing to change the banknotes because it honors its promise, but it also requires paying a cost.
In fact, until two hundred years later, England did not change banknotes for the common people in the colonies. At that time, England, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and France all issued a large number of banknotes, but never changed banknotes and allowed the banknotes to depreciate. , issued new currency. In comparison, Ming Dynasty was very conscientious.
As long as these famous people from the Japanese country treat people as human beings, they will not issue more money at this time. In fact, these famous people can also make money by exchanging banknotes. After all, the value of banknotes has depreciated, and the banknote exchange is to exchange banknotes for the face value. You can still earn 10% or 20% by going back and forth, although the 30% without issuance will make much more.
"The Japanese have been bullied like this, why don't they rebel?" Wan Shihe said with a strange expression: "If these famous landowners who are worse than insects die, there will not be so many Japanese pirates in Japan."
Zhang Juzheng shook his head and said: "Yes, the people are angry, and there are hundreds of them a year. Because of the lack of weapons, they are all simply suppressed. I think it is better to follow the Nagasaki Governor's Order, which only changes banknotes and does not issue more. If you If there is no objection, I will post the floating ticket.”
The ministers were not particularly concerned about the tragedy that occurred in the Japanese country. They just made a group decision and believed that changing the banknotes would help the credibility of the Ming Dynasty's overseas banknotes.
The financial industry of the Ming Dynasty is being established bit by bit. The bank account for acceptance and exchange, the banknote bureau that issues banknotes, the banknote bureau that issues banknotes, the Insurance Regulatory Department for insurance business, etc. are all being improved bit by bit.
(End of chapter)