Chapter 457 The gap between human nature and evil

Chapter 457 The gap between human nature and evil

The news that the Ming Emperor was happy with the princess, along with the news deliberately leaked by Tonghe Palace, spread throughout the capital. Soon, everyone knew the name of the third princess, Zhu Xuanshu. Because the name was written on the Pepsi box that the emperor distributed to all the officials in the capital, and the concierge at the official residence saw it for the first time. From the mouths of the three aunts and six women who walked around the streets and were well-informed, this name was known to everyone.

The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty is in good health, and heirs are constantly being born, which is good news for the Ming Dynasty. After all, after the death of Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty, there was a huge turmoil. The vassal kings everywhere were ready to take action, and the scholar-bureaucrats in the court They all looked down on the Jiajing Emperor who came from the countryside. The emperor's sanctity was widely questioned. The emperor struggled again and again for the majesty of the imperial power until the world was exhausted.

Zhu Yijun finally knew why Wang Chonggu beat Wang Qian. This was the second time in the past two months.

The first time was when Wang Qian felt that Zhang Ju was seeing a doctor and the Jin Party could take the opportunity to expand its influence, so Wang Chonggu kicked him out; the second time the Wang family claimed that Wang Qian was the one in Taibai Tower. He was jealous of others and sent a thousand flower baskets. Wang Qian was kicked out of two streets again.

But this was announced to the outside world. In fact, Wang Chonggu had another reason for beating Wang Qian.

It really deserves a beating.

There was a huge speculative activity in the Ming Dynasty, that is, when the wool business just started, Zheshe households were pursuing silk coins such as worsted wool. The whole process was that the scarcity of silk coins increased According to the story told by Wang Qian, the price of silk coins rose from seven qian per square foot to two silver per square foot. The rapid rise in the price of silk coins triggered the fanatical pursuit of wealth among Zhashe households. The price of silk coins was further pushed up, while the silver barrier This further promotes the appreciation of silk coins and makes more people invest more crazily.

In the end, it was so crazy that a foot of cloth was sold for twenty-four silver. In the Ming Dynasty, a cow was sold for six silver.

According to the original script, when silk coins quickly absorbed the silver in the hands of Zheshe households due to word of mouth and class barriers, in order to further push up the price of silk coins, Zheshe households chose to Silk coins were split into smaller units, absorbing the money of middle-class families and poor coolies, until rationality was completely lost and the bubble finally burst, leaving millions of people bankrupt and homeless.

However, due to Zhu Yijun's behavior of smashing the market, he released a large number of silk coins, which caused the price of silk coins to plummet. Even privately established trading houses were closed down in the process. Many speculators who borrowed money jumped in. Tonghui River, so the silk coin bubble was punctured and did not affect the middle class and below.

But this huge speculative activity still produces a culture of speculation. Specifically, it is manipulating the price of 'commodities' to buy low and sell high.

There are many means of manipulation.

In the market wash, several Zheshe households with large amounts of silk coins in their hands joined together to release large quantities of goods and deliberately lowered prices, causing panic in the trading houses and causing small households to sell themselves in panic. All the silk coins, the combined Zheshe households took the opportunity to recycle them at a low price, driving up the price of the silk coins.

Instead, outside the Yanxinglou Trading House, a private trading fair with a threshold is set up. This threshold is extremely high. The silk coins in the hands are reversed and dismantled to manipulate the value of the silk coins in the hands of traders. Circulation, thereby controlling the price of silk coins within a controllable range.

Zhuangzhu, a small private trading fair with extremely high thresholds. This small group controls almost all the silk coins circulating in Yanxinglou Trading House, forcing any other buyers who need to buy silk coins, or new leeks, to You have to buy at a manipulated price to make a profit.

When Yanxinglou Trading House finally crashed the market, a method of 'short selling' was born, selling silk coins that did not belong to oneself and borrowing from others. After the silk coins plummeted, Then repurchase it at a low price and return the silk coins to complete the profit.

These speculative means of manipulating prices mainly fall into these four categories. More specific means and operations can be said to emerge in endlessly, and in actual applications, they will be used repeatedly and jointly.

As one of the founders of the silk coin business, Wang Qian is obviously already familiar with these things.

After Wang Chonggu was busy with the affairs of the court, he suddenly discovered that Wang Qian, his troubled son, had not taken money from home for several months, but Wang Qian was still generous outside. He gave the oiran 10,000 silver, which made Wang Chonggu immediately realize that something was wrong!

Soon, Wang Chonggu discovered where Wang Qian's money came from. Wang Qian united with a few dandies to control the pearls of the capital, because it was rumored that King Lu Zhu Yili would use many pearls for his wedding. Wang Qian had a few months ago. He made arrangements and kept raising the price of pearls. Before the Wenhua Palace discussed the wedding of King Lu, Wang Qian sold out all the pearls he had hoarded and realized a profit of 320,000 silver, three-fifths of which the former emperor Mausoleum.

Wang Chonggu was immediately furious when he found out, and he carried the Huanshou knife. These two times, Wang Chonggu was really furious. Wouldn't it be better to just quietly be a defeated dandy? Do you have to make money yourself? The money at home is too much to use up, so you still need to make money?

"Leave Yanxinglou Ship Ticket Trading House to Wang Qian to take care of it." After Zhu Yijun read the cause and effect of the matter, he chose to let Wang Qian also take charge of the trading business.

Feng Bao frowned and whispered: "Your Majesty, this is not good. Wang Qian is so speculative. He controls the trading house, and I am afraid that the trading house will be hollowed out."
< br>Yanxinglou Trading House needs to change from being completely subordinate to the Internal Affairs Bureau to the previous tripartite control, that is, the Ming Dynasty is responsible for civil servants, internal officials, eunuchs, and supervisors. Just like when the tax inspection house was piloted, it was only subordinate to Beizhen Fusi , after the tax inspection house became the tax inspection institute, it also became a tripartite control. Yanxinglou trading house wanted to expand its scale, so restructuring was inevitable.

Feng Bao can understand this kind of expansion, but what he can't understand is why the official in charge of trading should be handed over to Wang Qian? Now that this guy has the power, can the trading house really continue to operate?

Zhu Yijun smiled and asked: "Do you think he dares to empty out my trading house?"

"No." Feng Bao replied immediately.

This Wang Qian is the originator of speculation, but his father is Wang Cifu. The Wang family has been seeking to reduce its size to prevent it from touching His Majesty's killing line. Wang Qian will not be there no matter what. Those who seek profit in the trading house will not even make any small moves to achieve a passive and honest attitude.

It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s actually that life is more important than money.

And Wang Qian knows very well about speculation. If the trading house is left to Wang Qian, he can clearly see the darkness.

Zhu Yijun reviewed the memorial submitted jointly by the three ministries of the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the Ministry of Officials. The Ming Dynasty wanted to build Chi Road to Hetao, and the imperial court still had some money to build Chi Road and Post Road. It was necessary to build Chi Road and open mines. The Ming Dynasty court really There isn't that much money left.

“What is the essential difference between a silk currency trading house and a ship ticket trading house?” Zhu Yijun looked at Feng Bao and asked.

Feng Bao fell into thinking, and soon he gave up thinking. He bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, is it possible that I am just a eunuch?"

Zhu Yijun looked at Feng Bao, the best actor Pretending to be stupid again, he said with a smile: "Silk coins are not means of production, but ships are means of production and fixed assets, which are equivalent to acres of land. A ship is equal to stable profits, and in the game of silk coins, it is completely It is a zero-sum game, where one party benefits and the other party must suffer, and there is no output. The losses and gains of all parties in the game add up to zero.”

“Silk currency trade does not generate wealth, only wealth transfer occurs. , but ship tickets are different, they not only transfer wealth, but also generate wealth.”

“Someone will win in a zero-sum game because there are losers. This is a game where there must be winners and losers, so everyone who enters the game, will lose their rationality; instead of a zero-sum game, because there is a steady flow of interests, everyone involved may be a winner. This is the essential difference. "

"Stable interests are speculative. Rational."

After thinking carefully, Feng Bao bowed and said, "When your Majesty said this, I became even more confused."

Feng Bao didn't understand it clearly, but he could write it down. I will slowly understand it in the future.

With the expansion of Yanxinglou Trading Company, Daming will issue two major categories of tickets. These two major categories are roads and mining. This is to raise funds for road construction and mining, and then use the funds for road construction and mining. Income, dividends are distributed to holders.

In the economic development process of the Ming Dynasty's small-scale peasant economy to the commodity economy, Yanxing Building has assumed different historical missions at different points in time. It has supported the financing of the huge investment in the Ming Dynasty's shipbuilding industry, and After the expansion, it was necessary to promote the construction of Chidao in the Ming Dynasty, and to inject the first capital into the Ming Dynasty to realize the freedom of silver and copper coal.

For the expansion of Yanxing Tower, the DPRK and China hold two completely different views.

One type is represented by the radical Wang Daokun. Wang Daokun admires the importance of trade and believes that commercial activities should be supported and encouraged. He further advocates that the imperial court should establish a Ministry of Commerce to directly intervene in commerce. The imperial court should play an important role in maintaining economic order. Play an active role.

The other type is represented by conservatives Wang Chonggu and Wang Guoguang, who hate and reject all speculation, resolutely stifle the public opinion that advocates speculation, and call the Yanxinglou silk currency transaction an inherently evil nature of human nature. The gap is the ugly manifestation of evil in the world.

Finally, with the mediation of Zhang Juzheng, the radicals and conservatives reached an agreement.

The basic national policy of the Ming Dynasty is to develop both sea and land. This is true for military, political, economic and cultural aspects. The weight of maritime trade in the Ming Dynasty’s economy is really too high. If there are not enough industries in the north, it is likely to lead to The long-term economic imbalance between sea and land will inevitably lead to the separation of North and South again.

This was an imbalance that the imperial court was determined to find intolerable. In the early days of the country, in order to sew up the north and the south, large-scale migration of people, vassal kings replacing vassals, major cases on the north and south lists, and confirmation of the number of Jinshi on the north and south lists were used. With today's general consensus, everyone is a Ming Dynasty person.

The expansion of Yanxing Tower and the adjustment of the Nanyinbei industry are of decisive significance.

The conservatives were finally convinced, and the reason was very simple. Can the imperial government really reduce private speculation by banning it? This kind of uncontrollable speculation will only become more dangerous, because they are dangers hidden under the water.

The Ming Dynasty's maritime ban policy was very strict, and it did not delay the Zheshe households on the southeast coast from setting up private sea trade.

Despite countless shipwrecks and dangers, people still set sail on the sea. In the same way, despite countless bubbles, people will still enter this game and buy low with longing for a better future. Sell ​​high, put your money into the bubble, and participate in the game.

With the intervention of the Ming Dynasty, this game may become a non-zero-sum game, making everyone a winner, but among the people, it will just be a gambling house. The money does not increase, it just happens. circulation.

Wang Qian, who was in charge of the trading house, became the first president of the Ming Trading House.

Actually, there is a very serious problem. Daming Yanxinglou Trading House now has stable interests, so it has rationality. Once there are no stable interests, it will inevitably lose its rationality and the silk currency business will have nothing. The difference is that this requires transparency, which means disclosing financial reports and making profits transparent.

But as time goes by, with the emergence of private trading fairs, that is, 'bookmakers', even if there are stable interests, through the way of accounting, stable interests will be artificially controlled, and eventually Leading to the loss of rationality, the trading industry will also become a gap between human nature and evil.

The design of the system can delay this time, but the greed of human nature will advance this time. This is the contradiction of the trading house. How to adjust this contradiction through system design and administrative constraints is how to adjust this contradiction in practice. test.

The new news on the trading house tickets quickly spread throughout the capital. Business groups from Shanxi merchants, Xitucheng Zheshehu, Huizhou merchants, etc. began to gear up. Before the new ticket was released, the Ming Dynasty issued The first special treasury bond was issued with a five-year term and a total of 10 million silver specifically for Chidao construction and mining. The interest rate was 3%. This interest rate was not high. It was a loan guaranteed by the reputation of the imperial court.

Zhu Yijun thought that the national debt would be sold out within three to five months, which would be used for early preparations. This was already a very optimistic estimate.

The credibility of the Ming court? You cannot discuss something that does not exist.

But Zhu Yijun seriously misjudged his own credibility. Indeed, the Ming Dynasty had no credibility at all, but His Majesty did, and he was very strong. His Majesty, who is known to be stingy and stingy, has disclosed overseas investment projects for several years and distributed dividends based on capital. , this Ming Dynasty under the imperial power is a more outrageous thing about gods, demons, spirits and strange things than the sun rising from the west.

Instead of believing that the emperor will pay dividends, it is better to believe in Sun Wukong. But the reality is that the Ming Emperor is really paying dividends.

Ship tickets may also result in losses due to shipwrecks, but your majesty's loans here are absolutely guaranteed to make a profit without losing money. Conservatives still account for the majority, and there is a business that guarantees a profit without losing money. , naturally countless people are flocking to it.

Zheshehu in the Ming Dynasty did not distinguish between the court and the emperor. In the eyes of most people in the Ming Dynasty, the emperor and the court were one. The main component of the credibility of the Ming Dynasty court at present is the emperor's trustworthiness and promise keeping. .

Although the interest rate is not high, it is more stable.

This special national debt of 10 million silver was completely divided up before leaving the capital. Even most people did not know such a thing. Pan Jixun, governor of Yingtian, After Shen Shixing, the governor of Songjiang, heard the news, he immediately reported to the court, thinking that the court was too partial. The Zheshe households in the capital were his subjects, but the Zheshe households in Nanya and Songjiang were not his subjects.

I finally got the opportunity to explode the emperor’s gold coins, but I just missed it! Why don't you regret it!

Suiyuan Wuyuan Prefecture, at the top of the Yellow River Bay, at the foot of Yinshan Mountain, close to Wuliang Suhai, is the Hetao Plain and the pastoral area of ​​the Orduo tribe. The Orduo tribe is called the Hetao people. , this tribe is mainly responsible for the sacrifices in Genghis Khan's mausoleum. Qi Jiguang ordered ten thousand households of the Orduo tribe to surrender, and the Orduo tribe did not hesitate.

Wanhu Jineng and Chejintaiji of Orduo tribe chose to surrender immediately.

The surrender was so fast that Qi Jiguang suspected that he was faking a surrender. It was not until he understood the situation that he figured out the reason.

In April of the fifth year of Longqing, the Ming Dynasty sent envoys to pay tribute to Ada Khan in Bansheng. In the grand ceremony, all households in Tumut, Karaqin and Yongxiebu received Among the official positions granted by the imperial court, only their Orduo tribe did not receive any titles or official positions.

The excitement belongs to others, and the embarrassment belongs to you.

This made Ji Neng and Chezhen very angry.

Ada Khan is deliberately suppressing the Orduo tribe, because Wanhu Gunbilik of the Ordo tribe has had several conflicts with Anda Khan, and when Anda Khan was young , Gunbilik was a strong opponent of Anda Khan. After Gunbilik died in the 21st year of Jiajing, Anda Khan completely secured his position as the Great Khan.

Therefore, at the tribute ceremony in April of the fifth year of Longqing, Anda Khan did not give any title or official position to the Ordo tribe.

In August of the fifth year of Longqing, Ji Neng and Qie Jintaiji broke away from their relationship with Shaanxi and wrote to the court, hoping to be able to pay tribute alone without asking for a royal title. It was enough to be granted a hereditary commander. But this request came to nothing, because the main theme in the court at that time was the dispute between Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng.

In June of the sixth year of Longqing, Ji Nenghe and Qie Jintaiji once again sent someone from Shaanxi to write to the court, requesting tribute.

But at that time, Emperor Longqing had already become popular, and the Ming court also tightened the canonization of slave chiefs outside the Great Wall. Ji Neng and Qiejin Taiji missed the opportunity to trade with the Ming Dynasty, and all exchanges with the Ming Dynasty For transactions, you have to go to Guihua City and Bansheng City, and go to Datong and Xuanfu for mutual trading.

With the help of middlemen to make a profit, the livestock sold were stripped by Anda Khan, and the goods from the Ming Dynasty were stripped by Anda Khan. As this went back and forth, the resentment in the hearts of the Orduo tribe became more and more intense. Going deeper and deeper, when the news of the Ming Dynasty's attack on Bansheng spread, and Anda Khan asked Ji Neng to lead troops to help Ban Sheng, Ji Neng and Qie Jin Taiji chose to pretend to be stupid.

The next message received was Qi Jiguang's message demanding surrender.

The Ming Dynasty had a complete set of mature resettlement methods for Tartar officials. After discussions with Ji Neng and Qiejin Taiji, all the households of more than 100 households in the Orduo tribe agreed to go to Shaanxi Xingdusi for resettlement, and changed their name to Han The surname will no longer lead the troops of the headquarters.

In this era, being a dog of the Ming Dynasty is a kind of luck for the Orduo tribe. It is a much better happiness than a wild dog running around.

As long as Ji Neng and Chejin Taiji do not commit any crimes, their family can continue to serve as hereditary commanders in the Ming Dynasty, and their descendants can truly become Ming people. However, on the grassland, it is very likely that after a heavy snow disaster, , his head was cut off by his men in exchange for reward.

In an unstable society, even meat eaters live cautiously.

“Eighty percent of the people in Hetao are Han Chinese.” Chen Dacheng said with a solemn face: “They all escaped from the Han area.”

Eighty percent Han people, 20% Northern captives, After a brief visit, Chen Dacheng got this result. The composition of the people in Hetao makes people happy and sad at the same time. Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty has a stable ruling foundation in Hetao. Sadly, Ming Dynasty has a stable ruling foundation in Hetao. , Daming seemed to have never paid attention to this place before, nor why they fled here.

Qi Jiguang checked the Tang newspaper carefully. Li Rusong had already raided Wuhai. The expedition was over. The end of the expedition did not mean the end of the war. What followed was a more severe security war.

The Beijing camp led by Qi Jiguang will stay in the Hetao for one year. During this year's military control period, the main task is to hand over the defense of the Hetao area to the three parties, Yansui, Gansu, and Ningxia.

Ningxia Wei includes the entire Helan Mountain, and the Hetao is enriched on three sides, which can be regarded as the complete military garrison of the Hetao. This is a solid land county. In addition to waiting for the three sides to enrich the Hetao, there are also immigrants, Shaanxi, Displaced people caused by annexation in Shanxi, Gansu (Shaanxi Xingdusi) and other places moved to the Hetao for resettlement.

During this year's military control period, the Ming Dynasty's capital camp would sweep away the horse bandits in the entire Hetao area, providing a good public security environment for the Ming Dynasty to operate the Hetao. The elimination of the horse bandits could quickly gain the recognition of the Ming Dynasty from the people of the Hetao, and support the people of the Ming Dynasty. This is the fundamental factor that determines whether Shitu counties can maintain long-term peace and stability.

The strength of mountains and rivers lies in virtue rather than danger.

Qi Jiguang looked at the Hetao plain to the north of Yinshan Mountain in Kanyutu and to the south of Yinshan Mountain. Because of the existence of the Yellow River, the Hetao Plain is full of vitality. Under the spring breeze, there is an endless grassland, between the rolling hills. , you can see patches of sheep dotted among them.

North of Yinshan Mountain is the natural enemy of farming, the desert.

The desert is more than 400 miles deep, and the endless yellow sand roars in the wind. The ancient road has long been submerged under the yellow sand. In order to find out the movements of the Wala people, the distant Marquis of Duntai in the Ming Dynasty, Xiang Wala and Lin Ting went to inquire about it, and accidentally discovered the large mine of Womagang.

Anada Khan conducted a conquest against the Oara people. The conquest was just a conquest, and there was no actual rule after that. The reason was the desert.

The north of the desert is called Mobei, and the grassland in southern Mobei has a long history.

According to the Daming Temple, even the most radical Tan Lun’s plan was to use the desert and Yinshan Mountains to build military garrison border defenses and securely rule the Hetao after regaining the Hetao. Tan Lun did not expect that there would be Womagang appeared, and the complex plan ended at Yinshan.

But the appearance of Womagang turned all temples into armchair jokes, and this joke even included Qi Jiguang.

Qi Jiguang never thought about continuing to expand northward when he was planning in the temple. The thirteen Northern Expeditions in the early Ming Dynasty and Anda Khan's conquests failed to achieve actual rule over Mobei. In fact, Not even Hu Yuan, who originated in Mobei, could effectively rule Mobei, nor could Kublai Khan.

Meng Ge, the co-owner of the grassland, died under the Diaoyu City. At this time, the huge Mongolian country was divided. One group was Alibuge who followed the grassland custom of "the youngest son guards the stove", and the other group was the Central Plains custom of "the country's chief minister" Kublai Khan.

Mobei's headquarters, old nobles and clan kings supported Ali Buge, while Kublai Khan led the Han bureaucrats and Han Shihou to start the Northern Expedition and successfully flattened the Mongolian holy land of Hara and Forest.

This is the place where Genghis Khan swore to the Immortal God to establish the Great Mongolia. Alibu Ge was defeated and surrendered, and followed Kublai Khan back to the Central Plains.

The battle in Mobei and Monan did not end with the defeat of Ali Buge. In the 23rd year of the Yuan Dynasty, Borji Jin Naiyan, who occupied Hara and Lin, launched another rebellion. , Kublai Khan had to take the Han Shihou to the north again, broke through Helin again, wrapped Naiyan in felt, and beat him to death.

In the 23rd year of Yuan Dynasty, Helin was conquered and the city was massacred.

The victorious Kublai Khan had to order to cut off traffic. The three official roads leading from Helin to the Central Plains were cut off: Tiligan Road, Mulian Road, and Nalin Road.

The food and beverages of Hara and Forest were all transported from Han Dynasty. Kublai Khan's embargo directly caused Hara and Forest to be trapped in famine.

The Ming Dynasty actually has no interest in Mobei. If the Oara people who are entrenched in Helin are willing to move westward, the Ming Dynasty will not stop them. However, if the Oara people want to enter the Kou Hetao, there are deserts and Yinshan mountains, so they cannot Did it.

The original plan was just to recapture the Loop, and everything was in line with the temple plan. Qi Jiguang was even the leader and host of the plan to recapture the Loop.

Now, there is a Womagang, disrupting all the arrangements.

The appearance of the piece of lying horse gold was completely accidental, but since Dr. Gewu searched for the dragon and divided the gold and found the source, he knew that there was a mountain of gold, silver and copper here, so he would never give up on it.

Building a four-hundred-mile Chidao is not a problem. The problem is how to defend the mine. The existence of the Womagang mine means that the Ming Dynasty must continue to develop northward.

"If you want to completely take possession of the mines, you must at least reach the North Sea (today's Lake Baikal)." Qi Jiguang looked at the Kan map and said with a slight headache.

It would take at least three thousand miles to fight from the capital to Beihai. Not counting the local army, it was only the grain and grass supplies for the Beijing camp. With such a long supply line, Qi Jiguang did not have the confidence to persuade the Ming Gong in the court to fight there. Simply, defeating Qi Jiguang is not a problem with the current Beijing camp. The problem is that after the battle is over, the Ming army can only withdraw.

Chen Dacheng thought for a moment and said: "Just build a defense camp around Womagang. Anyway, we only need mines."

The scope of Shitu County only reaches Womagang. Gang is, this is Chen Dacheng's idea, it is easier to implement.

Qi Jiguang took a deep breath and said: "But this mine can be mined for at least fifty years. If there is still underground, I'm afraid it won't be as simple as fifty years."

Womagang The mine is an open-pit mine, and it is only a preliminary exploration. According to Dr. Gewu, the mine does not exist alone. In addition to Womagang, there must be other mines in the land of Mobei.

As a general, Qi Jiguang wanted to formulate a Mobei development plan for His Majesty and initially implement it.

(End of this chapter)