Chapter 361 The right to print and issue banknotes
Although the court discussion process presided over by Xu Jie was a bit bumpy, it was overall very smooth.
Of course, this is not because Xu Jie is powerful and has great appeal, but because the holes in the outer city project of the capital are really too big, and coupled with the public outcry during this period, no one dares to stand up. Oppose this "Beijing Special Zone" plan.
Because to oppose the special zone plan of the capital at this time is to slap oneself in the face, and the seriousness of this matter has reached the point of death, so the officials of the capital who are qualified to participate in the court meeting, Naturally, he won't really have trouble with his own life.
Although in the past, because of the great ceremony and King Xingxian, oh not Emperor Ruizong entering the temple, Empress Fang’s temple and Emperor Renzong’s temple, everyone could argue with shame and thick neck, but at that time All the officials also know that this kind of "fight" is nothing more than a battle for the right to interpret moral principles and laws. Winning the fight will bring great benefits, but losing the fight will not lead to death.
But if we block the construction of the special zone in the capital now, not to mention whether the emperor will accuse him of sabotaging the construction of the capital and be punished and executed, the hundreds of thousands of people in the outer city who have been looking forward to the construction of the outer city for decades will Rushed to their houses to greet them one by one.
Once they are greeted by angry people, even if their current colleagues and literati beautify them into an upright and righteous image who died in the line of duty, they will not be able to stop the boos of the people.
Furthermore, doing so will also destroy the credibility of the court, so once the angry people in the outer city really upset the whole family, as long as the court and the emperor sense that something is wrong, they will immediately choose to stand with the people. , condemn this kind of stupid official and evil person who ruins people's livelihood plans!
So, in the face of the court discussion chaired by Xu Jie on upgrading the outer city of the capital and building it into a special zone of the capital, it was no surprise that it was unanimously approved by all the officials participating in the discussion.
Of course they approved it, but they still had reservations about using merchant skills to build the Capital Special Administrative Region. Therefore, in the final battle for face, the imperial court was only willing to grant the Capital Special Administrative Region fifty years of autonomy. , and during these fifty years, the Capital Special Administrative Region must also pay the Ministry of Household Affairs according to the corresponding tax ratio every year, otherwise the imperial court has the right to take back the autonomy of the special zone.
This proposal was naturally passed without any surprise.
After all, this is also an art of compromise, and we must give an explanation to other landlords and literati in the world. Otherwise, except for the common people in the capital who are concerned with their own interests, they will not oppose them, and the landlords and literati in other places will not oppose them. That’s easy to say.
So, this clause is also to give these powerful conservatives an explanation and a step up, so that they can also understand that the court is also actively responding to this matter, and is not doing nothing and letting this happen. A special zone for merchants to practice their skills appeared in a grand manner.
After the court meeting, Emperor Jiajing immediately issued an edict for Prince Yu’s Palace, the Ministry of Revenue, Shuntian Palace and palace representatives to hold a four-party meeting to formally discuss the authority of the Capital Special Economic Zone Development Bank.
The candidates sent by Zhu Zaijing were Gao Gong and Hai Rui. The candidates sent by the Ministry of Household Affairs were a minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs. The representative of the palace was none other than the former financial expert, eunuch Chen Hong. .
Gao Gong and Hai Rui had already received Zhu Zaijing's advice before they came, so they naturally understood what they were going to fight about this time. What to care about? If you don't agree, then don't do it. Anyway, if there is no money bank, whoever wants to do it will do it.
So in this four-party meeting, Gao Gong and Hai Rui also gained great initiative.
The final plan was that the Shunyi Industrial Park, represented by Prince Yu’s Mansion, would contribute 500,000 taels of silver, the Ministry of Household Affairs would contribute 200,000 taels of silver, the Shuntian Prefecture would contribute 10,000 taels, and the palace would contribute 50,000 taels, for a total of Seventy-six million and twenty thousand silver was the start-up capital of the Beijing Special Economic Zone Development Bank.
Since Shunyi Industrial Park, which represents Yuwangfu, has the largest investment, the management and operation rights of the Beijing Special Economic Zone Development Bank are with Yuwangfu, while the Ministry of Accounts has control over the audit that has been discussed before. The palace has the power of supervision. As for Shuntian Mansion, it has nothing but the right to follow-up dividends.
And according to the requirements of the negotiation, the Ministry of Accounts will transfer the old craftsmen affiliated to the Banknote Bureau and the Banknote Printing Bureau to the management of the Beijing Special Economic Zone Development Bank. In the future, the Ministry of Accounts will not interfere with the banknote business of the Beijing Special Economic Zone Development Bank.
Regarding this proposal, the Ministry of Revenue agreed directly without thinking. For the Ministry of Household Affairs, the Banknote Bureau and the Printing Bureau, the two half-dead nine-level offices, can be said to be dispensable. If it were not for the fact that every year, some treasure banknotes that are harder than toilet paper are collected and distributed to the clan. The Ministry of Revenue does not want to continue to open these two small yamen.
Now that someone wants to take over, they naturally support it with both hands.
After all, these people’s general relationships have been transferred away, so the Ministry of Revenue no longer needs to support them.
You must know that since the time of Zhu Yuanzhang, the credit value of treasure banknotes has been leaking all the way. The small bureaus originally responsible for the treasure banknotes in the household department include: the treasure banknote promotion department of the household department, and the banknote raising department of the household department. Bureau, Banknote Printing Bureau of the Ministry of Revenue, Guanghui Treasury of the Ministry of Revenue, and other five departments and bureaus. But after more than a hundred years, there are only three left.
Moreover, the officials in charge of these five departments and bureaus are either ninth-grade sesame officials, or simply low-level officials who have not yet entered the ranks.
This shows how contemptuous the Ming Dynasty was towards paper money, and did not take it to heart at all.
From the very beginning of the design, I wanted to use printed paper to squander social wealth.
But it is a pity that the common people are not fools. After Zhu Baba abused the printing of treasure banknotes, the people of Ming Dynasty immediately converted the official value of the treasure banknotes into the actual purchasing power value.
Therefore, due to Lao Zhu’s unremitting efforts, the good credit and currency system collapsed in his generation.
Later emperors suffered from the large number of clans and the tight tax revenue of the court. Therefore, after several rounds of reforms of clan regulations, most of the clan's salaries began to be paid with this kind of worthless treasure money.
So, it is thanks to these clans that the current household department can still survive the two small yamen responsible for printing treasure banknotes.
Otherwise, this money-losing government office will be closed sooner or later.
Now that someone wants to take over, the Ministry of Household Affairs is very much hoping for it.
Therefore, these two yamen were successfully handed over to the upcoming Jingshi Special Economic Zone Development Bank.
Zhu Zaijing, who has the power to print money, is in a very happy mood.
This power may be worthless in the hands of the imperial court, but in the hands of Zhu Zaijing, it is different.
This is simply a financial nuclear weapon in the hands of Zhu Zaijing.
With this power, as long as it is properly controlled, are you still worried about not having money?
This is simply a godsend of gold and silver!
(End of this chapter)