When Wang Yuan was busy making new money, the fifteen-year meeting examination and palace examination of Zhengde had ended.

Historically, this imperial examination is very interesting.

The civil officials completed the examination, but the emperor was not in the capital, and he did not even have a prison state, so he could not carry out the next palace examination. When Zhu Houzhao finally came back, it was already the second year, and he finished the palace test before he died.

But now it is obviously different, Zhu Houzhao is still alive and kicking, and there is a healthy and growing prince.

Guizhou Shizi suddenly made efforts this year, and Tang Yan and Tang Xun brothers were admitted to the Jinshi at the same time. and did not worship Tang Xun under Wang Yangming, his ranking was higher than that of his brother Tang Yi, and he won the fourteenth place in the second class.

Among the disciples of Guizhou Xinxue, Ye Wu and Chen Wenxue, who have the most solid knowledge, have both fallen off the list again, and they don't know what years they will be able to get through.

Tang Xun not only ranked among the best in the palace examination, but also successfully admitted to the Shu Jishi, and is studying in the Hanlin Academy with other Shu Jishi.

The official dormitory managed by the Ministry of Industry was no longer sufficient, so Tang Xun and Zheng Yipeng were arranged in a private dormitory, which was rented at the joint expense of the Ministry of Officials and the Ministry of Industry.

The new science and technology is the coolest, but also the most painful.

Shuang has food, clothing, housing and transportation, all of which are paid by the imperial court, there are many holidays, and he can also hire errand servants as retinues for free.

The pain lies in the huge cost, at least three months of government observation period, almost every day. You have to participate in all kinds of feasts and drinks, and you have to send worship to the important ministers, whether people see it or not, your gifts must be delivered anyway. Especially in the Ministry of Langzhong, if you don't give more gifts, maybe after the expiration of the government period, you will be thrown into a poor and remote place to be the magistrate.

Before the new branch jinshi officially became an official, the second class received a seventh-grade salary (annual salary of eighty-four stones), and the third-class received a positive eight-grade salary (annual salary of seventy-eight stones).

Tang Xun, as a Jishi, is a little less embarrassed, he has to study for two or three years, and he can slowly keep in touch with Shangguan.

Early one morning, it was another holiday.

After his roommate Zheng Yipeng washed up, he said to Tang Xun: "Zhongyuan, when will it pass today?" ”

"Go now." Tang Xun picked up the folding fan and said.

The two walked to the treasury and happily received their wages.

In the past, the Heavenly Treasury only paid salaries to the soldiers of the Beijing camp, and the Beijing officials' salaries were withdrawn from the external transportation treasury. However, in the Zhengde period, the outer carrier treasury was annexed by the inner government, and the officials could only find the heavenly treasury for salaries.

The carrier depot now only has the inner transport depot, that is, the "inner depot" in a narrow sense, and the official "please issue the internal depot" means to take money from the internal transport depot.

In the Ming Dynasty, the emperor and eunuchs continued to embezzle the treasury, and in the Zhengde period, only Taicang was still managed by the household department. The name of the inner carrier warehouse belongs to the household department, but the household department only has the right to keep accounts, and the Ministry of Industry enjoys the right to audit accounts, and the library seal is in the hands of the household officials (the power of the palm seal was later taken away by the eunuchs).

Except for the Tai warehouse managed by the household department, the other warehouses are all in a mess, which shows that the civil officials are still relatively reliable.

However, the emperors of all dynasties have embezzled the silver of Taicang, which is equivalent to fishing for the silver from the treasury. What's more interesting is that in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, Zhu Houzhao embezzled the least amount of Taicang silver; And Jiajing and Wanli took silver from Taicang from time to time, and Wanli directly used the treasury as an inner treasury (there are also three major factors that need to reward meritorious heroes).

Judging from the situation of embezzling money from the treasury to enrich the inner treasury, Zhu Houzhao is a good emperor who is "selfless".

The treasury silver embezzled by Emperor Chenghua was three times that of Zhu Houzhao; The amount of treasury silver embezzled by his father, Emperor Hongzhi, was six times that of Zhu Houzhao; Emperor Jiajing's embezzlement of treasury silver was also six times that of Zhu Houzhao; The treasury silver embezzled by Emperor Wanli was directly thirteen times that of Zhu Houzhao!

It is said that Zhu Houzhao likes to build a lot of construction, but people embezzle the least amount of treasury silver!

When Tang Xun and Zheng Yipeng came to the Tiancai Treasury, there were already many officials queuing up. However, the real important ministers and dignitaries are all domestic servants who hold the seal letter on their behalf, and they will not come to run in person.

The one who is responsible for paying wages is the eunuch......

Several Beijing officials who received their salaries passed by Tang Xun one after another, and they seemed to be discussing the matter of new money.

After a long time, it was Tang Xun's turn, and the eunuch asked him to sign and draw the pledge, and then threw a silver dollar, a copper coin, and a bag of rice. As for how to fold silver, the eunuch did not explain, and the officials could go home and convert it by themselves - if the money was too ruthless, the hundred officials would definitely make trouble, and Zhengde had a trouble in the early years.

Zheng Yipeng stared at the silver dollar in his hand, frowned, and said, "This is Your Majesty's avatar?" ”

Tang Xun said: "It should be. ”

I really can't recognize it, I can only know from the side portrait of the crown that it must be the emperor, and then judge that it is Zhu Houzhao through the "Zhengde ingot".

Zheng Yipeng said angrily: "Wang Shilang greeted Si Ye, in order to please His Majesty, he actually used this method. ”

"Ahem." Tang Xun coughed twice, not wanting to discuss the matter.

Zheng Yipeng said: "Zhong Yuan, you and Wang Shilang are fellow villagers, and you should persuade each other in private." I waited for the scholars to study hard, and what we wanted was for the Qi family to govern the country and level the world, not to be a courtier who only knew how to please the emperor! ”

Tang Xun could only say: "Wang Shilang has his own measure. ”

Yang Shen had already resigned in anger because the emperor did not return from Beijing and his wife died of illness. This guy studies literature, art, physics, and mathematics all day long, and has gathered a large number of like-minded people, Zheng Yipeng is a fanatical fan of Yang Shen, and he also went to cry with Yang Yan in history.

To put it simply, Zheng Yipeng is an angry young man, and maybe he will slowly change after entering politics. For better or for worse, it's not clear for the time being, at least at the moment he's very innocent.

The two didn't go far, and a gang came over and smiled: "Two masters, are you willing to exchange money?" ”

"What does it mean to exchange money?" Tang Xun was puzzled.

The gang explained: "It's to exchange the old money for the new money in the hands of the two people." Yellow money (Beijing coinage) for new money, two for one article; Leather money (local coinage) for new money, depending on the quality of the copper money, two to five for one penny. ”

Zheng Yipeng was surprised: "Is the new money minted by Wang Shilang so valuable?" ”

Bang smiled and said: "My master loves to collect coins, and you don't need to worry about it, just for the sake of collecting." ”

Zheng Yipeng hesitated for a moment, took out the salary he had just received and said, "Then I will change all the yellow money." ”

The two sides traded on the spot, and the number of copper coins in Zheng Yipeng's hand directly doubled on the spot.

Zheng Yipeng asked again: "Is this silver dollar exchanged?" ”

Bang Xian shook his head and said, "No." ”

This is a particularly interesting phenomenon, most of the first batch of new-style copper coins issued were eaten by the money banks and wealthy families in the capital. They hired people to exchange the new money everywhere and then store it and not use it, because the new money was beautifully made and made of materials, which not only could maintain its value, but also make a profit when it was shipped to other places.

In this way, bad money drives out good money, good money is hidden, and bad money circulates in the market.

On the contrary, it was a silver dollar made by Wang Yuan, because it contained some impurities, and the rich and the money bank were too lazy to store it. However, because of the exquisite production and reasonable pricing, it is very popular in the market, and it is particularly convenient for merchants to do business, and they do not have to check the fineness of the silver before weighing it.

Small transactions are also very convenient, and there is no need to cut a dime of silver, just give a dollar, five jiao, or a dime of standard silver dollars.

The creation of new money this time can be described as a super success, and the officials and the people are very satisfied.

(Note: The Ming Dynasty weight unit, one catty is equal to sixteen taels, one tael is equal to ten cents, and one coin is equal to ten, not all of them are hexadecimal.) ）