If it weren't for Xia Yuanji suddenly mentioning Su Mu and black pepper, Yang Shaofeng wouldn't have thought of these two things that are used as spices on weekdays for a while, let alone that the ministers of civil and military affairs would later organize a group to oppose going to the West, and it would actually have something to do with these two things.

It's more complicated.

Zhu Chongba drove away the capital of Jinling after Meng Yuan, and found that a large number of gold, silver and jewelry were taken away by the Tuo Timur, and the entire Ming Dynasty was short of gold, silver, and copper.

Zhu Chongba is not stupid, this mud-legged man who went from a beggar to an emperor has his own cunning side - it depends on literati to govern the world, it depends on martial artists to stabilize the world, and it depends on Yulu to fiddle with these people!

Then Zhu Chongba slapped his head and decided to give a certain amount of food to the civil and military officials and nobles as a supplement, plus a part of the treasure money as a supplement.

In the twenty-ninth year of Hongwu, Zhu Chongba stipulated the salary level of officials: Zhengyipin, 87 stone per month...... is nine products, five stones and five buckets; From nine pins and five stones.

Theoretically speaking, if it is implemented according to the solution set by Zhu Chongba for grain and treasure money, even if the county official receives seven stone of rice per month, unless the county official accepts several concubines and hires a lot of subordinates, it is enough to spend.

But it didn't last long.

Zhu Chongba's capital is Jinling, and Zhu Yunwen has no plans to move the capital, and Jinling is next to the land of fish and rice, and there is always no shortage of food, and there is no problem in distributing it to civil and military officials.

After killing his nephew and taking the throne himself, Zhu Laosi planned to move the capital back to Shuntianfu as soon as possible.

In Zhu Laosi's opinion, there are many advantages to moving the capital back to Shuntianfu.

First, you can take people to smash the Arutai field at any time; Second, Shuntianfu is the basic market that he has been operating for many years, and it is more reliable than Jinling - what if someone wants to summon the soul of Zhu Yunwen?

But after Zhu Laosi secretly made up his mind to move the capital, he found a big problem.

If the capital can be successfully moved to Shuntianfu, a large number of people and horses will follow, but the north cannot produce so much grain, so it can only rely on the transportation of the Grand Canal to transport grain from the south to Beijing - long-distance transportation, the loss is not small, such a precious grain, used to supply the rations of the population of Beijing, is already stretched, how can there be a surplus, to pay the officials?

At that time, Yang Shaofeng had not yet participated in the examination, let alone tossed in the border city, and the treasure money at that time was in a situation of continuous depreciation, and Zhu Laosi naturally could not use this thing to distribute the money.

Then Zhu Laosi came up with a new way to play.

"In spring and summer, money is folded, and in autumn and winter, sumac wood and pepper are folded."

Zhu Laosi sent spices such as suma wood and pepper to the officials as Yulu!

These things were very valuable in the early days, but after Zheng He went to the West and collected a large number of dogs for Daming in the South and West Seas, this thing was not very valuable.

And most importantly, these things are neither edible nor valuable, what do officials do with them? Put some in the cooking? Hell knows how many years it will take to run out!

Therefore, the later ministers of civil and military affairs unanimously opposed the opening of the West, will it have something to do with this - it was disgusting enough to use spices as a smelt, and then open the West? Go get a bunch of spices and come back as a bargain?

Yang Shaofeng smiled secretly in his heart, but on the surface, he stared at Zhu Laosi with a serious face, planning to see how Zhu Laosi responded.

Zhu Laosi snorted and said, "Quasi! ”

For Zhu Laosi, since the treasure money is already valuable, it is not more worry-free to give the officials treasure money and let them take the treasure money to buy food than to directly distribute food?

What's more, I, Zhu Laosi, am not stupid, can't I see the benefits of this? Officials have accounts in banks, are they greedy for ink, as long as they compare the family property with the income and expenditure in the bank account, it can be clear, is it not beautiful?

After getting Zhu Laosi's assurance, Xia Yuanji thanked Zhu Laosi with satisfaction, and then looked at Yang Shaofeng and said, "What else did Zhuangyuan Gong not say?" Why don't you say it together? ”

Yang Shaofeng shook his head and said, "What else?" How much? Not much either. ”

Zhu Laosi said with a smile: "He just said that a large number of schools should be built so that people all over the world can afford to read." He also said that he would make the newspaper of the palace known to the world, so that everyone in the world could see the newspaper to understand the movements of the court. ”

Yang Shaofeng looked at Zhu Laosi with a bewildered expression - is the technique of selling his grandson so skillful? Should I learn from Lao Zhang and let you take a local plane too?

Looking at Xia Yuanji, whose face was as black as the bottom of the pot, Yang Shaofeng sneered: "Why does Xia Butang look at me like this? ”

Xia Yuanji sneered: "The champion is trying to practice the way of sage education, and the old man is ashamed of himself.

However, can you tell me how much it costs to build a school? The school does not charge tuition fees for books, and it also subsidizes meals, how much does it cost? Is 10 million a year enough?

There is also the Ming Fa Di newspaper, and the engraving does not need money? Printing doesn't cost anything? Manpower doesn't need to be paid? Is 10 million a year enough? ”

Yang Shaofeng said: "Let's not talk about the school first, let's talk about the Mingfa Mansion first." ”

Xia Yuanji sneered: "I wish to listen to you!" ”

Yang Shaofeng pondered and said: "There will be more and more readers in the future, does Xia Butang recognize this?" ”

was asked by Yang Shaofeng, although he had the intention to deny it, Xia Yuanji still nodded and said, "The old man approves." ”

Yang Shaofeng nodded and said, "That's right." Since ancient times, it is not uncommon for all government decrees to be incomprehensible, and the suzerainty is greater than the royal law, because there are very few scholars, and the people do not know the law, and they do not know the court decrees, so they can only let those gentry who can read and write misinterpret the decrees. ”

Seeing that Xia Yuanji still nodded in approval, Yang Shaofeng continued: "There are many readers, and if you can read the Di Bao, you will naturally not be deceived, yes or no?" ”

Xia Yuanji nodded and said, "Yes, it is precisely because of this that the sage wants to spread the education to enlighten the people - but what does this matter have to do with Di Bao?" ”

Yang Shaofeng poured a cup of tea, handed it to Xia Yuanji, and said: "Although the Di Bao is widely distributed all over the world, it is sent to various government offices, but the people don't know what the Di Bao says.

If the newspaper is published every ten days or every month, will those people who are literate have an additional channel to understand the trends of the court? As for the cost that Xia Butang is worried about, what kind of problem is it? ”

Pointing to the empty auction hall downstairs, Yang Shaofeng continued: "For example, in this auction, all the nobles and ministers of civil and military affairs are involved in this auction, do those wealthy merchants and gentry know about the auction?" Do they know that the house in Suncheonfu is going to be auctioned? ”

Xia Yuanji said: "That's not right. Even if you publish this matter in the newspaper, even if those wealthy merchants and gentry know about it, what can you do? ”

Yang Shaofeng said with a smile: "If this example is not enough, what about perfume?" If the matter of perfume is published in the newspaper, so that everyone in the world knows about perfume, how much sales can it bring to perfume? Should the perfume workshop pay Di a pencil fee? ”

Hearing this, Zhu Laosi couldn't help but say with a dark face: "Nonsense! What is the brushing fee and not the brushing fee? Above the newspaper is the political affairs of the court, how can you publish this perfume thing? ”

Yang Shaofeng first saluted Zhu Laosi, and then said: "The Di Bao is sent to the local government for use, and the Di Bao of Mingfa World is not the original Di Bao, and Sun Er thinks that it is more appropriate to call it a newspaper."

Since this newspaper is for all the people to read, the content on it is naturally not limited to the content of the newspaper, and even some interesting and interesting things can be published, such as perfume advertisements. ”

Xia Yuanji suddenly said: "Champion Yuan Gong is the idea? Rely on these wealthy businessmen who want to advertise to solve the problem of newspaper expenses? Ad? It is also appropriate to advertise it widely. ”

Yang Shaofeng smiled: "That's right. There is no possibility of losing money to the newspaper, and those wealthy businessmen everywhere will pounce on them like sharks smelling blood, and rush to send money to the newspaper. ”

Xia Yuanji snorted coldly and said, "What about the school?" ”

Yang Shaofeng said: "The matter of the school is destined to lose - whether it is from Mr.'s salary or the meal subsidy to the school, in the end, it will still be spent by the state treasury, and there is no money to be made."

But from another point of view, if there are more readers, the demand for pen, ink, paper and inkstone will increase, and the number of pedestrians engaged in pen, ink, paper and inkstone will increase, and the national treasury will receive more commercial taxes, and in fact, it will not lose much.

Besides, once the things of the school are done, can all the people in the world not be grateful for His Majesty's kindness? And as Xia Butang, who is the promoter of this matter, isn't it also following the eternals? ”

Xia Yuanji snorted and said: "You have planned dozens of social studies in the new capital city, and almost every residential area has them, is this the idea?" ”

Yang Shaofeng nodded and said, "Part of it is this plan. The more people who read, the greater the sales of newspapers and pen, ink, paper, and inkstones, and the more taxes the treasury can receive.

Of course, this is a theoretical thing.

But from a long-term perspective, even if it is necessary to subsidize part of the state treasury, I still believe that it is necessary to build a school to open up the wisdom of the people, which is a major event that will benefit the present and the future. ”

Xia Yuanji said: "The old man also knows that this is a good thing for the present and for the future. But O Champion, this great thing requires silver!

To tell you the truth, the treasury is not empty now, but there are too many places where money is needed, and it is impossible to put all the money in the treasury into the academy, right? ”

Yang Shaofeng shook his head and said: "It's just a trial in Shuntianfu, let's take it slowly, and the lower officials don't expect it to be fully rolled out all at once."

Besides, there are a few places where you can make money right now, can't Xia Butang see it? ”