Chapter Ninety-Eight: Preparing for Troops

When Zhang Zhen came out, the feast had not yet dispersed. Zhang Zhike didn't care about anything else, and directly called back the six officials, large and small. For a time most of the feast was dispersed, and the news spread. Qing attacked Korea, and the imperial court decided to aid Korea.

For a while, there was a lot of boiling and saying anything.

The first thing Zhang Zhen had to solve was the candidate to send to Seoul, he thought about it and sent a message directly to the following. Let the following take the initiative to ask for help in this.

Because I couldn't find a suitable candidate for a while. But dare to go to the dangerous city alone, such a person must first have courage, if he doesn't even have the courage to take the initiative to ask for help, even if such a person comes, what is the use, is it difficult to kneel and beg for mercy once he is captured by the Qing army. Mourning the prestige of the Great Xia.

It's just that he didn't expect that there would be a response to the news soon.

A young man in his twenties heard the news and came to see Zhang Zhen that night.

Zhang Zhen looked at the young man and asked the people around him, "Is he?" ”

"Student Zhou Chang, from Jingmen." The young man arched his hand.

Zhang Zhen looked at the people around him, and this person immediately whispered in Zhang Qian's ear: "This person is a small official of the Jingmen County Yamen, because His Majesty is short of people to the Xijing Yamen, so he was transferred from Jingmen to the Ministry of Officials. His father died in the battle of King Chuang Xiahuguang. Only the old mother is there in the house. There are twenty years. ”

Zhang Zhen said: "You have an old mother at home, why do you want to go to Seoul?" I don't know if I can't come back? ”

Zhou Chang said: "Loyalty and filial piety cannot be both. Born as a lowly official, if there is no opportunity today, I am afraid that I can only carry a seven-rank title in my life. I don't even have the qualifications to be called a subordinate official in front of adults. Humble duty is not willing to do so. ”

Zhang Zhen said: "Okay, it's you." You are now the head of the Ministry of Rites, Liupin. But this official is fake. As long as you can come back safely, these six officials, I will give you a seat. If you can't come back, you will naturally have five shades, and I will take care of your old mother and send you to the end of your life. ”

Zhou Chang said: "Humble to Lord Xie. The military situation is urgent. The minister will go to North Korea. ”

Zhang Zhen nodded, let the boat be arranged below, and Zhou Chang still had time to go home.

Zhang Zhen said to the people around him: "This person is also a talent, why don't I know?" ”

Although Zhou Chang is a small official, he talks eloquently in front of Zhang Zhen without stage fright. In Zhang Qian's view, it is also extraordinary.

"My lord, this Zhou Chang is just a small official." The officer behind him whispered.

Zhang Zhi's eyes were slightly cold, and he secretly said in his heart: "Your Majesty's thoughts are not unreasonable. There are also talented people among the small officials. ”

Zhang Xuan and Zhang Zhen also talked about opening up the channel for the promotion of small officials. It's also Huang Zongxi

One of the strategies discussed is the miscellaneous enterprising strategy. However, Zhang Zhen had some hesitation, and he didn't know how to design the channel for the promotion of Xu officials and ensure that it would be implemented. In the Ming Dynasty, there was actually a way for a small official to become an official, just like the Guozi Prison Supervisor could be an official, but later it was all useless. Only the imperial examination remains. It all has to be taken into account.

Second, Zhang Zhen was born as a jinshi, and his impression of Xu was not very good.

Seeing Zhou Chang today, he sighed in his heart, could it be that he had prejudice first.

The busiest person in many affairs was not Zhang Qian, but Zhang Xuan.

First of all, Zhang Xuan summoned Xian Zijing. Inquire about the output of the Xian Zijing Mint.

In the past six months, Xian Zijing has built a complete set of hydraulic coinage equipment. With the help of the power of the water flow, the efficiency is greatly increased, and the power of the water hammer is strengthened. The silver coins minted are superior to their beauty. It seems to be more delicate than the pattern on the copper coin.

Zhang Xuan took the new coin in his hand, rubbed it gently, and asked, "How is the output now?" ”

Xian Zijing said: "All the silver deposits in the household have been made into silver coins, and the autumn tax party will be put into the warehouse today. Just wait for the money from the land to arrive. ”

Autumn taxes begin to be collected after the autumn, but few can be collected within a month, and it usually takes several months. In the second year, the cut-off is before the start of spring. Therefore, this period of time is the peak of local tax payment.

Xian Zijing is already waiting for the local government to pay taxes.

Zhang Xuan had already measured the land in Jiangnan and did it according to the old practice of the whip law, but the taxes in the Huguang area had to be paid in practice, that is, grain. I don't want silver, so the silver that flows into Xian Zijing's hands is even less.

It stands to reason that the regression from monetary taxation to in-kind taxation is a regression. But Zhang Xuan also has no way to do it. Hundreds of thousands of troops had to eat, some labor, and the government had to pay rations, and so on, and the food gap needed by the imperial court was too great.

If all the silver is levied, then the court will have to use the silver to buy grain. One more process, one more disadvantages. Moreover, food is related to national security, and the imperial court must control a considerable part of it even if it cannot fully control it, so a situation has been formed in which Jiangsu and Zhejiang are converted into silver, and Huguang is converted into grain.

Zhang Xuan also planned to build several large granaries along the Yangtze River to facilitate the mobilization of grain and support military supplies. However, now there is no need for this, because of the huge expenses of the imperial court, many places are tightened, and the grain is pulled out as soon as it arrives, and there is not much grain in store at all.

It was also Zhang Qian's ability to plan and be so busy that he did not let the financial crisis spread to other aspects, which was also the main reason why Zhang Zhen opposed Zhang Xuan's mobilization.

For example, the four-year war of Wuxing is by no means a matter of one or two years before it can be restored.

Zhang Xuan carefully calculated the silver taels in his hand, but it was probably not enough

Between four and five million taels, the interest on the money is only a few hundred thousand taels, and it is not something that can be taken for a while. It simply doesn't work.

Zhang Xuan thought for a moment and said, "If I get more silver, how many silver coins can I mint every month?" ”

Xian Zijing said: "Three million, this is already the most. Three shifts of labor were to be carried out around the clock, and there was also plenty of water. Not sustainable. ”

Zhang Xuan said: "In other words, counting the loss, a maximum of 30 million silver coins can be minted a year? ”

Xian Zijing pondered for a while and said: "Or a little more, maybe a little less, the first time the minister has done this thing, I dare not guarantee it." ”

"Not enough." Zhang Xuan said: "You go back and expand immediately." An annual output of 30 million pieces is far from enough. ”

"Your Majesty." Xian Zijing asked quietly, "How much?" ”

Zhang Xuan said: "The more the merrier. ”

Xian Zijing only obeyed and said, "Yes." ”

Zhang Xuan immediately called Yao Qisheng over and said: "All the taxes in the world, those who pay silver, from today onwards, will only accept silver coins." The household department should set up yamen in each prefecture and each customs office to be in charge of exchanging silver coins for silver. ”

Yao Qisheng said: "The minister has this intention. It's just that I'm afraid that this is not enough to solve the predicament of the imperial court today, why didn't Your Majesty order the world to ban silver taels? ”

Zhang Xuan thought for a while and said, "Don't be in a hurry. However, it was also banned at the moment, and three years later, silver taels, silver ingots, and even exotic silver coins were banned in the world. The small ones use copper coins, and the large ones use silver coins. ”

"Yes." Yao Qisheng said: "It's just a matter of exchange, and it can be done by the yamen in various places, why does Your Majesty want to set up another yamen?" ”

Zhang Xuan said: "I am useful. ”

What is Zhang Xuan's intention? It's the bank.

In many things, legislation is good, but on top of the details, there are problems. As far as Zhu Yuanzhang's tax system is concerned, what is the biggest drawback is transshipment. Zhu Yuanzhang did not trust the government and asked the people to directly transfer taxes to where they were needed.

However, there is no way to compare the ancient transportation environment with the present, and the cost of thousands of miles has been great, and it is still on top of the tax itself. The Qing court also saw this problem. The Qing court's reform of this was to abolish the rules of the democratic liberation and democratic movement, and instead turn it into the official movement of the democratic liberation.

Zhang Xuan had a heart for this.

Zhu Yuanzhang's worries are not unreasonable, what the virtue of the government looks like, Zhang Xuan has also seen it. Whenever the government intervenes one more hand, the disadvantages will be added. Although the government liberation has alleviated the drawbacks, the people also have to spend a lot of blood to come to the hole of the Tianguan Mansion.

Therefore, the government collects a miscellaneous tax, which is called foot money. It's the shipping fee. This is also where the government has its hands, the amount of money is all in one mouth, and the official says as much as he wants, even if it is a step, if you don't pay the money, it won't work.