As a Westerner, what is it like to be in Daming?

There is no feeling at all!

At least for Smith, he was now accustomed to the astonishing glances that came from all around, and although he was wearing the clothes of the Ming Dynasty, the difference in appearance made him stand out on the streets.

"I'm a Ming man!"

Again, in the city of Shenyang, in the face of the patrol soldier's questioning, Smith replied in fluent Daming official dialect.

"Lustful people?"

When the soldier who had seen the world stared at Smith, the gaze of another soldier was already showing contempt, and a soldier who looked like a sergeant shouted.

"Forgot the rules? Wearing pigskin boots, they are not allowed to ride, and if they are in the middle of the road, civilians are allowed to be killed. What kind of boots are these miscellaneous? ……”

Unable to help but say, the sergeant pointed to the cowhide boots under Smith's feet, and when he was about to make a move, Smith quickly explained.

"I'm not a Lust, I'm not a Lust, I'm a naturalized, I'm a naturalized......"

Xiucai met the soldiers, and he couldn't explain it clearly. Although Smith said that he was a naturalized person, for these soldiers under the influence of the idea of "Yidi, beasts, so Confucius is cheap", they will care what kind of naturalized person he is, in their opinion, Tartar beasts, Yiren are also beasts.

"I'm a naturalized person, I'm a naturalized person......"

Just as Smith, fearing that he would be killed, shouted in horror that he was a "naturalized man", an officer over there heard his shouts and came over and asked.

"What's going on?"

"Back to the sir, we caught a man with lustful eyes, he not only wears cowhide boots, but also walks in the middle lane, according to the rules, he can be killed directly......"

"What rules!"

The officer reprimanded directly.

"Let you go to class, not to let you catch the individual "kill it", let it let you know, what is a Tartar, know what is a Yidi beast, a human face and a beast heart, a color eye, what are the years, mention those old things, so that you can understand the truth that Yidi is not credible, Song Zhimengyuan, Ming Zhimanchu, all Yidi, and color eyes, that is, color eyes, that eyes are also colorless, and now it is Manchu, remember? Are you a naturalized person? ”

After reprimanding the soldiers, the officer looked at Smith and barely managed to squeeze out a smile.

"I, I'm a naturalized person, I'm the deputy manager of JAC Bank......"

Finally met a reasonable one, which made Smith breathe a sigh of relief. But despite his relief, he noticed the reluctance on the officer's face.

"Sir, I'm a naturalized person!"

Again, Smith deliberately emphasized his identity.

"I know."

The officer nodded, when he lectured the soldiers earlier, he did not finish "Yidi beast, human face and beast heart", but only half a sentence, followed by "capricious, never credible." However, as an officer, he knew that in Jiangbei, there were indeed some naturalized people.

The so-called "naturalized people" are not only Westerners like Smith, but also Japanese and Koreans, all of whom have been naturalized as Ming people. But the lessons of the Tatar invasion of China still make some people uncomfortable when dealing with these Westerners who look very different from them.

"Why did you come to Shenyang?"

Seeing that the officer was still staring at him with suspicion, Smith immediately explained.

"I'm here to see the king, I have something to discuss with the king, I'm the deputy manager of JAC Bank!"

Although Smith emphasized his identity, it was not until he entered the Huai Wang's line and saw the king that he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Wang, I think that this place is really different from Jiangbei, if it weren't for an officer who saved me, I'm afraid I would really be killed, Semu, who is Semu?"

Listening to Smith's complaints, Zhu Mingzhong said with a smile.

"Smith, you have to understand, this is the front line, the army needs patriotic education, in just three hundred years, we have been enslaved by foreign races twice, and the scars have forgotten the pain, so a proper reminder is necessary! But don't worry, this kind of reminder is only limited to a reminder, as for what is killed, it is just an exaggeration, and the country has its own laws! ”

After a little explanation, Zhu Mingzhong said to Smith again.

"But all this is only because of the hatred of the Tatars, you know, in Jiangbei, we are equal to all people, in the academies of Jiangbei, there are teachers from Europe, even Jews can be treated fairly, let alone others? As for you, my friend, you are a Ming man, what scruples do you have? ”

Smith is indeed a Ming man, and he has been naturalized by the Ming Dynasty. Perhaps the Manchu Qing Dynasty, Zhu Mingzhong harbored a bitter hatred, but he did not reject learning from the outside, but more admired learning from the outside world, in his view, the reason why China is ahead of the world is that kind of open mind to take the initiative to learn. The reason why the Manchus lagged behind the world was not because they closed themselves off from the rest of the world, but because of their "obscenity", because they talked about "the heavenly empire and the vast land and abundant resources" all day long, and the sense of superiority established by their inexplicable self-confidence made them directly refuse to learn from advanced things. Even when it was invaded by the West, it still regarded itself as the "Heavenly Empire" and regarded Western science as a "strange and ingenious skill".

In contrast, the scholars of the Ming Dynasty took the initiative to learn from the West, and they would learn from outsiders through various channels. Just like Fang Yizhi, there are hundreds of Western books in his study.

"All right, King."

With a wry smile helplessly, Smith expressed his understanding, he could indeed understand the tolerance shown by those soldiers, especially after such a terrible slaughter, which was surprising.

"King, as your friend, I hope you can remember that a nation that is good at learning will be strong, and a nation that is closed and xenophobic can never become strong."

"Thank you, my friend, Da Ming will always open his arms to his friends!"

Regarding Smith's reminder, Zhu Mingzhong nodded approvingly, and at the same time, diverted the topic.

"Smith, what is the wind that brought you here?"

He, a banker, came to Shenyang from Qinghe, and there must be something going on, and it was something that had to be done.

"My lord, I'm here to ask you for money!"

Never beating around the bush, that's Smith's strength.

"I heard in Qinghe that the king seized a lot of gold and silver in Shenyang, so I hope the king can deposit this gold and silver in the Jianghuai Bank!"

Fearing rejection, Smith emphasized.

"This is not only for the benefit of the bank, but also for the benefit of the king and the Ming Dynasty, so I hope that the king can carefully consider and deposit these gold and silver in the Jianghuai Bank, not in the treasury of the household department."

Although JAC Bank has always acted as an agent for the royal treasury, the household department also has its own treasury, in which a large amount of money is stored, which is the reserve fund of the royal government, which is used to deal with emergencies.

After learning that the Loyal Rebels had seized a large amount of gold and silver in Shenyang, Smith was keenly aware that it was likely to be placed in a vault rather than in a bank. That's why he rushed to Shenyang to persuade the king to deposit the silver in the bank instead of in the vault.

"Oh?"

Facing Smith's request, Zhu Mingzhong glanced at him, and then said.

"Those silver, Gu is ready to be of great use, you say, why give it to the bank, not put it in the vault."

"Go back to the king, because the value of money lies in the flow!"

Smith replied bluntly.

"If you put it in a vault, it's just a pile of waste. What's more, compared to the gold and silver used in future wars, what the king needs now is to fight another war! ”

Another war?

Staring at Smith, Zhu Mingzhong motioned for him to continue.

"The King's ......"

Take out a coin, Smith continued.

The king knows that there is almost no "Shunzhi Tongbao" on the market now, even when the army has not yet gone on the Northern Expedition, the people in the north are also happy to use the "Yongli Tongbao". ”

For these, how could Zhu Mingzhong not know that the currency war of "driving the good with the bad first, and then driving the bad with the good" was planned and implemented by him, and it was with the circulation of "Yongli Tongbao" that the orthodoxy of the Ming Dynasty was re-established little by little.

It was precisely that invisible economic war that fundamentally destroyed the already fragile "Manchu orthodoxy" and regained the hearts of the people in the world.

Indeed, in recent years, the Mint has been minting "Yongli Tongbao" almost day and night, and even so, it cannot meet the needs of the market. ”

"King, then why is Jiangbei's coinage never enough for Jiangbei to use?"

Smith's question made Zhu Mingzhong laugh.

"Smith, what, you have also learned to beat around the bush, the reason why Jiangbei coinage is not enough, not because Jiangbei is using, but the world is using, although now everyone is using "Yongli Tongbao", but "Yongli Tongbao" also has "Huai money", "Su money", "Chu money", these money are minted in various places, and Jiangbei is the best, the people are naturally willing to use ......"

Suddenly, Zhu Mingzhong's words paused, looked at Smith and said.

"Lone understands what you mean!"

"King, the world knows that Huai Qian is in excellent condition, nine hundred Wen can be exchanged for one or two, and Chu Qian is the worst, one thousand three hundred Wen can be exchanged for Huai Qian Nine Hundred Wen, even so, the people are still reluctant to use, not to mention others, because the people are happy to use Huai Qian, so Huai Qian can only be cast day and night, and the annual casting profit is extremely high, my Jiangbei casting money now accounts for more than seventy percent of the world, and the world's casting profits have long been all owned by my Jiangbei ......"

Speaking of Jiangbei's lucrative casting, Smith shrugged his shoulders helplessly, and then said.

"However, even if we mint millions of dollars, it is not enough for the market, and it does not meet the real needs of the market!"