The five ways out arranged by the imperial court for the dismissed flag bearers soon spread in the inner city, and immediately attracted a lot of discussion among the flag people, Shengjing, Tianjin, Manchurian, Australia, Acapulco Port, these five places, except for Shengjing, no one cares, the remaining four places, all the flag people have a strong interest.

Although the capital is prosperous, but there is no silver in the pocket, no matter how prosperous it is, it can only be a feast for the eyes, go out to pretend to be an uncle, go home to gnaw the head of the nest they have long been fed up, and furthermore, the imperial court's control of the Beijing flag is also extremely strict, do not beg for the record, and must not leave the flag camp station, which is a huge depression for the young flag people, going out is the dream of most young flag people, not to mention going to Nanyang, Australia, America and other places can be eye-opening, and there is an opportunity to make contributions, who does not yearn?

As soon as the news spread, not only the dismissed Eight Banners soldiers were delighted, but also some young banner people who were very bored at home were also happy, and rushed to their respective leaders' homes to grab the registration quota, as for which place was better, but no one cared at all, Nanyang, Australia, and America are all far away from the emperor, and they are always stronger than the capital, and even the places in the Tianjin Military Workshop are also scrambling for the places.

This time, but the banner owner of the flag Wang Gong was happy, and all of them were candidates who could be selected to go to the Americas, anyway, Zhenwu did not set a quota, and the name to be set down, no matter how good the best was selected, the earlier idea of unhappiness and worry had already been thrown to Java.

Zhengyangmen, Xijiang Rice Lane, Beijing Newspaper Hall.

After more than two years of expansion and renovation, the Beijing newspaper hall has been almost the same as the nearby Dali Temple Yamen, although it is not a formal yamen, but the strict access control is far more than the general government office, because tomorrow is the publication day of the Beijing newspaper, the Beijing newspaper hall is a busy scene.

When Yinyu returned to the newspaper, he summoned a group of key personnel of the newspaper to report the situation of the Beijing newspaper being changed to one issue every three days, and pointed out that this period of time was an extraordinary period, and required all officials and craftsmen to be on standby.

Out of the signing room. Zheng Shichang was about to go to the printing workshop to report the change in publication, but before he left the corner door, he heard someone shouting behind him, "Lord Zheng, please stay." ”

Zheng Shichang is not only the chief treasurer of the 'Four Constants'. The printing of the Beijing newspaper is also responsible for him, after Zhenwu ascended the throne last year, he was rewarded with the false title of Langzhong of the five products, although this official title is not worth mentioning in Beijing, but his position in the Beijing newspaper hall is very important, and the Beijing newspaper hall is respectful to him for three points,

Listening to the call, Zheng Shichang hurriedly stopped and turned around. I saw a small official trotting over, and after bowing his body, he said: "Lord Zheng, there is a eunuch in the palace who has come to deliver the decree, please Lord Zheng to quickly receive the decree, and the eunuch will be in the fifteenth master's signing room." ”

Although Zheng Shichang is old, his body has always been very tough, and he has a will. Hurriedly turned back to the signing room, and after entering the house, he saw Gao Jinxi, the little eunuch of the original palace, looking at him with a smile. The two have dealt with each other several times, Zheng Shichang also knows that the eunuchs can not be offended, and he has always been generous to them, and he has money to open the way, this relationship is naturally very different, seeing that an acquaintance came to deliver the decree, he knew that it would not be a bad thing, so he couldn't help but relax slightly.

Gao Jinxi didn't say hello, and when he saw him come in and knelt down, he said, "By the emperor's command." Xuan Zheng Shichang immediately appeared. ”

"We're honored." After Zheng Shichang kowtowed and got up, he glanced at the two little eunuchs behind Gao Jinxi, quietly handed over a silver ticket, and said with a smile: "Father-in-law Gao has worked hard, invite a few more people to tea another day." As he spoke, he lowered his voice and asked, "Why is the emperor in a hurry to summon him?" ”

The eunuchs in the palace are all exquisite, and when they came out to pass the decree, they naturally wanted to inquire. Otherwise, how can you collect money? As for what to say and what not to say, it is even clearer, Gao Jinxi covered the silver ticket with his sleeve while twisting it familiarly, and said with a smile: "Good thing." ”…,

Hearing that it was a good thing, Zheng Shichang was greatly relieved, and after a little silence, he said: "A few fathers-in-law wait for a while, there is something to do, just present to the emperor, and the lower officials will come when they go." ”

Gao Jinxi only collected the cash ticket, and his heart was happy, so he immediately said: "Since it is a matter for the emperor, then we will wait for Lord Zheng here." ”

Zheng Shichang went to get the new version of the silver ticket, which was originally prepared for Zhenwu to change the yuan, but because of some flaws, it was delayed again and again.

In the Dongnuan Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, Zhenwu was having a headache for sending people to sacrifice all over the country, Kangxi reminded him of the sacrifice for the second time, and he had to pay more attention to it, but after reading the relevant classics "Etiquette Strategy", he was speechless for a while, "Etiquette Strategy" has as many as 12 volumes, no wonder it is known as the state of etiquette.

In general, there are five types of rites, the sacrificial things are auspicious gifts, the crown wedding things are the Jia gifts, the guest things are the guest gifts, the military things are military rites, and the funeral things are fierce ceremonies. The auspicious ceremonies presided over by the imperial court include the sacrifice to the sky, the sacrifice to the earth, the sacrifice of the temple, the sacrifice of the ancestors and the saints, the drinking ceremony of the respect for the master township, and the military ceremony.

And Shunzhi and Kangxi have always respected the heavens, the ancestors, the diligent government, and the love of the people, and the family heirloom of governing the country and leveling the world, and repeatedly emphasized that 'the holy son of heaven is filial piety to the world, and the first priority is the mountain mausoleum. The sacrificial mountain mausoleum was also added, which was included in the auspicious rites, and was called the "Five Rites" together with the sacrifice to heaven, earth, Taimiao, and Sheji.

After watching it for a long time, Zhenwu sighed lightly and put down the "Etiquette Strategy", just the sacrificial ceremony, it is enough for him to be busy all year round, fortunately, in addition to the sacrifice to the sky, other sacrifices can find someone to do it for him, otherwise he doesn't have to do anything, just the sacrifice can be tired and half dead, however, for the mountains and rivers to be sacrificed, the mausoleum, he is not like Kangxi can recite it backwards, so he has to write it down one by one.

After being busy for a long time, as soon as he put down his pen, Bao Fuquan came in and bowed down to report: "Your Majesty, Zheng Shichang is here." ”

"Xuan." Zhenwu commanded casually, and then got up and moved a little, and when Zheng Shichang entered the hall, he paced back to the kang and sat down cross-legged. ”

As soon as Zheng Shichang sat down, he said: "The spring drought in several northern provinces is serious, and I have made the decision to let the 'Four Hengs' donate one million taels of silver to help the victims. ”

Hearing this, Zheng Shichang immediately reacted, summoned today, for the purpose of disaster relief and low-interest loans, the 'Four Hengs' donating one million taels of silver is a trivial matter, Zhenwu itself is the largest shareholder of the 'Four Hengs', and the profits deducted by the 'Four Hengs' in recent years are also millions of taels, donating one million is a trivial matter, just for this matter. Zhenwu didn't need to summon him to explain deliberately.

He hurriedly bowed down and said, "Weichen Zun." Picking up, he said again: "Please also ask the emperor to make it clear that this silver is deducted from the profits of previous years, or from the profits of this year?" ”

"It's deducted from this year's profits. In case someone takes the opportunity to slander. Zhenwu said without hesitation, paused slightly, and then continued: "The 'Four Hengs' is the background of the royal family, which is well known to everyone, and this relief must play an exemplary role. Otherwise, it will damage the reputation of the imperial court.

This famine relief loan is a test of the efficiency of the 'Four Constants', and it is a rare opportunity to dispatch competent manpower from various branches to the northern provinces and counties, which can not only strengthen the manpower of each branch but also enhance their experience in famine relief and lending.

First, we must do a good job in publicity and agitation, and the background of interest-free lending and the 'four constants' can be widely publicized, so that the people can borrow with confidence. Second, every loan should be implemented. Interest-free lending is aimed at the people affected by the disaster, and it is necessary to make detailed records not only to the people, but also to their families. Not only to repay the loan, but also to understand the people's livelihood in various places through the repayment of the loans of the 'Four Great Heng'. ..., the third is to put an end to officials and businessmen from taking interest-free loans in disguise, and each branch should go to the following to understand the situation, and tell the treasurers of the prefecture and county branches that I intend to reward them with seven to five official bodies, and there is no small resistance to this matter, and I want them to behave well in this disaster relief. ”

Zheng Shichang was immersed in his memory, and when he heard the last sentence, he couldn't help but be shocked, and rewarded the branch shopkeepers of each prefecture and county with an official status? It's still seven to five grades. Wouldn't the self-owned shopkeeper also have to rise to the top? This news is great news for the treasurers of the 'Four Great Hengs', and he hurriedly knelt down and said: "The 'Four Great Hengs' will definitely do their best to repay the emperor's grace." ”

"Get up, sit down, and talk back." Zhenwu nodded slightly: "Giving the 'Four Heng' shopkeepers an official status is to let them not be restricted and coerced by local officials. The clerks should also give them the opportunity to improve, the 'Four Hengs' will be incorporated into the imperial court system sooner or later, and you should pay more attention to talents. ”

Although Zheng Shichang has experienced a lot of winds and waves, listening to Zhenwu's words, he is still excited, what does it mean that the 'Four Great Hengs' are included in the imperial court system? He Zheng Shichang was destined to be famous for a hundred years because of this, he was busy kneeling down again, kowtowed, and said: "The emperor's grace, Weichen has nothing to repay, and he is willing to donate 10% of the shares of the 'Four Great Heng' to the imperial court." ”

Zhenwu listened to it, how could he afford to donate shares, this old man's reaction was really unusual, he groaned slightly, and then he smiled and said: "It's still early, when it is returned to the imperial court, I will buy the shares in your hands again, and do a good job of self-cultivation, I hope you can see that day with your own eyes." ”

Hearing this, Zheng Shichang couldn't help but be grateful, kowtowed and choked: "Weichen Zun." After getting up, he hurriedly presented the newly made silver ticket sample with both hands, and said: "This is the new silver ticket sample that has just been made, and Weichen respectfully asks the emperor to take a look." ”

Hearing that it is a new silver ticket, Zhenwu reached out and took it, started to rub it gently, and his heart was a burst of joy, the paper of the new silver ticket has been greatly improved, the paper is delicate and scraped, the convex and concave sense is strong, and the surrounding area uses four-color overprinting, the color and pattern are quite clear, the plane can not see the watermark, look at the light, the watermark has also changed greatly, the three-dimensional sense is strong, the layer is rich, folded several times, and there is no burr.

Seeing that Zhenwu was quite satisfied, Zheng Shichang hurriedly explained: "This kind of paper is made of cotton linters as raw material according to the emperor's instructions, which not only has a strong feel but also wears out, and this kind of paper cannot be made at present." ”

Zhenwu nodded slightly, and said: "Don't be satisfied, continue to increase improvements in paper, printing, engraving and other aspects, try more, have the courage to try, the manufacturing process of paper must be strictly confidential, and the silver deposits from all over the country began to be concentrated in small batches to the provincial capital." With a slight groan, he continued: "Reward the craftsmen who make paper, and not only control them tightly, but also pay them well, and move their families into the inner city and scatter them. ”

Zheng Shichang knew that Zhenwu was beginning to prepare for the issuance of banknotes, as for the control and prevention of craftsmen, he was even more concerned, as early as the time of research, he began to take careful precautions, but he did not dare to show his merits in front of Zhenwu, and immediately bowed down and said: "Weichen respects." ”

Zhenwu pondered for a moment before asking, "How much interest-free loan does the 'Four Hengs' use for disaster relief?" ”

Zheng Shichang paused for a moment, and then replied: "The amount of interest-free loans for disaster relief is approved to be 6 million taels, and about 800,000 taels are released sporadically, and there are still 5.2 million taels. ”

Only more than five million? Zhenwu couldn't help frowning slightly, although the population of the north is not as good as that of the south, but there are forty or fifty million, according to six households per household, there are more than seven million households, the area affected by the disaster is large, I am afraid that this bit of silver is not enough, after a little groaning, he asked: "How much profit has been accumulated over the years?" "...," there are more than 4.7 million left. Zheng Shichang hurriedly replied.

Zhenwu pondered for a moment, and then said: "I will take out 3 million to make up for the disaster relief loan, and I will allocate another 300,000 taels of gold, and the headquarters of the 'Four Great Hengs' will add 4 million taels of silver to each branch in the north, so that officials from all over the country can borrow and use it to buy grain." After a slight pause, he continued: "The news of interest-free loans to the victims of the disaster will be published in Beijing tomorrow to stabilize people's hearts." ”

"We're honored." Zheng Shichang hurriedly bowed and said.

Early the next morning, with the release of the Beijing Newspaper, the entire Beijing Division became a sensation, and the headline on the front page of the Beijing Newspaper was to severely punish the officials who embezzled the money and grain for disaster relief, followed by the "Four Constants" to exempt the northern province from disaster relief for one year, and then the 'Four Constants' to implement disaster relief loans to the people who should be affected by the disaster - interest-free loans for two years. Further down is Tianjin's cash-for-work project - the Haihe River diversion project has broken ground, and the cash-for-work project in Beijing is under urgent preparation.

The most interesting thing is the huge amount of money donated by the four firms for disaster relief, the 'Four Heng' donated 1 million taels, the Daqing ocean-going trading fleet donated 600,000 taels, the Shanghai Sand Boat Association donated 200,000 taels, and the Guangzhou Wanlilong Tea Store donated 200,000 taels.

The people of Pingtou were concerned about the huge amount of money donated by these four firms, and only the four merchants donated 2 million taels of silver in one fell swoop, which was an unheard of feat since the founding of the Qing Dynasty. However, many businessmen were more concerned about the latter sentence, and all businesses that donated more than 20,000 taels were published in a conspicuous position in the supplement of the Beijing Daily for several days, a month, or even several months, according to the amount of donations. (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to (.) to vote for recommendation, monthly pass, your support is my biggest motivation. )