This time, the issuance of the new version of the banknote, the complete implementation of the gold standard, the support of the Royal Bank is very necessary, if the Royal Bank does not support, this new version of the banknote will not be long to be a piece of waste paper.

Under the strong promotion of the Royal Bank and the imperial government, the establishment of the gold standard system did not cause much fluctuation, after all, for the people, because of the paper money, the money after exchange is still so much money, used to buy things, and the payment of taxes does not fluctuate much.

However, in the international market, the price of silver was affected by the empire's determination of the gold standard, and it fell below the range of 1 to 17 in an instant, and as a large amount of silver from China began to flow out to the international market, the price of silver will definitely fall further, and it is estimated that it will not take a few years to fall below 20.

However, none of this had anything to do with the empire, although the accumulation of silver led to a certain loss in China, which had a large amount of silver reserves.

However, silver is also an important industrial raw material, which needs to be used in the first place, and at the same time, not every country in the world has implemented the gold standard, and a large number of countries still use the silver standard, or the gold and silver double standard.

Silver is still an important currency in the international market.

Therefore******** can also continue to purchase silver in the international market, or sell silver directly in the metal exchange market, in exchange for various industrial products, raw materials, or simply gold.

Overall, the reform of the gold standard system had a short period of pain for the economic development of the empire, and it can even be said that a lot of wealth was evaporated in vain, but when the reform was completed. The financial sector of the empire, which had been on the gold standard, was able to travel lightly, thus avoiding the enormous risks of a sharp depreciation of silver in the future.

After the empire established the gold standard. Asian countries such as the Kingdom of Ning, the Kingdom of Korea, the Kingdom of Japan, and the Kingdom of Vietnam, which also used the silver standard, were immediately hit by the large amount of silver from the Empire.

Fortunately, the Americans also proposed this year to determine the legal status of the dollar and its ability to pay internationally. At the same time, in order to protect the interests of many silver mining merchants in the United States, in order to maintain the exchange rate of silver, the United States began to buy a large amount of silver every year, and then used it to mint silver coins, which to a certain extent curbed the depreciation rate of silver, otherwise, silver would depreciate faster.

You must know that in this year, the world's largest silver producer is the United States, followed by Mexico and other American countries close to the United States. Europe and Asia are not the main sources of silver.

Although China is a big country using silver, but the quantity is actually limited, and in the past ten years, the empire has insisted on paying with gold in international trade, so it has basically cut off a large amount of foreign silver into the domestic channel, not only silver inflow, but a large amount of silver outflow.

Therefore, there was a basis for abolishing the silver standard and then establishing the gold standard.

But the United States is different, they are a big producer of silver. If the gold standard is determined, the large amount of silver they produce will be reduced to industrial raw materials, which will greatly damage the interests of the United States.

And this is why the United States did not establish the gold standard until the end of the nineteenth century, and even after the gold standard was established. In the twentieth century, in order to maintain the price of silver, they even took the initiative to buy silver as reserves.

So abolish the silver standard, for China. Maybe it's just cutting a piece of meat, but it's over after enduring. But for the United States, Mexico, a big silver country. To abolish the silver standard would be to break arms and legs.

As for what kind of tragedy will happen to other countries that still use the silver standard, Lin Zhe naturally has no heart to deal with it, as the so-called dead friends do not die poor, and now the financial reform of the empire is for itself, and it will care about the life and death of other countries.

When a large amount of silver from the empire began to impact the international silver market, it naturally caused a certain impact, for example, North Korea, which is next door to the empire, was originally a small country, and after the continuous depreciation of silver, North Korea became even poorer.

The financial situation continued to deteriorate, and in 1873, King Yi Hee of Joseon became pro-government, Daewonjun ceased to be regent, and a group of relatives led by Concubine Min began to take power.

After the group of Min's relatives came to power, they deeply felt that Korea's internal affairs, foreign affairs and even economy were controlled by the empire, especially after 1873, merchants from the empire brought a large amount of silver that had been depreciated to Korea to buy everything that could be bought.

In order to change the disadvantages of being continuously exploited by the empire, Concubine Min began reforms, the most important of which was to completely open the country, establish news and trade with European countries such as the United Kingdom, well, and establish ties with the three countries of Japan next door.

In the original time and space, it was Japan himself who began to enter Korea, but in this time and space, Japan naturally did not have this ability, but there was a British next to it.

The contradiction between Britain and the Empire was that the Empire throughout Asia supported the Langang State on the Borneo side, which led to the dissatisfaction of the British, and now the British naturally would not let go of the opportunity to trouble the Empire in Korea.

Soon, formal diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Korea and Britain were established, and Concubine Min even began to hire the British to train a new type of army.

However, this move caused serious dissatisfaction in the empire.

"For vassal states, the control of the empire is still weak!" Lin Zhe personally instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pay close attention to the situation in North Korea, and he didn't want the British to infiltrate and control North Korea one day, and then go against the empire.

At the same time, Lin Zhe also began to reflect on the attitude of the previous empire towards the vassal states.

In the past, the empire's control over the vassal states was relatively relaxed, and as long as the countries recognized the Chinese Empire as the suzerainty and opened trade with the empire, they generally did not interfere in the internal affairs, military, and diplomacy of these vassal states.

Even if it is interference, it is through indirect means.

But in the past, he didn't feel anything, but now it makes Lin Zhe feel threatened.

North Korea suddenly wants to reform and open up the country, which may be a good thing for North Korea, but it is not a good thing for the empire, because the empire has monopolized the Korean market before, and other Britain, Japan and the like are excluded.

Now that North Korea has established ties with other countries, it is tantamount to ceding the territory occupied by the empire for everyone to share.

Under this big background, Yuan Baoheng, the new minister of the empire living in Korea, set foot on the land of Korea and became the third minister of the empire to Korea.

This Yuan Baohengxing may not be well known to future generations, but his nephew is indeed known to many people, and that is Yuan Shikai!

Of course, the current Yuan Shikai is still a fourteen-year-old child, still studying in his hometown in Henan!

Yuan Baoheng, like many officials in the empire, was also a former Qing surrender official, and followed his father to participate in the suppression of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in his early years, while his father Yuan Jiasan was defeated and captured in Suzhou during the first northern expedition of the empire in his early years, and then surrendered very simply.

Subsequently, this Yuan Jiasan held several positions in the imperial officialdom for a time, but soon died of illness while serving as governor of Guizhou.

Several of his sons are naturally fighting in the imperial officialdom, among which Yuan Baoheng's career is relatively smooth, after surrendering to the empire with his father, he served as some dispensable petty officials in the early years, and later entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work, although they are not in a foreign language, but they are also doing well in the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Now he has been transferred to North Korea as a minister to North Korea, which can be regarded as a promotion.

In June 1874, Yuan Baoheng arrived in Korea and officially presided over the affairs of the Korean domain.

Soon after arriving in Korea, Yuan Baoheng sent a report that King Li of Korea was in vain, and all the power was controlled by Concubine Min, and the relatives led by Concubine Min were actively running to contact Britain and France, trying to use Britain and France to resist the imperial infiltration of Korea.

"This Concubine Min, it's better to be less obedient than Li Yuying!" Lin Zhe looked at the report handed over by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and began to face the North Korean issue squarely for the first time.

Lin Zhe has not paid much attention to North Korea, because the country under the DPRK is small and weak, and when the previous Dayuan Jun Li Yuying was regent, North Korea maintained a firm pro-China line, and at the same time adopted a policy of closing the country to the outside world, refusing to trade with other countries except for trade with the empire.

This kind of thing is naturally liked by the empire, and the situation in North Korea was stable before, and there was no major incident, so Lin Zhe did not pay attention to it.

But now this Concubine Min has run out and wants to open up to the outside world with a large number of relatives, which is not only strongly opposed by North Korea, but also strongly by the empire.

Why is there opposition in North Korea, and why is the empire against it?

It is better to monopolize the North Korean market than to compete with other countries for the North Korean market.

In addition, Korea is located in the northern part of the empire, so if it is honest, it will be fine, but if it is restless, it may bring more serious problems to the empire.

"The situation in North Korea must be properly controlled, and they must not be allowed to mess around!" This is Lin Zhe's instruction to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The core is that North Korea's current opening up to the outside world is not in the interests of the empire and must be banned.

Of course, even if Korea is a vassal state of the empire, the empire also has troops stationed in Korea, but it is not good to send troops directly for no reason, which damages the image of the empire.

However, the fact that the empire does not intervene directly does not mean that it cannot intervene.

Concubine Min also has a large opposition in North Korea, and the deposed Li Yuying is the core of the opposition.

After receiving instructions from China, Yuan Baoheng, the imperial minister in Korea, quickly contacted Li Yuying and other opponents and encouraged them to oust Concubine Min from power.

Of course, there are also conditions for the empire, and for the Koreans, most of these conditions are conditions for losing power and humiliating the country. (To be continued.) )