The financial problems of the imperial court are not optimistic.

The court really didn't have any money.

The court was cheeky and quietly borrowed money from the general private gang.

The general private gang demanded that the court return Zhu Zhaoding's money first.

The court was furious: "The money of the previous dynasty, go find the previous dynasty and pay it back!" ”

General Private Gang: "What's the difference between you?" The emperor is the prince of the Ming Dynasty, the ministers remain the same, the army remains the same, the people remain the same, and nothing remains the same. If the debt is eliminated once in another dynasty, then what is the meaning of 'debt'? As the saying goes, people don't die when they die. ”

The court continued to rage: "Get out! If we don't lend your money, we won't pay it back! ”

The people of the inner court found the emperor. There are some things that cannot be said at the court meeting. The inner court lived with the emperor, which was quite convenient.

Zhang Qiangsheng: "The harem spends too much money. Especially Park Qinghong. She not only spent Liaodong's money, but also the court's money. Your Majesty, the royal family is too wasteful now. Last month, the crown prince's birthday was celebrated in Chang'an. I said don't do this, you have to do this, and you wasted a million gold dollars. ”

The emperor said unhappily: "The crown prince is the foundation of the country, and the people must know it." When I die, the world is his. ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "I easily increased the tax several times, but the imperial court expenditure immediately increased several times, and everything is as usual." ”

Zhang Qiangsheng continued: "I suggest taking a few Dashi clans. ”

Zhao Yuyang: "Gyeonggi is a Dashi clan, do you want to bring down Yang Mingyang?" ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "It's not him. The imperial court is still inseparable from him for the time being. I'm talking about the other small clans in Gyeonggi - sparrow meat or meat. ”

Emperor: "No. You don't mess around. ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "Your Majesty! You don't let me rob the commoners, you don't let me rob the scholars, you don't want to save money yourself, and you don't want to make peace with the general private gang, so how can you let me make money? ”

Emperor: "I know you're doing it for my good, but I don't want to sacrifice so many people. That's the end of the matter, don't say any more. ”

The emperor waved his hand: "The meeting is dismissed!" ”

-

-

In June, Zhang Qiangsheng continued to toss, and finally there was another major development - the establishment of the Royal Printing House.

There are many book gangs in Chang'an, and they all have their own printing houses, but the technology is too low, and they are not comparable to the royal printing houses. Most of the book gang is engraving printing, a small part is movable type printing, and the royal printing house is - movable type printing under the control of the royal computer, everything is fully automated. People input data into the royal computer, which controls various machinery to automatically arrange movable type.

The paper of the Royal Printing House is a special paper, the dye is a special dye, and the technology is a special technology. Their paper and dyes are made from the branches and flowers of the "royal paper tree". This tree is particularly difficult to serve, it has no seeds, it can only be grafted, and it is particularly sensitive to temperature, pH, humidity, and technology. Zhang Qiangsheng dug up several tree trunks from the ruined royal printing house and re-propagated them into a large number of "royal paper trees".

In the beginning, the royal printing house came to make the decree. These decrees are more elaborate and more forgery-proof than last year's, and now the provinces can no longer resist them on the grounds that they cannot confirm the authenticity of the decrees.

Later, the Royal Printing House finally created the "Tang Dynasty Currency". The currency is red, which is different from the cyan color of the previous Ming Dynasty. There are three types of "Datang currency", copper dollars, silver dollars, and gold dollars, all of which are denominations of one yuan. Above is the head of Emperor Li Hongsi, the background is the imperial palace of West Chang'an, and the background behind is the holy mountain, the holy woman, in addition to the Heavenly Sword, the jade seal of the country, the divine crown, aircraft, tanks, warships......

Emperor Li Hongsi looked at the exquisite banknotes and said happily: "Finally, you can print money." People are poor, and there are a lot of them. ”

The ministers looked at each other.

Even people who don't have a little bit of monetary knowledge know this common sense - everyone has it, which means that everyone doesn't have it.

Zhang Qiangsheng said: "Your Majesty, this is not how currency is issued. We give them paper money, they give us metal money; They give us paper money, we give them metal money. Paper money was meant to replace metal money, and in the very beginning, they were interchangeable. ”

The emperor frowned: "What do you mean?" Can't give money directly to the people? ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "Definitely not!" How to give it directly? Give them money, and they just spend it for nothing? I can't even think about it! Who do we give and who don't we give? ”

The emperor nodded: "Go to the street to buy something, we spent this money." ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "Don't think about it, no one will sell us." What's the difference between this and robbery? ”

The emperor said unhappily: "How can it be a robbery? We give money. You use the money to buy something from someone else. ”

Zhang Qiangsheng sighed and said, "What if others don't sell it?" People won't admit it. Other people's things come from hard work, and we are printed, who will change them? ”

The emperor's voice aggravated: "The imperial court has decided that these money are real, why don't they admit it?" ”

Zhang Qiangsheng sighed again and said, "People will definitely not recognize it." If everybody recognized the money, they would. But this is new money, and people are waiting for 'everyone to recognize it', and the result is that everyone doesn't recognize it. ”

The emperor was a little angry: "This is rebellion!" What do you eat? So many imperial officials, so many troops! ”

Zhang Qiangsheng sighed for the third time: "That is 4.6 billion people rebelling together." Even if we can force it in Gyeonggi, they will all run away. If you really want to do this, you can't do it without killing a large number of people. ”

The emperor frowned and thought about things.

Zhang Qiangsheng said: "We should first confiscate the land of Gyeonggi and establish an invincible forbidden army ......"

The emperor said to him, "That's enough, don't talk to me about confiscating the land." ”

There was silence in the hall for a while.

-

-

Emperor: "What do you want you to eat?" Think of a way! How can I Datang not have my own banknotes? ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "There is another way, that is, we exchange paper money for metal money, and guarantee that we can exchange it back at any time, and ensure that we do not issue paper money indiscriminately." This requires us to have a lot of metal coins. This is called a margin. For example, in order for the imperial court to issue one million gold dollars, the royal bank must have one million gold dollars in metal. Although the court has no money, it is still possible to borrow a sum from the general private gang. ”

The emperor nodded: "This method is good. I can guarantee ah, promise not to spend their money. ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "Then what's the point of us?" What are you doing all this work for? ”

Emperor: "What do you mean?" We're not going to change it back? ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "It must be like this!" Which dynasty is not like this, and which dynasty does not print much money? ”

The emperor said unhappily: "Who said that? I will not compete with the people! ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "But this can't be done at all." ”

Emperor: "You say you can't do it?" ”

Zhang Qiangsheng looked around and nodded.

The emperor said to Zhao Yuyang: "You go and do it." How can I Datang not have my own currency! ”

Zhao Yuyang opened his mouth and didn't speak.

-

-

The imperial officials of the Ministry of Commerce of the Imperial Court took the ministers, officials, and troops to the bank of the bank gang.

As I said earlier, the Tang Dynasty did not have banknotes, because the imperial court did not issue banknotes – but this is not true, because the banks issued their own banknotes. In other words, Datang's banknotes were not issued by the imperial court.

There are countless types of banknotes, and there are also countless types of banknotes issued by them—or "exchange banknotes"—but there are five of the most popular: the Liaodong banknotes issued by the Liaodong General Bank Gang, the Zhongyuan banknotes issued by the Central Plains General Bank Gang, the Gyeonggi banknotes issued by the Gyeonggi General Bank Gang, the Jiangnan banknotes issued by the Jiangnan General Bank Gang, and the Lingnan banknotes issued by the Lingnan General Bank Gang.

These five "exchange notes" can be exchanged for metal coins at various banks at any time, so they are very reputable and popular.

Although some people in the imperial court have always asked the emperor to abolish them, even the imperial court cannot do without these bank gangs, because taxes and tributes in various places still need to rely on these "exchange money". If there is no "exchange banknote", then the dart gang can only rhyme with hundreds of carts of gold and silver or tens of thousands of grain trucks to Chang'an, which is not only expensive, but also quite unsafe.

In short, the people of the imperial court surrounded the main shop of the Gyeonggi General Bank Gang. The head shop is in Jin Street in Xi'an County. That street is full of banks. In other places, you can be considered rich if you carry a few silver dollars in your arms, but in Gold Street, you don't have dozens of gold dollars in your pocket, and you are embarrassed to walk on the street.

The Minister of Commerce of the Imperial Court took out a box of paper gold dollars and said, "The imperial court has ordered that one paper gold dollar be exchanged for one gold dollar, hurry up and exchange it!" ”

The shopkeeper said: "Master Bing, what money you want, even if you take it, it doesn't matter if it's hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands." But you can't all take all of our money. Actually, it doesn't matter if you take our money, because it's not our money, it's all our customers'. They have tens of millions of gold dollars in our bank, but that's their money. The court exchanged these paper money for our gold and silver, and our customers knew about it, and they would definitely come and withdraw the money. When they come to me to withdraw money, I go to other banks to withdraw money, and that is a run on hundreds of banks together. Do you believe it or not, Gyeonggi will be in chaos? Millions of people, they are not those civilians, they are all gentlemen! You took all the money from other people, how could they not work hard? ”

The Minister of Commerce was furious: "What nonsense! The emperor's orders, don't you listen? Come on, raid the house! ”

They are copying, and the two million county residents of Xi'an County are all surrounding! Not only from Xi'an County, but also from Greater Chang'an and Gyeonggi have come. Not only the county citizens, but also all kinds of gangs, and even court officials came.

The Minister of Commerce walked away with a few thousand people.

-

-

The emperor was furious.

Zhang Qiangsheng: "I said it a long time ago. The money from the bank is someone else's, and the court can't take it. Fortunately, there was no hard robbery, and if it did, the banking system would collapse; As soon as it collapses, it will be a real chaos in the world, even more chaotic than before. ”

Emperor: "Why are they like this?" ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "Currency exchange is ultimately about prestige and credibility. ”

Emperor: "Don't I have prestige and credibility?" ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "It's not that there isn't, but the subjects don't know that the emperor has it." We should ......"

He remembered something and shut up.

The emperor frowned and thought about things.

Zhang Qiangsheng: "It's better for us to print their money." The Royal Printing House can print everything, and the money from the banks is not a piece of cake. ”

The emperor was furious: "You have bad ideas all day long! We are the imperial court, let us print the money of the private gang, you are sorry! ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "Secretly, no one knows." ”

Emperor: "Don't say it! The court won't do this! Are not you wise men in your inner court? Hurry up and figure it out. ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "Paper money is low-cost, easier to keep, and easier to carry. In the end, there was not enough gold and silver, and paper money had to be used. The issuance of paper money by the imperial court is completely reasonable and legal. ”

Emperor: "Don't talk nonsense! I also know, I ask you the method. ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "What we do is just and right. Since it's the right thing to do, don't be afraid of people gossiping. Even if the world is in turmoil, the right thing to do must be done. We sent troops to force people to change, and the long pain is better than the short pain! ”

Emperor: "Another war?" ”

Zhang Qiangsheng nodded.

At this time, Yang Mingyang stepped forward and said, "Everything is voluntary!" Your Majesty, think twice, don't be the enemy of the world. I dare say that if you confiscate all the gold and silver in Gyeonggi, half of the people in Gyeonggi will be reduced, and the people will run away. It's still good, maybe it's going to happen, I can't think of it! ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "Hit out, hit wherever you go, Datang banknotes will be issued." When the world is over, the Datang royal currency is the only currency. ”

Yang Mingyang said to the emperor: "Look, in the final analysis, there is still a war!" ”

The emperor touched the beard of his chin and said, "Well, don't fight, let people volunteer." ”

I disdainfully thought, this is! What does it mean to "let" voluntary? Isn't that what people are "willing"! Another paradox!

Zhang Qiangsheng: "Everything in the world is mandatory. If there is voluntariness, it is only to make the coercion appear voluntary. ”

Yang Mingyang said to Zhang Qiangsheng: "Your thinking is really inferior! ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "Are you noble-minded? ”

Yang Mingyang: "Nobiler than you!" ”

Zhang Qiangsheng: "Then I'll leave this matter to you, okay?" ”

Yang Mingyang swallowed his foam and said to the emperor: "I think the key is to educate the people, let them know the emperor's painstaking efforts, and let them know the benefits of paper money!" ”

The emperor nodded: "Yes, I will teach you to do this." ”

The people in the inner court smiled at the prime minister.

So, the matter was handed over to the foreign court.

Hell it can be done! Swap gold and silver for your paper? People are not stupid!