Huang Zongxi said: "You just need to say where did the silver go?" ”

Ma Mingluo said: "The silver is all in the accounts of the industrial and commercial industry, the shipping and shipbuilding silver, the water conservancy and grain silver, the royal city and the various workshops, and they owe more than 50 million to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. ”

Huang Zongxi frowned and asked, "Why do they owe money and refuse to hand it over?" ”

"They don't have any money." Ma Mingluo smiled bitterly, "If they want to have silver, they will give it a long time ago." ”

"So the question is, where does the money go?" Huang Zongxi is already like a prisoner on trial, "More than 50 million silver, it can't disappear out of thin air, right?" ”

This Ma Mingluo is also a little hot.

You're Yao Jiang Huang Xiaozi, you're over, aren't you?

"Huang Taichong!" Ma Mingluo said angrily, "Are you trying a prisoner?" ”

"Master Ma, forgive me." Huang Zongxi hurriedly said, "Xia Guan just wants to ask for an understanding. ”

"Huang Zongxi, Ma Mingluo is afraid that this matter is not clear." Chongzhen interrupted the two, "However, I can tell you where the silver has gone. ”

Huang Zongxi said: "Please give me advice." ”

Ma Mingluo and other departments also pricked up their ears one after another.

Chongzhen said with a smile: "When I came ashore from the small wharf outside Qingliangmen this morning, I found that the shops along the street near the wharf were much more prosperous than at the beginning of the year, and there were many times more street vendors. ”

"It's not even the end of the year, and the people in Beijing are already preparing for the New Year."

"And if I'm not mistaken, the street near Qingliangmen used to be very deserted, and there weren't so many shops and vendors at the beginning of the year, right?"

Ma Mingluo said with a smile: "That's the case, Nanjing has been much more prosperous this year. ”

Fu Shan also said with a smile: "Shengshang, not only in the Qingliang Gate, but also in the streets and alleys near the Jinchuan Gate, the Shence Gate and the Dinghuai Gate, are also a lot more lively. ”

"It used to be a huge wasteland."

"But now, a lot of houses have been built."

Ma Mingluo said: "Most of the people living in that area are the scholars and family members of our Internal Affairs Office. ”

While he was talking, Zheng Zunqian, the big treasurer of the industrial and commercial industry, suddenly said: "Holy Lord, the minister has figured it out!" ”

"Zheng Zunqian, what do you want to understand?" Chongzhen asked with a smile, and the others also looked at it.

"Holy Lord, the minister wants to understand where the money went." Zheng Zunqian's eyebrows fluttered and said, "The silver has flowed into thousands of households in Beijing, oh no, it has flowed into the hands of 30 million people in eight prefectures and one prefecture in the south of the Yangtze River. ”

"I see!" As soon as Zheng Zunqian said this, Qian Xi, the big treasurer of shipping and shipbuilding, also reacted instantly.

In the end, it is a professional who deals with silver, Chongzhen just clicked slightly, and they reacted.

To put it bluntly, this is the lack of liquidity in the market, which leads to the breaking of the capital chain, so there is a shortage of money everywhere.

However, Ma Mingluo and Fu Shan and other things were still confused, and they still couldn't understand the key, and the principles of economics were still a little difficult for laymen to understand.

"What do you mean?" Xia Yunyi frowned and asked, "I don't understand." ”

Zheng Zunqian explained: "Yi Zhong, let me ask you if the people in Beijing are rich? ”

"That's right." Xia Yunyi said, "Since the industrial and commercial silver account has invested in the establishment of workshops from all walks of life, almost every household in Beijing has entered the workshop to work, and they have earned a lot of wages, but what does this have to do with the silver we are discussing?" How many taels of silver can the people have in their hands? ”

"Of course it does." Zheng Zunqian said loudly.

"Thirty million people, each person has ten taels of silver, that is 300 million taels!"

"I see." Xia Yunyi nodded, and then said, "But I don't seem to fully understand, but one thing I understand, that is, there is indeed no silver in the accounts of the various silver numbers and the Ministry of Internal Affairs." ”

Ma Mingluo also said: "It turns out that the silver has flowed into the pockets of the people, so it's no wonder. ”

Chongzhen asked again: "Is the price of goods on the market getting lower and lower now?" ”

"That's true." Speaking of prices, Zhu Shunshui instantly came to his senses, "Shengshang, the prices in the Jiangnan market have been half cheaper in the past year, and the price of rice has fallen to five dollars and one stone!" Many grain merchants were in a hurry, hoarding grain and not selling it, artificially raising grain prices to create a grain shortage, which is how the grain shortage in Songjiang came. ”

Chongzhen said with a smile: "The money supply in the market is insufficient, and the money is more valuable, which will inevitably lead to a decline in the price of daily necessities such as grain, rice, flour, and oil, which is still very understandable." ”

However, only a few people such as Zheng Zunqian and Qian Xi could barely understand.

Among them is the crown prince Zhu Cihong, because he has been in contact with the crown princess for a long time, he has made great progress in business.

Zhu Cihong frowned and said: "Father, if this situation is allowed to continue, I am afraid that it will be extremely unfavorable to the development of my industrial and commercial industry, should I think of a way?" ”

Chongzhen smiled and asked, "Prince, do you have any ideas?" ”

"It is possible to increase the mining of silver mines." Zhu Cihong thought for a while, and then continued, "You can also increase the sea trade with Xiyi, and exchange silk, tea, porcelain and other items for more silver." ”

"Prince, I'm afraid these are not enough." Xia Yunyi shook his head and said, "Our city has done calculations, and the total amount of maritime trade between Daming and Xiyi is only more than three million taels a year, which is only a drop in the bucket." ”

"Holy Lord, you can issue treasure money." Zheng Zunqian suddenly said, "Only treasure money can solve this dilemma." ”

"Treasure money? I'm afraid it's inappropriate. Zhu Cihong said worriedly, "My Ming treasure banknote has almost been reduced to waste paper now, and the gentry and the people are afraid that it will be difficult to accept another kind of treasure banknote." ”

Chongzhen said: "Of course, treasure money can't work, but silver tickets can." ”

"Silver ticket?" Zhu Cihong said blankly, "What does the father mean?" ”

Chongzhen said: "The meaning of the silver ticket is that it can be directly exchanged for silver bills, the silver ticket is exclusively issued by the royal silver number, and the royal silver number must reserve one or two silver in the silver treasury for every silver ticket worth one yuan. ”

"Wonderful!" Zheng Zunqian praised when he heard this, "In this way, the merchants and the gentry and the people will no longer have any worries, and they can use the silver tickets boldly and boldly, and once the credit of the silver bills is established, as long as the reserve of fifty percent or even forty percent of the silver is enough, it is enough to meet the needs of the officials and gentry and the people, so that the demand for silver will be greatly reduced, and there will be no shortage of silver in the market, and there will be no more dilemma that all silver numbers and even the internal affairs government are short of silver." ”

Chongzhen said that you are still too conservative, where can you use four or five percent of the reserves?

Once the credit of the silver ticket is established, the reserve fund of 20% is enough to deal with it, and it is impossible for the run to occur, even if it is really a run, there is nothing to worry about, and it is directly decoupled from the silver of the foot, and it is impossible for the gentry and the people who have been used to the silver ticket to go back and use the silver again.

Because silver tickets are much more convenient than silver.

It's just that there is no need to say these words.

Smiling, Chongzhen said: "In addition to the issuance of silver tickets, the silver in circulation on the market now is too messy, and the use of silver also needs to be weighed, which is really inconvenient, I think it is necessary to issue silver coins of uniform specifications and uniform fineness, and the amount of silver coins can be divided into three types, one yuan, five jiao and one jiao." ”

"One of the silver dollars is worth as much as one or two feet of silver."

"Five dimes are equal to five pennies of silver, and one dime is equivalent to one penny."

"In addition, the copper coins had to be minted again, and the value of the coins was divided into five cents and one cents."

"The previous copper coins can still be used, and ten copper coins are equivalent to one copper coin."

After a pause, Chongzhen said: "In the future, unminted silver will not be allowed to be used as coins in the territory of the Ming Dynasty, and if foreign merchants want to trade with the Ming Dynasty, they can only exchange gold or silver to the royal silver number for the equivalent amount of silver tickets or silver dollars, and then they can participate in the trade of goods." ”

Chongzhen's hand is big.

He went to collect seigniorage.

Moreover, what Chongzhen wants to collect is not only the seigniorage of the pseudo-Shun, Jiannu and the surrounding countries, but also intends to give the seigniorage of the entire world to the yuan.

Of course, this is a long time later.

For now, let's make silver tickets, silver coins, and copper coins first.

After saying this, Chongzhen said to Zhu Shunshui in the matter of the Heavy Duty Division: "Zhu Shunshui, tomorrow morning, you will be the owner of the bond printing workshop, I remember that it is surnamed Xu, right?" ”

"Yes, it's surnamed Xu." Zhu Shunshui hurriedly said, "She County bookseller Xu Guo." ”

"Yes, that's him." Chongzhen nodded and said, "You call him over, and then ask him to call the best inksmith and miniature carver in the printing workshop, and let's discuss the anti-counterfeiting method of the silver ticket." ”

"Yes." Zhu Shunshui said respectfully, "Tomorrow morning, the ministers will come over on time." ”

"Okay, now let's get down to business." Chongzhen turned his head to Ma Mingluo and said, "The family base of the Internal Affairs Office is about 300 million now, and the profit on the books this year is 50 million taels, right?" ”

"Yes." Ma Mingluo said, "The goods obtained by the saint from Yunnan are not counted. ”

"The goods obtained from Yunnan cannot be realized." Chongzhen said, "Those treasures are still on the way, and when they are transported back to Nanjing, they will have to be realized in March and April after the first month of next year." ”

The Wang and Hu families did not have the financial resources to directly buy the treasures worth 50 million taels.

Therefore, it must be necessary to wait until the Wang Hu family has disposed of most of the treasures before they can redeem the silver.

Ma Mingluo said again: "So, are the mansions and Zhuangtian under the names of the Huguang Domain, the King of Jingjiang and the Duke of Qianguo included in the register?" What is the price if it is included in the book? ”

If these mansions and farms are registered, they are also counted as profits of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

"Don't worry about these mansions and Zhuang Tian." Chongzhen waved his hand and said, "It's all handed over to the feudal officials of Guangxi, Yunnan and Huguang to pay for the cost of changing the land and returning to the river and relocating the town soldiers." ”

"Okay." Ma Mingluo nodded with some disappointment.

"Ma Qing, don't be disappointed." Chongzhen said with a smile, "Even if there are no mansions and Zhuangtian of these feudal kings in Guangxi, Yunnan and Huguang, the internal affairs government of Yunnan has also made money, I have already calculated, the internal affairs government of this battle only spent less than five million taels in total, but among the goods obtained from Yunnan, there are eight million taels of silver alone, in addition to various treasures worth 50 million taels, so the internal affairs government is profitable no matter how it is calculated." ”

At this point, Chongzhen finally understood why Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong were able to grow.

Because after letting go of your hands and feet, you can really make money by fighting, and you can make a lot of money.

The Duke of Qianguo was already so fat, Chongzhen really couldn't imagine how much silver and treasures Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong had snatched from the vassal kings of Henan, Huguang, Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Shanxi?

The combined value of these treasures is unimaginable.

Of course, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong are afraid that it will be difficult to realize.

"Holy Lord, it's the ministers who are greedy." Ma Mingluo said with a smile.

Waving his hand, Chongzhen asked again, "How is the ordnance prepared?" ”

Ma Mingluo hurriedly said: "Back to the Shengshang, 200 4-inch guns have been built, of which 20 have been taken to Yunnan by the Shengshang, and the other 180 have also been sent to Huguang, and a total of about 20,000 flintlock guns have been made, of which 15,000 have been sent to Huguang Jiao and the New Army, and the remaining 5,000 are still in the warehouse of the Ministry of Internal Affairs." ”

"200 4-inch guns, 20,000 flintlock guns are still a bit less." Chongzhen sighed, "This reserve is not enough to launch a large-scale Northern Expedition, but can only launch a small-scale raid and disturbance war." ”

Ma Mingluo hurriedly said: "Shengshang, the production capacity of each arsenal can be doubled this year, that is to say, by the end of next year, the new army will have 50,000 flintlock pistols plus 1,000 4-inch Hongyi cannons, and at that time, it will be able to have a dignified head-on battle with Jiannu." ”

"If you want to fight a decisive battle with Jiannu, you can't just have weapons, you have to have food."

Chongzhen said again: "Ma Qing, how much food has the Internal Affairs Office saved in total?" ”

Ma Mingluo's face became a little embarrassed: "Saint, there are only 400,000 stones of grain left, a decrease of 100,000 stones. ”

Zhu Cihong heard this and said: "Father, this matter depends on Erchen, it was Erchen who urgently transferred 100,000 stone of grain from the Internal Affairs Office to Songjiang Mansion to stabilize grain prices, but in the end, it was ......."

Chongzhen said: "In the end, all this grain was bought by grain merchants? ”

"I really can't hide anything from my father." Zhu Cihong said with some bitterness, "Father, those grain merchants are really treacherous, they specially hired people to line up in front of the rice shops designated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and in the end, the people who really wanted to buy rice couldn't buy rice at all, and all the rice fell into the hands of the grain merchants." ”

A similar scene three hundred years later floated in Chongzhen's mind, speculation.

In this way, the temperament of these merchants has never changed, and these people really dare to make any money, so it is no wonder that there are Jin merchants who secretly resell grain and intelligence to Jiannu.

Zhu Cijiong said again: "Father, it is better to directly give Jin Xuan, the governor of Yingtian, a central decree, and order him to dispatch the pacesetters of Caojiang Town to arrest these profiteers who are hoarding Juqi." ”

【Kneel and beg for a commuter pass】

(End of chapter)