Chapter 84 Modernization of Government

The method of treasure banknotes in the Yuan Dynasty is actually to keep the seal buried. Printed banknotes in large quantities, and even in small denominations. It is used in place of copper coin trading. The management of Jiaozi in the Southern Song Dynasty was more scientific. First of all, there has been recycling, and the price of treasure banknotes has been controlled, and when the price of treasure banknotes is low, a large number of materials will be released in the market to buy back, so that treasure banknotes can maintain prices.

However, the war funds of the Southern Song Dynasty were too large. Big enough to destroy this fragile fiscal system.

Jia Yidao's public land law forcibly expropriated land in the south of the Yangtze River, in essence, to fill the big hole in Jiaozi. As a result, it can't be sustained.

Although they all collapsed, the Southern Song Dynasty knew how to play with paper money, but it couldn't be finished. And the Yuan Dynasty was naked in accumulating wealth.

And the treasure banknotes of the Ming Dynasty are almost a copy of the treasure banknotes of the Yuan Dynasty.

What does it mean to be self-sufficient in the treasury without harming the people? This thing hurts the people the most.

After all, most of the dignitaries and nobles knew about the depreciation of the treasure money in advance, but the ordinary people were the least well-informed. Most of the losses from the depreciation of treasure money will fall on these people.

It's just a cry without tears.

He Xi said: "Your Majesty, treasure money is a university question. Collateral is generally required. The last collateral is gold and silver? ”

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly asked curiously and said, "I remember, you also brought a few banknotes." Do you have collateral for your banknotes? ”

He Xi didn't know how to answer for a while.

Monetary theory in the twenty-first century is much richer than it is in this era. It is estimated that even if he explained to Zhu Yuanzhang the United States, how to use paper money, this business. Domination of the world. Zhu Yuanzhang will not believe it.

He Xi said: "The future currency is already the national credit currency. It represents the credit of the state. The state has a special department to administer it. Any fluctuations in the currency will be noticed. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang did not pay attention to the former, but to the latter. Because there is only one printing agency for Daming treasure banknotes, Baoquan Bureau. As for after printing, sorry, almost no one cares. Is it the household department Shangshu Guan?

There is also no special agency in the departments under the Ministry of Households.

Maybe the matter of treasure money can be discussed in the court. But there is no agency specifically responsible. Zhu Yuanzhang also felt that there should be such an institution at this moment.

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "What is the department in charge of banknotes in later generations? ”

He Xi said: "It is the central bank, and he is responsible for how many treasure banknotes are printed and how many treasure money are recycled. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang secretly said in his heart: "The central bank." With this word in mind, he said, "Don't talk about this, let's move on." ”

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't want to hear about this topic.

On the one hand, there are many things that Zhu Yuanzhang doesn't understand very well. He needs to catch up on more lessons. On the other hand, Zhu Yuanzhang just wanted to get a directional concept from He Xi today. How to do it, Zhu Yuanzhang has to think about it himself.

After all, He Xi immediately saw a wide range of things, but after all, he had not experienced many things, and he didn't know enough about Daming. The plans he made were almost always written out of place.

It's like a financial problem.

In Zhu Yuanzhang's view, it is not easy to move.

Zhu Yuanzhang has built this financial system for several years, and now he doesn't need it. Zhu Yuanzhang himself was unwilling. The lack of financial autonomy at the local level is a disadvantage or a benefit to the imperial court.

It's also something that I think about over and over again.

In He Xi's view, this is a disadvantage. Although Guo Huan is a bastard, the problem Guo Huan said is not non-existent. All aspects of financial expenditure have been allocated in a clean manner. If you want to do something, you need money, how to get money? It's all a problem.

But in Zhu Yuanzhang's view, this is not the case.

This is where the question begins.

What is a good officer?

In He Xi's view, it is for the people to make decisions. For the benefit of the people.

But in Zhu Yuanzhang's view, no, it should be among traditional Confucianism, and if you don't make trouble, you are a good official.

Why? Because the so-called deeds and achievements of most officials are useless. It also requires the people to pay the price for their deeds.

What Zhu Yuanzhang wanted was a sustaining government, and He Xixia meant to equate the functions of the government with the governments of later generations, and he was an all-rounder. A government that does almost everything.

The gap between the two is a world of difference.

In terms of system, Zhu Yuanzhang never thought about letting the officials below do anything big. Just pacify the people. Indoctrination is the first priority of the magistrate. And what do you want so much money for locally?

Zhu Yuanzhang, who was very suspicious, said that he wanted to rebel?

So, is it intentional or unintentional that magistrates are financially constrained?

As far as He Xi is concerned, he can still say three days and three nights in terms of financial complaints.

However, since Zhu Yuanzhang didn't let him say it. He Xi naturally continued to say below. He Xi said: "The next step is to modernize the government. ”

Actually, He Xi said that these are logical.

First of all, it is necessary to complete military modernization and stabilize the situation in the DPRK. Then solve the problem of fiscal modernization, so that the imperial court has more resources at its disposal. Then, there is the modernization of government.

"The so-called modernization of government. In fact, it is a drastic reform of the current imperial court. He Xi said: "Because, this system cannot adapt to future development. ”

"First of all, the management ability of the imperial court, the diversion of officials, in fact, it is the officials who really do things in the court. But the officials did not pay enough attention. and even politically discriminated against. Many officials have to commit crimes in order to have enough income. Your Majesty should know this. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "The foot teeth of the plantain shop, if you are not guilty, you should also be killed." ”

The so-called tooth is the ya. It means the official service.

The officials in various places are like wolves and tigers, poisoning the people. Although these people have little power. But for ordinary people, the power is boundless. There is simply no way to fight.

Zhu Yuanzhang begged everywhere back then, and he had seen and heard a lot of evil things in this generation.

Even if he became the emperor, he purged the officials several times. But how much is it cleared up below? Zhu Yuanzhang didn't dare to have too optimistic conjectures.

"So, the first thing to do is that the officials are one. Let the officials be selected from among the officials. Let people who can really do things. Become a minister of the Ming Dynasty. ”

As soon as Zhu Yuanzhang heard this suggestion, he frowned and said, "It's not impossible to let the officials be officials. But this generation is morally corrupt. Not directly ministerial. ”

In the Hongwu Dynasty, there was a shortage of people in all aspects. There are many officials who have been promoted to the rank of official. If the official has performed well for nine consecutive years, he can become an official. Although he can't be a big official. Later, after the imperial examination flourished. But there was no more.

The reason is simple. The imperial examination system requires a large number of official positions. How can it be allowed to be encroached upon by officials who are from official backgrounds?

Zhu Yuanzhang discriminated against the entire group of officials, which also corresponds to the previous step of the plantain shop, and he should be killed if he is not guilty.

"Your Majesty." He Xi said: "What if all the officials have to take the exam every time they enter? ”

Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned for a moment and said, "Do you have to take the test every time you enter?" ”

"Yes." He Xi said: "The reason why officials are discriminated against is that they are generally good and bad. But it has to be. It is said that the prefectural order is a pro-people official, but what really touches the people? These are the officials. ”

"To govern is to govern. Courtesy, righteousness and shame, the four dimensions of the country, the four dimensions are not open, and the country is destroyed. Now the entire system of officials, is there courtesy, righteousness and shame at all? Maybe there are some. But by no means much. ”

"If the problem of the whole system of officials is not solved. Can Daming's problem be solved? ”

"We need to solve the problem of the clerks. On the one hand, break the barrier between officials for promotion. On the one hand, it is necessary to improve the overall quality of the officials. And in the world, the highest quality is the reader. ”

"Introduce them into the system of officials, and use a period of time to renew them. Wouldn't it be good to let them become the fresh blood of the Ming Dynasty? ”

"The fierce general must be sent to the army, the prime minister must start from the state department, if someone can step by step from the official to the ministry, it must be a talent."

After Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he couldn't help but hit the stock with his hand, and secretly said in his heart: "That's right." How I didn't think of it. ”

In Zhu Yuanzhang's view, this is a good alternative to the imperial examination.

Why?

What is the biggest feature of the imperial examination? It's to win over readers. Give the people a way to rise.

Now let the scholars start as officials. Although it offended a lot of scholars. But to win over more ordinary readers. Among the people who read the world. Is it because there are more scholars or doctors, or are there more ordinary readers?

Naturally, it's the latter. Let these readers have a way out. They won't make trouble.

And those scholars can't make a fuss.

And even Zhu Yuanzhang had to admit it. Who is the person with the highest quality in Daming? Is it a reader? In a situation where the vast majority of the population is illiterate. It's good to be literate. And the reader doesn't care what he reads. It's all available.

And most of the low-level readers are actually very practical. They don't care too much about Zhu Zixue, science, and even Confucianism. I don't care too much about where the Taoist system is.

Zhu Yuanzhang loves and hates a talented and virtuous person like Song Lian, but he is not the same heart as himself. And if the reader is selected in this way. There is certainly nothing to say about the ability to do things. In other aspects, it is estimated that it is not so persistent.

However, almost instantly, Zhu Yuanzhang thought of a question.

It is not because of the strong resistance of the officials as one, nor is it because of the resistance brought by the substitution of the imperial examination. As long as Zhu Yuanzhang makes up his mind, these things can be solved. The problem is a problem that cannot be solved.

That's the money.

If the officials are one, they will pay the officials.

And how many officials does Daming need? This is a number that Zhu Yuanzhang didn't dare to think of, and there are one or two hundred people in ordinary small counties. There are more than 1,000 counties, hundreds of prefectures, and 300 health centers across the country. In addition, the central yamen at all levels.

This number is astronomical. Even surpassed the Guards.

After all, in later generations, it is normal for civil servants to exceed the number of military personnel.

This is completely unacceptable to Zhu Yuanzhang.