"132 years ago, Kublai Khan told the world with the "Edict of the Founding of the People's Republic of China", taking the meaning of the Great Qianyuan in the "Book of Changes", and the founding of the country was called the Great Yuan."

"The first question faced by this country with hundreds of thousands of armor and an incomparably vast territory after the founding of the country is, what to use as currency?"

"This choice will undoubtedly profoundly affect the fate of Dayuan in the future."

"Okay, now the multiple-choice question is here, giving you a chance to mock being the emperor. If you were the ruler of the Great Yuan, which of the following would you choose as your currency? Note that the Southern Song Dynasty had not yet perished at this time. ”

Jiang Xinghuo said the option with a little smile, as if he was inducing.

"Gold, silver, copper coins, banknotes."

"At least pick one."

Li Jinglong fell into deep thought when he heard this.

Gold can be ruled out in the first place, and since ancient times, there has been no dynasty in China that used gold as a currency in circulation.

China was extremely scarce in gold mines, which made it very valuable, and all the gold mines were firmly controlled by the imperial court.

From mining, melting and smelting, to casting and use, gold is not accessible to ordinary ordinary people at all. It is the rich and noble family in the county who marries their daughters, and it is only a few gold ornaments at most, and most of these dowries are passed down from generation to generation, and few local tyrants are willing to build new ones.

As for the imperial court using gold to mint gold coins, it can be, not that no dynasty has done so, but it is generally used to reward ministers.

Gold coins are used in private circulation. Haven't you heard the story of "The Child's Treasure Bears Gold and Walks in the Downtown Area"?

Even if you haven't heard of it, you should always understand the truth of "the husband is not guilty, but he is guilty".

The use of gold coins is purely a challenge to people's moral bottom line.

And the moral bottom line, it is generally best not to challenge, because once challenged, it is difficult to imagine how flexible people's moral bottom line will be.

As for silver, silver is stored and mined in more quantities than gold, but the amount is also limited.

Like gold, the value of silver in the hearts of the common people is no problem, and everyone recognizes this thing.

However, in addition to the problem of small production of silver, there is also an important problem, that is, there is no unified weight and fineness standard for this thing.

Speaking of which, we must be grateful for the merits of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the ages, and it was Qin Shi Huang's unified currency that made "Qin half two" a custom. In the future, whether it is "Han five baht" or "Sui five baht", there is always a unified weight standard.

- but not silver.

Therefore, silver is very unsuitable for the daily small transactions of the people, but suitable for large transactions, because in the scene of large transactions, dozens of dollars have to be carried by a strong man, and thousands of dollars have to be pulled by a carriage.

As a result, silver is used as a secondary currency at most.

Li Jinglong ruled out gold and used silver as an alternative.

In the secret room next door, the explanation given to Zhu Di by Xia Yuanji, the head of the household, seemed to be more professional and meticulous.

"Your Majesty, at that time, the two rivers (Hebei and Hedong), Guanzhong, and Shandong, which were controlled by the Yuan Dynasty, did not produce copper or only produced a small amount of copper. The coinage and smelting yards controlled by the Yuan Dynasty were all located in the heart of Henan, which was inherited from the Jin Dynasty. If copper was transported from the Western Xia hometown of Longyou (now the Baiyin region of Gansu), the cost of the money produced was extremely high. ”

"In the Jin Dynasty, the lack of copper has been very serious, when the Lianghe area 'money shortage' is very serious, the Jin Dynasty was attacked by Mongolia and the Southern Song Dynasty on both sides, the lack of copper materials is really unable to solve, can only launch paper money to slow down the money shortage."

Zhu Di nodded knowingly and said, "So the choice of paper money for the founding of the Yuan Dynasty was actually a last resort?" ”

"It's not all." Xia Yuanji added, "In fact, the acceptance of paper money was relatively high in the Northern and Southern Song Dynasty at that time, so there was no need to worry about being rejected by the people. ”

"And"

"If you have something to say, say it." Zhu Di didn't care.

"To tell the truth, although the Mongols were barbaric and brutal, thirsty for killing and warlike, the Yuan Dynasty was actually relatively developed in terms of astronomy, calendar, mathematics, and economic assistance to the people, and the early Yuan people were also quite enlightened and dared to try anything."

Zhu Di was not angry when he heard this, but affirmed it: "That's right, back to artillery and gunpowder, aren't these all used by the Mongols?" So in terms of currency, the Yuan Dynasty chose paper money, not only because of the lack of copper, but also because the people could accept it, so they had the courage to try it? ”

"That's probably the kind of mentality." Xia Yuanji bowed slightly.

Just as Zhu Di and Xia Yuanji were talking in the secret room, Zhu Gaoxu and Li Jinglong in the wall also made their own choices and said the 'Yuan Dynasty currency' they chose.

Li Jinglong, the soldier on paper, said confidently.

"If I were the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, then I would choose to use copper coins as the main currency, and choose silver as auxiliary coins without prompting me, people with a little common sense know that there was a shortage of copper in the north at that time, and there was a 'money shortage', and I chose this for my reasons."

Zhu Gaoxu frowned when he heard this, people with a little common sense know it, why don't I know?

Good boy, you scold me for having no common sense, don't you?

Zhu Gaoxu glared angrily.

Li Jinglong also reacted, shrunk his neck and continued to say his reason.

"From a military point of view, when the Yuan Dynasty was established, the Southern Song Dynasty Jiannan Xichuan Road had been lost, and only the Jiannan Dongchuan Road was supported by the mountain city defense system built by Yu Jue, and its purpose was only to hold half of Sichuan and prevent the Mongolian army from flowing down the Yangtze River."

"The Huainan defense line, starting from Han Shizhong and Liu Qi in the Southern Song Dynasty, has been in operation for hundreds of years, relying on the criss-crossing river network and the absolute superiority of the naval army, forming an iron wall that cannot be broken through head-on."

"Therefore, among the three lines of defense relied on by the Southern Song Dynasty, the only relative weakness was the Jinghu Theater under the jurisdiction of Yue Fei in the past, with Xiangfan as the center."

"Since I am the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, then I will definitely choose to use copper coins to continue to top for a few years, and then destroy the Southern Song Dynasty, all the southern provinces are full of copper mines, and the problem of money shortage caused by copper shortage will naturally be solved."

Jiang Xinghuo was stunned, this is an alternative way to solve the problem.

However, it is not a loophole for the other party, since it is already simulating the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty to choose the currency, there is naturally an option to postpone it for a few years, and wait for the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty to continue to mint copper coins on a large scale.

"You're smart, and you deserve to be my student." Jiang Xinghuo affirmed his choice, "If you become the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty will definitely be able to live for a few more years." ”

Li Jinglong was smug and glanced at Zhu Gaoxu as if demonstratively.

In front of Mr. Jiang, Zhu Gaoxu didn't bother to beat him.

Jiang Xinghuo turned his head and asked, "What about you?" ”

"I choose paper money as the main thing, supplemented by copper coins."

Zhu Gaoxu said sincerely: "Since there is a shortage of copper, gold and silver are really scarce, and the people can accept paper money, so it is naturally best to use paper money, but copper money is indeed safe, and it is excellent as auxiliary currency." ”

"Good, you're smart too."

Jiang Xinghuo Fu smiled again and asked, "Then have you noticed that your choice seems to be very familiar?" ”

"Familiar?" Zhu Gaoxu was at a loss for a while, and then woke up.

"This, isn't this the current monetary system of the Ming Dynasty?" Zhu Gaoxu patted his head and said, "Paper money is the main thing, supplemented by copper money." ”

"Yes, congratulations, I thought of going with Emperor Gao, the Taizu of the Ming Dynasty."

Jiang Xinghuo continued: "But the designers of the monetary system of the Yuan Dynasty were obviously more daring. ”

"The methods you envisioned were all proposed by officials of the Yuan Dynasty, but in the end, they were all rejected by Liu Bingzhong, who designed the system of the Yuan Dynasty. Liu Bingzhong suggested to Kublai Khan that only paper money should be used, and that copper coins for circulation should be stopped. ”

Kublai Khan unified the banknote law, changed the currency system, established a new monetary system, and abolished the copper coin system of the previous dynasty. There is only one currency in the country, that is, the paper money issued by the government of the Yuan Dynasty, called 'Zhongtong banknote'. ”

"During this period, because the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty were extremely careful in the operation and maintenance of the monetary system. Not only the establishment of a special department, the employment of a large number of skilled scholars, through the calculation of the number of strictly control the number of currency issued; At the same time, a banknote vault for gold and silver is set up, and paper money can be exchanged with gold and silver at the same value in a timely manner, and no official shall obstruct it; And strictly crack down on counterfeit banknotes, and counterfeiters are punished with capital punishment. These measures have effectively guaranteed the value of the 'Zhongtong Banknote' and established credibility in the hearts of the people. ”

Li Jinglong interjected: "Winning the trust of the people is like the story of Shang Ying's 'South Gate Standing Wood'. ”

Jiang Xinghuo nodded and said: "Kublai Khan and others are so cautious, the reason is very simple, this group of people is smart, and they saw how the last Jin Dynasty, which was desperate to print paper money, made the people lose their hearts, and then went to Kaifeng and trapped Caizhou. ”

The secret room next door.

Zhu Di was puzzled at this time, he turned his head and asked Xia Yuanjidao.

"Xia Shangshu, you also know, I. Bingguo is becoming less and less, and in the past, he was also a handsome man, and he paid less attention to government affairs, let alone the economy and the people. ”

Seeing that the emperor was so humble, Xia Yuanji hurriedly picked up his big red official robe and got up, saluted and said.

"Your Majesty asks, if there is any problem, the minister knows everything."

Zhu Di was a little embarrassed for a while, this embarrassment was not his own, but for his father Zhu Yuanzhang.

"When Emperor Taizu Gao formulated the Ming treasure money system, didn't he refer to Kublai Khan and Liu Bingzhong of the Yuan Dynasty to get this set? Aside from forging treasure money to kill the head, why don't I see that there are scholars in the household department who are skilled in mathematics to measure the amount of treasure money issued every year, nor do I see any treasure money that can be exchanged for gold and silver? ”

Listening to the emperor's question, Xia Yuanji was a little embarrassed, and he replied hesitantly: "Emperor Taizu Gao is wise and martial, and he must have his own considerations."

Hearing this, Zhu Di probably understood what was going on.

What to consider for yourself, yes, when my father formulated the treasure money system, he may not have thought about these things at all.

Zhu Di recalled Jiang Xinghuo's set of chessboard and rice, and knew that his father, Zhu Yuanzhang, must be the kind of person who does not study mathematics very deeply.

"That's not right!"

Zhu Di suddenly remembered something.

"When I was a child, I saw the banknotes of the Yuan Dynasty, and I also heard the folk "Drunken Taiping Xiaoling".

Zhu Di used his vicissitudes of life to sit on a chair and sing the nursery rhymes he had heard as a child.

"Dignified Yuan, traitorous dictatorship.

The root cause of the trouble is to open the river and change the money, causing thousands of red scarves.

The official law is abused, the criminal law is heavy, and the people are resentful.

People buy people, money buys money, how have you ever seen it?

Thieves are officials, officials are thieves, and fools and sages.

Alas, pitiful! ”

Xia Yuan Yoshiben wanted to brag out with his conscience, and His Majesty's singing voice was like a fairy sound.

But when the words came to his lips, Xia Yuanji really couldn't speak, so he had to give up.

"People buy people, money buys money!"

Zhu Di sighed.

"At the beginning of the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, the banknote law was so complete, there were departments responsible for calculation, some departments responsible for exchange, and some departments responsible for punishment, so why did it fall to the end of the Yuan Dynasty?"

"Think deeper." Zhu Di got up suddenly, "Daming treasure banknotes, the banknote system is not even as good as the Yuan Dynasty, will it be reduced to a piece of waste paper in a shorter period of time, causing 'thousands of red scarves'?" ”

"Your Majesty!"

Xia Yuanji, who had just sat back, was so shocked that he couldn't sit down anymore, so he got up and fell to his knees.

"Your Majesty, please take back the Word!"

"Say a few words casually." Zhu Di picked up Xia Yuanji with both hands, "Xia Shangshu doesn't have to be like this, I just think that the lessons of the previous car and the division of the rear car, the banknote method of the Ming Dynasty, can not repeat the mistakes of the Yuan Dynasty Since there are already the Yellow Turban Army and the Red Turban Army, I can't say that there will be any Green Turban Army and Blue Turban Army in the future, and they will ask for the lives of my descendants." ”

Xia Yuanji stood up in a panic, and after standing up, he took off his official hat with both hands, which meant that he wanted to resign.

"As a secretary of the household department, the minister can't solve problems for His Majesty, sit back and watch the corruption of the Ming banknote law, the minister is incompetent, and the minister is guilty of the crime!"

"Put it on!"

Xia Yuanji was indifferent, Zhu Di scolded again, and he was already angry, so Xia Yuanji put on his official hat.

Since the topic has been talked about here, Zhu Di asked with his hand: "Then today I will ask you, the head of the household, how much is the treasure banknote of the Ming Dynasty depreciating compared with when it was issued?" Don't take off your hat, I forgive you for your innocence. ”

Zhu Di originally thought that the Hongwu banknote method might be corrupt, but it shouldn't be so good, just taking the opportunity to inspect Xia Yuanji.

But this is really not a good idea, and I was shocked when I heard it.

The angry Zhu Di almost took back "forgive you for your innocence".

Xia Yuanji's voice was difficult: "In the seventh year of Hongwu, Emperor Taizu Gao ordered the establishment of the Treasure Money Lifting Division; In the eighth year of Hongwu, the province of Zhaozhongshu made the Ming treasure banknote to pass through the people, and the treasure banknote has always been equivalent to 1000 copper coins; In the twenty-three years of Hongwu, the treasure banknote can only be converted into 250 copper coins; In the twenty-seventh year of Hongwu, it was 160 Wen."

Xia Yuanji's voice became lower and lower in the end, and Zhu Di's face became more and more gloomy.

To put it mildly, if others may not believe it, Zhu Di has never thought about the depreciation of treasure money in the past few months since he ascended the throne.

And now as soon as I understand it, I find that it is simply shocking!

Could it be that the Ming Dynasty that he just took over will once again 'buy people, money buys money'?

No!

I will not allow it!

Zhu Di took a deep breath and covered the back of the chair with his five fingers.

"Does Xia Shangshu have a countermeasure?" Zhu Di asked in a deep voice.

Xia Yuanji opened his mouth to 'change money', but the nursery rhyme sung by Zhu Di "Opening the river to change the root cause of the banknote disaster, provoking thousands of red scarves" is still in his ears, how can he say it?

Xia Yuanji was silent.

Zhu Di was stunned, but said with relief, "I didn't expect that the heroes of the world can't compare to a Jiang Xinghuo who is not in the middle of the world. ”

Are they all policies proposed by Jiang Xinghuo?

Xia Yuanji's heart was beating, what kind of demon and ghost talent is this?

Cutting the domain, opening the sea, and apportioning into the mu, which policy is put in one day is a wonderful move that can leave a name in history.

But when it comes to the banknote law, no matter what else he is, as the head of the household department is in charge of a country's finances, his status and dignity are here.

was reprimanded by the emperor in person that the way of helping the people through the country was not as good as a prisoner in prison, even if this prisoner was insightful, Xia Yuanji finally couldn't help but refute it at this time.

"Your Majesty, I don't know that the policies that Your Majesty has been doing these days have been mentioned by this Jiang Xinghuo, but in any case, the minister thinks that Jiang Xinghuo will not be able to propose measures that can completely change the banknote law and have minimal drawbacks, otherwise, what is the use of asking us to wait for the ministers of the country?"

Seeing Xia Yuanji's unconvincing, Zhu Di was stunned.

"Yes, what is the use of you ministers? Let's listen to it and hear it in the end, Mr. Jiang may be able to say a way. ”

Xia Yuanji obviously didn't agree, he still stiffened his neck.

At this time, Zhu Gaoxu's humble voice came from the ceramic wall: "So what happened?" ”

This question is exactly what Zhu Di in the secret room wants to ask.

Jiang Xinghuo's flat voice also followed.

"What happened? We'll find out if we move on. ”

Update 12,000 words on the first day of listing, reward 6,000 for the guaranteed 6,000 + alliance leader, thank you again for the alliance leader "in the cloud", and ask for a monthly pass by the way!!

(End of chapter)