Treasury bonds, although a new term, are not new at all.

From ancient times to the present, it is not uncommon for the imperial court or the emperor to "borrow", but the final result is almost always a breach of contract, and even the largest default event of this century has occurred in this dynasty.

In the process of raising troops to seize the throne, Zhu Di borrowed troops from Zhu Quan, the king of Ning, who had a heavy army, because his own troops were too weak, and personally promised Zhu Quan, the king of Ning, to divide the world equally after the matter was completed.

For half the world, this is an immeasurable wealth, and it is no wonder that Zhu Quan, the king of Ning at that time, would be tempted.

It's just that after Zhu Di captured Nanjing City, the matter of dividing the world equally was no longer mentioned at all, and even Zhu Quan, the king of Ning, did not dare to speak up, watching Zhu Di breach the contract.

In the end, Zhu Quan was also arranged to leave the fiefdom and change the title to Nanchang.

It can be seen that even if the high imperial power is dishonest and breaches the contract, even the prince does not dare to squeak. In this feudal dynasty, once the emperor defaulted, who would dare to collect debts from the emperor?

If the emperor is weak, there may still be a little hope, but since Hongji ascended the throne, he is worthy of the title of tyrant, even if he is a relative of the emperor, he has not shown mercy.

Once Emperor Hongzhi chooses to break the contract of dishonesty, all the rich families in the capital can only consider themselves unlucky, and the three million taels they have worked so hard to accumulate can only be wasted.

"Your Majesty is a gentleman who is true to his word, and our important ministers are not cheated and deceived, and one cent of interest a year is already a favor to the people! Ahem...... If the Ministry of Household Affairs is unable to fully issue the task of treasury bonds, then it is a dereliction of duty on the part of all the officials of the Ministry of Households! Wan An sat here with his old body in attendance, but he was qualitatively about the national debt.

The sound reached the attic, and the smell of tea rose from here.

Zhu Youzhi reached out and picked up the teacup handed over by Han Youying, and took a small sip gently.

He knew that the results of the investigation of the national debt were the people's doubts about his creditworthiness, and now he felt a little relieved to see Wan An sheltering himself in this way.

It's just a pity that Wan An's current body is obviously wrong, even if he wants to reuse this old Shoufu all the time, but he still has to get the consent of God.

Although he has no intention of defaulting, he understands the scruples of his subjects.

Compared with the temptation of that interest, the emperor and the imperial court as the object of the loan are too powerful, and the risk factor of their loss of principal is indeed not low.

If he really doesn't believe in his words and becomes the second Zhu Di, these people can only eat Coptis dumbly.

The clay people have three points of fire, not to mention that the household department has been doing its best.

Li Si faced Wan An's accusation, his face suddenly gloomy, but he hated this old Shoufu who didn't have a backache when he stood and spoke.

Wu Yu, the right attendant of the household department, knew that Hongji was indeed a king who believed in his word, and immediately said: "What Lord Motosuke said is very true, the issuance of treasury bonds is indeed a favor to the people, but now the people are really worried about the default of the imperial court. I am afraid that a single yamen in the household department may not be able to dispel the concerns of the people, so we need all yamen to cooperate together to build momentum, and I would like to ask you to give advice! ”

At this point, it is useless to shirk responsibility, and the current plan is to discuss a countermeasure and come up with an effective plan.

After so many supreme meetings, in fact, the solutions to many difficult problems were not necessarily proposed by the officials of the ministry, but were the result of collective wisdom.

That's why he chose to take a little responsibility first and pull everyone in at the same time.

Hey?

Jia Jun and other officials of the Ministry of Industry originally sat on the Diaoyutai high, but they didn't want this small household servant to drag them into the water together, and now this trouble is evenly distributed on all of their heads.

Wan An saw that Wu Yu took the initiative to take responsibility, and his face suddenly eased a lot.

He Qiaoxin, the secretary of the Criminal Department, hated Wu Yu for being clever, and said with a smile: "Cooperation? You can simply let the officials of the six ministries subscribe together! ”

The speaker was unintentional, the listener was intentional, and a spiritual light suddenly flashed through everyone's minds.

Li Yu, the secretary of the ministry, reacted the fastest, and even said, "Huh? That's a good way to do it! ”

"If we take the lead, it will really be exemplary!"

"Yes, He Shangshu's method is really a good recipe!"

"If that's the case, I'm willing to subscribe to the treasury bonds issued by the household!"

……

After thinking about "He Qiaoxin's proposal," the officials such as Li Si, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, suddenly lit up, but they knew that it was indeed a good measure for their group of important ministers to take the lead in purchasing treasury bonds.

"This ...... That's not what I meant! ”

He Qiaoxin, the secretary of the Criminal Department, was completely dumbfounded when he saw the reaction of the people around him, and shouted innocently in his heart.

He obviously wanted to ridicule the cleverness of Wu Yu, the right attendant of the household, just now, but he wanted to drag them into the water together, but who knew that he had become a contributor.

Wang Yue sat quietly on the side alone, seemingly out of place with these six officials.

He has now fully integrated into the role of the Imperial History of the Left Capital of the Imperial Palace, with a pair of extremely sharp eyes, and all preparations have captured the change in He Qiaoxin's expression.

Since returning to the capital, he has conscientiously fulfilled the duties of the imperial history of the left capital of the Imperial Palace, so he can clearly see the current situation of the court.

Although the officials of the imperial court seem to be in harmony now, he has a faint feeling that the twenty people here are not united, at least this He Qiaoxin, the secretary of the criminal department, is a hidden danger.

Based on his observations, the emperor must have seen that He Qiaoxin, the secretary of the Criminal Department, was not a real loyal minister, and even wanted to pull his hind legs, but he didn't know why the emperor still kept He Qiaoxin.

Of course, none of these matters were under his control, and his main responsibility was to supervise the hundred officials and present the incriminating evidence collected by the prosecutor's office to the emperor.

The wind and snow outside have subsided, and this fiscal meeting is nearing its end.

Although the theme of this meeting is to solve the shortfall of 3 million, what is more important is the budget for next year, and strive to spend the money on the best part of the government.

The Ministry of Rites cut some of the expenses for the sacrifice.

The military headquarters began to check the accounts of the various guard posts.

The Ministry of Industry halted some unimportant sacrificial projects.

……

The officials of the six yamen departments all came prepared, conducted a corresponding inventory of their yamen's unreasonable expenditures, and strived to plug some loopholes.

As for the next year, the main tasks of the imperial court are the control of the Yellow River, the development of the state, the voyage of the Zhiyuan treasure ship, and of course, the Luzon mining plan, which is only owed to the east wind.

Although the Ming Dynasty still had various ills, and now the forces hostile to Emperor Hongzhi within the dynasty were very strong, the entire dynasty was trying to seek development.

"The ministers are retiring, long live our emperor, long live, long live!" Seeing that the matter was almost the same, Li Yu and other officials immediately saluted respectfully.

Guo Yong, who was standing next to the dragon chair, waved the dust whisk in his hand, and then conveyed his will: "Elder Wange, please stay, others can leave!" ”

Li Yu and other officials glanced at the cabinet chief assistant enviously, but they saw that this conscientious old chief assistant had been sick and had taken up his post so far, and there was not much hostility in their hearts.

Putting aside the inherent prejudices, Wan An is indeed a very competent first assistant.

Zhu Youzhi saw the courtiers below leaving one after another, so he gently put down the teacup in his hand, then got up from the comfortable recliner and walked down the stairs.

"Ahem...... The old minister greets Your Majesty, long live my emperor, long live, long live! Wan An had already ushered in the staircase and knelt down very excitedly.

Zhu Youzhu gave Liu Jin a look, and asked with concern: "Elder Wange, you haven't recovered from this illness yet, so you shouldn't come here today!" ”

Liu Jin had already stepped forward, and he was about to help Wan An up.

"The old minister's crippled body is not angry, he is ashamed of His Majesty's Longen, and please punish His Majesty!" Wan An was already in tears at the moment, and he looked very guilty and tilted his head.

Zhu Youzhi knew that Wan An was indeed a loyal minister, at least he had a belief in the emperor, and he sighed secretly in his heart: "You don't have an incurable disease, you only need to cooperate with the imperial doctor to treat it, and you will definitely be cured!" You don't have to worry about your position, the position of the first assistant will always be reserved for you, but after the next year, I will add a new member of the cabinet, and then let Xu Qiong, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, enter the cabinet to balance Liu Ji. ”

Although he didn't plan to replace Wan An, but now the cabinet is all in charge of Liu Ji, which is not in line with his own checks and balances, so it is wise to add new members.

Xu Qiong, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, has a relatively mediocre talent, but he is still loyal to himself, and he is the most suitable third person in the cabinet.

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid the old minister won't be able to stand it, so the old minister wants to offer this policy of governing the country and controlling the ministers to Your Majesty!" Wan An reached out and took out a notebook from his sleeve, looking very serious.

Guo Yong just saw it very clearly, and Wan An was ready to leave with everyone.

If it weren't for His Majesty's words to let him stay, maybe this book wouldn't have been submitted. Of course, this is a kind of villain speculation on his part, and now the emperor has undoubtedly knocked out all the extraneous branches.

Zhu Youzhu was not happy when he looked at the book offered, but looked at Wan An seriously: "Wan Ge Lao, you want to know my wishes." I need you to help me govern the country, so you have to keep alive and not think about leaving me! ”

"Your Majesty, this book is placed here here first! If the old minister is well, then please return the seal to the old minister, so is it good? Wan An was very moved and immediately proposed a compromise plan.

Zhu Youzhu is not a mother-in-law, so he immediately handed the book to Guo Yong: "Seal this book, and return it to Wange Lao in the spring of next year!" ”

"Yes!" Guo Yong knew that this was the agreement between the two monarchs and ministers, and he looked respectful and authentic.

Zhu Youzhu left Wan An behind to discuss important matters, and asked straight to the point: "Elder Wan Ge, I don't know what you think of the law of the officials of the six ministries taking the lead in subscribing to treasury bonds?" ”

"This method seems to be very feasible, but I am afraid that the effect is far less than expected!" Wan An can be said to be the best candidate for the first assistant in this era, and he seems to have a glimpse of the essence at a glance.

Although the method of subscribing to treasury bonds by important ministers of the imperial court is very good, there is actually a big problem here, that is, how much is the subscription amount of these important ministers?

Just like the management of a listed company buys back shares, if the management comes up with hundreds of millions of funds to repurchase, this move is undoubtedly very optimistic about the prospects of their own company, and it can naturally have a positive effect.

If the entire management only takes out tens of thousands of yuan, it will be meaningless, not only can not stimulate the sentiment of shareholders, but also the market will be used as a bearish signal.

Combined with the current actual situation, it is very difficult for the officials of the six ministries to subscribe in large amounts.

Whether it is for their official reputation or for their wealth not to be exposed, they dare not make a bird, and the biggest possibility is to express it a little.

After all, the current income of the imperial court is very low, and if you take out thousands of taels to subscribe, then where does this large amount of silver come from, it is easy to be regarded as a corrupt official.

On the contrary, although the officials in the capital did not directly embezzle the public funds of the imperial court, they did not really have any clean officials.

It's just that the important ministers of the six ministries only make a small statement, so let alone driving the people to subscribe enthusiastically, it is likely to discourage more people.

Zhu Youzhu had already realized this problem just now, but he had already made up his mind and said: "Wan Ge Lao, I plan to let a courtier subscribe for a lot of money, but I don't know who is suitable?" ”

"If this is the case, the most suitable candidate is probably only He Qiaoxin, the secretary of the Criminal Department. He Qiaoxin was born in a famous family, and his father He Wenyuan was the original secretary of the ministry, and He Qiaoxin had a clear name in Shilin. If he comes forward, one property has a source, and the other can use his fame to call on Shilin to subscribe, not to mention that this plan is the first to be proposed by him! Wan An thought for a while, and then gave a name.

At present, most of the important ministers of the imperial court are from ordinary families, and because they are too close to the emperor, their official reputation is not good, and they even leave a bad reputation.

It's just that He Qiaoxin, whether it is his background or status, has a strong appeal in Shilin, so he is the most suitable one for many important ministers of the Six Ministries.

Zhu Youzhi realized that He Qiaoxin was indeed the best candidate, so he nodded lightly and said: "Since this is the case, then he will lobby and let He Qiaoxin come forward to subscribe for a large amount." Let's set a benchmark first, and then imagine selling the three million taels of treasury bonds! ”

Although he doesn't like the powerful and Qingliu, the current wealth is controlled by these people, and now if he wants to raise three million taels, he actually has to rely mainly on this group.

The reality is so helpless, even the emperor who is high in the sky sometimes has to make a little compromise with the group that controls the wealth of society.

I only hope that these people can sell their face and obediently subscribe to the first batch of treasury bonds since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, so as to achieve a win-win situation.

Since the New Year was just a few days away, and it was urgent to raise funds to mine the Luzon gold mines, the Ministry of Households also officially launched the Hongzhi Treasury Bonds.

The face value of each treasury bond is 10 taels, and a total of 300,000 bonds have been issued, and the coupon interest of each bond is 10%. If it expires next year, the imperial court will need to pay a total of 3.3 million taels.

"The interest rate is quite high, but who dares to ask the emperor for debts?"

"Not to mention whether you can mine gold or not, even if you have money, you may not be able to pay it!"

"Yes, how many people went to Yihong Mansion and said that they wanted to redeem themselves, but they didn't want to admit it when they went to bed!"

……

In the face of the sudden push of the imperial court for the national debt, although the 10% interest offered was tempting, the reaction of the people in the capital was the same as that investigated by the Ministry of Household earlier, and they were still worried that their emperor would default.

In fact, this kind of worry is very normal, and now the emperor is probably willing to fulfill the contract, but seeing 3.3 million taels when it expires next year is probably another attitude.

According to the original plan, the important officials of the six ministries took out real money to subscribe to dispel the doubts of the people, but things suddenly changed in a different way.

He Qiaoxin, the secretary of the Criminal Department, who originally pinned high hopes, not only did not carry the benchmark banner of the subscribers, but only subscribed for one treasury bond, which immediately cast a shadow on the issuance of treasury bonds by the imperial court.

(End of chapter)