my brother-in-law is the prince

Chapter 162 Chapter 160 Two: Jane is in the heart of the emperor

Silver...untold amount of silver...

Zhu Di finally understood the meaning of the bank.

He took a deep breath, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

If this matter can be achieved, it is far more meaningful than earning a million taels of silver.

only……

Zhu Di stared at Zhang Anshi and said, "There is an interest rate difference of three per cent in the middle. Although three per cent is not much, I was thinking, what should those who borrow money from the bank fail to pay?"

Regarding this problem, Zhang Anshi has thought of it a long time ago, and said: "This is easy, so borrowing has collateral. What is acceptable now is land, land, and mansion. In the future, I will find a way to expand it." The new collateral comes out. So...no matter what happens, the bank will not lose money."

Zhu Di asked in surprise, "The mortgage? The land?"

Zhang Anshi said: "Yes, and when evaluating the price, the mortgage price is often calculated at the lowest price, so...if you don't even pay back the money with such a low interest rate, the mortgage will be taken away by the bank, and the other party will have nothing to do. There's more to talk about."

Zhu Di frowned: "If that's the case... wouldn't it be..."

After all, Zhu Di is an emperor, not a pure merchant. He is not good at arithmetic, so to understand Zhang Anshi's meaning at this time, his brain must be running at high speed.

He said: "In this way, only those people who have land can borrow money. Those who don't have land are the people who need to borrow money the most. They just can't lend money?"

Zhang Anshi smiled: "Your Majesty, this is the most mysterious part of it. Your Majesty has heard of the words of Monk Zhu... Kongkong, right? The big families in those places have extremely high interest on the money they lend to ordinary people. Paying [-]% to [-]% more is considered conscientious, and besides that, there are nine times out of thirteen, and donkeys rolling around. Has your Majesty ever thought about why they dare to ask for such a high price?"

Zhu Di remained silent, only staring at Zhang Anshi, waiting for Zhang Anshi's answer.

Zhang Anshidao: "I have asked people to investigate. Even in Liujia Village in Shangyuan County, there are two large households in this village, accounting for more than 73% of the land in the village, and there are [-] households, which are ordinary farmers. Their family There are some Susukida, ranging from more than a dozen mu to a few mu, and the rest are tenant farmers.”

"These people are the largest number, with more than 120 households. These 120 households have almost no land property, and most of them depend on the two big households for their livelihood. However, in times of disaster, the grain grown by ordinary farmers will be sold by themselves. There is not enough to eat, so we can only borrow from these two big families, and because these two big families are relatives for generations, the interest they lend is all negotiated."

"But it's different now. Now this bank can mortgage loans, which means that in this village, 73 ordinary peasant households can borrow silver to tide over the difficulties during the disaster year. And the interest of the big households is as high as It's scary, if they borrow more money, even if it's seven percent, or if they are unscrupulous, ten percent interest, it will be profitable to lend to those tenant farmers."

"Your Majesty, in the past, there were only two big families who could lend money and food, but now it's different. Now, in a village, there are theoretically more than 70 families who can become potential borrowers, because they can use cheap interest. Get the funds, so... In the end, those tenant farmers who don't even have land, although it is impossible for them to borrow money and grain from the bank, but the number of people who borrow money and grain has increased by ten times or even a hundred times. There are still many people in the village who have money and food. In this way... what this big family can do is to reduce the interest rate to more than ten per cent, or even less than ten per cent, or... just don't pay for a penny or a grain of rice. I want to borrow it."

Zhu Di suddenly realized: "So it is."

"With these, I think... the land annexation can be greatly eased, besides..."

Zhu Di looked at Zhang Anshi with piercing eyes, his eyes became brighter and brighter, and he said in his mouth, "Apart from that, what else?"

Zhang Anshidao: "In addition, with enough credit on the bank side, you can use it to spread to all states and counties in the world. I have even sent a group of people to conduct a pilot project in Annan. Not only that, but with this More funds can be used, and when the court encounters major events in the future, it can also borrow money from the bank to tide over the difficulties."

Zhu Di seemed very surprised by what Zhang Anshi said later, and frowned, "Does the imperial court have to borrow money from the bank?"

Zhang Anshidao: "This is the rule. Your Majesty, have you ever thought about why the Daming Banknotes have finally become what they are today? The fundamental reason is that they are being issued indiscriminately. All the funds in this world do not come out of thin air. There is a source. So all lending and receiving, the money bank is essentially just a tool. If the tool is used well, it will benefit the country and the people, but if it is not restrained, the world will be in chaos."

"Furthermore, the money in this bank was lent to the imperial court. If the imperial court spends it indiscriminately, it does not mean that the bank opened by His Majesty borrowed from the subjects of the world, took the debt, and then gave it to the imperial court. The national treasury? In this way, the imperial court will benefit, and the common people and His Majesty will suffer.”

At this moment, the essence of the matter was revealed. Zhu Di was originally a visionary, and he agreed with it: "What you said is true, I didn't think about this joint."

Zhang Anshi said again: "There is another advantage, that is, relying on savings to get so much money, then Your Majesty... can use the bank as a tool to prepare for the issuance of new treasure notes in the future."

Zhu Di stared at Zhang Anshi: "New treasure note?"

Zhang Anshi nodded: "Yes, it's just that the new treasure banknotes can no longer be issued by the treasure banknote department."

This Daming banknote is ridiculous to say, it was printed and issued by the treasure banknote department under the jurisdiction of the Twelve Prisons of the Inner Court. The scale of the depreciation is considered to be enough for Emperor Taizu Gao to have an iron fist.If it were any other emperor, something might happen within three years.

Under Zhu Di's expectant eyes, Zhang Anshi continued: "For the new banknotes to be issued, gold and silver must be used as reserves, that is, to ensure that the issued banknotes can be exchanged for gold and silver at the bank at any time. Only in this way, it Only then have the qualifications for circulation.”

Zhu Di was thoughtful: "You draw up a charter, and I will take a closer look."

After that, Zhu Di laughed and said, "From this point of view, this bank really kills three birds with one stone, very good."

But Zhang Anshi thought in his heart, there is actually another biggest benefit, which he didn't mention.

If the emergence of formal banks can really be extended to the state capitals of the whole world, then the entire social form will undergo fundamental changes.

In the past, Zhang Anshi couldn't figure out why the ancient landlords or gentry were unwilling to invest funds in production activities or other commercial activities.

It is obviously unreasonable to say that it is just a simple businessman who is lowly, because human nature is greedy and profitable. Doesn't anyone rely on this for profit?

Later generations always say that the sprouts of capitalism have appeared somewhere, but in fact, these sprouts will always be just sprouts, and towering trees will not grow no matter what.

It wasn't until Zhang Anshi really came to this world and understood the situation of this era that he realized that all the impressions of his previous life had been overturned.

People use the way of thinking of later generations to think about the profits of landlords and gentry.

Think that they are just relying on the sky, and the yield of agriculture is extremely low.

In theory, yes, but how much money can farming make?

In reality, the vast majority of big landlords and gentry do not make money from farming at all.

You think that they usually rely on that little crop land, but in fact...their profits far exceed the profits brought by business, and they can guarantee their income in droughts and floods.

The family has a lot of land, which can provide a stable environment for the children to study. After studying, they will be tested for merit, even if the test is not a Jinshi, even if they are a scholar, they are actually considered masters in their hometown.

In a good year, you can hoard a large amount of grain.

And in the disaster year, they will buy more land at a ridiculously low price.

Not only that, but they can also monopolize the number of Baochang and Jiachang in their township and village. In this way, they have the privilege of collecting taxes on behalf of the county and deciding who will serve corvee.

A large amount of money and food is lent out every year, and the annual profit is at least [-]%.

What is the concept of 20%?That is ten taels of silver. You only need to lie at home, and after two or three years, you can get [-] taels of silver.

By lending money and food, when there are successive years of catastrophe, not only can you hoard goods, but also keep important food and cloth in your hands, and make more profits.It is through debt to control the displaced people in the famine.

On the surface, the decree prohibits keeping slaves, but when a person is about to starve to death, even if he doesn’t pay a cent, if you give him two bad meals a day, and let the other party work like an ox or a horse for you, he will kneel down and kowtow to you. You thank Dade.

Therefore, the traditional impression that landlords and gentry depended on the sky for their livelihood and that agricultural profits were meager was actually an illusion. For farmers and tenant farmers, this was indeed the case.

But for the gentry, in fact... what they have mastered is a lucrative industry.

This industry has high barriers to entry, guaranteed income during drought and flood, and amazing profits, and there are all kinds of invisible privileges in this township and county.

Therefore, throughout ancient times, almost all people's only goal was to become a landlord, and then cultivate children through wealth to become gentry, and after making profits, they desperately expanded the land with these money and food.

Any dynasty is in the process of continuous land annexation by countless introverted gentry and clans until it perishes.

As for any other production, it is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also requires a lot of investment, and the profit may not be satisfactory, and it is also subject to discrimination. The so-called industrial and commercial activities are almost suppressed to a minimum.

The so-called sprouts derived from industry and commerce are just a joke, sprouts will always be sprouts, and it will never be possible to bear any fruit.

Zhang Anshi is a man with a sense of morality.

At least he knows that this road has reached a dead end, and the only thing he wants to change is to cut off the means by which the gentry make huge profits.

Only by cutting off their huge profits one by one, let the land investment return to where it should be.

Then... During the Qin and Han Dynasties, those same scholars no longer regarded the annexation of land as everything, but those who made meritorious deeds and feudal titles as their ideals would continue to emerge.

They are no longer obsessed with land annexation, nor is it the end of their lives to maintain the land system. Instead, they have lofty ideals, rather than hiding on an acre of land and desperately involving.

"Your Majesty, everything is difficult at the beginning. I believe that the most urgent thing is to establish rules first. The interests involved in this bank are too great. A slight change may affect the national economy and people's livelihood!"

"Besides, I plan to set up a mathematics school and recruit people to study. If this bank is to be spread out, there must be a large number of accountants. Besides... there is one more thing."

Zhu Di said, "Say it."

Zhang Anshi continued: "In addition to arithmetic, because it involves a lot of contracts and mortgages, and various bills, among them... a lot of lawyers are needed."

"Legator?" Zhu Di's eyebrows sank, this is actually a sensitive question.

In ancient times, there was a customary rule, that is, the people did not raise officials but did not investigate, and the parents and officials were happy not to litigate, so that it seemed that they ruled Haiyan and Heqing.

The local gentry enforced family law or family law, and they did not want the government to interfere in rural disputes.

As for the ministers in the court, of course they don't want disputes everywhere to affect this peaceful and prosperous world.

Ever since, the litigator has almost become the target of everyone shouting and beating!
These people who are proficient in laws and regulations and write pleadings for others are not only looked down upon by others, but sometimes they offend their parents and officials, and they have to deal with them severely.

Zhang Anshi obviously touched a more sensitive issue.

Zhang Anshi looked at Zhu Di's hesitant look, and continued: "I plan to hold another law study class, recruiting people to learn the provisions of the law..."

Zhu Di only said: "Is this necessary?"

Zhang Anshi said very seriously: "A large amount of gold and silver is involved, and there will inevitably be disputes. If the bank wants to be foolproof, it must have a large number of relevant personnel. Otherwise, it will be difficult to convince people. , who still trusts Qian Zhuang?"

Zhu Di actually just paused this time, then nodded and said, "Since that's the case, I will grant you my permission."

Zhang Anshi said: "It's just... with the power of the minister, I'm afraid no one will come to learn."

Zhu Di said, "Then what do you want?"

"Why don't you hang up my brother-in-law's signboard, say... the Royal School of Mathematical Sciences, or the Royal Law School? Your Majesty, anyone who can read and write, who dares to learn this, will be looked down upon by others." of."

Zhu Di said coldly: "Didn't this fall on my head? You are a fool, you should be called Donggong School of Mathematics and Law School."

"Ah..." Zhang Anshi was taken aback: "But... the East Palace... the crown prince... is my brother-in-law, how can I harm him."

Zhu Di's face twitched, showing faint signs of a volcanic eruption.

Don't harm your brother-in-law, so come to harm him, the emperor?

Zhang Anshi looked at Zhu Di's increasingly gloomy face, and finally gave up, and finally changed his words: "Then why not call it Wenyuan Pavilion? Wenyuan Pavilion Mathematical School, and Wenyuan Pavilion Law School. This Wenyuan Pavilion, It is the object of admiration by scholars all over the world, and several Wenyuange Grand Scholars in this world are also admired by thousands of people, and they have been given this name..."

Zhu Di said: "It's Wenyuan Pavilion. I've come to make a decree on this matter, and I can't help but a few university scholars refuse to agree. You recruit people here and hang up the sign. It's considered raw rice and cooked rice."

Zhang Anshi looked at Zhu Di, and the two of the monarch and his ministers once again showed an extraordinary tacit understanding. Zhang Anshi immediately said: "Your Majesty's order, I will send out the report to the mansion here immediately, and let the world know."

Zhu Di nodded: "Very good, let's do it like this. Hey...Zhang Anshi, Zhang Anshi, you guy...you're going to make a few great scholars suffer."

Zhang Anshi wanted to say in his heart, what kind of talk is this, and who did it wrong?

It's just this pot, he carried it on his back!
So obediently said: "If the university scholars blame me, I have to endure the humiliation for the sake of the bank and the country. It really won't work. I just need to be more careful when I go out in the future."

After the two agreed happily, Zhu Di was very satisfied.

a lot of silver...

This bank is tantamount to becoming a transfer station for gold and silver in the world, and there is no need to talk about the stakes in it.

Immediately, he sighed: "It's no wonder that scholars all over the world are scolding me. If this bank comes out, and another Wenyuan Pavilion school comes, I'm afraid it will be uneasy again."

What I said, it seems that without this, people would not call you Zhu Laosi. What kind of reputation do you think I don't know?

Of course, this is just Zhang Anshi's heartfelt thoughts, he tried his best to put on a sincere expression and said: "Your Majesty has worked so hard, I... I feel distressed when I look at it."

As he spoke, he rubbed his eyes desperately, trying to wipe some water out, but it didn't.

This point still needs to be learned from Zhu Zhanji. Although he is young, he is so proficient in this aspect that Zhang Anshi, an uncle, feels distressed.

Zhu Di said: "Stop talking nonsense, I don't worry about being scolded a few times, it's just... what I worry about is actually some people in this court."

"Some people?" Zhang Anshi was taken aback: "These people His Majesty mentioned..."

Shouldn't it be him?
Zhu Di said lightly: "Jin Yiwei's secret performance..."

Zhu Di gave Zhang Anshi a meaningful look, and then continued: "Among the government and the public, there are people who are thinking about the past, hehe... If it's just that, then it's fine, but these people have already huddled together, and even... there are already people... … secretly communicated with it.”

"Who should I contact?" Zhang Anshi was shocked.

Zhu Di said, "Who are you talking about?"

Zhang Anshi said: "Someone is so mad? Your Majesty, in this way, some people are really unreliable, but their relatives are more reliable."

Zhu Di said coldly: "These people... secretly funded a lot of desert weapons and ironware they urgently need. Besides, there are also a lot of salt and tea!"

As he said that, Zhu Di sneered, mockingly, and continued: "I was surprised at first that in the past two or three years, in order to combat the remnants in the desert, I banned the exchange market, but those remnants in the desert can still Support, it turns out... there is an inside thief."

Zhang Anshi understood Zhu Di's mood very well at this time, and it was difficult to calculate that the bad guys were people around him, so he said, "Has your Majesty found out who they are?"

"I don't know much about it." Zhu Di said lightly: "This is a nail that someone has stuck in my heart. If I don't pull it out, I will inevitably have trouble sleeping and eating!"

"Furthermore... it is still unknown whether they will become successful or not. If they are not dealt with in time, they will explode one day sooner or later. When I am here, maybe I can barely maintain the situation, but one day, when I am not here?"

Zhu Di was still very confident. He felt that as long as he and Qiu Fu and Zhu Neng were around, the remaining evils of Beiyuan would be swept away.

But he didn't have much confidence in his descendants.

People like Emperor Taizu Gao also have grandsons like Jianwen. The world is peaceful and everything is fine. If there is any trouble, the Ming Dynasty may be over.

Zhang Anshidao: "Your Majesty... I heard this, and I couldn't sleep or eat. I and my brothers are all extremely smart. Everyone in the world knows that outsiders have given nicknames to my brothers. It's called Jingcheng Wucong."

"They all said that the ministers are wise, born with vision, and have sharp eyes. Now there is a rebellious party. The ministers are willing to do the work of dogs and horses. Don't worry, as long as we take action, we will solve your majesty's worries and problems. Teach the rebellious ministers and thieves that there is nowhere to hide."

Zhu Di glanced at Zhang Anshi with deep meaning: "Five congregants in the capital? Why is there no such thing in Jinyiwei's memorial?"

"Maybe it's because Jin Yiwei's work is not solid." Zhang Anshi looked away, rubbed his nose and said.

Zhu Di said: "Ji Gang will take care of this matter, so you can help me manage the money."

Zhang Anshidao: "But... the minister is afraid that the Jin Yiwei will not be able to handle it well, so let's just let it go if I don't know about these things. Now that I know... if you don't pay attention, the minister... really feels hard to appease."

Zhu Di put his hands behind his back, smiled and said, "Go get the files by yourself. I will say hello to Ji Gang. This is a Qin case, so don't mess around! And that... Is that guy Qiu Song also Wu Cong? Let this You're so smart, don't meddle, I'm afraid he'll blow up the city of Nanjing."

Zhang Anshi: "..."

After finishing talking, Zhu Di simply drove back to the palace.

Although Zhu Di was a little displeased because he missed the affairs of the previous dynasty, but now, he is happy to hear that the bank is making a lot of money.

With his hands behind his back, he happily returned to the Wulou, and Jiao Yishiha brought some tea.

He took a sip and said, "Oh, yes, the weather is getting colder. I feel sorry for the senior scholars of Wenyuan Pavilion, and I will teach them to add some firewood to them, so as not to freeze my few bachelors. They I have made great achievements through hard work, and I will remember it in my heart."

After finishing speaking, he picked up the ink brush, scribbled out a letter of imperial edict, handed it to Yi Shiha and said, "Take it to the supervisor of ceremonies, according to this meaning, to draw up an imperial edict, without going through Wenyuan Pavilion, directly send out."

Yi Shiha respectfully said: "The servant obeys the order."

…………

Wenyuan Pavilion.

Several great scholars sorted out the memorials separately.

This Wenyuan Pavilion is actually the earliest cabinet system. After all, not every emperor is like Emperor Taizu Gao. After the prime minister was abolished, all memorials were handled by himself.

Zhu Di's mind is on the military, and he has a headache when he looks at these memorials.

It is obviously impossible to restore the prime minister system. With the precedent of Hu Weiyong, and Zhu Di claimed that he is the most admired son of Emperor Taizu Gao.

Therefore, he simply ordered people to enter Wenyuan Pavilion and let them assist in the affairs of the world.

Under normal circumstances, it is the memorabilia from various places, and let a few great scholars sort it out. After sorting out, they will start with the memorabilia and approve their own proposals according to their own ideas.

The so-called ticket plan is like a memorandum. When the newspaper says where a drought has occurred, the scholar of Wenyuan Pavilion drafts a sentence, "Design the Ministry of Households to allocate money and food to relieve the disaster, and then appoint a member of the Imperial History of the Metropolitan Procuratorate to inspect the disaster." '.

The memorial and the ticket are to be sent to the emperor.The emperor didn't need to think about how to deal with it. He just took a look at the proposals of the great scholars, and felt that the proposal was feasible. He just clicked a circle with a red pen and sent it to the supervisor of ceremonies to stamp the big seal, and then issued a decree to follow. carry out.

Therefore, although the Grand Scholars of Wenyuan Pavilion do not have the right to be a prime minister, they already have a part of the status of a prime minister, because theoretically, the emperor cannot deal with the mountains of memorials, and the affairs of the world are all drafted by votes. to decide.

Although the emperor has the power to deny the proposal, but denying it means that your emperor has to find another way, come up with a more suitable method. As an emperor, it is better to be lazy and draw a circle to pull it down.

Yi Shiha personally brought a few eunuchs with firewood, and naturally Xie Jin, Hu Guang, and Yang Rong came out of their respective public rooms to greet each other.

Yi Shiha smiled and said: "Your Majesty is concerned about a few university scholars, so he specially asked the slaves to add some firewood to the adults."

Xie Jin's face was full of red. He felt that the emperor should treat people like him courteously, and said quickly: "Your Majesty is lenient, and it is difficult for me to report anything if I am so utterly devastated."

Hu Guang joked: "In this way, the old man's old cold legs will be saved."

Everyone knew it was just a joke and laughed.

Only Yang Rong had a smile on his face, but deep in his eyes, there was something unpredictable.

This inadvertent expression may not be noticed by others, but Yi Shiha, who has always been the best at observing words and expressions, can see it all. He didn't say anything, and after a few words of greeting, he left.

After leaving Wenyuan Pavilion, the eunuch behind him seemed to be fawning and wanted to help Yishi: "Grand Duke, you... watch your steps..."

Yishi smiled: "Okay, okay, we are still healthy and healthy, it seems that we are in our seventies and eighties, and we are going to Xiaoling to guard the mausoleum of Emperor Taizu Gao."

The eunuch smiled apologetically, "Your servant's mouth..."

Yi Shiha said: "That's right, I saw that Duke Yang is tired, His Majesty happened to give us some ginseng from North Korea. In a few days, help us deliver some to Duke Yang."

"Scholar Yang Rong?"

Also lost and nodded.

"Grandpa, why bother to give something to Yang Rong? It should be him who respects Grandpa."

Yi Shiha calmly said: "This person...is not simple...he is a person who is rarely seen in a hundred years."

The little eunuch said: "Then Mr. Xie and Mr. Hu..."

Yi Shiha said: "Only send Yang Rong, we just want to let Yang Rong know that we only look up to him, the gift is not important, the important thing is the heart, if everyone gives it, no matter how expensive the gift is, In the eyes of people, it is worthless.”

(End of this chapter)