First Minister of Ming Dynasty

"no!"

Zhang Ximeng said decisively: "The common people are eager to raise taxes as soon as they see some benefits. Aren't you afraid that they will be forced to leave?"

Zhu Yuanzhang also said with a sullen face: "That's right, we have set the rules for the people, and the people are worthy of us. After only a few months of work, we have been asked to increase taxes. Then what is the difference between us and the bastard Yuan Ting?"

Yang Yuangao was so frightened that he hurriedly stood up to make amends.

He didn't have any bad intentions, but he just thought that the common people, as long as they had enough to eat, would collect more if they had surplus food, would they still be able to rebel?

It's a pity that he met Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Ximeng, and this proposal was instantly rejected.

But Zhang Ximeng thought about it, but came up with another idea.

"My lord, the common people do have a lot of food at the moment. Everyone wants to live a good life. When they are full, they have to dress warmly and live well. They are rich and they want their children to go to school... Can we Can't issue some treasure notes?"

Precious money?

Upon hearing these two words, not to mention Lao Zhu, even those generals stared round, sir, what do you mean?

Isn't Yuan Ting's lesson painful enough?

This idea smells worse than tax hikes!

Zhang Ximeng was not surprised by everyone's reaction, "My lord, what I mean is to set up a big market. People's food, clothing, flowers, and all kinds of things are sold in it. The people have no money now, and they You can bring a few stones of grain, hand it over to the market, and exchange it for treasure notes, of course, it can also be called trading coupons, market coupons, whatever! With this, you can enter the market and choose your own products."

Lao Zhu rolled his eyelids, "Sir, you should have some deep meaning, right?"

Zhang Ximeng said with a smile: "This market coupon is actually a kind of treasure, but we have food and commodities as guarantees, so we can rest assured. After the people accept it, we can invest with the market coupon."

"invest?"

"Yes, it is to build bridges and pave roads, and open workshops, such as blacksmith shops, brick kilns, porcelain factories, textile workshops, etc. In this way, excess labor can be recruited into the workshops, and the things produced can enrich the lives of the people and It can supplement military use."

"And because currency is used, it is not forced to expropriate the people. Not only will it not damage the power of the people, but it can also encourage the people to work harder and work harder. After the market coupons are widely accepted, the lord will issue new banknotes to replace them. Yuan Tingbao banknotes are a matter of course."

After Zhang Ximeng finished speaking, it was Li Shanchang who first understood what he meant. He couldn't help standing up and said excitedly: "Master Zhang's plan is really a wonderful way to win the country and conquer the world!"

Old Zhu paused, then smiled, and praised from the bottom of his heart: "Mr. Zhang is indeed our wife Zhang!"

Then Lao Zhu also turned his head, and said to Li Shanchang: "You, Xiao He, are not bad either!"

Chapter 90 Zhu's Praying for Rain

The word "also" is full of bitterness.

Li Shanchang was a step late, so naturally he couldn't surpass Zhang Ximeng, and he had some bad habits that were hard to change, so Lao Zhu couldn't be completely relieved.

However, Li Shanchang can still make it clear that the potential of Lao Zhu's team is really too great. In just a short time, they have already established a solid base and hundreds of thousands of people who are desperate.

As long as it is given a few more years to fully develop and sweep the world, it is not empty talk!

So Zhu Yuanzhang's words to Peng Zaozhu were not aimless.

His pattern is already there.

If you are sure you can be the founding hero, what difference does it make if you rank first or second?

It's just that a child has taken the limelight, our old Li is a little unconvinced.

Li Shanchang also wanted to say goodbye to Zhang Ximeng, but it was not a fierce fight, but to let Lao Zhu know that he, Li Shanchang, also had abilities that Zhang Ximeng could not do.

In a word, Lao Li wants to get involved with Zhang Ximeng!

Undoubtedly, this is the best thing for the entire Zhu Group.

Zhang Ximeng is not in the competition of Li Shanchang, you have the ability to take over all the work, do a good job, I am happy to be free.

It's just that there are still some things that Lao Li can't do, such as this market coupon.

For any kind of banknotes, apart from being issued indiscriminately, the biggest enemy is counterfeiting.

So the first thing to solve is how to prevent counterfeiting.

Zhang Ximeng got some Yuan Ting's precious banknotes, and the moment he got them, he shook his head.

This thing is too shoddy.

In fact, the treasure banknotes of the Yuan Dynasty had such a reliable period, and due to sufficient reserves, the value of the currency was relatively stable.But it is a pity that just like the Yuan Dynasty, it can only last for a short period of time, and then it will issue paper money indiscriminately, especially for the purpose of repairing the Yellow River. Together, the currency system collapsed completely, and many places simply retreated to the point of bartering.

Zhang Ximeng had already learned these things when he first crossed over.

It is easy to destroy something, but it is very difficult to build a new one.

To use food as a guarantee, and to ensure that there are no counterfeit banknotes, so that it can benefit the people... After studying for a few days, Zhang Ximeng finally summed up the anti-counterfeiting methods of the Song and Yuan Dynasties.

The first is the selection of materials, which must be rare bark, and it is not allowed to be used by the people. Usually, the bark of the mulberry tree is used.

It's a pity that with the Yuan court's control power gone, Chupi can no longer be used, and a large number of people have embezzled it, so the current precious banknotes are hard to describe, and they are no better than straw paper to wipe their butts.

It is obvious that it is not realistic to produce a special kind of paper in Chuzhou.

Secondly, the pictures and texts on banknotes must be complicated and not easy to imitate.

Again, multi-color overprinting such as red, black, and blue is also used.

Finally, the official seal is affixed.

In addition, there are some special methods. In the market, special personnel must be arranged to distinguish the true from the false... After this whole set, the Jiaozi and Baochao of Song and Yuan Dynasties can only be said to be unsatisfactory.

Zhang Ximeng is very worried now, the material cannot be solved, and Chuzhou does not have the technology of multi-color overprinting.He can design some numbers and the like, but it may not be possible!

Anyway, no matter whether it works or not, try it reluctantly!

Zhang Ximeng asked someone to make a batch of sample money, and was thinking about whether to hand it over to Lao Zhu, when Li Wenzhong and Zhu Ying happened to come.

"Brother Zhang, why did you bring the treasure money we played with?"

Zhang Ximeng was taken aback, "What are you playing?"

Zhu Ying said with a smile: "My seatmate, his home is a bookstore, he can copy books, draw illustrations, and he can read a lot. He drew a lot of treasures and gave them to us."

"What?" Zhang Ximeng was surprised, "Your classmates still have such talents?"

Zhu Ying nodded, "That's right! Our Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is much better than yours." Zhu Ying also looked at Li Wenzhong provocatively.

Li Wenzhong just touched his head with his hand.

"You are still young, if you are a few years older, you will come here. Can you still look down on Xiaotang by then?"

Zhu Ying rolled her little black eyes, and finally stopped talking, but picked up the treasure in front of Zhang Ximeng, looked at it again and again, and then said in distaste: "Brother, why is this painting not as good as my tablemate?"

Zhang Ximeng frowned, "Mine was made by several skilled craftsmen."

Zhu Ying is not convinced, no matter how many skilled craftsmen, if they can't do it, they can't do it!

He rummaged through his pocket for a long time, and found a crumpled coin, and patted it in front of Zhang Ximeng.

"Look!"

Zhang Ximeng took it in his hand and didn't pay much attention to it at first. He just thought it was unusual for a child to draw banknotes. He had done it in his previous life... But when he picked it up and took a closer look, it was amazing!

This treasure banknote is drawn so lifelike, compared with Yuan Ting's treasure banknote, it is not exactly the same, but the blue is better than the blue!

Paper, lines, colors... Even the big prints are impeccable.

"That classmate of yours owns a bookstore? How old is he?"

"It should be twelve or three. Brother, last time you selected students from the army. Can you choose some young people from the civilian population? My classmate is really good! Don't waste talents!"

Zhang Ximeng could only smile wryly, since when is a person who can draw counterfeit banknotes not a talent!

"Well, you go and call him, and I'll talk to him."

Zhu Ying promised that at night, he would bring a handsome young man, wearing a slightly faded long gown, with his head down, a little panicked.

After entering, he saluted Zhang Ximeng.

"You're welcome, I'm not much older than you."

Zhang Ximeng asked him to sit down, brought him some fruit himself, and asked about his studies, the boy answered honestly.

Then Zhang Ximeng took out a pen and paper, a ruler, and various paints.valley

In the end, he took out a market coupon he made himself and handed it to the young man.

"You draw one."

The young man looked at it, and then calmed down again. After a while, his eyes became obviously focused, as if he didn't care about everything outside.

He slowly picked up the pen and drew on the blank paper in one go.

After only half an hour, I put down the pen.

"I've finished drawing."

Zhang Ximeng took a look and was speechless.

His plan for paper currency is probably going to fail.

"That...what's your name?"

"My name is Lu Zhou."

Zhang Ximeng nodded, "Well...do you think this thing is difficult?"

Lu Zhou didn't even think about it, and said, "It's not difficult. In fact, compared with the previous good banknotes, it is considered crude."

Zhang Ximeng asked again: "Let me tell you, is there a way to imitate it on a large scale?"

"Is it going to be printed?"

"En!" Zhang Ximeng nodded.

Lu Zhou thought for a while, and said slowly: "It's not difficult to print and engrave, there is one in Yangzhou, maybe Jiqing will do too. After all, our family has only printed books, and we haven't bought banknotes. We're not that familiar with it yet. Give me It may take ten days and half a month to get it out." The young man told Zhang Ximeng seriously.

Zhang Ximeng felt bad all over.

He thought hard, found several skilled craftsmen, and spent more than ten days to make it. This kid can make it in ten days and a half months, so what is he playing with?

"Now it seems that it is impossible to produce a banknote that can prevent counterfeiting in the short term. Maybe we will have a chance when we win Jiqing."

Zhang Ximeng thought over and over again, this kid Lu Zhou is a talent, he must stay with him, if he ran out in the future, hiding in a corner and studying how to draw counterfeit banknotes every day, that would be a bad thing.

As for now?

Zhang Ximeng thought over and over again, let's use a stupid method!

Get a food bank!

Anyone who deposits food in the food bank can get a passbook, which shows how much food has been saved.

If ordinary people want to buy something, they can go to the market with their passbook and exchange it for the corresponding ticket... For example, if you want to buy pork, one catty of pork needs five catties of grain.

Cross out five catties of grain here, and you can get a one catty meat ticket to buy meat in the market.

But pay attention, this meat ticket has a time limit, if you don't buy it for three days, it will be invalid.

After all, not everyone can draw a meat ticket casually like Lu Zhou.

For three days, it is very difficult to fake.

Moreover, this thing is for a designated use. You can't buy cloth with a meat ticket, and you can't buy porcelain with a cloth ticket. The possibility of counterfeiting is minimized at once.

But at the same time, transactions have also become very troublesome.

Not only those who buy things, but also need to exchange various tickets. After a busy day, hawkers who sell things have to exchange the tickets they earn into food and deposit them in their passbooks.

To be honest, it is a bit better than bartering, and it is very limited.There is no need to carry heavy grains on your back, and you don't have to worry about the quality of the grains, that's all.

In order to attract people to store grain, Zhang Ximeng even put forward the concept of storing grain with interest. For example, if one hundred catties of grain are deposited, 110 catties will be included in the passbook.

Zhang Ximeng also wanted to do it all at once, and produce banknotes that everyone could accept... But the conditions did not allow it. Yuan Ting's excessive issuance of precious banknotes and changing banknotes had already made banknotes notorious.The confidence of the people is gone.

Now Lao Zhu doesn't have so much gold, silver and copper in his hands, so he can't issue metal coins.

But I still want to mobilize the enthusiasm of the common people, concentrate financial and material resources, and develop production. Apart from the grain standard, is there any other way?

This method can only be an excessive method, use it for one or two years, or three to five years, and it will not be too late to abolish it when the situation improves.

Zhang Ximeng thought over and over again, and finally made up his mind to go to Lao Zhu.

Unfortunately, Zhu Yuanzhang was not there.

Guo Ying told Zhang Xi that it was Mr. Li and Mr. Yang who invited the superiors to pray for rain!

Pray for rain!