I, Zhu Youjian: the first prodigal son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 20
"The servant girl discussed with Xu Guangqi and Song Yingxing that anyone with sound limbs and no serious mental problems can apply for admission. I originally thought that there would not be many students.

Unexpectedly, just over a month after the residence report was issued, students from Shaanxi, Zhili, Henan, Shandong and other places flocked to the capital..."

Wei Zhongxian wiped the beads of sweat off his face, and said with joy and sorrow: "According to Jin Yiwei Fei Ge's biography, students from Jiangnan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and Zhejiang are all rushing to the capital.

Even among them are some rich children, refugees, and poor settlers, who are also yearning for Daming Academy, and they should come over within a month. "

Wei Zhongxian was worried there, but Zhu Youjian's face had already opened several chrysanthemums with a smile.

The young people of the Ming Dynasty are doing well, come to the capital quickly, I will spend money on you.

It's better to get the capital to go to school than to stay in the original place and wait for death, waiting for an opportunity to rebel, okay?

"Zhongxian, in your estimate, how many students will come to the capital this time?" Zhu Youjian asked joyfully.

"Slaves roughly estimate that there are at least 3 people..." Wei Zhongxian was very worried. When he thought of tens of thousands of students flooding into the capital and asking to enter the Daming Academy, it would be a disaster.

If one is not done well, it may cause unpredictable troubles in the capital.

"Only 3 people?" Zhu Youjian said that he was quite disappointed, but in fact, he was already full of enthusiasm.

For 3 people, each person spends one tael of silver per month, which is 3 taels, and it doesn't include the "miscellaneous" things like building dormitories, cafeterias, and classrooms for these guys.

After a year, how many taels of silver will be wasted, right?

By the way, after one year, these more than 3 "students" will be doubled according to the salary of ninth-rank officials in the Ming Dynasty, which is doubled by eleven shimi per month, which is about [-] shi monthly salary...

No, the salary of the Ming Dynasty is too low.

If the salary is paid strictly according to the law, a dignified county magistrate of seventh grade, except for the rest after supporting the family, can't even support a small wife, so what kind of official should he be?

No wonder the history books record that the officials of Ming Dynasty would rather take the risk of being skinned and filled with grass, but try everything possible to make money.

This is simply because the salary given by the imperial court is too little...

Zhu Youjian silently calculated in his heart that he must increase the salary of officials, at least quadruple the original basis!
Only in this way can the prodigal ability of officials to spend extravagantly and squander money be greatly improved...

"Long Live Lord, what should we do? How about...give them five taels of silver each and send them back to their hometowns?" Wei Zhongxian asked cautiously as he watched the emperor sink into deep thought.

"Wei Aiqing, how much money do you have left for Zongye Xi's funeral last time?" Zhu Youjian asked casually.

"There are more than 300 million taels left, and the slaves have already entered the account and recorded it in the internal treasury..."

"That's easy, Zhongxian, let all the students who come to the capital enroll!" Zhu Youjian was overjoyed when he heard that he still had 300 million taels of silver in his hand, "Remember, just follow what you set Standards, arrange board and lodging for all students."

"But Long Live..." Wei Zhongxian became anxious when he heard this, "The imperial court can find a way to solve the food and clothing expenses of tens of thousands of students. The problem is that the Daming Academy is only so big, it can't accommodate it at all!"

The eunuch was full of slander, and at the same time complained a lot.

As soon as this new master comes out, tens of thousands of people rush into the capital at the same time, which means that the court has raised tens of thousands of soldiers. What is the state of the Ming Dynasty? Does he, the emperor, have no compulsion in his heart? number?

"Isn't it just money? It doesn't matter. The money these students earn in the future can support 30 or 300 million people." Zhu Youjian said with a smile:

"Zhongxian, if you want to achieve great things, you can't pick and choose like this. Don't feel sorry for those pots and pans. If they are broken, we can still earn them back.

How about an old saying?If the old ones don't go, the new ones won't come, don't worry, I know it well! "

Wei Zhongxian: 'You have a fart in your heart! '

spendthrift!
But in terms of face, the treacherous official Wei Zhongxian didn't dare to show it.

With a sad face, he settled the accounts for Zhu Youjian, saying that once these 10 to [-] students enter Beijing, not only will they directly consume [-] taels of silver from the imperial court, but what is more serious is the other additional expenses incurred as a result;

Such as security, price fluctuations, construction of student dormitories, canteens...

All in all, several 10 taels of silver will be wasted no matter what, this is not counting the salaries, travel expenses of these people after they have "successful in their studies", and the land tax they are exempted because of their so-called "fame".

Wei Zhongxian was really shrewd and clever, and he was very familiar with the economic operation of the Ming Dynasty. He blurted out many numbers, and his "abacus and mental arithmetic" was comparable to a small calculator.

Zhu Youjian was stunned for a long time, unable to interject for a long time.

Don't I just want to waste my money?If you calculate the account too clearly, is it still called a prodigal?Then he became the 'Second Emperor Chongzhen' again!

"Zhongxian, that's not how accounts are calculated," Zhu Youjian said earnestly: "Think about it, according to Xu Guangqi, Song Yingxing and others, what the Ming Dynasty is facing now is not just a year or two. Floods and severe droughts, but Jiuyuan disasters are raging in turn!
If it's just bandits in the southwest, Japanese pirates in the southeast, chaos in the northwest, and slavery in the northeast, why should our Ming Dynasty be afraid of them?With you Wei Zhongxian taking care of them, wouldn't our Daming suppress them and beat them to death?
The problem is, once the Jiuyuan catastrophe starts, it will last more than ten years, or even decades.

With our current production capacity, can we survive this hurdle?
It’s not that I am alarmist, Zhongxian, I have read all the books and found a basic rule, that is, every time the so-called Jiuyuan catastrophe comes, it is often accompanied by a change of dynasty and chaos in the world! "

Zhu Youjian started the 'Great Deception Technique' silently, and said with a solemn expression: "I checked the historical materials and books of more than 2000 years, and found that this so-called Jiuyuan catastrophe actually has traces to follow.

For example, the first eruption occurred at the turn of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The great cold in the north ruined the great Shang Dynasty. The second time was the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Three Kingdoms, and the Jin Dynasty. , there is no smoke for thousands of miles, and there is no man with a crown in China;

The third time was at the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Five Dynasties, and the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty. It was very cold in the north, and there was a severe drought in the world.

Zhongxian, I only dare to tell you some things. What the Ming Dynasty is facing now is probably the fourth Jiuyuan catastrophe! "

After saying these words, Wei Zhongxian turned pale with shock.

At the same time, it was also a huge shock.

Leaving aside the so-called 'Jiuyuan catastrophe', but it is an emperor who said such 'rebellious' words to the eunuchs around him, his heart was almost torn apart.

"Long live my lord, the fortune of our Ming Dynasty is prosperous, it is as solid as gold, and the country and society will last for thousands of years..." Wei Zhongxian covered his face with his sleeves and wept aloud.

"Okay, okay, isn't the country still subjugated? You're crying about your hammer!"

Zhu Youjian scolded with a smile, and said seriously: "Zhongxian, there are some things that I dare not say to the ministers in the court, and I don't want to say them.

Now, there are only you and my monarch and ministers in this Qianqing palace. If I have a few intimate words, I just want to chatter with you. "

When Wei Zhongxian heard this, he cried even harder.

The emperor laughed and called him an old eunuch, which completely regarded Wei Zhongxian as his confidant...

"Zhongxian, you have said a thousand words. If the Ming Dynasty really can't resist one day, and the country is about to perish, everyone else will have a way out."

"Only you, Wei Zhongxian, and I, there is no way out!"

After Zhu Youjian finished these two sentences resolutely, he took a deep breath, held it in for a long time, and then slowly exhaled, "So, we two, the emperor and minister, must never let the Ming Dynasty come to an end!"

(End of this chapter)