I am the king of the dead

Yu Qian is also the only civil servant who has won the miracle card.

Rewarding for meritorious deeds is inevitable. Zhu Qiyu and Yang Hong discussed for a long time on the merits of the frontier army, and finally approved the merit list.

Xing'an Cong took the merit book and counted three odd merit cards, 3000 two hundred and forty-seven first merit cards, more than 47 Qi Li cards, 25 taels of silver, more than [-] suits, and more than [-] horses Horses to supply the Xuanfu.

Jixing has not yet been established, but it does not prevent Jixing from being extremely efficient. Four days after Zhu Qiyu issued the order, the accounting eunuch of the inner transport depot and the Du branch of the household department completed the accounting of the Jiangnan Salt Field.

Zhu Qiyu did not convene a court meeting. This time it was just accounting and did not involve policy adjustments. He held a small-scale discussion meeting in the martial arts hall.

And the content of this meeting is Daming's Yanyin.

It is said that it is a small scale, six ministers, six divisions, four divisions of the household department, and the right capital censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, all of which are here.

Zhu Qiyu waited until all the people arrived, and then came to the meeting table with the memorials presented by the supervisor of ceremonies and the memorials of the Du Branch of the Ministry of Household Affairs.

It was the first time for Hu Wei, Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, to come to Zhu Qiyu's small building, and he was quite moved, even a little nostalgic.

At that time, Beijing was not called Beijing, it was called Beiping, and the Ming Dynasty called Yanwangfu and Beiping both Beiya.

Emperor Taizongwen often held such small meetings, but at that time, it was mainly to discuss various matters related to the Northern Expedition.

Now His Majesty has also started this kind of small meeting, flexibly calling the heads of various ministries to understand the affairs of the world.

"See Your Majesty, is Your Majesty blessed?" Many courtiers hurriedly saluted when Zhu Qiyu came to the conference table.

"I bow to you." Zhu Qiyu put the two memorials on the table and motioned for everyone to sit down without restraint.

"Your Majesty, the Son of Heaven can't do without a name. The main building of the martial arts hall only hangs a signboard for the head of the mountain, but no plaque. Is it a name? Otherwise, it is not in accordance with the etiquette system." The palace was renamed Tai'an Palace.

This kind of renaming is not a random renaming. For example, before the name change of Prince Yi's mansion, it was green tiles, but after the name change it was yellow tiles.

Your Majesty spends a lot of time in the lecture hall, the main building of the lecture hall is the place where the emperor lives, how can the word "main building" be fooled by it?

Zhu Qiyu nodded and said: "Let's call it Juxian Pavilion, Xing'an. After I mention the words later, I will make a plaque and hang it downstairs."

"Yes." Xing'an bowed his head and took orders.

He put down the two memorials, and said with emotion: "The reason why I summoned you all to come today is because I intend to imitate the old things of the Tang and Song Dynasties and re-establish the Department of Salt and Iron in the Ministry of Households, mainly for the production planning of salt, iron and coal. The matter is called planning and saving."

The financial affairs of the Ming court cannot be said to be non-existent, it can only be said that talking is better than nothing.

After Zhu Yuanzhang established the world, the people's livelihood in the north was adjusted, and there was no rooster crowing for thousands of miles. For this reason, large-scale guards were built and farms were built.

Six years after Zhu Di came from Yongle, he spent the whole day on the Northern Expedition and went to the Western Ocean. The internal transport warehouse had money, and the household department was crying for poverty. Zhu Di took out a little subsidy from the internal transport warehouse.

This state lasted until the ninth year of Xuande, when the imperial court’s voyages to the West were stopped, and the Ming’s financial affairs did not have much income from internal funds, and domestic funds to subsidize national funds were no longer customized.

In the Ming Dynasty, there was no systematic financial affairs structure at all, except for the Salt Law, which was a bit sensual, but it had begun to crumble day by day.

Yu Qian said worriedly: "Your Majesty, the salt law is a serious matter. The farm law is still being implemented, so I immediately implemented the reform of the salt law. I think it is a bit too hasty."

Yu Qian knew that His Majesty was eager for success, and he was very worried that His Majesty's eagerness for quick success would instead turn good governance into bad governance.

Zhu Qiyu waved his hand and said: "I didn't intend to do it overnight. Today I just imitated Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty to hold a salt and iron meeting to discuss the matter of salt lessons. I don't care too much about it."

Only then did Yu Qian breathe a sigh of relief, His Majesty really became more and more stable.

During the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty, an unprecedented discussion meeting was held on many issues concerning the monopoly of salt and iron. After five months of research, and after more than two years of decision-making, the four cornerstones of the monopoly of salt and iron in the Han Dynasty were finally determined. The pattern of more than a hundred years.

Zhu Qiyu just let the ministers discuss the state affairs and express their opinions, and did not intend to start reforming and promoting policies immediately.

"Let's get started." He motioned to Jin Lian, Minister of the Household Department, to start first.

Jin Lian took out the memorabilia of the Ministry of Households and said: "I used the salt method since Tang Suzong's fifth Qi, the method of the pavilion household, and the establishment of salt pavilion households along the coast can avoid miscellaneous corvee. This system has been passed down through the ages. The same is true in the dynasty. In the 17th year of Hongwu, Emperor Taizu Gao issued a decree to order that all salt-producing places should be exempted from the labor of salt workers."

The fifth is a surname. When the fifth Qi was in Tongzhong Shumen, he created the salt method, and this system was inherited to Daming.

When did the Ming Dynasty use the salt method?The first year of Qianyuan.

From the first year of Jingtai, 690 years have passed.

In the past 700 years, the salt method has not changed much?

The answer is no.

Jin Lian continued: "Since the 17th year of Hongwu to the present, there have been many confusions about the salt law. Is it exempt from labor or stove field labor, how much is exempted, and what is the exemption method? Is it the same in various places?"

"The answer is, I don't know."

"Since I received the Minister of the Household Department, I have been calculating Daming's accounts for the rest of September. Your Majesty has given some eunuchs to settle the accounts. Finally, I have settled the accounts."

"Stove-free fields and labor-free fields vary from place to place, and there is no customization."

Wang Zhi frowned and asked: "That is to say, even the Minister of the Ministry of Households does not know how many fields or acres of land can be exempted from taxes when salt is produced in various places. Is this what you mean? "

Jin Lian nodded and said, "That's right."

Inside the Juxian Pavilion, there was an uproar, and everyone was talking about it.

Daming's financial affairs have always been in a state of sustainable collapse. How shocking this state is, even the Minister of the Ministry of Households can't explain clearly how the imperial court got the salt.

Wealth is power.

"I have communicated with Xing Zhao, the censor of salt inspection in Zhejiang and Zhejiang many times, and I finally figured out that these salt farms are exempted from labor and stove field service. About 25 mu of land in each town is exempt from tax."

"How much salt can be produced per dicing? It means three catties per day and four liang at night, regardless of the suffering of day and night, cold and heat, all based on this."

"Based on the 360 ​​days of the year, the amount of small salt is 170 catties, and the combination of small and five salts is 170 catties."

Zhu Qiyu said very confidently: "With less than five days of rest throughout the year, the pain of cooking salt in the stove, regardless of day and night in winter and summer, is how important it is compared to labor?"

"There are miscellaneous servants in the department, and there are no exemptions. They use the stove to divide their efforts, and they often lose money."

As the emperor, Zhu Qiyu’s opinion on the salt class is that the salt is too bitter, and it is open all year round. The stove cooks the salt field all day long. For hard labor.

Moreover, some departments, in order to obtain salt on a large scale, also dispatch private servants extensively, and there is no preferential policy stipulated by the imperial court, so Yanding often has a shortfall in annual salt production, but this is not the fault of Yanding.

For example, in Xiaojiang Farm, Haiyang County, Chaozhou Prefecture, Guangdong Province, Yan Ding was not exempted from the regular amount of land grain. , Yan Ding from Xiaojiangchang immediately killed Yu Bimei, head of a hundred households in Xiaojiangchang.

Father quit!Grandpa rebelled with him!

Minggongs of the imperial court looked at each other in blank dismay, only Shi Pu, Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry, did not say a word. His four directors were all craftsmen. He was very aware of the suffering of the people, but what could be done?

In the 12th year of orthodoxy, Shi Pu asked to play, and Yanding, the director of Hedong Yun, should be exempted from the general duties of Chaifu, archers, and Zaoli, except for Lijia, who should be in charge of grain and grass.

But what is the edict of the current King Ji, the orthodox emperor at that time?It is the stoves in the two prefectures of Huaiyang. Those who owe taxes and food will be arrested and chased after.

Not only is it unavoidable, but it is also necessary to refuse to collect the owed salt.

Minggong's discussion finally became smaller.

Jin Lian, Shangshu of the Ministry of Household Affairs, continued: "Everyone, this is a copy of the Department of Transportation, Department of Tiju, some figures about Yanding, Lianghuai, Liangzhe, Shandong, Fujian, Hedong, Guangzhou Haibei, Sichuan, Yunnan and other places. Daming has a total of more than 30 salts.”

"It does not include the small Yanchi Yanding in Lingzhou, Shaanxi. The number is too small to be ignored. My Daming Yanding has more than [-] yuan."

"It can produce 540 catties per year, which is equivalent to 160 catties of salt."

Jin Lian, Minister of the Household Department, handed a completed form to everyone present.

Zhu Qiyu's letter has been researched and repeated many times. Combined with the inspections of salt censors in various places, memorials to prefectures and counties, and water transportation eunuchs, there are some discrepancies in this data, but not too much.

The Secretary of the Household Department took a deep breath and said: "Last year, because of the conquest of Wala, Datong and Xuanfu needed food, and increased salt imports. A total of 30 years of salt imports, 5404."

"Only 14 years and one year of orthodoxy, I owed more than 370 million taels of silver. Datong rice is expensive, and one stone of rice is one or two yuan. Calculated at the price of one stone of rice in Datong Prefecture, a total of 3406 million silver is owed."

Zhu Qiyu took a deep breath and said, "How much do you owe in total?"

"Three years of orthodoxy, six years of orthodoxy, and nine years of orthodoxy, a total of 7304 million taels of silver is owed, and now there is still a shortfall of 530 million taels of salt."

Zhu Qiyu had to pay back the debt owed by Zhengtong for 14 years.

The Ming Dynasty had only been founded for more than 200 years at this time, the global voyage had not yet begun, and a large amount of silver had not yet flowed into China. Even if Zhu Qiyu had money in his internal storage, it was only about [-] million taels.

Zhu Qizhen has been emperor for 14 years, how much does he owe?It is approximately equal to the legacy of two Zhu Dies.

return?

I can't afford it at all.

Yu Qian frowned and said, "Then why is the salt law still applicable and not a collapse? Such an unlawful law should have been broken up long ago."

"Because of Yanyin, it is no longer Yanyin." Jin Lian answered Yu Qian's question.

If His Majesty hadn't asked the abacus eunuch in the inner carrier to set the abacus this time, he would have only regarded Yanyin as Yanyin, but Yanyin was no longer Yanyin.

Jin Lian said very precisely: "According to our calculation, Yanyin should be worth one or two yuan of silver, but in fact, each Yinyin at this time is worth about one or two or five yuan. They all trade goods with salt."

"There is a price for salt. You can get a salt in Datong Shimi, which is worth one or two yuan. However, in Nanzhili, the price of salt is high, and the merchants buy and sell it with salt."

Why is Yanbi, so super hairy but nothing happened?

Because salt is used more as a currency.

Chapter 176 The Emperor of Ming is about to publish a new book

Jin Lian continued: "Actually, there are a large number of private salt fields in Zhejiang, Huai, Fujian, Guangzhou and other areas. They employ local people as stove salt workers and cook salt every day. The scale is extremely large."

"Ding Ming's salt quotations can be accepted in official saltworks, and they can also be accepted in private saltworks."

"So, the imperial court sent out so many salt quotations, but it didn't cause any disturbances. Instead, the prefectures and counties in various places always hoped that there could be more salt quotations."

When Zhu Qiyu was a teacher, he always had a question.

The earliest banknotes in the world appeared in the Song Dynasty.The earliest credit currency was written in the textbooks at that time.

Later, in the Yuan Dynasty, it was the Zhiyuanbao banknote, and in the Daming Dynasty it was the Daming Baochao.

But these paper currencies quickly became cheaper than toilet paper due to over-issue and inflation.

What is the basis for the emergence of these paper currencies?Why did it become a pile of waste paper again?

The reason for the emergence of banknotes is simple, because there is a lack of currency to complete private business transactions.

The Ming Dynasty produced more than [-] taels of silver every year, and Zhu Yuanzhang's ancestral precepts stated that in order to promote the use of Daming banknotes, the folks were not allowed to trade gold and silver.

The indiscriminate issuance of Daming banknotes began in the Hongwu period, and the flood of Daming banknotes has become a disaster. From the first one banknote that can be exchanged for another, to now it is waste paper that no one wants.

But another kind of paper currency, currency based on grain and salt, appeared, that is Yanyin.

Daming's salt quotations can be accepted at the saltworks. Even if they cannot be accepted at the official saltworks, private saltworks can also accept them. These salt quotations have become real currency.

When Daming did not have a large amount of silver input, it assumed the function of currency.

Therefore, it is true that the imperial court owed salt to merchants for three years, six years, nine years, and 14 years of orthodoxy, but merchants don't care much about it. Go to the private saltworks to accept it and exchange it to the water merchant, and you can also earn money.

Because Daming is strong enough, the population is growing day by day, and the demand for salt and grain is increasing, the currency with salt and grain as credit can be so unimpeded in Daming.

It is precisely because Daming is strong enough that Daming's financial affairs can be in a sustainable state of collapse without collapsing, and has an extremely powerful self-adaptive adjustment ability.

Zhu Qiyu sat up straight and said, "We shouldn't be secretly happy about the emergence of this phenomenon. Although it seems that the court has made a lot of money, we must always remember the lesson of the Ming Dynasty."

"Indiscriminate and excessive posting will definitely lead to the complete collapse of the salt class."

Jin Lian agreed: "Your Majesty is right. In fact, last year's overspending of salt quotations caused a run on both official and private salt farms, causing overcrowding."

"In September, a small amount of Yanyin is only worth three buckets and five dendrobiums of grain. Calculated according to the price of grain in the south of the Yangtze River, a small amount of Yanyin is only worth [-] cent, [-] cents, [-] cents and [-] cents of silver."

"The official salt farms are overcrowded and people are angry. The private salt farms are closed down. Salt workers can't make a living, and the price of salt and food has soared."

Zhu Qiyu did some calculations, and it was roughly equivalent to 0.1754 taels of silver.

Jin Lian changed the subject and said: "But with the victory in the battle of the capital, this panic has been greatly alleviated."

"All the private salt farms started frying salt again, and the run on the wind dropped immediately. The price of this salt and grain slowly came down, and the price of this salt rose slowly, returning to the price of one or two yuan."

"The silver I'm talking about is not cash silver, but the reference price after converting the price of grain and salt."

Chen Xun was stunned for a long time, and said with some doubts: "No, why is that so? Salt and food are expensive, and salt should be expensive. Why is it so cheap?"

"The price of salt and food is expensive, but the price of salt is cheap, the price of salt and food is cheap, but the price of salt is expensive? This..."

"Your Majesty, I am stupid."

Chen Xun is a university scholar. Since the 13th year of Yongle, he has been an official in Beijing. He is good at reciting scriptures, collecting the actions of ancient emperors, writing "Diligent Government Essentials", and admonishing the emperor to be diligent in government. Chen Xun has always been very active in this regard. role.

However, he has been serving as a Beijing official for a long time, which makes him unable to understand the affairs of the world. It is normal for him to be separated from the common people.

Zhu Qiyu tried to explain the matter, and said to Chen Xun: "Salt quotations are often used to make money in the market place. Civil fortresses were defeated, salt quotations were run, private saltworks were closed down, and official saltworks were filled with more salt and less salt. The price of salt soared and the price of quotations plummeted." , because people don't know if they can replace the salt."

"If the capital wins, there will be no more runs, and the Yanyin will continue to be used as a currency for a large number of transactions as usual. If there is no longer a run, the Yin and Yan will be balanced in the official salt field, and the quotation will resume."

"Chen Xueshi, can you understand what I'm saying?"

Chen Xun shook his head dully, and said in a daze, "Yanyin is equal to one stone of rice in Datong Prefecture, and equal to two hundred catties of salt in Jianghuai. Salt is expensive, and Yanyin should be expensive."

In fact, not only Chen Xun, but also the censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the six ministers, the minister, and the staff of the six departments present were scratching their heads.