My life skills in Daming Liver

Yan Jun continued: "There is another factor in inflation, and that is that there are too many unemployed people."

“More and more people are unemployed, prices are rising, and workshops are going bankrupt. The result is that more and more workshops are going bankrupt, more people are becoming unemployed, and in the end, the entire society has fewer and fewer goods, and people If you start spending more money chasing goods, prices will get higher and higher.”

Yan Jun said: "The excessive issuance of silver coins, coupled with the large number of unemployed workers, the two factors interacted with each other, and finally caused a sharp inflation of prices. The rapid rise in prices once again caused people to panic about currency, and they did not dare to earn money." If you save money, you will buy supplies immediately.”

"This is what Governor Su said, the self-fulfilling of inflation."

"Self-actualization?"

"Yes, when everyone thinks that inflation is going to happen, everyone will spend money to buy things, and then prices will inevitably rise. This is the self-fulfillment of inflation."

Only then did Tong An understand the horror of inflation.

Both excessive currency issuance and unemployment will increase inflation. The two interact with each other and inflation will become more and more severe.

Money is becoming less and less valuable. In order to get more money, Mingting will issue more silver coins indiscriminately.

The indiscriminate issuance of more silver dollars will also lead to further bankruptcy of the monetary system.

As inflation began, workshops and shops began to lose money, and all industries in the capital were in decline. In addition to exploitation by tax collectors, it was also related to the increasingly inflated prices.

When money cannot be stabilized, barter is the only option.

Workshops and shops went bankrupt, people's incomes further dropped, and people panicked to buy food and other daily necessities.

And as everyone has expectations of rising prices, this in turn pushes prices to actually rise.

So there was such vicious inflation in the capital.

Yan Jun sighed and said: "The price of goods in the capital is more terrifying than the military threat from the southeast. If this continues, the Ming Dynasty will collapse without the need for the southeast."

Tong An also sighed. Now he is just an ordinary student at the Capital Military Academy. Faced with such a situation, he can't do anything.

No matter who comes to fix the situation in the Ming Court, everyone can only sigh.

Sure enough, within half a month, prices in the capital had tripled. When prices reached this level, ordinary officials in the capital could no longer afford to buy food.

However, in the previous operation to clean up Li Chunfang's remaining party, Li Chengliang focused on cleaning up the Ministry of Household and the Ministry of Rites where Li Chunfang's cronies were entrenched, and a large number of public officials were also cleared out. So by the time Li Chunfang realized this, prices in the capital were already out of control.

Li Chengliang, who had never dealt with such a problem, had to continue to summon his cronies to discuss the price issue in the capital.

These cronies of Li Chengliang can make do if they lead troops to fight, but it is really difficult for them to deal with economic problems.

"Commander, I thought it would be enough to just catch those profiteers who raise prices and stipulate that grain be sold at a fair price!"

“Wouldn’t it be great if prices of goods were not allowed to increase!”

"Kill those price gougers!"

This bunch of Qiu Ba people said something to each other, both inside and outside their words, but Li Chengliang didn't say a word.

This is not because Li Chengliang is kind-hearted, but he now knows very well that after the reforms from Gao Gong to Zhang Juzheng, and then to Li Chunfang, the entire Ming court has also established an economic system.

Although this economic system is not as sophisticated as the southeast, the flow of goods and goods is much more effective than the previous Ming court system.

It is precisely because of this new commodity circulation system that it can adapt to today's complex production activities.

A new musket requires high-quality coal from Shanxi, refined iron from Guanzhong, sulfur from Liaodong, and saltpeter from Shandong.

These things need to be transported to the capital through commercial activities and then produced in the arsenal.

And if the entire economic system collapses, then these materials will not be transported to the workshops, and material production will not be restored.

This is something more terrifying than rising food prices.

Li Chengliang looked at his men, and then at Shan Hao Xian, the only scholar under him.

Shanhao sighed first and said, "General, my subordinates don't understand the knowledge of breeding."

Li Chengliang was ill and rushed to the doctor and asked:

"Mr. Shan, does he know anyone who can solve this problem?"

Shanhao said without hesitation: "Mr. Zhang."

Mr. Zhang, isn’t he Zhang Juzheng?

Upon hearing this, everyone began to shout:

"Shanhao first! What are your intentions!"

Shanhao Xian said without changing his expression: "In our Ming Dynasty, the only one who can master the art of currency colonization is Mr. Zhang. If the Ming Dynasty can solve this problem, then only Mr. Zhang is the one."

Li Chengliang was also a little hesitant. Naturally, he was unwilling to ask Zhang Juzheng, and Zhang Juzheng might not be willing to come out.

Shanhao first said: "The general can recruit Xianggong Zhang's son. I heard that Xianggong Zhang's son is quite talented and proficient in the knowledge of goods farming. And as long as his son comes out to do things, Xianggong Zhang cannot ignore him."

Li Chengliang said happily: "That makes sense! Are Zhang Xianggong and his son now in Tianjin? Send my order to recruit Zhang Jingxiu, the son of Zhang Juzheng, as the head of the Mint Department of the Ministry of Household Affairs, responsible for stabilizing prices in the capital!"

Shanhao opened his mouth first. He did not expect that Li Chengliang was so stingy. He wanted Zhang Juzheng and his son to do something, but he was only willing to give Zhang Jingxiu the position of chief director.

Letting a chief minister of the household department be responsible for pacifying prices in the capital is equivalent to letting an ordinary soldier command thousands of troops.

But Shanhao also knew that Li Chengliang was very afraid of Zhang Juzheng and his son and was unwilling to give Zhang Jingxiu an important position.

When he thought of this, Shanhao could only hold back his words, hoping that the Zhang family and his son would focus on the overall situation.

Sure enough, Li Chengliang's envoy came to Tianjin and heard that Li Chengliang was asked to give his son a head of the household department so that he could control prices in the capital. Zhang Juzheng, who was bedridden, directly rejected Li Chengliang's recruitment.

After Li Chengliang's envoy left, Zhang Juzheng called his son and said:

"I rejected Li Chengliang this time. With his character, he will never let us father and son go."

Zhang Jingxiu was shocked and said: "Father, what should we do?"

"Go south!"

Zhang Juzheng said without hesitation.

Zhang Jingxiu looked at his father in surprise. He knew that his father and Southeast Governor Su Ze were old acquaintances, but the two had different political opinions. Even Zhang Juzheng stepped down because after his hometown in Huguang was captured by Southeast, Su Ze sent Zhang Juzheng's parents to When he arrived in the capital, Zhang Juzheng was impeached and removed from office.

Now my father actually wants to go south?

Zhang Juzheng said: "I didn't go south, it was you who took your grandparents and younger brothers south and stayed in Tianjin for your father. Li Chengliang can't use me anymore."

"Father!"

"Don't say any more. As my father is old, everything at home depends on you."