After sitting down, Lao Zhu couldn't wait to take out the treasure banknotes and show them to a few people.
"Look at this treasure banknote we made. Everyone says it's great when they see it."
"And we also added the color-changing anti-counterfeiting feature, so no one else can make exactly the same banknotes."
Gu Chen: "..."
shameless!
Did you do that?
It's obviously my fault.
I saw the six characters "Da Ming Tong Xing Bao Chao" written on the banknote. The three characters "Guan Qian" on the banknote were shining brightly, and there was also a picture thoughtfully drawn on the banknote.
Let those who are illiterate know how much this piece of money should be used for.
The two Ministers of the Ministry of Revenue nodded repeatedly, indicating that there was indeed no problem with anti-counterfeiting.
"But Your Majesty, the people have less gold, silver, and copper in their hands."
"If taxes cannot be collected in full, I'm afraid it will still cause unnecessary burdens to the people."
After all, whether they are doing business or selling food, all they receive are treasure notes. Where does the 30% of gold, silver and copper come from?
Besides, the government won’t change it yet.
"perhaps."
Liu Bowen thought for a while and suggested softly.
"You can restrict the exchange of gold and silver, which means that people can exchange a small amount of gold and silver at the government office. They use it to pay taxes anyway."
"In this way, even though it has gone around in a circle, the gold and silver money will still end up in the treasury, so you can have both worlds."
This will not place a burden on the people, but can also ensure the sufficiency of gold, silver, and copper coins in the national treasury to the maximum extent possible.
"Gu Chen, what do you think?"
Lao Zhu felt that Liu Bowen's method was slightly better, but he still wanted to have a better method.
He set his sights on Gu Chen, expecting him to come up with a good solution.
"Go back to your Majesty." Gu Chen thought for a while and then said: "I believe that the government can exchange copper coins with the people, but it cannot exchange gold and silver."
Copper coins are actually equivalent to modern coins, and there is nothing wrong with exchanging them for everyone.
"As for taxation, I think copper coins and treasure banknotes are fine, but gold and silver are not."
"Your Majesty, if you want treasure banknotes to circulate in the market, you must ensure that the treasure banknotes are useful. If we try every means to get gold and silver, but only give the people a piece of paper, people will naturally not believe it."
People are not stupid. If you do it too obviously, others will naturally distrust you.
There are policies from above and countermeasures from below. There are always ways to blind you.
"If this is the case, how can the gold and silver in the national treasury be increased?"
Old Zhu wanted to scratch his feet sadly, but he was embarrassed in front of several ministers.
"Increasing gold and silver storage does not necessarily have to come from the people of the Ming Dynasty themselves. I heard that people from other countries are extremely interested in the clothes, tea and food of the Ming Dynasty."
"One tael of tea, which sold for five hundred coins in the Ming Dynasty, can be sold to outsiders for ten times the price. We can collect commercial taxes to increase our gold reserves."
Hearing this, Lao Zhu was stunned, and several other ministers were also stunned.
Who doesn’t know that His Majesty doesn’t like the sea, yet this guy dares to mention it?
In the third year of Hongwu's reign, the Shipping Department of Huangdu City in Taicang was dismissed.
In the fourth year of Hongwu's reign, Zhu Yuanzhang issued an order that no one was allowed to enter the sea. Those who dared to trade privately with each other must be tried and strictly enforced.
In the seventh year of Hongwu's reign, the emperor ordered the cancellation of the Shipping Departments of Quanzhou, Fujian, Mingzhou, Zhejiang, and Guangzhou, Guangdong. These were official maritime trade organizations that had existed since the Tang Dynasty.
These are enough to show that Zhu Yuanzhang has no interest in the sea and even hates it.
But this, Lord Gu...
Alas, young.
"Your Majesty, in this vast world, I am definitely not the only one who has great power."
Gu Chen held up his hands and explained: "Although some remnants of Zhang Shicheng and Fang Guozhen have fled to the surrounding islands, there are still Japanese pirates raging."
"But we, the Ming Dynasty, have a strong national power, so why should we be afraid of some young people who will open a maritime market and buy our things with gold and silver?"
"If they have rare items, we can buy them with treasure money."
"In this way, there is no need to disturb the people, and the treasury will still have enough gold and silver."
In fact, he also wanted to say that there are gold mines in Luzon and silver mines in Japan.
You can bring them all, but unfortunately there are too many people and he doesn't want to say anything.
In order to avoid looking back, others will think that they are encouraging the emperor to be warlike.
As expected, Gu Chen was left alone by Lao Zhu.
He was a little angry: "You have no other choice but to talk nonsense?"
If I am willing to impose a maritime ban, why should I print Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes?
"Your Majesty, this is just my own opinion." Gu Chen finally said, "If your Majesty is really unwilling to impose a sea ban."
"I think your Majesty can also try Mr. Liu's method first, but the remnants of the Japanese pirates and Zhang Fang are more harmful to the people along the coast."
"It cannot be tolerated. I think it is better to eradicate it as soon as possible."
Although now that the dynasty has just been established, it will definitely be a little incapable of fighting, but it must not delay the Ming Dynasty's making money.
Thinking of this, Gu Chen said again: "Sweep away the remaining evil as soon as possible, so that our Ming Dynasty can get rich as soon as possible and move to a higher level."
He was talking enthusiastically, but Lao Zhu's face turned darker and darker.
"Shut up, you are a censor, and now you are in charge of the Ministry of Finance. Believe it or not, I will punish you immediately?"
What does this guy know?
Zhang and Fang's naval forces are already powerful. Once the maritime ban is lifted and mutual trade flourishes, will Zhang Fang's old troops in Jiangsu and Zhejiang watch over them?
At that time, they will collude with the remnants overseas and join forces to rebel against the Ming Dynasty.
By that time, wouldn't the world be in chaos again?
Moreover, this guy's words seemed to be saying that he was afraid of Zhang Fang's remnants, so he was banned from the sea. What kind of words was this?
Will he be afraid?
It's just that we don't want to start a fight and make the people suffer.
Gu Chen: "..."
Now you remember that I am from Yushitai, so why are you keeping me here?
Isn't it just to keep people talking?
After saying that, you want to curse people again. No wonder Liu Bowen resigns from his job at every turn.
"Father, don't argue with him." Seeing that his father was angry, Zhu Biao quickly said something nice: "Gu Chen is still young, so some of his ideas may be naive."
"My son, I will take him down now and reprimand him severely so that he will not dare to speak nonsense again in the future."
Such a big boy was obviously protecting Gu Chen. Although Lao Zhu wanted to teach this boy a lesson, he thought it would be better to sell his son a favor.
So, he acquiesced and his son took Gu Chen away.
After coming out of Fengtian Hall, Gu Chen followed Zhu Biao back to Wenhua Hall to talk.
"Gu Chen, I think you shouldn't be in Yushitai. You should be working in the Ministry of Household Affairs. How can you be thinking only about money?"
"A few days ago, you sent a memorandum to my father, saying that except in years of great disaster, briquettes cannot be distributed to the people for free and must be paid in silver."
"Of course Gu He and my father know clearly, but it's not your place to say this. I heard that you are still asking your colleagues if their salary is going to be increased."
"You are a royal censor, so you should be able to breathe freely in your sleeves. How come you are like this..."
What about the smell of copper coins?
Zhu Biao felt that he couldn't understand this Gu Yushi. You could say he was a good official, but he was always thinking and working on money.
But you want to say that he is not a good official, and he does not shy away from the powerful when others give advice.
And he is never greedy for money. He doesn’t want an extra copper from others.
Are such people good or bad?
