There are still many things that Yi and others cannot understand. As the first telegraph line in the Qing Dynasty gradually began to operate, the transmission of information from the north to the south has become faster and faster.
Telegraph lines were laid only after they were built and used. Although the first phase of the project was planned to start from the capital in the north and go south to Shanghai, it would not be used until it was completely completed.
For example, after the line from Shanghai to Nanjing was completed, the telegraph bureau began to provide telegraph services, and information transmission between the north and the south of the empire could intermittently take advantage of the speed of telegraph.
It is precisely because of the latest communication network that everything that happens in the south can be quickly understood in Beijing. For example, Lotte Yang Company just held a swaggering silver coin parade in Sijiu City, followed by Shanghai, Su Hangzhou, Nanjing and other places began to issue something called national bonds.
This is really a new thing. Lotte Bank actually broke up the contracted national debt and printed a batch of small denominations of national debt according to the printing procedures of military stamps. The minimum denomination is a dragon-patterned silver coin, commonly known as a one-yuan coin. , then twenty yuan, fifty yuan and one hundred yuan, a total of four denominations.
Small-amount treasury bonds are issued to the public, and a high interest rate of 30% is promised within three years. A 100-yuan treasury bond can be redeemed for 130 dragon-patterned silver coins at Rakuten Bank after three years. .
Not only does it provide high interest rates, Rakuten Bank also promises that all merchants who hold national bonds or Ryukyu military notes and trade with Rakuten Bank, foreign banks, and the Ryukyu Kingdom can enjoy a 3% tax reduction.
People with a discerning eye have already seen that, isn’t Rakuten Bank planning to issue East Asia’s first credit currency? Accept the national debt, and then kidnap the national credit to issue banknotes.
This is a game of credit. You, the Qing Dynasty, have to admit the debts of the Qing Dynasty. Since I, Lotte Bank, have accepted the debt, the local governor is equivalent to owing money to me, Lotte Bank. I don’t want you to pay back the cash and offset it with customs duties. Is the head office ready? Anyway, the economic and trade relationship between Lotte Yanghang and the Jiangnan region is very close, and the tax revenue incurred every year is more than millions of taels of silver.
Lotte & Foreign Company itself has a high credit rating in Jiangnan. No one believes that Xiao Caishen will not be able to repay the six million silver. In addition, the Qing Dynasty used tax revenue as a guarantee, which further proves that this money is absolutely guaranteed by Lotte & Foreign Company. Can pay off.
Risk-free 30% profit, this is the purchase and sale of each bond, and the rejection of the vote ensures the liquidity of this bond. If you are suddenly short of money, you can easily realize these bonds. into cash silver.
Moreover, there is a 3% tax exemption for trading with bonds or military stamps, which makes more businesses willing to accept this kind of paper. When ordinary people see that this kind of thin paper can be used as money, and Merchants are still rushing to get them, so the credibility of banknotes is naturally higher.
There was no central bank in the Qing Dynasty, and the bureaucrats in the Ministry of Accounts couldn't understand Xiao Letian's plan. They foolishly thought that Letian Bank was helping them. They were really trying to flatter the Empress Dowager, but they didn't know that Xiao Letian had already done so. You can make a lot of money in this financial game.
My bank has taken on 6 million in debt, but how many small bonds have I issued? I'm afraid no one in the Qing Dynasty knew that only the old shopkeepers Fan Lian and Xiao Letian knew that bonds worth 13 million dragon-patterned silver coins were digested by the Jiangnan region, and Shanghai alone made a mockery of bonds worth more than 5 million silver coins.
What? Are you afraid that Xiao Letian won't be able to repay you? This is really an international joke. As long as credit currency is issued, no one will think of paying it back. As long as the credit of this currency does not collapse, physical silver can only go in and not out.
There are many ways to increase currency credit, but there are only two most effective methods, one is military escort and the other is tax protection.
Strong military power can ensure the basic security of the currency-issuing institution or the country. As long as the tree does not fall, people can continue to enjoy the shade. The guarantee of taxation will ensure that the commercial circulation field will not refuse or even be willing to use this currency. The more the commercial circulation field likes it, the more naturally the people will accept it.
Of course, there are many ways to maintain credit, such as safe gold and silver reserves, the development of consumption habits, etc., but those are all things for later. Xiao Letian will not take too big steps because that will involve Dan, let’s take advantage of this six million debt this year and let the people of the Qing Dynasty become familiar with this piece of paper. It will be easier to issue other new bonds in the future.
"I can't understand! I really can't understand... What kind of trick is Xiao Letian playing?" Just as Yi was muttering to himself, the sedan suddenly stopped. When he looked up, he saw that Jingshan was already in front of him.
"Your Majesty, please get off the sedan chair... Lin Shangshu from the Ministry of Revenue is waiting for you..." The butler opened the sedan curtain and invited Prince Gong out who was in a daze.
Under some dark pine trees, Shangshu Lin was blocking the wind with his back, waiting for the prince's arrival. When he saw Yi approaching, he hurriedly greeted him, and at the same time, he changed the direction so that the prince's back was facing the wind.
"My lord, please be careful, don't get blinded by the strong wind today..."
"Old Lin, what are you doing? The Queen Mother has summoned you so urgently. Why don't you hurry up to the mountain and wait here for the heavy rain?" Yi said half-jokingly.
"Oh, my good prince, can I hide this from you today? Apart from discussing the assassination of His Majesty, there can be nothing else... But let me tell you the truth in advance, our Ministry of Revenue does not The money is gone, not even a penny is left. If the country raises an army, I will have no choice but to hang myself!"
"Zuo Zongtang led his troops into Gansu and Shaanxi at the beginning of the year, and at the same time took away the last five million yuan of the national treasury. The 10 million taels of military expenses promised by the Queen Mother are still short of half, and I can tell Wang Ye clearly that there is no Don’t expect the court to give Zuo Jigao a penny in the next few years..."
Yi frowned and said, "Isn't this a thing of the past? Zuo Jigao is allowed to raise the remaining balance by himself. I heard that Hu Xueyan has a good relationship with him. Didn't he promise to solve it for him?"
"Oh, Your Majesty, that's not what I'm talking about today, but the lack of money in the treasury! The summer grain taxes from various places have not yet been deported. Even if they are sent, they have to pay back the holes first. The salaries of the officials in the capital have not been fully paid. , I still owe the Eight Banners’ salary..."
"It just happened that His Majesty was assassinated at this juncture... Of course His Majesty is lucky to have died, but the voices in the government and the public are too loud... Many Hanlin officials are clamoring to send troops to Japan to punish this small country, but Your Majesty, you have to calm down. Calm down, don’t use troops!”
"That's a national war! Regardless of the outcome, if you want to cross the sea, you have to rent foreign warships. If you don't have a million taels of silver, you can't do it... Let's talk about the army. Let's secretly say that there is no one in this place. Apart from the army of the country, Can the Hunan Army still be used? We can’t really let the Green Camp and the Eight Banners go abroad with big swords, right? Doesn’t it cost money to replace the equipment? Then it will cost another 1.8 million taels..."
Yi Lao blushed slightly. Of course he knew that the army of the imperial court could not take action. Hu Bu was right. If he really wanted to send troops to Japan to show off his power, it would be a no-brainer if he didn't have 2 million taels of silver.
"Old Lin, you are thinking too much. Isn't there still Xiao Letian here? He is a Monkey King who refuses to suffer losses. His Majesty cannot suffer losses with him..."
It was just a matter of not mentioning Xiao Letian. When he mentioned Xiao Letian, the Minister of Revenue changed his expression and hurriedly tugged on his sleeve. "Come this way, Your Majesty..." Lin Shangshu led Yi to a pile of cloth covered with oilcloth. , lifted up a corner of the oilcloth and let the prince take a look.
"Look at this wood!"
Growing up in the free palace, Yi was very familiar with expensive things. At that time, he gasped, "Golden nanmu? Such an old and thick thing! Isn't it said that it has become extinct..."
Golden nanmu is the most precious wood that can be found in ancient buildings. It is recorded that when Zhu Di, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was building the Forbidden City, he ordered to search the southwest mountains and cut down all the golden nanmu that could be used to build the palace. The founding of the Qing Dynasty wanted to repair the three main halls but could not find suitable wood.
Golden nanmu is not extinct, what is extinct is actually aniseed. If the royal family wants to build a bed, a cabinet or something, of course there is no problem, but if they want to build entire doors and windows or even serve as main beams and columns, this is impossible. No way.
"My good prince, we are indeed extinct in the Qing Dynasty, but there are still some in Annan! These are all shipped by Fuqing to Lotte and Yang Company by sea from Annan. Each piece of wood plus the shipping cost It’s still 150,000 to 200,000 taels anyway!”
"My lord! You can use such wood to rebuild Beihai Jingshan. Do you think six million silver is enough? I think ten million is not enough!"
Hiss... Yi took a breath of air, "You are so rich! Are the rumors on the street true? Is he really the illegitimate son of the old Dragon King of the East China Sea?"
The Secretary of the Ministry of Finance sneered and said, "We can't care about that, but today I think we can take this opportunity to attack..." As he spoke, he leaned into the prince's ear and whispered, and the more he spoke, the more his eyes grew. The brighter it gets.
At the same time, in Jingshan Qiwang Tower, Fu Qing was sitting on a chair talking to the Queen Mother. He had just returned from Tanggu to deal with some sundries from the court and send private money to the Queen Mother.
"Queen Mother, these bonds will be issued in the capital the day after tomorrow. Looking at the situation in Jiangnan, there is no need to worry about selling these bonds. People have already gone to the bank stores to inquire..."
"Today I will send a bond of 600,000 taels to the Queen Mother. You can spend it as you like, and there is no need to go and exchange it for silver coins. I estimate that in less than two months, all the merchants in the capital will have to accept such bonds... "
Ci'an saw Mr. Qing's eyes watering and said softly, "You always spend money indiscriminately. The court gave you a total of six million taels for famine. You actually turned into so much cash. How much money do you have to pay?" ?”
"I don't know much about engineering, but that day I met Xiang Lei while inspecting the construction site. I heard from his words that this project will definitely exceed the cost, and it will exceed the cost by a lot..."
"It's not worth spending so much extra money for me! Now that you've given me so much money, don't lose everything!"
Fu Qing looked up at Ci'an, the tenderness and sweetness in their eyes made the eunuch and maid next to him so frightened that they didn't dare to look directly at him. Fu Qing said in the most affectionate voice.
"I...will...will..."
