In early October, the first batch of paper came out from the Chang'an County Paper Mill. The first-grade paper was 1,700 times, the medium-grade paper was 3,800 times, and the low-grade paper was 8,400 times.
This is a very substantial amount of money.
Under normal circumstances, high-grade paper is placed in the emperor's inner treasury and is used for the emperor's private use and to reward ministers. Some of it is also allocated to the royal paper mill for sale. Medium-grade paper is placed in the national treasury and is administrative paper for various ministries and yamen. Like lower-grade paper, it was sold by Taifu Temple and spread among the people.
The two paper mills in Luoyang are also about to complete technical renovation, and several batches will be delivered before the end of the year.
"Yes, it's October now, so how much can the paper mill in Chang'an County produce before the end of the year?" Yang Ming asked at the court meeting.
Yuanshou of Taifu Temple was in a good mood and said proudly: "According to His Highness's method and using bamboo as raw material, we can produce more than 30,000 times of various types of paper before the end of the year."
There is no shortage of bamboo in China. It is found in 27 provinces, including Guanzhong. It is rich in resources.
And the cost of bamboo is low. If used to make paper, the price of paper will also be reduced.
Yang Ming said: "Has the price been set?"
"Not yet," Yuan Shou said with a smile: "The cost has been greatly reduced. Whether to maintain the original price or reduce the price appropriately, His Highness has to make a decision."
Yang Ming nodded, looked at the ministers and said, "What do you think?"
"It is not appropriate to lower the price," Yang Yue said with a frown: "Right now, the national treasury needs money. Selling it at the original price can quickly replenish the national treasury. If the price is reduced, a lot of money will be lost."
Yu Wenshu also echoed: "Paper is never worried about selling. Once third-class paper goes on sale, it will be sold out instantly, especially the top-grade paper and medium-grade paper. They are all bought by nobles. They don't care about the price."
Yun Dingxing said: "Things are rare and expensive, but according to the current production, paper will enter the market in large quantities. If there are too many goods, the price will have to be reduced sooner or later. Otherwise, the phenomenon of stagnant sales will definitely occur over time."
Yang Gongren said: "Then lower the price of low-grade coarse paper, and keep the price of high-grade white paper and medium-grade yellow paper unchanged."
"Actually, it's not that troublesome," Yang Yue said with a smile: "Rough paper is the hardest to sell because most of the buyers are civilians. If the Taichang Temple Taibu Department changes the funeral rituals, it is recommended that it be used for folk funeral offerings. Just add some yellow paper and white money, and it will be easy to sell."
Yang Ming laughed, pointed at Yang Yue and said, "Mr. Yang is so scheming."
Isn't this just like making toothpaste difficult to sell and enlarging the mouth of the toothpaste by two millimeters?
Taichang Shaoqing Wei Ji nodded and said: "This method is feasible. It is popular in the Guanzhong area to burn twenty-four pieces of yellow paper and forty-two white coins. The quantity can be mentioned. The more you burn, the better for the ancestors below." Our lives will be better, and our descendants will be more blessed."
"The method is a good method, but it cannot be implemented by Taichang Temple," Lu Chu said with a smile: "It is best to use Xuandu Temple, and it is more suitable for Taoism to spread it."
Yang Ming waved his hands dumbfounded and said with a smile: "Okay, okay, don't come up with these bad ideas. Isn't it just a price reduction? Slow and steady flow is the way to make money, right Yun Shaoqing?"
Everyone burst out laughing.
Yun Dingxing hurriedly said: "The prince's wisdom is this. The price of rough paper still needs to be reduced. It is currently fifty yuan a piece. I think it is most appropriate to reduce it to thirty-five yuan."
"If it is changed to thirty-five cents, what is the profit?" Yang Ming asked.
Yuan Shou said: "About twenty-five yuan."
"It's still too much. In other words, the cost of rough paper is only ten yuan," Yang Ming said, "Then change it to twenty yuan, and you can make double the profit."
In the Sui Dynasty, private merchants made small profits and could not earn much, but the imperial court did not, because the imperial court was engaged in monopoly industries and had pricing power.
After saying that, Yang Ming suddenly said: "What's the profit of the fine white paper?"
Yuan Shou said: "Based on the current market price of three hundred yuan a piece, the cost is about sixty to eighty yuan."
A piece of blank paper can earn two hundred and twenty dollars.
Yang Ming was overjoyed and said: "Then it's settled. The price of coarse paper will be reduced, and the price of white paper and yellow paper will remain unchanged. If it becomes difficult to sell in the future, the price will be lowered appropriately. Now that the country is in a hurry, all this batch of paper will be sold. When the paper comes out at the end of the year, His Majesty’s inner treasury and the national treasury will be replenished.”
Medium yellow paper is not pure yellow paper. It is white paper with a slight yellowing. Low-grade coarse paper is not that yellow.
However, these third-grade paper will turn yellow if left for a long time, and the degree of yellowing varies depending on the quality.
Cui Zhongfang from the Ministry of Civil Affairs nodded and said: "When this batch of paper is sold, will the money be allocated to Jiangdu to dredge the canal, or..."
"The military pay will be paid first," Yang Ming said, "There is no need to discuss this."
Yu Wenshu nodded quickly: "Military pay is indeed a top priority. This money must not be used elsewhere."
"First calculate how much money you have," Yang Yue said.
Cui Zhongfang quickly ordered the officials of the Ministry of Civil Affairs to start making abacus calculations.
"A total of one hundred and five thousand guan," the official from the Ministry of Civil Affairs calculated it after a while.
Yang Ming frowned and said, "Too few."
"It's quite a lot," Yang Yue said quickly, "This is just the first batch, and there will be two batches before the end of the year. A rough calculation shows that the Chang'an County paper mill can make nearly one million yuan a year, which is much better than before."
One million, it would be gone to build the Wei Palace. It would be better to make money through smuggling. It depends on how much Yu Wenjia has made in the past few years.
In fact, not all princes' palaces are built according to the standard of one million. Some exceed the standard, such as the former King of Qin Yang Jun, and some are far below this standard. It mainly depends on you, the prince, and your relationship with the emperor.
A biological grandson's standard is high, and a biological son's standard is even higher.
Yang Ming asked: "When will the two paper mills in Luoyang be able to produce paper?"
"It will be out by the end of the year, and the papermaking factory over there is larger in scale, and papermaking factories across the country are also undergoing technical transformation," Yuan Shou said hurriedly:
"After all the paper mills are technologically improved, they will be able to contribute nearly 10 million yuan to the national treasury every year."
When all the ministers heard this, they became very excited and praised the prince one after another.
The more money, the better, but what Yang Ming really cares about is that paper has begun to spread among the people.
Yang Ming pondered for a moment and said: "One hundred thousand guan is just a drop in the bucket. The kapok planting in Sinong Temple must be accelerated. Next year I will see cotton cloth. How to weave it, you can figure it out yourself."
Cui Shu hurriedly said: "This year, a large number of kapok has been planted along the banks of the Yellow River in Shandong, Hebei, and the output is pretty good. The Dyeing Department of Taifu Temple has received the first batch of kapok and is exploring how to weave cloth."
"Have you saved any seeds?" Yang Ming asked.
Cui Shu nodded and said: "Keep it. Starting from next year, the Yellow River cotton area can be expanded three times, and planting can also be promoted in Jianghuai."
"Money, money, money, money is needed everywhere," Yang Ming smiled at the ministers and said, "I have to think of a way to raise some money for Li Jing to go on an expedition."
Cui Zhongfang, who was in charge of the treasury, was stunned. He was about to say that the treasury was not short of this amount of money, but was stopped by Yang Ming's look.
The court meeting ended, and that night, thirty-seven clan members who had stayed in Beijing were summoned to the East Palace.
"The country is in dire straits, as you all have seen. A powerful enemy is in the west, which is unfavorable to our border. If we don't make preparations early, it may lead to a catastrophe," Yang Ming deliberately exaggerated:
"It is imperative that Li Jing goes on an expedition. I don't expect you to pool your money and reduce your food supply to solve the country's difficulties."
Yang Hao, Yang Lun and others looked at each other, and no one took the initiative to pick up the fight.
If you want money, you need your life.
Tonight's banquet was attended by his own people, all with the surname Yang. Yang Ming also specially called his eldest son Yang Rui.
Seeing that everyone was silent, Yang Ming looked at his son and said:
"Do you think it should be reduced? If your food is reduced, would you be happy?"
What doesn't he like? Since Yang Rui became the King of Hedong, he has never seen a penny of his own money. I have no money, so why should I be afraid of reducing it.
Yang Rui nodded and said: "To share the country's worries, my son dare not refuse."
Yang Hao was very close to Yang Ming, so he tried in a low voice: "I wonder how much weight your Highness plans to lose?"
"How much weight do you think is appropriate?" Yang Ming asked.
Yang Hao's mouth twitched, "I can't answer this. If I tell you a number, you agree immediately, and others will rely on me."
"I feel that the royal family is the foundation of the country, and the princes and princes are the mainstay of the country. It is best not to reduce the number if possible."
Yang Ming nodded: "You are right, I am not willing to do this, but the country has no money and there are too many places to use the money. As a clan, we set an example. Only when we have a country can we have a family. Now it is reduced Your food is due to lack of money. When you have money, I will make up for it."
Who would believe such empty talk? Yang Lun thought to himself: “Wasn’t it said that the exemption from slaves and maidservants was temporary at the beginning?” What now? It hasn’t stopped since the beginning, and we have already lost a lot of money. If we reduce our food supply again, we won’t have to eat anymore?
"Haha, it seems that everyone is not very happy, right?" Yang Ming sneered.
Although Yang Rui was young, he followed his father and said:
"It's not just you, but all the princes and princes. Yang Jin and I are princes, and the remaining six brothers are all princes. Our losses are greater than those of you. I'm willing to sacrifice a small amount of money to protect everyone. Uncles and elders. You should know your priorities.”
Yang Gongren nodded and said: "Your Majesty's words are so inspiring that I am willing to reduce my food supply."
Yang Hao originally ate with Yang Ming. He would not do anything to offend Yang Ming. He nodded when he heard this:
"I am also willing."
Many of the remaining ones were suppressed by Yang Guang for a long time. Thanks to Yang Ming's help, they can be like this today. If they offend the prince again, will they be able to survive?
Yang Lun nodded: "I'm definitely not reluctant, I'm just worried about shaking my foundation in the Sui Dynasty."
Before he finished speaking, Yang Ming raised his hand to interrupt him: "It won't be your turn to shake the foundation."
Yang Lun was stunned for a moment and did not dare to speak.
Yang Ming said in a deep voice: "The surname is Yang in the Sui Dynasty. There is Your Majesty above, me in the middle, and you below. If you and I don't even know how to care about the country, how can we expect others to serve the country and the people?"
Yang Gongren hurriedly said: "I would like to reduce the price by half, please give me your permission."
Oh, I didn't plan to lose so much weight on you?
Yang Hao also felt pain in his body and said, "I am also willing."
"It's not that serious," Yang Ming said: "How can there be any reason to reduce it by half at every turn? Why don't I hope that you can be rich? Your life has improved, and I am happy for you. Let's do this. The prince's household will be reduced from 10,000 to 3,000. The number of households should be changed to 7,000, and the number of county princes should be reduced. Only 1,000 households should be reduced, and the number should be changed to 4,000. What do you think?"
After everyone looked at each other, they agreed in unison.
Assuming that one household has 200 acres, one thousand households equals 200,000 acres. Once this policy is implemented, the country will be able to recover millions of acres of fertile farmland, greatly reducing the burden.
The prince's food estate and the acres of land under each household are all sufficient.
Yang Ming is not afraid that his father will disapprove. His father will definitely be more willing to do this than he is.
