Finance is the backbone of a country. If the pillar falls, the palace of the country will basically be finished.
The ancients had a profound understanding of financial issues, but most of them were Confucian disciples, literati, who were all shameless and always talked about money and profits. How is that different from the dishonest people like businessmen?
Just because the literati are good-looking, they have harmed countless people.
One victim is Zhu Yunwen.
Zhu Yunwen wanted to be a wise king and control the Ming Dynasty, but he also knew that every policy launched must have its roots and basis and must be in line with the current national conditions.
Aren’t the four most essential words of Lao Ma’s doctrine just seeking truth from facts?
It doesn't matter if you don't understand "Das Kapital". Just learn these four words. An emperor cannot do everything by himself. Top-level design is enough. Specific implementation and perfection still depend on officials.
In order for these officials to understand clearly, Zhu Yunwen wanted to read the ancient books of previous dynasties, and prepared to use the past as a guide to implement a new financial concept.
But who would have thought that all the brothers in history were ashamed to talk about it, and they were ashamed to mention it. As a result, the doctrines on financial management were only "a few words", and there were few words that specifically discussed finance.
It’s not that no one has specifically talked about this issue. The first guy in history to shout out about financial management was Prince Aoxiang Anshi, who “even the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas advised him not to change.” This fierce man in the Song Dynasty believed that there was something wrong with the economy, and that was “ "I don't have the right way to manage money" and publicly preached that if you don't manage money, you can't become a "saint king and a wise minister."
Zhu Yunwen has made an in-depth study of Wang Anshi's "No endowment but sufficient use of the country", and I have to say that this guy who doesn't take a bath and is covered in lice has an extremely forward-looking vision. If he is born in future generations, he will definitely be useful.
It is not a false statement to make the country use enough money without adding taxes. It is a basic principle respected and followed by later generations of national finance. To put it simply, it means expanding the economic aggregate without changing the tax rate, thereby increasing national tax revenue.
It can be said that to a certain extent, although Zhu Yunqi did not shout the slogan of "enough for the country without adding taxes", measures such as lifting the ban on commerce, promoting consumption, and expanding handicraft workshops were all based on the idea of "making the pie bigger", and the court did not If the tax basis needs to be changed, taxes can also be increased.
It's just that Wang Anshi didn't know Lao Ma and Lao En, and his thinking about economic issues was too simple. He only wanted to stimulate business, stimulate bureaucratic capital, and expand the economy. He didn't expect that the land annexation was already hopeless and the people had no hope. If the remaining capital and stomach problems cannot be solved, how can we expect to use the people to stimulate domestic demand?
The big pie has been created, but if the people don’t pay the bill, isn’t this a bubble?
The bubbles under the sun are colorful and beautiful, but they burst when touched...
Regarding the issue of financial sources, Wang Anshi had a clear understanding and proposed that "the world's wealth is generated by the world's strength, and the world's wealth is taken to provide for the world's expenses."
To explain it in the words of later generations, taxes are taken from the people and used for the people.
Many imperial courts have implemented the first half of the sentence - take it from the people. As for the second half, it is difficult to describe it in one sentence...
Taxation is the most critical means of obtaining money from the people. As for whether to imitate Shang Yangmao and impose heavy taxes, or imitate Confucius and "account for the less", it depends on the situation.
But no matter when it comes to fiscal expenditures, the positions of these thinkers are basically the same, that is:
Live within your means.
"Guanzi" says: "If the country is extravagant, it will be spent, and if it is spent, the people will be poor." It advocates "considering the quantity, saving clothes, being frugal with money, and prohibiting extravagance, which is the national emergency."
Yang Yan in the Tang Dynasty advocated: "Every money spent on a hundred services should be measured first and given to others, and the amount should be measured to make money."
Living within one's means has become the basic philosophy of almost every household department in the imperial court.
But the problem is that living within your means also needs to be combined with reality.
Since the implementation of reforms in the Ming Dynasty, it not only unleashed the people's enthusiasm for production, but also included official land, tax-free land, feudal princes' land, Taoist monks' land, etc. as tax targets. The result was a substantial increase in the tax revenue of the Ministry of Households.
Regardless of the fact that Huang Zicheng is in a dilemma and is unwilling to contribute money, in fact, the Ministry of Revenue has so much money that he has not even spent all the summer tax money. This kind of miser-like finance is not suitable.
The accumulation of too much wealth in the national treasury seems good, but in fact it brings many problems, such as excessive accumulation and non-circulation of funds, leading to a decline in social wealth; and redundancy. When you have money but do not plan how to spend it, Whatever happens, just spend a little, and some completely unnecessary expenses keep appearing.
The ideal government of the court should have a balanced budget. Spending more is not a problem, and spending less is not a problem, but you must not save a lot and spend nothing...
Now is a good opportunity for commercial development. How can the imperial court stimulate the circulation of goods, purchase people's surplus grain, and promote consumption without spending money?
Baimeng book
Zhu Yunwen said seriously to Huang Zicheng and others: "Only when the wealth of the Household Department is properly distributed can it benefit the overall situation. I am going to order the six departments to propose an annual silver budget based on operational needs. The Department of Household Verification will verify and control the six departments based on the budget. What do you think about the expenses?”
Huang Zicheng thought for a long time, discussed it with Zhuo Jing and Xia Yuanji, and finally said: "I think it is feasible, but if the request is unreasonable, the Ministry of Revenue will reject it."
Zhu Yunwen knew that Huang Zicheng was worried about the Ministry of Revenue losing power, so he nodded and agreed: "This is natural. If it is rejected and then proposed again, it can be handed over to the cabinet and the court for discussion. If the Ministry of Revenue agrees that it is feasible, it will be approved."
Huang Zicheng breathed a sigh of relief and agreed.
Seeing that the matter was finalized, Zhu Yunwen arranged for Xu Huizu and others to leave, and then asked someone from the Ministry of Household Affairs: "Have you investigated clearly the matter of silver being cheap and copper being expensive?"
Huang Zicheng nodded slightly and said: "Your Majesty, according to the survey of the Ministry of Household Affairs, one tael of silver can only be exchanged for 650 copper coins. There are even cases of copper hoarding among merchants. The merchants are getting better at buying and selling copper, but copper is becoming more and more scarce. As a result, copper coins are in short supply, and I'm afraid that before long, one tael of silver can only be exchanged for 600 copper coins."
Zhu Yunwen looked a little solemn and asked: "Where is the Ming Dynasty treasure banknote?"
Huang Zicheng sighed: "In the beginning, the Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes could be redeemed for one tael of silver. By the 31st year of Hongwu, the consistent banknotes could only be exchanged for half a tael of silver. But by the early winter of this year, the consistent banknotes could only be exchanged for three taels of silver. Some merchants They also refused to accept treasure money..."
"Refuse to accept treasure money?"
Zhu Yunwen was a little surprised. As the legal currency of the Ming Dynasty, it could even be said to be the only legal currency in the past, but someone actually refused to accept it?
You know, in order to promote banknotes, Zhu Yuanzhang once banned the circulation of silver coins and copper coins. However, later this move really didn't work, and the situation of parallel banknotes emerged.
Huang Zicheng was worried and shook his head: "Not only that, there are many more."
Zhu Yunwen came out and asked, "Does the Ministry of Revenue have any countermeasures?"
Huang Zicheng looked at Xia Yuanji, and Xia Yuanji came out and said: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Household Affairs has held many discussions and believes that the banknote method is unreasonable because the court issued too many banknotes and was unable to restrain them, resulting in the emphasis on things and the devaluation of banknotes. Silver is cheap and copper is expensive. It has something to do with the fact that the imperial court uses silver money as salary. If the silver is too much, it will be cheap, and if the copper is too little, it will be expensive."
"The Ministry of Household Affairs has drawn up a plan to
The imperial court issued decrees to regulate the exchange ratio of silver and copper, and at the same time increased the return of treasure banknotes and silver coins. This is also a major reason why the Ministry of Revenue is holding on to money and is unwilling to increase expenditures. "
Zhu Yunwen looked at Xia Yuanji and said with a smile, "Are you accusing me of preparing to expand expenditures?"
"Wei Chen doesn't dare."
Xia Yuanji said.
Zhu Yunwen looked at Xia Yuanji and said: "The decree to intervene in the exchange of silver and copper can take effect in a short period of time, but there are some things that the court has no say about, so the decree can be waived. I have a new idea, I might as well listen to it from the Ministry of Revenue. "
Huang Zicheng and others said: "Please let me know from your Majesty."
Zhu Yunwen arranged for someone to serve tea, and then said: "You also know that the Zhonghua Bookstore and the medical gauze business also have a share of the harem, and the cultural troupe has made some money. In addition to the tribute from the vassal king, the royal farm, etc., there is some surplus. I plan to spend money to set up a royal central bank."
"Royal Central Bank?"
Xia Yuanji frowned, Huang Zicheng was also secretly surprised, and Zhuo Jing lowered his head to calculate.
Zhu Yunwen sipped the tea and said: "Yes, in the name of the royal family, the central bank has built-in silver and copper, which is responsible for balancing the exchange ratio of banknotes, silver and copper."
Huang Zicheng was unsure and asked: "Does the emperor plan to use a bank to provide silver and copper exchange for merchants and common people, and to open up channels for collecting treasure banknotes?"
Zhu Yunwen nodded and said: "Yes, the current silver-copper exchange ratio is out of balance. If a bank is set up to attract officials, wealthy households, and merchants to deposit a large amount of copper coins, people can take the silver taels to the bank to exchange for copper coins. At that time, the silver taels will enter the bank, And copper coins will enter the private sector. If there is less silver and more copper coins, the exchange ratio will be balanced."
"This, if people go to the bank, what standards should they use to exchange copper coins?"
Huang Zicheng felt a little worried.
Zhu Yunwen smiled and said: "Of course we can't let the royal family suffer a big loss. Whatever the ratio among the people is, it should be in proportion. Aren't they one tael of silver and six hundred and fifty? As long as the people hold one tael of silver, the bank will give them six hundred and fifty." Wen, or a few dozen wen more, if one tael of silver is exchanged for 700 wen among the people, the bank will change it accordingly."
Xia Yuanji frowned and objected: "Your Majesty, the idea of the Royal Central Bank is good, but there is a huge loophole here. If this loophole cannot be filled, nothing can be done."
"Oh, what loophole?"
Zhu Yunwen asked.
Xia Yuanji said solemnly: "The emperor said that he would attract officials, wealthy households, and merchants to deposit a large amount of copper coins. However, if there is no large amount of copper coins deposited, the bank's copper coins will be limited. Once the people exchange too many copper coins, the bank will not be able to cash in, wouldn't it hurt the royal family?" Reputation cannot solve the reality that silver is cheap and copper is expensive.”
Zhu Yunwen looked at Xia Yuanji, Zhuo Jing and Huang Zicheng, and said seriously: "I invested a large amount of copper coins in the bank, wouldn't all the officials follow it? If all the officials followed it, wouldn't the rich businessmen follow it?"
Xia Yuanji said: "I'm afraid that the merchants won't follow this! Merchants are profit-oriented. They will give out a large amount of silver and exchange countless copper coins!"
Zhu Yunwen shook his head and said: "No, businessmen should see clearly that the purpose of the Royal Bank is to change the value of silver to the value of copper. If they do this, wouldn't they be robbing the royal family? These people are not so bold."
"emperor!"
Xia Yuanji still wanted to dissuade him.
Zhu Yunwen waved his hand and said: "There is no need to worry about this matter. The bank can set up regulations. Anyone who deposits money will, after one year, not only get the deposited principal, but also get 1% interest on the principal. I With the promise of profit, it’s impossible for no one to deposit copper coins, right?”
