Chang's home, study room.
Zhou Chen walked towards the chair and saw that the texture of the chair was black and white, with staggered depth and charm. He was secretly surprised. This furniture was probably made of ebony, which is second only to rosewood among sandalwoods. I heard that it can only be found in Southeast Asia.
After sitting down, I looked around at the surroundings. The owner’s desk not far away caught my attention. This was not an ordinary flat-headed desk, but a trendy tilted-headed desk with carved chili patterns. The tooth strips, legs, tooth heads, and table surfaces are joined together with chucks and tenons. The two ends of the tooth bar are carved with opposite patterns, and the tooth head is shaped like a cirrus. The straight legs are turned outwards, with baffles placed between the legs on both sides, and chi patterns are carved in the openwork. The shape is simple, the decoration is smooth, and it is dignified and steady. It is a good tabletop.
As for the green bronze tripod, exquisite colored glaze and glass ornaments, small tables, incense boxes, wine bottles, small corals, etc. on the side, they also have their own characteristics. There are also two calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall, which seem to be from the pre-Song Dynasty.
The scent of sandalwood is refreshing.
A thin cup of fragrant tea with a sweet aftertaste.
Chang Baiye walked in and offered his hand to Zhou Chen who stood up: "Young Master Zhou, I have admired you for a long time."
Zhou Chen replied: "I don't dare, Young Master Chang is like thunder. When I see you today, the result is extraordinary."
"Please take a seat."
After the guests and hosts sat down, Chang Baiye said nothing and only looked at Zhou Chen with a smile.
Zhou Chen has never seen anything like this. During the palace examination, he could write like flying in front of Zhu Yunwen. He has experienced countless scenes in the Imperial College, and he is not nervous when meeting a businessman. He said easily: "Young master Chang is young and promising. The decoration of this home is... I’m afraid it’s worth a thousand dollars. But in Zhou’s opinion, there is still one missing item in this arrangement.”
Chang Baiye glanced at Zhou Chen, picked up the tea bowl, took a sip and put it down: "Tell me, what is missing?"
Zhou Chen patted the wooden box on his lap: "I'm missing this one."
Chang Baiye stared at the wooden box. Although it was purple-black, it was obviously painted with raw lacquer rather than real good wood. It was nothing unusual. Thinking that Zhou Chen was talking about the contents of the wooden box, he couldn't help but feel a little interested: "Take it." Come out and take a look.”
Zhou Chen put the wooden box on the table beside him, opened it, and took out ten bonds worth ten thousand each. He stood up and walked to Chang Baiye's desk, handing it over with both hands: "This thing is more precious than a house full of treasures." precious."
"This is?"
Chang Baiye took it, looked at such a large and delicate paper, rubbed it with his fingers, and couldn't help but become serious. Just this material is not ordinary paper, but a special mulberry paper material such as treasure notes. It can prepare this kind of paper. For paper, it can only be from the imperial court.
"The national bonds of the Ming Dynasty are worth ten thousand."
Chang Baiye looked at the front. In addition to the above words, there were various anti-counterfeiting patterns. There was also the national emblem printed on the left side, and a line of small words below:
Royal guarantee, issuance by the Ministry of Household Affairs, and bank registration.
Chang Baiye couldn't help but take a breath. Is this small bond too big?
Royal guarantee?
This shows that the Jianwen Emperor Zhu Yunwen is behind this bond!
Issuance by the Ministry of Accounts?
This is the Ministry of Household Affairs of the Ming Dynasty, where all the world's wealth gathers. What kind of bonds did they sell?
Bank registration?
The bank here can only be the royal central bank, with its bank mark on the side.
A dozen simple words related to the royal family, the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the bank. The last time such a big move was the Ming Dynasty's new treasure banknotes.
Zhou Chen introduced: "This type of bond was just printed and issued by the imperial court for the people of the Ming Dynasty. There is a description and purpose of the bond behind it, as well as corresponding binding clauses."
After hearing this, Chang Baiye turned over the bond and looked at the reverse side. Sure enough, he saw a simple text description and listed seven items. The most eye-catching one was undoubtedly a table.
The table is divided into six rows and five columns. The top row contains the characters, year, annual interest, annual interest income, and summary income respectively. The following rows introduce the different annual interest, annual interest income and summary income of purchasing bonds from one to five years.
Ten thousand bonds are purchased for three years, with an annual interest rate of 8%. The annual interest income is 800 taels, and the total income is 10,800 taels. If it is purchased for five years, the annual interest will be 10%, and the annual interest income will be one thousand taels.
Chang Baiye was proficient in accounting and quickly understood that bonds were just an IOU. No matter how much money was borrowed, an extra portion would be repaid when the time came. The relationship was spent by the royal family and the Ministry of Household Affairs who were short of money, so they thought of borrowing money from the people.
Think about it carefully. In the past few years, Ming Dynasty has been building this and that everywhere. Where does it not need to spend money? Now that the construction of the new capital is underway, and there is another war in the northwest, how much foundation can the imperial court have to consume?
Lending money to businessmen and people?
Haha, I am afraid that only the emperor Zhu Yunwen could come up with this plan. If an ordinary minister had proposed it, he would have been impeached by the officials until he could not leave the house.
"You want the Chang family to buy bonds and give money to the household department. Haha, this business is not very cost-effective."
Chang Baiye understood and politely refused.
Zhou Chen was not surprised. Someone suddenly came to his door and asked him to spend a large sum of money to buy the bond. His first reaction was to refuse. But it doesn't matter, there is still room for recovery, so he smiled easily and said: "Young Master Chang probably didn't see this sentence. It is clearly stated here that the issuance of Ming national bonds is to raise funds for the construction of water conservancy projects in Fengyang Mansion."
"so what?"
Chang Baiye naturally noticed it.
Zhou Chen looked at Chang Baiye calmly and said softly: "So, this is not only a national bond, but also a merit bond that relieves the country's worries, solves problems for the people, and contributes to the country. Don't you want this merit, Mr. Chang?" ?”
Chang Baiye chuckled, shook his head and leaned on the back of the chair, looking at Zhou Chen: "Young master Zhou is joking, we are businessmen, businessmen seek profit, and whether we have merit or not, that is the court's business, we don't dare Transgression."
"Oh, then why did the Chang family help the people build roads and bridges? Then why did the Chang family help build inns and expand the post office? I heard that the Chang family recently opened three low-cost drug stores in the capital, which are very popular among the people. This is not a meritorious deed. , what is it again?”
Zhou Chen retorted.
Chang Baiye frowned slightly: "You know the Chang family very well. This is just a little effort. It is a small bourgeoisie with a small capital, so there is no credit. And the Chang family cannot afford to buy these national bonds. After all, it is difficult to do business now. We I need to save some money, so please forgive me.”
Zhou Chen could tell that Chang Baiye was complaining about the court's floating tax rate.
Indeed, the change from the fixed tax rate to the floating tax rate has laid the foundation for the Ministry of Household Affairs to expand tax collection. However, these extra taxes are all cut from the interests of businessmen. In the past, a spice shop could earn two thousand taels a year. Yes, it is now taxed and almost cut in half. The small amount of money has been taken away by the court.
The floating tax rate directly cut the annual income of many merchants by 10% to 40%, and the Chang family suffered heavy losses as a result. The "golden" period of merchant trade has ended, and now it can only be regarded as the "silver" period. If they have no regard for the court, It is impossible to complain at all.
Zhou Chen stretched out his hand to organize the bonds and said calmly: "If Mr. Chang doesn't want to buy it, Zhou will not force it. I just want to ask before leaving. The emergence of floating tax rates is directly related to businessmen's interference in politics. The imperial court is wary of businessmen." With vigilance, until now, businessmen have not found their own position, so how can businessmen be accepted by the court? "
Chang Baiye frowned and shouted to Zhou Chen who turned around, "What does this mean?"
Zhou Chen put the bonds into the wooden box, looked back at Chang Baiye, patted the wooden box, and said: "You haven't figured out where the businessman's way out is yet. But it doesn't matter, I believe Shen Yiyuan will figure it out. "
Chang Baiye's face looked a little livid. Did Zhou Chen mean that he was not as good as Shen Yiyuan?
Where is the way out for businessmen?
Chang Baiye has thought about it more than once. He has thought about it in Datong, in the desert, in the capital, and in Jiaozhi! That is to be able to make a voice in the court, let the spokespersons of businessmen enter the court, speak for the businessmen, and work for the interests of the businessmen!
For this reason, he supported and established the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce. For this reason, he plotted against Annan and sold war!
But before they had time to form their own strength, and before they could find and cultivate an official or official faction that could represent the interests of merchants, Shanxi merchant Cao Youshan, Huizhou merchant Zhou Dajiang, and Zhejiang merchant Liang Wenxing were involved in the government affairs and opposed the relocation of the capital. The imperial court thundered The method was to introduce a floating tax rate, and with one blow, the businessman bleeds and groans!
This incident proved Zhu Yunwen's attitude. He did not allow businessmen to influence the government's affairs and interfere with the government's affairs.
Chang Baiye believed that Cao Youshan's failure was due to lack of strength and foundation, and was caused by naive taking for granted and poor means. Businessmen should support a group of businessmen's children to enter the officialdom and form a consortium supported by businessmen to represent the party. Only in this way can the party be silently Only by continuously influencing government affairs can the rope around the businessman's neck be loosened step by step, and even the ultimate ideal can be realized:
Business is free, business is tax-free!
But the emergence of floating tax rates has completely damaged Chang Baiye's ambitions. Zhu Yunwen never thought about completely liberating businessmen, nor did he think about lowering commercial taxes again and again. He had always used commercial taxes to support the finances.
Now, how should businessmen go and where is their future? This has become a question that countless businessmen are thinking and asking.
Chang Baiye called out to Zhou Chen: "Can you tell me, where is the way out for businessmen?"
Zhou Chen smiled warmly: "I know the road, but you still need to decide whether to go there or not, and whether to take that road."
"Tell me, if you can convince me, I will buy this bond."
Chang Baiye lowered his attitude.
Zhou Chen looked at Chang Baiye confidently and said, "Shen Xiude, you know that, right?"
Chang Baiye stared, of course he knew this name, Shen Yiyuan's eldest son, an outstanding supervisor of the Imperial College of Business. How many businessmen spend a lot of money to send their children to the Imperial College through the back door, but there are only a few businessmen's children such as Shen Xiude who can achieve results and are valued by the Imperial College.
Zhou Chen walked towards Chang Baiye and said meaningfully: "After the implementation of the floating tax rate, Shen Yiyuan was not as dull as the Shanxi merchants. Instead, he easily accepted the court's arrangements and supported the floating tax rate. Behind this is the future of business that Shen Xiude found for the Shen family. . As for the Chang family, no one can find a future in business, and there are too many complaints and unwillingness."
"Where are the trade routes? The future of the trade routes are themselves trade routes. Can't you see through this? Businessmen walk on the trade routes, but they have to put one foot on the political road. One foot on the other. Can the boat stand still?"
Chang Baiye shuddered. The future of trade routes itself is trade routes. This sentence seems familiar!
Thinking about it, Chang Qianli once taught himself this. He never wanted to get involved in politics or interfere in government affairs. He hoped that businessmen would just do business and do business honestly.
However, at the beginning, I and Hou Xiyu both believed that it was better to be a pig than a wolf. It was easier for the court to kill pigs than to kill wolves. Therefore, step by step, the relationship between Shanxi merchants and the court was getting closer and closer. Cao Youshan and others were bold enough to ask the three kings to interfere in the government affairs.
Now it seems that if a businessman acts as a wolf, he may die faster than if he acts as a pig...
Watch Daming: I was reborn as Zhu Yunwen.
