Ming cabinet,

After Zhang Haogu, Lu Xiangsheng and Qian Qianyi returned to the cabinet, they called Zhang Ruitu, Huang Liji and Qiao Yunsheng. The six cabinet members gathered together and launched a plan to change the silver standard to the gold standard.

"The development of the imperial court is based on the imperial court's control of its own currency. Whether it is large copper coins, broken silver ingots, gold ingots or silver ingots, these things can be cast by the court, the private sector can also cast them, and outsiders can also imitate them. But treasures

The banknotes are unique to me, the Ming Dynasty. Even if others have similar ones, they cannot imitate the imperial treasure banknotes."

"This treasure banknote is the confidence of the imperial court, and it is also the foundation for the imperial court to develop industry, commerce, and trade with all nations. Previously, treasure banknotes were linked to silver, but now there is more and more silver. If this continues, the silver held by the people and the silver held by the court will

If it is the same amount or even more, the treasure banknotes will inevitably depreciate, and the price and economy of the imperial court will also be affected."

"So, for the sake of the stability of the court and the overall situation, the treasure banknotes can no longer be linked to silver. This is not in the interest of the court. Your Majesty also asked me to wait for this. After some discussion, we decided to change the treasure banknotes to be linked to gold.

Stabilize prices and the value of treasures."

Zhang Haogu spoke slowly, setting the tone of the small meeting.

Zhang Ruitu nodded: "Bao banknotes are linked to silver. This is one of the foundations for the issuance of treasure banknotes. It is also the economic policy that the imperial court once advocated. Now it is linked to gold. It is undoubtedly more in line with the current situation. This is what we need to do.

But we must also consider those who hold large amounts of money among the people and not cause riots."

Yes, how many people in the Ming Dynasty held silver?

Nowadays, the Ming Dynasty is a strong country and a prosperous people.

What is the prosperity of the people? It is not simply having three meals a day, having enough food and clothing, having extra money on hand, and having enough food at home. Only in this way can we be considered well-off or wealthy.

Although it is said that treasure banknotes were used in transactions all over the Ming Dynasty, who hasn’t counted silver and copper coins yet?

There are too many things like Tongbao to make money and broken silver coins among the people. There are also the big chambers of commerce and gentry in the north and south who also store large amounts of silver in their own cellars.

This silver was the foundation for establishing a chamber of commerce to do business, and was also the main currency for trade with foreigners.

After all, not all foreigners use treasure banknotes. When foreigners trade in the Ming Dynasty, they can naturally exchange their silver for treasure banknotes. But after leaving the Ming Dynasty, there is no need to go far away. For example, in the Nanyang territory, foreigners still prefer gold, silver, tea, and silk.

, porcelain and other goods, bartering is also mainstream.

What's more, now that merchants have gone to the Indian Ocean and Persia, the role of silver is even greater than treasure notes.

Under trade, the amount of silver held by the private sector in recent years has been very large.

With so much money, a single word from the imperial court is worthless. The big guys must have opinions. If things go wrong, there will be turmoil.

Huang Liji slowly took a sip of tea: "The imperial court has more and more silver, and merchants have more. According to what those Yi Di foreigners said, there are many silver mines in the world. The mining is convenient and the circulation is fast.

If there is more money, the price will become unstable. This fluctuation is not a good thing for the court or the people."

"But the court can't just make changes at the drop of a hat. It still has to give the merchants time to react. It's best to negotiate with the merchants and collect all the money so that the merchants don't lose money."

Businessmen cannot be allowed to lose money. This is the opinion of Zhang Ruitu and Huang Liji. Although they are not mainly responsible for economics, which of the Ming Dynasty elders really does not understand economics at all?

Merchants are very important. The development of industry and commerce drives the great industrial development of Ming Dynasty and the rise of national power. Industry and commerce cannot be abolished just because of money.

Zhang Haogu said: "Yes, the imperial court is not trying to drain the lake, nor is it trying to cut off the flesh of the merchants. There is too much silver, and the price fluctuates too much. In the past, everything that could be bought with one coin of silver can now be bought with one tael.

If this continues, if the price of silver collapses, the imperial court’s treasure banknotes will also be wiped out.”

"Now that the imperial court wants to reform, it is natural to consider those who have a lot of money. This Ming Dynasty not only has the imperial court, but also the people, who always need to communicate and discuss things."

Qiao Yunsheng echoed: "Yuan Fu is right. It is necessary for the court to change the link between treasure banknotes and silver and link them to gold, but it must also be done smoothly and not cause too much trouble.

Come on, it is best to communicate with the people. Since His Majesty has decided to change it, a smooth transition must be achieved to avoid unrest among the people."

Zhang Haogu looked at Qian Qianyi and Lu Xiangsheng: "Prime Minister Lu, Prime Minister Qian, regarding this matter, I mainly leave it to you two. Discuss it with everyone and make a charter."

Lu Xiangsheng and Qian Qianyi nodded. In the final analysis, this matter is still aimed at large households. After all, only large households have a large amount of money. It is not a big problem for ordinary people. Moreover, the link between treasure banknotes and gold is more stable. They have

The money inside is also more valuable.

But big investors not only have treasures but also money, so communication is needed.

Zhang Haogu looked at Zhang Ruitu again: "Mr. Zhang, please publish an article in the Ming Dynasty newspaper first. Briefly explain how much money the Ming court and the people have now. Is it a good thing for the Ming Dynasty? Should we continue to maintain the treasure?"

Banknotes are linked to silver."

Zhang Ruitu smiled and said, "This is a simple matter."

Let’s write an article to test the waters first and see how people react. The imperial court has done this for a long time. What policies were not like this before they were implemented?

After everyone discussed it, everyone went to work.

Soon, a new issue of the Ming Dynasty Newspaper came out. There was an article in it, although it was not the headline, but it was still on the front page. The content was to question the silver standard that the Ming Dynasty implemented today that linked treasure banknotes to silver.

The article very clearly pointed out: The reason why the imperial court implemented the silver standard before was because the silver in the Ming Dynasty was limited. Although it would increase, it was stable and valuable. In addition, the imperial banknotes could not be imitated, and they were different from Tongbao money making and silver ingots.

The same, so it can be widely implemented.

But now, as the imperial court opens up sea trade and trades with countries from all over the world, both the imperial court and the people have poured in a huge amount of gold and silver in a short period of time. It’s okay to say that gold is already scarce and the price is stable, but silver has poured in in just a few years.

The amount that came was more than the amount held by the imperial court. How much money will flow into the Ming Dynasty in the future?

Will the influx of so much money disrupt the Ming Dynasty's market? After all, one tael of silver used to be equivalent to a thousand treasure notes, and there were a lot of goods that could be purchased. You could buy a lot of grain, meat, vegetables, preserved fruits and cloth, but now the money is too much.

If there are too many, is the imperial treasure banknote still valuable? In the past, one tael of silver could buy things, but now ten taels of silver may not be enough, and the money in the hands of the common people is so much. Does this mean that the money in the hands of the common people is

Invisibly shrunk?

After this article was published, it became a topic for the common people, but the money in the hands of the common people was already scarce, so the discussion was over. However, for the businessmen, this was undoubtedly a harbinger of the court's movements.

Soon, Jingshi Business Daily, Zhili Business News, Jinling Business News, Jianghuai Business News, Southeast Business News and other large business newspapers all published this article. This article, which did not cause any commotion among the people, attracted businessmen.

Great shock, waves have risen!

In Prince Xin's palace, Zhang Jinrui held the newspaper and said with joy, "Your Highness, Your Highness, good news, great news!"

Zhu Youjian was very confused: "Mr. Zhang, what's the good news?"

Zhang Jinrui handed over the Ming Dynasty newspaper: "Your Highness, King Xin, you see, the imperial court is going to take action against the silver!"

Zhu Youjian was shocked and quickly read the newspaper: "Ah, the court is going to attack silver? Isn't the silver going to fall again?" Zhang Jinrui nodded, but his expression could not hide his excitement: "Yes, silver will definitely fall again.

If the price falls, the imperial newspaper is a sign. But when the silver price falls, we can buy it!"

Zhu Youjian didn't understand: "Mr. Zhang, the court obviously intends not to use silver. The price of silver has fallen, can it still rise?"

Zhang Jinrui laughed: "If it can go up, it can definitely go up! How much money do the people have now? How much money does the imperial court have? If the imperial court says that silver is worthless, can the people be willing? Can those big businessmen and gentry be willing? Silver can't be

They are all their bosses. Besides, I, the Ming Dynasty, got less money from trading with foreigners? This money can be used at any time."

"Therefore, it is impossible for the imperial court to completely abandon silver. Don't look at the fact that the imperial court wants the price of silver to fall now. It is preparing for the future. The price of silver will definitely fluctuate in the future."

Zhu Youjian nodded, with a look of realization on his face: "That's it, so sir, we are now

I’m asking for cash now.”

Zhang Jinrui slapped the table: "Yes, you have to collect it, and you have to collect as much as you have. If you collect money now, you will definitely make money in the future!" When Zhu Youjian and Zhang Jinrui were discussing how to make money by operating silver futures, the large chambers of commerce in the north and south of the Ming Dynasty,

Big businessmen and gentry are also discussing the imperial court's intentions. It is impossible for the imperial court to completely eliminate money, right?

With so much money among the people, it’s impossible for the court to give up as soon as it says so, right?

Soon, the imperial court issued a new notice, inviting big businessmen, gentry and wealthy people from the north and south to the capital for discussions.

This notice was issued, proving that the imperial court was really going to take action on silver. For a time, silver in the futures market suddenly fell upon hearing the news, and Zhu Youjian took the opportunity to buy a large amount of silver. After all, the current price drop was severe, and it was not just Zhu Youjian.

The inspector saw an opportunity.

Therefore, many big speculators are taking the opportunity to buy silver. Their view is the same as Zhang Jinrui's, that is, the court cannot completely abandon silver. The amount of silver held by the people is too much. With so much money, the court cannot abandon it. If they buy it now, they will lose it in the future.

Make big money!

The big businessmen from the north and the south hurried to Shuntian Mansion in the capital. They had a lot of money in their hands. You must know that the court said that the change could change the silver standard in an instant. Now they specially distributed newspapers and then issued notices to the merchants.

Give them time to prepare and give them a chance.

There is not a fool who can be a big businessman. Those who come to the meeting are all powerful people from major families and major chambers of commerce. The shopkeepers promoted by each family are not qualified to participate in the meeting.

When these businessmen arrived in the capital, they were arranged by the commercial yamen to rest in an inn prepared in advance. Taking advantage of this rare opportunity for the big businessmen from the north and south to gather together, these big businessmen also got together to chat and discuss business. You talk about fur goods, I say

Talking about wool, that one talks about Nanyang spices, and this one talks about tea cloth.

A group of people chatted lively, which also broadened everyone's knowledge horizons.

"The discussion was very lively. It seems that I came a little late. Maybe I can get business experience by talking earlier." Cui Chengxiu said with a smile.

When they saw Cui Chengxiu arriving, these big businessmen also came forward with smiles. The businessmen still respected this third-grade minister who was in charge of the fate of the merchants. After all, Cui Chengxiu was different from ordinary traditional officials in that he was considerate of the businessmen.

What's more, there have been rumors that Zhang Shoufu wants to reform various ministries. When the time comes, the Commercial Office will inevitably be upgraded. At that time, it will not be a third-rank Commercial Assistant, but a second-rank Commercial Secretary.

"Everyone, I'm here to invite you all to a banquet. It's rare for this famous and famous businessman to come so fully. The imperial court specially allocated funds to hold a banquet in Xiyuan to entertain you."

Xiyuan!

It was the royal garden, Zhu Youxiao's first favorite place, and it was the private land of the Ming emperors. Being able to go to Xiyuan for a banquet was also a reflection of one's status.

When they heard that they could attend the banquet in Xiyuan, the businessmen felt a sense of disbelief. Only then did they realize that their status had really risen and how much the imperial court valued them.

A group of people entered Xiyuan in a carriage. The banquet was held in the South China Sea of ​​Xiyuan. The grandeur and aura of the royal garden gave these big businessmen a bit of a royal shock.

This is not just a royal garden of the Ming Dynasty. It has been more than three hundred years since the construction of the Yuan Dynasty. With the continuous renovation and expansion, ordinary gardens do not have such grandeur.

The people who hosted the banquet were not ordinary people. They were the cabinet elders of the Ming Dynasty. One was a giant of the New Party, the cabinet elder and the household minister Lu Xiangsheng, and the other was Qian Qian, one of the leaders of the Donglin Communist Party and the cabinet elder.

beneficial.

Zhang Haogu's choice of these two people was also made after considering the old and new parties, the businessmen from the north and the south. In addition, both of them are proficient in economics, so it is reasonable and reasonable to let them negotiate with the businessmen.

When the banquet started, the businessmen were a little cautious, but who was Qian Qianyi? He was good at dancing, and with Cui Chengxiu's constant enthusiasm on the side, the atmosphere quickly became lively and lively. Everyone was eating and drinking to enjoy the royal banquet, but the most important thing

My mind is still on money.

And Lu Xiangsheng also saw the right opportunity to throw out the anxious matter that the businessmen had been waiting for a long time: "Today

I think everyone already knows the purpose of inviting everyone to the banquet. Yes, the imperial court is going to reform the silver standard."

When these words came out, although the merchants were noisy, they did not speak easily. They knew that the imperial court must have arranged arrangements for them to come here.

As expected, Lu Xiangsheng continued: "We are all famous businessmen. We are all rich and famous all over the world. The Ming Dynasty's current prosperous age is inseparable from you. This is not only the case with me and Mr. Qiange.

I accept it, and so do Your Majesty and Yuan Fu."

"The silver standard is about to change, but the imperial court will not let everyone suffer too much harm. After all, the imperial court's future industrial and commercial promotion and development cannot be separated from you. You can rest assured that the imperial court is not trying to exploit all the benefits, and everyone is invited to come, just to discuss

Next, how can we minimize the impact and losses of this matter?"

"Speaking of which, neither I nor Mr. Qian are very proficient in business, but you are all big businessmen who have done business with various countries and have been to the South and West. In this regard, I still need everyone to come and give me your opinions."

Qian Qianyi smiled and said: "Yes, everyone here is a famous businessman in the Ming Dynasty. According to the Ming Dynasty business list, everyone is in the top 100, and they all rely on themselves.

I have accumulated wealth that rivals that of other countries. How to reduce the impact and reduce losses depends on you."

The two cabinet elders said this. Although the big businessmen here have experienced so many trials and hardships and have long been trained to be very thick-skinned, they still can't help but feel excited when they hear about the top 100 influential figures in the business list and the fact that the court needs everyone.

.

Yes, we are already among the top 100 business figures in the Ming Dynasty, and we are already the pillars of the imperial court. It is hard to imagine that a group of former humble businessmen can also become the pillars of the imperial court and the pillars of the country. But after all, we are the pillars of the imperial court.

The businessmen quickly regained their composure and started discussing among themselves.

Speaking of the arrangement of the imperial court, it is also very interesting. They are not divided according to their place of origin, but according to the industry they are engaged in. For example, steel, coal, wool, silk, tea, etc. are divided into tables, and the surroundings are also different.

They are all acquaintances.

A group of people discussed for a long time and discussed many proposals, but either they disagreed here or they disagreed there.

Because someone's interests will always be harmed, and the losses will be more than others, and no one is happy about this. Why do I have to suffer more losses than you?

They are all working for the imperial court, and they are all influential figures. Why can't you be more tolerant? What? They are all from the same place of origin?

That’s even more embarrassing. What does our wool business have to do with your coal business?

In this way, everyone was becoming more and more helpless in their discussions, and they really could not come up with a reasonable method that would satisfy everyone. Seeing this, Qian Qianyi spoke: "Everyone, is there any better way?"

"If not, why don't you listen to me?"

The big businessmen really had no better plan to satisfy everyone, so they all quieted down and listened to Qian Qianyi's words.

Qian Qianyi took a sip of tea: "The purpose of the imperial court calling everyone here is to discuss a good method and try to ensure that no one suffers any losses. After all, the industrial and commercial development of the imperial court cannot do without everyone."

"Right now, everyone has a large amount of silver in their hands. This money has been accumulated for trade with all the countries around the world. It will definitely be used in the future. Although the imperial court wants to implement the gold standard, it does not give up on silver.

, at least now in all countries around the world, those foreigners still use huge amounts of money."

"In this case, the imperial court plans to open a new bank, Daming Commercial Bank. Everyone can use their own money and each have a part of the shares. Of course, the shares will not be too much, but this bank is opened by the imperial court and everyone. Why?

In terms of business operations, we should organize a shareholders’ meeting to focus on business and trade, so as to prevent everyone from losing money.”
Chapter completed!