While conquering the grasslands, there was no idle time in the pass.
Sun Chuanting and Li Zhongzheng are organizing officials to conduct a comprehensive inventory and measurement of Datong's cultivated land and wasteland.
Sun Yunhe came to the headquarters of the newly established Royal Chamber of Commerce to convey the emperor's decree and will.
"You first organize the Chamber of Commerce. Take over all the sealed store grain depots and put them under the name of the Chamber of Commerce."
"The first step is to stabilize food prices. Your Majesty means that you are all a family that has been doing business for generations, and you are all familiar with these things."
"The specific implementation will be left to you, but it must adhere to one purpose. Food prices cannot be high, and they must be unified."
"Of course, food must be divided into three, six or nine grades. After all, the chamber of commerce also needs to make a profit."
"Those fine polished rice and fine wheat, and those coarse rice and old grains, naturally cannot have the same price."
"You should weigh the appropriateness of this yourself. After you have agreed upon it, you will report the details to me."
Food is the top priority. Although Zhu Youxiao has already told them last time, this is directly related to the implementation of the New Deal and is also the key to stabilizing local people's livelihood and people.
Zhu Youxiao naturally emphasized repeatedly and acted cautiously.
"Don't worry, adults. I will definitely weigh it carefully. The price of food in Datong will definitely be the same and not too high."
"It's just that there are too many currencies circulating in the market today. Some use medicinal materials or cloth to barter, while others use copper coins, treasure notes, and silver."
"The most important thing is that they have different values. The key to unifying grain prices is not our grain store, but the currency."
Wang Xianzhong is still a conscientious businessman, and he has not participated in those dirty things of smuggling to enrich the country.
Therefore, he also caught the eye of Zhu Youxiao and was appointed as the first president of the Chamber of Commerce.
"If you can think of this, you have finally lived up to the divine grace. This is exactly what I am going to say next."
After Sun Yunhe praised him, he continued:
"The currency issue is indeed a bit difficult to deal with, but it is not impossible to rectify. It just requires everyone to work together with the Datong officials and put more thought into it."
"No matter what you ask, sir, we will do our best."
I have to say that Wang Xianzhong is a smart man. He has now looked away and has no other ideas. He just follows the emperor's path to the end.
As long as you are loyal and serve the emperor well, you will not only be able to protect your family's glory and wealth, but you may also be able to join the six departments of the court and soar to the sky.
"His Majesty has made a decree to cast a new Tianqi Tongbao. This Tianqi Tongbao is new money and has not been distributed even in the capital."
"There is another kind of new money, but it is only in the plan now, so I won't tell you more. You will know it by then."
"From now on, the basic currency of Datong will be Tianqi Tongbao to ban other currencies with different values."
"But before that, you have to do one more thing, which is to open a bank. This bank is called Royal Bank. It is also under the name of the Chamber of Commerce and will be run by you."
"This bank is different from the private banks opened by wealthy businessmen and gentry in the past."
"This is a new bank with the approval of the imperial court and official certificate."
"The function is also different. In addition to allowing people to withdraw money and save money, it is also responsible for recovering old currency, issuing new Tianqi Tongbao, and circulating it in the private market."
"Datong Government will fully cooperate with you in these matters. You just need to come up with specific implementation regulations, plans and implementation."
"These two matters are the top priority at the moment. You should take them to heart and act carefully and prudently."
"It doesn't matter if you go slow, but you must be steady and step by step. Do you understand?"
After Sun Yunhe finished his explanation, these dozen businessmen quickly began to discuss the most appropriate price for the grain.
It's not difficult to classify food into different grades. What's difficult is the price.
His Majesty has said that it must be unified, reasonable, affordable for the people, and the chamber of commerce must also make a profit. There are too many things to take into consideration.
At the same time, Zhu Youxiao was not idle in Dai Wang's palace.
Outside the Jiaotai Hall, nearly a hundred craftsmen were kneeling. Some of these were locals, while others were old craftsmen from the arsenal or the capital.
There are also some royal craftsmen who have minted money for the imperial court for generations, and he specially transferred them here.
The purpose is to prepare the new money, Tianqi Tongbao and silver coins to be minted and distributed.
"Your Majesty, this matter of counterfeiting copper coins is too difficult. I have racked my brains and can't think of any good way. Please punish me."
A rather old craftsman knelt in front of Zhu Youxiao and said fearfully.
"I understand, and I don't blame you. Counterfeit coins have been minted privately in the past dynasties. There are many talented people among the people, and there are so many counterfeiting methods that it is really difficult to guard against them."
"It's just that the matter of issuing new money and unifying the currency must be implemented without delay."
"I will give you time to think carefully, study and discuss carefully, and come up with an anti-counterfeiting method for me as soon as possible."
"I have already thought about this counterfeit silver dollar for you. What you have to consider is this Tianqi Tongbao."
Counterfeiting of gold and silver is easy, otherwise how could there be such a thing as real gold and silver?
The only difficulty is to prevent counterfeiting of this copper coin. In ancient times when there was basically no industry at all, it was really difficult to prevent counterfeiting.
From the time when the Qin and Han Dynasties unified currency to the present, the issue of counterfeit money among the people has never stopped.
Emperors and government officials of all dynasties have been worried about the anti-counterfeiting of copper coins, and they have been fighting wits and courage with the people who mint counterfeit coins.
The Han Dynasty even directly and strictly controlled copper mines and prohibited the market trading of copper, the raw material used for coinage.
But it only lasts for a while. When officials and miners become greedy, counterfeit coins will naturally continue to circulate in the market.
Even if Zhu Youxiao came from time travel, he would be at a loss as to how to prevent counterfeiting of copper coins. He could only hope that contemporary craftsmen would be more effective.
"If you have any ideas or needs, you can tell me directly. I will do whatever it takes to create new money that cannot be counterfeited and distribute it to the people."
After sending them away, Zhu Youxiao told another guard:
"Send a letter to the capital and tell Wang Chaofu and Wei Zhongxian to ask them to recruit talented people from among the people for me at all costs."
"Whoever can get this anti-counterfeiting mark for me, I will reward him with ten thousand taels of silver, make him a hereditary earl, and ensure that his descendants will be rich and prosperous."
"In addition, tell Xu Guangqi and Cheng Guoxiang, the Minister of Household Affairs, to reorganize the Bank and Money Department and Baoyuan Bureau, and carefully select those craftsmen with superb skills and rich experience in minting coins."
"All other craftsmen will be sent home and no longer allowed."
"Before I return to Beijing, I must take care of this matter."