Chapter 685 Asking for a Monthly Ticket for Land and Immigrants
Chapter 685 Land and Immigration (please vote)
After a while, the accountant of the Wang family walked up to Wang Huo and opened his mouth to report.
"Master, a total of five thousand and fifty silver dollars!"
"Confirmed!"
Wang Huo nodded with satisfaction, signed his name on the bill, and pressed his fingerprint.
The interest rate on the bonds was not high. The Wang family invested 5,000 silver dollars in purchasing the bonds. After the bonds were redeemed, the profit was only 50 silver dollars.
An interest rate of one percent is almost negligible!
However, what you need to know is that these wealthy businessmen buy the bonds of the imperial court, not for profit, but to sell well to the imperial court.
Even though the interest rate on bonds is not high, there are many people buying them.
Wang Huo shrugged and said to Li Gan.
"I will seriously consider investment matters!"
"Also, I am not going to take these silver dollars away from the bank, but I am going to continue to use them to buy bonds."
"I wonder if Mr. Li has any recommendations?"
When Li Gan heard this, his eyes lit up and he said.
"That's of course. Please come with me to the VIP room, Mr. Wang, and let's talk slowly."
The Ming Dynasty Royal Bank is not short of money now, but no one would mind having too much money.
If the Ming Dynasty wanted to complete preliminary industrialization and even promote social change, capital was the best catalyst.
But the demand for this catalyst will be astronomical.
The capital Zhu Hongyu has on hand alone is definitely not enough.
So, he came up with the bond method!
What should I do if I don’t have enough money?
One is to borrow, the other is to rob!
You can rob for a while, but you can't rob forever. If that were the case, there would be no rules.
And having no rules is the scariest thing in the world!
Although the so-called sanctity and inviolability of private property by Western white-skinned people is very hypocritical, and in many cases it is also double-standard.
But it is undeniable that this is indeed one of the important reasons for the development and growth of the bourgeoisie and further promotes social change.
If Zhu Hongyu wanted to promote social changes in the Ming Dynasty, he could not continue to kill fat sheep unscrupulously.
Besides, how many big fat sheep like the Kong family are there in this world?
So, you still have to borrow bonds.
Li Gan took Wang Huo into the VIP room. After ordering tea, Li Gan talked about the types of bonds recently issued by the court.
“First the Northern Expedition Bonds!”
"The situation in the southwest is now stable. According to the imperial court's plan, troops will be launched in the Northern Expedition after the spring of next year to regain the lost territory in the north."
"And the Northern Expedition bonds were issued by the imperial court for the Northern Expedition!"
"Bonds have three-month, half-year, one-year, and longer maturities of two years, three years, etc."
“The longer the term, the higher the interest rate!”
"The interest rate on a three-month bond is 1 percent, a half-year bond is 2 percent, a one-year bond is 5 percent, a two-year bond is 7 percent, and a three-year bond is 10 percent."
Wang Huo nodded slightly when he heard this, but did not express his position.
Seeing this, Li Gan continued.
"In addition to Northern Expedition bonds, there are also railway bonds, land bonds, official highway bonds, etc."
"Railway bonds and government bonds have the highest interest rates. Even the shortest three-month bond has an interest rate as high as 2 percent."
"The interest rate for land bonds is very low. Regardless of the term, the bond interest rate is only 5 percent."
“However, the corresponding policy from the imperial court is that if you purchase a certain amount of land bonds, you will be eligible to purchase land in Sichuan.”
"The land prices in Sichuan and Sichuan are now very low. It is expected that the price of the large tracts of fertile land in the Chengdu Plain will even be reduced to the price of wasteland, which is almost the same as picking it up for free."
"It's just that the regulations of the imperial court are that you can buy land in Sichuan and Sichuan, but the land must have human race before it belongs to you."
"If the land is abandoned for more than three years, the court will take back the ownership of the land!"
Zhu Hongyu's move, to put it bluntly, is to stimulate immigration to fill the population gap in Sichuan and Shu.
As for immigration, it would be too laborious for the court alone to do it.
We have to mobilize the power of the people!
There were many wealthy landowners in the Ming Dynasty, and Zhu Hongyu wanted to take advantage of their greed for land and then use their influence among the people to cause a large number of people to immigrate to Sichuan.
Wang Huo's eyes suddenly lit up when he heard this, and he asked Li Gan about the specific situation of the land bond.
Li Gan opened his mouth to explain Ming Dynasty's policies to Wang Huo in detail.
The two chatted happily until it was getting dark before Wang Huo said goodbye and left.
"Mr. Li, wait a moment, tomorrow at most, I will give you a definite answer about bonds and investment!"
Li Gan also said with a smile.
"Master Wang, go slowly, we are waiting for you at any time!"
"..."
…
Wang Huo ordered people to carry several boxes of silver coins and returned to the Wang family's manor outside Nanjing with excitement.
Then he went to see his father without stopping!
After listening to his son's narration, Wang Wenzhong showed a thoughtful expression on his face.
After a long time, he spoke.
"Tomorrow you go to the Daming Royal Bank in Nanjing!"
"In terms of bonds, first buy a land bond worth one million silver dollars! Don't you get a purchase quota of one acre of land for every ten silver dollars you buy?"
"My Wang family will first set a target of 100,000 acres before talking about anything else!"
Suddenly it was one million silver dollars, which shows how big the Wang family's handiwork is, and how rich the Wang family really is.
In Wang Wenzhong's view, Sichuan and Shu are a land of abundance, and buying a batch of fields in Sichuan and Shu will not make a loss no matter what.
No matter what the facts are, the bonds borrowed by the Ming Dynasty will be repaid.
As long as the interest rate is low, let it be low. Anyway, this time the Wang family is going to the land of Sichuan and Sichuan.
Wang Huo couldn't help but ask about his father.
"Father, the rules of the imperial court are that the land must have human race!"
"If the land is abandoned for more than three years, the court will take back the land ownership."
"One hundred thousand acres of land requires at least three thousand strong laborers to cultivate it!"
"If we have to move 3,000 strong laborers to Sichuan, isn't the price too high?"
Wang Huo was not stimulated to lose his mind by the 100,000 acres of fertile land at his fingertips, but he realized the difficulties involved.
Relocating 3,000 people is not just about moving them there.
The tolls required on the road, the food, seeds, agricultural tools, cattle, medicinal materials, clothes, salt, etc. required for settlement in the place are all expenses.
Moreover, the most important problem is that even if these three thousand people start working as soon as they move there, within half a year, they will not be able to grow food and they will not be able to be self-sufficient.
The Wang family has to support at least 3,000 people for more than half a year!
Wang Wenzhong shook his head and said.
"My father's idea is to move 3,000 people from my Wang family, my Wang family's tenants, and servants there."
"As long as they pass by, my Wang family will allocate land to them, but the price is that after they arrive in Sichuan and Shu, while planting their own land, they will also have to plant my Wang family's land."
"If they want to get one acre of land, they have to plant five acres for my Wang family. Only after they have farmed for five years can that acre of land be theirs."
"During this period, my Wang family will only receive 30% of the rent, and the remaining food will belong to them!"
"The Wang family can lend them the travel expenses required for the migration. The Wang family can also lend them the expenses for the period after arriving in Sichuan and before the grain harvest, but they need to pay them back."
"After all, we are our own family, so the interest rate shouldn't be too high, it's 20%!"
Wang Wenzhong performed a live performance for his son on what it means to be a black-hearted capitalist.
The current land price in Sichuan and Shu is worthless, so he used the worthless land price to exchange the labor force of the tenant servants in the clan.
He used the labor force of these servants to acquire 100,000 acres of fertile land for his family.
Even during this process, the Wang family was able to collect rent and interest!
Maybe you can make back all the money you paid to buy the land!
And the reason why the Wang family collects rent and borrows money is not so exaggerated, they don't have to pay 70% to 80% of the rent, and they don't pay usurious interest rates.
It’s not that the Wang family didn’t want to, it’s that the Ming court wouldn’t let it!
After Zhu Hongyu arrived in Nanjing, he issued a decree to reduce rents and interest rates throughout the world.
The landowners and gentry all over the world are required to reduce their rents, and the rents shall not exceed 30% of the total output of the fields.
The interest on the loan must not exceed 20% of the principal!
Used to alleviate social conflicts!
Once the limit set by the court is exceeded, it is an illegal act.
He was going to be dragged to the Yamen to get beaten up!
Therefore, what Wang Wenzhong now calls 30% rent and 20% profit.
Otherwise, Wang Wenzhong, as a qualified landlord in the feudal era and a businessman whose ancestors were proficient in exploitative traditional arts for eighteen generations, would not be so "merciful".
Even if those people are considered members of his Wang family!
In the face of imperial decrees, some people in remote rural areas may not take them seriously.
However, around the city of Nanjing and at the feet of the Emperor, no one dared not to take Zhu Hongyu's words seriously.
Wang Huo nodded and said.
"What my father said makes sense, my son will order people to prepare it now!"
With that said, Wang Huo was about to turn around and leave, asking someone to prepare the gold and silver needed to purchase the bonds.
However, just as Wang Huo turned around, Wang Wenzhong spoke.
"What's the rush? Come back!"
"I haven't finished speaking as a father yet!"
Wang Huo paused, turned around, returned to his father's side, and spoke.
"Please give me your father's orders!"
Wang Wenzhong nodded slightly and continued to speak.
"Also, in addition to purchasing one million land bonds, my Wang family also wants to purchase another one million Northern Expedition bonds."
For Wang Wenzhong, the one million land bond is for the land of Sichuan and Sichuan.
That one million Northern Expedition bonds are just to stand in line!
Not for anything else, just for the two characters "Northern Expedition"!
Even if he doesn't buy land bonds, Wang Wenzhong will still buy Northern Expedition bonds.
Because, this is taking sides!
Sometimes, taking sides is actually more important than anything else.
If the Wang family wants to gain a foothold in the Ming Dynasty, they must stand in line with a clear-cut stand.
After all, if you are not active in the Northern Expedition, how dare you claim to be from the Ming Dynasty?
Seeing his son nodding, Wang Wenzhong then spoke.
"In addition, there is also the matter of investment!"
"From what you say, you want to open a garment factory, right?"
Wang Huo heard what his father meant and nodded.
"Yes father, if possible, I would like to give it a try!"
Wang Wenzhong squinted his eyes and said.
"Then give it a try. Our Wang family used to live by collecting rent and selling salt!"
"Now that the imperial court has made it clear that it will support industry and commerce and promote the development of maritime trade, my Wang family has to keep up with the imperial court!"
"My father will give you 100,000 silver dollars in financial support, but how you do it and to what extent you can do it depends on you!"
It is true that Wang Wenzhong was a traditional landowner and gentry, but tradition does not mean that his thinking is conservative.
Today's Chinese people's thinking has not experienced the castration of the Manchu Dynasty for more than two hundred years, and their enterprising spirit is still very strong.
Especially in the late Ming Dynasty, an era of ideological confusion and the emergence of various new ideas, there were very few true conservatives.
When it’s time to think about change, you will also think about it!
For example, now, after Wang Wenzhong realized the court's intention to encourage industrial and commercial development, he has already begun to seek family transformation.
But for the sake of safety, he did not let the entire family start the transformation immediately. Instead, he gave his son a sum of funds to explore the way.
Thinking very clearly!
Wang Huo nodded vigorously and said.
"Father, don't worry, your son will definitely achieve results and won't let you down!"
"..."
…
As the New Year approaches, Nanjing is full of joyful atmosphere.
The streets inside and outside Nanjing were cleaned, and red lanterns were hung on both sides.
Every household has hung up red silk and lanterns in preparation for celebrating the New Year.
This year's New Year's Eve is the first New Year's Eve after the Ming Dynasty regained control of Jiangnan, so naturally it cannot be overemphasized.
As the New Year approaches, the dark clouds that originally shrouded Jiangnan due to the Qufu incident are gradually dissipating.
Gradually no one mentioned this matter anymore, and everyone unanimously chose to forget it.
It was against this background that Qian Qianyi went to Quzhou with Zhu Hongyu's imperial edict.
Zhu Hong, the clan member of Nankong in Quzhou, is planning to select a clan member who is excellent in both morals and learning and who is familiar with the six arts of a gentleman to inherit the title of Duke Yansheng.
But when Qian Qianyi arrived in Quzhou City, the Kong family sent several elders to greet him.
"Let's meet the angel!"
Elders of the Kong clan knelt on the cold snow with their foreheads touching the ground to welcome the angel's arrival.
Qian Qianyi walked out of the sedan, glanced at the elders of the Kong clan in front of him, and said.
"I believe you all know what happened in Qufu, right?"
An old man with a gray beard heard this and hurriedly stood up to express his position.
"The Qing captives are so insane that they are committing a heinous crime by killing me, the Northern Sect of the Kong family!"
"Everyone in my family, the Kong family, is indignant. I also asked the angel to convey our appeal to the emperor. I hope that the Ming Dynasty can send troops to avenge me, the Kong family!"
The old man with a gray beard is named Kong Yuyan, who is the contemporary patriarch of the Kong family in Quzhou. He stood up and made a statement on behalf of the Kong family.
They know what happened in Qufu.
But no matter what the facts are, they will only maintain their claims to the outside world that it was Obai who did it.
Qian Qianyi was very satisfied with Kong's performance, nodded slightly and said.
"I am here today with orders to select a person with both good character and learning from the Kong family in Quzhou to inherit the position of Duke Yan!"
"Do you have any suitable candidates?"
"If there is, just report it so that I can do the assessment!"
Of course, Qian Qianyi himself cannot have the final say on such a big matter.
The assessment on his side is only a preliminary assessment. After selecting a few suitable candidates, the list will be reported to Zhu Hongyu.
Who can be the Duke of Yansheng can only be decided by Zhu Hongyu himself!
To put it bluntly, Qian Qianyi came to Quzhou just to run an errand for Zhu Hongyu!