"Suzhou Weaving and Dyeing Bureau?" The three officials were a little unsure. "Is it the one east of Tianxin Bridge?"
As local officials in Suzhou, of course they knew about the existence of the Weaving and Dyeing Bureau.
Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, Suzhou has been the national silk weaving center. In order to meet the needs of the court, the court has set up a weaving bureau in Suzhou since the Yuan Dynasty. After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, it was changed to a weaving and dyeing bureau. Because Boss Zhu practiced frugality, Suzhou weaving and dyeing began
Not only was the scale of the bureau much smaller than that of the previous dynasty, but its specifications were also downgraded from palace supervision to local supervision.
Therefore, in the view of the three officials, the Suzhou Textile and Dyeing Bureau is basically a department under their jurisdiction. How can they borrow grain from the reserve warehouse?
"Oh, I forgot to tell you that my father has given permission to change the Suzhou Weaving and Dyeing Bureau to be under the direct jurisdiction of the palace." King Chu said, and handed another handwriting to the three of them:
"My father ordered me to temporarily take charge of the Dyeing and Weaving Bureau. During this period, I will naturally be jointly and severally responsible for all the debts incurred by the Dyeing and Weaving Bureau."
After Zhu Zhen finished speaking, he stared at the three people and asked word by word: "Now, is the Weaving and Dyeing Bureau qualified to borrow grain from you?"
"Yes, some..." The three of them wiped away their sweat while carefully studying the handwriting. Finally, Li Heng nodded with difficulty and said: "Your Highness, you must pay it back when we get to Qiuli, otherwise we will be dead."
"Don't worry, will I, the majestic prince, still rely on you for my debt?" Zhu Zhen first patted his chest to assure himself, and then said with a displeased look on his face: "This is using your own food to help your own people, and I have to be the guarantee.
,Have you ever seen such a resentful person like this king?"
"Your Highness, calm down, the rules are really unbreakable..." The three people hurriedly accompanied him and said cautiously: "Actually, even so, we have shouldered the responsibility."
"After all, His Highness did not use an inch of land as collateral, and the scale of the weaving and dyeing bureau is really small."
"How small?" King Chu asked.
"There are only a dozen looms in total, and they are not as good as those of larger weavers." Fei Zhixian replied softly.
"Don't worry, the scale will soon grow. All the weavers in Suzhou City will work for me!" His Highness the King of Chu said boldly.
~~
No matter what the three officials thought, it was decided that the Royal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau would come forward and the King of Chu would act as a guarantee to borrow grain from the reserve warehouses of the first government and two counties.
In order to avoid long nights and many dreams, the King of Chu immediately ordered Luo Guanzhong to draft a contract and sign it with three officials on the spot.
Then he and Li Heng finally finalized the details of the "Suzhou Food Stamps".
The two parties agreed that Suzhou grain coupons would be issued by the Royal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau, and the reserve warehouses in one prefecture and two counties would be responsible for redeeming the grain against the coupons, but the total amount would not exceed 200,000 shi.
Because one prefecture and two counties lent a total of 200,000 shi of grain to the Royal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau.
Moreover, the King of Chu promised that if the Royal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau could not return the grain on time, he would be responsible for returning it.
The prince has 50,000 shilumi per year. This is the fundamental reason why Li Heng and the others dare to open a warehouse to borrow grain...
After everything was finalized, the three officials felt deeply sorry to His Highness the King of Chu.
"Obviously it's our business, but we have to put such a heavy burden on His Highness." Li Heng apologized to King Chu: "I'm really sorry for Your Highness."
"It's okay!" His Royal Highness the King of Chu's round eyes were full of concern for the country and the people: "Father often teaches us that we must dare to take responsibilities. What's more, my salary and salary are all taken from the people, so this is considered useful.
It’s for the people.”
The three of them were deeply moved, and they all felt that there were really nine sons born from a dragon, each with their own differences. Unlike the cruel and cunning King of Jin, His Royal Highness the King of Chu was simply a Bodhisattva-hearted person...
~~
After the three people who had thanked His Highness for sending them away turned back, Luo Guanzhong finally couldn't help complaining: "Don't they know that Your Highness is not qualified to receive salary?"
"That's right, my pocket is cleaner than my face." His Royal Highness the King of Chu said without feeling ashamed at all: "Otherwise, sir, as a minister of the King of Chu, I wouldn't have to live with my uncle for free."
It is different from the royal guard army, which is formed as a regular army from the beginning and is paid monthly. The royal guards have to wait until the prince opens the palace before the royal guards receive their salary. Of course, except for the royal guards like Liu Bowen who are personally hired by the emperor.
"But in the huge city of Suzhou, there are no less than 100,000 households that rely on the textile industry. How can a mere 200,000 shi of food stamps be enough?" Luo Guanzhong heard the words of the King of Chu and said in surprise: "I want to print a million shi of stamps."
Food stamps!”
"..." Luo Guanzhong opened his mouth so wide that he could stuff a duck egg into it.
But he knew that what King Chu said was true...
After arriving in Suzhou, Luo Guanzhong was ordered to conduct a thorough investigation of the textile industry in Suzhou City.
Through inquiries and investigations, he came to the conclusion that there were approximately two thousand looms in Suzhou City.
Each large and complex loom requires three weavers to operate. In addition to the workers responsible for warp pulling and weft removal, each loom requires an average of five workers, which is 10,000 people.
But the silk weaving industry is a long industrial chain, with silk reeling in the upstream and dyeing, jacquard, embroidery and other links downstream. Together with transportation and sales personnel, the entire industry is conservatively estimated to have 50,000 people.
The average monthly salary of these 50,000 people is 1,500 Wen, which does not include the profits of Orito and other owners.
Food in Suzhou is relatively expensive, with one stone of rice costing 500 Wen. Therefore, the 200,000 stone grain stamps are only enough for one month.
"And to start production, we have to purchase looms and raw silk, right?" Zhu Zhen calculated the accounts for Teacher Luo on the spot: "So let alone 200,000 shi, it is just one million shi of food stamps, which can only support three
In the next month, I can barely wait until the municipal fleet comes back."
"Okay, I admit that one million shi is enough." Luo Guanzhong nodded, stared at Lao Liu and asked loudly: "But you borrowed a total of 200,000 shi of grain, how can you pay it to the people?!"
"Hahaha, this is the beauty of food stamps." Zhu Zhen laughed proudly and said: "I issue one million shi of food stamps, so as long as I prepare 200,000 shi of food, it will be more than enough!"
"Why?" Luo Guanzhong was a little confused.
"Because Suzhou is not short of food, it's just that the workers have no money and can't afford food." Zhu Zhen tried his best to explain in a way that Teacher Luo could understand:
"And the workers' wages cannot be used only to buy food, but also to buy firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea. So we only need to survive the first month, and the food stamps will enter the circulation. If you don't believe it, just wait and see.
At that time, the number of citizens coming to redeem grain will drop sharply, and two hundred thousand dan will be enough."
"Is that so..." General Luo Guanzhong was doubtful and asked: "But Your Highness, is this a breach of contract?"
"Hahaha. The contract documents are here. You see clearly. It only stipulates that Suzhou Prefecture will accept two hundred thousand shi of rice in exchange for two counties, but it does not stipulate how much I will issue." Zhu Zhen smiled slyly and comforted his face.
The uneasy Teacher Luo said:
"Don't worry, can I still trick the common people? I will definitely not let them suffer - when the municipal fleet comes back, I will recycle all the food stamps!"
