Chapter 55 The last practical observation lesson: Death in Chongzhen
Finance?!
Everyone looked at the two words on the rice paper and fell into deep thought.
For the position of emperor, the quality and skill requirements are actually very simple.
There is only one science studied from beginning to end, that is, the art of emperors, and the survival skills practiced from birth to death are also very single, and that is the way to control people.
Because in the emperor's opinion, he does not need to understand the following business, he only needs to be able to employ people.
But in fact, if you can't figure out the essence of the matter, you will be easily deceived. As the country's top decision-maker, one careless move will send this giant ship of the country into the abyss. It will be as difficult for future helmsmen to turn back.
Purgatory.
"Lao Zhu, let me ask you."
"What is the core point of the clan feudal system that I talked about with you yesterday?"
Ji Boying looked at Lao Zhu and spoke in a suggestive manner.
"The core is money!"
As soon as Lao Zhu opened his mouth to answer, Xiao Zhu Si had already answered successfully.
"Very good."
Before Xiao Zhu Si could be proud of receiving the affirmation from the immortal master, Lao Zhu's fierce look made him tremble with fear.
How dare you steal dad’s limelight?!
Then, Ji Boying looked at Old Zhu Di.
"Bingyi."
Old Zhu Di paused and then realized that "Bingyi" refers to himself.
"Why are all the ministers opposed to your third northern expedition?"
Old Zhu Di turned his head and glanced at Fatty Yongle.
"No money."
Fatty Yongle shrank his neck and pretended not to know anything.
"Ding Yi."
Then Ji Boying looked at Fatty Hong Xi.
"Hey, Ding Yi is here."
Big Fatty Hong Xi is obviously very wise and has gradually accepted his student ID.
"When you say that people's hearts and minds have been lost, why are people's hearts and minds lost?"
"It's about not having enough to eat, it's about the people not being able to make ends meet, and all of this stems from taxation and exploitation by the imperial court. Regardless of the factor of corrupt officials, why does the imperial court increase taxes?"
Hongxi Xiaozhu (Zhu Zhanji) next to him spoke in response.
"No money."
It takes money to open up territory and expand the territory, to develop people's livelihood, to hold grand ceremonies, to run a dynasty, to to have three meals a day for ordinary people, all of them are inseparable from 'money'.
"A penny can stump a heroic man, and the same is true for a dynasty."
"The Ming Dynasty fell in Chongzhen. Although there were many reasons for the country's demise, one of the core reasons was that the court had no money and a deficit of thousands of miles."
There are many rumors about Chongzhen's small treasury in later generations. Just listen to this kind of unofficial history, but it is not credible.
How could a crazy man who had gone through seventeen chief and assistant positions in seventeen years, and even chopped off his wife and children with his own hands before he died, could wait for death by guarding his small treasury?
There are two opinions about this vault.
One theory is that this small treasury is a fabrication, done to blackmail Chongzhen. There is no such thing at all.
Another theory is that Wanli buried this treasury underground in the Forbidden City. Even Chongzhen himself did not know that this small treasury existed in the Forbidden City.
‘Dead in Chongzhen.’
When these four words fall into the ears of everyone, they are no less than thunderous.
The serving emperors such as Lao Zhu and Lao Zhu Di were all furious after hearing this, and wished they could fly to the Chongzhen Dynasty immediately.
Ji Boying stood on the three-foot podium, with his hands behind his back and changed his body, looking somewhat like an immortal.
He naturally caught everyone's expressions.
Only as a teacher can you know how self-deceptive students’ little actions under the podium can be.
"No need to be angry, at least not now."
"The last lesson of the practical observation course is to go to the Chongzhen Dynasty. If you have anything to say or do, you can discuss it with Emperor Chongzhen himself."
When Lao Zhu heard this, he snorted and slapped the armrest of the Grand Master's chair.
"When we go to the Chongzhen Dynasty, we will definitely give these unscrupulous descendants of the subjugated country seven to eight hundred lashes."
"Yes, whip him!"
"Grandpa Huang is right!"
"…………"
Although others are also eager to fight, with Lao Zhu here, it will naturally be up to this ancestor to have the final say in executing the family law.
"Okay, be quiet."
Ji Boying spoke calmly.
"Listen carefully and continue back to our topic."
"There are ultimately many reasons for the collapse of a dynasty."
"Qin, Han, Jin, Tang, Song."
"But no matter what was the trigger for the ultimate collapse of these unified dynasties, the main factor cannot be bypassed, and that is the collapse of national finances in the last years of the dynasty."
"As the saying goes, you thrive on wealth and perish on wealth."
Ji Boying swept across the crowd.
"Let me ask you, why did Qin become strong and why did it fail?"
After a moment of silence, Zhu Biao spoke first.
"Qin prospered under the laws of Shang Jun, but perished due to harsh government and hard labor."
The other emperors and princes nodded in approval of this answer, not only because of Zhu Biao Hongwu's status as the second child, but also because the answer was indeed correct, because this is how it is taught in the books.
Ji Boying pressed his hand and motioned Zhu Biao to sit down.
"It's too superficial."
"The core of the so-called Shangjun's reform lies in three points."
"First, expand the tax base and use the private ownership of land to 'abandon mine fields and open roads' to stimulate people's enthusiasm for farming and increase food production;"
Second, attack the nobility, quickly disintegrate the old nobility with the military nobility system, directly tax the people, and prevent the tax revenue from being intercepted by the nobility. This is the most important reason for the success of Shang Yang's reform;
Third, implement state-owned policies, and the state controls the sale and purchase of natural resources and materials to earn high profits.
After such reforms, taxes were continuously sent to the treasury. In ten years, Qin's fiscal revenue increased twenty-fold, and Qin had the capital to launch a large-scale war."
After speaking, Ji Boying glanced at Lao Zhu and others, their eyes lit up. Even Xuande and Zhu Zhanji became energetic. They had never heard such a deep analysis of the Qin Dynasty from a financial perspective. "And Qin's defeat."
"The Qin Dynasty destroyed the six kingdoms by using a financial and national strategy of supporting war with war. Every large-scale military attack was an investment of the country's financial resources. By taxing the occupied areas and plundering government wealth, it maintained the financial balance of the empire and ensured
Army logistics."
"After destroying the six kingdoms, he successively launched an army of 500,000 people, which took five years to pacify South Vietnam, and then used an army of 300,000 people to drive the Xiongnu northward and conquer the Hetao."
"When we get here, the problem begins."
Question?
The emperors all frowned, what's the problem?
Regarding the military strategy of the Qin Emperor, even heroes like Lao Zhu Di who doubled the territory of the Ming Dynasty felt ashamed.
"South Vietnam and the Hetao are not as wealthy as the six countries. There are too few people and land that can be used to pay taxes, which cannot make up for the war expenditure, and it is impossible to ensure fiscal balance. In addition, after the unification of the world, the number of domestic bureaucrats increased sharply in a short period of time, and hundreds of
Tens of thousands of laborers were forced to do hard work, and the finances began to become imbalanced. Once imbalanced, they would naturally embark on the road of increasing taxes. Agricultural taxes alone were soon increased to a terrifying 70%. The world has been suffering for a long time. The government forced the people to rebel, and taxes
The foundation became lower and lower, and in a vicious cycle, the financial imbalance became more and more serious, and eventually the empire collapsed."
The underlying logic is actually very simple.
This is like a company that is expanding rapidly. It seems to make a lot of money, but in fact, it is spent on changing hands. Suddenly the capital chain is broken, and the only thing left is to go to the bank for a loan. When the loan comes to the bank, it will close down when you see it.
When it’s time to let the dogs out, it’s time to go bankrupt.
Lao Zhu and others were trembling with fear after hearing this.
Ji Boying looked at the surprised expressions of the emperors and princes, and raised the corners of his mouth slightly.
"So."
"What I want to teach you in this lesson is only two words."
He raised his hand and picked up the pen presented by Lianxiang, and wrote two more words after "finance".
"Making money".
As soon as these two words came out, the eyes of all the emperors lit up.
It's not just ordinary people who like money, the emperor likes it even more.
For Lao Zhu, only by having money can we quickly restore national strength.
For Zhu Di, only by having money can he continue the Northern Expedition and completely kill the Mongolian Tatars.
As for Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Zhanji, only by having money can they stabilize the country and push people's livelihood to the top.
"Brother."
"There's something we don't understand."
Lao Zhu frowned and rarely interrupted Ji Boying.
"You said."
Ji Boying looked at Lao Zhu.
"Making money seems very simple to us. Just print more banknotes. Money is just paper. We don't have the final say on how much we print."