With no other choice, Ni Yuanlu decided to repeat the old tune first, talking about increasing revenue and reducing expenditure!
As for how to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, let’s discuss it again!
At this time, Emperor Chongzhen said to him: "I have a way here that can roughly solve this problem!"
When Ni Yuanlu heard this, she couldn't help but be overjoyed. It turned out that the emperor had already had an idea, and he was so frightened that he was so frightened. Wouldn't it be better to tell him earlier?
Of course, he did not dare to express this complaint. He just quickly flattered Emperor Chongzhen and said: "There is no wiser person than your Majesty. I am a humble minister. I am stupid. Please show me to your Majesty!"
When he just said this, he suddenly remembered something and was shocked.
Emperor Chongzhen asked Ma Shiying to lead troops into Nanjing to reorganize the place, check hidden households, and re-measure the land like Fengyang Mansion. Naturally, the court knew about it.
Even though Emperor Chongzhen didn't say it clearly at all, everyone knew that this kind of thing must be done with the emperor's will. Otherwise, if he offends the Jiangnan squire, wouldn't he want to be an official? But with the emperor standing behind him, then
Said something else.
At this time, Ni Yuanlu thought, could it be that the emperor wanted to cooperate with Ma Shiying and asked the Ministry of Household Affairs to come forward to re-measure the land?
It would be fine if this thing is done smoothly, but if there is a recurrence, there will be a scapegoat! After all, Nanjing is not like Fengyang, where there have been many nobles and local gentry since the founding of the People's Republic of China.
I don’t know how many official families there are!
With such a huge force, once the emperor retreats, the counterattack will definitely be the most violent. That is, Ma Shiying, Ruan Dacheng and others dare to touch this matter...
As he thought this, he suddenly felt like he was sweating. This matter is really dangerous. Do you want to do it?
Ni Yuanlu was thinking about it when he heard Emperor Chongzhen say to him: "I have decided to sell welfare lottery tickets, and the funds will be used to assist students and build new schools. This matter will be implemented by the Ministry of Household Affairs. Others, if they want to do something similar
Everything is illegal, your home will be confiscated, and you will be exiled!"
At the beginning, Emperor Chongzhen thought that he would sell welfare lottery tickets in the name of the palace. However, he also understood that if he really did this, I am afraid that local people would follow suit. If he did not agree, the censor probably would
The eloquent officer will also play the role, and he will talk endlessly.
He never thought about using the money from the welfare lottery to subsidize the palace. Instead, he really wanted to use the money to build a new school so that children of Ming school age could read and write.
After some final thought, Emperor Chongzhen decided that it would be better to do this in the name of the imperial court, and to avoid any personal involvement.
Anyway, he initiated this matter and asked the Ministry of Revenue to implement it. The reputation brought by this is naturally his.
Based on this idea, Emperor Chongzhen called the Minister of Hubu to the Wenhua Hall on the first day of the new year.
At this time, as soon as Ni Yuanlu heard Emperor Chongzhen speak a fresh word, he knew that this was not something Emperor Chongzhen himself came up with, but was related to the treasure given by Emperor Taizu.
Out of curiosity, he quickly asked: "Your Majesty, what is a welfare lottery?"
From what the emperor said, it seems that this welfare lottery is very profitable, similar to the salt and iron monopoly. Therefore, if an individual engages in this, it will be confiscated and exiled!
Emperor Chongzhen was waiting for him to ask, so he immediately explained to Ni Yuanlu: "Welfare lottery, welfare means that this kind of lottery is in the nature of welfare, that is, it is used to build schools for Ming school-age children to go to school, and the funds are earmarked for it."
!”
Hearing this, Ni Yuanlu couldn't help but nod, this is a good deed, you can do it!
But the most critical thing should be the word "lottery". Can it bring in money? How much money will it bring? How to do it?
With this thought in his mind, he listened attentively.
Emperor Chongzhen continued to introduce him: "The lottery is actually a ticket with a jackpot. That is to say, if you spend a small amount of money to buy this ticket, you may get a big jackpot."
After hearing this, Ni Yuanlu knew that this was what the welfare lottery meant.
Once he understood it, he was greatly disappointed. He immediately shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, this is just a small business, and it may not necessarily make money. Not to mention, the profits from doing this will also cost more."
Used in my Ming Dynasty school to teach all children to read and write, I am afraid it will be a drop in the bucket!"
In order to make up for what Emperor Chongzhen had just asked and could not answer, he explained to Emperor Chongzhen in detail: "Your Majesty, please see, if the jackpot of this lottery is small, there will not be many people buying it, and there will be no money."
And if the winnings are big, what happens if you lose money? If there is some manipulation, where is the prestige of the court once someone discovers it?"
At this point, he was afraid of making Emperor Chongzhen unhappy, so he comforted him and said: "However, your Majesty's intentions are admired by all the people and admired by the humble ministers! This matter needs long-term consideration!"
Emperor Chongzhen liked hearing their ignorant thoughts the most, so he would shock them after he spoke them out.
Therefore, he was not unhappy at all, and immediately smiled and said: "Ni Qing's words are wrong! If this kind of welfare lottery does not make money, why would I summon you to discuss it?"
"..." Ni Yuanlu was stunned for a moment, right, if it didn't work, the emperor wouldn't tell him this, right? The most important thing is that this is related to the treasure given by Emperor Taizu, so it is unlikely to be useless!
However, I should be right about what I said, so what exactly is it that I didn’t expect?
While he was thinking about it, he heard Emperor Chongzhen ask with a hint of pride: "Does Ni Qing know the branches of my science? Is there a subdivision of mathematics called probability?"
"..." When Ni Yuanlu heard this, she couldn't help but feel speechless again. She was very busy every day, and she never had time to study mathematics carefully. Then she couldn't learn any finance, okay?
But at the same time, he was also secretly surprised. Listening to what the emperor meant, this probability theory in mathematics can actually make money?
Before, of course, they already knew that steam engines came from physics, and the steam trains, steam ships, etc. invented by them were all very profitable. And the same goes for cement.
And now, if the emperor's words are correct, wouldn't it be possible to make money with this mathematics again?
From this point of view, Your Majesty’s science is simply a cornucopia!
Thinking like this, he looked forward to it and quickly asked: "Your Majesty, is this welfare lottery also related to probability?"
"Of course!" Emperor Chongzhen was happy to be asked, so he smiled and explained patiently, "I will give you a brief explanation. I prepared a set of data, from the beginning to the ninth, and randomly selected a few from it.
Numbers, if the numbers you selected in advance are some or all of these numbers, they will be different prizes respectively. This game involves probability, that is, possibility. It can be calculated in advance.
What is the probability of winning the lottery? As long as you control this probability, you may not make money once, but if you do it more often, you will definitely make money. And the amount of money you make depends on whether there are more or less people buying welfare lottery tickets!"
This is the welfare lottery plan designed by Liu Weichao for him, which is the kind of two-color ball. As for the scratch card type, there are too many tricks and it is not enough to convince the public. If you want to operate this welfare lottery for a long time, it must be relatively fair.
OK, at least in theory it should be fair.
However, this kind of gameplay had never been played before in the Ming Dynasty. Ni Yuanlu was actually a little confused after hearing this. However, seeing that Emperor Chongzhen was so confident, he did not dare to question it.
Because it has been proven many times that things that seemed ridiculous and impossible were finally proved by Emperor Chongzhen to have extraordinary uses!
Let's not talk about anything else, let's just boil a fire and boil water. Before I changed it, who would have thought that just this could create a steam engine and be able to pull such a heavy car!
At this time, Ni Yuanlu already had the idea of lying down. Anyway, he did what Emperor Chongzhen said!
So, he didn't question it, and just asked Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, this method must be excellent. I just don't know when this will start?"
"Of course the sooner the better!" Emperor Chongzhen said without thinking when he heard this.
Do you still want to delay making money?
Really!
Just listen to what he told Ni Yuanlu: "I will tell you the specific method in a moment. The day of the lottery draw will be set on the Lantern Festival! I will be there in person for the first lottery draw!"
This is the first day after the Zhengdan Festival, and it’s still early before the Lantern Festival!
However, since this is the first time it is held, it should take a little longer to prepare.
But the key point is, isn’t it time to take a rest during the Lantern Festival? Emperor Chongzhen, a black-hearted emperor, wants to deprive himself of this time to take a rest!
Ni Yuanlu just had this thought in her mind, and of course she didn't really care. She immediately responded: "I obey the order!"
Therefore, Emperor Chongzhen asked his chamberlain to give Ni Yuanlu his re-written welfare lottery plan.
Ni Yuanlu opened it, and after just one look, she was immediately startled and said: "Your Majesty, this...isn't this possible?"
"Why not?" Emperor Chongzhen liked to shock these ministers. Seeing his expression, he asked happily.
Ni Yuanlu pointed to a place in the plan in great surprise, regardless of whether Emperor Chongzhen could see it or not, and said loudly: "If you buy a welfare lottery ticket for five cents, the first prize is as high as one hundred taels of silver.
Is there such a thing as a loss-making business?"
Don't underestimate one hundred taels of silver. In the late Ming Dynasty, this one hundred taels of silver could buy a very nice courtyard house in the capital.
In other words, as long as you pay five cents, you may get a house. This... isn't this a big loss business?