Forty-eight years of Qianlong

Chapter 753 The premise of banknotes is to connect the world

Zhao Xin was depressed.

It's not that he is short of money. Not long ago, Beihai Town issued a [-]-year public bond, and the Shanxi merchants, salt merchants, and Thirteen Banks in the customs all secretly bought a lot.Not to mention that he still has a lot of thousand fine silver ingots in several caves on the mountain east of the Xila River.

What depressed him was the feeling that his wallet, which had just bulged up, would quickly deflate just by looking at it, so uncomfortable!

Originally, the purpose of this meeting was to summarize the past, talk about the current situation, and focus on the future.As a result, it has now become the Qiufenghui, and all departments are asking for money.

He had been staying on the front line in Liaodong before, and everyone couldn't catch him. When he came back, he had a happy event with A Miao and had to let him go temporarily, and then it was the Mid-Autumn Festival.In short, Zhao Xin gave the committee members enough time to prepare, and they all figured out how to ask for money with the most reasonable reasons.Although there is a lot of meat, there are also a lot of wolves, so time is running out!
Even the old man Yu Delina also proposed in the report that an examination institute should be built in Dengzhou and Qingzhou, and the imperial examination and pre-examination training next year will be changed there; talent.

The second new imperial examination in Beihai Town was held before the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, and the number of people who came was three times that of last year.You must know that the Beihai Navy also made a big move in Shandong this year, winning most of Laizhou, Qingzhou and Wuding in one fell swoop, among which Qingzhou has been a place of culture and education since ancient times.Zhucheng, Liu Yong's hometown, is in the south of Qingzhou Prefecture.

The momentum of dynastic change became more and more obvious, and many gentry who were on the sidelines couldn't sit still, so they secretly sent servants to Dengzhou to inquire about news.When they learned that last year, Beihai Town admitted all 241 candidates, regardless of whether they were young or talented, and that they could become officials after one year of training, they immediately exploded.

The imperial court is about to end, and the four-year imperial examination is meaningless, let alone the so-called "Enke" next year.Who knows if Jiaqing will still be in the Forbidden City next year?

Why does King Zhao hold the imperial examinations every year? Obviously, there is a shortage of people under his command!If you don't hurry up now, if someone comes to Beijing to settle in Longting, and an imperial decree changes back to one subject every four years, it will be a big loss!In the words of farmers, eat shit as early as possible, otherwise you won't even be able to keep up with the hot ones.

The sudden increase in the number of people taking the exam is certainly a good thing, which made Wang Zhong and Duan Yucai and other old-fashioned literati excited; but Yu Deli, as the head of the education committee, knew that it would be impossible to cross the sea by boat every year. If hundreds of scholars can see the Dragon King, the impact will be very bad.

It is said that everyone in the committee has finished their reports, and Zhao Xin also estimated the number of their budget increase for next year, which is about 1000 million to 1200 million.Well, at least I can keep half of it.

"I have a question. Why don't we issue paper money?"

Everyone heard the sound and saw that it was Yang Yi, the person in charge of the Jilin Reservoir Project.He participated in the Beihai town's political system seminar as a non-voting member last year, and he was unanimously approved by the committee at the regular meeting after the Spring Festival this year, and became a full-time member.

This 45-year-old, mid-level water conservancy engineer, worked as the vice president of a water conservancy engineering design company in the north before coming here.Because I talked about work with a certain young and beautiful woman in the unit and talked about bed, I lost my job.

It's funny to say, Vice President Yang was almost blocked in the house by the boyfriend of the other party at the time, but in a panic, he didn't have any clothes on, wrapped in a sheet, and climbed down the water pipe outside the balcony of the bedroom, and the woman was still going out from the balcony Throw his clothes.Fortunately, the third floor is still an old-fashioned building. If it is replaced with a high-rise slab building, Vice President Yang can only become a falling object.

However, because it is an old community, Yang Yi was noticed as soon as he turned out from the balcony. As the people who eat melons continued to join, someone soon spread this scene on the Internet through self-media.So he became famous, the company died, his wife divorced him, and he was fired by the unit after leaving the house.Then, he was fooled by Zhao Xinlianmeng.

There are many rivers in the outer northeast, which will flood during the summer rainstorm, and there is also the problem of farmland irrigation. It is really impossible without a professional person in the water conservancy industry.For example, how to repair the canal water intake hub and irrigation canal system?How to build flood control and drainage system?What are the design standards for river flooding?What should we do with the reservoir?
However, this water conservancy project is a master, but he is a stick in finance.Yang Yi's problem has actually been held back for a long time. He used to pass the time by reading novels on the Internet when he was unemployed and at home. Those guys who traveled to ancient times and became emperors made banknotes at every turn, so the financial problem was easily solved.

Zhao Xin shook his head and said, "It can't be done. Or we don't have the conditions to issue banknotes at the moment."

Yang Yi asked, "Why?"

Damn, how does Zhao Xin explain this?This kind of thing cannot be explained clearly in a few sentences.He thought for a while and said: "Mr. Yang, the issuance of banknotes must be based on bank notes, and the bank note system must be based on the property rights system. Now the customs are still centralized under the authority of 'all the lands under heaven'. Thought, property ownership is not clear, and bank notes can’t be bought. Can you understand me when I explain it this way?”

Liu Zheng asked curiously at this time: "What is a bank note?"

"Promissory note, money order, check."

Liu Zheng nodded, and blurted out: "Shanxi people's ticket number." He often dealt with Shanxi business groups in Kulun in the past two years, so he thought of it immediately.

Zhao Xin showed a teachable expression, and said: "The ticket number is just the embryonic form of a bank note, and it can also be said to be a kind of informal banknote that is customary. The jargon is called private post."

Yu Deli said at this time: "Zhao Xin, among us, you are the one who understands the economy the most. It's still early, let me tell you. I don't really understand these things."

"Yes! Tell me." It was Zhou Weiguo who was beating the side drum.

When this man heard the word "property rights", his eyes lit up immediately, and he immediately thought of the issue of citizenship that he raised at the meeting the year before last.As soon as he started, Yu Deli and Liu Zheng pushed him back as immature, which was very embarrassing.Now Zhao Xin mentions property rights, which are the material basis for the realization of citizenship rights.

Seeing Zhou Weiguo's appearance, Zhao Xin thought it was a little funny, so he got up and pulled a whiteboard from the corner over, and took an oil pen to write the words "ticket number", "credit" and "property rights" on it.

"If you want to set up a bank these days, you must first have a strong business name, and then you need to have commercial outlets all over the country, so that you can evolve from commercial credit to currency credit. With currency credit, you must have a national credit trust. For example, helping the government to collect taxes and fees and advance payment, the ticket number will grow, and any business is not as large as doing business with the government. Come back and talk about Shanxi Merchants ticket number, why is it the first one that dares to say "Huitong Tianxia" The Rishengchang bank was not established until more than 20 years later? It was because of the development of Leijia’s pigment shop that the outlets were laid across the country at that time, and Lei Lutai had this confidence. The reason why the Jinshang bank has grown is not to help Did the Qing government confiscate the advance payment of indemnities, and Hu Xueyan’s Fukang Bank also developed by helping Zuo Zongtang borrow money.”

Liu Siting interjected, "But our Beihai Bank doesn't need this process."

Zhao Xin nodded and said: "Our situation is different. The early immigrants were essentially long-term workers, and all our systems must be compulsorily obeyed, otherwise we would not get fifty acres of land. When the Beihai Bank was first established, Son, I went to inspect the factory with Lao Chen, and the workers didn't understand why they had to get their salaries from the bank instead of us directly. At that time, they all said in private that it was unnecessary.

At that time, you all thought that I wanted to open a bank to make money. In fact, what kind of money would I make? Losing money is the real thing.But I just want to build a credit system through this. Up to now, the salary of 10,000+ Bei Hai has to be received from the Beihai bank, and the common people have to pay taxes to the bank. Every year, the grain is also transferred to the account. Everyone thinks it is very good , which shows that our commercial credit has been initially established. "

Yang Yi asked at this time: "Then when will we be able to issue banknotes?"

"Actually, we were able to introduce banknotes two years ago in the outer northeast. The problem is that the population under our control is too small and the volume is not enough. Even making banknotes will not solve the problem. We must focus on the whole country."

Zhao Xin tapped the words on the whiteboard with a pen and continued: "We already have a business name; I believe anyone who has been to Anping Port can see the influence; needless to say the government's credit, the Beihai Bank is our own. The key is to establish a nationwide commercial network. With all of these in place, we can launch bank notes. To achieve universal integration, we must have the ability to centralize liquidation and occupy a large proportion of the bill market. Consider issuing banknotes."

He was only talking about it in general today, and the actual operation is far more complicated than what he said, and the biggest problem with issuing banknotes is the depreciation caused by the abuse of government credit, which cannot be avoided.Nowadays, the price of silver and copper coins used in various parts of the customs has skyrocketed. This will lead to the introduction of banknotes. As long as the value is devalued, the common people will definitely turn to copper coins and silver again, which will lead to a vicious circle.

Historically, the Song, Jin, Yuan and Ming courts issued various banknotes, such as Jiaozi, Qianyin, Huizi, Baochao, Jiaochao, Zhongtong, etc., all of which relied on government credit as their value guarantee.However, the credit of the government of the feudal dynasty is the least trustworthy. Once a war or famine occurs, in order to alleviate the financial shortage, it will be overissued, and all kinds of banknotes will eventually become toilet paper.After the "one whip method" was implemented, silver became the only currency with sufficient currency functions, and the credit paper money in ancient China could no longer be played.

After the afternoon meeting, Chen Qingsong stopped Zhao Xin who was about to go out, and said, "Although I don't know much about finance, but if you want to establish a nationwide business network and clearing center, the relevant personnel must be prepared in advance. You see Do you want to find two professionals from us?"

Zhao Xin said: "There is no rush to find someone. You forgot, we have a group of people who are most suitable for the banking industry."

Chen Qingsong was stunned for a moment, then he slapped his forehead and said, "Hey! My mind is so busy."

Jews, this is a group of people who are ignored by many people in Beihai Town, but Zhao Xin pays close attention to them all the time.

After Zhao Xin took Yeniseysk back then, the local Jewish groups took the initiative to ask for attachment, the reason being that they did not want to be displaced again.After Zhao Xin promulgated the proclamation of canceling the alcohol tax package and prohibiting Jews from engaging in the usury industry, the Jewish community in Siberia quickly split.Some of them returned to Tsarist Russia in the spring of the following year, while others went to the Nizhny Uginsk and Tulun areas designated for them by Zhao Xin.

Now four years have passed, and the Jewish population under the rule of Beihai Town has grown from more than 6000 to more than 1.Since the year before last, the civil administration has relocated more than 4000 Jews from Siberia through land replacement and extension of the tax holiday, and resettled them in various villages and towns from Whale Town to Khabarovsk.

And Zhao Xin's next plan is to wait for the situation in the newly recovered Liaodong area to stabilize, and continue to move the Siberian Jews out.The reason for doing this can be summed up in four words, turning barbarians into summer.

Although the various ethnic groups in ancient China were mixed and had different customs and languages, they could recognize each other on the level of etiquette.No matter where people are, as long as they agree with the "rituals" of Chinese civilization and abide by them, they are China.For example, the Kaifeng Jews in the Song Dynasty, the Semu people in the Ming Dynasty, and even the Russian Zuoling in the Qing Dynasty.

Nowadays, every Jew under the rule of Beihai Town has to have a Chinese name, even if they can’t speak a word; school-age children have to go to school to learn Chinese, there is no negotiation.

In addition, Jews like to gather together to pray. According to Jewish law, adult men must gather more than 10 people to pray three times a day.In theory, Jews can pray anywhere except unclean places, but as long as life is settled down, who doesn't want to have a church?For this reason, Minzheng specially built two courtyard houses with carved beams and painted buildings in Khabarovsk and Whale Town, and used them as Jewish churches.

As for the layout of the room, it was according to the rabbi's suggestion.In fact, the interior of a synagogue does not need to be full of idols or portraits like Catholic or Orthodox churches; it is enough to have a large platform for reading the Pentateuch, an ever-lit seven candlesticks, and a small podium and seats up.

There is no rush for this kind of thing. Even if the Russian leader of the Qing Dynasty was forced to reform as a prisoner, living in the circle of banner people in Beijing every day, feeling the folk culture of the integration of Han and Manchu, it will take hundreds of years to realize this. "Reborn".

The reason why Chen Qingsong ignores the Jewish affairs is because of the strategy he and Zhao Xin set up before; that is, until the Jewish community is proficient in Chinese, they are not allowed to get involved in the financial industry.

Zhao Xin's idea is that four years have passed, and now it should be possible to select a group of people who are proficient in Mandarin from the Jewish community and make preliminary preparations in order to achieve the goal of "communicating the world".

In his plan, in the future, Beihai Town's banking industry will not only have Jews, but also people from Shanxi merchants and Jiangnan banks.Internal checks and balances are on the one hand, and on the other hand, these people have spent one or two hundred years building a business network all over the country, so it would be too wasteful not to use it.

(End of this chapter)