eldest son of Ming dynasty

Chapter 247: The City That Never Sleeps

After Gu Zuo returned to Beijing, the first thing he did was to enter the palace to face the saint.

The emperor had urged him several times about the matter in Zhejiang, so he knew that the matter was urgent, and he did not dare to delay for a moment.

Yang Shangyi wanted to resign, but the emperor stopped him, and said: "You are the general soldier of Ningxia. From Ningxia to the north, you cross the Great Wall and you are Hetao. In addition, you are brave and good at fighting, and the boss of Yangge will rule the northwest, no matter what the situation is." , I must use you in the first battle. If you want to succeed in the re-set, I don’t lack people, but you have to find another way for money, so you should also listen to it.”

In the case of ink corruption in Zhejiang, many merchants’ families suffered catastrophe, and of course the officials were not in trouble. Although the emperor did not have a clear figure, but the amount of confiscation besides the cash was also a huge amount of one million taels. There are more than 160 million taels.

The emperor's "grabbing silver" in the south of the Yangtze River was spent on the war in the northwest. This article more or less aroused some resentment, especially in the coastal areas of the south of the Yangtze River. It's just that the emperor's reputation is too great, and many people dare not speak out.

Gu Zuo is small, and there is a cute height difference between him and Yang Shangyi, which makes Zhu Houzhao want to laugh.

"... Cloth stores and tea shops, which are irrelevant to military and state affairs, can be gradually sold by the Shaofu after the influence of the Zhejiang case fades away. They can't make much money by keeping them, and they still have to manage them. It can’t take up all the business. More importantly, the Shaofu must concentrate money to do bigger things.”

bigger things.

Gu Zuo still didn't understand what the emperor was referring to.

"Don't turn your face pale. I want to build it, but not for myself. I want to build it for merchants and common people." The emperor spread out a map of the capital, "I want to build one in the capital." The city that never sleeps is independent of other urban areas. There is a curfew in other places. This place does not have a curfew, but it must be closed at night. As for how lively it is inside, it is not in my control. This is not a whim or a hobby, but it is actually a last resort .”

"The third thing..." Zhu Houzhao walked around twice with his hands behind his back. "The imperial court's use of troops in the northwest was considered smooth. It spent a total of more than 120 million taels of silver, and Zhejiang added some. But I promised that the Shaofu's silver taels In Taicang, the Ministry of Household Affairs, the Ministry of Household Affairs needs to change its way of thinking when spending money. It can’t always be spent and gone. It must create benefits and have cash back. In addition to grain and shipbuilding, the remaining silver taels, Liangbi.”

Gu Zuo's understanding is also correct,
"So after getting on the right track, you sell some shops in Zhejiang at a price, and then collect money to set up a business to buy and sell grain. A few days ago, Zhang Zongxian went to Nanzhili to borrow grain, but Nanzhili There is no food, this is a wake-up call, if something happens, millions of mouths open their mouths to ask for food, what do you say?"

But the laws of history cannot be resisted, so there is no need to worry about that.

Gu Zuo frowned, and he immediately grasped the essentials, "What if the merchant is not willing to rent?"

Speaking of this, Zhu Houzhao is also helpless. No matter how he can count, Hongzhi's 11 years can't be counted as seven or eight years later.

After the wealth is concentrated in the center, the local area will be depressed, which will lead to the decline of people's livelihood and social turmoil, and then it will be "the sky is dead, and the yellow sky should be established". ...

The disadvantage is that once this huge interest group is established, future monarchs will not be able to control it well, and its corruption and absorption of private wealth are also quite amazing.

"Yes, cover it after repairing it. It will be sold to rich people later."

Just like a certain flight in the southwest and a certain flight in the northeast.

"Do some money-for-work."

But he doesn't know how to build ships, and he doesn't know how to run factories. He doesn't know whether it will be possible to ask Mei Kejia to put something there.The only trick that can be used is commercial competition.

In China's history, from an economic point of view, when the country was founded, the economic environment was relaxed, which is the so-called rest with the people. After several decades, the localities gradually accumulated wealth, so the power of the localities increased, and the authority of the central government declined relatively. The central government began to centralize power, and the representative was Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

"Please make it clear, Your Majesty."

"You are right. The second point is that the purpose of making money is more. I want you to set up a shipyard."

Tax collection Zhu Houzhao did not expect that his eyes lit up, but it was actually an idea.

Such a cycle never stops.

The emperor started to cry about being poor. Gu Zuo and Yang Shangyi had wonderful expressions. Who didn't know that the emperor still had more than 100 million taels of silver in his small treasury, and some people were punished for thinking about this money before.

Gu Zuo thought carefully, and said: "If the capital can do this, then Hangzhou and Yingtian can do the same. Even collecting business taxes will become easier."

Otherwise, ask Han Wen, a scholar in his 60s who has studied all his life, to settle accounts. Even with a knife resting on his neck, he doesn't have much talent.That is to guard the money and not use it indiscriminately, which has kept him in the position of Da Situ.

After hearing this, Gu Zuo realized, "If the imperial court has such a strong economic power, then whether it's helping the victims of disasters, easing prices, or preparing the army for war, we can get twice the result with half the effort!"

Tianzi No. [-]... Well, Zhu Houzhao doesn't care about this order, and in a sense, food is indeed the most important.He can't see that the country has reached the point of extreme food shortage.But just in case, it is always right.

"This..." Gu Zuo and Yang Shangyi looked at each other, who would want to live in a noisy place?
But this is not certain, this is a place where the imperial court wants to ensure safety, and the number of people who want it may not necessarily be small.

"Your Majesty's words are very true. Food is the most important thing for the people. Among the institutions set up by the Shaofu, the grain business should be the most important."

The emperor looked at his expression and said: "Back then Liu Bang gave Xiao He the greatest contribution. Shouwen should understand today. Why don't you take the Wu hook and collect the heroism of the fifty states of Guanshan, but in the rear it is trivial. , chickens fly and dogs jump, and the abacus beads are crackling, all they do is smash a few taels of silver, and if they want to do a good job of just a few things, Liangbi's hair is half white. After all, dozens of people are good. It’s not easy to raise tens of thousands of people.”

"The minister is here."

So Zhu Houzhao is willing to tell him some ideas.

"A beautiful house?"

"If the imperial court controls the largest grain merchant, there will be no grain, and the transportation system alone is also a great wealth. At extreme times, if the military grain is called, there will be a transport team immediately available."

Gu Zuo worked all the way from the head of the household department. With his hard work, he became a person who could not live without Hanwen, and finally reached the position of assistant minister step by step.

What are the two doing, whoever does it well is to blame.

"I said before that I can change the policy. What are the people who sell things most afraid of? There is no environment for doing business safely. I am the emperor. I can't give him a safety? What are the people afraid of? Buying fakes , then this city that never sleeps can strictly control the entry of merchants and products. There are only a few merchants in total. If there is a problem, you can find someone. The Secretary of Jiaofang can also help. If you want to make a place lively, there is always a way. "

Zhu Houzhao knew that this Gu Liangbi was actually a talent in economics, and he was the emperor who had been forcing the Ministry of Households to be pragmatic and finally forced out such a person.

"It's actually quite simple, that is, the imperial court specially designated an area to build shops along the street, and then rent them out, so that you and my monarchs and ministers will have return money. With this return money, you can invest it again, so the working people can always have Work, they will spend money when they have money, business will prosper if they have consumption, and business will prosper, and rents will rise, and in this cycle, everyone in Ming Dynasty can live well.”

Gu Zuo's complexion changed, "Does Your Majesty... want to build it?"

"That's right." Zhu Houzhao wrote two words on a piece of paper, "One is for profit, and the other is lifeline. Private merchants set up teahouses and restaurants for profit, but Shaofu is not a private organization, and I established this organization not simply to make money. Some money, but to control the lifeblood of money and food. Liangbi, you must understand that some businesses in the world are easy to do or called small businesses, but some businesses are difficult to do. If you are not a millionaire, you can’t stand up. These businesses are young. You can do it, such as shipbuilding. There are also some businesses that don’t make much money, but have a great effect on the stability of the country, such as grain merchants.”

Zhu Houzhao explained: "I promised eight words: Take it from the people and use it to the people. The money from the Shaofu will eventually return to the people, but it is not free, but hired workers."

Zhu Houzhao had asked Mei Kejia to do this.

Once employment is created, it cannot be stopped!How do you say that sentence, millions of waterworkers need food and clothing!This is the main purpose.

"By the way, in this city that never sleeps, don't build all shops, build some beautiful houses."

After listening for so long, Yang Shangyi felt a little tired.

Zhu Houzhao is, by and large, beginning to tighten his grip on the economy.Theoretically speaking, if you want to centralize power, you must tighten your control over the economy. To put it bluntly, if you don’t have money, what do you do?
But he did not take the money from ordinary people, but extended it to business and overseas.

But what Gu Liangbi didn't understand was why the emperor mentioned this shipyard in the second place.

"Your Majesty's intention is to streamline the Shaofu and sell unnecessary shops and houses. On the one hand, it will be easier to manage, and on the other hand, it will concentrate financial resources."

"The reason, you will understand. In short, you do it, don't be afraid of losing money, I am the emperor, and I can change the policy."

"I don't know, what exactly is your Majesty going to do with this city that never sleeps? Please also express your Majesty's instructions so that I can follow the rules."

The emperor didn't want to say it yet, and Gu Zuo didn't dare to ask, so he could only claim yes.

"A few years ago, I spent my own money to build academies, women's medical centers and other buildings in the capital, and I didn't think carefully at the time. In fact, after these places were built, there was no money back. I paid people to work, and the surrounding The common people heard about this job, and tens of thousands of people have gathered in the past few years. But the academy and women's medical center can't be built bigger than the Forbidden City, and I don't have that much money to keep investing. So if this continues, these tens of thousands will I'm going to lose my job."

After hearing this, Yang Shangyi saluted Gu Zuo, "Young Master Situ, Yang Shouwen thanked you here!"

"Mr. Yang is polite. What am I doing for you? I am doing it for the Ming Dynasty and the people of the world. The silver I brought back from Zhejiang was eventually returned to the people, and it was taken from the people and used for the people. Your Majesty let the eight If this word becomes a reality, even if I work hard, it will be worth it.”

But Yang Shangyi still didn't understand, where did the military supplies come from?
The emperor held back a little, so he didn't say anything for the time being.

Instead, explain to Gu Zuo first: "Liangbi, the construction of the academy and the women's medical center have stopped. It is now spring, and the excuse of not working in winter can't hold up anymore, so I have been urging you all the time, just waiting It’s over. After you go back today, you should read it, discuss it, and report it right away. If it continues, there will be disaster victims in the capital!”

(End of this chapter)