General Constitution of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 185 The Ultimate Form of the Whip Technique

Almost the moment the wheat leaves turn yellow.

Food prices in various provinces, prefectures, and counties plummeted in response.

The gentry looked at their already overflowing granaries, and their faces became more and more gloomy.

The imperial court insisted on reform.

Then we can't blame us for forcing another Zhu Chongba.

"Ten days ago, a grain of grain could be sold for eleven renminbi, why is there only six renminbi left today?"

"Either say we have a good life in the Ming Dynasty, the food is so cheap, it's all thanks to the Holy One!"

"..."

The people in the city were naturally overjoyed.

It's just that the tenant farmers outside the capital are not so lucky.

Chen Hu, who was about to get married, stood outside the landlord's house in the village, pushing a wheelbarrow with the food he squeezed out of his teeth, in a daze for a long time.

"Four qian silver a stone, this is the price today, I won't know until tomorrow."

Adjacent to the capital, because of the entrusted singing newspaper office, many farmers also knew that the imperial court whipped them to collect money.

Save a meal today, save a bowl tomorrow, and only then can I get a few catties of food out of my teeth.

When they pushed the grain to the landlord's house, what they heard was the sound of the price of grain falling sharply.

"Why don't you directly grab it?!"

"Whether you want to sell it or not, let me tell you the truth, after a while, when the summer wheat comes out, the price will be even lower!"

With puffed cheeks, Chen Hu turned his head and pushed the wheelbarrow away from the landlord's house.

Because it is adjacent to the capital, after all, it is stronger than other places. If you go directly to the city, there will be fewer middlemen to make the difference, and it will be better.

At the gate of the capital city, the sergeant of the Five Cities Bingma Division lowered his head and waved his hands: "Go in, this ration is not taxable."

"Boss, why is this food not taxed?"

"It's because the food that the common people can get into the city to sell at this time is the food that they are not willing to eat during the Chinese New Year."

"It's because the money they got from selling the grain was used to pay the court's land tax in the end."

The censors patrolling the city unanimously acquiesced to this behavior of the guarding soldiers.

The nobles can't wait for these common people to push the carts and sell the grain directly to the Forbidden City.

It's just that this scene is another picture in the eyes of the soldiers of Wucheng Bingma Division.

This cart is not loaded with sacks of grain.

It is the resentment in the hearts of farmers outside the city.

The capital is still like this.

How many capitals can there be in the world.

More farmers still stored food back home, but all the old farmers could clearly feel that a hunt around the surplus food in their homes had started again.
-
"Grain cheap hurts farmers!"

Yan Song, who was in the hut, sighed sadly.

Among the nine ministers, only Xu Jie's expression was the most sorrowful.

Because Xu Jie knew that Yan Song was imitating his usual appearance.

"If this new law continues to change like this, the whipping method will become a whip for the disabled!"

Xu Jie seemed to be looking at a tasteless mirror.

"Zisheng! If you don't speak again, even this old man won't be able to sit still!"

"The chief envoy of Shaanxi reported urgently that even the price of food in Chang'an has dropped. This is because someone wants to use the whip to plunder the people's fat and anoint them!"

Seeing Xu Jie was silent.

Yan Song couldn't help losing interest, and finally clapped his big hands and said loudly: "Forget it, since Zisheng doesn't care, then I will take care of this matter!"

Then Yan Song stood up and put the black gauze hat on his head.

Ding Rukui looked at Yan Song in astonishment and asked, "Where is Old Yan Ge going?"

"Go and ring the Jingyang bell and call all the officials into the court. No matter what, I will bring you to see His Majesty today."

Yan Song left.

All eyes turned to Xu Jie.

I saw Xu Jie bowed his head and shut himself up without saying a word.

After being tossed about by Yan Song and Jiajing, most of the thoughts in Xu Jie's heart have been wiped out.

Yan Song left the cabinet to be on duty, but went straight to the Supervisor of Rites to ask Huang Jin to see if he could ring the Jingyang bell twice.

Less than two quarters of an hour later.

In the Forbidden City, bells rang loudly.

Amidst the sound of the bell, all the officials of the government offices and the officials who skipped work at home also got on their horses, and those who entered the palace entered the palace.

Everybody knows.

No matter what results are discussed in the palace today.

All will directly affect the national destiny of the Ming Dynasty.

This is a performance that is destined to go down in history.

A piece of official robe embroidered with birds, weaving animals and animals entered through the Meridian Gate.

It's just that everyone didn't notice that the direction of Fengtianmen had already been sealed off, as if they were preparing for some kind of celebration.

Officials gathered outside Wuyi Hall, and then led by Yan Song, all of them held court wats and walked towards Jiajing's abode. Before leaving, many people still took a contemptuous look at Xu Jie.

Only Xu Jie was full of grievances and didn't know who to tell.

"Yan Song, Chief Assistant of the Cabinet, kneel down and ask Your Majesty to inquire!"

"Minister Ding Rukui."

"The minister's household department Xia Bangmo."

"..."

In the Abode, there are still those twenty or so counting rooms.

The sound of fiddling with the abacus has become much quieter than before.

These accountants are making final estimates.

"Report to Your Majesty, if the new law is implemented, the country's difficulties may be relieved within three years, but there is no precedent for this matter..."

Jiajing nodded slightly.

"Forget it, it can be counted to this extent."

At this time, Huang Jinjing walked in from outside the hall.

"My lord, Mr. Yan Ge is almost ready, shall we?"

Jiajing casually pointed to the imperial decree that had already been mounted not far away.

"It's a good time to come, go and declare the decree on my behalf."

"Here."

Huang Jin led the three small yellow gates respectfully raised the imperial decree, turned his head and exited the palace.

Less than a quarter of an hour later.

Huang Jin's voice sounded outside the hall.

"...The Nine Frontiers and the Jingying camps have owed military salaries for more than a year. I ordered the Ministry of Households to increase the Baoquan Bureau together with the Baoyuan Bureau of the Ministry of Industry to cast Hongwu, Jianwen, Yongle, Hongxi... No. 100 coins , 1000 million ingots for each coin, and 900 million ingots for Jiajing, a total of [-] million ingots, to make up for the payment owed by Jiubian and Jingying over the years."

"The Governor's Mansion of the Chinese Army, together with Zhou Shangwen, the prisoner, checked the military service in the Beijing camp and rectified the military equipment."

Such a large-scale coin casting is absolutely impossible to hide from all officials.

Jiajing also ordered Gao Gong to cast some contingencies first, and the rest will be cast after a complete showdown.

All the officials behind Yan Song were stunned almost at the same time.

Didn't you agree to calculate the tax as silver?

Why is this playing with copper coins again? !
Don't wait for the officials to speak.

Huang Jin then held up the second edict.

"...Gao Zhong, the eunuch who took the seal of the imperial horse supervisor, was transferred to the supervisor of ceremonies to hold the pen, and the eunuch Mai Fu, the eunuch of Nanjing, was transferred to the palm seal of the imperial horse supervisor. military."

Xia Bangmo looked up at Huang Jin subconsciously and asked, "Eunuch Huang, do you still have any more?"

Huang Jin ignored Xia Bangmo.

Of course, there are still some, so much expenses, the emperor's Longevity Palace must also be included in it!

However, the faces of many people did not change much.

Silver is silver after all.

Regardless of how the court changes, it is impossible for the people of the world not to recognize money.

The tax is copper, and the tax is copper.

Even a censor shouted loudly: "Old Yan Ge! This discussion is not acceptable, please return this imperial edict quickly, how can the lifeline of the imperial court rest in the hands of the chieftain..."

It's just that before the censor finished speaking, he saw Yan Song was the first to kneel down on the ground.

"Chen, Yan Song, accept the order!"

"Old thief Yan! You!"

Yan Song didn't make a sound, but ordered someone to send the imperial decree back to the cabinet office.

"I'm waiting to see Your Majesty!"

Hearing the yelling of all the officials, Huang Jin shook the floating dust, and said in a loud voice: "Your Majesty has entered the Fengtian Gate. Please, gentlemen, go to the Fengtian Gate to consecrate."

Jiajing in the palace looked at the departing officials with a serious expression.

"The source of wealth for all ages is only in the present."

"Show Fengtianmen!"

Zhang Zuo and Gao Zhong sang along.

Immediately, he followed Jiajing's Luanjia and walked in the direction of Fengtianmen.

Under the Fengtian sect, eight dancers dance in the courtyard, the sound of bells ringing can be heard endlessly, and the scent of incense candles overflows outside the palace.

Walking eight, vertical eight, a total of 64 people dance eight feathers.

This is the highest standard sacrificial ceremony in Han Dynasty.

It can only be used when the emperor and Confucius are sacrificed.

Xu Jie, who stayed in the Ministry of Rites all year round, could tell at a glance that Jiajing was holding a ceremony that had never happened before.

A festival that does not require the participation of scholar-bureaucrats.

Jiajing was dressed in a plain white robe, on which the Tao Te Ching was embroidered with gold thread, shining brightly in the sunlight.

And at the closest position to Danbi Stone, there are three people kneeling respectively.

They are Zou Wang, Ruan Bi, and Hua Linxiang.

The three of them are all members of the household department of the fifth rank, Uiro, and they are kneeling at the bottom of the steps trembling at this time.

Where have they seen this scene.

"Donghu, this, don't just sacrifice to the sky for us directly."

"Stop talking, shut up."

Zou Wang kowtowed to the ground, not daring to raise his head.

"The Son of Heaven ascends to his throne!"

Jiajing's Luanjia was carried by the eunuchs on both sides and slid across the Danbi Stone.

"awesome!"

Huang Jin's loud shout resounded through Fengtianmen.

The officials who rushed over hurriedly knelt down behind the three of Zou Wang and sang praises without even taking a breath.

After singing the three praises, Bi Ping saluted, and Zou Wang, who was kneeling at the front, saw the two trays in front of Jiajing.

On one of the trays, the nine-pass "Jiajing Anbao" is neatly coded.

And on another tray, there are also nine special silver ingots with the year name of "Jiajing" neatly placed.

Sitting on the luanjia, Jiajing looked solemn, got up and walked towards the two trays, and covered the nine ingots of silver with a piece of red cloth with his own hands.

Amidst the palace music with bells and chimes, Huang Jin said loudly: "...in the summer of the 29th year of Jiajing, the tax was compiled as copper, and it was announced to the whole country, and the salty envoys heard about it!"

About a whip.

Jiajing's answer was neither silver nor copper.

Instead it is taxed as _.

As for what to fill in this blank, it will be decided by the superior, and it will be filled every six months.

Silver can continue to circulate, and copper coins can continue to circulate.

Jiajing will never be able to kill Baiyin, because silver will always have the ability to circulate.

But Jiajing can decide how much silver can buy.

In this way, the taxation of the 13 provinces in the two capitals of the Ming Dynasty is used as an anchor to affect the purchasing power of silver and copper coins within half a year.

And the exchange rate changes between them were also held in the palm of Jiajing's hands.

What Jiajing wanted was money, but he was also an emperor.

Therefore, Jiajing must not only own money, but also control money.

The soaring silver price is just an appetizer for Jiajing.

As soon as this edict is promulgated, the imperial court can buy silver on the market at a low price until the imperial treasury is full, switch the tax calculation method again, and then inhale copper coins. In this way, no matter which currency is inhaled, it must be at a low price. No matter which currency the imperial court uses, it must be at its high price point, and the difference between them is Jiajing's arbitrage profit.

As for military pay and large-scale construction projects, this has been the old routine of the imperial court distributing precious money to the people since Zhu Yuanzhang founded the country.

Jiajing just exchanged the treasure banknotes for copper coins, and successfully completed the military equipment and navy.

Whether it is copper coins or silver.

It has become a tool in the hands of the court.

As for who loses the most in this mode.

Whoever has more money will lose more.

He will never be able to become a fairy in this life. At this moment, he is the person closest to a god in the world.

Because at this moment, Jiajing controlled the purchasing power of the world's major currency in circulation, and also controlled the world's most important commodity production base.

From this moment on, the property of merchants in the world and even all "nobles" is just a multiple-choice question in front of the emperor, so that every choice made by the emperor of the emperor will have an impact on Western countries tens of thousands of miles away through the price of silver. deep influence.

The subject of history has always been people.

It is people who give meaning to money.

Paper money is a symbolic product of human beings taming money, but it does not mean that paper money is the only way for human beings to tame money.

The core of banknotes is to control things by people, as long as it is the same as its core.

Stone, metal, or banknotes, it's all the same.

The history of Ming Dynasty and even the world has completely turned a new page since then.

(End of this chapter)