mtl008 Chapter 916 Eagle Dog
Chapter 916 Eagle Dog
Chapter 916 Eagle Dog
More than 20 years have passed, and the memories of Zhu Houzhao's previous life have become increasingly faint in his mind. Often, certain images flashing through his mind would even make him feel unfamiliar.
On the contrary, he feels more accustomed to his long hair now. Regular washing and combing have become a part of his life that he would be uncomfortable without.
The only inconvenience is that long hair is not easy to dry after washing.
Concubine Jing said that if the hair was always wet for a long time, it would cause disease, but Zhu Houzhao could not bear not washing it for a month, so his last resort was to lie down and wipe his wet hair over and over again.
Zhu Houzhao was not asleep even though he closed his eyes. He was thinking.
Thinking about the gains and losses, mistakes and rights of currency reform...
Han Ziren's memorial, Wang Shouren's memorial and a lot of information from other officials came out, making this decision not easy to make.
The palace maids who served him also felt that the emperor was unusually silent today. They let them wipe him dry, and then sat him up to let them roll up their hair. There was no sound at all during the process.
When he left, the only sound was the creaking sound of the eunuch opening the door.
The light came in, illuminating the emperor's face, which looked very serious.
The threshold of the palace was very high, and You Zhi originally wanted to hold it, but the emperor was tall and had long legs, and his movements were much steadier than that of an old man like him, so he just walked away.
In the Qianqing Palace, important officials were also waiting for him.
When they heard the emperor's arrival, they all stood up and faced the direction where the emperor was coming.
"Forget about that." Zhu Houzhao walked quickly. Seeing them about to kneel, he waved his hand and said this. He did not get on the throne, but stood in front of the ministers. "My dear ministers, once the currency reform is launched, there is no turning back. I have explained the reason long ago. The Ming Dynasty relies on silver, but silver is imported from the West. If one day there is constant war among Western countries and the silver price decreases, the price that the Ming Dynasty has to pay at that time will be far greater than today!
It is always easy to be a ruler who maintains the status quo, but it is not easy to face challenges head-on. But I am the Son of Heaven, shouldering the responsibility of the country and the people. I have worked hard for this country for 21 years, without reservation, and I have never regretted it! One day in the future, I will not be afraid of the sharp pen of history, but I am afraid of cowardice and hesitation, and not daring to make a choice! "
The ministers were not surprised by Emperor Zhengde's momentum. They knew whether he was a mediocre emperor or a wise one.
"Your Majesty, please issue an order." Zhang Cong was the head of all officials, so it was his turn to speak. "I, an old minister, am willing to serve Your Majesty and the Ming Dynasty with all my heart and soul, until my death!"
"Your Majesty, please give your order!"
The rest of the people shouted together.
Zhu Houzhao was a relatively mild emperor, but he would not show mercy when the measures required were drastic.
He was an adult emperor of thirty-six years old who had been in power for twenty years. His treasury was full of money and grain, the military power was firmly in his hands, the court moved according to his will, and the factory guards were like sharp swords in his hands.
Not only that,
He still has the reputation and power accumulated over the past twenty years.
When such an emperor gets angry, no one can stop him.
"Zhang Gelao, you draft the decree." Zhu Houzhao pointed at him with his hand. "The general idea is as follows: currency reform is related to the fate of the Ming Dynasty for a hundred years. It is a major event that the emperor and his ministers are determined to complete. The old currency is crudely made, backward in technology, easy to imitate, and mixed with many privately minted currencies, which has caused chaos in the circulation and use of currency, bringing great inconvenience to merchants and the lives of the people.
The court is determined to reform this time to put an end to this situation. Since it concerns the country and the nation, no one can obstruct it for any reason or take advantage of the opportunity to grab national wealth. I have issued an imperial decree to the world. Under the emperor, all officials at all levels, including the cabinet, the six ministries, the governor's office, the three-department office, and even the prefectural and county magistrate offices, shall not violate the court's will, privately change the exchange rules, set up obstacles to currency exchange to embarrass the people, and accept privately minted currency of unknown origin! "
The ministers knew that the emperor had really made up his mind.
Because Zhu Houzhao had to make this decision.
Judging from the current situation, the private minting of currency has become popular. If the profit logic is not cut off at the source, even if the Jinyiwei and the Eastern Depot are fully mobilized, they will not be able to catch all the culprits.
Not to mention that the people involved may be ordinary people. They may just follow the trend and don't know the severity of the situation. What should we do if we find out? Should we arrest all the people?
This is impossible.
As for setting up overly complicated methods, such as distinguishing which privately minted currencies can be recognized and which cannot, this sounds good, but it is not practical.
The administrative capacity of the government in this era was far inferior to that of later generations. There were only so many people in a county government office, and how many things were waiting to be done?
In addition, it will increase the room for corruption.
In the administrative system, the more complex the structure, the more prone to corruption.
Of course, Zhu Houzhao's method of refusing to privately mint coins would increase the burden on some people and cause their wealth to be lost, which is indeed a problem.
However, if we do not do so, once the currency reform fails, the price the people have to pay will be even greater.
It can only be said that the current Ming Dynasty can withstand some unrest caused by the lower-class people.
Of course, there is another possibility.
That is, privately minted currency will remain among the people in some form, that is, the government will not recognize it, but because this kind of currency exists in large quantities among the people, the people are unwilling to give up their own wealth, so they begin to use it spontaneously.
The so-called value of currency actually comes from the recognition of its users.
To put it extremely, if I just draw a piece of paper and say it is worth one thousand taels, and the person who sells me the item admits that it is worth one thousand taels, what can the court do?
However, Zhu Houzhao thought this form was acceptable.
There is nothing absolute and perfect in the world.
Especially in the 16th century when productivity and production methods were still very traditional, his currency reform only needed to ensure that it was completed in various official channels and major economically developed regions.
The remaining people in the mountains spontaneously use their own counterfeit currency. Why do you say you must send people in to catch them and punish them?
The scale of their transactions is not that large, and in the end the cost of violent law enforcement may exceed the benefits. It is really unwise to cause chaos.
To put it bluntly, it is mainly the area where Han people live in concentrated areas.
After Zhu Houzhao issued this decree, he took out Han Ziren's secret report and said, "The Jinyiwei has discovered that some illegal merchants in Yangzhou are trying to privately mint coins to enrich the court! This is absolutely not allowed by me!
The reason why I summoned all the ministers today is to say hello to you in advance. I don't care what the backgrounds and origins of these businessmen involved in the case are. If they want to dig into the imperial court, they should not drag others to take care of them when they are caught!"
What I mean is, don't come to beg for mercy when the time comes.
After all, generally speaking, these big businessmen all have their own connections, and they all have their own unique abilities.
On the other side, Zhang Cong had also finished writing the imperial edict. He came over and presented it with both hands, "Your Majesty, the edict is ready."
Zhu Houzhao took a quick look and uttered two words, "Use the seal."
"Yes."
"Zhang Yong is here today too."
"The servant is here."
"The Imperial Guards are now investigating in the Jiangnan area, and the East Factory should not rest either. You should also leave the capital. Go to the coastal areas of Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan, and Guangdong to investigate along the way. This is difficult, but it is also simple. It is nothing more than keeping an eye on the wealthy families who exchange a lot of coins to see if they are involved in private minting or colluding with the government. There are not many wealthy merchants in a province. Go and take care of this matter quickly."
Zhang Yong is his most trusted confidant, and can be said to be an old man who has been with him for decades.
Zhu Houzhao had replaced the position of the Imperial Household Department, but not the Imperial Stables Department.
The Imperial Stables were in charge of some military forces, and Zhu Houzhao always attached great importance to it.
"I will set off in the next two days!"
"You Zhi," the emperor fixed his eyes on him again, "the Imperial Household Department should also go and tell the eunuchs in charge of various places to be more alert. Don't let the cabinet report the case and you don't get any news at all."
If the Imperial Household Department gets involved, all forces will be mobilized.
It also implies a comparison. If an outside official reports it but the eunuch in charge does not, then this person is either incompetent or has problems.
There had not been a violent storm in the Ming Dynasty for many years.
But it’s not that the emperor doesn’t dare to shave it.
In fact, the country was very stable. The later Wei Zhongxian Rebellion was even more terrible, but it did not destroy the country.
Zhu Houzhao simply said, "Everyone, I will not be soft-hearted on this matter. After you go back, you must also restrain your family members, so that you don't cry and make a fool of yourself in front of me at your old age!"
The emperor gave the order, and all the city gates were opened.
Then, teams of "hawks and dogs" rushed out of the capital!
(End of this chapter)