Chapter 35 Financial meeting in the middle of next year

Author: Taixu Laodao

Chapter 35 Financial meeting in the middle of next year

Heavy industry was the focus of the Ming Dynasty's construction, and the production of means of production must be given priority. This was already decided in Jiajing's mind.

However, we must not neglect the production of means of subsistence, especially food.

If there is not enough food and other necessities of life, and we cannot feed the workers in the first place, how can we talk about developing heavy industry?

Therefore, the relationship between heavy industry, light industry, and agriculture must be properly handled.

Gong Er, Gong Baosen, Ding Lianshan and others left Foshan and arrived in Hanyang on the steam train "Eating, Eating, Eating."

In light industry, you can also reform existing Ming technology through reading, but in heavy industry, you must conduct on-site inspections and seek advice from masters.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Huguang, in order to "strengthen himself and seek wealth", vigorously implemented new policies such as "promoting industry and developing education" in Wuhan, and founded Hanyang Iron Works, Hanyang Arsenal, Hanyang Gunpowder Factory, Hanyang Needle and Nail Factory, and Hanyang Official

Brick factory etc.

A spectacular ten-mile "manufacturing industry corridor" was formed in the area from Guishan to Heshan and Linjiang in Hanyang. The rise of modern manufacturing directly contributed to Zhang Zhidong's "Hubei New Deal."

Copying the Hanyang model would lead to the development of heavy industry in the Ming Dynasty.

As for the budget budget, Hanyang Iron Works was completed and put into operation in September 1893. The whole plant includes 6 large factories and machine factories, including pig iron factory, Besse Ma Steel Factory, Siemens Steel Factory, rail factory, iron cargo factory, wrought iron factory, etc.

There are 4 small factories including an iron foundry, a blacksmithing factory, and a fish fillet hook and nail factory.

The founding cost was initially set at more than 2.46 million taels. In 1892, the Qing government allocated an additional 420,000 taels. When it was completed, the actual expenditure was about 5 million taels.

This is the amount of investment in an ironworks.

The Ming Dynasty almost came from scratch, and the investment required will only increase.

The Ming Dynasty's finances were already on the verge of bankruptcy at the beginning of the year. The mirror trade in Liulichang, Yan Maoqing's salt patrol, and Zhang Juzheng's "sharing people into acres" had been completed in the north and south Zhili, which was a wave of bloodshed.

But the imperial court’s expenditure is a bottomless pit!

Under such circumstances, the financial meeting in the middle of the 40th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty was still held in Yuxi Palace.

This time, Jiajing sat on the armchair early.

The participants are as follows.

Chief ceremonial supervisors: Lu Fang, the eunuch who holds the seal, Chen Hong, the eunuch who holds the pen, Huang Jin, etc.

Southern Party: Yan Song, chief minister of the cabinet, and Yan Shifan, minister of the Ministry of Industry.

Qingliu: Second Assistant to the Cabinet + Xu Jie, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and Gao Gong, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

The imperial party: Hu Zongxian, the Minister of the Ministry of War, Zhang Juzheng, the Minister of the Ministry of War, and Zhao Zhenji, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

Why is Zhang Juzheng, the person in charge of tax reform, still the Minister of War?

If we don’t have soldiers, can we achieve reform?

And Yan Shifan resigned from the position of Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Firstly, it was a small punishment. Secondly, he did not have much energy to serve as Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs at the same time.

Cho Jung-gil entered the cabinet at the last position, and he is also a capable person with a big-picture perspective, at least that's how it is in the TV series.

Ming Dynasty is in a period of transformation. There are not too many talents, but too few.

"Say it!"

Jiajing knocked on the armchair and said: "National important matters, including sacrifice and military affairs, Hu Zongxian, please speak first."

Yan Song was still there, with his eyes lowered, as if he was drowsy and asleep; Yan Shifan, Qingliu and Di Dang all laid their eyes on Hu Zongxian.

Zhang Juzheng was favored, and Hu Zongxian was even more favored.

"Your Majesty." Hu Zongxian looked good, had a long aura, and had some internal skills. After he gave a salute, he said: "Last year's thirty warships cost three million taels, and now they have been suppressed in the southeast.

There are Japanese pirates. With these thirty warships, the warships of the Ming Navy are still very short."

Jiajing nodded and said: "Let's open the sea! It's not just about opening a port, drawing a circle, and collecting taxes. Ships must be built, and cannons must also be built. Only when a good ship is equipped with good cannons can it be invincible. There is no need to discuss the ship that opens the sea, Si

The Rites Supervisor and the Ministry of Household Affairs have approved it!"

"yes!"

No one had any objections.

"Building ships requires money, and building cannons also requires money. The Ministry of Revenue cannot make money. Zhang Juzheng, you have done a good job in North and South Zhili. Let's talk about it now!"

Has this day finally arrived? Zhang Juzheng swallowed hard, and then his face became extremely determined.

Although there are thousands of people, I am going!

The worst thing is, he will be dead! It will only be broken into ashes!

In fact, allocating people to acres does not increase much tax revenue. It only touches the landlord's cheese. The common people benefit more. They do not need to be tied to the land. They have more career choices, which indirectly consolidates the foundation of rule and wins more people's hearts.

Directly, the industrialization that has come in the Ming Dynasty has created a class of worker comrades.

And the combination of boxing after sharing the land is to return the fire to the public, which is "the official and the gentry work as errands together, and pay for the food as one".

Jiajing was forcing Zhang Juzheng to become a saint.

He trembled slightly, used all his strength, and took out the memorial that had been written for half a year from his arms: "I have this memorial."

Jiajing pretended to flip through it, handed it to Lu Fang and said: "Read it! See what loyalty is! What it means to establish a heart for the heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to carry on the unique knowledge for the saints, and to create peace for all generations... The Ming Dynasty is fortunate to have Taiyue.

ah!"

Zhang Juzheng's eyes filled with tears and he slowly knelt down: "For the sake of the Ming Dynasty and the emperor, this is the end of my life."

Jiajing personally stretched out his hand to help him up, looking like a sage and a virtuous minister.

Lu Fang knew that Yuxi Palace was right that night half a year ago, so he read Zhang Juzheng's memorial in a melodious tone.

Suddenly, the only sound left in Yuxi Palace was the cuckoo sound of cuckoos.

What does it mean to share an acre of land?

The officials and the gentry work together as errands and pay food as one, this is a great weapon.

The faces of the Qingliu people turned pale, and Yan Song also recovered from his daze and looked at Zhang Juzheng not knowing what he was thinking.

"I won't go into details here. After I return, the cabinet will hold a meeting to discuss and come up with a charter."

Jiajing's eyes lingered on each person's face for a while, and he said to Yan Shifan: "The Ministry of Industry has come up with a lot of good things recently, didn't you say anything?"

"I...I listen to your Majesty..."

Yan Shifan stopped struggling and accepted his fate, and the whole world became wider.

"You all listen to me, so what do I want you, the Minister of Industry, to do?" Jiajing said quietly.

Yan Shifan showed an expression that he didn't know how to describe: The landlord's donkey can't be manipulated like this!

"Ahem! The master craftsmen from the Ministry of Industry have built a new type of loom according to the emperor's instructions. According to the father-in-law and chief Shen of Jiangnan Weaving, it can earn more than five million taels of silver for the Ming Dynasty every year."

"In the past few days, major weaving companies from all provinces have also come to Beijing to see the finished products."

"The initial investment does not require expenditure by the court or the palace. The weaving bureaus and weavers in various places have taken care of it. This is a good thing."

"However, the Ministry of Industry is planning to build a steel plant in Shijingshan. It plans to invest 5 million taels of silver, and the first batch of funds will be at least 2 million taels. Ming Dynasty may have to build more than ten such factories."

"The money gap is naturally not small. My colleagues in the Ministry of Accounts, according to the plan of the Ministry of Works, the expenditure in the second half of the year may reach 10 million taels..."

"The household department has no money!"

Gao Gong said with a sad face.

At this time, Lu Fang spoke: "The Supervisor of Liturgy has discussed a way. Everyone knows that it is profitable to open the sea. The new loom has just been promoted, and it can also be profitable, not to mention the mirrors in Liulichang...

If you want to use distant water to relieve nearby fire, the Ministry of Revenue can try national bonds..."
Chapter completed!