"Your Majesty", with a thunderous roar, University Scholar Su Guansheng broke the silence again, "Your Majesty, please use internal funds to replenish the state."
"Internal money?"
Zhu Hengjia smiled bitterly when he heard this, these ministers! They ask me to use the internal funds to replenish the state at every turn, as if Lian is a rich man and still has a lot of money hidden. Don't they know that my internal funds have been empty for a long time, and now
Only four raisins and one soup per meal?
Internal money, also called internal treasury or internal treasure, refers to the emperor's private property, which is mainly used for the daily expenses of the royal family. In special periods, it can also be used for national expenses, and the emperor himself can spend it at will.
The inner treasury of the Ming Dynasty is the abbreviation of "the inner treasury of the inner palace". It is located inside the imperial city and is divided into twelve treasury. It is used to store various types of physical income such as gold, silver, treasure banknotes, silk, and cloth.
During the Hongwu period, Nei Chengyun Ku, Guang Ji Ku, A Zi Ku, B Zi Ku, D Zi Ku, and stolen goods and fines ku were under the Ministry of Household Affairs; C Zi Ku was under the Ministry of War; W Zi Ku, Guang Ying Ku, and Guang Hui Ku were under the Ministry of Industry; and Tian Cai Ku (
The key treasury) and the supply treasury were directly under the palace. After Jiajing, the eunuch group represented by the Secretary of Ceremonies took control of the inner treasury, and the inner treasury completely became the emperor's private treasury.
At first, the size of the inner treasury was much smaller than that of the outer treasury; during the Wanli period, the size of the inner treasury reached its peak. It was basically equal to or even exceeded the size of the outer treasury. So much so that there were rumors that Li Zicheng found ten thousand taels of gold from the inner treasury.<
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The old emperor had no choice but to say to Ma Huanxi, the eunuch in charge of the ceremonial eunuch: "My dear companion, go and call the ambassadors of the internal transportation treasury and the key treasury, and ask them to tell the elders what treasures are left in my internal funds."
.
Among the twelve internal treasury, ten only store some basic supplies. For example, the Guangji treasury stores sulfur and saltpeter; the A-shaped treasury stores cloth and pigments; the B-shaped treasury stores fat rice, war shoes, and sergeant fur hats; and the C-shaped treasury stores cotton.
, Silk; D-shaped warehouse stores copper, iron, animal skins, and hematoxylin; Wu-shaped warehouse stores armor and swords; stolen goods and fines warehouse stores confiscated official property; Guangying warehouse stores money and banknotes; Guanghui warehouse stores silk, gauze, damask brocade,
?Silk; used for storing japonica rice and cooked rice.
There are also two warehouses, the inner transport warehouse is responsible for storing gold, silver, jewelry and satin, and the key warehouse is responsible for holding the keys of each warehouse, which is the most important. It can be said that being in charge of the inner transport warehouse and the key warehouse is equivalent to having the power of the inner warehouse. "Yes", Ma Huan happily accepted the order and went out. After a while, he brought two ambassadors from Ku to the side of the emperor and important ministers.
"You will report the amount of gold and silver in the internal transport warehouse to Grandpa Long live and the elders." Ma Huanxi ordered a female eunuch in blue.
Yes, female eunuchs. The scope of eunuchs is much wider than that of eunuchs. There are men and women. Naturally, there are also women eunuchs in the inner treasury. Emperor Hongzhi’s mother, Concubine Ji, once worked in the inner treasury. There are many female historians in charge of the inner treasury.
Among them, there are even female eunuchs who are responsible for documents, and those who record the "Qinlu Book" are also female officials. This book is a record of fortune, and the details are so detailed and confidential that even the Holy One is not allowed to see it.
In short, female officials have great influence in the palace, so it is not surprising that the ambassador of the inner transport library is a woman.
"Your Majesty, gentlemen, there are currently only 800 taels of gold and 30,000 taels of silver left in the internal transportation treasury, which are used to pay monthly stipends to the palace people. There are also a thousand pieces of satin for the palace people to buy new clothes."
, Ambassador Nacang’s voice was clear and crisp, so pleasant that the old emperor couldn’t help but look at it a few more times.
"Well, please listen to me. I only have this little money left in my family. How can I use internal funds to replenish the country?"
Zhu Hengjia angrily said to the key treasury ambassador: "Send the keys to each treasury, and the elders will go to each treasury to see what is left of my internal funds."
After hearing this, Guan Shouzhen, Sun Jinding, and Su Guansheng couldn't help but look at each other, "If your Majesty is so frugal, it will be a blessing to all the people in the world." There is no other way. I just offended Long Yan, so I have to give the emperor a high hat.
"Hey, there is no need to say anything else. The Rakshasa people refuse to admit defeat, and those who are sharpening their swords and guns in the Lake Baikal area will tell you how to raise enough military expenditures without affecting people's livelihood."
As soon as this statement came out, it immediately returned to a state of silence.
"Your Majesty, I have an idea," Tang Zhen, the newly appointed right minister of the Ministry of Revenue, said.
"Oh, what can Tang Qing do? Tell me quickly."
"The minister's method is to issue public bonds. In the name of the country, we borrow money from the private sector and agree that the annual interest will be 6% of the total amount, and the principal will be repaid with interest after two years. This will not affect people's lives and can quickly raise funds.
Military expenses required for the Northern Expedition.
Zhu Hengjia understood that the so-called public debt is actually a national debt. The country borrows money from the people and pays the principal and interest after the term is up. In later generations, it was common to issue national debt. But in ancient times, there was no concept of national debt. Because in traditional thinking
, The whole world is the private property of the emperor. If you take your own things, what kind of debt is it?
"Wonderful! Tang Qing's idea is really unimaginable and the steps are extraordinary."
As soon as Zhu Hengjia praised Tang Zhen, Sun Jinding sang the opposite tune. This is normal, after all, Tang Zhen is the backbone of the party, "Your Majesty, it is easy to issue public bonds, but it is difficult to repay them. In case you cannot pay back the money when it is due, you
He will be hijacked by creditors, which will damage the country's prestige and imperial power. I, the Emperor of Ming Dynasty, are so noble, how can I be hijacked by others? Isn't King Zhou Nan's lesson enough?"
In the late Warring States period, King Nan of Zhou listened to King Kaolie of Chu and summoned the six countries in the name of the emperor to send troops to attack Qin. Since he had no military funds, he had to borrow money from wealthy merchants and landlords, but the six countries did not listen to him at all, and he borrowed money quickly.
After all the money was spent, creditors came to collect debts one after another. Unable to pay back, they had to hide on a high platform in the palace. This gave rise to an idiom: debts piled high.
Seeing that his own people were being attacked, Guan Shouzhen hurriedly defended himself, "Your Majesty, our Ming Dynasty's land tax, salt tax, and customs duties have increased rapidly in recent years. If it weren't for the Northern Expedition, the annual fiscal surplus would have reached more than four million taels. Therefore, no
There will be situations where you cannot repay your debts."
Seeing the first assistant and the second assistant fighting each other, Su Guansheng and Zheng Feng chose to remain silent.
Gu Yisu got along well with Guan Shouzhen and said leisurely: "Tang Shilang's method is very good, you might as well give it a try. There is a bloody battle ahead, so you must not cut off your salary and silver! If you are worried about damaging the emperor's power, then change the name and put the 'debt' Remove the word, and instead of calling it 'public debt', just call it 'public note'."
"Well, what Gu Qing said makes sense. The Northern Expedition is at a critical period, and the soldiers at the front must not be allowed to fight hungry." Emperor Guangwu paused and said decisively: "I have made up my mind and immediately ordered the issuance of public bonds in the name of the country. .However, it is not called public bonds, nor is it called public votes, but it is called 'Zhaoxin votes'."
The old emperor shamelessly misappropriated the name of the national debt issued by the Manchu and Qing Dynasties in later generations, and explained proudly: "The people who show their trust are those who show their trust in the people. The number of the first issue of 'Zhao Xin Notes' was set at three million taels. It was issued." After that, it will be sent to various provinces for distribution.
"The Chronicles of Emperor Guangwu of the Ming Dynasty": "In the twelfth year of Guangwu of the Ming Dynasty, the emperor ordered the sale of three million taels of Zhaoxin votes."