The establishment of the bank was unanimously approved by everyone.
Everyone knows the importance of banks and the huge benefits they contain.
For a while, everyone had something to think about.
Zuo Mengeng saw everyone's expressions in his eyes and simply took the initiative.
"Let Mr. Chen come back from Songjiang Mansion and supervise this matter."
Everyone present looked stunned, but then felt relieved.
Banks are a major national issue and must obviously be controlled by the central government. But who should supervise them is particularly important.
Without waiting for everyone to discuss it, Zuo Mengeng directly transferred Chen Zhi back from Songjiang Mansion.
Chen Zhijiu sits in Songjiang Prefecture and is deeply involved in various aspects such as economy and foreign trade. He is considered an expert in related fields.
He also has the most profound understanding of currency.
If such a person is responsible for setting up a bank, he will obviously have greater control.
If there is anyone here who cannot accept this decision, it must be Zuo Xiang.
"Your Highness, currency and banking are bound to get involved in the economic field, and it is only appropriate to leave it to our Ministry of Finance."
Zuo Mengeng glanced at him and rejected it directly.
"The work of the Ministry of Finance is already very heavy, and it is not appropriate to add more burdens to you. And although the central bank is not a deployment agency, its importance is self-evident, and it must be under the direct control of the cabinet."
These words effectively cut off the possibility of the Ministry of Finance getting involved in the banking industry.
There is an obvious meaning of balance behind this.
Everyone present could taste it.
It doesn't matter if it's none of my business, I think it should be like this.
All those with interests looked ugly.
Zuo Mengeng could feel it, but he didn't care.
In national government affairs, everything should focus on the overall situation, and personal emotions must be put aside.
Chen Zhi quickly rushed back from Songjiang Mansion, mobilized manpower from various sources, and began preparations for the establishment of the bank.
And in this process, the most important thing is currency.
Whether there is a currency that is qualified, easy to use, and can shoulder heavy responsibilities is the fundamental basis for whether the new financial system can be promoted.
As for how currency should be minted, not even Chen Zhi can be involved.
"Your Highness, please take a look, this is the currency casting plan we have come up with."
The composition of the currency design and manufacturing team is very amazing and is strictly confidential.
No one expected that Fei Ruyi would be the leader of this group.
In addition to him, the other members of the team include Qian Qianyi and Chen Hongshou, and the other six people are all top-notch craftsmen.
Fei Ruyi submitted the initial plan to Zuo Mengeng.
When Zuo Mengeng opened the file and looked at it, he gave a detailed explanation.
"As for the materials used for banknotes, we have gone through thousands of experiments and finally come up with a qualified finished product. Please take a look."
There was a small piece of paper sandwiched between the documents, which was square and about the size of a palm.
The paper was blank, with no pattern on it. But when I held it in my hand and looked at it under the sun, it reflected a faint halo of light.
The surface feels very delicate and smooth, as if it has been coated with wax.
When the paper shakes, it makes a crisp sound, which is completely different from the softness of ordinary paper.
Zuo Mengeng felt carefully that this kind of paper was very similar to the currency of later generations.
Among the documents, he saw the material used for the paper.
During the experiment, Fei Ruyi and others actually used a large amount of short-staple cotton, and then mixed a small amount of wood pulp. They also went through a special process to obtain this kind of paper.
Under the process steps, the word "Top Secret" is marked.
Wood pulp, a common raw material for papermaking, is also particularly different in the production of currency.
This kind of wood pulp comes entirely from the fir trees on Sakhalin Island, which is unique in the world.
If other wood is used, even if it is fir, as long as it does not come from Sakhalin Island, the texture of the paper will be very different.
It can be said that this kind of materials and technology basically completely eliminates the possibility of counterfeiting in this era.
Zuo Mengeng was relieved and looked up at Qian Qianyi, Chen Hongshou and others sitting far away.
Fei Ruyi understood and whispered: "Only the official and a few craftsmen know the relevant techniques and raw materials."
In other words, even though they are both members of the currency design team, Qian Qianyi and Chen Hongshou have no idea how banknotes are made.
This is of course to maintain confidentiality to the greatest extent possible.
The role of Qian Qianyi and Chen Hongshou in the process of making banknotes is not reflected in the craftsmanship.
"Your Highness, after several of us have studied it, banknotes, as a thing that is used throughout the country and determines people's livelihood, should be solemn. Therefore, the font should be mainly in block letters."
This is the role of Qian Qianyi.
Although this old man has various shortcomings, he is outstanding in art alone and can be said to be unparalleled in the world.
Therefore, Zuo Mengeng appointed him to complete the words on the banknotes.
Qian Qianyi lived up to his expectations and took out several fonts at once. After many comparisons, they were used in various places on the banknotes.
Among them, the font used to express the numerical value of the banknotes and the origin of the banknotes is block letters that have no characteristics but have no shortcomings.
The dark patterns among them are made of small seal script.
In addition, there is a special anti-counterfeiting mark on the banknotes, which is made of oracle bones.
Through Zuo Menggeng's influence, the oracle bone inscriptions have been discovered hundreds of years in advance by scholars from the Xia Kingdom. Although it has not been completely cracked, it is definitely not something that ordinary people can decipher when used in banknotes.
"As for the pattern of banknotes, we have done research and unanimously decided that it is best to use His Highness's face. Your Highness is the national leader, and using your face as the banknote logo will definitely be recognized and boost the morale of the military and civilians across the country."
The person responsible for the design of banknote patterns was the great painter Chen Hongshou.
This guy also knows how to flatter people, and even wants to print Zuo Mengeng's face on banknotes.
"Our land of China has famous mountains and beautiful waters, countless customs and historical sites, and saints and great sages have emerged in endlessly throughout the ages. How can it be my turn to pretend to be extraordinary? This proposal is rejected. You can redesign it."
Zuo Mengeng had a stern look on his face and a firm attitude, and knocked back Chen Hongshou's flattery.
Chen Hongshou blushed deeply and was extremely flustered. He quickly agreed and never dared to think of bad ideas again.
Seven days later, on behalf of the drawing team, he re-submitted the banknote pattern design to Zuo Mengong.
Sure enough, Zuo Mengeng's head disappeared from the design drawings, replaced by beautiful scenery from various parts of China.
"Is this right? The vast majority of people have never left their homeland in their entire lives. They only hear about the famous places in the world, so how can they have the chance to see them with their own eyes? Print these good places and scenery on banknotes,
Invisibly, it can also broaden people’s horizons.”
Zuo Mengeng was very satisfied with the new pattern design.
"Submit it to the cabinet and the Legislative Council for review. If the Legislative Council votes to pass it, it will be announced to the whole country immediately."