"Do you think that my internal funds are your family's cornucopia, and that you can take out six to seven hundred thousand taels at a moment's notice?"
If this sentence were put between other monarchs and ministers, the ministers would probably be scared to death, but Gao Pragmatic is obviously not afraid. He is indeed rich, but his money comes from innocent sources, and Zhu Yijun also knows it. Judging from their current relationship, there is no need to worry that Zhu Yijun will think about slaughtering sheep.
So Gao Pragmatic laughed loudly and said: "The emperor wants to treat Prince Lu favorably, and also said that there is no money in the internal funds, so it seems that this money will force the Ministry of Revenue to admit defeat?"
Zhu Yijun felt that he was in the wrong and said angrily: "I... cough! Pragmatism, let me tell you the truth... You actually also know that I have just taken charge this year, and the two palaces are still keeping a close eye on me, especially my mother. She has always doted on Yili, and if I, the royal brother, are stingy in this matter, I'm afraid something will go wrong."
Gao pragmatic curled his lips slightly and asked: "So?"
"So?" Zhu Yijun raised his eyebrows and said: "So there is nothing we can do about this matter. First, spend more money to make the Queen Mother happy. When the Kingdom of Yixi leaves the capital, the Queen Mother will slowly stop taking care of things, and then Let’s talk again.”
Gao pragmatically spread his hands: "What about the household department? The household department has been in bad luck this year. First there were floods in the south of the Yangtze River, and then floods and wind disasters occurred in Liaodong. It took hundreds of thousands of taels to barely settle the situation, and I brought it back here. With so many heads of Mongolian Tatars, the Ministry of War couldn't come up with the money, and the Ministry of Household Affairs had no choice but to put in another sum... Now that Prince Lu is getting married, Prince Lu's palace alone will cost nearly 700,000 taels. You can Do you think Tobe can take it out?"
Zhu Yijun sighed and said with an ugly face: "I don't want to, but I can't help it! Before, you said that Huangzhuang is prone to bad things. I listened to you and cut Huangzhuang by almost half last year. This forced Beijing to Zhongxungui also handed over some land, and these lands have been handed over to the Ministry of Household Affairs. Now the matter with King Lu is imminent. If they don't help me, where will I get the money?"
Gao Pingshi smiled and said: "I am willing to lend money to the emperor..."
Zhu Yijun was stunned for a moment: "You lend me money?" Then he immediately shook his head: "What kind of idea is this? There is no reason for an emperor to borrow money from his ministers. It's impossible."
"Your Majesty and his subjects belong to you, but doesn't your Majesty hear that your friends have the purpose of making money, and they help the emergency instead of helping the poor?" Gao pragmatically said: "It is good that the Emperor is rich all over the world, but now it is urgently needed and it is difficult to raise funds for the time being. Although I am a minister, after all, How can I turn a blind eye and listen to the emperor who has been my classmate for ten years? Is the emperor afraid that I will give you loan sharks?"
Zhu Yijun was amused by his last sentence and scolded with a smile: "Give me loan sharks? You really dare to say that!"
However, Gao Pingshi had already talked to this extent. Zhu Yijun really thought about it carefully before saying: "Speaking of the royal family's gold and silver, it's not that small. Even if I borrowed this money, I can't afford to pay it back... But this thing is really unprecedented, and it always sounds a little weird."
Gao pragmatic did not answer immediately. Zhu Yijun paused, then continued to frown and said: "Also, now that the palace is half short, I am afraid that I will not have enough internal funds in the future. You can lend me this money." , I really can’t calculate how many years it will take to pay it back.”
Gao pragmatically answered this time, with a very calm tone, and said: "Does the emperor still remember the minister's plan for the imperial examination?"
Zhu Yijun was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said: "Of course I remember, 'The biggest problem in the world today is poverty: poor officials will lead to poverty, poor people will lead to thieves, poor military will lead to trouble, and poor countries will make them weak.' I remember it very clearly, and I can even recite it backwards and forwards."
Gao Pragmatic bowed slightly to express his gratitude, and then said: "I said in this article: 'In ancient times, when talking about poverty, the first thing to say is not being frugal, because it is thought that being frugal will make you rich, and being rich will make you safe. I don't think so'."
Zhu Yijun nodded thoughtfully.
Gao pragmatic said again: "Since ancient times, people who are good at managing money have mostly praised frugality. I am not good at frugality, but like to spend money..." He pointed to the White Jade Tower where he was, and said: "This White Jade Tower is a clear proof. Although this White Jade Tower
It’s not as expensive as Prince Lu’s Mansion, but it still costs hundreds of thousands of taels, and it’s just a separate courtyard for me.”
Zhu Yijun couldn't help but feel a little envious and sighed: "You are really rich, but you can also really make money."
Gao Pragmatic clapped his hands and praised: "Your Majesty, what you said is right to the point. I am willing to spend money, but only if I can make money."
Zhu Yijun nodded.
Unexpectedly, Gao Pragmatic added: "But the Emperor may not have thought carefully about why I don't like to save money like some people, but just spend it when I earn it."
Zhu Yijun also felt strange and asked: "Yes, why?"
"Because money is meaningful only when it is spent." Gao pragmatically said: "Putting gold and silver in the sea there can neither be eaten nor worn. What's the use? Are you just looking at it and having fun?"
This statement was a bit in conflict with Zhu Yijun's values, but it seemed to make sense, so Zhu Yijun just frowned, but did not speak immediately, but fell into thinking.
Gao Pragmatic continued: "Besides, the purpose of spending money is sometimes to make more money."
"Are you spending money to make more money?" Zhu Yijun was stunned for a moment, then hesitantly said: "If you want to say that you spend money to open a mine and set up a factory, I can understand that it is to make more money, but you are building this white jade building...
…What does this have to do with making money?”
"It's a big relationship." Gao Pragmatic smiled mysteriously and said, "What does the Emperor think of this White Jade Tower?"
"Hmm...it seems pretty good." Zhu Yijun was relatively honest and did not deliberately belittle him.
Gao Pragmatic said calmly: "This building is a masonry and cement building with steel bars as beams. Even without any maintenance, it can last for at least a hundred years."
Zhu Yijun was shocked: "Really? You don't need to take care of anything or replace it, and it can be used for a hundred years?"
Isn’t it so strange? Many palaces in the West have been preserved to later generations, and many of them were only slightly maintained or decorated and renovated over the past few decades. Ancient buildings that were hundreds of years old have been lost to the sea.
"So you see, Chen repaired the White Jade Tower and found a new construction method. This method can be vigorously promoted in the next time... and this construction method is currently only mastered by Chen's Jinghua Infrastructure in the Ming Dynasty. This
Is it a profitable way to make money?"
Zhu Yijun was stunned for a long time and said in astonishment: "So when you built the White Jade Tower, it was actually... it was... oh, in your words, it was just an 'advertisement'?"
Gao Pingshi smiled and said: "Now you know why I invited so many officials today, and why are you here?"
"I know, I know..." Zhu Yijun nodded repeatedly, and suddenly he was stunned: "Then I am here today, wouldn't it be..."
"Uh... I don't plan to give the emperor any endorsement fees." Gao Pragmatic said hurriedly: "At most, I can borrow money without charging interest."
Zhu Yijun rolled his eyes and said angrily: "I'm not that snobby." After a pause, he added: "However, your advertisement is still a bit expensive, hundreds of thousands of taels."
Gao pragmatically spread his hands: "You have to calculate this account more carefully: the stones used to build the White Jade Tower are all Fangshan white marble. Such a large amount of white marble materials can support many masons and many porters, right? It's necessary again, right?"
Use cement. The cement is produced by Jinghua, but it is also bought with money, so that it can feed a group of people... We also need steel bars, decoration, and various masons, carpenters, and gardeners. They can all work here.
make money."
Zhu Yijun said inexplicably: "But you are spending money."
"Yes, but they still have to spend the money they make. They are not allowed to patronize the various businesses of Jinghua Trading Company in the capital? Although they may not spend all the money in Jinghua, it can make business more prosperous, and as long as business is more prosperous
, it’s a good thing for me, Jinghua, not to mention it’s also a good thing for Ming Dynasty.”
Zhu Yijun finally understood this truth, and he suddenly said: "That is to say, you spend these hundreds of thousands, and drive a series of industries under your name to make money from it, and after they make money, they still have to spend it out, so you get it back.
Quite a lot, and also mastered new technologies?"
Gao pragmatic smiled and said: "Yes, you see, as long as everyone is willing to spend money, the White Jade Building will be built, they will also make money, supplement their household income, and I will take back a large part, and they can continue to spend money... You know
What are the two most critical points here?"
Zhu Yijun hesitated and said: "I seem to feel something strange, but I don't know what to say for the moment."
Gao Pragmatic smiled and said: "These two points are: creation and circulation."
"Oh!" Zhu Yijun suddenly understood, nodded, and asked: "So what do you mean by this?"
"If you want to build Prince Lu's Mansion, just build it, but the creation and circulation there are temporarily out of the hands of the emperor and his ministers. It's better to turn your attention to other places, such as Liaodong... where creation and circulation can also be done."
"I thought about it, it must be created first before it can be circulated, right?" Zhu Yijun blinked: "What can be created in the Yuanmasi area of Liaodong that can be circulated?"
Gao Pingshi smiled and said: "There is a business that is sure to make a profit without losing any money. Would your Majesty want to know about it?"
"Stop being so pretentious and tell me quickly!" Zhu Yijun's appetite was whetted and he urged.
Gao Pragmatic laughed and said: "Salt."
Zhu Yijun was stunned when he heard this: "You mean sea salt?" He said hesitantly: "But Guan Yan has a quota for salt production, and there has been almost no profit in recent years."
"The problem with official salt lies in the official camp, which is the same as the firearms produced by the previous Bureau of War and Ordnance were unusable." Gao Pragmatic raised his eyebrows slightly and said: "Since the official camp can't do it, the private sector can, for example.
The emperor and his ministers will cooperate to open and operate new salt fields."
Zhu Yijun was stunned for a moment, and suddenly remembered an important event: "The salt currently used in Liaodong is the salt from Changlu Salt Farm. If you open a salt farm in Liaodong, you are afraid that the chief minister will..."
Gao Pragmatic spread his hands: "Then let's sell it elsewhere."
"Where else?" Zhu Yijun said in astonishment: "But the use of salt is customary everywhere. You will offend people wherever you sell it."
Gao pragmatic shook his head and said: "That's not necessarily true. For example, if we sell to North Korea, Jurchen or even Chahar, who will it be in the way?"
Zhu Yijun was shocked. He looked around and saw that the people around him were still far away. Then he lowered his voice and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? It's just North Korea and Jurchens. How can you sell Chahar?"
Gao pragmatic blinked: "Sell salt to Chahar, can Tumen use salt to start a war with Ming Dynasty?"
"Uh... That's not possible, but not trading with Chahar is an ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty." Zhu Yijun was still very nervous.
"This ancestral system was created to restrict Chahar, but I did this to poison Chahar... Besides, it has more uses than just this."
