A piece of gossip quickly spread throughout the palace as if it had wings.
Your Majesty is going to engage in fund-raising and financial management.
It is said that he wants to open a royal account at Tianxiatong Bank and deposit a large amount of money into it to obtain an interest dividend of 5% per year.
But as we all know, His Majesty does not have much silver in his internal funds, so he wants to absorb some spare money. Anyone in the palace can join a share and enjoy 3% annual interest dividend. The principal can be withdrawn at any time, and the risk is very small.
After this news spread, it immediately aroused heated discussion in the palace:
"Didn't His Majesty deny this incident just now? Why did this rumor pop up again?"
"The annual interest dividend of 3% is not bad. If I have some spare money, I would like to join one share."
"It's just that Tianxiatong Bank has just suffered a huge loss. What if Your Majesty deposits the money in and the bank swallows it all?"
"Haha, your majesty dares to swallow your money. Aren't you tired of living and looking for death? You wouldn't dare to give Tianxiatong Bank ten more courages!"
"That's true. Unless they are not afraid of having their homes confiscated and destroying the nine clans, no one would dare to swallow the emperor's money."
"Is this fund-raising and financial management reliable? Although the interest dividends are attractive, if you invest the money in shares to His Majesty, can you get the principal back? Even if you can, if you offend Your Majesty by withdrawing the principal, will there be room in this palace?
"Someone expressed their deepest worries.
"Since such rumors are allowed to exist, I'm afraid it is probably true. However, His Majesty is a wise king, how can he be called greedy for money? I think it would be better to use some of my family wealth to join this fund-raising and financial management."
"We'll wait and see. If others join, I will join. If others invest more, I will invest more. If others invest less, I'll just show off."
The vast majority of people hold a wait-and-see attitude. There are very few people who dare to be the first to eat crabs. After all, there is a saying that the first bird will be struck first. If there are people who are too aggressive and spend all their money to join His Majesty's fund-raising and financial management projects,
What this person gets may not necessarily be all benefits, but may be ostracized by everyone in the palace and become the target of public criticism.
even so!
The first one showed up quickly.
Wang Chengen!
Wang Cheng'en, the eunuch who served as Emperor Chongzhen's valet, took the initiative to donate 80,000 yuan of his wealth and lent it to His Majesty for financial management. He did not even ask for the return of the principal, as long as he could get 3% of the annual interest dividend.
But Emperor Zhu Youjian firmly refused. He would not ask for even a tael of silver. Raising funds for financial management was a myth. Do not believe in rumors or spread rumors.
However, Wang Chengen refused to give up. After his first donation failed, he found an opportunity to plead a second time. After being rejected again, he pleaded a third time, saying that he must participate in fund-raising and financial management. He hoped that His Majesty would allow it.
If you don't agree, you will be unable to kneel down and die outside the palace.
"Big companion, why bother? Why are you bothering? Okay, okay, I accepted the money, but this money was borrowed by me. Not only do I have to write an IOU, but I also have to record it in the account book. If I want to withdraw the principal in the future, I will
Get your money refunded immediately without any delay!"
In short, after this performance of being a loyal minister and benevolent king, Chongzhen was forced to accept the 80,000 yuan donated by Wang Chengen, and in front of many people, he wrote an IOU and recorded the account book to show that he would never default on debts.
After Wang Chengen joined the fund-raising and financial management project, only one day passed, and the emperor suddenly issued an order: Wang Chengen was promoted to the position of Chief Eunuch and Eunuch, standing at the top position that countless eunuchs dream of.
As for Cao Huachun, the original palm eunuch, due to his age and lack of energy, he was changed to the imperial eunuch to supervise the eunuch. His favor has not faded, but it is just to lighten his burden. Others should not make unreasonable guesses.
Even so, Wang Chengen, who suddenly reached the peak of eunuchs, caused shock and heated discussions among countless people in the palace, and they all vaguely guessed something.
So that same day, the second outstanding bird appeared.
A palace maid named Miao Saihua took the initiative to see the emperor and expressed her intention to donate her remaining wealth and join his majesty's fund-raising and financial management.
Zhu Youjian of Chongzhen actually received this ordinary palace maid and asked: "Miao Saihua, how much money are you willing to invest in?"
"Your Majesty, Saihua only has eighty silver dollars left, which is a bit meager. I wonder if I can become a shareholder?" Palace Maid Miao Saihua said.
"Yes, why not? Even if you only have eight silver dollars or one silver dollar, you can invest in it. I will never be too little!" Zhu Youjian said.
"Your Majesty, I have remembered!"
At this time, an old eunuch next to him said: "This Miao Saihua is a vegetable-picking maid of Shangshan Supervisor. She is respectful and conscientious. In the second year of Chongzhen's reign, slaves were established and ravaged the capital. His Majesty was furious. No one dared to send food to her.
The only seedling competing with flowers was not afraid of the dragon's power, and he came in with a food box in his hand. He also told his majesty to pay attention to his diet and not to miss the meal. The scene that day left a deep impression on me."
Zhu Youjian's pupils shrank, he looked at Miao Saihua below and said, "Why do I only know about such a loyal and upright person today? Miao Saihua, what is your current position in the palace?"
"Back to Your Majesty, Saihua is still in charge of choosing vegetables." Miao Saihua said.
"This is unreasonable. From now on, you will serve as the food supervisor. From now on, you will be fully responsible for my three meals!" Zhu Youjian was angry and promoted her on the spot.
"Your Majesty, Saihua is scared, please take back your Majesty's orders!"
Miao Saihua was shocked. How could it be her turn to serve as a female official of the second rank of food minister? No, no, no, this is absolutely not possible.
But Zhu Youjian has identified her, and this Shangshi belongs to her, and there is no possibility of taking it back.
So the palace maid Miao Saihua went back in a daze. Along the way, she received countless envious and jealous looks.
And there are two precedents, Wang Chengen and Miao Saihua.
In the palace, even the fools now understand what the emperor's intentions and purposes are. The horse bones are worth a thousand pieces of gold to show their determination to promote the fund-raising and financial management project. Therefore, everyone has no choice. They have to buy shares if they don't want to.
The more money you can invest in the company, the better, and the more loyalty you can see from His Majesty, the better. Even if there is a lot of risk, it is much better than losing the emperor's trust, losing the possibility of promotion, and not being able to survive in the palace.
Therefore, in the next three days, Zhu Youjian was reluctant to collect money. The funds raised soon exceeded 300,000 taels, 500,000 taels, and 1 million taels. Almost everyone in the palace bought shares, and those who had no money borrowed money.
Everyone has to buy shares because they cannot bear the consequences of not buying shares.
Just because everyone contributed money, the amount was large or small, but Zhu Youjian did not dare to judge whether to promote someone based on the amount of shares invested. Anyone who invested in shares was a trustworthy and loyal minister. There is no doubt about this.
But are those who pay more money more loyal than those who pay less? Not necessarily, but it may prove to be more greedy.
Zhu Youjian is not the Ling Emperor of the Han Dynasty, and he will not make the same mistake as selling his official position. If he invests more money, he will give it to a high position, and if he pays a small amount, he will give it to a low position. Once he does this, it will only cause chaos in the world!
On the contrary, among the Jinyiwei pro-army, Zhu Youjian noticed a Jinyiwei Xiaoqi named Shen Tie. When other Jinyiwei all invested five hundred taels, one thousand taels, or even tens of thousands taels, this one named Shen Tie, I only invested 16 taels, which made me stand out from the crowd and out of place.
Zhu Youjian specially summoned Shen Tie and asked him: "Shen Tie, in Jinyiwei, all your colleagues have invested at least 500 silver dollars. Why do you only have 16 taels? Is it because you have no money, or are you unwilling to invest because you have money?" "
Shen Tie below explained: "Your Majesty, I do not take bribes, and I do not want to be accomplices. My mother is ill at home, and I have six children. I am really helpless and cannot afford to help Your Majesty. I feel guilty and guilty!" "
"No one is perfect. Except for people like Haigangfeng, are there people in this world who are not contaminated by pollution?" Zhu Youjian looked at him with disbelief and suspicion on his face.
"Your Majesty, it's true."
Shen Tie's superior, Han Siping, a member of the Jinyiwei Qianhu, testified for him: "Shen Tie's grandfather was Jinyiwei who experienced Shen Lian. Shen Lian was an upright person and hated evil. He once offended the treacherous prime minister Yan Song and died by writing a letter to the "Ten Sins". After Shen Tie was a loyal and good man, he was influenced by his ancestors. He not only served his mother with great filial piety, but also followed his grandfather's example. He would rather stay in poverty than be corrupt. I am willing to vouch for Shen Tie. If your majesty does not believe it, you can order someone to investigate the situation in Shen Tie's family. Condition."
"It turns out that after Zhongliang, I was at fault. I blamed Aiqing by mistake." Zhu Youjian nodded repeatedly to express his apology.
"Your Majesty, you don't have to be like this. If a minister is not upright and cannot withstand scrutiny and interrogation, he will show his flaws sooner or later. I am willing to accept your Majesty's supervision at all times and follow the example of my grandfather. Even if I am poor, I will never change my original intention!" Shen Tie said seriously! road.
"Okay, okay, if all the ministers in the world are like you, why worry about the Ming Dynasty not being strong, and why worry about the chaos being difficult to quell?"
Zhu Youjian was so moved that his eyes filled with tears, he immediately gave Shen Tie three hundred silver dollars to improve his family conditions, and promoted him to the rank of Jinyiwei Baihu. Although he was only promoted by a small two levels, he was already in the emperor's heart. Must be reused.
"Your Majesty's kindness is as great as a mountain. I will be shattered into pieces and die in repayment."
Shen Tie burst into tears of gratitude and knelt on the ground, his head almost bleeding from the knock.
…
Until May 20th.
In the palace, Zhu Youjian's fund-raising and financial management project has attracted as much as 3.02 million silver dollars. Although multiplied by the 2% annual interest dividend, he can only earn more than 60,000 taels of silver per year, which is actually not a lot. .
But he was already very satisfied and his face was filled with joy.
Because for him, annual interest and dividends are only secondary, and in this wave of fund-raising and financial management, he has found many loyal ministers who are worthy of trust and reuse, and has successfully tied up with the eunuchs, maids, and guards in the palace. In the future, No matter what happens in the Ming Dynasty, there will never be a possibility of betrayal among the nearly ten thousand people.
This is a much more important thing than how much money you make.
But it was also in the past two days.
An uneasy episode occurred in his harem.
That is his favorite Concubine Tian. She has raised 100,000 silver dollars from somewhere and plans to invest in his fund-raising and financial management projects. Of course, Zhu Youjian will not refuse such a good thing, but Concubine Tian makes a request. , but it immediately aroused the displeasure and obstruction of Queen Zhou.
Because of the 100,000 silver dollars, Concubine Tian wanted to invest in the shares in the name of her newly born son Zhu Cizheng (i.e. King Yong) instead of in her own name.
Zhu Youjian didn't care. No matter whose name it was in, the silver dollar was real anyway, so it didn't matter who's name it was written on.
"no!"
After learning the news, Empress Zhou immediately came to stop her and said to Concubine Tian: "Sister, what do you mean? You bought shares in the name of Ci Zheng. Your Majesty will reward you in the future. What reward should you give to Ci Zheng? You asked your Majesty to give it to Ci Zheng."
How to consider it?”
Faced with the question, Concubine Tian said lightly: "Sister, I gave you my money and I didn't harm you. It's really not possible. You also invested 100,000 silver dollars in the name of Prince Cihong. Why do you stop me from sharing your Majesty's worries?"
?”
"you--"
Empress Zhou gritted her teeth and trembled with anger. Concubine Tian was clearly laughing at her for being poor and unable to afford a hundred thousand taels. However, she couldn't find a good excuse to refute, so she had to say to Zhu Youjian: "Your Majesty
, I don’t care about you, Tian Xiuying can buy shares in her own name, but not in Ci Zhen’s name, otherwise it will be unfair to Ci Zhen, and I won’t accept it!”
Concubine Tian said: "Sister, I heard that the father-in-law has made a lot of money recently. Why don't you borrow 100,000 silver dollars from him and buy shares in the name of the prince? Why are you so sensitive?"
"Enough!"
Zhu Youjian interrupted her and said: "Just do as the queen said, there is no need to say more about this matter."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Concubine Tian bit her lip, looking aggrieved.
Of course, after Concubine Tian invested 100,000 silver dollars in her own name, Zhu Youjian stayed overnight in her Chengqian Palace for the next few days as a reward for her.
This made the other concubines who were eager to be nourished by the rain and dew jealous. In order to compete for the favor, they had to try their best. You raised 50,000 taels, I raised 30,000 taels, and she raised 20,000 taels, and then they all became shareholders.
In the emperor's fund-raising financial management project.
Including Queen Zhou, after begging her three brothers many times, she barely raised 8,000 taels to invest in the shares. This amount was obviously too small, which made her unable to hold her head high in the harem. She, who had never loved money, had no choice but to realize this.
The importance of money.
all in all.
By the end of May, Chongzhen's fund-raising and financial management projects had raised a total of 3.658 million taels of funds, which had been deposited into Tianxiatong Bank, and the amount basically stopped growing.
Zhu Youjian was still very satisfied. Every time he saw the numbers on his deposit account, he laughed so hard that he couldn't even see his eyesight.
But suddenly he thought of something, and the smile froze on his face.
Almost half a month has passed. The fund-raising and financial management project in the palace has been rumored for a long time. Everyone in the capital is aware of it, including civil and military officials, nobles, etc. Not only are they all aware of it, but they have also received the money they have released.
This is a sign that officials are also enthusiastic about buying shares.
But so far.
Officials from the Ministry of Revenue rejected their proposal to buy shares because there was not much money in the treasury.
The amount of shares invested by civil servants is zero.
The amount of shares invested by the honorable ministers is zero.
The amount of shares invested by the military generals seems to be several thousand taels, which is negligible.
Then there is endless disappointment and loss, and even a little sadness.
Zhu Youjian said helplessly: "Is it true that as Qichunnian said, civil servants and nobles cannot be trusted? Why not turn to Xujiazhuang?"
