The Bookish Scholar of the Red Mansion

As soon as he entered Linjing Hall, Chen Heng found that not only Li Zhi, but also Wei Yinghong, Wen Shangshu, the prince and Li Jun were waiting here.

After Yi Li saw the driver, Chen Heng took a few steps forward. Li Zhi had already waved his hand and said: You scholars are in poor health. Please give me a seat.

Before Chen Heng came out, he also looked at his own complexion in the mirror. After working hard for days, I really don't look good.

After thanking Li Zhi for his concern, Chen Heng cautiously took his seat. He came suddenly this time, and he really didn't know the reason why Li Zhi summoned him.

After listening to Wei Yinghong and Wen Shangshu's narration, Chen Heng figured out what happened before.

It turned out that Wei Shoufu and Wen Shangshu were invited by His Majesty to discuss the matter of treasure notes.

Among the three, the one who was interested in doing this was Li Zhi. Wei Yinghong firmly opposed this kind of scene life, and his attitude was also the firmest.

Although Wen Shangshu, who is in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, is a person directly involved, his attitude is very ambiguous, neither opposing nor supporting.

Chen Heng listened for a while and finally understood the reason for Wei Yinghong's objection. The root still lies in the former Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang.

During the Hongwu period, treasure banknotes were also issued. However, the progress of this matter, instead of helping the Ming Dynasty to increase its national power, became a waste of government affairs and gradually fell into disrepair.

With such a precedent set here, it is undoubtedly a huge psychological challenge for conservatives like Wei Yinghong, who believe that the first thing in governing a country is to make no mistakes is a golden rule.

Chen Heng knows that today's debate is a preliminary battle for his future political opinions. So before speaking, consider your words more carefully. Make sure that you can use your words to prevent Wei Yinghong from continuing to resist this matter.

As the saying goes, know what it is, but also know why it is so. Since the problem lies with the former Ming Taizu, it is natural to start with the mistakes made during the Hongwu period.

Even though the people present were all talented and knowledgeable people who had read poetry and books, Chen Heng first systematically and comprehensively introduced the issuance of treasure banknotes during the Hongwu period.

After some quotations from scriptures, Chen Heng roughly summarized the problem into four points.

First, in order to promote the circulation of treasure banknotes, the Ming Dynasty only allowed civilians to exchange gold and silver for treasure banknotes, and was not allowed to exchange treasure banknotes for gold and silver. Private transactions in gold and silver were strictly prohibited. With just these two items, you have already made a big mistake.

From the perspective of future generations, the closer political affairs are to people's livelihood, the more gentle governance methods must be adopted. Overly strict regulations often turn good things into bad things.

The second is that there are too many types, with as many as six denominations of treasure banknotes. Yiguan, five hundred essays, four hundred essays, three hundred essays, two hundred essays, one hundred essays. This does not include the small bills ranging from ten to fifty coins. Not to mention that every time a new king takes the throne, new coins will be introduced.

The amount is so large that it seems like everything is covered. If you think about it from another angle, you don’t even care about it. And with clear results already recorded in the annals of history, Chen Heng’s hindsight is not a lie.

The third is that there are a group of speculators and incompetent officials among the people who make profits through the rotation and loss of old and new treasure banknotes.

Zhu Yuanzhang was indeed an emperor who cared about the power of the people, and he hated this matter deeply. One-size-fits-all measures are often implemented, and those who have the greatest impact are ordinary people who are tossed back and forth.

Fourth, there is no distinction between north and south, regardless of regional economic differences. Unified and mandatory implementation of treasure banknotes across the country.

The customs of different places are different from each other, and the degree of wealth among the people is also different. How can we generalize and accept it by force?

After Wei Yinghong's brows gradually turned up after the narration that he was reluctant to express.

Chen Heng changed the topic again and asked a question proactively. He looked at the monarchs and ministers in the palace and said: Since Baoqian has so many inconveniences, why did Taizu take the initiative to implement this policy?

Li Jun's talent and learning are limited, and he is the most difficult person to listen to in the palace. He looked at the imperial grandfather who was looking deep in thought, then at Li Xian who was vaguely touched, and whispered anxiously: Why is this?

At this time, the hall was completely silent. Even if Li Jun spoke very quietly, everyone could hear him clearly. Li Jun was so frightened that he quickly closed his mouth and did not dare to say anything for a while.

Li Xian didn't blame him, he just replied: Listen carefully to Mr. Chen.

Chen Heng thanked Li Xian for the help and took the initiative to say to Li Zhi and Wei Yinghong: Your Majesty, Mr. Taizu of the Ming Dynasty insisted on organizing this matter. I think there are two reasons. One is to strengthen the Ming Dynasty. The other is to strengthen the Ming Dynasty. The second is the financial difficulties of the Ming Dynasty.

Amid the thoughtful expressions of several people, Chen Heng held up Zhu Yuanzhang's Edict to the Central Plains written during the Northern Expedition. Lao Zhu once said this: Mongolia and Semu are not Chinese races. However, being born between heaven and earth, there are people who know etiquette and justice and are willing to be ministers, and they are no different from the people in China who raise them.

Why did Lao Zhu specifically add this point of view in his statement on the Northern Expedition? This is to ensure that after the Hua-Yi debate, there will be no internal conflicts among the people in various places after a hundred years of division.

Blindly emphasizing blood orthodoxy is not an ambitious move. Continuing tolerance is the way to go in the world.

For a newly born dynasty, the top priority is to urgently gather people's consensus, awaken the historical memory in people's hearts, and maintain the stability of the country.

This is why Zhu Yuanzhang mentioned in the Edict of Dengji that the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties were orthodox to the Song Dynasty, while the Ming Dynasty was orthodox to the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties.

This legal principle is the core of what the Ming court urgently needs. It is to ensure that every common people can put aside their old grudges and continue to live on the land with a new identity as people of the Ming Dynasty.

This is also the reason why the North and South Lists appeared during the Hongwu period. There was not a single Northerner on the list of candidates for the imperial examination.

Even if the examiner is impartial and impartial, he has already violated Zhu Yuanzhang's political taboo.

The core is to not do things that are not conducive to unity.

Based on this, we can see the reason why Ming Taizu insisted on promoting Baoqian. All policies share the beauty of Qin Shihuang's unification of words and weights and measures.

We need to allow people from all over the country to form a cultural consensus. Eliminating the situation where northerners look down on southerners and southerners look down on northerners is what Zhu Yuanzhang has been doing.

By the time Chen Heng finished speaking this point eloquently, Wei Yinghong already felt bad. If this kid continues talking, I am afraid that the treasure money matter will really come true.

Chen Heng did not give the first assistant a chance to interrupt, and then said: In addition, the treasure banknotes can solve the financial difficulties of the Ming Dynasty at that time.

What's the problem? Li Zhi asked. As an emperor, you should open up the world and accept talented people. Facing Chen Heng's once again display of talent, it was really hard for him to restrain his desire to listen.

Chen Heng did not answer, he looked at Wen Shangshu. He knew that the other party would definitely understand.

Wen Shiqian was worthy of being the Minister of Household Affairs who had lived for a long time. He thought for a moment and blurted out: There are many people.

These four words seemed to have thousands of weights, hitting the hearts of Li Zhi and Li Xian directly.

Of course. Chen Heng responded.

Judging from the data recorded in the history of the Ming Dynasty, the census conducted every ten years excludes people with low status, slaves, etc. The recorded population in the Hongwu period was more than 50 million, and by the Chenghua period, this number had approached 80 million.

After Jiajing and Wanli, it was a public opinion that the people of Ming Dynasty exceeded 100 million. However, local officials in various places often conceal the true number of people, so it is difficult to make a complete statistics.

If there are no natural or man-made disasters, according to historical development, the number of people in the world should reach a peak of 400 million in two hundred years.

With such an exaggerated size, how many silver mountains and copper mines in the world should be dug out for the gold and silver that these people use every day?

The most terrifying thing is that the people in this land still have the habit of saving money. Every time there is a war, people regardless of wealth or status are keen to bury gold, silver and jewelry underground.

Not to mention, some people like to take their treasures to their graves.

Your Majesty, it has been over a thousand years since the copper coins were made in the pre-Qin Dynasty. Seventy-eight out of ten copper mines in the world have been exhausted. In the long run, if the new emperor introduces new coins, he will have to purchase old coins from the people. Mint new coins. This is where the greed that consumes silver comes from.

Li Zhi also sensed the urgency of the matter. He was not one to be reconciled. He sat up straight and faced Chen Heng and said, Chen Qing, continue speaking. I'm listening.

With these words, Chen Heng knew that Li Zhi was still very moved in his heart. He immediately spoke up and began to talk about the benefits of treasure money, using the Border Rebellion as an example as usual.

No matter how we set up border cities, how we share benefits, and how we exchange what we need, it is difficult to stop the war and make peace. The difficulty lies in politics? Benevolence?

Chen Heng took the initiative to shake his head and continued: Just because gold and silver can be used in Dayong, they can be used in the Qianming Dynasty. If they were placed in the Qin Dynasty, people would still use them.

As a currency of property, gold and silver do have their value preservation properties. But precisely because of its value-preserving properties, it was not a good thing for the court.

The same dynasty is in crisis and the enemy country, which holds gold and silver, does not need to care about losses at all.

As long as the enemy country holding a huge amount of treasure money is not sure of success in a battle, it has to think about the nobles in its own country who hold a large amount of treasure money, and it has to weigh the price of turning the treasure money into waste paper.

Compared with the colonial strategies of Western countries, soft colonization through economic methods is undoubtedly more in line with the moral values ​​of the Chinese dynasty.

It is also a blood-cutting knife that kills people invisible, which will greatly strengthen the rule and stability of the imperial court.

This method is the same for Western countries. This is a rope around their necks. Not only can they not break free, but they will struggle harder and harder to breathe.

Wen Shiqian has been dealing with money all his life, and he immediately caught Chen Heng's question, Since Mr. Chen said that treasure banknotes have many wonderful uses, what if the outside world also promotes treasure banknotes?

How could Chen Heng not have thought of this? He said bluntly: A treasure banknote without equivalent goods is just a piece of waste paper. Without a great country as its base, without hundreds of millions of people as its support. That treasure banknote, It’s just an act of imitation.”

A unified dynasty has the natural advantages of a unified dynasty. As long as Dayong officially recognizes it, as long as Shanxi merchants, Hui merchants, Fujian merchants, Zhejiang merchants and others take the treasure banknote out of the country, it will surely become the most valuable treasure banknote in the world.

Wait until Westerners are familiar with Dayong characters, use Dayong treasure banknotes, and speak Dayong official dialect. Your Majesty, even if this person lives in a foreign country, how can he not be regarded as a citizen of Dayong?

Under Wei Yinghong's anxious gaze, Li Zhi nodded repeatedly because of Chen Heng's story.

You kid, you don’t have all your hair, so how do you know how to say nice things and fool people? Wei Yinghong's worry is not wrong. Even if the prosperity of shipping is the background, there is still the fact that there are thousands of farmers in Dayong.

It is not wrong to seek stability within stability and make sure that any policy regarding them is foolproof.

Chen Heng understood Wei Yinghong's concerns, and before the other party could refute, he had already taken the initiative to intervene.

However, the mistakes made in the past are still vivid in our eyes. If the imperial court wants to promote treasure banknotes without hurting the people's livelihood, we should proceed slowly and slowly.

You can first select several places in the south of the Yangtze River to serve as a demonstration. There is a separate special treasury under the direct jurisdiction of officials assigned by the Ministry of Household Affairs.

We already have a hundred taels of silver notes, so there is no need to put another one on them. There are only copper coins and silver ingots under it, which can be subdivided into two or three categories of treasure banknotes to meet the needs of the people.

Chen Heng later said that there was no need to control whether ordinary people used silver or treasure banknotes. He only stipulated that merchants who went to the DPRK to purchase goods needed to use treasure banknotes.

As a transfer station for silver coins and treasure notes, banks directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Household Affairs can also set up savings businesses.

Use official credit as a guarantee, outside the picture and inside, and replace tough policies with habits. Over time, the copper coins and silver coins in the hands of the people were gradually collected.

After saying this, Chen Heng asked Xia Shouzhong to find a stack of paper and fifty taels of silver ingots from the palace.

Chen Heng placed these two things on the table, looked at everyone and asked: Your Majesty, Chief Assistant, and Minister Wen, do you think it is more convenient to go out with fifty taels, or...

Chen Heng picked up a stack of folded papers, stuffed it directly into his arms, and patted his waist. The meaning is self-evident.

Naturally, everyone sees the benefits of treasure money. In response to Chen Heng's mature suggestion of taking small steps along the coast first to facilitate promotion, Wei Yinghong was also relieved.

He was afraid that Chen Chixing had received too much praise in the past and would instead become eager for quick success.

Li Xian, who was on the side, had already patted Li Jun's head with his hand and whispered: Don't just listen, take Master Chen's words to heart. Write a policy essay for me tomorrow.

Okay, I didn’t say anything, Hao Duan Duan had an extra piece of homework. Li Jun was complaining in his heart, but he still couldn't understand his father's good intentions.

Chen Heng's narration continued, Your Majesty, when it comes to treasure money, the most important thing is to facilitate business. When buying and selling in private shops, you must prepare weights and scissors.

For half a tael of things, the guest took out one tael of silver. The owner has to cut off half of it and weigh it on a scale before he can clear both money and goods.

This is why there is a lot of broken silver among the people, and it is also the reason why every household always has two things.

From this point of view, the introduction of coins and treasure banknotes with clear amounts is indeed an urgent matter for an empire that expands shipping.

With one thing, you can make a hundred profits, and with one thing, you can benefit for thousands of years. It must be treasured banknotes! I would like to request that the imperial court should implement the treasured banknotes in five years.

Li Zhi was listening with great interest when he suddenly heard about the five-year period and couldn't help but asked curiously: Why five years?

Chen Heng immediately said loudly: If you want to govern, you must first govern people. If you want to govern people, you must first govern the law.

If these two are not available, the matter of treasure money should be slowed down. I would like to request that arithmetic be included in the academic examination. Those who do not know this way will find it difficult to become local officials in the future.

I have differences. Wei Yinghong immediately stepped forward, rarely making a clear-cut statement.

Seeing that it was the chief assistant who was speaking, Chen Heng naturally stopped and let the other person say what he meant first.

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Li Zhi was really unkind, so he sent someone to send a car to summon Chen Heng. When the meeting was about to end, he forgot to arrange a vehicle to take him back. Fortunately, when we arrived at the Meridian Gate, Lin Zhixiao, the steward of Jia Mansion, was already waiting outside the palace gate.

Mr. Chen, please get in the car quickly. Lin Zhixiao diligently moved the horse stool and stretched out his hand to help Chen Heng get up.

Such a respectful attitude made Chen Heng feel a little subtle. However, his thoughts quickly fell into silence and he turned to thinking about Wei Yinghong's previous rebuttal.

It is true that Wei Yinghong's remarks have their own position. Recruiting officials based on the Four Books and Five Classics is a tradition that has lasted for nearly a thousand years.

What you learn in it are the words of sages and the laws of all things. The impact of hastily promoting arithmetic to a major subject will definitely do more harm than good.

This is also the reason why Dayong no longer puts arithmetic in an important position starting from the provincial examination.

The county examination and the government examination are examinations for young students, which are intended to test the talents' knowledge in all aspects. The court still has something to say.

Once this level is exceeded, officials will inevitably complain.

But without taking this step, officials in the DPRK and China will not be able to complete the transformation into technocrats.

The significance of this matter lies not only in its breadth and depth, but also in its leading role.

Only by making this start and testing out Shilin's attitude towards the imperial reform of education can we pave the way for future political measures.

Hey. Chen Heng sighed in the carriage.

Take your time, some things cannot be solved by one generation. What is in front of him is a mountain that has existed for thousands of years.

Compared with the small wave of the times, how can a person or a dynasty choose to discard the habits and concepts of thousands of years?

Lin Zhixiao, who was driving, thought he had made a mistake and surprised Mr. Chen in the car.

He quickly held his breath and looked inside the car. Seeing that Chen Heng didn't speak for a long time, he continued driving anxiously.

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Linjing Hall was already empty. Li Zhi's mind was very active. He led Li Xian and Li Jun, father and son, to stand in front of a giant painting.

The scene depicted in this painting is really interesting. A long street with people coming and going. Common people carrying burdens and foreign merchants driving carts shuttled through the streets.

At the bottom of the painting stands a small stone tablet with the word Xiunan written on it.

On the right side of this street, there are painters using their skills and imagination. Taking the long willow bank as the boundary, a vast ocean was taken out of thin air. On the rough sea, several large ships were leaving the port. The bright sun on the upper left is shining on the mast, and it is the sand gulls chasing the waves, showing the strength of the country.

Li Xian's ignorance of the painter did not prevent him from appreciating the painter's technique. This painting that combines people's livelihood and state affairs is actually the Along the River During the Qingming Festival of this dynasty.

Compared to the latter, this painting has a somewhat unspeakable grandeur.

Li Jun noticed Xue Biao's signature, and even recognized Chen Heng and Mr. Liu in official robes in the painting.

The more he looked at it, the more interesting he became. Liu Yanzhang had accumulated eight lifetimes of virtue when he met Chen Heng, his subordinate. Don't do anything, and your reputation will be passed down through the ages.

The name of this painting is 'Blue Waves Ten Thousand Miles', which is what I really like. Li Zhi raised his hand and clicked on the painting, and then said, What do you think it was like when Zheng Sanbao went to the West?

Li Zhi still couldn't give up his desire to make achievements. He needs something to embellish his imperfect imperial career.

Do you really want to leave a reputation in history as a man who rebelled against his father? How will thousands of future generations view themselves?

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Wei Yinghong waited at Lin's house for half an hour before Lin Ruhai rushed back eagerly. The servant who delivered the message was very agile.

It's just that before Lin Ruhai came back, he asked his son-in-law about the affairs of Linjing Palace. When he knew what was going on, he turned around and returned home.

Needless to say, there is no need to elaborate on the relationship between the two families. When Lin Ruhai came in, he saw Wei Yinghong wandering around the hall.

The two greeted each other briefly, and Wei Yinghong began to complain to Lin Ruhai about Chen Heng's behavior.

It's not that I don't know the benefits of this matter, but does it only have benefits? In all things in the world, if one thing is good, it will harm another, this is the way of yin and yang.

Zhi Xing is young and has a courageous and diligent approach, but as an elder, why don't you give me more advice?

Faced with Wei Yinghong's accusation, Lin Ruhai was helpless. He couldn't open his son-in-law's head and see what Master Pei had taught him, right?

Chen Heng's opinions on politics were unheard of in many places. If everyone is arguing about the books of sages, then Lin Ruhai's talent and learning are certainly not bad.

But this child has never been limited to books. Heng'er's vision and mind have always flowed in the great rivers.

You yourself said that Heng'er's actions make sense. Lin Ruhai sat opposite her friend and patiently advised, You are the chief minister and elder appointed by His Majesty, and you are the mediator. It is your job to stabilize the country.

Seeing Wei Yinghong's gloomy face, Lin Ruhai couldn't help but smile evilly, Heng'er said that he is not in his position and does not seek his position. The heavy burden of the country and the country still requires Father Weber's hard work.

This is such nonsense that people just slap their butts and walk away. Wei Yinghong's nose is even crooked with anger.

Chen Heng's current official position is not sufficient for state affairs, but Li Zhi will use Chen Heng's rhetoric to ask the DPRK and Chinese cabinet to implement it.

There was no way, who asked Chen Heng to persuade Li Zhi.

Calm down, calm down. Lin Ruhai treated this friend who came to settle accounts with fine tea. When young people grow up, they will always have their own ideas.

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Since Chen Heng returned to the Jia family, he has been treated with all kinds of courtesy by the Jia family. From the beginning, Jia Lian greeted Chen Heng with care and concern.

When it was time to have dinner at home in the evening, Chen Heng walked into the table. The Jia family members who were still talking in low voices stopped talking silently. Either avoiding Chen Heng's gaze, or taking the initiative to stand up and greet him.