Chapter 18 It's time to get down to business(1/2)
Liu Mingzhi picked up the account book on his lap and handed it to Jiang Yuanming: "It's not too late to react now.
Also, I've been exhausted by your excuses. If you have something to do in the future, just tell me directly and don't make me any more troublesome.
You old fox, don’t you think I’m not tired enough?”
Lao Jiang took the account book and smiled bitterly: "Yes, yes, I know the crime, I know the crime.
However, it is not that the veteran minister and others are deliberately burdening His Majesty with government affairs. In fact, the veteran minister and others have nothing to do.
Now that the world is unified, not only the reports of the inner government, but also the reports of the Beifu and the new government must be reviewed and approved one by one.
Your Majesty is extremely busy, and the veterans and others have not been idle for even a moment.
If I have the guts to say something treasonous, the world would be better off without unification! At least without unification, I and my colleagues would not be so busy!"
Seeing the sad expression on Lao Jiang's face, Liu Mingzhi turned around and looked around. Seeing the same bitter expression on the faces of all the officials, the anger accumulated due to the instructions and memorials gradually dissipated.
I was so busy that I had trouble sleeping and eating, and the civil and military officials throughout the dynasty also couldn't relax.
Especially the officials of the Sixth Department are under even greater pressure.
"My dear ministers, you have all worked hard.
Two years, at best, two years. When Beifu and Xinfu stabilize, they won't be so busy anymore.
I suddenly had an idea, Tobe!"
"His Majesty?"
Liu Mingzhi stood up and stretched his waist a few times.
"There should be a lot of precious silks, fine porcelain and the like accumulated in the treasury, right?"
"Report to your majesty, half a warehouse."
"There are half a warehouse. I'm afraid I won't be able to use them all in my lifetime. Storing them is a waste. Once they get damp or insect-eaten, they will have to be replaced with new ones.
Wouldn't it be a pity that those fine silks were wasted like this?
In addition to valuable antiques, porcelain is added to the national treasury every year.
Don’t Westerners need it? In addition to valuable antiques and various rare treasures, I left sufficient spare palace expenses and sold everything else.”
Lao Jiang's beard trembled involuntarily: "Ah? All sold? They are all tributes from the official kiln and high-quality silk and satin!"
All the officials also looked at Liu Mingzhi dumbfounded, unable to recover for a long time.
Liu Mingzhi waved his hand gently, signaling to Lao Jiang and Baiguan not to make such a fuss: "What's the rush? Just listen to what I have to say."
"Yes, yes, I am being reckless!"
Liu Mingzhi paced slowly, his eyes lingering on the officials: "These treasures are cheap for Westerners, so why not be cheap for all your beloved ministers and our own subjects?"
All of you, dear friends, should have a lot of folk kiln porcelain and fine silk stored in your home.
I exchanged part of the treasures from the treasury with the ministers and ministers, and exchanged the rest with wealthy merchants and wealthy private families.
Westerners only know that silk is good, but they don't know that silk can also be divided into Yun brocade, Shu brocade, and precious silks such as Suzhou, Yangzhou, Hangzhou...sha brocade in the south of the Yangtze River.
To them, silk makes little difference.
There is not much difference in the porcelain, as long as it is exquisite.
Use the porcelain from the official kiln to trade with wealthy private merchants for a large amount of ordinary porcelain and silk with corresponding valuable treasury treasures.
Then the Ministry of Revenue sold them to Westerners at the price of treasures from the treasury.
They are all goods shipped from the treasury by the Ministry of Revenue. How can these Westerners tell the difference?
Sell it, sell it for as high a price as you can.
Sell the treasures and the like that you keep at home if you can.
In short, we have no use for it. All the things that Westerners regard as treasures are sold to Westerners and exchanged for money.
Don’t you always feel that the salary given by the imperial court is too little? Now the opportunity to make a fortune is given to you. If you still cannot seize the opportunity, don’t say behind your back that I won’t give you the opportunity to make a fortune.
As long as you feel that the food is tasteless and it is a pity to throw it away, you can sell everything that is as worthless as chicken ribs.
Staying at home is of no use except taking up space.
Then you and the people will be rich, and you will buy goods in short supply from the Ministry of Revenue in the two countries for your own use. The national treasury will be enriched, and you will also enjoy great benefits.
The people also obtained treasures that were usually priceless.
We usually eat beef and mutton reluctantly, right? Especially when we eat beef, we eat it secretly, right? This time I let you eat a lot of fat!
As long as there is an official document from the Ministry of Revenue confirming that it is not a farm cow, you can eat whatever you want.
Westerners don’t understand what real fun is, how can you still not understand?
If we don’t cheat these fools, how can we cheat our own people?”
Liu Mingzhi looked at Baiguan's face flushed with excitement with a smile, covered his nose and coughed a few times.
"My lords!"
"I'm waiting here!"
"How to implement it specifically, you can just discuss it with the Ministry of Accounts during your free time, but remember one thing, don't delay business because of making money.
Otherwise I will definitely not be able to spare you."
"I obey the decree, Your Majesty is wise."
Liu Mingzhi looked at Lao Jiang's dirty smile that almost reached his ears, and shook his head angrily.
"Old ginger!"
"Ah? Ah! The old minister is here!"
"I'm warning you, don't grin as if you were farted. The real treasures and tributes flowing out of the treasury can flow into the hands of all your ministers.
It can also flow into the hands of wealthy and famous families, or it can also flow into the hands of ordinary people.
Only it cannot flow into the hands of Western countries.
If something goes wrong due to your dereliction of duty, not only will I not reward you for doing a major event that benefits the country and the people, but I will also fine you at least three years' salary."
"Yes, yes, I will keep this in mind."
"Of course, you, the Ministry of Revenue, and your ministers cannot go too far.
What is being traded as fake goods is at least genuine, and is something that Westerners have never seen before.
But don't use radish as ginseng or brass as gold.
Westerners have just come into contact with us, Dalong Tianchao, and they are a little ignorant about the goods, but they are not fools either.
Once our reputation is ruined, we are the ones who suffer the most.
If you do something like this and ruin my reputation as a celestial dynasty and my reputation as a benevolent and virtuous person, I will never be done with you.
If it's a light punishment, it's a salary; if it's a serious one, I'll make you an official!
Do you understand?"
The corners of Baiguan's mouth twitched as he looked at Young Master Liu who claimed to be a gentleman. It's obvious that you have the darkest heart. Otherwise, if you beat us to death, you wouldn't even think of such an unethical move.
What a bitch... huh huh...
"O ministers, please remember the holy words. Your Majesty is wise."
Liu Mingzhi nodded with satisfaction: "Yes! All of you are loyal and virtuous!
My heart is so comforted, so comforted! Haininghou."
"I'm here!"
"It would be best if the Ministry of Revenue and other ministers can complete the maximum amount of transactions with the Westerners before the 15th. If there is a discrepancy, it does not necessarily have to officially set sail on the 15th.
An extra ten days and a half is not a big deal, you can just make some changes according to the current situation."
"Yes, I obey your order!"
"Hubu, Libu."
"I'm here!"
"Not just the imperial court, the two of you worked together to draft a charter and sent it to the barren prefectures and counties in various places. Inform the local officials of the matter and ask them to gather the people to send the goods to the government. The local soldiers will escort them to the capital and the west. People carry out trade, and then the government sends them back to their original places to enrich the people."
"I obey the order!"
"My lords, I'm not afraid of you eating it, but I don't want you to look ugly if you eat it.
Don't just focus on eating and drinking yourself when the time comes, and forget about people's livelihood and government.
Just keep it in mind!"
"Your Majesty is wise, and I will obey your orders."
"Honglu Temple!"
"I'm here!"
To be continued...