readytorunbook Chapter 308: Destroying the Family’s Foundation Step 2…Coins!
Chapter 308: Destroying the Family’s Foundation Step 2…Coins!
Gu Jingzhi smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, is this land reform good or bad?"
"Nature is good!"
Emperor Xia asked in confusion, "Why do you ask such a question, Mr. Gu? The treasury is now full, and the people have plenty of food. I never dared to think of such a good thing before!"
"Your Majesty, as the saying goes, things will turn into their opposites when they reach their extremes. You should understand this principle!"
Gu Jingzhi sighed softly.
Emperor Xia was puzzled. "What kind of perverse logic is this? If the people have food, there will naturally be no famine. And if your hybrid rice is introduced throughout the country, there will be no more famine in Great Xia. How can this not be good?"
"it is good……"
Gu Jingzhi smiled bitterly: "Your Majesty, I just gave you an example. When there is a surplus of labor, it is natural that some people will not be able to find work. Your Majesty still remembers this, right?"
Emperor Xia frowned: "Are these two related?"
"nature!"
Gu Jingzhi sighed, "High grain yields and a good harvest for the people are naturally a good thing, but the people are always wary of danger. Once they discover this situation, they will inevitably spontaneously reclaim more land and grow more food!"
"It is not good?"
Emperor Xia still didn’t understand!
Gu Jingzhi was not surprised. After all, it would be difficult for the emperor of this era to understand this kind of economics... without systematic learning!
"Your Majesty, if all the people think so, then that's the problem!"
Gu Jingzhi said, "Once there's too much food to eat, people will naturally want to sell it. But then there's no shortage of food, and the price of food will inevitably plummet. Then people will find that even though they've worked harder, their harvests aren't as good as before. What will they do then?"
Emperor Xia was stunned!
If that's the case, then it's hard to say!
Gu Jingzhi sighed softly.
Low grain prices hurt farmers, it has been like this since ancient times!
He said, "If Daxia can quickly promote a new monetary policy, it will allow various industries to grow. Then, when there are more jobs available, people won't just focus on farming. Families with extra labor will choose to work and earn money!"
"So... the solution is to strike a balance between agriculture and commerce!"
Although the term "economics" was proposed in later generations, social economy has always existed. Although the economy was not developed in the feudal era, simple monetary policy still existed.
However, this is a relatively unfamiliar field for Emperor Xia. Without systematic study, he would not be able to understand the principles behind it.
Gu Jingzhi also briefly explained these issues to Emperor Xia. Although he had not studied economics systematically, he was in his sixties after all and had a lot of knowledge and experience. He could understand some things after corroborating them with his cognition!
Although Gu Jingzhi didn't say much, Emperor Xia also understood the simple truth in it.
He asked, "Gu Qing, how should these be adjusted?"
"Your Majesty, this cannot be accomplished overnight. It will require the efforts of one, two, or even multiple generations to establish order!"
"I am proposing this now because it will take two to three years to promote hybrid rice nationwide, and the issuance and promotion of currency cannot be accomplished overnight!"
"But with the imperial court pushing for it, I think it will become a common practice in a few years. All the imperial court needs to do from now on is to control it!"
"However, all of this can only be implemented on the basis of currency. Currency is the medium that carries all economic transactions and is also a standard. Only when this standard is implemented can the national economy develop in an orderly manner!"
"I don't quite understand this matter. So... when you return to the capital, you should take up a position in the Ministry of Revenue! Originally, I was thinking of having you transition to the Ministry of Rites for a while, and then transfer you to the Ministry of Revenue after next year's Spring Examination, but..."
He glanced at Gu Jingzhi and said, "You are right. The minor problems in the court are not as serious as the people and the government. You should rest at home for two days. After the grand court meeting in two days, I will appoint you to the Ministry of Revenue!"
When Gu Jing heard this, he had an idea in mind.
It seems that Emperor Xia originally planned to let him stay in the local area for a longer time, but he did not expect that the father of hybrid rice would suddenly appear, so Emperor Xia had to transfer Gu Jingzhi back to the capital in advance.
It was originally placed in the Ministry of Rites, probably because of Gu Jingzhi's cheating in the imperial examination, which made Emperor Xia determined. After all, this was the place where he selected talents, so how could he continue to let the aristocratic families use it to strengthen themselves?
However, there are many people who can reform the imperial examinations, but the idea that Gu Jingzhi just put forward... it is almost impossible to find people with such talent.
What's more, the aristocratic families are his biggest concern. If he cannot use his prestige as the founding monarch to suppress the aristocratic families as much as possible, when the prince succeeds to the throne, even with Gu Jingzhi's talents and the prince's full support, the other forces in the court will not be so easy to deal with!
Without a powerful person to suppress the court, it would take at least ten years for Gu Jingzhi and his men to achieve their goals.
Ten years is not a long time for a dynasty, but if these ten years are all used for court struggles, then the opportunity for a country to rise will be wasted in vain!
Aristocratic families are like thorns on a vine. If they are not removed, the next ruler who wants to take over power smoothly will probably end up hurt.
Even if it cannot be pulled out completely, the sharpest part must be removed, so that his successor will have a place to start and will not be restricted everywhere!
When Gu Jingzhi received the news that he would soon be appointed to the Ministry of Revenue, he had a rough idea of what position he would hold.
He said, "Since Your Majesty is willing to appoint me to the Ministry of Revenue, I have something to say in advance."
He looked at Emperor Xia. This time he couldn't be like before. Emperor Xia would agree to whatever he wanted to do, but would only give him convenience in very rare circumstances!
Seeing him reaching out, Emperor Xia smiled and said, "What you are doing this time is for the country and the people. If you have any requests, please feel free to ask!"
Gu Jingzhi said, "Your Majesty, the treasury is not empty at the moment, but I don't think there is much money. Although the military pay from Ningzhou can alleviate the court's urgent needs, I ask Your Majesty to allow this money not to be used for other purposes!"
"This……"
Emperor Xia frowned, "Gu Qing, you just said that money is money only when it is spent. Why won't you let me spend it this time?"
"Your Majesty! This is indeed true, but if I want to mint new coins, I must use gold and silver as the currency!"
Gu Jingzhi explained, and seeing that Emperor Xia didn't quite understand, he immediately said, "The reason why copper coins are so abundant in the world today is because there is no standard for measuring them. As long as you own a copper mine and want to mint copper coins, you can put them on the market. This will cause the currency to depreciate and then prices to rise. I, your servant..."
Gu Jingzhi spent about half an hour explaining the concept of the gold standard to Emperor Xia.
However, the gold reserves of this era were still too small, so Gu Jingzhi included both gold and silver in the measurement standards.
After explaining the exchange rate between copper coins and gold and silver, he also elaborated on the role of banks. Finally, he said, "Therefore, I believe that this batch of gold and silver I brought back from Ningzhou will serve as the standard for the first batch of new currency! According to the exchange rate I just introduced, copper coins of varying denominations will be minted and put into the market for transactions!"
After listening to this, Emperor Xia pondered for a long time, and finally said quietly.
"Well! This wealth is a pleasant surprise for our Great Xia. Since Gu Qing is promoting new policies, I must support it. As long as the anti-counterfeiting technology that Gu Qing just mentioned can be realized, I will not interfere. Gu Qing, just go ahead and do it with confidence!"