Chapter 471 – The Dragon’s Face is Delighted

Zhang Anshi smiled, then stretched out his slender fingertips and said slowly, “There are three gains.”

Arisan ……

Zhou Juoren people’s face ugly, one by one desperate kneeling on the ground, at this time they feel more and more, they are like a lamb being sold.

Even …… at this time can not help but give birth to a thought, how did he fall into this kind of pawn, but also ran to the capital?

They’re kind of shooting themselves in the foot?

Zhu Di, on the other hand, was shaking in his boots and was all ears.

But heard Zhang Anshi slowly said: “This one is well, the biggest gain is Taipingfu, your majesty …… Taipingfu large-scale purchase of grain after the development of the ship industry is great, because the purchase of grain needs large-scale ships, although now the sea ships, are tightly transported food, but other spices, ivory, rubber, Cotton, and other goods, are also in great need of the Great Ming.”

“So …… many transportation of sea ships, want to hire to transport goods, can be said to be a boat is difficult to find, so now all over the shipbuilding dockyard, orders are scheduled to two years later, in order to purchase the ship, the guys can be said to have made every effort. Many shipyards, too, have expanded their production.”

Zhang Anshi patiently continued: “Of course, the development of the ship industry, in front of the hundred industry, in fact, is not outstanding, this time in order to relief, the purchase of millions of sets of ready-made clothes, your majesty …… this millions of ready-made clothes, spend is these bad gentry to buy food at high prices of silver, but such an order a moment, a ready-made clothes , from cotton, to dyes, to spinning as well as weaving, and even included needle and thread, such a huge order of such a scale, teach these ready-made clothes workshop, spinning workshop, as well as weaving workshop, dye workshop, all make a fortune.”

“Clothing is so, steel appliances, carriages, is also so, and cloth shoes, these from the hands of the poor gentry with grain for a large amount of silver, in the Taipingfu order is worth hundreds of millions of taels of silver, teach this up and down, hundreds of thousands of workshops revenue. Not only that, because of these workshops income, it is necessary to massively expand production, recruit more craftsmen. Large-scale orders need to be transported, and a large number of carriages and horses and oxen and horses and manpower costs, so many laborers and craftsmen to eat and drink, your majesty …… the value of the industry driven by this, at least up to tens of millions of taels of silver.”

One could not help but suck in a breath of cold air when this statement was made.

Calculated, it is Zhang Anshi took the silver of the bad gentry to relieve the disaster.

It looks as if Zhang Anshi did not get a penny of profit from it, but in fact …… he relied on various orders to make his Taipingfu from upstream to downstream.

This is frightening when you think about it in detail.

Zhu Di listened and nodded his head frequently, except that he was still pondering whether the Qixia Trading House had profited from it.

Zhang Anshi finally did not let him down, smiled and said, “And the prosperity of all industries also means that the taxes that the Taiping government fights for from it are at least two to three million taels up and down, your majesty …… which is the most direct benefit.”

“…………”

Nice guy ……

How can it actually be like this? The eyes of this hundred officials were straight, they were now convinced.

But when you think about it, the math isn’t really wrong.

The Taiping government is indeed very fair, they even if the grain, even if the high price of grain sales, but here any income, but also a penny, are distributed to the four provinces of the victims of the people.

So much food, so many ready-made clothes, shoes, steel, carriages and horses, as well as all the clothing, food, housing and transportation needs, such a scale of relief, never before in ancient times.

But this guy …… used it to make a big, grand …… profit.

Zhu listened to it, before he could not help but turn his brain around, he realized that he was only limited to the Qixia merchant bank whether profit-making, is really the pattern is too low.

Zhang Anshi’s brain is still wide open!

And so, at the word, he was again overjoyed.

And Zhang Anshi did not intend to stop there, directly he continued: “As for the second, it is borrowing. Your Majesty …… truthfully, these bad gentry borrowing, most of the United Bank, in the provinces hung a sign, but in fact, but still the United Bank released the money. This loan …… has interest, because it involves, is a commercial loan, this interest is not low.”

Said here, Zhang Anshi seemingly smilingly looked at Zhou Ju Ren, eyes with a few points of ridicule, and then went on to say: “It’s just a pity that these bad gentry, although they also know that the interest rate is not low, but they only think of relying on the hoard to profiteer, thinking that as long as they earn enough to disregard the interest rate, smugly thinking that they will be steadily earning. Your Majesty, this interest silver, the money changer side of the calculation, at least also in two million taels of grain silver up and down, of course …… this is not the main thing.”

Chu: “……”

I have to say, if you want to say black, it’s still this Zhang Anshi guy who is black! It’s like a one-stop service, from birth to cremation, it’s all arranged for you.

But when you think about it, you’d have to say he’s bad, but it seems like he’s not.

Because all of this, in the final analysis, originates from the greed of those hoarders of bad gentry, speaking of bad, Zhang Anshi is still a younger brother.

Zhang Anshi looked at Zhu Di with a smile and said, “The most important thing is …… property collateral. Your Majesty is aware of the money bank. I have always been conservative about the operation of the money bank, and I am most worried about bad debts. Because of this, it has always been cautious about borrowing and lending. Any borrowing, it is necessary to have collateral, and the valuation of the collateral has always been conservative.”

Zhu Di also vaguely understood a little something at this time.

In fact, people such as Mr. Chow Luk-man understand this better than anyone else, for they are the ones who have the most personal feelings.

The hundred officials, on the other hand, had a speechless look on their faces, everyone was smart and could already empathize.

Zhang Anshi graciously continued his analysis, “The so-called collateral is only in kind, and in assessing its value, I’ll make an analogy.”

Speaking of this, Zhang Anshi looked at that Zhou Lifeng, saying, “This Lifeng, if my guess is correct, you should be called Zhou Tao.”

Lifter Zhou’s face was pale, but he still nodded silently.

Zhang Anshi smiled, then said, “His account, before coming, I have already inquired about it.”

Zhou Ju Ren heard here, more and more understand that he has been arranged clearly, and even perhaps, when summoning him for an audience, Zhang An Shi has also greeted the eunuchs, must lead him in.

Zhang Anshi did not care about Zhou Ju Ren’s complicated gaze, but said: “This Zhou Ju Ren, can be said to be a big family, his family’s thousands of hectares of good land, and a large number of cows and horses and mansions, as well as the workshop of the oil press, the city also has a lot of pavement, if I remember correctly, that the pavement of Kaifeng, the market price, it should be three hundred and seventy-two taels a room is not it? And the Zhou family in Kaifeng, such stores have more than twenty rooms, but he is in the loan, the bank for collateral assessment, but will not be in accordance with three hundred and seventy taels a room to calculate, but half, that is, one hundred and eighty-nine taels of silver to calculate its valuation. Three hundred and seventy taels of pavement as collateral, but also can only borrow less than two hundred taels of silver ……”

After a pause, Zhang Anshi continued: “Of course, as long as the Zhou family can repay both the interest and the principal, this store is still his family. But if he can’t pay …… back, then the money bank will have to confiscate his pavement, fields, and cattle, horses, and mansions, which is the rule! After all, debt repayment, heaven and earth.”

Zhang Anshi eyes burning and looked at Zhou Ju Ren, said: “Zhou Ju Ren, if I do not remember correctly, you Zhou family, a total of twenty-three thousand four hundred silver borrowed from the bank. I come to ask you, this silver, you in the end do not return, and in the end to return on or not? If not, then not only your family business, even those grain in your barn, can be confiscated.”

Zhou Lifengren heard, directly burst into a rage, fiercely glaring at Zhang Anshi: “You …… despicable and shameless, you …… you this intentionally framed us and other …… ”

Zhang Anshi’s lips hooked in a light smile, mockingly asked him back: “What do you mean by deliberately framing, this loan, is this king forced you? It is clear that you are these bad gentry, in order to exploit the people, in order to maintain the price of food in the year of disaster, want to sell food at a high price, and then buy the people’s property at a low price, so that the eye to borrow! Now even blame on this king, you call yourself a grass, a grass, how dare to bark in front of this king, the following offense, what is the intention?”

When Lifted Man Zhou heard this, he was almost so angry that he turned his back.

Many of those who came with him began to weep secretly.

By this point, they felt they were being foolish.

Zhang Anshi then no longer paid any attention to this Zhou Lianren, but looked at Zhu Di and said, “Your Majesty, so …… if these people can’t pay back the loan, then if nothing else, the collateral confiscated from the nearly ten million taels of grain silver that the money bank has lent out must be worth more than twenty million taels of grain silver, or even …… more!”

“The only trouble is, the question of how to dispose of these properties. The good thing is that …… many of the physical objects they mortgaged are in hard currency on the market, and even if they are momentarily backlogged and difficult to dispose of, they can just spend a few years digesting them without worrying that they can’t be sold.”

Zhu said, “Good …… good ……”

Zhu felt a sense of relief through and through!

He said two good things in a row, and when he was about to continue with another good word, he realized as if it was not the right time to say that.

So he immediately boarded up his face, face with anger, snapped: “If for hoarding and lending, just for the sake of oppression of the people, trapped in the people in the fire, abandoned, then …… these people are not only the heart can be put to death, but also the heartless, ten evils!”

Zhou Lifeng had begun to shiver when he heard this.

Zhang Anshi said, “Your Majesty rest your anger, this third gain …… is actually not small ……”

Zhu froze, and the man went numb.

A gain, said clearly, the people relief, not only got relief, but also received excellent treatment, according to Zhang Anshi such a relief method, the court can be said to be harvested once a huge hearts and minds.

But things are done properly not to mention, there are actually so much revenue, whether it is taxes, or the interest of the money bank, or even the forfeiture of collateral, it can be said that Zhu Di and Zhang Anshi are the most direct beneficiaries.

Other people relief spend silver, he Zhu Di relief of the people, so that the people are grateful, actually earn silver.

It is a wonder that such a thing exists in the world.

However, Zhu Di’s dragon face at the same time, but can not help but begin to feel a little Zhang Anshi this guy’s mouth is a little big.

Earned on the earned Well, privately say it, now in front of everyone, one, two, three, four, five say it, this …… instead of some unsteady.

But thinking like this, Zhu Di could not help but say, “What is this third?”

Zhang Anshi said: “Taipingfu relief, in addition to providing enough food, but also distributed clothing, tools, etc., to teach the people to eat and drink enough to keep warm, at the same time, but also take this opportunity to conscript the people to do labor, the so-called teach a man to fish is not as good as to teach a man to fish, that is so.”

“Therefore, the four provinces, all the prefectures and counties, I have ordered people to organize the people affected by this disaster, for the weak children and teenagers, teach them to read and write. For the elderly, to support, for the women, they are responsible for cooking and mending, and for the strong, they teach them to build bridges and roads, let them repair reservoirs, dig canals, and even …… pave the roadbed. His Majesty is rich in the four seas, and this is because …… the people of the world are all His Majesty s subjects, and the land of the world is all His Majesty s territory. These proceeds, not real gold and silver, but the development of these lands of Your Majesty …… is the most valuable wealth for Your Majesty.”

Zhu Di heard, can not help but be cheered, which finally did not directly talk about gold and silver and other vulgar things.

Zhu Di nodded his head in satisfaction and said, “This is a reasonable statement.”

Zhang Anshi then said: “Not to mention the other, just say the roadbed, from Guanzhong to Henan, has built hundreds of miles long, as for the other projects, is uncountable. And these roadbed …… is the Division of Railroads before this, has carried out planning and measurement ………”

Zhu Di snapped, sensing that there was something in his words, and his expression became serious for a few more moments.

Zhang Anshi continued, “And the land used for the roadbed, most of the land is either unowned or mortgaged, and there are a few, I also spent some silver to purchase down. If necessary, as long as your majesty’s order, you can lay sleepers and railroad tracks at any time.”

“In this way, this railroad will soon be able to pass through, the land along the railroad, by and large, are in the hands of the imperial court and the Taiping government, can also be operated, and, once the railroad is opened, it means that, Guanzhong and Henan, etc., need to conscript a large number of manpower, the great disaster of the past few years, employing a large number of manpower, the construction of railroads, not only to make the Guanzhong and Henan interoperability, can be a great deal of businessmen and Hundreds of people as well as the transportation of goods to provide great convenience, but also allows many of the strong, to be able to rely on their own labor, to support their families, can be said to be a multi-purpose.”

Chu: “……”

The piece of math, Zhang Anshi is kind of given to play to understand.

The railroad is in the direct line, and the gain is immense.

After all, this thing is too large capacity, coupled with the ancient transportation loss is too large, transportation is already expensive, and the emergence of the railroad, not only greatly reduce the loss, while a reasonable freight costs, but also the Division of Railways in Zhili earned a lot of money.

Just this railroad division has been limited to Zhili, when I wanted to expand to Jiangxi Province, but because of a huge nest case, failed.

This is what made Zhu Di realize that what Zhili can do, does not mean that the other provinces can do, on the one hand, is the land in the hands of the world’s gentry, to requisition a large amount of land, it would have required a great cost.

On the other hand, it was the construction of the railroad, which would have been astronomically expensive, and at such a huge cost, it was no joke.

But now …… land is here.

What’s amazing is that even the roadbed arrived.

It is important to know that the construction of railroads is not just a simple matter of laying rails, but the biggest expense is the recruitment of a large number of laborers to build the roadbed, as well as the construction of bridges.

These can be huge expenditures up front, and with today’s productivity, such work, a thousand-mile railroad, would require at least tens of millions of strong men to be conscripted and a lot of time to complete.

But now …… the preliminary work …… is actually miraculously accomplished.

It’s fine if it’s accomplished, and it’s still paid for by the bad gentry.

Next, it will be just a matter of the Division of Railroads investing another large sum of silver to begin laying track and sleepers.

Zhu suddenly, actually got agitated.

Railroads such a good thing, can make a profit, can enhance the rule of the court, can facilitate the merchants, and even bring wealth to the people, such a book of business, but can not be expanded out of Zhili, this is Zhu Di’s a matter of heart.

But now …… everything is ready.

Zhu Di’s voice couldn’t help but bring a few points of trembling, “All …… have been repaired and completed ……”

Zhang Anshi said with certainty, “The roadbed of the main line, have all been compacted, and even the land leveling of certain station locations along the railroad, have been completed. The trunk lines have all been padded, and drainage channels have been constructed on both sides, as well as a large amount of gravel, which has also been laid, and all that is missing is the laying of sleepers and rails.”

“Good!” Zhu Di dragon face greatly pleased, suddenly exuberant, with a big smile on his face, impassioned, “Good very good, so, then the benefit in a thousand years, ah, so that the river and mountain …… of the Great Ming will be as solid as a rock.”

In fact, Zhang Anshi still feel a bit of a pity, on the one hand, it is a pity is the Hukuang area, the roadbed has not yet been repaired, after all, there are too many mountains and forests, the current schedule, but also barely carried out a section. And there is a dense water network, the work of repairing bridges, is also a huge project.

On the other hand, there is the fact that the river does act as a bit of an impediment to the railroad.

After all, building railroad bridges over the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers is, at least for now, impossible.

Thus, Zhang Anshi chose to set up ferries at both ends of the blocked railroad line, where the railroad would travel to the ferry, unload its cargo, load it onto a ship, and then send it to the ferry on the other side of the river, where it would be reloaded on the railroad line on the other side of the river.

Of course, even so, in this day and age, such a solution is already a huge step forward, increasing current capacity by at least ten times, and reducing losses by an even more unknown number of times.

But after all, can not do the latter that, can be directly connected to the north and south, or inevitably have some regrets.

Zhu Di, however, is already enough ecstasy, a smile, said: “a relief, actually become a thousand years of work, Zhang Qing really have the talent of Guan Zhong, Le Yi.”