Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 245 Zhang Shiyuan is causing chaos and unrest?
On the lobby.

Wang Shizhen was wearing his undergarments, his hair was in a very messy bun, and he held the letter in his hand, trembling uncontrollably.

After seeing Wang Xijue off, he had already returned to his room to sleep, but unexpectedly, the other party returned.

Wang Shizhen harbored resentment.

Even if it's an extremely urgent matter, why can't you ask someone to pass on the message, or say we'll talk about it tomorrow? Why do you have to wake me up again tonight?
But once you read the contents of the letter, you immediately understand why your old friend risked his life to let you see it in person.

Zhang Shiyuan! He's utterly inhuman!
"Beast! You beast!"

Wang Shizhen let out a series of roars, but it was unclear whether he was cursing Zhang Yunxiu or his eldest son, Wang Shiqi.

He stared wide-eyed, carefully reading each word of the letter.

Wang Heng meticulously recorded Wang Shiqi's thoughts and feelings over the past few days in the letter. Upon reading this, Wang Shizhen immediately understood.

He sent his steward to keep an eye on his rebellious son, but to his surprise, it had no effect and no news came back.

It seems the steward must have been coerced by this boy to only report good news and not bad.

Then look at Wang Shiqi. In order to buy that futures contract, he actually mortgaged and sold all of the Wang family's assets in the capital.

The son sells his grandfather's land without a second thought!
Wang Shizhen clutched her chest, feeling a tightness in her chest that she couldn't expel.

He was heartbroken and stamped his feet as he held the letter.

"My house outside the imperial city is in a prime location. How dare this unfilial son sell it?"

"And those hundred acres of fertile land in the eastern suburbs, that's the land along the Tongzhou Canal, the best of the land, he even mortgaged it!"

"My antique paintings and calligraphy! He wouldn't dare to pawn Zhao Gan's 'First Snow on the River' as well, would he?"

"The traitor! The traitor!"

Wang Shizhen roared, causing the servants waiting outside to fall silent in fear.

"I'm going to the capital! I'm going to the capital! I'll bring that rebellious son back and break his legs!"

Wang Shizhen's appearance, with tears streaming down his face, made it unclear whether he was crying or laughing.

Seeing this, Wang Xijue, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but sigh. He could only step forward, pull the man aside, and comfort him.

"Brother Yuanmei, please calm down. Your trip to the capital is very inappropriate. Not to mention the long journey to the capital, even if you travel at full speed, it will take at least half a month. By then, will there still be any chance to make amends?"

Meanwhile, in the Jiangnan region, the Textile Bureau and the Xishan Money Exchange are eyeing us covetously, and Hai Rui and Yin Yangshi are eager to see us make a fool of ourselves.

If you act rashly at this moment, you will fall into their trap!

Wang Shizhen had already become somewhat reckless, and said with wide eyes.

"That unfilial son has squandered all of my family's wealth! What can I do now? This son is so absurd, I will break his legs and then find Zhang Shiyuan to settle things cleanly!"

Wang Xijue was terrified and waved his hands repeatedly.

"Absolutely not, absolutely not."

He was afraid that the other person might do something rash.

"We can remain calm and collected by taking every step carefully and planning every move. If we act rashly, we will be at a disadvantage."

Especially since Brother Yuanmei went to the capital, which is now dominated by the Zhang family's power. Isn't that like entering a dragon's den or a tiger's lair?

"Then what do you say?" Wang Shizhen asked irritably.

Wang Xijue shook his head and said, "Brother Yuanmei, take it easy. You are so anxious, how can I not be anxious?"
Chenyu (Wang Heng's courtesy name) was a well-behaved child from a young age, but after going to the capital, he was like someone who had been corrupted by a dye vat. He was also bewitched by Zhang Shiyuan and kept talking about "new learning".

As an elderly father, I am extremely anxious.

He didn't expect to be proven wrong so quickly. Just an hour ago, he was boasting to his old friend about how mature and composed his child was.

Wow, compared to that kid Wang Shiqi, he's practically a filial and virtuous son; he's got the makings of a top scholar in the future!
But as soon as he turned around, the kid slapped his father hard across the face.

What are you going to do to "get involved"?

Wang Xijue let out a heavy sigh: "The best course of action for us now is to first communicate with Lord Xu."

"Find another reliable person and send them at top speed to the capital to stop those two little beasts!"

He still had some concerns. Zhang Yunxiu was taking an unconventional approach and creating a "futures market," making it hard for people not to believe that he had a scheme in mind.

Without fully understanding the situation, it would be unwise for them to act rashly.

After a few cups of tea, Wang Shizhen finally calmed down and figured out the crux of the problem, then sighed deeply.

"It's all because Zhang Shiyuan was too vicious. He used seductive methods to bewitch people so much that they were neither human nor ghost."

From Wang Heng's brief descriptions in the letter, he could already sense how terrifying "futures trading" was.

In just one day, you can earn more money than an ordinary person could earn in a lifetime!

How can this not drive people crazy!
Both men saw the gravity in each other's eyes. Wang Xijue sighed and said, "I will send someone to inform Lord Xu's residence, and the two of us will visit him tomorrow to explain the situation."

Most importantly, we need to know what exactly happened in the capital, and what Zhang Shiyuan's true intentions are!

The main hall of the Ministry of Revenue.

Zhang Xueyan, then Minister of Revenue, was standing in front of a huge display board.

The display board is marked with lines that change up and down using wolf hair pens of different colors, and occasionally some text explanations are written on it.

Then, he imitated Zhang Yunxiu, holding a long pointer in his hand.

He dared not use the pointer to strike Zhang Juzheng in front of him, but instead pointed at the display board, introducing each concept on it.

"Since ancient times, merchants have faced arduous journeys to make a living, and the trade of goods has been extremely complicated."

For example, transporting large quantities of cotton not only requires manpower and vehicles for long-distance transshipment, but also requires huge sums of money to rent warehouses.

What's even more troublesome is that market conditions fluctuate like the tides.

At its worst, cotton that cost ten coins a pound in the morning would plummet to five coins by the afternoon.

There are frequent instances where prices fluctuate again after delivery has been completed.

Therefore, Magistrate Zhang ingeniously created the "futures market," using contracts to represent goods. Merchants, holding these contracts, no longer needed to worry about physical delivery; they could simply gamble and maneuver based on market conditions and price fluctuations.

Ultimately, the concept of the "futures market" is not complicated; it was just too novel for people in ancient times.

Zhang Juzheng sat in the hall, holding a cup of tea, and looked at the charts that had become the daily tools of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works. He couldn't help but frown deeply.

“This item is similar to ‘salt certificates’. There were precedents in the Song Dynasty for using ‘certificates’ to trade tea and salt. But what does ‘futures’ mean?”

Zhang Xueyan explained, "It's probably similar to the method of selling grain in advance, where the goods are bought and sold through contracts before they arrive or are even produced."

After a brief introduction, Zhang Juzheng had a general understanding of the futures law.

He fell into deep thought, his expression not very good, appearing somewhat sullen.

Zhang Xueyan noticed the change in the Grand Secretary's expression and quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Your Excellency need not worry. Your son's method is ingenious. It not only facilitates the flow and trade of goods, but also stabilizes the prices of commodities such as grain and cloth."

The method is good, but the question is whether it can be effectively implemented.

"If I find this method inappropriate," Zhang Juzheng's expression turned somewhat cold, "is it still not too late?"

"This"

Zhang Xueyan looked slightly embarrassed.

It turns out that Zhang Yunxiu's establishment of the "futures market," though nominally under the guise of the imperial court and the Ministry of Revenue, was actually a case of "acting first and reporting later."

The "futures market" was already widely known in the capital, but Zhang Juzheng, the Grand Secretary, only learned from the newspapers that the cabinet and the Ministry of Revenue had approved the establishment of this so-called "futures market".

Zhang Yunxiu is truly audacious.

Sweat beaded on Zhang Xueyan's forehead as he said hesitantly, "Prime Minister, please don't be angry. This law is beneficial to the country and the people, and it is advantageous for us to implement the Single Whip Law."
With the Ministry of Revenue overseeing this, the imperial court can utilize these futures contracts to implement the equalization and price stabilization policy, which would be much more efficient.

"This unfilial son is becoming increasingly presumptuous."

Zhang Juzheng gritted his teeth, his face slightly distorted.

This kid was certain that I would make amends for him, so he acted with complete confidence and directly pushed forward the "futures market".

Even if he was furious, the deed was done.

Just as Zhang Yunxiu had predicted, Zhang Juzheng, in order to vigorously promote the "Single Whip Law," would certainly not abolish the "futures market," and might even promote it vigorously.

In matters of national importance, fighting based on personal feelings is unacceptable.

However, Zhang Juzheng still said with considerable dissatisfaction: "Although the futures market is good, it is not perfect. In recent days, several nobles have filed complaints with me. I heard that the Duke of Cheng is also obsessed with it."

The sons of high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital now spend their days in the futures market, hoping to make huge profits.

This encourages extravagance.

“The Grand Secretary is being biased,” Zhang Xueyan explained with a smile. “Those sons of noble families usually commit all sorts of misdeeds in the capital. Rather than letting them frequent brothels and live a life of extravagance, it would be better to let them invest their money in the futures market, so that more people can benefit.”

Zhang Juzheng was focused on "rule by man," while Zhang Xueyan was more concerned with economic advantages.

Isn't it a good policy to let spoiled brats who don't create value create value in this economic wave?

Zhang Xueyan continued his thought, saying, "We want to vigorously promote the Single Whip Law. Previously, people often raised questions. Ordinary people often exchange grain for silver and then pay taxes. In the process, they are inevitably exploited by local gentry and officials."

The existence of the futures market can, to some extent, solve this problem.

Zhang Juzheng became somewhat interested: "What's the explanation?"

(End of this chapter)