The Ming Dynasty: The opening scene features Zhu Di angrily accusing him of illegitimate succession.

Chapter 94 The Grand Ming Dynasty Treasury (Seeking monthly votes at the end of the month)

Lin Yue suddenly raised his hand and pointed at Xie Jin, his voice sharp and his words filled with curses.

"Jie Jin, you have been enjoying the imperial salary for thirty years, yet you know nothing about the origins of the court or the existence of the nation. How dare you speak so eloquently about the great principles of governing the world?"

Xie Jin's expression changed drastically. He suddenly straightened up and slammed his ivory tablet heavily against the railing, producing a crisp, loud sound.

"Lin Yue! You, a junior who has just entered the ranks, dare to speak rudely to me?"

"The Ming Dynasty is ordained by Heaven and the will of the people. Its foundation lies in benevolence, righteousness, and morality, and its basis for good governance lies in educating the people. This is the eternal righteous path passed down by Confucius and Mencius. What would you like to say?"

Lin took half a step forward and shouted angrily.

"The imperial court is there to establish order for the people and to relieve them from danger!"

In ancient times, the Yellow River flooded for nine years, its turbid waves reaching the heavens. Individual households could not withstand the flood, and entire tribes and clans could not resist the famine. People either drowned or died, and corpses of the starved littered the fields. For thousands of miles, not a rooster crowed!

"If the people had not unanimously chosen Yao, Shun, and Yu as their common rulers, gathered the people's strength to dredge the nine rivers, controlled the nation's grain supplies to relieve famine, and unified the commands of the four seas to combat natural disasters, how could the Chinese nation have such a long-lasting foundation?"

"Don't you dare misinterpret the sages!" Xie Jin's beard trembled with anger. "The reason Yao, Shun, and Yu were considered sage kings was precisely because their benevolence extended throughout the world, which earned them the support of all people!"

Lin Yue immediately retorted, turning to the ministers in the hall, his voice loud and clear.

Can a benevolent heart cure hunger and thirst? Can it quell a great flood?

Isn't benevolence expressed through concrete actions, or merely empty words?

Later generations established the positions of Minister of Education to spread the five teachings, Minister of War to organize the six armies, and Minister of Works to regulate the water and soil. Were they meant to lead the people in reciting the words of the sages every day?

The purpose of establishing officials and assigning duties was to set laws to stop plunder, to equalize land distribution to ensure farming and weaving, and to provide relief from famine to save the people!

"When the people are trapped by floods, can your words of benevolence and love for others stop the waters from rising from the mountains? When the people starve in the ditches, can your words of self-discipline and adherence to propriety fill their empty stomachs? When refugees suffer from plunder, can your words of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame stop the powerful from seizing the people's weapons?"

"Scholar Lin, you are mistaken!" Cabinet Minister Huang Huai couldn't help but step forward and bow. "Mencius said, 'Put righteousness before profit, and the nation will prosper.' To prioritize wealth in everything is to abandon the essential for the trivial. I believe this statement is utterly wrong."

"Lord Huang's words have hit the nail on the head regarding Xie Jin's mistake!" Lin Yue argued with the group of scholars.

"Righteousness and profit are not contradictory! Letting the people live is the greatest righteousness! Making the world stable is the most fundamental profit!"

Some say that the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing were built on benevolence and righteousness, but if Emperor Wen had not established a bureaucracy to maintain order, and Emperor Jing had not sent Zhou Yafu to quell the Rebellion of the Seven States, and had not adopted Jia Yi's strategies to suppress powerful clans and prevent land annexation, could the prosperous reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing have been achieved simply through recuperation and restoration?

Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi, seated at his seat, couldn't help but ask, "Scholar Lin, according to historical records, Emperor Wen did indeed establish the Imperial Farm, but his act of personally tilling the land to encourage the people—can this not be considered benevolent governance?"

Lin Yue cupped his hands in reply: "Your Highness, Emperor Wen's personal plowing of the imperial field was indeed a benevolent act, but an even greater act of benevolence was the distribution of land to the people."

The essence of Emperor Wen's actions was to redistribute wealth using the power of the court!

People only know that Emperors Wen and Jing had a reputation for recuperation and restoration, but they are completely unaware of the fundamental principles of Emperor Wen's governance!

Emperor Wen seized the public fields and gardens that the powerful and wealthy had illegally occupied, and distributed them all to the landless and displaced people. He also opened up the royal mountains, forests, ponds and lakes for the poor to cultivate and fish for a living. This was to seize the private surplus of those who had annexed the land and to help the poor make a living.

He repeatedly issued imperial edicts to open official granaries, lend seeds and food, and provide relief to widows, orphans, the poor, and those suffering from hunger and thirst. This was to divert the surplus of the imperial treasury to make up for the poverty of the common people. He sent marquises to their fiefdoms to reduce the power of the powerful and wealthy. He strictly enforced laws to prohibit overstepping the bounds of authority to curb the trend of annexation. He supervised officials to punish corruption to ensure the safety of the people. This was to use the power of the court to seek a livelihood for the people of the world!

This is the strategy for establishing a solid foundation for the prosperous reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing, and it is certainly not something that can be achieved by simply relying on empty and unsubstantiated benevolent teachings as described by Xie Jin.

Xie Jin was so angry that his face turned red: "Reducing taxes and allowing the people to rest is the true essence of the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing. Your advocacy of robbing the rich to help the poor is utter nonsense."

"Let the people rest? Does that mean letting them rest under the oppression of powerful figures?" Lin Yue retorted.

"In the early Han Dynasty, powerful families occupied tens of thousands of acres of land. Tenant farmers had to pay five shi of land rent for every ten shi of grain they harvested, while the national tax was only one-thirtieth. Under such circumstances, the common people did not live well, but the powerful families became extremely rich."

Lin Yue turned to Zhu Di and said in a resounding voice.

"Your Majesty! I have thoroughly examined the laws and regulations of our dynasty. From the Hongwu era to the present, the annual output of coins minted throughout the country is only a little over 100,000 strings of cash, which is less than two or three tenths of the peak output of the Northern Song Dynasty. Moreover, the amount of copper mined throughout the country is very small, not even enough to meet the needs of the previous dynasty's coin minting!"

Xie Jin keeps saying he wants to abolish paper money and use copper coins exclusively. I ask you, is this meager amount of copper and this small amount of coins enough to support the trade of the vast Ming Dynasty?

Is there enough food and provisions to pay the hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the nine borders? Is there enough to provide relief from floods, droughts, famines, and starving refugees throughout the land?!

"Is what Scholar Lin said about copper production truly accurate?" Zhu Di asked with some surprise. "Although I know that copper is scarce, I don't know why the difference between our current production and that of the former Song Dynasty is so great."

"Absolutely true!" Lin Yue exclaimed. "During the Northern Song Dynasty, the annual output of officially minted copper coins alone reached over five million strings of cash, while since the founding of our Great Ming Dynasty, the highest annual output has never exceeded two hundred thousand strings of cash, not even a fraction of what the previous dynasty produced!"

"This is not because our artisans are less skilled in mining and minting coins than those of the Song Dynasty. It is simply because the rich copper mines in the Central Plains have been extensively mined over hundreds of years by the Han, Tang, and Song Dynasties, and the rich mines have long been exhausted!"

Nowadays, most of the mines are deep and have thin soil, producing poor ore. Smelting a hundred kilograms of copper requires a thousand stones of charcoal, which is extremely laborious, but yields very little copper, and the cost of minting coins increases sharply.

It wasn't that the Ming Dynasty chose paper money, but rather that the rapidly growing commercial demand and the increasingly severe copper shortage forced the court to use paper money to fill the gap in copper coins.

Yao Guangxiao slowly opened his eyes and said calmly, "Scholar Lin's intention is for the use of paper money, but in reality, it's a helpless measure due to the shortage of copper?"

"Exactly!" Lin Yue turned to Yao Guangxiao. "Currently, copper is in short supply, and the imperial court has almost no right to mint coins. Without paper money, commerce across the country will be difficult to operate."

The purpose of issuing paper money is to ensure stability. As long as sufficient reserves are set aside, the issuance volume is strictly controlled, and the public is allowed to freely exchange it, the credibility of paper money can be quickly restored.

"You are still advocating the use of fictitious currency to harm the people!" Xie Jin shouted sternly. "The paper money of the former Song Dynasty and the precious paper money of this dynasty are both lessons from the past!"

Your Majesty! Lin Yue is spreading heresies and inciting unfounded rumors, attempting to create chaos in the world. He must not be trusted.

I, your humble servant, guarantee with my life that you implore us to abolish paper money and adopt copper coins; this is the right path!

Lin Yue immediately retorted loudly: "Your Majesty! To be close to virtuous ministers and keep away from petty men is the reason why the Former Han Dynasty prospered!"

Xie Jin was out of touch with the times and inflexible, clinging to ancient texts and studying them to death. He was truly a villain who harmed the country!

He is utterly ignorant and disregards the nation's dire need for copper coins. Keeping him in the cabinet will only cause His Majesty's grand ambitions to come to naught!

We humbly request Your Majesty to expel him from the Wenhua Hall and remove him from his position as a cabinet minister, so that he will no longer interfere with Your Majesty's grand plan for stabilizing the country with his pedantic arguments!

Xie Jin was furious and wanted to argue.

Zhu Di, seated on his throne, raised his hand and interrupted in a deep voice: "What Minister Lin said is absolutely right and accurate. I wholeheartedly agree with his views."

Upon hearing this, Xie Jin's words caught in his throat, his face turning pale and then flushed.

What does this mean, Emperor Yongle? Isn't it common for cabinet ministers to argue and hurl insults at each other? How come you withdrew halfway through the argument? This is not fair!

Zhu Di's gaze first fell on Lin Yue, then swept over the officials in the hall, his tone resolute.

"Our Great Ming Dynasty has a vast territory, and the scarcity of copper is undeniable. Currently, the annual output of minting coins is only a little over 100,000 strings of cash. How can this support trade across the world, military pay for the nine border regions, and disaster relief throughout the country?"

Zhu Di’s voice was steady and powerful: “If we continue to use copper coins, it will be tantamount to tying our own hands and feet. How can the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty be limited by a mere copper resource?”

I have already carefully read the memorial submitted by Minister Lin regarding the matter of the precious paper money. His strategies of establishing reserves, strict control, and clear redemption are truly insightful!

For the sake of the people's livelihood and for the long-term stability of the Ming Dynasty, this policy must be implemented!

Zhu Di raised his hand and announced loudly, "Issue my decree!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall bowed and obeyed, even Yao Guangxiao sat up straight and looked at Zhu Di.

"Immediately establish the Great Ming Treasure Notes Management Bureau, directly under my command, to oversee the entire process of printing, issuing, storing, recalling, stabilizing, and preventing counterfeiting of the treasure notes, free from the control of the Six Ministries!"

Zhu Di spoke very quickly and clearly: "The General Administration has five departments: the Printing Department is in charge of printing banknotes and coins and anti-counterfeiting techniques; the Reserve Department manages the physical reserves of gold, silver, money and grain; the Stabilization Department regulates market prices and stabilizes the value of banknotes; the Supervision Department investigates corrupt officials and punishes those who privately mint counterfeit banknotes; and the Recycling and Exchange Department handles the destruction of old banknotes and the redemption of banknotes."

"The two capitals and thirteen provincial administrations established branch offices for the issuance of paper money, while prefectures and counties established official offices for paper money, creating a clear hierarchy with each department fulfilling its responsibilities!"

The Yongle Emperor paused, then emphasized, "First, implement the system of silver notes for nationwide circulation, and then introduce new paper money!"

"The imperial court should establish an ironclad rule for issuing currency: no currency shall be issued if there are no reserves!"

For every ten strings of paper money issued, there must be a corresponding reserve of gold, silver, grain, salt, iron, or other commodities of equal value. This reserve must be verified by both the Reserves Department and the Supervision Department, and the accounts and actual reserves must match perfectly. Anyone found printing money out of thin air or falsely claiming reserves will be charged with treason!

Zhu Di turned his gaze to Lin Yue and said in a loud voice, "Lin Yue! I hereby appoint you as the temporary head of the Great Ming Treasury, acting as the fourth-rank official in charge of the Treasury, with the additional title of 'Assistant to the Ministry of Revenue.' You may participate in the Ministry of Revenue's financial and grain matters, but you are not under the Ministry of Revenue's jurisdiction. All matters concerning the Treasury shall be reported directly to me!"

The Yongle Emperor added: "I order you to immediately draft the 'Baochao Law' to clearly define the form of the currency, the rules for exchange, and the regulations for rewards and punishments. It must be thorough and appropriate!"

Old banknotes must be recycled and destroyed, and excess stock must be completely cleared away. We must ensure that the new banknotes regain their credibility and are accepted by the world!

A series of decrees came out of his mouth, clear and well-organized, with meticulous planning. There may have been some impromptu ideas, but they must have been thought out and decided long ago.

For a moment, everyone in the hall was shocked.

The cabinet advisors, including Xie Jin, Huang Huai, and Hu Guang, looked surprised.

A brand new, independent agency, directly under the emperor, was headed by Lin Yue, who was only thirty years old. Even though he was merely a deputy chief official, his power was beyond everyone's imagination.

Zhu Gaochi straightened up abruptly, his back stiffening, and looked at Lin Yue with shock in his eyes.

He knew that the matter of the precious paper money concerned the livelihood of the people, and that a single move could affect the whole situation. He never expected that his father would entrust such a heavy responsibility to Lin Yue.

Yao Guangxiao's fingers, which were fiddling with the prayer beads, suddenly stopped and remained motionless for a long time. He turned to look at Zhu Di, puzzled.

Zhu Di's move was clearly too radical. He actually established an independent agency for a young man and granted him the power to speak directly to the emperor. Such trust and breaking with convention, could it be that something has happened recently that he is unaware of?

Xie Jin's face paled slightly, and he was greatly surprised. He was not shocked that Zhu Di agreed with Lin Yue's opinion, but he could not accept that Lin Yue had received such a great promotion in succession.

He stood frozen in place, seemingly wanting to argue, but the earth-shattering imperial decree left him in a state of mental chaos, unable to utter a single word.

Xie Jin: I know you, Emperor Yongle, are a hypocrite and value Lin Yue, but there's no need to value him to this extent. Lin Yue is only a few years old, yet he was specially granted the official robes of a third-rank official and was appointed as the acting fourth-rank chief official.

Xie Jin felt bitter. He had passed the imperial examination at a young age and entered officialdom as a child prodigy. During the Hongwu reign, he was as upright as Lin Yue, offering honest advice and making a name for himself by speaking frankly. However, he was not as lucky as Lin Yue. After several times of disobeying Zhu Yuanzhang, he was ordered to return to his hometown, with the words, "It is not too late to come back and be of great use in ten years."

Ten years... how many decades does one have in a lifetime?

Since this experience, Xie Jin's mentality has changed a lot. He is still confident in his talent and occasionally speaks frankly and remonstrates with the emperor, but he regards it more as a means to gain fame and buy his way out, just like when he returned to Nanjing early and said that he wanted to be buried with Emperor Jianwen, but in reality he did not.

Compared to the complex thoughts of everyone in the hall, Lin Yue's thoughts were much simpler.

In his view, the reform of the paper money system, seemingly an economic reform, was in fact a prelude to the comprehensive and in-depth reform of the Ming Dynasty, which was bound to intervene in all aspects of taxation, commerce, and people's livelihood.

Once he launches sweeping reforms centered on paper money, he will inevitably offend all the officials and wealthy merchants in the country. According to his approach, the more power he holds, the more people he will offend, and the probability of being assassinated or dying a violent death will certainly increase exponentially.

If he doesn't die, he will lead the Ming Dynasty in a reckless advance; if he dies, he will awaken Zhu Di and his successors early on. Either way, he won't lose out.

Without hesitation, Lin Yue accepted the decree: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great favor! I will dedicate myself wholeheartedly to upholding the ironclad rules, promoting the new currency, establishing credibility, and living up to Your Majesty's trust and the people's expectations!"

As soon as Lin Yue finished speaking, Zhu Di waved his hand.

"Dismissed, all of you. We will discuss all matters of state another day."

The cabinet ministers looked at each other, glanced at Lin Yue standing in the hall, bowed, and filed out.

Many people disappeared from the Wenhua Hall in an instant, leaving only Zhu Di, Zhu Gaochi, Yao Guangxiao, and Lin Yue.

The atmosphere became much more relaxed during the small gathering. Zhu Di and Zhu Gaochi were father and son, and neither of them were particularly rule-abiding.

Yao Guangxiao was an unconventional ambitious man, and Lin Yue was a madman who disregarded respect and the law. When the group of them got together, there was no sense of seriousness in what a normal court assembly should be.

Zhu Di stepped down from the throne, casually sat down below, picked up the cool tea on the table and took a sip: "This chair is much more comfortable. This dragon throne is no human being to sit on. I will replace it sooner or later."

Yao Guangxiao, still dressed in black, leaned against a pillar in the hall, slowly turning his prayer beads, his expression calm.

Zhu Gaochi lost his composure as the crown prince. He looked at Lin Yue, took two steps forward, and bowed deeply to her. His plump body bent over with difficulty, and his tone was earnest and grateful.

"Scholar Lin! The day before yesterday, the Empress Dowager was critically ill, and the Imperial Hospital was helpless. Fortunately, you stepped forward and saved the Empress Dowager from danger!"

I am deeply grateful for this life-saving grace, and I have no way to repay it!

Normally, one would avoid or humbly decline to perform a grand salute to the crown prince, but Lin Yue was clearly no ordinary person.

He forcefully helped the heavily injured Zhu Gaochi to his feet and smiled.

"Your Highness, why bother? Her Majesty the Empress is blessed with good fortune. I was merely there by chance and did what I was supposed to do."

""

Upon hearing this, Yao Guangxiao realized what had happened and immediately looked enlightened.

Was it because he saved Empress Xu's life? He recalled the relationship between Zhu Di and Empress Xu, and suddenly it didn't seem surprising that Zhu Di was promoting Lin Yue so much.

Zhu Di watched his son bow and did not stop him, but just smiled and said.

"The eldest son is still filial. Minister Lin did save your mother's life. You should remember this kindness."

He put down his teacup and said to Lin Yue, "After the Empress woke up, she said she wanted to thank you in person. Once she is feeling better, you can go with me to see her."

Lin Yue replied, "Your subject obeys the decree."

His expression remained calm; he was neither overwhelmed by the Crown Prince's obeisance nor overly humbled by the Emperor's favor. He maintained his arrogant and self-willed demeanor.

Having been in the Ming Dynasty for so long, Lin Yue has never knelt down even once, truly demonstrating his unyielding spirit.

It is unknown how others view Lin Yue's style of conduct, but Zhu Di currently admires him to a high degree, perhaps even nine or ten points.

Look at this upright and honest official; this is how civil officials of the Ming Dynasty should be.

As for those Ming officials who were loyal to Emperor Jianwen and refused to surrender even at the cost of their lives, and were executed by him, Zhu Di could only say, "Can people be the same? Lin Yue, he is different, you know?"

There was no double standard; it was simply Emperor Yongle's preference for talented individuals.

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