Does the current emperor need money? The answer is yes.

Fighting wars requires money, alleviating people's livelihood requires money, paying salaries requires money... It can be said that money is needed everywhere in the operation of the Ming Dynasty.

But must it be collected from the nobles? The answer is obviously no.

The financial situation of the Ming Dynasty has improved and is not yet at the point of collapse.

Think about Chongzhen, who was so poor that he sold all the valuables in the palace. In the end, he hanged himself, but he did not kill the nobles, but handed them over to King Chuang with their property intact.

But if Zhu Youxiao wanted to carry out reforms, he had to strike back at the nobles.

Who made them officials of the Ming Dynasty? We cannot differentiate between officials and businessmen when cracking down on them. If we ignore what is happening right under our noses, how can we have the confidence to severely punish others?

To promote the development of industry and commerce, we must create a relatively fair and just environment. Eliminating officials and businessmen who rely on privilege can only be considered laying the foundation, paving the way for the introduction of future industrial and commercial regulations.

To put it bluntly, officials, nobles, and vassal states involved in commerce were obstacles to advancing reform. They were stumbling blocks that had to be removed, simple as that.

But Zhu Youxiao was not too rude. Treating people differently has always been his principle.

The emperor was not polite to Duke Chengguo Zhu Chunchen and directly ordered him to disband the caravan, close the shops and auction them off, and require him to pay a fine for overdue business and a one-year salary deduction.

This is to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys and see how other nobles react.

The nobles such as the Earl of Xiangcheng, the Earl of Hui'an, and the Earl of Xuancheng were rewarded and encouraged. Some of their descendants entered military schools and new schools to seek advancement, and some even committed suicide for their country during the Jiashen Rebellion.

At the same time, Zhu Youxiao also proposed his own plan, which was to let the nobles raise funds and invest in the establishment of the Ming Development Bank.

Zhu Youxiao would use the glass factory, mirror factory, and coal and steel plant as capital stock and serve as president and CEO of the Development Bank. Of course, specific management and operations would be handled by others, with the emperor merely providing general guidance.

The nobles have a lot of money but don’t know where to spend it, so they want to make money from their money. So what are you hesitating about? Come and invest in the business and make a fortune!

On the one hand, they are cracking down on officials and businessmen, and on the other hand, they are establishing a "big official and business" group led by the emperor. Isn't this contradictory and self-contradictory?

But the emperor did not think so. He preferred to call this development bank a commercial bank and the collected factories "state-owned enterprises."

The role of state-owned enterprises goes without saying. Businesses are reluctant to operate industries that require large investments, long construction times, and slow profit growth, as pillars of the national economy. Government involvement can effectively address this problem.

At the same time, pooling the funds of the nobles is not only an effective way to utilize them, but also saves direct financial investment.

Furthermore, the ability to make money through investment in stocks gave the nobles another option, reducing their resistance. While it might not be as profitable as directly engaging in business, it was still better than leaving the money at home and wasting it.

The most important thing is that the nobles are only shareholders or honorary directors. If they are not given management rights, they can no longer use their personal privileges.

Participating in business with privileges is the main characteristic of "official businessmen".

In short, this combination of development banks and factories will be mainly based on industrial and commercial industries and have a certain public welfare nature, which is essentially different from "official business".

Of course, no one would have imagined how high Zhu Youxiao's expectations and far-reaching considerations were for this development bank.

It is not new in the West that financial instruments, or the banking and credit industry, have become a means and tool for expansion.

Zhu Youxiao also planned to gradually turn the Development Bank into a driving force for expansion and plunder wealth from abroad.

The strong prey on the weak, that's the law of the jungle. In this world, if you don't fight for what you want, you'll be plundered by others. There's no room for mercy.

……………………

Pavilions, towers, gardens and beautiful ponds.

Even the pleasant scenery seemed dull to Zhu Chunchen, Duke of Chengguo. But he was there to visit, so he had to put on a brave face in front of the host, Duke of Ying, Zhang Weixian.

Zhang Weixian knew that Zhu Chunchen was angry about the emperor's punishment and wanted to hit the wooden bell or find an ally.

But he just pretended not to know, and when the food and wine were served, he kept talking about all sorts of nonsense. Zhu Chunchen brought up the topic several times, but he also played dumb and muddled through it.

In fact, Zhang Weixian was also dissatisfied with the emperor's move. Why did he ignore the merits of his ancestors and block their way to make money?

But although he was dissatisfied, Zhang Weixian did not dare to express it.

If the Beijing Army was still controlled by the nobility, such a thing would not have happened. However, after the Battle of Tumu and the restoration of Emperor Yingzong, the system of old military officials commanding the troops had gradually changed to a system of bureaucratic control and eunuchs supervising the army.

The current emperor has completely deprived the nobles of their only remaining nominal right to command troops by reorganizing the Beijing camp and opening up martial arts schools.

The emperor holds the power of the sword, but you refuse to listen to his suggestions and instead want to provoke him so that he can strip you of your title, confiscate your property, and even chop off your head?

The situation is stronger than the people themselves. The descendants of nobles like Zhang Weixian and Zhu Chunchen have long lost the wisdom and courage of their ancestors. The fact that they haven't become playboys is already a success. Where can they find any ambition or ability? Rebellion? Give him ten times the courage!

When Zhu Chunchen brought up the topic for the third time, Zhang Weixian slowly put down his wine glass and asked with a smile, "Brother Zhu, I heard that the mansion is being renovated and they're going to replace all the windows with glass?"

Flat glass has already started to be sold, but the quantity is limited and the price is high. Replacing the windows in the Chengguo Mansion will cost a lot of money.

Zhu Chunchen grunted and defended himself, "That's just a rumor from the outside world. How could I possibly trade all my wealth? It's just a study. My eyes are blurry, so a brighter room would be more convenient for reading."

This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!