Chapter 161 Zhu Chong’s Trouble
"Who said that? He said that the banknotes issued by Your Majesty are destroying the Ming Dynasty?" Queen Ma's beautiful eyes widened.
"Don't be so nervous, Queen." Old Zhu quickly comforted Queen Ma, waving his hand and saying, "Actually, at first, I couldn't figure it out either, but after that brat's explanation, I couldn't deny it. It's indeed the truth!"
"Then..." Empress Ma was suddenly confused. "Then why did Your Majesty let the Second Prince be the Director of that damned Baochao Tizhusi? Shouldn't the Baochao Tizhusi be closed down?"
After hearing what Zhu Yuanzhang said, Empress Ma's first reaction was that the Baochao Tizhusi should be closed down and that her second son should not be in such a troubled place.
It would affect the country's destiny and easily be criticized. Even if the second son was a bastard, he should not be abandoned. Empress Ma was worried about the country and her children, and she became anxious and directly said that the Baochao Tizhusi should be closed.
"The Queen's opinion on this matter coincides with mine at the time." Old Zhu smiled bitterly, "But that kid wouldn't give in, and even said something that made it difficult for me to make up my mind."
"What? Your Majesty means that the boy wants to be the director of the Baochao Tijusi?" Queen Ma glared.
Old Zhu felt inexplicably guilty, but at this moment he could only be stubborn and say, "Queen, listen to what I have to say."
"At that time, I heard that kid say that the treasure notes issued by the court over the years would not affect the current Ming Dynasty. However, if they continue to be issued endlessly and without rules, it will definitely lead to disaster."
"He said that the people now accept the treasure notes because of us. As long as we are here, the people trust us and believe that the treasure notes can be exchanged for an equivalent amount of gold, silver and copper coins, so they can circulate smoothly in the market."
"But if the Ming Dynasty's treasury continues to be as empty as it is now, the treasure notes will soon become worthless. Especially after we are gone, the Ming Dynasty will fall into the same chaos as the Yuan Dynasty."
After hearing what Zhu Yuanzhang said, Empress Ma thought about it carefully and soon figured out the key point. She was immediately horrified.
Empress Ma's doubts remained unresolved. "So, according to what Your Majesty said, our Second Son intends to help the court control the issuance of treasure notes and turn them into treasure?"
"That's about it." Old Zhu nodded. "Only our second son would be able to handle something like this. I wouldn't be worried if it were anyone else. Of course, he's the only one who noticed the problem right now."
When Empress Ma heard what Zhu Yuanzhang said, she immediately reacted, but she did not agree with what Zhu Yuanzhang said.
When the Baochao was first issued, there were objections in the court, but no one saw it as clearly as Zhu Chong, who explained all the consequences to him clearly.
Of course, it was a good thing that he didn't say anything, otherwise, with Zhu's temper, he would have killed everyone in the Golden Palace!
After a moment's silence, Empress Ma asked doubtfully, "Your Majesty, even if the imperial court controls the issuance of treasure notes, the dangers are still there. What if..."
"The Queen is worried that the Second Prince will overdo things, right?" Old Zhu sighed with a wry smile, "We were thinking the same thing at the time, but the problem has already occurred. It's not that easy to take it back."
"The imperial court has been issuing treasure notes for several years now. Preliminary estimates put the total amount at approximately 60 million guan."
"Once the treasure notes are abolished, it will mean that 60 million strings of silver will be needed to redeem them. Where will the court get so much money? But if we don't redeem them, it will be equivalent to the court breaking its promise to the world, so..."
After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang stopped talking. Empress Ma also understood what Zhu Yuanzhang meant and did not ask any further questions. Instead, she came up to Zhu Yuanzhang and comforted him.
"Your Majesty, don't worry. You are blessed with great fortune. Heaven has sent our second son to resolve this matter for you. Isn't this a sign that the Ming Dynasty is as stable as Mount Tai?"
"That's true." Old Zhu laughed again. Indeed, who would have thought that Zhu Chong had grown to this point.
Although Baochao is a double-edged sword, as long as Zhu Chong is at the helm, the role of Baochao can be returned to the right track, and the Ming Dynasty will not be affected in any way!
At this time, Zhu Chong did not know that in the eyes of his father and mother, he had become a synonym for talent. He was now anxious about the railway issue.
Although the rails have been produced and railway construction can begin immediately, there is a most troublesome problem that lies ahead, which is how to solve the rust prevention problem after the rails are laid.
"Sir, although our steel is good, it's exposed to the wind and sun all day long, so rust is inevitable. Once it rusts, the car on it will probably not be able to run."
The person who suggested the possibility of rusting of the rails was Old Liu. As an old man in the Baochao Tizhusi, he has now become Zhu Chong's qualified right-hand man and can often ask Zhu Chong some constructive questions.
Zhu Chong is just one person after all. Even if he has a system, it is impossible for him to be perfect in everything.
"It's not a big deal." Zhu Chong thought about it carefully and said with a faint smile, "Old Liu, do you think applying tung oil to the rails can solve this problem?"
"Tung oil?" Old Liu and the other craftsmen looked at each other, their eyes widened almost at the same time, and when they turned back to look at Zhu Chong, their eyes became surprised and happy.
The problem was raised by Old Liu, but it was thought of by many craftsmen together. It was something that no one could do, but unexpectedly, Zhu Chong solved it in just a few words. How could this not make everyone happy?
Tung oil was very common in the Ming Dynasty. Objects coated with it have acid and alkali resistance, rust and corrosion resistance, and are the most suitable item for rust-proofing steel rails.
"Sir, in this case, our Baochao Tizhusi will have to purchase a large amount of tung oil, which is not cheap." Zhang Quan reminded Zhu Chong at this time.
Zhu Chong nodded. Tung oil is a good thing and is an officially controlled item. However, this is not a big deal for Zhu Chong at all. What he cares about now is something else.
"Zhang Quan, how's the cotton purchase going?"
"Well," Zhang Quan hesitated for a moment before saying to Zhu Chong, "Sir, there's almost no cotton produced near Yingtian Prefecture, and it's not the season for cotton to go on the market yet. Therefore, the total amount of cotton I've purchased so far still doesn't meet your requirements."
When Zhu Chong heard Zhang Quan say this, he frowned, but after hearing the reasons given by the other party, he understood that they were all true.
The Ming Dynasty does not grow cotton on a large scale at present. The place where cotton is grown is quite far away from Yingtian Prefecture. Unless the cotton is on the market in September, what Zhu Chong wants to do will probably be a long way off.
"Sir, there is actually something that I don't know whether I should tell you or not..." Zhang Quan suddenly said this at this time, which immediately attracted Zhu Chong's special attention.
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