We need to keep Wen Yin away from his second uncle from now on, lest he be led astray!
Of course, this was just a joke. Yun-hu really did lie down, but he's just a spoiled brat who enjoys eating, drinking, and having fun. He doesn't have any bad intentions and is actually a pretty easy-going kid.
Becoming a father at nineteen wasn't considered early for Zhu Xiong Ying; it was quite normal in that era, even considered relatively late. Moreover, Zhu Xiong Ying's mental age was clearly beyond nineteen.
Zhu Xiong Ying felt that the past year had been relatively smooth, and he was quite satisfied and happy.
Because no matter how you look at it, this has been a relatively smooth year in all aspects. There has been almost no war domestically, and the situation in Japan is generally stable and doesn't require much concern for the time being.
Domestically, the rectification of officialdom has been relatively good, and the people are generally living in peace and contentment. The national strength of the Ming Dynasty is growing stronger day by day. Moreover, apart from officialdom and people's livelihood, progress in other areas, although not particularly significant, is still ongoing.
All of this naturally pleased Zhu Xiong Ying, and both Old Zhu and Big Zhu were quite happy. In their view, while they didn't say a golden age had arrived, they could see a well-governed era on the horizon.
Da Zhu coughed twice, feeling a bit chilled. "Father, it's time to raise the salaries of all the officials."
Old Zhu disliked this topic. In his view, the salaries of civil and military officials were already quite high, and he felt there was really no need to raise them further; it was simply not worthwhile.
Da Zhu found it amusing and continued, “Every year, more than two million taels of silver can be recovered from Southeast Asia, and the imperial merchants can also get one million taels from the sale of jewelry and coral. Japan is also producing more and more silver now, and can get more than three million taels every year.”
Old Zhu was displeased and said, "Our soldiers still need pay. Without pay, who will fight for you! Ying'er is busy building bridges and paving roads. Those labor reformers are alright, they should at least have some food to eat. Beiping is still building the imperial city, and we don't have the money."
No amount of money lasts forever. Despite seemingly receiving an extra five million taels of silver annually, Zhu Yuanzhang remained frugal and reluctant to spend more. This was especially true when the money was intended to increase the salaries of his officials.
Remembering something, Old Zhu said, "Biao'er, you must remember this. No matter how good silver is, it's still just silver. In times of famine, silver can't be eaten. Grain and cloth are the foundation of a family's livelihood!"
Call it Zhu De's small-farmer mentality or his limited vision.
However, one thing is certain: Zhu Xiong Ying also believed that silver and gold, at times, are really just currency. Ultimately, the value of these things often depends on social productivity; having a lot of silver is sometimes useless.
Zhu Xiong Ying was still planning to set up a bank, since the Ming Dynasty's silver reserves seemed to be slightly more abundant now, but progress on this matter was not so easy.
Aside from the fact that Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Yuanzhang weren't enthusiastic about these matters, the main reason was the current state of the Ming Dynasty's finances. An extra five million taels of silver wasn't a significant amount. It wasn't a drop in the ocean, but it certainly wasn't enough to get Zhu Xiong Ying to immediately establish a banking system.
The regulations on paper money have been slightly relaxed. Previously, it was merely 'paper money' and was not officially exchangeable. Now, things are a little better; under certain circumstances, paper money can be exchanged in a certain amount at the government office.
This can be considered one of the good things promoted by Zhu Xiong Ying. After all, according to Zhu's idea, he only needed to print the paper money and never thought about recycling, scrapping, or loss.
Zhu Xiong Ying continued reviewing memorials, occasionally consulting his grandfather and father.
Zhu Xiong Ying was also a little worried, as Da Zhu had been coughing for some time. In fact, Da Zhu's health had not been very good since his serious illness two years ago, and he was prone to fever and colds every spring and autumn.
Zhu Xiong Ying really has no way to make anti-inflammatory drugs right now; he simply can't produce those good things.
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