Chapter 245

Su Qiao shook his head, then shifted his tone, staring fiercely at Zhu Yuanzhang and saying,

"This subject has also never seen anyone spend other people's money with such righteous rhetoric!"

"This subject is ashamed!"

Having spoken, Su Qiao even clasped his fists toward Old Zhu.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood there completely stunned.

Immediately, he lunged toward Su Qiao.

Just before striking, Old Zhu did not forget to glance at Jiang Huan.

Jiang Huan, who had originally been captured by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was first stunned, then immediately understood.

"I'll fight you to the death, you brat!"

"Your Majesty! Restrain your anger, Your Majesty!"

Jiang Huan stepped forward in one stride and blocked Old Zhu.

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at Su Qiao, his face flushed with anger.

"Do not say we are now the Emperor; even a commoner on the street could not endure such humiliation from you, Su Qiao!"

Jiang Huan still held Zhu Yuanzhang tightly, pleading bitterly,

"Your Majesty, protect Your imperial body, Your Majesty!"

Meanwhile, Jiajing in the chat group, upon hearing "spend other people's money," immediately brightened with realization.

"Spend other people's money... Yes!"

"The greatest use of the Baochao is to spend other people's money!"

After pondering for a moment, Jiajing immediately realized what he had discovered.

"Baochao, Baochao...!"

"Emperor Taizu, this son understands!"

Jiajing suddenly stood up and looked at the Zhu Yuanzhang before him, saying,

"If the Baochao is used well, it is equivalent to having the wealth of all officials in the realm, no, the wealth of all the people, entirely in the hands of the court!"

"In this way, how could we fear those ministers seeking private gain?!"

Hearing this,

Zhu Yuanzhang, who had been furious beyond measure, was also stunned.

Jiajing's expression, however, grew even more severe.

"The Way of Heaven takes from the excess to supplement the insufficient. Excellent."

Before Old Zhu could speak,

Zhu Di interrupted Jiajing.

"During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, even though the Equal-Field System was implemented, it could not stop land annexation; at most after a hundred years, the rich would own fields stretching across the countryside, while the poor would have no place to stand a needle."

Jiajing looked at Zhu Di and smiled,

"Emperor Chengzu..."

Zhu Di's expression darkened.

"What do you call me?"

Jiajing's heart trembled, and he whispered,

"Ah, Emperor Taizong. The Baochao, to put it plainly, is paper; at best, it is money."

"Money can be exchanged for goods, and thus can be exploited."

"We can turn these things into things that those landlords and magnates cannot exploit!"

The Emperors in the chat group immediately fell silent.

All the Emperors looked at Jiajing with puzzled expressions.

"Things that cannot be exploited?"

Jiajing said leisurely,

"Open schools widely so that common people also have a path to strive for in the imperial examinations, cultivating talent for the state."

"Establish public medicine bureaus so that common people do not have to sell their possessions due to illness; all such measures."

Jiajing's logic was very simple.

Land is property.

But a child's education and a poor person's illness are major expenses.

Most crucially,

The rich can cunningly seize the property of tenant farmers, but they cannot make tenant farmers fall ill at will.

Since we cannot directly distribute this money to the people openly,

but change the method to save money for the people,

it is still not a small sum.

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang also became interested.

Old Zhu had been poor in his own day.

He knew that once the poor fell into poverty, there would be no possibility of ever turning things around.

Throughout the vast five thousand years, there was only one Zhu Yuanzhang like Old Zhu.

However, Zhu Di still detected too many loopholes in this.

"It cannot be done. Regarding the matter of the Baochao, a single oversight sets the whole in motion; every step is like walking on thin ice; it cannot be measured by ordinary reason..."

Hearing this.

Zhu Yuanzhang gradually grew interested.

He scrutinized Su Qiao before him closely and sneered,

"Huang Zicheng, what title did Su Qiao hold while serving Zhu Yunwen?"

Huang Zicheng, standing aside, was momentarily stunned.

Then, with a puzzled expression, he said,

"Um... reporting to Your Majesty, Su Qiao held the post of Left Preceptor in the Office of the Crown Prince, Fifth Rank, Junior Grade."

Old Zhu's eyebrows involuntarily rose slightly.

"Since you, Su Qiao, are so stubborn and refuse to assist Zhu Yunwen, then you need not stay in the Donggong anymore."

"Don't you love playing with Baochao?"

"From today on, you shall be the Director of the Great Ming's Bureau of Paper Currency."

"It is also Fifth Rank, Junior Grade; I suppose that does not slight you?"

In an instant, the small courtyard fell into a dead silence.

Qi Tai looked at Zhu Yuanzhang with disbelief and said,

"Your Majesty, this... according to the law, Su Qiao counterfeiting Baochao warrants execution!"

"Moreover, showing disrespect before the monarch; either charge alone is a crime punishable by beheading!"

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly turned his head and glanced at Qi Tai.

In that instant, Qi Tai felt a chill strike straight to his forehead.

He involuntarily shivered.

Then he shut his mouth sullenly.

Zhu Yuanzhang patted Su Qiao's shoulder and said with a smile,

"Do a good job."

"I am waiting to see what kind of achievements you, young man, can make!"

Having said this, Zhu Yuanzhang turned and walked out of Su Qiao's small courtyard.

Now even Jiang Huan was stunned.

Just because Su Qiao printed a few Baochao notes in the courtyard,

the grave crime of blowing up the Imperial Palace was forgiven?

No wonder the elders always say that skills never burden one.

I have learned something today!

Just after Old Zhu left with Huang Zicheng, Qi Tai, and others.