Chapter 188 Liu Datou Silver Dollar

The New Year's Eve passed in the hustle and bustle of the family, and Liu Xia slept with Bian Yujing in her arms again tonight. In the night, the snowflakes also stopped, and a bright moon hung in the night sky. The light reflected the white snow on the ground and illuminated the whole world.

This is Liu Xia's first time to celebrate the New Year in the world. 16 | 46 is a normal year. According to the heaven and earth branch, it is the year of Yiyou. This year has not been very calm in history, but when Nanming did not completely perish, it has not been calm these years.

Nanjing, the capital of Nanming, has become very lively because of the arrival of the New Year, and the lanterns are bright. Pedestrians, tourists and those hawkers have filled the whole city of Nanjing. Now the Qing army in the north has not attacked, so Nanjing is still quite quiet. However, due to the threat of Wu Sangui, some have foresight. The merchants have either transferred their property and homes to the sea, or some have come to Henan.

After the fifth day, that is, the fifth day of the first lunar month, the New Year and the holiday are over, and some officials have begun to work. That morning, Liu Xia came to the study and ordered Wang En, the chief of the Financial Department, and Li Jingran, the chief of the Department of Industry and Commerce, to come over.

Since New Year's Eve, Liu Xia thought of the method of making silver coins, he had been thinking about it in his heart, so just after the end of the New Year, Liu Xia called the two over. Liu Xia said to Wang En, "How much silver did we spend last year?" Wang En thought it was investigating him, and he was a little nervous, but he knew that he had not embezzled a copper coin, so he was relieved and said, "General, last year we spent 382,500 taels of silver on military expenses."

Liu Xia was shocked to hear that. You should know that this 328,500 taels is RMB 22.5 million! Although it is incomparable to the 100 billion national defense expenses of the Republic, Liu Xia is only more than 10,000 people in his hands now. This has spent so much time, which makes Liu Xia exclaim. Liu Xia said, "So how many taels of silver do we have now?" Wang En thought for a moment and said, "General, I remember that there are about one million taels of silver left. Because we exempted the people's taxes last year, we did not receive a penny, and because of the war, industry and commerce were also very decadent, and only received 5,000 taels of commercial tax. However, excluding the cost of fire, it's about 4,500 taels.

"Fire consumption?"

Wang En nodded and said, "The silver we collected are scattered silver. In order to facilitate transportation and calculation, according to the usual practice, these silvers collected need to be melted into a whole ingot, so the manpower and material resources consumed also need to be calculated."

"Last year, four ordinary brigades, Hu Ben Brigade, Wolf Roar Brigade, Leopard Riding Brigade, and Xiongshi Brigade spent a total of 284,000 taels of silver, and Ying Yangwei spent 7,000 taels of silver. The pro-guards spent 25,000 taels of silver. In addition, it costs one hundred taels to build a hundred tiger squat cannons, a total of 10,000 taels of silver. Fifty cannons in red were built, and each cannon in red cost 150 taels of silver, a total of 7,500 taels. The cost of building 10,000 muskets is 50,000 taels of silver for each lance, and the cost of musket is 5 taels of silver. And the craftsmen spent a total of 5,000 taels of silver. In addition, there are 50,000 taels of silver for the sacrificed soldiers. And this is just a military expenditure. The expenditure of the Soul of War Mausoleum, the Armament School, the college and the officials built by the general have not been included.

After listening to this, Liu Xia couldn't help but have a blank head. This war is really expensive! It's only been less than a year, and the military expenditure has reached 200 million. Liu Xia finally knows that it's terrible to have no money. So Liu Xia felt that she had to find some money-making business for herself. Yes, the most indispensable business in the world is the rich people, and there are many rich people in China.

"Ye-huh, Wang En, you did a good job. However, I asked you two to come here today, not for these things, but for other things. After Liu Xia said that, Wang En and Li Jingran were both a little confused. They said in unison, "I don't know what's wrong with the general?" Liu Xia said, "As Wang En said, it is time-consuming and laborious to constantly cast scattered silver into ingots every year, and it is not convenient to use. Each vendor holds a pair of scissors and weighs the weight of silver. It is really difficult. Sometimes it is too small to lose the silver. So I thought of unifying all the silver, fixing and casting it into a shape, and not cutting it again.

After listening to this, Wang En and Li Jingran frowned and said, "General, you know that cutting the silver is convenient to spend money. After all, some people can't use so many silver to buy things. It is impossible to give all the silver to the merchants. If the general doesn't let the silver cut, then..."

Liu Xia listened to their worries and smiled and said, "I don't mean that. I mean to mint silver into silver coins, just like the copper plate, with a fixed size, and then we cast it into different sizes for easy exchange, so we don't have to worry about not being able to find it."

Wang En thought for a moment and asked, "I don't know how many taels of silver coins the general asked for?"

Liu Xia thought about it and immediately said the parameters of Yuan Datou in history, but Liu Xia modified it. In order to make a good calculation parameter, it will be heavier. In history, Yuan Datou was seven yuan and two cents. Liu Xia said, "I think, take the silver coin as our official currency, and issue two kinds of silver coins for the time being. One is a silver coin that weighs about five yuan, and the other is a silver coin that weighs about one or two taels. When both are made, they are made according to one silver and nine copper. The word "five money" is carved on one side, and then it is surrounded by a row of words saying 'Pingbei Military System', and the head of General Ben is carved on the other side. A silver coin weighing about one taels is carved with the word "one yuan" on one side, surrounded by a row of words saying 'Pingbei Military System', and on the other side is carved with the head of the general. Among them, 'five coins' belong to the transitional currency, one yuan belongs to the local currency, and the official national currency.

As a figure who is about to reach the peak of power, Liu Xia is also vain. After Yuan Shikai came to power in history, he turned the silver coin into Yuan Datou. The silver coin issued by Sun Yat-sen carved the head of Sun Yat-sen. Now that Liu Xia is in power, he also means to abide by the rules.

After listening, Wang En and Li Jingran looked at each other speechlessly and carved their own head on the silver coin, Liu Xia! However, neither of them said anything. Liu Xia's idea is good, and both of them agree. However, it is a little difficult to issue it now. After all, it is impossible to bring everyone's money!

Wang En said, "General, this idea is good, and my subordinates also agree, but they want to promote it..." Li Jingran also nodded, saying that there was something wrong with this promotion.

Liu Xia smiled and said, "We will first make all the million taels of silver in stock into silver coins, and then send them out when the military pay. In addition, the general intends to set up a Luoyang Bank, and all the money will be deposited in the bank. Then Liu Xia explained some of the rules about banks in later generations to the two.

"Good!" Wang En often comes into contact with currency. For the bank mentioned by Liu Xia, he was absolent when he heard the auction. Although Li Jingran doesn't know much about it, he also knows that it is a good thing.

"The reason why I called you, the director of the Department of Industry and Commerce, is that you go down to unite with the large vendors in Henan and ask them to support this measure of the National Government. If they agree, they will give them certain preferential policies. I believe they will not quit. In addition, the general decided to set up several factories to earn military money. After all, it costs too much. If there is not a large amount of money, it can't be raised at all!"

Wang En was deeply aware of the silver thing, so he said, "What factory is the general going to open?"

Liu Xia thought for a moment and said, "Open a glass factory first. I believe that many people will like the transparent and beautiful glass." Liu Xia has the method of making glass in later generations, so she naturally doesn't have to worry about making money.

"Glass?" Wang En and Li Jingran were puzzled.

Liu Xia smiled and said, "You will know when it's time. Let's not talk about it now. Well, you go down and start preparing, especially Wang En. I have given you so much money. Don't let me down!"

Wang En was smart all over and hurriedly said, "The general must do a good job."