sovbooks Chapter 93 You think you're so sophisticated?! I really want to punch you!
Chapter 93 You think you're so sophisticated?! I really want to punch you!
Zhu Yao blurted out a series of straightforward and sharp criticisms.
Zhu Yuanzhang stood there, his face turning red and then pale, looking extremely embarrassed.
He felt both angry and helpless, but every word he said was true, so he couldn't vent his anger at all.
Zong Yonghe and Erhu, standing to the side, dared not utter a sound, their hearts pounding with fear as they stood with their heads bowed, lest the emperor be angered.
Liu Bowen was so anxious that he frowned and repeatedly signaled to Zhu Yao with his eyes to shut up and not to say anything more offensive.
However, Zhu Yao misunderstood. Seeing Liu Bowen frequently raising his eyebrows and blinking, he assumed that Liu's old illness had not healed and that he was feeling unwell.
He spoke gently and said with concern, "If Mr. Liu is not feeling well, he should rest early and not push himself."
Upon hearing this, Liu Bowen choked, instantly finding himself at a loss for words, all his heartfelt advice stuck in his throat.
Zhu Yao then returned to the main topic, calmly offering a compromise and a safer alternative.
"If Father feels that the method we just used was too ruthless, then we will proceed cautiously."
"No speculation, no manipulation, just honestly exchange all the Ming Dynasty paper money in my hands for gold and silver hard currency in batches."
"Preserve capital and avoid risks, land safely, do not disrupt the political situation, and do not harm others."
Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his eyes, staring intently at Zhu Yao, and asked in a deep voice.
"Yao'er, let me ask you this: if we really follow your previous method of speculative arbitrage, won't it incite a rebellion?"
Zhu Yao chuckled softly upon hearing this, his tone calm yet full of certainty.
"Rebellion? What kind of trouble could a bunch of profit-driven merchants and wealthy nobles possibly stir up?"
"Throughout history, merchants have valued profit over righteousness, seeking only to preserve their wealth and status. Throughout history, has any merchant ever succeeded in rebellion?"
"If they lose money, they'll just accept their bad luck and at most sulk behind closed doors; they'll never dare to start a rebellion."
"If they dare to cause trouble, then we'll skin them alive!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up instantly, a sharp glint of ambition flashing in them.
He suddenly raised his hand and slapped his thigh, his tone urgent and excited.
"Well said! Since there's no problem, my son and I will join forces and make a fortune!"
Upon hearing this, the entire room fell into a deathly silence.
Liu Bowen's face turned pale, his whole body trembled, and he hurriedly stepped forward, cupping his hands and urgently trying to dissuade him.
"My lord, you mustn't! This matter is extremely risky; you must not act rashly!"
Zong Yonghe froze, sweat beading on his forehead, and hurriedly bowed, wanting to offer some words of advice.
Even the usually gentle and composed Empress Ma was taken aback and quickly stepped forward to stop her.
"My lord! Calm down! Don't let greed cloud your judgment and jeopardize the foundation of the court!"
"At that time... the imperial court... won't let you off the hook!"
Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand in a gesture of suppression, and gave Empress Ma and Liu Bowen a calm look.
His calm and composed gaze clearly indicated that the two of them did not need to panic, as he had a complete plan in mind.
Upon seeing this, Zhu Yao's eyes lit up, and he showed a look of joy. He quickly stepped forward and asked, his tone filled with excitement.
"Father, are you really going to join forces with me to pull off this massive deal?"
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded heavily, his eyes filled with determination, and a shrewd smile appeared on his lips.
"Of course we should. In business, if you don't take advantage of the profit, wouldn't you be acting like a fool?"
"As you just explained clearly, this operation only targets the powerful and wealthy, without harming the common people. It's a clean profit, so why not take it?"
Zhu Yao clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes full of admiration, and praised him sincerely.
"No wonder he's my father! No wonder he could build a business from scratch; his courage and determination are unmatched!"
"You have a bit of my style!"
Zhu Yuanzhang: ...?! You think you're so sophisticated?! I really want to punch you!
After saying this, he took the initiative to move closer to Zhu Yuanzhang, and his expression instantly turned solemn and serious.
"Father, let's finalize the details first. This business is incredibly profitable, but also extremely risky."
"The current Hongwu Emperor hates nothing more than anyone who manipulates currency and stirs up the financial system. Our actions have directly touched on his taboos."
"Moreover, those wealthy and powerful people we exploited all have deep-rooted connections, and they will inevitably investigate the people behind the scenes with great fervor afterward."
"Therefore, you and I absolutely cannot use our real identities. We must find a clean third party to act as a front and take the blame for us."
Zhu Yao lowered his voice and, with clear and logical reasoning, slowly explained an extremely meticulous trading plan.
"The first step was to secretly instruct a third-party business to spread rumors that the imperial court was about to stop printing old banknotes, strictly control the amount of banknotes, and buy back banknotes at high prices."
"The second step was to have merchants buy small batches of banknotes at a premium, creating the illusion of appreciation in value and enticing wealthy merchants and families from all over the country to follow suit and hoard the banknotes."
"The third step is to wait until the market is at its peak, the price of the banknotes reaches its highest point, and everyone is frantically hoarding them. Then, we will use anonymous channels to sell them off in batches, in a dispersed manner, and across regions."
"The fourth step is to immediately convert all proceeds into real money, fertile land, shops, scarce resources, and other hard currencies, leaving no paper wealth behind."
"The final step is to quickly withdraw from the scene, sever all related clues, and let all the trouble fall on the scapegoat company in the spotlight."
Zhu Yuanzhang listened quietly to the whole thing, his pupils dilated slightly, a huge wave surged in his heart, and his face was filled with shock.
He was secretly alarmed; his son's mind was meticulous, thorough, and cunning, leaving no room for error.
Such a meticulously planned and interconnected scheme was so well-prepared that no one could find a single clue afterward; it was truly unfathomable.
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of approval, and made his decision in a deep voice.
"Alright! We'll proceed as you say, safely and discreetly, leaving no room for error!"
After he finished speaking, he changed the subject, his face showing hesitation, and asked softly with a hint of expectation.
"Yao'er, tell me the truth, is there truly no way to salvage this Ming Dynasty paper money?"
Zhu Yao shook his head slightly, his expression calm and his tone resolute.
"It's not that there's no cure; there is indeed a way to completely eradicate it."
"However, we are now engaged in business and making profits, not governing the court, and you are not the current Hongwu Emperor, so there is no point in talking about it."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up instantly, and he leaned forward slightly, his urgency evident in his expression.
He had been filled with despair, but upon hearing that there was a way to remedy the situation, he immediately pressed for details.
"You have a way? Tell me quickly! How exactly can we stabilize the value of the precious paper money?"
Empress Ma, standing to the side, was moved and quickly looked up, her eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation.
Liu Bowen, a strategist in the imperial court, was greatly shocked. He held his breath, eager to know the solution.
Zong Yonghe and Erhu also looked up at the same time, and all eyes in the room were focused on Zhu Yao.
Seeing this, Zhu Yao sighed helplessly and gave some advance instructions.
"Very well, I will say it once. Just listen to it, but you must not spread it outside and disturb the peace of mind of the people."
"This method is the core solution to the devaluation of the Ming Dynasty's paper money, and it is also the only economically sound way for ancient paper money to stand the test of time."
"First, a sufficient reserve system must be established, which is the foundation of the credit of paper money and is indispensable."
"For every string of coins issued by the imperial court, the national treasury must reserve an equivalent value of gold, silver, and copper coins as a safety net."
"Ordinary people and merchants can take the paper money to the national treasury at any time to exchange it for real gold and silver in full, without limit, without delay, and without refusal."
"The root cause of the collapse of the paper money is that the court only prints paper without preparing silver, relying on imperial power to overdraw credit, which will inevitably lead to its collapse sooner or later."