Silver must be removed from the scope of transactions; this is unchangeable.
As more and more silver reserves are discovered worldwide, if silver currency is still used, it will lead to those with ulterior motives using silver to exchange for gold.
In the era of the gold standard, gold is the decisive factor in a country's currency issuance.
The outflow of gold is like draining a country's blood, which Fang Mingzhou cannot tolerate.
"Wanli, you are responsible for going to the south to cooperate with the Prime Minister's Office in implementing the new land and currency policies," Fang Mingzhou said coldly.
Everyone present also knew that His Majesty had completely lost patience with the south.
"Your Majesty, I know what to do."
"Zhao Ting, select some capable officials to go to the south.
Within half a year, we must completely end the chaotic situation in the major provinces in the south."
"Also, have the Four-Year Plans I mentioned before been made yet?"
With four years as a cycle, the most urgent tasks are listed.
To become an industrial country, systematic development is needed.
First is agriculture; the Prime Minister's Office's goal for the next four years is to ensure everyone has enough to eat.
Among them, industry is important.
Currently, the industry of the East Continent Empire can be said to be entirely supported by Fang Mingzhou, the Royal Family.
Not only large steel mills but also shipyards were invested in by Fang Mingzhou and belong to the Royal Family's industries.
However, Fang Mingzhou knew that if they remained under the Royal Family's name, then in a few years, as the East Continent Royal Family's prestige grew, these heavy industries would become entities beyond anyone's control.
Once interest groups form, unless Fang Mingzhou directly smashes this pot and starts over, he decided after careful consideration to transfer the major heavy industrial bases he had invested in over the past few years to the Prime Minister's Office.
Only in this way can the industrial development of the East Continent Empire be truly promoted.
Coupled with the several manufacturing bureaus left from before, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce plans to establish ten industrial bases across the country this year, using points to drive lines.
Fang Mingzhou's wealth is already more than enough.
His overseas mineral properties, which he controls annually, can bring him over a hundred tons of gold, nearly 200 million blue coin.
All this gold was given by Fang Mingzhou to the Prime Minister's Office, in exchange for long-term national bonds.
This is also why the Prime Minister's Office, led by Ouyang Geng, respects Fang Mingzhou so much.
Since ancient times, if there was such an emperor, a country that was not strong would be unworthy of its position.
"Your Majesty, according to our plan, the Four-Year Industrial Plan has completed its preliminary review," Yan Youling explained earnestly to everyone.
"Thanks to Your Majesty's great fortune, the heavy industries transferred to the Prime Minister's Office include several steel mills ranging from tens of thousands of tons to five hundred thousand tons, and several important shipyards."
"We plan to establish Northern Heavy Industries and purchase some machinery from Lighthouse Country, with Zhongshu Province as the center, and East Guan Province and Jianghe Province as support points."
"We will invest in around fifty enterprises, mainly targeting steel manufacturing."
"In Jiangzuo, Guanghu Province, and Jianghe Province, we will jointly establish Southern Heavy Industries, focusing on shipbuilding and mechanical processing as development directions."
One in the south and one in the north, with these two major heavy industries as the core, and supporting enterprises as the backbone, the East Continent's own industry will be developed.
Fang Mingzhou nodded; such a plan was the most suitable for now.
As for handing over his invested enterprises to the Prime Minister's Office, it was his voluntary choice.
Moreover, the Royal Family owning too many heavy assets is not a good thing.
He can guarantee his dedication to this country, but what about his descendants?
No one can say for sure.
The Royal Family itself controls the military; if it also controls heavy industry, what is the difference from a dictatorship?
When an individual overrides the state, that is a disaster.
Not everyone can be like Yao and Shun.
Furthermore, Fang Mingzhou knows the consequences of monopolies better than anyone.
Although Lighthouse Country's economy is booming now, the cost is the rampant Trusts.
It is said that McKinley has already begun to consider using legislative means to break up these Trusts.
It is precisely because he knows this that Fang Mingzhou used this national plan to dismantle his heavy industries and hand them over to the Prime Minister's Office.
Concentrating resources to achieve great things will undoubtedly transform the East Continent, which is still an agricultural country.
"The foundation left in the south is still good.
We need to look forward.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce can integrate these factories; although they cannot be used for heavy industry, light industry is also good."
Fang Mingzhou had no intention of imitating that red empire, which used most of its resources to build weapons, leading to a desolate civilian life, and was thus broken from within.
"Your Majesty, if so, we can import various mineral resources from the Nanyang region, without having to transport them to the north, which not only saves transportation costs but also makes the best use of resources."
"In the future, Northern Heavy Industries will be supplied with resources by East Guan Province, while resources from Nanyang will be used to build Southern Heavy Industries."
"As for Chuanqing Province in the central part of the Empire, we plan to also build a five hundred thousand-ton steel mill there, which, along with the existing small steel mills, will be sufficient for the industrial needs there."
"The northwestern direction will primarily focus on agriculture and animal husbandry, supplemented by the development of mineral resources."
The Prime Minister's Office has considered everything very thoroughly, basically making the best use of everything.
In the next four years, industry will revolve around these two heavy industries.
Initially, Fang Mingzhou used two economic crises to acquire hundreds of millions of blue coin worth of machinery from Lighthouse Country, which greatly promoted the development of light industry in the East Continent.
"Additionally, we will establish two new automobile factories."
Automobiles have been a key development direction for the East Continent in recent years.
Every year, the automobiles manufactured in the East Continent are in short supply.
Although other countries in the world have also begun to imitate them, due to the patents being in the hands of the East Continent Royal Family, not to mention those factories, even the world's leading automobile manufacturers have to obediently pay patent fees if they want to build cars.
Correspondingly, there is also alternating current.
These patents bring Fang Mingzhou over ten million british yuan in profit annually, all of which is used to subsidize education.
Coupled with the information in the library, the current automobile industry of the East Continent Empire can be said to be in a league of its own.
"Wen Shan, remember to build a large tractor manufacturing plant and a furniture manufacturing plant under the Royal Family's name," Fang Mingzhou said to Wen Shan, as if he had thought of something.
To be precise, they are all tracked.
Early tanks were not as good as tractors.
Although some weapons cannot appear temporarily, technical reserves cannot be lacking.
Airplanes are for the same reason.
To date, no more than ten people in the entire East Continent Empire know about airplanes.
While the whole world is still obsessed with airships that cover the sky, little do they know that the future rulers of the sky will be flying machines assembled from wooden frames.