Deng Ping, the foreman of the guards, and several plainclothes guards, together with He Guangyi, surrounded Zhu Yunxi and left the Forbidden City through the axillary gate.
There are far fewer pedestrians on the streets in early winter than in summer, and they walk very fast in groups of twos and threes.
"There's something you don't know yet!" Zhu Yunxi was sitting in a one-horse carriage, leaning against the window and said to He Guangyi, who was following outside.
The Count."
He Guangyi was startled. His daughter, Xie Yan'er, had been taken advantage of by him, and now she was still in his family, with no status at all. Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, Xie Yan'er's father, Xie Jinzhong, became an earl.
"Actually, I can bring back the sweet potatoes, and you deserve the most credit, but due to your status, the matter of ennoblement must be considered in the long run!" Zhu Yunxi continued, "I received a letter from the Japanese country and all the required ordnance has been shipped. The Ministry of Industry should
The people who have been sent have also been sent. When there is a war over there in the future, you will be rewarded for your contribution to the Ming Dynasty in surveying the Yinshan Mountains and the flood of sweet potatoes!"
He Guangyi said hurriedly, "The emperor has given enough to the ministers. What kind of titles are there without titles..."
"Hey, don't you think about your children and grandchildren in the future?" Zhu Yunxi smiled through the car window. He seemed to feel a lot more relieved because of the street scene. He held a handful of melon seeds and said with a smile, "It's better to have something than nothing, right?"
At this moment, guard Deng Ping suddenly came over and whispered, "Master, the road ahead is blocked!"
Zhu Yunxi was quite surprised. This street was the most prosperous and wide Chang'an Street in the capital. How could it be blocked?
I stretched my neck and looked outside. At the end of my sight, there were crowds of people, mixed with crying, yelling and cursing. Countless people surrounded several shops, and the crowd was furious.
It seems that if the guards hadn't maintained it, it would have been smashed on the spot.
"What happened?" Zhu Yunxi asked.
"I don't know," Deng Ping said, "Sir, let's change the road and don't let others collide..."
"Ask!"
Zhu Yunxi said two words, and Deng Ping left in a hurry.
Then Zhu Yunxi got out of the carriage and stood on the roadside, looking up. There were sounds coming from over there.
A well-dressed man who looked like a shop steward stood in front of the shop, bowing his hands and pleading.
"Everyone! Everyone!"
"My name is just that I have encountered some difficulties recently, it is not that I am disloyal."
"Sheng Hengda is also a time-honored brand in Beijing. We must not do anything that is not trustworthy. As soon as the money from Suzhou arrives, we will cash it here!"
"Everyone! Everyone! Hey, don't hit, don't hit!"
While the steward was talking, the crowd threw countless rotten vegetables and leaves at them, mixed with bricks and tiles. With the crackling sound, the doors and windows of the shop were damaged.
"You said the same thing last month!"
"Bah, hurry up and give us the money. You took our money and put it as usury. Now you can't get it back and you're still trying to stop us!"
"Why is this officer stopping us? Sheng Hengda refused to give us our money. Why are you stopping us instead of arresting us?"
The sound became louder and louder, and more and more people watched the excitement. In the blink of an eye, the shop door was filled with water.
At the noise, Deng Ping ran back quickly.
"Sir, that's what happened!" Deng Ping inquired clearly and said, "In front of you is a bank called Sheng Hengda. Many businessmen in Beijing deposit their goods and silver with him and hand it over on your behalf!"
Zhu Yunxi thought about it, "I've heard of this name before!"
Business was booming in the Ming Dynasty, especially in the capital where merchants and dignitaries from all over the country gathered. The amount of cash traded every day was extremely large, so banks came into being.
Nowadays, Qianzhuang has some prototypes of a bank. It not only provides savings and loans, but also mortgages, logistics, warehousing and other businesses, and even engages in real estate pawns.
The people who do this business are all very capable, and they also need to have an excellent reputation.
"Starting from last month, Sheng Hengda suddenly only exchanged one thousand silver dollars a day. By this month, there was not a single copper coin on the counter. The merchants who kept the silver here were anxious and started making trouble every day!"
"I heard that Sheng Hengda is a time-honored brand!" Zhu Yunxi thought about it, "Their gold tickets are hard currency. Why did it suddenly change like this? These people can't make any money if they make trouble here. Didn't they report it to the official?"
This kind of case is the most difficult to handle. The Ming Dynasty Law is very vague about private storage and lending. It just adheres to the way of handling debts and repaying money.
Deng Ping continued, "It is said that Sheng Hengda took out the money and loaned it out, but couldn't get it back. He has already reported it to the official, and Ying Tianfu also gave an explanation, asking Sheng Hengda to quickly raise the money." As he said that, he paused.
, "However, for such a huge amount, it probably won't last a day..."
"How much silver?" Zhu Yunxi asked.
"Twenty thousand," Deng Ping said.
Even though Zhu Yunxi was the emperor, he was also shocked by this figure. Last year, the national commercial tax balance was only a small amount, but the money owed by one bank was as high as one-third of the national commercial tax balance.
At this time, He Guangyi said from the side, "You don't know something, this kind of bank is a very profitable business!" He said with a smile, "For example, Sheng Hengda, they have a good reputation and a lot of assets, and merchants can trust them.
Besides, if you deposit your money with them, you will get two cents of interest. However, there is a time limit for depositing your money here, which can be as little as three months and as long as three years. If you don't withdraw the money before the time, you won't get even half of the interest."
Two cents profit, that's a lot.
Ten thousand is two hundred a month, and one hundred thousand is two thousand.
"They turned around and loaned out the money deposited by others at an interest rate of 3/5 cents, making a net profit of 1/5 cents without doing anything." He Guangyi continued, "This is still with a mortgage. If there is no mortgage,
The interest on the money you lend out is as high as four cents!”
"If the borrower cannot repay the loan, then the interest will be rolled over and the interest rate will be increased..."
"What if someone refuses to pay back the debt?" Zhu Yunxi asked with a smile.
"He won't suffer a loss if he doesn't repay it!" He Guangyi continued, "For example, if you borrow 10,000 taels, the collateral must exceed 10,000 taels. If you don't repay the money, you will be in a pinch and take the collateral, or if the property or land is not
It’s just cargo, etc.”
"No matter what, this bank does not suffer losses, it only makes more profits."
"Not only loans, but also advances for goods. Over the years, Sheng Heng has made a lot of money!"
Zhu Yunxi suddenly asked, "How do you know so clearly?"
"In the year when I was promoted to the commander of the Jinyi Guards, Sheng Hengda's second cabinet, I don't know who found the door, and found three thousand silver notes at my door." He Guangyi did not hide it, "But I didn't take my share.
Return it intact."
After saying that, he paused and said, "It is said that behind Sheng Hengda is a shareholder, Shanxi Baochang, Tongda Bank in Suzhou..."
"I'm afraid he's someone from an official family, right?" Zhu Yunxi said with a smile.
"This...I don't dare to lie!"
Zhu Yunxi looked over there again, "How could such a big deal go wrong so easily?" He said, pondering for a moment, "The most important thing for them to do business is credibility. If something like this happens, a hundred years of reputation will be ruined. Who will do it in the future?"
Do you still dare to deal with them?"
"Besides, it has made so much money over the years, so it shouldn't have not prepared any money to cross the river. It's abnormal!"
"You don't know something, sir. These businessmen are the most greedy. They dare to charge ten thousand for a penny transaction. As the saying goes, if you walk too much at night, you will encounter ghosts." He Guangyi said with a smile, "You can't protect your back."
Some colleagues are adding insult to injury and trying to squeeze them out right now!"
Zhu Yunxi listened and couldn't help but look over there a few more times.
Because he suddenly thought of something, to be precise, it could prevent the military from deducting military pay.
However, this is a big deal, so you really need to be extremely cautious and think twice before making any move.
At this moment, the crowd suddenly burst into loud noises.
"Smash! Smash!"
Bang bang, I don’t know how many people broke through the police officers who were maintaining order. They rushed into Sheng Hengda and beat them up. Several of the workers inside were immediately overwhelmed by the crowd.
"Master, please stay away!" Deng Ping said urgently.
As the saying goes, a gentleman does not stand behind a dangerous wall. Zhu Yunxi got on the carriage, turned to He Guangyi and said, "Find it out and tell me later!"
This chapter has been completed!