Chapter 1078
Discount on Silver Exchange
Chapter 1078 Discount on Silver Exchange
Inside the Sihai Money Shop
The atmosphere was oppressive. The box of items carried in by Marquis Luo Yun's personal guards was truly astonishing. Outside, a gentle breeze rustled the silver bells hanging from the eaves, and the many carved tables and chairs seemed restless and uneasy.
Li Gonggong pondered, touching the jade pendant with its cool spiral pattern on his hand. He was still thinking that Marquis Luoyun was trying to seize the silver, a huge sum of over a million taels. If he really swallowed it, the noble families behind the Sihai Bank would probably be restless. But the Marquis had plenty of reasons.
But after his initial shock, the head manager, Wang Henian, took a deep breath and first examined the banks on the table. Most of them were grain merchants, some cloth merchants, and others were itinerant merchants. According to the rules, when these merchants came to collect silver, the bank's seal was indispensable. As long as it matched, they would give him whatever amount he wanted. He had never given such a token before.
After sorting through the documents, 200,000 taels of silver were directly exchanged. The rest were all stubs with special markings that could not be exchanged. Moreover, with Eunuch Li accompanying them, would he be supporting Marquis Luo Yun? But the rules of the money exchange could not be broken.
“My lord, I have examined each of these silver notes. There are a total of 200,000 taels of silver, which can be exchanged directly. However, the remaining 900,000 taels are all merchant guild stubs, which cannot be redeemed without their seal.”
He paused for a moment, then continued;
"This is the rule of the money exchange: we rely on the bills and seals, not on the person. I'm sure you know that, my lord, the chaos in the south of the capital has caused considerable losses to the Sihai Money Exchange. If everyone follows this rule, the Sihai Money Exchange will probably not be able to survive."
He chuckled to himself. These things were obvious. Perhaps Marquis Luoyun wasn't the first. If either Prince Beijing or Prince Dongping had amassed so much wealth, would they also have to be replaced?
"Manager Wang, you probably don't understand what I mean. I'm here to collect the silver. These silver notes are different from those marked ones. They are all deposited one-to-one. Before they died, those family heads entrusted me with the task of collecting this silver and presenting it to the court for the purpose of killing traitors. Now the court is in trouble because of the silver, and I can't sleep at night. If Manager Wang is willing, I can even add some interest."
Zhang Jinyu pushed the neatly arranged silver notes forward again. This wasn't just about getting a free meal; she wanted even more! Wang Henian's face turned extremely ugly. He glanced at Eunuch Li beside him, seemingly asking a question.
Eunuch Li's eyes flickered as he observed the Marquis's demeanor. Could it be that all the money he acquired was being sent to the palace, and that the Ministry of Revenue had no connection with Marquis Luoyun? Thinking this, Eunuch Li suddenly laughed.
"Manager Wang, those receipts kept by the chamber of commerce are all exchanged for silver on a one-to-one basis. If they are special silver notes, it might be difficult to explain, but receipts cannot be forged. Besides, the owner's identity seal is here, which can also be used to reconcile accounts."
Wang Henian stood frozen in place, never expecting that Eunuch Li would lie so blatantly. Where were the severed limbs? A gold hairpin with its skin still attached had become a seal? And those silver notes were all from the Chamber of Commerce; it seemed they had been carefully selected by Marquis Luo Yun.
But with the Marquis leading his troops today, things are unlikely to end well. However, the rules of the money shop cannot be broken, so he reluctantly replied.
"Your Excellency is wise. How could Sihai Money House be greedy for such interest? However, the silver notes brought by the Marquis are huge, and the seals are incomplete. Furthermore, although the notes are still valid, it is unknown whether the silver is fully deposited. I'm afraid we cannot exchange them here."
He could only postpone it, intending to discuss it with several of the main families, but unfortunately, Zhang Jinyu wouldn't give him that opportunity.
"Manager Wang is joking. If the Sihai Bank headquarters doesn't have any silver, then all the banks in the world are just empty shells. Of this 1.1 million taels of silver, I only need 1 million taels. Manager Wang can handle the rest. How about it? I will take it today."
A chilling voice rang out, and Zhang Jinyu's true intentions were revealed. The reason he had brought an extra 100,000 taels of silver notes was precisely this. Upon hearing this, not only was Wang Henian terrified, but even Eunuch Li's eyes widened. 100,000 taels of silver notes! There were 200,000 taels of silver notes on the table in cash.
His gaze sharpened as he looked at Wang Henian, his intentions unclear.
“My lord, Eunuch Li, the bank operates on both money and cash. My lord is generous, but if I break the rules of Sihai Bank, it’s not certain whether I’ll get this position, but I fear I might lose my life and fortune. To be honest, these stubs are exchanged one-to-one, but the losses in Jingnan have severely damaged the bank. We really can’t come up with one million taels. Could my lord reduce the amount?”
That's the case, so naturally we have to talk about it. One million is too much, at most half of that. Wang Henian felt a bitter taste in his mouth. If he agreed this time, he was afraid that trouble would arise from within the family later.
Zhang Jinyu stroked the receipts on the table. Judging from this man's behavior, even if she forced him to his death, she wouldn't get them all.
"Very well, I'll give Manager Wang some face. For the 900,000 taels note, I'll ask for an auspicious number, how about 800,000?"
"My lord, at most two hundred thousand,"
"Seven hundred thousand,"
"Four hundred thousand, my lord. Doubling that is already the limit. I am not an unreasonable person, and I will not act like a commoner."
Wang Henian, his eyes red, doubled his previous offer to 400,000 taels, which was already the limit. Zhang Jinyu clearly saw this, but with such a large loss, wouldn't they still be short of funds to give to the palace?
"Since Manager Wang is so agreeable, I won't haggle. Let's go for half, 450,000 taels, how about that?"
His gaze was fixed on the other party. Finally, the amount was settled. After a long while, Wang Henian nodded reluctantly.
"Alright, as you wish, my lord. Men, bring the money to the bank, write down the reason, and withdraw 650,000 taels of silver from the treasury."
"Here."
Outside, the accountant, accompanied by a servant, went to the inner storeroom to begin counting the silver.
Now that the matter was settled, Zhang Jinyu was in high spirits. His trip hadn't been in vain. He didn't mind handing over the silver he'd plundered; in fact, the court's favors had never stopped. He wondered what reward the Emperor would bestow upon him this time.
Unfortunately, I've fallen out with the various vassal kings, so it's difficult to distribute the rewards. If the retired emperor causes any more trouble, I'm afraid I'll face difficulties both internally and externally.
Before long,
A copper bell rang outside, which everyone inside heard clearly. Soon after, a guard came to report.
"Reporting, my lord, all the silver has been loaded onto the carriage."
With the money in hand, staying here would only be awkward, so he decided not to linger and helped himself up.
"Manager Wang, it's good to know you've met today. I hope we'll have dealings again in the future. Thank you for your help today. Farewell."
Without waiting for Eunuch Li and Manager Wang to say any more polite words, he led his men out of the house and headed towards the courtyard. Inside the house, Wang Henian quickly got up to see him off. As soon as the Marquis left the courtyard, he felt extremely frightened. His palms were covered in fine sweat. He suddenly realized that perhaps it was the Sihai Money Exchange. Could it be that the people behind it had been targeted by the imperial court? He thought of the bank and silver notes that the Marquis had given him.
"It's better for everyone to share the money than for one person to get it. This matter must not be spread," he said, glancing at the people around him.
"Summon all the managers and accountants on duty today,"
"Yes, Master Manager."
Outside the village,
The sun was shining brightly again, the weather was beautiful, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. After leaving the residence, Zhang Jinyu clasped her hands in thanks to Eunuch Li.
"Eunuch Li, there will be plenty of time in the future, we'll meet again."
"Your Excellency is too kind. Farewell."
Without saying much, they bowed respectfully to each other, and the convoy slowly drove off towards the palace. Eunuch Li watched the direction the Marquis had left, his eyes flickering, and then sighed. So much silver; if it were any other nobleman, they would have hidden it away carefully. Why would they do this? No wonder the Marquis is so favored by the Emperor; he can't compete. He shook his head and returned to the brothel. In the past few days, quite a few people had come. With proper training, perhaps they could serve the Marquis well.
As many hidden figures disappeared from various parts of the city, rumors and gossip became the talk of the town, with many people adding fuel to the fire and spreading the word. Even the Drunken Immortal Pavilion in the east of the city now employs storytellers.
In the main hall on the first floor, some tables and chairs had been removed, and a slightly higher platform had been built, with a table and a chair placed on it, along with a pot of tea. This was the place for storytelling. The carved wooden beams, along with the several large banners of Zuixianlou erected outside, gave it the imposing air of a reputable martial arts sect.
At midday, the restaurant was packed with guests, especially the private rooms on the second floor, which were all occupied. Suddenly, a loud thud echoed from downstairs.
The storyteller Chen Moyu had already reached the high platform. Looking at the diners still playing rock-paper-scissors in the hall, he was not surprised and simply shouted.
"Ladies and gentlemen, after Marquis Luo Yun single-handedly broke through the Taiping Sect's army formation, in Xihe County, Prince Bei Jing and Prince Wei had already led their troops to Xihe County City. Outside the city, the main force of the White Lotus Sect bandits, hundreds of thousands of soldiers, came to besiege the city. There were countless soldiers and tens of thousands of men. Now, let's talk about..."
A few words came out,
The diners in the restaurant were immediately drawn to the storyteller. Those sitting in the hall were nothing more than neighbors. Old Zhang, who sold tofu, licked a mouthful of strong liquor, his beard reeking of alcohol, and whispered.
"Indeed, drinking and listening to stories are one of the greatest pleasures in life. I've heard from the older generation that the demoness of the White Lotus Sect can turn beans into soldiers, hundreds of thousands of them. How could the Prince of Bei Jing have been defeated?"
Whether it was because his voice was too loud, or because he was drunk and talking nonsense, everyone around heard it. Many diners nodded in agreement. When Prince Bei Jing led his troops away, he only had 20,000 men with him. How could they not calculate the difference in numbers?
"This is the true foundation of the Northern Prince's Mansion,"
Chen Moyu slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, the hem of his long robe brushing against the teacup. He jumped up excitedly.
“Prince Bei Jing had already prepared a backup plan. On the day of the decisive battle, the White Lotus Sect demoness was performing a ritual in the southern city camp, where a hundred large pots were set up to boil mugwort and sulfur. When the demoness scattered the beans, Prince Bei Jing’s vanguard troops charged directly into the central army formation. The White Lotus Sect was caught off guard and their formation was broken through. The demonic magic she was performing immediately dissipated upon encountering the blood and evil energy, turning into grains to feed the chickens.”
Once the word is spoken,
The room erupted in laughter. Suddenly, a group of diners dressed in plain clothes in the corner stood up. The middle-aged man at the head of the table, with an unusual jade pendant with cloud patterns hanging from his waist, threw a silver ingot directly into the copper basin and said in a deep voice.
"Sir, you have excellent eloquence. The White Lotus Sect has dominated the world for forty years without ever ceasing. I wonder if you have heard of the White Lotus Sect's 'Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers'?"
His tone of voice clearly suggested he was a member of the martial arts world. Chen Moyu's pupils constricted slightly, and his folding fan snapped shut with a "whoosh."
"These are nothing but bandits and heretics. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of troops in Xihe County that were wiped out, the Runan garrison commander Lü Chuanjiang and others, who were stationed in Shizhou, surrendered to Marquis Luoyun with more than 100,000 White Lotus Sect troops. Now, after being granted amnesty, they are serving as garrison commanders in Chenzhou and have sold themselves for a good price. This is unheard of."
To say that anyone from the White Lotus Sect surrendered to the imperial court is pure fantasy, yet it's true, which is truly baffling.
The diners, commoners, and merchants inside the hall suddenly erupted in commotion, whispering amongst themselves.
"No way, the White Lotus Sect has surrendered to the imperial court?"
"How could that be? I've never heard of such a thing,"
"Oh dear, it's true. The caravan from the south says that one of the leaders of the White Lotus Sect has surrendered."
"Master, heavens, the White Lotus Sect is indeed getting worse with each generation."
The scene was chaotic. Just then, the expressions of several people at the table changed. A young man was about to go and make a move, but was pulled back by the leader.
"What's the big deal? He's just a storyteller. The affairs of the martial world don't involve ordinary people. It's just for entertainment. Besides, the White Lotus Sect has truly surrendered."
"What? Brother, the White Lotus Sect has surrendered? Will their leader tolerate this?"
The young swordsman was somewhat surprised. He had come to the capital for the first time to seek out business opportunities, but he hadn't expected that there would be so many chambers of commerce in the capital, with businesses all over the north and south. However, the profits might not be as high as those in the northwest, mainly because the commercial taxes were too heavy.
"Don't be so talkative, kid. The sect leader sent us to the capital to scout out some connections. The Xiliang Gong family is becoming increasingly powerful, controlling all the smuggling routes. If we don't make more of a trip, our Xuan Yin Sect might decline after reaching its peak."
The leading man was Changchun, a protector of the Xuan Yin Sect of Xiliang. He came to the capital this time to escort the sect's goods for trade. Strangely enough, the major merchant guilds in the capital are really generous. They can take as many goods as they want without asking where they come from. If he had known this earlier, he would have brought more and made even more money.
In particular, the current power of the Xuan Yin Sect has surpassed that of many sects in the Northwest. However, the Western King Palace family alone has used every means to try to take over the sects for their own use. Although the sect leaders nominally submit to them, most of them are actually independent. It's like trying to negotiate with a tiger for its skin; how can they sleep soundly?
"Protector Chang, what was originally a power struggle within the imperial court has now largely escalated into the martial arts world. Not to mention the nobles, even the vassal kings inside and outside the pass are gathering heroes from all over the land. I heard that Marquis Luoyun has already taken over several major sects in Xihe County, and most of the smaller sects have submitted to Prince Bei Jing. On the other hand, the Eastern Prince's Mansion has wiped out all the sects in Jiangnan. Now the imperial court is no longer the imperial court, and the martial arts world is no longer the martial arts world."
The eldest disciple, Xu Yan, sighed. He didn't know when it started, perhaps it began with the retainers kept by the Prince of Zhongshun's mansion.
"You brat, you've got a lot on your mind. The Prince's mansion can only support retainers. If it really gets too involved with the martial arts world, do you think the Imperial City Guard will let them off the hook? Putting aside everything else, the people that the Prince of Beijing, the Prince of Dongping, and the Marquis of Luoyun have taken in are all just for making money. Just like our Xuan Yin Sect, if we weren't the number one sect in the Northwest, do you think the Gong family would even look at us? Stop dreaming and eat up."
Looking at the table full of delicious dishes, Chang Chun said irritably, "How can you distinguish between the martial arts world and the imperial court, with their deceit and treachery?" He picked up his chopsticks, took a large piece of stewed meat, and put it in his mouth. Sure enough, it was the taste of the capital city, a dish that transcends the north and south.
In the corner of the west window on the second floor, there was a screen. The Right Protector of the White Lotus Sect was bringing two famous dishes from the capital and placing them on the table before carefully sitting down. Opposite him was Bai Shuiyue, the leader of the White Lotus Sect, with a cold expression. She was using the tip of her silver hairpin to pick at a tear in her sleeve. This dress was a gift from her junior sister. She never expected it to have a tear, and the gold thread inside was showing. What a pity.
"Boss, these are top-quality lotus seeds from Jiangnan, and river shrimp from Mirror Lake, just made in the kitchen."
Right Protector Ying Xiancai had a small scar on his cheek, left during the breakout from Xihe County. He never expected that the vanguard troops would be so fierce that he was cut by a sharp blade.
"Well, it's better to go back to the capital. There are no more worries to hold me back. Perhaps it's just that my junior sister likes it this way. By the way, who hired this storyteller? He's got quite a sharp tongue. When did I, this enchantress, acquire the ability to turn beans into soldiers? If that's really the case, why would I need to run away?"
Her stunningly beautiful face was adorned with a human skin mask, making her resemble an old woman. The ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) she wore over it gave her the appearance of a middle-aged woman.
Ying Xiancai looked somewhat embarrassed, listening to the storyteller downstairs showing off his eloquence again, belittling the White Lotus Sect to nothing. He felt a surge of anger.
"The owner was hired by the restaurant manager. Since he came along, the restaurant has been packed with customers every day. With the money they've earned, they've bought a manor in a remote part of the east of the city. It's registered with the real estate brokerage in Shuntian Prefecture. If the leader doesn't like this person, he can just kick him out."
Looking back downstairs once more, the storyteller began his boasting again, but the surrounding crowd listened with great interest.
"Hehe, you're so easily swayed by rumors. Keeping this person here will not only attract customers, but also make it easier to gather information. Those people who were just talking looked unfamiliar, so they must be from the west. If I'm not mistaken, the man in linen clothes and with a slightly effeminate appearance should be from the Northwest Xuan Yin Sect. I didn't expect that even the dogs from the Western King's Mansion would come. But where are the people from the Western King's Mansion?"
The Emperor Emeritus's birthday banquet is just a few days away. If they don't come soon, they might miss it. Upon hearing this, the Right Protector's face paled. The Xuan Yin Sect in the west was the number one sect in the Northwest. What was their purpose in coming here? Thinking of the secret report left at the restaurant, he frowned deeply.
"Master, it's easy to investigate the Xuan Yin Sect coming here, but I've heard that the Prefect of Qingyang County, along with many other officials, have had their homes confiscated and been sent to the capital for imprisonment. It's said that this person wanted to repair the ancient Han River channel, which led to someone reporting him, resulting in the confiscation of his entire family's property. I heard it was a memorial impeached by the Western Prince's Mansion."
I haven't finished speaking yet,
Bai Shuiyue raised an eyebrow.
"What?! How dare he!"
(End of this chapter)