After going to bed that day, on the mandarin pillow, Hu Fujin told the words of Mrs. Luo Si to King Xuanjun.

Guan Zhuofan smiled slightly, and did not directly answer Hu Qingqing's words, but said: "Today's Xueyan is no longer than the previous two years-it should be very proud, right?" ”

Hu Qingqing was slightly stunned, and then said with a smile: "It's not!" In addition to the more and more co-names of 'Fukang' are opened, and it is the No. 1 money bank in Jiangnan, pawn shops have also opened! Well, I'll wrench my fingers—"

After a pause, he continued: "The first one is called 'Gongji Dian', followed by 'Guangshun Dian' and 'Tai'an Dian'...... Hangzhou, Huzhou, Jiaxing, Haining, Jinhua, Quzhou in Zhejiang, Suzhou and Zhenjiang in Jiangsu have all opened pawn shops of 'Hu Caishen', totaling ...... Seventeen rooms. ”

"'Hu Caishen'?"

"Yes--this nickname, I don't know who it came from, it was called out at once."

"God of Wealth? Hey, that's amazing! ”

After a pause, Guan Zhuofan said with a smile: "My Qingqing is also amazing-like a treasure!" ”

Hu Qingqing said angrily: "What do you mean by 'such as a number of treasures'? Misuse of words! Is that my home? In a year, most of the prince's Chenguang is not here, and if I can pay attention to the prince's affairs, I naturally have to pay attention to the prince. ”

"Yes, yes, otherwise, how can we say that our family is capable!"

Guan Zhuofan took Hu Qingqing and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

Hu Qingqing smiled softly.

"However, it's not a messy use of words - Mrs. Luo Si is your godsister, Xueyan is your godbrother-in-law, and everyone is a family. It's just ......"

Hu Qingqing pricked up her ears.

Guan Zhuofan stopped.

"But what? Say halfway. Leave half! ”

"Only. I hope Xue Yan can really be like a family and ...... with us A thought. ”

"How could he be outside the prince? He was like a mirror in his heart: in the past two years, he has developed like a somersault cloud, and it is not all ...... Relying on the shadow of the king? ”

After a pause, he said: "My godsister, every time she comes to Shanghai to see me, she turns over and over again, and this is what she nags. My ears are almost calloused! ”

"Mrs. Luo's words can't be said to be against her will, but—"

And "but"?

"Well, the business of raw silk 'selling Yangzhuang', Xueyan is also doing a big job, right?"

"Pinyangzhuang", that is, export.

How did the conversation turn to this?

Hu Qingqing thought for a while and said, "Yes." Hu Guanguan was originally in the business of raw silk 'selling foreign villages', but-"

Speaking of this, he couldn't help but purse his lips and smile: "It's all the prince's trouble-I'm 'okay'." ”

"The prince knows." 'Pinyangzhuang' is a very money-pressing business, originally. Hu Guan's capital is limited, and he cannot but unite with several large silk merchants in Hangzhou and Huzhou to advance and retreat together -- he does not yet occupy a large share. ”

"However, the current situation has been completely reversed! Hu observes the entry and exit of hundreds of thousands, or even millions of silver, and the rest of the silk merchants have to look at him! ”

"Well, among the silk merchants in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Xueyan has indeed become a well-deserved leader."

"How many people are wondering, 'Hu Caishen' is too fast! Hu can't afford to spend money and urine if he wants to, he has so many money, pawns, and silk villages...... Where does the capital come from? So...... How could he have two hearts for the prince? ”

Hu Qingqing's words euphemistically pointed out the source of the principal of Hu Xueyan's development.

This first source is the military expenditure of Zuo Zongtang's westward expedition.

The military in the northwest is prosperous, and unlike the mainland, it is indispensable to continue to pay for things.

In the case of a shortage of salaries in the mainland, there is always time and channels to make a move. Or, although the money is not available for the time being, some food can be raised, and the soldiers' stomachs will not starve. As long as the days of non-payment are not long, it will not cause too much trouble.

In Shaanxi and Gansu, once the salary is cut off, the road is far away, and the transportation is inconvenient, even if the inland has raised enough arrears, it will take a month or two to deport the soldiers. If you raise money nearby, except for a barren Shanxi, there is nothing to rely on. In the ice and snow, the soldiers are hungry, how can they get by? What if it causes a rout?

Therefore, as in the interior, the time cannot be measured in "months", and the provinces will send a large army to the west every month to pay the salary. Otherwise, if you are not careful, you will not eat the last meal, but you will delay the big event.

Therefore, Zuo Zongtang's expedition to the west must bring enough salary for one year, at least half a year, at one time.

The "opening fee," grain, horses, munitions, seeds and farm tools for the tuning fields, all added up, amounted to 3.5 million taels in the first year.

Even if it is half a year, it is 1,750,000 taels -- where does this money come from?

In the final analysis, the salary of the army of the Western Expedition is still a number for each province, and put it together to make up a large number. But you can't ask people to come up with a year's worth at once – the provinces can't get by?

The household department also did not have this money.

Who has? Guan Zhuofan reminded Zuo Zongtang: There are foreigners in the bank.

This led to the matter of borrowing foreign money and replenishing military expenses.

As mentioned above, at the beginning, Guan Zhuofan did not take the initiative to ask Ying to handle this foreign debt for Zuo Zongtang. Zuo Zongtang had a Hu Xueyan there, so he naturally asked Hu Xueyan to do this first.

Hu Xueyan ran around and came up with such a result:

HSBC promised to lend a huge amount of money, but asked for a ticket from Chinese customs to guarantee it. That is to say, when the time comes, the customs will repay HSBC, and it is not HSBC's business to deal with the provincial salaries and customs.

That's it, the key is interest: 3% per month.

The monthly interest rate is one and three cents, and the annual interest rate is one and a half cents and six cents.

At that time, the bank lending, the one-year payment, the general market was a monthly interest rate of 8%, and the annual interest rate did not exceed one cent.

The "dark disk" is too ruthless, and the "hat" is too heavy.

Guan Zhuofan was furious, reprimanded Hu Xueyan fiercely, and then logically "cut off" the loan

Citibank -- No one knew that Guan Beizi was the de facto owner of the American bank.

The interest rate was lowered to the normal 8% per month.

In this way, not only did he avoid "unnecessary losses" for the country, but Guan Zhuofan also ...... himself Hey.

Hu Xueyan did not suffer a loss.

He colluded with HSBC to open such a ferocious "dark market" in order to make up for the shortfall in salt affairs when he acted as an agent for the Zhejiang Domain. Guan Zhuofan took care of Citibank and gave Hu Xueyan a sum of money to help him tide over the difficulties.

Although he was disgraced in contacting the loan bank, Guan Zhuofan still handed over the loan from Citibank to Hu Xueyan's "Fukang" and sent it to the westward expedition army.

Hu Xueyan's good days began.

As mentioned above, when Zuo Zongtang goes out of the customs, he must bring half a year's military salary, and with this half-year military salary, after that, he can release it in installments, one solution in January and February, or one solution in February and March. However, the bank lends money for half a year, so a considerable part of the loan will stay in the account of "Fukang" for a considerable period of time.

In this way, Hu Xueyan had enough time to "make money with money" -- to earn his own money by taking the military expenses of the Western expeditionary army.

*(To be continued......)