Liu Sheng said with a smile: "HSBC is a bank founded by the British Empire, headquartered in Hong Kong, a few years ago, when the coastal defense was rectified and the Mao bandits were exterminated, the imperial court borrowed silver from others, how could they fall with such great strength?" ”

Another businessman said: "My name is Huang Youfu, I am an Anhui businessman, Brother Liu Sheng is right, the bank founded by foreigners, how to say it, we use steadfastness, I am transporting goods between Shanghai and Guangzhou, our money is stored in Crédit France, when trading, use the silver two coupons issued by them, no longer have to take a big boat to pull silver, it feels very convenient." ”

Zhang Hua nodded and said to everyone: "I heard it, the reason why everyone doesn't dare to exchange it is because they don't trust the Northeast People's Bank, right?" ”

Everyone nodded yes, and Zhang Hua smiled: "Don't you know who founded the Northeast People's Bank?" It was founded by Lin Shuai, Lin Shuai's exploits will not be unknown to everyone, recovering the Outer Northeast, pacifying Mongolia, and recently led people to occupy the port thousands of miles away, we have been founding the Qing Dynasty for more than 200 years, who can be greater than Lin Shuai? ”

Liu Sheng smiled reluctantly and said, "Brother Zhang, you must have just arrived in Shanghai, right?" ”

Zhang Hua asked, "That's right, I just arrived in Shanghai, what's wrong?" Why did you suddenly mention this? ”

Liu Sheng lowered his voice and said, "You still don't know the way, right? The imperial court is going to make a break, and the People's Bank of Northeast China will be banned! ”

As soon as the words fell, they only heard a sound of "dangchang" from the house, and everyone followed the reputation, it turned out that it was a little guy with a teapot on the side who dropped the teapot, and everyone turned around and looked at Zhang Hua, this little guy who dropped the teapot was Lin Yuan pretending, he was so surprised when he heard this that he even fell the teapot, and thought: "The Qing court wants to ban our bank, why haven't I heard of it!" Could it be that someone deliberately spread rumors! ”

Liu Sheng continued: "Brother Zhang Hua, you see, if the imperial court bans the Northeast People's Bank, won't the money in our hands become a pile of waste paper?" When the time comes, it is better to burn paper for the dead! ”

Zhang Hua smiled, pointed to the teabowl with his hand, Lin Yuan walked over with the teapot, this is the code they discussed in advance, if there is an emergency on the field, use the opportunity to refill the teabowl to speak, exchange opinions, Lin Yuan walked to Zhang Hua with the teapot, and whispered in Zhang Hua's ear by bowing his head and pouring water: "Ask where did this news come from?" I'm sure it's a rumor! ”

Lin Yuan stood aside after continuing the water, and Zhang Hua smiled and said, "Where did the news come from, Brother Liu Sheng?" I'm from Beijing, and I haven't heard of it, so it must be a rumor. ”

Liu Sheng said with a smile: "Brother Zhang, this is definitely not a rumor, you don't know the way, there is a banking alliance in Shanghai, and several large banks opened by foreigners in Shanghai are in this alliance, and this alliance will regularly hold cocktail parties and balls, and invite us businessmen to participate, nominally a cocktail party and a ball, but in fact we will reveal some news, and this news was released at a recent cocktail party." ”

Zhang Hua frowned and said, "There is such a thing, what is the reason for the ban?" ”

Liu Sheng said: "It is said that the People's Bank of Northeast China issued paper money indiscriminately, endangering the social welfare of the Qing Dynasty, so it must be banned!" ”

Zhang Hua asked, "But don't foreigners' banks also issue banknotes?" Why don't you ban them? ”

Liu Sheng said: "This little brother doesn't know what to do, maybe the banknotes issued by foreigners' banks can be exchanged for silver, and the banknotes issued by the People's Bank of Northeast China cannot be exchanged for silver, just a piece of paper can be used as money, so don't worry about it." ”

Huang Youfu said helplessly: "Brother Liu's words are wrong, although the silver dollar coupons and silver coupons issued by the foreign bank can be exchanged for silver, but if you really want to exchange silver, things will be extremely troublesome, first all kinds of messy procedures, and then the clerk's push, I wanted to exchange five thousand taels of silver last month, but they have been exchanged until now, and there is still half of it!" ”

"I think the foreign devils just want to take the opportunity of issuing two silver coupons to loot our silver, but we have no way, it's really inconvenient to do business with cash, there are bandits on the land, there is wind on the sea, and if you lose your money a little, it will be much more convenient to take the silver two coupons, as for the silver, they will loot it, and the Holy Lafayette can't control it, how can we manage it?"

At this time, an old man coughed softly, and everyone looked at him, Lin Yuan knew that this person's status was extremely high, and he hurriedly looked at him carefully, only to see that this old man was sitting precariously, as steady as Mount Tai, with a pair of lilac walnuts in his hand, and said to Huang Youfu who had just spoken: "Little Fuzi, how can you talk about the saint and Lafayette?" ”

Huang Youfu regretted his speech, his face changed, and he slapped his mouth again and again, and said: "What Uncle Sixth taught me is: I went out to drink some wine today and talked nonsense, everyone is not strange!" No wonder! ”

Lin Yuan knew that the person known as the sixth uncle was the highest status and status among these people, and he was also a famous Hui businessman, so he wanted to listen to what he said, only to hear the sixth uncle smile and say: "Brother Zhang, you don't know, behind the imperial court's ban on the Northeast People's Bank, there is actually a big thing!" ”

Zhang Hua hurriedly asked, "What's the big deal?" ”

The sixth uncle smiled faintly and said: "The Shanghai Banking Alliance has sent an envoy to Beijing, this envoy's identity and origin are not ordinary, he is a master sent by the Bank of England, and he has been working in the bank for more than 30 years!" The purpose of his trip to Beijing was to work as a consultant for Daqing Bank! ”

When Lin Yuan heard the "Daqing Bank", he thought to himself: "This bank is the first national bank in China, but it didn't appear until 1906, and it has appeared now!" ”

Liu Sheng asked: "Sixth uncle, I don't know what is the background of the Bank of England?" ”

The sixth uncle said with a smile: "Don't look at the HSBC in our Qing Dynasty, the bank is running a lot of money, and the bank can't get by, but in England there is no way to compare with this Bank of England, the Bank of England has been established for more than 300 years, almost the same age as our Qing Dynasty, even the emperor of England has to borrow money from it, and this Bank of England is also responsible for issuing pounds, and they have the final say on how much to issue, do you think this Bank of England is powerful?" ”

The sixth uncle continued: "The imperial court also knows the benefits of opening a bank to issue banknotes, so it is preparing for the Daqing Bank, and also wants to issue banknotes, but this Northeast People's Bank is the first to arrive, how can the Daqing Bank sit idly by, so the head of the household department Weng Tongyi and the military department secretary Yuan Shikai strongly advocate the ban on the Northeast People's Bank!" ”

Lin Yuan heard that these two people were moving in their hearts, and thought: "Weng Tongyi and I have a normal relationship, Yuan Shikai and I have an enmity, these two people get together to give me a good look!" At this time, Zhang Hua asked: "I still have the same problem, foreign banks are also issuing banknotes, why does the imperial court ignore them?" ”

The sixth uncle said leisurely: "First, foreigners will not be kind enough to help, their condition is that the imperial court has the power to issue currency to foreign banks; Second, the imperial court's ban on the People's Bank of Northeast China is knocking on the mountain and shaking the tiger, what mountain is knocked, which tiger is shocked, the old man is old, and he is lazy to ask about the world, so he doesn't know what to do, Brother Zhang, the old man is not as young as you, and he will be tired after leaving home for a while, so I will go back to rest first. So saying, he stood up with the help of the servant beside him.