At this time, Chen Zizhuang, in addition to feeling embarrassed, also felt aggrieved.

Indeed, last year, Li Zhaoji proposed to establish a bank, form a system for the silk bill, and make it bigger and stronger, but the problem is that as the next thing unfolded, this matter has not been mentioned again.

"Everyone, everyone, things are not what you think, last year, Shopkeeper Li did talk about the bank, but ....... Heck, this matter was then settled. ”

"Oh, you believe in the old man's ........."

Chen Zizhuang was surrounded and asked, sweating profusely, Li Zhaoji sat there drinking tea, feeling very relieved, this old man, Lao Tzu can't clean you up, let your people clean you up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Chen is old, and he may have forgotten to tell you for a while. So, don't blame it, fortunately, there is no mistake. Li Zhaoji said.

At this time, there was a knock on the door outside, and when the door was opened, more than a dozen shopkeepers holding account books stood there, with happy faces.

"The big treasurer, all the payments for Nagasaki Trade have been delivered." Tang Mu said.

More than a dozen shopkeepers nodded together, and the gentry who were deceived by Chen Zizhuang just now rejoiced when they saw that the money was in hand.

Huang Guanlou said: "Oh, look at you people, some small things, just do it yourself, you have to disturb our alcohol, go, go, bring the silver back, what is the noise here." ”

"yes, let's go, let's go." The rest of the gentry also waved their hands, and now that the money is in hand, it's time to show their generosity.

Li Zhaoji knocked on the table: "Slow, slow." ”

"What else does Shopkeeper Li have to say?" Lin Weiyuan asked.

Lee said: "Do you know what a bank is? ”

A few gentry shook their heads, but as soon as they heard the bank, they knew that it was related to silver, and Huangguanlou did a lot of business and was well-informed, and said: "This bank, the old man knows some, it is Taixi's money bank, but it is different from the money bank, let's save the money in the bank, and the money bank will also charge a preservation fee, but the Taixi people will deposit their bank and pay back the interest."

In the early years, the old man heard that some Yi kings in Nataixi were fighting and were short of money, and they were not like our Ming Dynasty, which levy more salaries and training salaries, but borrowed money. They took the mortgage of their imperial court taxes and the like, and then borrowed money from the bank to fight. ”

Li Zhaoji laughed: "Master Huang is really well-informed, admires and admires." Then Master Huang knows, why did those businessmen and gentry run banks? ”

"If you want to explain this matter, the old man doesn't have that ability. But to put it vulgarly, it's to make money over there, to make money with money, not to make money, what kind of Rausch bank. Master Huang's witty words caused everyone to laugh.

Li Zhaoji said: "Master Huang said this casually, but he explained the true meaning in one sentence.

Ladies and gentlemen, now our shopkeepers have 200,000 taels of silver, you take it home, put it in the cellar, and you will not get a cub, just now I said that the bank, it is for the sake of money, do you want to pause for a while, listen to me about our bank.

If everyone thinks it makes sense, they can participate together, and if they think it doesn't make sense, they will take the money home.

Anyway, in this Guangzhou city, no matter how bold the thief is, he won't dare to rob this Hongbin Tower. Li Zhaoji said.

"That's right!" Lin Weiyuan got up and said to everyone: "Look at this shopkeeper Li, fifty days ago, he fought with the Japanese slaves in the north, twenty days ago, he just pacified the barbarians in Dongfan, and five days ago, he was still exterminating the four surnames.

Praise him for a lot of opportunities, not too much. But in order to meet us, they took a few days to come. For what, not to look at our old faces.

is to make money, and the old man wants to participate in the big deal of the shopkeeper Li. ”

What Lin Weiyuan said sounded like a sarcasm, but he really praised Li Zhaoji.

Huang Guanlou also said: "That's right, the shopkeepers retreat first, don't seal the silver box, maybe the silver will be spent today, what can be done, is more silver coming in tomorrow." ”

Tang Mu took the shopkeepers to retreat first, and Li Zhaoji took another drink and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, everyone knows about the silk ticket. In fact, the bank I am talking about is to make the silk bill more professional, form a system and regulations, and take this opportunity to control the trading of raw silk. ”

Li Zhaoji specially took out a silk ticket and handed it to everyone to see: "This is a silk ticket, which says the lender and the borrower, but the big guy found out that there was no loan, and there was no money on it." ”

Lin Weiyuan glanced at it casually, and handed it to others, he also had this silk ticket at home, so he naturally knew the trick, he said: "Yes, this kind of mulberry silkworm raising is still from the silkworm farmer's own family, and it has not formed a scale."

And the silkworm chrysalis grows bigger, the more mulberry leaves are eaten, silkworm farmers are mostly tenants, or small farmers, where there are so many mulberry leaves, so you have to spend money to buy, and the silkworm cocoon, but also to cook and process, peel off the cocoon, the family may not be busy, but also need a lot of firewood and charcoal.

Mulberry leaves, charcoals, and artificialities all cost money. But in the countryside, silver can't be used, and this copper coin is far less useful than grain and cloth. Moreover, the silkworm farmers have planted mulberry trees on their fields, and they do not produce food themselves, at most they have a vegetable field, and they also eat.

Therefore, when there is often a time when the turnover is not enough, it is logical to borrow some cloth, grain and rice and charcoal from the landlords and gentry at this time. And if they are asked to pay it back with silver, they don't know what the price of silk is, and second, it is troublesome, so they simply let them pay it back with silk.

From this, there is this silk ticket. ”

Everyone is bowed, some people are also clear, some people are half-understood, after Lin Weiyuan's introduction, everyone understands.

Li Zhaoji said: "Yes, then why can't we put together the sale of this silk ticket?

Imagine, you are all cultivating and reading heirlooms, which family does not have hundreds of acres of land, there is land, and there are mulberry leaves when you plant mulberry trees. And charcoal, cotton cloth, grain, bulk purchases, not only good quality, but also low price. I'll give you an example, rice.

What is the price of rice nowadays, do you know? ”

As for the price of other daily necessities, people may not know, but the price of rice, as landlords, they are clear.

Huang Guanlou said: "Now that the autumn harvest has just passed, the price of rice has reached one or two dollars and one stone, and with the entry of winter and spring, the price of rice will rise." In the spring of this year, the price of rice once exceeded two or three yuan, but this year's rain is not as good as last year. ”

Li Zhaoji nodded: "Then do you know the price of rice in Manila, Malacca, Batavia, Hoi An, and Thang Long?" ”

The crowd shook their heads, they didn't do those deals.

Lee Siu Kee said: "The price of rice in September is about 9 coins in Manila, 11 coins in Thang Long, 7 coins in Malacca, 9 coins in Hoi An, and 224 coins in Batavia. ”

At first, everyone was surprised by the cheapness of Nanyang rice, but then they were surprised to hear that the price of Batavia rice was even more expensive than that of Guangzhou. Chen Zizhuang asked: "Why is the price of red hair rice so expensive?" ”

Li Zhaoji said: "That's because the red hair is greedy for expansion, and he is in Java, but he has more than one war with the local barbarian countries, especially when he returns to China in Nanyang, and he has a deep hatred with him." There is a country on the island of Java, called Mataran, which is the strongest and produces the most grain in the South Seas.

However, because of the enmity between the red hairs and the trade, only a small number of Chinese merchants could smuggle some rice to Batavia, and the main grain was imported from Siam. ”

"It seems that this kind of harmony and wealth is like this everywhere." The gentry sighed.

Li Zhaoji said: "Let's not talk about the distance, now the trade route from Guangdong Province to Manila has matured, and our Guangdong goods are very popular in Manila, but the purchase of local goods is relatively small, which has caused dissatisfaction among the Spaniards."

You've heard of that. ”

The gentry nodded, you have to ask them to say the word trade surplus deficit, they can't say it, but they understand it all, the merchants of Manila buy Chinese goods with a lot of cash, and there is less money in circulation, and the money is more valuable, which will directly cause chaos.

Speaking of which, it's only a year of trade, and it's just the beginning, and the Spaniards haven't broken out yet, but it won't work out in the long run. In addition, the Oriental Trading Company is trying to balance its trade by importing local goods as much as possible, such as dried timber.

Naturally, the rice is also available, and most of the rice in the freshwater market now comes from Manila.

Li Zhaoji was talking about the sky falling there, but he suddenly found that the atmosphere was a little wrong, because there were few applicants, he looked around, most of the people bowed their heads to eat vegetables, and lacked interest, only Chen Zizhuang, holding a glass of wine, watching the play, with a rare smile on his face.

In this way, Li Zhaoji knew that they had some doubts about this, so he took the initiative to ask: "Ladies and gentlemen, what are your concerns?" ”

A group of gentry laughed dryly, but no one was willing to say it.

Chen Zizhuang smiled and said, "Shopkeeper Li, let the old man say a few words." ”

"Please give me advice."

Chen Zizhuang looked proud and said, "A few years ago, you did talk to me about the bank. The old man didn't tell his colleagues, not because he was old and couldn't remember, but because he knew that everyone wouldn't agree to it. ”

Li Zhaoji found that Chen Zizhuang's words provoked a nod.

Chen Zizhuang continued: "The buying and selling of this silk ticket is involved in all families, and my Chen family is also vulgar. However, if the bank is used to monopolize the sale of this silk bill, it must not be done. ”

"Why?"

"Silk tickets make money, not just make money. When the tenant villagers were in trouble and needed rice and cloth to turnover, our gentry's family lent him and returned it in raw silk in the coming year, which did not involve silver money, and naturally there was no copper smell, but it helped the township and won fame.

Besides, this silk ticket is not something that can be borrowed at will, just like the tenant farmer of Master Lin's family, if he comes to me Chen Zizhuang to borrow rice and grain, I can't borrow it, otherwise how can I get along with Master Lin?

Indeed, your bank monopoly method is really good, everyone has a stake in it, and it makes a lot of money. Speaking of which, this is a discrediting method.

Imagine, in this way, the trading monopoly of the gentry in the province has reached the bank, even if everyone present has influence in various prefectures and counties, it will be lost all at once.

If you earn ten taels of silver on a load of silk tickets, it is also a good deed to help your neighbors and save the world. The reputation of each family was ruined.

Never, never. Chen Zizhuang said with a smile, he was very satisfied if he could make Li Zhaoji deflated.

Lin Weiyuan also hurriedly came out to play a round: "Anyway, Shopkeeper Li's heart is good, and he thinks about us when he makes money." ”

Huang Guanlou said with a smile: "If Shopkeeper Li provokes this transaction alone, we will privately enter a ........" As soon as he said this, he laughed dryly twice, and no longer spoke, Lin Weiyuan looked at Huangguanlou like a stupid pig, this kind of thing can be done, but it can't be declared.

"Hehe, shopkeeper Li, don't be discouraged, after all, your method is good, maybe it will be useful in the future." Chen Zizhuang took the opportunity to sneer.

Li Zhaoji stood up, spread his hands and said, "You still haven't let me finish my words." The establishment of a bank and the monopoly of silk bills are a righteous act to help the society for the country and the people, and it is a matter of great righteousness and loyalty. ”

For a moment, everyone was stunned, how did you say this?

But if it really makes sense, who doesn't want to do this lucrative business.