Chapter 78: Investment and Money Bank

The temperature in Jiangnan is naturally much warmer than that in Kyoto. Although there was heavy snow falling in Suzhou and Hangzhou before the New Year, the snow clouds in the sky were directly pulled from the sea to the hinterland of Qingguo, making all the pastoral rivers shrouded in the white snow. However, as the years passed, winter came to the end, the snow in Jiangnan stopped. As soon as the sun came out, the snow melted and the ice melted, and there was no intention of being a cold.

Even the trees beside the outside of Suzhou City stretched out their tender green leaves in advance.

Ming Qingda, the contemporary owner of the Ming family, known as the richest businessman in the world, was sitting under the hill pavilion of Mingyuan, and his eyes crossed the high courtyard wall and fell among the tender trees. Although Mingyuan's courtyard wall was extremely high, it would become a fortress with high defense once it was closed. However, these high walls could not stop his gaze and could not hide the still weak but gradually erupting spring.

Although it is winter, I still look forward to spring.

Ming Qingda sighed, adding a hint of glory to his somewhat tired and old face. He thought happily that this winter was about to pass, and that the flowers and plants were about to survive. His Ming family, this huge Ming family, should have to survive again.

In a year, the Ming family experienced too many changes. In previous years, the huge profits made by the internal warehouse were reduced by half. Various sales routes were harassed by the Supervision Bureau. The flow of commercial goods and money was very difficult, and gradually it felt like the sky was declining.

Moreover, the old lady who secretly controlled the Ming family was also "forced to death" by the imperial envoy. The third brother Ming was almost exiled, and suddenly there was a Ming Laoqi who robbed his property.

There were countless swords and swords chopping the Ming family's head, which made Ming Qingda a little difficult to breathe and difficult to survive. He knew that behind these things was the supreme emperor sitting on the dragon throne, and the executor was the gentle and insidious imperial envoy Fan Xian. Fortunately... in the past six months, Fan Xian basically stayed in Hangzhou, played in Danzhou, Wuzhou, and rarely returned to the Neiku Office in Suzhou to watch affairs, especially in the past two months before and after the New Year, Fan Xian left Jiangnan and returned to Kyoto.

When Fan Xian left Jiangnan, the dark clouds shrouded over Ming's head also moved away. Although the Jiangnan Branch of the Supervision Bureau was still working hard to implement Fan Xian's instructions and suppress the Ming family's business, the Ming family had deep connections in Jiangnan and had countless officials secretly helped him, so the Ming family's business suddenly came to life and ushered in a rare activity.

So Ming Qingda sighed happily before looking at the tender branches outside the courtyard wall.

However, his face immediately became gloomy, because he suddenly found that he was blinded by joy. Spring was coming and the trees sprouted. But... the imperial envoy was coming back too.

His mood suddenly became gloomy, and he stood up angrily, and walked towards his courtyard with a sleeve. Mingyuan occupies a huge area, and most of the two men lived in the garden, according to the theory. After the death of the old lady Ming, the head of Ming Qingda, the head of the family, really took the right to speak and should move into the old lady's courtyard with the highest terrain, but Ming Qingda firmly did not agree to the public opinion among the clan. He changed the courtyard into a hall of missed children on the excuse of having his mother in his heart.

He knew why he didn't dare to move into the yard, because he was afraid that once he woke up in the yard, he would see the white towel tied to the beam and the pair of feet that kept bouncing.

That morning, he handled the affairs of the business farms in Mingyuan. Ming Qingda took a hot towel and wiped his face hard, feeling a sense of fatigue that oozed out of his bones. This family is too big and there are too many things to worry about. In the past, he could handle specific affairs more easily as the head of the family, because the general direction and collusion with the powerful people in the court were handled by the old lady Ming, so he didn't need to worry about it.

But now it is different. He needs to handle the secret information with Kyoto. What made Ming Qingda the most headache was that the imperial envoy has never stopped suppressing the Ming family. When external troubles are at the forefront, there is another problem within the Ming family. Fan Xian forced the evil seed of Xia Qifei into his home through a lawsuit... Moreover, Ming Lao San heard that he was very close to Xia Qifei.

In the face of the pressure from the court, Ming Qingda had no good method, so he could only watch Xia Qifei approaching the core of the Ming family step by step. Even on the first day of the Lunar New Year a month ago, he watched Xia Qifei return to the clan and sacrifice his ancestors.

Ming Qingda could no longer bear the internal difficulties and external troubles, but he had to persevere. For the sake of this family, he had to survive until the eldest princess succeeded.

He glanced at the two people beside him and sighed in his heart. The man and woman beside him were the ones he trusted the most now, one was his son Ming Lanshi, the other... was the old lady's close maid, and now his second concubine.

If it weren't for this big maid, Ming Qingda would never have taken over the secret of Old Lady Ming and became the real landlord of the Ming family, so he also made enough compensation and love for the woman.

And Ming Lanshi... Ming Qingda glanced at his son and frowned. In fact, he knew that Ming Lanshi had good abilities and good vision, but the father and son had a huge conflict about the future of the Ming family recently.

According to Ming Lanshi's view, since the imperial court suppressed so fiercely and the inner treasury was firmly controlled by Fan Xian, it was impossible for the Ming family to seek large profits from the inner treasury as in previous years. They should take advantage of the current gentle opportunity to gradually withdraw from this business. With the Ming family's large amount of land in Jiangnan and local networks, they no longer work as the inner treasury royal merchant, but instead engage in import trade between the Qing State and the Dongyi. This will allow the court and the imperial envoy to appreciate it, and secondly, they can also protect the foundation of the Ming family.

But Ming Qingda firmly opposed this proposal. Even though the Ming family is working very hard to support the situation, he still does not allow the family to leave the inner treasury and develop in another direction.

The second concubine left the front hall. Ming Qingda looked at her son and frowned and said, "Your proposal last night...no."

"Why?" Ming Lanshi said sadly: "Who can go against the court? If we don't retreat at this time... when Fan Xian returns to Jiangnan, I'm afraid that I can't retreat even if I want to."

"What can Fan Xian do?" Ming Qingda glanced at him and said, "Can he be able to mobilize troops to kill us all?"

"Hmph, who knows? That imperial envoy is the emperor's illegitimate son. If he really does it...who will he be afraid of?" Ming Lanshi knew that Fan Xian could not use this method, but he still couldn't help but say.

"We also have people in the palace." Ming Qingda frowned and said, "The Queen Mother, Empress, Princess... Are these nobles unable to defeat one of His Majesty's illegitimate sons?"

"What should I do about the business? If Fan Xian still did this like last year... How much money should our Ming family fill in to make up for the deficit?" Ming Lanshi said angrily: "In the past, when doing the internal treasury business, he made any profit. Now he is making one order and paying one order. When the price is set, the land is too high, and it is impossible to make a profit. He is also troubled by the people of the Supervision Bureau every day... Father, if this continues, it will not be long for support. If it continues for another three months, I think the tribe will start selling land."

"What's the hurry?" Ming Qingda said in disagreement: "The business of the Neiku must continue. This is what the eldest princess means. If we take off our hands at this time, Fan Xian might let us go, but how can the eldest princess explain? Without the Neiku's bid, our Ming family is just a piece of fat meat and may be eaten at any time."

He didn't realize that this sentence was said to his son a year ago.

"Then...at least the goods to Dongyi City... are less available, and you can also pay less." Ming Lanshi said tentatively.

Ming Qingda shook his head and said firmly: "No! You can't offend Sigujian... We still need the cash silver from Taiping Money House."

Speaking of cash banking, the father and son fell silent at the same time. Under the full suppression of the court and Fan Xian, the Ming family has been able to support it now and can also save the thousands of acres of fertile land in the clan. It is due to its good relationship with Dongyi City, and the Taiping Money House and the Merchants Money House are constantly supplying cash banking.

"What if...I mean, what if Taipinghe Investment Merchants thinks our family can't stand it anymore and want to collect cash?"

"Cash receipt? We mortgaged land and commercial banks." Ming Qingda sneered: "What's the use of taking so many money shops? Can they still sell them? They can only continue to support us... Otherwise, the only thing they take back is dead things. Dead things that cannot earn money at all."

"What should we do?"

"Have it on!" Ming Qingda stood up, clenched his fists slightly, coughed twice, and said firmly: "As long as there is no problem with Taiping Money Bank and Investment Promotion, we can survive. Fan Xian has no choice but to deal with me."

"How long will it take?" Ming Lanshi looked at the ups and downs of the family this year, and he couldn't hold on in his spirit.

"I'm not till Fan Xian collapses, and I'm not till His Majesty knows he's wrong." Ming Qingda's eyes were deep in her eyes. She said with a hint of twisting in her fatigue: "Even if it's two or three years, we have to wait for the movement in Kyoto."

"But there are too many places for family to ask for money now, so I'm afraid I will continue to adjust the silver in the money house." Ming Lanshi said worriedly.

"The share in the clan... was forced to give Xia Qifei a share." Ming Qingda closed her eyes and calculated, "Even if the two concubines, the third and fourth, had strange intentions, they had nothing to do with them. Most of them were at our hands. Just adjust the silver in the money house and don't cross the line."

A scheming businessman. Although he didn't think that Taiping Investment Bank would suddenly pull out firewood under the pot. However, he was always cautious and of course he knew to put the risk at the bottom.

The street full of money shops and pawn shops in Suzhou City is not very long. The street made of bluestone looks particularly quiet. People who can come here are either poor to some extent or rich to some extent.

Ming Lanshi, as the successor of the Ming family, was naturally the latter, so when he quietly came to the money house with the China Merchants Green Banner, he was immediately greeted by the shopkeeper of the China Merchants Bank.

Since Fan Xian went to Jiangnan, the Ming family's efforts to support silver from outside have become stronger, especially the internal treasury winning bids. With the strong strength of Taiping Money Bank, which spread all over the world, it was unable to raise so much cash in a while, so the Ming family took the risk of seeking help from the money shop for investment.

Unexpectedly, the Merchant Money Bank responded with great difficulty. This cooperation left a very good impression on the Ming family. After conducting a very detailed background investigation, the Ming family confirmed that the source of funds for the Merchant Money Bank was the legacy of the Jinyiwei commander of the Northern Qi Dynasty and the family in Dongyi City, so they felt relieved.

The cooperation between the two parties is increasing day by day, and cooperation is endless. The Merchants Bank has become the only one in Taiping Bank. The Ming family’s largest partner has remitted more than three million taels of silver in this bank in more than a year.

Ming Lanshi came to transfer the silver again today. Both parties familiarly signed the contract letter and notarization certificate and completed each other's procedures.

The shopkeeper of the investment bank suddenly showed a hint of embarrassment and said, "Young Master Ming, there is one thing I don't know whether to talk about or not."

Ming Lanshi frowned slightly, but his heart skipped a beat. He thought, could it be that the Merchants Bank suddenly had some suspicion about the Ming family?

Sure enough, the shopkeeper with an ordinary face said tentatively: "The past two months are good, but I heard... the imperial envoy is about to return to Jiangnan."

Ming Lanshi snorted coldly, thinking to himself that the whole world knew that his family was incompatible with the imperial envoy Fan Xian, but you were not afraid of the investment bank before, but why are you afraid now?

The shopkeeper smiled gently and said, "The Ming family has been in the business world of Jiangnan for a hundred years. Naturally, our small money house dares not doubt anything. It's just... I remind the young master. If there are too many business making money in the world, why do you have to compete with the court?"

Ming Lanshi's heart moved. This coincided with his intention to transfer the Ming family to another track. However, he was not a member of the Ming family after all, and he also had a hint of suspicion about the sudden reminder of the big shopkeeper. In front of this outsider, he certainly refused to say anything and said with a smile: "What business can make money than the inner warehouse?"

The shopkeeper laughed twice and said nothing.

After the Ming family's land carriage left the street made of bluestone slabs, the shopkeeper of the Merchants Bank hunched his body slightly and returned to the warehouse with strict guards behind. The shopkeeper stored cash and bills from all over the place. The shopkeeper obviously attached great importance to the Ming family's silver adjustment order. He carefully placed it in a separate wooden grid and glanced at it.

The documents inside are already very thick. If the Merchants Bank forces the Ming family to repay the money at this time, the Ming family will not be able to break the contract with the court. If they leave the matter of sales in the inner treasury, they will have to sell their own wealth to repay the money.

Of course, the Merchants Bank will not do such a thing.

The shopkeeper suddenly thought of something and said to the assistant beside him with a smile: "How much money has Mr. Ming Liu borrowed?"

"It has exceeded the limit." The assistant said respectfully. He admired the shopkeeper's methods because he knew that the investment bank actually had nearly half of the Ming family at this time. Although the Ming family's real estate industry is definitely more than this. However, once it is reflected in the bill, it will always shrink a lot once it is in a more clever moment.

"That guest...has a seal?"

"yes."

The shopkeeper nodded, knowing that the owner was about to take action, but... he hasn't returned to Jiangnan yet?

In the side room behind the investment bank, the shopkeeper saw the green banner at a glance and asked respectfully: "What should I do next, sir?"

As soon as Wang Shisanlang entered Suzhou, he came to the China Merchants Bank. Of course, he knew that the money house had a cooperative relationship with Mingjiadi, but he never thought that it was. No, it should be said that no one in the world did not expect that this money house... was actually Fan Xian's!

His lips were a little bitter, and he felt once again why his master attached so much importance to Fan Xian and why he asked himself to represent part of his attitude. He also knew that what Fan Xian said to him in that broken temple was not false. The Merchants Bank already had enough loan notes from the Ming family. In this matter, he was just a thug who wanted to pay... it was impossible to change all this.

Even if he notifies Dongyi City and Ming family at this time, it is impossible to change the facts that have been destined.

The Ming family is over. To be precise, before Ming Qingda knelt in front of Fan Xian, secretly killed the old lady Ming, and with a sad attitude, seeking sympathy from the world, dragging Fan Xian's thunder strike... the Ming family is over.

All the efforts made by the Ming family were just a lot of extra effort and a very powerless struggle.

The reason why Fan Xian has never taken action is because he had to deal with the pressure from Kyoto before. But now he has taken action must be because he knows that the nobles in Kyoto no longer have the extra power to help the Ming family.

Wang Shisanlang frowned and thought to himself what method Fan Xian would use to hold the Princess of Kyoto support the Ming family?

"I don't understand these." Wang Shisanlang sighed, "When will I go and ask for the account? I will follow you."

The shopkeeper smiled. A long time ago, he was a very successful official of the Ministry of Revenue. Now, he is a very successful usury operator. He is very good at doing things like cleaning shops: "The boss will have action to cooperate. Please wait for a few more days in Suzhou City."

Wang Shisanlang thought to himself that if Fan Xian wants to settle the Ming family, it is definitely not enough to rely on the loan notes alone. What else will he do?

Fan Xian's movements in Jiangnan began early because he needed to play this time difference, and the Kyoto movement that really caused Jiangnan's movements also slowly began at this moment.
Chapter completed!