The temperature in the south of the Yangtze River is naturally much warmer than that in Kyoto. Although there was a heavy snowfall in Suzhou and Hangzhou a few years ago, the snow clouds in the sky were directly pulled from the seaside to the hinterland of Qingguo, covering all the pastoral rivers and rivers in white snow. However, as soon as the year turns over and winter comes to an end, the snow in the south of the Yangtze River stops. As soon as the sun comes out, the snow melts and the ice melts, and the severe cold suddenly disappears.
Even the tree branches beside the outer roads of Suzhou city stretched out their green and tender little antler leaves in advance.
Ming Qingda, the contemporary owner of the Ming family, known as the richest businessman in the world, was sitting under the small hill pavilion in the Ming Garden at this time, looking over the high courtyard wall, and fell on the green tenderness among the trees. Although Mingyuan's courtyard walls are extremely high, and once the doors are closed, they will become a heavily fortified fortress, but these high walls can't stop his gaze, and can't hide the still weak but gradually blooming spring.
Although it is winter, I still look forward to spring.
Ming Qingda sighed, adding a gleam of brilliance to his tired and old face, he thought happily, this winter is coming to an end, flowers and grasses will come alive, his Ming family, this huge The Ming family should also come back to life.
In one year, the Ming family has experienced too many changes. The huge profits obtained by relying on the internal treasury in previous years have been reduced by half. It was very difficult, and I gradually felt the sun was fading away.
Moreover, the old matriarch who secretly controlled the Ming family was also "forced to death" by the imperial envoy. The third Ming was almost exiled, and suddenly there was a seventh Ming who robbed the family property.
All kinds of things, countless swords came to the Ming family's head, making it difficult for Ming Qingda to breathe and survive. He knew that behind all these things was the Supreme Under Heaven sitting on the Dragon Throne, and the executor was Fan Xian, the imperial envoy with a gentle face and sinister thoughts. Fortunately... Fan Xian basically stayed in Hangzhou for the past six months, Playing in Wuzhou and Danzhou, he seldom went back to Suzhou Neiku Yamen to take care of things, especially during the two months before and after the New Year's Eve, Fan Xian left Jiangnan and returned to Kyoto.
Fan Xian left Jiangnan, and the dark clouds hanging over the Ming family also moved away. Although the Jiangnan branch of the Overwatch Council is still working hard to implement Fan Xian's instructions and suppress the Ming family's business, the Ming family has deep connections in Jiangnan after all. , there were countless officials secretly helping, so the Ming family's business suddenly came to life, ushering in a rare activity.
That's why Ming Qingda sighed happily when he looked at the twigs outside the courtyard wall.
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However, his face immediately became gloomy, because he suddenly realized that he was overwhelmed by joy. Spring is here, and the trees are sprouting, but... the imperial envoy is also coming back.
His mood suddenly became gloomy, he got up angrily, and walked towards his courtyard with a flick of his sleeves. The Ming Garden occupies a huge area, and most of the men in the two houses live in the garden. Originally, according to the theory, after the death of the Old Matriarch Ming, Ming Qingda, the head of the family, really had the right to speak, and should move in with the old lady. Jun's small courtyard with the highest terrain is the one, but Ming Qingda resolutely refused to agree with the family's public discussion, and changed that courtyard into a missing relatives hall under the pretext of caring for his mother.
He knew why he didn't dare to move into that small courtyard, because he was afraid that once he woke up in that small courtyard, he would see the white scarf tied to the beam and those little feet that kept bouncing.
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In the morning of that day, Ming Qingda dealt with the affairs of the business farm under the clan in Mingyuan. Ming Qingda picked up a hot towel and wiped his face vigorously, feeling a sense of exhaustion oozing from his bones. This family is too big, and there are too many things to worry about. In the past, he was able to handle specific affairs relatively easily as the head of the house. That was because the general direction and collusion with the dignitaries in the court were all handled by the Ming old matriarch. He needn't bother.
But now it is different, he had to handle the matter secretly with the capital side, and what troubled Ming Qingda the most was that the imperial envoy had not stopped suppressing the Ming family. Forcibly through a lawsuit, Xia Qifei's scoundrel was stuffed into the house... And Ming Laosan recently heard that he was very close to Xia Qifei.
Facing the pressure from the imperial court, Ming Qingda had no good solution, so he had to watch Xia Qifei approach the core of the Ming family step by step. Zu.
Internal difficulties and external troubles made Ming Qingda a little unbearable, but he had to persevere. For the sake of the family, he had to endure until the eldest princess succeeded.
He glanced at the two people around him, and sighed in his heart. The man and woman beside him are the people he can trust most now. One is his son Ming Lanshi, and the other... is the old lady's close-knit uncle. Maid, now my second concubine.
If it weren't for this big maid, Ming Qingda would never have been able to take over all the old lady's secrets and become the real master of the Ming family, so he also made enough compensation and love for this woman.
And Minglanshi... Ming Qingda glanced at his son and frowned. In fact, he knew that Minglanshi had good abilities and a good vision, but the father and son had recently had a great conflict about the future of the Ming family. conflict.
According to Ming Lanshi, since the imperial court suppressed it so fiercely and Fan Xian firmly controlled the inner treasury, it would be impossible for the Ming family to make large profits from the inner treasury as in previous years. Opportunity, gradually withdrawing from this business, relying on the Ming family's large amount of land in the south of the Yangtze River and their network in various places, no longer being an imperial merchant in the inner treasury, but instead conducting import trade between Qingguo and Dongyi. In this way, the imperial court and imperial envoys can appreciate it, and secondly, the foundation of the Ming family can be preserved.
But Ming Qingda resolutely opposed this proposal. Even though the Ming family is supporting it very hard, he still does not allow the family to leave the inner treasury and develop in other directions.
The second aunt left the front hall, Ming Qingda looked at his son and frowned and said: "Your proposal last night... no."
"Why?" Ming Lanshi said sadly, "Who can fight against the court? If we don't retreat at this time... When Fan Xian returns to Jiangnan, I'm afraid we won't be able to retreat even if we want to."
"What can Fan Xian do?" Ming Qingda glanced at him and said, "Could it be that he can dispatch troops to kill us all?"
"Hmph, who knows? That imperial envoy is the emperor's illegitimate son. If he really messes around...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 Empress Dowager, the Empress, and the Eldest Princess... Could it be that these nobles are no match for one of His Majesty's illegitimate sons?"
"Then what about the business? If Fan Xian still does what he did last year... how much money does our Ming family have to put into it to make up for the shortfall?" Ming Lanshi said angrily: "In the past, when we were in the internal treasury business, we could earn as much as we wanted. How to make money, now it is one order and one loss, when the price is set too high, it is impossible to make a profit, and the people from the Overwatch Council make trouble every day... Father, if this continues, it won't last long, and I will make three more Month, I think the clan is about to start selling property."
"What's the rush?" Ming Qingda said disapprovingly: "The business of the internal treasury must continue, this is the meaning of the eldest princess, if we let go at this time, Fan Xian might let us go, but the eldest princess How can I explain? Without the quota of the internal treasury, our Ming family is just a piece of fat, which may be eaten by others at any time."
He didn't realize that this sentence was said to his son a year ago.
"Then... at least the goods going to Dongyi City... you can pay less, and you can pay less." Ming Lanshi said tentatively.
Ming Qingda shook his head, and said decisively: "No! Don't offend Si Gu Jian... We still need cash from Taiping Bank."
When it came to cash, 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 survive and keep the ten thousand hectares of fertile land in the clan, thanks to the relationship with Dongyi City. Good relationship, continuous cash supply from Taiping Bank and China Merchants Bank.
"What if... I mean, what if Taiping and China Merchants feel that our family can't survive anymore and want to collect money?"
"Cash register? What we mortgage is the land and the commercial bank." Ming Qingda sneered and said, "What is the use of the bank taking so much money? Can it still be sold? They have to continue to support us... Otherwise, what will be taken back is just some dead money. Things, dead things that can't earn money at all."
"what should we do?"
"Stay on!" Ming Qingda stood up, clenched his fist slightly, coughed twice, and said firmly, "As long as there is no problem with Taiping Bank and China Merchants, we can survive, and Fan Xian can't do anything about 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 mentally.
"Stay until Fan Xian collapses, until His Majesty knows he was wrong." Ming Qingda's eyes were sunken, and he said with a trace of fatigue in his exhaustion: "Even if it takes two or three years, we have to wait. We have to wait for the capital." movement."
"But now there are too many places for money at home, I'm afraid we will continue to transfer money in the bank." Ming Lanshi said worriedly.
"The share in the clan... was forced to give Xia Qifei a share." Ming Qingda closed his eyes and calculated, "Even if the two aunts, the third and the fourth, have different intentions, they don't have much on hand, most of them are in the Let's transfer the silver at the bank and don't cross the line."
Although the scheming businessman didn't think that Taiping Merchants Bank would suddenly draw firewood from the pot, he was always cautious, and of course he knew to keep the risk at the bottom.
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The street full of pawnshops in Suzhou City is not very long, and the streets made of blue stones are particularly quiet. People who can come here are either poor to a certain extent or rich to a certain extent.
As the successor of the Ming family, Ming Lanshi was naturally the latter, so when he quietly came to the bank with the green banner of China Merchants hanging, he was immediately welcomed in by the big shopkeeper of China Merchants Bank respectfully.
Since Fan Xian went to the south of the Yangtze River, the Ming family's efforts to send out money have increased, especially the winning of the internal treasury. With the strength of the Taiping Bank all over the world, it is impossible to raise so much cash in a short time, so the Ming family The family ventured to turn to China Merchants Bank.
Unexpectedly, the China Merchants Bank actually accepted it after a lot of hardships. 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 China Merchants Bank was Back then, the commander of Jinyiwei in the Northern Qi Dynasty was relieved of the inheritance of Chong's family and a family in Dongyi City.
The cooperation between the two parties is increasing day by day, and the cooperation is seamless. China Merchants Bank has become the largest partner of the Ming family besides the Taiping Bank. In more than a year, the Ming family has transferred more than three million taels of silver from this bank.
Ming Lanshi came to adjust the silver again today, and the two parties signed the contract and notarization very familiarly, and completed the procedures for each other.
The big treasurer of China Merchants Bank suddenly showed embarrassment, and said: "Master Ming, there is one thing that I don't know whether to say or not."
Ming Lanshi frowned slightly, but his heart skipped a beat, wondering if China Merchants Bank suddenly had some doubts about the Ming family
Sure enough, the shopkeeper with an ordinary face said tentatively: "The past two months have been good, but I heard... the imperial envoy will return to Jiangnan soon."
Ming Lanshi snorted coldly, thinking that the whole world knew that his family was at odds with Fan Xian, the imperial envoy, but you were not afraid of China Merchants Bank before, why are you afraid now
The big shopkeeper said with a gentle smile: "The Ming family has been the leader in the Jiangnan business world for a hundred years. Naturally, a small bank in our family dare not doubt anything, but... remind the young master that there are so many money-making businesses in this world, why bother to compete with the court?" ?”
Ming Lanshi's heart moved. This was exactly in line with his intention to transfer the Ming family to another track. However, he was not a party to the Ming family after all. Of course, he refused to say anything, and said with a smile, "What kind of business can make more money than Neiku?"
The shopkeeper chuckled twice, but didn't say anything else.
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After the Ming family's carriage left the street made of bluestone slabs, the big treasurer of China Merchants Bank hunched slightly and went back to the heavily guarded inner warehouse, where cash and receipts from various places were stored. The big shopkeeper obviously attached great importance to the Ming family's bank transfer list, he carefully put it in a separate wooden grid, and glanced inside.
The documents inside are already very thick. If China Merchants Bank forces the Ming family to pay back the money at this time, and it is impossible for the Ming family to break the contract with the imperial court and break away from the internal treasury sales, then they can only sell their strong family property to pay back the money.
Of course, China 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 did Sixth Master Ming borrow?"
"It's already exceeded the quota." The assistant said respectfully. He admired the methods of the big shopkeeper, because he knew that China Merchants Bank actually owned nearly half of the Ming family at this time. Absolutely more than that, but wealth, once it is reflected in the bills, will always shrink a lot once it is at a more clever moment.
"That guest... with a seal?"
"yes."
The shopkeeper nodded, knowing that the master was ready to do something, but... hasn't he returned to Jiangnan yet
In the side room behind the China Merchants Bank, the big shopkeeper saw the green banner at a glance, and asked respectfully, "My lord, what should I do next?"
As soon as Wang Shisanlang entered Suzhou, he came to China Merchants Bank. Of course he knew about the cooperative relationship between this bank and the Ming family, but he never thought of it anyway. No, it should be said that no one in the world thought of it—this bank The bank... actually belonged to Fan Xian!
His lips were bitter, and he felt once again why the master valued Fan Xian so much, and why he let himself represent part of his attitude. He also knew that what Fan Xian said to him in that ruined temple was not the same as him. False, China Merchants Bank already has enough IOUs from the Ming family. In this matter, I am just a thug asking for accounts... It is impossible to change all this.
Even if he informs Dongyi City and the Ming family at this time, it is impossible to change the doomed fact.
The Ming family is over, to be precise, before Ming Qingda knelt in front of Fan Xian, secretly killed the old matriarch Ming, and with a sad attitude, begged for the sympathy of the world, and held back Fan Xian's thunderbolt... The Ming family... It's over.
All the efforts made by the Ming family are just superfluous movements and weak struggles.
The reason why Fan Xian didn't do anything was because he had to deal with the pressure from the capital before. And now he is doing it, it must be because he knows that the nobles in the capital no longer have the extra power to help the Ming family.
Wang Shisanlang frowned, wondering what kind of means Fan Xian would use to hold back the support of the princess in the capital for the Ming family
"I don't understand these things." Wang Shisanlang sighed, "Whenever you go to ask for a bill, I'll go with you."
The big shopkeeper smiled. A long time ago, he was a very successful official of the household department. Now, he is a very successful usury operator. He is very good at things like shop cleaning: "The boss will still If there is action to cooperate, please wait a few more days in Suzhou City."
Thirteenth Wang thought to himself, if Fan Xian wanted to liquidate the Ming family, it would definitely not be enough to rely on the IOU, what else would he do
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Fan Xian's action in Jiangnan started earlier because he needed to overcome the time difference, and the action in Kyoto that really led to Jiangnan's action also slowly started at this moment.
One day in mid-February, the owner of the Dongyi City Embroidered Cloth Shop, who had been dragged to the brink of death, finally got good news. The banknotes he sent out worked. Tomorrow, yes, tomorrow, the embroidered cloth... will enter the palace.
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(Tomorrow, yes, it is tomorrow, the monthly pass... will stop being doubled... If you still hold the pass in your hand, please throw it over, thank you.)
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