Chapter 685: Only One Move Away

Several people were stunned.

How could this be!

This gold and silver storage fee is a major source of income for the bill shops!

As a result, not only is the storage fee gone, but we have to pay them "interest"?

The difference in this is huge!

Every year, the storage fees from these bill shops alone contribute several million taels of silver to the Jin Prince's Mansion!

Liu Zheng had long known these people would have such a reaction, and he smiled with confidence: "Jin Prince, you must broaden your perspective..."

"How to broaden it?"

The Jin Prince shook his head; he really found it hard to understand.

Liu Zheng chuckled: "Actually, it's very simple... Jin Prince, Liu Zheng dares to ask you, what group did the previous bill shops mostly serve?"

The Jin Prince replied: "Those financiers and merchants of the Jin merchants!"

Suddenly, his expression changed drastically, and he slapped the table and stood up: "You mean... this Bank..."

Liu Zheng laughed out loud: "That's right, a Bank is mainly to serve the public! That is to say, to gather the idle funds in society! Jin Prince, you can think about it: in our Jinzhou, those with money might be the financiers who look down on the world. But in reality, the larger the operation, the tighter the cash flow. Their idle funds may not be much! In fact, most of the time, they even have to rely on other bill shops to make ends meet!"

"However... the money of the public is different! We Longyan people have been thrifty and industrious since ancient times, prioritizing savings! Liu Zheng believes that the idle funds in their hands, when gathered together, even exceed those of the financiers!"

These words.

Several people looked at each other simultaneously.

Following that, one after another, they gasped.

Liu Zheng then smiled faintly: "The interest we give to the public is nothing much. But the interest we extract from that group of financiers is enormous!"

He stood up abruptly, his eyes gleaming: "Jin Prince, just imagine, a Bank backed by the Jin Prince's Mansion, facing all the financiers across the country! Including those in Jinzhou, including those in Liangzhou, including those in Jingchu, including those in Jiangdong, including those in Jiangnan! How many financiers and wealthy merchants are there in the world? We are using idle funds to leverage these wealthy merchants who have already staked their entire net worth on commercial activities and could capsize at the slightest mistake! Let them pay us interest!"

"The marketplace is like a battlefield; many times, they have no choice!"

"Good!"

The Jin Prince also stood up, his eyes brightening, feeling extremely excited.

Liu Zheng smiled gently: "Of course, to put the Jin Prince at ease, our Liangzhou Chamber of Commerce will be the first to become a customer of our Bank! We will take out the first loan from our Bank for the construction of Liaodong, calculated according to the interest we discussed together. Jin Prince, what do you think?"

"This, this, this..."

The Jin Prince widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief.

This sentence.

The amount of information was too great.

First, it is "our Bank." That is to say, according to Liu Zheng's vision, this Bank is to be established jointly by Liangzhou Prefecture and the Jin Prince's Mansion. Looking at the entire Longyan, a bill shop supported by two Feudatory King's Mansions together is unprecedented.

Secondly, Liu Zheng will be the first to take out a loan from the Bank! And it is expected to be a huge loan!

This also means that Liu Zheng has absolute confidence in the development of Liaodong. The Jin Prince didn't believe this before, but now he believes it...

If the land of Liaodong really begins large-scale construction... it will certainly attract wealthy merchants from all over the country to flock there. At that time, will his own Bank lack loan customers?

"Regarding this matter, may I return to discuss it?"

The Jin Prince could no longer hold back.

Liu Zheng laughed heartily and left with several people.

Returning to the Post House, Liu Zheng's back was already soaked through.

These past few days, he was truly exhausted. There was too much in his mind. Eloquent speech, all kinds of persuasion.

The Yong Prince smiled from the side: "Do you think the Jin Prince will agree?"

Liu Zheng shook his head: "Still missing one move."

"Oh?"

The Yong Prince and the Wei Prince looked at each other.

Both were grown men, and Liu Zheng did not avoid them; he took off his clothes and began to wipe himself dry. He said faintly: "The 'autumn tiger' heat is still quite fierce. But looking at this weather, late autumn is about to arrive. Tomorrow the autumn rain will fall; each autumn rain brings more cold."

He smiled leisurely: "One night of autumn wind, the chill is unfelt, the scent of osmanthus floats throughout the city. Half a tune of parting sorrow added to the wine, drunkenly watching a thousand sails and ten thousand yellow mountains."

The Yong Prince and the Wei Prince looked at each other and laughed: "Is Liu Zheng missing the Princess?"

Liu Zheng shook his head: "The weather is about to turn cold."

The two changed expressions simultaneously.

Yes.

The weather is about to turn cold.

In the following days, the autumn rain in Jinzhou poured down.

A few days ago.

People who were still wailing about the heat under the "autumn tiger" began to put away their fans and put on autumn clothes; the change in weather is always so caught-off-guard.

Cold.

Very cold.

This year's winter will be very cold again. Elderly people who know how to read the weather have even seen that this year, Longyan will welcome the coldest winter in history.

Even because of the extreme cold air, the crops in the fields that had not yet matured suffered varying degrees of damage.

The farmers complained incessantly, and could only swing their sickles in the mud, unwilling but having no other Method, to cut down the grain that would take another month or two to mature.

It seems that this winter, they will have to buy grain to survive.

Grain is easy to talk about.

If you have money, you can buy it.

However, in such cold weather, what if people freeze to death?

Some people began to call upon the government to purchase charcoal early.

Taking advantage of the still-mild weather in the south, they should stockpile more charcoal while prices are low, so that the common people can afford it and not freeze to death this winter.

The Prince of Jin was also worried.

These past few days, all the ills of Jinzhou that Liu Zheng spoke of have been fully manifested.

In response to the demands of the people, he began to seek out charcoal, but those charcoal merchants from other regions raised their prices on the spot, far exceeding the Prince's mansion's budget.

Only those Jin merchants who followed him offered up their stock from the previous period, but for all of Jinzhou, this was undoubtedly a drop in the bucket.

The issue of heating had become a top priority.

People freezing to death.

This is not a rare occurrence in history.

Once the Prince of Jin had a headache, he naturally had no heart to discuss anything with Liu Zheng.

That was equivalent to saying that the work Liu Zheng had done over the past few days had almost all been in vain.

The Prince of Jin would naturally consider that if even the weather in Jinzhou was this cold this year, how much worse would it be in Liaodong?

Could a cold and bitter place like Liaodong really be successfully developed?

If one were to harbor doubts about this.

Then everything Liu Zheng had said over these past few days would be nothing but empty talk.

For Liu Zheng.

Failing to obtain the mining rights for the Coal Mine and being unable to cooperate with the Prince of Jin to establish a Bank would have a massive impact on his grand plan for Liaodong.

Naturally.

Regarding this matter.

Liu Zheng had long since prepared a way to deal with it.

It only lacked one final move.

The Prince of Wei and the Prince of Yong were also jumping with anxiety these past few days.

They urged Liu Zheng every single day.

But Liu Zheng was not in a hurry; the reply he gave was that they must wait.

Wait a few more days.

Right now.

It is not yet cold enough.