Chongzhen Daming: Starting from Coal Mountain

Chapter 328
"Huh? Industry and Commerce Bank? The shopkeeper?"

Zheng Zunqian was stunned when he heard the words, he was really unprepared.

Didn't they say that we were asked to work as errands in the Ministry of Internal Affairs? Why did we suddenly want to be some kind of big shopkeeper?

Chongzhen said again: "Zheng Zunqian, Shiziying discusses every day that there is no stability in agriculture, no wealth without work, and no life without business. I don't need to say more about the truth, you know it all."

"And this industrial and commercial bank is dedicated to supporting industrial development."

"Like your Zheng family's winemaking workshop, it is among the ranks of support."

Having said this, Chongzhen explained to Zheng Zunqian the operating principles of industrial and commercial banks.

Zheng Zunqian was worthy of being a son of a merchant family, and he understood the essence of it just after listening to it once, and said immediately: "My lord, the student is willing to be the big treasurer of this industrial and commercial bank."

"Okay." Chongzhen said happily, "You go to Ma Mingyu and ask for [-] scholars, choose a location as soon as possible, and then hang up the industrial and commercial bank name plate. Take action for me immediately."

After a pause, Chongzhen said to the merchants present: "There is also the establishment of the chamber of commerce, and we must hurry up."

Hearing this, everyone including Kang Wanwan stood up in unison: "Caomin wait for the order."

Chongzhen said to Kang Wanwan again: "Uncle Guo, it's almost time for dinner. I would like to invite you to have a banquet on my behalf. I am busy with state affairs, so I won't be attending this time."

In fact, I just don't want to pay money.

"The minister accepts the decree." Kang Wanwan dared to refuse.

After sending away the merchants and Zheng Zunqian, Chongzhen asked Zhu Cihong and Kang Xi: "Where is the account book of the Royal Bank?"

Kang Xi hurriedly asked the bank clerk who was waiting outside to bring in the account books. Although the bank had only been established for half a year, it had already accumulated two large boxes of account books.

But Chongzhen would not look at those detailed ledgers, he only looked at the general ledger.

Judging from the account entry, the largest depositor of the Royal Bank is still the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with a total deposit of more than [-] million taels of silver.

The silver deposits in the account of the Ministry of Internal Affairs once reached a huge amount of more than [-] million taels, but before the Xuzhou war, a lot of silver was spent, and nearly [-] million taels were spent on repurchasing the first bond.

So now, there are only more than [-] million taels left in the account of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In addition, the second largest depositor was the Kang family, who deposited three million taels in the Royal Bank's account.

None of the depositors below are more than one million, but there are quite a few between one million taels and five hundred thousand taels, adding up to dozens.

The number of depositors below [-] taels is even greater.

As of now, the total silver deposit of the Royal Bank is [-] million taels.

If the reserve ratio is [-]%, it means that [-] million taels of silver can be used for various expenses, so what Daming lacks now is not capital, but a plan for industrial development!
There is nothing to say about this, Daming must be the whole industry.

Looking at the account again, the largest sum is [-] taels, which is a loan from a silk merchant, and the silk and satin business is used as payment.

Then there are loans of tens of thousands or even thousands of taels. The scale of loans can only be described in two words, which is bleak.

Therefore, before Daming's industry and commerce developed, the Daming Royal Bank would definitely lose money, or Daming would also engage in overseas colonization like the West, lending money to adventurous merchants, and waiting for these adventurous merchants to earn huge sums of money from overseas colonies. The profit will come back to repay the principal.

Regrettably, Daming does not have any of these two lucrative businesses.

Therefore, Daming Royal Bank has almost no profit and has been losing money.

Kang Xi took the opportunity to complain to Chongzhen: "Father, why don't you stop the interest?"

Chongzhen asked noncommittally: "How much interest do you charge for deposits with different terms?"

Kang Xi said: "The ten-year principal and interest will be returned to sixteen, the five-year principal and interest will be returned to twelve, the two-year period will be one hundred and sixty profits, and the one-year period will be one hundred and two. Deposit silver."

After a pause, Kang Xi said again: "My daughter-in-law wants to lower the interest rate after a while."

"There is no need to lower the interest rate." Chongzhen said in his heart that the annual interest rate is [-]%, which is not as high as that of future generations funds.

After a pause, Chongzhen said again: "You don't have to worry about the bank losing money. It is absolutely impossible to lose money. When the Industrial and Commercial Bank is established and starts operating, the Royal Bank will have a large amount of income."

The Industrial and Commercial Bank is just the beginning, and there will be shipping and shipbuilding banks, road engineering banks, and even overseas development banks in the future. The Royal Bank of Ming Dynasty will undoubtedly become the largest shareholder of these banks.

Therefore, the main business of Daming Royal Bank is not small loan business at all.

Chongzhen had already said that, so Kang Xi could only say "Oh" obediently, and didn't say any more.

"Okay, you go back, I won't keep you for dinner." Chongzhen quickly read the general ledger and sent Zhu Cihong and his wife back to Kangfu.

It is said to be the Kang Mansion, but Kang Wanwan has already given this other courtyard to his daughter.

This is also the dowry that Kang Wanwan gave to his daughter, worth at least half a million.

……

At the same time, Shi Kefa, Xie Xuelong and Lu Zhenfei came to Gao Hongtu's cell again.

"Gao Hongtu!" Shi Kefa said with a dark face, "I have already told you what should be said and what should not be said. Now I will ask you one last time. Will you write or not to write this confession?"

"No." Gao Hongtu said coldly, "I will never write this confession."

Xie Xuelong next to him became impatient, and said angrily: "Shou Kui, what else are you talking to him about, just do as agreed."

Gao Hongtu's heart tightened when he heard this, what does this mean?What do you want to do?Find someone to write a confession in my old man's handwriting?

Shi Kefa turned his head and said, "Shi Qiao, I'm in a position to trouble you."

"Ten Qiao?" Gao Hongtu looked anxiously, and saw Wang Duo, the former minister of the Ministry of Rites, who had already retired from his official position, walking in.

Xie Xuelong said loudly: "Gao Hongtu was unable to write because of the shackles on his body, so he entrusted Wang Shiqiao, a famous calligrapher and former Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, to write the confession."

Gao Hongtu was furious when he heard the words: "Xie Xuelong, how dare you?"

Xie Xuelong didn't make any sense at all, Gu Zi said: "Gao Hongtu, the former minister of the former cabinet of the Ming Dynasty, asked for the crime."

"Xie Xuelong, you are shameless! Stop Wang Duo, who will allow you to write for the old man?" Gao Hongtu was furious, and wanted to rush forward to stop Wang Duo, but was blocked by Lu Zhenfei and Xie Xuelong.

Shi Kefa went on to say: "The guilty minister Gao Hongtu would like to play: The guilty minister is also from Jiaozhou, Shandong.

"...Because the Zhichen has committed a serious crime, I deeply regret it..."

"...The Lord Fu Wang will not offend the literati all over the world because of the fault of one criminal minister. We have many literati in Ming Dynasty, who can be used as the pillars of the country... In this way, even though the criminal minister dies, there will be no regrets."

"Gao Hongtu, the guilty minister, pay homage to him, on the [-]st day of the eighth month of the eighteenth year of Chongzhen."

Wang Duo's pen was like a dragon's snake, and he wrote it quickly, then dried the ink, and handed it to Shi Kefa.

Shi Kefa took the letter of guilt and said, "Gao Hongtu's letter of guilt has been written, let's go."

After finishing speaking, Shi Kefa turned around and walked out, only then did Xie Xuelong and Lu Zhenfei let go of Gao Hongtu.

Gao Hongtu was so angry that he jumped and cursed behind the four of them, but he couldn't change the result. Whether he personally wrote the confession is not so important.

……

That night, Shi Kefa personally sent the confessions of Gao Hongtu, Jiang Yueguang and others to the Imperial College.

Chongzhen flipped through it roughly, put down the petition book and said: "Send these petition books to the National History Museum for archives, so that future generations can transfer and consult them when compiling Ming history."

"Your order." Shi Kefa asked again with a long bow, "Your Majesty, the case of regicide and the case of framing..."

"Then let's stop here." Chongzhen said solemnly, "Let's find a time to behead the criminals who responded to the case and show it to the public. Except for fines and confiscation of all family properties, the family members of these criminal officials will not be held accountable. Definitely count, I can’t do things like breaking my promise, Mr. Shi Ge, just follow this regulation and do it as soon as possible.”

"The minister receives the edict." Shi Kefa received the imperial edict, turned around and left the Imperial College.

Before going out, Shi Kefa looked back at the Imperial College hidden in the darkness.

He said in his heart that the Holy Majesty is really kind, even the crime of killing the king is not as good as his family members.

……

Two days later, Gao Hongtu, Jiang Yueguang, Zhang Youyu, Zuo Guangxian, Yuan Pengnian, Liu Zhengzong, Li Jinglian and more than [-] criminal officials or clerks were taken to Caishikou by Yingtianfu's yamen servants in a prison cart.

Along the way, the citizens of Nanjing City have been waiting for it early.

Seeing more than [-] prison cars meandering by, the citizens threw out the dirt they had prepared in advance.

Gao Hongtu and the other chief culprits looked dumb, indifferent to the angry Nanjing citizens, while the more than [-] officials and officials in the back were downcast and annoyed.

More than [-] death row prisoners were quickly brought to Caishikou.

Those in charge of beheading were Lu Zhenfei, a scholar of the Dongge University and Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice, Zhang Shenyan, the right governor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and Jin Xuan, the governor of Yingtian.

When the time came, Lu Zhenfei personally executed the criminal and issued a beheading order.

More than [-] executioners raised their knives at the same time, and immediately the knives fell, and more than [-] human skulls fell to the ground.

The Nanjing citizens who were watching all around applauded loudly, and many citizens even applauded enthusiastically.

There were also a few old women who rushed into the execution ground desperately, took out the white flour steamed buns prepared in advance, dipped them in human blood, and then rushed home as if they had found a treasure.

With Gao Hongtu and more than [-] people being beheaded for public display, the Yangzhou regicide case and the planting case also came to an end.

Officials from the Donglin Party, such as Lu Daqi and Qian Qianyi, also returned to the court one after another after publishing their statements in the Huangming Times. The government, which had been in chaos for almost half a month, finally resumed normal operation.

At the same time, there was another bank on Chaoku Street.

Just to the right of the Daming Royal Bank, there is another Daming Industrial and Commercial Bank.

Now there are three banks and two exchanges on Chaoku Street, from left to right are Royal Exchange, Hubu Exchange, Daming Hubu Bank, Daming Royal Bank, and Daming Bank of Industry and Commerce.

(End of this chapter)