Qing Yao

Chapter 203 is such a rip-off, it's a bit unethical.
It's difficult for ordinary people to get things done when they don't have money, but it's easy for officials to get things done when

Go borrow it!

Borrowing 50,000 taels in the name of the Grand Canal transport office is as easy and simple as getting an IOU at a restaurant.

These days, everything can fall down, but government offices can't!
With the government in charge, why worry about not being able to pay back the money?

Zhao An's reason for introducing Wu and Wen to borrow money in Yangzhou was out of good intentions, because cross-regional loans are highly confidential and not easily discovered by colleagues and superiors.

After all, whether it's the old man's bank or other financial institutions owned by princes, ministers, or private merchants, their customer information is not interconnected.

If someone within the bank cooperates, the same proof of assets can actually be used to obtain loans from several banks far exceeding the actual value of the assets.

Playing Dafabet could even trigger a domino effect, meaning the collapse of one money exchange could paralyze the entire industry—leading to a wave of closures of money exchanges and pawnshops.

You must understand that the old master is now operating the financial lending business as a pillar industry of the Qing Dynasty. There are thousands of large and small money shops and pawnshops in the capital alone. So if the financial sector goes bankrupt, the wealthy class of the Qing Dynasty, including the old master, will also go bankrupt.

The poor cannot go bankrupt.

The poor man had no savings; his business with financial institutions was simply to pawn his cotton-padded coats, quilts, and the like to make ends meet.

In rural areas, lending is monopolized by local landlords and wealthy households. Their high-interest businesses are not related to finance; they simply lend money to people who sign IOUs, and if the money is not repaid on time, they seize the house and land, and even take away the wife and daughters.

A primitive and bloody lending business.

The collapse of the Ming Dynasty was due to fiscal bankruptcy, caused by the inability to collect taxes, rather than the bankruptcy of the wealthy class.

These are two extremes.

However, Zhao An was not waging a silent financial war to eliminate the wealthy class of the Qing Dynasty and declare that the old master was actually bankrupt. He genuinely wanted to help Wu and Wen solve the thorny problem at hand.

Because he had long ago realized that the masterminds behind the Grand Canal transport office were this civil official and the military officer.

There are many ways to strike an opponent, but "getting rid of" is undoubtedly the most basic.

The most sophisticated tactic is to drag the opponent into one's own camp, whether directly or indirectly, as long as the opponent can sit down and have a bowl of tea with him, and discuss things amicably.

Sending a memorial to the emperor might cause Wu and Wen to lose their posts, but it wouldn't do much to solve the problem of the canal gangs, because the bureaucratic group has strong inertia.

If we were to bring in someone else to resolve the issue, it would likely involve a long and drawn-out struggle, and the final outcome might not be as good as it is now.

Zhao An's side doesn't have much time to waste. If it drags on until after the New Year, the "strike" might actually be classified as a rebellion.

The longer the investigation drags on, the more investigations will be conducted into the Canal Gang, and the more likely it is that his identity as "Zhao Shaojun" will be exposed.

In addition, the old man has already questioned the leaders of the four major temples of the Canal Gang.

Under the pressure from the old masters in the nunnery, he, as the "young master," couldn't withstand it, at least not for now, because the benefits for the members hadn't been implemented yet.

Therefore, turning enemies into friends and resolving disputes peacefully without causing significant losses to either side is undoubtedly the wisest choice.

This is also the "harmony" that the governor mentioned.

The simple word "harmony" perfectly encapsulates the profound truth and mystery of officialdom.

The essence of mutual protection among officials lies in this word "harmony".

The mutual protection among officials does not always refer to corrupt officials colluding to harm victims, but rather to a mutual protection among officials in order to maintain the "system" and the dignity of the officials.

Right or wrong is not important; what's important is not to embarrass the officials.

The suggestion of lending money made both Councilor Wu and Deputy General Wen hesitate and find it difficult to make a decision.

To be honest, 50,000 taels is not much for their family's wealth. The two of them could grit their teeth and scrape together the money from their own pockets. The problem is, who is willing to take out their own money to run the family business?

Becoming an official is for the purpose of making money, not for losing money.

If he becomes a spendthrift, then all those years of officialdom have been for nothing.

However, the matter cannot be resolved without paying 50,000 taels, and the two of them cannot bear the consequences of dragging it out any longer.

Therefore, Wu, the councilor, and Wen, the deputy general, were in a very conflicted mood at this time.

They want to solve the problem, but they are unwilling to spend their own money, and they don't want to borrow money.

"The most urgent task at hand is to restore the canal. Everything else is trivial compared to this. You two must distinguish which is more important and which is less important, and do not be confused!"

Zhao An must add fuel to the fire and lead the corrupt officials of the Grand Canal Transport Bureau into an unknown abyss.

"As long as the canal transport office is willing to pay 50,000 taels, this county guarantees that the canal workers will absolutely not cause any more trouble. If they do cause any more trouble, this county will bear all the consequences!"

Old Ding also provided timely assistance. When he arrived, the prefect had approached him and informed him that the governor had agreed to provide 6,000 taels from the province and 8,000 taels from the prefecture for the "stability maintenance" of the canal workers. With the canal gang contributing another 16,000 taels, they could raise a total of 30,000 taels.

Therefore, he was not under any economic pressure and only wanted to quickly obtain the title of "capable official" to pave the way for his career advancement.

"Hengli Money Shop in Yangzhou is run by the Imperial Household Department. The manager and I have some connections. If you two are willing to lend money, I can ask the manager to waive the discounts and deductions on your loan, considering it a favor between friends. What do you say?"

Zhao An appeared to genuinely care for Lords Wu and Wen, but in Lao Ding's eyes, he was enticing them to jump into a fire pit.

Could it be that the grandson-in-law wants to drag the fifth-rank official in charge of grain transport and the second-rank official in charge of the deputy general into this mess, so that they can all fleece the emperor?
Ai?
Old Ding seemed to be deep in thought. Although he couldn't quite figure out his grandson-in-law's intentions, an extremely bold idea popped into his mind: what would happen if all officials owed the emperor money and didn't repay it?

Either it will drag on and become a bad debt or a dead debt that will never be settled, or it will be replaced by an emperor who will forgive the officials' debts.
It seems feasible.

One pulls another, that's two; two pull two more, that's four; four pull four more, that's eight.
Old Ding fell silent.

Too scared to utter a sound.

The grandson-in-law was still working on Wu and Wen. Finally, after the grandson-in-law's earnest persuasion, which prioritized the overall situation, Wu and Wen agreed to lend money. Wu, the councilor, accompanied Zhao, the censor, to Yangzhou to borrow the money.

It's urgent, I need it done right away.

There's no way the canal can wait.

Vice General Wen contacted the Huai'an Prefecture to release Sun Rui and others who had been detained, while Magistrate Ding was responsible for informing the canal workers of the good news that the canal transport office was willing to settle the outstanding fees, and urging the canal gangs to restore the interrupted canal traffic.

At this point, the matter can be considered a satisfactory outcome for both parties.

To prevent any unforeseen complications, Zhao An personally accompanied Councilor Wu to Hengli Money Exchange in Yangzhou to borrow money.

At Hengli Money Exchange, Manager Shi was informing his employees about the New Year holiday arrangements. The holiday would be from the 25th of the twelfth lunar month to the 20th of the first lunar month, meaning the money exchange would be closed for 25 days.

Except for the staff who stayed behind to guard the warehouse, all other employees went home for the Chinese New Year. Even Manager Shi himself had to go back to Beijing to spend the New Year with his wife and children.

The money exchange had already taken stock of its inventory at the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, and all accounts receivable and unpaid amounts were recorded, waiting to be stamped and sealed on the twenty-fourth of the twelfth lunar month.

Manager Shi was quite surprised by Zhao An's arrival. Seeing that Wu, the councilor who came with him, was unfamiliar, he was curious but not in a position to ask in public. So he invited the two of them to sit in his office.

Upon entering the room, Zhao An immediately stated his purpose: he hoped Manager Shi could approve 50,000 taels of silver for Lord Wu, ignoring any deductions or exorbitant interest, simply as a gesture of goodwill towards him. Hearing that Zhao An was the Grand Canal Commissioner, Manager Shi quickly bowed and said, "I certainly will grant Lord Zhao's request. However, in the name of the Grand Canal Commissioner, a loan of 500,000 taels, let alone 50,000, is certainly possible. But it requires the official seal of the Grand Canal Commissioner. Does Lord Wu have the seal with him?"

That's asking too many questions.

The official seal of the Governor-General's office must be in the hands of the Governor-General, how could it possibly be in the hands of the Councilor of Waterways?

"Without official approval, it's difficult to borrow this money,"

After glancing at Zhao An, who had given him a meaningful look, Manager Shi suggested that Councilor Wu borrow the money in his own name. Given his rank of fifth grade and status as a canal transport official, the 50,000 taels would be approved immediately.

"Lord Wu, what do you think?"

Zhao An felt it inappropriate to make the decision for Councilor Wu, so he inquired about the other party's opinion.

Councilor Wu firmly shook his head and refused: "No, this is a matter for the government; how can I, an official, borrow it privately?"

Zhao An frowned and said, "If we can't lend this money, what will happen to the canal guild? If the canal workers think that the government has broken its promise, this matter will probably be difficult to resolve."

"this?"

Wu, the councilor, was also in a bind. Fifty thousand taels was not a large sum of money for the canal transport office, but it was a huge amount of money for him personally.

Anyone would think twice before being suddenly burdened with a huge debt.

Seeing this, Zhao An simply said, "How about this, Lord Wu, you can borrow it in your private capacity first, and I will act as your guarantor, how about that?"

He glanced at Manager Shi as he spoke.

Manager Shi understood and hurriedly said, "Lord Wu is such a high-ranking official, he doesn't even need Lord Zhao's guarantee."

Zhao An nodded and then began to work on Wu Canzheng's mindset.

It's just that Magistrate Ding has already worked on the canal transport workers. As long as the money arrives, the canal workers will definitely stop causing trouble. But if the money doesn't arrive, not only will Magistrate Ding be in a passive position, but the canal workers will also feel that they have been tricked by the government. Does the situation really have to escalate to the point that the imperial court sends a large army to suppress them?

Can Wu, the councilor, withstand the consequences?

This is a true case of officials forcing the people to rebel!

Wu, the councilor, was getting a little flustered. After hesitating for a moment, he asked Manager Shi if, apart from interest, there would be no discounts or deductions.

"Don't worry, Lord Wu. As long as you repay the loan on time, I will waive all the discounts and deductions. Consider it as me making friends with you. When I arrive in Huai'an, I will be able to trouble you for a while."

Manager Shi is quite eloquent.

"My lord, everything is ready, we just need the right opportunity. We can't afford to fail at the last minute!"

Zhao An looked very anxious.

"Very well, since Lord Zhao has said so, I will borrow fifty thousand taels of silver privately."

Wu, the councilor, was finally persuaded to agree to a private loan. Zhao Ansheng, fearing that he might change his mind, quickly gave Manager Shi a wink, and the latter immediately took Wu to complete the formalities.

The loan application was processed without even taking half an incense stick's worth of time. The silver was loaded directly onto a cart and sent to the Ganquan County government office, where it was handed over to the transport gang by the Ganquan County government.

Zhao An assured Wu, the councilor, that he would personally go to Ganquan County to supervise whether the money was actually used.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Lord Zhao!"

With things having come to this point, what else could Councilor Wu say? He immediately rushed back to discuss with Wen Qing how to repay the loan, along with the interest, next year.

After Councilor Wu left, Manager Shi quickly came over and asked Zhao An, "Are you very familiar with Councilor Wu, sir?"

The implication is that if you're not familiar with him, why should he ask you to do him such a big favor, without having to give him any credit or discounts?

If the transaction were handled according to the proper procedures of a money exchange, with a 10% discount and a 10% surcharge, then Wu, the councilor, would at most take away 40,000 taels, not the full 50,000 taels.

Zhao An walked to the door and closed the office door. He turned to Manager Shi and said meaningfully, "Lord Wu, please put your heart into this loan and this borrowing."

Shopkeeper Shi asked with some doubt, "What does Lord Zhao mean?"

Zhao An sneered: "What I mean is to ensure that not only can Lord Wu not repay this loan, but the annual interest will also snowball to the point where he simply cannot repay it!"

"what?"

Shopkeeper Shi stood there, hesitant for a long time, and said with difficulty, "The man surnamed Wu is the Councilor of Transport, which is a very lucrative position. He wants to repay the money, so I can't just refuse to accept it, can I?"

This means that he probably cannot meet Lord Zhao's requirements.

Zhao An sat down and lightly tapped the table: "What is the repayment date you agreed with him?"

Shopkeeper Shi hurriedly explained that half of the loan and interest would be repaid in the first half of the year, and the other half would be repaid in the second half.

Zhao An smiled slightly: "That's easy. When he repays the loan, your bank will close down and everyone can go out and have fun for a few days. I'll cover the expenses. Then we'll charge that guy surnamed Wu an overdue fee: one thousand taels for each day overdue, and ten thousand taels for ten days overdue!"

"Overdue?"

It took Manager Shi a while to understand what the word meant, but he said it was difficult to handle because the bank was run by the Imperial Household Department, not by him. How could it be closed down for no reason, and for so many days at that?

"You're the manager, how can you make sure that guy surnamed Wu can't pay back his loan and increase his debt? There's always a way to work things out by scrutinizing the wording of the contract."

Zhao An didn't believe that Manager Shi, the bank manager, couldn't even come up with such a small trick.

"There is a solution, but,"

Manager Shi expressed his concern: Wu Wenyun was, after all, a fifth-rank official. If the bank made things difficult for him, what if he got angry and refused to repay the loan?

"So what if he's a fifth-rank official? He borrowed money from the Emperor! As long as your procedures are correct, you don't need to worry about him not paying it back."

Zhao An snorted, "If he really dares not to pay, then you can send someone to cause trouble at the canal transport office and see if he still pays."

"If we do this, won't that guy surnamed Wu be played to death?"

Shopkeeper Shi had no idea what grudge Wu, the councilor, had against Lord Zhao that made him want to cheat him like this.

"If we don't ruin him, how will he keep taking out loans to pay off his own debts?"

Zhao An patted Manager Shi on the shoulder, "Don't worry, as long as you do as I say, in less than a year this Councilor Wu will be our friend, and then we can make more money through him."

It's a pity that the relevant technology didn't exist in this era, otherwise Zhao An would definitely have asked Councilor Wu to stand there with his work permit and pose for a photo.

Otherwise, how could this fifth-rank official have joined the glorious ranks of those who exploit small loans?

(End of this chapter)