Qing Yao

Chapter 235 Eight Banners Bank
Zhao Anzhen had no idea what the Prefectural Governor had to do with his progress.

However, it would have been better not to know, because the Prefect had no good intentions and did good things with pure malice.

If they knew, this friendship would inevitably become more awkward, making both sides feel embarrassed, and could even turn into enmity.

The guests have all left; only our own people are left.

The third-class bodyguard Hakshan, who came from the capital, and his entourage were arranged by Vice Principal Ma to stay in a VIP suite to rest. Vice Principal Ma also arranged for the waiter to order some takeout from the nearest brothel, because Lord Ha and his entourage must be very tired after coming all the way from the capital.

I specifically requested a "thin horse" (a local specialty) for Lord Ha.

Without this dish, people from Beijing might not be happy.

"Lord Ha received 480 taels, and his entourage each received 120 taels, all given in cash. Tomorrow, I will arrange for Lord Ha and his entourage to tour Yangzhou City, and when they leave, I will load a cart with local specialties for them."

Vice Principal Ma's arrangements were quite thorough. If it weren't for the fact that he was to take over the Yangzhou Prefectural School, Zhao An would definitely have taken him to Jiangning to assume his post.

He really needs an office manager right now who can handle all aspects of his affairs in an orderly manner.

Getting promoted is a good thing, but the higher the rank, the heavier the burden on one's shoulders, and the more things one can no longer do personally.

Therefore, he needs "lackeys" to handle these trivial matters for him.

Although "lackey" is a derogatory term, whether an official is honest or corrupt, he must have "lackeys" around him.

Otherwise, it won't work.

Take the matter of welcoming and sending off guests, for example. Without an office director to manage things for you, Lord Zhao, you can't just order takeout yourself, can you?

Realizing he couldn't go to Jiangning to take up his post alone, Zhao An pondered which people he should bring with him.

Baili Yunlong and others from the Canal Gang can be directly appointed as guards, but the clerks, advisors, and other staff still need to be found.

Old Ding, a seventh-rank county magistrate, brought dozens of people with him when he took office. There's no reason why Zhao An, a fourth-rank grain commissioner, wouldn't bring people with him when he takes office.

Bringing people with them to their new posts was a privilege of officials, a benefit granted by the imperial court, so why not take advantage of it?

If he really takes only a few people with him to take up his post, the officials in Jiangning will probably laugh at him, Zhao Liangdao, for having no one to rely on.

The two friends, Bao Dawei and Yang Xiaoshuan, couldn't be taken to Jiangning for the time being because they had to help Zhao An get the salt trade going.

Liu Xiaolou can be taken along, but he can't be the director; he can only help run errands and do small tasks, acting as a personal attendant.

Who could help him manage all affairs of the grain transport office? Zhao An thought of Master Ji, who had been kind to him.

Unfortunately, Master Ji was worried about being implicated and left early. Otherwise, he could have just asked Old Ding to lend him the man, and after taking office in Jiangning, he could not only have quickly taken over the work, but also use his position as Master Ji to get along well with the officials in Jiangning.

This is one of the advantages of officials using advisors from Shaoxing.

Ding Jiu, despite his white paper fan, actually had the air of an office manager, but unfortunately he had to stay in Yangzhou to manage the branch for Zhao An and couldn't spare the time.

Zhao An's last thought was of his father-in-law.

My father-in-law, Mr. Ding, is a proper scholar. He is currently helping his father, Mr. Ding, manage the accounts. As the saying goes, "familiarity should not be separated from distance, and seniority should not be overstepped." There is no reason for him not to help his son-in-law.

Moreover, Zhao An could take this opportunity to arrange an official position for his father-in-law.

He pleased Lao Ding, his father-in-law, and his wife Wanqing, achieving multiple goals at once.

I don't know if my father-in-law and his wife are willing to go to Jiangning with their son-in-law. I'll ask Lao Ding what he thinks first.

Zhao An, who was all alone, could only rely on his wife's family for the time being.

As for whether relatives of the empress will interfere in politics, that's still far off, why think so far ahead? Director Tong came to report that the congratulatory gifts the guests gave to Lord Zhao for his promotion totaled more than four thousand taels.

In other words, this meal not only cost no money, but also earned a thousand or so taels of silver.

It's normal to add a little something to social obligations, especially since Lord Zhao was promoted five ranks in a row to become a fourth-rank Daotai (a high-ranking official).

He was also wearing a yellow jacket, and anyone with a discerning eye would instinctively reach out to pay him.

Zhao An asked Liu Xiaolou, who had bought a house in Songjiang before the New Year, to accept the gifts and deposit them in the restaurant's account as operating funds.

Old Ding and Old Song kept giving him meaningful glances, and Zhao An knew that the two of them wanted to discuss this year's work plan with him.

A promotion is a good thing, but the sudden promotion also disrupted the series of plans originally scheduled for the fifty-sixth year of Qianlong's reign.

We then went up to a private room on the third floor.

After offering heartfelt congratulations, Old Ding asked his grandson-in-law, "Now that you're going to take up your post in Jiangning, will the Xianfeng Travel Agency still be open?"

"Open it, why don't you open it?"

Zhao Andu instructed Vice Principal Ma to deposit all the tuition fees for this year's Yangzhou Prefectural School into the Xianfeng Bank; there was no reason not to.

"Then who will manage Xianfeng Bank if you leave?"

Old Ding's question is very real: you can register a money exchange anywhere, but the problem is who will manage it for you.

In other words, financial professionals are needed to manage Zhao An's private bank.

Old Ding didn't have any talent in this area, nor did Zhao An, so they said they would immediately ask Manager Shi of Hengli Money Shop to recommend a few.

Old Ding was worried that when his grandson-in-law took office in Jiangning, Manager Shi might not be able to help him, since once someone leaves, the relationship cools down.

Hengli Yangzhou branch had no loan business dealings with the Jiangning officialdom.

Zhao An then told Manager Shi about his contract with the academy's canteen, implying that he and Manager Shi had formed an inseparable community of interests and that he wasn't afraid Manager Shi wouldn't help him.

Upon hearing this, Lao Ding said with relief, "That's great. I was just worried that Hengli wouldn't lend us the money to open a money exchange."

Zhao An said that Manager Shi had gone back to the capital for the New Year and would not be back until after the fifteenth of the first lunar month. Anyway, he would not be able to take up his post in Jiangning until the end of the first lunar month. After Manager Shi returned, the group sat down and discussed how to get some fake certificates and borrow another 100,000 taels of silver for the start-up capital of the money shop.

He borrowed money from the old man's bank on one hand, and opened his own bank on the other to absorb private capital on the other. It seems contradictory, but in fact, it is not contradictory at all.

From the perspective of preparing for rebellion, using the old master's money to do the old master's things is logically quite self-consistent.

Old Song, who had been listening without saying a word, suddenly spoke up: "Not only should Xianfeng Bank be opened, but it should also have a main branch in Jiangning!"

"Jiangning is opening a main branch?"

Old Ding was puzzled. With such a small amount of start-up capital, it would be quite an achievement if Xianfeng Bank could establish itself in Yangzhou. Why did they have to go and open a branch in Jiangning?

There's no way to have so much capital to expand everywhere; it's better to proceed steadily and surely.

Jiangning had just as many money shops and banks as Yangzhou, and his granddaughter's husband was the Jiang'an Grain Commissioner, who was in charge of transporting grain to Anhui. Few officials in Jiangning paid him any attention.

If you can't accept administrative deposits, where will your newly opened money shop attract deposits to maintain its operations?

"Your Excellency, please don't forget that the rice and grain expenses for the Eight Banners garrison in Jiangning are entirely raised and allocated by the Jiang'an Grain Commissioner,"

Director Song gave him a look you should all understand, "If Lord Zhao provides grain to the Eight Banners, wouldn't the Eight Banners deposit their silver with Lord Zhao?"

(End of this chapter)