I am Emperor Shizu of Song

39 Asia's First Financial Institution, Daxiangguo Temple
"Brother Lu, please be careful along the way. Envoy Yang and I can't go back to report to Prime Minister Zhu right away, so I need Brother Lu to explain this matter to me so as to avoid any resentment. I'll be thanking you for everything."

One day at the end of May, at an eight-immortal table in the corner of the second floor of Fanlou, Zhao Zicheng, along with Yang Zhi, Jia Dan and others, toasted and celebrated the departure of Lu Jian, the chief executive of Yingfeng Bureau.

The table is full of seafood and land delicacies, which are very valuable.

Fanlou was the most luxurious entertainment venue in Bianjing, bar none. Its five floors were connected by a double-decked flying bridge. The expenses here would definitely be too much for ordinary officials who lacked the means to embezzle money.

If it were two years ago, when Zhao Zicheng was studying frugally at the Imperial College, his living expenses for two years would not be enough to come here for a trip.

Zhao Zicheng said that he was able to come here today because he tightened his belt. It was also thanks to the windfall he had just made a few days ago, otherwise he would not have been able to tighten his belt even if he wanted to.

But this money has to be spent.

Because Zhao Zicheng and Yang Zhi were waiting for vacancies and transfers in the capital, Lu Jian, who was sent by Zhu Jie to manage their finances and monitor them, had to return first. He was considered Zhu Jie's confidant, and the tasks Zhu Jie had asked him to do in Bianjing, including delivering the money and arranging the affairs, had already been completed, so he should return as soon as possible.

Zhao Zicheng needed to appease Lu Jian and tell him to stop talking nonsense after returning to Suzhou, and to try to turn a blind eye where necessary, so as to prevent Zhu Jie from being alerted in advance and resenting Zhao Zicheng for changing his allegiance.

Although Zhao Zi said that he never thought of himself as a follower of Zhu Zhen, it does not mean that Zhu Zhen would think so. Some things should be kept secret for as long as possible.

Fortunately, Lu Jian was easy to talk to. He was also a former contractor. After spending nearly two months together, he had developed a liking for Zhao Zicheng, who was skilled in craftsmanship and had a pragmatic disposition, and was willing to make friends with him.

In terms of character, Lu Jian is actually similar to Jia Dan, except that they belong to different government offices. One is the Yingfeng Bureau and the other is the Jiangzuo Bureau, and they each serve their own master.

Zhao Zicheng treated him with great courtesy, so he took the responsibility and said, "Don't worry about this matter. However, please tell me what you have been busy with in the capital recently. When I return, I can explain it to Prime Minister Zhu truthfully."

Zhao Zicheng did not choose to conceal the information completely, but picked out a less sensitive point and told the truth: "To be honest, I originally had some experience in gardening when I was in my hometown. In the past few days, I have been making friends with Jia Zhubu, and I accidentally discovered that my experience can be used by the Chief of Works. Since we have nothing to do anyway, we decided to learn from each other.

Brother Lu has also seen the fine horse I just got. It was a reward from the higher-ups for my work as the Chief of Staff. So I won't be taking the boat back to Suzhou. I'll go overland with Envoy Yang."

The cement imitation stone project was something that could never be discussed with Zhu Jie, but superficial gardening tips could be shared without violating any taboos. A mixture of truth and fiction would yield the best results. After Lu Jian relayed this to Zhu Jie, he wouldn't doubt it.

Lu Jian was relieved and immediately agreed: "This is a good thing, I know how to say it."

"Then I wish Brother Lu a safe journey." Zhao Zicheng stood up, holding the wine cup, and finally toasted Lu Jian with a glass of farewell wine.

Lu Jian accepted it calmly, and before leaving, he told Zhao Zicheng a piece of good news: "One of the gifts that Prime Minister Zhu asked me to deliver this time was for General Gao. When I delivered it, I also mentioned the hardships of the journey. It was only thanks to the wisdom and courage of Master Zhao and Yang Zhishi that we were able to preserve it. Otherwise, these gifts would have been robbed by thieves along the way.

General Gao, having probably seen that Prime Minister Zhu wanted to employ Yang Zhishi, likely did him a favor. Yang Zhishi's transfer order should be issued within the next few days, sending him to Suzhou as a commander.

Furthermore, the Palace Marshal's Office should also be aware that we recruited some brave warriors on the road, and that they later played a significant role in the counterattack against Wang Qing. The Palace Marshal's Office is willing to grant this convenience and has awarded two blank certificates for military captains, as well as some deputy captains and captains. You can fill in the names yourself and make sure they match up in the future. We can also make an exception and use these certificates to transfer a few of Yang Zhishi's former subordinates."

When Zhao Zicheng and Yang Zhi heard the news, they were finally overjoyed for a rare moment.

Yang Zhi was rewarded for killing the bandits and protecting Zhu Jie’s gold, silver and jewelry, which were delivered safely.

Strictly speaking, these blank certificates are not in compliance with regulations, but they were very common in the late Northern Song Dynasty when the military system was corrupt.

It’s just like in the early Ming Dynasty, when Zhu Yuanzhang had such strict administration, tens of thousands of people were killed in the “Empty Seal Case”.

In the late Northern Song Dynasty, because bandits were often recruited, some bandits wanted to whitewash their identities, while others had been bandits for many years and could not find their original household registration identities. If they wanted to become normal people or join the army, they had to rebuild their "files".

If the Palace Marshal's Office or the relevant government offices were responsible, they would have verified each individual's identity before creating a file. However, to save time, or to exploit corruption and facilitate others, it was common for people to simply fill out a blank certificate themselves.

As long as they are not obviously designated as serious criminals, no one will care if ordinary thieves use this kind of certificate to whitewash their identities.

Lu Jian helped to get these blank certificates, obviously because he knew that Zhao Zicheng had subdued Li Jun and others along the way, and Li Jun and others did contribute to the breakout of Caizhou.

From this perspective, Lu Jian can be considered loyal.

But when these blank certificates fell into Zhao Zicheng's hands, they could be used flexibly. Even if one was used by Li Jun, there would still be some left.

Zhao Zicheng was still a little bit incredulous, so he confirmed, "Why are they so generous? There are two blank Dutou certificates? Even if one is given to Li Jun, there will still be one extra, right?"

Lu Jian was the person in charge, so he was naturally familiar with these tricks. He explained without thinking, "It's not all for those who are recruited. This is to make it easier for Yang Zhi to bring in his acquaintances.

According to established practice, a commander should be in charge of five captains, but now they only have two. It seems that the Palace Marshal's Office has assumed that the other three are empty salaries and are too lazy to give more. "

Zhao Zicheng finally understood. Well, it turns out he had predicted your prediction, knowing you would be unemployed, so he didn't let you take advantage of the court.

But this is enough.

After Lu Jian had eaten and drunk his fill, he stood up, said goodbye, and went to the water gate to take the boat back home.

Zhao Zicheng, Yang Zhi and Jia Dan only saw him off to the gate of Fanlou and did not go far away. After watching Lu Jian leave, they returned to Fanlou and continued to eat, drink and have fun.

……

Fanlou is expensive, and it is not easy to come here once. How can it be enough to just do one thing?

Moreover, there were some things that Zhao Zicheng and Jia Dan could only discuss after Lu Jian left.

Jia Dan drank a few more cups and casually said to Zhao Zicheng, "The down robe business we mentioned the other day is starting to take shape. Thanks to my many years in the Ministry of Works, I've gotten to know quite a few wealthy businessmen. Yesterday, an old friend who's been dealing in clothing, quilts, and silk floss in Bianjing for many years, after seeing your goods, offered to contract the goods around Bianjing.

However, he also had conditions: Jingdong Road and Jingxi Road could only supply him, and he would take over the entire sale. He could also agree on an annual supply volume and pay a 30% deposit in advance. As for the price, the current supply price he was offered could not be more expensive than the high-quality silk cotton clothes and quilts on the market.

If this condition can be negotiated further, it can be finalized today, and the first deposit can be paid immediately. He also said that these down quilts and clothes are not necessarily warmer than silk cotton, but they are lighter and softer. The nobles only want to see the novelty, and in the long run, they can't be sold for more than the highest-quality silk cotton goods."

It turned out that just a few days ago, when Zhao Zicheng and Jia Dan were discussing gardening and cement research and development, Zhao Zicheng also talked to him about the down quilt business. Jia Dan used his connections in Bian Jing to help him pay attention to it.

Officials in the Ministry of Works often dealt with wealthy businessmen, as many of them would supply materials to the imperial court's projects. It was not surprising that Jia Dan knew a large number of wealthy businessmen.

Zhao Zi said he was unfamiliar with the area and had come to Bianjing with samples to promote down quilts. He hadn't planned to run the business himself, and he didn't have the time or energy to do so. He thought it would be best if he could cede some of his profits and find a partner.

Moreover, he did not expect to make much money from the down quilt business. This was originally a matter of gaining fame and political achievements, and also to endorse his own vision.

Now that Jia Dan has come forward and the people who are in charge of the project know about it, I believe those wealthy businessmen will not dare to be so greedy and commit fraud.

Zhao Zicheng readily agreed: "Thanks to Brother Jia's help, all this is easy to do. After the matter is completed, I will naturally give Brother Jia a share of the profits. In the future, I will also rely on Brother Jia to stay in Bianjing and help me keep an eye on it."

Zhao Zi said that he could not stay in Bian Jing for long, and he must have others to help keep an eye on him. Jia Dan's official position was not high, he was just a chief clerk, and giving him a 10% share of the profits was not too much or too little to form a bond.

However, Zhao Zicheng, out of conscience, still reminded the other party: "However, the other party asked me to promise that only he would be the sole distributor of Liangjing Road. Naturally, I have no problem with this.

But he hadn't considered that, although I was the only one who had mastered the technique for removing odor and preventing down from spoiling, in a year or two, or three or five years, others would surely have copied me. Even if I didn't reveal it, others might have figured it out on their own.

Even if I promise him exclusive underwriting, others' imitations will be sold in Liangjing Road, but I cannot guarantee this."

Jia Dan: "That doesn't matter. The terms we're discussing now already take into account the possibility of others imitating the product. If other counterfeits appear on the market, he'll take less, and the previously promised underwriting quantity will be invalidated, and the advance deposit will also be reduced. Buying and selling is a matter of risk for both parties."

These conditions are reasonable. If the technology is cracked, there is naturally no question of promising a certain quantity of goods to be purchased each year.

Zhao Zicheng nodded in agreement and only asked one last question: "How much sales does he plan to make in the first year? How much deposit will he pay in advance?"

Jia Dan: "If we can produce it, we can sell 5,000 sets in the first year. Each set will cost two strings of cash, and a deposit of 600 coins will be required."

Zhao Zicheng calculated that, given the duck feather and down production available to the public in his hometown of Xiuzhou and nearby Suzhou, 5,000 sets was definitely within his reach. If that wasn't enough, he could also involve the Liang family in Zhenjiang and negotiate a deal whereby all goods shipped to the two capitals would be sold exclusively to the "exclusive distributor" in Bianjing to prevent cross-selling.

Thanks to the fact that there were many wealthy people in Bian Jing, thousands of people could afford to buy warm clothes that cost several strings of cash every year.

Of course, if it weren’t for the people from the Supervisory Commission to mediate and guarantee, such a powerful and wealthy businessman from Bian Jing would not have been able to cooperate with Zhao Zicheng.

Moreover, these two strings of cash were only the wholesale price Zhao Zicheng offered to local distributors. If they sold the goods at retail, they would definitely have to pay a lot more.

The fabrics of clothes worth two guan coins were also the worst, with only ramie or the lowest-grade silk used for the outer layer. The main expense was the down. If the fabric was good, the price would definitely be increased.

Zhao Zicheng and Jia Dan had roughly agreed on the prerequisites, and were ready to sign the contract with the other party and collect the first deposit.

"Since the other party is so straightforward, I can't be so petty. Brother Jia, please invite them over, so we can have a drink together and sign the contract in person today."

Jia Dan said, "I have already made an agreement with the other party. If you agree to this condition, you can go to Daxiangguo Temple to sign the contract and collect the deposit. You don't have to come here. He is a wealthy merchant in Beijing. He usually comes to Fanlou many times, so it's not surprising."

Zhao Zicheng couldn't help but feel a little strange: "Why go to the temple to discuss business?"

Jia Dan: "Brother, you studied at the Imperial Academy for several years, how come you don't even know this? The other party sincerely gave you a large deposit, and you need to travel by land on horseback on your return trip. Wouldn't it be cumbersome to carry such a large sum of money with you? At least you have to exchange it for a transaction. Is there any place in Bianjing City more convenient than the Great Xiangguo Temple?"

Zhao Zicheng then remembered that, indeed, credit was flourishing during the Northern Song Dynasty, with numerous institutions offering deposits and loans, many of which also issued Jiaozi. The largest financial institution in Bianjing was actually the Daxiangguo Temple.

Jiaozi is very different from the paper money of later generations. It is closer to a silver note. In addition to the standard printed content, each one has its own anti-counterfeiting feature, and must be in duplicate, with a saddle stamp and handwritten anti-counterfeiting text on the interline.

For example, the word "contract" would be written in the gap between two stacked notes (the characters "合" (合) and "同" (同) were written together). After depositing money, the money shop would make the Jiaozi and ship the stub to the city where you planned to withdraw the money. The merchant with the large Jiaozi would then go to that city to withdraw the money. After the two copies were checked and the interline seal and interline characters matched, the money could be withdrawn.

Therefore, high-end Jiaozi is closer to a bill of exchange than a banknote.

Daxiangguo Temple was the largest temple in Bianjing, generating a significant amount of donations, and the monks had a tradition of lending money to help people in times of disaster. Before Wang Anshi implemented the Qingmiao Law, lending money to help people in need was considered a charitable act, as lending money without asking for collateral could easily lead to a loss of capital.

The monks had been doing this business for a long time and unknowingly became the number one banker in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Zhao Zi said that after signing the contract, he would collect a large deposit and return to Suzhou to expand production. For such a large sum of money-collecting job, it is indeed most convenient to find Daxiangguo Temple.

The two of them left as soon as they said they would, settled the bill with Fanlou, and then took Yang Zhi to Daxiangguo Temple.

When they arrived at the place, there was indeed a local wealthy businessman who had made an appointment with Jia Dan in advance. He had a final contact with Zhao Zicheng and then signed the contract readily.

It can be seen that wealthy businessmen do not like to deal with people with official positions, for fear of being bullied by them. Therefore, most of the previous conditions were negotiated by Jia Dan as an intermediary.

After the contract was signed, the other party deposited a deposit in person at the Daxiangguo Temple, asked the monk in charge to issue a Jiaozi with the contract filled in and stamped on the spot, and then took one of the copies and gave it to Zhao Zicheng for safekeeping.

Zhao Zicheng couldn't help feeling dazed when he saw the monks using abacus and stamping bills of exchange like bank tellers.

After completing the remittance business, Zhao Zicheng and Jia Dan were about to leave when a small group of imperial guards suddenly came in from outside the courtyard.

Zhao Zicheng didn't take it seriously at first, but Yang Zhi, who came with him, recognized the officer leading the troops and asked, "Brother Wang, what's the matter?"

Yang Zhi stopped the man and introduced him to Zhao Zicheng: "This is my colleague in the army, and he also works in the Palace Marshal's Mansion."

Zhao Zicheng nodded slightly, as if it was the Water Margin story where Yang Zhi was imprisoned by Gao Qiu and it was his colleague Wang Zhishi who spent all his money and bribed everyone to get him out. Then Yang Zhi ran out of money and started selling knives.

The envoy in front of him also has the surname Wang. Could he be Yang Zhi's friend?

The royal envoy didn't seem to be interested in chatting with Yang Zhi. He just smiled bitterly and said, "I have something to do, so I won't talk to you any more."

Yang Zhi casually asked curiously, "What errand do you want to come to the temple on? Besides, if there's any business in the Forbidden City, the Imperial City Division should be the one to do it."

"Brother Yang, you may not know this," the Imperial Guard said. "The Palace Commander received word a while ago that Lin Chong had killed Lu Qian in Cangzhou and burned the army's forage yard. The officers who had been escorting him have long since returned with the report, saying that a portly monk at Daxiangguo Temple had given him shelter, and therefore they were forbidden from killing him en route. They also claimed that the monk was a murderer who had pretended to be a monk to avoid punishment."

When the palace commander heard that Lin Chong had committed another crime, he became increasingly angry and sent me to investigate the illegal monk.

Yang Zhi: "I see. Then I won't delay your business."

(End of this chapter)