The Young Dragon of the Ming Dynasty: Bound to an Industrial Blueprint from the Start

He gestured for Chun Tao to open the bundle.

Inside the bundle was a stack of papers covered with various symbols and diagrams.

Zhu Zhanji took out a few sheets and spread them on the table.

"These are some things I've been thinking about these days."

Qian went over to take a look.

The first sheet of paper shows a house with a sign that reads "So-and-so Money Shop" hanging in front of it.

The house is divided into several areas: the counter, the accounting room, the storeroom, and the reception room. Each area has simple labels.

The second sheet of paper showed several different types of tickets.

Some were labeled "deposit slips", some "remittance slips", and some "collect silver upon presentation of the slip".

There are also dense annotations next to it, such as "Deposit drafts must have a secret mark", "Exchange drafts can be withdrawn in two places", "The certificate is transferable", etc.

The third sheet of paper contained a table.

The table is divided into several columns: Deposit, Withdrawal, Remittance, Remittance, Interest, and Handling Fee.

Each column is followed by some numerical examples, such as "Deposit 100 taels of silver, annual interest of 3%", "Remit 1,000 taels of silver, handling fee of 2 taels", etc.

Qian Lai looked at the blueprints, his hands trembling slightly.

He's a businessman; he can tell the value of these things at a glance.

"Master, what, what is this?"

"I was thinking," Zhu Zhanji said slowly, "that our Mingyue Trading Company's business will grow bigger and bigger in the future, from Beijing to Nanjing, from Nanjing to Jiangnan, and from Jiangnan to Southeast Asia, with money traveling back and forth. We can't rely on escort agencies to transport it every time."

"If we opened our own money exchange, helping people deposit and transfer silver, it would be convenient for us, we could earn some commission, and thirdly," a strange light flashed in his eyes, "we could do more with silver in hand."

Guo Sheng couldn't help but ask, "Master, will the imperial court agree to this money exchange?"

"Not now," Zhu Zhanji said frankly. "If we open it now, it would be considered illegal minting and redemption, which is a grave taboo."

He then changed the subject: "But in the future, when we've grown big, gained a reputation, and have powerful backers, we can ask the imperial court for permission to open a 'government-supervised, merchant-operated' money exchange."

He looked at Qian Lai: "Manager Qian, this is just an idea. Whether it will work or when it will work is uncertain, but I would like to hear your opinion first."

Qian Lai took a deep breath.

He has lived for over forty years and has met countless businessmen, some shrewd, some daring, and some conservative.

But I've never seen a four-year-old child think so far ahead.

"Master," he began slowly, "I dare to say a few words."

"explain."

"The money exchange business is good in itself, but it has three difficulties."

He counted on his fingers:

"The first difficulty is capital. To open a money shop, you need a large amount of silver in the treasury. Without 100,000 taels, you can't maintain the appearance. We only have a little over 1,000 taels in our accounts, which is far from enough."

"The second difficulty is credit. Money shops rely on credit. They need to have a reputation, a powerful backer, and people can trust them."

"The third difficulty is the imperial court. In the end, money shops are competing with the imperial court for business. The imperial court has official banks, although they are not very well run, but they belong to the government. If we expand too much, we will definitely be targeted."

He looked at Zhu Zhanji: "Master, none of these three difficulties are easy to overcome."

Zhu Zhanji listened attentively and nodded: "Manager Qian is right, these three difficulties are indeed difficult."

He wasn't disappointed; instead, he smiled and said, "But it's precisely because it's difficult that it's worth doing."

He pointed to the stack of blueprints: "These are just my wild ideas, there are definitely things wrong with them. Manager Qian, Steward Guo, you are experts, help me find the flaws."

The group then discussed the matter for a long time.

That night, after returning to the Crown Prince's residence, Zhu Zhanji lay on the couch, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

He had considered all three difficulties that Qian mentioned.

Capital can be accumulated slowly.

The business of Mingyue Trading Company will grow bigger and bigger. Drunken Immortal Brew, Cleansing Dew, and Flower Dew Balm are all things that can generate money.

Credit can be borrowed.

The support of my father, the protection of Uncle Yang, and the cooperation of the Shen family are all part of the trust.

The imperial court is the most difficult.

He closed his eyes, trying to calm his mind.

The resource map slowly appeared in my mind.

The city of Beiping was dotted with countless lights: coal, clay, lime, timber, grain, and medicinal herbs.

But this time, his consciousness did not linger on those familiar spots of light.

He explored deeper.

At the edge of the map, something new began to vaguely emerge.

Several points of light were flashing in the direction of Southern Zhili.

Those were Nanjing, Suzhou, and Yangzhou, the most prosperous places in Jiangnan, and also the places with the most money.

Further south, towards Fujian and Guangdong, the lights are sparse, but a few are exceptionally bright.

That was Quanzhou and Guangzhou, places where maritime merchants gathered, and the Shen family's roots.

To the west, the direction of Sichuan and Yunnan is a blur.

To the north, in the direction of Xuanfu and Datong, there are faint lights of military towns.

His consciousness continued to sink deeper.

Below the map, a line of faint text suddenly appeared:

Resource Point - Silver

Distance: Approximately 1200 li

Direction: Southern Zhili, Yingtian Prefecture

Estimated reserves: Unknown

Difficulty of obtaining: High

Note: This is the location of the official silver treasury; unauthorized entry by civilians is prohibited.

Zhu Zhanji's heart beat slightly faster.

He tried to focus his attention in that direction.

The map trembled slightly, and another marker appeared:

Technical Nodes & Currency Exchange

Unlock condition: Own your own silver vault (0/1)

Unlock condition: Gain the trust of at least three merchants (0/3)

Unlock condition: Complete one intercity money transfer (0/1)

After unlocking: Obtain the blueprint for the "Early Ticketing System"

It turned out to be the case.

The sections related to money exchanges in the technical gallery cannot be unlocked out of thin air.

Conditions are required.

We need to take it one step at a time.

He opened his eyes, stared at the top of the tent, and silently pondered.

To maintain a proper facade, one must have at least ten thousand taels of silver in their own treasury.

The three businesses trust each other; the Shen family is one of them. Among the businesses Guo Sheng contacted, there should be two more that he can find.

Cross-regional money transfer is the most difficult.

We need to find someone willing to wire money from Beiping to Nanjing, and we also need a merchant in Nanjing willing to accept it.

He thought of Madam Shen.

The Shen family had a branch in Southern Zhili and a main branch in Nanjing.

If the Shen family makes the first payment.

Zhu Zhanji sat up and called softly, "Chuntao."

Chun Tao immediately entered: "Your Highness?"

"Tomorrow morning, go and invite Manager Qian over. Tell him," he thought for a moment, "that I'd like to talk about the Shen family again."

"Yes."

After Chuntao left, Zhu Zhanji lay down again.

In my mind, the "foreign exchange" technology node flickered slightly, as if waiting to be activated.

Upon receiving the news, Qian Lai immediately went to the Shen family branch.

He didn't directly mention the money exchange, but instead, on behalf of the owner, inquired about some practices related to "north-south remittances".

Madam Shen met with him in person, and after hearing his question, she gave him a thoughtful look.

"Manager Qian, does your master intend to open a money exchange?"