In a courtyard of Zhenbao Pavilion in the capital, more than fifty people gathered for a class. The lecturer was Lin Yi, the Duke of Chu and the Grand Tutor of the dynasty.
The more than 50 people in the audience are bank bosses from various cities carefully selected by Lin Yi. The older ones are over fifty and the younger ones are over thirty years old.
These people are all eunuchs.
Many eunuchs are as talented and knowledgeable as scholars, and they understand who their master is and will only work more carefully.
Moreover, Lin Yi also used the 'This Bow' skill on all of these guys, and they would be unbearable if they wanted to betray him.
Lin Yi looked at these people and said: "You have been studying for more than two months, and I have told you everything that needs to be said. Today, I will give you a final summary of Royal Bank's operations. Tomorrow you will rush to various places to take office.
."
Lin Yi started his last lesson.
The Royal Bank founded by Lin Yi drew heavily on the experience of bank accounts in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Its business mainly includes currency exchange, long-distance withdrawals, issuance of banknotes, deposit taking, mortgage lending, etc.
The so-called exchange, withdrawing money from other places, and issuing banknotes are actually a series of actions. The commerce in the Song Dynasty was very developed. Merchants purchased goods for commercial activities and needed to carry a large amount of gold and silver. This was very inconvenient and dangerous, so it was very difficult to transport large amounts of gold.
When traveling, they often hire escorts to escort them, and the cost of hiring escorts is not low.
The Royal Bank can solve this problem very well. A businessman or a wealthy person gives the money to the bank, takes the exchange bill, and goes to another city to withdraw it with a silver bill. The bank charges a certain fee, which is definitely lower than that of an escort.
And the security is also greatly increased.
This is how Shanxi's ticket numbers originally developed.
Because the exchange is simple, safe and guaranteed, many people later deposit bank checks directly, which can reduce the handling fee each time. This is the reason why bank checks in movies and TV series are so popular.
As for absorbing deposits, it absorbs idle money from wealthy businessmen and wealthy private households. These funds will be given a small amount of interest, which is similar to the interest given by modern banks.
However, he believed that he would still receive a lot of deposits. After all, if the excess money is kept at home, it will only get moldy and rust. It is better to put it in a bank to generate some interest. Lin Yi also learned from the modern deposit model and gave different calculations based on the time and age.
Tiered interest.
As for lending, it is the main profit model of banks.
The main loan models in the Song Dynasty are the government-run lending institutions called Jiaozihang, Huiziwu, and the private ones called Jiaozipu, Jiaoyinpu, Qianyinpu, etc. The maximum annual interest rate can reach 100%, and the normal rate is 56%.
Ten, the minimum must be 20%, and most people cannot borrow this kind of money.
Lin Yi is planning to ask the Royal Bank to reduce the loan interest to 20% per year. Of course, the collateral must not be less. It must be value-preserving land deeds, land deeds, house deeds, gold and silverware, sales, goods, etc.
Lin Yi's lending is mainly aimed at businessmen with a relatively large amount of money. If they use more money at one time, the rate of return will be higher.
Compared with modern banks, the business model of bank accounts is much simpler and cruder. There are only a few types, but for the current Song Dynasty, it is already a great improvement.
With Royal Bank,
It is estimated that there will be a lot less robberies on the road.
When Liang Zhongshu sent the birthday card to Cai Jing, he did not need to find someone to escort it. He could just send it a banknote, which was more convenient.
As for bank online stores, they are currently only available in the thirty or so most developed cities in the Song Dynasty, which is where Zhenbao Pavilion is located.
When Lin Yi asked commercial banks to build Zhenbao Pavilions in various places, he had banks in mind, so the banks with bank accounts were basically next to Zhenbao Pavilions, or simply integrated.
This makes it easier to manage and prevent thieves.
Bianjing is the main name, and Luoyang, Lin'an, Yangzhou, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Taiyuan Prefecture, Yingtian Prefecture, etc. are the semicolons.
Naturally, treaty ports such as Mingzhou, Quanzhou, Mizhou, Xiuzhou, Wenzhou and Jiangyin are also indispensable.
The trading ports of the Song Dynasty were very prosperous and were an important support for the income of the Song Dynasty court. Commodities such as tea, porcelain, and silk were sold to Southeast Asia, Japan and other regions.
These treaty ports had more banking services than big cities.
Exchange required the circulation of information, and Lin Yi used two methods, one was by land letter, and the other was by flying pigeon.
As for the most important banknote, it is what Lin Yi cares about most.
Lin Yi handles everything from paper to ink, seal, password number, exchange number, etc. all by himself.
The paper is made of paper that is stronger, more durable and even has a certain waterproof effect. This kind of paper is not available on the market now. Lin Yichu's technology is produced by the Royal Commercial Bank's workshop and is only provided to banks for use. It is never allowed to be passed on to outsiders.
Inks in the Song Dynasty were not very developed. Lin Yi specially produced several new types of inks. When printing banknotes, he used red, blue, and black overprints. The pattern included green dragons, clouds, and cranes. It was very complicated. The printing workshop outside
There is simply no such printing technology.
In addition, there are special numbers on the ticket, which are recorded in English letters and Arabic numerals for convenience. Unless you have returned from studying abroad, it will be difficult to know the meaning of these numbers.
Not only that, the banknotes have ticket stubs. When exchanging the tickets, you need to check the ticket stubs. There is a cipher text on them. Lin Yi's cryptography comes into play here. If the ciphertexts of the two banknotes cannot be verified, they will not be dealt with.
In short,
With the current technological level of the Song Dynasty, it is almost impossible to make a qualified counterfeit banknote, unless you encounter a time traveler who is more powerful than yourself.
If Lin Yi continues to operate like this, he will definitely squeeze out the business of the original official business and private money shop, but he doesn't care, he runs a royal trading house, and the emperor's business will be killed directly if anyone dares to find trouble.
Moreover, Lin Yi had planned to annex these Jiaozi Banks and money shops. Jiaozi Bank was opened by the Sansi Yamen and the Account Department. Lin Yi planned to open the bank and wait for people to see the power of the bank and directly take over Jiaozi Bank.
Take the issuance rights and swap rights.
From now on, the Royal Commercial Bank will have the right to issue notes and banknotes at the same time.
As for the money shops that make loan sharks, under the squeeze of Lin Yi's low interest rates, their business will slowly shrink, and they will fend for themselves. All business in the future will naturally fall into the hands of the Royal Bank.
also,
Lin Yi also wants to absorb the national bank and the bank banks of various states and counties into the Royal Bank.
In ancient times, countries and prefectures and counties would have two kinds of warehouses. One was the bank warehouse, which mainly stored local fiscal and tax money, and the other was the grain warehouse, called the official warehouse, to prepare for emergencies such as disasters and famines.
There is a section in the New Legend of the White Snake where Xiaoqing uses the five-ghost moving method to steal money from the Qiantang County government treasury, which triggers a series of stories.
If the current situation of the Song Dynasty is followed, part of the annual tax burden of the imperial court is retained by the local government, and most of it is given to the national treasury. The national treasury can earn about 120 million guan, and the local finance is about 40 to 50 million guan.
This is not small money.
It's a pity to let it rust in the warehouse. Wouldn't it be better to put it into operation?
certainly,
These are things for the future, and people need to accept that the Royal Bank is safer than keeping it in a warehouse before it can be implemented. If it is done forcefully now, I am afraid many people will worry and panic.
The last point is,
The bank can also help Lin Yi sell stocks.
Lin Yi has already thought about selling the stocks once he finds those mines. The interest rate is a little higher than the deposit in the bank. This can attract a large amount of funds, and the mines will be mined slowly.
The next day,
More than fifty shopkeepers, each with their business assistants and imperial guards, went to each government to take up their posts. They would have one month, and after one month, the Royal Bank would open for business at the same time.
Time has arrived at the winter solstice.
The day for the imperial ceremony to offer sacrifices to heaven has arrived.
The Winter Solstice Heaven Sacrifice is one of the most solemn sacrifices of the imperial court. It is held in the palace temple. Today, all the seventh-grade civil servants and military generals in the capital, as well as the descendants of the princes and princes of the clan, will all gather here, numbering thousands.
Three days ago,
Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty began to fast and refrain from sexual intercourse with women.
the day before,
Slaughter the livestock to make the best.
Lin Yi is the chief officer of this heaven-sacrifice ceremony, and this position was previously held by Cai Jing, which made many people think.
The time has come.
Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty wore a dragon robe and went on stage, burned incense and prayed, played chimes, chimes, and bells, read out the sacrificial words, and finally knelt down three times and bowed nine times to worship his ancestors and the Emperor.
To put it simply,
In fact, the whole process is extremely solemn and complicated.
The ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven is over but has not been disbanded. This time Song Huizong added another one, that is, in the holy temple, all members of the royal family, civil servants, military commanders, descendants of the clan, princes, and even eunuchs and maids, swore allegiance to His Majesty the Emperor.
Lin Yi printed countless notes in advance and asked the eunuchs to hand them out one by one. On them were the oaths.
Everyone looked at each other in confusion at first, but no one dared to disobey. Lord of Heaven and Earth, Lord, Master, these people here should be loyal to His Majesty. Why, if you don’t swear an oath, do you still have second thoughts?
"We hereby swear to be loyal to His Majesty, strictly abide by national disciplines and laws, be loyal to our duties, and repay Your Majesty's kindness with loyalty. If we violate our oath, we will be struck by thunder from heaven."
Regardless of whether you want it or not, everyone knelt down and swore an oath. Lin Yi looked at it all with a smile. From now on, swearing allegiance will be a part of his life. He wants to make this part of the norm and all officials must go through this.
The Heaven Sacrifice Hall is finally over.
And the next day,
A lot of news came out of Bianjing.
one night,
Today, more than a dozen ministers, princes, nobles, and even two generals died. This was a big event. Zhang Shuye, Yin of Bianjing Prefecture, quickly sent someone to check, and finally concluded that they all died of heartache.
Too strange.
Report to His Majesty immediately.
Regarding this result,
Song Huizong was not that surprised.
These people swear to be punished, which means they are worthy of death. On the one hand, they have people arrange their funeral arrangements, and on the other hand, they send secret organizations to investigate whether these people have any other problems, and find out the evidence of the crime and deal with it.
The Song Dynasty also had intelligence agencies.
For example, the Privy Council Office is in charge of map surveying, military aircraft files and military intelligence collection, overseas espionage activities, etc.
There is another one called the Imperial City Division, whose functions are similar to those of the Jinyiwei in later generations. They are not under the management of the three yamen and directly take orders from the emperor. They have a series of functions such as detective work, arrests, and prison sentences. Their surveillance targets include Beijing officials, local officials, and even ordinary people.
Common people, but compared to Jinyiwei, the Imperial City Division is much more low-key, and many people and officials are not very aware of the existence of the Imperial City Division.
In fact, there is another secret force in the palace, that is, the eunuch's "internal duty department". The only responsibility of this intelligence organization is to collect intelligence, but the source of intelligence mainly comes from the eunuchs and supervisors from all over the country.
outside world.
Some rumors gradually emerged.
It was said that His Majesty had obtained immortal magic, and anyone who was not loyal to His Majesty would be punished by the gods. Although the rumors were suppressed afterwards, the seeds were planted in people's hearts.
The sense of awe is even greater.
One month has passed quickly, and the Royal Bank has opened. Its main office in Bianjing is a three-story building on Xicheng Street. Of course, this is only an external store, and the real bank is the treasure trove under the Zhenbao Pavilion.
The day the bank opens.
Another lion dance celebration.
Lin Yi once again invited officials and wealthy businessmen. This time, everyone was handed a manual explaining the role of the Royal Bank.
The first sentence is,
"Royal Bank, connect the world!"
The Royal Bank aims to facilitate merchants all over the world and solve the troubles of merchants transporting money in bulk. Next, the various functions of the bank will be described below.
Exchange, withdrawals from other places, issuing bank notes, accepting deposits, mortgage loans.
Many big businessmen were quick-thinking and immediately realized how much convenience banks would bring them.
It costs less than the escort agency, is more stable than the escort agency, has less chance of accidents, and is faster than the escort agency. Moreover, people soon discovered an advantage, that is, they can withdraw the money at once without having to rush, and can use the banknotes continuously.
It also saves on handling fees.
They thought they were smart and found a way to take advantage, but they didn't know that Lin Yi wanted them to do this and exchange the banknotes for real money. He was definitely taking advantage.
As for deposits or mortgages, they are also very attractive to big businessmen. When businessmen do business, they will inevitably encounter opportunities to make a fortune but do not have the money on hand. In the past, their method was to borrow money from friends or even loan sharks.
.
Now with the Royal Bank, the interest rate is much lower than that of loan sharks, and even lower than the interest rate of borrowing money from friends in the past. They are naturally willing to borrow money from the Royal Bank.
Moreover, it saves you the trouble of transporting money, and you can even ask the bank to pay off your debt directly.
No need to waste time.
In short, they saw many convenient places here at Royal Bank.
As for bank check fees and loan interest, you have to pay them elsewhere, and banks are still low, so it’s natural to choose Royal Bank.
Immediately,
There are people doing bank check business.
The banknotes start from 100 guan and gradually increase. The largest one is 5,000 guan, which is more convenient than Jiaozi.
From this day on,
Royal Bank business gradually developed.
Time flies,
On the day of the New Year, people celebrate the New Year in a lively manner. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month of the same year, they watch lanterns and fish and dragons dance. On the second half of the month, on the second day of the second lunar month, dragons raise their heads.
Because of several policies announced by Song Huizong last year,
A lot less exploitation,
The people of the Song Dynasty had a much better life, and everything was very stable.
There was a heavy snowfall in Bianjing yesterday, and the sky and the earth turned completely white. Lin Yi felt that this should be the last heavy snowfall this year. He didn't feel cold at all. When the sun came out, the air just felt moist and comfortable.
Arriving at the palace hall, the officials saw Lin Yi and handed him over.
Lin Yi said hello and walked forward,
Now his position is just below Cai Jing's, as Shaozai, Deputy Prime Minister, and he stands in the front row alongside Cai Jing.
"I've met Prime Minister Cai."
When Lin Yi saw Cai Jing, he raised his hands in greeting.
Cai Jing quickly returned the greeting, "Mr. Lin."
The emperor hadn't come yet, and everyone was chatting in twos and threes. Cai Jing looked at Lin Yi and said: "Prime Minister Lin, someone came to me to report the matter of the Royal Bank."
"Oh, what's the matter?" Lin Yi asked.
"Since the opening of the Royal Bank, the business of the government-run Jiaozi shop has been greatly reduced. Moreover, after the Royal Bank received the Jiaozi ticket, it took the Jiaozi ticket to the bank to exchange it for silver or copper coins. Now the bank cannot make ends meet.
The Sihu Department is very anxious." Cai Jing said.
"Well, that's a problem." Lin Yi said.
Then,
There is no further text.
Cai Jing looked at Lin Yi, "How will Prime Minister Lin solve this problem?"
Lin Yi looked at Cai Jing in surprise, "The Third Division and the Household Department are not under my control. This is the scope of responsibility of Prime Minister Cai. I can't comment at will."
Lin Yi is now in charge of the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the Ministry of Punishment are still under the responsibility of Prime Minister Cai Jing. As for the three departments, they are directly responsible to the emperor.
at this time,
The eunuch called out that His Majesty had arrived.
Everyone quickly stood up, paid homage to His Majesty, and began to deal with government affairs. The Third Secretary was the first to stand up.
The problem is that the Royal Bank has squeezed out the space of Jiaozi because of its exchange and issuance of bank notes. Moreover, the Royal Bank has taken a large number of Jiaozi to Jiaozi Bank to exchange for cash. Now Jiaozi Bank has no cash to exchange.
Already.
This is a big deal,
Many ministers started talking about it.
If there is no money in the bank, once the people lose confidence in Jiaozi, Jiaozi's status will plummet. This kind of thing has happened before. The so-called banknotes are nothing more than national credit. If there is no credit, banknotes are equivalent to papyrus.
Song Huizong looked at Cai Jing.
"Xiang Cai, you are in charge of Shangshu, your sect, and the three provinces of Zhongshu. How do you think we should handle this matter?"
Cai Jing was also in a dilemma.
If we follow past experience, we would close the Royal Bank, snatch the money back, add it to the treasury, and prevent other similar banks from appearing from now on.
But this is the Royal Bank, the emperor's property. If he dared to say these words, Song Huizong would simply tell him to get out.
But there is another way,
He really couldn't think of it.
However, he was also cunning. He kicked the ball to Lin Yi and said, "Your Majesty, I think we should ask Prime Minister Lin for his opinion on this matter. He is in charge of the Royal Bank and knows the best about this matter."
Song Huizong looked at Lin Yi.
"Lin Qing, what do you think about this matter?"
Lin Yi came out,
bow,
He said loudly: "Back to Your Majesty, I would like to first report to Your Majesty the results of the Royal Bank in the past three months."
Song Huizong smiled and nodded.
"Lin Qing, tell me."
"In the three months since the Royal Bank opened, it has issued a total of 26.56 million banknotes, received deposits of 43 million guan, and loaned 10 million guan. The total deposits of the Royal Bank now exceed 50 million guan.
"
The ministers in the palace were shocked when they heard this.
It's only been three months since it opened.
There are 50 to 60 million yuan. This ability to attract money is really strong.
In fact, most of the money was deposited at the Royal Commercial Bank and Zhenbao Pavilion, and most of the bank notes were issued by wealthy businessmen from various places. Now that they know the convenience of the Royal Bank, many businessmen have exchanged bank notes for carrying them to do business, while abandoning the money or even handing over money.
Song Huizong was very happy.
"Okay, okay, Lin Qing did a good job. By the way, what do you think should be done about Jiaozi's problem?"
Lin Yi said calmly: "It's complicated to say it's complicated, but it's simple to say it's simple."
"If we look at it purely in terms of commercial operations, there is no solution to this matter. After all, the bank has no money. Once Jiaozi loses credibility and a run occurs, it is likely to cause social unrest. This matter needs to be taken extremely seriously."
"But to be simple, my opinion is to merge Jiaozi Bank into the Royal Bank. Jiaozi Bank has a single function. It only has the function of issuing Jiaozi and swapping. If it encounters the Royal Bank, there will be risks immediately.
It shows that Jiaozi Xing has fallen behind and must be innovated."
"There are several advantages to handing over Jiaozi Bank to the Royal Bank, that is, the Royal Bank guarantees the exchange of Jiaozi Bank, and there is no need for the state to guarantee it, which saves a lot of trouble?"
Some officials asked, "How does the country use money?"
Lin Yi replied: "The original purpose of issuing Jiaozi was not to plunder people's wealth, let alone to fish from the lake, but to facilitate the people."
The official who asked the question immediately shut up.
"As for the country's use of money, the tax burden is usually sufficient. In case of emergency, the court can borrow money from the Royal Bank. After all, the Royal Bank is a national industry, and the interest can be reduced to a minimum."
Immediately, Lin Yi began to popularize financial knowledge to the officials present. Lin Yi casually came up with some later theories and was able to fool these officials. Many officials couldn't help but nod.
Finally Song Huizong announced.
From today on,
Lin Yi was added to take charge of the three departments and the account department. At the same time, all Jiaozi Banks were merged into the Royal Bank. From now on, all financial affairs of the country will be handed over to the Royal Bank.