After Zhang Xiaobao finished speaking, no one continued to ask. Before they had eaten much, Li Longji and Weiwei nodded and began to eat.
The others also followed suit. Otherwise, if they waited for the Emperor to finish eating, the meal would be over. They couldn't possibly let the Emperor wait for them to eat, right?
Xiao Bei and the others did not participate in the matters of the adults. While others were talking, they were diligently eating. At this time, they were already full and ran off to play elsewhere. After playing, they still had to go back to do homework and consolidate what they had learned in the morning so that they could listen to the story the next day.
Although no one spoke, it did not mean that they did not think about this matter. Old Man Pi had been with Zhang Xiaobao and Wang family for the longest time, so he had more contact with things than the others.
He always felt that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had spent so much effort to come up with this plan. After such a long time, they did not dare to open banks everywhere immediately. It was definitely not as simple as just replacing silk and copper coins.
Although this new currency was indeed a big deal, it depended on who came up with it. Now, there were also flying coins used in large transactions, all relying on the reputation of the merchants. If it was just like this, Zhang Xiaobao would not be Zhang Xiaobao.
'Could it be that this currency has a greater use? Can it be of more help to the Tang Empire? 'Old Man Pi thought as he ate a few mouthfuls.
Beside him, Old Man Yao was also thinking hard about this problem. What was the difference between this currency and the copper and silk coins of the past?
It looked the same, but it was just a replacement. It made the loss of the silk disappear, but he always felt that something was wrong.
The meal was finished in such an atmosphere. Just as he ordered the dishes to be cleaned up and replaced with tea, Zhang Shuo was not in a hurry to return to his cabin to deal with official business. Instead, he asked Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan:
"Xiao Bao, Cuckoo, is there any other benefit to replacing copper and silk with paper money that you haven't mentioned? If that's the case, the copper coins don't need to be replaced and can be depreciated. Others will see that there's no profit and won't fake it. "
When Zhang Shuo asked this question, his eyes were fixed on Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. He was afraid that the two of them would not answer. Who asked him to have a conflict with the two of them?
Zhang Xiaobao was not that petty. Political conflicts were normal as long as they did not affect the livelihood of the people and were not direct attacks. It was not good to have only one voice in a country. It was easy for problems to arise.
Hearing Zhang Xiaobao's question and seeing the surrounding people looking at them, Zhang Xiaobao looked at everyone once and signaled to his godfather. Gao Lishi hurriedly drove the palace maids, eunuchs, and bodyguards to one side.
Seeing Zhang Xiaobao so cautious, Li Longji and the others couldn't help but feel nervous. Just what kind of danger was it that made Zhang Xiaobao not even tolerate palace maids and eunuchs?
After carefully looking at everyone and feeling that there was nothing wrong, Zhang Xiaobao said, "Lord Zhang asked a good question. This matter is not just a matter of replacing. The first is to change copper and silk from currency to resources needed in daily life. The value of silk will decrease.
By doing so, the people will be able to have more clothes to wear and more utensils to use, satisfying the needs of the people of the Great Tang. This is an extremely important matter. Does Lord Zhang agree? "
Zhang Shuo nodded in agreement.
Zhang Xiaobao continued to lecture the crowd. "In truth, it is to let the people get used to using paper money. Of course, if small amounts of paper money are easily damaged due to circulation, when the steam press is made, we can use iron to press them. This way, we can reduce the amount of money that can be recycled.
Just like silk, once it was worn out to a certain extent, the imperial court would collect it back through taxation and would never release it again. The money that was stamped out, if it was made by hand without a stamping machine, would be very laborious. The amount of fake money that could be made in a day would be less than what a craftsman would earn with normal work. This way, no one would be bored enough to make fake money for fun.
The benefits of using paper money are that it is easy to carry around, and it is also very convenient to deposit and withdraw money from banks. If the people are willing to use money to buy all kinds of things instead of using things to exchange for things, the Imperial Court will be able to save a lot of trouble when it comes to taxation. Lord Zhang, do you agree? "
"Yes." Zhang Shuo nodded in agreement. Indeed, if all transactions were done using the same type of paper money, taxation would be much easier. After all, if someone used two jin of eggs to buy salt from a merchant, the Imperial Court would collect a few eggs as tax.
If they didn't collect it, they would have to collect the merchant's money. A merchant selling salt not only needed to sell salt, but also other things. This was the case now. It was truly chaotic, and the price of eggs was not always the same. Today, two eggs were one copper coin, and tomorrow, five eggs could be two copper coins.
Thus, local taxation was also very unstable. There would be more and less, and it was very difficult to control.
The others expressed their agreement. At this time, Zhang Jiuling asked, "Is there anything else besides this? If this works, Xiao Bao and the others will have done a great service."
"Then let's talk about the bank. With the appearance of paper money, transactions are convenient, but there still needs to be a corresponding organization to help keep it. For example, if you want to do business and need 10,000 strings of coins, then the biggest note is 100 strings of coins. It is very easy to lose, so you can save it and keep it in the bank.
In the early stage, the bank will continue to keep the silk and copper coins, and also be responsible for the exchange of gold and silver. In the later stage, it will not be like this. In the early stage, the bank will still need to collect a certain amount of money as a storage fee, but when the paper money comes out, there will be no need to collect a storage fee. When you deposit 100 strings of coins, when you withdraw it, it will also be 100 strings of coins. "
This time, the one who spoke was not Zhang Xiaobao, but Wang Juan. She told everyone about the matter that she and Zhang Xiaobao had discussed.
When everyone heard this, they couldn't immediately ask. They needed to understand the process. After thinking for a while, no matter how much they thought, they couldn't understand why Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan would open a bank without collecting any fees. Could it be that they were just doing a good deed?
Now, there were also places that specialized in exchanging copper coins, but when exchanging, they would need to collect a sum of money.
With this kind of doubt, Yu Wenrong, who had also come over, asked.
"If you did as you said, wouldn't you lose money? Even pawnshops would have to lower the price. "
"Right now, the places that specialize in exchanging copper coins wouldn't lose money even if they didn't collect any money. This is because they would use a portion of the money to do other transactions. This is borrowing other people's money to do business. They just need to worry about not losing money. There is a very common calculation method here.
After the deposit and withdrawal stabilizes, there will be a portion of the money that will never be taken out by others. Unless there is a currency crisis and someone runs on the bank, then this portion of the money will belong to the bank. The bank can directly take it out to do business, and can also lend it to others with interest.
This is what we want to talk about later. In the end, not only will the people who deposit the money not have to spend any storage fees, they will also be able to receive interest from the bank. However, this interest will be much lower than the interest from the bank, because the bank will have to bear the risk of lending out the money. "
Zhang Xiaobao explained the benefits of the bank.
When the surrounding people heard this, their eyes widened and their mouths fell open like Weiwei's.
"Then doesn't that mean that if you open a bank, a lot of money will belong to you?" Yu Wenrong asked.
"Yes, of course. Otherwise, why would anyone open a bank? This is a matter of personal interest. At worst, when the time comes to establish a national bank, the Imperial Court will also earn a bit. There are also things that are beneficial to the Great Tang. By adjusting the reserve funds and interest rates, the value of the Great Tang's goods can be affected.
For example, if my reserve funds are only forty percent and I have two million strings of coins, then I can lend out 1.2 million strings of coins this year. Some of this 1.2 million strings of coins can be used to invest, while some can be used to buy things. In that case, the Great Tang will have an additional 1.2 million strings of coins.
The value of the goods will definitely rise. If 1.2 million strings of coins doesn't have much of an effect on the Great Tang, then what about 12 million strings of coins? This way, the price of goods can be adjusted, so how can the price of goods fall? One reason is to increase the interest rate of the loan so that people will borrow less. However, this has its disadvantages as well. It might not really cause the price of goods to fall. One reason is that the profits of the bank will decrease, and the other reason is that the borrowers will transfer this portion to the goods, causing the price of the goods to rise.
Thus, at this time, the interest rate of the deposits has to be increased correspondingly. Otherwise, inflation will rise too quickly, and the currency in circulation will become worthless. "
Wang Juan explained a little more.
Just like before, everyone fell silent and pondered.
This time, it was Li Longji who asked, "From the looks of it, the depositors will have more money in the end, and the borrowers will allow the bank to have more money. However, the copper coins and silk that should have been used as currency no longer exist. Doesn't this mean that the value of money will become less and less, but it will still continue to inflate?"
Zhang Xiaobao nodded. "Your Majesty is wise. That is indeed the case. However, this inflation is the inflation of the entire Great Tang. No one will lose anything, and it will also accelerate the development of the economy. The value created is definitely more worth it than the danger of inflation. If there is no mistake, the overall situation is the same."
Li Longji nodded. Thinking about it, that was indeed the case.
Zhang Xiaobao continued, "Another advantage is that we can issue national bonds, which means we can borrow money from the people. When the time comes, the interest will be higher than normal deposits, and the country will have money to do other things. When the time comes, for example, three years or five years, we can return the money to the people with interest."
"Then, what if the country loses money when it uses the money to do something? For example, in terms of infrastructure, there is no profit to be made. "Li Longji tried to keep up with the pace.
"Infrastructure will never lose money. When there is a direct monetary loss, there will be compensation through taxes. As for investments, it doesn't matter as well. We can just borrow more money to return the money to the people and continue to raise the interest rate. As long as the interest rate is higher than the bank deposit, the people will be willing to lend money.
Your Majesty, you just said that the currency is always inflating. If we continue to borrow money, the money that the people receive in the end might not be as valuable as before.
If we continue to develop in this way, perhaps some people will feel that we are always owing people money and that there will be problems one day. This is why Cuckoo and I need so many craftsmen. We can make better use of resources. Right now, every mu can produce four dan of grain. As we continue to research, we can produce ten dan of grain per mu.
This will inevitably lead to the depreciation of grain. As long as the technology can keep up, the depreciation of the currency is actually the depreciation of the goods. The final result is balance. In other words, by increasing production, we can use the depreciation of the goods to offset the depreciation of the currency. "
Zhang Xiaobao had to say more, even though it wasn't easy for others to understand.
After waiting for the tea to be changed, Zhang Shuo thought it through and said, "In other words, as long as it is a non-physical currency, it will have to face depreciation. If we don't want problems to happen, we have to work hard to develop that productivity you spoke of. That is to increase the output of the land and make better things.
But there will be a day when we reach a certain level, right? For example, if we dig up all the coal, all the alchemical fire oil, and all kinds of mines, what will happen to our descendants? "
"When that day comes, there will naturally be more ways. We don't have it here, but there may be more on the moon. Oh, it's not easy to collect from the stars. Let's talk about what's in front of us first. We can collect less from ourselves and go to other countries, such as Xinyuan Island, Japan, and Xinluo."
Zhang Xiaobao felt that Zhang Shuo was still not good in this aspect, because Zhang Shuo didn't expect that one day, people could casually go to the moon and wait for the resources to be depleted. The technology would be more advanced, and they could expand. Moreover, no matter what the resource was, the process of depletion was always balanced.
In other words, there was no such thing as a non-renewable resource. The so-called non-renewable resource was because the technology had not reached that level. Otherwise, it would be like the black hole that was created after a star exploded. Why would everything only exist in the form of mass? It meant that any material could be converted into another.
The black hole could also create a new star. This was the process of exchange. It was believed that the technology would reach that day.
At this point, everyone felt that there was nothing more to ask. They could only wait and see if Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan opened the bank and see if it was as they said.
Li Yu also timely proposed to go to Changning County.
Li Longji really wanted to see what Changning County had become. If Li Yu didn't say that it was Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan who gave the idea to do something there, Li Longji really wouldn't go.
But as long as Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were involved, Li Longji couldn't help but want to see with his own eyes if Changning County had really become prosperous. If so, it meant that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had to be protected well.
Because the two of them were more valuable than hundreds of officials. They could easily make a place prosperous. What was there to worry about in the Tang Empire? Besides, Wang Juan could fight.
Since Li Longji was on the move, the people he would be protecting naturally wouldn't be Li Yu's few subordinates. The Golden Guards would have to follow him, and the other guards couldn't be left out as well. In order to protect Li Longji, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan even transferred thirty people from the Zero Squad over.
The two of them were fully armed and accompanied Li Longji. Those who didn't know would think that Li Longji was doing this to get close to them. Because no matter how much older they were than children of the same age, they still didn't look mature. No matter how one looked at them, they still looked like children. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan still had yellow hair around their mouths.
Who would have thought that these two children would have such strong fighting strength? Not only could they fight against one of Li Longji's personal guards, but they could also command them.
Li Longji also thought the same. With the two children by his side, they could numb people.
Old Man Pi and the other two also had to go. They were in charge of looking after Xiao Bei and the others. There were also many guards.
When Li Longji got off the ship, the officials here thought that he was going to the provincial capital. They were both happy and worried. They were happy because it would be good for the Emperor to go. He could improve his reputation and let the Emperor see them.
They were worried because they didn't make any preparations. If something went wrong, not only would they not be praised by the Emperor, they might not even be able to keep their heads on their necks.
However, the result disappointed them. They were also glad that the Emperor didn't plan to go to Linfen. Instead, he planned to go to Changning County.
The fleet left, and the people who were doing business looked on curiously. There were merchants who wanted to take advantage of the fact that there was no tax to be collected, and when they saw the flag of the fleet, they immediately knew who had come. They were nervous and excited, and showed off their knowledge to the people who were looking at the fleet curiously, telling them that the current Emperor had come.
After knowing this, the people were dumbfounded. If the Emperor was going to go, he should have cleared away the people around him. Why was the Emperor here when they were still doing business? Was he not afraid of encountering danger?
When they thought of this, the people suddenly felt moved. The Emperor didn't clear away the people here. This meant that the Emperor trusted the people here and trusted them.
Li Longji didn't know that asking Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan to arrange a trip would win the hearts of the people. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan did it on purpose. At this time, there were no missiles or sniper rifles. Who could hurt the people on the ship? It was better to let the people know how much the Emperor trusted them.
If it was someone else, they would have cleared them away long ago.
Li Yu deliberately prepared a car that he thought was very luxurious for Li Longji. In the end, Li Longji didn't get into his car at all. Instead, he got into the car that Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan prepared for him. This kind of car was more comfortable.
In order to let Li Longji gain more sincere hearts, Zhang Xiaobao removed the roof of the car and turned it into an open one. It was convenient for Li Longji to see the scenery outside, and the people outside could faintly know where the Emperor was.
Of course, there were many people in plain clothes who entered the crowd, especially those who didn't look like the people of Tang. The people of Tang were very loyal, and no one wanted to kill Li Longji.
Li Yu was sweating profusely. He was worried that some kind of danger would suddenly appear. Following beside Li Longji, he moved closer to Zhang Xiaobao and said, "Xiao Bao, do you want to kill me? What if uncle is frightened? What should I do? "
"How can he be frightened? What's more, even if something unexpected happens, His Majesty won't be frightened. Who is His Majesty? He's the Emperor who dismounted to rule the country and pacified the people. "
Zhang Xiaobao said in a loud voice.
Hearing this, Li Longji was very happy. He chuckled and said to Li Yu, "Yu 'er, don't be afraid. Even if something small happens, it has nothing to do with you. Besides, I have Xiao Bao and Cuckoo by my side. Look, the people are so peaceful."
Li Longji was still holding the binoculars in his hand. He looked around, and none of the people came forward.
Someone took the lead and shouted 'Long Live the Emperor!' and knelt down. The commoners also followed suit and knelt down. This made Li Longji feel even more comfortable. He even waved at the commoners around him, even if they couldn't see him.
The speed of the team was not fast. It would be dark by the time they reached Changning County. Li Yu followed them and was worried.
At the beginning, the three people led Xiaobei and the others. From time to time, they would tell Xiaobei and the others about the situation here.
While they were walking, Zhang Shuo came over and said to Old Man Pi, "Sir Bi, how about we think about the matter of the bank that Xiao Bao mentioned?"
"Oh? What else is there to say? Haven't we already asked what we need to ask? "Old Man Pi was puzzled.
"No, I suddenly thought of something. Many of the countries around us are using our money. If the bank opens and new banknotes come out, the other countries will exchange a lot of the banknotes. When the time comes, they will suddenly come to buy our things. Our prices will suddenly increase.
When prices increase, money will naturally depreciate. What should we do? Don't we sell our things to others? For example, Tubo. They use their things to exchange for our money. Then, they let people spread the news that our money is worthless and that we should use copper coins. At the same time, they keep buying copper coins.
Then, they use copper to make our Kaiyuan Tongbao to exchange for a large amount of banknotes. Using banknotes to buy things, wouldn't that be a mess? Now, I reckon that many people have thought of this method. It's all Zhang Xiaobao's fault. If he wants to make a game, just make a game. Why does he have to teach others other skills? "
Zhang Shuo said nervously. The complaint in his words was very obvious. He originally wanted to tell Li Longji, but Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were there. Therefore, he found Old Man Pi and wanted to tell the Emperor this through Old Man Pi.
Old Man Pi listened to Zhang Shuo and looked at his expression. When he finished, he said, "You're right. I'll mention it to the Emperor later. But I think there's no need to worry. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan will take care of this matter."
Old Man Pi obviously knew what Zhang Shuo was thinking, but he still agreed. After all, he also didn't know what to do when faced with such a situation.
After the team left Linfen County and entered Changning County, Li Longji's view immediately changed. The most direct thing he saw was a wide road that extended forward. He nodded and asked Li Yu, "What's the matter?"
"Did you specially build this road to bring me here?"
"No, this road was also going to be built. But since you're here, I built it first. This place can be connected to Linfen County. There's also the Fengshui River there. It's convenient to build a road for transportation."
Li Yu answered honestly.
Li Longji knew that it was actually because of him. But after all, this road was built first, so he asked, "Did it mess up your arrangement in Changning County?"
"No, it didn't mess up at all. You'll know when we move forward. There's going to be a bamboo processing workshop here. The things from Linfen County can be processed faster and it'll give the people in Linfen County who can't find part-time jobs a place to work."
Li Yu continued to answer.
"That's good. Since Xiao Bao gave you the idea, you'll have to do it properly," Li Longji said with satisfaction.
"Yes, I'll do my best," Li Yu answered respectfully.
At this moment, Old Man Bi also came over and told Li Longji about the matter that Zhang Shuo had mentioned earlier.
Li Longji turned to look at Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan.
Zhang Xiaobao sighed. He wanted to take a break, but now there was another problem.
"Your Majesty, Wang Juan and I have already considered this matter. We're just afraid that they won't use our money. It'll be better if they use our money. When the time comes, we'll make a rule that only our money can buy our things. If our things are better than theirs, they'll ship their goods here to sell.
Tubo is only a small country, so they won't be able to cause much of an impact. Even if they don't have money, we can sell them national debt and let them use resources to exchange for it. We can also use the form of land leases. In any case, the Tang Dynasty's currency must be popular in the surrounding countries.
We can let them not use the Tang Dynasty's money and not the other countries' money. If a country's currency is controlled by another country, what do you think the consequences will be, Your Majesty? "
Zhang Xiaobao couldn't understand. Did the people of this era not have any ideas in this aspect?
"I understand. The consequences will be that if two countries use the same currency and we don't give them money, their daily lives will be troublesome." This time, it wasn't Li Longji who spoke, but Li Yu.
Wang Juan also spoke, "What do you mean by not giving them money? It's us printing more money to buy things from them. We'll buy their things and then sell them things at a higher price. Do you understand now? Especially when it comes to national debt.
As long as our productivity develops faster than theirs, our ability to withstand financial fluctuations will be stronger. Even if we depreciate at the same time, their country's losses will be greater. The more they buy our national debt, the more they will lose. When the time comes, we'll use our technology to produce things and sell them at a higher price. This is a form of plunder. "
Li Yu nodded. He pondered for a moment and asked, "Then what if they also have their own money? Do we have to exchange money with them? "
"Of course, we have to exchange." Zhang Xiaobao said.
"Then what if they just casually print money?" Li Yu asked again.
"That is, originally, they used five copper coins to exchange for one copper coin of ours. Now that they have printed more, they use ten copper coins to exchange for one copper coin of ours. Do you understand what I'm saying? If they really dare to do that, they'll be finished. Actually, even if they don't do that, they'll still be finished. As long as Cuckoo and I open up the bank, they won't be able to do anything. "
Zhang Xiaobao was very much looking forward to that moment. He would be able to display his abilities and wouldn't have to restrain himself like he did now to not make a move against Great Tang.
Li Longji was also listening. When he heard Zhang Xiaobao's words, he asked, "Xiao Bao, are you saying that once you open up the bank and produce paper money or something similar, you can make a move against the surrounding countries? What effect will that have? "
Wang Juan replied, "It can cause a country to completely collapse. It can cause its people to lose their hearts and morale."
"It's that powerful?" Li Yu was shocked.
"Good, good. We must open the bank as soon as possible. We will be waiting for that day to come. When the time comes, we will send troops to attack." Li Longji believed Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's words.
Wang Juan continued, "Your Majesty, when that time comes, you won't be the one sending troops. Instead, you'll have to defend. The other side will definitely attack. This is a way to divert the internal conflict. If they don't fight, they'll really be finished. If they fight, there's still a chance. As long as they defend, it won't take too long.
In just two years, they'll be finished. If Xiao Bao uses some tricks, perhaps it won't take two years. In one year, they won't need to send troops. They can use economic means to take over the land. "
"That's right. When the time comes, we can just buy land from them. If their people don't have land, they'll have to leave their own country and run to other countries. We'll send people to reorganize them. In the future, they'll be Tang's citizens." Zhang Xiaobao continued.
Li Longji was stunned. When he looked at Zhang Xiaobao, he suddenly felt like he was meeting Zhang Xiaobao for the first time. He had never heard of such a thing. This was what it meant to subdue an enemy without a battle. His economic means were so powerful.
Old Man Pi wiped his sweat and turned to report to Zhang Shuo.
When he saw Zhang Shuo waiting, Old Man Pi said, "Lord Zhang, you're worried. Xiao Bao and Cuckoo's abilities are not something we can predict. The thing we're worried about is Xiao Bao and Cuckoo's trump card."
*****
The group continued to move forward. The scenery around them was getting better and better, but Li Longji was no longer in the mood to enjoy the scenery. All he could think about was what Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had said.
He was constantly thinking about taking over more land, but after the war in Tang, it was impossible to continue fighting. They didn't have enough people. Otherwise, he wouldn't be recuperating.
However, if it was like what Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had said, and they didn't need to send troops in the end and could occupy the land through economic means, why not do it?
The more he thought about it, the more difficult it was for Li Longji to calm down. When the sky gradually darkened and torches were lit, he couldn't help but say to Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, "Immediately arrange for the money bank.
There's no need to wait for the future. Make the preparations now. Wherever you want to open the bank, you can choose any craftsmen you like. You must quickly produce money that can't be counterfeited. The two of you will be in charge of this matter. If anyone tries to stop you, the two of you can decide for yourselves. We only want to hear the result. "
Li Longji had truly gone crazy. He didn't care how much trouble Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan's bank would cause. He gave the two of them a lot of authority, and the meaning behind his words couldn't be any clearer.
That was, no matter who tried to get a share of the benefits and tried to stop them, Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan could kill them first.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan glanced at each other. They had been waiting for this moment. They had finally obtained authority, but this bit of authority wasn't enough. They needed more strength.
Thus, Zhang Xiaobao said to Li Longji, "Your Majesty, the matter of a bank and money production isn't that simple. It requires a lot of cooperation. Furthermore, this subject doesn't know who to report to when the time comes."
Hearing that there were still difficulties, Li Longji closed his eyes and thought for a while. He said, "As long as it's related to a bank and money production, the two of you can do it. Even if you need to use some land, just bring it over. Who do you want to report to? Naturally, it's to us. "
"Alright, this subject will definitely do it well. It will take at most five years, but at least three years," Zhang Xiaobao said happily after receiving the authorization.
Li Longji really wanted to hear Zhang Xiaobao say three to five months, but he also knew how difficult it would be. At the very least, he didn't know how to do it now. He could only wait. Fortunately, he was still young and could afford to wait for three to five years.
After entering the county, Li Longji saw countless lanterns and colorful flags. Only then did he put his thoughts back on this trip.
He had Li Yu show him around and talk to the local officials. Seeing that it was getting late, he didn't ask Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan to continue cooking. Li Yu had already prepared the food.
In the beginning, Li Yu wanted to make more food, so that it would look very sumptuous. However, after contacting Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, the two of them told him that he shouldn't do that. It didn't need a lot, just something special. The emperor couldn't eat too much.
Li Yu trusted Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan, so he did as they said. Sure enough, when they were eating, Li Longji praised Li Yu for being frugal and not wasting anything. Li Longji praised Li Yu for being frugal and not wasting anything.
Night fell. Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan no longer had to follow Li Longji around. They returned to their temporary courtyard and told Xiaobei and the others a story. After that, they washed up and lay on the bed.
The two of them had not slept on a bed for a long time and were not used to it. They could not fall asleep immediately.
Wang Juan pulled Zhang Xiaobao's arm over and rested her head on it as she asked, "Xiao Bao, now that you've gotten the authority, what's the next step?"
The window was still open, and they could see the crescent moon outside. Zhang Xiaobao looked at the crescent moon and replied, "What else can we do? Tell Lu Zhou to get in touch with the surrounding provinces as soon as possible. Tell them to learn from Lu Zhou's method of construction. If they want to be quick, we can lend them some money first or invest in them directly.
However, if we invest in them, they'll have to exempt us from taxes for at least two years. Naturally, the excuse is to set up a bank there. If we don't make the local economy flourish, how can so many merchants be willing to go there? If the merchants don't go, the bank is useless.
When the time comes, if any official dares to stop us, no matter who they are, we'll deal with them. If we want to open banks all over Tang, we'll have to open restaurants all over Tang. We have to keep up with our business. Only then will we be able to minimize the impact when we have to withdraw large amounts of money from other regions. "
"Mhm, that's good as well. We'll have to hurry. It's best if we can get the other merchants to join us. Otherwise, we won't be able to do that with our financial resources. It'll be even better if we can get the local gentry to join us. If we run out of money when the time comes, we can ask them to fork out a portion of the money to pay for it."
Wang Juan added. Both of them knew what would happen to the Zhang Family and the Wang Family once this matter was settled.
Zhang Xiaobao yawned. "Alright, we'll make the arrangements when we set off tomorrow. Bring Li Xun and the other merchants who are working with us along. However, we won't let them interfere with the bank. We can only let them follow us to the restaurants and supermarkets."
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