An hour later, the news spread throughout the city, with countless merchants in Hangzhou copying and discussing the document in groups.
"Does Master Zhu's surety bond truly pledge all the assets of the Weaving Bureau?"
"Of course! Isn't it clearly stated in the posters? The assets of the Weaving Bureau, I estimate, are no less than thirty million taels..."
"More than that! What about the ships? The ships haven't even been counted yet. Have you forgotten? The Weaving Bureau is the Maritime Trade Office, and the Maritime Trade Office is the Weaving Bureau, and they have a large fleet of ships! Dozens of large ships, how much are they worth? Calculate it!"
"Hmm, even fifty million taels wouldn't be enough..."
"That's right! I think this plan is feasible! Master Zhu is using his fifty million tael fortune to borrow ten million taels from the public. One could say he's being very generous!"
"Yes, generous!"
"One tael of silver, five percent annually, and after three years, you can even get shares in the government-run bank. It's like a pie falling from the sky!"
"I think it's a go!"
"Tomorrow, my Old Yang's shop will subscribe for a thousand taels!"
"..."
...
Ten days later,
Zhu Mo and Xiao Xiao Sheng were eating fish by the West Lake when Zheng Bichang, along with over a dozen officials, personally arrived.
"Master Zhu, Master Zhu! Great news! Great news!"
Zhu Mo smiled calmly, not even bothering to acknowledge Xiao Xiao Sheng. Zheng Bichang, however, was ecstatic, shouting, "Master Zhu! Twelve million taels!"
The accompanying officials also murmured amongst themselves, each with a face full of joy.
"Alas, Master Zhu is truly a genius! Only ten days, and twelve million taels have already been subscribed. I wouldn't dare to believe it even if I were killed... How can such a thing happen in this world?"
"Indeed, on the Jiangnan plain, raising ten million taels wouldn't surprise me! What's surprising is how it was done so quickly?"
"I'm also puzzled... Why wouldn't people lend such large sums to moneylenders at over one percent interest, and instead subscribe to my five percent bonds?"
"Even on the Jiangnan plain, raising ten million is not easy... Think about it, who has seen so much silver in recent years?"
"Hangzhou certainly doesn't have that much, but over these ten days, many wealthy families have traveled here! From Jiangxi, Hangjiahu, Suzhou, Wuxi, and Changzhou, even from Yangzhou and Jiujiang, prominent families have rushed here overnight... I am utterly perplexed..."
"..."
Zhu Mo listened to their discussions with a smile, sighing inwardly.
The merchants understood everything once they saw the notice, but why did these people from the yamen always fail to comprehend?
He then interjected:
"Gentlemen, what one of your companions said earlier was excellent. Why would people deposit money in banks at over one percent interest instead of subscribing to my five percent bonds? Heh heh... You simply don't understand merchants!"
Zhu Mo, intending to give them a lesson in finance, continued:
"Do you think lending money always yields interest? In Hangzhou, how many people dare to lend at over one percent interest? Why don't you try to think from another perspective? If it were you, borrowing money at one percent interest, what could you do with it? What could you do to earn such a high gross profit? Once you grasp this point, you'll understand everything, and then you'll be able to comprehend what I plan to do next!"
Oh?
There was a next step?
What could it be?
The officials exchanged glances, racking their brains, unable to fathom the key to this mystery.
Seeing their complete bewilderment, Zhu Mo sighed:
"Gentlemen, don't you understand? In Hangzhou, besides gambling dens, brothels, and jewelry shops, which industries offer such high interest? None! How do banks make money? They lend money to those on the verge of bankruptcy – small farmers, small merchants, common folk. If something unfortunate happens to them, and they can no longer sustain themselves, they will turn to banks for loans... And in the end, without exception, their houses and fields will be forfeited to pay off debts!"
"This, this is your understanding of banks, relying on exploitation... Exploitation is indeed fast, but it carries great risk. Who hasn't seen people driven to hang themselves? And many fields and houses are actually not worth that much... Think about it, is an acre of land truly that expensive? It's just for stability, isn't it?
Besides, why haven't you asked? With the money I, Zhu Mo, have borrowed, why do I dare to guarantee that after three years, the interest will be over one percent and one fen? You! Who can answer this?"
Everyone was instantly flustered.
They could not possibly comprehend—
After the capitalization rate increases, Jiangnan silk will enter an industrialization stage. The return on investment at that time will surely exceed 30%. This speed may be maintained for 10-20 years, and if neighboring countries do not catch up with the trend, this advantage may last for 100 years...
...
Three days later,
Taizhou Anti-Piracy Camp.
Hu Zongxian, Qi Jiguang, and Tan Lun were all looking worried.
Winter was approaching, and the camp's military supplies were almost depleted. Where were the winter cotton clothes and blankets? Where were the armor and weapons for the newly recruited soldiers? Everything remained an unknown!
And that Zhu Mo, by rough calculation, had been in Jiangnan for almost a month, and besides killing He Maocai, he had spent his days sightseeing and enjoying himself...
Scouts reported back—
This person had done nothing, spending his days boating and eating fish with a vulgar scholar!
Hu Zongxian, Qi Jiguang, and Tan Lun had been living in constant apprehension, fearing some punishment from the Grand Secretariat... Fortunately, after more than half a month, there had been no urgent dispatches from the Grand Secretariat.
However,
Their recently calmed emotions were once again disrupted by the quartermaster's report. If things continued like this, the anti-piracy camp could last for at most another month. By then, there would be desertions, followed by mutiny, and then... the pirates would exploit the situation... In this way, the siege that had been painstakingly completed would be in vain. And Zhu Mo, the disaster relief envoy who had been placed high hopes upon, turned out to be just a playboy after all...
"Alas, Yuanjing, Zili, this Master Zhu is likely beyond hope... We cannot wait any longer. In my opinion, let's launch a proactive attack. While military supplies are still available, let's win a victory first. Then, the pirates might retreat to the sea, and we might be able to buy ourselves some time... At that time, I will personally go to the capital and ask Elder Yan for money!"
Tan Lun was startled by this.
His secret mission in Jiangnan was to dissuade his friend Hu Zongxian from getting too close to the Yan faction and to prioritize the nation. At this moment, forced by circumstances, if Hu Zongxian were to seek help from Yan Song, his mission would be ruined!
There would be no way to report back to Prince Yu and the Qingliu faction. In that case, he would definitely be recalled and return to the prince's mansion as an ordinary tutor...
"No! Ruzhen, you cannot seek help from Yan Song. Arranging military supplies is the Grand Secretariat's responsibility, and besides, there is still time... I will go to Hangzhou overnight to ask Zhu Mo what exactly he is doing! At the same time, I will write to the Prince now and ask him to discuss with Elder Xu and others to quickly replace the person responsible for military supplies. What do you think?"
Qi Jiguang also disagreed, saying, "My Lord, that is not advisable! The chances of success in a proactive attack are not high. The pirates' few strongholds on shore are very difficult to assault, and there are not many prospects for victory!"