Tianliangyuan

Chapter 358 This is definitely a money-losing situation!

Xu Zhaozhao sighed, her face showing a hint of melancholy.

"In the previous dynasty, these pawnshops were regulated by the imperial court. Since the founding of our Great Xing Dynasty, these pawnshops have always been mainly privately owned. As a result, a large number of gambling dens have sprung up, and there have even been some heinous acts of forcing women into prostitution. Even if we have the method I mentioned now, the pawnshops have already lost the support of the people."

Xu Jun'an said urgently, "No! That's a private pawnshop, not a government pawnshop!"

Xu Zhaozhao shook her head and retorted, "Although the imperial court has its own pawnshops, their influence is far less than that of private pawnshops. Besides, how many ordinary people are literate? Even if they are literate, how can they distinguish which pawnshops belong to the imperial court and which belong to private individuals?"

Xie Zheng agreed and naturally supported his wife's statement: "Zhao Zhao is right. The farther away from the capital, the weaker the common people's understanding of the imperial court. At most, they can only see and come into contact with local officials. They cannot reach higher levels. As a result, their understanding is naturally very different from that of the people in the capital."

This is the truth.

That sounds a bit harsh.

What Xie Zheng was actually trying to say was that the more remote a place is, the weaker the imperial power will be in controlling it.

If a minister with too much ability stays in the border region for too long, it will arouse the emperor's suspicion.

However, if incompetent officials stay in border towns for too long, it will cause discontent among the people and may even lead to some civil unrest.

In short, it's difficult to handle.

"Since the county magistrate has brought this up, she must have had a brilliant idea. Please enlighten us."

Xu Zhaozhao laughed. Did Fu Pei really regard her as a wise man, or as a source of ideas?

However, the immediate priority is to achieve my ultimate goal.

So, that's it.

Anyway, we should give him a credit.

Since that's the case, let's go with the flow.

"Why don't the imperial court step in and change the name of the money exchange, and whatever the name, add the prefix 'Daxing'! Furthermore, it should issue a direct order that such places that offer loans and deposits can only be run by the imperial government, and private individuals are not allowed to get involved. Otherwise, they will be breaking the law and will be beheaded and have their property confiscated!"

After Xu Zhaozhao finished speaking, she humbly lowered her head slightly and said, "Of course, these are just my personal opinions. I am just a woman with limited knowledge. If Lord Fu wants to accomplish this great thing that benefits the country and the people, he should naturally consult with Minister Gu of the Ministry of Revenue more often."

Fu Pei's eyes lit up, and his gaze towards Xu Zhaozhao immediately changed.

This is a suggestion, isn't it?

Such an important matter, if reported directly to the Emperor without going through the Minister of Revenue, would offend someone.

If Xu Zhaozhao hadn't reminded him, Fu Pei would have completely forgotten about Gu Dongyang.

Xie Zheng suddenly had an idea: "Since it is a storehouse run by the imperial court, or rather, a place where silver and silk can be stored, it must be heavily guarded. Moreover, even though it is in the capital, if it needs to be transported to the national treasury, it still needs to be escorted by force."

Xu Han's eyes darted around as he looked at his son.

Xu Junan was taken aback at first, then looked at his father and then at his brother-in-law, as if he understood.

"Yes, yes, yes! We can't give bad guys an opportunity. Moreover, if this really happens, it will definitely spread throughout Daxing. Then our corresponding protection measures must be improved."

And so, everything is perfect.

Of course, Xu Zhaozhao would not bring up any more details.

For example, is it possible to have regular storage for two or three years?

For example, if you lend money out, how do you assess the borrower's repayment ability? Do you need them to provide certain items as collateral?

Furthermore, if it is an office established by the imperial court, then corresponding officials must be assigned to be in charge, and someone must be responsible for supervision. How should these arrangements be made, and so on.

……

There are still too many details to discuss.

Therefore, both the Minister of Revenue and Fu Pei will be very busy from now on.

What Xu Zhaozhao didn't know was that a few days later, Gu Dongyang invited Xu Han to Furonglou for a meal.

The things that followed were no longer suitable for Xu Zhaozhao to participate in, so she began to prepare for her own grand plan.

Daxing does have pawnshops.

However, it is no longer called a pawnshop, but a pawnshop, also known as a pawn shop, a pawn shop, a pawn shop, a pawn shop, etc.

A pawnshop is essentially a place to borrow money, but you have to put something as collateral.

To prevent borrowers from defaulting on their loans, pawnbrokers require them to pledge valuables as collateral.

These things can be anything: clothes, food, gold and silver jewelry, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, bronze and iron utensils, even houses, fields, cattle and horses, and even living people like slaves can be pawned. Therefore, nowadays there is no such thing as a pawnshop; instead, it is called a pawnshop.

Goods warehouses are usually located in bustling streets, with a large signboard with the character "典" (dian) hanging at the entrance.

Their walls are built exceptionally high, partly to prevent thieves and partly to protect the privacy of their customers.

Inside the pawnshop, there's a tall counter where people holding out their items raise both hands. This design serves two purposes: first, to instill a sense of awe and discourage haggling; and second, for security.

Xu Zhaozhao has already visited several pawnshops in Beijing.

To be honest, it was a bit worse than she had imagined.

After all, although the economy of Daxing is prosperous now, it is still not comparable to that of later generations in terms of finance.

Moreover, there aren't that many quality libraries available right now.

In Chang'an County alone, there are only five or six pawnshops, which is quite a small number.

Xu Zhaozhao had long coveted this pawnshop.

I just haven't been able to find the right opportunity yet.

Moreover, in her view, if she could really get Daxing to start setting up money shops and banks, then her pawnshop project would surely be realized very soon.

Only when money shops prosper can Daxing's economy flourish, and at the same time, pawnshops can truly thrive.

Xie Zheng entered Xu Zhaozhao's study and saw some calligraphy and paintings casually placed on the desk. He picked one up to look at it, and the more he looked, the more fascinated he became, and the more he looked at it.

"Zhaozhao, are you planning to open a pawnshop?"

"Yes. As you can see."

Xie Zheng was stunned.

"But didn't you just suggest to Fu Pei that the pawnshop be renovated? If the Daxing pawnshop is actually successfully renovated, then the pawnshop business will decline. If you open a pawnshop then, won't you definitely lose money?"

Although Xie Zheng wasn't good at business, he still had some basic common sense.

Both money shops and pawnshops were designed to facilitate borrowing and lending of money. Once the government had publicly funded money shops with low interest rates, who would bother with pawnshops?

It's obvious that this pawn shop and the pawnshop are in the same industry!

Xu Zhaozhao was still holding a calligraphy brush in her hand, and her smile gave off a feeling of 'you're silly, but cute'.

Xie Zheng touched his forehead, pondered his words, and realized there was nothing wrong with them!

"Zhao Zhao?"

Xu Zhaozhao put down her pen and beckoned to him: "Come sit down, I'll explain it to you in detail."