Laoshan, Tangquan Town, Pang's Garden, there are already more than a dozen people sitting in the living room. There is the richest man in the Ministry of Finance, Shangshu Zheng Zhilong, there is the Grand Duke Luo from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who claims to love the emperor rather than money or beauty, there is Huang Jiang, the just-retired general manager of the Maritime Commercial Bank, and there is the famous Da Gong in the North. The rich man Jabs includes the French Prince Condé and the French envoy Colbert, the English envoy Marvell and Minister Pitt, the Governor of the Dutch East India Company De Heuer and the Dutch Ambassador Bruce Van Diemen. Portuguese Ambassador São Paulo and Portuguese Governor of Macau Bugalo.
It is not easy to bring together so many prominent people. The only one who can bring them together and still allow them to drink milk tea with unique taste while waiting for the waiting people is of course the only one who can do it is Zhu Cihong, the most powerful person in the Ming Dynasty. .
Although many foreign envoys came, today's gathering in Pang's Garden was not a diplomatic event - it was impossible for a diplomatic event to be held in the residence of Zhu Cihong's "Queen's Mistress" Marie Mancini. Even an informal diplomatic meeting is not suitable here.
Today's party is an extremely important business event!
Zhu Cixiang, who was born in the 1990s, is probably the only capitalist emperor in Chinese history. He began to form his own business team even before he fled Beijing. When he was rectifying the salt affairs in Yangzhou, he began to work hard to start a business while being the prince of Fujun... It was so difficult!
After the Nanjing Eunuch Rebellion, the first stage of Zhu Cixiang's hard work in starting a business was completed - so inspiring! The sixteen-year-old boy started from scratch and started a business part-time while being the prince of Fujun. In just a few months, he achieved at least one small goal, and all of it was real money and real estate. It is a miracle in the entrepreneurial world!
Zhu Cixiang's entrepreneurial miracle continued in the following ten years. The Royal Chamber of Commerce, founded in the 17th year of Chongzhen, is now listed as one of the three largest chambers of commerce in the Ming Dynasty along with Zheng Zhilong's "Yiguan Chamber of Commerce" and Shen Tingyang's "Sand Ship Chamber of Commerce". Chamber of Commerce (Consortium). Moreover, the Royal Chamber of Commerce also led the Yiguan Chamber of Commerce and the Shachuan Chamber of Commerce towards the broad road of capitalist industry and commerce by establishing the Maritime Bank and the Salt Merchant Bank.
The three major chambers of commerce have now developed into the three major chaebols in the Ming Dynasty!
Of course, the communication and transportation conditions in the 17th century were very limited, and it was impossible to create the kind of global monopoly consortium of later generations. Otherwise, Zhu Cixiang would not have let Huang Jiang and Lin Yihu (Jabs) go to Europe to start their own businesses.
Today's business gathering is to attract venture capital for Huang Jiang and Lin Yihu's entrepreneurial projects.
Huang Jiang and Lin Yihu’s entrepreneurial project is called China United Bank!
China United Bank has two main businesses. One is remittance and settlement between China (Asia) and Europe - to put it simply, it is to set up a European settlement center in the town of Versailles near Paris, France. All businessmen who want to remit funds to China (Asia) can first deposit the funds into the branches of China United Bank in Paris, London, Hamburg, Lisbon, Amsterdam and other places, and then go to Versailles with the deposit certificate The center replaces it with a remittance voucher.
And agree on the time to withdraw funds at the Indian Settlement Center in Ceylon, the Malacca Settlement Center in Batavia, the Nanshenzhou Settlement Center in Guangzhou or the Dongshenzhou Settlement Center in Shanghai.
China United Bank is not responsible for all settlement centers, it is only responsible for managing the business of the European Clearing Center. The Ceylon Center and the Malacca Center are managed by the Dutch East India Company, the Guangzhou Center is managed by the Maritime Bank, and the Shanghai Center is managed by the Salt Merchant Bank.
The five major settlement centers divide the handling fee according to the distance of the remittance. As for the interest income generated during the remittance process, the settlement center that absorbs the remittance funds enjoys it.
The international settlement currency used by the five major settlement centers is unified as "Ming Liang", which is the Bank Liang of the Ming Dynasty.
If the five major settlement centers need to advance funds, the settlement center of the remittance party will pay advance interest to the advance party until the silver or gold used for settlement arrives.
The second largest business segment of Shenzhou United Bank is deposits and loans. This business segment is developed on the basis of settlement business-settlement business can provide both deposits and loans.
Because in this era, remittances do not involve sending a few electronic signals, but must go through a long process. During this process, the remittance party's funds do not generate any interest income, and the bank is equivalent to occupying a sum of interest-free funds.
At the same time, the remittance party can also obtain a loan from a bank and then remit it. They only need to provide a mortgage - land, real estate, jewelry, or a strong guarantee, and then they can get a loan from the bank and remit it for overseas trade.
With the support of this business, European and Chinese merchants can go out to trade without cash or ships!
The Emperor of Ming Dynasty has not yet appeared, but Huang Jiang and Lin Yihu (under the name of Jabs) have already put together the plans for China United Bank and the five major settlement centers.
De Heuer of the Dutch East India Company, Marvell, the special envoy of the Republic of England, and Colbert, the special envoy of France, who were present, were all stunned when they heard this.
What a big deal this must be!
Moreover, this transaction has a very significant role in promoting overseas trade.
"Why should the settlement bank be located near Paris? Why not be located in London?" British envoy Marvell raised objections.
"It should be located in Amsterdam!" De Heuer, the governor of the East India Company, laughed. "If it were located in London, this clearing house would probably only be able to accommodate Puritans! How many merchants in Europe do you think can tolerate the Puritans' rules? "
"Yes, yes, yes!" Prince Kongdai nodded repeatedly, "Businessmen in the Ming Dynasty have their own way of life and beliefs. They need a relatively relaxed environment. If they go to London... I'm afraid they will have to give up. Renwell’s men arrested and hanged him!”
Want to hang?
How terrible!
Kong Dai spoke in Chinese, which both Huang Jiang and Lin Yihu could understand, and both showed exaggerated expressions of horror - it was of course Emperor Zhu's decision after careful consideration to locate the European settlement bank in France. Because not only would the Puritans cause trouble in Britain, but it would also strengthen London's position in European economic life.
It is not appropriate to locate it in Amsterdam, because two of the five major settlement centers are already under the control of the Dutch. If the most important European center also goes to Amsterdam, then sooner or later this international settlement system will be controlled by the Dutch.
Not only Zhu Cixing was unhappy with this situation, but France and the United Kingdom would not agree to it.
Moreover, the contradiction between Britain and the Netherlands is huge, and there is no telling when a war will begin! When the two countries block each other, how will the international settlement of transactions be done?
"Okay," Marvell gave in. "The clearing house in Europe can be located in France, but the clearing house in the Indian market cannot be located in Ceylon."
"Where should I put it?" De Heuer asked.
"It can be placed in Goa!" Portuguese Ambassador Shipaolo interjected, "We Portugal have been operating in Goa for more than a hundred years and have established a very stable rule there. It is very suitable to become a trade center in the Indian region!" He Glancing at the British envoy Marvel, "The Indian Ocean settlement bank can be jointly managed by the Governor's Palace of Goa and the British East India Company."
"That's good!" Marvel nodded in agreement.
"France has no dissent."
De Heuer shouted: "No, we in the Netherlands do not agree!"
While they were arguing, someone suddenly shouted: "Your Majesty is here!"
Zhu Cixiang is here!
In fact, Zhu Cihong had arrived long ago and was chatting with Mary Mancini in the next room, waiting for the Dutch and British to quarrel.
When they quarreled, Zhu Cihong became an arbiter and moved the Ceylon Center to Goa!
