Chapter 253 He was indeed narrow-minded.
When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should benefit all under heaven.
Jiang Yu didn't think what she said was empty talk or a vanity project. When a person has enough to eat and wear, and possesses sufficient wealth and power, their vision and ambitions naturally change. However, no matter when, doing something that benefits the country and its people is never a bad thing.
Xie Ning'an was once again shocked. Many officials shouted slogans like "benefiting the country and the people," but he saw sincerity in Jiang Yu's eyes. He knew that Jiang Yu's words came from the bottom of her heart.
He was indeed narrow-minded.
After a moment of silence, he said, "Okay, I will fully cooperate."
Jiang Yu nodded and explained the detailed plan to him before Xie Ning'an left. Wasn't Jiang Yu afraid that Xie Ning'an was colluding with the Prince of Lingnan? She wasn't afraid at all.
Putting aside the fact that Xie Ning'an is a smart man, his grandfather colluded with the Prince of Lingnan and suffered a near-extermination of his clan. If he were to collude with the Prince of Lingnan, he would be an absolute fool. Furthermore, if Xie Ning'an were indeed colluding with the Prince of Lingnan, it would be a perfect opportunity to seize leverage over the Prince.
After Xie Ning'an left, Jiang Yu called Li Zhengze and the others to his study, assigned them tasks, and then began writing a plan for the formation of a firearms research team.
At that very moment, Marquis Chengen was talking to his deputy general, Gu Yong, in his study.
"Have you heard about the Duke of Chu's plan to restructure Jufeng Money Shop and Trading Company?" asked Marquis Chengen.
Gu Yong nodded, but he was puzzled as to why Marquis Chengen had brought this up with him, as it seemed to have nothing to do with him. As a fourth-rank military officer, he was not qualified to attend court and did not have many sources of information, so he was unaware of Jiang Yu's reform plan.
Marquis Chengen could tell what he was thinking just by looking at the expression on his face. This Gu Yong was loyal to him and quite skilled in martial arts, but he didn't like to use his brain. Regarding the Tongde Bank matter, if he hadn't called someone over to remind him, he would have had no idea that the Gu family was already on the verge of danger.
"In the regulations for the reform of the State of Chu, there is a provision that from now on, only Jufeng Money Shop will be qualified to issue banknotes. It would be illegal for other money shops to issue banknotes."
Gu Yong was taken aback after hearing this, and after thinking for a while, he said, "Then I will tell my family not to go against the Duke of Chu."
Although Gu Yong didn't like to use his brain, he could still understand the situation. Since the Emperor had approved the reforms of the Duke of Chu, if they opposed the Duke of Chu on this matter, they would be opposing the Emperor.
Seeing that he understood, Marquis Chengen nodded in agreement and said, "Go home and tell your elder brother to send a female relative to visit the Duke of Chu's mansion and convey that you will cooperate with the Duke of Chu's reforms."
"Why?" Gu Yong asked.
Marquis Chengen patiently explained to him, "If the Duke of Chu wants to reform the system, there will definitely be many people who will obstruct it. If she wants the reform to proceed smoothly, she will definitely make an example of someone. I'm afraid she will target your Gu family's Tongde Bank."
Gu Yong was startled, then quickly said, "Alright, I'll go home right away. Thank you, Lord Marquis."
Marquis Chengen waved for him to leave, sensing a strong possibility that Jiang Yu would target Tongde Bank. His arrangement was a way of telling Jiang Yu that he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the restructuring. If Jiang Yu insisted on targeting Tongde Bank, the future would be uncertain.
Even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner. This time Jiang Yu didn't give him face, so he won't be polite in the future.
Yongwang Mansion
Princess Yong was talking to her younger sister, the wife of the head of the Ling family, in the small flower hall.
"Sister, don't worry. Now that Yalin is my daughter-in-law, I will never let her suffer any grievances." Madam Ling said with a smile, "You know I've always liked Yalin."
Princess Yong smiled and nodded, then said with some difficulty, "You know about what happened to Ya Lin before..."
Madam Ling was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, and immediately said, "Children make mistakes, and the past is the past. Before I came, Qichen was afraid that his marriage with Yalin would not go through, so he told me personally that he had long been in love with Yalin, but he had never dared to say it. He didn't care about Yalin's past and even said that he was afraid that Yalin would not like him."
Princess Yong was relieved, and the two began discussing the marriage between Qin Yalin and Ling Qichen. After everything was settled, Madam Ling looked somewhat troubled. Princess Yong noticed and asked what was wrong. Madam Ling said with difficulty, "I heard that the Duke of Chu wants to restructure Jufeng Money Shop and Trading Company?"
Princess Yong frowned slightly upon hearing this. "Yes, that's true. I heard it caused quite a stir in the court a couple of days ago."
Madam Ling sighed, "I heard that after the reform, other money shops can no longer issue banknotes; only Jufeng Money Shop can issue banknotes."
Prince Yong did not participate in court affairs, and Princess Yong was even less aware of what was happening in the court. Jiang Yu only knew about the restructuring of Jufeng Money Shop and the merchant house from other ladies; naturally, she did not know the specific restructuring regulations. Of course, he did not care either.
After hearing Madam Ling's words, she simply responded with an "Mmm".
Seeing her attitude, Madam Ling's expression became even more troubled. "The money shop's business hasn't been very good these past few years. If we can't issue banknotes, the money shop will be even more unable to continue operating."
Princess Yong picked up her cup and drank her tea, not responding to her words. Madam Ling glanced at her anxiously and said, "The family has many businesses, but the money shop is the most profitable. Yesterday, my husband discussed with me that he plans to give the money shop to Qichen to manage in the future, and even if the family splits up, the money shop will still be given to him."
Princess Yong put down her teacup and said, "As you know, the Prince doesn't concern himself with matters of the court."
"I was just thinking, could we talk to the Emperor about allowing Baoyuan Bank to issue banknotes after the reform?" Madam Ling said cautiously. "If that doesn't work, perhaps the matter of exchanging tax silver in the future could be handled by Baoyuan Bank."
Princess Yong remained silent, so Madam Ling continued, "I'm doing this for the sake of the child's future, since Baoyuan Bank will eventually be given to Qichen."
Princess Yong frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "Let me think about this."
“Okay, okay,” Madam Ling said immediately with a smile.
The next day, Lu Yifang received a visiting card from the eldest wife of the Gu family. Looking at the card, she asked Li Zhong, "Which Gu family?"
Li Zhong explained the relationship between the Ling family and the Marquis of Chengen's mansion. After listening, Lu Yifang waved for Li Zhong to leave with a puzzled look on her face, and then said to Wu Zhengyan:
"For a family we've never met to suddenly come to visit, there must be something on their mind. Once Zhu'er returns home, go and ask her if it's related to something outside. If it is, then ask her how we should treat them."
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